Steven the Sword Fighter, and Marcus the Brawler
I get nearly killed by some arrows in a freaky maze place, and I get placed out of commission for days. I finally get to go out again and what happens? I nearly get bitten in half by a giant bird.
Maybe it was karma for screwing with those birds when I was dealing with Frybo.
Ahh, doesn't matter now really. In any case, I was lying about all day for about a week and as always I missed some stuff.
Steven found out that the Gems have been alive for thousands of years, and because of that they don't feel the need to celebrate birthdays like regular humans do. He decided to throw a major party of sorts to try and celebrate all of the gems previously missed birthdays. They didn't really take to the birthday situations so Steven got all moody and sad about the idea that they didn't care for their birthdays and he somehow unlocked the ability to advance or lessen his age at will. In the end, the gems did celebrate their birthdays to appease Steven, which it did as he went back to his normal self… kind of. There was a bit of an issue with his legs or something like that but we were able to fix that.
They also brought me cake, which was nice.
Next, Steven started hanging out with that Lars guy, still don't like him and I told Steven to be very careful, I'm a teenager too so I may not have lived the social standing of school or being social but I have an idea of how we act, for whatever reason and even met up with the 'cool kids' of town. They decided to go to a restricted area that the gems cordoned off as hazardous; something about someone planting moss or whatever. When the gems told me they used police tape only after they put it down, you can only tell just how annoyed I was. After I finished explaining to them the significance police tape is to teenagers, it was then that Steven came back and told us what happened at the pond area. Obviously the gems were more than a little concerned about the whole thing but after they checked out the pond and the area where Steven took them, they were accepting of what happened. It also explained the massive shower of flowers that fell down near the window when I was still staying in Steven's bed.
Finally, Steven apparently had a crisis going on with some type of toy collection he wanted to finish and that freaky kid Onion I think his name was called had the final one that Steven wanted. In the end, somehow he got it in his head that trading a wand that replicates things for one 'Ranger guy' was a good idea. I was going to ask him why didn't he just replicate ranger guy but apparently Pearl already told him that. Once the gems were all able to stop Onion from going on some kind of rampage by copying so many of the toys and even a car or two, things were forgiven and Garnet was about destroy the replicator.
Keyword: Was.
*Flashback*
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! What are you doing?" I quickly stop her. She looks at me impassively.
"I'm going to destroy it because it's too dangerous to have around." She answers.
"Wait, you don't have to. You can give it to me!" I try to offer an alternative. "C'mon, you know how I am. You know I'm not dense enough to let just anyone use this or take that thing right? I know of a good use for that thing."
"You're not going to copy money." She neutrally says.
I give her a mock gasp, "You think me so shallow?!" I ask in surprise. When she doesn't say anything, just staring at me under that intimidating gaze, I crack. "Alright the idea has crosses my mind but that's not what I was going to use it for." I quickly shut down the idea.
"Then what are you going to use it for?" she asks.
I give her a nervous smile.
*End Flashback*
Needless to say, I no longer have to worry about my ammo situation whatsoever. 'Good thing too, I was starting to run out of 5.56mm and the fight with the bird put a small dent in my 9mm supply as well.' However, I also made explicitly sure that the replicator was to be kept under strict lock and key. So I grabbed one of my spare cases, placed it in, code locked it, padlocked it, chained locked it and took out a floor board from inside Steven's house to hide it in before putting it back in place.
Still, while even though I missed a few things, I'm not going to sulk over it. There would be no point and now I'm going to focus on what it is I'm doing right now.
Watching some sort of samurai movie called Lonely Blade IV. It's raining outside so we all are inside watching said movie while eating popcorn as it pours. Well, Steven and Amethyst are eating popcorn. The gems don't eat, except for Amethyst who just loves to just eat for some reason, and I don't have a preference for popcorn.
"Damn that's a badass broom." I comment as the janitor, who is apparently the antagonist, pulls his broom handles apart to reveal a blade was inside.
"A clever way to hide ones weapons I'll admit." Pearl comments. "But other than that, this is ridiculous. Just look at their form, this is nothing like real sword fighting." Being a sword fighter herself, Pearl no doubt has some idea as to what it means to be a real sword fighter. I am only self taught so I don't know every little detail when it comes to sword fighting. Plus I've never really gone up against any legitimate sword fighters so I've never tested myself either.
"It's just a movie Pearl." Steven points out as he lays atop Garnet's hair and stuffs more popcorn in his mouth.
