Chandi throws a royal temper tantrum and storms out of the room, followed swiftly by Alexis' Shift. Alexis himself asks the first question of Kanon, he smiles and replies, "Because these people need to be watched and kept from committing the most heinous of crimes. I cannot stop them from acting entirely, but at least while I'm around I can protect innocents."
He turns to Serpico, "It's like your teacher asked... Xen and his crew put out a merc request that Xanatos intercepted... he gave it to the God's he's working with to grant them 'extra protection' and thus it was filtered to you. Honestly from what I know about Xanatos? He did it for three reasons: One, to show off his influence and show the Arbiter's that won't work with him how deep his reach is," he nods towards Athena, "Two, to show Xen and his crew that no matter how far they run he'll always have ways of finding them and three... well to make himself look innocent. If you'd all arrived later, after we captured Xen's crew, there was a plan to make us seem like the good people and they the thieves - you saw through that thankfully."
Athena nods at Asch, "A good question; one I will answer shortly."
There's a knock on the door and a small voice saying, "Um... I'm h... here for Kanon?"
Athena sighs and rubs her brow, "A moment." She walks towards the door and Kanon gets in a last word.
"You all need to be wary... now that Xanatos knows about you, he will wish to either collect you as allies or eliminate you as foes. We will forced to be enemies when we meet again, but know that I am working on your side of things... my goal in the long run? Is to assassinate him."
The door opens and young first year student God enters, shivering in his boots and gazing up at Athena. "Umm... um..."
Athena smiles, "Easy young man. Please escort Kanon to the teleportation room. I've already given instructions to those who will be waiting there."
Kanon turns back as he leaves, "One last bit of advice? If you can avoid taking any jobs involving the Xenoforce or Xen's crew - I recommend skipping them."
The door shuts and he leaves.
Before anyone can speak another word, Athena points at the projector and the lights dim, an image of Chandi appears on the screen as she arrives in the teleportation room. The technician looks her over and says, "Authorization?"
"None. Pulled from my last mission before completion due to an accident. I'm returning to finish the job."
The technician checks his screen and looks up at her, "Wait a moment. Your assignment is arriving."
"No moment to wait, I need to return now. Information tells me that the planet I was on is likely to be destroyed if I don't arrive soon. There should be a teleporter ready, considering you just sent someone to get reason number two that I need to return soon."
The technician laughs, "You're funny missy. If you're talking about that Mortal he'll be here shortly. According to Athena he's your assignment... you were supposed to show up with him. We got a first year fetching him."
Chandi lays her hand on the technician's arm and begins to squeeze. "I don't think you heard me properly. I need to return now. Not when the Mortal arrives. Now."
Athena grins, "Don't mess with a higher ranking officer."
The moment Chandi squeezes she finds herself across the room, upside down, recovering from a flash of light. She has no idea how she got there, "Look kid, if you think you can just strong arm a teleport tech you'd better know we gotta be Arbiters for a good century and explore the majority of the known universe. We aren't just pushovers. I have my orders, and they are to wait here till the Mortal arrives."
Chandi raises to her feet, and begins to brush herself off. "Reason number three that I need to get down there is as follows." A series of runes line up along Chandi's feet, spreading across the floor and beginning to surround the room. "A Mortal with severely sociopathic traits has made a copy of my rune. This rune to be precise."
[Support Rune: Modification - Impermanent Permanence x3]
The matter in the air begins to slow, grinding to a halt, and creating a stasis field around Chandi that echoes and stretches to the operator, aiming to completely freeze him in place. "This rune, I'd like to add, can split atoms, violate the mind, and impact any and everything you can think of. The system you control is but a subset of this particular rune, because what is teleportation if not the Change of position."
Athena sighs, "Strike two..."
The teleportation tech sighs, as if bored. With a snap of his fingers, Chandi finds all of her Ether is now elsewhere - from the feel of it floating in the air outside of the school. Her runes fizzle, "Honestly if you keep this bratty business up I'm going to have to call your teacher. You're Athena's student aren't you? I really expected better; she gave you a special assignment and everything. Now just sit down and wait, or I'm removing all the gravity around there and you can float around having a time out."
