777: Seven Gates, Seven Vices, Seven Loves

[Lilraaos]

(I thought Chaos was making a LoL reference with Sonia Mao )

 

Zzzt Pause. Zzzt Pause.

Cherisa was almost certain the drone was looking in her direction, making those generic robot noises in sci-fi movies as it turned. Or moved? She couldn't tell, but she assumed that the drone was somewhat slow, its zzzzts lasting a couple of seconds. The whirling of a fan filled her ears, slow and somewhat choppy at first but quickly accelerating until it was a smooth hum.

 

Cherisa's body tensed, posed to run or to dodge unsure of which, but certain that either of those options were probably better then just standing there. Her legs automatically pushed the rest of her body to her right in an attempt to dodge the drone as it's humming fan warned her that it was quickly approaching.

 

Her observation on the drone's speed from a second ago was prove wrong as the drone slammed into her left side, causing her to fly backwards and thankfully land on her bottom with a soft groan and stinging palms- other then thank no real harm done.

 

She knew that would quickly change if she didn't get up soon.

 

Pressing hard on her heels, she pushed herself backwards feeling the drone hit the ground where she had landed just seconds ago. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. Gulping she jumped to her feet and turned to run backwards, determined to put as much distance between the drone and her as possible.

 

Think, think, think. How do I subdue the drone without destroying it?

It there a button or switch to turn it off? How would I tell?

 

There was a faint whistling behind her and she could feel something embed in the middle of her back. She expected to feel pain but instead her back started to numb. Tranquilizer darts? Regardless of what was in her back, it probably didn't belong there and Cherisa seriously doubted it was to benefit her. Reaching up her left arm, she wildly grabbed for the dart while trying to dodge the drone, thankful for the speed that being a Saint allowed.

 

Her middle finger and pointed finger closed around an extremely thin cylinder object. She didn't hesitate to yank it out and chuck it at the ground. The drone slammed into her back, effectively knocking the breath and her to the ground. Her arms reached out to steady herself but the drone quickly and mercilessly delivered another blow.

 

She willed her body to move as the drone continued to deliver blows to her, but instead she curled up in the fatal position.

 

What are you doing? What are you doing? Get up! Get up! This is exactly why you can't be a Saint! This has nothing to do with you being blind right now, its your willpower to get up and actually fight it! Why are you just lying here and crying on the ground? You've practiced and trained so hard with your powers you can't fall behind now just because you can't handle a punch or two!

 

Her brain continued to yell mixed insult and encouragement to her body, until after what seemed like forever (but was in actuality a few seconds), her body responded. Weakly she tried to crawl out of the drone's range, quickly regretting the idea as it easily knocked her back to the ground as if it were playing a game of Whack-A-Mole with her.

 

Cherisa turned back from back to face the drone, her mind sealed on how to deal with it regardless if she was disobeying the instructions given to her. She concentrated hard as the drone struck her again, summoning the uncomfortable feeling of ants marching inside her fingertips. She urged it on, faster and faster.

 

The drone was only allowed to hit her once more before she sent it flying across the room with a two charged beam. She quickly pushed herself to her feet, her body aching but knowing better then to try and rest. She summoned the sensation again and again, randomly firing at the direction of the drone, each shot getting more and more accurate as she used the differentiating pings her beams made as it hit the drone or ground to tell her the location of the drone.

 

Sometime in the middle of it all, a buzzer sounded but Cherisa barely noticed, firing again and again until she suddenly collapsed.

[Millennium07]

Standing at the starting point of the arena-like testing area, David took a deep breath, eyes closed. He recalled all the times he'd fought against the demons up until this point. All the times he'd done so thinking he had no power at all.

His eyes snapping open as soon as the klaxon sounded, David charged forward, dashing toward the mechanical monstrosity as it brought it's blade-like appendages upward to halt his advance.

Quickly dropping to the ground, he winced slightly at the force if the impact, using his momentum to slide harmlessly under the machine and clenches his fist tentatively, before firing a bolt of energy into the corner of the room. Despite the circumstances, he had to raise an eyebrow at that, having not necessarily intended to do that. Laughing slightly, David rolled out of the way of an oncoming stun pellet... Just in time to get run over by a stampede attack by the machine.

"Argh!" He grunted in pain, slowly rising to his feet and spreading his arms wide to 'catch' the machine as it advances once more. At this close range, the drone couldn't fire at him... But it was slowly pushing him towards the wall, clearly intending to crush him. He grimaced, at the thought and mustered all his strength, before spreading his hand side and sent the machine flying away across the room, having repelled it with a last-second forcefield. "Ah... Hahaha. I'm really getting the hang of this," he said, rolling his shoulders, before wincing in pain from the earlier steamrolling. He sent another energy bolt onto another corner, and dodged out of the way of more stun pellets, re-erecting his earlier forcefield to protect from one he hadn't quite accounted for.

If he'd have been fighting a demon without any powers right now, by now he'd have torn all his stitches out. Again.

