Cross Effects 3.0 - November 16, 2014—April 13, 2015

[Kat]

While waiting for the other car, Mordred sat down leaning against the walls of the hospital, and weighed her options. She knew little about her enemy, but she had to reach some decision. Maybe, I should retreat from mundane life until that guy gets defeated somehow. I don't really fancy building a Hollow in the Hedge, but it's the place where his minions at least will have it difficult to reach. With a safeplace like that, I could at least strike from there without aggro in my hood She pondered But there is the murder case. And the question who really is that identical stranger

[Umbra of Chaos]

Caedia

"Too slow."

It was impossibly fast. Caedia had been aware that the difference in physical prowess between them was vast but this speed was beyond belief and if it was this fast then it wouldn't be a big jump in logic to assume it was just as strong as it was quick. The Dragon's Dogma pierced its chest and slowed the entity down just enough to stop the full force of the blow.

Even then the pain from the strike whited out her vision for an instance and it took all she had not to scream. The blow sent her flying but her grip on her blade simply tightened and when she went flying her blade, still tightly held in her hands, was ripped out of the creature and was still within her grasp as she finally hit the ground with a heavy thud.

[Kaze]

EMIYA SHIROU

Apparently this man was the same one he had seen caught in the explosion meant for the vampire. On one hand Shirou was relieved that he had survived. On the other, it looked like this “Law” was pissed off at him, and armed.

And that damned confusing girl had his arm in a vice grip. She didn’t seem to want to kill him, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

The magus fought to consider his options through the lightheadedness brought on by having his blood drained. He could materialize one of the blueprints and slice her hand off with his free arm and using the last reserves of prana to distract Law with a couple of projected weapons, but he wouldn’t get very far. The Dead Apostle was too fast to evade, and now that she had healed her wounds there was no way he could defeat her, drained as he was.

Shirou sighed, realizing that he was stuck here. He released his mental blueprints of Kanshou and Bakuya and relaxed his stance as much as he could without falling over from dizziness. He knew it was probably best to sit back down, but he refused to drop his guard that much around two potential hostiles.

[Ivan The Mouse]

Rattus/Neo/Yukina

The Japanese woman in yukata was still trembling when they arrived at the hospital. She was scared and she showed it. But nevertheless, she still assisted Rattus out of the car, while Neo stood up like nothing happened, as his posture finally improved. Still, they have injuries that are in need of medical attention.

"Onii-chan, are you alright?" Yukina asked her German employer.

"Yes, I just need minimal assistance, thank you." He answered, as Yukina helped him step out of the car towards the emergency room.

"Alright, motha'fuckers!" Neo yelled to the emergency staff. "This ain't serious, it be over in a damn flash, assholes!"

The three of them then went on and entered the emergency room, in order to get medical attention. At this point, Neo and Rattus' conditions have significantly improved because of the potion.

[Panda]

The Japanese woman in yukata was still trembling when they arrived at the hospital. She was scared and she showed it. But nevertheless, she still assisted Rattus out of the car, while Neo stood up like nothing happened, as his posture finally improved. Still, they have injuries that are in need of medical attention.

"Onii-chan, are you alright?" Yukina asked her German employer.

"Yes, I just need minimal assistance, thank you." He answered, as Yukina helped him step out of the car towards the emergency room.

"Alright, motha'fuckers!" Neo yelled to the emergency staff. "This ain't serious, it be over in a damn flash, assholes!"

The three of them then went on and entered the emergency room, in order to get medical attention. At this point, Neo and Rattus' conditions have significantly improved because of the potion.

They come in to find Henderson leaning back in a chair, taking a quick swallow from a small hip flask, "Took ya long enough," he says, "I'd think you'd be hurrying a bit more, what with how badly you were torn up."

With that, he turns to Faust and Sakura, "If you need a ride home, I suppose I can help you out there."

[Ivan The Mouse]

They come in to find Henderson leaning back in a chair, taking a quick swallow from a small hip flask, "Took ya long enough," he says, "I'd think you'd be hurrying a bit more, what with how badly you were torn up."

"Don't worry about us." Rattus assured. "This is something we are already used to, being a common occurrence in our missions, sometimes a necessity." He then tried to pull out his hip flask from his coat, until he realized he left in in the alleyway. "Ah, I dropped it." Yukina then pulled out from her sleeve the after mentioned flask and gave it to him. "Thank you," he said to her as he takes it and drinks from it.

"Thank you for saving them, oji-san." Yukina said to the old man. "They would not have made it without you."

[Elf]

Forest

Of course I've got two hostile men that I have to explain Nexus to and everything.  Bloody lovely, Forest thought as she looked at Calico.

