Dark Empire [Closed (Morion, Swan, Carbide and Mr O.)]

[Morion]

Empire City
Dressed in night
The Smoky Quartz stalked his prey in the form of a the big, black (alien) feline ( closer to a Thanator than an Earth panther, but close enough) ; hindig in the shadows, leaped from tree to tree, runing on all six
When the Assassin reached the City, his strong paws, sharp claws helped him on his way
Monstorous from climbed on the side of the buildings, warped in smoke and darkness, shadows and silence



Silver eyes watched the streets from time to time, while Morion rested on a roof, or a balcony, or simply diging his claws deep in the glass and steel, on the side of a building
After a few puwerfull jumps the Smoky Quartz perched like a gargoyle on the top of a roof, watched the streets below



Lights
Streets
Cars
Humans....
...and among them, his prey
The Assassin stalked the other Gem, relentless hunter, remorsless killer
His prey?
A Rebel, a so called Crystal Gem
Light green skintone, greenish-yellow hoodie; the nervous "girl" tried to blend in, hide among the humans
But Morion was a skilled inflitrator, experienced ''Eye", the Gem couldn't hide from him
He pursued the Gem, diverting him from the humans
Dark streets, shadowy alleys, it was the predator's home turf
Finally, at the docks, the little green Gem was alone



She thought, she was safe now, looked around nervously, but saw nothing
Just the empty pier... The Crystal Gem backed into the shadow of a large ship with a relieved sigh...
...and bumped into the Smoky Quartz's humanoid form; cloaked, hooded humanoid, with long grey hair and silver eyes, in a mask; dressed in black, with his gem, a dark smoky quartz, a Morion in the middle of his chest
Without any diamond insignia
She swallowed, afraid to look back... but could se the creeping smoke around them in the darkness

"P-P-Please..."

The Gem's voice was frightened, barely a whisper, closed her eyes, tears ran down on her cheeks

"I... I just..."
"Sssh...."

The Smoky Quartz gently put a hand over her mouth... his scimitar appeared in his other hand...
There was just a little sound...
A swift stab from behind, then the Crystal Gem poofed
Morion grabbed the falling little green gemstone, holding it in his hand... even his gloved hand resembled a bit a claved paw; liquid light dripping from the blade in his other hand
He examined the Gem
Should he bubble it?
..or crush it, closing his fist?

[stabbycat]

Distracted with the ever burdening decision to imprison or snuff the life from his quarry, the gem in his hand had gained roughly two hundred pounds. Yet, instead of dropping to the ground, it tore from his grasp and flew up to the ship above them. It hurtled into the night sky, threatening to disappear into the starred nothingness forever, when it came to a safe and sudden halt into the palm of a heavily armored...individual. The moonlight caught the alabaster plating of Starlight Swan, a powerful aura of courage, the light creeping across the gem and casting aside the shadow to reveal the emblem engraved onto the chest piece: a black swan, wings spread in the name of justice, with the head and heart of a blazing star.

Spider silk and kevlar weave body suit.  Thick plates of durasteel providing full coverage, insulated with tin and copper. Tightly knit-together 'feathers' of ceramic plumed over the plating, offering the opulent likeness of a swan. The sheer thickness of the overall armor was imposing to say the least, and with Starlight Swan standing upon the railing of the ship with the moon at his back, his equally alabaster halberd held aloft in his dominant hand...it was clear what his intent was here tonight. The armor of the gauntlet holding the gem shifted and stretched, opening up to accept the gem and swallow it into it's structure shortly after it was caught. It sent the bulge in the armor running along his arm before it cross the shoulder and disappeared into the thick chestpiece, the disturbances in the armor settling as Swan dragged his hand along the altered portions, fixing the armor easily...bizzare. Absolutely bizarre.

