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| − | I try to contain Mister Shadow in a telekinetic shield. But just as it starts to form around him, he retracts his tentacle and M'Aara along with it. She tries to anchor herself to the floor with her blade, but she must have been too dazed from the impact to hold on. Almost immediately she gets pulled away from her sword and into the black mass in my bubble. “<font color="C8C864">Let her go, Shadow!</font>”
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| − | The black lump of ooze stretches and warps as M'Aara struggles to break free. “<font color="644B96">Very well. But first. Yyyou must do some thing for m-</font>” Before he can croak out the rest of his sentence, the surface of the ooze crackles with electricity. What in the world? “<font color="644B96"><b>Aaaaugckkkk!</b></font>” The mass convulses wildly. Did M'Aara do that? She gasps for air as she finally claws her way out.
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| − | I have to drop the shield to free M'Aara. A few wisps of smoke rise out of the fried puddle of ooze that used to be Mister Shadow. Looks like he's going to be out for a while. M'Aara coughs a few times while I clear as much of the black slime off her as I can. “<font color="C8C864">I've got you. What was that?</font>”
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| − | “<font color="009664">Bioelectricity.</font>” She coughs one more time as I help her get up off the floor. “<font color="009664">Unfortunately, that was all the power I had. It will be some time before I can do it again.</font>” That <i>is</i> unfortunate. But now that I've touched her, I can give Shadow a nice jolt of my own in case we need it. M'Aara glances around. “<font color="009664">Where did he go?</font>” I look back only to find that the black mass is gone. Shadow recovered faster than I anticipated.
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| − | Suddenly the lights cut out. “<font color="C8C864">Uhm, just a guess, but I'd say he went to the breaker room.</font>” The main foyer is pitch-black except for the faint light from the street lamps outside. I take a glowstick out of a pouch on my suit and snap it. I come prepared for these situations, but this isn't nearly enough light to find a moving shadow. We're in trouble if we don't come up with a plan. “<font color="C8C864">It's too dark, we'll never spot him now. We need to even the playing field. Any suggestions?</font>”
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| − | Her eyes scan the darkness as she tries to think. “<font color="009664">My original plan hinged on my blades. Without them I fear I cannot contain him.</font>” Does she mean her sword? How is that going to help? You can't cut a liquid. “<font color="009664">But...If I had water, perhaps I could dilute his form. It may make it difficult for him to remain solid.</font>” Now that makes more sense.
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| − | I hold my glowstick up to one of the damaged walls. Nothing in here but gross scraps of insulation, electrical cable, and rusty pipes. Wait a second... “<font color="C8C864">These pipes are old, but I'm willing to bet they still carry water. Can you work with that?</font>” M'Aara gently lays a hand on one of the pipes. For a second she looks like she's concentrating, and then she nods to me.
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| − | “<font color="C8C864">Great. Do what you need to do to get set up. I'll cover you.</font>” I hold the glowstick out and try my best to keep watch under its dim glow. The sound of groaning metal catches my attention. Please tell me that's M'Aara and not- “<font color="C8C864">Uhm, what are you doing?</font>” As I glance back at M'Aara I can see her silently swaying her body and waving her arms in slow, fluid motions. It looks like some kind of snake charmer dance. Sure it's graceful, but is this really the time for that?
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| − | “<font color="009664">I am attuning myself to the water in this building. The landwalking mages call it hydromancy.</font>” Suddenly she stops dancing and holds her stance. “<font color="009664">I am ready for him.</font>” But the building is still making a creaking noise. Only this time it's punctuated by the dull snapping sound of splintering wood. “<font color="009664">That...That should not be. I have stopped.</font>” Then it must be Shadow. He's up to something.
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| − | Shadow's not stupid, he'll keep his distance. Especially after the shock M'Aara gave him last time. He won't touch me either because he knows I probably mimicked her powers. But he's making an awful lot of noise out there...What is he doing? Suddenly it stops and I hear the faint whisper of something slicing through the air as it flies past me.
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| − | <b>*Chuck!*</b>
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| − | “<font color="009664"><b>Aaaah!</b></font>” Without any time to react, I hear M'Aara cry out as her forearm gets nailed to the wall by her own sword. That was a powerful throw. The blade is halfway embedded in the wall. She grits her teeth and pulls the sword out of her arm. Looks like most of the damage is on her fin. It's bleeding badly.
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| − | Shadow's keeping us on the defensive. But there's nothing I can do about that now. M'Aara needs help. I just hope she can still use her water magic. My telekinesis forms a shield around us as I take a small roll of bandages out of my suit and get to work on her arm. The building starts to creak and snap again. Whatever he's doing is kicking up a lot of dust. It sounds like Shadow's tearing the place up or...Or tearing it down. Oh no.
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| − | There's a great big rumble as the upper floors of the building fall without any support to hold them. The immense weight of about three stories crashes down on my shield. “<font color="C8C864"><b>Hrngh!</b></font>” Okay. This is really, <i>really</i> heavy! It's taking all I've got to keep us from getting crushed. Just outside my shield I can see Mister Shadow's form start to take shape. It's now or never! “<font color="C8C864">Nngh! M'Aara! Now!</font>”
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| − | She resumes her stance and works through the pain as she sweeps her bandaged arm in Shadow's direction. A dozen rusty pipes in the walls all around us burst open and spew water all over the collapsing room. The features on Shadow's body melt away. But he makes no attempt to avoid the water. In fact, his eroded form starts pounding on my shield with its fists! Holding up the building was bad enough!
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| − | I can't...Hold on much longer...It doesn't take long for the strain to give me a massive headache. Come on, Janet! Don't let him beat you again! Telekinetic blasts didn't stop him, water didn't stop him, the only thing that even slowed him down was- M'Aara's powers! There's not a single dry spot in this room now. Nowhere to run...I'm sorry, M'Aara...I tense up as if I'm wringing every muscle in my body like a sponge. My head feels like its going numb. Here goes!
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| − | I can feel my skin tingle as a powerful electrical current surges down my body and into the water at our feet. M'Aara and Shadow shriek in pain as the electricity renders them both unconscious. One problem taken care of. But there's still the matter of the...Whole building falling on our heads. Every throb of my pounding headache makes me wince...I've got no strength left. The best I can do...Is slowly lower the rubble down on top of us...Try not to...Let it crush anyone before I...Black...Out...
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