"I didn't take that much blood, but you've been throwing around magic nilly-willy.  You're about to pitch over," the blond said as she stood up, letting go of Calico and turning towards Lawrence.

Her lips curved up in a smirk and she said, "Call me a zombie one more time and I'll knock your face in, you ken?  I'm a vampire, and no, before you start throwing up the crosses and asking priests to bless bottles of Pierrer, I'm the Friendly Neighborhood sort.  You can call me Forest.  Or Fore, if I'm not stabbed or shot at anymore."

She eyed Calico and said, "Considering that I didn't kill you for penetrating me without consent, you got lucky that I just didn't return the favor and blow you to bits.  Now, as to where you are?  This is Nexus City, a hive of scum and villainy that makes Mos Eisley look tame.  An inter-dimensional pocket dimension that sucks people in and keeps them alive for the most part.  However, sadly, this place is like a roach motel.  Once you get here, you can't leave."

The blond sank to a sitting position and rubbed her forehead with a sigh.  Her indigo eyes were weary and dull, the mischievous twinkle doused.   "I've been here almost a bloody year with no way to get home."


Saber

"Who are you to say that it does not need to be there.  It was part of my birthright and something I needed when I had to protect my kingdom," Saber replied.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and said, "Now, I must take my leave.  There is someone preying upon the citizens of this city."

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Law let the hammer fall down, returning the .45 to a relative measure of 'safe'. Leaning against the wall, he just stared at the mismatched pair of the white pepper haired and tanned asian, and the young looking vampire. A fucking vampire of all things. Not a zombie. This day got weirder and weirder.

You really believed in ghosts, but not vampires?

Well, I knew those existed because of you and well... I had a feeling. But vampires? This is some new shit. Creepy shit.

The cold wind by his head seemed to project a howling bit of laughter right into his ear. Not as creepy as you might think. All they are are corpses, who drink blood.

And also cute blondes. Apparently.

Such details shouldn't matter. The information she gives should. 

"I'll take your word for it that you're the friendly type." Lawrence holstered his pistol back in his jacket, leaning back against the door frame, shivering in the cold. The vampire had to be freezing, but she didn't show it. Neither did the man. "And you're saying I stumbled into some crazy interdimensional roach motel. Juuuust fucking great. Hopefully it sucked up a gas station somewhere close." 

I see you want to open up a taxi service. What will you charge? Information?

More like no fangs in my neck. She might be able to turn into some fucking crazy monster with wings and fangs or some shit. Or sparkle. Do you know anything about vampires beyond the obvious?

Sparkle?

You know what, never mind.

"If you wanna ride... just ask Forest. He can come along too, if he promises not to try and blow me up again."

[YOLF]

Mr. Tar

Not managing to keep up with Saber's speed, Henry had missed the entire bluster of events that had caused them to run outside in the first place, only catching a haunted look on Saber's face. He would have asked, but the pale man's presence on the scene still told him all he needed to know.

His indigation fumed inside him, but his caution restrained him, and his face showed nothing beyond basic aprehension. The demon remained silent as the pale man and Saber exchanged words again. The man's words stirred his suspicions. He felt that pit of paranoia in his core again, and forced himself to focus on Saber's words until she decided she had had enough.

Henry mentally shook himself out of his reverie enough to shoot all his colleagues a glare that said "get back to work". He avoided the pale man's eyes and turned his back to him to sidle up to Saber's side.

"You alright?" he asked her, as they walked back to the crime scene again.

What she had said had attracted his curiosity and jolted his mania at the odd place Nexus City was again - but more important than that was how there were heavy things bearing on her mind from everything that happened in the last few minutes, if the slight inclination of her scowl did not lie to him.

[Kaze]

EMIYA SHIROU

It would seem that this “Forest” vampire was quite familiar with the Nexus. Shirou had no idea what kind of vampire she was though, as she didn’t seem to act like the average Dead Apostle. Since she was apparently not interested in further hostilities, perhaps he could learn about it from her if he was lucky. Still, it was disappointing that there wasn’t any way back home.

Not that it would probably matter. I’m pretty sure I died.

Forest sat back on the ground, looking sad while stating that she had been in the Nexus for almost a year. The look on her face stirred something in the freelancer, but he quickly squashed it. He still had no idea what she was, and just because she was suddenly acting more like a normal girl did not mean she wasn’t dangerous.

"If you wanna ride... just ask Forest. He can come along too, if he promises not to try and blow me up again," the man named Law said.

Shirou turned back toward Law. The man was still holding his weapon but didn’t seem to be looking for a reason to use it anymore, which was good. Still, there was no way Shirou was going to get in a vehicle with Forest, who at this point had let go of his arm and seemed lost in thought. If there was going to be an opportunity to leave, it was probably now.

