When it comes to fighting and everything about it, I know my role well. Im not the one who beats people up like Jax, I'm not running around at top speed and attacking like Aiden, I don't have some finishing special move like Liora, and I can't get hit with a building and survive like Selene. I have accepted this, my role in this performance isn't to be a star, but a conductor, making sure everyone is in the right spots.
As we materialized out of the sparks, the system messages appeared The most glaring being the one in bright red. Liora and Aiden rushed away as I used my strings to hitch a ride, letting my feet slide along the cobblestones as they ran. It hurts, but I need to be there to help, especially now that everyone is going to be hyper aggressive due to grief and anger.
We rounded the corner, past where the desert woman had been in the kitchen area as we saw the scene unfolding. Jax, spinning his head back into place. Beatrice with blood running down her side, and Selene holding her. Jax took a moment, to stare towards the necromancer and her minions as they moved backwards as if to protect their master before his eyes panned over to us.
It was his eyes, his body, and yet he was not in there right now. His face shifted into a manic smile. Aiden moved first, yanking the pullcord at his shoulder, the muffled labyrinth being filled with the sound of an engine as he rushed forward. Jax moved, his fangs diving for the back of Selene's neck as Aiden tackled Jax from the side, wrapping him in his arms. The hold didn't last long as Jax kicked Aiden, sending him flying back into the wall as Aiden raised the shaft of his spear. Jax's fangs bit around the spear as his paw slammed into Aiden's Chest. The sound of broken bones echoes as Aiden cried out. Jax pressed down into Aiden as he was already struggling to hold him back, the broken ribs seemed to halve his strength to resist.
I swung my hands out, my strings flying forward and wrapping around Jax I swung, sending him back and rolling before he came to his feet
Party member Aiden has activated the Revolution Core
The Revolution Core V2 is online
Party member Aiden has shifted the Revolution Core V2 into Low Gear
Party member Aiden has activated Clockwork Coil (E)
Party member Aiden's senses and body are pushed faster than normal
Party leader Jax has attacked Party member Aiden
Party member Aiden has taken 35 damage
You have used skill Marionetting Fingers(D)
Party leader Jax has been moved
"Jax, what the hells!"
Liora yelled as she ran towards where Aiden was partially slumped against the wall. As she ran I felt the sensation of a mechanism with my strings, but before I could warn her the wire caught her ankle. As the mechanism made a sound like a spring in motion, the little necromancer Lily let out a giggle as he said a rhyme in a sing song voice.
"Pretty bird, pretty bird, why stray so far? If I break your wings, will you stay where you are?"
From the ceiling a metal grate covered with what seemed to be nails, spikes, and teddy bears strangely enough swung down towards Liora. Liora was already falling forward, so she couldn't jump back. Yet as the grate swung into her, it seemed to miss, like she hadn't been there. Liora burst into a cloud of feathers, most of which scattered, but a few were flying like a ball that landed and from within them Liora, in a crouch was holding her bleeding shoulder.
"Who straps teddy bears to a deathtrap!?"
Lily seemed to cock her head as if confused before she asked
"cause it's cute. why else would you make a Teddie launcher?"
Beatrice ran over to me as Liora and Lily seemed to continue arguing.
"Sera says that we can Fix Jax, but I need Liora's mana, and I need Jax to be held down, can you stall The skeletons and the girl?"
I looked down at Beatrice as Selene dove and tackled Jax out of the air before he could attack Aiden again as they seemed to wrestle on the ground. Selene being scratched up as despite his broken ribs, Aiden hobbled over and began trying to help, the remnants of a potion he chugged in the small bottle that fell and bounced on the tiles.
I let out a sigh as I began to channel mana into my strings.
"The best I can do is 20 seconds, will that work?"
I asked as I stepped forward, the once retreating zombie and skeletons beginning to rush forward seeing the chaos as a good chance to strike.
Beatrice Nodded as I channeled the mana from my ring to form the extra arms. Behind me, Jax was thrashing and writhing, Aiden Struggled to stand after Jax's foot kicked out and caught his ribs, while Selene seemed to be struggling to hold Jax down as he flailed and thrashed, her face and arms covered in dozens of small bleeding wounds.
I shut it out.
Before me a massive hulking skeleton faced zombie, several other recently revived skeletons, and even a wraith shot towards me.
I shut it out.
The system buzzed and pried for my attention in the chaos, letting me know of every skill, every move people made.
I shut it out.
I forced the noise to quiet down as for a moment I was reminded of when I was in my grandfather's woodshop. Making the dolls move and dance after I had only just gotten my class. For a moment I stayed still, reminiscing about the scene, and yet I couldn't hear the sound of his voice, the sounds of his tools, or even the small jingle of the bell as the doors opened with people walking in.
Instead all I heard were the shouts, the sound of splintering supports, and crumbling rock. My eyes shot open as my six arms shot forward. I felt the ring bottom out, and my own supply being tapped into at an alarming rate, but I didn't care. My strings shot forward in a web of wires. The undead and their controller were quickly grabbed in my wires as behind me I heard the sound of plants sprouting as I heard Beatrice Hiss in pain. Jax's struggle seemed to be growing fainter and fainter.
I turned back to the scene in front of me as I said.
"Liora, I have a clean shot lined up for you."
It took a moment as I turned back to see both Beatrice and Jax were laying on the ground, both breathing heavily but steadily as they seemed to be unconscious. Liora stepped back, looking drained and like she may throw up, but still standing as she said in a groggy voice.
"Yep, got it."
She held her staff out, the wind swirling as Lily squirmed and struggled turning to her undead as if they could save her. She looked around desperately before her chest began to rise and fall faster and faster as she began to hyperventilating, looking at the wraith then letting out a loud scream as she began to beg the wraith.
"Mama I'm sorry, please let go mama. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry!"
Liora's wind faltered for a moment. Yet after a second the blast fired. The skeletons, zombie and wraith were whipped out in a blast. I waited for a follow-up shot before I asked.
"You forgot the girl."
Liora turned to me with a sickened expression on her face before she said.
"You can't expect me to kill a child who clearly has some kind of mental problem."
Unpleasant memories welled up in my head at the mention of a child with a mental problem as I snarled and turned to Liora with an expression that must have startled her before I spoke, practically spitting my words.
"That little girl killed 10 people, or would you like to go to their families and tell them that we were planning to arrest her but she started crying?"
With the Wraith gone, Lily seemed to be not hyperventilating as much as behind me, I heard Beatrice stagger to her feet as Selene hoisted the still unconscious Jax onto her back and started to head with Aiden using his spear like a crutch towards the entrance. Both looking battered and tired. I turned to Lily who still hung suspended from the strings as I noticed that she had several black vials along her side, each of which housed a name. I turned back to Liora to argue more that she needed to do this but before I could, Beatrice began to walk into the room and towards Lily.
Lily calmed down a bit and watched as Beatrice approached before she said.
"pretty fox. Can you join my family? pretty please. It's scary being alone."
Beatrice didn't respond, instead she climbed some of the strings so she was eye level with the girl before she said.
"Being alone is scary, I bet those people you killed would agree."
Lily didn't have time to react as Beatrice lunged, her fangs biting into flesh on the throat and yanking back with a ripping noise.