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| To Hell and Back | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 6 2012, 12:38 AM (23 Views) | |
| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:38 AM Post #1 |
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Posted by: Sonic Mar 15 2010, 05:56 PM ((OOC – Navigation, this thread is set after Wounded Warsong. Sonic, Shadow, (and I assume Bunnie if Lengai can make it, she isn't feeling well sad.gif ) have travelled here to save Sally. Picking up some extra muscle along the way. Sonic will leave this thread in his next post, and go to All the Things That We Are, which is running parallel. If you have a freedom fighter character, feel free to throw them in here. There will also be random FF NPCs to be used as canon fodder, so feel free to use them too. This thread is hopefully going to be pretty fast paced, and won't necessarily have a strict posting order. Once Shadow makes his first post this is a total freeforall. Just go for it people X3 *excited* Let's save Sally!!)) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This was all taking too long. The gravity platform rose towards Sky Fortress with what Sonic felt was deliberate slowness. He sighed, loudly, and shifted from foot to foot. Knuckles's injury, and the fact that they had ended up with a lot more people on the mission, had forced them to think of another way to reach Sally. The loading platform had been the suggestion of a freedom fighter Sonic didn't know. There were a whole lot of people around that Sonic didn't know, and not enough familiar faces. The whole thing made him twitchy. He couldn't help but wonder about his friends, the ones that had been on Mobius through all this craziness. Antoine, Rotor, would he ever see any of them again? There was a chance they hadn't survive the invasion, or had fallen since. From the brief talk he'd had with Bunnie, he understood things were bad. The Freedom Fighters had been taking heavy casualties. Sonic shook his head, not now, he had to focus on the mission. Heartless as it sounded, there was nothing he could do about that had happened when he was gone, all he could do was hope to turn it around now. Hope to? No. He would turn it around. Getting Sal back was just the first step. “Come on, come on,” he said, checking the time display on the communications device on his wrist. “We're gonna die of old age before we even reach the stupid fortress.” This statement was rewarded by a harsh slap to the back of his head that made him rock forwards. He turned to glare at whoever had hit him, and saw Shadow staring at him intensely, his red eyes glowing slightly in the semi-darkness. As Sonic watched the black hedgehog put a finger to his lips, glaring at him meaningfully. “I know, I know, chill out Shadow,” Sonic muttered, but this time he kept his voice low. Shadow raised an eyebrow, and pointed to Sonic's foot, which was unconsciously tapping rapidly, mirroring his internal impatience. Sonic smiled sheepishly and shrugged, making an effort to stand still. It was a bad habit and one that was very hard to break. He attempted to focus by running over the plan in his head. It was a nice simple one, just the kind he liked. They would try stealth first, and if all went well they would be in and out with Sally before this 'Overlord' guy even even knew what was happening. But Shadow, ever the pessimist, had insisted on having a plan B. If they ran into trouble Sonic would split off and get Sal, while the main party served as a decoy. Not an idea Sonic was overly happy with. In his experience, they were stronger as a team, it was when people separated that the bad things happened. At last, the platform docked, the ground beneath their feet shaking a little as it came to a stop. Sonic stepped forward, and as he did so, as always happened in the face of a mission, he felt all the doubt and worries drain away, replaced with a feeling of complete invincibility. Adrenaline pumped through him, and he turned flashing a thumbs up and a grin at the group at large. “Alright, let's do this!” he said. “Time to rock and roll!” Posted by: Shadow Mar 15 2010, 06:28 PM Damn it, Sonic. Can he shut up for five minutes? It'd taken less than that, and already he was getting impatient. Shadow, being a generally fast person himself, understood the hedgehog's lack of happiness at having to stand still but... this was ridiculous. "Time to rock and roll!" came the cry. Shadow's eyes widened. Damn it, Sonic! He was glad he'd insisted on a plan B. Sonic had just crushed Plan A into nothing, most likely. Shadow rushed out of the cargo container with his blue rival, grabbing him midair before teleporting back inside the crate, his hand over Sonic's mouth. 'You trying to get us all killed?!' the black hedgehog whispered angrily, about to say something else when - A Warden walked past, and looked directly into the crate. Where the mismatched group crouched in the dark. Damn. As it opened fire, Shadow released Sonic, rushing forward and destroying the machine with cold efficiency. 'Alright, everyone, time to go to plan B. Thanks to our wonderous leader, here.' he said caustically, giving Sonic a second blow to his head, light but getting the point across. He looked again at the blue hedgehog, red eyes glowing like coals. 'Do you have any idea where we're going?' he seethed. The plan was to stealth, to find Sally's location before they made their presence known. But nooo, Mr. Drama here had to go and ruin that. Wonderful. He powered himself up, preparing to fight if necessary. 'Form teams. Sonic, you're Team A. I'm Team B. Bunnie, you take the rest of them. You'll be Team C.' When nothing happened, Shadow stared blankly at them. 'Well, get in teams!' he shouted angrily, getting less and less patient with the incompetence of these people. Damn, stupid Freedom Fighters... I knew I shouldn't have let Sonic take any more... Posted by: Darren Fennec Mar 16 2010, 01:55 AM Darren rode the lift to Sky Fortress with the measured patience of a veteran. The plasma rifle felt clumsy in his hands as he shifted the weight trying to find a comfortable posture for it. It was no use, he knew, as the weapon was not designed for stout balance, but it didn't stop him from trying to find one. His opposing hand rested limply around the hilt of his sword, fingers gently tracing the reliefs of the handle. Kyle had warned him that most of what they would meet would require something more formidable than his sword. While the two may not see eye to eye on everything, Kyle had earned his respect years before and now trusted him on this call. He knew Kyle had no doubts concerning his swordplay, but he was right that it required close quarter combat and, making him a liability in a team of ranged fighters. It was not Darren's place to argue here. Here, the chain of command went up through Kyle and Myst to Bunnie and he would respect that authority. There was far more at stake here than old grievances. Sally was at stake. After nearly three years of searching, finding little to nothing on the whereabouts of the royal family, news of the Princess had literally fallen into his lap. Alive! In desperate need of rescue, but alive nonetheless! He chuckled softly to himself. Of course she would be alive. If anyone was, Sally would be, she would find a way. And now that she had, it was their turn to see her the rest of the way home. So many brave souls hunkered together willing their lives for it. Sally would return home, the Hope of Mobius would return home and with her.... The Hero of Mobius. Sonic Hedgehog paced opposite him in the storage container they had borrowed for the ride. It was still hard to believe. There had been little time for reunions upon his arrival, but to say the feelings at HQ were optimistic was an understatement. Only Kyle and Bunnie (Bunnie! How delighted he was to see her again!) seemed to have any reservations, the look on their faces one of thoughtfulness, already planning and plotting. But it was hard not to feel invincible with Sonic back... who was now tapping his foot in his signature manner. By the Spires, how he had missed that. Next to Sonic stood a Hedgehog Darren had never seen before. Shadow. He was black with red through out and a passive face that he knew hid nightmares greater than his own. There was an ominous feeling about him and Darren took an instant disliking to him. If not for Sonic's reassurance, he would have had great reservations in bringing him along. There were whispers amongst those gathered in the container, some of excitement others of uncertainty. It was easy to distinguish between the young and the weathered, the more experienced stoic and the younger anxious, all brave souls. Beside Darren a young badger, Argyle, tried to keep his composure. He had always had a respect for the badgers. They were a strong and loyal people, heavily used in the Royal Guards. He could empathize with Argyle. Protecting HQ and surviving the horde was a vastly different mission than walking into the heart of them. His presence alone was testimony to his courage. Darren rested his free hand on Argyle's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze. The effect was instant and Argyle calmed. Darren tapped his temple and gave him a node. Stay frosty and you'll be alright. Some busied themselves with equipment checking, others with anecdotes of the past and stories of glory. A few could be heard praying. Darren said his own for the safety of the group, success in their mission, and clarity of thought and vision. Soon (although not soon enough for Sonic) the ascent halted and the doors to the transport opened, the expanse of the Sky Fortress ballooned before them. It was a massive structure, home of their arch nemesis, and daunting. The bay they were in could easily house three more platforms, a cavern of girder and steel. A collective gasp could be heard from all those in the container. All those except Sonic and Shadow. Sonic beamed, glad the wait was over, Shadow's expression never waivered. If not for the tension wafting off him, he almost looked bored. Max, Alicia, Elias... stand firm. Sure thy souls. Ye are not alone. Today we liberate one of thine own. Stay with us a little longer, Sally. Your cavalry comes. "Form teams. Sonic, you're Team A. I'm Team B. Bunnie, you take the rest of them. You'll be Team C." Shadow had ordered. Reflex took over, muscle memory outstripping thought, and Darren took up a combat stance beside Bunnie and Kyle. His countenance turned severe, his eyes piercing and alert. "But give the word, madame." He spoke, solider at arms at the ready. Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Mar 16 2010, 12:51 PM (OOC: Looong setup post. Shorter, action filled ones to follow. I promise happy.gif) The gravity lift platform had been well hidden and, it would seem, relatively new. It was a credit to Sphynx and the rest of Full Tang that they had been able to find it and gain entrance. And now that knowledge was being used to launch a rescue mission. Princess Sally Acorn was alive. And they were going to get her out. It was not lost on Kyle that Sphynx had been the only member of Full Tang to emerge alive. And so he had tried to have everyone properly equipped to swing the odds in their favor. With Sonic's return and the news of Sally's survival and her whereabouts, the disposition of the Freedom Fighters had become one of almost carefree frivolity. You could have thrown several birthday parties and it wouldn't have matched the mood. The whole of Freedom HQ was ecstatic! Well... almost all of Freedom HQ. He, for one, had been reserved despite the burgeoning hope within. Bunnie and Myst as well. If the entirety of the news was to be believed, Sally had very little time and that meant there was very little time for celebration. Planning amongst them all had proceeded immediately. Myst had stayed behind and he was conflicted about that. On the one hand he felt a certain amount of relief she was out of harm's way. On the other hand he always felt safer when she was closer. One thing he did know for certain, it didn't feel right that she wasn't here. Looking around him as he casually fingered the plasma rifle resting comfortably in his arms, Kyle took stock of the situation. There were quite a number of faces present. Darren looked almost comical holding the plasma rifle, but he would do well enough with it. Kyle had the utmost confidence in Darren's swordsmanship, but what they were fighting up here would require more than a sword. He also took a certain amount of comfort in Darren's presence. An experienced soldier who always kept a clear head, Kyle had no doubt several Freedom Fighters would owe their lives to him this day. Kyle also knew Darren would not let old arguments cloud his objectivity. And there he was. Sonic the Hedgehog, Hero of Mobius, in all his blue glory. And he was tapping his foot in the characteristic impatience he was known for. The plan that had been devised was simple, but it was the details of acting the distraction, should it be needed, that Kyle was mulling over. He leaned in closer to Bunnie and conversed with her in a hushed voice. "Bunnie, if it comes to plan B, we're going to have to be a very convincing decoy to keep prying eyes away from Sonic and Shadow. I think it might be prudent for us to make our way to the engine room. Not only will this give us the opportunity to see what keeps this place afloat, but it might give us the opportunity to bring it to the ground. That threat will be a significant diversionary tactic... and if we pull it off then we'll get two birds with one stone." If the lot of them were going to have to split up then they may as well make it count. Bunnie nodded her head in agreement and Kyle was sure she was as aware as he that they'd have to find a terminal and hack it for directions. Kyle wasn't yet certain what to make of Shadow. He disliked the black hedgehog's undercurrent of anger, but he did like how it seemed to be focused into action. Shadow also seemed to keep his wits about him, which was another admirable quality. A point that Kyle didn't appreciate was how Shadow seemed to walk around with an air of authority and assume command of any situation he was in. Part of that was pride on Kyle's end and he did his best to keep that in check and out of the picture. With Sonic's return and Shadow's arrival the chain of command seemed to be in a state of flux and that made him uneasy. When the rubber hit the road, he knew people would follow what Sonic said, being The Hero of Mobius, but Shadow spoke with an authority that one could not help be compelled to follow, especially because it made logical sense. And where did that leave Bunnine, Myst and himself if a conflict arose? They'd have to figure it out later, the lift was finally coming to a stop. With a jolt and a loud latch the lift came to a halt. The doors of the transport opened and the Freedom Fighters found themselves looking into a cavernous expanse, one large enough to construct and deploy assault vessels if needs be. Whoa. Sonic turned flashing a thumbs up and a sparkling white grin at them. Kyle couldn't help but smile himself. Some things never changed. "Alright, let's do this!" Sonic said breaking the silence and in that breaking Kyle's heart skipped a beat. "Time to rock and roll!" Sonic had just announced their presence to the entire docking bay. Oh for the love of... are you for real?! Kyle sighed, hung his head and shook it. Some things never changed. For the rest of the group, though, Sonic's words were like liquid courage pumped directly into their veins. The company stood erect and with a fire in their eyes. And then something incredible happened. It wasn't that Shadow grabbed Sonic in midair (impressive though it was), but that he managed to instantly rematerialize with him inside the crate! Kyle blinked twice and then went wide eyed a little stunned and so were a lot of the others. What the heck just happened there? That could come in handy... Warden! Recovering quickly, the safety on his rifle was thrown off and the nozzle aimed at the bot, but it was quickly dispatched by Shadow. Kyle was beginning to like having this dark hedgehog along. "Form teams." Shadow ordered in his collected authoritative voice, "Sonic, you're Team A. I'm Team B. Bunnie, you take the rest of them. You'll be Team C." And then there was that moment where confusion over who to follow and being stunned at Shadow's abilities caused a momentary pause. "Well, get in teams!" he bellowed. Several of the group jumped, startled as they fell