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 Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 8:58 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:01 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:02 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:03 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:05 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:08 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:10 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:12 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:13 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:15 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:17 pm
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:18 pm
Dystopian Meta
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 11:00 pm
xxxxxxxxWe Are Immortals
The order was called to transform, and she, and so many others, answered the call. Just like that. It was all it took. The flames consumed her, markings glowing against tan flesh as she struck, lashed out, cracked the chain whip through the air and against flesh and bone and metal.
One last time. Mars. They called you the god of war. Grant me that. One last time.
One Lieutenant was dead and gone, another grappled with her as the far taller woman used her height and weight as leverage to rip the agent's weapon from their grasp. It was only seconds before the agent was able to summon it back, but enough time for her to slam her fist into their temple--repeatedly. Again and again, using weight and muscles to back the strike. The body went down, and the Knight kept moving. Kept searching. A Captain gave her more trouble--had a heavy mace that managed to knock the wind out of her for a moment when it collided with her chest plate. The stone tip of her whip had put an end to the trouble, cracking it against her skull repeatedly before she moved on. Dents in her armor. Amazing. The Knight could have smiled.
It'd been a while since she'd experienced something like this. A lifetime. Pictures flashed in her mind, a life so long forgotten, yet so close to her heart. Images of Mars, of women of Themiscyra fighting. Pushing back an enemy as far as they could and holding them back as long as they could for others to find shelter deeper within the city--or flee it entirely.
She had died that day, holding the line for others to keep their lives, hopefully find a place the armies couldn't find them. Diana passed to the Cauldron knowing she'd done all she could to protect them. Danika's eyes were grim yet steady as she engaged yet another Negaverse agent.
A General. A large man, yet she found them on equal grounds. His staff was impressive, but no blade met her quick gaze, only dense stones on either end. He wielded it with skill--he was faster than her, something she had to grudgingly acknowledge. Dexterity played in his advantage, but she quickly realized as they traded blows and parries that she was still stronger. She could block his attacks with her armor, lash out with fists or her chain, but he could dodge and dance away before coming in with lightning speed strikes. Her armor dented and pocketed under the blows, her flesh ripped and her blood boiled. His own armor was becoming pocketed with slashes and dents, his own flesh torn and already showing signs of pooling blood beneath surfaces. For each time he dodged or rolled past her attacks, she was able to withstand and barrel through the pain of his. They might have taken her Bull, but Xanthus had never been the only stubborn Martian. Diana--Danika--had always stood beside her brother in equal unyielding light.
Where was he now, her brother?
Themiscyra let out a roar, slashing back at the General and feeling a sense of triumph as the chain and weight shattered the bones of his wrist, the crunch satisfying in her ears. He'd twisted back, tangling himself further in her chain. His other arm moved, still clutching his staff. Something caught the light, and Themiscyra found herself pinned almost body to body against the General as she gripped her whip. Metal gleamed in the sun, and she registered it not as her chain until the blade hidden within half of the staff sliced through her braced legs.
Her armor wasn't great at protecting all the vital points. The blade sliced--nicked? who the ******** cares--through the flesh of her inner thigh. Deep. Too deep. The blood gushed, and she realized the threat before the General even managed to teleport just feet away. Stumbling, she pulled at the last reserves of her magic. The Aspect of Mars flared through her blood, the light of her markings glowing all the brighter in her tunnel vision as she focused on the General.
She would not die alone.
Blade crashed against chain whip, fists against armor and skulls. Her sandals slipped in blood coated dirt and pavement, but she managed to keep her balance. All she focused on was the Chaos entity before her. The press of his aura, the gleam in his eye. No thought was given to his family. No thought was spared to her pounding heart, the sickly warmth that spread from her inner thigh down her leg. Surely the fight hadn't gone for hours. She heard a crack in his ankle as she'd slammed her foot into it, her fist making a hollow, crunching sound as she caught part of his armor where she'd already struck repeatedly with her weapon. He'd taken her unprotected shoulder as a way to strike with his blade again even as he stumbled back. Not the controlled strike he'd been aiming for. But enough to feel the new injury well up with blood that began to roll down her chest. Not deep enough to fully open up her throat.
