Re: Grand Battle S3G1! (Round One: Vio Maleficat)
05-28-2011, 07:08 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by Valter.
"ONE MINUTE TO GRATUITOUS YET VISCERALLY SATISFYING OVERKILL. THE MANAGEMENT WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT ANYBODY CAUGHT IN THE ANNIHILATION GAS PLEASE SCREAM IN AN ENTERTAINING MANNER BEFORE KEELING OVER/BEING REDUCED TO BASE PARTICLES."
"These are them, yes?" Kerak asked his entourage. They faced two giant round Unisteel vault doors, seemingly more appropriate for a maximum security bank than a factory. "How do you suppose we-"
"Halt! To prove you are not a being of chaos, please enter '12345' onto the keypad in front of you!"
Kerak looked at the keypad and the vaults in front of him whimsically. There were many scents here... most terminated at the entrance of one of the two vaults. Tor, Velobo, Tengeri, and Scofflaw were all with him now. That left...
Huebert was behind the vault door Kerak currently stood in front of. His scent was all over the keypad, and both his and Tinten's trails went right up to the vault. (Kerak couldn't smell anything beyond the vault doors. They must be tightly sealed, indeed!)
The other vault's keypad was devoid of any smells Kerak could recognize, although... Murdoch could probably just teleport into one of the bunkers at the last second if he wanted to! His present locations was a complete crapshoot right no-
"THE MANAGEMENT EAGERLY AWAITS THE GRUESOME END OF ANYBODY WHO CAN STILL HEAR THESE PRERECORDED MESSAGES."
"Oh, whatever! I guess we'll just go into the one on the left," Kerak grumbled, and slashed carelessly at the keypad in front of him.
...Perhaps a bit excessively carelessly, as the keypad's plastic easily yielded to Kerak's claws. He hopped away with a yelp as an arc of electricity jumped from the ruined pad, and the entire bunker door started sparking.
"What just-" Kerak started, nursing his shocked arm. He had no words to describe the sensation he had just felt. A little like burning, maybe? "What was-"
"Shut it," Tor said, shoving Kerak aside and moving to the remaining keypad. He was just about sick to death of this sideshow, and there wasn't enough time left to put up with it any longer. "I'll handle this. I'm not sure what made you think you were in charge anyway."
He mashed the simple combination into the keypad, and it emitted a satisfied beep. The bolts holding the vault door in placed, realeased, and the door began slowly sliding open. Very slowly!
"TEN SECONDS."
"No!" At the rate it was going, even if Tor and the rest were to slide in and start closing the door immediately, it still wouldn't be enough time to shut it completely! Which meant-
Which meant that not only were all of his travel companions dead, but by attempting to open the second bunker, he had doomed everybody in there as well.
We're a creatively terrible lot, aren't we? I doubt The Fool will be particularly pleased to see five of us go in the very first round, Scofflaw thought distractedly to himself. Well, if I'm going to go down now I might as well go down swinging! "Congratulations, Tor. I never imagined you would even manage to mess up pressing five buttons in order."
...Well, that was a fairly pathetic swing. Dignified ends just weren't for everybody, he supposed.
"3...
2...
1...
.
.
.
WARNING: FORUM CLEANSING PROCESSES CORRUPTED BY CHAOS. UNABLE TO PROCEED WITH CLEANSING.
"Oh." Scofflaw frowned. "That was a bit anticlima-"
"PREPARING AUXILIARY ANNIHILATION APPARATUS. MODIFIED ESTIMATE OF ARRIVAL: THREE MINUTES.
"Ah, now that's more like it." But even more pleasing than the satisfied degree of dramatic tension was the sight that greeted Scofflaw at the other end of the fully opened bunker door: Murdoch Miles, sitting somewhat mildly by himself in the middle of the spacious bunker.
"Oh, good to see all of you," Murdoch said in greeting. "That rescheduling was a stroke of luck, wasn't it? With all of you here, we might just all make it through this okay."
"I'm afraid 'okay' would be a bit of a stretch, given what I just learned," Velobo said, trailing the procession into the bunker. The door began shutting itself behind him. "There's something we need to discuss, Murdoch, regarding a certain message I received recently from a very long way away. It is a message that I believe is pertinent to all the contestants of this battle..."
