Simon will just LIVE in this booth forever. (magienoir) wrote in yegods, @ 2012-08-24 09:58:00 |
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Entry tags: | !log, c: ari, c: daisuke, c: jackson, c: mickey, c: rick, c: simon |
Gravity II
WHO Simon, Ari, Mickey, Rick, Jackson, Daisuke, and a slew of NPCs!
WHERE Central Park
WHEN August 24th, 2012
RATING PG-13
SUMMARY Gravity don’t mean that much to me.
STATUS Complete
PART ONE
Mickey wanted to move, that much was certain. As her mother spoke, she wanted to scream back, but she felt as if she was in a glass bubble. Every word just reinforced it, the way the others shied away from her, and for a second she had never felt so close to her mother. She was right. There was nothing more that she wanted than to be feared and respected and finally accepted as who she was. She'd alienated everyone who had, and for what? For a plan that little Jocelyn, because that was her name, was never going to go through with like this.
Yes, she wanted to move. But she really couldn't. There was a certain part of her that wanted to, but for every word her mother said she just wanted to scream and cry in equal measure. She wanted to join her. She wanted to join her so much, to hold hands with her mother and live with her, the only true family who could ever understand what she had gone through. Who could understand everything. There was something comforting about the air of darkness, the pulsation of power that she got from her mother.
Why had she stabbed Luz? Maybe it was because some part of her mind wanted her mother's approval. Everything was so much more simple her way. She could kill as many people as she wanted, she could feel anger and rage and pain and nobody could touch her for it because she was a goddess. It was awe-inspiring; Izanami had joined this group of outcasts not because they liked her, but because she was terrifying. And if Mickey knew one thing, it was that they could both be terrifying alone. Together, what could they accomplish?
Maybe she'd finally get the family she wanted. The thought of power and familiarity and strength, true strength, was intoxicating.
The words spun in her head and as the others fell into battle a little earlier than planned, Mickey could do nothing but stare. Stare and try and conjure forth words that weren't going to come. Who the hell had she been kidding. She couldn't do this. She couldn't kill her family; she didn't have enough of it. She was a silly girl with a knife, trailing after the heroes, and as Simon disappeared into the dark her resolve dissipated along with it. She choked back a cry, watching as Jackson stopped Loki, Rick pulled the gun, and Ari... Well, Ari was going into battle, as he always would, and Mickey didn't fit into this plan at all. She could pirouette as much as she wanted, but she couldn't conjure up the bravery that she so deeply wanted.
As she finally choked out the words to her mother, she still wasn't sure what she was going to do. But she would do something, and that was enough. With the time that they had.
"W-what happens?" She stuttered, choking out the words as she shook. It was too close to a familiar feeling in a dark alley, with a knife in her bag and Luz staring at her. She tried to shake it away, but her eyes just widened. "Will you hurt them?" And then, a final addition. "Promise you won't hurt them."
Pele also makes her exit, right after Coyote, though there are still quite a few gods scrambling around. Others are not so lucky. Like the Baron and Hecate, Malsumis is scooped right up into the darkness before he even has a chance to look surprised about it. Oddly enough, many of those left seem intent on fighting. Perhaps they are simply galled by the fact that these mortals - these cockroaches - have managed to screw with them this much. Whatever the case, there are a number of furious divine faces coming at the godlings.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi and Set both have their eyes set on Ari, though Set does not immediately attack. He carefully dodges the Chaos, instead watching to see how the Shinto god fares against the Spear of Destiny. They have very similar powers, and truth be told, Set has never been overly fond of his rival. It might be nice to steal his powers and add more to his own domain... So for now, he watches, though with the intent of a hawk ready to swoop down on a fish.
But Amatsu-Mikaboshi has no qualms about going straight for his target. He whips out an ofuda, beginning to chant. A glowing blue circle forms at his feet, illuminating him from below. His hair begins to rise straight up into the air - where it isn’t being pulled back towards the void - as his fingers form hand-symbols faster than the eye can follow. He opens his eyes and smiles as he throws the ofuda into the air. Instantly, it unravels into a great, shadowy dragon - marked by stars throughout - that lets out a great, air-shaking roar as it lunges at Ari.
Discord is where Eris shines, and there might be the possibility of complete destruction at her very back, but one might say the goddess has never felt quite so alive as she lets some of her true form shine through. Golden wings spring from her back, and her feet become talons as she lifts into the air, swooping towards Rick. “Should you be worrying about him, little Zeus spawn?” she cackles with glee, slashing at him with her talons. “Don’t look away!”
And as for Izanami? Well, she is as pleased as a mother can be. If she had maternal instincts, she might even feel fond of Mickey right now for taking her rightful place at her side. Mickey is her possession, after all. They belong together, but more importantly, Mickey belongs to her. There is no lack of satisfaction in her dull black eyes as her meek little daughter realizes this and submits. This is what she has wanted all along. This is it. She smiles again - that horrid, grotesque stretch of her white lips. She continues to hold out her hand towards Mickey.
However, she’s caught off-guard by the questions. She blinks slowly, tilting her head, as though she simply can’t understand a single word of it. “No,” she replies after a moment. “No, they have to die. They are attacking us, Jocelyn. Why do you feel sympathy for them? They do not understand you. They do not care for you. They are only using your strength for their own means. They even want to destroy me - your mother. You are my daughter, and I am the only one who can understand you. You do not need them anymore, Daughter. They must perish.”
