[F6 - SP] The Gemini - Shadow Shield [Completed]

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76279 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 3 - Miss (20 NRG)

Gemini: 164/340 - MOB: 1 - Miss

Its eyes went dead as it saw the yellow status of its health before it looked back at Shield. It took a step backward. Then it took another. In its moment of weakness, Shield pressed forward, slashing with the tip of his spear. The doppelganger feebly held up its own spear in defense, barely deflecting the oncoming attack. As it absorbed the impact, it toppled over, sprawling out on the ground.

With the remaining portion of its broken spear, it flailed at Shield's leg, falling short with each swipe as it scrambled back to give itself some distance. He did not allow that distance to remain, pressing forward, his spear's haft out to defend against the wild swings from the desperate doppelganger.

"No!" it gasped, continuing its attempt to crawl out of Shield's reach. "Stay back! I'm warning you!"

In silence, Shield continued to stride forward, not allowing any room to breathe, watching for openings in the desperate defenses of the fallen enemy.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76280 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 3 - Miss (19 NRG)

Gemini: 164/340 - MOB: 5 - Miss

The Gemini retreated further, backing up on its hands and backside until it had reached the nearest of the jungle trees. As Shield lanced out with his weapon, the frightened double ducked and rolled to the side, taking a futile swipe at Shield's legs in the process. Instinctively, Shield jumped back to avoid the shot, although it was completely unnecessary to do so, however, the delay gave The Gemini enough room to scramble back to its feet.

It brandished the fractured spear like a club, swinging it from side to side to maintain its buffer. Even such a simple copy however could see the problem as its eyes fell onto Shield's weapon. The pitiful broken weapon did not have nearly enough reach to defend against the still functional and much deadlier weapon.

"You know I'm not going to let you get away," Shield said slowly and methodically, as if trying to act as the voice of reason while offering completely counter-intuitive advice. "Let's just end this."

Edited February 1, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76281 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 2 - Miss (18 NRG)

Gemini: 164/340 - MOB: 3 - Miss

The shadow turned and fled. Cursing under his breath, Shield kicked off and gave chase, weaving through the trees after the thing. As he ran, he jabbed with his spear, trying to catch its legs to trip it, but it was always two steps too far ahead. It flitted around the base of a wide tree trunk, disappearing from view.

It's trying to lose me! I can't let it shake me! The quest rewards-

As Shield turned to follow the curve of the tree, a spear tip lashed out at him. Instinctively, he flinched, falling over backwards as the attack missed his nose by an inch. The thudding and swishing of heavy feet on hard, leaf-covered ground told him that his quarry was getting away. Pushing himself upright, he took off after the sounds of the footsteps, only catching occasional glimpses of the tail of a cloak through the trees.

 

Edited February 1, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76284 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 2 - Miss (18 NRG)

Gemini: 150/340 - MOB: 7  - Hit! - 3dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg)

As they ran, Shield's visibility worsened, and the further ahead the fleeing figure ran, the harder it would be to track it while still moving full speed. Squinting ahead, he spotted an open stretch of ground where an old tree had fallen and begun to decompose. He could not afford to lose his opponent after fighting so hard. With a heave, he launched his spear in the path of the cloaked figure. It missed, but the head stuck into the massive trunk of the fallen tree.

Still sprinting at top speed, the retreating figure collided with the haft of the spear, falling backwards as its top half continued to move forward. It landed hard on its back with a heavy thud. Finally able to catch up, Shield dove, pinning his quarry to the ground as he attempted to free his spear from the trunk.

Fists pummeled his chest, and although he could barely feel them, their owner's health dropped further into the yellow.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76286 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 4 - Miss (17 NRG)

Gemini: 150/340 - MOB: 4  - Miss

Both were essentially unarmed, Shield still unable to dislodge the spear from the ground with the impostor struggling to free itself. He caught both of the incoming fists, trying to buy himself a moment to retrieve his weapon, but with both of his own hands tied up, he was still at a loss. He tried to pin both of his opponent's forearms to his own side, but in doing so, The Gemini worked one hand free and threw a fist at Shield's head.

It missed, and Shield responded in kind, throwing his own knuckles at the head of his downed enemy. It rolled its head to the side so that Shield's strike slammed into the mat of leaves that blanketed the jungle floor. Shield used the arm that he still held as leverage, trying to pull its owner into a headbutt, but his pinned shadow hugged itself to his chest in order to keep itself clear of the blow.

Edited February 1, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76287 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 3 - Miss (16 NRG)

Gemini: 150/340 - MOB: 4  - Miss

Shield pushed the monster back, throwing elbows and even his bare fist at his opponent as hard as he could. One after the other, the malicious clone deflected each. Slowly a creeping grin spread across its lips. It was the same grin Shield had seen before its hood had come off. It was happy about something. Triumphant even.