The other bunker housed TinTen Naamxe, Huebert Henderson, and a few other hapless humans, apparently all members of the Unity plant. All of them were cursing their luck at the moment, as their bunker door was currently experiencing some technical difficulties. The sparking had started a minute earlier, a worrisome occurrence on its own when the door was the only thing separating the bunker's occupants from horrifically painful death. But then the door had dragged open a few inches, and the danger everybody inside faced was now a mite bit more serious.
Huebert examined the skinny open gap. "There's no way I could fit through there. Maybe if I blast the gap a bit wider..."
"No," TinTen interrupted hastily. "No need. I'll slip through." It would be a tight squeeze even for the rubbery Meipi, but he was the only one in the bunker who had the slightest chance of making it through. "Don't worry. There is at least one other who can help us."
"Another battle?" Murdoch asked with just a trace of suspicion. "So The Fool plans to pawn us off to some other omnipotent maniac after this? I dare say this first round has been tiring enough already."
"Not 'us'," Kerak pointed out. "Most of 'us' will be dead before it even matters, right?"
"Thank you, Kerak, for that pleasant reminder," Murdoch retorted. "Say, is that the door?"
The bunker door was moving. Who could possibly still need admittance? Murdoch gathered a bit of power to view the area outside. It was TinTen Naamxe, without the human he usually traveled with.
As the bunker door finished sliding open, TinTen immediately identified the Leviath floating inside. This was no time to mince words. "Tengeri, the door to the other bunker is malfunctioning. I require your assistance in repairing it. Without your help, my companion and the rest of that bunker's occupants will perish."
"shit" was all that Tengeri wrote at first. If she had known the damage to the door was more than superficial, he would have repaired it earlier! "its probably just a frayed connection. it shouldnt be too hard to-"
"MODIFIED CHAOS DISPERSAL GAS ARRIVAL ESTIMATE: TWO MINUTES."
"i cant," Tengeri wrote with a pained expression on her face. "theres just not enough time."
"How dare you! Without your help, Huebert's death is certain."
"oh?" Tengeri retorted. "with my help, you would merely be trading your friend's death for mine. i could fix the door, but i would be caught outside for the"
"Wait a second. Haven't I heard this before?" Kerak stepped in front of Tengeri, his face split in a wide, toothy smile. "At the generator. An unstable machine just moments from collapse, conquered by the joint efforts of Tengeri and Murdoch!"
"I do recall that happening, but there's no use I could be in this situation!"
"Isn't there? But Murdoch, your powers are the only tool among us with any chance of fighting back against this 'dispersal gas'. With your protection, perhaps Tengeri could finish her repairs!"
Murdoch wiped a bit of sweat from his shining brow. "I don't- there's no guarantee that I would be able to defend Tengeri, even if my survival were certain..."
"Hm." Kerak furrowed his brow, and then turned away. "Eh, you're probably right. Besides, there exists a simpler solution." He rounded about to face TinTen, his expression suddenly very serious. "We kick this little squid out and close the door. The Meipi and his friend are 'dispersed', whatever that means, and The Fool trots the rest of us to the next round of this merry competition. Everybody- everybody left alive, that is- is satisfied, right?
"Maybe that wouldn't be a satisfying solution, though! Not for you, Tengeri! To commit yourself so fully to opposing The Fool's sinister design, only to backstab another contestant at the barest opportunity? You embraced the spirit of this battle more quickly than I thought!
"And I hardly even need to mention your misery, Murdoch. Leaving that entire bunker of innocents to die! I didn't think you had it in you."
Kerak's smile had returned. "You know what, Murdoch? I think you still don't have it in you. I think it's in yours and Tengeri's best interests to get that malfunctioning door fixed. If the dispersion gas starts before you finish your work, Murdoch will shield you the rest of the way. And if you can shield Tengeri, then I'm sure you can shield this bunker as you return from your successful mission. You see? It's not time to give up yet!"
