Re: A Perfect Circle

by **Zodiac** August 23rd 2013, 2:52 am

         ”Niall, don't get up again.” Brandon said, he cracked his knuckles and went to walk out. Suddenly there was a loud thundering noise, it shook the entire mansion. Brandon was thrown back and Niall generated a shield to catch him with comfort. Niall stood up and grabbed Brandon’s wrist.

      ”No.” Niall said, steadfast. ”I won’t let my mistakes ruin your family…I’m not going to sit by while that bastard who devoured my friends soul is runnin amok. Brandon, this sounds clingy, and trust me I don’t want to run you off, and it probably sounds just as clichéd, but you are seriously the best goddamn thing that’s happened to me. So I swear if you ever tell me to just stay down again I’ll kick your ass too.” Niall barked at him, he was glad Brandon couldn’t see him through the helmet, but he was trembling as bad as it got, he was scared he was going to lose Brandon too, and he wasn’t about to let Arianna pay the price of his failure.

     The light energy enveloped his entire body. This Aether energy was truly just as potent as Ethereal energy. Ouroboros was actually surprised that this woman was so deep into Aether control that she hadn’t stumbled upon the secrets of the ethereal. The Hydra skin armor was almost immediately began deconstruction, being eaten away. The armor would not be completely destroyed, however he had a different issue. The second that the energy ate through the armor, his body disappeared in an instant. What was this? Was his body still this fragile? The boy Zell actually had to LIVE with this? IT was pathetic, and Oruoboros would not stand for it. His entire body had been affected, and so Ouro did what he needed to do. He suddenly deconstructed on a molecular and sub-atomic scale, becoming immune to all damages that would have persisted. He was in bad shape, and it was most distressing to find that he was still far too weak to finally take his place as the true entity of flesh. The smoke all cleared, and the blade of Arianna fell apart, crumbling. She fell to her knees, Ouroboros was nowhere to be found. Suddenly, a small spark ignited in the air, and a whirling mist of Ethereal energy formed, and there stood the trembling, burned and beaten body of Zell Atterrius. Ouroboros began laughing…laughing, hysterically. His hydra skin suit was tattered, he was missing chunks of flesh and bones were exposed all over. HE stepped forward, almost falling over. Blood poured down his broken arms, and he coughed up blood.

      ”That was…so…damn…beautiful.” He rasped and he began chuckling. Suddenly his A.V.A.T.A.R released the Ethereal nanites through his body, his body entered a stage known as the ‘Imperium’ Protocol, allowing his body to knit closed its wounds, while the Hydra skin healed itself naturally. His Imperium Protocol healed is minor wounds almost instantly, his major ones in about a minute, and his toughest wounds were still healing as the other three ‘family members’ appeared. ”Hello boys.” He said without a second thought. He lookd back to the very spot where Sean and the crew killed the Imperfect being. The truth was that Ouroboros had other ways to seal his wounds; however the Imperium protocol allowed him to do this. The stains where the creature’s blood ran out began to glow, as if being held under an Ethereal black-light. Little green ethereal sparks and lightning bolts began to dance around and suddenly there was an amorphous blob forming, almost as if rising out of the concrete.m He crossed his arms, his body almost fully repaired. Granted he was still a bit weary from needing to use this much ethereal energy to activate his technology, but he was still ready to fight. The Amorphus blob turned into a black-haired mabn in his early twenty’s. His lack of clothing was not an issue, as soon the Member of S.T.A.R.K known as Specter jumped from behind the tree, shooting bullets at the newly resurrected creature.

     SPECTER, NO!” Niall yelled. The naked humanoid with black hair and blood red eyes snarled, and suddenly specter dropped, the blood all drained form his body instantly. The blood formed around the resurrected imperfect, and formed fabric made of blood, a beautiful and functional piece.

     ”Zakaken. Go!” Ouroboros commanded. The creature charged Aaron, the upper portion of his clothing returning to blood and flying out, throwing Aaron back, taking him far enough away. The creature pursued Aaron, and thwre they would have a battle of their own. Now it was just the three against Ouroboros. Ouro smiled and looked at Arianna. ”My Dear, you were the aceup their sleeve…you are truly worthy of this. This…is the ace up my sleeve” Ouro snickered. Suddenly his retina’s flashed as they closed in with Ariannas. This was the final act, the last resort for Ouroboros, something he despised using, the curtain call…The endgame. The flash of ethereal energy would amplify her perceptions to beyond godlike, in accordance with her knowledge, and her reflexes would be unable to react quickly enough. Ouroboros The held out his hand. Reality warped, and suddenly the large blade, the blade of hatred and contempt…Misanthropy formed. He plunged the blade into Arianna, only going just deep enough to draw blood. In her chest. There was no lethality; there was nothing more than a minor piercing of flesh and a little sinew. Any human without a healing factor would have been able to recover from this The truth within it was much darker.

