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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 19, 2012 22:34:40 GMT -8
And he could feel them moving around above him. He waited a minute while they spread out before moving over to the closest one under the ground and reaching up to grab a leg. Yanking downward and pulling them in to the ground up to their neck.
One by one he would start to do that to her team unless they figured out something clever, and quick.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 20, 2012 12:36:35 GMT -8
Just as they were a little ways off from one another, Nigel would let out a cry of alarm.
"WHAT IN THE HELL?!"
Heather was the nearest to him and as she looked she noticed Nigel buried up to his neck in the ground, struggling valiantly to get up. She gaped.
"How...how did you do that?"
"It must have been that guy!"
She looked at him skeptically. "I don't think people can live in the ground."
"WHAT ELSE WOULD IT BE?"
"...sinkhole?"
"GET ME OUT OF HERE."
With a sigh, Heather would start to walk over to try and dig Nigel out. She would be the next victim. Her shriek would be heard for miles around.
"AAAAH SOMEONE JUST GRABBED MY LEG, HELP, HEEEELP!!!"
Somewhere offside, Delilah would bring her palm slowly up to her face. Her team would rush over to the sound.
"What happened?!"
"That guy, he, he's in the ground! He grabbed my leg and pulled me under!"
Sergei would start speaking into his collar for back up as Talon and Nick looked at each other, talking with their eyes. Wordlessly, the two would move away from the three of them.
"...get here as soon as you can, he has the powers and we're--AAAH!"
Sergei would feel himself start to sink into the ground. Talon and Nick would both dive immediately for the hand clutching Sergei's leg, grabbing onto it and hauling on the arm until the body attached to it came out of the earth.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 20, 2012 12:44:16 GMT -8
Unfortunately for them he could manipulate any stone that he was touching, and as they pulled him out of the Earth he just clicked his tongue.
"Wrong move."
The stone around his waist shot out in to spears that would attempt to impale her team. He was making an effort to hit none fatal spots though. This was just for training. Even if they didn't know that.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 20, 2012 15:30:30 GMT -8
"Wrong move."
Sergei had enough time to bail to the side before getting impaled on the stone spikes shooting out from Mathew's belt, but the others surrounding him weren't quite so lucky. Nick moved his body mostly out of the way, but the spear shot through and punctured his ear. He howled in pain, holding the side of his head as blood trickled out from between his fingers.
Talon fared only a little better. The spear that was intended for him struck him high up in his right pectoral, narrowly missing his lung and shaving his collarbone. He gasped in pain, but held onto Mathew, pulling him tight into a crushing bear-hug and attempting to slam his forehead into Mathew's nose in a vicious head-butt. Of course, this would mean that the spear would drive deeper into Talon's body.
Whether or not this worked, Sergei would recover from his roll, rushing up and trying to loop a silk thread around Mathew's neck to strangle him from behind while Talon held him in place.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 20, 2012 15:44:51 GMT -8
Oh the fun he was having. He let out another amused laugh as everyone tried to get out of the way of the spikes. The stone around him moving up over his body as one of them tried to headbutt him. Which he would, but Mathew channeled the last big of energy he had stored in his items of power to backlash the damage instead to Talon. He would find his own nose being hit with 20% of the force he used on Mathew.
The silk thread moved around Mathew's stone neck and would not be able to cut off his airway. Unfortunately, Qi made him far more powerful than a normal human being. Especially having a versatile one.
"The questions you boys should ask is this. How close do you want to be while I am encased in stone?"
He grinned. He wanted to see what they did before he bled them more.
"And I wonder which girl I should take first. Any suggestions?"
To keep them angry."
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 20, 2012 21:21:28 GMT -8
WHAM
Talon's head would jerk back with a grunt as he was hit with the recoil of headbutting the Stone Golem man, blood now gushing from his broken nose, which made no sense because he had headbutted HIM and there was NO REASON FOR HIM TO BE HURTING.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" He would yell in Mathew's face as he continued clutching him to his barrel chest.
Sergei was equally confused as the silk was obviously not doing his job against the stone and he withdrew with a grimace. Looking over his shoulder, he would see their backup--Cain and Birch were helping to dig out Nigel and Heather while Nick struggled with not having half of an ear and stopping the bleeding. To his credit, though, he looked livid.