"He's right." I say looking to her. "When it comes to most movies and video entertainments, they focus more on the… 'wow' factor and bright flashiness in order to hook people into it. Most of the time they'll forget the exact details in movies just so people can be amazed by how cool it looks." I explain.
"Well, if you ever want to see a demonstration of proper sword techniques, I'd be happy to show you." Pearl offers. 'Hm, come to think about it, I've never actually seen Pearl use a sword. Her skills with spear are all I've seen so far. If she really is an expert in sword fighting, maybe she can finally give me a few pointers at least.' I turn my head to ask her but Steven has the same idea as I see he puts his hand on Pearl's head, staring very excitedly at her with stars in his eyes. "Now?"
"Couldn't hurt?" I say, getting the others attention. "I mean, I use swords as well and you can do this for two reasons, to satisfy this guy's curiosity," I pat Steven's head in emphasis, making him smile. "And to finally give me some lessons in swordsmanship you promised awhile back." I finish with a smile. Everyones head turns back to Pearl, waiting for her answer.
"Hm," she smiles, "Very well."
I don't know where we are and I have no idea if we are even on earth anymore because this place is awesome. A floating arena like setting with half of it broken off, tiled floors, marble obelisks surrounding the area and most of all we are so high up that clouds can pass right in front of us. Amethyst is lying on one right now! Most interesting of all is that even though we are so high up, the air doesn't even feel thin at all. I breathe regularly and I have no idea if it's because of my gem physiology, this place is in another world, magic or some type of rigged device shielding this place from the high thin air. Either way, it's cool. Pearl says she uses this place at times to train so as not to arouse suspicion from anyone on earth. We sit on the bottom row of the stone stairs as Pearl stands in the middle of the arena with two swords. Not like my katana's, just two straight swords with handle guards covering the entire hand.
"Alright, in order to give a proper demonstration I'm going to need a sparring partner." Pearl asks us. Steven goes to raise his hand but Garnet immediately pulls it down. I want to raise my hand but I'm not stupid or cocky enough to. Pearl has had centuries of experience while I've only had a few years, even if it was ingrained in me by my mother's side. Plus it would probably be better for me if I 'saw' the sword fighting happen first before trying it right off the bat. That's how someone gets hurt and frankly I've been hurt quite enough this last month alone. "Luckily, I have the perfect candidate." Pear answers and soon her gem starts to glow. She does a couple moves and ends with an almost exact copy of her opposite from where she stands, a beam of hologram light emanating from the clone to her gem.
"Cooool, hologram Pearl!" Steven comments.
"Wow, that is pretty cool." I agree. It definitely gives one the chance to truly better themselves than by taking on yourself.
"Aw, geez." However Amethyst doesn't share in mine and Stevens enthusiasm.
Pearl cuts the stream of energy between her and the hologram with one swipe of her sword. The hologram stands up straight of its own accord, no longer hindered by copying exactly' Pearl's movements. "Do you wish to engage in combat?" It asks Pearl.
"Let this be the perfect battle." Pearl states as she tosses one of her swords towards the holo-pearl.
It immediately catches it, "You've already made a mistake by challenging me!" he hologram confidently says as the construct gets into a fighting pose.
"Hahaha, We shall let our swords decide." Pearl laughs as she prepares as well.
"Nerd!" Amethyst yells to the both of the Pearls.
"Egegegeg, Intellectual." I interrupt her before she can say anything else. Steven and Garnet however shush us.
"Commencing dual!" The holo-pearls eyes redden and immediately takes the offensive. Keeping a careful eye on the battle, the fight and the way their swords hit each other, as well as how they move kinda reminds me of fencing a little but it doesn't look like it completely but only just. Soon, after several more strikes and blocks on the hologram and Pearls part, the hologram lets up on the attacks to give Pearl and evaluation. "Defense rank: S. Zero openings detected." It states loudly.
"Go, Pearl, go!" Steven cheers loudly.
"Keep it up, Pearl." I add my own voice to the mix.
"Go Holo Pearl!" Amethyst cheers instead for the construct, making me give her a glare, which she shrugs.
"Opening detected!" Turning back to the fight, to my surprise I see that Pearl had lost her sword, the hologram standing between her and her sword. It tries to take advantage of her unarmed status to land a hit but Pearl dodges the strike by sliding underneath the strike on her knees and grabbing her sword. With the weapon back in hand, Pearl proceeds to take the initiative now, sending more and more attacks to her copy before she lands a debilitating hit and lands a solid strike on the training dummy, sending her flying away from her and rolling along the ground. "Match set. Challenger wins." It declares from the floor.
"Woohoo! Yay, Pearl!" Steven says excitedly and runs over to Pearl.
