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Post by x23 on Jul 18, 2007 18:12:34 GMT -4
This was becoming a bad habit.
Despite the slip up several nights back, X-23 would not stay away. Instead, she tripled every precaution. Stay out of sight and earshot, and as always, downwind. She didn't get close enough again for him to detect, and despite what she wanted to do...find him, watch him...she followed caution instead. She just strained to see if he'd made attempts to find her.
But it was like the time from her first visit to the encounter, played in fast forward. Each night, she was bolder, more comfortable. And an unhappy part of her persona urged her on. She didn't forgive, and her anger from the encounter still hung at the front of her thoughts. He didn't even care...
The scowl was heavy on her petite face. Sticking to the woods as always, she kept moving, her senses so very aware. Something was happening tonight. So much noise from the Castle. Music, small voices over the distance. She'd seen many cars approaching. She took it as a chance to get closer still, that the focus would be on the partygoers instead of her.
Not that he'd care either way...
Her temper reminded her quietly. Clenched teeth flashed through the scowl, but she quickly regained some composure.
Moving forward, a sudden urgency came over her. Inhaling deeply, she could smell him. Fresh. Turning to follow the trail, she found herself at the very edge of the treeline. She could see the castle unobstructed by foliage. He must have been on security, patrolling, the scent was so fresh. She was on high alert, but the sound from the party inside dampened her hearing. She relied on her eyes and nose instead. She saw nothing of importance around her, and all she knew was that scent. She moved purposefully to follow it, just out of sight.
She was so focused, perhaps distracted, that she didn't notice the subtle clues that something wasn't quite right.
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Post by Logan on Jul 18, 2007 22:50:14 GMT -4
These games had gone on for long enough.
For days now, Weapon X had walked around the compound in the open, a few times even offering her what seemed like a prime target if she wanted to take it. She’d almost caught him off guard a time or two, and by this time he was just starting to grow tired of waiting for her to make the first move. By this time he was starting to wonder if she knew what move she wanted to make.
Still, tonight was the party, and he had somebody else he was supposed to be following. When his very sensitive and highly trained ears heard an extra pair of footfalls off to the side, he decided tonight he was going to get some answers.
Keeping a healthy distance in front of her, he dodged behind a row of short and trimmed shrubbery and backtracked. She was still coming up on him, and he was so quiet she never heard him pass her by.
As the winds shifted directions, Weapon X knew he had to make his move.
His cloak flipped back and his claws sprang out as he cupped her cheeks with one strong hand. The blade of his claws rested lightly on the soft flesh of her neck, and he got a good look at her in the moonlight. “You want somethin' from me?”
She was a kid. Maybe not even 18.
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Post by x23 on Jul 18, 2007 23:34:47 GMT -4
X-23 thought she was hot on the trail. She thought he was up ahead, though very close. She didn't catch his feint until the wind shifted. Irritating, it blew her wiry black hair into her face. She didn't care once the truth hit her, however. The fresh scent she'd been following was suddenly much stronger. A chance to react would have been nice, but she didn't have that luxury. Almost simultaneously, he was upon her. From behind, he now stood before her, one strong hand on her jaw, the other poised at her throat. She could feel the cool pressure of his claws.
"You want somethin' from me?"
His voice was harsh and cold. She could only look up into those uncaring eyes, startled. Surprised, but not afraid. Her mouth fell open, a small 'uh' sound escaping, but she didn't have an answer for him. Not yet.
She didn't swallow hard or anything like that. In the face of a man poised to kill her, she wasn't intimidated. After the start, she recovered her blank demeanor flawlessly.
Actually, it wasn't blank. Closing her mouth, a scowl played at the corners of her lips. Partly due to their last un-encounter, but now annoyance as well. Lifting her hands quickly, she grabbed his wrists, but didn't try to move them. For the moment, she stared him down, resolute.
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Post by Logan on Jul 19, 2007 15:53:33 GMT -4
There were several things that Weapon X could smell on her, but the least of them was fear. She wasn’t afraid for her life, as she (truthfully) should be. Whoever she was, if her answer didn’t satisfy him, his claws could slice right through that pretty neck of hers, and she’d be dead before she hit the ground. It wouldn’t bother him in the least if things turned that way.
But he was curious. Because one of the other things he smelled on her as he got even closer was all too familiar. His brows furrowed in confusion, one of the first emotions his face had registered in a very long time.
Looking at her as she sternly met his gaze was like looking in the mirror. Ignoring the hands on his wrist, Weapon X retracted his blades, watching a thin trickle of blood on her neck dry up and vanish before his eyes.
He looked back into her eyes.
