Azure Falcon

The Azure Falcon Hotel

A luxury hotel located in the Commons district of the Ark, the Azure Falcon was designed to be the twin to the Crimson Hawk structure that was purchased for tournament use by Elia Noah in 2007. The building itself is exactly identical in every way, except that everything seems to be mirrored. Right turns become lefts, the buttons are on the wrong side of the elevator, the stairs circle counter-clockwise in the stairwell, and the color scheme seems somehow off... With how long the Crimson Hawk has been the epicenter of between-round activity in the tournament veterans of Heaven or Hell might find this otherwise luxurious hotel to be somewhat unsettling.

General - A luxury hotel modeled after one of the world's most famous brothels.

Weapons - Check the gift baskets.

Natural Element Resource - None.

Bonus Effects - +1 Knockoff, -20 Shame

Notices:

The Noah Foundation has installed a Magi-Tech gate on the roof of the Hotel. The clearly not copyright-infringing gate connects the Crimson Hawk hotel with the Azure Falcon on the Ark, creating a fast and easy method of travel between the island and the mainland.

Before Round 1

Rintala Wrote:

Designated Hero Wrote:

"I figured I'd find you here."

From a few paces behind her at the bar came a voice Amy would no doubt find familiar. It wasn't very hard a guess for Tenkai to make, finding the Marine drowning herself at the nearest source of alcohol. That, of course, just so happened to be the Azure Falcon, nestled in what was still considered the "safe zone" of the Ark. Although many of the locales in the Commons had been abandoned, the now aptly-named Azure Falcon seemed to make up the majority of the residential accommodations aboard the massive island-ship. The fact that Noah had so much money to waste on an exact copy of the Crimson Hawk simply amazed Tenkai to no end. He somehow wondered how much of that money could have gone towards other renovations or perhaps more charitable ends.

Of course, there were far more pressing matters at hand than just what Noah spent his monthly salary on.

Tenkai looked no different than he had been the other night, dressed in the same Buddhist monk's robes that most people knew him for. It was times like these that looking as unassuming as possible was truly a virtue, and as far as he could tell he hadn't gotten any heat from the Foundation as of yet. Of course, that was partly to do with how little his investigation had turned up in the last year. Already a whole year with the first round soon to be underway and even he wasn't any closer to the truth of the organization than he was the previous year. He had managed to do some scouting a while earlier by way of the tram, only to find that the Foundation had cleaned up most of their tracks. There was no sign of the pylons he had noticed from last year, no doubt removed once the sorcerer's assistance was no longer needed. Tenkai still had no idea what Damnatus had been up to in the previous year, but the Ark still stunk of the Warp's taint. His ability to sense its corruption had grown much more acute since last he set foot on the Ark, and although he could no longer sense the warpstone pylons, the dull pang of corruption that beat in his head somehow gave him much more pause.

Something terrible had happened here last year. He had to find out what.

Thankfully, that was partly why running into his military associate was so fortunate. If Tenkai was going to get to the bottom of this once and for all, he was going to need help. Having Amy's aid was only a start, though. He was going to need the help of some of the competitors, even if there were only so many he could trust, but the monk couldn't afford to be picky this year. It was obvious by what he saw the other night at the Crimson Hawk that there were others looking for answers as well, and he'd have to help them find those answers if they were to give him their assistance.

"I take it you're waiting for Athan Cole, aren't you?" said the monk, taking a seat next to Amy at the bar. It wasn't necessarily a stretch for him to make such an assumption, given the fact that he had seen Amy's "sister" take to his side back at the opening ceremonies when he stood face to face with an overwhelming number of Judges. Fortunately enough, he was looking for Athan Cole, too. Tenkai had worked with him in the past back in Sigil, and the large mercenary really was one of the few heroes of Gaia even if he was reluctant to think so. He, like many others, was among those many disjointed yet like-minded individuals that merely needed a push in the right direction, to give purpose to their strength.

Of course, there were some that took more effort than others. Like Amy.

"Hope you haven't been bored for too long. He's probably getting ready for the next round."

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

"I figured I'd find you here."

Amy's expression went a few degrees above absolute zero at Tenkai's introduction. "Tenkai." She smiled, a generally pleased expression that never quite touched her dead and laden eyes. Pushing herself out of her seat, drink forgotten on the counter top, she reached out and lightly pulled the unassuming monk into a soft embrace and kissing him on the cheek. "It's good to see you again." She said in not quite a whisper before Athan entered the room. "Come, come, sit down." Amy offered taking her own seat as Tenkai took the chair beside her.

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

"I take it you're waiting for Athan Cole, aren't you?"

Taking her drink in hand she tapped the counter top to flag the bar tenders attention, downing the last of the rum and coke in a quick gulp before answering. "Heswina said Athan was interested in something and that we'd be better off helping," Explaining that Heswina 'said' anything was kind of a moot point, Tenkai all ready knew the story behind the three "Sisters" "That someone of that moral character, whether he saw it in himself or not, was interested in something it had to be the right thing. Urged Diana and I to throw our lot in with the big lug." Shrugging her shoulders she paused while the bartender came over with a fresh refill, giving him a fake smile before he sauntered away, "Me? I'm not so convinced. The man was reckless at the party, fool hearty, what ever he's got going on is more than a noble deed." Holding a hand to forestall a potential disagreement Amy continued, "We'll still help him, of course, Heswina all ready gave her word on that, but I can't help but feel like -"

Amy paused as someone entered the bar, a sudden tension in the shoulders bespoke of a general distrust. It wasn't anything personal...Amy just didn't trust anyone and Athan Cole, despite what Heswina said, was definitely an unknown entity.

Designated Hero Wrote:

"So I take it you're Amy."

"That I am, pull up a seat." Amy offered, waving at one of the free chairs nearby. "Though I must say I'm impressed you picked me out so quickly." Cold, distrusting, lifeless eyes bore holes into Athan's gaze, a weighing and measuring of the soul. "I wasn't aware Heswina had given my description, I was afraid I was going to have to flag you down once you came in."

Amy looked absolutely nothing like Heswina. Where Heswina stood almost seven feet tall of hard, angular, muscles Amy topped six feet with more normal proportions. Where Heswina's build was all sharp ends and hard lines Amy's were taut muscles and curves...Heswina was an Aldian, a race from a different planet, Amy was a Marine.