Meanwhile, with the demon no longer trying to end him here and now, Loki lets out a sigh, nearly flopping over. But now is not the time for it, because he could still get snatched up by one of those Chaos arms at any moment. He’s calm enough now to think of what he needs to do next: and that is get the HEL out of here. Seriously. He holds out a hand to Jackson. “Now or never, Jackie!” he says, glancing over his shoulder. And he means it. Nice of his kid to save him, but the boy’s got about five seconds before Loki is outtie. The Bahamas are sounding pretty sweet right now.
Jackson looks back and forth between Jack, Loki, and the Chaos void, his expression frozen in almost comical panic. Well, the name worked, but now he is trapped in a pretty bad position. He has control of Jack, at least, but what could he do with him? It's not like he cares about what happens to the people here. Loki's fine and Simon... Jackson shakes his head slightly, seeming to come to a decision. His gaze fixing on Jack, he opens his mouth to utter his next command.
Amongst all the noise that accompanied the arrival of Chaos, it's hard to hear the gunshot. Jackson feels it though, a hot and stinging stripe of pain as the bullet grazes his upper right arm. Yelling out in pain and surprise, he drops his hat and lantern. His left hand flies to the wound which is already bleeding quite steadily, his fingers quickly becoming red and sticky. His head swivels in the direction of his name being shouted, and he sees the cop, aiming straight for him. "What... what the fuck is wrong with you?!" he cries back. This is no good. This is downright unacceptable. There's not way he's hanging around here to get shot at. Loki is holding out his hand, and the time has come. He's learned a lot this year. He's so much stronger. He found out that there's no hope for anyone seeing any good in him. There's nothing worth staying for any longer.
Leaning down, Jackson manages to pick up his lantern with his right hand. Releasing his wound he grabs his fedora and promptly puts it on his head, becoming invisible. Let's see that stupid cop shoot him now! From the seemingly empty air, Jackson directs his last command to Jack as he reaches for Loki. "Save Simon if you can!"
When Simon strides out from their ranks, Ari knows, as he should have known all along. He had thought the appearance of the Spear of Destiny had provided their answer, a solution that did not include the risk of Chaos. It wasn't a perfect plan, not even a probable one, but it wasn't hopeless either. Ari had spent every free moment training with the relic until he felt as attuned to it as his own weapon. He was ready to go forth and lead the charge, bringing down as many gods as he could to offer the magicians a chance.
It was never a perfect plan, but Ari had thought they were committed to it. He should have guessed that Simon wouldn't let go of that ultimate weapon, that last resort. For him this entire endeavor was always going to be his final act. It was a reality that Ari himself had come around to, but Simon had built everything around that fact from the very beginning. Chaos was the natural answer, and Simon had been unable to let it go. Ari should have known.
He calls to the other man, "Simon! Stop, think about this!" But he knows that it is already too late; indeed, moments later the void has ripped open, Simon has fallen into the void, taking Hecate with him, and all hell has broken loose. Ari doesn't have time to be shocked. There is attack on all sides and only action to consider.
He scans the area. Jack is perpetuating the Chaos; Ari hopes that the demon is exercising some control, but that can not be his immediate concern. Eris is bearing down on Rick, so Ari yells his name. "Eris is marking you! Be careful!" Mickey is frozen, confronting her mother. The tug of the void grows ever stronger, arms of darkness snapping out from the nebulous center to grab anything they can reach. Some gods have disappeared... but not all.
Ari leaps out of the way of the dragon's first pass and immediately turns to parry it as it makes a second attack. It is solid and strong, and Ari is stuck on the defensive, parrying and dodging. The dragon glints with magic and malice, relentless in its pursuit. As its fangs clash again with the shaft of the Spear, Ari considers his option. His true opponent here is Amatsu-Mikaboshi; this construct is controlled by him. He'll not get close as long as the dragon exists, however.
He pushes the creature back and rolls under it, finally attaining a position to strike. He brings the Spear down, carving a chunk out of the shadows and stars. The dragon's roar leaves no secret of its displeasure, and it recoils briefly only to immediately spring again, mouth open in eagerness. Ari swerves and weaves, sweat soaking through his clothes, trying to draw the dragon into range of a Chaos tendril.
Daisuke really regretted the last two weeks. Why did he shut Simon out with just one transgression? Was he that afraid of being hurt that he shut down the one person he opened up completely to? These feelings became undeniable when Simon left him that letter and the composition. He knew he couldn't stop Simon from doing this and Daisuke wasn't sure if there was a way to save him in order to bring about the new age but he had to try and if he could not, he had to leave Simon with one last I Love You.
Wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts, a white shirt, and an open button down t-shirt, his running shoes, and his sword in his pocket, he left into the chaos that began to brew in the city. He didn't know where to go at first so he decided to try Central Park at first. He heard Arata's voice in his head, "You just outdid me in impulsiveness, Dai-chan..." He heard the sigh before he found his running feet somehow moved him faster, dodging falling debris from a nearby monster. He came across a large centipede that was obviously a minion of Omukade cornering a small group of young teenagers. Daisuke ran by it, unsheathing his sword slicing it in half. He didn't stop to the cheers of the children. No, he had more important things to do.
