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 Posted: Thu May 27, 2010 1:58 pm
Maxeri arrived at the door to Major Reis' office just as is was pulled open. Dhamon Reis and another woman nearly ran her over as they rushed out. Maxeri stepped back, regaining balance and adjusting the cap on her head--she'd reveal her parentage when she deemed necessary and only then. "Sir..." About to ask about taking the State Alchemist exam, Max noted the expression on the two military officers' faces and changed what she spoke. "Is there any way I can help, Major?" she offered, throwing both people a salute as she recognized them as superior officers (technically unnecessary as she wasn't exactly a member of the military yet, but it was a habit she'd picked up during her Alchemy training). "I felt that blast a moment ago; I don't think there's a person within a mile who didn't."
((I've been calling Dhamon 'major' because he's a state alchemist, and you didn't specify if he has a different rank, so correct me if I'm wrong.))
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Posted: Fri May 28, 2010 9:24 pm
Dhamon nodded to the newcomer, recognizing her from one of the files he had been given this morning. "Chrys, take this alchemist and go to the cadet's bunker and make sure they're safe, destroy any intruders that get in your way."
He slipped his hands into his oversized sleeves, activating the symbols tattooed on his wrists. As he pulled his hands back he used the alchemy to pull the carbon out of his uniform and shape it into a black katana with a five foot long blade.
He settled the blade on his shoulder. "I'm going to go welcome our guests, good luck you two." And with that he ran to the stairs and headed for the courtyard.
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Posted: Sat May 29, 2010 9:43 am
Max glanced at the woman, presumably Chrys, as she listened to the Major, a little surprised that he'd known her for an alchemist before remembering that she had submitted a form to see him, necessary if she wanted to take her State Alchemist exam. Her eyes widened as she watched Dhamon perform an impressive bit of alchemy, although she didn't see any circles. Perhaps they ere on his body or the inside of his uniform, or maybe he'd lost something to the Gate like she had. Maxeri touched her left arm, remembering. The black katana the Major would wield was very striking, and, if she remembered Dhamon's title correctly, it was made of carbon fibers. The Carbon Alchemist disappeared to the courtyard, leaving Max behind with the woman named Chrys. Max threw the older woman a salute, recognizing the symbols on her uniform as those of the rank of Second Lieutenant. This woman might also be an alchemist, but Maxeri was not familiar with her name or her appearance. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I've truly no idea where to find the cadets. I could barely get to the Carbon Alchemist's office as it was."
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Posted: Mon May 31, 2010 9:40 pm
"It's fine. Follow me," Chrysanthe replied, and gestured for her to follow with a wave of a hand. Her hands were bare from the gloves she normally wore, and that brief display flashed a transmutation circle that indicated she performed alchemy. It was her way of telling her that she was able to protect herself and others if need be, so the other female would know she could fight. She quickly set off into a jog so that her new companion could easily keep up, and they were off to the cadets' bunker, which would take about ten minutes to get to... if they were fast. She ran her tongue along her lips and felt her tongue piercing press against her upper lip. It was begging to be used... but it was meant as a last resort. The only other weapons she had on her was her panpipe, which she had stowed in her uniform pocket, and a long knife that she had strapped to her right calf. Hopefully, no one had gotten to the cadets...
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Angelic Krossplay Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 9:18 am
Dhamon hopped down the last few days and went over to the door leading out into the courtyard. He took a look out the window and assessed the number of enemies. "... Fifteen of them... and all with semi-automatics..." He sighed, knowing he was probably going to be hurting in the morning. Sometimes being a close range fighter really sucked.
He flicked up the collar of his coat, knowing the remaining carbon weave in the coat would be enough to stop the bullets. Though he'd still feel them and have quite a few bruises. "Guess I'll go say hello now." He activated his transmutation circle again and changed his single katana into a pair of them with two foot long blades, going for speed.
He silently counted to three and then opened the door, sprinting out to attack the enemy, keeping his blades up to offer some protection to his face. He heard them open fire and felt the bullets hitting his coat and bouncing off. He neared the first enemy and slashed out with one of his blades at his neck. It cut through the stock of the gun easily as the soldier tried to defend himself, and he fell to the ground. One. He felt a bullet graze his cheek and he immediately turned, lashing out again, and hearing another man fall to the ground. Two.
