Acradius vs. Joker pt 6

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When you lose a limb, it's more shock and horror at staring at something that just isn't there than pain. That's in the first few seconds. Then your system wakes up and screams 'I want morphene NOW!' Right about then is when you feel the burn. The severing of your very essence. Words can't describe it. The only thing thinkable that is even close to it is having another limb hacked off, and then you run into the same problems again. So there was Acradius, holding a limb which was feeling enough pain to make a masochist go into orgasmic fits of joy. It was damn near impossible to even think about anything when all your nerves are saying 'Hey, something is SERIOUSLY WRONG HERE!' The Time Warrior managed to pull it off, though. Concentrating on the now-exposed molecules of his inner wrist, he began telekineticly agitating them. For those of us that are 'scientifically impared', that means he began to heat his blood-gushing wrist with his mind. It worked, cauterizing the wound, but perhaps it worked too well, because now he was left with a swollen, tender stump that flinched at the mere mention of dust particles. At least he stopped the bleeding.

Acradius had had quite enough. Fortunately, the sudden system shock forced him to think somewhat rationally. He didn't want to give in, but he wasn't sure if he should continue in the state he was in. Motioning to his Encron Talismain, it zipped into his one good hand, which placed the crystal into his pocket. Picking up the Quantum, he put it in its sheath. Still cradling his wound, he approached the King of Vampires calmly, almost casually.

"You've fought quite well. I see why people fear you so. Unfortunately, I seem to be, well, short-handed, if you get my meaning." Even Joker winced at the horrific pun. "So, what say we have a draw and a pint between us, and continue this at a later date?" With this, he extended his remaining manipulative organ.

The vampire was not impressed. In one fluid motion, he slapped away the extended gesture of friendship and went for a head-seeking lunge with his sword. Surprisingly, Acradius found it in him to bend out of the way in time. Noting the off-balance position of his opponent, he psionically knocked his feet out from under him, and pretty hard it seemed. Joker wheeled around in an airborne forward sommersault, and caught the Time Warrior's gauntleted backhand on the bridge of his nose. That had enough force behind it to knock him down still, and send up a decent cloud of dust from his impact into the floor. As the black cloud of frenzied shapes cleared from his eyes, he saw Journeyman's face looking over him. The face spoke.

"Now, how about that pint?"
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Now, how about that pint?"

The Vampire Lord looked upward and a slow grin made its way across his face.

“….heh, you must have been reading my mind” with that Joker lunged his upper body up and quickly wrapped his arms around A radius’s shoulders. Clamping down on the Time Journeyman’s arms with all his vampiric strength, Joker opened his mouth and sank his steel sharp fangs right through the soft warm tissue of his battered opponent. The blood game gushing froth from the two puncture wounds as the Vampire Lord’s mouth filled with the warm powerful blood of this opponent. Immediately Acradius felt a bit weaker and dizzy from the head as his life’s liquid was sucked from his very flesh. Joker finally broke the deadly embrace as his head slung back leaving a trail of blood to spurt out from the still open fang wounds on his enemies’ neck. Quickly inside of the Vampire Lords body the newly garnered blood was being broken down and stripped of what ever impurities it might have contained. Instead of the new blood healing the Vampire God like it does most other Vampires, it was going to be used as an energy attack against Acradius.

Joker rose to his feet as his opponent staggered back dazed and confused as his hands tried to stop his blood from spurting out of his jugular. Beams of red crimson colored energy began to illuminate around the Vampire as the pain written across his face became washed away in a sea of anger and power. Acradius was able to stifle the blood from pouring out of his neck and began to take notice to the strange glow now surrounding the Vampire Lord.

Joker mimicked a short Shadow Long Si Fu kata and then swiftly lightening bolted the converted energy out his fists and right into the dazed warrior. Acradius was hit with dead on accuracy as he was sent flying backwards through the alley way of the Great Hall and all the way through the doors of Morria where he finally came splashing down into the marsh pit of Malodor. The giant creature of the Marsh with its many tentacles and tendrils was quick to ensnare its fresh food as Joker slowly made his way out of the mountain and out in to the open night sky where he viewed his enemy being held over the giant creature’s mouth. Joker tossed a long object through the air as Acradius leaned back and captured the object in his hand. The Quantum came to life as its master wielded its deadly blade against the fleshy meat of the tentacles around him. Having lost the blade when he was hit by Joker’s ‘blood energy attack’ he had nothing to quickly defend himself with, as the many tendrils came rushing at him. But now with his weapon once more in his grasp he was able to quickly smote the creature of the marsh and turn his bloodied and tired frame to meet the Vampire god eye to eye. Joker was in much the same condition if not worse from that last exhaust of power and energy. Both Acradius and Joker could barley keep their blades lifted in front of them as they tried desperately not to give into the pain. Slowly with his eye’s still fixed on his enemy Joker lowered his sword and knelt to one knee.

“ Bravely you have fought this battle, continue if you wish to die…if not….I will accept a draw”

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"Joker," the beaten, bruised, bloodied, and in some places broken Time Warrior said, "you fight with the fury of a thousand hells. I just fear that the good hands were far too near the top of the deck this round. If you will accept a draw, then so will I. I hope to face you again in the future, be we friend or foe... By the way, I've taken up a hobby of artifact and technology research and discovery. If you are ever in need of any... tools of the trade, I can provide." At this, Acradius' eyes glowed white for a few seconds, and he gave a farewell for now nod as the bright flash of a space-time portal swallowed him up...

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Seconds after his opponent dispersed in a white flash of temporal energy, the Vampire Lord slumped down on the floor totally exhausted from the battle. He was pleased with this test of strength and skill leaving him to have much respect for the time warrior.

“… that bastard nearly broke me…” he uttered through labored breaths as he tried to lift himself from off the floor. His limbs ache as he closed his eyes and concentrated the rest of his energy into teleporting himself into a nice cozy room at the Warrior’s Inn.