"Man, Pearl. That was beautifully down." I comment as I make my way over as well.
"Pearl! That was amazing, you were so cool!" Steven continues his praise as he circles around the gem sword fighter in his excitement.
"Oh-hoho, well, one does try their best." Pearl says while blushing at our compliments.
Because of his excitement, Steven starts making sword noises in the air. "Will you teach me to sword fight like you?!"
"Us. He means teach 'us' to sword fight." I say while tapping his head.
Pearl gives off a slight laugh at our insistence on teaching us. "Alright, but we should start with the basics." She says and turns her attention to the hologram. She clears her throat, "Initiate training mode."
"Training mode initiated. Level 1, begin!" The hologram declares as it gets back up to its feet and gets into its stance.
"Stand back, and watch me carefully you two, okay?" she asks of us. We comply as we step away from her, allowing her to get into her fighting stance again.
The hologram begins the training mode as it does some simple basic attacks against Pearl. "Parry! Parry! Thrust!" the hologram yells as it continues its moves, yelling the words over and over again with each repeated attack.
"Do you see what I'm doing with my feet you two? Notice where I keep my center of gravity." I don't know about Steven but I hang on every word she says. Looking towards her feet, I see what she means by centering her gravity because with the way how her feet are split and away from each other, this allows her multiple points to ground herself to where she is so she can move quickly if need be, or to push back against her opponent as the stance can also prevent her from being thrown back quite easily. I already got that part because I use a similar stance when it comes to using my firearms.
"Aw, can you show me something cool? Like the Boomerang Blade!" However Steven doesn't share my enthusiasm as he only cares for the 'coolness' of sword fighting.
"Steven, you know that's not a real technique." I can't help but agree with Pearls statement as she continues to parry the easy attacks of the hologram as it continues to yell its moves.
"Boomerang blade! Boomerang blade! Boomerang blade!" Steven chants the move over and over again.
"Steven hush." I like Steven and all but I also wish he knew how important this is, especially for me. I couldn't help but shush the kid so I can listen instead of her getting interrupted.
"Steven, these are real sword techniques. Not those silly things from your movies. It's about waiting carefully for the perfect moment to stri-"
"Pearl look out!"
"Thrust!"
Everything seems to freeze for me as I was too late to save her. Her and my eyes widen as we stare at the blade protruding out of her stomach.
The 'clang' her sword makes as it falls to the ground deafens my ears, echoing in my hearing over and over again like a curse.
"... Pearl?" I barely hear Stevens strained voice over the deafness I clouding me.
"W-whoopsie-daisy! Steven, it's okay. I'm gonna be just f-" With what little life she has left, Pearl tries to reassure us for whatever reason and poofs into dust.
Multiple images of the monsters I've fought before I found the Crystal gems flash through my eyes, all the dust clouds that appeared as I incapacitated over a dozen monsters since I was alone.
All the lives I took as I crushed their gems with my bare hands.
"Challenger defeated. Level 1 failed." My fists start to whiten from the tightness I grip them in as I stare at the construct that destroyed Pearl, one of my friends. "Do you wish to engage in combat?" I gladly oblige by punching the thing right in its face. It takes a few steps back from the force of my punch before straightening back up. "Challenge accepted. Basic attack mode, initiated: Parry, parry, thrust!" My face remains impassive as I move my head from side to side from its attacks before as it goes to strike; I dodge and deliver a right hook to its face again. "Basic attack mode defeated. Now initiating advanced mode." It declares as its eyes turn back to red.
"Bring it on you bastard." I mutter under my breath angrily as I materialize my Katana's. I think I hear other voices around me but I pay them no mind as the hologram attacks me with a thrust.
Dodging to the right, I bring my right sword up to redirect its attack as I bring my left sword in a wide arc towards its stomach. The hologram dodges the attack by jumping back and moving into the Ko Gasumi No Kamae sword stance and slides right towards me. Using both my swords I push the blade to my left and I try to bring it towards it but its sword is much faster, slicing through my shirt and cutting the skin. I take a step back and place a hand on my wound.
"Challenger defeated. Continue?" Not wasting a moment, I attack again and both our swords lock together. "Challenge accepted!" it pushes me, forcing me to slide back as it presses the attack.
I bring one sword up at a time to deflect its attacks as it continues to hit me over and over again. We dance like this for a little bit before after one deflection with my right sword, it rolls along my body and slides its sword against my back, cutting me again. I fall onto my knee as I breathe deeply in anger.