He growled in annoyance as he felt another bullet graze his other cheek. He grabbed a body and hopped behind a bit of rubble for cover. He then activated his transmutation circles again, doing one of his more morbid bits of alchemy. He tore all the carbon out of the body that he could find and added it to one of his blades, compressing it into clear diamond and shaping it into a shield.
He glanced over the rubble, using the shield to guard his face, and checked where each of the enemies were standing. After deciding on his attack pattern he sprinted out, grinning as the bullets ricocheted off his shield, and he began slicing at the enemies, taking them out one by one. Stab to the heart. Three. Another slashed across the throat. Four. Stab through the eye socket. Five. Deep slash across the stomach. Six. Upward thrust under the chin. Seven. Deep slash across the back, cutting the heart in two. Eight. Another throat cut. Nine Heart stab. Ten Stomach Slash. Eleven Throat. Twelve Heart. Thirteen. Stomach. Fourteen. Stop.
He looked around, sure he had counted fifteen before exiting the building. He saw some movement from behind a tree and heard a gunshot, feeling a bullet fly through his right leg. He fell to one knee and activated his transmutation circles once more, pulling the carbon from the bodies around him and created a guillotine shaped blade that flew at the tree, slicing it and the soldier that shot him in two. Fifteen.
He breathed a little more heavily as that was one of the more strenuous transmutations, and limped back to the building, heading towards the infirmary, to get treated and protect the wounded.
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:27 pm
Max ran after Chrys. She'd seen the transmutation circle carved into the woman's palm, and recognized that the woman must be a state alchemist. Maxeri wondered what the woman's specialty was, but didn't dwell on it, knowing she's find out sooner rather than later. Look at you. Not even a member of the military and you're already caught up the battles, she thought to herself while she considered what sort of weapon she could use. If Max was going to transmute her left arm, it couldn't be a gun. The lost bullets would weaken the metal when she was through, due to equivalent exchange. Maxeri used a wall to make a sudden sharp turn as she followed the Lieutenant. Figure it out when you get there; just follow for now. Max reprimanded herself, not able to do what she told herself. They must be near the bunker by now; Max could hear shouts and gunshots. Maxeri was looking around, weighing her surroundings and what was there that she could transmute. Whatever had caused that tremor was just ahead of them. As the two women neared the cadet's bunker, Maxeri felt the adrenaline rush that came before a fight. Max came to a halt and slammed her hands together, then pressed them against the metal panel on the wall beside her. Inspired by the Carbon Alchemist's weapon of choice, the section of wall changed into a katana, similar to Dhamon's but slightly smaller in proportion to Max's size. Max hesitated only a moment before rushing ahead of the officer. She wasn't a member of the military yet, and really had no reason to obey Chrys except that the other woman had the experience.
Blood pumping wildly, Maxeri attacked with all the ferocity of a vixen protecting her cubs. She had enough sense to look at who she was about to attack, making sure she wasn't about to kill one of their own. "Drachmans?!" Max exclaimed in surprise when she finally recognized the intruder's uniforms. She glanced at the Lieutenant, and the the other soldiers around her (all of whom were probably wondering why the hell a girl alchemist in civilian clothes had joined the fight). Max had known that the treaty Amestris had with Drachma had always been tentative, but to deliberately attack the Amestris military at their own base?! Drachma was practically declaring war on Amestris. Max frowned as another Drachman fell before her. What a time to choose to join the military.
"Ah, dammit!" Max fell back a pace. The bullet had ricocheted off her automail and hit her leg. Dropping her katana, Max transmuted a wall up from the ground before her so she could inspect it. Well, it wasn't going to cripple her. Max grit her teeth and dug the bullet out. She transmuted the little thing into a dart and hurled it back where it had come from. Max heard a Drachman shriek as it found it's target somewhere. She smirked and clapped her hands together again. Slamming them into her stone shield, Max pulverized it, sending shrapnel into the enemy ranks. Within an instant she was on her feet and fighting again, looking around in the chaos for Lieutenant Chrys, and whatever instructions the other woman could give.
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Angelic Krossplay Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 7:53 pm
When they first ran into the Drachmans flooding into the halls, Chrysanthe heard the sounds of screams in the cadets' bunker. They hadn't made it there all the way... and she could hear the youngsters in pain. She could see the sneers on the Drachmans faces, and she glared at them hatefully. She hated senseless bloodshed... but they started this attack and threatened their soldiers. They would have little mercy now.
Chrysanthe dipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out her panpipe. Just before she activated her alchemy, she gave them all a sickly sweet smile. "Goodbye." It would be the last thing they'd hear.
