Zone E -- Highlands

[Strazio Rockwell]

“You sure you don’t wanna run old man?” Strazio asked.

“I’m not worried,” the stranger answered.

Strazio shrugged, “shame.”

In one fluid motion Strazio rushed forward, shucking his cloak and bellowing a warcry. His bare forearms crackled with energy, the beginnings of a devastating attack. Odin took a half step back and leveled his spear at the aggressor. And for a moment it seemed that the hot-head would skewer himself. Instead he stopped short, his boots skidded in the dirt, and he threw his arms forward. Two thunderclaps smacked across the forest. A spear of white lightning tore forth from each arm and barreled towards the Allfather. One bolt was sidestepped, but the other found purchase in the old man’s shoulder. Equal measures of heat and pain chewed at his flesh, a reminder of his mortality.

Strazio began to charge another set of attacks, but a sudden lunge sent him scrambling. Spurred into action by the drawing of first blood Odin rushed forth and delivered a dizzying series of thrusts and slashes. One foot stumbled over the other as Strazio backpedaled to avoid the blender turned against him. A line of scarlet was carved into the mage’s thigh followed by a long scratch across his cheek.

“Back off already!” Strazio shouted and delivered a boot to Odin’s chest.

Respite, if only temporary, was enjoyed by both combatants. Odin studied his opponent, his divine eye gleaning handfuls of insight into his opponent’s abilities. Warm blood dribbled down the mage’s cheek and stained his white shirt. He touched the wound and winced.

Strazio growled and shouted, “you better have more than just a fucking spear, asshole!”

Odin chose not to reply.

The mage glanced down at the gash across his thigh. Thick globs of life poured from the open wound, painting a picture of carnage across the floor of the gentle forest. Energy pulsed through the wound, searing the flesh and cauterizing the lacerated blood vessels. The acrid scent of cooked meat and burnt blood enveloped the two. Not quite good as new, but good enough to fight on.

Sizzling motes of energy swirled around the mage’s left arm. The tiny fireflies gnawed at his skin, leaving char marks in their wake. After a few second he unleashed another lance. This one, however, arced wide, so far wide that Odin did not even consider the need to dodge. The bolt roared past him and crashed into the base of a dying tree. Splinters soared through the air and the tree fell towards the Allfather. Gungir was brought to bare against the falling timber. With a few well-placed chops and a backstep Odin avoided most of the debris.

He knew the tree to be little more than a feint, but he was not prepared for the devilish speed of his adversary. Strazio tackled the god and sent them both sprawling against the earth. After a few seconds of wrestling Strazio ended up on top. They held Gungir between them, both struggling for control of the weapon. A magick-induced steroid swimmed through Rockwell’s muscles and filled them with tremendous strength. The two locked eyes and in that moment Odin realized that his opponent was about as crazy as a sack of ferrets.

“Die!” Strazio screamed.

As amped up as he was the mage’s strength began to falter. In a few more seconds the old man would overpower him and beat him into the dirt. His cheek sprinkled blood on Odin’s chest and the boy grinned. A few more drops fell and Odin’s heart fluttered. His true sight gave him knowledge of many things and of all the things he learned of Strazio one thing resonated in his mind - the boy’s blood was explosive.

*BOOM*

Strazio activated Overcharge and cannot do so again unless he self-inflicts 2 pnts of damage

[Karl Jak]

End Day 1 Phase 1

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face (E2 Item Drop) -- Clownpiece & Cirno vs Dante and Batman (vs Dane?)


Post order will be:  Clown - Dante - Cirno - Batman - Dane

Word Limit: 800
Posts Per Player: 2
Time Limit: 20 hours
Random Elements: On

[Clownpiece]

“Ah...” though she’d put up a momentary fight against being scooped up by the smaller fairy, Clownpiece was quite alright with this turn of events. Though normally she absolutely despised the cold, she would make an exception this time, the chill of Cirno’s aura was working wonders on her sore body. With a content sigh, she constricted her arms and legs a bit tighter, chest pressing against the ice fairy’s back.

“We’re almost there,” her friend said, keeping up a steady pace. “Also, why am I carrying you?” Clownpiece eye’s creaked open, revealing the ubiquitous mountain grasses, and she loosened her grip a bit. That was a good question, she had to admit. The insanity had worn off a while ago, so she wasn’t as amped up now. “You’re too warm, get off me!” Frigid hands closed around the hell fairy’s wrists, and Cirno stumbled to the side as she tried to wrest her off.

“No,” the bug-winged girl said petulantly, fighting against the prying hands.

“I said...” the duo stumbled to the side, each stubbornly straining against the other, “Get. Off!” With a powerful wrench, Clownpiece’s grip faltered, just in time for the ground to curve away beneath Cirno’s feet. The world went sideways, filling with a blur of blue and green. Her side slammed into the grassy ground, wind driving from her lungs. Both fairies tumbled head over heel, rolling down to the base of the hill in a blur of reds, whites, and blues. Stiff grass and loose rocks scraped at the hell fairy’s bare arms, and at once, she rolled to a halt. Her vision spun as she shakily pushed to her feet, trying her best to make heads or tails of what she just stumbled into.

Vague shapes slowly eased into her vision, man-made shapes. She could faintly make out a doused fire, a box of some sort, and two humanoid shapes. A short rustle of fabric came from her left, as Cirno also rose back up.

