[color=MediumOrchid][h1][center]Voyager[/center][/h1][/color] [center][u]In[/u][/center] [i][center]Beware the Depths: Part 2[/center][/i] "....DROWN...!" the colossal creature bellowed as the anchor was swung into the air. But this time, Voyager was ready, rolling to the side as the anchor swung down and sunk into the road, launching a flurry of psiblasts at its face. Shielding its eyes with its free hand, it wrenched the anchor upwards and swung it like an axe, narrowly missing Voyager again and cleaving into the building with the overswing. [color=MediumOrchid]"That's a perfectly good building you're trashing!"[/color] Voyager mockingly scolded, punctuating her taunt with a few choice energy blasts, causing the monster to stagger back. A splash of cheers and whoops rose from the crowd when the shots connected, reminding her that she wasn't exactly alone. "Go Tentacle Head!" someone cheered enthusiastically. [color=MediumOrchid]"It's Voyager!"[/color] the tentacle-headed heroine retorted. [color=MediumOrchid]"Though your support is greatly appre-EEE!"[/color] A low swing from the anchor caught the back of her ankle, sweeping her legs out from underneath her and landing Voyager squarely on her back. Blinking stars from her eyes, she managed to regain her senses long enough to commando roll out from underneath the anchor as the creature brought it down where her head once was. "FEAR...THE OCEAN'S...WEIGHT...!" [color=MediumOrchid]"*pant* I-is everything this guy says so dramatic?"[/color] Voyager asked no one in particular, out of breath as she stumbled into a fighting position. [color=MediumOrchid]"You need more lines!"[/color] "You tell 'em Voyager!" someone shouted over the din of twisting metal and crumbling concrete. Dodging another ponderous swing of the anchor, she caught the side of the street for the first time. There seemed to be more people there than before, and they were all cheering her on. Emboldened by their presence, Voyager deftly leaped over the creature's sluggish back-swing and doubled up on her Psiblasts, causing it to roar in shock and pain as the energy blasts struck him in his massive chest. Drawing back the anchor, the creature lifted its foot up into the air and stamped on the ground. Voyager opened her mouth to mock it for being angry before she saw water erupting in bursts from the road starting from where its foot came down. Throwing up her Psiforce barrier, the ground burst below her feet and sent her tumbling backwards, where she slammed heavily into the bumper of an abandoned car. [color=MediumOrchid]"Oh that is deeply unfair,"[/color] Voyager groaned, painfully getting to her feet by pushing herself up from the car. Her entire body ached from the effort of standing, pain shooting from her back as she prepared another set of Psiblasts. Something wet was collecting on the back of her uniform, and she couldn't tell if it was the water from that attack or... [color=MediumOrchid]"I am not finished yet, though,"[/color] she announced shakily but still defiant. Her colossus of an opponent merely laughed, a cold, mirthless laugh that chilled her to the bone as it raised its anchor to its shoulder again and trudged forward, ready to slay his enemy once and for all. "Oi, Tentacle Head, catch!" Voyager recognized that voice. She turned around excitedly, only to be struck between the eyes by something plastic and light before it tumbled into her hands. [color=MediumOrchid]"Ouch! Hey, what was that-" [/color] Voyager started before she gasped suddenly at the warm sensation that flowed suddenly through her body just as suddenly as the bursts of water, soothing the sharp pains and filling her with energy she never felt before. "Just hold that and blast Nautilus with your powers!" Jordan Fletcher shouted, slightly muffled by the motorcycle helmet she was wearing as an impromptu disguise. "He's tough but stay on the offensive and you'll beat him!" Voyager looked between Jordan and the item she gave her, some sort of creepy white mask with a red teardrop painted on, before wrapping it around her arm with the strap to free her hands. The morbid little object had given her some strength back, but not as much as knowing Jordan was behind her, cheering her on. She couldn't stop now. Drawing on her newfound energy, Voyager unleashed another psiblast as the monster raised the anchor. The giant roared in pain as the blast exploded on its chest, she watched in amazement as purple flames, the same color as her usual attacks, erupted from the point of impact and spread over her enemy's armor plating. Easily dodging the wild, blind swing of the anchor, she turned on her heel and shot another psiblast with the same effects, the ground shaking as the colossus stumbled backwards in pain. Voyager strode forward as the monster retreated, peppering him with shot after shot and easily jumping around to dodge his wild swings before countering every one of them. The cheering on either side intensified as the monster fell back, and the half-alien heroine couldn't help but smile when she heard them chanting her name. "NOOOOO!" the monster thundered again, the fury in its voice compounded by its helplessness against the half-alien girl's attacks. "MY....VENGEANCE....WILL....NOT..." [color=MediumOrchid]"HAPPEN!"