Firing a third energy bolt into a third corner, David was immediately taken by surprise. The drone had disappeared. Frowning deeply, he looked around and, with a sickening feeling of dread, looked up, just as the drone dropped down behind him, and ensnared him in it's talons. David struggled helplessly as it constricted him tighter and tighter, before crying out in pain. As it dig into his skin. Much tighter and he'd lose consciousness.

He raised an arm and clawed at the metal, trying with all his might to pry the talons from around his body, before giving up and flinging a final energy bolt onto the last corner of the room.

Please work he begged mentally, just as the four bolts created a netting of energy chains that bound the drone and pried it's limbs apart, lifting it into their, where it struggled violently, as David fell upon the floor, coughing and spluttering. He so badly wanted to rest. But it wasn't over yet.

Clenching his fist, David felt his brand burn, it's strength surging through his body. Rising to his feet, he broke into a run, red energy panels appearing beneath his feet at a steadily ascending rate like a staircase, eventually culminating in the robot's head, allowing him to leap forth, and deliver a sharp kick to it, causing the chains to disappear, and the drone to crash into the ground, it's activation ceased.

Hearing the klaxon once more, David exited the arena into the waiting room and immediately took note of medical personal around one of the rooms. The one Cherisa had gone into.

Pushing past them, he saw Sonia leaning over her, checking her pulse and vitals, before looking up at David.

"She's fine, don't worry," she said with a smile, and as David stepped closer, was startled by a faint glow on Cherisa's hand, accompanied by a corresponding one on David's.

"You two are..." Sonia trailed off, before smiling wistfully, and standing up, walking toward the door and patting David's shoulder. "I'll leave her in her partner's capable hands," she said with a nod as she exited the room, and David immediately scooped the frail young girl on the ground into his arms, brushing the hair from her face gently. "Cherisa...?" He asked gently, supporting her in his arms as he knelt on the ground.

 

[Esko]

Sasha

 

"Brother...do I really have to pull you away?" Sasha sighed. "Sorry, but I have to drag my bro away before he attacks you. It was nice to meet you, Flint!" Sasha said, waving slightly and using her other hand to drag Esko away. "See, it wasn't that bad! Hey, are you okay?"

"Hmf".

What is his probl-oh, I see. Robin. Sasha saw Robin walking close by. Sasha blushed slightly. Then she saw Esko roll his eyes. "What?" She lightly punched her brother. She then walked a bit closer to Robin, Esko trying to keep his cool.

 

((I let Robin see and point out the glowing mark. Take it away, Chaos!))

[Lilraaos]

Everything ached. Was she bleeding? She couldn't tell. Cherisa was faintly aware of the sound of the door sliding open and then the tapping of tennis shoes as door slid shut again. Soft fingers pressing against various parts of her body brought her back to consciousness. Cherisa didn't make much of an effort to respond until the door slid open and then closed again, she instantly recognized the voice of the male.

A female voice announced that Cherisa would be fine.

Her hand warmed in response.

The voice started a sentence that she didn't finish, pouring nostalgia into just those few words while confirming what the two had already known would happen. The blind girl slowly connected the voice to her personal idol as she walked away.

Cherisa swallowed back the groans of pain from being moved, instead twisting her mouth into a weak smile.

"Am fine. I could use an ice pack though."

[ValidEmotions]

He skidded across the ground, his back protesting with the pain. Grunting, Antonio rolled to his feet and charged at the drone again, angled to ram his shoulder into the 3-meter-tall machine. From his feet, bursts of energy propelled him off the ground and faster towards the thing, a layer shielding his shoulder as the attack connected.

 

The drone tumbled backwards as Antonio stumbled, the impact throwing him off balance. While the machine was prone, the boy rushed over, slamming his hands (palms hitting the metal) down. Layers of energy surged from his hands and covered the machine, slowly causing dents in the design or punctures.

 

It struggled, lifting from the ground faintly before eventually crashing back to the floor. The flickering lights dimmed until they were off completely, its legs sealing back together.

 

Test Completed. Time to completion: seven minutes and forty-eight seconds.

 

With a sigh, Antonio stumbled back from the drone, breathing heavily and wiping a trail of blood and sweat out from his eyes. His head was battered, his torso bruised and scraped... He was gonna have to get some bandages for sure.

 

By the time he exited the room, the patches of numbness that were scattered across his body were nearly completely faded. However, with the adrenaline soon washing away, the aches and pains made themselves known. His back was worse and he suspected that there was a good scorch mark or gouge across it from when the drone hit him with some kind of beam.

 

He was trembling something terrible, looking around for an unoccupied seat. Other Saints looked equally battered on the average. Some looked as if they faired much better and breezed by in their test while a few others looked far worse than he did.

 

He plopped his bulky figure onto a bench, wincing as pain laced his back. His head throbbed but Antonio ignored it, more focused on just steadying his breath and stopping his trembling.

