[IC] Protectors.

[Skinner35]

"Whoa. Calm down there cow boy." He says as he side steps to avoid the blade. "A fused world would never work when God is full of pride and Satan is just insane. It is safer to protect the humans, and keep them safe. You are fighting for a perfect world, which is unattainable. I would be on your side if it could work. But it can't. Humans fight what they don't understand. You should know this. Now get your head out of your ass. Pick up your weapon and either work with me, or leave. You are wasting your time." He then walks and turns the corner, continuing towards the café.

[Shadow Dragon]

He catches his blade, and slings it over his back. "Why would that world be unobtainable? I give humans something to fight, to take their anger and arrogance out on. If you don't believe me, I could prove it." He steps into the shadows, and appears at the end of the street. "As long as there is light, there is darkness. And so I will remain strong. I'll tear down their kingdoms, break their resolve, crush their weapons. They will be cleansed from their damaged ways, and work together to survive. I'll save them from themselves, no matter the cost." His eyes turn gold, and smolder with resolve. "Farewell, Athe. You fought a good fight." And with that, he closes his eyes, and falls backward into the darkness, vanishing from sight.

[Skinner35]

"Kids dreams are too big for him." He says to himself as he walks past the café. He needed allies, and the only competent "Protector" that he found is absolutely insane. That kid is going to cause problems. Problems that he didn't need to be dealing with. Chaos will throw off the balance. The balance is all that matters... Right?

[Shadow Dragon]

He walks through the street, hoping another rift will form. He watches the shadows, always watching. He turns down a random street, and sees a gang off in the distance. Please let them come this way. I want to fight something. The gang sees him in the distance, and he turns his head to the ground, making it seem like he didn't see them. He hears footsteps, and a bunch of mocking laughter. The biggest kid walks up to him, and smirks. "Hey buddy. You lost? 'Cause you're in our turf now. And you gotta pay to be here punk." He grins, and says, quite clearly, "You are a bunch of arrogant, incompetent, fools. I could easily destroy each and everyone of you without breaking a sweat." Something in his grin makes them nervous, and they begin surrounding him. "Is that so mister? Why don't you prove it then? We outnumber you ten to one. What makes you think you'll win?" He laughs. "This won't even be a workout. I've fought groups three times your size and come out unharmed. You want me to prove it?" He grabs the nearest kid by the neck of his shirt, lifting him in the air. "You really think you pathetic adolescents could hurt me?" He coughs, choking. He drops him, and kicks him aside, flinging him into his friends. They stare at him in terror, and begin backing up. "Hey buddy, we don't want no trouble." He grins. "But I do." He begins walking towards them, and they begin running from him. "What the freak are you?" He smiles evilly. "Justice."

[Skinner35]

As he thinks about the current state of things, he continues to walk aimlessly. Then... He hears screams and sees people running. Deja vu? Whatever the case, he knew that it was serious this time. He immediately shed his human form, and opened the case and retrieved his sword. When he reached the cause of the terror, he really wished that the kid had stayed with him. A rift had opened, and how a few Angels and Demons were in the street, battling each other with no regard for the humans around them. Before he could tend to the threat, he made sure that the humans were running AWAY from the fight.

[Shadow Dragon]

He looks up at the sounds of screams. A fight? He runs in the direction of the screaming, and sees a massive rift, and the expelled holy and unholy warriors in battle. He grins, and flings himself at a Demon, dragging it into the shadows. It roars and screams at him, and he ducks it's claws and pitchfork. "What lured you all here, I wonder?" He sees the other Protector, and stiffens. His eyes burst into flame, and he growls deep in his throat. The demon lunges at him, and he flies backwards from the impact, taking the demon with him.

[Skinner35]

Once all of the humans were gone, he brandished his sword and made quick work of a few Demons, and some Angels. He knew that there were more pouring out, and he wasn't enough to hold them back. Then he saw the Rule Breaker... He was never so relieved to see another Protector. He continued to cut down those in front of him. This sword has saved his life and others many times, and he almost prayed that it would continue that trend. An Angel lunged at him, which was followed by a gruesome scene of Athe brutally ripping the Angels wings off, then proceeding to break its neck with its own wings. Fun times.

[Shadow Dragon]

He continues fighting the massive demons, leaving the angels for Athe. Every swing of his weapons sends a enemy flying, and he finally manages to carve a path to Athe. Unlike Athe, he isn't concerned if a few mortals get hurt. He swings his axe around him with practiced ease, and fights to the portal itself. He stands at the gate, his axe and scythe blocking the weapon of a Archdemon, trying to hold it in the portal. "You huff need to die!" He twists, flipping it over in the portal, and slams his scythe into the demon's chest. The blade glows red, and the demon vanishes.