She made sure that none of their soldiers were along the direct path of her concentrated blast, and then put her panpipe to her lips. With her weapon glowing, she put a powerful blast of air into it and felt the alchemy work its course...
Sound waves ripped and tore across the hall towards the small group of Drachman soldiers, and in just a second, the soldiers screamed and flew backward. Some had been physically hit in the chest as if hit by a bull... some had clutched their ears and screamed as the blood dripped out of them, no longer able to hear noise again.
It had been a cruel blow... her alchemy could either destroy, or enhance sound. But Chrysanthe used it this time to cause harm, and by carefully channelling the frequency and amplitude of the sound waves, she manipulated it into flowing in just that one direction... it provided most of the force when it hit something, and then the rest of the sound would taper off and cause little damage to anything else. It had taken years of practice to master this alchemy, but only a few days for the military to accept her as an alchemist after passing the exam. Life was funny that way.
Chrysanthe had no time to ponder anything now. There were still many more of the enemy to fight... and one was rushing towards her now.
It was a big and burly man, with a beard that appeared thicker than the fur on a husky. He had a gun in one hand and a knife in the other, and she knew that she didn't have enough time to take him down with another pipe blast. So, she withdrew her knife from its sheath on her leg just in time to cross blades with the man. He brought up his other hand to shoot her, and she managed to knock it away with a sharp snap of the foot on his hand. He swore loudly, and then pushed her away, making her trip over a body on the ground.
'Damn it!' Chrysanthe fell heavily on the ground, landing hard on her right shoulder and leaving her feeling temporarily dazed. She blinked hard, trying to clear her vision, and squeaked when a dark shape descended on her. A knife glinted as it whistled in the air towards her, and she did the only thing she could think of at the time... it was an act of ultimate self-preservation, and yet it was a double-edged sword.
She screamed at him.
The sound coming from her vocal chords combined with the power of her alchemical tongue piercing and created sound waves that tore through the soldier's body... and he fell on her with a loud and wet thump.
Blood began to ooze out from the large bloody hole she had created and started to soak through her uniform. She squirmed out from underneath him, ignoring the pain in her throat and in her shoulder. She caught sight of the woman that had come to see Dhamon and smiled wryly. A droplet of blood pooled in the corner of her mouth and ran down her chin. "Protect... our sol...diers." Her throat hurt like hell, but she had a job to do. Clutching her knife and panpipe, she made her way towards the cadet bunker.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 12:00 am
Dhamon was at the infirmary door when he heard a earsplitting scream echo through the base, and he frowned, knowing who that came from. "Must be more serious in the bunkers than I thought..." He then glanced through the window and saw that the soldiers were holding off a group of Drachmans, trying to finish off the infirmary staff to severely cripple the base, and the state soldiers were being pushed back.
Dhamon knew his leg wouldn't serve well enough right now for him to use his close combat against their guns. So, he used the only option he had left. "No slacking off tonight it seems..." He had always admired his old mentor, Greed, it was the reason he was a carbon specialist. He always wanted to find a way to mimic Greed's greatest ability, and he has come close in his training to doing just that. He activated his transmutation circles once more, tearing every molecule of carbon out of his coat. The coat fell to the floor in tatters and began weaving the carbon into his skin, hissing in pain. Once finished he had approximately thirty seconds before he wouldn't wouldn't have the energy to keep control of the graft and it became dangerous to him. Twenty seconds to kill, five to undo the transmutation, and five to celebrate before I pass out, easy enough...
As the transmutation finished he was left with a form that was not as functional as Greed's had been. He couldn't talk because of the carbon shell that was covering his face, and he couldn't breathe because of the shell, another reason for his time limit. He could see well enough through the clear diamond lenses over his eyes. His left hand had a carbon blade coming out of the palm, and his right was a black claw. As he stepped into the room the Drachmans took notice of him and shouts came out calling him a demon and a monster. He grinned and charged forward at them as they opened fire, the bullets unable to penetrate the carbon hide.
He swung his blade, slicing two Drachmans neatly in half, and clawed a third in the face, lifting him and throwing him into the wall. As he continued the Drachmans were being pushed back, but for some reason unwilling to fully retreat, Dhamon filed the information away for later as he continued his assault. Ten seconds. The rest of the State soldiers lined up behind him and threw up a wall of lead at the invaders. Fifteen seconds... only a few more Drachmans left. He started to feel light headed from the lack of oxygen and charged at the remaining group, striking blade and claw against flesh and bone.