“I told you to le-”

“Shh...” Clownpiece planted a single finger roughly against the ice fairy’s face before she could raise any complaints. With her vision clearing up, she could finally make out the two shapes she’d seen. Two men, both tall, though one was in a red coat, and the other was clad entirely in black. No doubt both of them were here for the item drop. The two groups stood there silently, carefully eyeing each other, ready to spring at a moment’s notice. The purple glow of Clownpiece’s hellish torch flared up, the power of her insanity ramping up quickly.

“Cirno!” she barked her friend’s name, sweeping her torch to the side as she did so. The ice fairy’s gaze tore off the two men for a moment, just in time for it to turn onto the lunatic glow. Her normally blue eyes were overcome with a red madness, and without a moment to spare, Cirno shot off, kicking forward so hard it tore the ground up beneath her feet, Clownpiece following soon after. With a tiny blue blur hurtling towards them, the two men sprung into action.

The red-clad man dove out the way, hands frantically shooting to his sides. Overshooting, Cirno planted her feet down heavily, and skidded to a halt, raising her hands as she did so, cool mist condensing around them. A black blur shot towards the small fairy, the bat-masked man racing to aid his ally. Clownpiece’s almost bare feet beat rhythmically against the ground, and she raised her left arm up, a gout of hellfire shooting out of it and washing over the cloaked figure. With a some sort of grunt, he sidestepped further away from the hell fairy, and in the same moment Cirno thrust her fog-cloaked hands forward, shooting out two icy spears towards the grounded man.

A loud bang rang out, and one of the speeding icicles exploded, smoke billowing out from the barrel of the gun that destroyed it. Hundreds of glassy fragments slammed into their silver-haired opponent, along with one large, chilled blade, which cut into his leg before digging into the ground. Clownpiece shifted the direction of her flame, relentlessly closing the distance. In a surprising burst of agility, the man rolled out of the way and sprung back up to his feet in one swift motion. Cirno thrust her hands out again, misty aura already coalesced, and the hell fairy raised the inferno higher.

Two loud booms sounded, two icicles exploded, and pain erupted in Clownpiece’s left hand, a thin but deep cut opening across the back. She gritted her teeth, pulling back her arm and casting a quick glance over to her ally. Cirno backpedalled a few steps, uncertainty flitting across her face as her lunatic red eyes faded.
 

797 Words.
Clownpiece used: Lampad’s Torch (Buff), Hellfire
Cirno used: Icicle Attack
Dante used: Ebony & Ivory
Batman used: Batarang

[Odin]

Strazio’s strength started to wane, but just as Odin managed to roll the boy off him, the blood exploded. The two combatants were sent spinning down opposite sides of the hill. The god skipped once across the path before he collided with a tree. The world spun, and for a moment, he thought he couldn’t feel his feet.
 
Forcing himself up to his hands and knees, he spat out some blood and let his mind race. I will not lose to this boy. Not after less than a day. I have not grown this weak. I refuse.
 
The All-Father ground his teeth and arched his back as he started to change. He grew longer and heavier, spouted silvery fur, and grew a snout lined with razor sharp teeth. He wrapped his long claws around Gungnir and launched himself over the pinnacle of the hill. “Not this day, Demon,” he snarled
 
The sudden appearance of a werewolf tearing toward him caused Strazio to take half a step back and prepare the only defense he knew: More offense. “That’s what I’m talking about, Fucker!” screamed the mad wizard as he flung his arms forward and filled them with power. When the beast was 8 feet away, he released the blast, but his foe was much faster than before. Odin sprung upward in an arcing leap that took him directly over Strazio.
 
The wizard was prepared, however, and had already stuck his hand in the wound the explosion had torn open earlier. He threw the fist full of blood at his attacker, but his timing was off. It exploded before it reached the god, causing only scorched fur. Still, it proved enough of a distraction for Strazio to put some distance between himself and the werewolf.
 
Odin’s claws dug into the dirt path as he bounded toward his fleeing prey. The wizard aimed again and released twin blasts, but Odin was ready for it, and in his enhanced form, too fast. He dodged to the right, barely slowing his advance.
 
When the All-Father was finally in range, he lunged forward, driving the point of his spear straight at the boy’s heart. Strazio simply rotated his hips, making himself a thinner target. Instead of killing him, the blade ripped a long gash across his chest, and the spray of blood covered Odin. “Die you stupid motherfucker!” screamed the wizard as he buried his fists in the werewolf’s blood-covered fur.
 
“NO,” Odin managed to growl before the explosion blew them in separate directions. He tried to remember to hold onto his weapon, but blackness temporarily overtook him. When the world came back into focus, Strazio was stalking toward him. He was saying something, but Odin couldn’t make out the words. The god kept his gaze on his opponent and reached out for Gungnir. It wasn’t there. His mighty claws searched the ground with growing panic, and his eyes soon followed. There, passed the demon boy. There was no way he could reach it in time. This form was almost out of power too. He was running out of options.
 
“This ends now!” he growled, launching himself at Strazio. As he charged, his form started shifting back to that of an old man. His speed quickly diminishing. The wizard took his time aiming a blast to kill the unarmed god when lightning blinded him. A clap of thunder followed, and suddenly Odin was in range, a mighty hammer held high and sparking with electricity.

