[Round Zero: part 1]

[utopiamods]

At noon on the rest day, every screen in the campus lights up. It's the girl from the introduction again! She's grinning fit to burst, and her voice is bright and excited.

"Good morning, everyone! Round Minus-One is now officially over, so we'd like you to all report to the lobby for a special announcement, immediately! It starts in ten minutes, so don't be late."

The screens all go blank, before simply displaying the flashing text ALL STUDENTS REPORT TO THE LOBBY FOR 12:10.

Reaching the lobby, you find it empty of the usual staff. However, the doors to the tramstation are blocked by a large stage, spanning the entire south wall. In the centre stands the girl, in the flesh and just as sickeningly cheerful as her broadcast.

"Hi, everyone!" She waves, tilting sideways as she does so, and then clasps her hands together. "Wow, it's really great to see you all in person at last! You've all tried a lot harder this week, and it shows! We're really, really impressed with everyone. Ah, even though there was a bit of cheating..." she pouts, and shakes her head lightly, "But that's okay. We forgive you! You all know better now.

"But what we've called you here to say is this! We've been working extra hard too, and we've gotten a lot done with your help. So much that we're nearly ready for Round One!

"However..."

She's still smiling. It's a little unnerving, "We have to do some maintenance first, okay? And I'm afraid it would be a problem if you were all alive for that... you could cause us a lot of problems. So we're going to get rid of you for a little while. Think of this as a final test!"

She snaps her fingers, and your shadows disappear. No, not disappear. That's the wrong word. It's more like... they're abandoning you. Nearly forty pools of darkness flow up onto the stage, and suddenly explode upwards in tendrils and globs of black. The girl laughs as they finish changing, as they take on your shapes. As they reach into themselves and pull out inky replicas of your own weapons. They all laugh with her, in the emotionless tones of the Voice from your dreams.

"You can all draw your own weapons now, okay? Fight hard!"

[mod notice: NOW EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ THIS OOC POST BEFORE THEY REPLY.]

Comments

[warpwhatsir]

Think, if you will, for just a moment. Ranked at Lieutenant, Sulu is no pushover, having gone through several years of military training, in addition to personal training in fencing. And, in Sulu-speak, "fencing" usually tends to mean "wipe the floor with your sorry ass." But there is a stark contrast between he and his shadow: Sulu shows compassion. He doesn't fight to kill unless you're fighting to kill first. This thing doesn't follow those rules. He will kill you with cold indifference and deadly accuracy.

He twirls the long, thin foil with one hand, eyes glimmering with a look not unlike that of predator stalking his prey. You want to go after him, go ahead. He won't show any compassion, and he certainly won't show any mercy.

And if you think he can't do any damage with that foil, you are sadly mistaken.

wii tag HAHA...

[themerryway]

"Nunnally--"

It's too late. Euphemia watches in dull horror as the beam slides through her sister's chest and narrowly avoids going through her own. Unable to move, the pain in her mangled arm and the pain of losing her sister right in front of her feel as though it may drive her mad.

She doesn't know what to do. The only thing she can manage do is sit there and hold the gory, cooling hand of her dead sister, crying all the while.

What would she tell Lelouch?

[bitofafiction]

If he had a hand to hold it in, or even a sheath, he'd ask for his sword back. He doesn't. Sherlock scans the room for targets. There isn't time for him to lean against the wall and throw up for a while, even if he would very much like to.

The girl on the stage is the most prominent option. Human, not shadow, but clearly instrumental to all this. It is a logical hypothesis that taking her out would remove the head from the proverbial snake. Logical and easy to test.

The moment he has a clear shot, he takes it.

more wii tags ahoy

[themouthofhell]

Oichi recognizes the Chinese for what it is, but more importantly she's hopping over the kick, bringing down her naginata to swipe headlong into the shadow.

[queenscheckmate]

Kallen smirks, looking over at her 'brother' in a sense. In the shadows, they were a part of a whole.