      ”STOP!” Naill commanded

      ”Do you want to be the one to htell him what I’m doing to his beloved mother, or shall I?” Ouroboros posed the question, a smug sadistic smirk on his face. ”Oh please let me do it! You see here, your mother is perceiving things at a god-like rate, meaning she is now time desensitized. For her minutes take hundreds of years to pass, in fact every minute that passes is about ninety three years in their perceptions. This blade here is known as Misanthropy, it is a blade that is meant to bring pain to mortality….I want you to thing of punching someone will all your might…that is the pain your mother has been feeling since I’ve placed the tip of my blade in her…ever second to her is rather long however…and this right here marks about the thirty second mark…so your mother has taken a relentless beasting from you for about fourtysix and a half years now…and still counting. Look at her, she’s in such pain, but she can’t even scream…I bet I know what she’s wondering…why can’t you be more like Aaron...why can’t you save her…It really is a shame…She had such promise for the world…and here I am…breaking her will because her youngest twin is too damn weak to do anything about it.” Ouro laughed sadistically. He enjoyed watching Niall squirm as Zell tormented his ‘personal’ friend. It reached the minute mark. ” She’s been suffering for ninety three years…” He said with a satisfied sigh. The sadistic grin returned as he brushed the brown hair from his face. ”…only three more minutes to go…” Niall roared out, and charged, he couldn't let his go on, he couldn't stand to see Ariann or Brandon suffer.

   "You son of a bitch, I'll KILL YOU!" Niall roared. Ouroboros only laughed.

"That's the spirit!" Ouro teased him with a scoff

by **Samael Christensen** August 23rd 2013, 3:39 am

The smoke cleared, and Ouroborous was heavily damaged, blood pouring from wounds formed by Ariannas most powerful weapons. One that she had spent years on trying to perfect the creation of Ethereal energy, but in the end it was still incomplete, not enough to destroy this man. He was truly a monster, and as the weapon fell away, she knew that she could not kill him, not now. Her breaths came shallow, as her vision grew blurry, a fatigue coming over her body, though she could still see it happen. Hos body was actually mending itself, as if by magic. Even after all of that damage, he was able to repair himself, to a condition that would allow him to function when Arianna could not.

She cursed under herbreath, fingers scrapping into the dirt that had been revealed on the ground by the explosion. What made it worst was that this bastard was laughing at her, as if it were some big joke. One of the most powerful mages was being made light of, like a child. If only she could draw upon a little more magical energy, just a little more, then she could pull another weapon from the Aetherium. Arianna would try to stand up, well she couldn't even try, only sit there with deep, ragged breaths. Thus was what happened when you expended almost all of your magical energy? It had been something that she had not felt since long ago, when she was a foolish mages apprentice.

He said something, as a naked being appeared out of nowhere, though that didn't seem to be much of a problem. Next came what looked like a man raining bullets upon it, though that was worthless against its powerful hide. The beast snarled and the man fell, his blood spurting a grotesque crimson and in moments the blood became fabric. What the hell was happening? Arianna had never seen beings such as these before, but they were right in front of her; not some sort of strange dream. He then commanded the thing move, and it rushed after her son, after Aaron. She wanted to move, to protect him, but her limbs were as ehavy as lead. That was when it happened.

What caught her eyes was that the bastard was summoning a weapon, something that looked familiar though what it was escaped her. All she knew was that it was a sword, and something about it screamed malevolence. There was a sharp pain near her breats, as the sword was pressed into it, though it only seemed like it was enough to draw blood. Then she couldn't even cry out, as pain assailed her all over, a pain so great that she could not even describe it. Whatever that blade was, it held a poison or curse that was far beyond anything that the woman had ever seen within her life. Was this the power of Ethereal energy that he was trying to uncover?

Brandon could only watch helplessly, even with the great strength that he had. Was this the reason he had so much power? His brother was being attacked by that inhuman thing that Zell or whatever his name was sent after him, and his mother could do nothing now. Everything was falling apart at his feet and there was nothing that he could do. He had never felt so helpless within his life, and that was a horrible feeling. His fingers clenched rightly around his arms, teeth biting hard against his lower lip, trying not to show any sort of tears. They were out powered in every meaning of the word.

This guy had taken a point blank shot from the Aether Cannon, and yet he was still alive, That was something he considered impossible. If his mother couldn't defeat him, why did Niall think that he had any chance in hell? No, Brandon would have to make sure that he was the one that kill him. He walked forward, feeling only numbness and absolute fear. If he was going to die, then he would die fighting. His fists clenched tightly, as his feet stepped over the ruins of what was once the living room section of the house. Then in a moment he charged, aiming to slam a full powered fist into Ouro's face.

by **Zodiac** August 24th 2013, 1:32 am

      Brandon was having a bit of a hard time adapting to these...changes. That was good. Ouro smiled, watching Brandon take his charge. Ouro was proud, smug and arrogant. It was his weakness. His eyes narrowed, that same sadistic smile. He took his hand off his blade and it remained still, as if he were still holding it inside Arianna. She would feel this…all of it. He stepped back and crossed his arms, his advanced mind processing the movements, calculating the outcomes. Unlike may other men an women of great intellect, he was still able to keep up physically with the intense information processed and perceived. Such a straightforward attempt….yes…no ones EVER thought to do that before…Ah well...a simply step off to the side and a knee to the stomach, the an elbow to the back of his neck, and maybe that will be enough to kill the bastard. Poor fool…how do you hit someone who can practically read your mind as far as combat goes and know what you do before you can even think to do it? Ouroboros thought to himself. All he needed to do was step aside…now-or not, hello fist! Ouroboros brought up his arms up as an X to block the fist from his face. Brandon’s fist sent a rattling through the Hydra skin suit. The force from the fist caused an occultation in the suit, and suddenly where the shoulder blades in his armor was had blown out and some of his blood spilled out. He was in addition sent fling back at a high velocity. Activating his ethereal energy he generated claws of Ethereal energy from his technology and dug them into the ground, scraping it as he skid to a halt. Ouroboros glared up directly at Niall.