20 Seconds. As the last enemy fell, Dhamon fell to one knee, exhausted. He used his claw, carved a transmutation circle in the ground and activated it immediately, crying out as the carbon was pulled out of him. He had it form into a sphere that landed next to him as he collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily.
25 Seconds. A soldier ran up to him and saluted. "Sir, are you alright?"
Dhamon rolled onto his back, pale and breathing hard, and smirked as he spoke. "I'll take... a bed and... two of your... best looking... sponge bath nurses..." 30 Seconds... goodnight
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 10:18 am
Max watched, shocked at what the woman Chrys could do, and wondering how she did it, besides the use of the circles on her palms. Protect our soldiers, she'd said. Maxeri paused. The way Chrys said it sounded like she expected to die. Max shook off the feeling and followed after her. 'Protect our soldiers,' huh? Well, that includes you too, Lieutenant, Max thought, and promised herself to watch over the wounded officer if she could. "Hey, Lieutenant. Be careful, right?" Max said. She wished she knew the type of alchemy practiced in Xing, that was based in healing, to be able to help even a little...
But no time for regret or wondering now. The cadets were in danger from the Drachmans still alive within the building.
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Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 9:55 pm
"'Course." Chrysanthe turned her head and smiled at her, even if she didn't really feel like smiling. She wiped away the blood on her face with her sleeve, and then grimaced at all of the blood that was staining her normally well-mainted uniform (with the exception of the cookie crumbs that sometimes dusted it). It soaked through to the skin, and it felt utterly revolting...
A loud bang from a shot fired nearby her head made her jump. 'I really need to pay more attention,' she thought. It wouldn't do if she ended up out of commission so soon into the battle... And so, she eyed the Drachman soldiers that were flooding the main doors to the bunker through her glasses. 'If I eliminate the four soldiers on the right... the rest may come towards me.' That would give her a clear opening on blasting the rest of them with some powerful sound waves...
With the resolve to survive and protect others firmly in place, she raised her panpipe to her lips. A harsh blast of air made its way through her mouth and into the deadly instrument... and she ran forwards and into a nearby hall as the bodies crumpled to the ground. "O'er here!" She waved her arms from the entrance of the hallway, and drew the attention of other soldiers she hadn't hit. "Come." She invited them to come further...
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Angelic Krossplay Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jun 03, 2010 4:47 pm
Max saw it this time. Chrys raised the odd instrument to her lips and performed some sort of alchemy. Must be affecting air or sound, she guessed. Max followed after the Lieutenant. It was when she was behind her that Maxeri actually realized Chrys' plan. She would attract the enemy soldiers to her, then hit them with her alchemy like she had the other four. Max smirked. Good plan.
She touched Chrys on the shoulder quickly. "After you deal with these guys, give me twenty seconds to get into the bunker," Max whispered. "I'll be in your line of fire, and I'd rather not have my ears bleed from your alchemy." Max was thinking of the sensitive fox ears on top of her head, a secret she'd rather not reveal at the moment. "Twenty seconds, and I can be in. I'll round up ours, get them out, and then circle 'round back to you to finish the rest of these guys off." Max explained her plan, watching the Drachman soldiers change direction to attack Chrys.
Max removed her hand from Chrys' shoulder, frowning at the sticky blood that came with it. As an after thought, remembering Chrys making the same face, Maxeri swiftly clapped her hands together for the third time in so many minutes, and touched the Lieutenant's uniform again. Max caused the blood soaked into the fabric to be blown out with a small piece of alchemy. Using alchemy again, she changed the unwieldy katana into a handful of darts, with long, needle-like points. These would keep the Drachmans occupied as she broke through their ranks to get into the bunker. Thus prepared, Max kept her place behind the Lieutenant, out of the woman's line of fire, tense and ready to run, waiting for the other woman's signal.
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Posted: Fri Jun 04, 2010 2:06 pm
Chrysanthe was grateful for the woman's help getting rid of the blood, and assistance in combat. She prepared her alchemy again for those men that were rushing towards them... and after she took care of them, she nodded. "Go!"