“Who are you?”
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Post by x23 on Jul 19, 2007 18:34:23 GMT -4
He wasn't happy. As it should, the scowl on his features rivaled her own. Her eyes were fixed on his, but she could tell in the peripheral that his nostrils were flaring, gleaning as much information as he could from her. Well practiced; he had the same advanced senses and he knew just as well how to make use of them.
While he made use of smell, she focused on sight. Conflicting emotions flickered across his face. Anger was obvious, as was annoyance. Confusion, though? That was most interesting of all.
Her own scowl deepened as the claws on her throat disappeared, feeling the nick of the metal against her soft skin. A warm, moist trickle that was gone almost instantly. She was unconcerned with the minor injury. She didn't even flinch.
"Who areyou?"
He liked to ask questions she didn't have answers for. Would an alphanumeric codeword satisfy that question? A name meant so little, and the way his eyes had focused on her throat as the injury disappeared, it meant even less.
With no good answer, X-23 remained mute once more. Her response was physical. With startling strength, she pushed his hands away in the effort to put space between them.
The scowl on her face deepened. Physically, she was ready for anything, the culmination of all her stalking. At the same time, she berated herself for being so hopelessly unprepared.
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Post by Logan on Jul 19, 2007 23:01:11 GMT -4
Never underestimate an opponent. It wasn’t a mantra that Weapon X had to repeat in his head in some vain attempt to try and commit it to memory...it was the way he’d thought, a central part of his belief system so intricately woven into the very fiber of him that he was only thrown off guard long enough for her to push him backwards.
Easily keeping his balance, Weapon X stared at her with cold and hard eyes and saw his answer staring back at him. She didn’t know who she was. She probably didn’t even know why she was here or she would have done something about it by now.
She seemed ready for anything, and something in her seemed like it might have been shaken by all of this. He nodded, dropping his eyes to her coiled posture. “Right. Just followin’ orders, huh?”
He held his arms out to the side. “They tell you to try and take me down?” He wasn’t bragging, but his tone made it clear that would be no easy task. He flipped his cloak back over his shoulder to reveal the shining hilt of a blade at his side.
“Just fer sneakin’ in here I should probably take ya into custody.” He shrugged. “Or kill ya.”
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Post by x23 on Jul 19, 2007 23:53:17 GMT -4
His tone of voice made her blood boil. Whether it was there or not, she heard his tone as patronizing. Like his disinterest before, his apparent view of her made her angry beyond reason. Try me. You can’t do anything.
Her fists and her jaw were clenched tight. Her knuckles were almost white, itching to let loose on him. At the same time, there was hesitation. He just stood there, arms outstretched, taunting her. He made a point to make the sword at his side visible, a silent intimidation. The sword was nothing to her, though.
“No.”
The word came out suddenly, uttered simply and without intonation. Orders? That wasn’t it at all. There was no ‘They’ that she knew of.
Weeks were spent tracking him, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. It had come and gone several times, but she always found a reason to stay back. Never able to put her finger on it, something inside her stopped her. Now she just wanted him to make the first move so she wouldn’t have to. She also knew she couldn’t wait forever.
“Just fer sneakin’ in here I should probably take ya into custody.” He shrugged. “Or kill ya.”
She couldn’t keep her temper in check any longer. His tone was so casual, as if to capture or kill were tasks unworthy of his time. She leapt forward, a sound not unlike a growl emanating from deep in her throat. Her fists were raised, aimed for his chest. She was almost close enough to make skin-to-skin contact when the gap was closed much faster. Drops of blood were suddenly airborne as two gleaming claws erupted from her white knuckles in a heartbeat. She was ready. Moving. Furious.
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Post by Logan on Jul 20, 2007 16:59:08 GMT -4
This little one needed to make the first move. She just didn’t know it yet. Weapon X helped her along with his words, and it was easier than he’d thought. Tapping into a primal kind of anger that he had been all too familiar with in his life, he hit the right buttons and soon the little girl was launching at him.
His ears caught the guttural sound of the growl in her throat. She was no ordinary girl, but that much was already clear. Standing completely immobile, Weapon X waited to move as she closed the distance fist first toward him.
He didn’t actually expect it...not what happened next. His ears caught it first, something quickly moving through her forearm, metal scratching on bone, slicing through tendon, muscle, and finally skin...a very familiar sound.
His own claws popped out with a ring, and he crossed them in front of him to block her. Metal hit metal and there was a loud clanging sound accompanied by sparks. He gritted his teeth as his pupils faded. She didn’t want to answer his questions? He had no use for her.