"So, I suppose before we go gallivanting off to topple mountains and kills gods, Mr. Cole. Why don't you tell me exactly what my Sister promised to help you with?" An honest question. Heswina had a tendency to jump first then look to see how high the cliff was...granted there was very few falls that could kill the damn b***h, but that still didn't stop her from dragging Diana and Amy along with her for the ride.[/size]

Just Naota Wrote:

The Azure Falcon, outside Dr. Queensborough's Suite, before Round 1

There were many competitors Tenkai knew he would need on his side when things got rough, but there were a few in particular he wanted to personally visit. Athan had been one of them, but Tenkai also remembered Dr. Edward Queensborough, the leader of Team DARE. Although Tenkai hadn't had much time to actually get to know the cyberpunk doctor, he had managed to at least get his name after their impromptu alliance against the vampire K.B. back in Sigil. Needless to say, Tenkai was somewhat perplexed as to how the very person the two of them had fought so hard against back then had ended up on his team. He wondered if it had anything to do with what Tres and Lovi had done with the vampire after the incident in Sigil.

Suffice to say, there were more pressing matters at hand, and Tenkai had little time to waste. He stood there just outside the door, wearing his Buddhist monk robes and large rosary necklace like he usually did. It was not the lightly armored outfit that Edward would remember from the first time he had met him, but he'd notice hints of it in the other pieces Tenkai wore, such as the steel gauntlet on his right arm.

The very arm that was now knocking on his door.

"Hello? Dr. Queensborough?"

his arrival

XXXXRadek's arrival to Heaven or Hell 2012 would appear to be late. To an extent, it was. Preliminaries having passed, and Round 1 in the middle of completion, left little to be done for the Foundation. Radek, however, was there for more pertinent purposes--pertinent for him and his goals. The arrangements had been notarized, what, a month ago? Preparations had held him from the entertainment. He was finished, now. He came with a purpose. The Ark had been accommodated in accordance with Crocuta's letter. A room had been set aside from the rest, tucked away in an obscure corner of the mirrored hotel, with a tree burned into the Eastern wall. Radek would mend the scorched wood when he left, and payments had been added to appease the once obstinate manager. Should any employees be passing through the rather deserted hallway they would hear a crash of static--like the world was tearing in two--heralding the stale silence that now felt so crisp and heavy. The Rift had been created, and the Lode was now sizzling; the bark bubbled on the tree.

XXXXRadek carried a large duffel bag on his back. It clunked and tinked as he set it on the barren room's floor; Crocuta had also requested that the room have no furnishings. It was easier to perform his rituals this way. The Stitching needed to be redone before he could unpack, otherwise his children might come, too; No matter how detailed his directions were, no one else could work his breed of magic as skilfully as he required--as he desired. He closed his eyes and slid his hand down the sticky mud of the Lode tree. He pressed his dirty palm to his face and spread the mixture across his eyes before biting off his index finger. He smelled the room, tasted the bond between it and his own--smearing the link into his index--separate world, and opened his eyes to see the holes. He pulled the bone from between his lips, the flesh dissolving into thread, and worked it between his fingers into a needle. the fraying strands wriggled in alien winds, their translucent orange bodies lazy worms eating through dirt.

XXXX"This won't do."

Feeling rather, elated over the more recent developments even in spite of forgoing her place in the tournament, the only female of the now dissolved Bloody Pandas took advantage of her newfound down time to seek out a particular someone. The invite had been obvious enough.

Still dressed as she had been for the round there was no need to change or gussy up since it wasn't as if she had done any fighting at all, Ryke almost passed the front desk until she remembered the need to stop and procure the necessary information.

She wouldn't get far without a room number and the key.

Coming to a halt in front of the desk, she hesitated a moment before speaking to the clerk. "Uhh, hi. A friend of mine left me a message saying there would be a spare room key..."

For a moment, the clerk stared on at the red-haired woman. She didn't know a regular competitor from anyone else, and her blank expression showed that rather well. "What's the name please?" The clerk finally came to life, and seemed prepared now to run a query based on whatever Ryke's answer was.

Right. Name. That was important. "Oh. Er, Radek?" Wordlessly, the clerk offered only a nod of the head and quickly retrieved the key for her. Accepting, with only a single word of thanks, Ryke departed and sought out the elevators.

SARQ Wrote:

Exiting the elevator on the 5th floor, she rounded the corner towards the appropriate room. 510. It was at the very end of the hall inhabiting a space all it's own, in a sparse corridor. While she had a key, Ryke didn't exactly feel it was right to let herself in. She took the polite approach and rapped on the door, hoping someone would answer.

Just Naota Wrote:

The Azure Falcon, Dr. Queensborough's Suite, before Round 1

"Tenkai," said the monk, smiling, "Please, call me Tenkai."

Tenkai's chosen surname didn't sound like one that a monk would normally take, and he usually preferred to be called by his Buddhist name than simply "Mr. Matsumoto". Not that he didn't particularly mind being called that, as more than a few of his friends and associates had referred to him with such formality. Although nothing kept Tenkai from being formal, he was too humble to prefer that the same be directed to himself.

"But Mr. Matsumoto is fine, if you prefer."

He gave Edward a respectful nod as he passed through the doorway and into his suite. The monk's eyes immediately picked out the mess of tomes and parchments that littered his table. It reminded him of how his own table had looked back when he had first started his investigation in '09. In fact, it reminded him of the tables of the libraries and archives he had visited in his childhood. Tenkai was a bit of an avid reader himself, and something told him Edward's reading was no doubt full of purpose. That much could be expected from a doctor.

The monk turned his head back to Edward. "Been reading lately?" he asked with a smirk.

Room 510: Forbidden Corridor

Sins of an Angel Wrote:

She took the polite approach and rapped on the door, hoping someone would answer.

XXXXRadek's head snapped up at the rapping. He hadn't been expecting anyone this soon. He still had items to prepare. The ginger on the other side of the door was reason enough to pause his neurotic rechecking. He stood and moved to the door, opening it slowly once he'd reached it.

XXXX"Please.... don' be frightened..."

XXXXWithin the room, the world had seemed to change. It was not a place of rest, or of comfort, but of violent intent and dark madness. The tree, now carved into the wall, had branches that reached to the edges of the wall. A mirror-image had been painted onto the floor, thick ridges in the dried product were the only hint of the fervor with which the strokes had been made. Metal rods had been hammered into the floor three inches fro the end of each branch, each extending two feet from the floor in perfect, perpendicular uniformity. In the middle of the tree sat a sword on the head of its square blade. It looked plain, save the odd design. It imitated an Aztec maquahuitl, but was broad enough to be considered a small door, or a coffee table. Radek's hands were caked in black... something. It had dried into a gray, rubbery coat that clung to his skin. It had been smeared across his face, too; the broad band across his eyes look deliberate, but the cursory marks across his cheeks and forehead were remnants of his hair being brushed aside by the swallowed hands.

