Direwolf Set.
Ruth Blaine tore through the entrance to the receiver tower in the space of a few seconds, countless Provvidenza hired guns flying backwards into the waiting rubble from the force of her blows. She pulled her punches somewhat when it came to the people -- they were here for theft, not massacre -- but even so, the devastation was immense. What had once been the control center for the farm's automatics had now partially collapsed in on itself, sparks falling like bright rain onto the metal floor.
Twenty-two Provvidenza goons incapacitated on the ground. It had taken around thirty seconds. For the first time since entering the building, Ruth Blaine took a breath. Yes, twenty-two enemies defeated -- but the one now looking down at her seemed like he'd be more trouble than all the rest put together.
He wore the family trenchcoat and fedora like the rest, but the presence he gave off was entirely different. Like a snake with its head pulled back, ready to snap forward at a moment's notice. His jet-black hair was cut short, and the disdainful eyes that glared down at Ruth were a bloody red. That disdain was the only thing Ruth could identify for certain -- any other emotions were concealed behind his stoic expression.
None of that was what immediately caught her attention, though.
All around the man's waist were sheathed swords, arranged so close to each other that he almost looked like he was wearing a dress. Did he really need that many swords? Just from looking at them, she could tell they weren't ordinary. Aether Armaments, if she had to guess.
Well… if there was an unknown form of attack coming, she had a way to deal with it. Beneath the twisted helmet of the Direwolf, Ruth's lips spread out into a fanged grin.
"Monarque --"
"Hold up," said Rex, resting a hand against Ruth's massive shoulder-plate.
She glanced towards him from behind her visor. When they'd breached the building, she'd run off ahead. To be honest, she was surprised he'd managed to catch up so quickly. Ellis' drone hovered over Rex’s shoulder, ready to start hacking into the file storage once they got it into the system.
"We don't wanna destroy this place," Rex continued explaining -- only to quickly correct himself. "We don't wanna destroy this place any more, right? Whole thing's kinda pointless if we blow up all the computers, huh?"
Ruth smirked to herself. "Right."
"I'll take care of this bozo. You take the drone and go on ahead."
It took her only a moment of consideration before she nodded, bounding up the rubble. "Don't die," she growled, voice warped by the metal around her.
Rex's face couldn't be seen, but she could hear his smile as he called after her: "I'll do my best!"
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The last of the Black Sheep made no move to intercept Ruth as she charged past him, into the depths of the receiver tower. His crimson eyes remained fixed on Rex, fingers tapping against the wrapped hilt of one of his swords. With his other hand, he slowly removed his fedora and placed it -- reverently -- on a waiting chunk of rubble.
He spoke, his voice as resolved as his face. "So that woman has another ability -- one with high destructive potential. I'll make sure to pass the word along… after I kill you."
Rex put his hands on his hips, chuckling. "That's, uh… that's a pretty cool line. You practice that at all, or was it just off the cuff?"
The man's face didn't so much as twitch -- no sign of either annoyance or amusement.
"Lucius Victri Provvidenza," he said firmly. "Capo of the Golden Sheen. Leader of the Black Sheep. Identify yourself."
"Name's Rex Restorossi."
"It doesn't matter who you are. I'll cut you down."
Wow, the lines never ended. He was the one who’d asked, right?
Rex continued: "So, leader of the Black Sheep, huh? So you killed two of those Special Officers back in that bar? You might be a little strong."
For the first time, Lucius' expression shifted -- and even that wasn't much of an adjustment. He merely raised an eyebrow. "Two?"
Rex nodded. "The three of you killed six Special Officers, right? Or have I heard wrong?"
Lucius took a step forward into empty air, dropping off the hill of rubble and into the atrium opposite Rex. The two of them stared each other down, waiting for the inevitable moment -- when a weapon would be drawn and blood would be spilled.
"Please don't assume the necessity of a team effort," Lucius said calmly. "Eros strangled that woman. Annatrice restrained him. It was my labor to slay the remaining five."
Rex blinked.
Uh-oh.
"Viscera," Lucius snapped, drawing one of his blades. "Pink."