The dinosaur's point... was made. No amount of glaring daggers at him would reduce the impact of his speech. "Murdoch. Do you think you can-
"I will do my level best to protect you." Murdoch was glad for his glowing skin right now, as it hid his flushed cheeks from the others. "Let's go, Tengeri." They filed out of the bunker and activated the door reset.
"I hope you appreciated my help, TinTen." Kerak bragged as soon as the soundproof door was shut. "I don't know what would have happened to your comrade without my help..."
Tor snapped all at once. "Your help? You think your browbeating is all there is to thank for this?! You conceited-"
Gracious. Kerak really was the right choice for this, wasn't he? Scofflaw thought to himself at the ensuing shouting match between Kerak and Tor. Kerak's little show was doing the vitally important task of distracting everybody else in the bunker from Scofflaw's tampering. Nothing serious, mind you- he was just setting up a remote-activated barrier around the bunker door that would block not only organic matter but also all the harmful effects of the impending dispersion gas. Obviously, Murdoch had a similar shield prepared for protecting the bunker. But what if Murdoch were to accidentally trip the explosives Scofflaw was also setting up? It would be best to have a failsafe.
Just in case.
"Shut it." TinTen said in an effort to defuse the fight escalating in front of him. "Tactless as ever, Kerak. But... I'm not so sure they would agree to help without your prodding." This seemed to mollify both of them, somewhat.
"Hmph. I did only what was necessary."
"Oh, just give it a rest," Tor said, but he didn't have much energy left for the fight. The bunker trailed off to silence and all the residents listened as the prerecorded system counted once again to zero. There was no error this time. the dispersion gas began its spread on schedule, and all around the unity plant Chaos began to disintegrate.
The dispersion gas did have one fatal flaw, though- it was designed not to react with the metal the Unity plant was built with. It was this trick that allowed Murdoch to defend himself and Tengeri (using a barrier of wafer-thin Unisteel), and it was this that allowed one wayward Benjamin Jetsam to endure in the thick of the poisonous cloud. He was clad from head to toe in Unisteel now, as a result of his Chaotic modifications, and the scythe (wrench?) he held was a monstrosity.
Jetsam hated the clumsy movement his armor forced him into, and the Chaos that tried to dictate his every move, and the stupid ungainly weapon (tool?) his trusty scythe had been replaced with. But right now he hated one Mr. Murdoch Miles just a little bit more than any of that, because Murdoch life was the only thing forcing him to put up with any of these things in the first place. So despite all his loathing, he kept up his steady pace through the yellow mists of Dispersion Formula, reaching ever closer to the facility's bunker level.
"So, Kerak," TinTen said to break the silence. "Would you say that killing Jorgensaard was also 'necessary'?"
"What?"
"Ahahahaha!" Kerak cawed. "Of course it was necessary! Necessary for the same reason for my actions now, even!"
"What?!" Tor repeated. "Why in Krekkad would you kill Jorgensaard? Do you really think you can just do whatever you want in every world we land on?" His skin began embering dangerously.
"Shut it, Tasty. I was simply introducing a little justice to this miserable factory. Simply demonstrating the dominance of Chaos over Unity!"
"Uh, Kerak, methinks you're tipping your hand a bit early..." Scofflaw whispered.
Tor's skin burned with his fury now, and he had to admit it was a refreshing feeling. He'd borne Scofflaw's goading without comment for just a bit too long; now he had a decent (and obvious) opportunity to vent his pent-up rage. "You're the reason this entire facility is being gassed, aren't you! Because of your stupid 'justice', the mechanic that could have pulled us out of this mess is dead. And now we're all stuffed up in this stupid bunker because you couldn't even open a door without breaking it!"
"Wait. Were you responsible for the door malfunc-"
Kerak was saved the need to defend himself again by the bunker door's third opening. Tengeri slipped through first and Murdoch followed, carefully maintaining his shield that repelled the mustard yellow gas outside the bunker. "The mission was a success, TinTen. We closed the door without any casualties, and we-"
"Finally you're back," Kerak interrupted. "Scofflaw, if you would?"
"Way ahead of you." St. Scofflaw toggled his remote, activating a barrier to block Murdoch and the dispersion gas from entering the bunker. The second switch he flipped detonated several kilos of explosives right underneath Murdoch's feet. The blast threw Mr. Miles all the way to the wall opposite the bunker, where he hit the wall with a thud and slid to the ground.
