Thrones: Sibling Rivalry (Inkblot and Dylan)

Victoria felt her faculties return to her, her gears slowly spinning back to life. Her thoughts picked back up to her full superhuman speed, and her vision corrected. She looked up to find it was Cillian who had intervened, now being threatened by his own weapon. This was no good. Victoria picked up her rifle and aimed it at Eir. Her attention was focused elsewhere, and her emotions and the constant pain she felt left her much less aware of her surroundings than cold, inhuman Victoria. Even with her power, she wouldn't be able to react in time. One bullet through the heart, and she would be down. Her comrade would be saved.

Yet...she couldn't pull the trigger. All she managed to do was let out a "Stop!" Stop what, Victoria instantly thought to herself? Stop killing the human? Stop intervening? Stop this whole twisted scenario? What did Victoria think would happen? Had she thought anything at all, or had she merely ignored all predictions and outcomes because they didn't satisfy her? Eir tossed her a glare. "Not yet Herja. I am saving you. Just watch for now." She pointed an open palm at Victoria and she felt an invisible force hit her again, knocking the gun out of her hands and sending it skidding across the floor a short distance past Cillian. As she hit the wall Cillian's sword pursued her, piercing her shoulder and pinning her metal frame to the wall.

Victoria looked up. She could probably pull the sword out, but what then? She knew she couldn't kill Eir. Even if she had the will to, her only means of finishing it in one shot had been thrown across the room. Cillian was going to die, and it was her fault. She had failed him as a comrade, blindly leading him into this, and she had failed the organization she had pledged loyalty. She looked up at Cillian and spoke quietly with a wavering voice. "I.-I'm sorry. I can't...." She trailed off without finishing her sentence, but Eir liberally added some punctuation by slamming her head against the wall with a magnetic blast scraping much of the skin off the left side of her face to reveal cold metal. Eir took a few steps towards Victoria, laughing. "Where the hell does a doll without nerves get off acting like she's in pain?" Then the smile disappeared from her face as she leaned towards Victoria with wide eyes. "What the hell do YOU think you know about Pain?" She yelled at Victoria, as if expecting a response, but Victoria merely stared back. For the first time in her life, she had no idea what to do.

Robert followed the princess and Cilian out of the elevatorm through a corridor and into a room filled with cronies. They were nothing to worry about. He instinctively pulled out his two swords, prepping for a fight. Right as he did that, Victoria ran through them, ducking and dodging the bullets. She was in a hurry and they were the least of her concerns. Cilian followed suit, but he actually helped out... barely. He apologized to Robert, but he could see the stifled smile on his face. He gave him the finger as he ran out. Robert let out a small sigh as Cilian left him to deal with these mindless brutes. Robert looked at them all and then said "If you don't want to die, I recommend you leave." Four of them dropped their guns and ran out, it seemed that they thought their lives were more important than the progression of the organization. He shook his head, they were considered scum in his eyes for their disloyalty.

Robert looked at the rest and said "I gave you your chance." After he said that, one of the thugs began shooting at him. He smirked and ran towards the thug shooting at him, deflecting the bullets that could potentially hurt him with his sword. He ended his life with one quick slash across the throat. The others were in shock for a second, but soon noticed what had occurred. They began to shoot wildly, most of their shots horribly aimed. Now I see why the bad guys always miss in movies. Robert ran at them with blazing speed, and dodged and deflected most of the bullets. He stabbed one in the heart, while slashing another's heart. As he pulled the sword out of the thug, he used the hilt of it to hit another thug on the nose in an upward motion, instantly killing him.

Robert didn't have time to diddle daddle, so he would to kill them as quickly as possible. Robert then jumped forward, lunging his swords in two thugs skulls. He was using his size to his advantage, he was able to maneuver through them easily. One of the bullets grazed him on his shoulder, but it was nothing serious. Luckily, not that many were left. One of the thugs came running towards him, his gun firing wildly. Robert ran towards him and then slid through his legs, stabbing him in the back. "Don't try to be a hero." Robert then did a butterfly kick, swinging his swords while he was in the air. He cut two of the thugs necks, and broke another's neck with the kick. There were three left and they were shaking in their boots. His put his swords away and said "I gave you your chance." Robert took out a handgun and shot three well placed shots at their heads.