into order by Bunnie. Kyle nodded to Bunnie in understanding of the plan. As she commanded the team he came up beside shadow and spoke to him. "We're making for the engine room in an apparent tactical strike. Should keep you and Sonic in the clear for a while. With a little luck we just might take them out." He adjusted the position of the comlink in his ear and nodded to Shadow. "Stay Frosty, we'll be in touch." Kyle followed the rest of the team out of the crate and into the ensuing fight. Posted by: Celeste the White Spirit Mar 17 2010, 09:53 AM Celeste knew she had already interfered enough. Part of the design of Mobius was natural selection. The strong would survive while the weak would fall. It was one of the primary rules that all of creation abided by, and she had watched it occur for such a long time she had thought the idea far less upsetting and tragic than when she had first been born into the world. If she were to stick her nose into the picture too often, the balance of this rule could be upsetted. Was that such a bad thing when the alternative was considered? Robotnik during his reign had already tilted the scales against the Mobians, but this new nemesis was seeking utter devastation. The unseen enemy of the Overlord had no regard for balance and his ways seemingly insinuated that the strongest is the only one to survive. That mentality could cripple the entire delicate structure of Mobius. The balance was beyond being upset, the scales had been thrown over. Perhaps that is why the Source of All and the Master Emerald still tolerated her constant appearances. Maybe it was why she had felt moved to enhance Sonic and Knuckles for this fight and why she had been allowed to do it. The Source often trusted her will, and allowed her to act on her own on behalf of it and the Master Emerald. So now, today, this most crucial of days, her ghostly visage stood patiently, watching the platform rise. The freedom fighters were on thier way. Her duty was to point Sonic in the right direction, towards the Princess, and tactfully take her leave. At least, that had been what she had told herself. In her heart, she knew she wanted to help in every way she possibly could. These freedom fighters were special, and though the ranks had shifted and changed as losses and new recruits mixed into the strange medley of people, she felt a kinship with each of them, whether she had appeared to them personally or not. There were several of them that the mink had curiously watched, and recognised them instantly as the doors to the transport opened. Bunnie, the cybernetic rabbit with her charming southern drawl and kind disposition. One would never know this seemingly docile woman could crack steel with a well aimed punch! She seemed unusually stoic...Celeste supposed going for such a long time thinking your best friend was dead would do that to a girl... Another she recognised instantly was Darren, a fennec fox and well seasoned soilder with loyalty the likes of which would make his Princess proud. She had not seen so herself, but it was well known that his ability with a sword was well envied among his comrads! His presence gave Celeste hope that the mission would prove a success! Of course, there was also Sonic, taking his place at the lead with undying optimism and unshakable determination they had all come to expect and love!...It seems his well-meaning thoughtlessness stowed away with him that day, as he announced the entire opperations presence to the docking bay. Celeste couldn't help but giggle. Among the core that she knew, there were also ones she did not. Kyle for instance, and she looked upon him with curiousity. Then, there was Shadow, the elusive ultimate lifeform, in all his black glory. She had yet to make close contact with him, but having sensed his return to Mobius, it was of high priority to her. Of course, now certainly wasn't the time. Celeste was glad the freedom fighters had him on thier side for Sallys rescue, and was glad she had a few moments to watch him as he swiped Sonic out of midair and hid themselves once more. Someday she would get courage enough to visit him outside of his nightmares. Until then, more pressing matters took presidence. She closed her eyes. This wasn't about her after all. She had a duty and could not distract herself with the longings of the heart. She had to get Sonics attention. (ooc- So that no one is confused, this thread takes place BEFORE the events of 'Ghosts of the Past' so Shadow and Celeste have not met just yet! This thread is awesome so far! I'm enjoying everyopnes posts and participation so much! Keep it coming!)) Posted by: Sonic Mar 17 2010, 01:30 PM Sonic really hadn’t be expecting to be grabbed in mid jump. The next second he was back in the crate, pressed up against the wall with Shadow’s hand over his mouth. “Hey!” he said, or at least tried to say, what came out was – “Hmmff!” The other hedgehog leaned close to him, his ruby eyes burning with anger. “You trying to get us all killed?!” “Mhnff mmhan,” Sonic said apologetically. He tried to squirm out of Shadow’s grasp, did the black hedgehog even realise how strong he was? At times like that Sonic doubted it, either that or Shadow didn’t care much about hurting him. The problem was solved when Shadow released him, Sonic watched sourly as he dramatically destroyed a robot. And he says I’m the show off. “I prefer plan B anyways-” He cut off as Shadow slapped him around the back of the head. “Hey! Stop hitting me, man!” Shadow wasn’t listening though, instead he was barking out orders. The others were standing around gaping, obviously extremely impressed by Shadow’s moves. “Form teams. Sonic, you're Team A. I'm Team B. Bunnie, you take the rest of them. You'll be Team C.” Sonic tapped his foot, shaking his head. “I’m team Sonic,” he interrupted, pointing at himself, but Shadow still wasn’t listening. Still, Shadow had a point. He didn’t know where he was going. Belatedly Sonic remembered that the plan had been to find out before doing anything rash. Oooohh he could have slapped himself right then. Sonic, where were you when the brains were handed out?! Sonic shut his eyes, just for a second, the memory of an old nightmare passing over him like ghostly fingers. That warmed into a comforting touch on his shoulder. This presence was a familiar one. Sonic’s eyes snapped open, and he grinned as he caught sight of a faint white figure. It looked like help was at hand. He dashed out of the crate, meeting an oncoming flying robot in midair and simply smashing through it. As it exploded in a flash of flames he changed direction, making short work of two others. He landed in front of the white mink, smiling as he casually raised a hand in greeting. “Yo Celeste, what’s shaking?” Posted by: Shadow Mar 17 2010, 02:32 PM Shadow saw Sonic dash off, not even attempting to take the rest of his newly-formed team with him. Ugh, could he follow any instruction? With a light sigh, Shadow formed an impromptu 'Plan C', Sonic having ruined both Plan A and B in... about three seconds. Damn blue hedgehog. Shadow wondered if he was on drugs. He looked wildly at the freedom fighters, knowing what he'd have to do. Naturally, with Sonic and Shadow being the fastest, they could scout the base for Sally. If they headed in opposite directions, and let the machines try and deal with a problem... Hopefully, Shadow and Sonic could cause enough disturbance to confuse them, while the main focus would be on Team C, who'd hopefully be able to defend the lift for the departure. Once Sally had been found, that is. Quick, and smooth. A small smirk formed on his lips, his fang protruding a little. He liked this plan. Hoping Sonic still had his comm unit, Shadow bolted down a wide corridor, the opposite direction from Sonic, his boots igniting as he skated dramatically away from the scene. Hopefully the machines would believe that all the insurgents were at the lift, for now, anyway. He lifted his wrist-bound comm, telling the others of his plan as he sped away. From the open link, he could hear the firefight had begun. 'Take cover!' someone shouted, the voice of that male fennec who'd been studying Shadow intently on the ride up. Plasma sounds, cries of pain, explosions. Shadow smiled. It had begun! As he sped down the vast network of tunnel-like hallways, energy rippling over his dark body as he did. With a smirk, he stopped dead, a wall of steel blocking his path. Machines, and lots of them. 'Bring it on.' he taunted, his voice full of pent-up emotions and wrath. Time to show them what the Ultimate Life Form could do. He held out his arms to the onrushing metal horde, and a tide of yellow energy blasted forth, impaling every one of them with a deadly Chaos Spear. The explosion could be heard from outside the Fortress. He gave a small laugh, speeding through the smoke, and onward. He cast spears of energy to and fro as he raced, wanton destruction making him forget the mission, just a little. Sonic could find Sally, he thought. I'll give those bastards something to worry about! No doubt the machines were on his trail of devastation, as he cut a scar-like swathe through the base, dead-ends becoming gaping holes in his path. He wished he had an Emerald... Chaos Control could only make this more fun... Posted by: Celeste the White Spirit Mar 18 2010, 11:41 AM Sonic never ceased to amaze her, and she was sure this opinion was shared by many. He may as well had been a bolt of blue lightning, decimating the robots that were obstructing is path as easily as a bug zapper fries insects. Even more amazing was that he had somehow seen her awaiting them even without her approaching! Good, it made it all that much easier and things could keep moving along! "Yo Celeste, whats shaking?" He said casually, landing in front of her. She bowed slightly at the waist in greeting, a warm smile on her face. "Hello Sonic!" She straightened back up, clasping her hands behind her back. She sensed it, he hadn't substantially tapped into the power reserve she had given him. It was a good thing too, he would need it from here on in if he were to get Sally out safely! Moving on, she said, "I'm afraid we have no time to waste with pleasantries." Turning, she lifted a delicate paw towards a small hallway, pointing down it. "Go in that direction, and stay on track. The Princess' life is being supported by a stasus tube in the prisoner wing." She looked at Sonic, her eyes holding a great deal of concern. Unsettled, she took a deep breath. "It would do you well to prepare yourself Sonic." She cautioned. "I'm afraid she is not doing well and her condition is rather... alarming." Posted by: Darren Fennec Mar 18 2010, 05:53 PM Sonic dashed off, feet a blur, and wearing a smile that would do a photographer proud. The commotion had sent a flurry of excitement through the group. For some of them, never having seen Sonic in action, the legends were coming to life before them, like a dream. For the rest, familiar thoughts and emotions set in. No matter which camp one fell into, Sonic's explosive, if reckless, launch was an injection of morale that a speech could scarcely match. This. Was. Sonic. Darren let his own smile form. It was as if the years had never passed. A stab of disappointment attempted to rise within him, that he would not be present at the moment the shackles were removed from his Princess. It was quickly stifled beneath calculated duties. Each member had their job and no one, except perhaps Shadow and Bunnie, could keep up with Sonic. The rest would slow him down, become liabilities. Sonic, he knew, could handle himself. He had done so enumerably in the past, his character proven. What was demanded of them now was to make sure attentions lay elsewhere so The Hero of Mobius could be the hero again. Hairs stood at attention on Darren's neck and instinct took over. "Take cover!" Grabbing Argyle by the scruff, he yanked him back and down behind the doors. Laser fire poured in and screams reciprocated. A quick look about him showed that they had not lost anyone. Some injuries, yes, painful to be sure -- laser fire always was -- but none too worse for the volley. Argyle himself had eyes the size of saucers, his breathing rapid, realizing how close he had come to being a casualty. Darren squeezed his shoulder again and spoke privately into his ear. "Gird your wits about ye, soldier. Thine instincts wouldn't lead you astray. Trust them." Argyle shook his head, regaining focus. "Okay... but my instincts tell me to run home!" Darren chuckled and patted him on the back. "Aye, 'cept that one, sir. That one ye must temper. For it's not to home we must run." He shoved himself across the floor along the crease of the wall to where Bunnie and Kyle had crouched. "Death beckons us, my friends, lest we move. We cannot stay here." His tone was severe. Outside, he caught a glimpse of Shadow tearing a rampage through the squad of bots. WOW. He quietly thanked Sonic for being insistent on his company. This break could be just what was needed. Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Mar 18 2010, 09:40 PM Something caught Kyle's eye as he watched Sonic take off across the dock and down the opposing corridor. It was a ghostly figure of a white... mink? Kyle caught his breath, remembering Myst's description. But could it really be her? He honestly couldn't be certain, the figure passed from his sight in the instant he had seen it. Get your head in the game, Kyle! He saw Darren grab Argyle and Sandra dive for cover as a volley of laser fire rained in on the front of the open crate. It was nice to see the intervening years hadn't done anything to decrease the fennec's reaction time. He found himself crouched next to Bunnie as Darren made his way towards them. "Death beckons us, my friends, lest we move. We cannot stay here." he raised his voice to be heard over the sizzling of the laser bolts on the crate's metal floor. "I agree!" Bunnie responded to Darren's remark. "The first thing we need to do is get everyone into a better defensive position," Kyle joined. "Those of us heading to the engine room and those of us here who will defend the dock." "Kyle!" Bunnie exclaimed pointing towards several crates and service vehicles grouped together in a spot not too far from the gravity lift platform. It seemed to form a natural fort, surrounded on all sides and several feet high. "I'm on it!" Kyle held up his index finger to draw the attention of some of the other freedom fighters to his gaze. "Wardens operate in squads of two to three, usually with a group of troopers for support. They're also efficient at making quick strategies. Both the Wardens and the Troopers weren't expecting us so for the next few moments we have the upper hand and we must take advantage of that! We have to take the crates for cover before they have a chance to organize and use it themselves." A second wave of laser fire burned into the floor and the group found itself pushed further back into the crate. "A Warden's greatest defense is it's shield. If we can get them caught in a pincer attack we'll have more than one opportunity to get around it." He turned to Bunnie who had picked up on his train of thought. "Two groups, y'all!" she said, rapidly pointing out who would be in each group. "One group heads for the crates and the second joins once the pincer attack is done. Your group first, Kyle!" "Covering fire!" Bunnie yelled. A volley of plasma burst forth from the opened crate and towards the Wardens on either side of the dock. They raised their massive shields to block the attack, the plasma scorching and melting. Kyle and half of the other freedom fighters raced from the crate towards the haphazard fort. Dive-rolling over the first of the crates, he came up hard against another, but in that moment he noticed one of the Wardens hard turned slightly, leaving his side exposed to Bunnie's group. (OOC: Hey everyone! Feel free to join in! The more the merrier in this fight! Also, I hope no one minds I gave Bunnie some lines of dialog ^^ ) Posted by: Sawyer Mar 20 2010, 09:57 AM "Two groups, y'all!" he heard Bunnie shout. Sawyer looked up to see her pointing out who would be in each group. He was with Kyle and the others. "One group heads for the crates and the second joins once the pincer attack is done. Your group first, Kyle!” This is it. He looked down at the plasma rifle. It felt strange and unfamiliar. He had never really used a gun before as he tended not to have one on his travels, relying on wits, hearing, his ability to escape dangerous conditions without harm and his strength. He sighed heavily. Damn that Shadow for forcing this on him. But he knew using the gun was the better option. But still.... he didn’t have to be so mean about it! A smile wouldn’t hurt anyone! "Covering fire!" he heard Bunnie yell. Immediately he dashed out from behind the crates and began running towards the makeshift fort. The rifle was so awkward! He couldn’t run on all four paws when he had to carry a big piece of metal from point A to B! While he was running, the strap of the gun tripped him up and he came crashing down with plasma fire whizzing over his head Sawyer dove behind another bunch of crates. The rest of his team had already reached their destination. “Stupid piece of tin!” Sawyer shouted angrily, as he watched his team mates take cover in the fort! He untangled the strap of his gun from his foot and slung it over his shoulder. Now he could run on all four paws giving him a speed boost compared to running on his two legs. Sawyer dove out from behind the crates and bolted for safety.... Posted by: Sonic Mar 20 2010, 10:00 AM Something about Celeste's expression, and the tremor in her voice cut through Sonic's enthusiasm slightly. "It would do you well to prepare yourself Sonic. I'm afraid she is not doing well and her condition is rather... alarming." Alarming? What did that mean? He shook off the worry that was trying to creep in. Sally was going to be okay. She had to be okay. His train of thought was broken as a rain of laser fire exploded around him. He avoided it easily, frowning as he spun to face the attacking robot. “Hey!” he said, as he launched himself into the air. “Didn't anyone ever tell you it was rude to interrupt?” <Scanning. Target Unknown.