nobleman: (you should never be afraid.)
Guy Cecil ([personal profile] nobleman) wrote in [community profile] damned_institute2009-10-20 07:38 pm

Nightshift 44: The Coliseum

[Warped in from here.]

When Guy's eyes opened, it was almost as if he was waking up, and yet he knew that wasn't the case; he was standing, with a weapon in his hand, and somehow feeling far more comfortable than he had in weeks.

His gaze was on his feet, and it took him a few seconds to let everything sink in. He was wearing boots. His boots. And while being back in familiar clothing wasn't so new to some people, it was definitely a big change for him.

His head then snapped up and he realized just what he was holding. It wasn't Ashton's sword, but his own, the Jewel of Gardios -- and on top of that, Guy realized that he felt more powerful somehow. Did he have access to fonons? He had been working without them for so long, but it was almost as if he could feel them in the air now.

All of those changes didn't matter as much when he took in his location. The sphinx had warned them, of course, but the huge coliseum still impressed him, and what was even stranger was the way sunlight seemed to be filtering in from overhead. Was it actually day? This almost felt like he was in some sort of dream.

But that theory was torn into shreds when he eyed Sync, also in full form, standing across the arena from him. So what, they were supposed to fight? Guy didn't have a problem with that (it was what he'd come down here intending to do, after all), but he knew there had to be some kind of catch.

As he glanced to the side, he saw that Claude and Dias were in similar positions, except facing each other. "Wait," he muttered under his breath. No way were those two going to fight each other except in a sparring capacity, so what was going on? He wasn't sure where Anise and that other girl had gotten off to, but maybe it was for the best that they weren't here...
godforsaken: (the other filled with nothing but hate.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-03 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Sync scoffed when he caught that green light glowing faintly on Guy’s exposed chest, having an idea of what the latter was trying to do. It was rather shameful that the latter had to resort to healing himself in order to stand a chance, but it wasn’t like Sync had ever thought highly of him. He didn’t plan on letting the man get too far, and thus prepared to rush at him with another series of attacks.

But the God-General didn’t get the chance to when the swordsman finally attacked, raising his arm to repel the first slash. However, the blond forced him to remain on the defense, trying to match Guy’s sudden speed. In an attempt to block a lower slash, however, Sync left his upper body wide open, the blade slicing deeply into his right shoulder while specks of blood dotted the clay floor. The attack caught him by surprise, but before he could recover the latter was already descending upon him with his final strike.

There was a loud clang! as metal collided with metal before one of the two caved against the pressure of the arte.

Flying shards of metal ripped into Sync’s flesh, cutting deeply into the skin underneath his, now exposed, eye. Blood began to pour down his forehead from where the mask had been pressed down from the force of Guy’s attack, matching with the deep patch of red that surrounded his shoulder. In the end the severity of the attack broke off three fifths of his mask, though what was left stubbornly remained hooked to his face. For the first time since the start of the fight, pain began to cloud Sync’s mind.

Yet that did nothing to stop him. Instead of being impressed the God-General's anger skyrocketed. Why the hell didn't Guy fight back like this sooner? If Sync hadn’t already known that the blond was too stupid, he would’ve been under the impression that the swordsman was just playing around with him!

Bastard!” Now there was nothing to hide the murderous glare that Sync gave Guy, already rushing towards him in a fit of rage. Clenching his left hand into a tight fist, the God-General swung upwards in another fierce uppercut.

However, Sync couldn’t care less if it actually connected. In reality, the swing served as nothing more than a distraction while he prepared for his real attack, right hand clenched in the same manner. All of a sudden the God-General twisted his body, outstretching his arm as he shoved his right palm into the middle of the swordsman’s chest. A purple flash appeared at the point of connection, seemingly harmless at first, before the ghastly symbol of the curse slot carved itself right into its victim.
godforsaken: (a final waltz for me and you.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-04 05:31 am (UTC)(link)
As soon as he unleashed the Daathic fonic arte Sync flipped away in order to create some distance between them, his single visible eye gleaming in excitement as he watched Guy fall to his knees. It served the swordsman right for holding back on him like that, though he couldn't help but feel disappointed that the damned replica wasn't with them. It would've been entertaining to sic his puppet on Luke; he wouldn't mind reminiscing those kinds of memories.

