The attacker did little to press her advantage, gently touching down upon blood-splattered debris. Civilians unlucky enough to have gotten caught in the initial attack lay as stiff corpses, many shredded so horribly it was hard to tell where flesh met jagged bone. Marrow's expression remained neutral as she silently appraised her potential opponent, noting her dagger to have pierced his skin even WITH a defensive technique. Maybe Celerous thought she'd attack. Say something evil. Demand he stand down or leave. Marrow did none of that. As far as the girl was concerned, her mission was simply to keep potential threats occupied, and while loathe to admit it, the potential for misreading the initial situation was there.
If the disguised Derry ended up engaging Fukushu in direct combat, Marrow combating the fiery man trying to STOP the Heran would be detrimental. The distant chittering voice and approaching energy signature meant backup was arriving on the side of her enemy, Marrow's eyes shining with a cold apathy. Her specialty remained in duels. Outlasting and outmaneuvering a single foe. Even Yogu's pitiful help had given Russ enough breathing room to become a serious threat; had she not exploited his heroic nature. For now, she'd squat down, idly twirling another liquid knife in her fingers and waiting for whatever would come next.
Truth be told, Celerous had expected some kind of statement. Maybe something malicious, or some kind of justification, or maybe just some good ole fashioned gloating. But the woman said nothing. She didn't even follow up with another attack, which is what he probably would have done, had their situations been reversed. She just sort of... stood there. More like a statue than a living person.
It was a little eerie, actually.
Celerous took a moment to glance at his wound, since the girl was so kind not to try and punch his teeth in. The blade hadn't struck deep, probably not even halfway to the bone. It was bleeding decently, but hadn't done any real damage. That was a relief: Celerous didn't want to step into a fight, down an arm.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you not to play with knives?" Celerous' voice was a low growl, though it wasn't rainbow girl he was angry with, not really, "that stung pretty good, you know."
Levity was hard, in this transformed state. Even now, he wanted to lash out; to rage and throw his power around, to hell with whoever or whatever got caught up in it. But he had better control than that. At least, for now. The longer this fight went on, though, the harder fighting his wrath would become. Maybe... maybe he could reason with this woman, whoever she was. Maybe he could convince her to let him pass, and take on Fukushu, before he gave in to depraved fury.
But those dead eyes told him a different story.
"So, can I at least ask for a name?" Celerous tried anyhow, "it only seems fair: you did just kick me through a building. And you stabbed me."
Though he opted to try for words, he still settled into a fighting stance.
"Once upon a time." Replied Marrow lowly. Participating in witty retorts and quips was something she generally scorned, but Eris had noted words were just as good a weapon as any other. It didn't make participating in mid-battle gaffs any more entertaining for the criminal, but she'd follow the unofficial orders regardless. Surprisingly, her opponent didn't attack. The telltale signs of rage wracked the man's body, unnatural wrath brought upon by the same transformation many Saiyans fell back upon when turning into the Oozaru was considered too risky. As he asked for her name, Marrow's mind briefly wandered. Images of a now sunken control room, a blue-haired Saiyan standing against her. Before, she had refrained from saying anything - better that the enemy has nothing to go on. This time, due to her increasing notoriety ever since Battle Island, she'd act differently.
"Marrow," She'd watch his stance keenly, taking note of how best to combat it. "Some people call me Marci." The exchange was still a far cry from pleasant. An undercurrent of tension slipped through the conversation, apparent even in the face of Marrow's lax stance. She remained in a squatting position, staring up at Celerous unimpressed. He hadn't exactly asked if she'd stand aside or if she was in league with the Heran yet, but it was blatant a battle would break out between them. A quiet ping from her ear-mounted communicator caused Marrow to stir, lifting a hand up slowly to accept the call.
Though completely muted to Celerous, Derry's refreshed commands provoked a grunt from the girl as she stood up, knife disappearing. "So," Her hands slid into her sweatshirt's pockets as a sign of peace. "Are you with that Heran?" Marrow already knew the answer... but if Derry planned on fighting him, he'd need proper backup. Pretending that she had made a mistake in assuming Celerous' side and then sicking him on Fukushu would be perfect. "You're acting way too docile for someone looking to destroy a city."
He hadn't expected her to answer his questions. Either of them.
Celerous' heart beat to the drum of war, urging him to strike as Marrow tucked her hands into her pockets. Only a fool let their guard down in front of an enemy, or so his blood told him as it pumped furiously through his veins. Now was his chance to throw a decisive blow. If only he'd do it-
Breath through it, his grandfather's words echoed in his head, you control your rage, your rage does not control you.
He blew out a steady breath, letting his blood cool. That urge to dominate—to destroy—was still there, nagging at him from the back of his mind, but he was the one in control here.
