Stations of the Black Cross

[Sam]

"Have it your vay! Let's drag eachozher to hell! Gongongon!"

The large man putting the stunt laughed maniacally. His kick seemingly pushing back Andromeda into a cartwheel, Constantine had to admit that despite her size Andromeda was quite quick on her feet. Not just that but to incorporate those stunts with a rather convincing act was simply amusing to him. As his second kick came in the woman used his size to her advantage. Bouncing off the leg and straight out into a nearby wall only to bounce back at full force.

"I zee you haf gotten good! But not good enoufgh! Unhckoly Cross!"

Constantine yelled the mock-technique loud and clear making an X shape with his arms to block the incoming attack. Of course since this was a staged battle all attacks were pulled. Trusting Andromeda he braced for the impact! Once it came in Constantine would throw himself back, acting like the great strength of the impact had been enough to cause him to be pushed back despite his large size. This show was sure to cause great awe amongst those who saw the fight.

A clear 'display' of Andromeda's true strength. Jumping back up but on his arms the large man did a front flip with his head sticking out! He was going for a headbutt! Using the power of gravity and his flip for the incoming attack! His horns of course would augment the strike that is, if he was actually fighting. But of course, he would pull back that attack. Nonetheless, it was quite the surprise attack!

"Devil's Shpite!"

He yelled, pre-emptively as he snuck a wink at Andromeda.

[Blitzfrieg]

Constantine was doing surprisingly well!  As her super special secret move connected with his Unlucky Cross, the huge man was convincingly 'blown backwards'.  She fell to the ground after striking him, raising her fists and preparing for his response.  This was fun! And it was going well.  The large man jumped up to his feet, and Andromeda flashed a glance at the Finger Men watching.  They were observing intently, and the wrestler realized how perfect a position they were in!

"BRING IT ON!"  Andromeda yelled, spreading her hands wide.  Right before her opponent's headbutt would have hit home, she clicked her heel, triggering another flicker of light.  In the second the lights went out, she brought her arms in, catching Constantine by the horns.  She returned his wink and stomped the pavement hard enough to emit a very loud crack.  Andromeda then cried out in fake pain as the light came on, yanking her head backwards as if she'd been struck.  

"How....dare...."  Andromeda fell to one knee, where she was overshadowed by Constantine's towering, thin frame.  Another flicker of lights, and Andromeda retreated, appearing next on the roof of one of the nearby buildings.  She was clutching her forehead as though injured.  Stabbing a finger at Constantine, she struck a dramatic pose.

"...YOU haven't won....ANYTHING!"  She sneered angrily, sweeping her hand to to the side, where she clenched her fist.  "It's a new era on Funkyard!  You and your criminal friends are DONE!"  And with that, she turned around, and broke into a dead run.  She had to put some good distance between them just in case the Finger Men followed her, or forced Constantine to do so.  Now that she was out of immediate sight, she was able to use her extendable, wapolmetal chain-arms like a grappling hook.  This allowed her to effortlessly travel several blocks away before anyone could possibly catch up.

"Whooo!"  Andromeda sighed with a smile.  That was fun!  This was fun!  Letting out a squeal, she ran her fingers through her hair and laughed.  Then her face went blank.  No.  She couldn't get soft.  She had a job to do.  And these people were allies, not friends.  Not yet.  With a sadder, more prolonged sigh she dropped down an alley, and started walking her way to rendezvous with Toulon. 

[dazbreaker]

It had been about a half hour since everyone fled, or was knocked unconscious by Talon's mighty new trash monster.  None of them were carrying anything that could really worry Khali to begin with, what's more her disguise made hitting anything of note rather difficult for a bunch of terrified common soldiers.  One by one they were driven off by self preservation instinct, or clobbered by a huge trashy forearm until incapacitated.

Once she had her disguise off, and could do a proper inspection of the ship, Khali found it a bit wanting.  Fortunately the pier was very broad, and sturdy enough that she could get out of the water and dry off.  