Meanwhile, Jack looked frustrated by Jackson controlling him, especially as Loki got away. Fortunately, Leonard was an expert at using loopholes. He was a demon after all. At the order, he smiled knowingly. His next action didn't require a wisecrack. All he did was blink his eyes and Daisuke suddenly found himself running in the direction of the group even faster than before.
Once he came across the scene, he looked around for Simon. Not seeing him, he panted, "No..." He was too late.
Jack found his moment to say his quip, "And the knight in shining armor arrives... "
Daisuke blinked at Jack as if they shared something of a private understanding. He took a few moments, as if taking the last of this world and this life before he leaped in after Simon.
And with that, Loki and his son are teleported to a place that seems absurdly idyllic in comparison to the entire Chaos in the Park show. He releases Jackson, taking in the white beaches and the palm trees, and then he turns back to his bleeding son. Well, they may be about to see the entire universe end, so they might as well watch from the beach. With drinks. And cute girls. He snaps his fingers, summoning all of the above along with some beach chairs.
"Might as well tie that off, Jacky-boy, and take a seat. Doubt any of this is going to last long enough to be an issue," he says, seating himself in a lawn chair, crossing his legs, and taking a margarita from one of the overly buxom girls.
Not everyone, however, is looking at the End of Things in style, however. The dragon that Ari is wrestling with is indeed very enraged at the whole getting sliced up thing. Its master isn't any happier about it, but Amatsu-Mikaboshi just remains standing back, doing seals to try to repair the damage. Bloody holy artifacts. They really take the fun out of things.
The dragon is intent on giving chase to Ari. It isn’t really sentient. Not really. The most it’s been given is an urge to kill. Like a seeking missile, it has only one goal, which is to chase down Ari and rip him to shreds. So the fact that there are dangerous things like tendrils of Chaos randomly grabbing all around doesn’t register with it at all. It lunges, throwing up great chunks of earth both with its snout and with its claws. Another roar vibrates through the air as it turns to whip at Ari with its tail - plated (though shadow-made as it is) with sharp spikes.
Jackson blinks. A few times. Well, he's still bleeding, and he's lost all his stuff except for the lantern and fedora which, arguably, are really the only important things he owns. However, he's on a beach with Loki and drinks and lots of girls.
If this is being a villain, then screw ever trying to be good ever again. Not that that'll even be an option if the world's going to collapse into Chaos.
With a shrug Jackson takes off his fedora, then manages to take off his shirt. One-handed, he awkwardly ties it around his bleeding arm, then takes one of the magically conjured chairs. A pretty, ridiculously proportioned girl hands him some kind of colorful cocktail, which he gladly accepts with an awkward smile. Slurping through the protruding straw, he squints into the distance. He has no idea what'll happen from here. Loki seems fine just waiting around, and so Jackson does too, although in the back of his head he wonders just what has become of the son of Hecate...
Ari has battled many a demon in his time. He knows how to keep calm and observe through a fight to figure out a monster's weakness. But never has he been on a battleground as rife with danger as this. The Chaos cloud may end the monster, but it could just as easily take Ari instead. It is one reason he didn't want to unleash the force; it is capricious and unpredictable, the worst of nature with no logic to give it reins. Thus his focus is fractured as he must not only watch the dragon but be aware of the movements of the Chaotic void as well. And the closer he gets, the stronger the pull of it; it takes control to resist its force.
It is in that moment of split attention that the dragon lashes, and its tail connects with Ari's side, throwing him to the side. He hisses as the pain shoots through him, hot and bright. Cuts sting in the open air, but they don't seem to be debilitating. Ari takes a breath and rolls to his feet. He immediately springs towards the dragon, thrusting the Spear ahead of him, hoping to take advantage of its recovery time to inflict his own wound. Strike or not, he follows through and begins another path closer to the arms of Chaos, hoping to lure the dragon in.
The dragon backs up, snarling, as Ari lunges towards it. It backs up as much as it can, its body bunching up, cat-like, and then it jerks to the side, attempting to flee only to have the spear catch it in the shoulder. The creature lets out a shrill sound of rage, turning around to snap at Ari. It isn’t flesh and blood, of course, but it does have a body that functions more or less how one would expect a lizard body to function, and being shish-kabobed in the shoulder does not do much for helping it escape.
The dragon follows the path, furiously snapping after Ari the entire way. Its legs are short, but they cover the ground quickly. In fact, it moves far faster than a human (other than Auguste Tilki) could probably outrun. Ari might, in fact, find himself on the defensive as the dragon bears down on him, snarling and breathing smoky stars through its nose and maw. It prepares itself for a lunge that would surely end with the demi-god snapped in twain, except as its body darts forward, a Chaos arm whips out and curls around its neck, yanking the creature into the Void.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi lets out a loud, furious curse in Japanese and pulls out another ofuda, beginning another spell... There is only a handful of seconds of vulnerability - his hand seals are that fast - but those few seconds do exist for a godling quick and decided enough to attack before he can finish...
Ari steps and canters, risking the void by keeping his eyes only on the wrathful dragon. Spear meets teeth a couple times, and although he manages to parry, he can feel the superior strength. The construct bears down on him, and Ari prepares to throw up a force field, hoping it will at least deter the beast. It is his last chance, hoping the the magic will spring up in his defense faster than the swing of the Spear. Before he can manifest the shield, however, his strategy finally pans out; the Chaos reaches out and takes the dragon into its folds.