Robert then turned around and ran to where he saw Cilian and the princess run off to. Robert ran at full speed, arriving to a horrible scene. Robert eyes widened, his comrades were in desperate need of aid. He observed the scene first: Cilian was on the floor rubbing his head, Victoria was pinned to a wall with Balizarde in her shoulder, and then there was a piece of titanium on the floor. From the way Victoria was twitching, it seemed as if she was being controlled. She must be a metal manipulator. Robert concluded. He took off his jacket, which contained his sheathed swords, his guns, and basically anything else metal.

He looked at the android who looked like the princess, her back was to him and it seemed like she was about to finish her off. Robert sighed and then ran towards her at full speed, he was going to take advantage while he could. He then grabbed her head and slammed it into the metal wall, then drug it down the wall and into the floor where it made a loud thud. Robert then threw her across the room, he knew she would get back up eventually, but he had to get the princess to safety. He pulled the sword out of her shoulder and carried her to the hallway where his weapons were. He placed Balizarde next to her. "Sorry, but you're of no use in this battle." he said to her compassionately. "Just stay here and let us take care of it." He then ran towards Cilian, helping him stand up. "You're an idiot you know that? You're not allowed to die when I'm around. It's my duty as the Bishop and as your friend." Robert said with a smirk. "We're going to have to take finish this, so get ready." The android began to stood up, her face completely removed, showing only the robot components. Robert got into a fighting stance, he wanted to get this over with.

There it was, Cilian's most prized possesion hovering just above his cranium, ready to impale his rather handsome face Balizarde, a weapon as graceful as it was dangerous was no longer under his control but the control of a monster, a cackling nightmarish doppelganger of Victoria. Cilian's jaw was clenched, his breathing sharp as it was shallow, prepared for the final blow; the end of his life. Thoughts of his new friends instantly flooded his mind in a muddled collage of experiences he had shared with these fantastical 'co-workers'. These overwhelmingly talented freaks of nature had succeeded in stealing his affection, not only were they his friends but somehow filled the role of family as well. Yet here the Frenchman was, clasping his head as he stared death right in the eyes, wondering how his untimely demise would affect his beloved friends.

Fate however, seemed to of had other plans for the prince and opted for the deadly assault to once again focus on the princess of thrones, pinning her onto the wall in the process. He wanted to gasp in relief but such a thing would have been considered extremely rude and inappropriate especially when his writhing android princess had sacrificed the blow for him. Gritting his teeth the tattooed tuxedo wearing prince grimaced as he slumped his body over to the side, a cold sweat drenching his once impeccable suit. He would allow the death of such a sweet lady-robot-princess especially since she had already suffered an attack from him, from his very own blade! Shifting his weight onto his elbows he slowly dragged his body over to a toppled control panel, cringing as he did so. His momentary change in position was halted due to the abrupt entrance of his plucky protector, a plucky protector minus all the intriguing weaponry he specialised in.

"You're a bit late you know that...", he chuckled in between sharp breaths, propping himself up on his elbows as he watched with amusement at Dylan man handling the insane copy of their princess. The bishop was impressive in his assault, simultaneously getting Victoria out of harms way all the while removing the her clone's face right off. "That's my Dylan! Yeah! Slam her against the wall!", the excitable prince cheered from the 'sidelines' as he allowed the Thrones bishop to finish his work. Although his body was still aching from the blow to his head the wily Prince still had time for his snarky humour, a cheeky grin etched on his thin lips as he allowed his scraggly haired friend to retrieve him off the ground.

"Where have you been all my life?", Cilian whispered in his buddy's ear, attempting not to grin as he playfully slapped the man's ass. Yes, there was a chance this robot was going to kill him...but at least his humour remained intact, even if his forehead was drilling blood down his face.

