mayfield_logs | The Day of Judgement

[he had heard her voice over the phones, and that... that was all it took.

there had been no time to hesitate or think about it. he never did anyway, did he? when it came to a friend, be it in Mayfield or back home, he always was considerably more brash than was healthy for him. it didn't make a difference in the long run, and he'd never had regrets putting everything on the line for someone who was hurting, someone in need.

she might not know it, yet... but he believes she fits that description perfectly.

the priest is running from his home on Albright after making sure his 'family' was secure and safe, made sure to impress upon them the importance of staying inside and laying low (however hypocritical such directions were) -- moving faster than a simple 'man' had a right to be. he's looking for her, seeking her out -- trying to find the creature that had all but declared war on everyone and everything residing in this town. he had to reach her... had to find her, before she could do something she would regret.

...or before someone else did something terrible to her...]

-Already, a trail of blood and devastation followed the girl. It was so shameful to wear their greedy blood as a mask, but it could not be helped. Until every last one of them were purged, nothing would ever get better. Her mother was right... She had to do this, or they would all destroy her, and the world with her. It had to be done. It could no longer be helped.

Seeing Abel, she stopped. If not for the gore that adorned her form, she'd still look like the angel he compared her to so many times before. And her smile, still so soft...-

Do you intend to stop me, Father?

[the smell of blood...

smeared on the ground-- splattered, cloying and thick and sickening, leading him toward her...

this was not the way he'd hoped to find her. no; this was not what he wanted to find at the end of this macabre trail. he might've hoped that it wasn't what it seemed, that maybe something else could explain this away -- that it might not be her, but...

...

it was a little hard to deny when his footsteps inevitably stall, bringing him to a jerky halt right before the individual he had sought out, if... in many ways... it didn't seem like her at all.

Dizzy...

he might not have even heard what she'd said, or maybe he can't find it in him to reply beyond the shock. her words were gentle, soft... kind, and like her -- but the splatter of red she wore made this all horribly, horribly wrong.

...something terrible has happened...

and, maybe... something terrible was happening still. wasn't it...? ah. Miss Dizzy...]

Your eyes betray you...

I will warn you now, Father... do not try to prevent this. It does not have to be this way... But if you force my hand, you will meet the same fate as humankind.

[those words... ache. they hit deep, somewhere that remembers words just like them from a long time ago... and hearing them from someone like her--

...

he's shaking his head, stiffly, before he even has time to think about it. there -is- no time, now -- because he cannot let her further stain her hands with blood. blood he knows, knows she never deserved to be forced to spill. this isn't what she wants... it couldn't be, and he won't believe otherwise. instead of obeying her, he's taking a small step forward, holding his hands imploringly outward in a sign of peace as much as plea.]

Miss-- Dizzy... [there's a slight waver in his voice, and she's right -- his eyes give him away, concerned and afraid for her. apologetic that she's been put in this horrible position.]

You're right -- it doesn't... it doesn't have to be this way. It doesn't have to be this way at all, does it?

[convincing her that she's not herself right now might be futile -- he knows the games this town can play. but he can pray she can be reasoned with otherwise.]

Please. ...Please, don't do this. Right now, no matter what you believe you have to do -- you know I wouldn't lie to you, don't you? I'm telling you as your friend that... this isn't what it seems, and-- I don't... I can't let you do this to yourself, or them.

... I'm sorry, Father, but you can't seem to let go of the past, or your affection for humanity. And I can never regain it, not after what I have seen. Not after what they did to my mother...

No. It ends here. Now step aside. Do not make me kill you.

[her mother...?

everyone's heads are all twisted -- but even so... if she believes mankind had something to do with offenses against her mother, it felt -real- to her. for all Abel knew, it might very well be. long as that pain is hers... then--]

Do you think killing me... or them, will make it right, Miss Dizzy?

This isn't the answer to your pain! Please... talk to me. I know that you believe you're doing the right thing, but-- there has to be another way. This is not all there is...! It isn't how it has to be!

