Gemini: "The Power Within"

[goldenspines]

GM is Michael Lance and co-GM is Samurai10!

Have fun and play safe. ^____^

[Michael Lance]

OOC: Dear me, sorry for the wait, everyone!

"It is done."

No sooner had the words left Vice's mouth than he was ripped apart by the creature's writhing tentacles. "No! Vice! VIIIICE!!" Ginkishi dropped to its knees, arms hanging at his sides in utter shock, completely paralyzed with fear. "Akira! Get up! It's not over yet!" Asami's voice rang in his ears as Asagao layed down supressive fire, knocking back several tentacles that had been creeping towards him. "She's right, Akira! Rise! The fight's just beginning!" Crimson Hummingbird rocketed past overhead, flying in a wide arc as it evaded the creature's flailing arms, each shot aimed for its head."Why, Vice? Why did you do it? How did we come to this?" Something exploded in the distance, followed by a voice like thunder. "Get to yer feet, yeh great lump! Stan' an' fight, or step aside an' let the real bralwers through!" Javier's thick accent blasted through Ginkishi's comm system, nearly
drowning the cries of the wicked beast as the Flying Dutchman burst through a wall of tentacles, guns blazing and scattering spent cartridges everywhere.

A horrible screech resounded about the clearing as Crimson Hummingbird was knocked out of the sky with a solid THWAK, throwing it straight into Asagao and sending them both sprawling. Javier bellowed, "HAVE AT, YEH GREAT BEAST!!" Then fired a volley of rockets so large in number that even a special ops Gemini squad would've fled in terror.

As the rockets exploded, the thing roared in pain, then proceeded to knock the Flying Dutchman off its feet, pin it down, and stab at it repeatedly until it stopped struggling. Gemini units across the clearing fought on, oblivious to the cries of the fallen as they pressed on through the seething mass of wraithlike tentacles or struggled to escape them in panic.

A shadow suddenly fell across Ginkishi.

Akira looked up and, to his horror, saw a massive, ghostly tentacle, falling towards him like a hammer.

And he was dead-center on the anvil.

As it fell, despair clutched at him, rose through his chest and threatened to strangle him. Before the tentacle landed, he managed to choke out six painful, condeming words:

"how did it come to this?"


... and all went black.

[Michael Lance]

"Now, Ginkishi!"

Akira slammed the throttle wide open, blasting the arena's scorched and rock-strewn surface with hot exhaust. Ginkishi disappeared in a flash, taking off like a bolt of lighting and slamming into Asagao, lowering its shoulder as it struck to maximize the impact. "UNH!" Asami grunted in surprise as she was sent spinning sideways, coming to a rolling stop at Vice's feet. "Get up, you insufferable weakling," growled Virt from behind the voice-masking microphone of Vice's communications headset. Asagao slammed its left fist into the ground at Vice's feet, propping itself up enough to take a hip shot at Ginkishi as it blazed past. A blast of violet energy streamed past Ginkishi's head, missing a critical point by mere inches. Akira flinched, momentarily letting up on the throttle in surprise. Vice leapt forward with a roar of triumph, lunging at Ginkishi as a hidden blade extended from its right wrist.

However, Crimson Hummingbird was ready, and blasted Vice in the chest with a full-power bolt from its Shadow Custom, jolting Vice so that its attack went wide. Unfortunately for Crimson Hummingbird, Vice was ready, breaking his fall and turning it into a tuck-and-roll, then came up swinging with its Octo-Blades whipping about wildly. Crimson Hummingbird took aim and fired, but the shot was swept aside by one of Vice's mechanized blades. "Impossible," Crimson Hummingbird's pilot, Akuma Matsushito murmured under his breath.

OOC: Places to go, people to see. I'll probably finish this post after Thanksgiving, and then we can get started.

Happy turkey day, everyone!

[Michael Lance]

"Now, Ginkishi!"

Akira slammed the throttle wide open, blasting the arena's scorched and rock-strewn surface with hot exhaust. Ginkishi disappeared in a flash, taking off like a bolt of lighting and slamming into Asagao, lowering its shoulder as it struck to maximize the impact. "UNH!" Asami grunted in surprise as she was sent spinning sideways, coming to a rolling stop at Vice's feet. "Get up, you insufferable weakling," growled Virt from behind the voice-masking microphone of Vice's communications headset. Asagao slammed its left fist into the ground at Vice's feet, propping itself up enough to take a hip shot at Ginkishi as it blazed past. A blast of violet energy streamed past Ginkishi's head, missing a critical point by mere inches. Akira flinched, momentarily letting up on the throttle in surprise. Vice leapt forward with a roar of triumph, lunging at Ginkishi as a hidden blade extended from its right wrist.