> The robot said as he landed on top of it. Sonic sighed and shook his head. These things didn't even know who he was? He'd have to fix that. “The name is Sonic,” he said, smiling sweetly as another two robots trained their guns on his position on top of the first. “Or in the language you guys speak – Hedgehog. Priority one.” He jumped again as the two bots opened fire simultaneously, destroying the first. Sonic laughed, and landed on the second, striking a pose. “You're too slow!” he called. “Come on, come on, I'm right here!” A blast of red plasma struck the bot, and Sonic leapt once more as it exploded beneath him. He curled tightly into a ball, destroying the third bot, then uncurling to make a perfect landing back where he had started beside Celeste. “Sorry about that, seems like nobody taught these bots any manners.” He grinned, then jerked his thumb in the direction Celeste had indicated. “Sal's this way right? Don't sweat it, I'll find her. You better high tail it out of there, though. It's getting kind of crazy.” He wasn't sure if Celeste even could be hurt, but it was better to be safe than sorry. Posted by: Shadow Mar 20 2010, 04:15 PM Shadow punched through another wall, fire and smoke pulled along by his slipstream as he rocketed along, still gathering speed as he went. Another explosion, the acrid smell of burned metal... Sky Fortress would never be the same. On his face was a wide, insane-looking smile, his eyes wide in the elation from his rampage. How many walls and robots had he destroyed..? Lost count? Heh, they should see... the repair bill!!! Luckily his comm was off, and he was distanced from the others sufficiently, for he broke into a mad, evil cackle. The repair bill!!! The insane laugh rang out through the fortress, echoing through the metal halls manically. So much fun! Boom, went another machine, as he lobbed a ball of distorted spacial energy at it. Bang, crash, whoooosh went the flames, the fire! Heheeheeehaaa! Okay, calm down, Shadow. The mission, remember? Yes... the mission. Right. He stopped suddenly, the wind catching up with him in a whoosh! that ruffled his spines. He looked around. He was in a large, empty room. It was dark, metallic, and surgically clean. Was there a purpose? There must be, rooms are always there for a reason... Almost in answer to his question, the walls shifted. As he looked up with a raised eyebrow. Click, click! The sound multiplied, hundreds upon hundreds of clicks revealing perfect squares in the wall. Hundreds. They whirred loudly, sliding out from the wall smoothly. Nothing happened for a moment, and silence returned. Briefly. Not for long, though. The racks each fanned open, revealing... Oh, how fun. Turrets. Possibly thousands of them. Each of them unfolded dramatically, their laser targeters igniting in ripples of red. The once-dark room illuminated as they trained themselves on Shadow, hundreds of dots lighting up his whole body. "Ha... Is this!?" he shouted into the room, the energy that rippled all over his body like pale red fire glowing more intense, blitzing the faint glow of the targeters to nothing. "ALL YOU'VE GOT!?" Another laugh echoed, bouncing around the large room and back to Shadow's ears. ((OOC: Shaz is MAD. Also, I can has RUIN boss fight?)) |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:39 AM Post #2 |
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Posted by: Darren Fennec Mar 20 2010, 06:28 PM It was always hard for Darren to watch others put themselves in harm's way, especially when those souls were younger than he. It was a simple rule he lived by: he'd never ask a man to do anything he himself wouldn't. So when Bunnie had chosen him to remain in the second wave while the first sprinted out, his heart became troubled. He tried to channel the emotion into the rifle fire they were spraying at the Wardens, but pulling a trigger tightly could only do so much. Then, Sawyer fell, tumbling over his plasma rifle. An "old tongue" curse escaped Darren's lips at the site. His desire, to run and out their headlong and drag Sawyer with him to safety, was held in check firmly by the same instincts he had moments before spoken to Argyle about. He needed to stay put or they both could wind up dead! Even so, his body flinched in response. But Sawyer was in no need of assistance. The fall hadn't phased him and in a reflexive flash was behind another pile of crates. Darren was impressed. The tiger was only sixteen years of age, barely enough winters in him to be called a man, and yet he had kept his wits about him masterfully on the battlefield. In another surprising turn, Sawyer was next seen bolting on all fours to another vantage point, his plasma rifle strung across his back! A tricky little tiger, eh? Darren nodded approvingly. "Well done, lad." He said, knowing Sawyer probably wouldn't hear him. But the tactic was working. Already one of the three wardens was turning to face the first team, leaving its flank exposed. Just a little longer now for the group to get settled. Sandra, who had made a hasty vow to never go anywhere with Kyle again, sat crouching beside Darren. He nudged the red fox with his knee and then nodded his head at the Warden. Sandra picked up on his intentions immediately, seeing the exposed machine turning. Darren fired first, a hazy bolt that landed poorly, severing the bot's arm, causing the Warden to drop its shield. Sandra was much sharper, a perfect shot picking the head clean off. It fell to the ground clanging. "Superb shooting, Lady San-" he was cut off, legs kicked out from underneath him and landing hard on his rear. A warm glowing circle from laser fire was etched in the wall where he had been. "Sorry, Sugah," Bunnie said, smiling at him on the floor next to him. "But better a sore bum than a sore head, yah know?" Darren laughed. "Aye, my dear! Apologize not, for I have only thanks for thee." He gave her a playful, and thanking, bat of the ears -- one large eared friend to another -- before returning to Sandra's side, this time in a crouch. Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Mar 20 2010, 07:06 PM Kyle peered over the crate he was using for cover and ignored the ache in his side from landing so hard against the opposing one. They had all made it - no! No they hadn't! Sawyer had fallen in his run! Kyle's breath came up short at the site of the tiger sprawled on the floor. He was nearly over the crate in order to race back out to him when Sawyer deftly extricated himself from his rifle's strap and ran on all fours to a second set of crates. Agile and fast! Smart thinking of him too! Kyle dropped back into his defensive position and fired a few plasma bursts to keep the attention of the Wardens on his group. It paid off. A sequence of plasma from Bunnie's group came forth. The first shot, though not so expertly aimed, did it's job well in conjunction with the second, resulting in the bot's head sailing across the room. He let out a taunt of laughter at seeing the strategy working. In response to its companion's demise, one of the two remaining Wardens shifted slightly and took aim inside the crate that had birthed the freedom fighters. "Hey, Argyle!" Kyle called out to the badger whom Darren had been conversing with earlier. Argyle looked at him and he could see a fear in his eyes, but it was controlled. Good man. "Tag team. You go high, I go low then we both nail him." The badger nodded in understanding. "Ready? Go!" The second Warden's stance left less open to attack, but Argyle's aim was true. His shot rang out over the top of the robot's shield, singeing the top of its head. Disoriented, the bot's weight shifted leaving a leg unshielded. Kyle let out a volley at the leg, hitting a power coupling in the process and causing a small blast which flipped the bot forward on its shield. With its back exposed Argyle and Kyle made quick work of it. Now it was Argyle's turn to let out a hoot of triumph. Wardens, however, were quick thinking robots. The final Warden, seeing its squad members destroyed, forced it shield down into the metal decking of the bay. It stood upright like a stone pillar providing enough cover for the bot to grab its companion's shield, repeat the process, and grab a second rifle. Now covered sufficiently from both sides by its metal wall, the Warden began firing rapid streams of laser bolts in both directions. Kyle and the rest of his team hunched behind their crate wall. Covered from both sides, the bot was laying down a great suppressive fire. It would do so long enough to burrow through their defense or for the Troop support to arrive. They had no way to sneak a clean shot in. They didn't, but Sawyer did. "Sawyer! Take the shot!" Posted by: Sawyer Mar 21 2010, 09:45 AM Sawyer sprinted on all fours across to the place where his team was taking cover. All around him plasma shots were being fired which only encouraged him to run faster. After finally reaching close enough to them, he skidded to a halt and rolled along crashing into a brunch of heavy metal crates, taking cover. He was in between both teams but couldn’t advance any further without being reduced to a pile of smoking ashes. “Smooth landing, eh?” he laughed to himself. "Well done, lad." His highly sensitive ears picked up when heard this. He poked his head out his head out to see Darren crouched beside Sandra. He smiled over at Darren and gave him the thumbs up. He turned around to see Kyle and Argyle neatly take out another warden. He watched Argyle fire at the wardens head causing to lift its shield up and observed how Kyle quick shot at its legs leading it to be destroyed. He was impressed. He readied the plasma rifle and looked around at Kyle. “Sawyer! Take the shot!” He looked up to see the final warden standing in front of him, totally oblivious to him see him crouched behind the set of conveniently placed metal crates.... He aimed his plasma rifle in between the two shields of the warden.... “THIS IS FOR MY TRIBE, YOU BITCH!” he roared. Pulling the trigger as fast as he could he let the warden taste the plasma bursts.... Posted by: Bunnie Mar 21 2010, 02:52 PM [OOC: Thanks for including Bunnie hfksafa otherwise I'd be completely lost. I'm back now, recovered, and should be able to post more regularly. And by regularly, I mean at all. @A@] Bunnie didn't do much on the ride over. She stared. Stared and thought. She idly rolled up the sleeve of her cool-colored bomber jacket to look at her newly repaired cybernetics. It was a good patch job - as if it has never been once punch away from becoming detached. She rolled it back down and flexed her fingers. This wasn't going to be easy. It was likely, in fact, that most of them would meet their Maker aboard in this hellish fortress. The moment they arrived, they were in trouble. Bunnie was put in charge of Team C. She was both accustomed and unaccustomed to leadership. She had always been good at teamwork, and giving orders generally worked out for her..but she constantly doubted herself and her decisions, which gave her a headache, among other things. She looked forward to getting Sally back. ------ "Sawyer! Take the shot!" In an instant and shout of vengeance, Sawyer blew the final Warden away. Bunnie took a moment to breathe. She was battered and worn, though mostly from using her arm cannon as opposed to being injured. The scorched tip of her left ear irritated her more than anything. She wished she'd brought some salve for it. "Regroup, y'all." she panted loudly, gesturing to her team, which had made her proud in those few moments of combat. "Before we'ah head on to the engine room, any of y'all got injuries that need tending?" She might not have brought salve, but she did have two basic med-kits in a small messenger bag she'd slung over her shoulder, with a faded red cross on the front flap. "If not, we'all be headin' on. Be on guahd. I'm shor'ah they won't be lettin' us alone that easily." Posted by: Harpy Mar 21 2010, 05:22 PM In the darkness, the sound of repetitive mechanical processes stopped and fell silent. The robotic body of the RUIN unit lit internally, coming to life again. Cleaned from her most recent rampage, eager enough for another, she opened her eyes, the battle-cry of the Beta class falling as a whisper from her beak. “Glory to Oblivion! Death to his enemies...” Interrupting maintenance cycle, communication uplink established. Routing orders to unit Beta Class V2.17. Priority. Intruders are assaulting the Fortress. The striped hedgehog recorded on the security cameras had a certain flair, and his enthusiasm for desecrating these sacred halls called obvious attention to himself. His actions were easy to follow, already he had reached as far as level C12, the destruction of not only the guard machines but the halls themselves significant enough to warrant an immediate alert be sent to a Beta. Wardens weren't enough, it seemed. But did the intruder even know what he was approaching? As if such a creature could comprehend! His actions are surely diversionary. Yet his success in coming so far alone cannot be dismissed as over-confidence. If it is attention he wants, he will have it. “Are you watching, love?” Harpy smiled to herself. Oblivion could trust this distraction to her, of course, as his attention was surely taken by greater things. And it was. Quickly analyzing the hedgehog's destructive path in reverse, Harpy realized that there was something larger going on than the last raid by the Mobian felines. The guards at the main lift had sent out an alert for back-up, and Oblivion was already making his move; Harpy sensed his absence from the halls of RUIN as a wistful longing, then a pang of excitement. Another chance to prove herself! Luckily, apart from the lift and C12 the rest of the security recordings were clear, despite an odd blur that had disrupted the recordings on an upper level. Damage to the system, no doubt; she ignored it. The Mobian 'assault' hadn't made it very far, they had foolishly made themselves so obvious so soon! And, they could not be allowed to reach any deeper into the facilities. The audacity! Harpy's metal feathers ruffled at their lack of respect. Disengaging from the uplink, Harpy pulled away from the wires and physical restraints with a violent sound of metal, impatient. So be it. With a laughing whistle, she summoned and dispersed her Phaser pets to seek out the intrusion at the lift, while she would face the dangerous loner. She arrived just as a magnificent blast of pale fire erupted from Shadow's body, filling the turret room and melting almost every last one of the weapons. “Is this... ALL YOU'VE GOT!?” his maniacal cry echoed in the large chamber. From her perch near the ceiling of vast room, Harpy blinked down at him coldly; such fearsome strength could not be overcome directly. Such violence could be matched only be turning it against itself. Even as the blasted room groaned in protest of his attack, the seared walls straining, a