"Marrow," Celerous nodded, "I'm Celerous, and no, I'm not helping Fukushu destroy the city. I'm acquainted with him, unfortunately, but I'm trying to stop him. And considering that you're stopping to talk to me, I'm going to assume that you are too."
Or maybe she wanted to distract him, so that she could strike herself. But then... why wouldn't she have pressed the attack, after she'd kicked him through a building? Celerous wasn't sure, but he didn't trust her: not yet. She had, after all, stabbed him. Even so, a small part of him hoped that she was actually here to stop the mad Heran. They didn't stand a chance against him alone, probably not even that old geezer. Together, though, they had a chance.
Celerous lowered his arms, and stood normally once more. He didn't drop his form, though, just in case this actually was just an elaborate ploy on her part. He was willing to hear her out, but Fukushu had taught him quite the lesson about lowering his guard. The green man might be insane, but he was an experience warrior. Celerous could draw from that.
"You haven't thrown another knife at me, so I imagine you want to talk. I'll listen."
Post by Mister Steel on Sept 15, 2022 14:29:46 GMT -5
Right as things were starting to calm down, there came a sound. A strange sound. The sound of someone shouting and hollering from a good distance away.
"The Unbreakable..."
There was a pause, a brief moment before the next shout came, this time sounding a bit closer...
"Mister..."
The final word started out sounding far away, only to get louder and louder as it was drawn out...
"STEEEEEEEEEEEEEL!"
Right before he stopped shouting, the source of the noise revealed himself. He was a tiny little Earthling, who flew through the air like someone on wires, before landing on a nearby building. Then, from ten stories up, he leaped down into an alley, bouncing between two buildings like a ping-pong ball. Once he was about twenty feet off the ground, he richocheted on his last bounce in the direction of Celerous... and performed what some of another era and place would have called a "superhero landing". Others would have called it a "three point" landing, since he fell with a knee, a foot, and a fist all touching the ground.
The landing brought him close to, but not touching, Celerous, landing between the humble farmer and the woman that had driven him away from Fukushu and the main fighting. Then, Mister Steel stood up... revealing just how little he was wearing. Most of his hairy, muscular body was completely bare to the elements, from the top of his mullet-mane, down to his feet... Pecs, abs, quads, shins, feet... ALL were revealed, except for what was covered by his mirrored shades and a tight little swimsuit that itself left little of what it covered to the imagination.
"-IS HERE! ALRIGHT, Celerous, I'm backin' ya up 'gainst this bright-haired broad. Let's take 'er down an' then get back ta stoppin' Fukushu's dastardly, devilish, damnable plan!"
With that, Mister Steel got into his usual fighting stance. Fists were held up, with one close to his chin and the other extended outwards towards his opponent. One foot was placed in front of the other, with his legs spread shoulder-width apart...
He was ready for combat. All 4'11" of mane and goatee and chest-hair and MUSCLE.
MISTER STEEL HAS ENTERED THE SPLIT AND HE'S READY TO FIGHT!
Post by Rhapsody Shade on Sept 15, 2022 22:26:17 GMT -5
Form: Base (x1) Base PL: 20,000 Current PL: 20,000 Trait: Anti-Sense = Active
As fast as the winds would allow, Rhapsody would give chase; following at a shrinking distance behind the diminutive streaker. It wasn't a sight Rhapsody wanted to keep her eyes on, but she also wasn't entirely focused at the moment; the only thought in her mind being, stop that man. Stopping him meant stopping the ongoing destruction and preventing further loss of life. She didn't know why that fact rang so powerfully and true in her mind, all she knew was that she had to follow it, she was compelled to.
The man had landed atop a building, this was Rhapsody's chance to stop him! Yet, with unnerving speed, the man had dashed down into an alleyway and began to use the buildings as footing to gain even greater speed and distance. Rhapsody worried she'd lose track of the man with all his sporadic movements, but as luck would have it, his destination wasn't that far off. He'd been announcing his arrival throughout his entire escapade, which only made him easier to follow; now, he'd found himself stopped between two individuals. One was an unwitting civilian that he no doubt had his eyes on throwing himself upon, while the other was... Celerous!?
"STOOOOOP!!!" Rhapsody would shout as she fell from the skies; landing between Marrow and Steel, "Cease your lecherous actions this instant!! I'll not let you claim yet another victim!!" She'd proclaim as she drew her sword and aimed it towards Mister Steel; her gaze unyielding even as she then addressed Celerous, "Celerous! What is the meaning of this!?" Rhapsody would question, "Are you in league with this vandal!? Causing widespread chaos and throwing your bodies upon... upon...!" Rhapsody could bear to think that even Celerous was a part of the devilish, Mister Steel's crimes! "Worry not civilian, see yourself to safety! I'll handle these miscreants!" She'd finish, taking firm grip of her sword as she attempted to protect Marrow from the deceptively evil villains before her.
