Corrine's barely on her feet now, view enough to make out the form of Trevor, a bonfire gone out of control in the middle of the battlefield. There's pain bearing down on her like she's never felt before, she can barely see and standing is taking all the effort. In a couple seconds, she'll have herself together, assess the situation and join the fray.
She faces the other combatant, now on the floor where Sand's throw left him. Everything falls away from her face.
Years left waiting, feeling abandoned, wanting answers, running from place to place, face to face, always looking for somewhere safe. She remembers pulling the shirt over her father so no one would have to see him like that, holding onto Caleb bleeding after the hell assassin, pleading for a second chance over Sand in the yard. Too many thoughts, memories and emotions baring down all at once, confusing what side is up even more than ever before.
No more fighting There will be an end to this finally. No more lies, no more manipulation. They'll all see blood tonight. Light encases her, aura blinding, and a wind strikes up hard enough directed at Trevor to slam him to the wall. The rumble starts at a dull hum in the floors, stones at corners and near the base starting to crack.
Trevor is completely blindsided by the attack, his feet lifted clear of his platform and the tendrils ripped from his arms, legs, and chest. The fire Travis encased him in allows the wounds to heal almost instantly, but leaves his clothes shredded as he slams into the wall at least fifteen feet above the floor. Contact between the back of his head and a steel beam makes sure he can't break his fall, and his skull ricochets as he hits the stone floor with only minimal protection from his outstretched hands.
With Tefe and Brainwave dealing with Magique, Travis does his best to limit the damage done to the group by Corrine's sudden explosion of power, bracing himself in place, preparing to shield who he can.
The sight of him startles her and just pushes the rage further. Pieces are cracking out of walls. Sand's not here. Been gone for weeks. Another lie, another manipulation.
Words don't even make it through the rage. Something else is clawing its way out at the very edge.
Caleb is still trying to pick himself up from the ground after Louis’ swing at him.
He’s worked his way up to his knees when the lightning strikes begin, and in a heartbeat he’s thrown himself over Amelia, and is deflecting the bolts away from as many Outsiders as he can.
When Corrine awakens, however, Caleb is absolutely frozen. She’s till Corrine but … something is off. Aside from power like he hasn’t felt since he visited the Rock of Eternity with the JSA, she’s … different. He can’t place his finger on it, but something isn’t the same.
He’s desperately trying to keep the stray magic away from Amelia. It’s rather a lot like trying to keep an island dry…
This, at least, he can help with. Travis creates something akin to both shield and lightning rod around himself, drawing all the power he can to his flying form, absorbing what he can, channelling the rest straight down. So much for helping with Corrine anymore, it takes everything he has to handle this much power, as he shifts to shield as many people as he can while drawing more power to himself, his form already ringed with crackles of electricity.
There's the thunderclap of splitting rock and part of a wall tumbles down.
The aural magic surrounding her grows darker. Tints of red flash skin, engulfing until there's a fury of flames. Two black eyes turn, set on Amelia. Burn
There is a pain so deep it floods your entire consciousness. It can actually predominate all five of your senses for nearly two minutes before the body wears of shock and nerve overload.
If Amelia could think, she could probably guesstimate a better number for herself, but her pain threshold definitely will survive two minutes of such onslaught. Ashs of her clothes that singe off float almost like snow in her line of sight. She doesn't even hear her own screaming.
1,917 years. That’s how long God had been waiting to play the D’Aubigne card. And just a moment ago, it stopped being a running count: Whatever she was meant to do, it’s in motion. It’s still very much a work in progress, but it’s out of the planning stages.
None of that matters to Caleb, though. At least not right this second: He throws every ounce of the willpower that sucked Neron dry into stopping Corrine’s attack, and can’t even feel the dent he makes. By proximity, the fire envelopes him as well, and soon he’s as useless as Amelia is.
*Lovely thought.* comes the strained mental voice. *But if I stop absorbing and fraying the magic coming off of her, most folks in here will flash fry. Standoff is the best I'm managing.*
Nothing has tempered that rage. Perhaps nothing ever will. It was a fact Corrine was content with for so long, and knowing no matter how many bodies went along with it, it would never fill the void.
