[Horus Heresy Target] Lain vs. Cirno?

"NO!" shouted Lain, the monitors flickering with static as she did so. Reaching out to the ref, as though offering a spread finger hand would somehow stop the Zebra from falling. Her eyes wide from the treatment of the ref, but soon something much more pressing came to mind as that Popsicle stick sword. "Y-you're crazy!" she replied as Cirno made her speech to the crowd. The hacker was now on her feet and slowly using the top rope to guide her away from the woman, trying to get out of the shadow of that... weapon.

"You're blaming your actions on the decisions made by another, as though justifying yourself not responsible for your actions somehow absolves you of making it. Regardless of the actions taken by others, your decisions are always your own," her voice was showing impatience and anger where fear had been earlier. Her words sent flecks of red across the arena, compliments of the bloodied nose draining over her lips. "Divine Judgement?" she yelled, "I've done noth-"

The wooden blade fell upon her side and sent her to the floor, clutching her stomach. "Ughhya," her eyes winced closed as pain flooded in.

Though people felt remorse for Lain, Cirno did not. That same chilly glance remained upon her face, watching the girl on the ground once more and the blood that poured from her face, this was certainly a new view for Cirno yet still she did not seem to freeze nor retreat from it.

While Lute was busy pushing the referee out of the ring and then hop onto the turnbuckle to watch the show infront of her, seeing that Cirno was repeatedly kicking and stomping Lain's fallen body.

She gave a yelp with every kick and a scream with every stomp. A hand idly tried to grasp the rope as though a rope break were possible... of course, without a referee to enforce such rules then such things weren't going to come to pass. After so many, she made an attempt to roll out of the ring. She was already close to the edge... all she had to do was get over it and onto the ground.

If successful she'd crash gracelessly upon the ground with an unceremonious 'thump'. If given time, she'd try and recover strength there, coughing and wiping her bloodied nose along her arm. She could feel bruises beginning to form on her arms and sides, pain seeping in as though through her very pores.

Cirno took a few silent steps back to the center of the ring, putting the sword back into it's sheath behind her and crossed her arms against her chest, it was only a matter of time before that girl would get back in the ring or run out crying, she honestly didn't care anymore, no one was going to interfere with this and if they were going to try.. They will be met with the same fate Lain had.

She groaned as pain continued to flood all of her major senses. For a moment, she thought she could even taste the hurt... but later she would hopefully realize that taste was simply the blood that had pooled in her mouth. Slowly, she got to all fours and stumbled forward to her feet. Lain Iwakura was a young lady of fair intelligence, and she knew getting into the ring again would not be safe for her. Part of her wanted to get to the ref, to make sure the ref was okay... but honestly what was she going to do? She couldn't carry the ref to safety, and throwing herself back against that evil, mean girl would only result in more pain. So she made her way towards the stage ramp, stumbling as she went.

The hacker stopped at the base of the ramp and rested her hands on her knees, drawing more breath so that she could make it the rest of the way. She had never been hurt in this way before, it didn't feel good. Neither did the boos coming from all around her for giving up so apparently easy. Did these people, these apparent fans of Cirno not recognize the blood she was now leaking... everywhere. When she could must her strength, she would turn on her heel and begin walking up the ramp the rest of the way. This wasn't a friendly match, not at all.

((Permission to enter, SIR! 8D aaaand itâ€s going to be fun bringing Seraphim back, new, improved, and badass. ))

Her own match was on its way.
It was next, she was anxious.
Adrenaline was already pumping.
Her body relaxed though as she felt the smooth taste of nicotine enter her lungs.
And at her side, her fists were tight, as a single, crimson eye was watching the screen.

It had been a long time since Seraphim fought in the ring. Having been arrested for a murder that wasnâ€t her fault, Seraphim had been humiliated beyond belief in front of White Gale, the very people who looked up to her ending up watching her get taken out by police. A wrong accusation of murder, spending months in a jail cell… it all felt familiar to Seraphim. She had tried so hard to redeem herself before, and now, it was all for nothing, the woman finally back, but feeling… empty. There wasnâ€t any point in trying. She couldnâ€t face Tracy again, she couldnâ€t see White Gale, doubting it was even intact since she left, she didnâ€t think any of her ‘friends†would appreciate seeing her, and worst off… she couldnâ€t dare see Karina again. Shame? Maybe, but that wasnâ€t why Seraphim was here today, she put those thoughts in the back of her mind.