Ari knows his window is small. If Amatsu-Mikaboshi can summon one dragon, he can certainly summon another, and the next is likely to be even more fearsome. So as soon as the dragon is gone from his vision, as soon as that angry shout resounds from the Shinto god, Ari is sprinting towards the cold star deity. The Spear of Destiny is held securely in his hands, the tip pointed resolutely outward. There is no time for fancy moves; it is just a simple and straight thrust aimed at the outcast god's torso, hoping to catch those sparse seconds when he is too focused on his spell to defend.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi is close - so very close - to completing the spell. This time, he thinks, he'll summon a five-headed dragon and watch it pull Ari into pieces. It turns out that he's really not a big fan of people mucking up his spells, so there is no lack of wrath as he envisions the monster he's going to sic on the godling...
But as fast as his hands can move, Amatsu-Mikaboshi is not a god versed in physical battle. It takes concentration to do spells the likes of which he is familiar, and though he realizes that Ari is coming for him, he underestimates the demi-god's swiftness.
There's a funny rending sound, and then the light of the circle glowing underneath him fades. The ofuda slips harmlessly from his grasp, sucked into the void along with the leaves and grass around them.
The god looks down at that spot just below his solar plexus where the Spear of Destiny is now embedded. His body gives a little jerk, and he coughs once... glittering black blood bubbling over his lips. He looks up at Ari, perplexed for a moment, but only a moment, because understanding fills in the space quickly.
With a shaking hand, the god reaches into the sleeve of his fine kimono and pulls out a final, pre-written ofuda. It isn't half as strong as a summoning. Maybe not even an eighth. However, he's not going to just go like that. Lips drawing back over his bloody teeth, his arm snaps forward to try to pin the ofuda to Ari's chest.
If successful, it will erupt into something akin to coals, momentarily covering and burning the demi-god's chests as though someone had scooped up the remains of a fire and thrown them at him.
The god of stars then goes limp on the weapon, and seconds later, his body breaks up into fine, glittering dust that's sucked away into the void.
Set steps up with a smirk.
A weak voice emitted with the thickness of a girl about to cry, Mickey takes one defeated step towards Izanami, her mother's words ringing in her ears. "I thought you might... say that." None of them cared. She'd made sure of that. But nobody had even thought that she wouldn't hurt her friend like that without reason, they knew all along that there was something wrong with Mickey and maybe, just maybe, had been waiting for the opportunity to cut her loose. Her mother keeps speaking, and Mickey keeps walking, more staggering, listlessly towards the goddess.
Then she stops dead.
If there was one thing Izanami couldn't speak about, it was strength. It was her mother that took away every bit of strength she had, and if she sided with her now, she would be a tool for the rest of her long life. It didn't matter what vengeance her mother promised her; Mickey realises there and then, choking, that she just doesn't need vengeance on anybody. She is forgiving, something her mother never could be. And to save everyone, she would sacrifice her one chance at a real mother.
She had always expected this confrontation to end with a bang, not with a whimper. She knew there would be casualties, and she knew that she would struggle. But Mickey had struggled before, for years, and her family, her friends had dragged her through everything as she tried to disappear into nothing. Now, finally, she was on her own and Izanami tried to prey on that. She couldn't rely on them every time, her mother was right. She looks to her allies, Simon within the chaos, Ari and Rick taking on the Gods and eyes widening in surprise, she sees Daisuke come to play the hero. Her gaze drops to the floor as she realises, whatever the measure of her strength was would be proved here.
"Mother." She whispers, staring down at the ground as she feels the strength creep back into her body through her stomach, the aura of cold around her getting stronger. She could never match her mother, but there was a first time for everything and she speaks clearly at last. "I want you to know, I love you. N-no matter what." She slides one hand into her bag, fist closing around a familiar weapon.
But even if she did, she could still make this right.
Amatsu-Mikaboshi dissolves into dust, and Mickey stares up at her mother through a curtain of hair, dark fury in her eyes. She tilts her head to one side, ever so slowly, as she pulls her hand back out of her bag, the knife hanging by one side. If there was one thing Mickey had learnt, it was that she couldn't be played with. Her mother had already fallen for her attack on Luz. She can still call the shots now, terrified and uncertain: she just has to bring herself to make that move.
With a newfound resillience, she lunges at her mother with the knife.
Izanami doesn’t expect Mickey to turn on her. Her body language cries of a lost child who wants to be told what to do, and Izanami will guide Mickey. Together, they will take back everything they are owed. But first, they must destroy those in their way. Those who have come here, hoping to foil her plans. Those who call themselves her allies, who really are as afraid and disgusted by her as her former husband. She gestures impatiently as Mickey creeps over.
When Mickey at last raises her eyes, Izanami is confused by the expression in them. It is an expression that has often been in her own, but she has not really been privy to viewing that. Izanami mistakes it for hatred towards those that are attacking her. She doesn’t understand why Mickey is talking about love of all things. The goddess tilts her head just a little, hair shifting slightly over her grotesque, grey features.
She doesn’t seem alarmed by Mickey’s behavior. She just continues to wonder why Mickey is dawdling up until the point that her daughter pulls out the weapon and goes straight for her. One might guess that Izanami is not necessarily the fastest goddess. She couldn’t outrun Izanagi. She’s better at teleporting in this plane. But she doesn’t think to do that, because she’s completely caught off-guard by the fact that Mickey is attacking her.
