Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

violence

graphic themes

It was a cycle. It was a cyclone.

It was the scintillating fracture of a skull.

A short fuse, and static mind, and broken record; fissured reality, blown to bits. It was time for things to change, sparks would fly, torrents would rage. It was time for something to be corrected, or realigned, or... or... AGH. Snapping wires flew and bit like living serpents threatened with a blade; to touch one would be agony, and to fight one would mean death.

Her best friend killed someone and it was all (finally, FINALLY) going to hell.

Swirl, blast and destroy, and spiral, let it all fall to the rot that came to feed his stupid little mushrooms after he'd pumped his enemy full of hot voltage-- and she couldn't have stopped him, could she? Could she? No, it wouldn't have been possible for her, the sinner with cackling wrath that fumed and caterwauled in the sky when a child so much as LOOKED at her the wrong way--

The driver's seat was empty. Madhukar claimed the shotgun and she wasn't leaving. Force her out of body, please keep her out of her head, let the world take over-- maybe let it eat her, too.

Something was going to be fed today and Madhukar didn't know what.

Maybe she just didn't care.

She had come to the wrong place seeking calm. There was seldom noise here, rare places to hide. Everything was so-- was too open, and too empty. So instead of calm, she simply screamed.

Think "Speak"

@Orthoclase-Alpha

A wrist rolled and the subsequent pain ran up its leg like a shot. It growled lowly in response. Stopping for just a minute, the monster eased up on the limb; it extended it out to half-mast and twisted its palm upwards experimentally. Tendons protested against the motion but it continued to flex them with clenched claws. When it seemed stable enough, Orthoclase-Alpha proceeded with its ministrations.

It hadn't been long since the Hunt came through here—since it tore up this long, pastoral cave. (Well, perhaps not so much it as it had been her.) What little remained of the maze was still broken up into shelves of rock and tainted-black gemstone. Enough time, it seemed, had passed for the stone to lose its sickly purple tinge. Stepping on it didn't bring the gunshot-through-your-being feeling. Not the sort that had afflicted the sword-bearing canine in battle, anyways.

Madhukar's caterwauling was in the background of its mind, like it was a minor annoyance as it sniffed aimlessly at the shattered, once-abandoned battlefield.

@Madhukar

It was a shame. Large, quills, muscular, powerful and beastly. Analyzing a broken battlefield. It seemed in its natural place there, vicious features and plated hide like a golem made of firearms, like a titan, like a machine of war. Better hunter than the Huntsman, probably. Better fighter. Radioactive and enthralling and so horrendously hard to miss. It was a shame. But not for Madhukar.

The feline approached, eyes widened and gait... not jaunty, more like jagged. As if she were dizzy, a disoriented mess -- and if I must be honest, she might have been feeling light headed in this moment. But it was not dizziness. It was not a physical feeling of lack of direction. She trained her eyes on the target as if it were nothing but a mouse for her wicked bloodlust to toy with, size differences be confounded. She stared at it unwaveringly, stormed towards it and left a trail of foreboding in her wake.

"You." Voice a low buzz, the hum of a forlorn light in a parking garage, the humble rattle of a--

Charge enveloped the space around her in the blink of an eye; an armor made of force alone. Her tail was raised high, her claws unsheathed, her maw wrinkled back to reveal glinting fangs. Who are you what are you doing here haven't I seen you before? "Figh' me."

...It was a shame.

Think "Speak"

@Orthoclase-Alpha

"You. Figh' me."

Alpha whipped its head around. Four eyes burned as they trained on the approaching feline. Quills set on edge—when had this little beast stopped crying out? Come striding over looking to be in an unshakeable stupor? Bared her teeth in a wicked grimace and stood off against it? The kaiju sniffed and would've wrinkled its snout at the scent of burning ozone if it could. Charge jumped through the air, but it could not conceptualize in what way.

It shifted atop the stones, leaning heavily on its forearms. Either elbow was stretched outwards, forming a sharply armored ninety-five degree angle as it stood. No part of its mane was still as it licked at its chops. A neon-green tongue swept over hundreds of pearly whites as it idly reached for its magic.

Truth be told—even as it uttered "why?"—the orthoclase rallied for a fight. Vargas bid it not go out of its way to make enemies like it had a penchant to (and even now, that reminder surged into its conscious.) None of the spars it'd initiated in the past three cycles provided the same fleeting thrill that the Hunt had. Responsibility-free, treacherous...

The Overseer was more a soldier than it was a leader.

Even as it formed magic into paralytic venom, it needed and awaited an answer. It needed an answer before it threw its claws into the thick silence between them. Why? burned in its mind, because there was something inexplicably... off. They'd seen each other once before, but it had not paid attention to her capabilities.