Raking his claws apart, he spread her hands wide and followed by a powerful side stepping kick to her stomach. It was almost liquid in grace, and he followed it up by taking a step toward her and grabbing her by the hair. “One of tha first things they teach is not ta give anything for yer opponent ta grab onto.” He swiped down hard and cut her hair off near the neckline.
(Figure the healing factor will return it quickly anyway)
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Post by x23 on Jul 20, 2007 19:13:16 GMT -4
It all happened in an instant. She was ready for blood, flying toward him with her fists ready. She was so close, but he was just as fast. A second set of claws shot out and he blocked her with a metallic clang. The sparks were bright against the dark backdrop as metal met with metal. Adamantium could cut through anything but itself; their weapons were evenly matched. Entangled, he moved his arms outward and forced her hands outward again. It was just the first portion of one fluid motion on his part. Blocked her claws, exposed her stomach and met it with a swift, hard kick. An unwanted, short groan left her mouth as she folded forward. Then he was moving again, closer, a fist around her dark hair and another flash of claws. She expected to feel some pain, but he didn't cut her skin. The tension on her hair was gone and she took the moment to act. Since she was pushed so low, she quickly swiped a leg around toward his calf. At the moment of impact, again she flexed the right muscle. A single claw shot from her foot into him. It wouldn't do much, but she was willing to bet he wouldn't expect it. She took the moment to move again, retracting the claw instantly. It wasn't until she looked back up at him that she saw what he'd done. Still clenched in that rough fist was the majority of her hair.
Her eyes were narrow, her teeth visible as the scowl grew worse by the moment. The hair was trivial, she didn't care and it was hanging off her shoulders again in no time. Again, it was the same feeling inside her. He was giving her pointers? Who does he think he is?!
Her subconscious was screaming, but externally, she remained painfully mute.
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Post by Logan on Jul 23, 2007 16:17:42 GMT -4
Fiery pain shot up from a wound in Weapon X’s calf. He looked down to see a shining claw sticking out from her foot and then he looked back at her and tossed the bunch of dark hair bunched in his hand to a mottled pile on the ground.
The pain subsided as quickly as the wound disappeared. Blood rapidly clotted and dried, skin knitted back up and all that was left within the space of a minute was a bloodied and torn section of pants. He looked at her foot again and decided he wasn’t going to make that mistake twice.
No more toying with this one.
Both claws extended out to each side as he stood a few paces in front of her. All around him he could hear and sense the world in a more intimate way than most people ever dreamed. It was an extension of his mind...his awareness.
His eyes weren’t even open as he stood there. When they opened he fixed his gaze on her. White eyes glowing with a fierce inner heat. Metal glimmered off of lights from the surrounding building as he was set into motion. Claws raking up, followed by a kick, a feint...she dodged and blocked much of it easily, but he continually kicked it up a notch. Counter punch, lunge, kick, Weapon X was backing her toward the stream.
(slight liberties taken with your character...if it’s not okay we can modify)
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Post by x23 on Jul 23, 2007 18:03:04 GMT -4
((Looks good to me. The same applies to here, since it's a flurry of blows, I picked something to let her take. If it's too much, I can change it.))
She knew her small act of desperation would escalate the encounter. She had succeeded in putting space between them again as she'd gone for his leg, but it would be short-lived. His anger was rising as quickly as hers and he seemed in a whole other world before the assault began. Claws extended, he was focused on his senses, then opened his eyes again, white hot upon her, and he was on her in a flash.
She was ready for him.
Her own claws raised, she kept him from inflicting any serious injury. The slight difference in length left her with deep scratches, but they were gone as quickly as they'd been inflicted. He made to kick again, she jumped backward out of range and deeper into the trees. She fell for a feignt, raising an arm to block an attack that wasn't coming, but she caught the deception easily with her other arm. He had greater strength, but she had him beat in lithe agility. Comfortable on her hands as well as feel, she could dodge exceptionally well. Twisting around his feet and fists, she avoided much of his damage with practiced ease. What she couldn't escape from hurt, but she forcibly ignored any pain. Instead, she let it fuel her in her counterattacks. Limbs and claws flying, she aimed to counter every move he made to return the damage. He was not an easy opponent, though, and he kept her on the move as she avoided his most savage blows. It was getting harder to do this by the moment, unfortunately. She couldn't block everything and white hot pain exploded in her cheek as she caught one savage blow. In one smooth move, she flipped backward away from him, foot claws spinning in counterattack, and didn't wait to see if anything happened as she landed slightly away from him, onto her feet once more. Her jaw hung crookedly to one side, and with a free hand, she forced it back into place to heal. Again, knowing there was no time to pause, she used the crouched position to lunge back at him again. They were closer to his goal than ever, but she didn't register any plans on his mind.