The God-General's laugh, loud and arrogant, rang out in response to Guy's raging demands. It was a good thing the latter's anger was so amusing to witness; he could've very well cut off any sort of conscious thought in the latter's mind until he was nothing more than a mindless drone. However, the prospect suddenly became more tantalizing when Guy rushed at him with a fury of jabs, forcing the God-General back into a defensive stance. While there was no doubt his speed matched with Guy's own swiftness, the combined pain and exhaustion seeping through his body was making him more sluggish.

Sync bit back a cry of pain when the blade's tip finally tore through his chest, partially exposing the symbol drawn there before a stream of blood trickled down his skin. This quickly descended into a domino effect, several more jabs connecting into Sync's body, though he'd be damned to lie down and take everything like this. The God-General willed himself to focus on the swordsman's pattern of attack, dodging or blocking any remaining advances before rushing back in.

Spinning his body in order to gain momentum, the teen immediately performed a series of hard kicks and punches with the very intent of forcing Guy not to attack. He just couldn't afford the latter swinging his sword so recklessly, which meant digging under any of the swordsman’s weaknesses and exploiting them to their full potential. The teen was relentless as he produced wave upon wave of strikes, finally finishing the combo with his chosen arte.

"Reaper's Toll!" At that time a bright blue flash encased his right fist, Sync immediately unleashing the charged attack as he swung forward with all his might.
Edited 2009-11-04 05:35 (UTC)
godforsaken: (how the heart bends.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-05 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Maybe it was the exhaustion or the realization that he could actually die, but hearing the sound of Guy's bones cracking beneath his fist felt so much more satisfying in a way. It didn't matter to him when the swordsman backed away; it gave him the time to examine his own wounds and think of an arte to unleash to finish the blond off.

However, all of that was forgotten when he finally looked off to the side, immediately catching sight of the tragic scene before him. Based on physical stature alone it almost surprising that Claude had come out the victor, but maybe it'd been a good thing, for Claude's sake, that Sync hadn't actually witnessed how the other swordsman died. Unfortunately, only the God-General would be heinous enough to make light of the situation, his loud laugh ringing in the air and he rested a hand on his hip.

"I guess they're just waiting on us now, huh?" Sync chuckled. While his own fatigue was more than evident in his voice, the replica merely waved it off as he continued, though in a darker tone. His chuckles had died down by then, expression contorting to one of disgust as he graced the fresh corpse with a condescending glare.

"Maybe Claude shouldn't have made such weak friends."

His visible eye focused back Guy, that nasty smirk returning in full.

"Don't you see, Guy? If it hadn't been for you then he never would've met me, but at least you now have someone else who'll mourn your death."
godforsaken: (it's all in your mind.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-06 05:17 am (UTC)(link)
Oh? So Guy honestly thought that he was going to win this fight?

And yet Sync hadn't expected for the swordsman to suddenly move so fast. Even the replica couldn't keep up with the blond's movements until it was far too late. The God-General cried out when the blond's blade suddenly sliced into his back, forcing him upwards as he felt the surge of fire sear into his flesh. He jerked, but before he could do anything his body was fully engulfed in flames, forcing out a scream of agony.

Sync eventually collapsed back onto the floor, unmoving. Most of his uniform was singed, various burns mingling with his wounds and littering his entire body. Nearly every bit of exposed skin was covered in blood, a thin trail trickling down his forehead and into the corner of his mouth. At a distance, it looked as if the God-General had finally met his end.

But the slight rise and fall of his chest was proof that he was still alive, half lidded eye staring off in the distance. The pain and exhaustion was overwhelming, but none of this was new to him. Experiencing one's own death should've never been a common thing, and yet he'd been already been through this twice. Some part of him had to wonder whose sick idea this was, but the God-General had long since given up taking his death seriously. Even now he was overcome with laughter, quiet chuckles interrupted by the periodic wheeze or cough.

When Sync finally spoke his voice was soft, just loud enough for Guy to hear.

"Make it count this time..."