Her eyes widen as the knife sinks into her stomach.
Izanami is one of those curious gods who lingers between life and something else. Still, she has enough “life” in her that dark, brownish blood begins to seep around the blade. She stumbles backward, not even gripping the wound, just staring down at it. Her legs give out, and she crouches on the grass, lifting her head to stare hatefully up at Mickey. Blood seeps from the wound, painting her white kimono a rusty brown. To Izanami’s bewilderment as much as anyone’s, this wound inflicted with a mere mortal weapon does not immediately begin to heal itself.
“Even you?” she hisses, her breath coming painfully. “Even you...” She casts around, and her eyes fall on Ari. She will start with him. She will stop his heart first. “Watch then... daughter, and know... what your insolence... has wrought...” She smiles an unpleasant, unpromising smile as she begins to murmur something under her breath.
There is hatred in her mother's eyes and she stares for a second, staggering backwards. She can't believe it. There is blood pouring from the wound of a goddess.Mickey strides towards her mother a little too quickly, too rigidly and drops to the ground, pinning her mother and pulling the knife out of her wound with a sickening sound. For a second, she sees Luz. She sees what she had done to her, the second time, and freezes. And then it becomes her mother, murmuring, staring at Ari, and she knows what she is going to do.
And she just had to make her stop.
She plunges the knife downwards again with a cry, wondering why this just couldn't be painless and quick, before the sickening realisation comes that if she has to do this, she will do it properly. The red mist from Halloween, from the pirate ship, has descended again and she stares in fury at her mother, biting down on her lip as she tries to keep control. It fails. Horribly. She strikes again.
"YOU DO NOT GET TO TOUCH THEM. EVER." She screeches, more animal than human as she rains down the blows. She thought of her father. The others. Everybody who had died because they had crossed her sick, unforgiving mother. And Mickey wrought vengeance for them. "EVER!" The blood came thick and fast and Mickey starts to realise she is in pain too, her lip now bloody as she bit down on it before, trying to contain just a little of the frustration.
Blood spatters onto her clothes, but the rage was there now and as tears streamed down her cheeks, she screams in her mother's face."I AM NOT INSOLENT. I AM NOT YOURS." She leaves the knife in her mother's chest before grabbing two fists of kimono and pinning her to the ground, face to face with her. "And I am stronger than you." She spits, every feeling of betrayal she'd ever had coming out in six words.
Izami screams, trying to hold her hands up to protect herself, but Mickey has grown strong and relentless, and her efforts are simply not enough to end this torrent of violence. There comes a point, though, when she stops shrieking and starts gasping instead - that old looking blood starting to spill from her nose and mouth. She stares up at Mickey in shock - still unable to believe that her daughter could turn against her, or be so strong. Her eyes are wide as Mickey drags her forward. Her hands fumble at the knife in her chest.
She does not understand why Mickey has attacked her - why yet another of her children aims to kill her. Even with the explanation, it’s simply not something she can grasp. So she just hangs there, mouth gaping like a fish, bleeding out from multiple wounds that aren’t healing the way they should. The only part of this that does make sense - in the most horrible way to the goddess - is that Mickey really has become stronger than she is.
“Jocelyn...” she mumbles, and then her body breaks down into ash and is sucked up by Chaos. Mickey herself might not want to linger too long, because a Chaos arm is dangerously close...
Rick didn't enjoy shooting at the younger man - the guy was a kid for fuck's sake - and had a brief moment of regret when Jackson's last words were instruction to save Simon. But his surprise couldn't keep him occupied for too long. Apparently, he had an angry Greek goddess after him.
The demigod took a moment to be stunned by the goddess's true form - it reminded him of the harpies - and then hit the ground. He felt her talon cut through his vet and clothing and scratch his back. The wounds were long and somewhat deep. Enough to make him hiss in pain. Turning to follow the Eris's flight path, he released a bolt of lighting after her. He wasn't sure how mortal weapons were working on the gods. Though, once Mickey and Izanami's confrontation came to a head, Rick would be relying on his skill as a very good marksman.
Eris squeals in pain when the lightning hits her. It knocks her off-kilter for a moment, so that her trajectory nearly lands her into straight into a Chaos arm. Well. That was unexpected and very unpleasant. Even more worrisome is the way that this battlefield is becoming increasingly small. In fact, right now, she can only see Set out of the corner of her eye. She doesn’t know if the others have been destroyed or just run away. It’s a bit demoralizing, though. It’s also infuriating and unbelievable and ridiculous, and she rises up into the air, turning to make a second dive attack at Rick.
"Wretched mortal!" she shrieks, talons at the ready.
Rick was not surprised that Eris recovered from the lightning strike. The strength of his ability was only about as strong as a taser, which could be debilitating, but his only hope had been that she would crash into the ground or Chaos, neither of which happened. As she swooped around for a second attack, Rick kept low and tried to look for cover, prepared to throw himself on the ground when she came near. As he looked around he caught sight of Izanami and Mickey - the knife was working. He only hoped it wasn't some special divine knife. Turning, Rick took aim and fired at Eris, continuing to fire until the last second before he dropped to the ground, or until she fell from the sky.