"If I wait, he'll be gone or freed, and then I'll have to track him down before he becomes a blasted Demon! I'm not a terribly benevolent goddess, and I know how my Rune works, so if there's someone out there, even a Mortal, that has a shred of my power and I think he's worse than me, what he'll come up with using my power is going to hurt a LOT of people!"
"Actually by now he's already on The Omega, flying back home." Kanon stands in the doorway, a young first year god shivering by his side.
The technician smiles, "C'mon then little one, let's get you back to class." The technician nods at the console, "Just hit the button, this is set to transport one Mortal." He eyes Chandi, "And ONLY 1 Mortal." He leaves with the young trainee.
Kanon walks over to Chandi. "You left before I could answer. You want to know the reason I'm on the Xenoforce? You want to know why I'm defending a sick bastard like that? You wanna know why I soil myself working with scum that would eat children, literally, if left unchecked?" By the time he's done speaking, his face is in Chandi's; he's about a foot shorter than her. "It's so I can make sure that innocents don't die. If you'd take your damned foot out of your mouth for long enough I could explain that. You wanna go to see Xanatos? You'd never see this school again. You can't lay a finger on Xeno, and if I let you on that planet I would have triggered a damned war. Now listen to me." He lets his words sink in, "You can't touch him. But I can."
Chandi sneers and leans towards Kanon, whispering so that only the shadow wielder can hear it. "It doesn't matter if you think you can touch him. With my power, nothing is certain. That's the point of it. And if your master is as bad as I've heard, then he's going to find a way to copy it. I don't like the idea of Mortals like you, Gritz, Julia, and Xeno walking around with the ability to completely [BEEP]," Athena has raised her hand with a flick of her finger Chandi is censored, "with someone's very being. You wanna know the worst thing I've ever done with it? I tore [elevator music] mother's head, every single time we fought. And that's the worst I can come up with. Someone like Xeno? He'll find things that make [You put your left foot in and you shake it all about] tame. And someone like your Master? Well...I don't think I need to discuss that." Chandi swiftly raises her knee up, aiming a hard blow into Kanon's crotch. She grips his shoulder, to keep the Mortal standing. "I can't watch him. I can't see him. I won't know if he ever even figures out how bad things can get with my power. But I can think. And I can stay safe in the knowledge that because I couldn't fend him off, and because I couldn't reach him in time to get rid of it, anyone you ever encounter is in worse danger than before. Thank you for your help. My conscience wasn't heavy [Oven Ding] enough."
Athena sighs, "That girl needs to watch her mouth..."
As Chandi's knee comes up, Kanon's kunai goes down and she finds the shadow of her leg pinned; her leg stops moving before it hits, Chandi can't move. "For a Goddess? You're extremely naive. You don't like the fact we Mortals have powers on par with yours? Well we don't like the idea that psychopaths like yourself have the same power." He steps back, making sure Chandi is stuck fast. "Xeno's powerful enough. He's gained powers from other Gods that have... fizzled... before." He draws his blade and wipes it clean with a part of his cloak, "I have people to protect. I have goals to achive. I have morons to keep under wraps. I don't have time for a [BZZZZZT] little Goddess who thinks the entire damned universe revolves around her powers. Wake up - Xanatos is already doing terrible things to people; things far worse than your rune. There are things out there that would curl even your unruly hair." He curls his finger; his shadow wraps around the Kunai. "I'm going to release you now. You are going to form your Change Rune. I'm going to take it's shadow, then you're going to remove the Rune. I'm going to take the shadow and stick it on Xeno's shadow when I return. Then I'm going to cut it when he's not looking. The Rune he's absorbed will die - and not being a God, he can't reform it. I've done it before with dangerous powers he's absorbed - I'll do it again. I don't let him keep powers that could make him stronger than I. You gonna play nice?"
"Aside from the swearing..." Athena grins, "I like him."
