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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 11, 2012 22:06:25 GMT -8
Another day, another trip down to the southern territory to hand in the bi weekly report. Normally Marcus entrusted this task to Sarah Adachi, one of his Inner circle and head developer of his planned 'Mechanized Cavalry' unit, but today he SERIOUSLY needed to get out of that compound for awhile and get a quick change of scenery as well as barter for some odds and sods that the compound was lacking. Things like lightbulbs and toilet paper.
So, saddlebags laden with goods, the pair kicked thier engines on and began to pull into the busy streets and began the long journey back through barker infested territory to thier own patch of paradise. They cut halfway through into the Neutral zone when from out of nowhere, Marcus swurved into a powerslind and was nearly bucked off his bike which nearly caused Sarah to collide right into him if it wasent for a smart set of manouvers that she executed masterfully.
"Holy SHIT! Marcus, sir are you ok!?"
Not everyone refered to Marcus as 'boss'. To a few of the others he was either Sir, Marcus, or much to his chagrin Mr. Prasad.
Sarah waited abit to see what the holdup was, not likeing at all the sudden look of concern that bordered on fear on her superiors face.
After what felt like a full five minutes, the man's eyes narrowed as he pinpointed the scent he had just picked up. Right before they had left, Marcus' rather interesting inate ability to pick out peoples....well....for lack of a better term, thier 'power level' had detected one HELL of a wall of power comming from somewhere out here in the middle of nowhere. What shook him up the most though was how familier the feeling was. Like he had been in it's presence before.
A Long time ago in fact.
"Sarah, why don't you go off without me, there's something I need to go check out."
"You sure Marcus? I mean.....well you look kinda spooked and this isn't exactly the best neighborhood and....and.....I just don't think thats a good idea sir!"
And that in turn spooked her. It wasent as if she believed he was invincible or anything silly like that, it was just that Marcus always did such a good job at pretending that her and everyone back at home just tended to forget that little fact.
He shook his head and spun his bike around, back towards the crowded Market.
"Seriously, I got this. Do as I asked please, I shouldn't be long behind you. I just want to.....satisfy my curiosity."
Sarah frowned and wrinkled her nose in that way that made Marcus want to pat her on the head and feed her a cookie.
"Curiosity killed the cat you know."
Which gave Marcus a chance to smile that wolflike grin of his and say.
"Well then. Good thing I'm a wolf."
Before speeding off, easing Lady into the side road That would take him completely out of sight and down a series of streets where he felt such an overwhelming and strangly familier presence.
Once he was near, He would Park off to the side, cover Lady with her protective camo blanket and begin walking. It was getting on into the evening by now. The fall air was chilly, but no match for his bomber jacket. Besides, New York became positively fridged during the winter so this was nothing. Looking up, Marcus could see grey clouds coating the sky like a layer of mouldy mash potatoes. This made him shiver despite the warmth of his coat. He didn't like this omen.
Not one bit.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 11, 2012 22:23:24 GMT -8
Well the evening had been interesting so far. Meeting miss Delilah of the Crows. Hearing her play an instrument had been a rare treat. After the the encounter had turned even more interesting with their spar and then the attack in the alleyway. He still had a bit of blood on his pants and coat from the ordeal. Not his of course, it was rarely his blood. He continued his casual stroll through the city.
He preferred walking above ground for his travels. It was safer underground sure, but it was so boring down there. Everything the same. Plus, if he kept to the underground he would miss out on all kinds of interesting things. Tonight included.
He whistled in a low tone as he strolled, bare feet moving against the stone of the pavement. He could feel his Qi bounce against it, begging to be shaped by him. It was an interesting feeling to be sure.
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 12, 2012 19:56:26 GMT -8
Thanks to his mastery of Parkour, Marcus was able to eat up alot of ground while still staying out of sight as he prowled the darkening streets for the overbearing presence he had felt. The closer he drew, the more carefully he crept Finaly he found himself on the rooftop of a long disused laundromat overlooking the exact street where HE FELT THE PRESENCE!!!!!!!
And.....found himself irrationaly dissapointed. From his dark vantage point he could see a man walking down the street just across from him and he looked so very normal. Well, if one ignored the lack of shoes, which brought up memories of a young blind girl he had met many months ago.
'Huh, wonder what Leta is up to these days.....'
The fact that he gave off a definate threatening kind of aura and the final fact that he was whistling down a street at night that most people wouldn't go near in the day. He obviously didn't give two shits about the world around him. Or at least was REALLY good at seeming such.