A gem. No doubt about it. The assassin before him had been somewhat of Swan's own quarry, a bit of a menace that was spoken of far too many times as an urban legend, especially when it came to Empire City. Rumors of shadows that twisted and snarled, glimpses of a figure that shouldn't have been there and was gone after a mere blink, and the ever sickening sensation of being watched from the safety of the dark. Gems, humans: both fearing for their lives. Both afraid for their safety. The new hero of Beach City, and the lands that stretched beyond it, would not tolerate this menace any longer. This would end here and now.

Swan turned his visor down to the lowly assassin in his midst, focusing on him as he once more applied his ability, feeling the gravity fluctuate, trying bind his whole form to the docks and restrict his movement. Concentrating on keeping the killer in place, he pointed the halberd down at the monster and dropped from the ship's railing, hurtling towards the enemy with the spear-point of the halberd outstretched and ready to impale and shatter the gem. No words, no speeches, no giving this monster a chance to explain himself.

Swift. Efficient. Unmerciful. Starlight Swan was ready to be the hero that would keep those on this Earth safe without hesitation.

[Morion]

The Smoky Quartz felt it
The Gravity
As every Gem is adaptable to the curent gravity, he felt the tigling senstion in his hard-light body, as it adjusted itself
Of course, not fast enough, this things take time, tho not to much... so he was stil "rooted"
The Assassin raised his head a little, silver eyes narrowed; the Hero was just a blur, with a nasty halberd
A real comet!
Morion used his abilities several times before over the thousands of years to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of the blades... so his reflexes was quite good
Some times, better to avoid this kind of situations. Most of the Quartz soldiers just standing around, and trying to catch the attacker, the charging enemy... trusting in their durability
Morion is not like most of the Quartzes... Somky Quartzes are different, lean and quick, agile...
For a second, the Assassin's body become pure smoke, leting the Hero to pass through him, and impact with full speed into the pier, - the little green gem dropped next to the attacker - then reformed, pointing his scimitar toward "her"
His voice was a bit icy, cold and kind of ill-omened

"M'Lady, you have some explaning to do!"

[stabbycat]

Prying the spear-end of the halberd from the boardwalk with ease, Swan turned his gaze to face the gem, twirling the poled blade back into a firm grip as he face the assailant of the poor gem whose gemstone rested now under the sanctuary of multiple layers of thick armor. He should have accounted for the Gem's racial ability to adapt to gravity...but it was a trait that be easily gamed.

Swan almost laughed at what an absolute hypocrite this gem was acting like. Morion stabbed his blade into a gem without even giving them a 'how do you do' or an explanation, and now that he was on the receiving end of the treatment he believed he deserved anything short of a quick death. No, Swan kept silent. The gem before him would not be offered any courtesy, no form of respite. As a soldier, a hero, a knight of the Crystal Gems, he would hunt down this criminal until there was nowhere else to run.

He lunged forward as he angled the blade back and swung it wide towards the assassin, watching carefully for the footwork or shift in body language of the enemy gem. Gravity fluctuated once more as he nullified effect of earth's gravity on the gem, and focusing on applying his own gravity that would pull Morion towards the arc of the blade, forcing his body to attempt to 'adjust' to the new gravity and double the effect that the new gravity had on his body. This would undoubtedly sweep the gem off of his feet and leave him prone in mid-air.

However, Swan wasn't going to stop this time around. The Hero had a feeling the assassin was simply going to use his blink ability again to avoid any lethal damage. If he missed as a result, Swan was prepared to counter by whipping the blade back on target with his gravity manipulation and his own strength, and striking as the smoke began to group and reform the physical projection of the gem, catching him off-guard as he materialized again.

[~Panzerschurke~]

Carbide and her company for the evening strode along the sidewalk, heading towards the docks of Empire city. Normally the scouts foot falls carried a certain weight and impact to them, as her rugged combat boots carried her along. But not this night, because tonight there was a soft tap-clak of.. high heels??! That's right, the second half of the pair was the White Ringmaster Mr.O, dressed to the nines in an especially special and fancy looking projection of his tuxedo, that seemed just a lil bit more elegant and special tonight. Beside him, walking far more gracefully than her reputation would make one expect, was Carbide, done up in an appearance modifier that was equally uncharacteristic, but.. one that the scout seemed to be remarkably at ease with.