"Challenger defeated. Con-?" I don't let it finish as I immediately turn around and lunge at it again. "Challenge accepted!" it yells as I continue to slash at it, forcing itself to walk back as it deflects my attacks.
"Shut up and die already!" I yell through gritted teeth and hit harder. I slash from above, below, the sides in alternating attempts with both my swords to keep it from reading my attacks. Our blades lock once more and we glare at each other for a second before we push each other off. We sprint at each other again and it goes for an overhead strike. I bring both my swords to my right and with first the left then the right, I bash it's sword to keep it in the air as I go for a kick to stun it. My plan works as its form flickers for a second. 'Now.' I sprint forward to try and destroy the hologram before it can recover but I wasn't fast enough. It's brings it's sword forward just as we both strike.
Our faces meet an inch from each other as we stare into each other's eyes, it's bright red eyes and my anger infused blue eyes. A small cut forms along the left side of my face as my swords are buried in the holograms stomach. A few tense seconds pass before I plant my foot on its chest and push back as hard as I can, ripping my swords from its form as it rolls back away from me. When it comes to a stop, it stands back up. "Challenger wins. Do you wish to duel again?" It says while back in its stand-by mode.
Before I can oblige it again, a hand on my shoulder suddenly stops me from going. I turn back in anger at who dares interrupt me to see Garnet. "She's not gone."
"… What?" I ask her about her blunt statement in both intense anger and slight confusion.
"We aren't like the creatures you've fought before. Gems like us do come back as well when our forms take too much damage. As long as her gem is safe and unharmed, Pearl will come back." She answers. She turns to show me Amethyst next to Steven as he carries Pearls gem with a slight bit of reassurance on his face. My face doesn't change in the slightest as I look back towards the hologram. After staring at it, I move my peripheral towards Garnet.
"How long?"
Two weeks.
Two god damn fucking weeks it's been and still no change whatsoever has occurred with Pearl. Her gem just sits there with nothing to indicate if whether or not she is fine or not and its absolutely killing me.
The first week, the reassurance Garnet and Amethyst gave me about Pearl helped a little and waited with Steven for Pearl to come back. However by the halfway point of week two, the waiting took its toll and I got really depressed. I haven't slept in days and I've barely eaten a thing. I look like a mess and Steven's place is no picture of beauty either. My wounds from the fight already healed but I didn't particularly care for them, nor did I for my clothes that I sewed up. While I remained alone, quiet and distant from the others, Steven tried to compensate by using that damned holographic version of her to act like she's still here. I can't even look at that thing without my blood boiling and flashes of its sword piercing Pearl going off in my memories over and over again.
In, the things constant thirst for battle, as well as it somehow chopping a tree down with a balloon sword, has waned on Steven as well, finally accepting that the training dummy is not her and never will be her. He still talks to her gem in hopes that will fix things but I can't.
I don't want a replacement. I want Pearl back. I want my friend back.
"Marcus?" I turn my attention away from staring out the window into the rain to acknowledge Steven. He's holding Pearls gem in one hand while holding the box for another movie in the other and holding popcorn with his arm against his chest. "Pearl and I were going to watch the fifth movie of Lonely Blade. Do you… uh… wanna join us?" he asks me.
I stare at the items he's holding for a long awhile until I place my hand on his shoulder. "Thanks," I give him a weak smile and stand up. "But no thanks. I'm gonna go for a walk."
"But it's raining." He tells me as I grab the handle on the door. A bright flash of lightning and heavy drops of water emphasizes that statement.
I sigh, "I know. I prefer the rain." I say and open the door. Immediately I'm bombarded with water as I step outside. I turn around to close the door when a flash of lightning reveals the hologram in front of me.
"Do you wish to test your skills against me in a duel?" It speaks again.
'I do. I really do. I want to tear you apart limb from limb.' I angrily think as my grip and face start to exhibit anger.
But it peters off into tired expressions.
"You're not her. You'll never be her." I say in a depressing tone. With that, I close the door and walk down the stairs, petting lion a little on the way down as I walk wherever my feet take me.
My journey takes me along the boardwalk as people begin to close up their shops and put away anything that could be blown away by the storm or destroyed by the rain. I walk past them all with my hands in my pockets as my jacket billows in the wind. Before long, my walking takes me to the beach far into the middle between the temple and the docks. With how my life has been, I've always felt more at home in the rain. The darkness of the clouds and how they make the landscape looks cool to me, the pitter patter of the rain eases my mind and just the overall atmosphere makes me relate to it on an almost daily basis. For the time I've been staying with the Crystal Gems, I haven't been feeling as depressed as I was when I was along… at least until recently.