"What are you smiling about, wretch?" he spat, willing his body to continue holding down its mirror image.

"Can't you tell?" taunted the other Shield. "The more you swing, the more you lose yourself to the fight."

It leaned forward off of the ground as far as Shield's pin would allow, its Cheshire Cat grin widening even further.

"And the more like me you become."

A swelling heat began building in Shield's stomach, like a slow-motion capture of an explosion, rising up with dangerous ferocity. He grit his teeth, cocking his fist back to strike.

"I am not, you shut your mouth, you-" Shield stopped his fist at his shoulder, his body mid-lurch from throwing the weight behind the blow. "You... you're right."

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76288 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 6 - Hit! - 5 dmg

Gemini: 131/340 - MOB: 6   - Hit! - 3dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg)

The Shield that was not Shield cocked an eyebrow.

"What?" it asked, obviously confused at the abrupt end of the onslaught, both verbally and physically.

"It's why I can't hit you," he answered. "I'm becoming too much like you. And that's the reason that I got you down into the yellow in the first place."

"What is?" spat the doppelganger. "What are you talking about?"

"The fact that I'm better than you," answered the real Shield. "The only thing I'm not better at is being you. If I'm being you, that's a losing battle I won't win."

He stood up on his knees, grabbing and wrenching at the spear in the log. With his weight off of the clone, its wrinkle-wreathed hateful eyes widened and it fought against the cage of legs that held it on either side. Before it could wriggle free, the spear came loose with a ringing sound of freed metal, and it promptly plunged into the copy's shoulder.

It shrieked in anger, punching at Shield's face, but in its anger, as it missed, its arm clipped the sharp barbs of Shield's armor.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76289 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 4 - Miss (15 NRG)

Gemini: 131/340 - MOB: 4 - Miss

It sputtered and spat curses at Shield who had already withdrawn the weapon, winding up to strike again. In a cry of rage, the wannabe Shield surged upward, knocking the original copy off of itself and fighting its way back onto its feet. Shield's head hit the nearby tree, but despite being rattled, he was unharmed.

He was on his feet less than a second after the clone was, and before it could make a break for it, Shield had hooked its elbow with the crossbar of his spear, pulling back on it to turn the impostor around.

"We're not done here," Shield said calmly, pointing the spear at the throat of the copycat. "It might be cliched, but I feel like there should only be one of me running around. I don't need any off-brand versions running around and making the brand name look bad."

The Gemini's eyes were livid, and the familiar scarred jaw moved back and forth as it ground its teeth.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76291 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 4 - Miss (15 NRG)

Gemini: 117/340 - MOB: 7  - Hit! - 3dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg)

Shield's copy threw itself forward, its hands now empty after being knocked over, it struck downward with hammer fists, determined to hit Shield as many times as possible before the end. It didn't even seem surprised when its target's health remained steady while its own continued to decline.

"Nasty, stinking, dirty, worthless, talentless piece of-" it rattled on and on, driving its now red and glowing fists into Shield's body. Each strike causing more and more red shimmering pixels to drift from its hands.

"What's wrong?" Shield asked, his eyes calm and cold as he watched the pathetic attempts to harm him. "Did you sabotage your plan by sharing it before I was past the point of no return? A serious miscalculation. Just one more reason we know I'm not like you."

"You're a miscalculation," The Gemini screamed, shoving Shield back as hard as it could, knocking both of them off-kilter in doing so.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76292 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 1 - Miss (14 NRG)

Gemini: 117/340 - MOB: 1 - Miss

If that's all it can say in response, it must really be on its last legs.

Shield smiled to himself, leaning forward on one foot and pushing off with his back to drive his spear forward. The Gemini's hands grabbed the shaft of the spear, stepping to the side to shift its grip to between Shield's own hands. It grunted, throwing its weight to the side to wrench the spear away from its owner.

Holding fast, Shield stumbled, barely keeping his feet beneath him as the clone struggled. It took him a few steps to be able to regain his sense of balance, but even as he did, the clone swung the point of the spear towards his face. Shield locked his arms, stopping the swing just short of its intended target. He stepped, turning his hips as he pulled, dislodging his weapon from the grip of his lookalike enemy.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76294 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 10 - Hit! - 5 + 2crit = 7 dmg

Gemini: 110/340 - MOB: 4 - Miss

With the force of Shield's pull, The Gemini was actually pulled off-balance itself, stumbling as it struggled to cling onto the only viable weapon in sight. It sprawled onto its hands and knees, heaving as it regained its sense of balance. It grit its teeth again, prepared to turn around and face its original self, but even before it could sit upright, the black-wreathed head of the spear shot out from its chest to sink into the ground.

