Scarlet Weather
The Game is Afoot!
- 1,823
- Posts
- 18
- Years
- In a House
- Seen Mar 20, 2016
Surge nearly keeled over laughing at Travis's comment. "So, you think you can kill me? Well, if that's not the funniest thing I've heard all day." Travis noted, with chagrin, that despite his laughter the General did not seem to have let down his guard. No matter what the general said, he was anything but a blowhard. His taunts were calculated to cause Travis to attack in anger and lower his guard, while convincing Travis that the opposite had happened. Surge continued his taunts, grinning angrily. "I suppose you're a new recruit into that PLF that's been causing so much trouble? Here to kill me because I took over your precious country, right?" The general grinned. "You're nowhere near ready to take me on. Come back in ten years, and then maybe we'll talk. For now, get out of my way."
Travis dropped to his knees to avoid another bolt of electricity. "Bastard..." he growled, "Don't make conclusions about someone you don't know!" Suddenly, his hand shot to one of his boots. Then, like a coiled spring being released, Travis lunged foward. Surge leaped back, barely avoiding a slash across the face from what looked like a knife, of the type issued to most soldiers. "Dammit," he muttered, lunging forward for another slash, which was easily sidestepped. Travis leaped back just in time to avoid Surge's tail, which came crashing down on the spot where he was standing just moments before, leaving a long crack in the pavement. Iron Tail, eh... and his tail has a longer reach than my arms. So close quarters is out of the question. Dammit! I should've been more subtle when I lunged! Now I've lost the element of surprise. Surge's tail crashed down again, forcing Travis to retreat slightly, hopping back a few feet. Readying himself, he made eye contact with Surge. As he did so, he held his knife at the ready and searched for an opening. If Surge relaxed his tail for a moment, Travis would be ready to spring. "You made one major tactical error, general," Travis commented, saying the last word with a sneer.
"Oh?" Surge asked, stepping back a few paces but still keeping his tail poised for counterattack.
"You thought I was a lower-ranking officer in the PLF, right?" Travis asked, still searching for a ***** in Surge's armor. "Well, not quite. My rank is actually about the same as... well, I think I lost track of it, but I guess you could say that my official rank is 'Special Forces Captain'."
"Special forces?" Surge echoed, searching for a similar weakness in Travis's defenses, "So you're here to assasinate me?"
"Actually, I'm just a freeloader," Travis admitted. "The Strike Force assigned to that mission requested my assistance. And since I knew that I'd be meeting you, I was only too happy to give it."
"Well, then..." Surge mused, his tail still at the ready, "So, why are you so interested in meeting me?"
"Have you forgotten?" Travis asked, slowly and deliberately. "I'm not surprised. Someone who's killed as many people as you have probably wouldn't remember one face out of thousands. Let me try to refresh your memory. I was the boy at the execution of the members of the Sevii Islands resistance. The one whose life you destroyed, along with his best friend. And now, he's come back. Back with a new life. Back with a purpose..."
Just then, Surge lowered his tail. It was only slightly, but Travis caught the movement and lunged. He felt his knife drive into something solid, but before he could celebrate a sharp jolt caused him to stumble backwards a few feet. He stared at Surge, who had taken a slight cut across the shoulder but was otherwise okay. Travis realized with a growing sense of dread that Surge must have dropped his tail on purpose, a bluff. He had shifted his weight at the last second in preparation for the strike, and it had barely grazed his upper shoulder. And the burst of electricity... Travis tried to flex his muscles. As expected, he found the task rather difficult. The electricity had been Surge's ability. He should have remembered that direct contact with a Raichu would result in temporary paralysis.
"Ah, yes... I remember you," Surge chuckled, as he stepped backwards to get a better look at Travis. "You were one of those journalists with the Underground Press. I suppose my bolt didn't quite finish your Smeargle after all, and more's the pity. It would have taught you not to stand up to me."
Travis breathed in heavily, trying to tense his muscles and overcome the numbing sensation of being paralyzed. "You murdered him! You induced a heart attack! If I hadn't bonded with Andre, he would have-" he choked before he could finish the sentence, tears threatening to renew themselves.
Surge smiled cruelly. "Well.... that's something I didn't expect to hear. Shouldn't you just admit to yourself that it was your fault that your poor little Smeargle isn't alive anymore?"
Travis choked again. "What?"
Surge smirked. "You idiot. As I recall, you came after me with my own knife then after I dropped it. Seems you haven't changed much since then," he added, pointing to the knife that Travis's fingers were still curled around. "And you forgot your partner. You didn't realize that he hadn't just fainted until after I punched you around a little. Sure, your PLF friends got you out. But if you had tended to your friend first... wouldn't he still be alive?"
