>ZERO SUM (TRUST NO ONE)_

“….the hell are you talkin’ about?” A dramatic power trip? Got it out of his system? He didn’t understand. He only knew that he’d just let all the hatred consume him– and then absolutely nothing until just now. Though he couldn’t do much else, he did use the heel of his shoe to break the ice off of his leg. All that kicking was useful for something, it seemed.

“Yeah…” Somehow, he’d forgotten. This place had been meant to be peaceful, hadn’t it? Ragna had said something along those lines, or maybe he’d just… forgotten the proper words that the man had said when they were talking a while ago. “Just let me heal ya as much as I can.”

Regret was something he wasn’t used to, and he was struggling with it. But this was all he could do to show it, it seemed. The magic slowly sputtered out, which meant whatever happened had drained most of his mana.

Play by play? Or get out of there? ….He’d choose the latter this time. “I’ve already had my fill of a jail cell for a while. Let’s get the hell outta here, then.” He offered her his arm, a contemplative look on his face as he noted the destruction around them and the sirens that were blaring in the distance.

“You can tell me when we get to wherever the hell it is we’re goin’.”

Why isn’t she trying to arrest me?

With a tired sigh, she does accept the arm offered, holding onto them as support as the officer kind of limped in pace towards a nearby alleyway. As long as they got far enough away, then it would be fine. At least--at least she hoped so. “You’ve done--” Pause. Enough? Bad word choice. “...a good job of healing so far. You should probably save your own stamina though--I just need some good food and a few days rest, I think.” +20. +20. Well, getting there, slowly, surely.

Now that she had a nearby wall to lean on, it was easier to walk, somewhat. The sounds of the result of their conflict began to fade behind them. “...Right, so.” She started. “I don’t know what happened myself, other than you were just going absolutely bloody apeshit.” And the officer wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything either. “You had a scythe. Your eyes were strange. And you made fire that was passively draining in some manner.”

“It was very similar to an Overclass, really. Or an Epitome.” ...Oh, he wouldn’t know what those are, would he? “Basically--your powers overtook you. I see it all the time in my line of work. Legally speaking, not really your own fault.” ...Sort of. It was a complicated mess of things, sure, but to be fair, the laws of the world--besides the obvious--were still a big unknown to her. “Don’t get me wrong, though, this doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. That stunt you pulled earlier near the lake is still enough to warrant your arrest.”

He sees the blood, and knows he’s got her. At least, it’s what he thinks at this point, which is all the more reason to not expect the ice to crawl up towards him. She was injured, she shouldn’t still have fight left in her! And yet, somehow, she did. Even though he was so, so close to taking out her leg and making her unable to move.

But he ditches the scythe, knowing he can’t move. He’s only got his fists now, and he reacts instinctively to her lunging for him by punching at her. It’s only then that the demon realizes his mistake as he feels his mind receding back, and his grip over the body loosening.

“Damn it, you bitch-!” The demon screams, before a flash of yellow light leaves Vicious in his place. His leg is still caught in the ice, and he looks as if he’s been asleep for the entire time. He’s groggy, and purple irises glance up once he’s gotten a hold of himself.

“…the hell? It’s freezing…” He’s not all there, it’s evident in his voice. Like a man waking from a dream. But he notes who it is, and then the destruction around them. People are coming to, and Raychel seems to be the reason he’s stopped. “….You… police woman… The hell happened…?”

It’s then that, even in the fog of his mind, he notices her leg. It’s hurt, she’s injured. The hell had happened…?

“….your leg.”

It’s the only ounce of concern he knows how to give, but he tries a healing arte. Those are more Misella’s specialty, but it should stem the bleeding until she can get it proper care.

There, THERE! There it is, there’s the value she was missing--!

The flash of light fills her eyes, and she groans angrily as she lifts up an arm to somewhat shield herself from it. When the light fades, however, she lowers it and sees that the...THING...was no longer there. Now this asshole was back.

...but at least he seemed...calmer. Confused, but at the very least no longer trying to KILL everyone.

“...my name...”

“...is Raychel, you fucking twit.” A soft hiss of pain as she can no longer stand on her own, letting herself fall back to a sitting position. Fucking hell, she’s not even getting paid for this. She’s not even part of the POLICE FORCE in this city. Perhaps...perhaps Percival had truly rubbed off on her somewhat. “Better? No more dramatic power trips? Have you got all that out of your system?”

All that magic reaching and use of her Epithet...sure did a number on her stamina. So it’s a relief when she feels Vicious cast some sort of healing magic on her. +20. +20. It’s...well, it’s not really enough to get her back to full strength, but it did prevent more bleeding as intended.

“...ah.” Oh. Well, that was...nice of him. It showed that he at least felt REGRET in some form or another. “...I appreciate that. Don’t worry, I’ll live. I’ve had worse.”

...That was probably not too reassuring, in hindsight.

“...Right. Okay. So do you want me to give you the play by play, or get the fuck out of here FIRST?”

She seemed to be completely able to defend herself against him and his flames– which would devour the life from the innocent bystanders. Not that it mattered, that would fuel him more. The demon chuckles when she cuts off his flames from affecting her.

No matter, that wouldn’t really be needed anyway. But he feels the temperature drop, though he wasn’t affected due to his demonic nature. It would remain the same temperature for him, it seemed. But, there was one thing he didn’t realize as he tried to go toward her.

His leg was stuck.

