Dagon Argrave
In the Matrix
Dagon knew the matrix would be impressive. You don't need half a dozen technicians and expensive hardware to run a VR game. But when he first loaded in, he was struck be just how immersive the program was. He no longer heard the hum of electric lights, the feeling of the leather chair he reclined in, the smell of engineer who skipped showering for the last couple days. Instead, he heard the howling wind as it whipped across the wasteland, it's brisk chill crept over him. Looking down, he admired his familiar red and white armor, its rippling form perfectly rendered in this new environment.
It was then it spoke, the moderator of the exercise, explaining the rules of the mission. It seemed easy enough. Get to the castle, snag the flag, get out. But Dagon wasn't worried about the specifics. He was more concerned about his equipment. Bring his hand to his waist, he urged Justice to jump to his hand. The red and black organism split from his armor immediately, cycling between it's various weapon forms. Dagon nodded, satisfied.
"No input lag?" Dagon let the organism return to its home on his belt. "Better than most fighting games, but if I can't blame the controller who will I blame my mistakes on?"
You could always take responsibility for your actions.
"Oh, you're still here?" He shook his head in mock disappointment. "After the latest sky voice, I thought I finally upgraded to a new narrator."
Afraid not Dagon. You're still blessed with me.
A low rumbling interrupted whatever banter the Young Guardian had prepared. The ground beneath Dagon shook, the black dirt trembling beneath his feet. Although it wasn't clear what the danger was, he at least knew where it was coming from. And from the growing strength of the tremors, it was something heavy. Something powerful.
"If it's a fucking worm I swear to god Doc..."
Exploding from the earth were giant spikes, sending a shower of ebony dust in every direction. Dagon rolled to the side, watching the thin sharp pillar annihilate the air where he once stood. Two more earthen spikes shot from the ground, each avoided by his superhuman reflexes. The armored meta laughed, equally fueled by relief and adrenaline. "Ha! Eat shit New Voice, I can dodge!"
He turned, looking to see if anyone had seen his feat, but it seemed his fellow Young Guardians were too busy fighting for their lives to be impressed by a simple act of acrobatics. The only one not fighting a stone hound or avoiding the fight entirely was Evelyn. She had insisted on coming, hoping to get some training in case she every had to leave the base instead of just sending her pets. An admirable decision, but without luck or powers of her own she managed to get the edge of her backpack impaled by a spike, pinning her in place. She couldn't abandon it, the protective sack full of her Class 1 organisms. So as she finished snaking the bag over the rock, she was oblivious to the dirt moving at her feet.
"Ah hell."
Dagon ran forward, but even with his speed he knew he wouldn't get to her in time. He could fire a tendril, but even that could be a risk. So with a sigh, he activated his least favorite power, and soon found himself the new target of the spike. He was sure he could dodge this new attack too, having missed being shish-kebabed by all the previous hazards.
Unfortunately, his power also affected the entire area around. A spike slammed into left leg and up into his left forearm, its unbreakable point shattering his armor's highest density. Another punched through his right arm, ripping a bloody chunk of his bicep to eye level. A final spike speared his chest, just below the ribs, the white panels of his armor now pink with his own blood. "Damn it," he coughed, his mask detracting enough so he wouldn't blind himself with his own gore. "Really wish you could've posted faster Doc."
Closing his eyes, Dagon thought on his situation, determined to get free. He couldn't give New Voice the satisfaction of watching him drown in his own blood. His normal method of extraction, pulling himself along the object, was out. The spikes were too high to move his arms. Couldn't try hardening the armor around the wound and pinching the spike to cut himself out, it had already tore through his armor at it's highest. Finally, he had his answer.
Three tendrils raised themselves form his back and into the air. Snaking their way up the spike, they found purchase at the tip, wrapping around to anchor themselves. With a wince, he pulled himself upward. The pain was agonizing, but with great effort he slowly pushed himself off his prison. He worked slowly, fighting the urge to rip himself off and join the action, but the last thing he wanted was to risk being unable to complete the exercise. Finally, he plopped himself up and off, collapsing in a heap under the scarlet-streaked pillars. He was hurt, exhausted even, but alive.
And if he was alive, he could heal. He could feel his wounds knitting together, bones becoming whole, tendons and muscles realligning themselves. Soon, he could stand, he armor sealing itself, allowing the worst of his wounds to heal in a safer environment. He looked around, hoping no one saw what happened. For once he was lucky, his squadmates already dispatching the hounds and moving to their objective. The only exceptions were Evelyn and Lora, who were tending to the wounds of some unknown teammate.
