LOG-012.
"Confining Moonbeam!"
"Stop!"
"Confining Moonbeam!"
"Firing!"
"Confining Moonbeam!"
"LASERS AT ME!"
Driving a motorcycle within the lower level of a prison cellblock was not easier. It was made only harder by a silver suited maniac seemingly doing his absolute level best to nail you to the wall with the power of justice or whatever.
Where was the sport in it? The other Wardens at least varied up their attacks a little!
"Confining Moonbe-Gah!"
Thankfully, I wasn't entirely trapped. With each missed shot, I'd managed to get closer, repositioning myself until I was in the perfect position to retaliate. And with the blast of darkness that I'd just tossed his way, Silver was forced to dodge by practically bending over backwards, allowing the crackling corona of shadows to pass him by as I hopped off of my ride.
The appropriately convenient explosion of the vehicle disappearing back into storage propelled me further, allowing me to wrench my arm (and by extension lance) forward to aim right at the unsuspecting Warden's side.
"Combat Stance: Shadow Striker!"
Crackles of black and purple electricity swirled around the weapon's mass like lightning, and I could practically see the exclamation mark pop up on Silver's visor before I began to fall upon him, one of his hands moving as if to try and catch the blow.
"RIGHTEOUS SHIELD OF LAW-"
The impact was, as expected, violent. Bright white and dark black energies crashing against each other and simultaneously trying to drown one another out.
I grit my teeth, ignoring the coppery taste of blood pooling somewhere in my mouth as my entire suit, and body, rattled in the confrontation.
It felt as if both the plates of my armour and my very bones were vibrating in tandem, and it was with some healthy apprehension that I noted the various warning signs that had been plaguing my helmet's heads up display were gone, more likely due to something in the headpiece breaking, rather than a sudden cessation of danger.
Alas, the lightshow lasted for barely ten seconds at most, before both of us were sent flying backwards. I felt the distinctly sharp impact of my back slamming into the very terminal I'd sought to gain access to, even as Silver rolled a few times in the direction of the doorway.
The difference was that I could hardly get up, and the damned Warden had managed to stagger to his feet, albeit on visibly shaky legs.
"T-This is your final chance Knightmare! Surrender! I don't want to hurt you-AAAARGHHH!"
I'd already been preparing some kind of verbal riposte. Something to distract him, or catch him off guard long enough for me to use my lance as a makeshift support in getting back up, only to pause as the Warden screamed.
Wide eyes hidden behind the spiderwebbing cracks of my visor, I could only stare in utter befuddlement as something caused arcs of what looked to be my own power to engulf the man, leaving him seizing in place for a long moment as the dark lightning ran its course.
Hard enough as it was just to breath, I remained still as the torture finally stopped, leaving the Warden swaying back and forth, smoke visibly wafting off of his suit before he finally fell to his knees, and then with all the inevitability of a crumbling tower, onto his face.
Blinking hard, I glanced up just in time to see a hint of blue, before whatever the source of the colour was disappeared from the very air itself, as if a mirage.
Slowly but surely, my chest rose and fell, rapid, erratic breaths evening out as pain began to truly flare up within my broken body, the adrenaline rush that had kept me going beginning to fall apart in the face of a defeated foe. One I hadn't beaten, but yet was now facedown on the ground nonetheless.
That singular moment passed in stunned silence on part, as I tried and failed to process whatever had just happened, before tilting forward, lance clattering to one side as I scrabbled across the ground on all floors, ignoring the pain screaming at me to rest, ignoring the way my stolen suit was practically falling apart with the clattering of metal and the sharp buzz of failing electronics, and lunging for the fallen Warden's badge.
After all, I hadn't gotten to where I was today by ignoring sudden opportunities, now had I?
—
Carapace had been amongst the crowd chanting as Lieutenant Equis (no, it was General Knightmare now, he had to remember that the boy had progressed mightily after his own incarceration) took on the newest jailer to join the Wardens.
How could he not? His saviour had returned once more, into the very heart of the enemy itself, to free them all.
Of course his own calls of support had been drowned out by the Grunts, but that was perfectly normal. Grunts got loud when they were hyping up their superiors, after all. Nonetheless, he'd watched as the fight had progressed, at least from where he could see it within his cell on the lower floor, cheering and roaring as blows and blasts were exchanged by the two thunderous forces of dark and light.
"Hup! Hup hup!"
"What? What's happening up there?!"
"HUP!"
His unrestrained, Chaotic form shivered in shock as the Grunt screamed back down at him from their cell, situated on the higher floor. Unlike him, the foot soldier had an actual view of what was happening, and was smart enough to keep everyone below apprised of the situation as it progressed.
But if what he was hearing was correct-
"Emergency release, engaged."
Floating backwards, the mass of energy that he currently existed as continued to float in place, watching as his cell door slid open with a hiss. And judging by the echoing sound of that hiss being repeated throughout the entire cellblock, he wasn't the only one being released…
With a lunge, he slipped through the widening opening of his personal prison, form writhing through the air as he twisted to look up, and-
And Silver. As he beheld Silver.
But no, it was not the Warden. Not according to the Grunts. And Carapace could only think of the sheer possibilities as the masked figure raised a fist, badge shining from its position on his wrist.
"GAMMA LEGIONNAIRES! YOUR CELLS ARE OPEN! THE ARMOURIES UNLOCKED! BREAK FREE OF YOUR SHACKLES! MAKE COWARDS OF YOUR JAILERS! WE LEAVE TONIGHT! WITH NO LEGIONNAIRE LEFT BEHIND!"
There was only one thing to be done in the face of such a proclamation, only one truly worthwhile response to the sheer lunacy General Knightmare had just screamed down upon them, clad in the equipment of the enemy.
General Carapace roared forwards, countless other inmates alongside him as they used their human ally as a physical anchor for their immaterial selves, wrapping around him like a solid cape of white, spasming light, one that fluttered in fundamentally Chaotic patterns as the Silver Emancipator swept around, beginning his march out of the cellblock.
For it was not the only place in which there were prisoners held, and the good Warden Knightmare had made a promise. They would leave together, or not at all.
"HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP HUP-!"
…The unconscious jailer they all collectively stepped over and jeered at was also rather fun to hurl obscenities towards, for obvious reasons.
Stupid Warden, keeping him from his adorable little niece. Bah!