***
Even more pain tore at Mirandas broken body as reality tore itself apart around her. A moment later she was on the floor of what looked like one of Paragons many office buildings. The part of her mind that wasn't screaming noted she was bleeding all over the rather ugly blue carpet.
"My apologies. While I understand that your condition makes teleportation unwise, I would not have been able to intervene in time otherwise," said a new voice. It was odd, somewhat blank and stilted, as though being produced through a speech program. Miranda pushed the pain aside enough to look up, and stared at the sight before her.
A glowing ball of what looked like purple and black mist floated above her, tendrils drifting out occasionally. "Nictus," she croaked, the words slurred slightly around her bruised face.
"Indeed, for now," the creature replied in that same blank tone. Miranda tried to call the lightning to her, only to find that the power had left her utterly. It seemed that the somewhat uncontrollable electricity her body housed had its limits in this nightmare. "Calm yourself child. I mean you no harm."
"you Nictus," she managed. "Lif thef... Monster." The last word came out clear, laced with more then a touch of hatred. The blue-haired Barnes sister had never seen a Nictus before, and she didn't have a problem with the Warshades really, but she read reports, spoke to those that had fought them, both now and in ancient Cimerora. She knew evil when she saw it.
"Yes. I am," the alien replied. "I was desperate to survive, and I took the path of my ancestors. But no more. I believe..." it paused, the mist pulling in on itself slightly. "I believe the path of the Nictus is wrong. I have come to this world to seek... redemption."
Miranda looked at it for a moment. "safing me 'elped," she managed.
"It was but a momentary reprieve. Your injuries are severe, from what I understand of beings such as yourself. Those I saved you from are coming. If I was to teleport you again, it would likely kill you. I can only present one option." It pulsed again, and Miranda got the feeling that it was... nervous.
"I wish to become a Warshade, with your help." The humans eyes widened in slight surprise as it continued. "I believe I could repair the damage when we merge."
She managed an annoyed glare. "You got me in a... bad spot ta refuse," she managed to say.
"I know. I apologize. That was not my intent. But I believe I can save you... and myself." Miranda paused and looked at him intently, before her vision began to blur.
"cyst?"
"I have left it behind. If I had remained, the others would know and turn on me instantly. To survive, I must risk my life. I do not have long left hero. We are the only hope each other has."
Miranda tried to look at the alien through increasingly blurry eyesight, then managed a weak nod. "'kay." She didn't really have any other options right now honestly, and for some reason, she trusted the creature.
"I believe this may hurt," it warned.
"'ey, tha's not new..." she croaked, before the Nictus spread out over her body, and she screamed.
Her mind was assaulted by new memories, dark crimes across the galaxy and across the centuries. She saw wars waged, lives taken, all in the desperate quest to not burn out in a few short years. Battles waged for so long without reason that they became the reason for living. For the Nictus, there was only war and death, lives taken for the purpose of living to take more lives. Her broken body convulsed as the Kheldians energies flowed through her, repairing bone and muscles, organs and blood vessels.
At the same time, she could hear the screaming in her mind, her new partner being overwhelmed by memories unlike anything it had encountered before. The academic understanding of its crimes, created by self-consideration and glimpses of other societies in the moments between wars, was buried under Mirandas understanding of life and death. It saw the Rikti war, of civilians doing their best to survive in the dark days. It saw the rebuilding. It saw her working on her brothers armor, meeting Ifrit for the first time, movie nights in the Legendarys base, basketball games in the Row, visiting her mothers gravestone every mothers day...
For the first time in over five hundred years, it experienced living.
The pain stopped, and Miranda slumped against the floor, gasping for air as tears flowed down her face. In her mind, her new partner sobbed, torn apart by the perspective she'd never had. "It's okay," she whispered, feeling the exhaustion start to fade, even as she felt like she could sleep for a month. "It's okay..."
No it's not, the Warshade sobbed. I'm sorry I'm sorry oh Gods I'm so sorry...
"We'll make it better," she said. "You'll have to earn it, but..." she paused, hearing the sound of footsteps, running up the stairs. "We can't worry about it now," she said, forcing herself up. "There's work to be done."
I... you're right. I'll handle the senses new to you, you handle what's new to me.
"Atta girl," she said. "Give me a status."
I can not sense the boosted electrical condition you previously had. The blending may have undone the accident. My own abilities remain intact, if somewhat limited at the moment. We have access to minor Umbral energies and Shadow Step.
Miranda nodded, feeling the new powers gather. She looked down at her tattered costume and concentrated, calling on her new shapeshifting powers. Quickly, it altered and repaired itself, going from a dark blue circuit-laced body sheath to a black bodysuit, orange star patterns on the legs and back, Riot Forces star logo on the front. "Can you sense who's coming?"
Three humans, no unusual energy signatures. I recommend we retreat.
"In a moment," she said. "Ready Umbral energies and be ready for Shadow Step."
Done.
The Warshade smiled, and as the first Arachnos soldier charged around the corner, she attacked, launching bolt of dark energy from her hand. The wolf spider had been expecting a broken and crippled woman, and caught the blast clean in the face, snapping his head back and nearly flipping him over as he dropped, the darkness spreading over his body lightly. Miranda charged, hitting the next one with a hard punch in the stomach, doubling him over.
Huntsman to your left!
Mir dodged as the Wolf Spider Huntsman opened up with his rifle, tearing a chunk out of the wall where she'd been. Jumping back into the other corridor and out of his line of fire, she scowled as she saw the first Wolf Spider getting back up. Shadow Step! she ordered, and reality ripped around her and took her away, leaving a furious group of Spiders behind.