"It's a bit small."  Khali mumbled, rubbing her chin as she thought.  She'd like to try her hand at making a proper one.  One that could fit her on board comfortably.  This ship could not.  It was plenty big enough for her to relax on the deck, but she would likely be sleeping there until they had a replacement.  

"Hmmm."  Khali noticed something about the ship.  Crouching down on the pier, she inspected the sides more closely.  "You are floating high."  Even standing up, the deck of the ship was at eye level.  That wasn't right.  Khali rubbed her temple.  The ship was supposed to be loaded right?  It should be low in the water.  

She rapped the hull with her knuckle, then continued moving her hand down the side, every few feet.  Khali noted a change in pitch that lasted for some distance.  

"Interesting."  She grumbled as she moved away, and grabbed one of the glowing lights from her trash monster disguise.  Using it to inspect the hull, she found a seam.  It was extremely well hidden, and sealed from the inside against water.  Clever.  But she didn't know how to activate it.  So instead.

Khali slammed her palm into the side of the ship, causing it to creak and list in the water.  Yet with a loud slam, a huge section of the hull almost twenty meters wide, and half as tall as Khali fell open onto the pier.  This revealed a means to load cargo directly inside a sealed compartment for smuggling operations.  The secret chamber was more than big enough for either Khali or Constantine.  "Just gotta take out some walls."  She grumbled, thinking of plans to make it more comfortable.  Even more interesting, was the canisters she found lining the ship just below the shoreline.  They were obscured by nets, but Khali had to figure they were why the ship looked like it was running light.  All in all it was a fine smugglers ship.  Not a pirate ship, but it could be made to work for the time being.  

As an added bonus, it was loaded with cargo, which all technically belonged to the Black Cross now.  Out of curiosity, Khali reached for a massive crate, almost as long as she was tall, but narrow around.  Just as she started pulling it out, Khali heard a splash coming from behind.  Spinning around just in time Khali braced herself against an enormous fist.

"Petals pray for it,

A storm to carry sorrow,

Flower breaks the wind."

The huge forearm was as big as Khali's body, but its swing was crude and undisciplined.  More a casual swat than anything.  The crimson skinned half giant twisted her hands to catch the forearm, using her strength to redirect its momentum overhead.  Adding a bit of her own strength, Khali pushed the blow away with considerable force.

"OWIEOWIEOWIE!"  The bearer of the fist cried out in pain as his wild swing was magnified, causing him to throw out his lower back with a loud pop.  Khali was left staring at her attacker, who was currently standing in the water, which came up to his chest.  She blinked?  Was this a giant?  A real giant?  He was definitely part robot, one of Talon's men?  He was enormous!  He was twice as tall as Khali!

[Sam]

Constantine smiled, the woman held onto his horns but overall pretended as if had struck. The large man turned to look at the finger men who were watching the exchange intently with expressions that couldn't be faked. Andromeda was talented, such a thing couldn't be denied... if you asked Constantine he would claim that she stole the show!

"Gongongon! Zee! You are too veak! Come back when you can face me milk drinker!"

The woman put on her dramatic act as she knelt under Constantine's lankey shadow. But under a blink she suddenly disappeared without a trace only to reppear over a roof of a nearby building. Grimacing with his fangs the musician lowered his purple tinted sunglasses to reveal a pair of indigo eyes underneath. A rather cheeky pair of fangs propped out as he gave Andromeda a broad smile.

"Oh I dare and I hafve indeed von! Zhe long you go wizhout stopping me zhe longer I'm ahround zhe more innocent vill die. Gongongon!"

Constantine announced as he pretended to laugh maniacally. The fingermen around him began to chuckle as well along with Constantine until the large man shot them an angered look.

"Silence!"

He demanded, the now somewhat afraid men did as he said. Good, the plan had worked... they were shook! He had respect now... fear within his grasp.

"Shouldn't we follow her?"

Asked one of them men in a timid tone. To which Constantine nodded.

"Yeah... but I'll do it mineself."