[/color] Voyager interrupted her enemy with a double-handed psiblast, punching through the monster's outstretched arm and going off with the force of a bomb, throwing dust into the twilight air. Relaxing slightly, she turned to look back towards the crowd, smiling tiredly. [color=MediumOrchid]"H-heh,"[/color] she announced weakly, giving a lazy two-fingered salute that almost knocked her off balance. [color=MediumOrchid]"Guess...I am...not getting...sunk today. Whew..."[/color] Basking in her moment of glory, she thought longingly of the sofa Jordan had managed to smuggle into her home at the labs and made to leave. Then someone screamed, and Riley heard the hauntingly familiar sounds of groaning metal. Every good feeling in the world melted away as she turned her head to spot the surge of water punching through the concrete, heading straight for her. Voyager didn't move a muscle, partly out of shock but mostly because she thought trying to dodge it wouldn't have worked anyway. [color=MediumOrchid]"T-today is a good day to die..."[/color] she said shakily, bringing up a flickering Psiforce barrier. Seconds later, the ground underneath her exploded in a geyser of water, more intense then the ones that approached her, launching the helpless alien girl into the air again. Flailing helplessly, she heard the hauntingly familiar sounds of the rattling chain as the anchor was swung through the air. She felt at least one of her ribs snap as the heavy iron slammed into her chest, sending her on a death spiral across the road and back to the ground again. A loud snap rent the air as Voyager landed in a bruised and bloodied heap on the ground, only to be flung another few feet from the heavy impact of the anchor in the ground. Voyager coughed, tasting something salty in her mouth. She tried to get to her feet only to fail miserably and collapse with a whimper. It hurt to move. It even hurt to breath. And when did it get so cold? Pushing herself up slightly with one arm, she saw through blurred and unfocused eyes that her right leg stuck out at an odd angel. She wiped the sweat from her eyes and the back of her hand came back stained green. It felt darker then it had been a moment ago. It took Voyager's shell-shocked mind a few seconds to realize that was only because someone was standing over her. She gasped in shock as the monster towered overhead, the furious red eyes gleaming, its right arm ending in a stump with pixels flaking off of it. Her eyes trailed over to the good arm as it raised the anchor into the air overhead and brought it swinging down. [color=MediumOrchid]"No....NO!"[/color] The anchor sparked and flashed as it impacted her Psibarriers, thrown up at the last second. In desperation Voyager held her shields against the weight of the great weapon. Tears came to her eyes as it forced her arms into her chest, pressing her against the ground. "DO YOU HEAR THEM CALLING?" the monster taunted malevolently, shifting its weight on the anchor, crushing Voyager under the combined weight. The PsiBarriers shimmered and cracked from the combined effort of Voyager maintaining them and the great metal man attempting to shatter them. [color=MediumOrchid]"N-no...I'm not...going,"[/color] "THE DEPTHS WILL ALWAYS RECLAIM...WHAT IS THEIRS." [color=MediumOrchid]"...not...reclaiming...me..."[/color] Voyager felt light-headed. She was suffocating. "DARKNESS....AWAITS...." [color=MediumOrchid]"No..."[/color] Voyager gasped, baring her teeth as her eyes began to glow. [color=MediumOrchid]"...not...today..."[/color] The glass on her inhibitors began to crack. "...DROWN...." [color=MediumOrchid]"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"[/color] The darkened street was illuminated with a purple glow as energy erupted from Voyager's eyes at the sound of her last, defiant scream. The beam of Psienergy struck home, knocking the metal beast's great head back as the focused PsiEnergy cleanly pierced its body and vanished into the night sky. The eyes fading from the wicked red into black nothingness, with one final groan the great iron monster rolled backwards and fell on its back with a thunderous slam before fully dissolving into tiny pixels. Voyager, with the weight of the anchor removed, lifted her head tenderly, her eyes a pure shade of vibrant, glowing purple. [color=MediumOrchid]"Oh...didn't know I could do that..."[/color] she commented weakly as the energy slowly faded away, the old color returning to her eyes. [color=MediumOrchid]"Neat..."[/color] Voyager lowered her head again, looking up at the stars in the night sky, wondering if Jordan or Mr. Martel would find her here. Her eyes began to droop. She was so tired...