"Do I look like the kind of Goddess that plays nice?" Chandi asks through clenched teeth. "I don't think the universe revolves around my powers. I think my powers are in every aspect of the damned universe, and have more potential than anything any one individual can think of. I am over three hundred years old, and I am sick of being treated like a child by every god and mortal I encounter. I know that your Master is doing terrible things to people without my rune. It doesn't make me feel any better that I've added another weapon to his arsenal." Chandi seethes for a few moments, before finally stopping her breath. "I have no reason to trust you. Why should I believe you're going to follow through?"
Kanon grins as his nose begins to bleed, "Well la-dee-da." He wipes the blood away, "I have over 500 years of memories running through my head right now. Technically I'm older than you - but as for being treated like a child? Stop acting like one. You're having a temper tantrum right now that would have you teleporting directly into the midst of your enemies with no backup what-so-ever. Xanatos is stronger than you, stronger than me, stronger than any God I've ever met; you'd disappear without a damned trace. Calm the [Sigh] down."
He flips his finger and the kunai comes free; Chandi can move freely again. "You don't have a reason to trust me. You're a Goddess... I'm sure you're familiar with faith. But if you want a real reason? Go talk to Harmony. She wouldn't be here today if it weren't for me." He holds his sword at the ready, "Now; you're either going to give me that shadow, or you're going to let Xeno run around with that power. What's it gonna be?"
"My people don't need faith. We walk among them. They only thing they have faith in is some crap about all of us being part of the same god." She stretches her hand wide, and frowns. "And helpful as they've been, I don't have much of a reason to trust Harmony or any of the others either. We've all been hiding things. Except Alexis, I think, but I have plenty of reasons not to trust him too." Chandi raises her hand and the rune begins to take shape. "If he still has the power next time we meet, I'll do to you what I did to my mother, 500 years or no." The rune takes complete shape, ready to be shadowed.
Kanon pulls at the air and the shadow of the rune comes loose. He folds it gently and tucks it into his cloak, putting his sword away while he’s at it. "I don't trust my team mates either, for obvious reasons. It's a terrible thing. If I were you, I'd do something about that before you all tear each other apart." He presses the teleport button and stands on the pad, "Thanks to you, Xeno won't get the chance to practice with that Rune. You have my word, much as it's worth to you." Before he teleports he looks Chandi dead in face, "And the reason I said absurd about three eyes is because I miss it. You'd be pretty cute if you weren't such a [Guitar Chord]." And Kanon disappears.
Athena laughs despite herself, "Oh my."
"Next time I see him, I'm gonna finish kicking him in the balls." Chandi says to herself, a slight smirk on her face. "I'll worry about us tearing each other to pieces when I seriously consider actually staying with the group." She finishes, before frowning once more and turning back towards the engineer. "Gonna return my Ether now, or do I have to try and beat it out of you. I'll warn you now, I'm persistent."
The Technician grins as he walks back in, snapping his fingers and returning Chandi's Ether. "Last part of your assignments to get back to the classroom. You've got 1 more trial to beat."
"Yeah yeah." Chandi says, waving off the technician. "Thanks...I didn't get your name. What is it? I need to add it to my list of people I need to finish hitting."
The Technician grins and disappears in a flash of light.
"Tch." Chandi says, scratching the back of her head. "Guess I'll just have to remember his face." A small sigh escapes through Chandi's lips, and she turns back towards the classroom. "This is going to be awkward." She mutters to herself, before starting her way down the hall.
A few minutes later Chandi arrives back in the classroom and Athena motions for everyone to sit. Regardless if everyone does or not she continues, "If I had known that Xanatos was behind this assignment it would have never been given to students in testing. Xanatos is a blight on the society of mankind... he uses mortals in experiments but somehow covers his tracks and makes it all seem perfectly legal. We have nothing on him, and if Kanon is correct, he's got Gods on his side. He's an extremely dangerous man." She adjusts her glasses, "I am sorry you encountered his forces, but it's good to know someone like Kanon is there. As for information on him?" Athena is now blushing, "I have none... he keeps a very tight wrap on everything. So watch for him."