The large man ran off after Andromeda. Of course he didn't intend on actually capturing her. Instead he headed toward Talon to report, a new fake collar was placed on his neck. He was sure the ring leader of this operation would take interest on how things were shaping up.

[viruswithshoes]

Toulon was in the kind of physical state that required him to be picked up and carried. As a doctor, the twin-braided beard bearer was used to awkwardly conveying wounded from place to place. As he bounced upon the broad shoulders of the half-finished cyborg the bespectacled surgeon decided that people made for terrible ambulances.
"Will you please unhand me, Mister Frankrugger?"
"O Captain My Captain, you're alive! Alas, I cannot relinquish you until you reach your appointed destination."
The green-eyed cyborg Toulon had somehow earned as an underling made the aching Captain long for the shrill sound of a siren.

The Captain of The Black Cross wondered if any other leaders had to be ferryed around by their crewmen.
Luckily, Frankrugger gained in speed what he lacked in comfort.

The extreme discomfort of the ride was forgotten as soon as Toulon reached his destination, the site of Constantine and Andromeda's no doubt dramatic battle. For the first time in his life, the doctor with a penchant for disarming explosives was happy to see wounded people and unexploded ordinance.

Steel Talons gang members littered the floor each bearing a black and red necklace which exploded from either a command or tampering...tampering from people who didn't have Toulon's combination of surgical precision and mine clearance skills. It finally felt like he was being useful in his own plan.

Any time Toulon looked like he would drift away into sleep Henry Frankrugger was a small electric shock away to keep him on task.
"We're The Black Cross. We're here to help."
The tall cyborg crackling with electricity had a better bedside manner than Toulon had expected.

With a simple scalpel Toulon used to keep his straight black hair in a bun, one by one the explosive necklaces were gently opened and disarmed. Slowly, but surely the men and women that wore certain death around their necks were unburdened. Once the last bomb was disabled and the scalpel went back to being a hair accessory the semi-conscious Fingermen and other cronies of the Steel Talons looked at Toulon with some sort of expectation. Most people didn't risk their lives for nothing.

Toulon awkwardly cleared his throat. "I'm Toulon. Captain of the Black Cross Medical Organization. We have stolen the ship being sent to Talon and that is only the beginning. Come with me and we will show him the meaning of war."

The idea of working with someone who couldn't kill them at any time made Toulon stand apart from Talon despite their strikingly similar names.

It wasn't much. No more than ten men, but they were ten men Talon would no longer have as resources.
"Spread the word: Toulon Kuroko will set you free."

If each of these ten men could convince one or two other people to either turn against The Steel Talons or go off in a neutral direction Toulon knew that he would weaken his enemy significantly and best of all, he could do with with non-violence...perhaps semi-non-violence since Andromeda had to knock out a group of people.

"Take me to the others, Mr. Frankrugger, I feel faint."

The last thing the leather clad orderly heard as he picked up Toulon's limp body was something about needing to get Khali to build an ambulance one day.

It took some kicking and stern language but Frankrugger let Toulon down to walk to the rendezvous point on his own two feet.

A smile formed within his black, double braided beard just beneath his mustache.
"I'm proud. This is the type of thing that reignites my faith in humanity. We pulled together for a common good."
Toulon paused.

"We can leave now. We have a vessel, one I am sure is filled with valuable objects to fund our next journey. On the other hand...Talon...he's a jerk. He cut off three of my arms, he would have done something terrible to Andromeda had she not been able to escape and well, something about him just irks me. Who would like to raid that man's mansion and steal everything that isn't bolted down...scratch that. With a bone saw or acetylene torch we can take even the things he bolted down. Who is with me?"

[Blitzfrieg]

Andromeda found herself standing in an intersection of alleys, staring up at the night sky.  It was a strangely peaceful night.  Funkyard was a gross place, but she found at night it had its charms.  The mountains of trash had the strangest look at night, as the moonlight glinted off of masses of metal siding and broken glass.  But the wind, when the wind hit and carried the underlying stank away, there were moments when she could smell the sea.