Closing his eyes, the replica quietly waited for the end.
Edited 2009-11-06 05:19 (UTC)
godforsaken: (i hear the voices.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-06 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
To be honest, if he was ever confronted about it at some point, Sync wouldn't doubt that he wanted to die right then and there. Death had been a wonderful thing for all the pain it took to get there, and the God-General was so tired of living this sorry excuse of a life. Really, if it weren't for the fact that he was a gravely bitter person, the replica wouldn't have thought twice about allowing Guy to finally kill him.

And yet he was.

Unbeknownst to Guy, the God-General had slowly been gathering all the fonons around him, opening his fon slots as wide as possible in order to absorb the necessary amount in the shortest amount of time. Despite the pain, Sync was far from giving in, and he hoped the latter would drown in regret for not finishing him off sooner.

Green eyes suddenly shot open the moment the blade was thrust downwards, a quick swipe of his feet knocking the sword away as the God-General jumped to his feet.

"HARROWING GALE!"

Sync was immediately encased in a glowing green sphere when he finally unleashed all his fonons. He lashed out at Guy with breakneck speed, every punch or kick coming in harder than the last as the God-General knocked the swordsman's body around like a rag doll. The rush of adrenaline flowing through his veins made him feel unstoppable, and he couldn't help but laugh as he delivered his last round kick before twisting his arm back for his final strike.

"Now you DIE!"

And yet he didn't aim the deadly blow at any vital point on the latter's body. No, he craved to make him suffer, and that meant ensuring Guy would never be able to lift another sword for the rest of his life; something he intended to end very, very soon.
gald_digger: (petapetapetapeta--!)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] gald_digger 2009-11-08 10:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[from here]

"Guy!"

Anise was screaming from the stands.

"Don't just lie there! Stand up! Guy!" Her panicked voice came out shrill and hoarse. The tears she had been struggling to hold back were pouring out now.

Guy couldn't lose here. Losing meant dying. Anise had already lost plenty of friends here, and now she had to lose one right in front of her eyes? And lose him forever, at that? She couldn't accept that. She wouldn't!

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[identity profile] full-score.livejournal.com 2009-11-09 01:41 am (UTC)(link)
((From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/744481.html?thread=61199137#t61199137).))

Claude's fist slammed against the unseen wall out of frustration. He already knew it was futile, that there was nothing he could do for Guy from behind here. And yet that only heightened the panicked sensation that twisted in his gut, and strengthened the urgency in his words.

"You gotta hang in there!" The shout was punctuated by another pound of his fist. "Guy!"

Anise was screaming for Guy to get back up, too, Claude realized, but he didn't take his gaze off of his friend for even a moment. Even though his chest began to tighten with dread, he couldn't allow himself to just stand back and quietly accept what was happening. Guy had to pull through. The only other alternative was to let Sync kill him!
godforsaken: (i know you're out there.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-09 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
At first, Sync could only watch with apathy as Guy was knocked back, crumpling to the floor in a bloody heap. The Mystic Arte had used up most of his energy, and for those few moments the God-General struggled to remain on his feet. However, it hadn't taken long before the corners of his mouth tugged upwards, that tired smile growing until the replica was grinning wildly down at the fallen swordsman.

And then there was the shouting. At first everything seemed to have been coming through a filter, but both Anise's and Claude's cries soon became crystal clear. They were screaming, pleading for the blond to get up, but Sync knew the truth.

Guy was going to die.

The God-General slowly made his way over to where the latter lay, paying no mind to how Claude was pounding uselessly at the invisible wall. It excited him to know that he'd finally be able to get even, all the while squeezing out every last bit of misery from everyone around him.

Eventually Sync found himself hovering over the swordsman's form, taking the time to admire every wound he'd inflicted while scowling at every one he hadn't. He didn't bother to pay any respect as he casually stepped onto one of Guy's arms, making sure to press his entire weight against the fractured bone before stepping on the other and repeating the process. The replica continued this until he was satisfied, finally stepping off and circling around until he was crouched behind Guy's head.

Given their physiques it was no surprise that Sync struggled to move Guy, though he refused to give up until he had the latter just where he wanted him. Eventually, with a good amount of work, the God-General had managed to shift them until the swordsman's body was facing Claude, blonde head forced upwards so that Guy had no choice but to look up at the other swordsman. Meanwhile, Sync was on his knees behind him, one of his arms around Guy's neck in a loose choke hold while the other hand was clamped tightly into the latter's hair. However, instead of paying any mind to Claude, Sync's attention was solely on Anise.