"N-no..." Travis choked out, shocked that Surge, of all people, knew this. "It isn't true... I didn't kill him. I didn't. It was you. You tried to-"
"I tried to kill you, because you had a knife and were coming after me," Surge interrupted. "If you hadn't tried to kill me like that, I wouldn't have launched a bolt at you. And if I hadn't done that, your rat-friend wouldn't have jumped in the way of the bolt. Face it, kid: I'm no more of a murderer than you are."
"No... no..." Travis denied it, trying to step back.
Surge smirked once more. "And so it ends..." he growled, as he readied himself to lunge for a finishing attack. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, as if he was having trouble moving. "What!" he coughed angrily.
Travis would have taken the oppurtunity to taunt Surge if he wasn't still reliving his worst memory. Since the beginning of the battle, when Surge had tried to hit him with Iron Tail, Travis had been spreading Stun Spore. And it was finally taking its effect. Surge had now breathed enough in that it was seriously affecting his mobility.
Surge coughed for a few moments more, before forcing a grin. "Nice shot, trash-kid. You really surprised me there. I didn't expect something like that from a knife-fighter, y'know?" He smirked again. "Unfortunately, I don't need to move to finish my opponents off, especially if they can't move either." A golden glow suddenly surrounded the former Lieutenant before he lifted his hands and began channeling electricity into them. "I think I'll do you a favor, kid," he called over the crackle of the energy, "And let you die the same way your partner did, okay? Zap Cannon! Fire!" With that, he launched a massive orb of electricity straight at Travis.
Travis knew what he had to do. Just as Surge launched the cannon, Travis inhaled deeply and released a flamethrower. The two collided in mid-air, and the blacklash of energy sent Travis sprawling backwards as the electricity, its course changed, slammed harmlessly into the ground a few feet away from him. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, another crackling of electricity caused him to stare at Surge, just as the general released another Zap Cannon. With a pang of fear, Travis realized that Surge had a second Zap Cannon charged, and had been holding it back to fire directly after the first. He had no way of avoiding this one- he couldn't charge another flamethrower fast enough. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his eyes tracked the movement of the electricity, which would no doubt kill him on contact by causing his heart to stop.
Just like Andre.
Travis closed his eyes, and a single tear ran down his cheeks.
Andre...
He's right.
I should have been there for you. I shouldn't have gone after Surge. I should have thought about saving you first, and getting revenge second.
Now it looks like I did the same thing, and I'm gonna die for it.
I guess I was really only going after Surge with his own knife so that I could avoid admitting that you dying was partly my fault. I wanted to convince myself that Surge was the murderer, and that I was avenging your death. I was wrong.
Andre...
...Sorry.
There was a flash. Travis opened his eyes. What he saw amazed him.
A white figure, with a long, brush-tipped tail, was in between him and the rapidly approaching Zap Cannon.
There was an explosion, and everything was confused for a moment.
"What?" Surge coughed, "I missed?"
Travis stared at the ground just behind him. It was charred. The attack... then it hadn't been Andre's spirit? Surge had just lost control of the second Zap Cannon?
Either way, it didn't matter. He knew what he had to do. With considerable effort, he pulled himself to his feet. The effects of the Static ability were fading, and some of the numbness was gone from his limbs. Suddenly, Travis flipped his tail, causing a stream of wet paint to arc from himself to Surge. Surprisingly, instead of staining Surge's uniform, the paint seemed to soak into him before arcing back to Travis's tail. Travis's face broke into a broad grin. "So..." he murmured, half to himself, "So that's how that works. Well, now... I'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to sketch things. Well then, let's see..."
Surge growled, as he began to charge another Zap Cannon. "Don't think this is over yet, boy."
"No, it isn't," Travis replied calmly. "And you're right. It was my fault. If I hadn't attacked you, Andre would still be alive. But I got to thinking..." Travis's eyes narrowed. "Even if it was my fault, I'm not the person I used to be. I got so used to thinking that Andre is dead, that he was gone. I forgot about something very important. I'm not just Travis Varias. I'm Andre as well..." Then, without warning, he let loose.
Zap Cannon was an unfamiliar move to Travis. His first time launching it felt like firing a cannon. The backlash from the attack caused him to skid backwards at least a foot. The remainder of his firepower crashed into Surge, causing the general to buckle and fall backwards. Travis smirked at his fallen opponent, some of his old smugness returning. "Well, that's a weight off my chest," he remarked casually. "Now that I know Andre isn't really dead... well, I guess I don't have much of a reason to feel guilty or to want to kill you personally, Surge." He nodded to the rest of the group. "Could one of you guys finish him? I think..." Travis wobbled for a moment before smiling and collapsing again, "I'm a little too drained..."