She strode along in a dark velvety looking evening gown that was deep midnight blue with a slight split up one side, to allow easier movement, and cut low in the back, making a proud spectacle of her uneven shimmering facets of her iridescent gem core, nestled high between her shoulder blades. Instead of her trademark rugged poncho, a shimmering white stole about her shoulders and a projected shawl  that glimmered like starlight  draped over her cascading hair, under from which the scout peered through a pair of soft plum angular spectacles, enchanted to hide the misty black marble colour of her eyes.. It was indeed a sight, for tonight had been, *pause for dramatic effect* Opera Night!

She had enjoyed the attention tonight, feeling somewhat the spectacle among the humans, but the males seemed to be too intimidated of her to approach very often or utter much more than squeaky  "Yes Ma'am's" Although it was arguably made no easier for the poor fellows having a 7 ft tuxedoed specter like Opalite, hanging around the concert hall as well.

The show had been Don Giovanni, held at the Empire City waterfront Cultural Gallery, a massive and extravagant venue that seemed to rival some of the opulence and architecture of home world itself. The pair of friends had intended to take their time, and catch the midnight ferry back along the coast to Beach City, however, as the pair walks along talking about this, that, the other and the night's performance, Carbide's senses soon pick up on what sounds like a scuffle unfolding, a half a block away and closer to the water, among some cargo containers, destined for ports distant and unknown.

She stops and perks her ears, holding out a hand in front of Mr. O and motioning for him to stop.. " No really Opalite, I'm glad you invited me along, but I must admit I was surprised you had an interest in a music style such as this.. that large human really could sing! Maybe next time we can go see something by Wagner or maybe-.... What IS going on over there? It sounds like clashing blades! Most uncharacteristic for human vs human combat these days! Shall we check it out? Find our mischief for the night?"

((I'll edit my post if there's any discontinuity or Opalite wont join.))

[Grand Inquisitor, Mr. O]

Humans truly... truly! Found something great with music. O had honestly spent some time just looking threw music, every day his duties were growing farther and farther away... in a way he had completed his quest and was just stuck but, he knew there is MORE that he should do. Having come out with the heavy scout... he was rather surprised how she had dressed. The Inquisitor was prepared for the normal Carbide to come stomping in and not this.... well dressed gem in the rough!

While walking strolling with his fellow dashing gem, O was a bit more on show tonight then normal. His iconic tux was done up with a lovely golden trim, the White Diamonds still flared across his back and on his shoulders. Giving his white cane around his fingers before returning it to the ground and using it as he walked, he had been enjoying the show, while most just looked at him like he was going to step on stage! Or that he was some sort of prop... until he would snap out of his trance from the music and stairing at random humans, he rather enjoyed scaring off a few humans that approached Carbide... just for the fun of it of course!

After the show had ended O found himself a bit sad, he wished to enjoy the atmosphere a bit longer! The class and style of everything was a nice change of pace for the slender gem... his thoughts kept getting battered by the sound of something... he knew it but couldn't put his finger on it. He stopped with one foot still about to step down as Carbide stopped him, ".... What IS going on over there? It sounds like clashing blades! Most uncharacteristic for human vs human combat these days! Shall we check it out? Find our mischief for the night?" Turning his head as he brought his cane before him, a smile still blazing across his sky blue hued, handsome face.

"Why not? Give you a reason to rip up your dress... which is very snazzy by the way!" He added with a matter of fact tone about him. Taking point in a way as he started to lead them to the battle. Normally O would vanish... and waltz in getting close and just speaking threw the void but.. not this time. Walking closer to the battle unfolding he simply watches, one gem seemed like he was familiar but... wasn't sure, and this armored one was a new fellow all together to O. "Hmmm.... my money is on the one in all black! How about you? The "Knight in shining armor!" might have a few tricks up their sleeve!" He seemed content to just... watch? At least until they were noticed or Carbide decided to go all "Hero" on the situation.