XXXX"How did your round go?"

XXXXHe looked about for a place o offer her to sit, and remembered there were none. He chuckled and lifted his hands in defeat. "I'm not really ready for company." His light-hearted mood. offset the unintelligible scribblings painted onto the Northern and Southern walls. Their entire surfaces were covered in what looked like Runic symbols, but none of them were any known to exist. "Please, come in. You look well."

Room 510: Forbidden Corridor

Sins of an Angel Wrote:

"You look ... busy;" she meant as a partial joke but also as a leading statement.

XXXXHe could almost laugh in happiness at her announcing Bloody Pandas' forfeiture of the first Round. A great weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. He could stand to put her away from his thoughts when she was working because the circumstances were different: she knew the game, how to track a mark, walk him down to the line and nab him with one motion, but at HoH she was both a hunter and the hunted. The number of high-level combatants collected in such a small space, and with the idea of team-loyalty and under-handed tactics, created a high-threat zone. His worries were none the lesser after having been reassured that the Judges would be able to stop any fatal happenings from occurring. He'd done his research and had read the stories and seen the tapes of those few who had not been so fortunate to be within a Judge's reaction time. The most recent had been of Peppa Clause. A brutal end given under the watchful eyes of Judges... the thought stirred the worm inside of him. He would have....

XXXXThinking on her death was not going to make this visit any less awkward. He quickly put it out of mind and hooked Ryke behind the back with his arm to draw her into a kiss. He was becoming more manic. She didn't know yet. He planned to keep her in the dark until he couldn't. Some days his darkness clouded his brow and drove him to the deep of the abyss. Those days were the hardest because he found himself starting to enjoy those cold, sadistic moments. She was what kept him human--something about her held the flame of goodness within him between cupped hands to keep the cold vacuum closing in on him from snuffing it out--and, in turn, he swore to do the same. He pulled away and looked into her emerald eyes with his ugly, dead whites.

XXXX"So, you've dropped? That's a shame. My trip seems to have been fruitless, then." His jovial laugh almost gave him the air of being normal. He couldn't remember how that felt to have been able to compare, though. Time no longer meant anything to him. His age was forever frozen, now. "Oh yes, I have been very busy." He wasn't sure how much he could tell her at the moment. Like his stitching, these threads were delicate and had to be wound so.

Room 510: Forbidden Corridor

Sins of an Angel Wrote:

"So. What brings you out here? You're not like, secretly competing under an alias are you? Cause then I might have to reconsider our forfeit. Can't let you win the whole tournament just like that."

XXXXRadek's smile vanished. Business was always a very serious matter. "Security. I have certain talents that are needed for classified reasons." Second party communication contracted Radek for this year's HoH because of a certain project being performed on the Ark. His name had been spreading further, even after his prolonged disappearance after the events of The Black Cherry. His eyes looked towards his sword and the tree beneath it. He could see the thousand strands worked from the pommel and down the blade until they branched off and finished their winding around one of the pins hammered into the floor. They pulsed as light traveled up them and around the blade to the pommel and disappeared at the thick ring that topped it.

XXXX"Can I level with you?" He looked back at the blazing angel and gave her a smile that was tainted by worry that his eyes could no longer show. Things were coming to a head, and the world had no idea. She needed to, though. At least a whisper of it. She would be told the whole thing when it was too late.

XXXXThat as how it had to be--how it needed to be.

Amy stood solemnly at the bar, drink half finished in her hand, staring with dead lifeless eyes at the wall. Nightmares rolled about her skull in the waking and she forced a sea of liquor through her body to quell them. A heavy sigh drew the attention of the bar tender and Amy waved him away, taking another drink. She was suppose to be up on the roof with Tenkai meeting some monk or another, she knew, but she couldn't conjure the motivation to get up and actually leave the bar and the, albeit temporary, relief the alcohol brought her.

"What's the point?" She murmured to herself, downing the last of her drink in a single toss. Fire spread down her throat and into her belly, filling her head with intoxicating fumes and her guts with a sickening wrenching feeling. "Well." She said to no one in particular, placing her glass on the counter top, "Better get moving." With a staggering step she pushed away from the bar and started for the roof top where, she assumed, Tenkai was still waiting since he hadn't come down to fetch her yet. Stepping into the elevator alone Amy keyed the roof and folded her hands behind her back, feet spread shoulder width apart, and just stared sightlessly as the doors closed.

"Winstone! Get your head dow-" An explosion burst over head, the RPG slamming into the side of the building they were hunkered beneath, hunks of flaming stones and gravel pelting the Marines and Soldiers that had taken cover. The concussion of the blast knocked the wind from Amy's chest, flooring her.

"Amy! Amy!" A voice cried at her again and again. It took a minute for her fuzzy vision to clear and for her to see Mike hunched protectively over her. "Amy open your eyes! Amy!"

"Fine." She croaked, blinking and rubbing at her face. "I'm fine. Help me up." Using Mike for a boost she was easily pulled off the ground and back to her feet in time for a fresh fuselage of automatic fire to spray their position. Instincts more than anything took over and Amy dove into cover, feeling Mike's reassuring presence land beside her, rifle all ready sending rounds down range. The rifle fire lasted only a few moments as the insurgents quickly decided they'd look for less dangerous opposition. As the fire slackened Amy rolled to her side smiling, bright blue eyes alight in the blazing afternoon sun. "Damn Mike! You coulda...Mike?" Concern suddenly filled her eyes as she stared at her partner's unmoving form. "Mike?!" Grabbing him by the shoulders Amy rolled her fellow Marine and lover over, blood all ready drenching her hands. Two rounds had penetrated his body armor, one above the heart and the other through the lungs. "MEDIC!" She cried, "MEDIC!!"

Blinking the doors opened and Amy stepped out onto the roof where the massive magitech gate lay. She spotted Tenkai almost immediately talking with a huge burly looking monk looking man. "Tenkai." Amy called, waving slightly and walking over to the two. The smell of alcohol was diminished yet still present on her breath as she stepped up beside the monk she actually recognized, running an impassive eye over Dithakar's heavily muscled frame.