"Perhaps you should find the one who runs the fastest. Might do for a good chase."

[frozen_desires]

He pauses at the other's voice, before he tilts his head ever so slightly. From the darkness, two red pinpricks are viewable and that's all.

"Taaaaag...?"

[queenscheckmate]

"Just like that, except better."

[frozen_desires]

Shadow!Tougyu stares at her for a moment longer, tilting his head this way and that in impossible angles, before finally taking a few steps forward. As he does, there's this awful grating noise of something heavy being dragged against stone.

Once he's in the light, it's revealed to be his weapon which is leaving a deep scratch in the path. "Hide and go seeeeeek... hahaha..."

[queenscheckmate]

"We'll have lots of fun, I promise you that." She licks her lips and summons her own weapon. A gun, but not just an ordinary gun. A gun with special unlocked powers. She knows where everyone else and how to have fun.

"Ready...?"

[frozen_desires]

He watches her summon her weapon with ill-concealed glee. As the grin on his lips widens even further he drags the scythe upwards and twirls it once around to rest it on his shoulders.

That complete, he just comes up near her in a silent gesture for her to lead. His quiet, eerie laughter never stops once.

[scott_pilgrim]

Scott had gotten to the announcement on time -- that was odd for him, he would have normally been chillaxing in his room or something instead. Instead, however, he was there. And listened to the accounncement... not only that, but he saw his shadow leaving him.

That was about 10 minutes ago. As soon as the shadowy creature had risen up, Scott's face had gone a tiny bit pale. To anybody else, the monocrome version of Scott may be creepy, sure. It might even be a bit scary. But, to Scott? He knew that face, that lineface-like look, with the semi-hollow eyes and the lack of colour.

It looked like NegaScott. But it wasn't *quite* him -- NegaScott wouldn't attack straight away, if Scott knew him well enough to think that. Which... he doesn't. Plus, NegaScott wasn't living in his shadow, they were different people.
But as soon as the shadow creature had appeared, it had started to attack Scott, a dark grin over its' face. Scott, in slight shock, had drawn his own weak weapon. This is what he wanted, right? To fight. "I'm ready, shadow guy!" Scott shouted, starting to attack.

But the shadow could parry all his moves, attacking more defensivly then Scott ever would. As soon as Scott left an opening, however, it struck him. That's what happened over those 10 minutes -- and now Scott was on the ground, his shadow stepping on him.


"Come on, Scott," he said, his fully-powered blade pointed at the true Scotts' neck. Scott gulped, as the shadow grinned. But, oddly enough, it wasn't giving the death blow. Who knows why? Well, it knows. Scott's... too much of a pushover. It wants to hear his struggle a bit more -- a perfect chance for people to attack, huh?

Of course, it might just be waiting for somebody else to be there, to witness his victory.

[queenscheckmate]

She shrugs. "All right then." She smiles as she glances at him. "Oh, I never got to thank you for that doll you made. You were right. It is cute." Kallen walks forward, determined to take a couple of wimpy students down. Never mind the swing of her hips as she walks.

[warpwhatsir]

Sulu figured he had exactly three-fourths of a second to get out of the way and around a corner, so that's exactly what he did. Back pressed against the wall and breathing hard, he held the foil up. Yeah. That definitely was not the Kallen he'd met and had small conversations with. Definitely not.

He took a deep breath, holding his weapon out and thinking hard. Okay. Bullets weren't something he was accustomed to dealing with in his time--they usually settled for phasers, after all--and judging by her range versus his, it wasn't at all a fair, nor probable, fight. Better to retreat than attempt a win.

If he can just get away, that is.

[queenscheckmate]

She saw him go behind the pillar. Kallen departed from Tougyu and moved towards the hidden boy.

"Come on Sulu... don't be like that." That whiny but highly seductive tone was something Kallen would never have. Her shoes tapped closer and closer. "We sparred together. You're someone I admire... you know. So don't hide from me."

Her weapon was loaded and she was ready to aim... more than ready.

[frozen_desires]

"You're welcome."

