// Rusty Prince //

[font=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]// A video is uploaded to the nexus anonymously. When one attempts to view it, a pop-up displays a warning, stating the video contains graphic content not appropriate for some users. If they choose to continue, the video will play. //[/font]

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The transmission begins from the perspective of what appears to be a helmet camera, of some individual in white and red armor, Atlas' colors. That being said, the first few seconds are a blur as the figure ascends out of some small passage as if pushed hard by some sort of force, bursting out from said passage and into a dusty and metallic interior. This place seemed to be reminiscent of an extra terrestrial spacecraft in science fiction. A table was covered with diagrams of humans as well as other alien creatures. At another area of the round room is an altar-like table, flooded with medical tools of all varieties.
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The perspective shows the individual landing on the ground, a heavy cloud of dust scattering from the impact. The figure would raise their head slowly, displaying some sort of interior of a... ship? There were various pods nearby, containing several lifeforms, including the silhouette of a purple headed human. But the helmeted individual does not focus on this, instead raising his head to look up. 
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In the center of the room is a pole, at the top of which rests a seat in an oddly-placed cockpit. There lies none other than the man of the hour, sitting with a single knee propped up and his back rested against the pole. It was Rusto Vapor
. The tall android was coated in rust, a metal poncho resting over his chassis, a playdoh mask covering his face, and a sombrero resting atop his head.
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The helmeted individual moves to stand, before speaking in a modulated voice.
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"<:: Of course you're waiting, why wouldn't you be..."

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"Oh, aren't we all waiting? Waiting for different things. Some people wait for their lover, some people wait for death. Some people wait for both. Which one are you?"
He glances up at the superhero. A 1 is dug into his play-doh face, the number repeating itself on his monitor. On the inside of his wrists are engraved words, similar to tattoos. On his right hand is 'SOLVE,' reading from wrist to elbow. On his left is 'COAGULA,' reading from elbow to wrist. (Solve and coagula are Latin, so they won't translate to Common).
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The helmeted figure paused, his hands clenching. He would tremble for a moment, before speaking once more. "<:: Neither. The only thing I am waiting for is the opportunity to send you to hell."
A gloved hand raises, pointing a finger at Rusto accusingly. "<:: You. You have a lot to answer for, Rusty. You're a theif. A liar. A cheat. There is no scum-"
He stammers, glancing to one of the tubes in the back- a tube he just now noticed... the one with the purple-headed occupant. He stares at it, falling silent in shock.
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Rusto grunts, slowly standing to his feet and crossing his arms. "I beg that you leave-

Audio seems to cut off, for about a second. -If you have so little time left in your life, why shorten it further?"

He doesn't call any attention to the clone, but his voice is at least somewhat sincere. More sincere than it's been before, at least.
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Rusto's words cause the man to look away from the pod containing the human figure, now turning to face Rusto once more. "<:: I'm not leaving, Rusty. I might not have much of a life left, but I assure you. Oh, I assure you. You won't be walking away from me alive. So if you're threatening me, come the fuck at me then."
He balls his fists, before his right hand moves towards something out of view of the camera.
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"I'll give you one more warning-"
 Once again, the audio stops for about a second. Rusto's hand hovers over his own revolver, his fingers stretching anxiously.
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"<:: I'm a dead man, Rusto. But that's enough, It's time I put you in your place...
 Any last words?"

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"I am a man who seeks not redemption. I am a man who fears no other man. I am a man who cannot feel. I am a man who has no dreams. But most importantly, I am not a man."

He moves his hand closer to his gun.
"You know the rules, right?"

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"Maybe. Maybe I don't. Humor me."

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"Ten paces, then we shoot."

He turns around, after having descended from his throne.
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The unknown figure nods their head, turning to take ten paces, before turning to face Rusto once again.
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Rusto takes his paces as well. No more funny business at this time. He turns at the end of his path, mimicking his knuckles cracking as he begins to play the typical shootout theme.
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[font=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Rusto's sombrero tilts at such an angle that his monitor is unseen, the rest of his face shaded. The typical comedy mask smile is very deliberately missing from it. He draws the revolver and fires a quickshot towards the white and red man's kneecap, just as the armored one raises an Atlas sidearm to fire lasers at the machine. A few of these lasers strike Rusto, making smoke rise and the components to melt- even a couple of spots on the poncho were melting away and falling to the floor in clumps. One of these lasers strikes Rusto in the playdoh face, causing the mask to detonate like a firecracker... revealing the face. Rusto's head was mostly just featureless metal, save for his monitor. However, the shot to the knee knocks the armored individual off balance, the figure groaning in pain from the exchange.[/font]

