Astra Sabre carefully made her way through the underground caverns of the Council base, slowly creeping up on the hidden hangar of the giant Mech Man that the
Council was building.
Well, "slowly" was accurate. Carefully, not so much.
"This is pathetic. You'd think they'd guard a secret lair better than this," Mia noted, pulling her sword out of a robot as it slumped to the
ground, the latest in a straggly line of unconscious or deactivated bodies she'd left behind. "I mean, where's the elite guard of the
villian's best henchmen? Where's the dra....mat....ic.....battleground....." she trailed off as she stepped into the hangar, looking up...and
up....and up....and up....
"...that'll do," she said quietly, before looking over at a booming voice.
"-s nothing compared to what I have done with it!" a black and silver armored figure noted from the second story catwalk, as Mia's eyes
practically shined at recognizing the infamous profile of the Council archvillian Vandal. Restraining her impulse to practically squeal un-heroically with
glee, she darted up the catwalk, racing by several guards who barely had time to see an orange blur.
"Vandal!" she shouted as the enormous villian turned to face her. "Your evil plan's gone far enough! Now we finish this!"
"Astra Sabre," he rumbled in reply. "So I get to crush you as well. This is truly....a glorious
day!" he shouted, before bringing the massive cannon mounted on his right arm up and firing, a burst of plasma hurtling towards Mia.
The swordswoman darted to the side, not noticing as the blast vaporized a railing, charging forward slashing at Vandal with her sword. She ducked around a
punch wreathed in destructive energy and cut upwards, sending sparks off the villian's armor. He laughed at the small amount of damage and the battle was
truly joined. Slowly, they fought back and forth, Mia taking every strike she could, avoiding his slow but crushingly powerful blows as she was slowly but
inevitably backed up the steps.
Realizing the corner she was being backed into, she activated her jump pack, springing to an upper ledge, even as Vandal crossed the gap in one mechanized
leap. Charging forward, Mia put her whole strength behind a vertical slash, which gained a gratifying growl of pain as the blade carved through weakened metal
damaged by a hundred cuts and sliced a vertical line through the Council insignia on his chest. Wobbling slightly, her entire body aching with exhaustion and
bruises from the few blows that'd gotten through, Mia managed to raise her blade again. "What now, villian? Why don't you...surrender now....and
save us both the trouble?"
Vandal's armor was covered in cuts and scars from her blade besides the central damage to his chestplate. His breath came in short, explosive gasps, the
aged body underneath the armor as tired from the confrontation as she. But the cybernetic enhancements that drove him were far more tireless, and he advanced
upon her with a purpose. "I will enjoy watching the life fade from your eyes as I snap your neck with my bare hands...." he growled, charging her.
Mia dodged the first blow and the overhead smash that would've caved her helmet in like an overripe melon, but she was tired and her reactions were slow.
She saw the powerful thrust of his cannon arm coming for her, but as much as she knew what would happen, she couldn't quite move out of the way, her body
rebelling against the punishment inflicted on it. The blow's impact knocked the breath out of her, but more dangerous was the feeling of heated air rushing
past the outside of her hardsuit as she fell and fell and fell, landing four stories down on her back, stunned.
Her blurring and dizzying vision barely gave her warning as the cybernetic terror she'd been facing made a tremendous leap, the catwalk actively swaying
with the impact as he landed. Grabbing her sword, she used it as leverage to force herself to her feet even as she saw the grim black blur that was probably
Vandal advance on her. Shaking herself, her vision cleared somewhat, though she knew the next blow to hit would finish her.
"Now....young hero....you die," Vandal growled, firing a blast from his arm cannon that she had the presence
of mind to dart around, closing the distance between them.
"At the hands of a second-rate villian like you?" she laughed, ignoring the pain. "That wouldn't be anywhere near glorious enough a death for someone like me!" she shouted, dodging another hammer blow as she backed carefully backwards,
leading him to the spot his blast had weakened. Dodge, parry, duck. Her moves came to her even through exhaustion as she fought for her life. Ducking a
sledgehammer thrust, she whipped around in a circle, bringing up her sword and hilt with what little energy remained in her tired form, slamming it into
Vandal's chin as hard as she could.
Despite his cybernetic enhancements, Vandal's eyes crossed as the blow hit him in one of the few places he remained un-enhanced, the impact knocking him
temporarily senseless as he flew backwards.....and through the hole in the railing his own cannon blast had vaporized earlier, the archvillian plummeting into
the lava below. He bellowed in pain as his cybernetics went haywire from the heat, looking up at the hero that had bested him. "You pathetic fool! You
think I am as foolish as Burkholder? The Mech Man will launch without me!" he shouted, even as his inert form sank beneath the magma.
Mia collapsed against a railing, even as she watched him sink, then blinked as a shudder ran through the complex, jets of exhaust shooting out from vents
beneat the Mech Man's feet. Vandal hadn't been merely taunting her, and she looked up four floors at where the Mech Man's controls were likely
stored.
"....no one ever said being a hero was easy," she groaned, picking up her sword and beginning the climb again.
***
The above events actually happened on a solo run of my Mech Man arc, though, obviously, the dialogue besides Vandal's
aggro and defeat quotes was invented. Disembowel's KB + Ragdoll physics = suitably epic end to an intensely challenging duel against a level 45 EB.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."