[Morion]

The blinking is a last resort - It is an exhausting trick, better not to overuse -, when things are looks grim^^
For example, when an armored warrior trying to impale you from nowhere
Tho he is not a typical Quartz, the Assassin is more than a capable fighter, when it comes to trading blows

"We are Morion"

No blink, no escape, just good old parry with the scimitar; while he is not as strong as a brute Quartz, he is agile and quick with razor sharp refelxes

"We are many; you are but one..."

The gravity switching was bad enough, hard to compensate, fight in shifting gravity is a nightmare and the armored hero was a good fighter
Not the best circumstances, the Smoky Quartz needed time, how to fight against his attacker

"Your abilities pale before us"

After some blocks and parries, he started to emit smoke, to hide himself (and the area), figuring, maybe if the warrior can't see him, can't effect him; its worth a try, and it is always a good strategy to play hide and seek in the smoke and darkness
Or at least make the attacker life harder to see or fight

"We will destroy you!"

The Smoky Quartz whispered with a hiss but didn't noticed, they had company

[stabbycat]

Smoke. How irritating. It seems that this gem's abilities were just as uncouth and cowardly as himself. This angered Swan to a great extent. That and the Gem seemed to be holding his own despite the adversity that the Hero was putting him through: tossing up the gravity, shifting it around and messing up the assassin's footwork. Just Morion had been caught prone, the plume of black exploded from his projection, and Swan found himself striking naught but the planks beneath where the Quartz should have been.

"I am Starlight Swan."

His training kept his combat awareness at his peak. The Homeworld Gems were not as foolish as to give him the necessary training to be a scourge of the battlefield without preparing him with the necessary training of his senses. Relying on one would have doomed him at this point in the fight, but luckily the Quartz seemed to be making quite the spectacle of his powers and his voice. He pried the axe-blade of the halberd from the planks, keeping proper stance and tightening his grip on the handle.

"I am but one man-at-arms, a vigilante who seeks to protect all that is good and innocent in these lands."

Shuffling of feet. His voice. The subtle change in the air, that quiet sound it made as it combed around and through his form. Swan closed his eyes, shutting out the visual distraction, focusing solely on the auditory and sensory sensations. With any luck, the Gem believed he had an advantage in the fight, as the fluctuation of gravity disappeared.

"My combat experience will carry me steadfast in this fight, justice will prevail!"

Almost. He knew where he was, judging by the sounds of his footsteps. But he needed just a bit more time. More time to figure out what stance the gem had, his body language, and the possible outcomes starting from the first strike onward. Bringing the spear-point of the halberd back and shifting his body weight forward, he looked like he was about to lunge forward wildly at the smoke and start hacking the plumes apart.

"As per witness of your assault on a Gem who was fleeing from your presence and unable to fend for themselves, I charge you with the unlawful harm of a civilian Gem! In one piece or in many, you will accept your sentence of imprisonment!"

Now!! As the assassin came behind him, in line with the spear-head of the halberd, Swan's body jaunted backward effortlessly, stabbing and swerving the spear at and around the form of the gem in a succession of attacks, accounting for every possible counter to his assault. The game now was to systematically eliminate the list of possible defensive movements the Gem had available to him, and make one strike that the Gem would be unable to account for as he tried to catch up with the powerhouse offense that the Hero was putting up!

[~Panzerschurke~]

Carbide chuckles to her tuxedoed companion and takes up a spot beside him, leaning against a tubular iron railing, looking down at the pair of armed gems, dueling on the next level down on the pier some 30 yards away. Had they been tearing it up around a bunch of humans, starting an inter species/ inter planetary incident she would have likely stepped in right away and tried to put a stop to it all, but at least here, they weren't able to smash up anything other than shipping containers and old cargo pallets. So, she waits and watches, eyeing the two combatants who for the time being, seemed rather evenly matched, much to her surprise.

