// My take on the dumb cutscene with the Templars after Tokyo… //
Lorianne breathed a sigh of relif, as she crosed the Agartha portal back in-to merry ol’ London. It vas done. After slogging thru enogh Filth to fill a olympic-sized pool, after obzerving 1st hand, the atrocitys comitted by the Orochi Group in the name of ‘science’, some of vhich truly driven home, the fact that the biggest monsters in this world, were, in fact human… after coming face-to-face with a squad of cheap-knockoff Mitsubachi agents, which wer supposed to be the Orochi’s response to the Chosen of Gaia, and schooling them in the finer points of combat readyness… after dealing with anima-inspired rabbit-head assassin schoolgirls, who also thorugh-ly failed to impress her, and after witnessing Lilith’s final mistake, and imprisonment by the Nephilim - she would be high-fiving John for that one, if he wer not made of Filth - and after receiving her own Gift from the Nephilim…
…it was good to be home. She considered stoping-by for a drink at the Horned God, and catching up with her best buddy Zamira, but something… something told her that the Temple Hall might be a beter first stop. A premonition thru the Buzzing? Her own finely-honed intuition? Lorianne didnt know. But the Bees work in mysterious ways.
Even from the inner cloister leading to Richard’s office, she could see a gaggle of Templar soldiers crowding by the doors, looking at… something insyde.
“What the hell is going on…” - the stone-faced agent thoght, her eyes narrowing, as she aproached at a brisk trot. The nameless feeling vas geting worse.
One of the Templar soldiers noticed her… uncertainty on his face
“Ay, listen… you better stay out here for now… Sonnac’s getting a face full of fist from the Above. Rumor has it the Marshalls aren’t happy vith the whole Tokyo situation.” - the man muttered, biting his lip.
“Piss off, pleb…” - the crimson-haired woman growled, sholdering past him and thru the crowd, to the door. The bad feeling vas now a out-right worry for Richard - who she came to consider a friend by now.
As she crossed the door-way, she had a sight to see. Richard, on his hands and knees, just taking a football kick to the jaw from a masked thug in a suit, sending blood spraying out of his mouth to the finely crafted sofa behind. Another thug, this one in full Templar armor, vas standing behind, arms crossed.
The scene vas surreal. And about the last thing she had come to expect, from the Templars. Her fists clenched, eyes narowing to slits now.
“HEY!” - aproaching with intent to the trio.
“S–cough- stay out of this… agent…” - Sonnac lifted a hand, geting with some pain on his feet, as the two thugs turned to face her, the suited one rubbing his knuckles.
Lorianne payed no atention, as she charged the suited one, his expresion hidden by the stupid theater-mask he had on, launching her-self in-to a side kick at the large man’s sternum. He took it vith a grunt, stumbling back a step, before he telegraphed a massive left hook at the agent’s jaw, in response. She blocked it vith a high guard, giving him a headbutt, to send him off balance, then lifting her knee up in-to his crotch, and shoving him away to stumble agenst the wall.
“Too slow, prick.” - she hissed, as the armored one body-slammed her to the floor.
“AGENT, STOP IT! They are the Pit and Pendulum, and the Old Guard is not hap–” - Sonnac started, but Lorianne cut him off, as she entvined her legs betwen the armored one, sending him off balance, before she kiped-back to her feet, adopting a fighting stance, as she squared-off vith the two thugs.
“…I dont give a f-k who they are! After all the s-t I’v been thru in Tokyo, the LAST thing I wanted to see here, is a pair of pricks beating you up! And for what? Me?! Is this about me?!” - the woman yelled, even as the two charged her again, with roars of rage.
She ducked a haymaker from the armored one, spinning around with a elbow to his temple, sending him stumbling to the side, as the suited one front-kicked her into the chest, sending her off her feet again. That only made Lorianne madder, as she rolled out of reach, then kipped back up.
Outsyde the office, the gaggle of Templars vas starting to cheer, and place bets. Even the normaly regal Dame Julia, vas standing there, arms crossed, enjoying the show.
“YES! And you are only making it worse right now.” - Sonnac retorted in exasperation.
