Cross Effects: Rebirth (2.0): The Velvet Room

[Umbra of Chaos]

Grigori grimaced as the fist shattered her jaw and sent her flying back. She simply touched her face and performed a little healing magic the damage was reversed.

"Such a disappointing apprentice. If you're going to kill your master you shouldn't give them a chance to react. However I suppose I must give you credit for trying."

A cylinder of mana formed around "Henry". Designed to keep beings who used pure force in, it absorbs the energy from the strike and simply sends it right back at the prisoner.

"I suppose I'll have to wait and see if you can manage to pull your personality back together."

As she said that Grigori simply sat down and watched to see if Henry could muster the willpower to take control of his new body.

[Puck-Chan]

It growled as Grigori seemed to have recovered from his blow.

"Such a disappointing apprentice. If you're going to kill your master you shouldn't give them a chance to react. However I suppose I must give you credit for trying."

A barrier was formed around him, sealing off all exits much like a cage.

"Wrrry...!"

It cocked back an arm and smashed it right into the magical wall. Only to find its own arm to explode from its own power with a bloody pulp. The creature screamed angrily as it blatantly ignored the pain and saw the buffer was untouched. The stump of what was left of its arm shook violently until growing back another slick and wet arm.

"WWWWRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

A barrage of punches and kicks so viciously fast seemed as if blood were pouring out about him as its very limbs kept being torn apart and regenerating at the same time. The assault painted his enclosed environment with scarlet as its rage was unbridled. After its limb had regenerated again, it drew open its maw once more. With it, the particles of magical energy started to be drained down its throat until it disappeared.

"WWWWRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

The winged creature roared again as it charged forward to stomp Grigori in the face, again throwing her back again. It showed it learned its earlier lesson by grasping her throat before allowing any more spells to be cast. Its very fingers grasped it tightly into a vice grip that threatened to snap her neck.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Grigori narrowed her eyes, and simply let loose a blast of pure mana that knocked "Henry" away. Then she simply healed her face for the second time and spoke to "Henry".

"My patience has come to an end. I am growing tired of waiting, Henry. Come on out before I am forced to dispose of you."

Just to prove her point Grigori began to tear a portal into the Elemental Realm of Light in front of her. As the blinding light filled the room Grigori made her decision. If "Henry" decided to attack her again she would simply shove him in and call it a day. No use in expending more effort if your trees fail to bear fruit after all.

[Puck-Chan]

The thing was blown back as its grip had loosened to let go. As it hit the wall, dust obscured its dark figure. Bones shattered from the impact while the shards punctured inside the internal organs and out through his skin. Regeneration set in again as the body returned to its former condition before the spell.

"Wrry..." it growled again at the face of the adversity.

Just as the black-skinned creature were again continue the fight, it grasped its own head with both hands as it screamed in pain.

"Get out!"

"WWWWRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYYY!!!"

GET OUT!

Its skin suddenly started to deepen its red cracks reaching around the body while continuing to writhe. The increasing sound of snapping finally reached its summit as the black shell finally shattered into pieces to reveal a gasping shirtless Henry. His feet finally gave in with knees finally hitting onto the very ground holding his broken shell.

Those versed in magic would feel an obvious change in his energy signatures. Rather of just having considerable life force, there would be the presence of a magical aura this time.

"I'm sorry about that," Henry finally gasped out. His legs struggled to move as he tried to get up. But, he just felt utterly spent.

[Elf]

Forest fidgeted with her fingerless glove on her left hand and said, "First off, please don't call me Bronach.  She's been dead for quite a long time.  Secondly . . . I've had sex before just physically an eternal virgin."

She snorted and said, "Hell, if I diddle myself a bit too hard I get blood all over my fingers."

[Brahmastra]

"Dead? Ridiculous. Denying the name your parents gave you is a relinquishment of everything you are. Parents pass on the greatest gifts to their children, that of a life and a name. Would you throw such things away?"

Setting aside his ice-cold water, Karna focused his intent on the blond vampire.

"And besides, I was referring specifically to your physical virginity. My own mother had my father regrow her own with magic out of fright of being discovered as an unmarried woman without a hymen. Pandu would have gone mad had he learned of such a thing."

[Elf]

"I never knew my parents.  My mother died shortly after childbirth and my father committed suicide via battle not long after that.  Bronach means 'sorrow'.  Not the best name to pass onto a child," she replied with a scowl.

[Brahmastra]

"Not until I was myself a father did I know either of mine. My mother threw me in the river at the prospect of being an unmarried mother and my father left me with but the armor I wear to this day. My name is but a reflection of that. Karna is Sanskrit for "Ear", referring to these", as Karna pointed a finger towards the huge disc-shaped earrings fused to his earlobes.

"But even with neglect and poor circumstances, no parent should ever suffer the pain of being hated by their child. You are given everything you are from birth by those parents. Treasure that name as if it was your only worthwhile possesion."

[Elf]

"Karna, how can you hate someone you never knew?  I don't hate my parents.  I feel sorry for them, especially what little I know of my father, but I never hated them," Forest said with a sigh, "Those who fostered me however . . . that's another story."

"As to becoming a parent myself, that's physically not possible."

[Brahmastra]

"So you feel sorry for them even having you? That is only slightly better than hate. Accept what you have been given instead of pitying the people that gave you what you now have."

"At the very least, you did something decent with your gift of life instead of rotting away like any old Vetala."

[Elf]

"No, I mean, I felt sorry for my father for losing my mother and being away from his home land.  After she died, he felt he really didn't have a reason to live or something, or at least I was told," Forest replied, "He loved my mother enough to run from his raiding party to stay with or or whatnot."

She chuckled and added, "Hey, I didn't ask to become a vampire, but with great power comes great responsibility and all of that."

[MissingMandible]

Pyramid Head decided to just swallow the rejection and move on with his life. In fact, he's going to enjoy himself! Screw this place, he's going on vacation! Arriving at the airport, he skewered some passerby for some tickets. 'The Virgin Islands, eh?' he thought upon reading the print on one, 'They won't be called that when I'm through with them.'