"Hmm, its difficult to say, Opalite old chap...that dark smokey one.. I recognize him from the beach one day a lil while ago, he seems focused for now, but when I was around him, he seemed a bit unstable, twitchy, talking to himself and such. It made a few other gems a little nervous I think, but we managed to avoid coming to blows. None the less, getting to watch him fight is some valuable intel for myself. Remember, dear, I'm a scout first and a brawler second, observing, adapting and learning might just be the things I am best at."

Her gaze swivels somewhat, shifting to observe the armored opponent. It was clear from the agility and stamina that there wasnt a human inside that armor, it had to be a gem, no two ways about it, not that it surprised her. "This other fighter, whoever he or she is.. hard to tell, despite the armor, their frame is a lil .. androgynous .. They're no slouch either, although they seem a bit less comfortable with the terrain than the Smokey Quartz over there... Anyway, I suppose I should go play sheriff, but I am still in too good a mood, and frankly I'm looking too darn good to get drawn into a full melee on a greasy shipping dock tonight. How to slow this fight down.. "

Her eyes flick to the side as she thinks, but happens to spot a large cargo net sitting in a heap on top of a crate, and it gave her an idea indeed.."Hmm, yes.. this will do nicely." Her hand trails over Opalite's shoulder as she trots over to the cargo net, glancing over her shoulder at the fight, still very much under way, with all manner of clashing of blades and words.. these two combatants seemed rather verbose to be sure..The scout performs a bit of a spin, and draws a single ballistic cudgel cannon from the gemstone on her back, loaded not with hard light grapeshot or a piercing explosive shell, but simply her versatile 'blank charge' magic propellant but no shell, and sets it beach down on the cool cement.

"Maybe these two need a time out together, then maybe we can sort out what all that ruckus is about down there." The scout reaches out and grasps the large cargo net and begins stuffing it one bit at a time down the muzzle of her cannon, the process takes a few moment, but afterwards, she wipes her brow in mock fatigue and gives a giggle, hefting the stuffed cannon to her hip and leveling her sight down on the impromptu tournament grounds below, now covered in a smokey mist, but it seemed like the two combatants were still very much going at it, although they were partially obscured.

"Heh, maybe those two down there should have... er......cuz the net is.. grrr! Coming up with a net pun one liner is hard when its on the spot you know.. lets just see where this goes! Oh! .. and catch please Opalite!" The scout turns to face the Inquisitor, giving a kick of her feet, launching her high heel shoes lightly off her toes, one then the other to Opalite for safe keeping, she needed a bit more grip and stability than they provided anyway.. Now comfortably barefoot, she widens her stance, one leg more or less sticking right out the tall split in the side of her gown, and snugged the improvised net-gun to her hip by way of her grip on the two handles which stuck out opposite and offset from one another sat her weapon. There is a muffled WHUMP! and a flash from the 5 ft long tapered cannon and out from the muzzle, in a rolled up bunch, flies the large heavy cargo net, sailing up in a somewhat clumsy trajectory and unfurling, then dropping down rather accurately directly and swiftly above the two distracted dueling gems below!

[Grand Inquisitor, Mr. O]

O was rather enjoying the show, it was almost as entertaining as the opera! Normally he would just wait and then speak to whoever had won, with Carbide here he already knew that wasn't going to be a viable option in this case. "Hmm, its difficult to say, Opalite old chap..." while he did hear everything Carbide had said he couldn't help but stifle a chuckle for a moment, "Chap and dear? Oh my! We simple MUST have you dressed like this more often if this is how your going to act! Also I am aware of your function Carbide, I know you do it well, no need to try and impress me anymore darling!" He was aware that if BOTH him and Carbide were to jump into this scrap, they would come out on top without question.