The Varalica then proceeded to pick himself up and straighten his immaculate suit. "I'm, uh, not really sure why you thought the immortal magician was the best choice of people to double cross..."
"Kerak, I'm beginning to get the feeling that we didn't think this plan through all that well." The glares the two of them were getting from Tor, TinTen, and Tengeri were beginning to get a tad bit unsettling. Velobo, to his credit, didn't really seem to give a shit about any of this.
"Well, don't do it again," Murdoch said with a sigh. "You should know that none of you have the firepower to even injure me at all. Now could you drop that field so I can get back in?"
At 'firepower' a sudden recollection hit TinTen. "Be careful, Miles! There is one with power enough. The one named- "
"Jetsam."
The shapeshifter stood at the entrance to the bunker floor, cloaked in a battle suit of Unisteel. "You've made my life very difficult, Murdoch!" He shouted, brandishing his giant wrench (or was it a scythe?) and picking up his pace toward Mr. Miles.
"Woah! Please, could we at least talk this through? Nobody needs to kill anyone."
His words were lost on Jetsam, though. There was hardly any room for thought in him at all, wracked by Chaos and his recent injuries. All he knew was that the key to release from his imprisonment was standing right in front of him, and that said key wasn't making any moves to defend himself.
So Jetsam swung, the force of the blade's blow knocking Murdoch back into the wall. It didn't harm the Varalica's flesh at all- this blade was driven by Chaos, and its bite scored much deeper. Into the very essence of Murdoch's power it struck, annihilating Murdoch's magical capacity in the breadth of an instant.
The shield he had been maintaining faded away, leaving him at the mercy of the dispersion gas. The poison's effects on him were hard to describe- somewhat like a photo, its image getting blurrier and blurrier until the original content was impossible to describe. Eventually, the blur where Murdoch once had been simply disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a cold metal floor.
So passed Mr. Murdoch Miles. Magician. Gentleman. Dead.
Someone was going to have hell to pay for this.
"ONE MINUTE TO GRATUITOUS YET VISCERALLY SATISFYING OVERKILL. THE MANAGEMENT WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT ANYBODY CAUGHT IN THE ANNIHILATION GAS PLEASE SCREAM IN AN ENTERTAINING MANNER BEFORE KEELING OVER/BEING REDUCED TO BASE PARTICLES."
"These are them, yes?" Kerak asked his entourage. They faced two giant round Unisteel vault doors, seemingly more appropriate for a maximum security bank than a factory. "How do you suppose we-"
"Halt! To prove you are not a being of chaos, please enter '12345' onto the keypad in front of you!"
Kerak looked at the keypad and the vaults in front of him whimsically. There were many scents here... most terminated at the entrance of one of the two vaults. Tor, Velobo, Tengeri, and Scofflaw were all with him now. That left...
Huebert was behind the vault door Kerak currently stood in front of. His scent was all over the keypad, and both his and Tinten's trails went right up to the vault. (Kerak couldn't smell anything beyond the vault doors. They must be tightly sealed, indeed!)
The other vault's keypad was devoid of any smells Kerak could recognize, although... Murdoch could probably just teleport into one of the bunkers at the last second if he wanted to! His present locations was a complete crapshoot right no-
"THE MANAGEMENT EAGERLY AWAITS THE GRUESOME END OF ANYBODY WHO CAN STILL HEAR THESE PRERECORDED MESSAGES."
"Oh, whatever! I guess we'll just go into the one on the left," Kerak grumbled, and slashed carelessly at the keypad in front of him.
...Perhaps a bit excessively carelessly, as the keypad's plastic easily yielded to Kerak's claws. He hopped away with a yelp as an arc of electricity jumped from the ruined pad, and the entire bunker door started sparking.
"What just-" Kerak started, nursing his shocked arm. He had no words to describe the sensation he had just felt. A little like burning, maybe? "What was-"
"Shut it," Tor said, shoving Kerak aside and moving to the remaining keypad. He was just about sick to death of this sideshow, and there wasn't enough time left to put up with it any longer. "I'll handle this. I'm not sure what made you think you were in charge anyway."