Everything pitches down a notch. Her assault on the Zukovs ends. "There's never any answers..." She looks him square in the eyes. A part of the magic is measuring him out. "Even you doubt."
He looks back - in fact, he LOCKS on her eyes. What he says might be heard by others, but it's meant for her ears alone. He speaks with a desperate intensity, knowing that these words could make the difference.
"Life isn't about a guarantee. Life's messy, and it's confusing, and it sucks sometimes. But the moments we live, we love, we *BE*...that's what makes everything else worth going through. And I know that no matter what happens, going through it with you is the only way I'll ever want to go."
A tear forms down his eye, one formed from months of being away with the person that matters most to him and seeing her in more pain than anyone should ever have to go through. "No matter what, I love you."
She faces the other combatant, now on the floor where Sand's throw left him. Everything falls away from her face.
Years left waiting, feeling abandoned, wanting answers, running from place to place, face to face, always looking for somewhere safe. She remembers pulling the shirt over her father so no one would have to see him like that, holding onto Caleb bleeding after the hell assassin, pleading for a second chance over Sand in the yard. Too many thoughts, memories and emotions baring down all at once, confusing what side is up even more than ever before.
No more fighting There will be an end to this finally. No more lies, no more manipulation. They'll all see blood tonight. Light encases her, aura blinding, and a wind strikes up hard enough directed at Trevor to slam him to the wall. The rumble starts at a dull hum in the floors, stones at corners and near the base starting to crack.
Reply
Reply
Sand is pushing through the wind, moving towards her, trying to catch his eyes.
Reply
*Sand... how can I help?*
Reply
Words don't even make it through the rage. Something else is clawing its way out at the very edge.
Reply
He’s worked his way up to his knees when the lightning strikes begin, and in a heartbeat he’s thrown himself over Amelia, and is deflecting the bolts away from as many Outsiders as he can.
When Corrine awakens, however, Caleb is absolutely frozen. She’s till Corrine but … something is off. Aside from power like he hasn’t felt since he visited the Rock of Eternity with the JSA, she’s … different. He can’t place his finger on it, but something isn’t the same.
He’s desperately trying to keep the stray magic away from Amelia. It’s rather a lot like trying to keep an island dry…
Reply
Travis creates something akin to both shield and lightning rod around himself, drawing all the power he can to his flying form, absorbing what he can, channelling the rest straight down.
So much for helping with Corrine anymore, it takes everything he has to handle this much power, as he shifts to shield as many people as he can while drawing more power to himself, his form already ringed with crackles of electricity.
Reply
The aural magic surrounding her grows darker. Tints of red flash skin, engulfing until there's a fury of flames. Two black eyes turn, set on Amelia. Burn
Reply
If Amelia could think, she could probably guesstimate a better number for herself, but her pain threshold definitely will survive two minutes of such onslaught. Ashs of her clothes that singe off float almost like snow in her line of sight. She doesn't even hear her own screaming.
Reply
None of that matters to Caleb, though. At least not right this second: He throws every ounce of the willpower that sucked Neron dry into stopping Corrine’s attack, and can’t even feel the dent he makes. By proximity, the fire envelopes him as well, and soon he’s as useless as Amelia is.
Reply
Reply
*But if I stop absorbing and fraying the magic coming off of her, most folks in here will flash fry. Standoff is the best I'm managing.*
Reply
Reply
The rune. The one they didn't need to get here.
He grasps it - only this time, he can actually see where he wants to go.
He thinks it...and the rune takes him inside the glowing light, right in front of Corrine. He looks at her, and smiles.
When this is over, root beer floats at Jerry Lee's. I'm back love - please stop this, this isn't a dream. I came back to you.
"I always have. I always will."
Reply
Everything pitches down a notch. Her assault on the Zukovs ends. "There's never any answers..." She looks him square in the eyes. A part of the magic is measuring him out. "Even you doubt."
Reply
"Life isn't about a guarantee. Life's messy, and it's confusing, and it sucks sometimes. But the moments we live, we love, we *BE*...that's what makes everything else worth going through. And I know that no matter what happens, going through it with you is the only way I'll ever want to go."
A tear forms down his eye, one formed from months of being away with the person that matters most to him and seeing her in more pain than anyone should ever have to go through. "No matter what, I love you."
Reply
Leave a comment