She was missing the sea.  Andromeda forgot why she even came to this place, but she reflected on the events.  Meeting Toulon, fighting Khali and the Stand.  She could still feel the thrill of pride and confidence knowing she could friggin' whip cannonballs out of the air.  The rush of going all out against Dougan.  

Of being left behind.

Of being rescued by a stranger.....of fighting a mock battle with that stranger.  Andromeda grinned.  Constantine had really committed to the act.  It was thrilling.  It was only a few minutes ago, so her blood was still on fire.  That's probably why the chill breeze felt so good.  She only wished she wasn't wearing this crappy marine uniform.  How did they fight in such restrictive pants?

More importantly.....why was she still there?  Why was she committing to this?  Her yellow eyes narrowed.  "What are you doing Annie?"  She asked out loud, to the empty streets and herself alone.  

"That depends on your perspective."  A voice came from the shadows, and Andromeda turned to face it.  In an instant she was wound tight, ready to spring into action.  A figure stepped out of the darkness of an alley.  Slowly, moonlight threw the persons features into sharp detail.  He was tall, but not overly much.  Dark brown skin and strong features, well built but in proper proportions.  His slicked back hair, and short, well kempt beard where stark white.  A long white trench coat came down just a few inches from the ground.  It had a series of yellow symbols running down the tight fitting sleeves, some of which she recognized as Marine and World Government symbols.  Beneath all this was a pair of loose fitting yellow slacks and a matching yellow dress shirt.  No tie.....strangely enough.  "Hello Annie.  Or do you prefer Andromeda?  Or...."  The man adjusted a pair of narrow lensed sunglasses.  "....Annabelle Rhex?"  With those two words, Andromeda went from a standstill to full pressure in an instant.  One moment she was standing, the next she was replaced with a cloud of steam....and she was an inch away from this stranger.

"Sorry...."  In that inch, the man did.....something.  One moment she was about to pummel him, the next she was falling almost flat on her face.  It took all she had to come to a knee instead.  Her limbs were frozen, a light electric current running through them.  While it wasn't enough to really hurt, it was forcing her muscles to tense, making it impossible to move.  "....but I really don't have time to humor you, or put you in your place."  The man sighed, and folded his arms.  "Now that I have your attention.  Please don't get distracted."  The man reached out, giving her metal shoulder a flick.  The action caused a sharp metallic ping, and he chuckled.  "I see HITMAN is serving you well."  

"Who..."  Andromeda could barely speak, so that one word was all she could give.  The man silenced her quickly.

"You don't need to worry about that.  All you need to know is that I am tasked with keeping track of people like you.  Right now you are dirt beneath our nails, but useful dirt.  It's my job to make sure you don't become a real problem."  He went down to a knee, so he could look her in the face.  "Unfortunately for you, I also have friends who really want that system back."  He smiled, holding up a finger.  "Fortunately for you.  I have my own plans.  And I also have, your father."  All the fight dropped from Andromeda at that statement.  What?  She thought he was sent to Impel Down?  He was gone forever right?  

"I'm not interested in answering whatever pressing questions you might have.  Suffice to say, his comfort, and his pain, are based entirely upon my discretion.  Therefore, if you behave, and keep an eye on this Toulon for me, then my discretion will be more than appropriate."  The man stood up, brushing off his coat and pants carefully.  "They are both interesting men.  Toulon and your father.  Very useful.  True crusaders in a way."  The man clapped his hands together, striking an unnecessarily dynamic, and dramatic pose with arms splayed out to either side.  "The most easily manipulated, and the most dangerous at the same time.  You chose your friends poorly dear Annabelle.  Because of them you are a player in my game."  He turned towards her, and pressed his fingers to her forehead, giving her a shove.  "First play.  Pawn forward.  Let it begin."

Andromeda tumbled onto her back, but by the time she righted herself, the man was gone.....even before his voice.  