As the name implied, the blade of the weapon was a pale pink, like raw meat. Lucius whipped it through the air -- and as he did, a solid slash of crystallized blood rushed forth, slicing through the air towards Rex. It didn't take an idiot to work out that getting hit would be a bad idea, but its speed was such that dodging wasn't so easy either.
It was a good thing Rex always came prepared. As he raised a hand crackling with orange Aether, he spoke aloud.
"Omni-Gungnir!"
The Aether Armament appeared in his waiting grasp. For a split second, it took the indistinct form of some kind of buckler, the blood-slash dissipating into nothing as it smashed against its surface. Then, as Rex drew Omni-Gungnir back, it changed shape in another flash of orange -- becoming a long, straight spear.
To an untrained eye, this Aether Armament would have looked like a kids toy. It was bright red and yellow, the colors reflecting the light in such a way that it almost looked like the weapon was made of plastic. The only thing going against that impression was the blade at the weapon's head -- there was no denying that was as sharp as could be.
"Oh?" Lucius mused, sheathing his sword as quickly as he'd drawn it. "A fellow connoisseur."
Rex licked his lips beneath his helmet, his hands firmly grasping the spear. Despite the distance between the two of them, he pointed the weapon directly at Lucius.
"Don't suppose there's any chance you'll just surrender?" Rex asked. "I don't like to get violent."
Lucius' eyes narrowed as if Rex had just insulted him personally. "To do that would be to betray my oaths to the Provvidenza. It is my belief that loyalty is the foremost of all virtues."
Rex clicked his tongue. "Hate to say it… but I'd say you're dead on the money there."
"Besides…" Lucius slowly unsheathed another sword, his gaze a void. "...I can't allow slime like you to wield Aether Armaments. Frightful Blizzard."
In a single bound, he leapt forward, crossing the distance between himself and Rex. The sword he was wielding now was long and jagged, the blade formed from some kind of translucent blue crystal. It seemed fragile, but that was probably part of the design. Maybe something happened if you got the crystal shards on you?
Well, Rex wasn't eager to find out.
He flipped Omni-Gungnir Spear around in his hand, pointing the blade up towards the ceiling -- and the moment he lined the angle up just right, the Armament activated. The handle of the weapon stretched upwards, until the blade had pierced the ceiling above. Then, in that same moment, the spear contracted again, pulling Rex upwards and out of danger.
Hanging from the ceiling, Rex looked down at his opponent. Lucius skidded to a halt in the spot Rex had just been occupying, the metal lining of his boots kicking up sparks from the ground. Frowning, he returned his blue sword to its sheath.
"So that weapon can do more than just change shape," he observed. "Each form has its own individual power?"
Again, this guy was dead on the money. Omni-Gungnir was a weapon that could change between seven different forms, each with their own unique abilities. There was a little more trickery than just that, of course, but Rex guessed it was best to keep that in his back pocket for now.
"It's full of surprises," Rex grinned -- and the emoticon on his helmet mirrored the expression.
Omni-Gungnir: Hammer.
A long, thick sledgehammer, with golden smoke pouring from vents along its side. As the Armament changed form, it dislodged from the ceiling, sending Rex plummeting back down towards his enemy. He raised the hammer high above his head, ready to smash it down on Lucius.
With dextrous hands, Lucius plucked another sword from his sheath -- "Monstro Malikaf!" -- and the weapon immediately transformed into a great shield, with a set of twisted black jaws opening in the middle -- countless teeth gleaming within that maw.
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This wasn't just a thing that would block Rex's attack. It would damn well eat it. Pretty scary, to be sure… but nothing he had to worry about.
With a roar of effort, Rex brought the hammer down.
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As the enemy brought down his hammer, Lucius planted his feet on the ground, bracing himself for the impact. He needn't have bothered.
After all, the blow was as light as a feather.
He only had a moment for confusion. Before Monstro Malikaf could bite down on Omni-Gungnir, the enemy had already kicked off its massive teeth and flipped into the air. As he landed behind Lucius, the capo released his hold on the shield -- far too heavy -- and pulled out Viscera to block the inevitable blow instead.
Again, he needn't have bothered. As he turned and raised the blade to block, the impact against his sword was so gentle that he barely noticed it. His body running on ferocious instinct, he slashed at Rex, but the man had already leapt away again.