Shifting its weight back, Alpha braced itself.

It didn't know what to expect from this one.

@Madhukar

To Madhukar's... surprise misfortune delight, the unavoidable titan paid attention. Answered her call. Despite the... emotions bubbling and lashing the walls of her stomach, no expression came to her face besides the wild-eyed facade she had been wearing.

She watched how it shifted, this thing with all its might. Her eyes glanced over its mouth, its fangs, now dripping with some kind of venom... its massive paws and nails, its collection of quills... catastrophic force. Shame shame shame shame shame--

Madhukar winced at the question. There were so many-- too many answers to it, but her voice was hoarse from screaming. Hoarse from apologizing and telling the truth, and her brain was fried from thinking and thinking and thinking, and her heart-- well it didn't matter now. Her heart was out of the arena, it had no say in this... in what this was about to be.

But Madhukar had to answer, didn't she? A final act of charity for this creature before she made it impossible to chance a spare thought or a peep without risking a slip-up. And what could be so bad about a slip-up...? LIE LIE LIE LIE LIE MAKE IT FEAR YOU-- Why? "Cause I wan' you dead." Hopefully it didn't care much for the answer in words. Why should it? Looked like it was capable of reaping death itself, shouldn't be afraid of a little creature like Madhukar. That's exactly why-- She couldn't lie to herself could she? Why why why why why... it shouldn't matter to either of them. It didn't matter to whatever was taking over in Madhukar's mind. Why? A lie, she gave -- a lie that whipped her tongue and scathed her maw -- because it didn't matter.

Madhukar's eyes darted from the creature to several spaces around it. She drew her string, and released. She couldn't control every bolt... only a few that hammered down upon the land like a bed of nails. A few others went astray, possibly even more of a challenge to avoid than the ones carefully placed. She had tried to leave spaces to clamber through, if this unknown monster had the skill or the guts to be able to. Madhukar didn't know what to expect, but again, IT DIDN'T MATTER ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. What mattered was made CLEAR: MAKE YOUR MOVE, OR DIE.

Think "Speak"

Round: 1/≥5
Attempt: Threaten Alpha's life pt. 1 (but with a chance to escape!)
Defense: Faraday Cage (blocks Electric attacks; makes Physical attacks... not a great idea)
Injuries: ... :(

@Orthoclase-Alpha

"Cause I wan' you dead" was the click! click! before the BOOM!—a mere whispering before the report of gunfire.

The thunder roared past the shuddering of ground struck by lightning.

Alpha jerked away from the nearest flash. Every quill stood up, wild with both electricity and battle-ready anxiety. A growl rumbled out of its throat and its posture shifted immediately. It no longer hunched over the shelf of rock—instead, it drew itself up. Electricity struck again, briefly intensifying the glow of toxic-green against its face. Ozone burned in its nostrils.

The kaiju lurched forwards with a snarl, tumbling off its perch. All six feet pounded heavily against the smoldering earth with their owner now unheeding of the Oil-black points that might stab through them.

Reason be damned.

Every strike was widely spaced, but the orthoclase did not see intent in missing. No, no... all it saw was a need to cross this distance—to give no quarter. Only a fool would strike herself with her own electricity; and, so far, Madhukar was checking all the boxes.

She might even beat it to the punch.

Round: 1/≥5
Attempt: Dodge lightning by going towards Madhukar
Defenses: Throwing caution to the wind
Injuries: None yet

@Madhukar

And the correct move was made.

Madhukar watched, seemingly unfazed, UNMOVED by the beast's approach. Making its way through her bolts, avoiding her barrage. Was it impressive? Perhaps. A little. Was it... terrifying?

. . .

Remember the philosophy, Madhukar. Remember it. Remember-- LISTEN to me Madhukar, REMEMBER IT, DON'T FORGET IT, look at it RIGHT IN THE FACE-- see the glow, see those eyes? Oh, you KNOW what it wants... but it doesn't understand YOU. Good. GOOD. Now, focus.

Maybe, if the size difference hadn't been so big-- maybe, under different circumstances entirely, and yet in this same scenario, Madhukar's trembling might have been... not more present, but more visible. More sensible.

Silence encompassed the feline like fog as she stared up at this-- SHAMESHAMESHAMESHAMESHAME-- thing, removing all feeling from her face and from her mind and from her heart. She did not move. She simply stared. Maintained -- she wanted to maintain. Nothing. Else. Mattered.

Weak. 'Disappointing. You're faltering, Madhukar.'

