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{ Kuro Oni ; James ; Alex : The Black Pearl : Deck}

{{Cue: Metal Gear Saga}}

More fists flying his way, the replica was able to block or evade most of them. However, a few good ones hit their mark, the force behind them enough to daze the replica but only for a second. The Nightmare Dreadnought recognized this, the rage, the blind fury that the corsair was in. This was the berserk nature that the corsair had once blamed upon the "demon" in his mind that the replica had based his form off of. The cold and merciless demon of his nightmares.

"Come on! Show me what you've got!" the replica bellowed. "Give in to the darkness that has a hold of you!"

He then took the next opening that he had and returned James' furious assault with a well timed strike of his own. The Wolf Fang Fist erupting from his curled fingers as he struck at the young man's face.

The lycanthrope that had once been Alex still remained stunned as Kuja unleashed one of his most powerful attacks. The blood red eyes of the beast darted from side to side as he watched the blasts of energy converge around him, unable to do a thing about them as they impacted, eliciting a growl of rage and pain from him. The growl turned into a howl of agony as the blasts converged once again exploding into an attack of black of black and red energy. The blast strong enough to send the unversed into the air.

The beast was launched off of the deck of the ship and due to the angle of the two ships in the maelstrom crashed into the deck of the other ship, boards cracking and splintering under the impact. As the bestial form laid on the deck it began disintegrating, curling wisps of darkness falling from it's body, the monster defeated.

James staggered back as Kuro unleashed his Wolf Fang Fist, the blades of energy slashing into his cheek as he fell back. The corsair could feel the warm sensation of blood running down the side of his face and quickly raised a hand to wipe it onto the back of his gloved hand.

I need more strength... Fenrir, give me everything that you've got!'

The corsair hadn't even really noted the strange silence from Fenrir during the fight until that moment. No reply came from the Lunar Wolf aside from what felt like a very feral growl. Despite that though, the corsair felt the increase of energy and grasped for it, not even caring that it was darkness he grasped at. His fists tightened and his teeth clenched as he felt the darkness surround him, fill his body with energy and new found strength. Tapping into the power of the Dark Wolf that he had only once used and by complete accident at that.

"You asked for it! KURO!!!" James yelled, the last word coming out of his mouth with a very bestial edge to it.

Kuro couldn't help but smirk as he watched James tap into the very power that he had so tried to avoid. Things were about to get interesting, of that the Nightmare Dreadnought was sure.

"Now that's more like it!"

{{James' Stats with Dark Wolf}}
PS: 12
PR: 8
AS: 11
ER: 9
OS: 10
Additional Effect: Berserk

{Bobbi .:. Atlantica .:. Above Battlefield}

Bobbi'd forgotten how hard it was to concentrate when you couldn't even control your emotions. She had no idea what was going on around her, as she was too focused on keeping herself in check. She hardly noticed as Noelle broke her contact with Kyle, except that there was no longer that blessed, demanding drain. She felt like a grenade with the pin pulled, all explosive energy and nowhere to go but boom.

I'm not doing this again...

I'm not

being this again!
I... won't... let... it... control... me!

Help me, Shiva, please!

~:Release it.:~

Would you knock if off with the cryptic remarks and actually be helpful for once, sensei?!

~:Don't be more than an idiot than you already are! You have all of that energy, and by some miracle, Kyle didn't take it all. Use it! You're good at shoving your emotions into the back of your mind, now shove them somewhere else!:~

Epic level kablooey?

~:Epic level kablooey.:~

Maybe three heartbeats had passed in this exchange. Bobbi had been floating slowly away from Kyle, Joe, and Noelle, and now turned to face the battlefield again. She clamped her left hand around her right wrist and concentrated with all her soul, going into a trance-like state as she tried to find all the tiny bits of Darkness that weren't specifically hers, and force those energies to coalesce in her palm. It was probably a noisy affair, accompanied by a lot of grunts and ending with a scream, but it worked. Some of her Ice magic came out as well, and a huge Blizzara spell formed, laced with Darkness, that she fired at the enemy lines once it reached the limits of Bobbi's control. The spell would pass harmlessly by any allies, and obliterate any weak or weakened enemies, though there wasn't much of those after Kyle's latest to-do.

