I10DT - Danger Room - Let Slip

[Samantha McManus]

"Then show us you can be."

She stepped away from Nailah, to give some space.

"Come at me, Paladin."

[Gideon Rede]

Without any noticeable warning Gideon propelled himself towards Samantha. The physical modifications done by Apocalypse making him faster, stronger. A blade formed in his hand during the charge. He swung the blade of psychic energy at Samantha while more energy wrapped around his off-hand.

[Samantha McManus]

Though the blade was formed of psychic energy, Gideon would find that Ms. McManus' own telepathic form seemed overlaid over her physical, in perfect synchronization. Thus it was that she brought her hand up to actually grip the blade as it was swung at her, trying to hold it in place while she felt out the emotions that formed it.

[Gideon Rede]

After she grabbed the blade she could tell that it wasn't a complex weapon. The backbone of the blade was anger. Gideon's anger with everything, himself, others. The edge of the blade wasn't made of emotion, but pain.

As McManus held the blade Gideon struck with his free hand. He did not bother to give the energy encasing it any true form. Instead it was simply super human strength driving it towards McManus' chest.

[Samantha McManus]

Ms. McManus tried to invert the blade's direction, drawing upon Gideon's anger at himself, and threading the pain so that the edge was on the opposite side of the blade.

Then, she released the blade as she broke apart into the flock, flapping around him as she let him spend his momentum. She reformed behind him and aimed a shoulder and elbow squarely at his back, the blow charged with regret, aiming to knock him down.

"I'd thought you were striking at me with a blade, Paladin, but all you've brought me is a cudgel."

[Gideon Rede]

The blade actually shattered as it began to turn against Gideon spraying a small area with shards of psychic energy. The flow of the flock had given Gideon at least a clue as to where McManus was coming from and he spun to hit McManus with what looked like a glowing shield strapped on his other arm. A shield made of denial.

"Always the same," Gideon growled as he attacked.

[Samantha McManus]

Having recently overcome a significant case of denial on her part, she dug her feet in and pushed against the shield with her shoulder, her mind prying at it with the feeling of revelation she'd had when she finally admitted to being the Morrigan.

"Don't think I can meet things head-on? We'll see about that..."

[Gideon Rede]

"Then take the blow, Headmistress," Gideon said as the shield he'd created began to crack. His own denial not nearly as strong as when he'd actually been War.

As the cracks spread Gideon instead pushed the shield to explode outwards to try and push McManus back. Gideon was finding the well of emotions he'd used as War running dry, but knives of hatred and blood lust began to form in his hands.

[Samantha McManus]

Ms. McManus tumbled back, her physical form shifting a cloak of black feathers to match her psychic shields as she guarded against the shards.

Pulling the cloak back into herself, she eyed the knives Gideon was forming.

"Is this the foundation you want to build on? Is this all you know?"

[Gideon Rede]

"The foundation is rotten," Gideon said, "But how many times have you burned everything down? Pulled down the walls brick by brick, tore the foundation from the ground?"

Gideon strode towards McManus the blades crackling.

"How do you fight when you've never wielded anything else?"

[Samantha McManus]

"You're fighting yourself as much as you're fighting me. I've tasted your arsenal, and most of it can be turned inward on you."

"Until you can get all of yourself facing forward, you're not going to make much progress."

"What are you fighting for, Gideon?"

[Gideon Rede]

"Fighting for?" Gideon asked, "I don't know. I've fought for myself, for Apocalypse.... but never for others. Maybe that's what I need to do?"

[Samantha McManus]

"The man you say inspired you had a cause, aye? He wasn't out for revenge, he wasn't in it for himself."

"That's what made him more than a man, Gideon."

[Gideon Rede]

"I don't know," Gideon said, "This universe doesn't contain as obvious an enemy to defeat."

[Samantha McManus]

"What's dear to you? Perhaps Lora? She's going to need help to climb back from this, too."

[Gideon Rede]

"A cause can't be about one person," Gideon said, "I can't fight for her alone. With her maybe, but not for her."

"This world needs a Paladin who is willing to teach as well as fight. Maybe that's what I need to do, fight for this world, and teach people to do the same."

[Samantha McManus]

"You have to learn before I can let you teach. It's a noble goal, but until you can put your anger and hate down, how can you build?"

[Gideon Rede]

"Then teach me how to use this power without it," Gideon said the daggers dangling from his hands.

[Samantha McManus]

"Dispel those. Unclench your fists, breathe deeply and just empty yourself."

[Gideon Rede]

Gideon stared at McManus for a long moment then dropped the knives. The blades vanished before they hit the ground. It was another moment before Gideon found himself calm enough to try and empty himself. His mind began clearing, the violent sea of emotions calmed.

[Samantha McManus]

"Emotions aren't wrong, but any telepathic opponent will look for the ones that can be turned against you."

"You feel anger at many things, but most of all at yourself. If you form a weapon from it, it will bite back."

"Clearing your mind, finding your reasons again, that's what will let you strike cleanly. We are telepaths. Our sense of self, our sense of worth is our armor."

"I believe you're worth the effort here. Professor Weaver does as well. That's all well and good, but ultimately you need to believe it too. Maybe not today, or tomorrow, or the next day. The day you are no longer angry with yourself, the day you no longer hate what you've become, that's when the weapon will feel sure in your hand again."