The God-General's gaze was emotionless, even when he pulled his arm back, slowly strangling Guy in the process.
Edited 2009-11-09 02:20 (UTC)
gald_digger: (Oh the drama!)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] gald_digger 2009-11-11 06:33 am (UTC)(link)
Anise couldn't believe what she was watching. Her screaming died out as Sync began to crush Guy's already injured arms. At that point, she realized it. No matter how much she shouted, and no matter how much Guy himself willed it, he couldn't stand and he couldn't fight.

He was going to die.

She couldn't do anything to stop it. Claude had tried, but even he was just as helpless, with the barrier separating them. And now, as if he hadn't done enough, Sync was moving to choke Guy. Was watching the only thing they could do!?

Anise's body shuddered with each shaky breath she took. It was difficult to even process the kind of cruelty she was witnessing. Her trembling body suddenly grew stiff, however, when Sync's cold, green eyes turned to her.

"Stop it," she pleaded, despite knowing it was no use. "Stop it!"

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[identity profile] full-score.livejournal.com 2009-11-11 08:28 pm (UTC)(link)
Claude couldn't take his eyes off of what was happening even if he'd wanted to. The whole thing was just too horrible to try to ignore.

When Sync did the unimaginable and began to press his weight down on both of Guy's undoubtedly broken arms, Claude pressed himself against the wall, as if unable to believe what he was witnessing. Screams sickeningly similar to the noises that had roused him that night Sync had stuffed him into a closet echoed throughout the coliseum. Desperate, Claude briefly paced up and down the edge of the invisible barrier, like a caged animal looking for some sort of escape. But no matter where he looked or touched, there was no apparent weakness in the wall. Martin Landel had set this up to be a fight between only Sync and Guy, even if that meant locking Claude out while he was forced to watch that monster torture his friend.

Being a spectator alone was unbearable enough. He couldn't begin to imagine what Guy was going through on the other side of the wall, as Sync grabbed him by his hair and began to strangle him right before Claude's eyes. The way he'd deliberately turned Guy to face him while this was going on didn't go unnoticed. Sync was trying to make this as painful as possible for everyone involved, that bastard!

But it was the realization that Guy was unable to fight back, that he was going to be condemned to a gruesome death he didn't deserve, sent Claude sagging to the ground. He faintly felt his sword slip from his grasp as it clattered onto the dirt beside him. This was almost exactly what had happened when he watched his father die -- powerless to do anything to save anyone, he'd been forced to his knees and frozen into place.

The same sorts of feelings coursed through him -- terror at the thought of losing someone he loved, fury at such senseless cruelty, horrified from finding himself completely and utterly useless...

"That's enough, Sync!" he yelled -- at least, he tried to, but his voice caught in his throat on the last syllable as his eyes began to burn with tears. "Please..."
Edited 2009-11-11 20:29 (UTC)
godforsaken: (because no one is innocent.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-12 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
Hearing Guy gasp like that was almost methodical in a way, and for a moment Sync closed his eyes and listened to his pained wheezing. He gave no notice to Claude or Anise, not even when they desperately pleaded for him to stop, instead filtering them out in the light of his own enjoyment. It was only when he was satisfied did he looked back up into the stands, the corners of his mouth tugging into a tired smile.

"Anise..." Despite his exhaustion, Sync's voice rang clear, and yet it wasn't 'his'. It would've seemed to most that he'd planned to soil Ion's identity, but that wasn't the case. In reality, Sync had done nothing but speak naturally, effectively dropping the voice he'd been forced to use for so long. In many ways it was both foreign and familiar, but in the end it brought the same empty feeling.

"... It was my fault from the start, wasn't it?" The replica eventually began, refusing to look away. "None of this would've happened if I hadn't been born like this. I never would've been thrown away, tossed aside to be picked up and molded into what I am now."

It was an achievement in itself that Sync could say that so sincerely, but maybe that was because he no longer had the energy to be bitter. He was tired, and it must've shown, but Sync pressed on anyway. The God-General didn't care if anyone dared to interject, or that there were even other people around in the first place. Meanwhile, his grip remained relentless, even though he was hardly paying attention to Guy anymore.