      Ouroboros would have easily stepped to the side and avoided any form of harm, but that pretentious prick Niall generated a barrier, not to keep him from harm, but to keep him from moving out of harms way! He was shocked, there was no way Niall was smart enough to know what way he was going to move, it was improbable if not impossible.

      ”You stop someone like that by reading their mind.” Niall interrupted through their mental link. Niall with a grand leap, landed right next to Brandon. He would not let Ouroboros do this, to anyone let alone Brandon.

      ”You really are going to defy me…for this worthless runt?” Ouroboros asked Niall, disgust filling his tone as he stood back upright entirely. He laughed a little. ”It doesn’t matter I suppose...I just can’t help but wonder as to why you’d waste your time punching me and trying to treat me as a rag doll when the fifteen seconds it took for you to do that earned your mother a few years of agonizing pain and torment…You’re really not that bright are you? No wonder Niall must like you..a match made in heaven you two…and who am I to sep[erate young love?” Ouroboros said. His smile back into the confident sickeningly sadistic sophistication. ”So I’ve decided to send you BOTH to Hell...then I’ll send your mother with my regards.” He said, still egging on Brandon. Niall had enough of it though. Niall had enough.

      Niall charged at Ouro, and when he was a step away, He shed the exosuit, and Threw a full fist for Ouro’s face. Ouro dodged it, but the Exosuit had moved behind him and kicked him in the back, sending him right for Brandon. Ouroboros had a plan. With a simple thought his body was Augmented by the Ethereal energy in his body, and he was empowered with muscles far stronger.(+4 PP to Str) and he used this to tackle Brandon, taking him to the ground (hopefully) and rolling past standing up and pulling the sword from Arianna. He tapped her with his foot, lightly and she fell over on her side. Zell turned around, and with Misanthroy in both ahnds he went to chop down at Brandon, murder in his eyes, the pupils glowing a blood red with malice and malcontent shining through. Niall to the rescue. He had the Golden god suit reassemble over him as he generated a barrier over Brandon, the first strike bounced off the barrier. Niall positioned himself over Brandon, using his entire body as a shield, and the Golden god suit’s arm being the only thing that was protecting him. Ouroboros swung Misanthropy four times. The first time, shattering the helmet that protected Niall, the second, rendering the torso useless, the third shattering a shoulder piece, a fourth shattering the other shoulder piece and finally he dropped Misanthropy, and with a violent bloodlust he sunk his ethereal claws into Nialls shoulde.r Niall cried out in pain as Ouro ripped through his shoulder, then grabbing Niall by the neck and tossing him slightly to the side as the armored arm was severed. Niall fell off to the side, his blood spewing everywhere. Ouro’s blade fleew on it’;s own accord up and over his shoulder, in poition for him to simply grab it and go again.

      The exosuit arm removed itself form the arm, and shot through the air, forming a pseudo-arm over the stubbing that Niall had left. Niall rolled over and caught the blade with his pseudo-arm, and with a full powered Protonic blast, sent him reeling through the air, his hydra-skin in terrible shape. Niall dropped to a knee, tears rolling down his face from pain.

      ”Please Brandon…get out of here...take your mum and get out of here…please I don’t want this to happen to you!” He pleaded. Ouro stepped from the house he was blown into, and cracked his neck. Blood cascading down his sunbathed skin as the Hydra skin began to repair itself once more.

      ”Niall! Aim for my HEA-!” Zell cried out, Niall knew it was genuinely him. It was Zell, he was still in there. The cry was one of pain, but transitioned the sentence seamlessly into the same suave seductive voice of a sadist. ”It’s…too…late…”

by **Samael Christensen** August 24th 2013, 2:13 am

”Dammit.” Aaron cursed under his breath, as the imperfects claws managed to lightly scraped across his side, though it drew a thin stream of blood along with it. The bestial monster had no intentions on giving up on its mission to kill the young Hale, but Aaron did not intend on letting it slaughter him. He wiped away a strand of blonde hair from his eyes, and went into flight, as the thing charged again, shattering a wooden chair as it scrambled along, nails rending furniture. Its tail was what nearly got him that time, though a psionic shield was what blocked it, and it only tired him out more.

If this kept going like it was, Aaron knew that he was going to die, and that was not something that he wanted to do. ”Is that all you got?” With a motion of his hand, a section of the wall came free and slammed hard into the monster, causing it to pause, but otherwise it did little surface damage, Perhaps there was a small bruise but he was making no head way with this battle, and it was only dragging on, with him growing tired. Its eyes grew angry, as muscles tended, and claws tore into the plush carpeting. His mother was going to be pissed when all of this was done, but for now he had to focus on the monster trying to kill him.