Odin is using transformation Wolf Form for this post only and ending with Super Attack Mjolnir. He has 0 of 2 sp left.

[Simon]

Dante bit his lip to avoid crying out- the stab of pain demanded attention and treatment, but neither could be offered at the moment. Dashing for cover behind the package (and landing RIGHT on his bad leg, oh god ouch), the hunter Prime looked over to his fellow human, still sizing up the fairies with a strange expression. Teaming up with the man in black hadn't been a priority on Tony Redgrave's metaphorical list, but desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I don't suppose it's too late for a truce?" He hailed to Batman. Hopefully the cowl would overlook the little detail of Dante basically having tried to blindside him like the ice fairy had done in turn.

"I'm not a fan of blind trust," came the gruff, controlled voice in response. "-but I guess you could use the help." When he put it like that, Tony felt almost offended- but trying to correct him would be petty.

Suppressing the stinging cold invading his wound, the son of Sparda took a deep breath and dove from cover. One after the other, Dante clicked the pistol triggers in rapid succession. Blast after blast of .45 ACP, a destructive hail of carnage to the fairies but bangin' music to his ears. Having already felt the destruction of his weapons, the two magical girls scattered to avoid the attack, deftly diving behind the dilapidated structures for cover.

Batman dove up to the wall, rightfully expecting an attack from another vantage point. Tony Redgrave remained out in the open, both handguns fanned out in anticipation. From an alley one block down, the ice fairy emerged again, ready to unleash another salvo. Ebony & Ivory rose to the occasion once again, two well-placed shots shattering her bolts of ice as she dove away with immense speed.

Dante grit his teeth in building frustration. The magician girls couldn't be particularly sophisticated if all they could manage were evocations like this. Their primary export was extreme speed, the ice fairy flying around faster than bullet could trace. Chances were that they wouldn't be able to avoid a blast if he were just a little closer...

Letting the black hood turn gears in his head, Tony dove forward, trying to close the distance between himself and the fairy. As he did, the payload of the lunatic magician released, a blazing inferno that swallowed the redcoat before he could anything to stop it. Though he dove free of the magic burst, the devil hunter suffered a searing agony all over for it, the spell simply too large to avoid from an ambush. The perpetrator very nearly burst into a fit of cackles from her brief victory, and before Dante could turn and put a bullet in her smug mug, the frosty girl dove in with palms ready, shoving two more icicles unavoidably forward.

His instinct screamed to act- forced to do anything he could to stop the attack, the redcoat entered a Royal Guard, weathering the two shards of frost magic. The shock and numbness from the impacts were made paltry, and opened an opportunity to funnel both barrels right into the fairy in retaliation. Two shots at once punched into the girl's ribs, sending her flying back into a collapsed hut.

The mad magician had pulled away, no doubt preparing her next spell. The vigilante quickly stepped into her place, prepared to deal with her and leave Little Ms. Popsicles to the care of Dante. Fine, then, Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Brooding, have it your way.

Breaking into a sprint for the fallen hut, Tony Redgrave unleashed another storm of suppressing fire. The ice magician had crept out of sight, but she would have to think twice about moving with multiple bullets chipping away at the debris. Further and further he closed the distance, but with no sign of action from the fairy. And then, as the sight of the former cabin filled his vision, she appeared again, leaping up from behind the wreckage with her next attack in hand.

"I won't lose to a human like you!" The frosty girl cried defiantly, biting through the pain of two projectiles lodged in her chest. "Take this- Icicle Bomb!"

The intense, melon-sized explosive pushed from her hands, headed straight for Dante. Several more bullets were deflected by the bomb's thick cover- right as both pistols clicked empty, damn it all. Completely undeterred, the bomb nearly collided with the devil hunter; he only evaded it by throwing himself into a desperate burst, crashing head-on into the ruined hut. The attack hit the ground, and moments later, bombarded the area with the harsh chill of a hailstorm.

Somewhere, above the roar of ice that rivaled Cerberus's frozen jaws, Cirno laughed heartily.

787 words, according to Wordcounter.net

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face -- Odin vs Strazio

Update: Strazio counters Mjolnir w/ Overload

Result - Roll of 1. Both Super Moves go through and do full damage!

(Strazio's 2nd post is next)

[Cirno]

"Clownpiece Its time to show these humans what a real challenge looks like!" She created two icicles in her hands and started to give cover fire upon mister dark and brooding as Clownpiece ducked behind cover. She heard the fire of a couple guns and spun around to meet it with her own fire only to be cut up in the back causing her to stop firing and yelp in surprise and pain. She felt the bullets hit her chest also causing some pain but nothing serious was hit thankfully.

She gritted her teeth as she smiled. "Alright mister deadly serious. lets play a game its call don't get hit by the carpet bombing." After that she started to charge up her icicle bomb and moved towards the bat before throwing it pretty much point blank and caused it to cut everything in a fairly large radius.

She felt Batman try and get up close and personal as she realized that if they were going to win. Clownpiece had to be nearby. "Regroup Clownpiece!" And the two of them retreated up on a slight hill before doubling there efforts upon the bat. Clownpiece and Cirno kept Dante away by the occasional Icicle bomb and hell fire. That was when Cirno got a face full of fist causing her to stumble back a couple of feet becoming disorientated.