He mashed the simple combination into the keypad, and it emitted a satisfied beep. The bolts holding the vault door in placed, realeased, and the door began slowly sliding open. Very slowly!
"TEN SECONDS."
"No!" At the rate it was going, even if Tor and the rest were to slide in and start closing the door immediately, it still wouldn't be enough time to shut it completely! Which meant-
Which meant that not only were all of his travel companions dead, but by attempting to open the second bunker, he had doomed everybody in there as well.
We're a creatively terrible lot, aren't we? I doubt The Fool will be particularly pleased to see five of us go in the very first round, Scofflaw thought distractedly to himself. Well, if I'm going to go down now I might as well go down swinging! "Congratulations, Tor. I never imagined you would even manage to mess up pressing five buttons in order."
...Well, that was a fairly pathetic swing. Dignified ends just weren't for everybody, he supposed.
"3...
2...
1...
.
.
.
WARNING: FORUM CLEANSING PROCESSES CORRUPTED BY CHAOS. UNABLE TO PROCEED WITH CLEANSING.
"Oh." Scofflaw frowned. "That was a bit anticlima-"
"PREPARING AUXILIARY ANNIHILATION APPARATUS. MODIFIED ESTIMATE OF ARRIVAL: THREE MINUTES.
"Ah, now that's more like it." But even more pleasing than the satisfied degree of dramatic tension was the sight that greeted Scofflaw at the other end of the fully opened bunker door: Murdoch Miles, sitting somewhat mildly by himself in the middle of the spacious bunker.
"Oh, good to see all of you," Murdoch said in greeting. "That rescheduling was a stroke of luck, wasn't it? With all of you here, we might just all make it through this okay."
"I'm afraid 'okay' would be a bit of a stretch, given what I just learned," Velobo said, trailing the procession into the bunker. The door began shutting itself behind him. "There's something we need to discuss, Murdoch, regarding a certain message I received recently from a very long way away. It is a message that I believe is pertinent to all the contestants of this battle..."
The other bunker housed TinTen Naamxe, Huebert Henderson, and a few other hapless humans, apparently all members of the Unity plant. All of them were cursing their luck at the moment, as their bunker door was currently experiencing some technical difficulties. The sparking had started a minute earlier, a worrisome occurrence on its own when the door was the only thing separating the bunker's occupants from horrifically painful death. But then the door had dragged open a few inches, and the danger everybody inside faced was now a mite bit more serious.
Huebert examined the skinny open gap. "There's no way I could fit through there. Maybe if I blast the gap a bit wider..."
"No," TinTen interrupted hastily. "No need. I'll slip through." It would be a tight squeeze even for the rubbery Meipi, but he was the only one in the bunker who had the slightest chance of making it through. "Don't worry. There is at least one other who can help us."
"Another battle?" Murdoch asked with just a trace of suspicion. "So The Fool plans to pawn us off to some other omnipotent maniac after this? I dare say this first round has been tiring enough already."
"Not 'us'," Kerak pointed out. "Most of 'us' will be dead before it even matters, right?"
"Thank you, Kerak, for that pleasant reminder," Murdoch retorted. "Say, is that the door?"
The bunker door was moving. Who could possibly still need admittance? Murdoch gathered a bit of power to view the area outside. It was TinTen Naamxe, without the human he usually traveled with.
As the bunker door finished sliding open, TinTen immediately identified the Leviath floating inside. This was no time to mince words. "Tengeri, the door to the other bunker is malfunctioning. I require your assistance in repairing it. Without your help, my companion and the rest of that bunker's occupants will perish."
"shit" was all that Tengeri wrote at first. If she had known the damage to the door was more than superficial, he would have repaired it earlier! "its probably just a frayed connection. it shouldnt be too hard to-"
"MODIFIED CHAOS DISPERSAL GAS ARRIVAL ESTIMATE: TWO MINUTES."
"i cant," Tengeri wrote with a pained expression on her face. "theres just not enough time."
"How dare you! Without your help, Huebert's death is certain."