Like a spring it was off, and the air around Aaron seemed to waver as the shield formed, and it was caught by his telekinetic hold, thrashing about as claws came only inches from raking across his weak flesh. That was when the tendrils of blood lashed out at him, managing to barely tap into his skin, drawing blood of their own before being forced back by the power of his mind. It took all he had to keep this thing from breaking free of his spell, and he knew that he could not keep this up forever. He would have to find a way to either knock it out or kill it, and Aaron was unsure of either were a viable option.

”I knew that fucker Zell was no good.” He said straining, and with all of his power poured into one attack he slammed the thing against the ground, as a great cloud of dust blew out from it. One of its blood attacks tore through his midsection and drew a large gout of blood from his mouth, as the thing made no sound, except for short shallow breaths. He didn't kill it, but it was out for now. The blood attack withdrew from his body with a sickening sound as he fell to the ground, drawing upon his healing spell as he attempted to close up his wounds, with what little magical energy he had left. Aaron forced himself to stand, his mind unable to even perform a simple telepathy spell. He had won his fight but how was his family doing?

Brandon felt his fist connect with Ouro's crossed arm instead of his face, but he could feel the damage. Sure the armour he was wearing had some major power behind it, but Brandon was a Hale and they all had enough power of their own to deal with monsters like him. 'Take that you dumb fucker.” he spat under his breath, fists still clenching too tightly, as if they could not undo themselves, his rage still seething. He wanted him dead, more than he ever wanted anyone else within his life. He was trying to kill his only sibling as well as his mother, and that was unforgivable, no one would be allowed to get away with such transgressions.

In fact he even seemed to be trying to goad Brandon into doing something stupid, his tone always so mocking, and seething with arrogance. This was the man that had hurt Niall, that had corrupted Sean and who was trying to kill everyone that he loved. ”You know nothing about my mother, and my family. “ He fists slammed together as they seemed to boom, issuing a loud sound as if he were challenging the perfect being with the mere motion. His lips curled into a scowl, as his eyes narrowed into predatory slits. ”Now shut the hell up and fight me!” He roared as Ouro seemed to oblige his request, or would have if Niall did not try to play hero. The armor left him, and he threw a punch that was easily dodged, though the suit was what managed to land a blow upon the damned man.

It would have been a triumph in the fight , but he was however not expecting what came next, which was a powerful strike from the one that he had damaged only moments ago, but what he felt was more powerful than expected. Brandon found himself tackled to the ground, the breath knocked out of his, as his chest seemed to ache slightly. He was not expecting that and payed for it. His head stuck the ground hard as it cracked from the mere force of the impact, and his vision seemed to blur for a moment, as everything grew red. He cursed under his breath, wondering how he could hope to match someone so superior to him. His eyes however saw the man remove the blade from his mother, likely releasing her from whatever he had put her udner, which was a slight relief.

Brandon rose to his feet, though he was unable to defend himself against the blade that came down at him, one that might have easily torn through his powerful Dwarven flesh if not for one person. A barrier protected him, though Niall could not sustain the barrier, and used himself as one, his armor paying the price with each slash; each slash that cause his heart to drop as sweat poured down his forehead. Everything was going wrong, and here he was being dizzy while all of this shit happened. It was true that he was useless, that he would never amount to anything. Bright green claws sunk into Niall, and he was vopiceless, his mind going blank. In a moment Niall's arm came off ans a small amount of blood splashed across his face, as he could do nothing but despair. The irish male demanded that he take his mother and run, but there was no way that he could do that. He would not run away, not prove that he was useless like so many said he was. Brandon was powerful, he was not the weak boy he was so long ago. ”I...” His voice was too low for anyone but him to hear, his body locking up as he looked over to his mother, he seemed to be simply laying there on the ground, still feeling phantom pains from that bastards sword.

He could see however that Ouro was also badly injured, but he played it off much better than Niall did, and infact he was still his sadistic self, but did he beg that Niall aim for his head? What the hell was going on here? What exactly was this guy? The blade was on the ground though, point first and it looked like he could use it to exact his much desired revenge on this bastard. So Brandon reached for the hilt, feeling it with his tightly clenched fingers, and with a great tug he attempted to pull it free from the Earth, only to fail. It felt like something that was way heavier than anything that he had ever lifted before, but what the hell was it? What was beyond his realm of lifting? Sure he could not lift a skyscraper, but this should have not been to impossible, even if it was some sort of super dense metal. Brandon gave up on it quick and thought of so many options, but none were good enough.

So he gathered his mother in his arms gingerly, and would take her elsewhere, and then return to help Niall once more.

by **Zodiac** August 24th 2013, 8:39 pm

Ouroboros walked over, activating his Ethereal life support, healing once more, however this time he was only able to heal at above superhuman level, meaning the fatal wounds would take a few minutes to heal, thankfully he didn’t have any direct fatalities waiting to claim him. Tonight was his debut, and he needed to look his best. His wounds healed, as did his armor, and he walked up to Niall.

      Niall tried to beat him away, but ‘Zell’ was far beyond him. Niall felt a clench against his throat, Zell pulled him up and forced him to stand at eye level. This wasn’t Zell, and Niall knew it. His heart told him…his body told him…but his mind couldn’t understand. Why did this have to happen…Zell was supposed to have time. What about all the things that Zell wanted to do just in case he was going to die? The only thing Niall could do was angrily grab Ouroboros’ throat as hard as he could, his tears streaming down his face and blood shot eyes glaring right into ‘Zells’ emerald spheres.