[Skinner35]

"Don't tire yourself out." He shouts to the other Protector as he continues to slash the Angels. He begins pushing forward becoming more creatively brutal with each kill. He eventually gets next to the Rule Breaker. He stands and hacks away at the Angels coming towards him. "JUST DIE ALREADY!" He shouts as he tears an Angel in half, using the two halves of the Angel to kill other Angels.

[Shadow Dragon]

He turns, his eyes not recognizing the other Protector for a moment. "You're....helping me? I thought you were just going to let them kill me." He tosses his axe at a angle, and it bounces, spinning into the battle. It flies around of its own accord, slashing and hacking at anything that gets too close. He grins. "Tire myself out? This is why I exist! War! You should duck."

[Skinner35]

While he ducked, as instructed. He looked back at him. "Didn't I tell you that I needed help? Why would I pass up the opportunity?" He said with a laugh as he continued to fight the intruders off. "Just don't hurt yourself... Or me." He spoke as he pushed closer to the rift, closing the distance so that he was the first, and last, thing that the monstrosities saw when they crossed over.

[Shadow Dragon]

The axe hurdles over his head, inches from giving him a haircut, and into his outstretched hand. He slashes his scythe though the opening, and the rift ripples, then blows apart. He nods to him, and sighs. "I figured you'd let me die, or kill me, during the fight so you could say your job was done. Clearly I was wrong. Thank you." He holds out a hand to shake. "Allies?"

[Skinner35]

As he watches the rift disperse, he turns to the Protector, and shakes his hand. "Allies. Now, let's figure out what happened to our other allies. If anyone asks, the Rule Breaker left the city." He says as he picks up his sword, and wipes the blood off of it. The Angel and Demon bodies began to dissipate. "This is going to be a pain to explain to the Vendors..."

[Shadow Dragon]

He shrugs. "Then don't. Say when you got there, the Rule Breaker had already finished and left. However, if I go with you, they'll know it's me. I openly left and attacked humans. So what should we do about that? And why do the Vendors think they're so high and mighty? They're not the ones out here getting dirty, doing the fighting."

[Skinner35]

"Well then I'll defend you. You valiantly saved Humans, while sacrificing yourself. We're a team. The only reason that I'm worried about the Vendors, is because they are the ones who clean up behind us. They also provide us with equipment and resources. So I try to stay on their good side." He says as he looks around. A short man walks out of a corner store, obviously one of the Vendors. He shouts to the Protectors, "You guys make this mess? Do you need anything? Store's open."

[Shadow Dragon]

He runs a finger on the edge of his axe, and frowns. Shaking his head sadly, he mutters, "Why must we rely on humans?" Then responding to the Vendor, he says, "Yes, my good man. Would you have a sharpening stone in your possession? My blades are dreadfully dull." He walks up to him, while putting his axe and scythe away.

[Skinner35]

"Because it's our job." He says as he walks into the Vendors shop. The Vendor perks up, "Yes! Sharpening stones are in the back, use as you need!" He says as he walks back into his shop, opening a door into a back room and leaving it open. "Take what you need, I'll get the streets cleaned."

[Shadow Dragon]

He picks one up, letting the steady rhythm of the stone rasping over his blade calm him. He looks around the room curiously, and glances out the window. "How many vendors have ever seen a Protector's true form? This is the first time I've talked with a Vendor, truth be told." His human disguse flickers, showing his true form. He doesn't seem to notice, and continues sharpening his blades.

[Skinner35]

"Vendors are used to us. They know all about us." Athe says as he sits in the corner, relaxing. "You have nothing to worry about. They don't care about how we work, only that we do out job. We keep them safe, they provide us with what we need." He sets his sword down beside him, and looks at the wall. "Besides that, they work as normal humans, running a business and doing what they can to survive." After a minute, Athe begins remembering all of the Vendors that he's met over the years. So many different Humans and Refugees that sided with them, to protect the humans. He remembered one specifically, she was a fallen Angel that decided to live among the humans, to help them however she could. He wondered about where she was now, or if she was even still alive.

[Shadow Dragon]

"Refugees from what? The war, or something else?" He taps his finger thoughtfully. "What makes humans different than other animals? And why do we fight both the Demons, and the Angels? Shouldn't you just pick a side to fight for? What are they fighting for?" He paces around the room. "Sorry for all the questions, this is the first time I've been able to talk with someone who wasn't trying to do me in."