Thunder strikes light up the night sky as my failure flashes through my mind again.
The stab.
The disappearance.
My almost slow step in comparison.
I swore I would protect her. I swore I would protect my friends.
"Raaaaaaah!" I yell to the heavens. The thunder strikes in almost perfect unison to my outburst. My breath deepens as my fists tighten. 'All of them! I swore I would protect ALL of my friends! I've lost too many in the past! Watched too many innocents die! Too many get hurt for no reason!'
"RAAAAAAAH!" I yell louder; more thunder appears.
'I meet new people and I fail one of them again! She's not dead but if she were human, she would be!'
"RAAAAAH!" I yell and punch the ground.
'I was too comfortable. I was too slow to stop her from getting hurt. To a fucking training doll!'
"I'm so! Fucking! USELEEEEEESSSS!" I scream over the loud booming thunder and lightning strikes.
*REEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHH*
I pause. The new sound makes me turn to the water. Standing there is a 7ft tall bipedal creature as black as the night with gray smoke billowing off it. It's head is round but the most discernible features is the legs, where its knees are bent backwards, the arms, where they remind me a bit of slender mans except they are more muscled with long protruding red claws as its fingers, and its face, where it's the stuff of nightmares; glowing white eyes with 4-inch long razor sharp teeth overlapping each other and no lips to cover them.
We stare at each other for a long while before it slowly raises its right arm and points to me and lets out a low hiss I can hear even through the water crashing and the thunder strikes. Slowly, more creatures emerge from the shore around it, smaller versions of it but still just as deadly looking. They shamble their way out of the water and start to surround me 3 deep with no space between them. My eyes roam around as I take into account of just how many of them there are and how outnumbered I am.
I look towards the water again to see the first creature staring at me again. It just stands there, judging me.
My swords materialize in my hands, making them all take a step back except for the leader.
'They want a fight. I'll give them one.' I twist my right sword around until I am holding it in the reverse grip. 'No more feeling useless. No more feeling… weak.'
Very slowly and carefully, I bring myself low to the ground, my left foot in front with it pointed 45 degrees to the right, my right left behind me pointing away from me, my right sword in the air behind me and my left sword closer to the ground.
'My mother died to give me life. I won't let her sacrifice be in vain.'
"Let's go." I quietly say. Despite the quietness I utter those words, one of them from in front of me charges. It gives off a large screech like the one I heard before and moves to stab me with its claws. I stay where I am, waiting for the perfect moment.
"Its about waiting for the perfect moment to stri-"
*Poomf*
' I won't fail you Pearl.'
It brings its right arm forward to stab me. In a flash of lightning, I pirouette in the right direction on my back right foot, letting its attack move past me before I move to face forward again standing tall this time, except now my right katana is buried in the things head. It's arms fall limply to its sides and the knees give out, the body only being supported by sword, which in one swift pull is taken out of the body, letting it fall to the ground and explode into dust, leaving nothing, not even a gem. 'Soldiers, or workers, the leader has the gem.'
*REEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHHH*
It screeches again and points at me again. More of the ones surrounding me begin to converge on me, signaling his need for my end.
I block a swipe from one in front of me with my left sword before tearing its head off with my right. I continue that momentum around me where I block with my right, allowing me to stab it in the chest and pull it out to the right. The two bodies disappear, blocking my view from others. I use that to my advantage and duck, allowing two more who tried to stab me by stabbing themselves instead. I slice both their heads off and move away from them. I flip my right sword back into its forward grip and cross both of them to stop two stabs from one more creature. My strength wins out as I force it to its knees and cross my swords in a scissor formation along its neck and close them, ending its life like all its other friends.
Three more rush me from the same direction. I run towards them as well and before we come to blows, I tumble roll under them, slicing the legs off of two of them as I move past them. They explode in a dust cloud, confusing the third before I throw my left katana into the cloud. A squeal of pain accompanies after as more of the cloud increases. I quickly bring my right sword up with a two-handed grip to my left to block another attack. Leaning to the left, I allow another one to stab the one I was blocking accidentally, allowing me to slice them both to death. A 'woosh' of air makes me look up to see one jumped high into the air to try and hit me from above. I roll onto my back and bring both my legs up, executing a double kick right to the things stomach, sending it back into the air and landing it right onto my other sword that was pointing, handle up, in the sand. Its body is severely torn from going in handle first on my blade but disappears just the same. I roll over to my sword and grab it. Bringing it up, I bisect another one with both my swords.
"Ah!" I yelp in pain as something cuts my back, slightly reopening the wound from earlier. Quickly turning around, I slice the one that cut me in half with one swipe. I deflect another's attack with my right and end it with my left.