     ”Zell…I’m sorry…don’t let him do this…” Niall pleaded as he grunted. Ouroboros laughed and threw Niall back, forcing him to try and struggle to stand. As Ouro walked, Aaron appeared out of the wreckage of the house. Ouroboros just chuckled warmly. He couldn’t wait to see Aaron’s reaction to see a broken and almost dead Niall on the ground, struggling to even stand and die like a man, and his family nowhere to be seen. As Aaron appeared six ethereal extremities came out of Zell’s back, lifting Niall up by the throat, one wrapping around each leg, one around his waist, and one around his throat and arm. With Niall suspended in the air, vulnerable

      ”Aaron…just the man I wanted to see...Lookie here…” Ouroboros said, his tendrils pushing Niall out towards him as if showing him off. ”Poor Niall…he just wanted to come and impress your brother’s family…and in the end he ended sacrificing himself so your pathetic little brother could run off with that mother of yours that I’ve broken…But he does not need to die…Aaron…you can make this stop… Ouroboros said.

      ”Aaron...get…away.” Niall tried to speak, the tendril tightened.

      ”Aaron…I’m going to give you an option…You will hold the power of life…and Death. You can kill me…but you will kill Niall as well….Or…you can do one simple thing...and I will disappear, your family no longer in danger…and you’d be free to hunt me.” Ouroboros said, his sweetest smile was on. ”Aaron…you can kill Niall and I…or you can say my name…But I wonder…do you have it in you? Will you, be no better than Sean, and kill an innocent lover…just to get to me? Or will you stop giving Zell Atterrius all the credit for MY hard work. Kill us, and be no better than Sean…or Say my name…and everyone lives to hunt me another day…” Ouroboros said with a smile.

by **Samael Christensen** August 24th 2013, 9:07 pm

”Mom, answer me.” Brandon whispered with urgency as he lay Arianna down on the kitchen counter, her breaths growing shallow. She then began to breath fast, something about it bringing his heartveat up a few. Her eyes had grown glassy, and limbs rigid almost, yet they had fallen limply over his arms when he carried her away from the fight. Had she fallen into shock or was it more than that? The ugly red wound on her chest glared angrily at him, but there was nothing he could do to heal it, not with what he had. ”I'm so sorry... for everything. I couldn't do anything.” Was he crying?

Arianna fell into unconsciousness, but he could only hold tightly on her hand, something so fragile when compared to his steel skin. 'Damn that Zell, damn that Ouroborous, damn him.” he cursed under his breath, not even noticing the barely walking Aaron moving through what remained of the reception area, to where he last saw the perfect being. A small slash on his side still bled somewhat, but otherwise he was sure he could keep moving. Aaron tried to tap into stores of energy that he did not know that he had. He wondered if perhaps he was drawing upon his life force to keep moving, but whatever it was, he could not stop now.

He could see Niall face down and at the mercy of that bastard, and even though he did not trust the blonde irish male, he would not let anyone harm him. When the being saw Aaron appear, he formed six tendrils of Ethereal power and hefted Niall into the air, his disgusting voice speaking more of his arrogant dribble. Aaron felt like wretching from just having to hear his self righteous bullshit. He spoke of leaving his family alone and letting him hunt him as he pleased, but Aaron could not believe him.

”Do you take me for a fool? You would leave my family alone if I say your name? A sadistic bastard like you leaving over something like that? No, you would want to enjoy your handy work.” He said trying to hide the fatigue in his voice.”And there is now way that you would simply let me kill you. You would likely let Niall die and move on with killing my family, you're actually not that good of a liar Ouroborous."Aaron spoke simply using what he had left of his power to have his telekinetic spell keep him afloat, green eyes boring into the demons before him. He would kill him, though Niall would not go down with his worthless sack of shit he called a body.

Brandon moved his mothers hands to cross over her chest, letting her rest, and hopefully waken from this catatonic state. Something was done to her and if anyone could fix it, he knew that his brother could do that. He heard Aaron talking, and followed that voice to what looked like his brother, but his shirt was soaked in dark blood, and there was still a small smount of it seeping down his side, though luckily it had already begun to be healed. How long before he could get that fixed was unknown though, and then he saw what looked like Niall being held by Ourobourous, and he looked......bad. His fists formed fists, and rage seemed to form within his again drowning out the sorrow.

by **Zodiac** August 24th 2013, 11:27 pm

         ”You said my name…good enough for me…” Ouroboros said as he dropped Niall and the tendrils vanished. Aaron was still levitating. Ouro smiled at him and waved as he began to walk away. ”Ciao Mr.Hale.” Ouro said as he began to walk away. Suddenly a barrier was erected in front of him, he looked over his shoulder at the broken Niall. His eyes narrowed, but it wasn’t a predatory nature this time…it was sympathetic. He was…reluctant to kill Niall. He didn’t want to, but that was the last loose end.