Someone was screaming. So much rage. So much.... pain? The General looked from her long enough to focus on something else, something Themiscyra didn't see. Didn't care about. Didn't even blink at. Her chain was around his throat. Her feet slipped in her blood and she felt her arms tremble. Little longer. Xanthus, c'mon. We'll go get a beer soon. Just gimme a little help here, bro. Her lips twitched, a mocking smile coming to her silent request. The warmth of her leg was starting to fade. She could feel how weak her legs were, how hard it was to keep breathing. Arms came around hers, dark gloves wrapping tight around her chain above her own hands. The General was choking, trying to slash at them but Themiscyra had gotten the chain around him from behind. She could almost hear her brother's voice in her ear, baiting her on. One more round. Then drinks. I'm buying.
The other arms pulled tight, and together they yanked the two crossed ends of the chain tight. Squeezed. Pulled. Tore. Ripped. The flesh of the man's throat collapsed under their joint weights, and he gave one last choking cry as his windpipe and spinal cord were crushed. The hands released the chain as she did, stumbling back into the embrace.
"Themi, you ******** idiot, you ******** idiot.... Themi for ******** sake!"
"Alex?" The name slurred out of her mouth between pants for breath, red eyes turning with a wince at the slash in her neck to stare at the wide-eyes of Andronicus. The cursing, wild, paniced eyes of her sister. Not her brother. But just as good. Themiscyra smiled, a slow, lazy, carefree smile as her arm went around her sister's shoulders. Her legs were too week. She pulled them both down as Andronicus let out another strangled cry, her arms tight around the Martian as she somewhat knelt with her. "Andro... we've never been lucky around one another. But we always kick a**, don't we?"
The Rogue General ripped off her cloak, trying to stem the bleeding at Themiscyra's neck. "We do. ********, we do." She wrapped some of the cloth around her throat, and for a moment... the look in her eyes. Danika saw nothing but Alex there, nothing but Andronicus of Uranus, wind in her hair and the wide open grasslands in her eyes. Free. Unrestrained. The smile on her own lips was warm, content in the other woman's arms and to see her sister again. But then Andronicus' eyes moved down, further down to the Martian's bloody leg, and her color paled. Her eyes lost the shine as her lips formed soundless words. "Themi... ********. Themi... no, no no. No. Themiscyra, no." Her voice broke, and Themiscyra's smile remained soft. Warm. The Aspect of Mars was lifting, taking with it her warmth. A shiver trembled her form. Cold as the nights on Mars.
Red eyes opened to peer into wide green, the other woman trying to rip up more of the cloak to use against the main source of all the blood she'd finally registered around them. Themiscyra lifted a scarred hand, setting it over one of Andronicus' to bring to her lips, pressing them lightly against her knuckles before smiling up to the woman. "I'm not scared, Andro. It's ok." The sound that came from the other woman tore at her heart, but she smiled on, reaching her other hand up to press her fingers to her cheek. "Andronicus, listen to me. We fought side-by-side for so long. We did it before, do you remember? Sister, we fought so many foes together, in the past, and now. We got to do it again," she grinned, a smile of childish abandon and joy. "You were lost for a little while, sister, but you came home. I told you. I never had anything to forgive you for, because you did all I wanted. You lived, Andro. You lived, my beloved sister. My friend. You lived, and you still live."
She wasn't sure Andronicus was going to speak. She wasn't sure Andronicus even heard what she'd said. Themiscyra's breaths were coming more difficult, and she tried to catch her breath after speaking. It was... cold. She tried not to shiver, to focus on smiling for her friend. Had her eyes shut? She wasn't sure, she didn't think she'd shut them, but they'd opened when she heard something, blinking to try and clear the dark haze as she looked up at Andronicus' face. The other woman had rested her hand against Themiscyra's cheek, fingers so warm as they caressed her. "I love you," she whispered after a moment, and Themiscyra realized them as the words that had brought her back to the moment. "I should have said it sooner... I-I...." Themiscyra smiled still, nodding silently before gently tugging the woman down to her.
It was a light brush, so soft. Warm, living lips against her own growing so cold. Arms that held her tighter kept her close, and Themiscyra clung to the warmth Andronicus gave her.
I love you, too.
As Andronicus began to straighten, Themiscyra gave another nod. A smile. "I will find you in the next life. I did it before. I'll always do it."
Had... her eyes shut again?
Different voices reached her. Urgent, yelling. Andro snapping back, saying something back. Urgent. Everyone's so urgent. She felt like she was floating on air. On a lazy river. If only she could... warm up, it'd be perfect. A summer's lazy day she hadn't had in years. A deeper voice, calling her, urging her... back? She felt her body move, shifting from one point to another, and she felt her head lull, pressed into the crook of someone else's neck. Her lips twitched. Warm. That scent she liked so much. She felt the scruff of facial hair against her forehead--who took her headpiece off? Not that she cared. She liked the contact. Fingers brushed her hair away from her face, the warmth pulled away a little.