Passive Effects: Antisense: +20% Boost to Escape Techniques & Immunity to all forms of Sensing Full Sauce: 0MP Drain on Limit Form(Max Power) Out of this World: +10% Evasive/Escape Boost Resources: Antisense: First Escape attempt costs 0 KP (One Use) Durability: 40% Damage Reduction (One Use) Bare-Knuckle Brawler: 30% Defensive Boost (One Use) Items: --
Post - 3
WC - 335
TWC - 1,211
Last Edit: Sept 15, 2022 22:34:13 GMT -5 by Rhapsody Shade
"...Not particularly." She shrugged nonchalantly, lax stance remaining. "The initial attack was a misunderstanding. Now that it's corrected, our time is better spent taking this Fukushu down." Unfortunately, logic initially tended to bounce off most people's brains, especially during stressful situations. Celerous' active form and adrenaline from being thrust into an impromptu warzone might mean he was still on the edge of hostility. "I get that you might not fully trust me right now, but if it's between interrogating me to your satisfaction or saving lives right now, what will it be?"
She'd be long gone before the battle even fully concluded. It was likely Marrow would be called in to take some hits for Derry and narrowly escape with her life intact to allow the President to clean up. And then Steel. If it had been anyone else of the female spectrum bearing witness to a nigh naked dwarf descending from above to strike a pose, they'd be understandably taken aback. Marrow spared the man a momentary glance before ignoring him entirely. "One of your allies?" They weren't really in a position to turn down firepower. If the speedo warrior was here to stop Fukushu, let him soak up a blast or two meant for Marrow or Derry.
"Catch him up to speed, and let's get going-" And then Rhapsody. The heroic spiel provoked no reaction from Marrow's seemingly permanent scowl, eyes flickering to the blonde swordswoman. The implications of her accusations were... interesting, to say the least. Being called a civilian had to be the highlight of her day. "I'm going to leave you guys to sort this out. Bye." Without further fanfare, the girl would turn, flying off from whence she came to finally assist her current boss.
Marrow's response wasn't exactly reassuring, but unlike Fukushu, she wasn't actively trying to destroy a city. Under the present circumstances, Celerous thought choosing to help her was the most logical decision, even if his blood burned for another scrap with her. And she was right: they didn't have time to sit here and debate it. Every second they weren't taking the fight to Fukushu was another life lost.
"Agreed," Celerous growled, despite trying not to, "stopping Fukushu is all that matters right now."
That was when Steel showed up, all less than five foot of him, damn near stark nude if not for a speedo. Even with primal instinct welling up under his skin, Celerous was shocked out of his tempered fury for a moment. A dozen different questions ran through his head, ranging from "where did you come from?" to "why the hell are you in your underpants?" but none of them left Celerous' mouth. He was simply too stunned.
"Hold on Steel, we're on the same side. She's here to stop Fukushu too."
Celerous had thought that Steel in swimwear would be the end of his surprise, and this odd encounter. He was wrong. Mere moments later, a very familiar face turned up showing off a brand new look. When Cel had last seen Rhapsody, she had still been wearing her worn and torn blue kimono, and had her torso wrapped in bandages. Now she was sporting a dark purple dress that, in some ways, left little to the imagination. Celerous would have been drooling under normal circumstances. But things were too dire now for such a reaction.
Like Steel, she'd been confused on who was on what side. Unlike Steel, though, she had accused Celerous himself of being on the wrong side. Through the mass of rage that burned in his heart, he felt a pain. An ache. It tasted bitter, almost like betrayal. That Rhapsody of all people would think he was here to engage in frivolous lechery when a city burned around him... it hurt in a way he hadn't expected.
He dismissed his feelings. Too much at stake.
"Rhapsody," he started slowly, his voice a grumble, "if I were going to "throw my body" at anyone, you would be the first to know-"
No wait, that wasn't what he'd meant.
"Marrow, tell her that-"
But Marrow was gone, flying off in the direction of Fukushu, where the actual important things were happening. Annoying as it was that the rainbow Saiyan was no longer here to clear things up, she had the right idea. So Celerous took to the air, in an attempt to follow her.
"We're all on the same side!" He barked out, finally getting to the point, "Fukushu is going to destroy East City! Unless we stop him. If you want to dole out justice for indecent exposure, Rhapsody, fine. But do it after we stop the Heran."