Anastasia von Harendasa made her way into the Azure Falcon on a particularly boring night, wandering through the lobby at the moment. Though her employer and perhaps even her friend was participating in the competition, she felt no attachment to the proceedings. Tegan had watched with excitement as all the fights were shown in high definition on the television in their tour bus, but Ana felt... unsettled. Fighting was something she did as a profession, and quietly at that, so the idea of fighting before a massive audience struck her as somewhat vain.

So, rather than waste her time laying around the bus, she decided to go looking about at the scenery. Ana had enjoyed it somewhat, though perhaps that had merely been from walking about rather than was she was seeing. The girl had wandered through Latent for a while, then decided she would check out the Crimson Hawk. Lo and behold, the place had a transportation device that brought her here, to a place she had come to realize was called The Ark.

With a sigh, the long-limbed young woman sat on a random loveseat, her bangs flopping slightly on her forehead as she did so. Dyed an array of colors in stark contrast to the blackness that was the rest of her hair, her bangs had drawn strange looks from some. Those few who did look at her swiftly looked away; Ana was fairly intimidating.

Storm-grey eyes, dyed hair, a muscular body somewhat revealed by a tight-fitting black tanktop and somewhat less fitting cargo pants; Ana looked like a hard woman, as was the intention. The chukka boots she was wearing didn't help dissolve that image. If one were paying close attention, they would also note a very subtle clink as she sat down, something that Ana crinkled her nose at. She didn't like making unnecessary noises.

Ana was somewhat tired at the moment. Mentally more than physically. So what better thing to do than just relax in moments like this?

Destructive Forces Wrote:

Raven slid into the free half of the love seat, her red and black striped locks hanging loose around her shoulders and down her back as if to emphasize her simple gray skirt and blouse. Next to the taller woman Hono'o was apparently unarmed, and even in the three inch heels she was still only 5'3" tall.

She leaned back, closing her eyes and trying to quell her rebellious stomach... no matter how large the 'island' was, it was still a boat as far as the sea sickness was concerned.

Destructive Forces Wrote:

Rave opened one orange eye to look at the woman beside her... had the other been there a moment before, she couldn't recall, and it likely didn't matter.

Her lips quirked in a slight smile, one that was very obviously full of irony. "I hate boats... don't get me wrong, Noah's little island is a very impressive boat, but it is still a boat."

"I'll be fine, just a long day is all. I like my job, but being a medic is hard work no matter how many advances in medical technology are made... Especialy when my friends insist in getting their asses all banged up." Hono'o Raven, the G.F.S.'s only official field medic, did enjoy her job... she just liked it a lot better when the land she was standing on was firmly attached to the tectonic plates of Gaia. She forced herself to sit up again, running her fingers through her striped hair.

SARQ Wrote:

Room 510: Forbidden Corridorpast

XXXX"Yeah, something like that."

She wouldn't press the topic and accepted the response for what it was. "Well let me know how that turns out. Not sure if I should be wishing you good luck or what."

Quote:** Wrote:

Their relationship was strange enough...

Truer words. Although, Ryke could admit if things weren't so, odd, there might be cause for concern. Life would not be so, interesting? Was interesting the right word? Maybe a better term would be exciting. There was a small rush to be had from secreting away to someplace private and stealing a few precious hours with someone that gave her such a thrill.

"What's up? You seem kinda fidgety." She remarked, noticing his attention drifting back to the imposing looking sword resting against the twisted tree at the back of the room.

Quote:** Wrote:

XXXXHow to phrase this...

XXXX"Things are going to get bad after this. Really bad. The kind of bad that makes people chose sides. Keep your head about you. If you ever feel like it's too much, come find me. And stick by me. It's only going to get worse."

There was the answer to her earlier question about how much time was left. Briefly, she recalled his statements in a fleeting exchange at his trailer over in the junkyard and finally her stoic expression broke and became somewhat hard. Not cold, but hard, resolute. Was she too confident? Nope. If Radek paid close enough attention, there was the slightest hint of hesitation on her freckled face.

In a way, the news didn't really come as a surprise. For a while now, the fiery-haired mechanic had been expecting something. That something had been looming in the distance, quietly, biding its time.

He was distracted again. "Hey," she stated, quickly to bring his focus back.

"I told you, don't worry so much about me. You focus on yourself until I say otherwise, or until I come running. Y'know I'll stick by you to the very end. Don't have to tell me twice."

Slash Zinrai Wrote:

"The Warp?"

"A realm that sits outside of reality," said the younger monk, "Twisted by the desires and negative emotions of sentient beings. It's also an immense source of power that many psychics draw from, but its very nature is corrupted by the machinations of cruel gods. That's why it feels so wrong to the senses. Everything we're seeing right now over there is something that just shouldn't be."

The very sight of a tree wasn't necessarily a horrible sight, even if it was a bit overwhelming or awe-inspiring, but for people like Tenkai and Dithakar, the wrongness of it all was far more palpable. As monks, they were both spiritually sensitive, and spiritual power held a resonance similar to psychic power. If anything else, having someone like Dithakar around would be most fortunate should they end up running into something far more sinister than just a lingering presence.

Rintala Wrote:

"Tenkai." Amy called, waving slightly and walking over to the two. The smell of alcohol was diminished yet still present on her breath as she stepped up beside the monk she actually recognized, running an impassive eye over Dithakar's heavily muscled frame.

Tenkai immediately turned his head towards his associate as soon as she called out to him.

"Oh, there you are," said the monk, smiling, "Good to see you made it up here." Tenkai's sense of smell wasn't incredibly sharp, but the mild presence of alcohol combined with his previous knowledge of Amy's habits led him to believe she had been spending her time at the bar. He didn't seem to care, though, calling her over as if she was as presentable as any other. Tenkai then turned back to the elder.

"This is my friend, Amy," he continued, introducing his associate to the elder monk. "She's agreed to aid me in my investigation." He then turned back to Amy. "Amy, this is Dithakar, a fellow monk." Tenkai had not been so bold as to assume Dithakar had already agreed to aid him, though. The younger monk had yet to tell him the most troubling part about that tree up ahead.

"As I was saying," Tenkai continued, turning his attention back to the Spire, "The Spire of Heaven used to be a building. A luxury hotel, even more impressive than the Crimson Hawk. Now it's been transformed into that tree you see before you, but I'm afraid that isn't the worst of it."