It's too late for all of that...

... Forgive me, Father...

-The wings form into their respective systems, reading their magic in tandem. Necro tossing a flaming cross, and Undine forming a shield of solid ice to shield the girl.-

[too late... had he found her too late? or maybe there had never been any hope of reasoning with her at all, and the fault of that...

the fault of that was laid at Mayfield's feet.

there's a grimace at his lips as he watches the wings unfold into something truly a wonder to behold -- it might have been beautiful, if not for what it meant. she intended to kill him... not just him, but everyone. everything.

and not because she wanted to.]

...I'll always forgive you.

[there would never come a day he wouldn't. his fingers lift, something distinctly sad and begrieved in blue eyes as he pulls glasses off his face.]

I hope you can forgive me, too.

-Necro spun the cross, attached by a whip of flame, about his head twice before tossing it Abel's way, the air around it burning from the heat as it traveled.-

[he jumps backward -- quickly, putting 'acceleration' into his movements in order to make sure he wasn't singed. though he doesn't have any intention of engaging her unless he can absolutely help it, it doesn't mean he has any plans of allowing her to 'kill' him, either, unless there was simply no avoiding it. she would regret it... wouldn't she? when all this was over... hurting her friends, hurting those she loved or cared for in this town -- Miss Dizzy, the real Miss Dizzy, would truly be heartbroken.

he tucks his glasses away, tensed and hesitating. he's aware that this... this could get very ugly, very fast -- but even so... he still...

whether this is some act of the town or a power she herself possesses on the norm isn't something he could say for sure. but either way...]

...Please! Dizzy, please... Just stop this! It isn't too late to find another way--!

-Necro brought it around again, increasing the intensity of the flames. Dizzy didn't verbally respond, her face hidden behind the ice. Undine seemed focused on keeping Dizzy from personally witnessing the ordeal...-

[...Undine ;( it doesn't slip his notice, the way she's being protected like that, and not simply from physical harm. maybe those parts of her don't share whatever influence the town had over her...

if that's the case, then--

he can evade again, but it's cutting it much closer. the edge of his coat, the fringe of his cassock catch tail end of the flame to singe the fabric; it's obvious that if he plans to play the dodging game, he better not slack off and divert focus. but it isn't evasion that's his main goal -- it's trying to reach her. he wouldn't give up. what was the alternative--? accept that she was lost? fight her? he wouldn't -- can't do that.]

Part of you knows what I'm saying is true, doesn't it? You wouldn't want my forgiveness if you believed this was the right way!

Will killing them take your pain away? Does the blood already on your hands make it any better, Miss Dizzy? You know it doesn't, so-- so please! [before you do anything more you'll truly regret...]

-Once again, Dizzy didn't respond. Necro continued his attack, switching from the cross and whip to a bow and arrow approach, firing off flaming missiles a the priest.-

[now that-- that was too close for comfort. not because it was more difficult to evade something moving so quickly in this proximity -- (though it was -- ahh being set on fire is never fun; he'd like to avoid it if he can, thank you) -- but more because he's increasingly aware of the setting in which this is taking place...

the streets of Mayfield, where anyone could become an innocent bystander -- or casualty, at a moment's notice.

his grimace deepens. Dizzy has shut off; she isn't saying a word. maybe she can't even hear him under Undine's protection. but whatever the case may be, he's got to do SOMEthing or this will end badly, and not just for them. is that it--? that's there's only one choice, one way he'd be able to draw her away from here and somewhere more secluded until he figured out a more plausible plan of action...?

much as he would lament it, now and later... it's the conclusion he's coming to.

...there isn't much of a fanfare -- his lips are moving in some quiet murmur, words he's spoken countless times before, but this... it's the first time he's been forced to use this in Mayfield and he wished he could have avoided it even just a little bit longer. what has to be done can't be changed, and he won't hesitate. when his eyes seek hers out through the thick wall of ice shielding her, they aren't an imploring blue of the priest's any longer. red, deep and resolved as much as resigned... they're hunting for her, firm and determined.

he disappears -- simply vanishes from view in less time than it takes to blink.