Post by Mister Steel on Sept 19, 2022 13:02:46 GMT -5
While Mister Steel confused everyone, he himself was confused. Firstly, by the rather blase attitude that Marrow took upon his arrival. He knew she was stronger than him, but two-on-one should have given someone pause! And then there was the sudden appearance of the woman with wings and a purple dress that was weirdly conservative in regards to everything below the belly, yet fairly liberal with what it covered up above the belly button. It made for a bizarre bit of fashion. Not that Steel was in any position to talk, but still...
Oh, and she was accusing him of "lechery", which was the sort of old-timey word that Steel had only heard spoken aloud in old plays and films, and had only read in old books and period dramas.
"What tha heckle-freckle is goin' on in this city?"
After a quick fill-in from Celerous, who dipped just after Marrow, Steel sighed and just gave a weary glance towards the woman in the dress with the neat sword.
"Why'd I even show up here? Alright, welp, guess I gotta go deal with tha real bad-guy now. See ya later, stranger, lecher ya never."
And with that, he was hopping like a frog, back towards the main action and towards Fukushu.
Post by Rhapsody Shade on Sept 22, 2022 8:07:24 GMT -5
Form: Base (x1) Base PL: 20,000 Current PL: 20,000 Trait: Anti-Sense = Active
The civilian that Rhapsody had arrived between to aid had successfully escaped, giving Rhapsody a feeling of relief. Now the only issue was to stop the vandals before her; Celerous had attempted to explain himself in a most confusing manner, but Rhapsody's mind remained focused on the one instruction that continued to play, stop him. Her eyes narrowed upon the villain that had proclaimed himself as Mister Steel; if he would refuse to stop his lecherous ways, then Rhapsody would make him. Celerous made to escape from the scene with with an even stranger remark about someone Rhapsody didn't even know; it was disappointing that he would flee like a cowardly villain, but also relieving that she wouldn't be made to fight her prior ally. Unfortunately, Celerous had attempted to call upon Steel as well, no doubt so the two could continue their path of destruction; and this could not be allowed!
"The only bad guy here is-!!" Rhapsody would begin as she attempted to rush forward towards Steel; just as she began moving however, a strange force would compel her to stop.
The world became wavy and shaky for a few moments, as though a massive pressure was being released and a weight was being lifted. The words that had previously compelled her to stop the man before her would fade, not only from the forefront of her mind, but also from her memory. Rhapsody would be locked in place for around a minute before finally snapping out of her trace; with Celerous and Mister Steel both long gone by this point.
"Where...?" Rhapsody would question as she straightened up and took in her surroundings, "I was... perusing that paper for an item to purchase?" She'd question as she took notice of her sword and went to place it in her sheath; only to find not only was her sheath missing, but so was the entirety of her traditional garb, "By the heavens!? What is this?? Where is my battle attire!?" Rhapsody would exclaim as she examined her form; questioning the disappearance of her garb as she took in the appearance of the new dress she'd been clad in.
Stabbing her sword into the ground, Rhapsody would cross her arms as she attempted to think; she could hardly recall what had led her to her current place. She remembered being at a shop, and then... an explosion?
"Someone help!!" A voice in the distance would cry, snapping Rhapsody back to attention.
While the new attire she wore was concerning, it was hardly of importance at the moment; now that she had recalled the explosion, she was beginning to realize the situation. There had been an attack of some kind, and the citizens of this oversized village were in desperate need of aid. It was a bit unorthodox to fly around with her sword drawn, but she had no other choice; Rhapsody would remove her blade from the ground and take to the skies, dashing in the direction of the prior cries of distress.
Passive Effects: Antisense: +20% Boost to Escape Techniques & Immunity to all forms of Sensing Full Sauce: 0MP Drain on Limit Form(Max Power) Out of this World: +10% Evasive/Escape Boost Resources: Antisense: First Escape attempt costs 0 KP (One Use) Durability: 40% Damage Reduction (One Use) Bare-Knuckle Brawler: 30% Defensive Boost (One Use) Items: --
Oct 20, 2024 18:31:30 GMT -5
Marimba: Yep. Better than ever too.
Oct 20, 2024 21:26:39 GMT -5
Rhuba: I wish I saw Marimba talk more in the Discord.
Oct 21, 2024 16:21:05 GMT -5
Yakito: Marimbus will perish by my hands.
Oct 22, 2024 2:13:57 GMT -5
Chomei: Marimbus will persevere by my hands.
Oct 22, 2024 4:38:31 GMT -5
Rhuba: Why is he preserving your hand?
Oct 22, 2024 15:18:52 GMT -5
Pom: Maybe he likes it?
Oct 22, 2024 17:04:34 GMT -5
Marimba: It'll come in handy some day
Oct 23, 2024 12:26:15 GMT -5
Mister Steel: Chomei's estate is vast, and marriage into the family can only benefit Marimba with access to cattle, pasture land, and much grain to feed his armies.