Tenkai reached into his robes and pulled out a newspaper clipping. He held it out for the two of them to peer over, but he wasn't about to make them squint just to read what it said.

"Last year, when the tournament was cancelled," said the monk, his tone of voice shifting from his usual light-heartedness to one of seriousness as the gravity of the situation took hold of him once more. "The entire Ark was quarantined. Competitors and spectators were shipped off the island, but it was too sudden and chaotic. Nearly half of the people that stayed at the Spire have gone unaccounted for, and everyone that escaped the Spire either knows nothing or mysteriously refused to comment. Somehow the Foundation has been able to keep things under wraps and claim that the remaining spectators scattered in the panic and fled the Ark without escort. It's not the first year they've had collateral damage, and they're very good at covering their tracks."

Tenkai turned his attention back to the Spire.

"I think there are people still inside that building. I've already approached a few others about this, but we'll need more help. I was hoping that you could aid me, or perhaps help me find others who can. I figure that even if there's no one left to save inside of the Spire, we could at least learn more about what happened there."

Tenkai turned back to face the two of them once more with determined eyes. "I want to know what the Foundation was trying to hide so badly that they'd forsake all of those people."

[!]The Azure Falcon[!]

Before the storm…

[]~0~[]

[!] ~”Wisdom is not the counting of all the drops in a waterfall…”~[!]

The elderly mendicant considered Tenkai's explanation of this alternate realm; Helpless to the obvious contrast between this 'warp', and his own demi-plane.

Introductions were made between himself, and Amy, who he greeted in turn with a polite bow of his head; But otherwise regarded in his regularly silent way. Truthfully, Dithakar had put a great deal of effort into pin-pointing his discomfort with the woman. It was not the monk's first encounter with a sensation such as this, or his most extreme; However, in Amy's case, the potent aurora was all her own...

She was a fighter; A killer.

Regardless, Tenkai had taken out a newspaper and was beginning to read from one of the articles. A story regarding the more lurid details of the tournament prior to this one, and the uncontested knowledge that...possibly...a number of people might have gone missing. This was, as it turned out, exactly what the younger priest believed.

"If what you say is true, Brother Tenkai, then it would be outside my disciplines to let you undertake this journey alone...I offer my aid, to whatever end."

Clearly, Amy agreed, and presented the first concrete course of action. All the same, the aged martial-artist could not help but note...after his many years of life...that this path would prove most treacherous.

So, they would tread it carefully; And deliberately.

[!] ~”…It is understanding why the water seeks the earth.”~[!]

Tenkai Matsumoto Wrote:

Rintala Wrote:

Shigekuni Genryusai

After Round One

After the first round had ended Shige only received enough ring-side care to stabilize his wounds so that he could make it back to the team's room inside the Azure Falcon. it was in this room that the captain of Team Fighting Spirit could currently be found, surrounded by a couple members of the offered medical staff so that his woulds could be healed in full. only a towel covered the privates of the large, muscular samurai, allowing the full breadth of his body to be visible to those around him. it was like this that one could truly take in his full form and the sheer muscle that was slabbed onto the man. with that extra weight of his skeleton having to be toted around, added muscle was just a given.

"Go ahead..."

His words were brief to the medical staff, a sign that he was ready for them to continue with their task of getting him back up to full health. before him on a simple table were the charts, x-rays and materials documenting his own injuries. Shige had once been apt in the medical arts, and when it came to compounds and physical medicines he still was to a degree. it was just like him to want a full understanding of his own wounds before he let them be fully patched up. the wound that concerned him the most was the one on his right side. a knife had impacted right between his ribs and pierced a lung, much to his dismay. the simple fact of the matter is that the wound there shouldn't have been possible. further examination showed that the knife wielded by his foe pierced right through the armor like metal housing for his arm and sliced it like butter. this unknown flaw [author error] would have to be fixed immediately.

"Mmmmmm....."

He felt the magics working through his system, the lung that was still injured healing without fault as the cut itself closed up from the inside out, sealing back the way it was. a simple touch to the metal of his housing system and a released of energy build up restored the metal to its normal condition and would hopefully prevent the same wound from happening again in the future. one of the medics took time examining his skull where punches had been focused and impacted, pointing to various parts of the brain scan as they worked. Shige didn't so much mind the prodding, it was something he was used to by this point.

His left arm had regained feeling and lost that numb sensation that he attained blocking that shield strike from the opposing team's striker. a clench of his left hand into a fist showed that he was indeed capable of using it once more. a hefty sigh bellowed from his nostrils as sparks flared up from his leg. one of the people in the room was not a staff medic, but one of the few people left from Shige's former organization that knew the ins and outs of his skeleton. a bit of minor repair work was in order on the injured leg and the feeling of heat against the metal bone during the patchwork caused his body to twitch uncomfortably for a moment.

"I'm fine... you may all go."

His voice bellowed and with that all the staff left quite quickly. a few papers about his condition and injuries were left behind but other than that the room was left empty aside from himself. on his leg where the sword had hit and collided into metal bone he now suffered a burn scar; a combination of the wound, lighting and repair of his bone. closing those teal blue's the man hefted another sigh and leaned back into the chair he sat in, waiting.

Slash Zinrai Wrote:

Rintala Wrote:

"You mean Nikki Goldschmidt?" said Tenkai, responding to Amy's plan. He rubbed his chin for a moment as he pondered the possibilities. Nikki was Noah's right-hand woman, so she must have had some information, right? The odds of her divulging anything she knew were unlikely due to her loyalty, but Tenkai knew it was possible to glean information without actually getting someone to spill the beans. "Interesting. I guess that's worth a try. Just don't approach her too aggressively if you see her, Amy. Remember, she's still a member of Noah's staff. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few Judges keeping an eye on her."

Tenkai then turned back to Dithakar. "Then it's settled. I want you to meet me at the tram station outside the Spire of Heaven after Round 1 concludes. Bring any allies that you trust, as I'll be bringing whoever I can. Once we're all assembled, I'll figure out where to go from there." Once Amy added in her last word, Tenkai turned to her to regard it. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea. Just tell her where to meet us. I'll check back with you later to see if you've found out anything."

As Amy left, Tenkai couldn't help but feel like he had somehow missed something. It wasn't that Tenkai was unable to sense the muted hostility between herself and the elder monk, but the younger monk was far too caught up in the matters concerning his investigation to give it much thought. There was too much at stake right now, and all he could really do was trust his allies to get along with each other as best as possible.

Now that all of that was said, Tenkai once more returned his attention to Dithakar.