"Rrr!" Another takes advantage and lands a hit on me. Taking that one out, I find the circle is slowly closing in as I continue to cut down more and more of them. This also means that more and more of them attack me at once.
The cycle continues. As I attack and kill one, another takes the chance to land a minor blow on me. They aren't fatal but they cause me to momentarily stop. It happens again and again, I slay more of them but my body starts to weaken.
Finally, I push back.
When they are a couple feet from me, in defiance, I slam my fists hard into the ground. To my surprise, an area-of-effect attack happens around me, sending a concussive blast away from me, sending my attackers far away from me. Standing back up, two in front of me only slid back because they blocked the majority of the blast with their arms. Annoyed at their move, I rear back and chuck both my swords at them, killing them. Now unarmed, the last dozen or so get back on their feet and rush me, thinking I'm an easy target now.
They were wrong.
I reach into my jacket and pull out both my Beretta's and put a round each into the heads of two more of them in front of me. I then turn my arms to my sides and fire two more rounds, killing another two on opposite sides of me. Now, the fighting has become a dance as I dodge an attack and retaliate with bullets up close and personal, ending them with one bullet each because of how close I am to them. I lean back as one's claws glide over me. I lean back up and place a shot to the back of its head. Twirling my body around, I send four more shots into them as more try to attack. I duck under one's attack and I pistol whip it, stunning it enough for me to aim behind me with my left gun and unload on the ones behind me.
*Click*
As soon as the hammer hits and nothing fires, I drop the gun on the spot and grab the stunned ones throat with my now free hand. Before it can attack, I fire four rounds directly into its stomach and follow-up with a Spartan kick, sending it back against its final friend. Before the pushed one disappears, I fire and kill the one it landed on with one shot to the head.
By this point, the rain has let up and all my targets are down… except for one.
Looking towards the water, the leader still stands, albeit a bit more rigidly. I aim directly at it. It doesn't move one bit, not even with the water at its heels. Slowly I aim towards the ground in front of me and fire.
*BANG! Click*
Wasting the last bullet I had, I drop my gun behind me, right next to its brother. Walking over to my swords lying on the ground, I grab them and twirl them a couple times before stabbing them into the ground next to my guns. I take off my jacket and lay it on my swords. I turn back from my weapons and stop in the middle of where I dueled against its subordinates and stand there stoically. It takes me up on my challenge as it slowly trudges its way out of the water and to me. Each step it takes gives off a menacing aura of power before it comes to a stop right in front of me. The difference in size between us is obvious but that doesn't stop me from taking up a boxer's stance, right fist to the right under my chin and with the left in front of me. The creature gives off a low hiss in return. Rain lightly falls on us as we wait for one of us to make a move. Just one thing to happen to send us fighting.
A lightning bolt strikes, sparking the fire of our battle.
It moves forward and attempts to take off my head but I juke to the right and send a couple punches to its side. It isn't deterred in the least as it brings its other arm to try and hit me. I lean back and respond with more punches around its body's. We trade attacks like this over and over again for a few times with much of the same result, no hits from it and a few from me. When it tries to slice my head off again, I duck under its attack and attempt to spin kick its legs out from under it. I am only rewarded with a solid smack as it continues to remain standing. Instead of with its hands, it jerks its leg out from under it and nails me hard in the face, sending stars into my vision and sending me a few feet away from it. I roll on the ground a few feet away from it before coming to stop. Getting onto my hands and knees, I work to try and regain my vision from the near concussion it gave me. As I do, my senses flare up and instinctively I roll to the side, the things claw driven deep into the muddy-like sand right where I was at. Not wasting the opportunity, I bring my right leg back and deliver a solid kick against the things arm in the wrong direction. A sickening crack accompanies my attack as the things arm is jerked out of the sand but is now broke and bending the wrong way. It rears back and screeches loudly as I roll away from it and onto my feet, this time moving into a Muay Thai combat stance since my fists didn't do as much damage. The creature looks at me with pure anger radiating off it as it attacks with its remaining arm. Ducking and dodging to the right, I bring my right leg up and hit against the creatures side, staggering it. Taking the initiative, I move closer and deliver a strike to its stomach before following up with a solid elbow strike to its chest, forcing it to slide back a little. Moving closer, I hit it again with foot and leg strikes against its sides and chest region, taking as many chances as I have in delivering as much damage as I can to it before it can retaliate.