The Goddess of Discord cries out, flying upward - wings beating awkwardly - instead of continuing her attempt to plow her talons into Rick. Bright red blood wells on her shoulder, dripping down her arm. Another weeping red hole blooms in her stomach. She puts her hand to it and then stares in bewilderment at the blood, alighting on the earth. Blood? Her blood? Well, she's bled before, but... the blood keeps coming. Her eyes narrow into slits as she stares down at her body. It hurts. It really hurts, and it isn't just going away. She looks up at Rick, eyes glittering with malice, but she doesn't go after him.
Instead, she just points at him with one bloody finger, and then - fickle thing that she is - teleports herself away to some place where she can try to fix whatever is wrong with her. This whole pain thing on her end? So not her bag.
The hit is solid. Ari feels the sharp head of the Spear sink into Amatsu-Mikaboshi’s body. Divine he may have been, but he feels just like any other monster Ari has slain in his lifetime. He stares grimly back at the Shinto deity as emotions cross the others face, keeping the Spear firmly in place so as not to allow for the god’s escape. Unfortunately, that does allow for the outcast star to make one final blow.
The paper on his chest seems to ignite, and suddenly all Ari feels is searing pain. He cannot even hear his own anguished yell as the magic burns through his shirt and the layers of his skin. Instinctively he rears back and nearly stumbles, as the weight of Amatsu-Mikaboshi’s body on the Spear is no longer there to counter balance. He cannot even stand to breath for fear of the heat entering his body.
The burning lasts only a moment, thankfully, though it has done its work. Bits of charred cloth, the remains of Ari’s shirt, drift away to be sucked up into chaos, and raw red blisters are already boiling up across his chest. He takes a shaky breath and blinks away the tears that have sprung in his eyes, rolling his shoulders as his gifted defenses draw him back together. There is no time to think of wounds; Set has already claimed the vacant position left by Amatsu-Mikaboshi, and no doubt the dark Egyptian god will pull no punches. Ari hefts the Spear back into position, his expression again set in stone, and faces Set.
The Egyptian god's speciality is, of course, storms and darkness, making him a particularly dangerous foe on a battleground such as this. After all, he is the only god left standing - the only one with the guts to do so - but his powers in a situation like this? His powers give him a superb upperhand. Case-in-point, he's already pulled forth a scroll to summon a thick cloud of darkness - a spell anyone who's encountered Hector might recognize - which only his eyes can parse.
"I could sweep you all straight into the void right now," he says - the smirk thick in his voice from beyond the veil of shadow. "But I'm afraid I'm just not that forgiving." No, he is definitely going to take them as prisoners - a little entertainment for a few centuries - before he adds their souls to his collection.
He pulls out another scroll, summoning his shadow to arms. He plans to do this at his leisure, and so he fashions it into an arrow, aiming it not to kill, but definitely to cause pain, at Athena's son.
The darkness envelops the scene, and Ari stays still. The adrenaline rushing through him, paired with his natural resilience, has muted the pain remaining from Amatsu-Mikaboshi's curse. He cannot now search for his comrades in arms, nor wonder if the Chaos void has been contained. He must focus only on his final foe. This is easily the most dangerous and important battle of his life, and it will take all of his skill to defeat the ancient power of Set.
As Set speaks Ari moves slowly in the direction of the god's voice, the Spear of Destiny held in his right hand, the arm tensed. His left hand is held warily in front of him. He listens for sounds that differ from the sucking void of Chaos. In this black cloud, Set has the upper hand and will no doubt strike first. Ari will need to be alert for any clue that the Egyptian deity is about to attack. He has yet to use his force fields, but he does not want them to go to waste, nor alert Set to that ability too soon. Instead he continues to inch every so quietly forward, anticipation building in his every nerve.
Set watches Ari approaching and smiles a smug little smile, because it's so obvious how blind his prey is - relying merely on his sense of hearing - in his approach. Set can do practically whatever he wants right now. He could walk around and then right up right behind the poor little mortal - tap him on the shoulder, but he isn't much for pranks. That's more Loki's bag, the coward. No, Set is in it for the glory and maybe a little for the sadism.
He moves just a little, so that he isn't exactly where Ari was before and aims the arrow carelessly before releasing it. Let there be blood. Let the poor creature struggle, like a gazelle, wounded by the power of a lion, and floundering. He's always loved watching that sort of drama unfold. It's even better when it's mortals.
"Do you want to kill me, godling?" he asks, chuckling. "How high and mighty you think yourself, daring to challenge me," he says as he moves away, avoiding an arm of Chaos. "This is my field now, or should I say, my chessboard. For you, there is no hope. I will see the hope fleeting from your eyes."
There. The slightest movement. It is all the warning Ari is likely to get, so he releases the energy gathering within him and throws up his first shield. It is not a second too soon; the force field vibrates with the impact of Set's arrow, holding just long enough to deflect the shadowy projectile before shattering and dissolving around him. The effort it took to turn away the arrow surprises Ari; he fights to overcome a tremble as fatigue tries to take hold. He is wounded, and those who fight with him are all consumed. Set is right about many things: Ari does want to kill him, but he is running out of ideas, and with them, hope.