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Post by Logan on Jul 30, 2007 8:00:55 GMT -4
Though blows were landed on both sides, neither of them seemed to register it too openly, and the healing factors worked overtime to try and compensate for the damage. Weapon X was backing her toward the stream. His thought was solitary...the threat needed to be eliminated.
As one of her feet hit sticky mud, he made his move immediately. A wide open attack up high, which she predictably blocked and left her unguarded down low. His foot caught her hard in the sternum and literally picked her up off of her feet, throwing her backward.
The stream wasn't deep, a few feet in most spots...but it was deep enough. The intruder landed with a splash on her back and Logan was on her before she knew what happened. He pinned her arms down and held her above the water level by her hair that had mostly grown back.
Seeing himself in her face again, he hesitated before finishing it.
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Post by x23 on Jul 30, 2007 12:40:48 GMT -4
X-23 was skilled. She was strong, agile. However, she was only as good as the environment allowed her to be. It seemed like they'd been trading blows for ages, the scenery changing so gradually she paid it no mind. There were hits, evasions, and every time someone managed an injury, it was gone in seconds. The young fighter was glad she didn't tire easily, or she would have fallen much earlier.
As it was, she did quite well. She could match him in the fight, until her inattention tripped her up, rather literally. While he was focused on where they were, she didn't think it so important, until she found herself stuck in the mud. She wasn't trapped in it, but the momentary slip-up was enough. Before she could free herself, he made a move at her head. Throwing up an arm, she blocked it easily, but at the same moment, his foot connected hard with her chest. The wind was knocked out of her as she went flying, landing with a loud splash in water. If she had the time, she would have chastised herself for her mistake, moving that far back into the woods without even noticing. But there were more pressing matters at hand. Literally.
Soaking wet and coughing, trying to breathe, she kept inhaling the splashing water, then more coughing to get it out. The distraction was enough that he was upon her again, pinning her arms helplessly and holding her up by a clump of her wet hair. She was still coughing, eyes closed, but managed to look up for the briefest moment as he held her. There was some odd emotion on his face. Hesitation. But she had no time to do or say anything before he acted.
With another small splash, her head was plunged below the water's surface. Still coughing, she fought to free herself amid a cloud of bubbles, her last meager breath floating away. Forcing her mouth shut, she couldn't get out of his grip. She was strong, but he was stronger. Arms at her sides, legs stretched beneath him with no way to maneuver, all she could manage was to try and wriggle out of the situation. It didn't work.
Fighting him, she opened her eyes in the murky water in hopes of seeing some weakness to exploit. All she could see was the dark shape of his body holding her, silhouetted by the bright moon, extending above the water's surface. The lines were fuzzy as she splashed around, but she could still make him out. Oh, what she wanted to do to him...
If she could have, she would have raged at him, but now she was just so...tired? The bright moonlight was suddenly growing much darker. A last fleeting panic, splashing above. A small trickle of bubbles escaped from her nose, popping at the surface, and the water grew quite still.
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Post by Logan on Jul 31, 2007 7:47:23 GMT -4
Weapon X held her there for a few moments after she went still, and he studied her face. She definitely looked like him...no doubt about it. The how wasn’t as pressing as the why. Fingertips gripping the fabric of her shirt, he hefted her up and out of the water, cradling her in his arms and carrying her over to the shore.
With surprising gentleness he put her down in the lush grass and rolled her over onto her side. One well placed smack of his palm on her back was enough to shoot any water out of her lungs. Weapon X sat a few paces from her in the grass and watched her recover.
She hadn’t said anything yet. He was betting she would now.
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Post by x23 on Jul 31, 2007 18:32:45 GMT -4
X-23 woke suddenly, coughing, rolling from her side onto her stomach spitting up water. Almost drowsily, she pushed herself up on unsteady arms and opened her eyes, confused and disoriented. For a few moments, she did little more than cough. Finally, spitting the last bit of water from her lungs onto the grass beneath her, she took a deep, dry breath as her memory caught up to her. She looked around slowly. Locking onto that shape in the grass, silver armor bright under the moon, she realized what happened to her. He'd held her under, tried to drown her, and now he sat casually in front of her. Her mind scrambled, but it could reason out what had happened between now and then.
He should have killed me, but...he didn't?
Though there were a thousand questions running thought her mind, she asked only one. Pushing herself up further until she knelt on the drenched grass, she locked eyes with him once again.
"Why...?"
She pulled a soggy strand of hair out of her face and looked at him, waiting for some--any--kind of response.
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