Mr. O and Carbide were on the same page about not wanting to just jump into this duel, one it would be rather rude and two, the mood was too, oh so fine this night. Then he felt her hand trace his shoulder, "More touching I see?" Mumbled the inquisitor, "Maybe these two need a time out together, then maybe we can sort out what all that ruckus is about down there." He tilts his still smiling face to the side for a moment as to what Carbide was talking about as she grabs hold of a fishing net. "How about... they will NET-ver see this coming! Oh-hohohohoho!" His laugh was rather loud as he was so pleased with his own maybe not so clever, joke.

He calms himself down just in time for a pare of (rather nice looking) heels, just barley catching one and having to reach out a bit to catch the final shoe, "I must say... your feet are HUGE dear! Nice shoes though..." He mumbles a bit towards the end as he watched with great hype to how this was going to play out.

[Morion]

[ Battle theme - sorry, had too ^^]

The Smoky Quartz circled around his prey in the smoky fog

"Starlight Swan..."

He hissed the name
Hiding in the smoke, avoiding the weapon, dancing around the other Gem... the battle was more than tiring
The Assassin growled
Justice, peace and innocence?
On the Earth...?!

"We will crush you, Rebel!"

He had enough playing!
Morion shapeshifted to a lovecraftian horror, nightmare incarnate!
Tentacles unfolded from the smoke ad shadows, claws and fangs...
...then from nowehere a heavy net landed on them^^
The Smoky Quartz shapeshifted again, instantly, to a crow, to slip through the net's holes, and take off, it was time to retreat... then noticed a familiar figure; his silver eyes widened, and with a harsh caw, turned and landed before Mister O.
As he landed, shapesifted to a humanoid form...
...kneeling on his left knee, lowering his head; kissing (tho in a mask) his tuxedo, like a cardinal's robe

"We are.... I am honored Your Eminence!"

Morion glanced to the Gems, with sharp tone

"On your knees! Bow before Her Majesty's, White Diamond's Grand Inquisitor, his excellency, the exalted Opalite!!!

[stabbycat]

The wet smack of salivating tentacles. The ripping and tearing of bones. The snapping of vicious jowls. The smoke helped keep Swan's sight untainted of the gem-horror. Meanwhile, his ears were assaulted with all manners of whispers and noises vile and abominable. Still, he kept steady, widened his stance and put the blade of the halberd between him and his opponent. It seemed that this 'Morion' was finally ready to fight. Finally, something that Swan could hit!

As he readied himself to lunge forward and bury the axe-blade of the two-hander into the eldritch shapeshifter, the soft rush of wind made itself known to his ears, causing him to hesitate. He braced himself as the cargo netting wrapped around him, using his powers to keep from tipping over as the woven rope came down on the two of them. Much to the hero's chagrin, the assassin had shifted into a bird, a grackle or something, and escaped the ropes as he from the battle, thoroughly disappointing Swan as he waited for the smoke to clear before he finally shifted the gravity on the rope upwards and away, freeing himself without so much as moving a muscle.

"On your knees! Bow before Her Majesty's, White Diamond's Grand Inquisitor, his excellency, the exalted Opalite!!!"

With a confused expression (not that it could be seen), he turned to the Quartz, was now roughly thirty yards away, kissing some other Gem's clothes. The veteran suspected a severe case of corruption or some kind of condition that was otherwise effecting him mentally. Swan kicked off from the ground, drawing closer to his quarry as his new gravity carried him along in graceful strides across the pier. When he finally came close enough to the other two, his brows perked with pleasant surprise. Morion was getting to be a bit grating, though.

"A criminal and a coward both, you've no right to make any sort of a demands. Now if you would be so kind as to stop attempting to eat the Gem's clothes..."

Swan turned over to pair he recognized earlier, nodding respectfully to the both of them.