Finding his curiousity overtaking his common sence, Marcus hopped over the edge of the buidling he was on and slide a short distance down the wall to the bottom. Dusting himself off, he began to slowly approach.
That was when he noticed the smell of blood and the disheveled look of the mans clothes.
'Ohhhh shit son, I think this guy has done him some killing!'
Not knowing how to approach the man, Marcus decided to make it easy for himself.
"HEY! HEY DUDE? DID YOU LIKE.....KILL SOMEONE TONIGHT. OR SOMETHING?"
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 13, 2012 21:32:00 GMT -8
"Hmmm?"
Mathew turned to look at the guy. A faint flicker of recognition in his eyes. He was trying to place the face, but he was pretty sure he knew the speaker. It was just on the tip of his tongue. He hated that feeling, it was unbearably annoying.
"No one that didn't have it coming."
As in one of the three guys trying to rape Delilah. She had killed the other two. Which was fine, she was the one attacked. It was only fair.
"Why?"
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 13, 2012 23:22:55 GMT -8
Marcus pretty much ignored the question. Alot of sociopaths tended to believe that thier victims 'deserved it'. Still, there was something about the man that now seemed famillier, yet different. Like trying to discern you're cell phone ring in a phone shop that had just set all thier stock off at once.
He cocked his head to the side in that look of half recognition and brought an inquisitive finger up to point at him.
"Just curious is all. Do.....do I know you? I feel like I've seen you around before."
Then a funny little thought struck his brain.
"Have you ever been to New York City?"
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 14, 2012 0:15:42 GMT -8
"Born and raised."
He said with a shrug. He kept walking. The stone under his clothing shifting slightly. Wondering if this guy was planning to start trouble. If so, he was in for a surprise.
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 14, 2012 0:19:37 GMT -8
Almost in the blink of an eye, the man would find Marcus blocking his path down the sidewalk. Standing a respectable distance away, his face went from half recognition to mabey......about three quarters.
"Ok, follow me on this one cause I think I saw you before. At my school years and YEARS ago back in 552. One last question, What's you're name?"
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 14, 2012 0:23:25 GMT -8
He snapped his fingers. That's where he knew the kid. That was good! Otherwise that would have bugged him all night. He didn't seem to be phased by the guy blocking his way. But he did stop to look the guy over. Really look him over, a small smile creeping across his face. A proud one.
"Mathew Amtrum. The Earth Dragon and now the new Aries God of War. At your service."
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 14, 2012 0:33:59 GMT -8
Oh now wasen't THIS just divine intervention at it's finest. Or at least a case of....something......
The odds of these two men meeting right here right now are HUGE! That's all you need to know! Marcus looked suitably stunfucked as he stared at the VERY MAN WHO PERPETRATED THE EVENT THAT WOULD THEN LEAD TO THE 552 CIVIL WAR!
Marcus was essentialy looking at the man who started it all. The event that would have such a profound impact on his life that I, the writer, have been forced to reference it more times than I have ever wanted to!
Seriously!
"Well shit."
He whispered to himself as he just tried to process this exact moment right here. Marcus had always entertained fantasies where he would run into the Earth dragon and neatly kick the high holy hell out of him for everything that had happened. Or at least that was one of many senario's that he had thought of over the years.
"Prove it."
Can't be too careful right? Marcus finaly kicked himself out of his brain lock and crossed his arms looking appropriatly skeptical, waiting to see what the man would do.
"Do something.....Earth dragony."
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 14, 2012 19:44:24 GMT -8
Mathew had an almost quizzical expression on his face. The guy wanted him to prove it? And to do something Earth Dragony...? He didn't really know what that meant, what was Earth Dragony? And if the guy knew him then why the fuck was he barking orders? He could only conclude that the guy didn't actually know him, or he was an idiot.
So Mathew would just step around the guy without a word and keep walking on. He didn't feel the need to prove himself to anyone. Let alone some random dude on the street in California.
Maybe that was something Earth Dragony?
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 14, 2012 21:30:34 GMT -8
Marcus didn't move a muscle as the man walked past him.
Oh yes, that was definatly Earth Dragony enough.
After a moment of two of just plain fuming silently, Marcus whirled around to speak to the man's retreating back.
"It was twelve years ago. A Warehouse by the wharf. You stood on a podium above us all. It was raining, I remember the thunder and you said.....you said we didn't have to be afraid anymore."
Marcus' voice was surprisingly even, almost casual at first glance, but deep inside was a tension as tight as a kettle drum. By his sides, his hands were balled into fists.