OOC: Jeez, all that effort, and I still didn't get this to come out the way I wanted it to. Oh well, here it is anyway. >.<
Travis dropped to his knees to avoid another bolt of electricity. "Bastard..." he growled, "Don't make conclusions about someone you don't know!" Suddenly, his hand shot to one of his boots. Then, like a coiled spring being released, Travis lunged foward. Surge leaped back, barely avoiding a slash across the face from what looked like a knife, of the type issued to most soldiers. "Dammit," he muttered, lunging forward for another slash, which was easily sidestepped. Travis leaped back just in time to avoid Surge's tail, which came crashing down on the spot where he was standing just moments before, leaving a long crack in the pavement. Iron Tail, eh... and his tail has a longer reach than my arms. So close quarters is out of the question. Dammit! I should've been more subtle when I lunged! Now I've lost the element of surprise. Surge's tail crashed down again, forcing Travis to retreat slightly, hopping back a few feet. Readying himself, he made eye contact with Surge. As he did so, he held his knife at the ready and searched for an opening. If Surge relaxed his tail for a moment, Travis would be ready to spring. "You made one major tactical error, general," Travis commented, saying the last word with a sneer.
"Oh?" Surge asked, stepping back a few paces but still keeping his tail poised for counterattack.
"You thought I was a lower-ranking officer in the PLF, right?" Travis asked, still searching for a ***** in Surge's armor. "Well, not quite. My rank is actually about the same as... well, I think I lost track of it, but I guess you could say that my official rank is 'Special Forces Captain'."
"Special forces?" Surge echoed, searching for a similar weakness in Travis's defenses, "So you're here to assasinate me?"
"Actually, I'm just a freeloader," Travis admitted. "The Strike Force assigned to that mission requested my assistance. And since I knew that I'd be meeting you, I was only too happy to give it."
"Well, then..." Surge mused, his tail still at the ready, "So, why are you so interested in meeting me?"
"Have you forgotten?" Travis asked, slowly and deliberately. "I'm not surprised. Someone who's killed as many people as you have probably wouldn't remember one face out of thousands. Let me try to refresh your memory. I was the boy at the execution of the members of the Sevii Islands resistance. The one whose life you destroyed, along with his best friend. And now, he's come back. Back with a new life. Back with a purpose..."
Just then, Surge lowered his tail. It was only slightly, but Travis caught the movement and lunged. He felt his knife drive into something solid, but before he could celebrate a sharp jolt caused him to stumble backwards a few feet. He stared at Surge, who had taken a slight cut across the shoulder but was otherwise okay. Travis realized with a growing sense of dread that Surge must have dropped his tail on purpose, a bluff. He had shifted his weight at the last second in preparation for the strike, and it had barely grazed his upper shoulder. And the burst of electricity... Travis tried to flex his muscles. As expected, he found the task rather difficult. The electricity had been Surge's ability. He should have remembered that direct contact with a Raichu would result in temporary paralysis.
"Ah, yes... I remember you," Surge chuckled, as he stepped backwards to get a better look at Travis. "You were one of those journalists with the Underground Press. I suppose my bolt didn't quite finish your Smeargle after all, and more's the pity. It would have taught you not to stand up to me."
Travis breathed in heavily, trying to tense his muscles and overcome the numbing sensation of being paralyzed. "You murdered him! You induced a heart attack! If I hadn't bonded with Andre, he would have-" he choked before he could finish the sentence, tears threatening to renew themselves.
Surge smiled cruelly. "Well.... that's something I didn't expect to hear. Shouldn't you just admit to yourself that it was your fault that your poor little Smeargle isn't alive anymore?"
Travis choked again. "What?"
Surge smirked. "You idiot. As I recall, you came after me with my own knife then after I dropped it. Seems you haven't changed much since then," he added, pointing to the knife that Travis's fingers were still curled around. "And you forgot your partner. You didn't realize that he hadn't just fainted until after I punched you around a little. Sure, your PLF friends got you out. But if you had tended to your friend first... wouldn't he still be alive?"
"N-no..." Travis choked out, shocked that Surge, of all people, knew this. "It isn't true... I didn't kill him. I didn't. It was you. You tried to-"
"I tried to kill you, because you had a knife and were coming after me," Surge interrupted. "If you hadn't tried to kill me like that, I wouldn't have launched a bolt at you. And if I hadn't done that, your rat-friend wouldn't have jumped in the way of the bolt. Face it, kid: I'm no more of a murderer than you are."