She was here for a match. Hers was next, and right now, she was watching the match before hers, and the… brutal display it was becoming. Cirno…? ‘Well shit, looks whoâ€s changed.†Seraphim thought with a raised brow, taking one more deep inhale of her cigarette, the mixture of tobacco and cocoa laced in it giving her a relaxing calm. She didnâ€t know how the crowd would take her return, but at this point, Seraphim was willing to come in a bit premature. Even if her match wasnâ€t starting until after this one, part of her couldnâ€t sit still with this. She had interrupted matches before to save and help someone… but she knew helping others only made things worse off for herself. After all, she tried for nearly a year, and only ended up in prison again, so what was the point of doing the right thing?

Watching on the screen though, she saw Lain stumbling towards the ramp, no doubt getting closer to her own area as the crowd booed at her. This wasnâ€t even a match… what the Hell happened while she was gone to the AFW? Flicking her cigarette away, Seraphim cracked her knuckled, and came to a decision.

‘Why the fuck did God have to curse me with a conscious?â€

She couldnâ€t sit by, and so, even though her match was not until after this one, Seraphim started to make her way out. The shorter, brown haired girl would find herself nearly bumping into Seraphim as she was making her move. The girl was hardly dressed for a fight. Black jeans with a grey, long sleeved, collared shirt tucked in. Heavy black combat boots, and that familiar black eyepatch, the long white haired young woman had suddenly walked down the ramp, staring down at Lain with her single, crimson eye on the left of her face. “Get out of here.” Was all that came from her, words cold, blunt, and foreboding, like Hell itself was brewing inside of her. This wasnâ€t the AFW she remembered… And even if she didnâ€t plan to make any organization herself, she wasnâ€t going to stand for this.

Stepping down the ramp, the crowd was suddenly very quiet, gasps and confused looks coming across the crowd, as the Ex-leader to White Gale, the undefeated Godhand was heading to the ring, a grim, pissed off glare in her single, crimson eye as she was looking right at Cirno like she was staring down a piece of garbage. There was going to he Hell to pay.

Cirno had quietly watched Lain leave, turning to face Lute again, who had been seated on the top of the turnbuckle all this time. Though it seemed like this match was pretty much done for, they still had to wait for the refere to wake up.

" Ahahaha! Nice job Cirno! I knew you had it in you, just a few more matches like these and you'll be craving for violence! "

Cirno didn't reply, looking down at the knocked out referee for those few seconds, for some reason it was a little too silent, her eyes drifing back up to Lute, there was a quiet breeze for some reason, it startled Cirno but not to the point where she was left in shock. It was just uncommon for a soft gust of wind to hit your skin, when there was no activity. When she heard the crowd gasp, she immidiatly turned to look at the entrance, wondering what was going on, that's when she saw... Seraphim. Her eyes shot wide open, her legs trembled, her hand tightly clutched the wooden sword while the woman was approaching the ring, was she hallucinating..? Her vision was confirmed by Lute's sudden words.

" Seraphim? What the hell is going on here. "

" Lady Lute, please leave, this is getting too dangerous. "

" Eh? Cirno, she's just a-- "

" NOW! "

Cirno looked back with anger, anger that suddenly rose up, the past memories of what happened, all thanks to Seraphim, were starting to come back in her mind. Her gaze was set back to Seraphim, not even a year ago this woman meant the world for her, she was like an angel that was going to save the federation but instead she left in everyone's time of need... In Cirno's time of need.. While Lute hopped off the turnbuckle and out of the ring swiftly, heading through the other entrance to get some back up for Cirno, figuring that now Seraphim is back, they could go for a quick ambush, grinning as she left her bodyguard in the ring with her.

Cirno's gaze turned back to it's dull yet serious composure, her stance once again became hostile, waiting for Seraphim to enter, to judge her motives and question her, even if this was her previous... Savior.. She will not back down from her, not after everything that has happened, yet it was Cirno that was going to give the first words.

" ..Why are you here, fallen Angel? "

Instead of referring to Seraphim's name, she used a different one, one that fit Seraphim's profile more. Cirno did feel the chill running down her spine, to be face to face with Seraphim, she knew about Seraphim's skill back in the day, it horrified her to the extend that she knew she could make a change in the federation, but what was going to happen now? ..She was not going to lose to her, gripping the handle of her wooden blade while staring at her.

Her stumblings had gotten her halfway up the ramp before she finally spotted someone knew. Immediately, fear gripped her in the thought that it was another crony of that awful-mean girl Cirno in the ring. The small hacker froze, like a deer in the headlights of an oncomming car, until she realized exactly who it was. Still, she did not move a muscle until the command was given.

Infornography on this woman was spread far and wide across the wired. She had been a shining beacon of light, but the fall from such a high, starlit throne would change anyone... and Lain was not sure how it had changed this woman. She was in no state to inquire, nor was this the appropriate forum to make such an inquisition. No, the little hacker remained incredibly still, mentally counting time in the passage of heartbeats, as the woman walked past. Each beat passed with what felt like an average frequency of one every 3,600s.