Dagon sprinted, eager to not be the last to the castle, when he watched a shape smash to the earth to his left. It was the last of the stone canine's, scrabbling to rise to its feet. Dagon looked back at his friends, still focused on the wounded. They couldn't deal with the dog, it was up to him.
Ignoring the burning pain in his left are, he called to Justice, it's red and black form shifting restlessly between gun and blade. "Alright bread turtle, what am I dealing with here?"
Some sort of hellhound. Durable stone exterior, core of molten rock, fairly heavy. They don't seem to possess any additional powers.
"Got it. Crunchy outer coating, hot gooey center." Dagon stepped in the path of the last dog standing, his blade pointed to the side, his free hand twitching. "Come here doggy."
The hound snarled, its glowing eyes locked on his amber lens, and barreled down on the wounded. Dagon dug in his heels, not moving an inch. "Come on, that's it buddy come here!" The beast leapt at his neck, but wasn't fast enough. Dagon's hand latched onto its throat, keeping its snapping jaws and flailing claws from finding purchase. His right arm shook, the armor having to move to help support the wounded limb's burden. Glancing back at his former prison, a slow smile spread over his gritted teeth.
Keep in mind that Sage already did that.
"Aw, really?" Dagon sighed, shaking his head. "Now I can't do it. People'll call me a hack!" Limb growing heavy, he lowered the monster down, his hand still on its neck.
"Guess I gotta put Old Yeller down myself." With maximum effort, Dagon shoved his blade through the throat of the creature and pulled to the side. It might be durable, but it couldn't compare to Dagon's strength and his blade's point.
That was with a shotgun.
"Semantics, Doc." Dagon shook his head, breathing heavily. "Semantics."
Throwing the headless corpse to the side, he shook his blade clean, but the damage was done. He wouldn't be using Justice for a while, not until his armor managed to repair it. The lava on his armor was easy to whip off, the excess material covering up any damage. With the threat neutralized, jogged over to his last remaining allies.
Evelyn Morrow
In the Matrix
As Dagon dealt with the dog, Evelyn surveyed the battlefield. Despite the hostile terrain and the seemingly competition-obsessed voice throwing rushing them with hellhounds, her teammates held their own, with only one noticeable exception. She paused a moment at the mutilated body of Elek, assessing the damage, before pressing onward. Designed around her brother and friend's particularly prodigious healing factor, the serum could heal much, but it couldn't cure death. Cursing herself for being too slow to help the boy, she moved on. There was still someone who needed her help, someone who managed to dispatch their assailant at a high cost.
Lora was already at Admina's side, doing her best to help promote healing and ease the pain of the auburn-haired warrior. Evelyn smiled appreciatively. "Thanks Lora. Once you're done I'll take it from there." Evelyn had spent some time with Lora, enough to know Admina wouldn't need additional medical attention. Instead, she focused on aftercare. With a whistle, one of her minions skittered out of her bag and into her hands. Closing her eyes briefly, she urged the creature to shift into a Builder.
Once Lora seemed finished, Evelyn gently pulled the stump towards her and her pet. The minion followed her mental commands, spitting out a strange red-grey paste, then shaping it into a rough leg shape. After a few moments, the paste would harden, creating a crude but usable prosthetic. Satisfied with her work, she left the Builder return to her bag.
The sound of footsteps made her turn, but she thankfully didn't have to prepare herself for combat. Dagon, his white and red armor soiled with soot and gore, trotted up to them, waving in greeting. When he noticed the unconscious form of Admina, he asked "Shouldn't we wake her up or something?"
Evelyn shook her head "She went faint from the pain." Rising to her feet, she continued. "Lora already took care of the healing, and until blood returns to her brain, there's not much we can do except make sure she can move once she comes to."
"Aight, guess I'm carrying her." Dagon bent down, picking up his teammate with his arms held out. Her head was in the crook of his left arm, her legs swung over his right.
"Carry her like this." Evelyn stepped forward, pushing his right arm higher. "Keep her legs above her heart. It'll help her wake faster" By making it harder for the blood to get to her extremities, it would help return normal blood flow quicker.
Dagon nodded. "Right then, let's move." Setting off in a run, Dagon ran towards the stairs, Evelyn following close behind. She watched Dagon look back, making sure Lora wasn't far behind.