"No... no..." Travis denied it, trying to step back.
Surge smirked once more. "And so it ends..." he growled, as he readied himself to lunge for a finishing attack. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, as if he was having trouble moving. "What!" he coughed angrily.
Travis would have taken the oppurtunity to taunt Surge if he wasn't still reliving his worst memory. Since the beginning of the battle, when Surge had tried to hit him with Iron Tail, Travis had been spreading Stun Spore. And it was finally taking its effect. Surge had now breathed enough in that it was seriously affecting his mobility.
Surge coughed for a few moments more, before forcing a grin. "Nice shot, trash-kid. You really surprised me there. I didn't expect something like that from a knife-fighter, y'know?" He smirked again. "Unfortunately, I don't need to move to finish my opponents off, especially if they can't move either." A golden glow suddenly surrounded the former Lieutenant before he lifted his hands and began channeling electricity into them. "I think I'll do you a favor, kid," he called over the crackle of the energy, "And let you die the same way your partner did, okay? Zap Cannon! Fire!" With that, he launched a massive orb of electricity straight at Travis.
Travis knew what he had to do. Just as Surge launched the cannon, Travis inhaled deeply and released a flamethrower. The two collided in mid-air, and the blacklash of energy sent Travis sprawling backwards as the electricity, its course changed, slammed harmlessly into the ground a few feet away from him. Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, another crackling of electricity caused him to stare at Surge, just as the general released another Zap Cannon. With a pang of fear, Travis realized that Surge had a second Zap Cannon charged, and had been holding it back to fire directly after the first. He had no way of avoiding this one- he couldn't charge another flamethrower fast enough. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as his eyes tracked the movement of the electricity, which would no doubt kill him on contact by causing his heart to stop.
Just like Andre.
Travis closed his eyes, and a single tear ran down his cheeks.
Andre...
He's right.
I should have been there for you. I shouldn't have gone after Surge. I should have thought about saving you first, and getting revenge second.
Now it looks like I did the same thing, and I'm gonna die for it.
I guess I was really only going after Surge with his own knife so that I could avoid admitting that you dying was partly my fault. I wanted to convince myself that Surge was the murderer, and that I was avenging your death. I was wrong.
Andre...
...Sorry.
There was a flash. Travis opened his eyes. What he saw amazed him.
A white figure, with a long, brush-tipped tail, was in between him and the rapidly approaching Zap Cannon.
There was an explosion, and everything was confused for a moment.
"What?" Surge coughed, "I missed?"
Travis stared at the ground just behind him. It was charred. The attack... then it hadn't been Andre's spirit? Surge had just lost control of the second Zap Cannon?
Either way, it didn't matter. He knew what he had to do. With considerable effort, he pulled himself to his feet. The effects of the Static ability were fading, and some of the numbness was gone from his limbs. Suddenly, Travis flipped his tail, causing a stream of wet paint to arc from himself to Surge. Surprisingly, instead of staining Surge's uniform, the paint seemed to soak into him before arcing back to Travis's tail. Travis's face broke into a broad grin. "So..." he murmured, half to himself, "So that's how that works. Well, now... I'd almost forgotten how much fun it was to sketch things. Well then, let's see..."
Surge growled, as he began to charge another Zap Cannon. "Don't think this is over yet, boy."
"No, it isn't," Travis replied calmly. "And you're right. It was my fault. If I hadn't attacked you, Andre would still be alive. But I got to thinking..." Travis's eyes narrowed. "Even if it was my fault, I'm not the person I used to be. I got so used to thinking that Andre is dead, that he was gone. I forgot about something very important. I'm not just Travis Varias. I'm Andre as well..." Then, without warning, he let loose.
Zap Cannon was an unfamiliar move to Travis. His first time launching it felt like firing a cannon. The backlash from the attack caused him to skid backwards at least a foot. The remainder of his firepower crashed into Surge, causing the general to buckle and fall backwards. Travis smirked at his fallen opponent, some of his old smugness returning. "Well, that's a weight off my chest," he remarked casually. "Now that I know Andre isn't really dead... well, I guess I don't have much of a reason to feel guilty or to want to kill you personally, Surge." He nodded to the rest of the group. "Could one of you guys finish him? I think..." Travis wobbled for a moment before smiling and collapsing again, "I'm a little too drained..."
OOC: Jeez, all that effort, and I still didn't get this to come out the way I wanted it to. Oh well, here it is anyway. >.<