"Come on, baby, come on. Open your eyes. Come on." The voice was deeper indeed than Andronicus'. Warmth. It promised warmth--warm arms, warm eyes. Cold nights spent curled up on a sofa watching random TV, tangled in arms and blankets and each other. That voice was usually filled with so much laughter.
Themiscyra opened her eyes, blinking up slowly at the red rimmed eyes of Ashur. Her smile was slow, but his own met hers easily enough. His hand never stopped moving over her face, even when her bangs were well out of her way. His thumb traced her brow, her cheek bone, her lips. She pressed them against the digit, a reaction that took more from her than she would have imagined. "Missed you," she whispered, voice soft. Scratchy? She wasn't sure. It was hard to make out her own voice. The fight was still going on around them. She could see Andro still kneeling by them, but her weapon was in hand. Kneeling guard?
Ashur gave a small laugh--humorless, but he was trying. He bent down to her, brushing his lips across her forehead, her lips. Lingered there for a moment with her before he pulled back. "You're always running off," he chided, and she laughed. Tried.
"I always come home." Oh his eyes when she said that. Her smile softened, lids falling slightly. His breaths were shaky. The rims of his eyes were wet and red, breathing heavy on the exhales. He was trying so hard for her. It's ok. It's ok. You've lost so much. It's ok. But that would require breath she wasn't sure she had any more to say.
"I love you, Dom."
He nodded a few hasty times, swallowing before he could respond after giving her another, quicker, kiss, "I love you too. I love you so much. I love your energy--think I might have from the moment you pulled my sorry a** off that roof ledge." They both laughed. Shaky soft, but the memory was there, joined between them. "But I guess I paid you back for that huh? At the temple--"
"Uranus really... likes testing if I'm afraid of heights... doesn't it?" She'd made the joke for all three of them, but even she could hear how far away her voice sounded. Ashur still smiled, still nodded his head as he recalled the moment when he'd accessed the power of a Squire. Another kiss. He still held her so close, propped up against him in his lap with one hand, while the other continued to stroke her face, her shoulder. Bare skin untouched by the blood. The contrast between his warmth and her chill was astounding, and she must have shivered as he held her closer.
"I keep thinking about the sofa lately," he tried to say matter of factly. "We slept on that thing more than the bed."
Her head pressed to his shoulder, chuckling. "Always... made a good pillow."
"You smile in your sleep. You know that?"
She made sure to keep a smile on her face now.
Ashur moved again, to press his lips against hers. He was trembling. He was trembling so much. She couldn't feel her leg any more, hadn't for a little while. The cold was coming over her, and yet… and yet… it wasn't so bad. She could almost feel warm again.
"I love you, Danika. I love you. I love you..."
"I love you, too, Dom. So… keep going… please. It's ok. I'll find you. I'll… I'll find you in the next life, babe." Was she even speaking any more? She couldn't tell. She kept trying, and she could hear him trying to sooth her. His lips pressed against her forehead, hand cupping her face towards his. He kept trying to sooth her, even as she continued to try and speak. "Always find you…. I always will. Love you. I'll be back."
"I know, we'll meet up again. I'll see you soon, baby. I'll see you real soon, baby. Shhhh… I'll be with you real soon, baby."
Her hand groped for his, the other for Andronicus. Did they find them? They had to. She was sure of it. Sure that she held their hands. Sure that she held onto them.
"Love you…. love you… I'll see you… next life… I'll be… waiting for you…."
Danika took the place of Themiscyra as her thoughts drifted.
Her mother. Joss stood not far from her, arms crossed, but… a smile on her face.
Did I do ok mom? Did I do ok?
Joss was replaced for a moment, another woman standing in her place. Diana's mother smiled back to her before she and Joss nodded as one. I've always been proud of you, honey. It's ok. The fight is over for now.
Chris. Paris. Jas and Clint. Xanthus.
Diana reached for her brother's hand, and Danika lingered even as Clint took her hand.
She looked to Dominic and Alex. Ashur and Andronicus blurred away from them. Them, yet more than them. She smiled, and in that moment… she let go. Just for now. Just a little rest.
The Cauldron would not let Themiscyra rest for long. But… for a little while, it was ok.
I will always love you. I will always find you.
I'll be waiting for you in the next life
I will always bring you home.
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Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2014 11:09 pm
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Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2015 7:23 pm
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