Obviously there was some kind of trick to it. In terms of physical strength, this Armament Omni-Gungnir was weaker right now than an uninfused hammer would have been. What boon did it obtain, then, in exchange for that weakness? What did he need to watch for?
He wasn't given much time to consider it. As quickly as Rex had retreated, he pushed back in, swinging his hammer so quickly that it was a blur. Lucius' arms snapped from position to position, mechanically blocking each and every attack, waiting for that trump card.
Weak.
Weak.
Weak.
Weak.
Strong.
It was more than Lucius could have possibly prepared for. When that fifth swing of the hammer struck against his sword, it struck with the smashing power of a runaway train. Immediately, Lucius was sent flying, both his sword and the bones in his arm shattering from the impact. He crashed into the wall and through it, emerging outside the tower and rolling in the grass below.
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Rex grinned as he stepped into the hole in the outside wall of the tower, looking down at Lucius -- who was lying in a vague heap in the ravaged field below.
Worked every time.
Omni-Gungnir Hammer could choose to save up the kinetic energy from its attacks. By landing a bunch of incredibly weak blows on the enemy, Rex could then pack all of the force those attacks should have possessed into a single mighty strike. Needless to say, it was effective.
Lucius didn't look like he was getting back up, but Rex wasn't nice enough to let such an opening go.
Spinning the hammer around in his hand, Rex turned it back into Omni-Gungnir Spear, carefully aiming the spearhead at that prone form -- and then letting the weapon stretch all the way across the field to skewer him.
The strike struck true… and yet, Rex felt neither the nauseating tear of flesh or the sickening crack of bone. Something was wrong. Whatever he'd just hit, it wasn't his enemy.
An illusion?
"That spear has quite the range," said Lucius -- from right next to him.
Rex ducked just in time to avoid decapitation, a crescent-shaped blade whipping through the air above him. Lucius appeared out of thin air, holding the blade, slicing at Rex -- each strike missing by mere centimeters. Rex struck out with a leg, boot planting into Lucius' side and sending him skidding away again.
Omni-Gungnir Timer.
The weapon transformed again, the massive spear replaced by the comparatively tiny buckler on Rex's arm. He spared a glance at the surface of the Armament, where a display like a digital watch patiently blinked. N/A, it read. Not good.
Omni-Gungnir Hammer.
If he was getting N/A, the obvious thing to do was switch up his tactics. Rex spun the hammer around in his hands as he charged towards Lucius, but the other man made no move to dodge, instead just raising his weapon. The slightest smirk tugged at his lips.
"If you save up the energy of your blows… then I have nothing to fear from the first strike," he said. "Do I?"
The hammer tapped uselessly against Lucius' leg -- and in the same instant, the Black Sheep dashed back and slashed with his own sword.
"Viscera!" he roared. "Black!"
Torrents of matted, greasy black hair flooded out of the sides of the pink blade, engulfing and binding Rex and his weapon where they stood. Frozen in place, he raised Omni-Gungnir the little he could -- and it transformed again, this time becoming a small crossbow in his hand. The change in shape created the tiniest freedom, and in that moment he pulled the trigger.
A golden bolt flew free.
Lucius raised his sword to block it, but the projectile passed through the blade as if it wasn't even there. The only thing that saved Lucius from being skewered there and then was his free hand -- he lashed out and seized the bolt from the air, inches from his face. The Black Sheep let out a shuddering breath.
"So the arrow passes through everything save its target," he observed, turning the bolt over in his hand. "I have to admit… that's quite --"
Bang.
It wouldn't be strictly correct to say that Omni-Gungnir's seven forms had seven separate powers. Each form had access to a different power, sure, but there was a good amount of crossover in terms of usage. For example…
…once Hammer had saved up force, it could be unleashed by any of the other forms.
Sent flying by the force the bolt had just unleashed, Lucius slammed into the concrete wall, blood flying from his lips. Before Rex could get in close to seal the deal, though, the Black Sheep flicked a dull iron sword out of its sheath -- and the weapon floated in the air to defend him automatically.
Instead, Rex took the opportunity to check Omni-Gungnir Timer again. 03:26, and counting down… not too shabby. All he had to do now was make sure it was counting down towards the right thing.