"I must look like a monster, but I can't help it. I've lived this empty life for so long that I've forgotten how to be happy..." He paused, realizing his mistake and laughed. "No, it's not that. I've just never learned how."

Sync's laughter eventually died, relaxing until he was gazing up at her with a serene look. His visible eye drooped, though that smile remained.

"But if things had been different then you... you would've been my guardian, and you would've protected me all the same, right? You would've shown what happiness felt like, and we would've been together until the day I died."

By then his smile disappeared altogether, replaced with a solemn expression. It was hard to make out if the God-General had been sincere, or if he just wanted to hurt Anise in the worst way possible, but maybe that was why he was so dangerous in the first place.

"I'm sorry, Anise. I'm sorry I ruined this for us."

Without warning, he suddenly twisted Guy's neck until a loud snap penetrated the air.
gald_digger: (Oh the drama!)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] gald_digger 2009-11-12 11:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Why? Why was he saying those things now, of all times?

It was hard to believe that that soft voice and gentle face belonged to the very same person whose arm was presently clamped around Guy's throat in a deadly grip. And those words, which dragged Anise's buried feelings of pity up to the surface...

But they were lies, weren't they? They were true, but Sync didn't mean what he was saying. He couldn't mean something like that while slowly killing her friend at the same time!

Guy... Anise wished she had a chance to apologize to him. If it wasn't for her, this wouldn't be happening. Tears streamed down her cheeks, one after another, as she kept her pleading eyes fixed on Sync.

The sudden snap of Guy's neck caused those eyes to widen with shock. A horrified gasp escaped her lips, but that was the only sound she made. Her throat felt like it was closing up, and she found herself unable to scream or cry out.

Guy was dead. The realization made her blood run cold.

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[identity profile] full-score.livejournal.com 2009-11-14 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Sync wasn't going to stop. That much became certain as he just stood there, looking as though he was basking beneath the very cruelty he was perpetrating. Having nothing to do but sit there and watch made Claude feel sick. Was there really no way to stop this?!

And then the boy turned his attention onto Anise, speaking in a voice that Claude recognized from when he'd assumed the identity of Ion, not to mention all those times Sync had taunted him during the day. Hearing his words made Claude tighten his jaw, his eyes flashing. Just what the hell was he getting at, saying stuff like that?! Half of it barely even made sense to Claude. And yet even though he'd long ago figured out that there was a lot he didn't understand about the Auldrantian patients in Landel's, that did nothing to ease the growing hatred he harbored toward Sync.

But the more Sync talked, the thicker Claude's anxiety for Guy became. The thought of losing him along with Dias was almost unbearable, and there wasn't a damn thing Claude could do to stop it. But suddenly that all came toppling down the moment Sync decided he was tired of playing around, twisting Guy's neck in one horrifyingly swift motion.

For a moment Claude was too stunned to even do anything as the realization that Guy was gone tried to sink in.
godforsaken: (a beautiful day for sin.)

Re: Coliseum Floor - North

[personal profile] godforsaken 2009-11-15 11:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Twisting Guy's neck like that was both satisfying and not, a sigh escaping his throat when the latter's body finally went limp. Sync rolled the swordsman's head in his arms, absentmindedly twisting Guy's neck in the other direction as if making sure he'd done the job right.

Or maybe he was just bored.

It was obvious that, despite his words, Sync felt absolutely no remorse for what he'd done. The fact that Guy was dead didn't seem to deter him in the slightest, repeatedly twisting the swordsman's neck back and forth while enjoying the resistance of bone sliding against bone. While watching Anise cry like that had been satisfying, he eventually grew tired of looking at her and instead focused his attention back towards Claude.

"..." At first the replica looked pained, but that expression soon disappeared from his face as he carelessly tossed that dead body off of him. Sync carefully stood on his feet, wavering slightly as he fought the urge to collapse out of exhaustion before making his way over to where Claude was. His movements were slow and sluggish, but he eventually dropped back down to the floor, sliding against the invisible wall until he was now resting comfortably in front of the horrified blond.

And it was there that he watched Claude, not bothering to say anything as he graced the latter with a half-lidded smile.

It didn't matter if the Head Doctor removed the wall separating them; he had won, and not even death could take that away from him.