Batman continued his assault on the ice fairy by grabbing one of her wings and slamming her into the ground hard. "Cirno! Remember Danmaku rules are not a thing here." Cirno smiled at this. "Your right my hell fairy they don't really exist  here so we can go all out." That caused cirno to scramble to her feet smiling from ear to ear at the bat, chest out, arms readying another volley of icicles.

She jumped at the bat while firing icicles at both him and Dante with minimal success at best. A scratch here or a cut there but mostly unharmed. She decided that while Batman was being dog pilled Dante was finally having some fun with some gun fire upon the two fairy's. Cirno looked at Clownpiece who was keeping Batman's attention and then decided that it was time to continue her fight with Dante.
"Hey ugly fashion statement!" As she yelled it to Dante she saw for just a moment a look of utter and complete disgust.

"What did you just call me you idiot?" Dante was offended, not only did she call his sense of style ugly, she was getting on his nerves.

Cirno fired upon Dante a couple seconds later with some more icicles only for them to be barely miss the foe. Cirno kicked off causing grass and dust to fly for a few seconds with uncertainty filling her with fear only for it to be pushed down with a urge to get the damn item. "I was a couple minutes late on getting the first item and I wont lose this to the likes of you!"

She got close up to Dante and fired point blank into him causing various cuts and scratches on his arms and legs as he in retaliation punched her jaw before grabbing her dress and slammed the fairy into the ground. Each time causing the ice fairy to lose a bit more concentration and black out just a little more. She had one trick up her sleeve and she wanted to use it. Just as she was readying her spell card Dante stopped slamming her into the ground, and walked back.

"Any last words before I kill you mage?" Dante seemed hell bent on winning and I mean who wouldn't be when such prizes were on the table.

Cirno smiled weakly as she got up. "My . . . name is Cirno, Ice fairy of the lake and I will not lose to a stupid human! Ice sign icicle fall!" She held her hands out point blank at Dante when the stream of icicles began to fly out.

Word counter says my word count is 664 and I have used ice sign icicle fall directly on Dante Sp count is now 0/1

[Strazio Rockwell]

Danger was made manifest in the form of a big God-damned lightning hammer. Strazio stumbled backwards. Odin pressed his advantage, swinging Mjolnir towards the boy’s chest.

“Step off!” Strazio shouted.

The Defender threw both hands forward and dumped every available scrap of energy into them. Quarter-sized chunks of flesh on Strazio’s arms vaporized; a price paid by those that dare to wield magick. A visceral collector called for his bloode and flesh to fuel the power he wished to use. Once he had gathered what he could stand to sacrifice the mage released his payload. A massive vortex of destruction erupted from the boy’s hands. Unable to find solid footing Strazio skidded backwards, his own attack almost too powerful to control.

“I will not fall so easily!” The Allfather’s voice cut through the explosion.

Strazio opened his mouth in astonishment. A dark form appeared in the sea of vindictive white. The old god forced his body through the tide, each step bringing him that much closer to the mage. Try as he might Strazio could only sustain such a devastating attack for a short time. And as quick as it started the blast flickered and died. With nothing left to stop him Odin rushed forth, hammer held high, ready to smite the interloper.

Drained of strength Strazio could do little more than watch as his opponent closed the distance. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. Mjolnir slammed into the white-haired boy’s chest. In half a second the force of a lightning bolt was discharged into his fragile body. The force of impact turned Strazio into a meat missile sending him through the air. His flight was cut short as an upturned rock slab caught him. It took a few moments for Strazio.exe to come back online, his head dashed against his head. A fractal spiderweb-like network of burns covered his body and every muscle ached. He stood, smacked his chest, and screamed. He peeled away what was left of his shirt and trudged forward.

“You’re at your limit old man,” Strazio declared.

Odin scooped up his spear and answered, “you’re in bad shape yourself.”

“Yeah, well I’m used to it,” Strazio said, spit, and then asked, “what’s your name?”

“I am known as Odin, and you?”

“Strazio Rockwell, Defender of Darkshire, you’d do well to remember it.”

The two warriors nodded. There was something to be said for the kind of respect gained through mutual bloodshed.

Strazio rubbed a hand across his newfound burns and scowled. Burns were better than a broken arm, but not by much. They made movement painful, but at least he could move.The defender walked over to his rifle and picked it up. An errant arc of electricity traveled across the mage’s body and grounded against the rifle’s barrel. Strazio began to charge his weapon, a process both flashy and time-consuming. Erratic fireflies danced across the boy’s charred body and covered the longrifle. After a few seconds he leveled the rifle towards Odin and pulled the trigger.

The Allfather dodged a series of white-hot lances as he advanced. Strazio backpedaled, firing a fulisade of bolts. Odin took a lance to the chin, but kept his assault. The first strike knocked the rifle out of Strazio’s hand. Strazio stepped forward, smacking the spear away with his forearm. Odin kicked the boy’s leg and stepped back creating enough space to bring his spear back to bare.

Spent one Sp on Overload

[Odin]

“You fought well, boy,” Odin admitted, plunging his spear through the wizard’s chest. He felt the blade split the outer layer of flesh, but suddenly all resistance disappeared. The All-Father stumbled forward through the cloud of violent energy that replaced his foe. His skin crackled and smoked as the smell of burning human flesh filled his nose.  
 
