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[i][color=teal]Well,[/color][/i] thought Gabriel, watching as Jacob dissolved into a puddle, and wincing as more vines coiled around his legs, [i][color=teal]this could definitely be going better.[/color][/i] 

Whatever meta powers were at play here were tricky- mostly due to the disorienting fact that he couldn't sense a phase signature from them. Which, all things considered, was supposed to be impossible. Normally, such a thing as plant matter and quicksand wouldn't be such an issue- a bright flare of plasma, and anything trying to constrict around him would be nothing but charcoal, dust, and dusty charcoal. In theory, at least. In practice, whoever had laid these traps had done their homework. Another trap had triggered along with the constrictor trap, one that had distressingly begun attacking his energy reserves whenever he tried to engage his armor. He had to keep flaring his reactor just to stay standing upright. Which was compounded by the [i]third fucking trap,[/i] the one trying to blanket his mind in a fog of depression- a wet, dark weight on his psyche, trying to persuade him to simply lie down, to give up, to stop fighting.

Considering the annoyance that was building in his mind, it wasn't an unattractive option.

Gabriel grit his teeth, flaring the core deep in his chest, pumping more energy throughout his system, feeling more awake, but only barely. [i][color=teal]Fucking bullshit!! My mind isn't even human anymore- psychosomatic stimuli shouldn't have any effect! And this fucking-- argh![/color][/i] He grimaced as more vines lashed themselves to his wrists, trying to drag him to his knees.

[i][color=teal]Fucking energy vampirism shouldn't be working, either- I should be able to just snap my fingers and vaporize this farce of a trap! How is it managing to contain me??[/color][/i]

It was getting harder to keep his eyes open. Thankfully, he didn't need to breathe anymore, or the vine coiled around his throat would have blacked him out already. As it was, everything on top of everything else was still probably going to do the job. He grit his teeth, trying again to engage his armor, with no such luck- whatever this meta power was, it was whisking away his energy before he could put it to good use. He slumped, being dragged further down.

[i][color=teal]Fuck. I'm sorry, Rach. Jacob. Justine. Everyone.[/color][/i]

[b]sir!![/b]

Gabriel cracked an eye open. [i][color=teal]...Daedalus?[/color][/i]

[b]sir, you cannot give up! not when they have ms. desdemona![/b]

[i][color=teal]I know that, but I can't... I can't fucking get out of these fucking vines! I can't even overclock my thought processes without this force eating it! Do you have any idea what's causing it?[/color][/i]

[b]i know what you know, sir- this is rather distressing for me, as well. regardless, i may have a way for you to get out of this situation.[/b]

The vine around his neck tightened. [i][color=teal]Do tell.[/color][/i]

[b]the "vampirism" you mentioned appears to be a focused attack on your metagenesis triggers. the moment you attempt to bring your powers to bear, the "vampire" trap strikes, disrupting your armor's genesis.[/b]

[i][color=teal]Yeah, I know that. And?[/color][/i]

[b]perhaps it could work both ways? feed it enough energy that it cannot handle the influx- overload the system, as it were.[/b]

[i][color=teal]...It could work. There's just one problem.[/color][/i]

[b]which is?[/b]

[i][color=teal]I'll blow up.[/color][/i]

[b]...not necessarily--[/b]

[i][color=teal]Daedalus, the only way I could muster enough energy to overcome this energy vampire bullshit is by clocking into a higher ARTEFACT Mode from my base state. Which would require me to turn off our continuum-of-force failsafes. Those limiters are there for a reason- that much energy, all at once, could kill even me.[/color][/i]

[b]i... am aware. but what other choice do we have? we have no idea what this trap will do to us should we fall unconscious, and furthermore, we have no idea what their intentions are for ms. desdemona. her powers are still underdeveloped compared to ours. if her kidnappers are not careful in their endeavors, she could die quite easily.[/b]

[i][color=teal]...You fight dirty, do you know that?[/color][/i]

[b]i try, sir.[/b]

[i][color=teal]Fine. Do it. User override, release restraints to level 1. Disable continuum-of-force failsafes for ARTEFACT Optimization.[/color][/i] His "heart" began thrumming faster as the restraints on its output were relaxed. The depression trap and the vampire trap attacked him anew, as though sensing what it was that he was going to do. Gabriel winced.

[color=teal][i]Here goes nothing. Access code: Shiva. User override. ARTEFACT Mode-04: ENGAGE.[/i][/color] 

A beam of blinding green fire erupted from where Gabriel knelt, piercing the sky, consuming the vines that attempted to constrict him as molten green metal flowed from his mouth, eyes, and ears, covering his body and hardening, turning jet black. The vampiric drain on his powers splintered and scattered from his awareness as his core felt as though it burst into flames in his chest. This really fucking [i]hurt,[/i] but he could muscle through it- he wasn't going to fly away into ash when someone was relying on him.

The process died down, from a spear of green light to a bright green aura blazing around him. He flexed his hands- all six of them- and stood. The fog of depression trap was still trying to assault him, but he ignored it- he had better things to worry about. He stomped toward the underpass, magnifying his voice toward the people who waited there.

[color=teal]"Attention, idiot kidnappers. You are currently attempting to abscond with a friend of mine. This is a mistake. Cease your hostilities and turn over Racheli, and you can all go home. No one gets hurt. Toy with me..."[/color]

He was close enough to the underpass to be in full view of the entourage, now- six hulking metal arms coming out of his shoulders, a corona of emerald flame around his entire body.

[color=teal]"...And I break each and every last one of you,"[/color] he said, finishing his threat.