Who Is Bench II: The Sitting

IC:

System. Computer. Electricity. The three things came in my mind instantly, almost like second nature, and in a deft movement I raised my sword, firing a zap of electricity towards the suit of armor. While it might hurt Leo, shutting down the system was more important for me - and plus, if it was interpreting threats, I would be the biggest one. At least the dude scuttling on the floor wouldn't be hit, I guess.

Bandit-3, confirmed target.

Leonius dropped his barriers after the electricity crackled across them, seemingly resigned to his fate. He wanted Kirkka to stop him. He needed Kirkka to stop him.

The combat computer had other ideas, however, once the barriers were down. "Modus: Iudicium."

The cannons swung forward just as Kirkka had finished her casting. As she rushed forward, the computer finished its calculations, and Kirkka's staff met with Leo, the enormous sonic onslaught that heralded the firing of Leo's cannons shook the courtyard with the sound of an enormous explosion, as six cluster bombs split the distance between the titan and the child who had extended his wrath, surrounding Lan in the hellfire and red hot shrapnel of his artillery strike, even as Kirkka struck and Leonius's enormous mass flew backward, into the pool.

Where he sank like the load of dense metal he practically was.

Melissa was going to continue ranting on about how annoying and absurd that teachers in general were and how one had once told her that, 'Clothes are mandatory! PUT SOME ON!', but was distracted by the cool new bench that had appeared. Made of stone, it seemed much fancier than the old ones.

"Ooh! Bench!" She said, moving over to. She dropped to her knees to begin examining it, looking over the whole thing. It seemed to be made of stone reinforced with metal, but the real beauty of it seemed to be some sort of dust controlled system to regulate the weight. She had heard of bench designs like this. If they were anything like the ones she had studied... (It was for a school project! Not because of a bench fetish!) there!

Pulling out some sort of piece of machinery that Melissa assumed was the battery for the weight distribution dust thingy, she pocketed it, wanting to study it later. She stood up just in time to see Kirkka knock Mr Bench Murderer into a pool of water.

Approaching the pool, she looked down at the two who were currently sinking, "What are you guys doing?" She asked innocently.

Mao lay on the ground unconscious from Leo's attack even if it was mostly suppressed. He was bleeding from his forehead. He has gotten a concussion and some fractures in his skull.

(OOC: Do with Mao as you wish)

IC:

6 cluster bombs flew towards me. Although it wasn't like I didn't expect it, I didn't expect six of them. What a waste.

My hands functioned in a flurry, a satisfying click was heard, and I stabbed my sword down before swinging it in a wide arc. White-blue colored streams of energy flowed from it, surrounding me in a crisp, cold feeling. One second it was white, the next second I closed my eyes as the sounds of explosions rocketed beside me, yet away from me, separated by a wall of ice that only kept on being refueled.

Heat and ice didn't usually mix - these next few seconds followed that rule, as steam rose up in the air, me in the center. Still, it was supercooled soon enough, but it was steam nonetheless, and I hated it. It was like...private rain. Along with a fog. While I had to look down just to take a look, I already knew what my tingling body and limbs felt - I was wet. Not just 'somebody dunked water on you' wet but 'You stood in the worlds largest mist spray' wet - every inch of my skin and clothes were dripping with water.

Dammit.

((One of the most feared weapons in Beacon goes off right in someone's face. Response is "Ice wall! LOL now I'm weeeet." Classy.))

Not all of the submunitions went off at once, and as Lan stood there, four more delayed explosions in close proximity threatened to take out his knees with shrapnel and the force of a pressure wave.

Leonius, however, didn't notice as he sank beneath the surface of the pool, coming to rest at the bottom. He didn't want to fight. He didn't want to kill anyone. He didn't have any reason to. He wanted to stay down here, bubbles slowly drifting upward. This was water. He wouldn't burn to death down here. He had good memories of water, of the pool at the villa.

As Leonius closed his eyes, taking solace in how long he could stay submerged with his life support system's largely closed environment, he sighed. Control was trickling back to him. But he still remained down there, fighting the tactical computer for control of his body and mind...

Leo looked up, when he saw Kirkka's distorted visage through the rippling surface of the pool. He wanted... he wanted to apologize...

Even knowing he wouldn't be audible down here, he looked away. "... Sorry..." He closed his eye, sighing as another clump of bubbles rose and broke against the surface. He wondered, perhaps, if she was planning to try to finish him off, before he caught that train of thought and brutally silenced it before the tactical computer could pick up on it.

Slowly, however, he sat up, and started moving his feet under him. He couldn't stay down forever...

I should probably help him out. Could be bad... We'll see. Kirkka prepares to force Leonius out of the water and back onto dry land, but stops a moment and turns to look toward the nearby students. "All of you are to take no further actions against Leonius. I'm bringing him out of the water, and hopefully he's under control." She then turns back and creates a white pattern under Leo's legs, at the bottom of the pool. The pattern is likely to help you jump out of the water. She then prepares to bind him again incase its needed. I'll need to lock those cannons in place too. Shouldn't be too hard..