[persuades]

El was at least hoping he could get through a few more weeks without having to fight. It was so much better, having to stay on the sidelines and simply observing the outcome of the battles. That, and there were always others who would do the fighting for him. Besides, even without doing anything, it too gave him experience, ideas and strategies just from watching. That, and he didn't want to show what he could do anyway. But this time's a life-or-death situation, much to his disdain. There was no choice on the matter.

Still if anyone needed to survive this round, it had to be him. The one who survives would get the most information after all.

Without any kind of flairs whatsoever - it's a life-or-death situation, there's no need for shouting any kind of mantra - he calmly reaches out inside him and pulls out two swords, a short and a long one, wielding each on one hand, just as his mirror image walks up to him in the same calm fashion. How ironic that it bore El's face, not Karin's.

"That face doesn't suit you at all."

One swift movement and El blocks the incoming attack with the dagger then easily slashes that face that used to belong to him. Those movements, obviously he knows them. It's his own form after all and what a stupid thing to do, to use his own style against him. He smiles carelessly, whipping his own blade as if to remove the shadow that still clung to it. Hopefully, it would die and dissolve before anyone were to see it and connect it with him.

"Nor does yours suit you as well." Now where were the others?

[queenscheckmate]

"Make something else for me in the future okay? I'll be sure... to return the favor."

[frozen_desires]

The shadow only gives a nod at that. Like his original, it seems he isn't fond of verbal conversation when he can avoid it.

[queenscheckmate]

And that's fine with her. She walks on with the male by her side, with a sadistic but content smile on her lips.

pfft what continuity.

[trollofthree]

As they ran, something had noticed them, and that something was now following from above.

You could tell this by the steady drip drip of blood falling around them. After a few seconds, the shadow of the Knight of Three apparently grew bored of following them, and swooped down to block their path. The black Tristan was held loosely in one hand, the tip still slick with blood, but his other hand...

"Hey, Suzaku," the name was drawn out, playful but cruel, "Check it out. I finished the job for you~!"

Carelessly, he threw Gino's corpse at their feet, the boy's eyes blank and his throat slit.

[warpwhatsir]

Hikaru swallowed again. What the hell was this about. He knew that his other self was... less inclined to show mercy but this was completely out of what little he knew of Kallen's personality. To be frank, he was scared. And yeah, Sulu knows what it's like to be scared, to experience fear in the face of certain death. To accept that fear, and maintain control of oneself. He knows this. He was taught this.

Doesn't stop him from staying firmly in his hiding spot.

[queenscheckmate]

Kallen brought a hand up to her hair and flipped it back. A sigh escaped her lips.

"Sulu, Sulu, Sulu... I know it's only been some time we've known each other, but..."

Silence, there was silence and lots of it... until she appeared right next to him.

"You don't need to hide from me."

[queenscheckmate]

Sulu was dead. Sulu was dead. Her shadow, killed Sulu. That didn't make her a murderer, but it sure as hell made her feel like one. To watch his blood spill from his body. To watch and to have her counterpart smirk in her direction and walk off. The damn thing knew she was watching and--

No. No... she had to calm down.

The numbers were running thin thankfully. She was hurt, but it was nothing the ex-Black Knight couldn't handle.

As she looked over her surroundings, she got this unsettling feeling that someone... no something was staring at her. Kallen looked up and not even fifteen feet away from her was Shadow!Sulu. Her eyes opened wide and fuck... she couldn't move back any more since her back was already pressed against a pillar.

[warpwhatsir]

Retreat or stand his ground.

Instincts say flee, abort abort abort but Starfleet taught him that if there's one thing to have when you die, it's your dignity. And honestly, Hikaru wasn't exactly one for running anyway. So there's really only one option-- he went in for a hard thrust with the foil, not bothering with a response.

[queenscheckmate]

That was easy... almost too easy to dodge. There's something that you must remember, Sulu. Kallen's a fighter. She ducked down and delivered a kick to his leg.