hum had begun beneath and behind the mechanical voice of the machinery. A lulling tune, one to match the mad expression of the hedgehog. That look in his eyes betrayed a heart tainted and tormented by mortal aspiration and regret. Her music crept into that heart, filling him from the marrow of his bones to his very skin with visions summoned by his own mind, visions he would see and hear and touch, if he could not manage to escape his own heart. Harpy spread her wings and circled, surrounding him with her song as his surroundings faded from his sight, replaced by images of different halls, the noisy rotation of the turrets replaced by different sounds, and emerging from the darkness at the edge of his vision, a child in a blue dress... ((ooc: hope it's okay if I threw some Phasers in there. I can take 'em out, I was trying to finish the post was all)) Posted by: Shadow Mar 22 2010, 01:24 AM ((SoDi, stop your worrying! It's your post, do what you like! tongue.gif)) Shadow smiled a little at himself. He'd meant to release a little bit of power, to prepare himself for the coming fight. Not blast the whole room... Over the past six years, he'd been forced to learn how to control his power, without his inhibitor rings. Sadly, they'd been lost in space, when his 'death' occurred after destroying FinalHazard and saving Earth II. As the glow faded, the turrets laying ruined in their mounts, Shadow activated his boots, preparing to continue his swathe of destruction through the base... Until the most harmonious sound filled the dark room. He cast his eyes around, looking for the source... But the walls faded away, replaced by the red-striped and illuminated walls of the Space Colony ARK. The floor became black and rubberised, and the far wall became a viewport, letting the light from countless stars waft in. In a sort of trance, he saw her. Maria... He felt so like running to her! She was alive! She was ali- He stopped cold, the gunshot ringing in his mind once more. Step away from the controls! Shadow... give them a chance... to be happy... MARIA! Bang! He fell to his knees, and the walls grew dark. Blood and scorch-marks stained the ARK's walls. The source of the sound, the entity... was now Maria. Dead, rotted, empty Maria. Floating there, staring at him with dead eyes. "Shadow... Come to me Shadow..." it said, decayed mouth unmoving. Pain and rage filled the hedgehog, as he leapt toward the being, Chaos energy rippling in his wake. "MARIA!" he screamed through his teeth, attempting to punch the being in the head, but instead hitting it in the throat. The wondrous, melancholy song stopped abruptly, and he followed up with a swift kick to the chest. "Maria... died. A long time ago." he panted, falling to the ground once more. Reality caught up with him, and again he stood in the turret-room, in the Sky Fortress. The 'Maria' had changed... into... something. A metallic form, obscure from this angle. "What... are you..?" he questioned, an accusing and disgusted tint to his voice. Posted by: Celeste the White Spirit Mar 22 2010, 10:45 AM ((ooc- This thread is great XD Shadows 'repair bill' bit made me lol and I love Sonics 'priority one' comment! I'm also very impressed with Darren and Kyles thoughtful posts! It helps one get to know thier characters better! And we have some new people showing up here which makes me happy! Welcome back Bunnie, and welcome to the fight Sawyer! And Harpy is pretty scarey ;-; Thanks everyone for participating!) Celeste felt an acute ache in her breast at the turmoil that flashed across Sonics face. The worry, the fear, the anger... It's a beautiful thing when someone cares for another so deeply. She thought with a little envy. His worry was shortlived (on the surface, anyway) in light of the threats at hand, and he easily abandoned himself in feets of bravado to fight an attacking robot, once more displaying old wits and acrobatics with bursts of eye numbing speed! This was what the resistance had been missing! His unwavering confidence, his contagious optimism, and his undenyable skills; It was his very pressense that made one believe that this war wasn't hopeless after all, and it made them swell with pride to follow him into battle! Sonic was done quickly, and Celeste pointed towards the Princess once more. "Yes, she is that way!....and do not worry about me, Sonic." Her eyes softened serenely at his concern, before she closed them once more. "I shall be fine." Her attention turned to the other freedom fighters. Maybe there was something more she could do for them before she left. With one last word to the cobalt hedgehog, she turned and smiled at him from over her shoulder. "Good luck, Sonic." With that, she bid him farewell with a little wave, and faded into nothing. Plasma fire, bullets, ammunition of all sorts peppered the air from both sides. Celeste knew she could not hold a gun, she had no leadership skills, and she could not use what powers she had to help them. She already did all she was allowed to do when she gave Sonic and Knuckles a direct tap of power from the master emerald. What she could do, was draw thier fire for a moment. But that would be in vain if there was no course of action for the resistence to take when she did. She had to speak to one of them. When she became visable once more, even in her transparent state, it was beside the Fennec named Darren. He was watching the tiger, a soul she did not recognise, bolt across the room on all fours, murmuring a 'well done' under his breath like a proud father! She smiled warmly. He was experienced as a soldier, and seemed to have the coolest head at the moment, keeping his wits in light of emmense odds. She had no time to observe however, and had to act quickly. There was no telling how long the forces of chaos would allow her to remain. "Darren?" She called softly, her head tilting slightly to the side. "May I have a word with you?" She only prayed he would see her for what she was, and not think a ghost was haunting the area in which they fought. Then again, he may had already heard of the White Spirit and it's close relationship with the royal family. She stood and waited to be noticed. Posted by: Darren Fennec Mar 22 2010, 11:55 PM ((OOC: Bunnie is back! YAY! A bit of a long post, sorry! I was having fun. smile.gif )) The firefight had been going better than anyone could have anticipated and, Darren felt certain, was due to no small part from the heroics of Sonic. The Hero of Mobius had fueld their hopes and all had responded admirably. Already Bunnie had called for a regrouping, knowing the fighting was just beginning. Bandages were being handed out to the wounded, and Darren assured Bunnie her ear would be fine, although bald for some weeks to come -- he'd have to jest with her about that in less serious moments. Sandra was busy keeping tabs on the events developing in the bay, informing him that Shadow and Sonic were no longer to be seen. He offered up another prayer for their safe return. And then something happened that Darren would remember the rest of his life. He felt her presence long before she spoke. Something deep within, as if slumbering for generations, groaned to awaken and a quickening was felt in his spirit. It was similar in experience to past trials, but never so potent or clear. Believing the battle and events of the past week to be catching up to him, he refocused, pushing the strange sensations down. They were a distraction that could cost lives. But the words that alighted to his sensitive ears shattering the belief. "Darren? May I have a word with you?" It was a melodious speech, like a flute that had learned to speak. He turned to face the owner. Was this an angel? The visage shimmered as if rippling on the currents of a pond. It was a mink, white as the snows of Helsina. Her locks of hair the same white as she, like rivers that billowed from the crown of her head, dancing slowly in some hidden wind. She was clad in a elegant dress the same hue as her eyes, the pink of the sky at setting sun and... sorrowful, filled with such sadnesses he could scarcely fathom. Yet, at their core, hope pierced mightily, flowing into radiant rivers that glimmered off her lithe form. Her feet never touched the ground. Ephemeral and beautiful, she wasn't real. She was more than real. All that is seen comes from that which is unseen, he knew. She was of the unseen, an emissary from beyond the veil. If not for the truth he felt in his spirit, he would have written her off as fatigue. He bowed his head as best he could, given the circumstances, trying to offer up the respects due her. The old legends flashed through his mind, older than the dunes he had grown up on. He recalled the nights of his father recounting the tales to him, her friendship with the royal line and helper of the lost. Every culture had spoken of her, had myths and tales about her, about her kindness and her powers. Darren had never had the chance to speak to the Acorn family about her, but always the stories told of her as a compassionate woman. A woman of love. A woman of sorrows. The White Spirit. "L'Ladria...." The ancient word fell from his lips in a whisper. What had he done to garner such honor? Perhaps the blessing he had offered to every fallen Mobian was now meant for him? Nay, may it not be before the Princess was upon her soil! It had all taken less than several seconds from words to response, and now he was unsure how to react. He had never expected to meet The White Spirit, not while alive anyway. Who did? It was not the sort of thing a person was ever really prepared for. How would Sonic react? He'd probably wave a casual hand and say something like "Yo, White Spirit, what's shaking?" and top it off with his signature grin. Darren chose to remain formal. "Fair Lady, you honor me! I am Darren. Speak, for I have ear to hear thee." He kept his voice low, not desiring to draw attention to them. A "ghost" would certainly cause a panic, not something he wished to encite. Posted by: Celeste the White Spirit Mar 23 2010, 03:19 PM ((ooc- that post was simply inspiring Kirk! I can't pretend to know what L'Ladria means, but it sounds lovely to say aloud! Enlighten me?)) Merely from watching him from afar for a length of time, Celeste knew Darren was a man experienced and seasoned in the ways of the Mobius. From a young age, he had been raised to serve the Kingdom of Acorn and to respect the spiritual nature of the planet and its mysterious powers, as well as the 'old ways'. He was concerned over the plights of others, empathetic, fatherly to his subordonates, and always modest despite his excelling skills and knowledge. He had seen the coup of Robotnik with eyes of maturity, and fought the war with the most noble of intentions, and once he had learned of Sally's survival, had loyally gone to serve her. He was all of these things, and the man still looked upon her with eyes of awe and reverence, murmuring the ancient word, "L'Ladria." He knew who she was, she had no doubt in her mind. He regarded her with recognition, not fear. She had been right to choose him this day. Still, Celeste could never become used to this type of behavior, and could only watch him and blush as his eloquent words slipped from his lips like honey. "Fair Lady, you honor me! I am Darren. Speak, for I have ear to hear thee." Smiling, she reached out a hand to him, ghosting her transparent hand over his scarred brow. "You give me such praise that I do not deserve, good Knight." She said, tracing a finger tip down the length of his old wound. "I will keep your words of kindness however. I scarcely get to hear such beautiful things uttered for my benefit." She withdrew her hand and with a smile, greeted him. "I am Celeste, brave Darren, or rather, the White Spirit which your father had spoken of to you. I come to aid you in this battle, yet I'm afraid I can not do much." She gestured to the lazer fire. "I am visible enough to grab their attention, as well as their fire, if only for a few precious seconds. Would this be an advantage to you?" Her eyes fell on his, desperate to help. "If I can assist, please, formulate a plan, and instruct me on what I should do." Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Mar 25 2010, 10:35 AM (OOC: Welcome back, Bunnie! It's good to have you with us! Wonderful posts, Celeste and Darren, I very much like the characterization you do! Harpy and Shadow are both wonderfully written as well. And a tip of the ol' hat to you Sawyer, for saving our hides! Welcome to the war. smile.gif ) (OOC: edited, because I just realized there was still laser fire in Celeste's last post ^^ sorry! Missed it the first time. Looong post, but lots of talking and action so reads quick) ----------- The pincer attack had gone exceedingly well, and Kyle felt this was in large part due to Sonic the Hedgehog. His antics had revealed their presence in the docking bay, but it was those same antics that had roused the fierce spirits of the freedom fighters to perform as they admirably had. Even Kyle was feeling a surge of confidence. Sonic was The Hero of Mobius, after all. He was probably tearing down corridors leaving a trail of wreckage and twisted debris this very moment. The thought made Kyle smile. Yeah, take that, Metal Horde. The final Warden had fallen at the hands of Sawyer. As his battle cry echoed in the expanse of the docking bay it suddenly became quiet. Kyle could actually hear the roar of the wind just outside the grav-lift. Could this be all the defense? He didn't believe it for a second. There had to be a support squad of troopers about. And if not, there were certainly more robots on the way. "Seal the doors," he said to two in his group, "Use your Overrides." Overrides were small logical boxes that allowed one to tap into the rudimentary controls for power doors, in this case allowing for manipulation the locks. The two freedom fighters ran to the bay wall and quickly had the large service door and side personnel doors shut. As the doors were being sealed, Kyle spied a terminal at the edge of the crate defense by some of the service vehicles. "Janson, see if you can plug in and bring up a map of this place." Janson, a bushy tailed brown squirrel wearing a tech vest with more wires running through it than a circuit breaker box, rushed forward, laptop in hand. "This could take a couple minutes," he said, "we've been seeing some real strong security measures in their systems recently." "Regroup, y'all." he heard Bunnie say, "Before we'ah head on to the engine room, any of y'all got injuries that need tending?" "Good on this end." Kyle said as he withdrew from his crate fort, "Fantastic shooting as always, Bunnie." Kyle deeply respected Bunnie. She was one of the original Knothole Freedom Fighters and had been a greet source of strength for the resistance these past three years. She was a strong, capable fighter and yet there was a gentle side to her as well. He had often seen her considerate, southern hospitality demonstrated to the new refugees at Freedom HQ, the lost and the hurting individuals who needed the moment of a shoulder to lean on. It was a character trait that had earned her the adoration of many within the base who sometimes referred to her as "Our Wonderful Southern Belle." His back was to Bunnie as he surveyed the bay for additional threats. Had he turned to look at Bunnie, he might have noticed Darren bowing his head, might have noticed his lips moving. And if he had looked close enough, he might have seen the faint visage of a beautiful mink with fur of purest white and eyes like the dawn. He might have seen the compassion and concern in those eyes and feel his spirit move within him. But he did not turn to look and he did not see The White Spirit. And perhaps, for the moment, it was better that way. Though a part of him desired to meet the Spirit, his soul was not ready. Despite the desire deep within to ask the question that burned in his mind on so many sleepless nights, his heart could not yet bear any of the possible answers. "Good shot, Sawyer. Nice work." His survey had brought him up next to the tiger and Kyle nodded to him in acknowledgement of a job well done. And that's when the Trooper squadron decided to make its presence known. Kyle, being somewhat out in the open, was grabbed by the collar of his jacket and jerked unapologetically by Swayer behind the small stack of crates the tiger had been previously crouching behind. Plasma and laser fire raked the floor where had previously been standing. "That was a close one, thanks." He peered around the crates to spy six troopers firing upon him, the crate