"Modus: Innocens..."

Once he was part way up, he stood down his armor, breathing a sign of relief as the tactical computer stood down like it was supposed to and his cannons flipped and folded back. Without the constant presence in his mind, however, he was left alone with the gravity of the situation that now faced him, the worry of what his suit had forced him into, and the lingering terror of having had his trauma forced to the surface.

That wasn't the only thing bound to the surface. As Kirkka cast her pattern under him, Leonius looked up at her, ascertaining its function from the last time it was used. He used it to propel himself upward, grabbing the edge and using upper body strength to swing his knees up.

He knelt there for a minute once he was up, one knee up and the other pressed against the grass, looking down, before he spoke. "... I believe it... an understatement... to say that we... have a problem..." Slowly, shakily, he rose. "... But it is... for the moment... contained..."

Leonius looked at Kirkka, his head bowed, but tilted to look at her with his natural eye. He felt tired, mentally drained, and afraid...

And he felt remorse, for adding to the drek Kirkka had to deal with, and nearly killing two classmates...

Kirkka stands in front of him, still in a defensive stance. She obverves Leonius' movements, attempting to see through any possible deception, but that is seeming unlikely now. "Stand up." Her order is fierce. Her tone of voice is very different from normal. "Tell me what just happened. And why.."  Was it from my fire? Such a reaction is... unusual. But what else could have caused it? There was no other events happening in close enough proximity to evoke such a response. Kirkka surveys the area, checking on the others. None of them appear to be in any immediate danger. Focus. Her mind speaks to her, forcing her to return her gaze to Leonius.

"... The surprise use of fire... triggered a post traumatic recollection... Of the... explosion that made me... this..." Leonius gestured at his suit, and looked up at Kirkka. He couldn't... bring himself to blame her for her part in the flashback. "... My combat computer... interpreted my distress... and the memories of agony..." He trailed off, realizing what he was doing to himself.

Slowly, Leonius shook his head and took a deep, long breath. No. No. He would tell her what happened. ... Here. What happened here...

"... It interpreted my distress... as a threat response... and you... as the cause... and threat in question... I was fighting it down... when the vandal..." He gestured to Mao, "and the idiot..." He gestured to Lan, "... intervened... and presented a clear... and present enemy to... the computer..."

Leonius tried to steady himself, looking down at Kirkka.

"... This is... half of the problem... I spoke of... The other half of the issue... lies in the fact... that I did not... design Sum Sine Sceleri's... systems with that... level of..." He looked for the word, frowning. "... Initiative... But I did... give it predictive... and adaptive programming... This... incident... and the difficulty I had... in regaining control of the situation... is... the other half... of the issue..."

He slowly crossed his arms, out of habit, but was careful not to appear to be a threat. It certainly didn't help his steadiness, however.

"... I apologize... if my summary... is lacking... I am... having a great deal of difficulty... after what has... happened... I will attempt to... gather my thoughts... for the official... incident report..."

Kirkka lowers her stance during his response. I see. So it was my flame that caused this. Interesting. Perhaps he isn't an unstoppable machine, but a human trapped in one? Regardless of the circumstances, that this kind of thing can happen is a big problem. I wonder how Ozpin will react. As Leonius finishes his explanation, she takes a deep breath herself, calming her nerves. "Very well. We should return you to your room so you may rest. I will inform Professor Ozpin of what happened and have him collect your report once you are feeling better. Perhaps he can be of assistance to you in some form. Although, it is hard to say what he will decide to do. He can be... unpredictable at times. All the time actually."

She sighs lightly at her own comment. Such an event happening just after the beginning of the year. I hope this man isn't judged too harshly. Certainly we can provide assistance somehow. Maybe we can alter his computer system to react differently in such a specific event? Hard to say. She looks around briefly. The damage to the area isn't too bad, due to most of the ordnance being frozen before it could deliver exciting things. She can probably get it cleaned up reasonably easily.

"Shall we, then?" She motions toward the Academy. It appears she will escort him to his room. But she isn't that kind of escort.

"... Indeed..." Leonius followed, slowly, looking around as Kirkka did. "... Though I find it difficult to believe... he is perpetually... unpredictable..." He looked at the bench that he and Viola had been sitting on, gesturing to it. "... If you look at recent... events... Do things not seem... out of place? Small aberrations... that put together... begin to form... a pattern..."

Leonius was going to continue, but ground. Ground happened. It caught him when he fell.

His right leg had buckled, and he stepped wrong, falling forward and to his knees. He gave no sound when he did, save a sharper intake of breath, and his suit hissed slightly longer. "... Drek," he cursed.

Kirkka's eyes flicker briefly at his comments. She blinks once slowly, before turning around to see Leonius hugging the planet as apology for the millions of assaults he has taken part of with his skyhammer. "H-Hey, you alright? Do you need help getting back?" She says this, but does not approach him nor make any movements suggesting she is looking to help. She appears to be on guard still. Her staff is held in only one hand, fully assembled.