Swivelling on the heels of his polished shoes the Frenchman raised an eyebrow at the grotesque figure in front of them. This was not Victoria. Victoria was aloof, awkward and a rather curious individual...this screeching metallic monstrosity was all rage and insanity. "I think it's about time I teach you the ways of how to approach a woman..", Cilian chuckled, raising both suited arms in front of his as the swirling masses of ink began to build up in the palms of his hands. The churning black globules of ink contorted around his digits as his mind began to mould the vicious liquid and no sooner had his fingers snap open did two contorted shimmering black blades protrude out of his arms, a vicious extension of his body. The designs were one with him, he could create deadly scars as easily as he could conjur art and this monstrosity was about to face both.

"Time to dance!", he whispered before lunging in the air, the black slender tendrils soaring through the air aimed at the clone's body. This would hopefully be a clean kill.

Before Eir could begin her work on Cilian, Dylan charged in and proved that his position in Thrones was well earned. He tossed Eir across the room. He hadn't managed to cause any damage, Victoria knew, but the playing field had become closer to even.

Dylan had removed the sword from Victoria's shoulder, leaving a bloodless opening that revealed only metal under her skin. "Sorry, but you're of no use in this battle." Dylan remarked to her. Underneath her nonexistent breath, Victoria muttered back. "You have no idea." as she simply slumped down to her knees without the sword holding her up, making no effort to catch herself or stand. She watched silently with a blank expression as the three people left standing in the room prepared to continue the battle from square one. The Thrones members were outmatched in firepower, Eir had a distinct advantage over melee combatants. Eir was distracted though, her mind constantly hazed by the pain signals constantly being sent to her brain from every part of her body. Cillian and Dylan were well-trained in killing, not much unlike Victoria. They certainly couldn't be counted out as a loss. Yet, for some reason Victoria loathed to imagine them victorious. The easiest way out it seemed to her, involved Eir killing everyone in the including Victoria. Especially Victoria.

Cillian acted quickly. The best option he had, although it was risky. Victoria would have given her approval on the decision, had this been a training exercise. However, it was not training and as Cilian reared up for his attack Victoria panicked. "Noo!" She screamed again as she quickly stood up and rushed forward, raising her sidearm. Only after she had begun moving did she realize with a sick feeling of guilt it was not Eir she was aiming for. Eir however interpreted it as an attack, and reacted with a quick magnetic blast before Victoria could even raise her weapon. The pistol flew from her hand as Victoria buckled to her knees and slid backwards. She was powerless to move forward as she saw Cilian leaping behind the now disctracted Eir.

Time seemed to freeze as the black blades pierced through Eir's heart, leaving two small bloodless openings. Victoria screamed, a panicked wordless sound as she fought inertia to get back on her feet. Eir looked at the opening, her mind slowing and her pain receding already as the heart that powered her ceased to function. "How stupid." Eir calmly remarked before falling to her knees, and then unceremoniously collapsing face first onto the sterile floor. Victoria ran to the body, turning it over to see the face that was identical to her own though much of the "face" had been torn aside to reveal the metal framework underneath.. "You...killed her." She said looking at Cilian, her tone of voice a bit more accusatory then congratulatory. "Why?" She asked aloud, to no one in particular as she knelt beside the body. I could have understood...I never asked to be created either." Her voice shook with genuine emotion, and for the first time in her "life" Victoria felt cold.

Then, the moment seemed to end as Victoria picked the body up in her arms and looked to her escorts. "Good work, operatives." She said, uncharacteristically neglecting to mention them by name. "The mission is complete. I suggest we vacate, as this base is likely to erase itself in a most explosive manner now that we have thoroughly compromised it." She stood up and began walking out of the room with the limp body of her twin in her arms. "I will take this back to base, and incinerate it myself. Can't have it falling into the wrong hands again. You two will have take care of any hostiles on our way out, though confrontation is unlikely. I imagine anyone left in here is busy evacuating. On that note, let us make haste." she said in a monotone, and simply walked out of the room to make her way to the exit.

((The thread can end at any point now, but feel free to add in your character's reactions/dialogue. Since the combat portion of the thread has ended, there is no longer a posting order to follow.))