Then, in a brief flash, faces appear in his mind, all the clearer for the blindness he is wrapped in. Ava in an elegant dress, a flower in her hair, kissing him on the Ferris wheel. Luz lit by colorful Christmas lights as she builds a dresser. Gus showboating at the pool table with that rascally grin. And Brady, tucked in his red hoodie, telling stories over a campfire on their way to witness his bravery. These are the reasons he has to continue on. These are the reasons why he must win. No exceptions. No excuses. There is only one way Ari will allow this to end.
He walks steadily on towards Set's voice. He needs to keep the god talking, pin him to a location, and lure him into one more attack. He listens to Set's words, then, for the first time since he arrived in the park, the corner of his mouth lifts. "This is where you lack," Ari replies, staring blindly into the darkness, his muscles taut but his mind clear. "Too long you've cared for nothing but yourself. It's made you as blind as I now am, for if you see nothing but yourself, you miss all that is closing in around you. Your arrogance will end you, because what I have will ensure that my hope is never extinguished!"
Oh, so the human has force field powers. Still, he's injured, and Set has all the time in the world to wear him down. Well, at least, time enough until he is forced to turn his attention on this Chaos. He might be a god of evil, but he is going to rule this world, and he needs the world to exist to do that, so once he's done with these worms, he'll have to think of a way to suppress this thing.
Hecate and her damnable children. The lot of them are completely insane. For a moment, as he frowns in the direction of the void, he wonders who is - was - more annoying: Loki or Hecate. Well, no matter. He is about to be crowned king now.
He snorts softly at Ari's continued defiance. He hates defiance. It's one thing he never has been able to tolerate. That is, after all, why he had to take everything away from Hector, and now look - his son is doing what he has told him to, at last. All defiance can be crushed with enough pressure.
But arrogance is yet a problem for Set, and while Ari approaches him, he feels that he is clever enough to avoid any sudden attacks. He momentarily turns his attention on the others, loosing a few shadow arrows at Mickey and Rick.
"I am not arrogant, godling," Set replies, considering if he should shoot at them again or aim another at Ari. "I have existed for longer than your tiny mortal mind can fathom, and I will exist that much longer after you are nothing but dust."
Mickey had backed into the shadows, grasping the knife she had used to slay her mother. It was pitch black, but it was nothing she was afraid of. She had never been scared of the shadows. Nevertheless, as the arrow shoots through her arm Mickey lets out a cry of pain, and staggers backwards. Her anger remains and she lets out a strangled sound of fury.
"You think this scares me?!" Mickey hisses, the pain searing through her arm as she clutches at it, feeling blood seeping through her jacket. "The shadow is nothing to be scared of. You are nothing to be scared of. You saw what happened to the others." She is upset, and not thinking clearly, and the pain continues to sear through her arm as she pulls a scroll from her back, scrambling inside to hold it.
She scratches her hand with the knife as she unfolds the paper., letting the blood spatter onto it. As she summons the imposing figure of a familiar samurai she is afraid, but while she can't see him, but she feels his presence, With a a ghostly touch to her shoulder she nods, the anger still in her eyes as she speaks the only Japanese she learnt for the occasion. "Keiji. Kami o kurosu." The spirit paces forwards, trying to stalk the god who hid in the shadows, sword drawn for battle. Mickey holds her own knife, and the air grows colder around her as she follows.
"You seek to rule," Ari replies. "You seek dominion over that which is not yours, for no reason but the assurance that you are somehow more deserving of it than others. What do you call that if not arrogance? Deny it all you wish, for that is but another weakness. You are not invincible, Set. And you are no longer needed in this world." He cannot see the arrows that Set is sending towards Mickey and Rick, although he can hear the movement and Mickey's scream and knows that the god is toying with him, trying to buy time for Ari's strength to fail. He thinks of Bilius and a glass pendant and paint and postcards from afar and a vest. He pictures the Wheel of Takeout.
He can bear this for as long as it takes. But he must destroy Set before Chaos destroys them all.
Set's attacks on the others means his attention is divided. And certainly the growing void is of some concern to him as well. The god's need to speak his mind at least gives Ari a good idea of where he stands. A plan begins to formulate. His left hand gropes towards a pocket of his pants. In it lay tucked his old blue beanie. He hadn't brought it for a weapon; two spears would be unwieldy and slow him down significantly. It is more a comfort, even a good luck charm, although the one who had bestowed it would look down on such a sentiment. Still, it hadn't felt right to leave for battle without it.
Now, however, Ari pulls it out, and the hat morphs from soft fabric to cold metal in his hand, lengthening and sharpening. He will have very little time to react if this does not work. A force field is still a possibility, but Set would no doubt be much, much quicker. Still, nothing can happen if no action is taken, and Ari is going to gamble on the god's lack of focus. Hoisting his own spear, he launches it towards the spot where he thinks Set stands, aiming just outside of his target; aiming to miss. Wasting no time he grabs on to the Spear of Destiny with both hands and swings it in a wide arc, hoping to slice into the god of the storms when he thinks the attack is already through.
Set's eyes narrow. He really does not like being talked back at by those so obviously less than he. This is not mere banal mortal entitlement. He is a god. He is a god who has had great things dangled within his reach only to be snatched away by others less clever, less talented. It is time that he got his due, and if it is not going to come to him by good faith alone, he will take it. His comrades have either scattered or been destroyed. He will usurp their powers and domains and fashion himself into a new one god. With his new power, he will finally take all that has rightfully belonged to him all this time and crush those who oppose him.
It's a delicious, freeing thing to think of this.