Panting, Bobbi drifted listlessly for awhile as she tried to pull herself back together. The horrible feelings were gone, and any outside Darkness that was left she could more than likely deal with. She had no idea how long she stayed in that dazed stupor, but Kyle's Charm request roused her somewhat.

:You are sooooo lucky I trust you, man,: she sent as she downed another Ether. :You owe me after that last stunt.: Once her Mana levels were restored, Bobbi removed Ice Spirit from Kyla, and transferred it to Kyle since, even at full Mana levels, she could only maintain one at a time.

[ Rourke and Co. : Atlantis : City Proper ]

Meanwhile...

It was only barely bright in Atlantis, but the mercenary crew under the command of Lyle Tiberius Rourke was awake and fully prepared for their mission. They'd rounded up Milo and Kida to use them later and were set to march toward the Throne Room.

That, however, is when the quake happened.

It lasted for a few minutes before dying down, waking most of the populace in the process. Normally, Rourke wouldn't have given a damn, but the small tremor had come from their getaway rendezvous--the only known entrance and exit for the city. So now, he had to make a choice. Did he check out their exit, risking the element of surprise should the people send word to the king that his men had assembled with weapons? Or did he go for the king and the Heart of Atlantis, showing his hand without knowing if he had a proper escape route?

After discussing it with Helga, his second-in-command, he turned toward the rest of his men--including the two Turk liaisons that had come with them.

"Alright, half'a you go with Helga to check the exit," he barked, grabbing his gun and pulling Kida roughly into his grasp; he kept the gun to her side. "The other half'a you come with me. As long as we've got the Princess, I doubt His Majesty's going to try anything stupid."

The men and women all nodded and, without even a discussion, split into an exact even team, Helga leading her half down the declining road toward the exit. The other half began their ascent toward the Throne Room, some keeping their guns pointed at Milo while Kida remained in Rourke's vice-like grip.

{Tseng : Atlantis : City Proper}

The leader of the Turks stood amongst the gathering of the mercenary crew that had been hired to explore Atlantis. He remained silent and calm as the group prepared to head toward the Throne Room where they hoped they would find the source of power they were looking for.

Then the quake occurred, the tremor shaking the ground on which they stood. It soon subsided though. The turk, ever cautious surveyed their surroundings to make everything still seemed stable. He noted that Rourke's focus had turned towards their way out of the city and then called Helga over.

He had suspected they were discussing the condition of their escape route and his suspicions were confirmed when Rourke spoke. As the people began to split into the two groups as the mercenary leader had ordered, the leader of the Turks turned his focus to the young man that he had brought with him.

"Go with Helga," he instructed. "I will go with Rourke to keep an eye on things."

With that the black-suited man walked off to follow the others as they began their ascent to the Throne Room. He looked calm though the Turk was ready for anything that might happen. His priority right now was to investigate, nothing more. So long as the mercenaries did their job and stuck to the plan, he wouldn't need to take any unexpected action.

[Nicholas :: Atlantis :: Cavern Opening]

The Dark Knight followed quickly behind Ajora, making his way out of the cavern and into the spacious open area. He squinted for a moment, his eyes coming out of focus before zeroing in on the City of Atlantis, as well as the mercenary group led by Helga. His gaze shifted to Ajora, noticing the white suit he was wearing and how unfitting it was in the scope of the world they were in. Ajora's mention of another Ivalician raised a brow, but it wasn't as much of a concern to him. His view was focused on the mercenary group and their guns, a wild grin forming.

"Oooh~" Nick cooed, his hands reaching towards the hilt of Garland's sword. "They rolled out the welcome wagon out for us! I'm going to go greet them!" He announced, walking quickly towards the mercenaries. He unsheathed his blade and placed it in front of him as a shield, on the chance they opened fire on him. "Please do not fire! We come in peace!" He called, taking slow deep breathes as he made his way closer.

...Be careful, boy. The thirteenth is here... Chaos muttered, Nick stopping part way towards the mercenaries.

...Thirteenth? Well, this will be fun. Snake versus bull, with the virgin waiting in back, with no intention to stain his pretty white dress. He quietly thought to himself, making sure to stifle his giggling. Chaos was about to ensue, and Nick couldn't wait to use his blade in battle. All he had to do now was approach as close as he could before ruining their day.