He dropped to one knee, the pain and exhaustion making his head spin. Strazio wrapped one arm around Odin’s blackened neck, choking him. Then he placed his free hand on the god’s chest, and terrible cold pierced his heart. “It’s almost over, old man.”
 
Animal panic threatened to overtake the god as he felt his life slipping away. The young wizard outclassed Odin in speed, strength, and powers. There was only one advantage he maintained. Countless lifetimes of battle experience kicked in. Odin grabbed the arm around his neck, stood, lifting Strazio’s hips on his own, and rolled forward. He landed on top of the boy, knocking the wind out of him and loosening his grip.
 
Scrambling, he managed to straddle the boy’s body and began raining blows down on his face. When he felt Strazio’s nose break, he reached over to Gungnir to finish the job. He brought the spear down for what should have been the second killing blow of the fight, but Strazio gave zero shits about pain and sanity.  He blocked the attack with the ruined remains of his forearm and drove it to the side. The blade bit deep into both the bone and the dirt. He put his other hand on Odin’s chest and shouted, “Get off!”
 
Odin tried to roll out of the way, but the shot still caught his shoulder, burning it badly. He managed to roll up to a low crouch and to get his spear up to ward off any oncoming attacks. Strazio had regained his feet as well and recovered his rifle with a few shots remaining. He took aim but Odin managed to knock the barrel away just as he pulled the trigger. The bolt of energy landed near the god’s foot, and Strazio backed away continuing to try to get a shot off. With each shot, though, Odin managed to knock the barrel to the side just in time.
 
Finally, the last bit of energy drained out, and he chucked the hunk of metal at his foe. Odin instinctively stepped back and knocked it away.
 
“Why won’t you die?” they yelled in unison. It might have made them laugh if they hadn’t been so frustrated.
 
Strazio shot another blast of white energy at his foe, but Odin stepped back out of range. When the attack dissipated, his real attack was almost done charging. He punched forward, and Odin was forced to dive to the side to avoid the tightly bound bolt of power. By the time he returned to his feet, another shot was coming. The scene played out again and again, driving the god further away until he found cover behind a giant, old tree.
 
Odin leaned against the trunk, catching his breath, but wasn’t given long. A blast rocked the ancient sentinel and sent wood chips flying. The second threatened its integrity, and Odin started to move again. The third brought the entire thing down with a crash that shook them to their bones.
 
The old tree now provided a 4-foot-tall barrier, and Odin immediately dove behind it. Patience would have been the better option for Strazio, but that just wasn’t who he was. He stalked closer, still taking pot shots. “Get out here and fucking die old man,” he yelled in his foe’s general direction.
 
It was do or die time. The old god had nothing left after this. He got a short running start, leaped onto the log, and launched himself toward Strazio, spear held high. With a grin, the mad wizard raised his hands. One of them wasn’t walking away from this one.

[Karl Jak]

End Day 2 -- Phase 1

End to that fight will be right after threads reopen.

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face -- Clownpiece & Cirno vs Dante and Batman vs Dane

Update: Dante counters Icicle Fall w/ Devil Trigger Explosion

Result - Roll of 2.  Both Super Moves go through and do full damage!

[Karl Jak]

Face to Face

Strazio Rockwell vs Odin

 
Energy burned around Strazio Rockwell’s arm as Odin bore down upon him.  The god’s spear caught the afternoon sun and glimmered momentarily before the flash of white energy came roaring from the Defender’s mangled form.
 
Able to throw himself free from the maniac’s explosive powers, Odin swung Gungnir forward and thrust forward with all he could muster.  Strazio avoided that first attack but couldn’t come up with a response when the All-Father chopped sideways with the spear, catching the white-haired mage in the side.
 
With his balance failing him at the least opportune moment, the younger man crashed to the ground and felt fresh wounds open up on his body.  The sensation of air on new injuries was nothing new to Strazio—he had been here plenty of times before and would return at his earliest convenience once this battle was concluded.
 
Gungnir came crashing down like a bolt of lightning, but the Defender of Darkshire scrambled free from its trajectory.  As Odin tore the runic weapon free from the barren earth, Strazio made it to his feet.  Sensing weakness in the wild expression on his foe’s face, the god pressed his advantage and came rushing forward with rapid jabs and thrusts that put his adversary on his toes.
 
The forced retreat brought Strazio all the way to edge of a thirty-foot cliff.  His left foot slipped, and for a fleeting moment, the expression on his face betrayed something akin to unease.
 
Odin lunged—adamant that victory over this young, mad-eyed wizard was his to collect.
 
Strazio Rockwell’s knees buckled.
 
Gungnir slashed open the Defender’s shoulder rather than his gut.
 
Before the god could retract his weapon for the killing blow, a pair of grimy hands clamped onto the shaft.
 
The two men met one another’s gaze.
 
“Go fuck yourself,” Strazio growled as he twisted his torso and yanked back on the weapon with all his might.  Odin came stumbling forward, and that loss of the god’s balance was all the opening his opponent needed.  The Avatar of Rage burst up from his knees, and with his ruined shoulder pressed up into his foe’s gut, he flipped the god over his shoulder and down the cliffside.
 
[spoiler]
Strazio wins.
 
Strazio Rockwell sustained 8 pts of Damage (includes Moderate Injury -- Lacerated Shoulder)
Odin sustained 16 points of Damage (includes Serious Injury -- Broken Leg upon landing)

It goes without saying you two both also have stuff like scrapes and burns that could technically be classified as 'Minor Injuries' but it'd be redundant to list that, I believe.