***
Even more pain tore at Mirandas broken body as reality tore itself apart around her. A moment later she was on the floor of what looked like one of Paragons many office buildings. The part of her mind that wasn't screaming noted she was bleeding all over the rather ugly blue carpet.
"My apologies. While I understand that your condition makes teleportation unwise, I would not have been able to intervene in time otherwise," said a new voice. It was odd, somewhat blank and stilted, as though being produced through a speech program. Miranda pushed the pain aside enough to look up, and stared at the sight before her.
A glowing ball of what looked like purple and black mist floated above her, tendrils drifting out occasionally. "Nictus," she croaked, the words slurred slightly around her bruised face.
"Indeed, for now," the creature replied in that same blank tone. Miranda tried to call the lightning to her, only to find that the power had left her utterly. It seemed that the somewhat uncontrollable electricity her body housed had its limits in this nightmare. "Calm yourself child. I mean you no harm."
"you Nictus," she managed. "Lif thef... Monster." The last word came out clear, laced with more then a touch of hatred. The blue-haired Barnes sister had never seen a Nictus before, and she didn't have a problem with the Warshades really, but she read reports, spoke to those that had fought them, both now and in ancient Cimerora. She knew evil when she saw it.
"Yes. I am," the alien replied. "I was desperate to survive, and I took the path of my ancestors. But no more. I believe..." it paused, the mist pulling in on itself slightly. "I believe the path of the Nictus is wrong. I have come to this world to seek... redemption."
Miranda looked at it for a moment. "safing me 'elped," she managed.
"It was but a momentary reprieve. Your injuries are severe, from what I understand of beings such as yourself. Those I saved you from are coming. If I was to teleport you again, it would likely kill you. I can only present one option." It pulsed again, and Miranda got the feeling that it was... nervous.
"I wish to become a Warshade, with your help." The humans eyes widened in slight surprise as it continued. "I believe I could repair the damage when we merge."
She managed an annoyed glare. "You got me in a... bad spot ta refuse," she managed to say.
"I know. I apologize. That was not my intent. But I believe I can save you... and myself." Miranda paused and looked at him intently, before her vision began to blur.
"cyst?"
"I have left it behind. If I had remained, the others would know and turn on me instantly. To survive, I must risk my life. I do not have long left hero. We are the only hope each other has."
Miranda tried to look at the alien through increasingly blurry eyesight, then managed a weak nod. "'kay." She didn't really have any other options right now honestly, and for some reason, she trusted the creature.
"I believe this may hurt," it warned.
"'ey, tha's not new..." she croaked, before the Nictus spread out over her body, and she screamed.
Her mind was assaulted by new memories, dark crimes across the galaxy and across the centuries. She saw wars waged, lives taken, all in the desperate quest to not burn out in a few short years. Battles waged for so long without reason that they became the reason for living. For the Nictus, there was only war and death, lives taken for the purpose of living to take more lives. Her broken body convulsed as the Kheldians energies flowed through her, repairing bone and muscles, organs and blood vessels.
At the same time, she could hear the screaming in her mind, her new partner being overwhelmed by memories unlike anything it had encountered before. The academic understanding of its crimes, created by self-consideration and glimpses of other societies in the moments between wars, was buried under Mirandas understanding of life and death. It saw the Rikti war, of civilians doing their best to survive in the dark days. It saw the rebuilding. It saw her working on her brothers armor, meeting Ifrit for the first time, movie nights in the Legendarys base, basketball games in the Row, visiting her mothers gravestone every mothers day...
For the first time in over five hundred years, it experienced living.
The pain stopped, and Miranda slumped against the floor, gasping for air as tears flowed down her face. In her mind, her new partner sobbed, torn apart by the perspective she'd never had. "It's okay," she whispered, feeling the exhaustion start to fade, even as she felt like she could sleep for a month. "It's okay..."
No it's not, the Warshade sobbed. I'm sorry I'm sorry oh Gods I'm so sorry...
"We'll make it better," she said. "You'll have to earn it, but..." she paused, hearing the sound of footsteps, running up the stairs. "We can't worry about it now," she said, forcing herself up. "There's work to be done."
I... you're right. I'll handle the senses new to you, you handle what's new to me.
"Atta girl," she said. "Give me a status."
I can not sense the boosted electrical condition you previously had. The blending may have undone the accident. My own abilities remain intact, if somewhat limited at the moment. We have access to minor Umbral energies and Shadow Step.
Miranda nodded, feeling the new powers gather. She looked down at her tattered costume and concentrated, calling on her new shapeshifting powers. Quickly, it altered and repaired itself, going from a dark blue circuit-laced body sheath to a black bodysuit, orange star patterns on the legs and back, Riot Forces star logo on the front. "Can you sense who's coming?"
Three humans, no unusual energy signatures. I recommend we retreat.
"In a moment," she said. "Ready Umbral energies and be ready for Shadow Step."
Done.
The Warshade smiled, and as the first Arachnos soldier charged around the corner, she attacked, launching bolt of dark energy from her hand. The wolf spider had been expecting a broken and crippled woman, and caught the blast clean in the face, snapping his head back and nearly flipping him over as he dropped, the darkness spreading over his body lightly. Miranda charged, hitting the next one with a hard punch in the stomach, doubling him over.
Huntsman to your left!
Mir dodged as the Wolf Spider Huntsman opened up with his rifle, tearing a chunk out of the wall where she'd been. Jumping back into the other corridor and out of his line of fire, she scowled as she saw the first Wolf Spider getting back up. Shadow Step! she ordered, and reality ripped around her and took her away, leaving a furious group of Spiders behind.
***