    ”I-I won’t let you.” Niall stuttered, weakly. It was admirable, how someone like him was willing to die for a family that didn’t even fully accept him. Ouro sighed, for the first time he didn’t want to kill someone. Perhaps it was just the roots of Zell that had yet to extinguish…perhaps it was something more. He noticed Aaron becoming even more of a potential threat. He turned, the ethereal claws shot out of his fingertips, and went across the field, surrounding Aaron from random angles, then energy claws full out missed him, it looked like it was simply a terrible shot, but the claws suddenly created an Ethereal sphere around Aaron, one that things could ender, but could not exit. It made Aaron a sitting duck. Ouroboros raised his fist, the A.V.A.T.A.R charged and ready to go. He fired, but immediately wished he hadn’t. Niall positioned himself between Aaron and the blast.

      Ethereal energy met with the pseudo flesh that was Niall’s body. His skin burned off, and the bones almost disintegrated as he was lifted from the ground and propelled back. He flew into Aaron and let out a weak gasp. His breathing was shallow, his body was cold and he couldn’t feel anything. His heart slowed, struggling to beat. He didn’t have long, and it was to save someone who didn’t even like him. He was almost only half a person. By time the Ethereal energy from his Ethereal-nanite assault was done. Oruo froze, the entire Ethereal energy was suppressed, Ouroboros was tossed back like a ragdoll, even from the deepest and darkest crevices of his mind, Zell stormed forth and assumed control. ”NO!” Zell cried, tears forming and falling. He was human again. The glow in his eyes faded, there was no trace of Ouro’s aura anywhere, and he could not be felt. The blonde in Zell’s hair faded, and suddenly all of his gadgets that focus on Ethereal energy. He looked like a small child again…innocent...helpless…and while none would ever forgive what had been done…it was as if he were a different person. He didn’t know what to do…he was scared…terrified. He did the only thing he knew how to …he ran. Three Ethereal blades shot out and caused a large dust cloud, hopefully Brandon would be too worried about Niall to pursue.

      Niall lay there dying. He watched Brandon, his eyes never leaving him. Niall tried to reposition himself, and couldn’t. He wasn’t in pain, his body was in a state of total shock. He was still thinking, as he was an A.I, but his actual ability to do anything was strained. His consciousness...if that’s what you would call it…was fading. He looked over to Aaron.

     ”T-try…and…get Zell…tele…telepa…” Niall struggled. He wanted Brandon to come to him. To be there just for another ten minutes…just until he was gone. He couldn’t establish a connection with any other mobile platform…the A.V.A.T.A.R included. He…was going to die here…

by **Samael Christensen** August 24th 2013, 11:52 pm

Did he really just keep his word? Aaron was mildly surprised, but then again perhaps that was partially expected. The unpredictable beast of Ethereal energy was going to walk away, or he would have if Niall did not try to stop him. Aaron cursed under his breath, wondering why Brandon's boyfriend was being stupid now of all times. That was when the monster struck out at him, the tendrils all missing, but the true purpose behind them revealing itself soon enough. It was not to keep anything out, but to keep him in while Ouro aimed to kill him with one attack through a one way barrier. Aaron couldn't do anything and Brandon was not fast enough, nor was he sure enough for himself to even break the barrier and set his twin free.

Even now Ouroborous was trying to torture them. However, Niall threw himself in the way of the blast, and the smell of flesh burning could be smelt, and it made Aaron feel sick. This was what Zell had brought upon his family, no matter what he called himself, that body was Zell. Whether he was the serpent that devoured its own tail or not, Aaron would not forgive him, never. Niall fell pitifully at their feet, words barely able to be formed from his weak body, as what appeared to be even bones had melted. He heard the pained cry issue from Zell, but it didn't seem to touch Aaron at all.

Brandon was immediately by his lovers side but he knew that he couldn't help him, there was nothing that he could do. Aaron pitied his younger twin, it pained him to see such a strong man reduced to this. He was at loss for words, his eyes distabt, as if reliving moments after moments; of watching his family die in his arms. Now he would have to see it again, and all Niall was thinking about was Zell. Rage rose within Aaron's chest and he wanted to snap that bastards neck himself, but he could not; not now. This would be the last time that he hurt his family, the last time that he would ever walk free from a Hale spurned.

If he wanted Zell to get a telepathic message, he would get one. ”I hope you're pleased with yourself Atterius. Running will not save you now, no matter where you run, I swear I will hunt you down and you will pay for what you've done.” It was a telepathic message sent only to Zell's mind, and his alone. No one else would be able to pick up on it, so no one else would know the blood debt that Aaron had exacted upon the Ethereal being. All of the emotions he felt had managed to infuse themselves into that message, one that he was sure was the batsard needed.”Niall don't talk too much.” He said this with a tone softer, yet marred with a certain hoarseness, as he knelt over the now dying young man. His hands glowed with a bright light as he attempted to heal the now dying blonde, using any power he had and forcing out any that he was unsure that he had. His body ached and he felt as if everything within him was being ripped apart, and the tendrils of healing merely ran over the surface of his skin, attempting to heal damage it could not. The Ethereal energy stopped him, Zell damned him.

by **Zodiac** August 25th 2013, 1:16 am

      Aaron was in his mind, but Zell could not hear him. Zell was far away…Ouroboros’ strength kicked in, his intelligence was waning and he was becoming more of a mortal in mind, but a god in body. He made large leaps and crossed the city, only to stop and collapse, cursing as he punched the ground, causing a crater to form beneath him. His tears streamed form his face like an endless river. What had he done? What had IT done? Zell’s body was an instrument of death and destruction to not only himself, but to his best friend and the people he cared about. There was no going back, the Hales had his number, little did Zell know that this next part was going to be the worse. Aaron would be pulled into this, as an invisible bystander. A flash of beautiful colors before their eyes, a carmine red, a soulful sapphire and an eternal emerald, and then they were in the past. Aaron was witnessing the life of Zell, the important parts, flashing before his eyes.