"Carbide, Mr. O. Good to see you both, as surprising as it is. Hopefully you've both figured out who I am at this point, but if not...Mr. O, I hope you've given Agate that Gameboy." His voice was much different from Aragon's however, as his mask incorporated many vocal-modification channels to change the pitch and tone of his own voice...plus a bit of acting went a long way, keeping himself separate from his alter ego. "Before either of you start," He quickly cut in to prevent either of them blowing his cover. "I'm gonna need you both to not mention my name. Just call me Swan. And moving onto the next topic..."

He reached underneath one of the plates of his chest piece as they shifted open for him, and he pulled the gemstone out, keeping it bound to his hand with his gravity manipulation to keep it from being swiped. "The scum attempting to drench your tuxedo in saliva is guilty of assaulting a civilian gem, saw him putting his hand over her mouth before putting his blade into her back and destroying her projection. I didn't wait for him to stick around and shatter the gemstone, and if you don't mind, I was actually in the middle of detaining him. Assistance from either of you is always welcome."

[~Panzerschurke~]

Carbide hops forward a bit to catch up with Mr. O, just in time to see the smokey quartz that she knew from the beach, had freed himself and was now..laying veneration and adulation galore upon his sleeve cuff and lapel.. this sort of behavior didnt do anything to make her any more confident in this Smokey Quartz' disposition. She could have spoken up and mentioned that normally Mr. O did not appreciate being touched, much less 'nommed' upon.. yes that was the trendy human word used to describe this sort of affection.

She has her ballistic cudgel still summoned, however it is not being directed at either of the two combatants, as she pulls into ear shot..leaving the heavy gun sling across her shoulder and down her back, reaching the back of her knees in the gown, not about to dismiss the weapon just yet. She had opened her mouth to speak when the mysterious heavily armored gem spoke up, seeming to know the names of Carbide and Mr. O. About to tear into this gem, to inquire about how they knew her, until the gameboy is mentioned. Oh my stars, she thinks to herself, its Aragonite! He really was serious about this whole costumed vigilante thing.. although it was certainly odd to hear the gem speak without his heavy accent, enough so that she began to wonder which was his real manner of speech and which was for show.

"Er.. Swan, is it? I think this is the first time I've seen you in action, I must admit, when I slipped into an evening gown tonight, that I hadn't expected to be breaking up a duel on the way home.. now whats all this about?.. ohhhhh..." Carbide leans in and focuses on the deep green gem core, sitting affixed to Swan's hand with his gem magic. "Do we know who this gem is? Or what they've done to attract the attentions of a homeworld assassin like Morion over there?... Say Opalite, dear, what do you make of all this?" Carbide trots her bare feet over to the White Ringmaster and wiggles in between O and Morion, partially to avoid a tantrum from the Inquisitor over the persistent molestation of his fine tuxedo.. and also to retrieve her shoes from Opalite's jacket pockets... "Eh-heh-heh.. thanks Opalite, for holding these.." The scout leans against a crate beside them, aiding her balance as she slips one high heel back onto her food, and then switches her stance and does the same for the other, following up with a brief straightening of her shawl and stole..it was kinda nice to look as good as she felt, even if the evenings were rare, after all.

[Grand Inquisitor, Mr. O]

The net dropped over the targets... seemed just a bit too easy, no? Just as that ran across his mind the gem in the form of some odd looking forgotten one, shifted yet again this time to escape threw the net in the form of some kind of bird? The whole subject of shape-shifting to Mr. O was a fairly strange one to him, to him his currant form was as good as he could really get so... why change it?! Though the Morion gem seemed to show how useful it could be, while the other gem just seemed to-

"We are.... I am honored Your Eminence!"

His train of thought was interrupted by the sudden sensation of his projection being almost suckled upon, "On your knees! Bow before Her Majesty's, White Diamond's Grand Inquisitor, his excellency, the exalted Opalite!!!" While his face seemed to twitch slightly, his oddly imposing smile was still ever present. While the kissing was unneeded (And rather unwanted..) he had to respect (and enjoy) this gems commitment indeed! This show of respect was one he rarely saw anymore. "He IS right you know! Come, come! You too Carbide!" He couldn't help but indulge himself a bit here... he had even pointed to the two of them with his free hand and then pointing right down at his feet. He knew pretty well nether would most likely do this.... just kinda hoped.