Council was building.
Well, "slowly" was accurate. Carefully, not so much.
"This is pathetic. You'd think they'd guard a secret lair better than this," Mia noted, pulling her sword out of a robot as it slumped to the
ground, the latest in a straggly line of unconscious or deactivated bodies she'd left behind. "I mean, where's the elite guard of the
villian's best henchmen? Where's the dra....mat....ic.....battleground....." she trailed off as she stepped into the hangar, looking up...and
up....and up....and up....
"...that'll do," she said quietly, before looking over at a booming voice.
"-s nothing compared to what I have done with it!" a black and silver armored figure noted from the second story catwalk, as Mia's eyes
practically shined at recognizing the infamous profile of the Council archvillian Vandal. Restraining her impulse to practically squeal un-heroically with
glee, she darted up the catwalk, racing by several guards who barely had time to see an orange blur.
"Vandal!" she shouted as the enormous villian turned to face her. "Your evil plan's gone far enough! Now we finish this!"
"Astra Sabre," he rumbled in reply. "So I get to crush you as well. This is truly....a glorious
day!" he shouted, before bringing the massive cannon mounted on his right arm up and firing, a burst of plasma hurtling towards Mia.
The swordswoman darted to the side, not noticing as the blast vaporized a railing, charging forward slashing at Vandal with her sword. She ducked around a
punch wreathed in destructive energy and cut upwards, sending sparks off the villian's armor. He laughed at the small amount of damage and the battle was
truly joined. Slowly, they fought back and forth, Mia taking every strike she could, avoiding his slow but crushingly powerful blows as she was slowly but
inevitably backed up the steps.
Realizing the corner she was being backed into, she activated her jump pack, springing to an upper ledge, even as Vandal crossed the gap in one mechanized
leap. Charging forward, Mia put her whole strength behind a vertical slash, which gained a gratifying growl of pain as the blade carved through weakened metal
damaged by a hundred cuts and sliced a vertical line through the Council insignia on his chest. Wobbling slightly, her entire body aching with exhaustion and
bruises from the few blows that'd gotten through, Mia managed to raise her blade again. "What now, villian? Why don't you...surrender now....and
save us both the trouble?"
Vandal's armor was covered in cuts and scars from her blade besides the central damage to his chestplate. His breath came in short, explosive gasps, the
aged body underneath the armor as tired from the confrontation as she. But the cybernetic enhancements that drove him were far more tireless, and he advanced
upon her with a purpose. "I will enjoy watching the life fade from your eyes as I snap your neck with my bare hands...." he growled, charging her.
Mia dodged the first blow and the overhead smash that would've caved her helmet in like an overripe melon, but she was tired and her reactions were slow.
She saw the powerful thrust of his cannon arm coming for her, but as much as she knew what would happen, she couldn't quite move out of the way, her body
rebelling against the punishment inflicted on it. The blow's impact knocked the breath out of her, but more dangerous was the feeling of heated air rushing
past the outside of her hardsuit as she fell and fell and fell, landing four stories down on her back, stunned.
Her blurring and dizzying vision barely gave her warning as the cybernetic terror she'd been facing made a tremendous leap, the catwalk actively swaying
with the impact as he landed. Grabbing her sword, she used it as leverage to force herself to her feet even as she saw the grim black blur that was probably
Vandal advance on her. Shaking herself, her vision cleared somewhat, though she knew the next blow to hit would finish her.
"Now....young hero....you die," Vandal growled, firing a blast from his arm cannon that she had the presence
of mind to dart around, closing the distance between them.
"At the hands of a second-rate villian like you?" she laughed, ignoring the pain. "That wouldn't be anywhere near glorious enough a death for someone like me!" she shouted, dodging another hammer blow as she backed carefully backwards,
leading him to the spot his blast had weakened. Dodge, parry, duck. Her moves came to her even through exhaustion as she fought for her life. Ducking a
sledgehammer thrust, she whipped around in a circle, bringing up her sword and hilt with what little energy remained in her tired form, slamming it into
Vandal's chin as hard as she could.
Despite his cybernetic enhancements, Vandal's eyes crossed as the blow hit him in one of the few places he remained un-enhanced, the impact knocking him
temporarily senseless as he flew backwards.....and through the hole in the railing his own cannon blast had vaporized earlier, the archvillian plummeting into
the lava below. He bellowed in pain as his cybernetics went haywire from the heat, looking up at the hero that had bested him. "You pathetic fool! You
think I am as foolish as Burkholder? The Mech Man will launch without me!" he shouted, even as his inert form sank beneath the magma.
Mia collapsed against a railing, even as she watched him sink, then blinked as a shudder ran through the complex, jets of exhaust shooting out from vents
beneat the Mech Man's feet. Vandal hadn't been merely taunting her, and she looked up four floors at where the Mech Man's controls were likely
stored.
"....no one ever said being a hero was easy," she groaned, picking up her sword and beginning the climb again.
***
The above events actually happened on a solo run of my Mech Man arc, though, obviously, the dialogue besides Vandal's
aggro and defeat quotes was invented. Disembowel's KB + Ragdoll physics = suitably epic end to an intensely challenging duel against a level 45 EB.
---
"Oh, silver blade, forged in the depths of the beyond. Heed my summons and purge those who stand in my way. Lay
waste."