"I hope you don't need me to carry you." She speaks in a lighter tone now. Her voice has returned to its usual cheer, however, her expression is difficult to read. Confusion and suspicion combined with a serious demeanor.

"... No... I simply need a moment... to recover... To sit and... rest a minute..."

He looked at the bench, then at Kirkka.

"... If it meets... your approval..."

Viola walks in to the courtyard again, mostly to see if Leo is still there, to see if he'd walk her back to her room... and she spots what looks like a slight war-zone.

She then notices Leo on his knees... next to that frelling janitor. Wondering what exactly is up, she walks over to say "Uhm... I was only gone for a little bit, what the yotz happened here?"

IC:

It was right beside me, as I stared down.

Well, I guess I don't have to be wet anymore. But still. I'd rather be wet than blown to bits.

However, the stunt I'd just pulled creating a continuously regenerating cocoon of ice around me had used up nearly all the remaining ice dust in the magazine, and I doubt I had the time to even jump back - if that helped. My only hope was to move now, and maaaaybe block off the explosion, even if just a tiny bit. Holding my sword down, I let loose all the remaining ice, as I kicked my legs up behind me, creating an ice spire that let me rise up above the ground by a few meters.

Then the explosion kicked in, and the resulting shockwave up the spire of ice that slowly shattered it transferred through the sword, which did nullify it a bit, into my arm. All the built up energy sent me flying backwards, and I smashed into the wall a few meters high, shards of ice hitting me, some scratching, others embedding, in my clothes or my arms, which I used to shield my face. Without any control over aerodynamics or balance, I fell the remaining few meters down the wall. If I can tell anything at all, with my eyes closed, it's that the thing that I was about to land on was -

Ah, son of an ursa.

Pain shot up my right knee's tibia, pulsing up and down my leg. While I made no sound other than the slight whimper which might've been me (Hopefully it wasn't) I heavily gritted my teeth.

That hurt.

A lot.

In comparison to that, the blood flowing down my arms felt like nothing.

Kirkka nods to Leo, then turns to spot Viola approaching. "Your name is Viola, yes? Can you stay with Leonius here and help him to that bench so he may sit down and recover? I need to tend to the others. He seems calmed now." She begins walking toward Mao, who is not far at all. Upon reaching him, he checks him over quickly, taking note of wounds. He has a head wound, but it isn't severe. I can stop the bleeding for now until proper treatment can be administered. She points her staff at Mao, enveloping him with flames, healing some of the damage of his wounds, and stopping the bleeding. She then runs over to where Lan landed, and begins checking him over. He appears to be conscious. Lan, are you okay? Can you hear me? His arm is wounded, and his leg. Doesn't look too bad though. "I can stop the bleeding from your wounds but you will probably need additional treatment."

IC:

Burn my arm? Nevermore! Plus, it wasn't like I'm not used to blood seeping out of my hands. I'd lost more blood from nose bleeds than from cuts. The ice that was had embedded themselves in there, I could take out fine. That, or they'd just melt into water, and so long as they didn't magically travel upstream, I was fine. The problem I did have was the shrapnel. Ice could leave your body, and it was water anyway. Shrapnel, on the other hand, was harder to get our.

"I'm fine, thanks. I don't need your help; this isn't the proper place to get tiny pieces of asphalt out of my arm anyway." I winced. "Kirkka, our dorm has a hole in it."

I looked over to the bench.

Then at Melissa.

Noticing the boy from her team was currently looking at her for some reason, Melissa approaches him. He looks to be pretty injured, though nothing lethal, luckily. He seemed to be a nice guy, and he was their leader, after all.

"Hmm? What's up?" She asked him.

Nodding back at the janitor, Viola says "Um... yeah I can do that. "

Turning to face Leo directly, she kneels down to speak to him quietly and asks "What exactly happened here? I can't have been gone that long..."

IC:

"The bench. Did you just take the...."

I moved my head a bit. Half of my vision was occupied by Melissa. The other half.....Viola and Leo.

"... Miss Scarlet... used fire to remove... the graffiti from my armor... and doing so... triggered a post-traumatic flashback... Of the day that created... this..." Leonius looked into Viola's eyes, trying to focus on her face. "The resulting trauma... triggered an unexpected level of... initiative... from my combat computer... And I lost control..."

As he slowly stood, and made his way toward the bench with Viola, he looked back at the vandal and the idiot, shaking his head. When he sat, however, he noticed the bench didn't attempt to redirect the kinetic energy of his descent, and with a wide eye he looked to Kirkka as the bench gave a loud groan.

... Stone reinforced with metal being much stronger than wood, however, the bench didn't break, and Leo was off of it immediately, taking a knee next to it as he looked around. "Is it out... of Dust already!?"

Frowning at Leo's explanation of events, Viola follows him over to the bench to sit down... and is promptly surprised when something seems to be wrong.

"Is it possible that something during the... mishap damaged the mechanisms that make this bench actually do it's job?"