--and when he's visible the next bat of an eye, it isn't the priest at all. the black-winged monster is reaching clawed hands out for her from behind, the crackle of something electric-charged in the air around it. ...but even now, its aim isn't to hurt her. the usual arsenal of weaponry or offensive capacities is ignored.

he just wants to reach her...]

-And yet another obstacle would stand in his way. No longer able to keep Dizzy from him in tandem, Necro's eyes clashed before the darkness of the green wing consumed Dizzy's form, leaving a fuller image of himself in her place. The Michael Sword was formed in his hand, raising to meet Abel's reaching hand fully.-

[he clasps the incoming sword in his hand, the blade gripped tightly in clawed fingers; his eyes watch the transition of the girl in front of him into something... else. is this entity one of her wings...?

if so, then-- it gives him an idea. a hope, at least -- lifting his other hand to grip the blade as well in an effort to root his 'enemy' in place. whatever damage it inflicts will heal over in short order.]

...You have to know she can't want this. [it might be a lost cause, but one can't accuse him of not trying everything in his power to diffuse this.] Please. If you want to protect her, then stop this before it goes any further.

-A voice speaks, almost as if in Abel's very mind.-

What is best, and what is wanted, is not always the same. She will cry... but not forever. She knows that the world will be better when only Gears are left.

-Necro pulled away, swinging again with even more power behind it.-

['Gears?'

--this may not be the reaction he wanted, but it was better than radio silence. there might be a chance he can get through -- if not to her, then to the guardians protecting her.

the downward swing of Necro's blade is quickly met with the clash of another -- a scythe, formulating quickly from a hammerspace; it looked something like blood fluidly escaping his sleeve before creating a definitive and hardened substance in a unique shape. he applies only enough force to stop the incoming slash -- still, not parrying or attempting to attack.]

I don't believe that, and neither could you! How could she be happy with a world ground to dust by her own hands?! Her heart would never be happy with nothing but ashes!!

From those ashes, new life will form. A Utopia for Gears, free from the selfishness and hatred of humanity...

-Necro's mouth opened, a blast of fire erupting from it at Abel's unguarded face.-

--Freedom at the cost of--

[ah--

the mouth--? his eyes widen briefly in surprise; the flames lick over him and the heat triggers immediate response. he leaps backwards to put distance between them. perhaps it was too late to free himself from being scathed; the sleeves of his cassock where he'd lifted his arms to protect his head are singed... but the damage to his person is quickly being repaired by the nanomachines' effort. skin is knitting, rebuilding itself, as he reaffirms his stance.

...he's in the dark. and she might really intend to take his life...

Dizzy...]

-Instant healing... not unlike her own. Necro quickly realized that this would take more than his power alone... They'd need to fully Install Dizzy. Show this priest the full extent of the Command Gear's evolution. With an inhuman, ear-piercing cry, Necro, along with Undine and the Tail, combined their collective systems...

The resulting transformation was truly crushing. No doubt Abel could feel it. No doubt anyone in town could. All of Dizzy's magical cells igniting at once, forming the inky black thing before him. It was androgynous, but still clearly Dizzy. Pure red eyes opened, and the voice that spoke sounded of thousands, booming all at once.-

LOOK UPON ME AND AWE AT THE BRINGER OF YOUR EXTINCTION!

[in the dark... yes, he's in the dark...

is she always capable of this, or...

...

he finds himself taking a small step backward -- not in fear; it isn't as though he had any sense of self-preservation or fear for his life. a man who cannot be killed and who's pitiful life is that of the worthless sinner doesn't bother with the fear of mortality. no... it's more accurate to say that this expression of shock on his face is because this transformation reeks of a power that's sick, pervasive... wrong, for its intent.