"The questions you boys should ask is this. How close do you want to be while I am encased in stone?"
Mathew's grin positively infuriated Talon. How the FUCK was this guy even doing any of the things he was doing?!
"And I wonder which girl I should take first. Any suggestions?"
At the end of his rope (which really wasn't all that long, actually) Talon's face would warp into a look of pure frustration. He couldn't head butt this guy, he couldn't punch him into oblivion, he shouldn't even be HOLDING him because he would probably be stabbed AGAIN, but that suddenly and stupidly didn't even matter. He was gonna make this asshole pay.
Talon rocked his head back again and snorted as hard as he could to spray blood all over Mathew's face and then he dropped him. In the meantime, Birch would come up from behind and roll his chain out over his arms with a malicious smirk, raising an eyebrow at Talon.
"You sure about this?"
"FUCKING DO IT."
Birch would shrug and start whipping the chain over his shoulders and around his head to constantly load the weapon with momentum as he attempted to lash Mathew (and inadvertently, Talon as well) with the heavy, but thin chain, trying to chip away the stone covering his body.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team would be recovering, drawing weapons and forming a small circle around the group as they prepared themselves for what was bound to happen next.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 20, 2012 21:30:30 GMT -8
Slowly his hand moved up to wipe the blood off of his face as best as he could. But it was mostly for dramatic effect. Bodily fluids did not bother him that much. Not anymore.
Mathew took the blows from the chain, the stone chipping away as it reformed, being given to him by the ground he stood on. His stony face still smiling at everyone and how helpless they seemed to be against him. He was sure he was like a monster to them. Good, they should know that the boogieman was real.
"So would you like to hear a little bit about me. Not only am I The Earth Dragon AND Aries the God of War. But I was one of Barker's first test subjects."
He reached up to try and grab the chain in his hand. And if he managed he would yank on it to try and pull it and the man toward him. Shooting a knee up to hit him in the stomach. A small spike forming on his kneecap right before impact. He continued talking like nothing was happening.
"Now I know you have to be saying. There is no way he is one of those freaks, they all have white hair. And that's true. The reason for that would be. I was already stronger than anything Barker could do to enhance me."
Wicked grin as he stomped on the ground hard to send a shockwave rippling through the ground. He would charge at the guys trying to free their friends. Each step shaking the ground. Shoulder bash attack at the first one he could get. He didn't much care which one.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 20, 2012 23:22:11 GMT -8
And Birch wasn't exactly being a pansy about whipping Mathew either. The handsome former actor was sadistic to say the least, a trait he had taken to during Delilah's training. Still, Mathew's placid smile was becoming more and more unnerving. Her little team were starting to become less confident in their abilities. They knew they were faring well enough and they might have even had a chance if powers were taken out of the equation, but against a guy like this...they were powerless.
"So would you like to hear a little bit about me. Not only am I The Earth Dragon AND Aries the God of War. But I was one of Barker's first test subjects."
Unable to stand anymore of a beating, Talon would release Mathew with a shove, rubbing vigorously at the angry welts forming on his arms, seething.
The rest of the group would look at each other at this new information. Now they realized just how deep in the shit they were. Birch, still smirking his evil little smirk and not fully believing the man, continued to lash his chain at Mathew.
When he caught the chain, it was a great surprise and wasn't expecting to be pulled into a huge knee in the gut that forced the air from his lungs and sent him staggering backwards, gasping for breath as pain jolted all across his ribs. He would fall to his knees, clutching his abdomen (and laughing silently for some unfathomable reason). He wouldn't know for a couple of minutes that he was bleeding from this spot.
"Now I know you have to be saying. There is no way he is one of those freaks, they all have white hair. And that's true. The reason for that would be. I was already stronger than anything Barker could do to enhance me."
Talon pretty much summed it up for all of them.
"Fuck."