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The human quickly tries to regain balance, leveling his laser pistol at Rusto again to fire many shots haphazardly. This finishes off Rusto's poncho, revealing a chassis full of holes and melting components. However, Rusto carefully aims a shot, firing a bullet right into the laser sidearm the human had been holding. This fractures the power cell in it, causing the weapon to go off like a powerful firecracker, components flying everywhere as the armored man's hand recoils away. Two fingers on this hand were visibly broken, despite being protected by the armor.
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The human wastes no time trying to recover, reaching with his left hand to grasp something, but another accurate gunshot from Rusto causes him to jerk his left hand away from his side. But then something magical happens. The armored man points his left index finger at Rusto's revolver, the man beginning to hiss in pain as the fingertip of the gauntlet glows- before a small laser escapes the fingertip. This laser strikes the Revolver, and Rusto's hand, causing the machine to drop the weapon to the floor. Rusto begins to approach the human in stomps, cracking their metallic knuckles. The human grasps his presumably cooked finger, before moving quickly to rip his right glove off, disconnecting it and casting it to the floor. A purple hand is revealed, made of some unknown metal
, the index and middle finger twitching slightly.
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The armored figure begins to advance on Rusto, despite the android being much taller and certainly much stronger than him.
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As they approach he goes for a simple move, old as time: a hook at the face. He's much less hesitant to resort to this type of violence.
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A predictable move, yet so old fashioned. The Human would jerk to the side, the fist rebounding against the side of his helmet. He stumbles slightly, but as this happens, his right fist falls away from his wrist. Connected by a purple and flexible line, he would swing it quickly- the flail-like fist striking Rusto in the elbow. This causes an audible, deep hum, as a gravitic shockwave bursts outward from the fist.
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The force on his elbow startles him, causing him to overswing away from the human. He fumbles in that direction briefly before realigning himself and glancing at his adversary. He huffs, tilting his sombrero back down to continue hiding his monitor before he 'runs' back toward the man and jumps in an attempt at dropkicking him...
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But this strike wouldn't connect, as an eight-foot abomination of ripe, cable, and nail appears between the two, as the human simply stands there.
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The creature's fist would strike Rusto in the monitor mid-leap, before forcing the android to the ground harshly, with a deafeningly loud thud. The fight was over. Rusto lays on the ground, refusing to stand back up. But instead of making a loud groan or a grunt of pain, he simply sighs, blinded by the shattered monitor.
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The Qarin generates a grunt, before seeming to vanish once again. The human stands over Rusto, though at a safe distance from the machine's limbs. He doesn't make sudden moves, his right hand slowly moving to grasp his rifle, followed by him grasping it with both hands. He did not look away from Rusto, however. The gun was lowered, and... it seemed he had no words.
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Rusto has something to say, however. His head twitches mildly from side to side in an attempt at shaking it in disbelief. "You sorry fool. You've actually done it."
He scoffs, continuing, "Never have I thought I would be slain by an organic. Was hubris the cause, or was I simply doomed from the start? What a tragic revelation."
He sighs. "Though you've caused your own death, you didn't do a bad job at it. I may even say you've done me a favor."
His monitor flickers on and off before settling off, the rest of his body stagnant as the only sound echoing throughout the ship is his bitter, chuckling death rattle.
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"<:: I'm a normal man, who wanted a normal life, a normal family."
He would slowly raise the rifle to Rusto. "<:: I wanted to be a good man, unlike my father. But people like you made me a killer, and sometimes- sometimes I wish I never have lived to this point. But there's no use complaining from either of us, Rusto. Both of our lives are fleeting, and that's just how things turned out for us. Call it bad luck."
With these words spoken, the man aims the laser rifle towards Rusto's torso, and the screen fades to black. The faint noise of the rifle hissing was audible as its light-based payload presumably struck its target. This continues for a little bit, followed by the sound of the weapon clattering to the ground. A click and hiss are audible, one might assume the helmet was being removed. A human man's voice was audible, now no longer modified by the helmet. Some people might find the voice familiar.
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 "Goodnight, Rusty Prince..."

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The video cuts to the view of some sort of cockpit, in another ship. It seems to be from a datapad camera, rather than a helmet cam. The same, unfiltered voice speaks, as the camera overlooks the gas giant Lapetus below. The binary stars of the Haven system could be seen raising from the horizon of the vast and gaseous planet.
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"Three days left, now. I've... made my peace. But I have my regrets, and I'll be leaving so many important people behind. Maybe... maybe this is a bad dream. That would be great, wouldn't it? If this is to be my last mark made upon the Fringe, then... to those of you who it does concern, I love you all."

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// The video ends. //
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// User DieselWheeler replies //




Karma.