Beware the beast in black

[iron_traitor]

Characters: Judas Liz, Terra, Linkara, stealth Mechakara
Time: Evening
Location: Between the Blackstone and the Bean
Content: Linkara comes running to pick Liz up, but it's not the Liz he knows and loves. PLUS aftermath with Mechakara.
Format: Prose
Warnings: Probably gonna get a bit violent, or at least very creepy.

Comments

[iamaman_punch]

Linkara hadn't moved this fast in quite a while. It was one thing to have random people show up at the Bean and ask for help; it was something else entirely to have his girlfriend, one of the people he'd been missing most, arrive in the city. He'd grabbed his gun and gone, stopping only once on the way - to knock on Terra's door, explain the situation in twenty words or less, and ask for backup. Much as he was eager to meet Liz, he didn't want to run into a group of blampires or Mechakara, wherever the bucket of bolts had gotten off to, without backup.

"I told her we'd meet her on the way," he explained, mid-stride in the very fast walk he'd been using. "I just hope we don't pass each other by completely."

[eroded_earth]

The keyblade stayed in his hand, he wasn't ready to dismiss it just yet. Instead, Terra took up a position nearby, blocking the most obvious means of escape. They were out in the open so it would not be impossible...just more difficult if she got up.

He leveled the keyblade, charing up his magic just in case. "It would be a good idea to talk. I don't think you've made my friend very happy."

[iron_traitor]

Frostmourne clattered audibly away as Linkara kicked her out of Judas Liz's hand. Once the burn from the garlic powder in her eyes finally subsided she gave him a sinister glare. Nobody, NOBODY, touched Frostmourne but herself.

She looked between the two of them, seeing she was now obviously blocked. Crap, crap, crap. This didn't go at all as she planned. She made a mental note to confront Mechakara about all this...if she made it out alive.

Begrudgingly coming to the conclusion that she didn't have any other choice, she scowled, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance. Ok, fine, they could ask their damn questions.

"I'm an assassin formerly under the pay of Lord Vyce." she had no idea if that name would mean anything to Linkara, but she couldn't give a damn.

[iamaman_punch]

Linkara returned the glare with a flat stare. He was beyond caring how angry this impostor was - right now, all he wanted was answers. Terra's comment about him not being happy was a pretty big understatement.

"Formerly, huh." It was a question all its own, one whose significance he was determined not to let leak through his poker face. "What, was the pay not good enough?"

Sarcasm aside, he had bigger fish to fry. "See, there's two things I want to know. One, what are you? My guess is you're a version of Iron Liz from an alternate dimension, but considering Insano and Linksano are running around, I wouldn't rule out cloning either." He shifted slightly, gun still pointed at her. "Two, what gave you the idea to impersonate Iron Liz on the network?"

[eroded_earth]

Terra remembered Linkara mentioning Lord Vyce before. It seemed this woman worked for him. He didn't know much about such things but if shew as getting paid to kill Linkara then surely that should have ended the moment she wound up here because, as far as Terra was aware, Vyce was not here to pay her.

He kept silent, letting Linkara do the talking since this was really his show. Besides, there wasn't much Terra could add to the conversation, he didn't know how Linkara's world work or much about his enemies, aside from the basics.

[iron_traitor]

"Oh, what brilliant deduction, Linkara," Judas droned sarcastically, "Surely you are the champion of your world with such intelligence.

"Yes, I'm from a different dimension than yours. I was hitching a ride with Vyce, until that coward got what he deserved."

She then gave Linkara a little smirk, "As to your second question, I had to use some sort of persona to keep myself off the radar, and I thought your dear little Iron Liz was a good candidate, since we have so much in common." Physically, at any rate.

"Besides, once I overheard that you were in town, I just couldn't resist. Oh if you could have seen the look on your face."

[iamaman_punch]

Any other day, he would've snarked back - made some crack about how his dashing good looks certainly helped or something of the like. He was a bit beyond that today. There was a bit of a smirk at the revelation of Vyce's fate - spoilers, sure, but that much at least was reassuring.

Much as he hated it, the explanation made sense - no good villain showed their hand right off the bat. The question now was how she knew he was here in the first place. "And who told you I was here?"