Odin receives a 24 hour cooldown
Strazio receives a 24 hour cooldown that I'm sure he'll immediately waive
[/spoiler]

[Todd Ingram]

These mentally insane creatures, that have taken the appearance of young girls, weren't interested in dialogue or negotiations. Without a second thought they simply rushed in to attack both himself and Mr. happy trigger-finger over there. It seemed  violence was the only language these fiends were capable of speaking. Unlucky for them, it is Batman's primary language.

Within the first few moments of their battle with the fire and ice duo, Batman analyzed their attacks and patterns. The ice mage's attacks were similar to Mr. Freeze, though not as effective nor well aimed. Her attacks had some punch behind them but her aim was as terrible as those white guards he faced in the nexus. The one using fire was a lot more skilled with her magical powers but kept herself at a safe distance, probably with good reason.

The hellishly hot flames kept the caped warrior at a distance, even though his armor was tough, the flames started to push through its hard exterior.  Within the armor Bruce was struggling, he couldn't stand these attacks much longer. The heat started to pierce the armor onto his skin, creating  heavy burn marks. He had to move back even further before he became the first ever human marshmallow. 

"Oooh, what's wrong? Getting to hot for you Mr. Midlife-crisis?"

'That little bitch is keeping her distance. Thinking this keeps her safe just makes her naïve and vulnerable, time to show who she is dealing with.'
 
A fluent motion send one of his iconic throwing weapons flying towards the Harley Quinn look-a-like. The cocky little twerp grinned as she showed off just how easily she could dodge the batarang, just as he intended. A sense of shock came over the youngster when she noticed the piece of metal wasn't the only projectile being hurled at her. The hook from Batman's grappling gun propelled through the air, missing the sorceress by mere inches. An involuntary reflex made her head turn to follow the projectile, seeing it force its way into some large rocks behind her. The zip line sound, that quickly followed the impact, made Clownpiece realize her mistake. The last thing the fairy saw, was the dark knight flying towards her, before his armored fist forced its way in to her perfect little teeth. The fire mage was knocked brutally to the ground. Without hesitation, the dark knight grabbed the prime and lifted her by her a few feet off the ground. Her face was an ode to Batman's fist, colored red thanks to the blood spilled just a moment ago.

Finally, he got his hands on the little wench. With both hands tightly wrapped around her scrawny little neck, Batman started to forcefully squeeze her windpipe shut, denying her precious oxygen, "Just…. go to sleep, don't make this any more painful for yourself."  The fairy desperately attempted to gasp for air, yet the strong grip of her assailant did not loosen up one bit, making it impossible. Fear and disbelief was written all over her face, her eyes were wide open and screaming sheer panic. Basic instinct suddenly kicked in. With her left, the lunatic started to lift her torch with what little strength she had left. The dark knight wasn't anything if not prepared, years of experience thought him one thing, they never give up and always have something up their sleeve. But so did he. The moment Batman noticed her lantern starting to move upwards, he released the full charge of both his gauntlets, sending a high current of electricity through the young girls body. The entire frame of the hell fairy started to shake intensely as the high voltage surged through her every cell. A slight resemblance of a scream was heard before Batman released the seemingly unconscious prime. From his gauntlet two half melted clips were ejected as the fairy fell to the ground, not moving and eyes shut tight. With her smoldering throat fiery red, it appeared as if she was knocked out for the time being. One down one to go.

A camera drone caught the whole thing, out of context the audience would see a full grown man in a bat-like armored battle suit choking and electrocuting a small young girl. Not the prettiest sight to behold, nor was it good for his image. There was no time to worry about that, his ally could use a hand dealing with the speedy ice-bitch. Batman grabbed another batarang from his arsenal, but before he could throw it, the corner of his eye catches a glimpse of a strong purple glow. When his eyes locked with its source, he got caught with its strange magic

That's right maniac, look deep into the light. The blood covered, mildly insane fairy wasn't done just yet.
 

796 words according to word
Batman used :
Batarang x1 ( 10/12 left)
Grappling hook ( Gap closer)
Shocking grasp ( Both gauntlets lost 1/2 charges)
Clownpiece used:
Hellfire
Lampad's torch

still teaming with Dante

[Strazio Rockwell]

Well that was over with.

“What a fucking start,” Strazio groaned.

A river of blood traveled down his arm, forming a visceral soup at his feet. He sat down and clamped his fingers over the wound. Sparks of magick chewed away at the ragged edges of the laceration, charring off vessels and nerves alike. His teeth creaked as he clenched his jaw. Once the procedure was done Strazio exhaled and fell onto his back. And after a few moments of decompression he rolled over and peered over the edge. Yeahp, that was one hell of a drop. Poor bastard.

“Hey,” Strazio shouted, “hey you old bastard! Welcome to the Abyss, hope you break a leg!”

For a long time he simply laid there drawing laboured breaths as the sun crawled across the sky. Once his body stopped hurting, or more accurately he grew acclimated to the pain, he stood. The defender thumbed at the crest that hung around his neck, a reminder of his promise. He stomped back to the epicenter of their fight. All that remained was a smoldering crater.