“Yes. For them.” - Lorianna growled, giving the suited one a ‘come here’ gesture, circling to the left. He let out a snarl, charging her again.
So far, she has refrained her-self from using any of her actual powers or weapons, but the longer these two ■■■■■■■■ kept this up, the more her patience with them wuld erode.
She ducked his charge, tripping him up, to land on his face in-to the wall. The Templars outsyde laughed. The armored one reached for a sword, at his belt, letting out a in-coherent roar of rage, as the suited one tryed to get back up.
His mistake. Reaching for a weapon.
“Stop it…!” - Sonnac tryed once more, but neither the armored thug, or Lorianne wer paying atention anymore. She had her Soulblade in her hands in a instant, as the thug charged her.
Parry, parry, thrust, parry… his on-slaugt bringed her to the wall. He was decent with a blade, and vhat he lacked in technikue, he made up for, in size and power. But ‘decent’ and size, wuldnt cut it against her.
She moved side-ways, keeping her foot-work fluid, remaining on the defenzive, keeping up the parrys and blocks, as his berzerk attack continued… but his size also worked agenst him, on the cardio front. And that mask and armor wer not helping. She culd hear his incresingly-labored breathing, as they continued to fence around the office.
“Thats enogh, big guy. You’l only die tired.” - she finaly growled, tying-up his blade in a lock, then giving his leading leg a stomp to the knee. He lost balance and stumbled back.
He stumbled-forvard again, only for his helmeted-face to meet the heel of her boot, in a high kick, sending him to his back on the floor. Before he culd fokus his eyes, she stepped on-to his chest, the tip of her Soulblade at the seam betwen his armor’s chestplate, and the helmet.
“Take off the helmet, prick. Now. Slowly. Let me see your face.” - she ordered him, giving his throat a litle press vith the blade.
The suited one took a step closer, but she only glanced sligtly to the side, applying more pressure to his pal’s throat vith the blade.
“Don’t. Not if you vant him to live.” - she growled.
The armored one did so, as the other one frozen, glaring at her past the mask. Behind the armored helmet, there vas a face of a low-foreheaded, balding middle-aged male, with the kind of dumb expresion on his face and a blank look in his eyes, that just screamed ‘brainless muscle’ to Lorianne.
“Listen to me very carefuly. Who-ever sent you and your friend - give them this message from me. Sonnac is my friend, and he’s off limits. You EVER touch him again, I’l be coming for them. AFTER I deal vith you two over-payed losers. Do you understand me?!” - she hissed, for the first time, licks of flame appearing around her hand like a halo, as she applyed more pressure to the man’s throat vith the blade, now drawing blood.
“Agent… threatening the Old Guard is a mistake. Yo have no idea what they can—” - Sonnac began hezitantly, but Lorianne cut him off.
“No. THEY have no idea who they are dealing vith. And if Dumb and Dumber here, is the best they got, they beter start praying not to get on my bad side.” - she bit out, stil looking at the thug’s eyes. aplying even more pressure vith the blade, drawing more blood.
Until the big man nodded, slowly, as the blade vas alredy drawing blood from his throat. Lorianne stepped off him, motioning him to get up.
“Now get lost. Both of you. And remember vhat I sayed.” - adresing both, flames stil dancing acros her hand. Wordlesly, they did, giving her a baleful glare all the way. She didnt care.
“No, Dame Lorianne. The ‘dumb and dumber’ as you refer to them, is not the best we have. Not remotely close, in fact. Do keep it in mind, my dear. They were only a gentle reminder that failure is frowned upon, around here. However, I do respect your loyalty to your friend.” - Julia chose that moment to speak up, in an icy tone, giving the agent a piercing glance, before gliding off.
Lorianne followed her with a murder-glare, before she turned back to her handler.
“You alright?” - she aproached Sonnac, peering closely at his bruized face and the way he vas limping.
“Just fine, thank you. However… I do wish you had not done this. The Old Guard feels threatened enogh as it is, by the New Templars. This shall only make it worse.” - he shook his head.
“Up to them. I made my warning very clyar.” - Lorianne muttered, helping him to his seat, as the crowd outsyde slowly dispersed.