[iron_traitor]

Judas gave him a cheeky little smile, deciding against dropping Mechakara's name just to continue to mess with Linkara's head as long as possible...and to stay on the android's good side.

"Your mom."

[iamaman_punch]

For a second, nothing happened.

And then Linkara smiled. It wasn't a nice smile - he was under way too much stress for that. He'd dealt with way too much in this city to begin with, and Judas Liz was wearing on what was probably his last nerve. "Now, if this were an action movie," he started, that smile never leaving his face, "this would be the part where I cock my gun and say something clever, possibly starting with the words 'Yippie-ki-ay.' Unfortunately for the genre, the magic gun doesn't have a cocking mechanism - magic tends to be auto-fire. It also doesn't help that, unlike most action heroes, I don't have to draw things out for the sake of selling tickets. So." He tilted the gun slightly - better angle. "Either you answer my questions, or I'll end you. Pretty simple, right?"

[eroded_earth]

Terra had stayed silent up until that moment. He didn't know what to add or say to help the situation. Of course, seeing Linkara like this...he knew he had to say something. He knew Judas was just pushing his buttons, torturing him with unhelpful answers.

He stepped closer, "Linkara. Stop. That won't get us anywhere and killing her like this would just be wrong."

[iron_traitor]

Wow, she hit that nerve harder than she expected! For a few seconds, Judas was actually rather afraid of the Champion, though she hid it surprisingly well. She never realized he could be pushed that far over the edge; he always seemed like such a goody two-shoes. Maybe that's why her annoying little doppleganger liked him so much. Still, if she was going to die here, she'd rather die with sealed lips.

But then Terra stopped him. It seemed to be working, at least dividing Linkara's attention. As this happened she took a quick darting glance into the distance, spotting the glisten of Frostmourne's blade, and after one more half-second to be sure of her chance, she sprang to her feet, shoving past the two men to rush for her sword.

[iamaman_punch]

In all honesty, he was ready to go through with it. If Judas Liz had given him another snarky answer, he probably would have finished her then and there.

But it seemed like it was Terra's turn to be his voice of reason. It was one thing to defeat an enemy - it was another to pull the trigger on an enemy that was unarmed and on their back. "It'd be one less thing I'd have to deal with later," he muttered, sparing Terra a glance, but his heart wasn't in his words anymore. Terra was right on this one.

Of course, Judas took that opportunity to go for her blade, and the situation changed again. Linkara turned, aimed the gun, and moved at the last second before he fired, changing his aim from her head to her shoulder - enough to knock her off balance and injure her; not enough to kill. "I don't think so!"

[eroded_earth]

"I know," Terra replied softly, because he did.

He frowned when the woman pushed past them, apparently taking their hesitation as a sign to bail. Oh no, not that easily. Just as Linkara fired his gun Terra hurled the keyblade using the Strike Raid technique. If the blast from the gun didn't knock her down then surely a smack from the keyblade would.

[iron_traitor]

Judas swept the sword up in one hand, but as she started to make a dash for the alley she yelped as the blast from the gun struck her shoulder, puncturing the skin. And then as if that wasn't bad enough the keyblade once again clocked her upside the head as she staggered from the pain of her shoulder wound, once again knocking her to the ground with an even bigger headache than before.

She gritted her teeth, turning on them as she gripped Frostmourne, holding it in front of her shakily as she clutched her bloody shoulder with the other hand.

"You are really becoming more trouble than is worth my time."

[iamaman_punch]

Linkara raised an eyebrow as Terra's Keyblade went hurtling past. Yeah, he really wouldn't have wanted to be hit by that. Judging from Judas' reaction, it looked like it hurt.

"Funny," and that snarky tone was back, because a fallback was better than nothing, "since you're the one that came after me." He noticed her shaky grip on the sword, then aimed again at her injured shoulder. "This isn't a fight you're going to win, Judas Liz. Now who told you I was here?"

[eroded_earth]

The keyblade automatically returned to Terra's hand and he joined Linkara in standing over Liz. He pointed his own weapon at her, frowning, "Your's is not the only patience being tried here and seeing as there are two of us and we've gotten you down twice...I suggest you answer my friend's questions."