"I'm going to go get myself prepared. In the meantime, you have a fight coming up, if I'm not mistaken. I wish you luck."

With his business taken care of, Tenkai folded his hands once more into a gassho gesture and bowed respectfully before taking his leave.

SARQ Wrote:

Room 510: Forbidden Corridorpast

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

XXXX"." Radek was very unhappy at the situation he found himself in. Dzan's anti-magic rune-cell, whatever he called it, had activated once Radek had pulled him through to the plane between. It had been like trying to navigate an atlas that was in a blender, and being rotated on a Rubik's Cube simultaneously. Instead of returning to his room, he found himself in the utility closet at the east end of the third floor. Two floors up and they'd be close. Radek looked down at the blood dripping from his gut. This was ****** terrible. Damn gakker was trying to push daisies before he'd finished his--Radek's--life's work Rad's arms elongated, his hands flattening into scythed hooks that dug into the walls and whisked Radek forward as he pulled to aid his speed. Even more ****** fees to be deducted from his security deposit once this was all said and done;that was assuming The Ark still existed after all of this, of course.

XXXX"Cocky s**t."

XXXXThe Elevator shaft would be faster, and his hands pried open the door easily. He was nimble, even with his mind occupied with monitoring Dzan's life signs. Rad's kidneys had become defib pads, and his heart the charge. When Dzan reached cardiac arrest, a burst of Neg would course through him, keeping the heart from failing completely. It was an effort to keep his blood from congealing on Dzan and crushing him with their accumulating weight. Radek had never attempted to be a portable IC Unit. most of his design was improvised. The fights weren't supposed to go this far. They swore to him...

XXXXHe thought of Ryke as he tightened his ribs about Dzan, keeping the battered corpse from shifting anymore inside of him.

> Ebag The II Wrote: > +++Dzan awoke in a wall. His eyes narrowing instantly as he'd struggle against his gakkin' bindings. Did the Vampire take him hostage? He growled low in his throat as he struggled all the more. His right arm the only one that was even barely moving as he noticed the room about him. Mud, roots, and experimentation all about him. This wasn't the vamp's. He must've lost. > > > > > +++A yell of pure rage echoed off the walls as he struggled all the more. He felt wounds opening up and leaking blood once again. He wanted to break free. He wanted to fight. He wanted to fragging kill. Eventually, it'd all come to a stop as he just went limp. His bronze eyes staring about as he studied even more. He was going to wait and try and kill everyone that came in contact with him. He was going to get out of here eventually and go grab his gakking chainaxe and find where that vamp fraggin' slept.

present

XXXX"Oh good, you're awake."

XXXXRadek was sitting against the wall Dzan was stuck in, just beneath him, in the base of the floor's mirror-tree. He was withered, with tubes running from his arms and back into the ash wall, where they vanished from sight as they ran to Dzan and pumped manufactured electrolytes, vitamins, and a synthesized blood/platelete/plasma mixture. "What was your death like?" Radek wasn't certain that Dzan had died, but he'd lost his heat beat a few times during Radek's rapid traversal of the Falcon. It had taken mere seconds to snip those threads and bring the wall to a bubbling mud once more. Radek had laid Dzan out onto the floor and worked his bowels back into the hiver as best as he could, and sewed him up. Radek had picked p the body as his own knit back together and slid Dzan into the wall as far as he could, leaving the man's head hanging out so that he could breath once awake.

XXXXThe mud had its own magic, and Dzan would absorb it like a root.

XXXXRadek stood, the tubes breaking, and shook his head. "They can't hear you. I requested a room away from them all for that reason. And to give the other guests time to evacuate, should something happen on my account." He was hunched, haggard and worn, and was still dirty from Dzan's occupancy within him. His body has squeezed out the foreign material and it had dried to his dermis. "A ******** vamp?! You must be losing it, old man." Radek laughed, mostly as a taunt, but partially in relief. There was still work Dzan had to do. His mirth was quickly gone as he lifted Dzan's chainsword and jammed it into the cracked tree on the floor. The crevices crunched and shifted, causing them to become larger.

XXXX"I have a proposition for you, one you can think over, as you won't be able to move for a day. You took a good beating."

+++Dzan awoke in a wall. His eyes narrowing instantly as he'd struggle against his gakkin' bindings. Did the Vampire take him hostage? He growled low in his throat as he struggled all the more. His right arm the only one that was even barely moving as he noticed the room about him. Mud, roots, and experimentation all about him. This wasn't the vamp's. He must've lost.

+++A yell of pure rage echoed off the walls as he struggled all the more. He felt wounds opening up and leaking blood once again. He wanted to break free. He wanted to fight. He wanted to fragging kill. Eventually, it'd all come to a stop as he just went limp. His bronze eyes staring about as he studied even more. He was going to wait and try and kill everyone that came in contact with him. He was going to get out of here eventually and go grab his gakking chainaxe and find where that vamp fraggin' slept.

+++Dzan would spit at Radek. The anger in his eyes had yet to die down despite all of his injuries and pain. Khorne would've showed him a way to defeat his opponent. Especially when they were on the ground right next to his sword. He would've taken the mauling to his face even worse to grab the sword and stab it straight through the vamp's side into his heart, but he wouldn't say that out loud.

+++"Wha' th' gak ya expectin' whe' ya go' me fraggin' chainweapon!?" He'd suddenly shout out. Once again the struggling would ensue. This time with a surge of strength that seemed to come from nowhere at once. The wall in places even began to crack and flake off as Dzan fought against it. The anger sustaining him well beyond the typical survivability of any human in the gakking tournament and maybe even Gaia Primus.

+++Then suddenly it all stopped and Dzan would twist his head to the side. His mouth slowly opening to form a grin. His teeth stained crimson and his eyes merely boring into Radek. Radek may be a self-called God, but Dzan? Dzan was just fragging insane. "Proposition my gakking a. Your faggotty a self-called God wants to control me and you know how bad that'll end up for you. Especially with who backs me." The last phrase only meaning that Khorne would not be happy with the outcome of Dzan being controlled by another deity.

Azure Falcon, Bar

On the opposite side of the bar, a large barbarian of a man was seated. His right hand gripped a pint glass, filled with a dark colored lager, while his other hand fished pretzels out of a basket and unceremoniously popped them into his mouth. He followed it up by guzzling down his beer, for sipping one's drink was most unmanly. Clearly, the man hardly cared about appearances or the impression he would give others as he ate and drank heartily. And though he received stares from some of the guests and even the bartender who had to continuously refill the pretzel basket; none of them dared to say anything even though they very much wanted to. With a knowing grin, Grim Voxville hardly blamed them, quarreling with him wasn't exactly a healthy choice.