[dazbreaker]

"Oi!  Why'd you go and do that?!"  The giant was either in severe pain or he was really up acting the moment.  Khali was just surprised to see a real one.  He was big, and bald, but had a long bushy beard that went down to the water.  He was very broad as well, and so tall that the water came just under his chest.  While standing on the dock, Khali still wasn't at eye level.  But how could she fight him?  His reach was way to long.  Also, one bad swing and that pier would go away, or worse he might damage the ship!

"Do what?  Protect myself?"  Khali asked, somewhat confused.

"No you dolt!  I was trying to give you a high five!"  The giant was clutching his side, muttering and grumbling.  Khali gave him an incredulous look.  Khali wasn't stupid, but that was stupid.  The side of his face was metal, with one eye replaced by a huge glowing red lens.  It made him look creepy in the dark.

"That's not how you give high five's."  Khali smiled and spread her arms.  "Why don't you throw me another one?"  The giant looked at her and his mechanical eye flashed red.  He smiled, either believing her to have fallen for his ruse, or not caring either way.

"Sure thing!  Here it comes champ!"  He reeled his arm back, winding it up, then swinging it again.  This time he was using much more finesse, like a boxer delivering a tight cross instead of trying to club her with his forearm.  Khali had no intention of trying to counter that attack.  And instead, she let herself fall forward, then kicked off the dock with as much force as she could without breaking it.  She hit the water, and the giant reeled as another loud pop sounded from his hip.  

"Gaaaaguh!"  He stomped under the water, but Khali was an exceptional swimmer, and she quickly darted her way around to his backside.  There she started climbing up some kind of mechanical spine attachment that served as a perfect ladder for her needs.  He started to grab at her, but she was moving to quickly and he wasn't overly flexible.  With every step she kicked at his implant, every grip tore chunks of metal from the device.  Soon she was atop his shoulders, and he was cringing, unable to move due to the malfunctioning implants.  

"This is how you give high fives."  Khali said coldly.  Balancing on his shoulder and neck, she held onto part of his eye plate, and extended her free arm out.  Her body tensed, muscles drawing tight as she focused her strength through breathing and concentration.  

"Demon Sword."  Khali tightened up that last bit, like a rubber band about to snap.  "Kurenai."  Khali aimed a karate chop directly at the Giant's metal temple, it's impact having all the force and weight of her Butterfly Cut's the Reeds technique, but focused along the razor edge of her powerful hand.  The impact was stunning, and sent shattering lines along his faceplate like a spiderweb, and the eye lens exploded entirely.  He slowly started tilting over, falling against and slumping over another ship.  As he did, Khali leapt off, landing roughly against the pier before rolling into the large crate she'd pulled out before. 

"Grrrr."  Khali grumbled, cracking her neck while standing. "Oh.  And who are you?"  As she stood, Khali spied the handle of a weapon in the crate she broke.  Reaching down, she ripped the weapon crudely from the crate.  And immediately found herself stricken with awe.  Her kanabo was a magnificent weapon that she cherished, but this was something else.  

It was a warmace of the same design, from the homeland of her master.  But it was much larger, octagonal in shape, studded along it's polished surface, and solid metal.  It was easily thrice as heavy as Otome, but the balance was incredible!  Khali took a few practice swings with it, and found herself immediately charmed.  Whatever destiny led her to this island, surely meant her to have this!

Then as Khali swung it, she changed her grip, brushing the metal ring on the pommel.  The action triggered something that truly stunned Khali.  As if the metal was made of some strange liquid, it shifted shape, it's weight and mass transforming from a sixteen foot long warmace, to a twenty two foot long Wano style katana.  

No one on this island could appreciate what this meant to this red skinned woman who fancied herself an Oni.  "The weapon of a samurai."  Khali swallowed a lump in her throat, holding the blade up straight in front of her.  Khali pressed her forehead to the back of the blade.  "And of a demon."

Until this very moment.  The two could not coexist in Khali's mind.

OOC: To be continued.