She then turns, snapping her fingers - a repair rune appears over her desk and it repairs itself. "As for all of you... Chandi brings up a very good point. And Asch has asked a very good question... why did I set it up that just one of you could break everyone elses stealth?" She leans on her desk and stares at the classroom, "What I have to say is constructive criticism... I want to nip these weaknesses in the bud right now before they grow into rifts that divides your team. What I have to say is not meant to be insulting... but meant to point out flaws in you that can be used against you by people like Xanatos."
"First off... as a team, I know you are all new in working together but there's a distinct lack of trust in your teammates and too much privacy. You've been learning together for 7 years, but you hardly know each other. Chandi has a secret that may seem very illegal at first glance... but she's yet to tell you about it. The fact of the matter is that it is not illegal, but if you all learn about it without her input you may all very well try to arrest her for crimes she's already been acquitted from. None of you have shown interest in Asch and Ashley's relationship... nobody has asked why Serpico acts as he does, what the deal is with Harmony's Shift, Alexis' different views on life, why Lumina is so innocent or where she is from that allows her to transform or even what the HELL Awakener is. All I have to ask you is why? Why are you keeping your silence? You all will be working together for quite some time before you have any option of branching out... so get to know your teammates before that lack of knowledge can be used against you."
She grins, "You haven't even pried into Magus being my teacher yet. There's a difference between being polite and deliberately ignoring these odd things. Now don't get me wrong! You were thrown into a low info situation and you still achieved all of your goals and came back safely. All without contacting me once... so you will be rewarded. But first? Aside from your issues with your teammates... each of you has displayed a weakness to me this battle. A weakness that someone like James Xanatos could exploit with ease. What I am about to tell you is not to be taken as insult - but as something for you to be aware of and repair."
She turns to Asch and then to Alexis, "Asch you asked me why I linked together the stealth rune? It was to see who, if anyone, would break it - and as I suspected somebody did. Alexis," she walks over and places her hands on his shoulders, "For a God who can use sound, you do not communicate well with your team. While everything worked out, you could gotten everyone killed just as easily. Your weakness is your naivety of the World of the Gods - you know only your own culture, that of the hunter. And you acted on instinct, which should not be ignored... but you also need to consult your team before acting in a way that will affect you all. Learn and accept the cultures of your teammates, and do not act alone. The very fact you see light as evil and darkness as good is a backwards concept to most of your team... you must openly communicate with them and come to understand their ideals so you do not needlessly fear them. Least you be tricked into turning on them. Your naivety must be repaired with understanding."
Turning back to Asch she smiles, "My dear your weakness is more physical than mental... without a mystery to solve, you find yourself at a disadvantage. You never got a chance to try out your blade in that battle, but it was only forged of a half-truth; when faced with a physical adversary with nothing to hide, you're at a loss. You must learn how to battle without the need for illusions or mystery... a way for you to fight using your precision and your senses, forged by your wit. If you do not, than when your foe figures out what you need to battle at a high level they will deny that to you and destroy you. Your lack of physical power must be repaired by skill."
"Chandi." She turns towards the fuming Goddess, "You have begun to master your scars and the effects it can cause... that is wonderful, and your scars are NOT your weakness. I am sure this is apparent right now but your weakness is your temper. Just now in your rage you were not only willing to leap into the midst of an enemy that would surely destroy you, but you were willing to risk the lives of your teammates and an entire planet for a shot at an enemy that had already escaped you. The more you let that temper control you, the further apart you will sunder your own soul... I am sure you've seen it already. The futher away you push people, the more your scars burn... but in bonding, even the small ones you have with your teammates already, they are soothed. You cannot ignore this. You must repair your temper with patience and understanding."
She turns to Serpico, "Serpico... Serpico... Serpico..." she shakes her head, "What are we to do with you? You love to get inside your opponents heads and try to mentally tear them down. But quite frankly, you are going about it entirely wrong... you are not manipulating, you are being a bully. You did so with me, and while I much appreciated your heartfelt apology note, your tactics will only truly work on the brutes like Ryuseii. Julia showed you this and it nearly cost you your life. You have a gift Serpico for understand the minds of your foes with only a few moments interaction... Bullying is beneath you and useless. Instead, play to their hearts... why use fear when you can use love? Why use hatred when you can earn trust? Hell... you may be able to end a battle and make a permanent ally with this gift of yours. I know you are wary of Gods and with good reason... but what happens the day you meet a bully more clever than you? What will you do when your arsenal is disarmed? Let down the fear and take up the mantle of understanding. You must repair your misgivings with kindness... and then if needed rip the heart out of them." She gives him a wink.