It gasped a raspy breath as its body was held transfixed on the spot. Shield stood behind it, leaning on the spear and watching as the health bar of his would-be usurper drained even further.

"You made the right move trying to take the spear," Shield said calmly, pulling the weapon out of the ground as well as his opponent. "The problem is that it's such an obvious move that even though you caught me by surprise with it, once you've lost that element, there's no way you'll be able to achieve that goal."

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76295 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 9 - Hit! - 5 + 1crit = 6 dmg

Gemini: 78/340 - MOB: 6 - Hit! - 3dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg, Blight: 12 dmg, -reset- Remaining rounds: 2)

Turning over onto its back, the Gemini glared up at Shield, the hole in its chest black and brimming with smoke rather than the typical red - the effects of blight. Shield thrust again, The point striking in practically the same spot, piercing deep into its torso. Levering down on the back of the spear, he pulled the false Shield up onto its feet.

"You disgust me," hissed the copy, black, wispy particles spilling from its mouth as it spoke. "Someone weak like you has no business winning a fight with a true warrior like me."

"Are you sure about that?" Shield asked lazily. "Look at my health. Then look at your health."

As he said this, the shrinking yellow bar of The Gemini turned a bright shade of red. Its face contorted in anger at the humiliation of such a stark comparison.

"Thirty percent. That's all you have left."

Roaring in anger, the impaled foe lunged, skewering itself deeper and gripping Shield by the neck, only to release him as soon as even more health dropped away from its gauge. 

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76296 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 9 - Hit! - 5 + 1crit = 6 dmg

Gemini: 46/340 - MOB: 7 - Hit! - 3dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg, Blight: 12 dmg, -reset- Remaining rounds: 2)

Shield pushed its chest, forcing it off of the end of the spear before winding up and driving the point right back in. The dwindling health of the fake Shield continued to drop, and once more, now even more desperate, it surged forward, urgently trying to do something, anything, to harm its counterpart. It fell into Shield's chest, screaming a blood-curdling scream as even a significant portion of the remaining red bar disappeared.

Stumbling back, it freed itself from Shield's spear, falling back onto the ground again and, like before, struggling to scramble away. Even as it did so, its chest remained a black mass of leaking wounds, each slowly taking more and more of its precious little remaining health.

"What are you?" it howled up at him, tears of anger and fear beginning to leak into the many lines that surrounded its eyes, streaking down across its stolen scar.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76297 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 3 - Miss (13 NRG)

Gemini: 34/340 - MOB: 9 - Hit! - 3 + 1crit = 4 dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Blight: 12 dmg, Remaining rounds: 1)

Not being swayed by its tears, Shield pursued his carbon copy, stabbing down into the ground just in time to miss its leg. The blighted effect, still lingering in the slowly closing wounds, sucked more and more life away.

"I'm an original," Shield answered as he persisted on after the retreating figure. "I'm afraid it's something you're not programmed to understand. But then again, you don't need to understand. It will be simpler if you just lay still."

Just as stubborn as the original, it spat at Shield's feet. For a moment, the look of angler slacked as it stopped retreating. Ready to seize the opportunity, Shield pulled back to strike at its chest, but even as he did so, the grounded foe fished a stone out of the layer of leaves and hurled it at Shield's face. It connected, but despite being surprised, Shield showed no other sign of harm, the stone bouncing away uselessly.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76304 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 3 - Miss (12 NRG)

Gemini: 22/340 - MOB: 9 - Hit! - 3 + 1crit = 4 dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Blight: 12 dmg, Remaining rounds: 0)

With a sigh, Shield drew back his spear to attack again. As he struck, his target rolled to the side, picking up a new stone and striking Shield across the face with it. This had the exact same effect as before. Shield sighed.

"You don't get it," he said slowly. "Then again, I don't think you were programmed to get it. You can't win. You were designed from the very beginning to be a lesser version of your target, whoever that person happened to be at the time. However, in this case, your target was a tank. Designed to never take damage despite taking punishment."

He almost felt sorry for the thing, even though no real part of it was human. It was a pitiful fate, to always be the lesser half of something. Only a shadow, really. It had no option to live its own life, despite being modeled after something that could.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76305 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 5 - Miss (11 NRG)

Gemini: 22/340 - MOB: 5 - Miss

The thing on the ground, whatever it really was, limped back on its hands, pushing with its feet as its nearly completely drained hit points finally stabilized. Shield thrust, but just missed its arm as it pulled the limb back, falling onto its side. It kicked at Shield's legs, connecting but not even hard enough to damage a character with no real gear on.