The warrior towered over most of the people (if not all of them) inside the bar, standing at an incredible six feet and eight inches and easily weighing somewhere around two hundred-eighty pounds. For his bar outing, Voxville was dressed rather normally in a manner quite unlike him, though not exactly in rare form either. The man wore a black-and-white, short sleeve button-up shirt which did very little to hide the dangerous lines of his muscular arms and torso. A pair of blue jeans and sneakers finished off the outfit, and though it looked somewhat odd on Grim who was more often known for sporting armor and furs. It still managed to look decent.

Lowering his pint to the bar top, the Champion of Hammerbog's battle arena turned about in his stool, and surveyed the bar room. No one around managing to pique his interest until his blue eyes settled on someone who just entered and that he actually recognized. Though dressed rather plainly, Sokoya still managed to look striking with her silver hair, pale skin, and ruby eyes. Voxville did not know the woman personally, as they had never met before, but he had seen her fight on the television (as he had seen all of round 1's fights). Not to mention, that even if he hadn't seen her fight, the telltale device strapped to the lithe woman's wrist betrayed her identity easily. The woman was a fighter.

And based on her performance in the previous round, a rather interesting one.

Voxville called over the bartender, who approached rather nervously, and grabbed a new bag of pretzels as he did so. The warrior waved the salty treats away, shaking his head as the barkeep misunderstood, and began to whisper to the man quietly. A few seconds later, the bartender set off to begin making a drink, and eventually moved over to Sokoya with a very appropriate drink. He set a Bloody Mary on the bartop before her. And just like the movies, the barkeep grinned and pointed her in the direction of her benefactor.

By then, Voxville was back to munching on pretzels, and chugging down his lager.

-=After Round 1=-

Walking about with a sense of mild wonder, this was the first time Mana had come into the Azure Falcon. He had been sneaking and hiding about the city, to afraid to go to his room in the Crimson Hawk. After the last fight, however, Mana was in need of a talk with the team captain. Mana made sure to remain quite while he was walking around. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself. Avoiding the elevator and using the stairs to move between floors as he looked for the room within the Azure Falcon.

Many of the competitors still scared him and Mana felt that if they found him alone in a hall way they would try to hurt him. Many of the people in the tournament were against him being there it seemed. He had won over a couple people, but the faction that had malice and ill will toward him was still present and Mana had felt some of it during the party that was had earlier.

After a lot of roaming and hiding, keeping out of sight of the other competitors as best he could, he finally came to the door that Team Captain Shige was supposed to be in, or so he had heard from the staff of the tournament. Without knocking, Mana opened the door to the room and paused, seeing Shige sitting there with near nothing on and a bunch of nurses in the room.

Mana was frozen for a moment as his mind tried to figure out what was going on. His head tilting for a moment with wide eyes, mild shock hitting him. Mana had never shared a room per say so he was not accustom to knocking, a great flaw of his. Mouth slowly began to stretch agape...and then all at once it closed as he smiled and spoke up.

'Mana wasn't aware that Shige taught people wrestling moves as well. Chocolate Bear Crawley told Mana never to interupt when he was showing wrestling moves to people so Mana will wait patiently outside till you are done. Mana is sorry, says Mana the Apologizing Cat because he disturbed Team Captain Shige's Teachings and Pro Wrestling Skills, nyaa.'

Bowing as if nothing at all was wrong or strange, like it was a common occurance in his mind, Mana shut the door with a large and innocent smile on his face and promptly sat outside the room, waiting till he was allowed in.

Mana recalled having to do this before. Sometimes Mana would have to wait outside the room all night and sometimes for a day or more. However, Mana couldn't recall exactly when he went on a journey with Chocolate Bear Crawley, the Mighty. He could, however, remember how much help he was and all the waiting.

Mana, however, would not be able to wait to long, this time. What if a competitor came walking down the hall. Mana would wait for a couple hours and then if he was still teaching Wrestling moves, Mana would catch him later.

It wasn't long, however till, to Mana's surprise, all the nurses and whatnot left the room. Mana, however, had not been told he was allowed in the room yet to talk so Mana continued to sit outside and wait patiently till he was told to come in. Chocolate Bear Crawley had done this to Mana a couple times to. Mana just assumed that Chocolate Bear Crawley, the Devastating, was tired after showing off his moves and needed to rest a bit. Sometimes he would have to rest for a couple hours and sometimes a day or two and sometimes he would order room service and Mana would get to eat the leftovers. Mana hoped that if Team Captain Shige was resting he would order some room service. Mana was starting to get hungry and would love to have some leftovers...

And just where do you think you're going, Ryugi Arlian Kazamaru?"

The voice was enough to make Ryugi freeze. He'd been caught red-handed. Or, rather, red-stomached. Bandages were wrapped around his waist and stomach where his opponent's knife wounds had been recently healed. They hadn't even healed completely, and he was already up and about. Vargus Kobayashi stood some distance away, hands on her hips. She looked very motherly, and very upset. Ryugi, on the other hand, had his left hand on the door of Team Ryugin's Suite, Ragnarok on his shoulder in his right hand, and was trying his best to be sneaky in armored black boots on luxurious hard-wood flooring.

It was late, not long after the scores for Round One had been released, announcing Team Ryugin as the losing team in their fight. Ryumi, Ryugi's daughter, had been raving mad, calling the staff of the tournament all kind of terrible horrible names, questioning the integrity of their parents, and all around making a huge fuss that anyone could possibly think her father had cheated in any way shape or form. In some ways, Ryugi had to agree, but, he understood the machinations behind everything. There was more going on than met the eye, and due to his prior affiliation with the Society of the Shade a few years ago, he had learned that Noah and the Foundation had more going on than simply hosting fighting tournaments. Thus, when he was certain everyone was asleep, he had quietly gotten dressed, tended to his wounds, and hefted his sword. There were sinister things going on, and he would do his damnedest to get to the bottom of it all.

Well...this is awkward... Ryugi turned, with a sheepish grin on his face, to look at his love, and the mother of his child. It would have been a lot easier if I hadn't been caught.

I'm sure it would have. Just what are you hoping to accomplish, sneaking off like this, hmm? Vargus took a few steps forward. Since you have Ragnarok on your shoulder I know it can't be a friendly stroll...