[ Ajora ; Artemis ; Helga : Atlantis : Underground Cavern Opening ]

As the men surrounded him and the entrance, Ajora merely stood at ease, looking over them with apparent interest and curiosity. He went from mercenary to mercenary, always searching for something, his eyes betraying his intrigue. Finally, when they fell on Daniel, he stopped. His smile widened just slightly enough to notice, and for what seemed like an eternity, he never took his gaze of the young man in the suit.

That is, until the bumbling oaf of swordsman blocked his view.

"Drop your weapons and explain yourselves, or we will fire," Helga demanded, her cold voice carrying a touch of venom. She suspected something larger was up, considering the earthquake and their strange attire--especially the strange woman coming in from the shadows now (Artemis).

"Nicholas, pause," Ajora said, his tone as casual as his stance while he lightly tapped Nicholas on the shoulder with the tip of the Trident. The swordsman would have immediately felt somewhat heavier, though he was otherwise still able to move. The white-suited Replica stepped forward from behind him, bringing himself back to the center of their gaze--and aim.

"You'll have to forgive him. He's over-eager and a horrible liar," Ajora said, and before they had any time to figure out what he meant by that, he lifted his left (free) hand up to chest level--revealing what appeared to be a medium-sized crystal embedded in his palm. Without warning, the Trident in his right hand began to glow, and as it did, so did the crystal in his palm--causing a dim glow to emanate from the mercenaries. "Weapons down."

He lowered his hand, and against their wills, all the mercenaries arms were forcefully lowered to their sides, pointing their weapons to the ground--Helga included, though she seemed to put up more of a struggle, and only after a few seconds of fight did she finally holster her pistol.

"Now we can all be civil about what happens next," he mused, a gentle smile gracing his lips as his gaze once more returned to Daniel--whom he had left unaffected by the spell.

"Who are you?" Helga growled; her arms were still shaking with tension as she fought against the Trident's power.

"We are merely emissaries," he explained, only turning to face her as he began to speak, and as he did so, he spread his arms in a gesture of openness and goodwill. "You see, I come with glad tidings of a world made free."

[Daniel :: Atlantis :: Cavern Opening]

Daniel stood with his back to Helga, left shoulder trained on the intruder, right hand resting upon the baton holstered in his jacket. The man wore a crisp, stark white suit and held a gleaming trident in his hands. Despite being at the center of several cross-hairs he stood with such a relaxed posture that Daniel was impressed. The Turk was about to calm down when the man in white scanned the crowd slowely, meticulously until his eyes landed on Daniel.

The moment their eyes locked froze the Turk in place. The intruder smiled ever so slightly then, as if he found what he was looking for amongst the rabble. Daniel's defenses snapped back into place. He did not return the gesture.

What did you mean before? Tell me NOW.

There was a chuckle

Old friends, those like myself, you see? It seems they have attached themselves to others like you. Speak! Speak up, I haven't talked with them in ages~

The swordsman's approach broke the stare-down. Daniel could not help but wonder if this newcomer was one of the others conversing with strange creatures. His own was brimming with excitement but Daniel held his tongue. Despite Zodiark's carefree attitude Daniel could not shake the feeling of incredible danger, like a lowely creature in the presence of a terrible predator. The third person to breach the darkness did not help the notion either.

How many friends are here?

Hmmm? Zodiark acted as if he was paying attention to something else

You said friends. Plural. How many?

There are 3! What are the chances~?

Daniel did not conceal his displeasure. He could handle mercs and the like, but no Turk training covered the supernatural, the magical. The only course of action was to lay low and stay out of the way, an option he no longer had.


"Nicholas, pause," The trident commanded along with the man in the white suit.

"You'll have to forgive him. He's over-eager and a horrible liar,"


At that moment Daniel was glad for the stuffy suit as it hid his pounding heart.


The trident glowed, as did his palm.

"Weapons down."

Daniel almost missed the mercs dropping their weapons against their will, had it not been for Helga's valiant resistance in the corner of his eye. Her struggle attracted his attention for a mere second before it was back on the man. He looked down the length of his nose then, testing his fingers on the baton. He was still in control. He looked back up.

"Now we can all be civil about what happens next,"

The intruder was looking at him again, smiling, and Daniel knew then he was not in control. There would be no fighting, and definitely no winning.

"We are merely emissaries. You see, I come with glad tidings of a world made free."




It's definitely a Monday.