      Kurt Summers, a man who was as false as his name. He was in truth a man named Frankie Theils, a member of the Theils magical family. He was talking to Zell’s father, which bore an uncanny resemblance to Zell, except older. Now Zell, and Aaron most likely, could see the desire in Frankie’s eyes as Zell’s father was giving an order about a magic gene that countered the effects of curses that affected generations of children. With a flash it transitioned. Now Frankie and Zell’s father were locked in magical combat, Nether versus Aether. The battle ended with Zell’s father giving up his life as forfeit, as Frankie had planned ahead and forced him to choose…his wife and Zell…or himself. Zell’s father died without a sound…consumed by the Nether itself. The next part was Zell watching ‘Kurt Summers’ court his mother, being sweet on her, and giving her a son, Corbin Summers. The flashback progressed far, all the way to a time when Kurt Stabbed Zell in the neck, injecting him with whatever it was that unlocked the potential for his command of the Ethereal. The flash back after that was the death of Frankie, and Corbin changing his name form Corbin Summers to Corbin Atterrius.

      Finally there was another part that was interesting. Zell was sitting at a table, cross legged, meditating it seemed like. There were young mages around him, he was trying to learn about magic? His instructor was not impressed, while he studied beyond everyone else, and did everything right, for some reason he was unable to use magic, despite his father being a mage. The interesting part was Zell reading a black grimier, one that had silver lettering. There was a runic name engraved on it…Dartamease Valtiari. Zell was reading the book, and he punched the wall. He flipped the table over and hugged his knees in the corner. Niall walked into the room, looking quite a bit different, yet similar.

     ”Zell calm down…I’m here, what’s wrong?” Niall asked him.
      ”It’s not fair! Why can he use magic and not me!? WHY!?” Zell cried, tears of anguish and despair dripping from his jaw and dampening the stone floor. ”Magic has turned it’s back on me…” Zell said. From that moment on, he refused to rely on magic, he would fin his own way. Magic had turned it’s back on him, and so he turned his back to magic. What he did not know, was that several years later, the heads of each magical house placed a curse upon Dartamease, sealing off his descendants from the use of magical capabilities, to ensure this Ethereal issue never arose again.

     The next flashback was the first time Ouroboros had spoken to him. Zell denied him, and went his own way. But soon, Aaron could see his downward spiral as the Ethereal inside him grew. Through the course of his life it was undeniable that Zell WAS a good person, hell he was probably one of the best. He was down to earth, he tried to help everyone, and in the end he fought hard to protect people. But then the events began to shift into perspective. Zell’s depression, his stress, his haunting visions and his episodes of insanity. Aaron could see them all. The good person was going mad, and he tried desperately, even attempted to end his own life on several occasions to prevent Ouroboros form coming. Aaron could see everything clearly, Zell blaming himself for his mother’s death, and his father’s murder. His constant plight. Anyone else in the world would have given out, but Zell stayed strong, even while having only Niall as a support system.

      Suddenly, they were in a white room, seemingly endless in every direction, fog rising from the ground. Aaron could see Zell there, standing, looking out to the distance. Zell looked like shit, he was torn up, broken, and that was when Aaron would likely notice that he was looking at Zell’s soul in it’s purest form. It was like a little child, clinging onto a teddy bear, eyes welling up with tears, bruises and cuts, signs of abuse and tear were all over him. He dared not cry though as he was obviously trying to choke back tears. He snuggled the bear and began whispering to himself that Niall was going to be okay.

     ”Niall and the Hales will be okay...Niall and the others will be okay…Niall and the others will be okay.” He kept saying, his child-form letting tears drop, but his voice not breaking but to catch a breath every so often. HE repeated this mantra, almost as if it in itself were a magic spell that would somehow make everything better.

      ”I can make that possible…” A voice said. Aaron would have known it as Ouroboros, and there he was. The creature looked different from Zell, eh had blonde spiked hair, a chiseled jaw, tanned skin and crossed arms with a sweet and endearing smile on his face.

     ”No, no, don’t listen…don’t listen…Niall will be fine...Niall will be fine, the others will be fine!” he cried out.

      ”He will die without me…Do as I say and Niall and the others live…” Ouroboros said, a cunning smile on his face. This was not the past, this was not his life flashing before his eyes…this was the current time, in some form of spirit realm. ”I just need you to let me help them…” He said, but the way he said it was knowing, it was obvious that he meant that he needed Zell to let go.