Think "Speak"

Round: 2/≥5
Attempt: Prepare for a hit
Defense: Faraday Cage (blocks Electric attacks; makes Physical attacks... not a great idea)
Injuries: ... :(

@Orthoclase-Alpha

She was unshakeable. Confident, foolish? Or, was there something else there... ?

Orthoclase-Alpha didn't ponder that as its own blood roared in its ears. Thunder still rumbled through its bones, both from the aftershocks of lightning and all six of its feet pounding against the earth. The logic machines sputtered in the back of its mind, pulling on the reins with a woah!

It kept the monstrous hybrid from immediately scooping the cat into its jaws and crushing her. It'd be so easy to let its teeth pop as they snapped through bone. But, the Overseer had only ever contemplated death. It had stared the concept in the face—snarling dragons and roaring Leviathans—and had never shaken itself.

Given the opportunity then, though, it might've torn stone clean from flesh.

Not even a guttural roar escaped the behemoth as it took one last lurching step forwards. Hooked claws tore through the earth. Its massive head swung down, the neon of its innards flashing in the light. Teeth descended on Madhukar. The moment contact was made (mostly around the bottom half of her body) every muscle in its jaw contracted and a crushing grip descended upon it. Flanks seized and Alpha forgot how to breathe. Ozone burned in its nostrils and quills flared up to their full extent.

If it had wanted to just bite and let go, the electricity coursing through its veins was making it very difficult.

Round: 2/≥5
Attempt: Crush Madhukar at least a bit in its jaws
Defenses: Throwing caution to the wind
Injuries: In the process of being electrocuted

@Madhukar

IT CAME.

She did not move, expecting the magic, the electricity dancing around her like swirling blades, to be the only guard she would need. CONTROL IT MADHUKAR, CONTROL IT, CONTROL IT, CONTROL IT, CONTROL-- How does anyone control fear in the face of death? What are you supposed to do, instead of scream and run and hide and gnash your teeth and stare? What are you supposed to do? 'It's a shame, isn't it?'

FROM ABOVE.

Those vitriolic jaws came down like a vice grip on her back side, MASSIVE and FEROCIOUS, they made her blood pump like WILD-- did she scream? Did she scream did she scream did she scream? No, but something was loud and buzzing and livid inside of her, something was finally trying to let loose against the walls of its cage in her mind. Did the monster know what-- who-- why-- NO NOT WHY, NOT WHO, YOU HAVE LOST THOSE RIGHTS, YOU HAVE LOST THEM-- did it know what it bit? Did it feel the energy, more than it could possibly bear? DID IT FEEL THE THRUM AND THE JOLT LIKE THE SOULS OF THOSE DEAD AND DYING HAVE AND DO AND WILL? DOES IT FEEL THE HUNGER?

Whether or not it did, Madhukar was going to feed it more. NO! NO! NO! NO! TAKE IT, TAKE IT, TAKE IT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, CONTROL IT, NO NO NONONONONONONONONO-- Madhukar snarled and shrieked at the pain coursing through her body, tearing it apart-- SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME SHAME-- and she tried to turn it into MORE, MORE--! NONNONONONONONONO PLEASEPLEASEPLEASEPLEASE--

DESTRUCTION.

CHAOS.

THE LIGHTNING FEEDS RAVENOUSLY.

Think "Speak"

Round: 3/≥5
Attempt: Electrocute Alpha's jaw, possibly the inside of its mouth, EVEN MORE
Defense: Faraday Cage (blocks Electric attacks; makes Physical attacks... not a great idea)
Injuries: Munched back legs

@Orthoclase-Alpha

Content Warning
This post contains potentially sensitive material:

gore

Electricity whipped through its body before it heard the crack of thunder. It sliced at tendons and boiled flesh to its components in seconds. A fractal bloomed along the entire right side of its snout—still crunching, crunching, crunching until bone broke—and snaked up. What lay beneath the carapace burst out in a gory mess and spray of flash-steamed chartreuse. Keratin split and gave way. It was a miracle that the flashbang missed either of its eyes; but, the black spots burnt into either retina would last forever.

Lightning jumped, then, and coursed down its sides. A bellow of pain guttered out of its jaws, stuttering with every convulsion of its muscles. It couldn't think, could barely move, couldn't do a thing but continue to seize up and up.

Up and up, until the thing bringing all this misery breathed its last—either through being cleaved in half or the paralytic venom coursing through her veins. Whichever came first, the orthoclase did not care.

Round: 3/≥5
Attempt: Crush Madhukar in its jaws, no holds barred
Defenses: ...
Injuries: Still in the process of being electrocuted

@Madhukar