However, Crimson Hummingbird was ready, and blasted Vice in the chest with a full-power bolt from its Shadow Custom, jolting Vice so that its attack went wide. Unfortunately for Crimson Hummingbird, Vice was ready, breaking his fall and turning it into a tuck-and-roll, then came up swinging with its Octo-Blades whipping about wildly. Crimson Hummingbird took aim and fired, but the shot was swept aside by one of Vice's mechanized blades. "Impossible," Crimson Hummingbird's pilot, Akuma Matsushito murmured under his breath. He charged his rifle, preparing for another full-power shot, but it was then that Akira made his move. Ginkishi rocketed straight towards Vice, crashing into him and slamming the both of them into the arena wall. "Tch," Akuma sneered in disgust as his full-power shot was wasted on empty space, disintegrating a large chunk of the arena's inner wall. "Akira, get your head in the game! I shouldn't have to be co-ordinating my actions with yours! What use is it to go after the same target as me if you're just getting in my way?!" "Oh, shut up, jerkwad," came Akira's snarling reply. "Vice is mine, and you know it. Go play guns with Asami if you're feeling left out." Ginkishi slowed down just enough for Akuma to spot him, twin sabers flashing as he engaged Vice in close-range combat.

That was when he noticed Asagao, rushing towards Ginkishi with its energy blade activated. "Akira, look out!" Crimson Hummingbird's rifle rose to intercept Asagao's path, but it was too late. Asagao glided past Ginkishi gracefully, as if skating across the rocky surface of the arena, and slashed open its main energy compressor. Akira yelped in surprise as Ginkishi was jerked sideways, then screamed as the compressor detonated, unable to keep the generator's energy output under wraps. To Akuma's dismay, the standard warning displayed across his screen:

"WARNING. WARNING. Ginkishi status: CRUSH. Red Team initiating Power Play. WARNING. WARNING."

He shut off the warning signal in disgust, cursing his luck for being paired with a loose cannon. He initiated Crimson Hummingbird's secondary combat operations, activating missile launcher targeting systems and precision optical drones, but it was no use - Asagao was on him in an instant, cutting away pieces of Crimson Hummingbird's targeting systems and rendering him useless. Akuma tried to back off, get to his energy knife, but then Vice was on him as well.

And Vice was merciless.

In a flash, Vice's Octo-Blades reduced both Crimson Hummingbird and Asagao to useless piles of scrap, causing both pilots to eject in a panic.

Asagao status: CRUSH
Crimson Hummingbird status: CRUSH
Victory: RED TEAM

[Wolfsong]

One question, before I make the post I had long forgotten to make (my apologies on that score) Is this an arena thing, or what? I'm having trouble understanding.
Sorry, its been a while.

[Davidizer13]

"Akira, you idiot!" shouted Topher over the commlink. The big screen was flashing Red's victory; their pilots shared a quick high-five, then climbed out of the simulator pit. Topher hopped out of his seat and rapped on Akira's sim-pod canopy angrily. "You coulda had him if you stuck together! You can't win when you sent your partner scampering halfway across the map. And out in the real world he woulda put even more hurt on you b'fore you woulda even busted out your swords! I mean, you can't keep cowboying your way out of these things and hoping it'll all work out; what were you even thinking doing that, halving your firepower like that?!"

[Michael Lance]

OOC: (in response to Wolfsongs question) well, at present, the Gemini Project takes place in a futuristic city called "Ember". The Gemini Project involves the training of amateur pilots in the use of Gemini units for both public entertainment and military purposes. According to Davidizer, we've just finished a practice run in the Gemini HQ's simulator arena, so we'll all be convening in the headquarter's mess hall after each character has been introduced (that is, assuming Gemini still has all its players...)

[Wolfsong]

OOC- Alrighty then, lets say I skipped lessons today.

Erasmus calmly walked the boundaries of the arena, grinning. A fine job, the way he'd slipped out. He didn't think he needed any more of that 'training' they offered. He was good already, and didn't need that anymore.
"Me and my ride," he murmured. "We're good together. Why do I hang around for..." he spat. "Public entertainment? Pfft! I deserve so much better."
For a few minutes, he considered his pet plan: to sneak out with his mech and get away, away from all this heck. He'd enjoy himself somewhere, and never have to worry about this again.
He sighed and again filed the plan away. No, he wasn't ready yet. He glanced toward the arena again.
"Sounds like they're done," he murmured. "Guess I'll go mess hall. Better watch out for the instructors though, or I am in a mess!"

