[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

[princesspowerful]

Next to Dark Rapunzel was Dark Molly, hair dark and eyes shining again. This shine was different from the kind back home, it no longer signified the use of her powers, not it just showed her inner evilness. The brass knuckles she held had fresh blood on them and she was just waiting for someone else to show up.

[letsdownherhair]

The shadow's plan was slightly flawed, but Rapunzel's tug on the hair made it easy to follow. Inky hair slide over the gold as she stalked over to the girl. Rapunzel pressed against the wall, holding out her whip in barely trembling hands.

"S-Stay back!"

[princesspowerful]

Molly stalked closer to her prey, cracking her knuckles threateningly as she did. The shadow cackled, "Are you afraid?"

ignore the inappropriate icon-posting from phone

[letsdownherhair]

Rapunzels main instinct was to lash out and she did, eyes closed, just letting the motion of the whip carry out. And she got lucky, the whips edge caught her shadow around the throat. The strangled scream was shortlived, the shadow disappearing, but not before her jerking had yanked the handle from Rapunzel's hands.

Of course, she was relieved, sinking back. She'd forgotten the other shadow, even if that was the one that spoke.

[princesspowerful]

While Rapunzel was attacking her own shadow, Shadow Molly was waiting for just the right moment. As Rapunzel relaxed, Molly didn't waste a second before attacking her, getting a few good hits in with her brass knuckles.

The attacks kept coming until Molly knew that Rapunzel was weak enough that one good Knock-Out blow would finish her off.