Permission: Granted. She was free to go, to be safe and seak medical attention back stage. But she didn't, still awestruck by the proximity of such a legend, she couldn't help but worry about the referee left behind. The hacker wanted to help her, wanted to ask, but the words wouldn't formulate in her mouth.

The hacker eventually took her orders and left without so much as uttering a syllable.

Lain was out of site by now… good. The last thing Seraphim wanted was to have her get in the way. Even though Seraphim lacked the same kind of care she used to, the woman carrying a voice of courage, strength, and respect all now vanishing, it didnâ€t change who Seraphim was at the heart. And in her core, she still couldnâ€t stand watching the weak suffer in such a cruel. Sure, in the long past, she was the same, Masane especially once received that, and Megumi too. But near the end of her career when White Gale began, Seraphim became a better person. And now, even though the person standing in the ring seemed to be cold and heartless, she still felt the need to be sure Lain was okay. …Shit, sheâ€ll probably take a brief visit at the medical bay to make sure she was okay or something. Why the fuck did God give her such a big heart? …And on the wrong side of her body too.

That aside, as she was approaching the ring, Seraphim didnâ€t answer at first, like Cirnoâ€s words were falling on deaf ears. In fact, she rummaged in her pocket to make sure she still had a few cigarettes, half tempted to take another smoke. Casually, with one hand in her pocket, Seraphim decided to take the steps at the corner of the ring to get in, almost bored in the manner that she was behaving. But from the dark glare in her crimson eye, the albino vixen clearly wasnâ€t in a good mood.

“Iâ€m here because youâ€re wasting my fucking time and its annoying me.” It was an odd response Seraphim gave as she stepped threw the middle and upper ropes, her actions all rather relaxed, still holding a bored posture in how she stood. However it may not have looked it, but seraphim was keeping herself firmly rooted in her feet, only trying to hold off a relaxed guard. In fact, she pulled out her cigarette finally, holding a palm close to herself as it rested between her lips, and she lit it up, raising a brow as she saw the unconscious referee.

“Iâ€ve got a match in this ring coming up. And the longer you piss away the time torturing that kid, the more it pisses me off.” From the corner of her face, she was still glaring at Cirno, not even paying attention to Lute like she was trash even worse than Cirno. “Now get the Hell out of my ring so I can start my fight. You donâ€t deserve to be here. Head back to the shithole you wretches came from. Note I said fight, not a one-sided beat down, because thatâ€s the only way you know how to win.” Her words were awfully blunt, but there was venom behind everything she said, like they werenâ€t just quick insults, but this was how she actually felt about them. She just took a long puff on her cigarette, waiting for these two dogs to either bark, bite, or turn around with their tails between their legs.

Cirno expected something different from Seraphim, something that might have made the girl wonder, hesitate the path she had chosen.. Was she secretly wanting that savior back in her life? Who knows but those words brought back nasty memories, the past she had suffered, back inside her mind, flashing over and over, which eventually ate away that cool exterior of Cirno, who started to grit her teeth, assuming a much more hostile stance then she already had been in. It was never in Cirno's nature to curse or even look angry, she could never bring herself to, she had never ever cursed in her life...

" ..How dare you say that.. After all.. The fucking things we've been through.. "

This was it for Cirno, this had been the last barrier of justice that still had meaning to her, that she had taken a wrong path that led her to this heel organization, she no longer had any other paths, any hope that she had was now crushed by Seraphim, the woman she had sworn to protect a long time ago. This enraged her, the fact that almost everything was taken from her, was now being crumbled into dust.

" Get the fuck out of my sight..Your match is not happening yet.. Heed my words carefully.. Cause you have fucked up for the last time.. Seraphim. "

Every single detail of Cirno's happiness, the things she believed in, the moments she had shared of joy, were completely gone from her eyes, from her expression, she wasn't going to think about it anymore, the confirmation of a battle was close at hand the longer Seraphim stayed. The grip on her handle tightened, to the point like it seemed she wanted to crush it, the other hand clenched into a fist, ready to strike, she had lost total composure just by Seraphim's words.. Even when she managed to always keep it together.. The words of Seraphim struck harder then any attack ever could from someone else.. Maybe she really did care about Seraphim after all this time, after all the pain she had suffered but there was no salvation this time, if she must, she'll have to cut down the only angel that mattered to her, the last person in her heart who hadn't activaly abandoned her.. Now Cirno was going into a unforgivable rage of fury, something she had never felt before nor experienced, was going to happen, and Lute would enjoy every second of seeing Cirno succumb to her inner sadness, her hatred, it had made Lute stop to watch the fight from a distance, to see Cirno's anger long enough to know that the once proud warrior was going to be seduced into violence, the though of it had Lute begging for it's reality.