Strazio found his pack Demetri’s rifle and slung them both over his shoulder. He found a reasonably sized stone and took a seat. Rations were already running low, but the mage still ate his fill. A smile stretched across his lips as he read Gamzee’s message. Good to see one of them was having fun. He took the moment to tap out a quick reply.

“You crazy bastard,” he chuckled and shook his head.


His collar beeped and a red light flicked on. A simple chime that on any other day would be nothing more significant than a microwave ding. However in the Abyss this was paramount to a death dirge. Strazio’s heart skipped a beat and he broke into a halfway jog.

Moving E4 to E6

[Dane Regan]

Fuck it. I'm going for it.

Everyone was distracted. Closest to me was Red and the ice chick had almost killed each other. Black was distracted with the fire chick. It was the perfect opening to join the party, and no one would even see me coming.

I tossed my bag to the side and equipped my longsword and shield on my right and left arms respectively. Then sprinted, full speed. I could afford to be reckless here, so I redistributed all my mana towards my strength and movement. My defences would have been a waste.

As I approached, Red managed to push himself onto his feet, yanking a shard of ice out of his leg. In the small glance I got, he looked more annoyed than angry - like he felt having to used his abilities on such a weak little girl was a waste. Said weak little girl was desperately trying right herself, fear showing through on her previously confident face.

Red opened his mouth, planning to speak.

Slam.

He fell backwards, my patchy shield colliding with his face as I swung my arm sideways. I'd like to think I also heard his nose breaking, but I couldn't be sure. He wasn't my main objective anyway.

Black was directly ahead now, gazing down at the blood soaked fairy - I had no idea why he looked so interested in her. 

I kicked off a solid section of ground doubling my momentum and closing the remaining gap in an instant. For the second time today my shield slammed into someone, but in this instance, it had my whole mass braced behind it. My form was perfect. My shield was angled perfectly into the side of his body. But I didn't account for the raw amount of force in the collision.

Crack.

Something in my shield arm was broken. I'd need to look at it later, but it felt moveable enough. Sadly, the shock broke my stealth.

"Go help your friend. Thank me later." Leaving those words with Fire, I pushed forwards before she could give a response.

We should probably fight more defensively now.

I readied my guard, returning my magic to its safer distribution. Black was pulling himself out of a pile of rocks about twenty metres away. Maybe if I didn't pause I could have chased him down and gained another good hit on him. Still, I was mostly fresh and he was worn down. I should have the advantage here.

Don't underestimate this guy.

A hook flew past my head. I ignored it, assuming it would find its mark on a tree or rock somewhere behind me. I had seen this before, he would not catch me out with it. I considered hacking at the dangling cable with my sword briefly, before deciding the best option was for me to simply move to the side and let him come. If he wanted to get in close, that was great. Close combat was my speciality. One thing was clear, he was very pissed off.

He might have moved fast towards me, but I was still waiting for him. I swung downwards with my sword the moment he came in range. He blocked, catching the blow on his armoured forearm, and continued pivoting forwards aiming to slice forwards into my face with the blades under his wrists. I ducked and leant sideways, catching the razor-sharp pieces of metal on my shield. I winced in pain, then grinned trying to suppress the expression. One of his arms was locked against my sword. The other was now stuck against my shield. Utilising the gap this made, I kicked forwards as hard as I could and relaxed my arms.

My foot planted into his stomach pushing him back and freeing my sword - I may be a dick, but even I have the standards to not aim for a low blow. My arm slid smoothly out of the shield straps and reached back to my belt, drawing my shortsword while Black stumbled. I didn't expect to be using that arm much, but it could at least be useful for feints. Black then tore the circular clump or wood, leather, and metal off his arm.

Dammit. I'm going to have to fix that later.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the pair of us had drifted away from the drop site, so I shuffled backwards and sideways, edging towards it.

"Just leave. It's two versus three for you, at best. And even then, do you really think that Mr Red over there would spare a second thought about fighting you for the drop should you beat us?" I continued shuffling towards the drop, with Black following me. Both of us had our guards up, swords and gauntlets at the ready respectively.

Black = Batman. Fire = Clownpiece. Red = Dante. Ice = Cirno. (Dane doesn't know your names, so he creates consistent aliases). All coloured writing represents Dane's thoughts.

Dane starts concealed by stealth. Stats are: 5 ATK, 0 DEF, 5 SPD, 1 TEC. 

Dante gets hit by Dane's shield (more of a staggering blow than anything really hard).
Batman gets hit by the shield with Dane being square on and using burst movement. So 120mph shield bash (2x cheetah speed).
Dane's arm gets fractured somewhere between his shoulder and elbow from the impact.
Dane's stealth falls from the damage taken.

Dane switches forms (both are cosmetically the same) to 1 ATK, 2 DEF, 3 SPD, 5 TEC.

Batman gets up and uses grapple gun to close the distance (he's under the effects of Clownpiece's Lampad's Torch so is less rational and more impulsive - i.e. won't try to attack from a distance).
Batman gets his gaunlet blades stuck on Dane's shield.
Dane kicks batman.
Dane loses his shield, and starts fighting with his two swords instead.
The pair slowly start drifting back to the drop site.

799 words according to wordcounter.net

Dane is currently allying with Clownpiece and Cirno.