      ”But…I-I can’t…” Zell protested.
      ”look…there is your family…they are waiting for you…” Ouro said, pointing behind the child. The child reluctantly turned to look, fearing the monster would eat him when he looked away. He looked past Aaron where his family was. ”Zell…go to them and let me take care of Niall…I promise you..he will live.” The being offered. Zell walked through Aaron and towards his parents, as he reached them, he was aging, to the point he was at before Ouro had taken control. Zell’s father, mother, and Shara were there. Zel broke down, crying. Sobbing.

     ”I-I t-t-tried, I-I swear!” he said. It was pathetic, to see a grown boy cry. His father, Dartamease wrapped his arms around Zell.
      ”You did good son…” He said. Zell broke down, babbling about how he wasn’t enough, how he had been useless and how he’d been left to this fate …and finally he began babbling out apologies to anyone whom he might have hurt, begging that he would just die. ”I’m so sorry Zell…The Ethereal was never meant to be shoved off upon you. Forgive your father of his sins…I’m so sorry.” He said.
      ”Yes, wonderful…” Ouroboros said smulgly. Dartamease put a shoulder over his son and began to walk away with Zell under arm. Zell clutched onto the back of his father’s coat and looked over his shoulder, tears streaming, eyes alive with fury.
      ”I swear...I WILL find a way back…and when I do…I’ll destroy you!’ Zell warned the creature.
      ”I’ve already destroyed everyone you love…and the Hales blame you for what I’ve done…so no magical being in creation will help you…All I have to do...is revive then re-kill Niall…perhaps I can give Sean that task…” Ouroboros said.
      ”I swear…I will be back…and you won’t remember…anything.”

*************************************

      Niall laid back. He trembled as he reached up to grab a hold of Brandon. He looked around a second. He was looking for Arianna, making sure she was okay. He was dying, and all he could do was worry about others. Typical Niall. Her looked down to see his legs were half missing, with sinew and blood everywhere. His left arm had been gone, but now half of the bone in his right was fried and gone. His face was fine, despite the several nicks and bruises, but his torso was a pool of blood almost.

     ”A-are you…okay?” Niall asked. He was looking to Brandon for some words, some preparation. Maybe even some closure. ”If I…had to die…I’m glad it…was like this…for…for this.” he coughed. Talking wasn’t going to make or break him. He knew it was too late. He brushed Brandons cheek and smile, he let out his last sigh with the faintest tracings of a smile on his face, eues still open, as the light of life left them.

by **Samael Christensen** August 25th 2013, 1:48 am

Aaron saw so many images that he could barely process them all at once, but there was one thing that he knew well enough. The Thiels were partially responsible for this, and he would have to call upon them soon enough. Whether or not Zell was the true culprit, he was damned within the eyes of the Hale family. He pushed more all of the energy he could into the spell, but in the end it was not enough; even when he forced his own life energy into the spell, it was still not enough. His vision began to grow black but he knew that Niall was dying, and there was nothing that he could do. ”If I…had to die…I’m glad it…was like this…for…for this.” his voice was haggard, and his words labored, as he was quickly falling towards the abyss of death. ”If I…had to die…I’m glad it…was like this…for…for this.”

Without even having to reach across to his brothers mind, Aaron could feel only absolute despair. ”Don't talk like that, you're going to be fine.” He spoke the words, but they were hollow, untrue. He knew that Niall was dying, and all he could do was lie to himself. The Irish male lightly brushed Brandon's cheek and smiled, though the sparks of life left his eyes as soon as the expression formed upon his pale link lips. The hand fell limply to the ground with a resounding thud as Brandon felt everything fall away to insignificance. His stomach felt as if it had been run through and his mind fell infinitely black. He could only stare dumbly with a blank expression, as if he was now hollow, an empty shell of what was once Brandon Hale, he couldn't hold it in anymore.

Brandon pressed his face against Niall's chest as the tears fell hotly down his cheeks, teeth biting harshly into his lower lip. There was no heartbeat, no warmth within his body, all of it had left when his consciousness did. He cried, whimpering weakly as he held the now dead male against him, barely able to keep control of his own breathing. Why had it not been him? He felt a hand on his shoulder, sympathetic and kind, but he barely gave it any notice. All he had in mind was what was in his arms, and it felt so heavy. Brandon struggled to stand to his feet with Niall in his arms, so small and weak now he seemed. So harmless now that death had taken its claim. His eyes had taken a bloodshot look to them. Aaron ran two figners down from his forehead, closing those blue orbs forever He was so peaceful now, but Brandon knew he would never hear his voice again.

So many things were gone in a moment, and all he felt was numb now. He could not blame his brother, he could not blame anyone. All he felt was an overcoming numbness that seemed to kill everything within him, as if that darkness of death had taken more than just Niall away from him. ”Brandon.”His voice was low, as if he were to speak any louder, that would somehow break him. He looked to Aaron for a moment, unable to speak a word, simple letting his eyes dot he talking for him. They were downcast, arms shaking heavily as he held the male in them. Aaron understood well enough what he was going through, so he would give him the space that it was obvious that he needed. ”I'll check on mom.” He said before leaving Brandon alone.

”I'm sorry.” It was all he could say without breaking apart. Brandon walked through the ruined fron door of the mansion, making his way to the living room which was still partially intact, as he lay Niall ever so carefully on the soft couch. He could only stare, silent and numb.

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