...coming from someone like her, it's all wrong. very... very wrong.

and like this... the innocent people that could be caught in the crossfire...

he has to take her somewhere less populated. the park--? it's unlikely with the goings-on that it'd be getting high traffic right about now. but getting there is another story. if he ran, would she-- ...it... give chase?

his grip on the scythe is tightening, and so is his jaw. red eyes fixate on their mirror. ...he can't fight her. he can't fight her, and now -- he doesn't know if there's any reaching her at all.]

...It isn't too late. It's not... too late. [is he convincing himself, or her?]

Do you hear me...? I won't let you hurt them. I won't let you hurt yourself like this!

[all he can do is get in her way and pray there's a sign of drawing her out from wherever she's retreated in this murderous bloodlust-- the oppressive stench of blood and... hate.]

-Nothing. Dizzy was silent as her hand raised, from it firing off a gigantic ray of light. The Giga Ray, normally her strongest of magical outputs, Dizzy was the very peak of all Gears. Ever strand of DNA of ever cell in her body was on fire with magical output. And the strength of the Giga Ray reflected it.

A great and terrifying power. The same as her Mother's. The power to wipe entire nations off the map...-

[Ciel knew about Dizzy's self-defense mechanism.

...At least, that's the role that Undine was normally supposed to play for her. Focused on defensive and healing magic, it was her automated protector. With the apparent combining of her different 'parts' to create one ultimate individual of staggering power however, maybe this black 'final being' has discarded the defensive shell that worked semi-separately from Dizzy's consciousness. Possibly because it has no need to, now that it is 'complete' with the sole purpose to 'destroy'. Ciel was never lucky, but she banked her hopes on the possibility.

That, and on the element of surprise. The creation of Dizzy's current form let loose a torrent of energy that no magically-inclined being can possibly miss. She wasn't on the scene until now, and even so, the two winged beings were probably too focused on each other to have noticed her quiet but swift approach. Either way, she can only estimate the level of Dizzy's current strength. A firepower she can't match, no, but in terms of physical ability in close quarters, she might still hold a fair chance to at least prevent the destruction of half the town if not more, as well as the other figure facing her garbed in an all-too-familiar cassock. Carefully reading the flow of mana from Dizzy and the air surrounding her, she had to accurately calculate the time of firing, to maximize her odds of redirecting that aim and minimize any chances of encountering resistance--

--Now!

Shooting forward at the fastest speed she could manage, which wouldn't even amount to a blur from a normal person's vision, she closes in on the other girl from behind. Abel might catch sight of a black shadow before it stops to a screeching halt and gives way to an equally familiar form dressed in habit: Ciel now stood directly next to Dizzy, but only there to knock her raised arm up with her own so that the Giga Ray's aim is redirected towards the sky.

Not even a beat later, the energy is let loose. One would think that the sky would be pierced and ripped apart from a force this overwhelming. A strong current of air proceeds to sweep the streets around them, the strength of the beam sending all forms of debris hurling out. ...That set aside however, the only casualty would be a few puffy white clouds up above; that's one immediate crisis averted. As for the rest...

She's expecting a retaliation of her part, so for what it may be worth, Ciel will attempt to draw herself back into a defensive position. Now that Dizzy knows she's here, she can't pull a surprise stunt like this a second time. Again, tanking is something she is also capable of, but it'll take much more to stop Dizzy from her current rampage and save the rest of the town from another close shave. Her mind is racing even as she pulls away; if they can't reason with her, they need to cut the source of her power. How will she do that? By sapping Dizzy's magical energy? --No, there's too much, that'd be slow, tedious, and inefficient. Forcing the mana to leave her body might work, or suppressing it back to how it normally is, given that everyday Dizzy has always been capable of it with the days they've spent in leisure together as proof.

...So, a seal. But what kind, and would the ones she knows how to perform back home even work? It'd still definitely be worth a try, yes, but--! She'll also need to get in contact with Abel, who's had to call out whatever he tried so hard in the past to not have her find out. They can talk about that later; right now, they need to cooperate to make sure Dizzy doesn't hurt anyone else - and if possible, shut her down without hurting her at all.]

ruki said she'd tag in later :>

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