[Odin]

It was hard to tell how much time had gone by when Odin woke up. The sun had sunk far into the sky but had not quite set. He blinked his eyes and tried to sit-up, which caused the world to spin. A terrible pain shot up his leg and through his entire body, leaving him breathless. Careful not to jar anything, he glanced down. His right leg lay at an impossible angle with bone piercing the skin. He looked at it dispassionately; the shock prevented him from understanding what he was seeing. Without thinking, he casually tried to move his leg back into a more conventional position. He was out cold again before the pain even registered in his mind.
 
 
When Odin woke up again, he was in a cold sweat. His entire body ached, and his stomach grumbled. His bag with the rations was at the top of the cliff, which probably didn’t matter since there was little chance he could keep anything down.
 
Before he could do anything, he had to set his leg. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but there was little choice. Luckily, he had fallen through the branches of a tree on the way down and sticks were scattered everywhere. He took a small one and wrapped a piece of cloth from his cloak around it. Then he placed it between his teeth and bit down. It took him a few seconds to hype himself up, but he got there and managed to move his leg to where it needed to be. Muffled screams filled the air, sending birds flying, and he just barely hung onto consciousness this time.
 
When his heart rate settled down and the fog in his mind cleared. He set about grabbing some longer, stronger sticks nearby. He placed them around his leg and used more strips from his cloak to bind them in place. It was a painful process, but he made himself go slow and do it right. It would only mean trouble otherwise.
 
After a short rest, he set about on his next highest priority: Getting out of there in case the crazed wizard came looking for him. He used his spear as a crutch and moved downhill into the lowlands. He came across a farm and took shelter in one of the out buildings. Getting to a shelter for real medical supplies and, hopefully, some water was the next plan of action, but he needed to rest.

E4 -> A6

[Strazio Rockwell]

While it was true that the wounded tended to follow the path of least resistance Strazio was forced up several steep hills and crags. A sort of determined numbness seized his body, sure his wounds hurt but the desire to not have his head exploded took precedence to pain. The strap on his backpack broke and he opted to drag the damaged bag along the ground rather than struggle with shouldering both it and his friend’s rifle. His cloak sat tied to a rock fluttering hundreds of feet behind him. Though he would have prefered to keep it, the burns across his shoulders made wearing it quite painful. Rough country coupled with exhaustion forced him to stop and catch his breath every now and again. He cursed his weakness.

Dragging his pack across the rocks had turned it, well, a drag and he stopped to lighten his load. He stuffed the last bit of rations into his pockets and took inventory of what remained in the pack. The flashlight was cracked from being drug and he tossed that aside. He wasn't sure what a “Syntech Selfiestick” was but it looked like a baton of some sort so he kept it. What was left in the waterskin quenched his thirst and pocketed the shriveled bag. The screen on his tablet was cracked, but it still functioned well enough. Finally the flint and steel went into his pockets and he discarded the tattered bag.

The Defender of Darkshire trudged forth once again, his collar beeping every half hour reminding him of what was at stake. After an hour or so of walking he caught sight of civilization. A small warehouse style building peeked out from a bed of rocks. The prospect of safety reinvigorated him and he broke back into a jog.

moving e6 to safehouse e

[Enel]

All this walking is starting to get really fucking dull. I wish we’d stayed and killed the bug now.

I shake myself off. No. I remember the anger. Why I’m here. To earn omnilium. To raise up an army, and to perfect myself further. I slap my cheeks. Gotta stay sharp. Gotta stay focused.

When I kill Omni, and turn his house into a massage parlour, it’ll all be worth it.

Can’t sleep now. Need to get to these drops.

I take my index and middle finger and place it on my left wrist. Then I jolt myself. Just enough to shake off sleep.

Vic looks over at me. “You uh … you alright there, boss?”

“Fine! Just checking my voltage levels.”

He says nothing to this. But after a few minutes of silence, he speaks up.

“If’n ya don’t mind me asking, God … what powers do you have? Noticed that thunderbolt you threw back there. Mighty impressive.”

I smirk. “Sure, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Stick around, Hendy. You’ll see some lightshows.”

Is he trying to feel me out? No, he might be hiding something, but it’s not a brain under that bald head of his. It might come in handy for him to know my powers. I sure as hell don’t want to be explaining them to him in the middle of a fight.

“In the land I come from, there is a skill. Some call it haki. Others mantra. I happen to have been born a master of this ability.”

He widens his eyes. “Really.”

I close mine. “Really. I can sense danger coming from a mile off. And I’m not even back to my full power. Yet.”

I turn to him. “What about you, Hendy? Any special powers hidden up those unassuming sleeves?”

He spreads his palms out with another of those empty-headed grins. “Pack a mean right hook, if that counts.”

I turned back to the road ahead, smiling. “Oh, it counts for something, alright. Unless you come up against someone with a gun.”

Hendy smiles again, but I can’t help but notice a twinkle beneath those eyes this time. He lifts a giant pistol from his pocket. “Nothing more reliable than solid steel.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Quite.”

We’ve left the city behind now and the road has been replaced with soft ground. Back to nature. The stillness is calming. I wince in pain once more. This illusory body is still not used to my true power. But it’s okay. The pain focuses me. Reminds me of my goal.

As we crest a hill I glance up at the sky. Are you watching now, Pretender God? Do you prepare your armies to receive me at your doorstep? You had better. This is all for you.

Enel and Harlan are moving from E5 to E4.

[Karl Jak]

End Phase 3 - Day 1