Welcome to Gaia! ::

From all the stitches and discolouration of flesh to hint this person was made from a number of people, Ruu should've guessed that breaking a limb wouldn't have been felt or aiding in the stopping of her attacks, but you only learn by doing.

With both swords up to balance himself as he stamped down, and with the woman sending another needle fist at his thigh it was a good job they were there. The instant she leapt into action he was able to act, one sword slashing down in an attempt to severe her arm clean off whilst the other was brought down in a stabbing motion at her head.

Ruuvan took no time to mourn the passing of his foe, whipping both blades to the side, sending the blood flinging into the snow and off the smooth metal.

He looked up as the ding sounded, immediately breaking into a run towards D as if the ding had been the starter's pistol in a race, but he simply wanted to get into the lift before the doors closed and see where they were going.
"You alright?" A question asked quite a lot today, especially since he cared about D's well-being.

He'd lost count of the minutes he spent simply sitting on the stone cold floor.

His entire body was numbed, despite how bundled up he was.

IT couldn't be real.

Just couldn't be.

Yet here he was. Mummified bodies, decomposed parts, dried blood on the floors and walls--- this place was a graveyard.

And he was it's only witness.

For who would mourn this loss? What mother would grieve the importance?

No one.

Not a single soul.

Save a damned one.

"....."

::Oddly enough, D didnt respond at all. He just stared forward at the metal walls of the elevator, and the tiny spiders white which all huddled in one corner of the lift. He was zoned out, or perhaps entirely too far zoned in to something.

Even when the drop of blood trickled down past his forehead and fell on his cheek, he didnt respond. And as it rolled down his cheek like a crimson tear, he continued to stare at nothing.

This meant the elevator ride was going to be very very quiet. It was strange as can be, but as the elevator continued to rise, the light coming from Ruuvan's amulet continued to glow until it became so ridiculously bright that it was akin to staring at a miniature Sun, with Ruu's powerful eyes it meant the amulet was going to be become more than a bit uncomfortable as it was hanging from his neck.

As the elevator rose, and remarkably silently as well, a sound began to echo through the shaft. It was the sound of mumbles, someone talking, two distinctly different voices...one sounding a bit older and deeper, and the other sounding more wispy and echoed, though the words werent clear even to Ruu's intense ears.

After a few seconds, they started to grow clearer, and clearer.::

...in violation to nothing! I simply vanted to live my life, vith my children...but zhe majicks have made zhat impossible...vas my vish truly zhat wrong?

::A cold calculated, emotionaless voice responded. It seemed to echo as if it, and dozens of others were speaking at the same time, down an ethereal all of some sort.::

This question is irrelevant, you are in violation of the 2nd mandate, of Judas Act, voluntary creation of the legacy artifact. As well as the 6th and 8th mandate, voluntary creation of unnatural life and voluntary unnatural extension of ones own life. It is your time.

::The second voice grew silent for a moment, and then spoke up.::

Zhen zhere is no ozher vay.

::A metallic clink could be heard, like metal sliding against metal as if a weapon was just drawn.::

I vill be with my love again, but at a time of my choosing...let me see the face of he who vould claim me. And I vill strike him down. Death be not proud...

::The clink and clash of metal could be heard down the shaft. But the door was ungiving, the shaft would not be prematurely moved. It was as if fate itself decided that for all his questing it must be this way. This man must fall, and the last possible person who might know the fate of Ruu's dear friend would be lost.

A grunt was heard, followed by the sound of something tumbling, and falling, then smashing to the floor. The combat was heavy, if Ruu closed his eyes he could almost imagine it. But from the sound of things the Doctor was being beaten, merely because all vocal sounds were coming from him. Perhaps the other being was too proud to speak, or unable to make a sound. Or mayhaps the Doctor was simply that outclassed.::

Though some have called thee mighty and dreadful, thou art not so.

::Many rapid clangs were head in sucessions as if several attacks were being launched and defected at extreme high speed followed by a very loud thunk.::

For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow....raaaah...die not.

::A loud smash, followed by the sound of metal warping and machinery falling to the floor and sparking uncontrollably. Finally, with silence the doors of the elevator opened, just in time for Ruu to see the Doctor locked in combat with a Reaper. This reaper was odd, unlike the others Ruu had seen the shade of his hood covered his entire face in a unearthly black. Only his right eye glowed brightly a sharp white, and its energy seemed to flare from outside the hood. He wielded his scythe masterfully, it seemed most of the ducking and dodging was done by the rather old man, somewhere in his mid 60's. For his age he was rather spry, he wore a stained labcoat, marking him most definately as the Doctor. His right hand seemed missing and in its place was a long thin blade, most similar to a rapier.

With it seemed he had managed to slightly cut the fringe of the reapers cloak, and it seemed he had managed to slice quite a few notches in the wood of the scythe. But he was growing weary, as he fought he tried to recite the one poem but words were getting heavy, and his voice was running out of breath. The Reaper was not moving, rather the man was and trying desperately to dodge the scythe, but in the mess he was creating he was running out of room to duck and dodge, as the Reaper was simply calmly walking toward him, defending and countering everything that was thrown at him.::

Poor death...nor yet...can'st...thou...kill---shink.