"We did what you asked. We wore green like you asked. We stood as one like you asked."
Slowly he began to walk towards Mathew, taking even measured paces.
"Well, almost all of us. You were nowhere in sight. You abandoned us Earth Dragon. Abandoned us and left a clueless young boy to pick up the fucking peices. So tell me, what was it all to you? A fucking game? Or did Vaughn Clarke pay you off to cripple any and all resistance against him?"
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 14, 2012 21:41:21 GMT -8
Oh he remembered that day. And he counted it as a victory. Though it seemed that the boy had not. Such a pity, and from the sounds of it he had an incomplete view on what happened there. Because Mathew WAS there the next day like he said. And he had lead the charge in to the school.
"You mean after I single handedly took down the school captain in the initial assault? Or after I got gassed out and woke up in a holding cell in California? Either way what it was to me was a victory. Clarke fell from what I heard. Falenor grew in to quite a figure of power using my teachings, and you are still alive here and breathing."
He shrugged.
"Clarke never worked anything out with me, and everything is a game. When you figure that out, then as I said. You don't have to be afraid anymore."
He continued to walk.
"Seems like it all worked out to me."
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 14, 2012 22:52:36 GMT -8
Marcus Matched step with Mathew and began to follow him. he was NOT through with this little encounter quite yet. Marcus was by no means the central character to the Civil War story and here he had a chance to fill in quite a few blanks.
"Ok, From what I've heard of you, I can believe you taking out Ghiste toe to toe but getting gassed?"
Mathew did virtualy dissappear after the first day. Still, it's quite a conveniant excuse, albiet anticlimactic.
"And Falenor? A powerful figure? Mabey he would have been if he wasen't spending all his time trying to get back at me for indirectly stealing his girlfriend away, not that I could blame her. Him and I played double team Psycological merry hell against Clarke and his band of fuckwits."
He was bitching by this point. He was expecting something abit more....profound than this and The earth dragons uncaring attitude was starting to dig at him.
"So that was you who turned him into a neurotic little shit? Have to admit he made for a good little rival before we went our seperate ways."
What was he doing? Goading the Earth Dragon? Common Marcus you know better than that! If it was a fight you wanted.....
Suddenly Marcus darted forward at a dead run, leaping towards the wall beside them and running along it. He closed the distance between Mathew and himself in seconds before launching himself at the Earth dragon with a twisting axe kick straight down on the Earth dragons head.
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Post by Mathew Amtrum on Oct 16, 2012 22:06:50 GMT -8
"Actually, Areon Fury was the School Captain at that point in time. The Eye of Foresight or whatever. He didn't see his ass whooping coming."
He rolled his eyes.
"And I don't know why me getting gassed is that big of a surprise. The whole reason for the revolt was Clarke was gas happy. I was a major player, cut off the head and watch the body fall. It's what I would do."
Seriously. And apparently it worked somewhat if this guy was so upset about Mathew being taken out of the game. He had been 16, it's not like he had gas masks and the like. He was still just a kid.
He just shrugged at the comments about Falenor. He could hardly be blamed for the ferocity in which he took to the lessons Mathew had to teach. He was passionate to be sure, but he always got the job done.
Then the attacks happened. He could feel the vibrations in the ground as the guy charged, he turned and watched the acrobatic display. Confused why someone that knew him would attack from the air? It just seemed silly.
Mathew just stomped his foot in to the ground to send a pillar shooting up quickly as the man flew toward him to crash right in to his leg, right behind the knee cap to knock him and his kick off course as well as to damage the leg.
"Really? Will fighting me make you feel better boy?"
Because he was acting like a child now.
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Post by Marcus Prasad on Oct 16, 2012 22:25:36 GMT -8
Ok, that did not go so well at all......
Marcus let out a cry as he felt the impact right behind his knee, It would have popped right out of place if he hand't reacted by reaching back and putting his hands on the top of the pillar, clenching his abs and riding the blow backwards which flipped him back and onto his feet.
Yes, that was DEFINATLY something Earth Dragony.
"Really? Will fighting me make you feel better boy?"
Marcus arched an eyebrow.
"Of course."
As if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Sometimes the easiest way to release pent up resentment is to just have it out and be done with it. Think of it as a twisted kind of closure if it will make you feel better."
With a quick step, He then kicked the pillar of stone and sent the tip flying off towards Mathew, piroetteing around the broken pillar, he closed the gap between himself and the dragon, still favoring his injured right leg and stepped in with a flurry of jabs and crosses to the head and torso before closing in with a sweeping elbow strike to Mathews jaw.
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