Lucius pulled himself out of the wall, blood trickling down his forehead and into one eye.
"I admit it…" he grunted, tapping the floating sword and returning it to its sheath. "I underestimated you, Rex Restorossi. You truly are a worthy opponent. Someone to be cautious of, if nothing else. But it doesn't matter…"
Lucius Victri Provvidenza reached for a weapon -- not for the sheaths around his waist, though, but within that trenchcoat. Crimson eyes glinted in the light as that smirk curled further into a grin.
"Third Thigh of Granbä."
Rex's eyes widened as he heard the name, and the display on Omni-Gungnir Timer changed once again. N/A. A dead end.
The first Supremes were the stuff of legend. Azez the Absolute had founded the Supremacy and helped win the Thousand Revolutions, wiping out the Gene Tyrants and their loyalists. Piala the Practiced had carved out huge swaths of territory from what would become the UAP soon after, dueling countless challengers to her power without ever suffering a wound.
The third, Granbä the Godsmith, was of far more interest to enthusiasts like Rex and Lucius. He was the one who had created the original Aether Armaments, pioneering the practice that reached new heights even today. On his deathbed, it was said he'd turned his own cadaver into a collection of potent Armaments, most of which were still floating around the galaxy today.
As Rex saw Lucius draw that bone-white blade, and felt the air grow dry around him, he thought only one thing…
Oh, I gotta get my hands on that.
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"How long is this gonna take?" Ruth asked, tapping her metal boot impatiently.
Ellis' drone, connected to the main computer by a thick metal cord, transmitted his distorted voice. "Dunno. Might be a while." He sounded as apathetic as ever.
Ruth sighed, drumming her fingers along the side of her helmet. "We might not have a while."
"That sucks."
Goddamnit. Times like this made Ruth miss Dragan even more: he'd have been able to hack a computer like this in no time. Especially a hack job like this.
Ruth looked around the room cautiously, waiting for any enemies that might show themselves. The main computer itself was a cylindrical unit, glowing a light blue, stretching from the floor to the ceiling like a giant pillar. Countless cables wound around the walls and ceiling like a spider web, with what little light there was struggling to leak in through the gaps.
Direwolf or not, this place gave her the creeps.
"Oh," said Ellis suddenly.
Ruth raised an eyebrow, turning back towards him. "Oh?"
"Yeah. Oh."
"What's 'oh'?" Ruth demanded, finally losing just a sliver of her patience.
"I think you might be about to get blown up, boss. Someone's floating high up in an Armoured Chassis. Design and signature match that one Special Officer. The one who likes blowing stuff up."
Shit. The Supremacy was involved? Why? Had they tracked down the Black Sheep at the same time, and decided to take down the receiver station independently?
"Well, what's he doing?" she asked.
"Just floating there. Like he's waiting for something."
Reinforcements, maybe? If that was the case, they couldn't stick around here. They didn't have nearly enough power to take on a proper Supremacy assault. The best thing to do would be to abandon the mission and make a run for it.
But… they were so close…
To hell with it. Ruth slapped a finger to her ear. "Roman. You there?"
"Here."
He was just as talkative as Ellis, when you got down to it. While the rest of the team had entered the dome, she'd left Roman Hitch to guard the boy as he operated the drone. The man had only been part of Road and Restorossi for a couple of months now, but she already knew that he was strong. Plus, his particular ability was well-suited to this dilemma.
"Sounds like we need a miracle, Hitch," she said. "Stall this Special Officer. Make us an escape route."
"Right."
Ruth took her finger away from her ear, letting out a tense breath. Her eyes flicked over to Ellis' drone once more. "How much longer?" she asked, for the dozenth time in just as many minutes.
His reply came quickly. "Got it."
Ruth's eyes widened, and her mouth spread into a smile. "You got it? So where the hell is he?!"
She could hear the tapping of a screen through Ellis' drone, as the boy sorted through the information. "Relax… I'm doing a search now. Dragan Hadrien, Dragan Hadrien… I'm having to search through thirty-two arenas here, and some slots are still open, but if I just check for the name…"
The sound stopped -- and when Ellis' voice returned, its tone was deathly enough to send a chill down Ruth's spine.
"...oh."