The Emporium [open]

[psychomachy]

The only warning was a burst of sickly light -- backwash from a teleport -- before the midday crowds were savaged.

A pink-haired reploid in violet armour tore through the Emporium's court, lashing out at anything and anyone in reach with a toxic-looking beam-sabre before clutching at his head and howlingThen straightened suddenly, eyes burning

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[denied_destiny]

Zero was out on patrol and the first one to respond. Teleporting into the area, he was quickly shoved back with the wave of people rushing to get out of the area.

He caught a glimpse of violet and pink and jumped to a guess.

"Nightmare?!"

A hand quickly moved to grab his saber, but Zero stopped short. Too many people so close, it was too dangerous. He began dashing forward through the crowd and towards Nightmare.

[vanishednpcs]

Nightmare's chosen victim, however, wasn't inclined to play the victim role. Oh sure, he yelped with surprise and jumped back, but as soon as his brain caught up with his instincts, he scowled and lunged for Nightmare's saber arm. It would soon become very apparent that, despite how much the young man looked like a human with tousled black hair and wide green eyes, he was very much a reploid. He might even resemble someone Nightmare and Zero knew, though not completely.

"What do you think you're doing?!" he demanded of Nightmare.

[psychomachy]

Not expecting to be lunged at in return, the Zero Nightmare jerked away with a snap of fanged jaws closing quickly -- and took the young gentleman with him, having seen quite successfully grabbed.

Then clawed with his free hand at the almost-X's face.

"You! KILL YOU Why are you doing this --"

But with the crowd surging away it was a matter of mere moments before Zero was plain to be seen; and now the Zero Nightmare's attention was dragged towards the Hunter.

Mad red eyes focused, and his would-be "prey" stood a good chance of being dragged along as the Zero Nightmare lunged slashed at Zero with a scream of outrage.

[denied_destiny]

There wasn't any time to really think, just react. Zero quickly reached back and took his Z-Saber, bringing it forward to block and bracing himself against Zero Nightmare.

"Nightmare. . ." At the moment, Zero was at a loss for words. Struggling over his emotions and thoughts, trying not to let them control him.

[vanishednpcs]

The young man jerked his head back, away from the Zero Nightmare's clawing hands. His eyes were very wide right then. He continued to cling to the other's arm, though, stubbornly, desperately playing the part of living anchor. Anything to slow Nightmare down and interfere with his movement.

"Stop it!" he shouted as he scraped across the pavement. "Stop hurting people! There's no reason!"

[psychomachy]

Locked in Zero's blocking maneuver, the Zero Nightmare snarled in maddened frustration and backed out of the aborted strike, shaking his head and making a strangled kind of keen.

"Nightmare! Don't you see what they've done?"

"They changed ... They changed me --"

Then the Zero Nightmare wrenched his arm around and tried to shake his entangler off, then snapped at his face with long fangs gleaming with the Virus.

"They have to be stopped --"

[denied_destiny]

Zero was doing his best not to growl in frustration. He followed with Zero Nightmare.

"Control yourself! Just. . .come with me, we'll figure this out, okay?"

[vanishednpcs]

This time, the Zero Nightmare managed to shake the young man off. Unbalanced, the young man fell on his side, but quickly scrabbled back to his feet. He darted a quick glance at Zero, though he didn't dare keep his eyes off the Zero Nightmare for long. He thought that Zero had the right idea.

"I don't understand," he said. "Please calm down and explain what's wrong. Who changed you? How?" A pause, then, "What's your name?"

[psychomachy]

"With you? With you? Kill you first, copy --"

Any further words were lost in an ear-splitting howl that was near enough to crack glass -- and the Zero Nightmare brought his free hand up. Which was no longer a hand, but a buster.

Panting heavily, he ground out his next words with painful slowness.

"The Nightmare did this."

"My name is Zero --"

And he whirled to fire on the young man.

"-- DIE, BLUE DIE WITH MY HUNTERS"

[denied_destiny]

Zero quickly dashed and stood between the civilian and Zero Nightmare. His Z-saber held down in front taking a Gokumonken defensive stance.

He would charge and create a shield to protect them both, but at this moment he doubted there would be time. Zero was more focused on protecting the man.

[vanishednpcs]

Given the recent hostilities with the shadow creatures, the Defense Forces were keyed up and on high alert. As soon as the reports of a berserk reploid started coming in, the response was almost immediate. The young man's eyes grew wider still, if that was possible, when Nightmare pointed his buster at him, but Nightmare never didn't have a chance to fire before a team of Defense Force officers teleported in. They immediately began fanning out, trying to trap Nightmare in a circle of bristling weapons.

"Freeze!" the leader bellowed at Nightmare. There really was no mistaking which one was the reploid that had been reported, despite the similarities between Nightmare and Zero. After all, only one of them had pink hair. "Disarm and stand down at once!"

[psychomachy]

The Zero Nightmare reared back and lost the bead he was trying to draw on his intended target, startled by Zero's sudden interference -- and even moreso by the Hunter's interposing his own body in the line of fire. Why did ...?

Not dead -- he is not --

There is --

Snarling with confusion, he was completely broadsided when the Defense Force entered the fray.

Taking in the small armada of weaponry pointed in his direction, he brought up his buster again as if open fire -- switched sudden back to his sabre --

Then flinched, once, and with a nerve-wracking shriek attempted to bolt before the ring of DF officers completely closed him in.

[denied_destiny]

A packet of information was quickly sent out to the hunters, requesting help with Nightmare. Rather than information on what exactly was happening, the packet contained images from Zero's perspective of the incident.

Zero Nightmare attacking him, standing back, snapping at the civilian, the buster-gun first being called out. . .

When the Defense Force arrived, it caused him some surprise. It wasn't what he was expecting, at all.

Zero glanced around, but his attention shot to Zero Nightmare.

"Wait! Nightmare!" Zero brought down the shield and chased after.

[vanishednpcs]

The Defense Forces had not yet closed the gap when Nightmare made a run for it. The leader of the unit signaled, and two of his members fired warning shots, deliberately aimed at the ground so as not to accidentally hit any civilians.

Of course, not knowing that they'd missed on purpose, this only alarmed the young man even further. "Wait! You don't have to kill him!"

[shattered_axl]

Whether or not the warning shots worked to deter Nightmare's flight, something else happened at the same time that might give him even greater pause.

Axl teleported in, right in front of Zero Nightmare's path. And who knew if Zero Nightmare would be able to avoid crashing right into him?

Axl yelped in surprise and alarm. "Nightmare!"

[psychomachy]

The first shot seemed to only spur the Zero Nightmare on further; the second, on the other hand, provoked a strangled yelp that quickly warped into an angry snarl. Twisting, he tried to check his headlong run and turn on the officers shooting at him --

And promptly was about to plow into Axl, saving himself only by digging his heels into the pavements.

Axl found himself on the receiving end of a vicious growl and a threatening sabre.

"No!"

"Never that -- you aren't one of mine --"

"Kill him, I'll kill him ..."

"Why did he leave ..."

Despite the rambling, there was little doubt of the threat in the red eyes.