 

Someone sat next to him but he didn't pay any mind until they shouted in his ear with something akin to shock or surprise. Glancing at them, he looked at their gawking face before registering that something was glowing. The marks. "Wonder what the glowing means," he stated, frowning.

 

[[NPC for now. If the number evens out to 16, then someone can easily move their character in. Do remember, this is a wrong pairing. Antonio's going to end up with Alis still in the future.]]

[Clown_of_God]

((Feels slightly ignored.))

 

 

[ValidEmotions]

[[Zakku. You're not ignored. I just needed to finally get Antonio up. I'll be working on Thel in a little bit. Since there's a lot to highlight on, I'm doing my three one at a time.]]

[Clown_of_God]

((Okay. I'll just wait until either you post as Thel or mill posts as Chief Mary again.))

[Millennium07]

((Sorry! Real life is a bit hectic right now! I'll edit this into an IC post later today, as well as posting in any other RPs I've been neglecting))

[ValidEmotions]

He wanted to stab the boy's hand through with silver energy.

 

But, he didn't.

 

Instead, Thel smacked it away and growled something about not touching him again. The other boy approached him, keeping a respectful distance and withdrawing further into his scarf. "At this point, I don't care. At this point, they can get themselves killed for their way of thinking and I won't bat an eye," he replied, watching the boy leave as expressed.

 

Shaking his head, Thel lightly rubbed at the back of his neck, gaze focused on the ground. Certainly not a good start and the boy had a point.

 

Glancing over at Chief Mary, he debated on whether he should try mingling with other Saints again or just wait around for something to happen. Finally, after making certain that the woman in charge didn't need him further, he chose to mingle and began walking towards the others again.

 

[[There's room for whatever Chief Mary wants/needs to say before Thel walks away.]]

[Astrodeath311]

An actual shocking sensation coursed through his body, as cold metal was felt on Atlas. It sent jolts of pain, followed by sweet nothings, sandwiched by the taste of copper in his mouth. A tongue to confirm it was blood, but it wasn't. Nothing was in his mouth but saliva, which prompted Atlas to take a big gulp as he opened his eyes and surged forward.

"You okay there, son? Looks like the drone caught ya on her way out."

"I..." Atlas paused, unsure of himself. "I'm fine, I think." He stretched out a hand, sliding up along the wall to stand himself up. His entire body felt tingly and numb at the same time, as though each of his body parts all went to sleep and woke up at various times. It was a moving sensation, which tingled down to his toes and then vanished. After he cracked his hands and neck, of course.

 

Atlas took a step forward, realizing who actually revived him. It looked... remarkably like his dad. Too much. He blinked, and the figure turned into a balding man with glasses hooked on his nose, a beard that really should be shaved, and a lean frame covered by a scientist's uniform, but lazily put on and spotted in some places. He was holding an unfamiliar machine that Atlas couldn't recognize in his hands.

 

"Looks like yer up and runnin' again. I'll be goin' now."

 

Confused at first, but accepting, Atlas watched the man shove off and gave him a wave good-bye. He shook his head, getting his bearings, and looking at the clock on the wall as he moved out of the room. His ears picked up some bickering not far from there, and he decided to investigate.

 

"Time of completion: Six minutes and twenty three seconds."

[Millennium07]

Dismissing the two disobedient Saints, Chief Mary let out a deep sigh. They'd have to be dealt with if they kept up like this. Nevertheless, she turned to the siblings and shook he head in exasperation. "Thank you for representing this establishment so well, you two," she said with a nod, pinching the bridge of her nose. "It's good to see some of you understand what your mission is," she said, smiling ever so slightly. "Whoever your partners are are here somewhere, so feel free to mingle," she said with a nod, before heading off to prepare her impending speech.

 

David nodded gently as he reached up to take one from a paramedic, and placing the ice pack on her forehead. "Hey... You did well. I think you did even faster than me. Well done Cherisa, I'm proud of you," he said softly, hoping he didn't sound patronising. He smiled, picking her up into his arms properly and carrying her through the gate like a princess calmly, despite all the heads that turned their way as he did so.

 

((Robin's test is forthcoming))

[Esko]

((Bumpy.))

[ValidEmotions]

Latoya sighed, sitting down and fidgeting with her hair. Glancing around at the mass of students in the hallway, she began to wonder who might be her partner. She also wondered if there was a chance of her partnership going wrong. What would happen if she just couldn't work well enough with her assigned partner? Were they stuck with whomever they were paired with first or were there chances of getting a new pairing?

 

Shaking her head, she stood again and started walking among the crowd, listening to snippets of conversation between various Saints. It was funny, really, being here. Much of her life, she only dreamed of becoming a famous cook and running her own restaurant. Nothing had set her up to become a Saint. Was she ready for such a task, such a responsibility?

 

No. She couldn't doubt herself at the very beginning of this ordeal. If she doubted herself now, she would continue to doubt herself and then she'd surely never make it.

[Esko]

((BUMP! This better not die on me!))