Mathew stomped the ground again and the vibrations rocked them all, stunning all those who were on their feet. Unable to prevent Mathew's charge, he would run at Sergei, Nick and Cain as they struggled to free Heather (Nigel already being mostly freed). Cain had dropped to a knee due to the tremors, but he saw Mathew coming. Instead of moving out of the way, or misdirecting the attack, he would take move in front of Heather to ensure she would be safe, taking the brunt of the hit.
Mathew's shoulder would land with a dull thud that sent Cain flying. As Mathew made contact though, Cain would take great pains to gouge or scratch Mathew's eyes using finger gauntlets. Once he hit the ground some distance away, he would roll out of it as best as he could, coughing hard into his clenched fist as blood foamed up between his lips.
Delilah would step out of the shadows for a moment, arms behind her back, looking hard at her dismayed, brutalized team with an aloof expression. "...Well?'
They all looked over at her, frowning.
"You know he's tougher, stronger, faster, better than you are. What are you gonna do about it?" she would fold her arms across her chest, waiting for an answer.
Her team was silent for a moment as they contemplated that.
Nick would be the first to speak up, getting to his feet and holding a loose boxer's stance. The blood on his destroyed ear was still running freely down the entire side of his body. "I don't fucking care," he growled, moving slowly forward towards Mathew. "I'm gonna fuck him up if it kills me."
Around him, the rest of the team slowly got their courage back and rose to their feet, moving steadily towards Mathew (with the exception of Heather and Cain).
"Why?"
"He is a threat," Sergei growled. "Threats must be eliminated. At any cost."
The group would rush him then, Talon swinging a heavy fist for the side of Mathew's head, Birch hovering back with his chain in hand ready to strike should Mathew try to avoid it. Nick and Nigel would hover just on the fringe of the attack, aiming strikes for his body one after the other as Talon fired more blows at his head. Sergei would also hang back, shiv ready in his uninjured hand, fully expecting Mathew to move or something.
Over their shoulders, Delilah would sigh and shake her head at Mathew, indicating her team were eventually going to kill themselves if they kept up the way they were.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 20, 2012 23:39:21 GMT -8
He would get victory as he went for the eyes, he was able to scratch Mathew's eye causing him to let out a pained sound, the first one of the fight as he moved back and shielded his face. Delilah's words seemed to fall on deaf ears and Mathew would shake his head. Speeches about defeating your enemies were all well and good, but on the field they would get someone killed.
They would start to move toward him and he would sink in to the ground once again. He wasn't looking to fight now. Now it was time to drive a point home. Shifting under ground he would move over to the sunken Heather and rise up behind her. Her own body would rise up as well, encased in a cocoon of stone. A blade a stone forming as he poised it ready to strike at Heather.
"Everyone to their knees or I plunge this through the stone."
What would they do?
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 21, 2012 0:02:40 GMT -8
AAAAND Mathew would disappear into the ground again.
"GodDAMMIT!"
They would look around frantically for a moment, trying to figure out who would be the next victim Mathew would pull underground. It wasn't until they heard Heather's scream that they realized that wasn't the plan after all.
"HEATHER!!"
They watched in horror as Mathew put the blonde girl into a cocoon of stone, her muffled screams resonating within as a blade formed in his hands and he raised it to plunge into her casings.
"Everyone to their knees or I plunge this through the stone."
Cain was the first to drop to his knees, brown eyes wide with alarm and the hair of his unstyled red mohawk clinging to his face.
Slowly, her group would drop to their knees, one by one. Nigel would be the only one left standing. Irritated, Talon would punch his knees out from under him and force him to the ground.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 21, 2012 0:09:20 GMT -8
"Your mistake was that you missed the tactical move. You were overwhelmed with no reason to continue the fight once I let go of Delilah. It's a battle of attrition that you were losing. Most of you are injured and bleeding, I am mostly unharmed."
He let the stone melt from her head as he leaned in and put his arm around the cocoon, keeping the blade posed against it.
"This young lady did the first smart move. A ranged attack from a hidden position. However she fired without having her aim steady and gave away her position. Mistake."
His eyes turned to the crowd.
"The rest of you fought well enough as a unit, but you were outmatched. You're own commanding officer pointed it out and you continued to fight. It is noble, but there was nothing to gain from this battle but your pride."
He plunged the blade in to the stone, the blade melding in to it and coming out the other side, around the girl. She would be unharmed.