Unfortunately I bite off more than I can chew as it wise's up and swings it's broken arm at me, my foot strike tangling up in the limp limb and negating my move as it follows up with a slash from its good arm. Thinking quickly, I lean back and do several back flips along the ground to put some distance away between the two of us. As I come for a landing, I stagger and fall to my hand and knee, breathing heavily as I take stock up what's happened. My body is riddled with small cuts from my first battle, I am tired from the few days I've stayed up not sleeping and eating along with the first fight, and I look to my chest to see three very long cuts on it, my shirt effectively ruined but the skin was barely nicked, blood not even seeping through.
'I can't keep this up forever. I need to end this soon.' I get back up and move forward, getting back into my stance. 'I need to end this… now.' Determination lining my face, I move forward and start feigning attacks. The creatures movements are jerky and uncoordinated to my numerous potential strikes before it signs its end. It thrusts its arm forward, giving me my opening. Allowing the tip of the claw to lightly cut my cheek, I reach my right arm over its body along the back and place the back of my left arm against its stomach. Bringing my right leg back, I kick and force its legs out from under it, allowing me to push with my arms and force it to fall on its face. Quickly taking the chance, I place one foot behind its head, forcing it into the wet sand and then I grab both legs with both my arms. Bringing the legs up, I pull… hard.
I can feel the creatures structure pull taught as I effectively try to either tear off its lower limbs or crush its head, whatever happens first. Its remaining good arms flails around to try to hit me but can't find its target. As I pull and pull with what little strength I have left, it finally grabs the ankle of my foot on its head.
But by then, it's too late. With a grunt of exertion, the legs give and a satisfying 'poomf' sounds as I fall onto the sand in a cloud of smoke.
I lay there for a few seconds to let the smoke billow away as the rain shifts to a gentler patter, taking deep but oh so succulent breaths of air, before I slowly sit up. They're lying on the ground, is a cut black gem in the shape of an onyx gem but with minor details different. Slowly I crawl over to the gem and gently pick it up with my right hand, the weight of it seems small but right now it weighs a million pounds.
"You… have… caused me… so much… grief." I breathe out as best I can. My heavy breathing turns to hoarse chuckling, "But damn… did you give me a fight… and the workout… I needed." I say. 'As well as a kick to the head… both figuratively and literally.' With a deep groan, I slowly get to my feet and walk over to my stuff. Dawning my jacket, guns and dissipating my swords, I look to the gem in my hand. "Now, I just have to find Garnet or Amethyst to bubble you." As I say that, I look around in hopes of finding them. However I stop before I look very to another piece of info I remember. "Wait, didn't Amethyst float up into the air after she ate her cloud?" I ask as I look up, wincing a little as more thunder booms. 'Hope you're not in the thunder clouds at least.' Feeling a migraine coming on at the AWOL of the gems, I stare intently at the gem. "Now who's going to bubble-"
*Woomp*
"… Oh… And apparently I can bubble gems now." I comment off-handedly. It's true. Where the black gem was, it now resides in a dark green bubble. "I should feel happy… but I'm not. I feel… tired." I say tiredly. Right now I should feel ecstatic that I learned some new powers, the bubbling and my earthquake-like attack from earlier, but instead I just want to sleep for a week. But first, "Now how do I- Ah!" Remembering how the gems send their captures to the temple, I take a shot at it and tap the top with my other hand. The bubble jerks up slightly before it disappears.
I may not be happy right now at the new powers I got, a huge weight is lifted off me as I no longer have to destroy gems if I'm ever in a situation where I can't get to the gems to bubble them. It sucks that I only got it now instead of before I met the gems but it's no use crying over the past now. I can only help the ones in the future now. "Alright, now that that's done, I'm gonna go sleep." I say to myself and start walking back to the temple.
"Whoa."
"Yep."
Amethyst and Garnet say from their perch on the sign of 'Fish Stew Pizza'. Garnet is sitting on it while she holds onto a string attached to Amethyst's foot, preventing her flying away like last time. The two gems saw the whole fight take place, wanting to cut in and help a few times but were left in slight awe, some more than others, at how Marcus quickly turned things around, as well as discovering some things about himself in the process. All in all, if the gems weren't impressed with his skills before, they are now.
"C'mon. Let's go before you get hit by lightning and to make sure Marcus is alright." Garnet says as she jumps down, still carrying balloon Amethyst.
"Right behind you." She says happily.
Not like she has much of a choice in the matter, being a balloon and all.
Marcus continues to trudge is was through the wet sandy beach to the safe confines of the beach house he and the Crystal Gems live in.
