Cross Effects 3.0 - June 23, 2016—April 02, 2018

[Kotomine_Rin]

Methuselah

Crap, so fast. He could barely follow him thanks to the higher ground, that warrior was unbelievable! A powerful blast came crashing down on the god, Methuselah barely had the time to summon a wave of darkness to oppose the beam, clashing and overwhelming the destructive energy by devouring it before crashing down towards the man. As soon as their attacks connected, the sun shattered and a tremendous sea of darkness covered the heavens, blotting all light until the skies became a shadow.

Crap. Did he go overboard again? No, no. Ever since he had been defeated, his powers weren't that great. Normally, he would've felt relieved at the familiar feeling of darkness covering him, but somehow he had a bad feeling about this.

"Um, that wasn't me." He said shyly.


Vanguard

Hmph, how deplorable. Aside costumes and such commodities, this store had absolutely no item of interest. Just how Relius expected any profit from such rubbish was beyond him. Still, he knew the importance of being clothed, especially when it came to appearance. For now, he supposed simple biker clothes would do. Once dressed, he walked upstairs to meet the intruder.

With calm, deliberate steps the legendary warrior walked towards the boy. The moment he was in his line of sight, Vanguard glanced past him and scoffed. Truthfully, he could not see what Relius would see of interest in such a sorry looking thing.

Hmph, a pale imitation even more deplorable than her. Disgusting.

Perhaps still a product of thinking of her, the air grew colder as it cracked with an unbelievable pressure. He looked,the expression in his face literally unreadable, but there was no mistake in his intent. Coppelius would die, unable to move, resist or even breathe. Vanguard walked even closer and looked down on the puppet, like an executioner or perhaps the grim reaper.

"-Oh?"

He raised his hand, reaching for his throat, but his hand suddenly stopped midair right in front of his face. His features no longer obscured, it seemed he was just a foreigner, smiling casually in an almost teasing demeanor. It wasn't the earlier pressure or Vanguard's look that was strange, but the once very possible idea that the man was going to kill him just because he was coming closer.

"Wait right here. You have business with Relius, right?" He said in a bored, but almost friendly tone.

[Cherry Lover]

Sakura

Sakura shook her head in response to Julius' question.

"No, it's not like that. My magic is just especially damaging to spirits", she replied.

Listening to the other two speak, she had to avoid rolling her eyes. She never understood why people needed to make excuses like "order", "peace" or "serving god" to help others. It was simply the right thing to do. Still, despite his rather unusual attitude, Sakura could tell that he was a good person, and a likely ally against those who would bring harm to the innocent, so she stayed silent, simply allowing the two to address each other for now.

[Aiden]

Forest

Getting them inside would probably be better than me just bludgeoning them to unconsciousness here.  Plus less chance of some poor sod wandering in at the wrong place and the wrong time and getting shot, the vampire thought to herself while one of the men in suits walked up to her and wrapped an arm around her.

She flinched ever so slightly; it wasn't a faked reaction, even now she still had an issue with unknown men taking liberty with her.  So she took a deep, unneeded breath and looked up at the guy with his arm around her.  She flashed a quick but nervous looking smile, still keeping up the suggestion that she was vulnerable.

"R-really? I've heard s-stories . . . about some of the stuff here but I am really cold . . . and thank you," Forest said before biting her lower lip in a way that Ash had told her was almost irresistible to most straight men.

The Dealers

They checked their surroundings with their guns every so often while escorting Forest into the nearby building. It seemed to belong to one of them, from the thoughts she could pick up, like most of the buildings on the block. She'd stumbled into a much larger operation than she'd probably intended to get involved with by letting these men bring her into the apartment.

It wasn't all that dirty, really. It didn't smell that bad either, aside from the disgusting scent of cigarettes. But she was still a single woman along in a room with four men with guns who were obviously criminals of some sort. Even if one of them was getting her a glass of water.

The man with the suitcase started talking again. "Now you just calm down. It's gonna be alright. Anyone know you're out here, miss?"

[Break]

Coppelius

The puppet felt a cold gaze upon him, filled with unmistakeable killing intent; meeting the cold, artificial eyes of the muscular man with his own, a strange feeling of euphoria drowned out any fear before it could even form. This realm was full of those like him, those made even more advanced than him! Almost reaching out in a moment of admiration, he got ahold of himself in time to mask it as a light stagger.