OOC- Sorry its not so good. I hope its acceptable.

[Michael Lance]

... Acadamy (can I call it that?)

OOC: A short explaination - in Ember, the Gemini contest's popularity is akin to that of pro wrestling. Gemini contestants are sponsored by various companies and the like, and the whole thing is basically for the sake of public entertainment. On the flip side, Gemini units - during times of war - are instead use as military might. The reason it is important to remember this is that, in the arena, there are certain rules - rules against things like armor-piercing ammunitions, caliber limits for solid-shell weapons, size and length limits for swords and other melee weapons, etc. However, just like in pro wrestling, these rules are often broken - and repeatedly, at that. This is what makes for more entertaining matches in the eyes of the public - never knowing if contestants are going to break out contraband weapons, or perform illegal techniques. Therefore, the Gemini HQ is more of a gladiator's arena, instead of an academy.

[Wolfsong]

... Acadamy (can I call it that?)

OOC: A short explaination - in Ember, the Gemini contest's popularity is akin to that of pro wrestling. Gemini contestants are sponsored by various companies and the like, and the whole thing is basically for the sake of public entertainment. On the flip side, Gemini units - during times of war - are instead use as military might. The reason it is important to remember this is that, in the arena, there are certain rules - rules against things like armor-piercing ammunitions, caliber limits for solid-shell weapons, size and length limits for swords and other melee weapons, etc. However, just like in pro wrestling, these rules are often broken - and repeatedly, at that. This is what makes for more entertaining matches in the eyes of the public - never knowing if contestants are going to break out contraband weapons, or perform illegal techniques. Therefore, the Gemini HQ is more of a gladiator's arena, instead of an academy.

Ah, okay.

[Michael Lance]

- Akira Kurosaki -

Akira slammed the controls in anger as his simulator screens blanked out and flashed "CRUSH" and him from all angles. He sat back in his pilot's chair and waited impatiently for the battle to end. Not half a minute later, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair as the screens blanked out again and read "LOST," indicating Akuma's inability to deal with the Red Team by himself. A moment or two passed, and there was a sudden rapping on his simulator pod's exterior, jolting him out of his slight daze. Topher was yelling something about working as a team - he hadn't yet realized that Akira's comm had been off practically since the beginning of the training match. "Son of a..." he trailed off, then reached down and popped the hatch of his simulator pod, pushing upwards in frustration when it wouldn't open fast enough. As it opened, he caught a quick glimpse of Topher's face, beet red with anger and still ranting about Akira being a loose cannon. He hissed through his teeth in frustration, his own face a passive mask, and took a roundhouse shot at Topher's head. Topher bit off his latest comment - something about Akira being born with the brains of a Sand Viper - and leaned back quickly to avoid Akira's booted foot.

"Shut up, Topher," he growled calmly. "If you're so convinced I can't handle being paired up with Akuma, then why don't YOU sign up for the team matches next month and teach me a lesson yourself, hmm?" His emerald eyes flashed in defiance, and Topher decided it was better to hold his peace. "That's what I thought," he said, scoffing as his jumped down from his perch on the edge of the simulator pod.

- Asami Lance -

"Ugh, that idiot!" Asami cursed loudly as her screen displayed "CRUSH," then flickered and switched to "WIN". She put a hand to her face and shook her head, then sighed loudly. She heard Virt chuckle in a low voice over the comm system. "Sorry," he said in a low, smooth voice. "Couldn't be helped." He layered his apology with all the sincerity he could muster, but Asami could tell it was fake by his sarcastic and holier-than-thou undertones. She popped the hood on her simulator pod, peering out across the way at Akira's own pod. She wasn't surprised when Akira popped his hood and proceeded to take a shot at Topher's head - it was something the two of them did often, though it was definitely not all in good fun.

Virt stepped out of his pod, opposite Akira and Akuma's pods and adjacent to Asami's. His scarred face surveyed the chaos soon to erupt across the room, not noticing Asami peeking over the edge of the simulator pod's cockpit. He smirked, crossing his arms over his chest as he stood back and watched in amusement. He observed a while longer, then chuckled again and walked out of the room.

Asami watched from across the room as Akira took a shot at Topher and sighed. "Will those two ever grow up?"

OOC: sSam will probably take over for Asami from here. I'll post Akuma's character sheet soon, so stay posted everyone!

[Wolfsong]

Erasmus quietly began skirting the edges of the arena, watching the fight. He grinned as it ended and one of the players took a shot at his neighbor.
"Looks like Akira," he murmured. "Huh. Not surprised."
He glanced about one more time, then started for the inner hall, hoping the guys wouldn't spot him.