"If Delilah had not asked me to test you, and I had actually wanted to harm and kill you. All of you would be dead. Thank whatever god you believe in that I am not your enemy today."
He freed Heather from the stone completely before he turned to Delilah.
"Thoughts?"
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 21, 2012 0:39:15 GMT -8
They listened with a growing mixture of malcontent, shame and relief, on their knees. They were all in varying amounts of pain and it was affecting all of them...everyone but Heather seemed to be in a completely sour mood, though given what Mathew was saying, being impolite was probably not the best of ideas.
They would turn to Delilah as he spoke to her. She nodded slowly after a moment, looking thoughtful. "You did well. Better than I expected actually, given what you were up against.
"This was a hopeless fight. It was intended that way, to teach you a lesson that I couldn't give you. You know when you go up against me that I won't kill you: what about some random guy on the street? You might be able to beat him, or you could wind up facing the god damn Earth Dragon himself."
She would pause here for a moment as if chewing on her next words. "Earlier, I was attacked by three men with less than honorable intentions. I might have had it under control, but then again, I might not have. Mathew here was kind enough to help me out so I could gain the upper hand. I'm not infallible and you lot certainly aren't either. There's no shame in running so that you can live to fight another day. If you're stuck and unable to run, yes, fighting your way out is probably your best option. Otherwise, leave the fight while you still can. There's no way I can replace any of you.
"Also, I think you guys got cocky from fighting and winning as often as you have. I want you to assume that everyone you meet and fight is as strong and capable as Mathew is. Remember how you are now, down on your knees and helpless. This is how you should feel fighting everyone from here on out. Wakarimasu ka? <Do you understand?>"
Begrudgingly, they would all reply with their own versions of "Wakarimasu" or "I understand".
Delilah would turn back to Mathew, smiling. "Thank you for that. I couldn't have arranged a better test myself."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 21, 2012 0:43:14 GMT -8
"It's war. Remember that some of you might die, but don't die pointlessly. And also remember. This was a single Dragon. I wouldn't recommend going to war with all of us."
He smiled at that comment. Showing his teeth as he let the stone melt from his body back to the ground around them. He looked over the men that he had injured. They seemed to be hurt, but alright.
"I did my best to avoid organs, but I would suggest you all get checked out by a doctor."
No apologies though. He didn't feel bad about hurting them. If they couldn't see the situation they were in then they had it coming. He would start to walk away from them toward Delilah, pointing to her and pointing to his side. He kept up with his side of the bargain, not to discuss collecting on her side.
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Post by Delilah A. Black on Oct 21, 2012 1:03:58 GMT -8
"It's war. Remember that some of you might die, but don't die pointlessly. And also remember. This was a single Dragon. I wouldn't recommend going to war with all of us."
And que the slow eyebrow raise. That was foreshadowing if she ever heard it.
"I did my best to avoid organs, but I would suggest you all get checked out by a doctor."
She looked at her team and couldn't help but agree. She looked back at Heather who looked shaken but otherwise alright. "You guys drove here, right?"
Heather would nod.
"You okay to drive?"
There was a brief pause before she nodded again, slowly getting to her feet.
"Good. Get ready to move out."
She watched as her team slowly started to their feet and to pick up their various weaponry and head through the park towards where ever the van was. Once she was sure they were out of earshot, Delilah would walk to Mathew's side, hands tucked in her pockets, waiting politely for him to speak.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 21, 2012 1:10:16 GMT -8
"The girl needs to practice aiming under pressure. The Russian isn't bad, the silk thread is good against a normal person. And they work well as a unit. But Barker has freaks like me with him. As it is now, I wager half of them die."
He wouldn't say which ones. That would depend on who they faced. But if they didn't shape up and learn they wouldn't last long before they started dropping. Not now that Mathew was going to stir the hornets nest and get Barker's panties in a bunch.
"So, how do I contact you when and if I am ready to take you up on your offer?"
It's not like he could just call her up. He couldn't be bothered to learn how to use smoke signals, flare guns wouldn't work, and he wasn't going to fly his helicopter around the area trying to find her. Fuel was precious.
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