fort where he had come from, and the grav-lift crate where Bunnie and the rest of the group still were. They had hidden behind a stack of steel girders and had patiently waited for an opening. Being Gen-I's, a couple of melties ought to do the trick. They just needed an opening... "Bunnie, Kyle," Janson's voice crackled over the comlink, "I've got sufficient cover for the moment and... maybe this isn't the right time, but... well, I'm having trouble getting access to a lot of the database. I have managed to pull up some of the fortress's schematics. You're not going to like this, but it appears there are two engine rooms with a generator in each." Great, Kyle thought as he bit his lip and returned a volley of fire, that means there's no single shot to bring the place down. "Can you tell how to get to either of them?" "Sure. You want port or starboard?" "Port." May as well work from left to right. But first, the Troopers... (OOC: Janson is an NPC. Defeat the troopers so we can head to the engine room and start causing both bot and structural damage! smile.gif ) Posted by: Darren Fennec Mar 25 2010, 01:19 PM ((OOC - Celeste is so kind! <3! Kyle: Loved the Janson description, his jacket and wires had me laughing. )) ((OOC: Rach: L'Ladria. Kyle and I often talk about lore, it brings a sense of age to the stories, we feel, and this word has a rather involved history to it (including tie-ins with some old Fan-Fics!). I may have to ask Sonic to make a Lore Zone to tell the whole story, but the Cliff Notes: In recent times, Ladria become a name used for or to describe a woman of exquisite beauty. The term stems from an old and beautiful city of the same name, which, in turn was named after the woman who founded it. But traveling further back in time, Ladria is a short form of L'Ladria, which, in the ancient tongue, meant "Pure Celestial Being." -- another tribe's name for the White Spirit. smile.gif On with the show! )) There are rare moments in time when events happen so rapidly that time seems to unhinge and expand, as if allotting space for each lest they crowd upon one another. Darren was in the midst of such a moment. While his mind was still in awe that the White Spirit was present before him, fairer than any ballad he had heard describe her, he noted, a core part of him strengthened in solidarity. The tales were true! The whispers were true! An arbiter of the magics of Mobius did indeed exist! Now, all the words spoken of her were half truths to him, only because they paled to the revelation. His beliefs, no longer resting on the stories but founded in real meeting, soared, his world forever new. Her eyes were so gentle when she traced her finger upon the wretched scar of his brow. He couldn't feel her hand, of course, not in a corporal form. But a feeling like cool mint flowed through it, as if the wound could not exist in her presence. His hands felt like they were burning, but not in a painful way, like a great light in him was trying to shine out. "You give me such praise that I do not deserve, good Knight." she said. "I will keep your words of kindness however. I scarcely get to hear such beautiful things uttered for my benefit." Undeserving? His sense of moral respect balked in him. To have seen the trials of all the milleniums, to bear the ills of generations and still be as loving as she was? How could she not be more deserving? He was about to speak, when her hand left, the sensations in him departing with it, and introduced herself... by name! Celeste. There was power and vulnerability in the giving of one's name. To know it is to invite fellowship and respect. The significance of it was not lost on him. All other thoughts vanished as he readied himself to do justice to that honor, intently listening to her plea. It reached her delicate eyes and the burden there made his heart tremble. "If I can assist, please, formulate a plan, and instruct me on what I should do." The musical notes were somber. His thoughts raced. What she should do? Their goal, the engine room, was heavily fortified for certain and even now they were pinned down beneath bots. Though they only be Gen-1's, a gun was still lethal and the import of each life was paramount. A parade here could mean the loss of more later. Or, to hold off, could mean a total failure. Could he be so bold to plead the case, seeking her help on both fronts? You do not have because you do not ask. The old adage of Julayla's came floating back to him past the years. War was a time for boldness. Timidity wasn't his strong suit anyway. "Fair Lady L'Ladria... Celeste, forgive my boldness if ye find offense in it. But I must be bold with thee in my request. We are under fire here and although these souls will win this fight, I know not our own casualties. I desire the loss of no one. But of greater importance is the freedom of our Princess. I fear if our diversion in the engine room is not met, forces will be too great for even Sonic to withstand." He hated the thought of it, but even though Sonic was the Hero of Mobius, he was still mortal and had all the limitations that came with it. His own eyes now turned pleading. "Prithee, Lady Celeste, may I beseech thee for help both here and there? Drawing their fire here, a sweep out left around the bay, will leave Kyle's squad ready for the kill and none shall be lost here. So too, with our assault upon the engines, your brilliance there will assure the victory." He looked away, head still down. "For all our sakes, Fair Lady. If I have found favor with thee, please entertain this request." She may feel this behavior was undeserving, but as a man under authority now speaking with The White Spirit, Darren knew no other way to act. ((OOC: I keep saying I'll post shorter in the future! I do intend to keep that promise! lol )) Posted by: Sonic Mar 25 2010, 05:41 PM "Good luck, Sonic." Celeste said softly as she faded away into nothingness. Sonic stood there, watching the space where she had been. There was something, so sad about the White Spirit. An almost tangible sorrow that hung in the air when she left. Sonic had never been good at dealing with other people’s unhappiness. Just smile! That was his philosophy. If you kept smiling then half the time you could fool everyone around you into believing you were okay. And if you could fool everyone around you, then the chances were you could start to fool yourself. Gunfire snapped him out of his daze, bullets glancing off the walls around him. Sonic turned, that trademark smile one more appearing as he faced the five bots closing in on him. These ones were different from the flying models he’d dealt with, they were humanoid, and about double Sonic’s height. They also had shields, which looked pretty solid. Sonic could already imagine the bruises he’d get, trying to spin attack them. Still, it was nothing he couldn’t handle. “You’d think that you guys might take a hint from what happened to your friends,” Sonic said, waving a hand towards the smoking remains. As he’d suspected though, the robots ignored his warning. They seemed a little smarter than the others, fanning out to try and surround him. Sonic pressed himself back against the wall, his eyes going wide. “Oh no, I’m trapped!” he said sarcastically. “Not.” He pushed off the wall, using the nearest bot as a spring board to leapt up and over, shifting into a front flip and following it up with a perfect landing. He reached out and tapped one of the bots on the back. “Hey, you lose something?” he asked, tilting his head and copying their pose as they stared at the space were he had been. They turned then, but not fast enough. Sonic was already gone, streaking around the outside of the huge cargo bay to build up enough speed before taking aim and looping back. The bots opened fire, and Sonic jumped, curling up and launching himself like a cannonball. He struck the nearest bot and bounced on to the next in line doing a very good impression of a pinball in a pinball machine. He was even counting up the score in his head. 700… 800… 900… For several seconds he ricocheted back and forth, until one of the bots finally managed to hit him with its shield. Sonic rebounded off, landing with his knees bent and one palm pressed flat on the ground to steady himself. Four of the five bots collapsed in sparking ruin, but the fifth, the one that had hit him, was undamaged. For now. Sonic grinned and rolled his injured shoulder. It would probably hurt like hell tomorrow, when Celeste’s power had worn off. But for now the pain wasn’t too bad, just a slight irritation. “You wanna dance?” he asked the bot, straightening up and folding his arms. “Okay, let’s dance!” He shot off again as the bot tried in vain to squish him with its heavy shield, running around it in ever faster and ever tightening circles, becoming a blur of blue and red, far too fast for the eye to follow. A tornado grew in his wake, the g-forces ripping the bot apart from the outside in. Sonic stopped, screws and bits of metal raining down around him, and looked up at the bot. It swayed, the eye-like lights on its head flashing pathetically. Sonic leaned forward, and blew on it. The bot collapsed. Sonic laughed and looked around the hall quickly. What? Nobody saw that? He sighed and turned in the direction Celeste had pointed. Time to get serious. Hang on Sal, I’m coming. A streak of blue, and he was gone. ((OOC - *head desks repeatedly* Kinda a shakey post, but at least it’s done. Sorry it took me so long guys! Sonic has now gone http://z10.invisionfree.com/the_Return_to_Mobius/index.php?showtopic=92&st=0#entry1746796! He'll be back... eventually...)) Posted by: Sawyer Mar 25 2010, 05:56 PM Sawyer lay on the ground still aiming his plasma rifle at the spot where the Warden had fallen... until.... “YEAH! WOO! SUCK IT” he thought. He didn’t want the sound of pleasant silence to be broken, as he knew that there wouldn’t be very much of it throughout is conflict... "Regroup, y'all." he heard Bunnie yell over to them, "Before we'ah head on to the engine room, any of y'all got injuries that need tending?" Sawyer checked himself. There were no marks on him, just a scuff from when he had stupidly fell over the gun. “I guess you proved yourself useful after all” he said to the gun quietly, as he didn’t want the others to hear him talking to his own gun of all things. It was bad enough he was still having nightmares about his mother and father leaving, or seeing the destruction of his village... With a final kick to the last Warden, Sawyer stood up and looked around him. Wow... “This place is huge!” he thought “How on Mobius are we gonna find the engine core?” He just had to trust the Janson and the other guy whom he had never seen before. How rude of him! Sawyer began to walk over to them both to check out how they were getting on when he heard something... Using his sensitive hearing he was able to pick up on... something moving... they weren’t quite audible yet... "Good shot, Sawyer. Nice work." Kyle nodded to him. Kyle’s comment threw off his listening and blocked the noise from his ears. Looking over the crates he saw what was coming... He heard it now too... Around six troopers were aiming their guns... but it wasn’t at him.. it was at Kyle! He was standing in the open... a clean, clear shot. Pouncing from cover, he grabbed Kyle by the collar forcing down behind the crate where Sawyer was taking cover and dove sideways behind another set of crates, plasma shot skimming him in the process. Slamming against the crate he just about heard Kyle say, "That was a close one, thanks." Smiling Sawyer shouted back, “Well... I’m gonna quote Bunnie...“ Fumbling at his weapon, he yelled, “better a sore bum than a sore-“ He looked back to see Kyle peering over at Janson, talking to him through his comlink, already in the combat. “Typical...” he whispered to himself. Kyle was truly an expert in the field of battle. He looked at his shoulder. There was another cut, worse than the first one, but it wasn’t life threatening, just a deeper skim. “Playing it close today are we?” he chuckled to himself. Peaking his plasma rifle over the crate, Sawyer begun to fire a few shots in the general direction of the Gen-1’s in order to lift attention off Kyle while he decided on the course of action... |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:40 AM Post #3 |
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Posted by: Harpy Mar 26 2010, 08:12 AM Confusion covered his face, the flicker of dead hope, and so Harpy had not been quite prepared for him to strike the very object of his dreaming. She reeled back from the blow to her throat, gasping as her music was momentarily silenced, more surprised than truly injured. He was standing, eyes becoming clear as he began to see her true self. But he had faltered, she had watched him tremble; there was weakness there to exploit. And her pride as a RUIN of Oblivion to defend. Now the hedgehog took the time to ask a question, foolishly squandering his moment of advantage, and Harpy, hunched over the metal floor, caught her breath again and whispered, “Glory....” So long as air could move through her lungs, she could spin visions from it. Already her whisper was a note of song. This opponent was strong, she knew; he had shunned a blissful illusion for the pain of truth. By his own will he had turned the image of the blue-clad girl to that of a rotting corpse, her lullaby had not done that. ...But was truth not more dangerous? He was already haunted, she only need provoke that pain. If he is unwilling to drown in pleasant dreams, then let him writhe within despair!! Her song changed, the rhythm quickening to match the beating of his troubled heart, once more finding its way quickly into his mind. Darkness surrounded them, and hidden once more behind the mask of a rotting corpse, Harpy's song answered him in a broken lilt of Maria's voice, “You don't know me?” Bang! This room of the ARK, so familiar to him from memory and years of dreaming, returned, blood spattered and deathly silent. “I am your failure, Shadow. I am the helplessness that haunts you...” “But, who are you?” The room spun, and scattered images from the past six years crowded him. Other friends Shadow had reluctantly made were torn away, leaving him to freshly feel the pain of losing them in the end. Fate had stolen back every joy he'd stumbled across, till there was nothing left to be lost. And with nothing to lose, there was nothing to hold him back from his purpose; the blood would feel wet on his hands, the snap of bones sharp against his fingers, the terrified faces of those who had found themselves his enemies would plead uselessly as his own acts of violence were replayed under his very skin, muscles flinching, his body remembering what his mind might rather forget. "Is this... who you are?" the broken voice followed him, dead eyes fixed on him and all he did, knowing. The taste of old battle-lusts salting his tongue, the rush that followed after a sure and bloody victory, and close behind it the hollow sense that he was the only thing left standing on the blasted battlefield. Not merely memories, these visions were so real, and always with a frightened, childish cry echoing in the background. Behind Maria's weeping, the song rose to become a fearful, frenzied wail. “...Are you a weapon? I didn't want to believe that, Shadow. Why do people die, wherever you go? You left me...” From behind the parade of gruesome images, the bloodied body of the girl drifted back into view, materializing in a ghostly way just beyond the reach of his hands. The ARK returned, rebuilt around them, and the gunshot rang out again in time to silence all the other voices of his past and of his nightmares. Then behind it, the breathy voice of a dead Maria pleaded, “The soldiers came for you, but I'm the one who died! And, you lived.” BANG “Aren't you supposed to be the ultimate lifeform? Why couldn't you save me? I didn't want to die!” Maria's face, though pale and stiff with death, twisted in fear, her rotted-out eyes wept tears, and even as he watched she putrefied, her flesh falling from her child's body. BANG! “I believed in you, but where did you go? I wanted to save you, but you became a weapon anyway!” BANG!! “What are you?! Why couldn't you SAVE me!?!” The silence that followed was somehow even more deafening than the noise of violence had been. The deep unbreaking silence of death. Every other image but her shattered face faded to lightless void, every sensation of touch or temperature was stolen away, the unfeeling darkness of death. He knew what it felt like to die. And he had even