As the executioner withdrew his hand likewise, Coppelius' lips curled up into a grin. He realized how close to death he had been, and could not suppress the rush from this amount of.. humanity.

"Yes, indeed. I was called for by Mr. Clover, it seems he has some... errands he needs run."

[Umbra of Chaos]

Lucy

Completely ignoring the skeleton she stroked the angel's cheek once more. Then she righted herself a bit once more and leaned in to whisper her name into his ear. "I'm Lucy. But let's save our introductions until after we've gotten away from this pest, alright? I'll have something much more fun to show you then!"

[Aiden]

Gadreel

He restrained himself from responding to the so-called human's touch with a disproportionately tremendous effort of will. He found it abnormally difficult at the moment; perhaps his knowledge was influencing his behavior? In any event, running did not seem prudent any longer. The exile whispered in return. "I am Gadreel, third of the Watchers, father of the nephilim and bringer of blades to the children of man."

Enoch, 69:6.

He carefully placed Lucy back down on her feet, and began to approach the skeleton with an uncharacteristically turbulent look in his eyes. "Will you leave us be of your own will, skeleton? Or must I convince you with my own two hands?" The fallen one's fingers clenched into fists with an audible cracking. They did not reach for the blade at his side. "I would prefer the option without violence, but do not mistake preference for cowardice."

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

Lorenzo scoffed, the fires in his eyes shimmering with the same hungry glow from before. Or perhaps it was different, could you compare this to excitement? Even a great pirate like him couldn't contain the trembling glee in his hands.

"Heh! Interesting, interesting!! So you do speak the same tongue I speak, for a second I was worried you were just a craven. Good grief, looks like we got our eyes on the same prize, Lucy."

The pirate's hands flickered with fire, but they followed the man's example and did not reach for the blade. No, it was only fair for the challenger to accept the challenged's terms. But as he approached them, the fire cloaking his bones only seemed to intensify. At that moment, he realized that he liked them both, from the bottom of his heart. And because of that, he couldn't let go.

He would never let anything go, never again.

"It's an interesting deal you got here, I can tell from the way your fist's looking at me that you ain't lying. But I feel you're looking down on me here, aren't you both overlooking something? I just came here to talk, but if it's gonna come to this I'd rather do this fair. You win, I forget about you both and leave. But consider this, what if you're the one to bite the dust? It's only fair that the spoils go to the victor. In that case, all I want is... a friend."

There were only a few feet separating the two, this close there was almost something sad about the dead man's grin. But despite that, he had never looked so tall until now. There was something unshakable about his fire that only a man, the pinnacle of fools, could achieve. But it was that very human greed that was, in a sense, so beautiful.

"Do we have a deal?"

[yinsukin]

Relius Clover

The back door gently opened as the scientist crept into the shop.  With soft steps he made his way over to the two dolls.  He greeted them both with a gaze so sharp it could pierce the air if need be.

"Indeed.  I have a job that requires your particular... talents as it were. Coppellius, are you built for combat?"  Relius asked politely.  There was a smooth quality to his voice, perhaps even more so than usual.

[Aiden]

Gadreel

"She is not mine to gamble with." The exile grasped his winter coat with one hand and tossed it back toward Lucy at just the right angle for her to catch it instead of being struck by it. He did not wish for it to burn against this lifeless creature. The considerable muscles of his arms tensed. "On my own behalf, I will accept these terms. You will leave us both if I win. Let us begin."

Ignoring the otherwise sweltering heat of his opponent, the angel stepped forward to commence their bout. He was unafraid of striking the heated bone with his knuckles.

[Umbra of Chaos]

Lucy

The girl easily grabbed the coat and quickly put it on. This was hers now. Yep. Forever. Lucy looked visibly happy as she wrapped herself up in warmth and considered everything she know. So, Gadreel, huh? "You better do a good job! I have high expectations for you. Surely the one who taught men the 'weapons of death' can win a fistfight?"

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

He told himself he'd go easy on him earlier, if only because he had no use for a dead man. However, when it came to a fight, such feelings became secondary. Going easy simply meant if his opponent happened to lie crippled, he wouldn't finish him off. 