"oh?" Tengeri retorted. "with my help, you would merely be trading your friend's death for mine. i could fix the door, but i would be caught outside for the"
"Wait a second. Haven't I heard this before?" Kerak stepped in front of Tengeri, his face split in a wide, toothy smile. "At the generator. An unstable machine just moments from collapse, conquered by the joint efforts of Tengeri and Murdoch!"
"I do recall that happening, but there's no use I could be in this situation!"
"Isn't there? But Murdoch, your powers are the only tool among us with any chance of fighting back against this 'dispersal gas'. With your protection, perhaps Tengeri could finish her repairs!"
Murdoch wiped a bit of sweat from his shining brow. "I don't- there's no guarantee that I would be able to defend Tengeri, even if my survival were certain..."
"Hm." Kerak furrowed his brow, and then turned away. "Eh, you're probably right. Besides, there exists a simpler solution." He rounded about to face TinTen, his expression suddenly very serious. "We kick this little squid out and close the door. The Meipi and his friend are 'dispersed', whatever that means, and The Fool trots the rest of us to the next round of this merry competition. Everybody- everybody left alive, that is- is satisfied, right?
"Maybe that wouldn't be a satisfying solution, though! Not for you, Tengeri! To commit yourself so fully to opposing The Fool's sinister design, only to backstab another contestant at the barest opportunity? You embraced the spirit of this battle more quickly than I thought!
"And I hardly even need to mention your misery, Murdoch. Leaving that entire bunker of innocents to die! I didn't think you had it in you."
Kerak's smile had returned. "You know what, Murdoch? I think you still don't have it in you. I think it's in yours and Tengeri's best interests to get that malfunctioning door fixed. If the dispersion gas starts before you finish your work, Murdoch will shield you the rest of the way. And if you can shield Tengeri, then I'm sure you can shield this bunker as you return from your successful mission. You see? It's not time to give up yet!"
The dinosaur's point... was made. No amount of glaring daggers at him would reduce the impact of his speech. "Murdoch. Do you think you can-
"I will do my level best to protect you." Murdoch was glad for his glowing skin right now, as it hid his flushed cheeks from the others. "Let's go, Tengeri." They filed out of the bunker and activated the door reset.
"I hope you appreciated my help, TinTen." Kerak bragged as soon as the soundproof door was shut. "I don't know what would have happened to your comrade without my help..."
Tor snapped all at once. "Your help? You think your browbeating is all there is to thank for this?! You conceited-"
Gracious. Kerak really was the right choice for this, wasn't he? Scofflaw thought to himself at the ensuing shouting match between Kerak and Tor. Kerak's little show was doing the vitally important task of distracting everybody else in the bunker from Scofflaw's tampering. Nothing serious, mind you- he was just setting up a remote-activated barrier around the bunker door that would block not only organic matter but also all the harmful effects of the impending dispersion gas. Obviously, Murdoch had a similar shield prepared for protecting the bunker. But what if Murdoch were to accidentally trip the explosives Scofflaw was also setting up? It would be best to have a failsafe.
Just in case.
"Shut it." TinTen said in an effort to defuse the fight escalating in front of him. "Tactless as ever, Kerak. But... I'm not so sure they would agree to help without your prodding." This seemed to mollify both of them, somewhat.
"Hmph. I did only what was necessary."
"Oh, just give it a rest," Tor said, but he didn't have much energy left for the fight. The bunker trailed off to silence and all the residents listened as the prerecorded system counted once again to zero. There was no error this time. the dispersion gas began its spread on schedule, and all around the unity plant Chaos began to disintegrate.
The dispersion gas did have one fatal flaw, though- it was designed not to react with the metal the Unity plant was built with. It was this trick that allowed Murdoch to defend himself and Tengeri (using a barrier of wafer-thin Unisteel), and it was this that allowed one wayward Benjamin Jetsam to endure in the thick of the poisonous cloud. He was clad from head to toe in Unisteel now, as a result of his Chaotic modifications, and the scythe (wrench?) he held was a monstrosity.