She turns to Harmony and MUSE, "Harmony... well your weakness is quite apparent no? The moment MUSE was cut off from you was the moment you shut down entirely. Against a foe like Xanatos who can do this with ease you are as good as dead. Harmony you and MUSE depend on each other like a system of organs... but there will be a day where your relationship must change... perhaps even end. If you are not prepared for it, you both will lose yourselves entirely. Harmony you must learn to hear and make your own music without MUSE... MUSE you must learn to let go of Harmony as a parent must let a child go off to their own lives. If you do not, then when it occurs forcibly you're both helpless. You must learn to work together in new ways... less you lose each other forever."
Athena then pats Lumina on the head, "Dear sweet Lumina... you were not prepared to take a mortal life. Even when that life was reversed on you? You did not recover. You are innocent Lumina, too innocent. You need to steel yourself in battle and be prepared to do what is needed to survive, both for you and for your team mates." She smiles kindly, like a mother, "I am not telling you to not mourn the lives you must end... but there is a time and a place to do so. Either privately with Naomi, or in the arms of someone you trust and love. In the middle of battle? Breaking down makes you a gigantic target and forces your team to protect you. You must repair your innocence by learning to control your emotions and let them out at the proper time."
"Now then, Awakener..." she prods the walking armor in the chest, "You are stubborn. Stubborn to a fault. And literal... far far too literal. I felt what you desired in that battle... if Xen's crew turned out to be the evil in that mission you would have still protected them. When your power proved to increase Xeno's power even against advice you pressed the attack and almost made yourself an enemy. You must learn to adapt... orders are good to follow my friend... but when the situation changes those orders may no longer apply or even make sense. You must make your own decisions to follow or disobey depending on the situation. If you cannot adapt your pattern of thinking it will make you extremely easy to fool. If Xen were evil? He could have used you against your team mates when he learned of your endless desire to follow orders exactly. You must repair your stubborn literalness with adaptation and the ability to critically think."
She walks back to the front of the class. "Now that we are done with that... please think on these things during your final test. But before you go, there is a matter of your rewards... first and foremost? It is time for me to teach you how to channel experience into your Runes. For the moment, you can do this one of two ways... you may summon up a rune.... ah, one moment."
Athena goes silent for just a second before Chandi feels something akin to a taught rope she never knew was there being severed and released... her Change Rune reacts and almost seems to purr. "It seems Kanon was as good as his word."
Smiley widely, she continues, "You can summon up a Rune you know, think on your energy, weave, and Ether and push all that excess energy into it to make it stronger... or you can use that same energy to make a new shape, a new Rune... one that may round out your skills more or even help you shore up one of those weaknesses I just mentioned. Soon you will gain access to training and Runes of a higher quality and variety, but for now we keep it simple. Either level a Rune, or forge a new one. Please do so now, and we will get to your next reward and your final test... mind that time is a bit of a factor on this last one, so please hurry."
((OOC - You may create a new concept Rune like you did when we first started now, or you may pick 1 rune an make it a level 2 rune. Doing so will increase it's costs from a base of 5/10/15 to 10/20/30. Even the smaller level attacks will have the lowest cost of 10 once you level... but! Because of this, even single Runic Actions will get an automatic +1 roll. If you charge them, they will stack to +2 and even +3 for using all three actions on a single rune. Part of your job will be to balance your high cost, high power runes with the other lower power ones. Those of you who want to run on a single rune the entire game may do so, but the level of your Rune will be limited by other factors -- these limits will be revealed later. Those who level more than 1 rune will have limits as well, but less of them. For now, pick a single Rune to level or create a brand new one and post it's forging here. Once everyone has done so, we will go on to the final world. Any questions? Hit me up on the OOC or in Skype. Enjoy!))
|