'Damn, gonna be hell to walk up those steps.' He thinks as he stops at the bottom of the stairs. Releasing a dejected sigh, he slowly makes his way up the stairs, he move feeling like a thousands are anchored to his legs. When he finally makes it to the top, he smiles tiredly as he pushes in the door.
"Marcus! Look who's back!" Steven happily yells while wearing his shirt around his head like a bandana. Marcus winces at the loud outburst of the enthusiastic kid.
"Steven, you can tell me all about it in a few days… when I wake up." Marcus replies in a slightly slumped form.
"But-"
"Later, please." He interrupts as he walks past him and Pearl. "Hey Pearl." Marcus greets the gem before heading straight for the couch.
"Hello… Marcus." She greets back but doesn't get an acknowledgment, only the form of Marcus collapsing on the couch face first.
"Huh. I was expecting a bit more." Steven comments with a hand on his chin.
"What happened while I was gone?" Pearl turn to Steven, hoping for answers.
"Well you see-"
"PEEEAAAARRRLLL!" Before Steven can finish, Marcus barrels into said gem and grabs her in bone-crushing hug.
"OH! Y-yes, Marcus. It's me. I'm here." She stutters a bit, more than a little confused at the situation. She expected the hug from Steven but is more than a little odd and confused at the much bigger show of affection by Marcus.
"Pearl! Oh my god! Is it you?! Is it really you?!" Marcus hysterically asks over and over again while gripping her face to give himself a very clear look at her.
"Y-yes Marcus! It is me! I'm back! I'm right here!" she tries to calm down the distressed human hybrid. With a smile and actual tears starting to form on the corners of his eyes, he hugs her again but gentler.
"I'm so glad your back. I thought… when I saw the sword… I…" he tries to form sentences but his mind is reeling around immensely with the amount of emotions he went through throughout the day.
"I'm alright Marcus. I'm not gone." She says. She soon feels moisture start to stain her new shirt behind her.
"Don't leave me. Please don't leave me." He says through tears.
Pearl places her hand behind the mans head and reassures him, "I won't Marcus. I promise I won't."
He brings his head back and Pearl is more than a little surprised at seeing the stone-faced emotion human so… vulnerable. "Good… good." He says and begins to lean forward to her face.
"Uhh, Marcus? What are you doing?" Pearl quickly asks as the human leans his head forward with closed eyes. He moves closer and closer to her face until…
*Thud*
Next thing Pearl knows, she's on the ground with a sleeping human on her stomach. Sitting up, she looks down at the peacefully sleeping man before finally taking stock of his body, more so his injuries. None of them look life threatening and nothing more than some bandages and a good few nights rest will he be better. She looks around to see a slightly confused Steven, a slightly grinning ballooned up Amethyst being held by a neutral faced Garnet.
"What happened while I was gone?" she asks the red gem. Garnet thinks back to what she heard and saw back at the beach before taking a long look at sleeping man.
"He doesn't take loss well." She answers.
Pearl looks down to the hybrid on her, gently stroking his head as she wonders just who Marcus was before he met them.
Damn, I am quite proud of this chapter. Longest one so far and probably the longest fight scenes I've ever made. It's been awhile since I did any fights as major as these ones so I wanted to go big. I hope you guys enjoyed this and gained at least some clarity, or questions, as to what Marcus is. Now he's got some powers but like Steven, he's got a long way to go. I almost pulled an all nighter writing this so I could stay up and prevent my brother from eating. He's got to get some teeth cleaned and a tooth pulled so the dentist stated that he is not to eat after midnight. Decided I didn't want my mom to stay up all night so I volunteered (Insistent slight begging and as many logic points I could come up with) to do it.
It sucked but it was alright. Managed to finish this up at least but since I was tired, expect some errors here and there. And for those of you worried about my classes, don't worry. Not all the teachers instantly gave work on the first week of school and I don't have classes Thursday and Fridays so those are days I can potentially do assignments or relax. Relax came to mind. In any case, this felt good to write and I was definitely looking forward to this episode. This is why I like to skip some episodes, to get to these things quicker. So I can get shit like this donr and out for you all to read as well as me. I think with this I will change the rating to M to avoid any problems. With what I got planned in the future, there is the chance for that to happen but not guaranteed. As I've said before, I come up with the majority of this as I go along.
Better safe than sorry. Anyway, have fun reading and living. Me?… Sleep sounds nice.
I also made a RWBY reference in there somewhere; I hope you guys got it.
Also if you hadn't noticed the title I made at the top of the chapter, it was too long to actually call it that so I stuck with the episode name and added mine at the beginning of the chapter. Might do that for future installments.