Ryugi sighed. Well, you'd be right at that... He shook his head. I didn't want to get you involved, because I know you'd disapprove. The thing is, all of this isn't right. Something more is going on this year, and our loss clearly shows it. Ryugi placed Ragnarok against the door as rose a hand to gently cup the side of Vargus' cheek. I know you worry... But, your mate is a hero at heart, and some things are simply bigger than he is.

Vargus' lip quivered a bit at Ryugi's touch. I know...but... You aren't even fully healed yet, and what's more, you have a daughter who idolizes you. She looks up to you in every possible way. Her gaze became downcast. You aren't just a hero anymore, Ryugi... You're a father...and a mate to a woman who would be...lost without you... A soft sniffle came from Vargus as a few tears dampened her cheeks.

In a single stride, Ryugi had stepped forward and embraced his love. He rest his head atop her own and sighed softly as she clung to him. I know... I know you worry... He took a deep breath, taking in the soft flowery scent of his love, a scent that came from her chosen elements, and the soft give of her body against his loving squeeze. You know Ryumi and you are my everything. I would die to protect both of you...and in this instance, this is a time when action must be taken. Each year, the tournament has pushed out more and more competitors like me. They've slowly been thinning the stock, making it easier for them to do whatever it is they're doing... He leaned his head down and placed a kiss against the top of Vargus' head. They know how strong I am, how strong Ryugin is, and it only makes sense that they would eliminate us from the tournament to keep us from interfering in their plans... If I don't act, few will, and if they fail, then it's likely Ryudo will have to step in, and we both know what that would mean...

Vargus nodded against Ryugi's chest. I know... But couldn't this at least wait until your wounds have healed?

I'm sorry, Love. Ryugi sighed and pulled away from the hug just enough to look Vargus in the eye. Only four teams remain... Traditionally, that is when Eliminations happen. If they're going to start making a move, it will be now... He leaned forward to meet the lips of his love in a tender kiss before breaking away, and smiling his characteristically gentle smile. For the good of everyone, I have to go now...

Vargus sighed softly and nodded, her tears having dried for the moment. I understand, but that doesn't make it any easier for me... She pulled away from the embrace and slipped a stray strand of hair from her face. But, what do I tell Ryumi? She'll wonder where you've gone.

Ryugi chuckled lowly and shook his head. Just tell her the truth. Tell her that her father went to go beat up the bad guys behind his wrongful termination, and save the world. He grinned faintly and turned to head for the door, a hand on Vargus' shoulder. He squeezed it gently and looked to her violet eyes. I love you, Vargus Kobayashi, more than you can ever know.

And I love you, Ryugi Arlian Kazamaru... She sighed and smiled softly. Now, go be my strong knight... She paused. Eyes open, my love.

Eyes open. Ryugi returned the Angaran words of caution and good fortune, and exited the suite. It was time to take action and bring down the tower that Noah had built. They'd sought to remove Ryugin, remove him from play, to eliminate them as a threat. But he and his team were far from gone. It was time to show Noah and his cronies the true power of Ryugin, unlimited by his tournament's cheap limitations... One way or another, it would end here.

Room 510: Before Elimination Rounds

Ebag The II Wrote:

+++"Wha' th' gak ya expectin' whe' ya go' me fraggin' chainweapon!?" He'd suddenly shout out. Once again the struggling would ensue. This time with a surge of strength that seemed to come from nowhere at once. The wall in places even began to crack and flake off as Dzan fought against it. The anger sustaining him well beyond the typical survivability of any human in the gakking tournament and maybe even Gaia Primus.

+++Then suddenly it all stopped and Dzan would twist his head to the side. His mouth slowly opening to form a grin. His teeth stained crimson and his eyes merely boring into Radek. Radek may be a self-called God, but Dzan? Dzan was just fragging insane. "Proposition my gakking a. Your faggotty a self-called God wants to control me and you know how bad that'll end up for you. Especially with who backs me." The last phrase only meaning that Khorne would not be happy with the outcome of Dzan being controlled by another deity.

XXXXRadek frowned at Dzan's insurmountable rage. That was the man's greatest asset, and biggest detriment. Radek wondered if he could keep a cool head in the times to come. A rampaging Khornate wouldn't entirely mess up his plans, but he would eventually get in the way, and that was something that could take an incalculable amount of time to resolve, possibly even never. "It was your negligence that left it behind. This isn't your first HoH, you know better." Chiding the hiver was only going to exacerbate the situation, though, so Radek quickly changed subjects.

XXXX"We've ****** the same women, Dzan. Don't insult me. We both know I cannot control you, not with the **** chip in your arm." Business partners back back in the swing of things; sharks staring at each others' throats. Radek scowled. He wanted to bash the b***d's skull into smithereens.

XXXX"I came to offer you a way to satisfy your impotent God. I plan on hosting a tournament of my own after this debacle has concluded. I want to offer you the same thing that was offered me: a moderator position. Well, you would only be moderating the contestants: preventing them from passing my game. There is more, but I cannot share that with an uninvolved party." Radek became silent then. He could not openly discuss his entire plan with Dzan until the gakker, as Dzan so liked to phrase it, agreed to act as a retardant for the tournament Radek has decided to title Defiant Hour!!

XXXX"If blood is not incentive enough, perhaps I can offer you something more.. personalized?" Radek turned and ripped his sword from the canopy of threads holding it in air. The blade flashed green, the digital hue that military technology often used, as it synced with him and awoke. "This is Abattoir. I made him specifically for this tournament. However, he will be useful even more once it is over. He will have grown, as will I." Slowly swinging the sword about him in practice of the round to come, his eyes traced the tip's movement. " I could make your your own weapon. It would be clean of magic, of course, as this blade is. Everything is transmitted electronically from me to it, and it to me." His eyes locked onto Dzan's. " I could make you anything."

XXXXAbattoir opened along one edge, forming a V-mouth that was lined by the razors that rowed them. Each, when the mouth was closed, looked like one, 3" long razor, but when opened the dual razors separated and angled inwards, like a Venus Fly-Trap. The sword snapped shut. "I will wait for your answer until I am summoned. The formula I have been feeding you with will exit your pores as you metabolize it. The enzyme within your sweat with dissolve your cocoon. By my calculation, that should be when the Elimination round begins." Radek produced a cigarette and lit it with a spurt of Neg. The ember glowed purple.