returned from it. But everyone he had left behind, all those lives that he had ended or that had ended because he had become close to them... They were waiting for him. Like Maria was, in that empty nothingness where he had left her. “...Shadow.........” ~ ~ ~ Her wings fanned to either side, sharp feathers stretched to their length like a razored halo framing them both. The hedgehog had dropped to his knees again, and Harpy stood before him as the iris that hid the cannon in her chest spiraled slowly open, motes of light drawn from the air around them into her core, brighter and brighter as she charged her beam attack mere feet from his sightless eyes. ((ooc: and that... is Harpy's best attempt to make Shad emo-splode.)) Posted by: Shadow Mar 26 2010, 09:10 AM Shadow! Who are you!? Weapon... Shadow? I give my life freely, Saviour. Gladly, for my people. May we meet in the next life! Bang! Bang! Bang! The gunshot repeated, echoing and haunting. A growl began, deep in Shadow's breast. It intensified as he fell to his knees, clutching his head as a maelstrom of faces, all dead, all gone, all those who'd died for him. Maria was right. Death and despair followed him, ever at his heels. Everything he'd ever had had been taken from him... No matter about all those he'd saved. Too many, far too many, had died in his name. Friends, allies, companions, all of whom had died for him. Teeth clenched in maddening rage, his head snapped upward, as he realised he was on the floor. Maria hovered in the gloom of the lost, a limp corpse suspended by unknown means. She dripped on the floor, taunting him with empty eyes and a razor-toothed smile. "You couldn't save me..." she said, a wailing dirge that hurt Shadow's very mind. Shadow let out a cry. A cry of pent-up anguish, grief and sorrow. A note of raw despair, coupled with the raging fire he felt. "My curse is my burden..." he murmured. She couldn't win, despite how correct she was. "For I... am the Ultimate Life Form." he stated, rising from the floor to his knees, still clutching his tortured head in one head, chaos energy rippling over his black body. "I... am... Shadow the hedgehog!" he cried, raising a hand toward Maria, mouth drawn in a dark grimace. He had to do this. "I am sorry, Maria." he whispered, a blast of white energy erupting from his hand, piercing the gloom. The beam turned Maria's grim smile into a contorted mask of surprise and pain, and she screamed. A screeching, wailing sound that needled through the air, as the gloom evaporated, glowing into a steady whiteness. The faces vanished, replaced by a blinding luminescence, accompanied by a whooshing sound as the abomination's scream faded also. Shadow collapsed onto the cold floor, immediately realising he'd been hallucinating. He sprang to his feet, looking around the Sky Fortress' turret-room. And the massive hole that now decorated a wall, the twinkling night outside casting in a strong wind as the Sky Fortress hurtled through the sky, creating a deafening gale that ruffled Shadow's spines. He looked down at his hand, which was still crackling with energy. Yeah, he did that. He felt... a little drained, having put way too much power behind the lance of Chaos that he'd fired. Abruptly recalling the bird-like machine that he'd seen briefly before the little episode. "Why do you lurk in shadows and play games? Fight!" he taunted into the gloom, where he knew the being must be watching. A fair fight? Hmph. No such thing as a fair fight, up against me. Posted by: Celeste the White Spirit Mar 29 2010, 10:48 AM ((OOC- Oh Kirk, I sure hope you don't! You're posts are such a joy to read because they're so thought out and detailed. If posting at such length is comfortable to you, do it!! It adds to the rp, and personally inspires myself! Everyone, this thread is up several notches! I'm trying hard to keep up but I'm afraid it's hard at the moment ^^; In anycase, I'll try to do you all justice!)) Celeste felt the heavy weight of his words in her breast as though her beating heart were made of lead. Darren spoke out of genuine concern, not for the sake of victory and pride, but for fear of casualties. He feared loosing his friends and comrads this day, he feared for the safety of the Princess, and he feared for thier very cause. Every word he uttered dripped with such selflessness that Celeste found her heart swelling with emotion. Was it really by chance that I sought him out? She wondered to herself, her fingers drawn to the emerald at her throat to stroke it once with the tips of the digits. Or are the greater forces of chaos at work, drawing me to him for a larger purpose, just as they had with Sonic and Knuckles...? For a moment, she couldn't be sure. For some unknown reason, for nearly three years now, her connection with the Master Emerald had been shakey at best, and as a result, so was the Source of All. At times, she felt at one with it and she could feel its very energy caressing her and guiding her as she watched over the planet. Other times, she couldn't get any kind of reading and her emerald that bound her to it would remain dull and lifeless. It was like a faulty electrical cord. Sometimes the power flowed unhindered, other times, it was broken and sporatic, even nonexistent. It was a dangerous way to exist. The magic could, quite litterally, back fire, taking her, and her home zone of Haven, with it. Somehow, she was unable to feel through the world and figure out what had happened. It was as though the Master Emerald had disappeared. Yet, she still felt it's existence at times, esspecially of high priority. Esspecially at this moment. As Darren made his request clear, she knew his heart to be of the most pure on that planet, and the magic within her was leaping with excitement. She heard thousands of voices whispering to her, her ears perked atop her head as she listened. She understood. He had said, 'If I have found favor with thee...' She laughed softly at that, the sound lilting and soft. "Sir Darren," She said with the utmost respect, her smile broadening and growing quite affectionate. "Beyond having my favor, you have found yourself in favor of the forces of Chaos itself!" She dropped to her knees, and her ghostly form leaned in. Face to face with him, nearly nose to nose where he crouched, her hands lifted, hovering over his cheeks. "More than heeding your request for aid, I am now honored to fulfill the wish of my master, the Source." All the while she spoke, the ambiance of her emerald grew to envelope the two of them in an orb of golden green light, a gentle wind swirling around them. When she spoke next, her voice was not her own, but the sound of many voices speaking in unison, far off sound despite the appearance of her moving lips. "You are blessed among your kind, and you will be known for your character for generations to come." The distance was reduced to nothing, and the spirits lips, by powers beyond comprehension, rested atop the Fennecs. It was a gesture to bestow grace and honor, with out romantic attatchment yet with a degree of affection. A sacred kiss, the likes of which would only be understood in the fox's days to come. ((OOC- heh, I hope I got all my thoughts out correctly in this post ^^ Sorry if it's weird!) Posted by: Harpy Mar 29 2010, 11:15 AM The energy had moved across his quills like black, liquid fire. Shadow the Hedgehog, he had screamed the name like a battle cry. Just before Harpy could blast away his body like her song had attempted to blast his mind, he had raised a hand and unleashed that energy at her. It cut through her bright beam, the two energies colliding with a violent eruption of light, and yet his attack managed to push through, breaking apart her attack altogether and continuing in a bolt to the wall where it tore through twenty feet of metal and gears and wiring and still further out into the night sky. It had almost torn apart Harpy, the brief moment when the two beams collided pushing her back and out of the way of the escaping chaos bolt. She had not imagined that her attack might miss, and she needed a moment to recover from the drain. As he shook off the last of the illusions, she retreated into the dark, waiting for her overheating circuits to calm and for the electrical current that sustained her to recharge. "Why do you lurk in shadows and play games? Fight!" he shouted at the darkness. Who was he to deny bliss and challenge despair? This... Shadow! He probably had no sense of pitch. She would sing no more for him, she would tear apart his flesh with more traditional methods. “I pity you, poor creature,” she said and flew into the air, wings beating noisily, filling the room with a cacophony of scratching metal. “Surrender, and suffering will cease. I offer no game, only the mercy of oblivion.” The name of her master twisted in her articial mind, retrieving an echo of his own from their last interface for reprogramming. Oh, how she clung to those little fragments of him that he left in her! “...I am of RUIN. ...Specifically, yours.” Harpy flew quickly, using the large room to her advantage to gain speed. Her position was given away by her silhouette occasionally flickering across the visible stars or the brief yellow flashes of her boosters pushing her still more quickly. A flurry of metal that twisted around the room several times in moments, much faster than any natural bird, keeping to the darkness and out of reach until she could find an opening. She dove swift as a bullet at his back, metal body squealing in protest as she collided with him against the floor, her feathers now splayed like claws and seeking flesh. Posted by: Shadow Mar 29 2010, 04:18 PM He was answered with a sort of defiant squawk, followed by an angry silence. His crimson eyes scanned the darkness, unable to pick up the enemy despite his enhanced vision. "Pity..?" he asked darkly, a malevolent, superior tone to his voice. Pity? Ha! With the eyes unable to see, he closed them, standing perfectly still. If the blast had hit, then left-over Chaos energy would have saturated the machine's hull, rendering it easy to... Aha! This knowledge did not aid him, however, as it powered up its thrusters and announced its location to him anyway. "The only 'suffering' I endure is your screeching voice, harpy!" he called out to his plainly feminine opponent. Your attempts at speed are pitiful. He noticed, with a cold smirk, what she was doing. Just like the hook-taloned ryzak 'birds' (they had wings and claws, the resemblance ends there) of a planet he'd forgotten the name of. They circled their prey at speed, taunting and whirling out-of-reach. The beast chose the moment, and suddenly... It dove! Shadow's eyes blazed open as he spun a full one-eighty, catching the cyborg's head in an iron palm with a thunderous 'bang!'. Her boosters pushed him back a little, and he smirked, her razored wings poised in a deadly, mantis-like posture. She wanted him very dead. "End my suffering? I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint, dear..." he taunted, allowing their faces to come within inches as he leered evilly into hers. Their red eyes connected, just for a moment... before he let go the shield of Chaos energy he'd projected beneath himself, the attacker's powerful attack causing the metal floor to buckle and tear. There was a roar of screeching metal, and the two erupted through the ceiling of the lower floor, Shadow pushing the attacker off himself as they succumbed to gravity. He let out a deep 'hmph', a smile open his face as he distorted the space around himself, bursting forward, closing the separating metres with an acrobatic twirl. For a brief moment, just the tiniest fraction of a second, Shadow looked as though he was making to lovingly embrace the cyborg... before he sliced the air with a swift axe kick, connecting solidly with the machine's head. I'll show you true power... he thought, boosting himself downward through the teeth of an enormous gear... Posted by: Harpy Mar 29 2010, 11:02 PM She smiled to hear him call her by her name, only to frown when she realized he didn't like her voice. Really. These Mobians were hopeless. He continued to surprise her, the flicker of that emotion snapping through her circuits when he managed to catch her face, meeting her eyes. His were such a beautiful red, she could almost see the way the same blood color filled his body, and desperately wanted to slice him open to spill it across the floor. Starting by snapping off that blasted hand he dared touch her with! But she didn't get the chance, there was only a moment before the force meant to crush him crushed the floor beneath them instead. Now they were in a different level altogether, the work lights still functional near the parts of the ceiling that hadn't been blasted, the room itself filled with massive pieces of moving metal, gears and rods and stranger devices. Not a safe place. Not for a hedgehog, at least. Shadow had vanished from where he'd fallen and reappeared before her suddenly, his motions almost a dance as he landed a solid kick against her skull before vanishing down among the gears. The metal components that filled her head gave her some protection from the blow, but how aggravating! She wanted to pull the heart from this hedgehog's body with her own beak, but her Beta programming knew her priorities better. The goal was to defeat this enemy, whether with her own strength or not. Rather than follow him into the maze of metal below, she threw back her still-ringing head and keened loudly. The dormant guard units throughout the level responded by waking and hurrying towards her, those in this chamber dropping from out of the walls. Soon a large number of trooper machines had joined her, readying their guns and aiming where she directed, waiting for the enemy to appear again. She had them dispersed throughout the room, realizing that Shadow might reappear almost anywhere. She could not afford to underestimate him, as much as her own mind chafed at giving him such credit. Her programming was clear on this. "Now who is lurking in shadows?" she called out teasingly. ((ooc: Troopers also carry grenades, right?)) Posted by: Shadow Mar 30 2010, 09:53 AM ((Conversation is from http://z10.invisionfree.com/the_Return_to_Mobius/index.php?showtopic=92&st=15)) The wind from his rapid descent flowed rapidly through his quills, creating a low whistle just loud enough for him to hear. The cyborg was still screaming at him, about something. Heh. With a burst of purple light, the hedgehog buried himself into a nearby wall, searing the metal with harsh energy. Inside the structure, he thrust upward, bursting out of a higher wall and taking out a Trooper. Sonic had told him about these... Or rather, failed to describe them accurately enough, Bunnie taking over from then on in the task of filling Shadow in. The robot exploded as molten wall cascaded down over its metal body, a burst of static the only sound it made. From a dead iron hand, Shadow grabbed the machines weapon... it was akin to the plasma rifles the Freedom Fighters had, but much heavier. With a smirk, the hedgehog teleported to another Trooper, tearing it in half with his hands and equipping another rifle. One in each hand, he activated his air boots, speeding around the room, over the walls, flipping over Troopers in his wake and blasting them with their own weapons. As they overheated, Shadow hurled them with significant force at the hovering cyborg, hopefully allowing him a few more moments of alone time with the Troopers. One of them lunged at him, and the others, realising he was there, opened fire. This was going to be fun... An evil smirk crossed his face as he dodged the Trooper, kicking it in the back and causing it to stumble between the onslaught of grinding teeth in those enormous gears. It was immediately destroyed with a garbled scream. Machines, screaming? Perhaps they could feel pai- BLEEP BLEEP! Shadow froze, projecting a shield against the plasma fire. BLEEP BLEEP! Eyes wide, he cast his head left and right, searching for the... Comm. unit! He smacked the wrist-attached device, enabling the person who was contacting him to speak, having totally forgotten about it until now. “Shadow? You reading me?” Came the voice of... Sonic. Shadow had already left his shielded stance, standing atop the head of another Trooper and smirking at the cyborg. A flash of annoyance crossed his features, before he spoke into the wrist communicator. "Now is not the ti-" he began, before realising the hedgehog might actually have done something productive for once. He sighed, rubbing his temple as he propelled