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Angelic Krossplay Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 06, 2010 1:42 pm
Max dashed around Chrys, darts at the ready. She transferred five from her right hand to her left and threw, blind. Max looked only to the door to the bunker. A few shrieks, and she knew the darts had hit something. She was almost halfway there...Ten seconds... Another four or five darts gone, and she heard the shrieks, revealing that they'd hit human flesh once again. Max hoped her unaimed darts struck the enemy in the face. Fifteen seconds... Nearly there.... Gunfire erupted around her and Maax flinched. Apparently, the Drachman's had gotten over the shock of the Lieutenant's alchemy attack and Maxeri's own darts. Twenty seconds... Max swung into the cadet's bunker, throwing the last of her darts at the closest Drachmans. She slammed the door shut, and sealed it with alchemy.
The cadets were holding their own in a small battle inside. Several Drachman soldiers had managed to enter. Well, I'm screwed as it is, might as well go the whole nine yards. Max transmuted part of her automail into a gun, leaving her left hand untouched so she could undo the alchemy. Without ceremony, Max shot the remaining enemy soldiers that hand't been killed by the cadets. After she undid the transmutation of her left arm, Max leaned against the door, breathing heavily. Her left arm felt wrong, too light, and she knew a bullet could probably break it, now that it had been weakened from it's use as a gun. She moved, and winced, having been hit by more than one bullet in her mad dash to the bunker. Nothing that would kill her. Max stood up straight and looked up. Now she had to get the cadets to listen to her.
"Alright, cadets. Listen up! My name is Maxeri Aziria. I've just come from Second Lieutenant Chrys," Max winced inwardly, wishing she knew the Lieutenants full name, "and Major Dhamon Reis. Drachmans have attacked Central, and everyone's doing what they can to fight back. The lieutenant is outside in the corridor, fending off the Drachmans. What we're going to do is open up a door in one of these walls and circle around to help her." Max walked to one of the walls without the door or a window. God, she hoped the cadet's would follow her. Not that they really had a choice, she'd sealed the other exit, unless they wanted to jump out the window.
"Like a pincer movement," a cadet piped up, "We'll trap them between us and Lieutenant Westfall."
"Exactly," Max said, and clapped her hands together. Without further ado, she opened up a door within the wall and led the cadets out of the bunker. Dear God, I hope this doesn't get us all killed.
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 2:52 pm
Meanwhile, after Maxeri had gone into the cadets' bunker, Chrysanthe was fending off the rest of the Drachmans in her area. Once in a while, one would fall from a shot fired from one of her own soldiers. Luckily, most had seen what she had done and stayed far enough away so that she did not accidentally hurt them.
Now, there were only fifteen soldiers left for her in this area. She had continually backed up and dodged the bullets they barraged the hallway with. One bounced off the wall and lodged in her side, making it ooze blood immediately. "Bastards..." Her throat still hurt like crazy and she could feel blood going both down her throat and coming out of her mouth when she coughed. 'I'll have to end them all...' Chrys could play a song through her panpipe, a song of war with high notes, but she didn't want to rip up the hallway. She needed to bide time until they were safely out of there...
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Angelic Krossplay Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 08, 2010 5:13 pm
Max made a face. She'd just been hit by another enemy bullet, but there was more. Only fifteen Drachman soldiers were left in this area. Her group of cadets couldn't fire or else they'd risk hitting Chrys. And Chrys couldn't use her alchemy for fear of hitting them. Damn it... Max hated it, but she'd have to leave the lieutenant to finish the Drachmans off on her own. Chrys can take care of herself. Max grit her teeth, then called out, "Fall back! The Lieutenant will have to finish up on her own!" Max was thinking on her feet, a dangerous activity for her tactically-inexperienced mind, but now she had a better idea than abandoning Chrys. "Some of you, collect the injured and help them to the infirmary. All those not otherwise occupied, we're going to herd the Drachmans into the bunker. I'll head in and unseal the door. The rest of you, start moving around them and tell Chrys what I'm doing. She's going to have to seal me in with them. I can't come out in the middle, and I need to draw them in." I wish I had a better idea than this. I hate playing bait, not to mention Chrys is going to hate me, as well. Max shook her head and ran back through her hole in the wall before she could change her mind, closing it behind her and hoping the cadets would follow her instructions. They really had no reason to; Maxeri was technically a civilian, and the soldiers didn't have to follow orders from a nineteen year old girl with no military ranking, whether she knew alchemy or not. Max unsealed and opened the bunker doors. She reshaped the lid of someone's metal trunk into two long knives. Now she was ready. "Oi! Over here, Drachman idiots!" Max cried out. Most of them looked her way, and Max saw the cadets begin to edge around behind the Drachmans toward Chrys.
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