And the hungry roar of Chaos makes it hard to hear anything.
Including an angry young woman giving a death order to a spirit. Keiji registers. Of course, he does. Even with the insane magic coming in and out of that void, he can still sense the magical essences of the creatures around him. So he knows something is coming near him, but he doesn't expect it to be more than the girl with her little knife. As fast as she is, he's bound to be faster.
But it isn't the girl. It's a spirit with a sword, and it moves much faster than regular demi-gods, and its blade is much longer than a little knife. Set stares in surprise down at the weapon jutting out from the area under his rib cage. He snarls and reaches forward, using his shadow to try to encase and force the creature back to the other plane...
But as he does that, Ari starts his final attack. It misses, which is good, because Set was certainly not ready for it, busy wrenching free of the sword as he is. Blood trickles down his side. It hurts. It's been a very, very long time since he's felt pain like this. No, this is worse. This is pain that gives him an uneasy, uncertain feeling unlike anything he's experienced before.
He stumbles straight into the Spear of Destiny.
He should have noticed that, he thinks, as he clutches his throat, torn open by the blade. He knew Ari was close. He knew. So how...? How did this happen to him? Letting out a gurgled, rough sound of rage, he stumbles forward, one hand reaching for the demi-god. He will strangle the life out of him with his own hands.
But before he can do this, he feels something grasp him around the middle. For the first and last time, a look of terror crosses Set's face as he's jerked away into the miasma.
As the god disappears into the vortex, his spell breaks, casting them back into the dim grey light of the cloudy day...
And Chaos is looking pretttttty threatening. It seems to have grown a bit bigger since the spell was cast.
The growing roar of the Chaos void is robbing Ari of yet another sense, so it really does feel like a complete shot in the dark as he whips the Spear around. It is only when its arc runs into resistance that he knows that he has connected. It is not the solid stop of a blow to the body; Ari is able to complete his swing, noting only the moment when something tugged at the sharp blade of the spearhead. Completing the follow-though, he spins the Spear behind his back and brings it in front of him once more, braced defensively in both hands as he waits for a rebuttal. The insistent winds of Chaos tug at his body and his weapon and the seconds measured only by the throbbing pulse in his ears seem to last hours.
But there is no counter-strike; instead, light suddenly returns to the clearing. Ari blinks against even that dim light, surprised at the sudden departure of darkness. Adjusting, he scans the field. Set is nowhere to be seen, but a greater problem has been revealed. The void is gaining strength and growing quickly. If Simon is still within, somehow controlling the primordial force, it seems that he is losing that battle. That means time is short for the rest of them.
A new surge of adrenaline surges through Ari, but this time a different energy is mingled with it. Magic, stinging and strong, stronger than he has ever possessed, drives into him as he does the only thing he can think of: he creates a force field around the vortex. As it encloses the void, the roar lessens slightly. Chaos arms whip at the barrier, causing the construct to shudder. Ari winces as magic floods through him. The shield is certainly the most powerful he has ever conjured, but enhanced defenses nonwithstanding, it still takes significant energy to uphold, a resource that is draining quickly from him. Without looking from the Chaos portal, he calls out through gritted teeth, "Mickey! Rick! We need to contain this NOW!"
Rick had expected more than that from Eris. When she landed and pointed that finger at him, he had thoroughly expected that to be the end of existence. Or at least, the beginning of a great deal of pain. He hadn't expected her wounds to be so serious that she would flee, in spite of the blooming blood on her clothing. For a moment after she fled, he stood there, blinking at the empty space that once contained a bleeding goddess.
Even still, Rick turns in enough time to catch the shadow arrow aimed at him in the shoulder and is knocked back with a grunt. Lot of good his vest has done him, but he never really expected the gods to shoot bullets at him. As he scrambles to his feet, taking aim at the Egyptian god, the world is cast into darkness and he curses. There is no way he can take a shot now. He can already hear movement from the others, and they can't afford a mistake now. Grabbing his knife from his pocket, he also advances toward the god's voice, hoping that none of them is so adrenaline-driven as to mistakenly attack one of their own. Or fall into the void.
Rick is unable to see the full drama unfold, but once vision is returned, he sees the void and hears Ari's command. Nodding, he drops the knife and raises his hands, reciting the 5-4-5 spell that he has learned. He only hopes that what they are doing is enough.
Set is gone and Mickey leaps backwards, Keiji standing to protect her from the chaos. But suddenly, Ari is there with a forcefield and she stands, fists clenched and breathing heavily as she stares at the chaos approaching. It had nearly caught her once today, and the sight of it was truly terrifying.
She recites the 5-4-5 quickly and quietly, over and over as she makes the offering. While she knows she isn't Shinto, and never truly will be, she has to follow the practices and Keiji, while still unsmiling, nods in approval as he stands over her, his own sword plunged into the soil where she makes her mark.
She says the spell again as the rage leaves her, disappearing as it was never there, leaving a frail, tall girl muttering words into the ground as she draws symbols into earth, the apparition of a centuries old samurai standing behind her, trying to transfer as much power to her as he can. She wouldn't have done it before. Mickey would never have had the strength. She does it because without this world still standing, she loses everything she ever loved and as she pours her power into the spell, she clings to the memories of everything good about the earth.
With a final whispered and a glance to the others, Mickey looks upwards, uncertain. Now they will wait.
PART THREE