“I will be better off alone,” he said in English with a heavy Japanese accent. Shirou then turned and walked to the edge of the skyscraper they stood on, mentally preparing himself for a bout of rooftop hopping on the way back to his workshop.

[Panda]

"Don't worry about us." Rattus assured. "This is something we are already used to, being a common occurrence in our missions, sometimes a necessity." He then tried to pull out his hip flask from his coat, until he realized he left in in the alleyway. "Ah, I dropped it." Yukina then pulled out from her sleeve the after mentioned flask and gave it to him. "Thank you," he said to her as he takes it and drinks from it.

"Thank you for saving them, oji-san." Yukina said to the old man. "They would not have made it without you."

Henderson simply shrugs, "I'm just looking for my lawn gnomes."

With that, he gets up with a nod to Sakura and Faust and heads back to his car, still parked just inches from the doors, sliding in the door and shutting it as he considers where to go next.

"So, Mordred," he says, noting that it's getting rather late at this point, "Do you have anywhere to stay?"

[Elf]

Forest

Forest raised her eyebrows at the "banter" she heard in Law's mind.  There was someone/something else in there and it wasn't the same sort of "sounds" she was use to when dealing with a schizophrenic.  There was literally something/one else there; she could count the times she'd encountered such a thing on both hands and have fingers left over.

She did send to both Law and his passenger, Like sodding hell I sparkle.

"We do have gas stations.  Several of them actually.  Think of this as Gotham City without Batman and more monsters," Forest said as she rose to her feet as Calico started to move towards the edge of the rooftop, "Thanks for the ride offer.  I have my own, but do either of you have a place to stay?"

“I will be better off alone,” Calico said, his English heavily accented with Japanese.

Forest sighed and drew her duster around her, the cold already starting to settle in her again.  She said, "No.  No one's better off alone.  Alone mean's dead or bloody worse.  Trust me, I know.  Been there, done that."

And if you had attacked me face to face, I might have not fought back as hard, Forest thought with a frown, recognizing where her thoughts were going.  It had been like this before Gabriel had been born and the pain of Aaron leaving her still so fresh even after a century.  As a friendemy told her once, "We're immortal.  That fucks with our heads."


Saber

The petite blond blinked as Henry joined her side again.

She sighed as they headed back to the scene together.  "He gives me a chill.  He's worse than a monster, and I believe he is going to give us trouble."
 

[Arch-Magos Winter]

Thank god. Wait...

She'd communicated with him mentally. Fucking Christ. A feeling of panic gripped Lawrences mind, his mental hand grasping one of his keys, ready to twist open a lock.

A telepathic blood drinking corpse. Interesting.

You're enough company inside my brain for the rest of my life.

"Greeeeaaaaaaaaaaat." Law deadpanned at her description of the city. "I'm betting the Joker is a demon and the Penguin an actual penguin then..." Her offer of a place to stay was enough to make him hesitate a second.

After all, what was the harm? He'd died once already. Sleeping in the house of a vampire was pretty low honestly on his list of worst possible actions in terms of personal safety  he'd ever considered. Couldn't be worse than beer ramen. Nothing could be worse than beer ramen.

Loosely focusing his thoughts at the vampire, he, er, thought: And as you can tell, I'm never alone anymore. If you could keep your mind to yourself a little bit that'd be great. He and I sort of need to discuss some things.

[YOLF]

Mr. Tar

Henry frowned at Saber's words. Chills was putting it lightly. More than anything, Henry was now sure the man was dangerous. Calling him a monster probably wasn't too far from the truth with the dissonant way he acted. Except far as the looney was concerned, they were the monsters, weren't they?

Sometimes he asked himself if he was so different from those he hated. And always, the answer was yes. Because Mr. Tar was not a remorseless, selfish monster. And he would not let anyone say otherwise.

"Can't disagree with that," he answered Saber, making the turn towards the room with the corpse. "Some things can't accept anything other than what they see. And that's what makes them dangerous."

He reached into his coat to pull off forensic gloves and started putting them on, passing the door to the bloodied room. He didn't say anything else to Saber as they went. It was true he was curious about what she mentioned of herself, but that was all. He chose not to ask.

Carefully stepping around the blood spatters, Henry walked closer to the corpse on the floor and kneeled to have a better look. What he confirmed after a few seconds of analysis made his heart sink.

"Just a damn kid..."

[Kaze]

EMIYA SHIROU

"No.  No one's better off alone.  Alone means dead or bloody worse.  Trust me, I know.  Been there, done that."

Shirou didn’t look back as he replied “As opposed to staying with a vampire on a roof? I need to recover my strength, and I cannot do that here.”