With nimble quickness, he turned his head aside and parried the monstrous strike with his left arm. His entire body shook from the blow, but upon contact flames burst and scorched at his opponent's flesh, blackening his knuckles into charcoal while sending the pirate staggering back. Damn, if he took a direct hit from that...

Lorenzo grinned and relentlessly stepped forward to close the distance, seemingly sending a punch flying to the man's plexus but twisting his body to brutally kick his kneecap instead. As skilled as he was in magic and the blade, his use of his body was nowhere near that of a master. But what he lacked in balance or form, he made up with brutality and deception.

[yinsukin]

Medaka Kurokami

Shinobu's lecture caused Medaka to look down, a bit ashamed.  In that moment, she realized that when the elder vampire meant talk, she was being more rhetorical. "Yes of course."
Even so.  The idea of not worrying someone just because they will die eventually was something that she simply could not accept.

Before she could really process the elder vampire's scolding, she was possessed by a feeling of unease.  The blond let go of her hips and looked up at the sky.  Following her gaze, Medaka noticed the dark pillar enveloping the sky, clouding out the sun.  "Shinobu.  What is that?"  She asked, concern clearly visible in her voice.

[Aiden]

Gadreel

The heat caused agony, but that was an old friend for the Wall of God to meet with. He knew how to manage the pain, such as when he allowed the flesh of his left hand to blacken further by grabbing the skeleton's feinting arm.

The kick to his knee prevented Gadreel from immediately capitalizing on that to tear the skeleton's arm out, but it didn't strike hard enough to be a risk. The fire was the larger concern...

He pulled the skeleton by the arm into a rapid flurry of blows to its center of mass.

[Kotomine_Rin]

Lorenzo Remei

The skeleton felt his ribs crack over the bludgeoning pouring of Gadreel's blows. His bones would soon give in, but for every blow the man's fist blackened further and further, until it began to crack along with his chest. His arm was held tight with a vice grip, even with the risk of losing his limbs.

To risk your body for a woman was admirable, he respected the man from the depths of his soul. And because of that, he wouldn't hold back either.

Without hesitation he parried the arm that was pounding on him and used the split second opening to kick his opponent in the chin along with dust and dirt to his face.

[Elf]

Rin

Rin gave the attendant a pleasant smile as she climbed into the boat with surprising grace.  With the heat of the day, Rin reasoned, if things went bad, she could easily swim back to shore.  She then looked at Joe and asked, "Do you need help getting in?"

Tilting her head, she looked at the attendant and asked, "There aren't sharks in this lake, are there?"

Considering the Nexus, it wasn't a bad question to ask and there were several sharks that could thrive in freshwater, one of which was a notorious man eater. 

Then, suddenly, the sky went dark, as if night had suddenly fallen.  Looking up she frowned and said, "Well, that's not good."  She was then aware she felt a tingle; she'd never been particularly good sensing prana, but she had gotten better at it while studying at the Association.  And when there was this much being used it was obvious even to her.

"Really not good," she said in a whisper as her frown deepened.

Then, as quickly as it had happened, it was day again.
Forest

Gabriel had once told her that the best deceptions were based on truth.  Which, despite the fact that Faeries couldn't out right lie, they became master deceivers, and why Gabriel had become such a good spy despite the fact he did not like violence.  Forest bit her lip as she was lead into a building that was rather clean despite the fact that it reeked of cigarettes.

However, if she knew she was going to run into something like this she would have come with more than her fists.

These guys weren't random thugs; they were fairly organized and she was outnumbered.  She was faster, stronger, and better skilled, but a head shot would KO her.  Which, considering she could wake up if they just decided she was just another dad girl, there was a chance where she wouldn't wake up in time for the sun to rise.

So she took Gabriel's words to heart as the leader asked,  "Now you just calm down. It's gonna be alright. Anyone know you're out here, miss?"

She forced a smile and said, "Of course I have a roommate . . ."  She distantly heard the sound of glass breaking, which was weird.  Then her face fell as she slumped her shoulders, shook her head and said in a whisper, "No.  They don't.  I . . . really don't have anyone."

It wasn't a lie and because it was so close to the truth, it actually made it easier to go on with this deception.