Jetsam hated the clumsy movement his armor forced him into, and the Chaos that tried to dictate his every move, and the stupid ungainly weapon (tool?) his trusty scythe had been replaced with. But right now he hated one Mr. Murdoch Miles just a little bit more than any of that, because Murdoch life was the only thing forcing him to put up with any of these things in the first place. So despite all his loathing, he kept up his steady pace through the yellow mists of Dispersion Formula, reaching ever closer to the facility's bunker level.
"So, Kerak," TinTen said to break the silence. "Would you say that killing Jorgensaard was also 'necessary'?"
"What?"
"Ahahahaha!" Kerak cawed. "Of course it was necessary! Necessary for the same reason for my actions now, even!"
"What?!" Tor repeated. "Why in Krekkad would you kill Jorgensaard? Do you really think you can just do whatever you want in every world we land on?" His skin began embering dangerously.
"Shut it, Tasty. I was simply introducing a little justice to this miserable factory. Simply demonstrating the dominance of Chaos over Unity!"
"Uh, Kerak, methinks you're tipping your hand a bit early..." Scofflaw whispered.
Tor's skin burned with his fury now, and he had to admit it was a refreshing feeling. He'd borne Scofflaw's goading without comment for just a bit too long; now he had a decent (and obvious) opportunity to vent his pent-up rage. "You're the reason this entire facility is being gassed, aren't you! Because of your stupid 'justice', the mechanic that could have pulled us out of this mess is dead. And now we're all stuffed up in this stupid bunker because you couldn't even open a door without breaking it!"
"Wait. Were you responsible for the door malfunc-"
Kerak was saved the need to defend himself again by the bunker door's third opening. Tengeri slipped through first and Murdoch followed, carefully maintaining his shield that repelled the mustard yellow gas outside the bunker. "The mission was a success, TinTen. We closed the door without any casualties, and we-"
"Finally you're back," Kerak interrupted. "Scofflaw, if you would?"
"Way ahead of you." St. Scofflaw toggled his remote, activating a barrier to block Murdoch and the dispersion gas from entering the bunker. The second switch he flipped detonated several kilos of explosives right underneath Murdoch's feet. The blast threw Mr. Miles all the way to the wall opposite the bunker, where he hit the wall with a thud and slid to the ground.
The Varalica then proceeded to pick himself up and straighten his immaculate suit. "I'm, uh, not really sure why you thought the immortal magician was the best choice of people to double cross..."
"Kerak, I'm beginning to get the feeling that we didn't think this plan through all that well." The glares the two of them were getting from Tor, TinTen, and Tengeri were beginning to get a tad bit unsettling. Velobo, to his credit, didn't really seem to give a shit about any of this.
"Well, don't do it again," Murdoch said with a sigh. "You should know that none of you have the firepower to even injure me at all. Now could you drop that field so I can get back in?"
At 'firepower' a sudden recollection hit TinTen. "Be careful, Miles! There is one with power enough. The one named- "
"Jetsam."
The shapeshifter stood at the entrance to the bunker floor, cloaked in a battle suit of Unisteel. "You've made my life very difficult, Murdoch!" He shouted, brandishing his giant wrench (or was it a scythe?) and picking up his pace toward Mr. Miles.
"Woah! Please, could we at least talk this through? Nobody needs to kill anyone."
His words were lost on Jetsam, though. There was hardly any room for thought in him at all, wracked by Chaos and his recent injuries. All he knew was that the key to release from his imprisonment was standing right in front of him, and that said key wasn't making any moves to defend himself.
So Jetsam swung, the force of the blade's blow knocking Murdoch back into the wall. It didn't harm the Varalica's flesh at all- this blade was driven by Chaos, and its bite scored much deeper. Into the very essence of Murdoch's power it struck, annihilating Murdoch's magical capacity in the breadth of an instant.
The shield he had been maintaining faded away, leaving him at the mercy of the dispersion gas. The poison's effects on him were hard to describe- somewhat like a photo, its image getting blurrier and blurrier until the original content was impossible to describe. Eventually, the blur where Murdoch once had been simply disappeared, leaving behind nothing but a cold metal floor.
So passed Mr. Murdoch Miles. Magician. Gentleman. Dead.
Someone was going to have hell to pay for this.