When the armored gem spoke O had listened, not too surprised that this gem knew his name... didn't everyone? Then at the same time as Carbide spoke O had realized who the gem was from the Gameboy reference and couldn't stop himself, "Pfffft! Oh-hohohohoho!" With one clothed hand covering his face letting Carbide speak without his laughter in the background. He awaited a few more moments before speaking as he composed himself, also handing over the shoes to the scout giving her a quick nod before turning towards the two very different gems before him.

"Ok, ok...." His voices tang out rather clearly now that he was focused again, his slender arms crossed over his chest as his cane held itself upright next to him. He glances towards the Scout in the ravishing gown, "-say Opalite, dear, what do you make of all this?" He looked between the two gems again, "Hmmmm.... I personlly think they should just fight it out... ILL take the loser and the winner is correct! Simple enough!" His plan was.... odd. He really didn't care for this green gem, so why not let them fight it out

[Morion]

"Insolence fool! Kneel!"

The Smoky Quartz hissed at the hero

"Should I embowel him Your Eminence?"

Pointing his scimitar toward Swan
Then snorted

"A "Hero", eh? One that this misrable planet deserves, I guess, but not the one it needs right now..."

His silver eyes narrowed, recognized the other Gem

"Carbide... its... its nice to meet you. Again. It seems our encounters are haunted by conflicts..."

The Assassin shook his head

"I am Morion, Her Majesty's Blue Diamond's loyal servant, I AM her eye... I am her Wrath! Currently lended for a few missions to Her Majesty, White Diamond... you can say, I'm a licensed hunter, assassin of our Matriarchs. The only criminal here is YOU, Rebel..."
"Enough Talky-talky... kill him! And while you are there, crush that experiment, Carbide to..."



The Voice in his head whispered, with a soft voice, like silk; he tried to ignore her

"That Gem in your hands is a Rebel... a Crystal Gem! Guilty! A criminal... Rebelion IS a crime, you know! Disobedience must be punished!"
"Harshly... without mercy! Let it go Morion... juts let it go... be a good little monster, release the Monster!"

Gigled the Voice
He could feel another... the monster inside him, The Beast.



Its voice in his head was... more of a growl really, growls and hisses, not real words, or whisper, just feelings.
But one feeling was... stronger. A "voice" in its own right
The Hunger



Not that the Hunger had any voice... it was silent, really. Just it was there too... strong enough. Primal. Dangerous. Its silence was its voice

"Kill them sweety... crush them...!

The Voice whispered. All of the three manifested in ghostly forms, but only Morion could see them; after all, they were just in his head.
The Voice whispered in his ear, caressing his face with her long clawed fingers
The Beast circled around the Gems, sniffing, growling...
The Hunger just lurked in the shadows, its sinister form blended in the darkness... watched... waited... but Morion could feel its impatience

"ENOUGH!

The Smoky Quartz roared, the ghostly manifestations disappeared, but he could feel them... just ignored them

"His excellency, the exalted Opalite is the highest ranking Gem on this cursed Planet! Thus, its de facto Governor! We are all of his subjects, loyal supporters in these dark times! Your Eminence, I've hunted down that Gem, that filthy morderous Crystal Gem! They are far from harmless idealists! Rebelious terrorists at best, and possibly the repsonsible the disappearance of Lady Tabitha and her bodyguard, my beloved Demetry..."

Morion looked away a bit, clenched his fists; even the voices in his head grown silent
But the moment passed, the Smoky Quartz looked to the Grand Inquisitor

"Her fate is in your hands. I will gladly execute her if you wish... But if you want to keep her in a bubble, untill our Diamonds arrives, I'm not against it. After all, I am just your loyal servant, Your Lordship..."

Morion bowed his head respectfully