He growls, much like a feral animal, and swings his scythe hard enough to attempt hitting her. He notices– her arms and legs are slowly being iced over as well. And that gives the demon an idea.

He swings again, this time aiming for an iced area. If he can break it, he can immobilize her.

And then the fun would really begin.

It’s odd.

-50!

Pain is registered, but somehow it’s not quite there either. She hears something more than ice shattering, more than flames crackling around her.

An eye for an eye, of course. Or, rather, a leg for a leg. Invisible warning bells that only she could hear would alert her to her own body losing precious red, precious time, precious life on the line. Restraint is not a likely outcome anymore, especially since it looked like she couldn’t change any values he had.

Everything had a weakness, though. There was some value she wasn’t seeing here, something that made him this way, something that she could use--she just had to get in closer, get in CLOSER--

Her hand GRIPS at the scythe still LODGED in her leg and ICE begins to creep up the staff towards the hand that was its owner, and it’s THERE she LUNGES for him, one hand outstretched in an aura of RED.

He laughs, hard. The weight of the world cracks down on him, and yet he feels it like it’s nothing. Though the streets caved into the sewers below, the demon uses it as momentum to launch himself at her instead.

“Kasque’s puny tricks weren’t enough to take me down! Don’t think you’re gonna kill me, sweetheart!” The demon taunts. He knows trickery and works around it. A demon who causes nothing but pain, suffering and hatred that thrives solely on the combat. He knows how people will try to take him down.

Gravity was nothing to this demon, it seemed.

“Oh, I’m going to have fun with you!” He’s cackling like a maniac, and the black flames appear again. There are people struggling to breathe as the demon drains their life force.

He swings his scythe, a flaming roar the only sign of its approach. Clashing with the girl’s beam saber. But he keeps himself at a distance. He didn’t want to kill her just yet.

Fuck--

-10. -10. -10. What the FUCK was that? Some sort of...passive stamina drain? Well, if it was a passive effect of the flames around them, then she could do something about that.

She raises her head and her right eye flashes FURY against the demon’s own hues. “Your request for ‘fun’ has been considered NULL and VOID.” With her own passive coming into play, she cuts off the effects of the black flames from affecting her own immediate area. She can’t do much about the people around her, though, so she has to finish this and finish it FAST before someone doesn’t get back up again.

...Restraint was becoming...less and less likely. She didn’t want to resort to this, but he’s giving her little choice here.

Fortunately, gravity was not the only thing in her toolset.

The temperature takes a sudden DROP into arctic territory as the officer SWINGS her other arm across herself. It’s followed by a CASCADEDING WAVE made of the most frigid ice, flash freezing anything that would come into contact with. Hopefully she’ll get an arm, a leg, SOMETHING!

Black flames surround the area, but they vanish immediately when he approaches the woman. Was she raring for a fight? Oh, this would be fun..

A chuckle escapes his lips, before going into full-blown laughter. “You’re brave, standing there in my way. Bothersome.” He continues to move towards her, raising his scythe just a bit. “I guess I could play with you a little.”

@nuzerologistics​ || Demon!Vicious Starter Call

She’s way out of her goddamn league here, isn’t she?

But if she doesn’t stop him here, who would? She’s quite certain she’s the only Inscribed so far. This is her duty, this is her purpose. This is what she signed up for, and if there was no other option but to lay down her life so that others could escape unscathed--

Well. So be it, as they say.

“For the record, you’re one over-dramatic bitch.”

C R A C K!!

And she lets GO on the reigns she has on her own powers in order to attempt to CRUSH Vicious in a gravity so intense, it caused the street under him to CAVE into the sewers below. If she can just TOUCH him, get close--

“...You have GOT to be FUCKING kidding me.”

wieldiism​:

Upon hearing the ever unfamiliar voice, Aile puts her hands into her pockets, a smile forms on her chapped lips, so this is the person who was tagging along the police officers! Another challenge, another day! 

OH FUCK, SHE IS VERY MAD. 

“Oh nah, lady!” 

A lie. With her tongue sticking out, & her hands pulling out two metal ‘rocks’, one jaded green, & one azure, can’t swim in the lake? TIME TO START FOR PLAN H: HARPUIA. 

“ROCK ON!” She shouts, & her arms intercrossing each other, with the biometals glowing &  connecting to each other, allowing her to transform into Model Hx. Her clothes no longer wearing the usual uniform, exchanged for the winged armored rockman form, 

“I would hate to run, but I am not getting caught today on try one! Ready Vicious? Because we are flying out of here!” 

Oh boy, was she definitely mad. He didn’t seem to care much about that, though, and laughed. He literally laughed at the fact that one of their fellow people that also got zapped here was chasing them! Vicious noticed how Aile transformed, and gave a chuckle.

Oh, if he wanted to, he could transform into his Great Transgressor form– but that’d be asking for trouble at this point.

“Oh fuck yea, I’m ready, Aile!” He yells. “Let’s get the hell outta here!”

Oh no, they don’t.

This planet was relatively similar to Earth, almost. Nearly a steady 9.807 m/s² in terms of gravity.

9.807.

90.87.

Funny how something as simple as the force that keeps you on the ground could be used against you. That was how her power worked, after all--adding or taking away zeros in just the right numerical places to work in her favor. All she had to do was point and they would BOTH suddenly experience a SUDDEN increase in gravity itself--too much to take FLIGHT.

"CEASE and DESIST."

YOU HAVE VIOLATED