::Ruuvan really didnt even have the time to move, even with his speed the Reaper was faster. And before this Doctor could could finish his quote, his arm reached back for a slash, clinking on the very large window which surrounded this topmost floor, his office. With that momentary delay the Reaper spun his scythe and ran the Doctor through, clean through the chest. The unspeakably sharp blade also piercing the 2ft thick solid glass. The scythe began its work, of draining and harvesting the soul, but the Doctor yet still resisted. He grabbed the staff of the blade hoisting himself further onto it. The sound of steel cleaving through flesh as the cut grew, was only made worse by the sound of blood trickling down from the open wound and splattering on the ground.

The Reaper would not be daunted by the man furthering his own end. But the Doctor had a goal. Blood had soaked his pale skin as it poured from the smile stretched across his face, with each wet weezing breath he pulled himself farther until he was finally within reach, and with one final fling of his arms, he reached out and jerked the Reapers hood back.

It was helpless to defend as that would require stopping the harvest.::

..me...

::With this final act, the Doctor accepted his fate, and slumped over, dead.

His lifeless hands gave in to gravity and pushed the hood the rest of the way back, as it ruffled and fell navy blue spikes of hair were revealed, hair which grew off of very pale skin. Skin on a face Ruuvan would find very very familiar.

Ruuvans necklace had began to shake and spasm, and literally go out of control in his grip.

Whipping his blade back and letting the Doctors corpse slowly fall, the Reaper slowly turned his emotionless face toward Ruuvan. His left eye, looked mostly normal only cast black, while his right eye was a stark white.

Very calmly, he walked directly up to Ruuvan, looking him directly in the eye, in silence. He spoke, his voice just as emotionless as his face, or any other Reaper. It echoed with the voice of several others, all in cue.::

Ruuvan Lassenger, you have been found guilty of the 2nd, and 43rd mandates of the Judas Act. Voluntary possesion of a legacy artifact, and illegally entering and exiting an afterlife facility without due processing. How do you plead?

---

::From the silent hall behind Vahn came a set of footsteps. The sound of feet crunching through snow combined with the sound of cloth blowing in the wind.

Footsteps filled the empty hall as the figure approached behind Vahn and spoke. His voice aged.::

I am sorry you had to see this Master Vahn.

::The figure said, sliding off his hood, revealing Walters old face, monacle and all. He shook his head.::

Know that they fought valiantly against insurmountable odds, even the youngest never faltered until the battle was done...Their battle was worthy of their memory...

::It wasnt close to rectifying the situation, but there was nothing in his power that could be done to save these that had fallen.::

::As always Walter was formal, never interupting, and never speaking out of turn, but instead waiting until Vahn finished before responding. Always with a measure of formality on his tone, while still trying to sound consoling.::

Death follows us all Master Vahn, it cannot be escaped.

::The words probably didnt seem to comforting.He took a few steps forward while adjusting his monacle, coming to a stop beside Vahn.::

Perhaps you run, to find a purpose for your running? Perhaps to find a place you need not run from. This...was not your fault, had you been here to fight beside them, you would have only died beside them. And in doing so been lost to the people that matter now in your life.

::The thunder from before had not ceased, infact it only seemed to be growing progressively louder.::

You can do nothing for these fallen...but there is one close you may be yet able to save.

The doors opened just in time to see the Doctor die on the blade of a Reaper, the rest of the fight being acted out in his head going on nothing but sound. He had expected something like that from the tone of voice and general deliverance of the speech, but Ruuvan would never have guessed that his old friend Maximos would become a Reaper; The Destroyer's choice maybe, but not his.
"Maximos..." Barely above a whisper; surprise and shock was about to set in, taking hold gradually and closing of his senses, but the amulet shaking violently shook him back to reality.

Ruuvan stood tall as his crimes were rattled off in a manner befitting a military officer, his mind working to figure out what this was all leading to and why this amulet around his neck seemed to be so damned important. Still, lying hadn't helped earlier and even if he did have a choice of how to plead, there was no use in lying to a Reaper who had the resources to look into your past and note everything you did.
"Guilty." Even if he could lie about it, he wouldn't have. Maximos had become a Reaper and was now stood before him with charges to bring to justice, but Ruuvan wasn't going to let his journey end with being killed by a version of his friend he hoped never to see.

"You've taken an awfully vested interest in this all..." His head was slightly tilted to the side, yet he never moved once from his spot.

He felt stuck to the center of the room, Walter's voice drifting in and out amide the crash of weather that was tolling its approach.

"I've come too far now to say no. I can't say no when this is staring me in the face. If it gives me everything I need....

..to make sure those I care about are never hurt again... even if I have to bet my life on it-- then there's no goddamned question!"

Thunderstruck.

"How can I forget... it's the only thing you warned me about."

And even then, considering how close he had come to accidentally making the mistake of going against Walter's words (not too mention the one brief instance where he considered doing it purposely), one had to wonder if Vahn just had a penchant for even subconsciouly breaking rules.

As if his entire nature disallowed anyone from dictating what he did.

Yet he had been manipulated and used numerous times in the past.

"We agreed that it was a very bad thing."