Issue 12: Lightforce Research

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin stood in a field, watching a recorded Ryan have an acrobatic dogfight with a winged villain. He was trying to gauge just how similar their energy forms were.

"Damn... that was impressive..."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Yeah, try watching you in your sparring routines," Ryan quipped as he walked in. "I can't even get swords to show up."

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin raised a brow.

"What does show up?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Nothing. I can... well, I can do this," Ryan said, a layer of light seeming to coat his hands, but not taking any distinct shape.

[Kevin Gravis]

"Interesting... whereas I get..." he said, producing a weak, blade-like flare in on one hand.

"Also your wings are missing."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Yeah, I'd start freaking out about that, but since you aren't bleeding out..."

"Okay, first things first, how do you pull up a sword? I mean... firing is kind of like taking a deep breath and blowing it out, only... with power? Does that make sense?"

[Kevin Gravis]

"Yeah... It kinda does. Hmm... well you know those toy lightsabers work? A push of a button and a flick of the wrist. Or maybe to go with your totally Zen breathing analogy, it's like taking a deep breath and then shouting a heroic war cry."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Huh," Ryan said, frowning. "Well... want to go with the best method of learning something?"

[Kevin Gravis]

"Learning by doing?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Best way there is. Have the room give you a couple swords, then, well," Ryan smirked walking farther into the room to get ready, "Come at me, bro."

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin procured two swords from the computer and took a stance.

"I'm curious to see how good your body's reflexes are. That said..."

He dashed in and commenced swashbuckling with a horizontal slash. No need to hold back with DR swords.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Judging from yours... faster!" Ryan grunted, dodging the first attack, trying to get used to working with this new, heavier body. Not that Kevin was heavy, but you just never appreciate how light a hollow skeleton is until you don't have one.

On the other hand, SHIELD hand-to-hand gave a lot more options than dodging. So after avoiding the attack, Ryan countered with a lunging strike to his midsection. All right... don't think like a blaster. Just... feel for it...

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin stumbled back from the blow but quickly attacked again with a kick.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan tried to counter with a drop kick that looked like he'd practiced it a lot, but either something about Kevin's body or the lack of wings threw him off and all he managed to do was fall to the floor and roll away.

[Kevin Gravis]

"Ooh... failkick," Kev grinned, "Either the solid bones or all the pie I ate yesterday."

He lunged in with a slash.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Or you just need to lose weight!" Ryan grunted, spinning aside and ducking into a leg sweep.

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin tried to flip but overshot it and nearly landed on his face, rolling at the last moment. He came up with a fizzled blast aimed at Ryan.

"Laaame."

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan lunged at Kevin, keeping things on his feet this time. "Know what? We... aren't... trying hard enough!" he grunted, his body starting to glow.

[Kevin Gravis]

"Good..."

Kevin spun to the side.

"Point!"

He delivered a jab, hands starting to glow.

[Ryan Gabriel]

Ryan let out a loud battle cry, picturing himself glowing in lightforce armor as he pressed the assault, pushing, WILLING that torrent of power into it...

And then he WATCHED as he pressed the attack on Kevin. LIterally. From behind the armored figure that separated from him.

[Kevin Gravis]

Kevin flew back, not from a blow but through the air as if on wings. Only, there were no wings.

"Whoah..." he said, blinking.

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Okay that's just... Seriously, what the fuck," Ryan said as the figure dissolved.

[Kevin Gravis]

"Did you just ghost knight me? And why am I so hi..." he began, spinning once to survey the area, "...ohhhh..."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Okay, I... am not sure how I did that, but that was pretty badass. Did you know you could do that?" Ryan asked, completely, for the moment, trying to shove out of his mind the 'how is he flying without wings' thought, since he didn't even know what to BEGIN to think about it.

[Kevin Gravis]

"Badass armor golem? No. No I did not."

"So... you did that how?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"I just... I don't know, I was trying to make the combat armor, and... it did that," Ryan said, indicating the empty space where the attack had happened.

[Kevin Gravis]

"Weird," the floating Kevin said.

"What exactly were you thinking while trying?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Pretty much exactly that. I guess I forgot to include that it had to be ON me?"

[Kevin Gravis]

"Huh... You know I never even thought to try that."

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Really? I mean... you do it with your swords, right?"

[Kevin Gravis]

"I guess I just latched onto the idea of armor being worn."

"I wonder... maybe try something else entirely?"

[Ryan Gabriel]

"Um... all right, I guess," he said, thinking about it. It wasn't easy, and he was obviously trying way before it worked, but he managed to send a Lightforce bird flying at Kevin. "Huh. That... hm. One thing worked, at least..."

[Kevin Gravis]

"That... was... cool... I'm like the Gold Lantern or something."