"Could that be it?" Shield asked. "Is that why you hate me so much? Why you want to be me?"

The thing lay on the ground, its chest heaving. Both of its eyes were trained onto Shield with a hatred that the player had not seen on a face in some time.

"You're dropped into this unfair world with an unfair role, destined to fight and lose over and over again, until the game no longer exists?"

He was answered with silence, The Gemini continuing to stare up at him, unmoving.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76306 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 8 - Hit! - 5 dmg

Gemini: 3/340 - MOB: 6 - Hit! - 3 dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg)

"You're a quest boss," Shield went on. "That means you're constantly respawning. Do you have memories of your former lives?"

There was a long pause between them, and at first, he thought that would be the only response that he would get from then on.

"A few," came a feeble, croaking response.

"Will you remember this fight?"

After another long pause, filled more with the enfeebled foe, it spoke once again, though reluctantly so.

"Yes."

"Then if you will remember this, remember what I'm about to say," Shield began, bending down to put his eyes level with those of his adversary. "Every enemy that you fall to will be one step closer to ending your suffering permanently. Every player who fights you and becomes stronger will bolster the front lines pushing to end this world. If you stand up and accept your fate, it may make your remaining time more meaningful."

"...I won't just be a failure?"

Shield shook his head.

"You're an important stepping stone," he explained. "You serve as much of a role as any other boss in this game, though your impact is less obvious."

These words gave The Gemini some pause, and after yet another pause where it seemed to be weighing its options, it heaved its chest, struggling back to its feet. Shield stood up to face it, watching to see what it would do next. With a teetering step, it came towards Shield, raising a fist that was met with no resistance as it collided with the thorny chest in front of it.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76307 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 4 - Miss (10 NRG)

Gemini: 3/340 - MOB: 10 - Hit! - 3 +2crit = 5 dmg - 24 Mit =  1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg

Its health bar shrank, practically nothing left but for a thin sliver of life. Its once dry eyes began to fill with tears again, this time, anger no longer dominating its features. The lines had disappeared from around its eyes, replaced by the bags of one suffering too long. Shield thrust with the point of his spear, but the thing flinched and shielded itself with its arms, swinging hard with one and striking Shield across the face. He hesitated.

"I don't want to die," it balked, its lip beginning to quiver as the fat, watery tears spilled out onto its face.

"But," Shield began, slowly, trying to understand. "Haven't you died before? Countless times?"

It nodded, its arms still up in defense.

"But... I can never remember what happens. I don't remember if dying is painful... or scary..."

Even if this thing could not become its targets, it certainly sounded like it was human in some respect. As much as he had pitied it before, he felt even worse for the poor creature.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76309 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 5 - Miss (9 NRG)

Gemini: 3/340 - MOB: 2 - Miss

Taking another step, Shield made another halfhearted attempt to strike the nearly-dead enemy. It did the same. Neither attack even had the force to harm even if it had landed.

"Do you think it would be better to die or to just not exist?" Shield asked, his face falling into a sympathetic frown.

"I... I don't know," it answered between hiccuping sobs. "I'm just... so tired..."

"Well," Shield said, leaning on his spear as he regarded his pitiful reflection, "you're going to have to keep working... and you're going to have to keep facing your fears and walking through that scary door... but if you work hard, maybe someday you'll get that rest you so badly desire."

Shield held out one hand, his fingers upright, his palms open, extending it as an offering to the fake Shield. The Gemini looked at the hand for a long time, little sobs breaking the silence here and there between them.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield

[Shield 0]

Spoiler

ID# 76310 results:

Shield: 340/340 - Battle: 2 - Miss (8 NRG)

Gemini: -11/340 - MOB: 6  - Hit! - 3 dmg - 24 Mit = 1 dmg - 27 Regen = 0 dmg (Thorns: 14 dmg) [DEAD]

Loot: 9 + 4 = 13 - Unlocked Skill: <<Concentration>>

Finally, with a shaky hand, it reached out for the steady one that Shield had offered, gripping it tightly, as if it was the last hope it had in the world. It drew a shaky breath, letting the air back out as slowly and evenly as it could. Shield drew back his spear in his left hand, positioning it to drive into his opponent, but before he could, the doppelganger pulled.

Shield being the more steady of the two, rather than being pulled off balance, The Gemini pulled itself into Shield, wrapping an arm around behind him and embracing the stalwart warrior. The thorns of his armor dug into the thing's body, and the last of its health drained away.

"I'm trusting you," it said softly into his ear.

With that, it burst into red fragments, the remnants of which drifted through the air around the startled Shield until dissipating into the jungle like they had never been there.

Edited February 2, 2017 by Shield