the robot into the nearest gear assembly. "Go ahead." he stated, ready to kill Sonic if he was wasting his time. “I found her." came his upbeat and dramatic voice. "But there's something else we have to do before we meet up with you guys, how's it going out there?” Bravo, hedgehog, you DID something... Shadow thought, the sarcasm evident to any nearby telepaths who happened to be listening. He would have clapped, had he not had each of his arms held in the iron grasp of two golden Troopers. "Fin-" he began, before he got bored of the pulling. They were stretching him between themselves in a way that kinda got the knots out of his muscles. But now, they were just being... well, plain rude. With a raw, raging battlecry, Shadow lifted the two massive machines from the ground, bashing them into each other with enough force to crush them beyond recognition. He clicked the comm. again. "Well..." Shadow said as a grenade came his way. He held up a palm, a lance of white energy causing it to explode harmlessly out-of-range. "I'd rather stay awhile, but we need to leave, as soon as possible." he stated, eyeing his sparring partner. There was silence from the other end, and Sonic started up again. "Got that loud and clear. Sal, hurry it up, I'm dying of old age over here!" Shadow's tone lowered a little, as he realised he had an opportunity to speak to this person who he'd never met - although heard a great deal about. "How are you doing?" he asked politely of the Princess, knowing she could hear him... unless Sonic turned the sound down for some reason. Scratch that. Since when did the blue one let reason get in his way? "Everything quiet here, not a bot in sigh-" Shadow heard, interrupted by a saber-wielding Trooper swinging at him. He silently caught its arm, wheeling it over himself and into the ground, taking off the arm. Sonic spoke some more, drowned out by the scraping of the reluctant blade coming free of its gauntlet-like wielder. "So... optimistic." Shadow said coolly, deep sarcasm running from his tones like venom from a viper's fang. The hedgehog had thought he was talking to him! Ha! Such an enormous ego left unchecked! There was a light silence. "That's not like you. Well, h-" Shadow dodged a grenade, slicing the thrower in half and crushing the explosive with a Chaos field. It dropped with a ringing thud, a harmless ball of metal, now. "Well, hurry up!" the black hedgehog demanded into the communicator. Sonic was delaying, one thing that Shadow had never seen him do. He flipped the device closed as the cyborg dove at him again, sidestepping with a swordsman's grace. He spun the razor-sharp and light blade dexterously around himself, in wide, impressive arcs that cut the air open. He gave a false bow, spinning the sword as a gentleman would his hat, a sly smirk on his face. "Now, madam, shall we continue?" Posted by: Harpy Apr 2 2010, 04:29 PM He had made his entrance from a wall above them, dashing across the room and leaving a litter of Troopers in his wake. He was fast. Shadow had armed himself from the fallen Troopers, but had cast aside the guns for a blade by the time Harpy made her move. She had waited for the press of lesser machines to distract him, giving her an opportunity for her dive. Yet he evaded. She landed lightly, listening with no humor to his words but giving him a cold smile in response. Harpy rattled her wings in anticipation and snapped forward, her bladed feathers countered by his sword, his own next attack similarly parried. She was programmed for combat. But where had he learned to become such a swordsman? The force of their rapid exchange of blows cast sparks in the air between them and she was already reading and analyzing his technique. The Beta adapted quickly. She caught his sword in her wing, snapping the appendage closed and wrenching the weapon from his hand at the same time that her leg twisted at an angle unlike any real Mobian leg could have done, kicking him hard in the side. Her free wing fanned towards his chest, nothing left to block it if he didn't move. Of course, having watched him take the troopers, she expected him to try his vanishing act. She wasn't finished yet. Posted by: Shadow Apr 3 2010, 02:08 PM The blade proved to be too much flair and not enough fighting. The Trooper's bayonet-like blade snapped against the cyborg's scything wings, two halves spiralling off and embedding themselves in the metal walls with an ear-splitting note of rent metal. He saw her leg snap unnaturally to kick him - he should have expected that, sloppy... - and he was struck in the side, hard, throwing up an energy barrier just in time to avoid being sent into the grinding gears. Not that that would have harmed him, but it was an annoyance he'd rather avoid. The barrier spread up and out, pushing her oncoming wing with a brutal wave of white light, giving him enough room to leap over the strike, landing briefly on the cyborg's head. He looked down at her, arms folded and a smirk on his face. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure of learning your name, my dear..." he taunted, avoiding any attack she may have made by vanishing into the air, teleporting several feet away. He let out a little laugh, a flickering orb of energy emitting from his hand, wrenching the blade fragment from the wall. It hovered in front of him, the sphere of energy flickering blue, purple and white, the sword piece hovering in the centre. He clicked his fingers impressively, and the orb exploded with a flash, sending the blade as a missile, whistling toward the cyborg as he vanished again. He appeared on top of a horizontal gear, jets of flame-like antigrav emitting from his boots, keeping him from moving as he sat atop the loud spinning gear, arms folded and a sly smirk on his face. Posted by: Darren Fennec Apr 4 2010, 12:55 PM ((OOC: As in any movie to dial up the tension, there's a quick wipe back to our other heroes in the hanger bay! Also, long post, Summary at the end. )) Sequestering The White Spirit for help.... It was the only option Darren could see that could garner success and bring as many back home safely. They were in dire straits and offending the arbiter herself was a risk he'd shoulder. But it wasn't anger he now heard, nor even disbelief. It was laughter, a sound so gay* he felt the season of Spring existed solely in those breaths. "Sir Darren," she began, his eyes returning to her at the mention of his name. "Beyond having my favor, you have found yourself in favor of the forces of Chaos itself!" The smile on her face lit her countenance into radiance. He had her favor? He had found favor in sight of the forces of Chaos?? How could it be? But it didn't matter to him right then. What it meant was she would aid them! It meant their forces had statistically doubled. It meant fewer memorials at home. It meant Sally would be back where she belonged! It meant a quicker end to the war. He began to speak, to thank her for her generousity. But he was brought up short when she fell to her knees before him, her glowing face nearly muzzle to muzzle. His face flushed red. Her eyes were brilliant now, crackling with life, the despair he had first glimpsed all but a harsh memory. There was only joy and love in them. "The eyes are the gateway to the soul," he hard heard it said. But The White Spirit was already a soul, where did her eyes lead? "More than heeding your request for aid, I am now honored to fulfill the wish of my master, the Source," she exclaimed. Those elegant hands cupped at his cheeks and again the cool sensation of mint in his wounds was felt. At the base of her throat, a jewel glowed brightly, amber and verdant hues rose about them and Darren felt himself being pulled inward into the wash by some unseen hand. The wind that had been so keenly aware of The White Spirit's now found that the fennec also had hair to play with. Outside the glow, motion slowed and seemed to stop, a bandage in Bunnie's hand forever half applied. Everything gained an extra dimension of focus. The floor at his feet was suddenly very cold and dead. His own heartbeat, he could almost feel the life in it, each beat a song ringing out of him. Colors were sharper and were joined in company of many more! Even the essence of his comrades, who they were, was acutely stronger now, amplified. Sawyer's boldness "vibrated" heroically to a tune all its own, Sandra's chimed in waves of tenderness, and Bunnie.... Never before had Darren found her charm to be so charming, a grand southern melody telling tales of love and courage. It was if some sixth sense, long dulled, had suddenly been healed! Was this what it was like for The White Spirit all the time? Her lips moved and the words that issued forth were not in her lilting voice. A multitude of voices, a great chorus of speach flowed from her, declaring a blessing over him. "You are blessed among your kind, and you will be known for your character for generations to come." Nay! He protested mentally, his lips stunned to silence. Are not others more deserving? Have not Sonic and Knuckles dared greater things than I? From the multide, a familiar voice, the one he carried with him, rebuked gently. Do not confuse who you are and meant to be with who you believe yourself to be, Darren T'ladorn Fennec. Such belief is not humility. Inwardly, he bowed in correction. It is not for the recipient to dictate the worthiness of the gift. Lost in the lesson and so abundant were his thoughts, he was startled to see her closing as if to kiss. He wanted to pull away, his code of respect and conduct protesting violently. A man did not embrace a woman thusly so casually and certainly not one of royal birth let alone godly! His face now looked more like a red fox than a fennec's. Don't fight these hands that are holding you. The voice intoned. This time he felt her, the lips softly on his own. Or was it his spirit that felt it? Perhaps both did. Something deep within him seemed to burn away, leaving him young and new. It was all far beyond his comprehension. But the feeling was clear, full of grace and abounding in honor, devoid of desire, but riding with affection. A sacred kiss. None of the stories he remembered ever talked about a kiss from The White Spirit. At least, not in detail. It was mentioned in reference only, something so personal the barers of the kiss refused to pen a word on it out of respect. Maybe it's because it was something they couldn't define. Darren knew he would never be able to convey to another what just happened. She finished, leaning back as if to get a look at him. His eyes were wide with incomprehension, hers were filled with joy. His face spoke of confusion, hers of delight and hope. He did his best to recompose. "Lady Celeste... what has happened? I do not understand" His question barely a whisper in the glow of her emerald. In the "distance" he "felt" another essence spring sharply to mind. It was filled with despair but was familiar somehow, vaguely reminiscent of... Sally! "The Princess!" Another essence joined hers. "Sonic nears her!" What he wouldn't give to feel the change in her pains at the site of him! But that was an intimacy not meant for him to know. He and his comrades had a job to be about to make sure that intamacy had the chance to fully blossom, not to mention ensuring others would one day grow! Despite The White Spirit's presence, his face set like flint, the burden of command realized once more. "This task beckons us, I fear." ((OOC: *Gay: as in gaity, joy, happiness. The 'archaic' use of the word. wink.gif )) ((OOC: Your last post was wonderful, Rach. This beast of a post is the inspired outporing from it! laugh.gif Yay Celeste! <3! )) ((OOC: Summary: Darren is blessed by The White Spirit and has a revelation about his identity through it. Powers beyond his understanding are at work and he seeks understanding. Sonic nears Sally and the battle for the engine room draws nigh!)) Posted by: Sawyer Apr 5 2010, 04:44 PM “Damn!” Sawyer muttered to himself, as plasma shots raked the crates which he was crouched behind. "Can't those guys lay of me!?" Poking his gun around the create he fired randomly in the direction the troopers, who were gaining ground fast... About five seconds after the shots, he heard a whirling sound... He peeked over the crates to see that he had shot one of the troopers right in the face and was overloading... about to explode... “NICE! Take that you stupid piece of crap!” shouted Sawyer, triumphantly... But there was a small problem... The other Troopers knew the fallen one was about to explode... Reacting almost immediately one of them kicked its fallen comrade towards Sawyer and the others. Suddenly, one of the younger fighters panicked and burst out from behind cover and froze, staring at the time bomb that was rolling toward him. “SHIT! COVER ME!” Sawyer shouted back to anyone who’d listen. Without thinking, he threw his plasma rifle with grunt of effort in a last ditch attempt to knock the fallen Trooper back. Sprinting on all fours again he dashed towards the stranded youth... He rammed the young fighter out of the way so he fell back into cover... ...and almost in the speed of light, punched the ruptured robot so that it skidded into the middle of the remaining troopers before they had time to react... But was also too late for Sawyer to protect himself from the explosion... BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM! The force of the blast caused Sawyer to be thrown back, skidding along the ground and crashing into a bunch of crates. Coughing and spluttering he looked down at his wounds... Several pieces of metal shrapnel were deeply sunk into his left arm and stomach. Patches of his fur were smouldering and there was something hurting just below his eye as the blood trickled down his face and into his mouth... There was so much blood to see couldn't see. Tilting his head in extreme pain and with all the effort he could muster, he watched the figure what were some of the freedom fighters finish off the last remaining Troopers. Some of the blurs rushed over to the young fighter whom Sawyer had saved, whereas others stared at Sawyer from their cover, in shock of what had happened... He lay there staring... drifting in and out of conscious, thinking that this was the end for him... Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Apr 7 2010, 11:51 PM (OOC: The battle to save the Princess is open to anyone! Feel free to hop in defending the docking bay or heading to the engine room!) It was a freak shot, a one in a million. Kyle knew because he had been staring at the trooper seconds before the plasma burst ruptured through the back of its head. The way the trooper had its head exposed at just the critical moment it almost seemed like something had caught its attention the instant before the kill shot. And now he was watching in alarm as the remaining troopers had the sense to lob their fallen comrade over their steel girder defense line. The decapitated case slid to a halt halfway between Kyle's and Sawyer's position and the crate fort where Janson was positioned. The jerking and flailing limbs with electricity arcing all across the torso were sure signs it was about to give a piece of itself to everyone in the room. Kyle's mind raced. "Sawyer, we've got to-" "SHIT!" Sawyer yelled echoing something similar to what Kyle was thinking. Dack, one of the younger freedom fighters, had attempted to switch cover to get into a better firing position and froze in fear at the convulsing robot. "COVER ME!" "Sawyer! No-!" But Sawyer was already away. At least he was fast. Kyle quickly laid down a suppressive fire at the remaining troopers along with help from the group in the crate fort while Sawyer executed his move. In a single, fluid movement, Sawyer forced the young feline out of harms way and shoved the robot back towards its group. Already unstable, the additional jostle caused the bot to detonate. The blast flung several of the troopers backward while shattering the frames of the two others. Kyle, with his crate shield, felt little of the shockwave, but Sawyer had taken a good brunt of it. Kyle emerged from his crate fort lobbing a meltie at the three troopers that had been blown backward. The explosive found its mark while two other plasma bursts converged, eliminating the troopers. "Stay on guard!" he yelled, "Sweep the room! Sets of two!" he circled his index finger in indication. Four Freedom Fighters from his group at the crate fort broke out in two groups and began to earnestly traverse the room. "Medic!" Kyle ran to Sawyer and was joined by Sandra and Bunnie with their aid kits. The sight was grisly. Patches of fur has been blasted and charred, debris had cut open a series of head wounds that bled profusely and shrapnel had buried itself deep inside the tiger's arm and abdomen. Sawyer was lifting his head attempting to look around and/or get up, but Sandra pressed his head gently down. "Don't move," she said, "You've got some shrapnel lodged in you and moving could aggravate the wound." She hissed under her breath as she took in the scope of his injuries. "Head wounds always bleed profusely," she spoke to Kyle answering his unspoken questions. "Even if the cuts are light, which it looks like these are." She had removed several gauss pads from the medical bag and was applying them. "The shrapnel..." she shook her head, "The arm's pretty bad. We're on borrowed time with that. Can't tell for sure just yet on the stomach. If the shards broke through the abdominal wall there's a chance they've lacerated some organs and..." she looked up at Kyle with worry in her eyes. "...and that means internal bleeding and there's not much I can do about that here..." Kyle bit his lip in both concern and frustration. When he had first met Sawyer he could tell the tiger was a talented fighter, someone who had spent years honing his craft. His muscles were toned and his reflexes quick. But he was also like so many other young freedom fighters he had met over the years: headstrong, stubborn, and with something to prove. They'd gladly give their lives to take a crack at the Metal Horde or to bring the Princess home, but it was his job to make sure they came home in one piece. It didn't matter what skills you had honed and what innate abilities you had, they were useless if you didn't keep your wits about you. And now they were down a good fighter on what was easily one of the most important missions of the war. Even if the shrapnel hadn't pierced his stomach, Kyle didn't want Sawyer pushing himself to the point of ripping something open. And he knew Sawyer would do it, he could see it in his eyes. And he was sure Jade would have a few choice words about this... "Sandra, see what you can do for him." Kyle said. "I'm no Wist, but I'll do my best." Dack was now beside them looking down at Sawyer. His voice shook as he spoke. "I- I don't know... what happened. I just... Froze." "It's ok, sugah," Bunnie said, "Happens to us all." "He saved my life..." Bunnie finished applying salve to Sawyer's burns and stood up, looking at Dack. "And now he needs your help. Can you help Sandra tend to him? Make sure he stays awake?" Dack nodded in affirmation and Kyle was at once thankful to Bunnie and her consolation skills, redirecting Dack's sadness to action in helping another. She next turned to Kyle and said, "Kyle, we 'ave got to move. Sonic and Shadow need our help." When she saw him nod in agreement she addressed Sandra and laid a reassuring hand on Dack. "Y'all stay and defend the bay. We're countin' on y'all to bring us home." Kyle pressed the switch on his comlink. "Janson, tell me you've got directions." "Port side aft, straight and true." came the response. Excellent. "Janson, Dack, Sandra..." he listed off several more names. "Set up a defensive position and keep the bay secure, you're our life line. Everyone else, let's hit the engines." (OOC: Sawyer, I'm leaving it up to you how badly hurt you are. If you want your stomach wounds light so you can join the group to the engine room just say so. But I think the arm's going to be a bit of a handicap until we can get back to HQ) (OOC: Also, I'm really sorry if I'm overstepping by bounds when it comes to Bunnie. I want to keep her in the loop, but it's hard without some dialog ^^ If it's a problem just let me know and I'll amend!) |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:41 AM Post #4 |
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Posted by: Harpy Apr 13 2010, 12:25 PM ((ooc: apparently we must get rid of Shadow before ya'll make it to the engine room. Because you are epic! And also... mwahaha...)) Yes, he had moved. Expecting this, Harpy was already on the move herself, the improvised missile that Shadow launched tearing against the ground, missing her entirely while she flew out of reach. He was strong. He was dramatic. He was cocky. And he was becoming predictable... Spotting his new perch, Harpy pushed herself to cover the distance in record time, her mechanical body whirring and the boosters from her feet burning similarly to his own anti-grav jets. Closing in on that fanged smirk once again, she snapped her wings and hooked feet in a flurry of swift attacks, driving him back. He had an edge, but Harpy was a technological marvel and prepared to exploit every gap in his defenses that his overconfidence might leave open. He was probably used to fighting inferior machines like the troopers, perhaps even taking on armies. But Harpy was not only a weapon fighting to win; her face stretched gleefully and her eyes widened as they continued to exchange blows. Her beloved master was watching, she believed this; she had nothing to hold back as she pushed herself to ecstatic frenzy. "You and I are not so different, Shadow! You are a killer like me. And you already know my name," she crowed. "I am the metal Harpy!" The air was filled with the sound of her bladed feathers as she crowded him, following his movements and frowning as his strange shields halted the strongest of her blows. They were getting closer to the gears. Posted by: Shadow Apr 13 2010, 04:44 PM Her speed was... admittedly impressive. For a mortal. He met her flurry of blows by throwing up kinetic barriers; rippling, distorted space that prevented her slicing him in two. There was a sound like no other, as barrier after barrier met strike after strike, grinning again at her. He knew it annoyed her. Shadow let her push him back, blocking her attacks and making feigned attacks of his own. By Chaos, she looked insane. Really, really insane. He let her push him back toward the gears, not even thinking as he blocked her attacks. His concentration was within himself, gathering power... BLEEP BLEEP! Shadow sighed. Unless the freedom fighters really needed him, it was Sonic. Undoubtedly calling him to tell him how well he totally saved the Princess, and it was awesome and they should all go out for ice-cream later and... With reluctance, Shadow teleported away from Harpy, flipping the wrist-mounted device open. "What is it now?!" he demanded, through clenched teeth. This was the worst possible time. A half-destroyed Trooper, senses gone haywire, stumbled into the onslaught of gears, and was pulled in, with a sound akin to a can being crushed underfoot... but many times louder. "Uh... how's it going on your end?" came Sonic's voice, sounding less... enthusiastic than the usual. No matter. What concerned him (a little), however, was Sonic's obvious lack of breath... the hedgehog had seemingly limitless endurance, after all. "Hmph. Well." he retorted curtly, eyeing the cyborg that dashed after him everywhere he moved. Shadow raised an eyebrow, teleporting again to avoid the crazed, screeching Harpy. Sonic's voice piped up again. "Things aren't going so well over here. I think, maybe -" he cut off, pausing for some unknown reason. "You need my help again?" Shadow laughed, rubbing it in as much as he could. His laugh was cut through with a grunt of exertion, as he teleported out of Harpy's raging path, axe-kicking her in the back of the head... again. "Don't sound so happy about - " Sonic's voice was cut off by a sudden burst of static, loud enough to startle Shadow a little. He dodged Harpy again, toying with her while his attention was diverted. Shadow tried not to sound shocked, his eyes wide. "Oh, I'm sorry. You sound it, regardless." All that came back was a weak laugh. "Die." came an unfamiliar, deep voice, just within range of the comm. It cut off suddenly. A sense of urgency flooded Shadow. Sonic was hurt... and the mission possibly compromised as a result. He'd need to finish this... Now! Her scythe-like wings came down on him, and he remained motionless... until a clang split the air, Shadow's arms flung out, strobing orbs of white-purple light holding Harpy's weapons still in the air, servos whining as they pushed futilely against his Chaos field. With a sudden movement, the hedgehog put a gloved hand on Harpy's head, using her as a springboard, somersaulting from her immobile form and landing deftly behind her, a gathering darkness rippling around his body. Death to all who oppose me! The rippling red energy that had been building around Shadow's body grew more intense, his eyes becoming pinpricks of burning crimson light in the dimly-lit gear assembly. Shadow let out a roar of effort, a brutal Chaos Blast erupting from his jet-black body and engulfing the room, tearing metal fragments from the walls, the floor, blasting teeth from gears, and leaving a crackling spherical dent below himself. He looked up, panting with exertion, before catching his breath and smirking at the devastated room. "I'd love to stay and play, Harpy, but I have a date to die for!" he said smugly, before bolting off, to where he knew Sonic went. He passed the Freedom Fighters and their little gunfight, taking down two machines as he streaked past, giving only an encouraging thumbs up to the group, not slowing for anything, before he vanished further down the corridor... Posted by: Sawyer Apr 17 2010, 07:35 PM Sawyer stared. Each heart beat seemed to hurt. His hearing was messed up, with one ear completely deaf from the explosion. His vision was strange, figures went from being a blur to perfectly clear again. He felt someone rub a paste like substance on his burns, which stung like hell, but couldn’t move without greater pain erupting from his wounds. "Janson, Dack, Sandra, set up a defensive position and keep the bay secure, you're our life line. Everyone else, let's hit the engines” These words brought a single tear to Sawyer’s eye. They were leaving him, Kyle, Bunnie, Darren... He attempted to lift his hand to get their attention, but it fell limply at his side, to weak to support itself... Sawyer closed his eyes and began to think: ... his brother... he’d failed to find him... his race... he had been unsuccessful to find them too... and finally, Jade... he had broke his promise to her to stay safe and not do anything reckless... That one word seemed to echo in his head and repeat... Jade... Jade... Jade. There was a small clunk on the ground. Glancing down in pain, he saw the tiny black pebble he’d found while bring Jade back to HQ... Remembering that Jade said that it had healing powers to heal anyone back to normal health again, he slowly reached out and closed his paw over the perfectly oval stone. Sandra had done all she could for Sawyer and was busy tending to other minor scrapes and brushes amongst the other fighters. Sawyer tilted his head up and caught sight of someone standing near him. “H...Hey... You...” he muttered, just enough of Dack to hear him. He spun around and looked down at Sawyer, with a surprised yet fearful look on his face. He dropped down onto his knees and bent in close to Sawyer so he could hear what he had to say. Sawyer coughed. Dack was an echidna, with a strong looking build. His face looked so young but his body looked nearly twice his age. His hair was cut extremely short... A typical military hair cut. He wore a tight jacket and badly patched jeans that looked like they’d been put though a blender... “I... You... You saved me Sawyer... I am ever so thankful” Dack spoke softly into his ear, tears in his eyes. “I owe you my life...” “You’re... welcome” Sawyer murmured. “You sa...said you wanted to... help me... Yes?” “I’ll do anything you want! I can never repay you” he said excitedly, with sorrow still in his voice. “Okay... when I say go... I need you to pull... the shrapnel out...” croaked Sawyer. “What!? Are you serious!? And kill you!? I don’t think so! Maybe I should get Sandra...” exclaimed Dack, with upmost horror on his face. “No! I need... you to do this... I can heal... myself... please...” Sawyer groaned. “...but...” “You have ... to... trust me... otherwise... ill die... right here...” Dack glanced up and looked around him... there was no one watching them. “Okay... If this is what you wish and you are certain this will work... I’ll do it... Just say when. One hand around the shrapnel in Sawyer’s gut and one on the metal plate in his arm, he looked at Sawyer... Praying and hoping he was right about healing himself... Sawyer raised his right arm with the pill in his hand up to his mouth grunting in pain... His paw hovering above his mouth... “Do it!” he said, his voice barely a whisper. Dack immediately yanked both shrapnel pieces out of Sawyer and clutched his ears. Sawyer let out a scream of pain as the metal ripped out of his organs, causing blood to pour out... Tears in his eyes, he opened his mouth and forced the stone in and swallowed... Sawyer lay there, letting out an ear-piercing screech. Sandra and the other came rushing over to Dack who had fallen back and landed on his behind clutching the two huge, blood stained metal fragments. “What the HELL have you done!” Sandra yelled at the youngster. “You’ve killed him now!” Dack was sobbing madly, tears streaming down his face, still clasping her ears. “H... he asked m...me to d... do it” He cried, between sobs. Sawyer however had stop screaming... He felt at though he’d drunk a large cup of hot chocolate all in one go... his inside felt... pleasantly warm? The pain subsided. Opening his eyes, he looked up to see Sandra staring down at him. Utterly confused at what had just happened, her mouth hung open. Slowly sitting up, he felt his head... the cut was gone. There was no scar or nothing. He looked down at his stomach to see the last of the slice healing up and finally disappearing into nothingness... He tried to move his arm, with felt like it had never been hurt in the first place... He looked up and everyone. They were all staring at him with either shocked, fearful or expressionless looks on their faces. Sawyer broke into a smile... “Don’t ask guys...” he laughed. “But... how?” “What was that thing you swallowed?” “He’s back from the dead!” Sawyer stood up, slightly unbalanced, he walked over to where his plasma rifle lay beside the group of troopers that had cause the accident in the first place. Picking it up, he run back on all fours again, to test if he was back to normal health. Skidding to a halt in front of a astonished Dack. “Consider us even” he laughed placing one hand on his shoulder. Dack simply blinked, lost for words. Sawyer turned to everyone. “I’m heading for the engine core. Don’t follow! Stay here like ordered!” he said, in a confident voice. Sawyer sprinted off in the direction the Kyle and the others were heading, smiling to himself. Kyle hadn’t actually ordered him to stay at the bay... “Port side aft, straight and true” he remembered... Picking up his pace, he dove deeper into the fortress... Posted by: Celeste the White Spirit Apr 20 2010, 01:49 PM Already, the White Spirit was bearing witness to the changes taking place within the Fennec. His eyes were wide as saucers, staring deeply within her eyes, and yet, Celeste was quite sure he was not seeing her. Rather, he was experiencing the world around him in a new and mind-opening way. With an extra sense that few Mobians had the ability to possess, he could detect the deeper workings within his comrades, their very hearts, near and far. "Lady Celeste... " He spoke, his voice audible only between the two of them. "What has happened? I do not understand" "For all the days you've lived, and the man you have become, you have been seasoned for this sacred occasion, Darren!" The spirit said, her face aglow with admiration. "It is not by accident that you have been chosen, and apparently not by chance that I have been allowed to be here to aid the resistance this day..." Celeste ghosted a finger gingerly against the breast of his well worn uniform, "It is the condition of your heart. From infancy you were taught of Mobius, her magics, and the ways of old which remain a distant memory to most. You concern yourself with spiritual matters and selflessly seek to help others through their trials while you yourself face many. A man of humility and mildness yet fierce and just. The forces of Chaos are not blind to a man of your calibre." She still felt the lingering effects of the blessing upon her lips, the taste of raw magic making them tingle coolly and pleasantly. "It has been a long long time since the Source sought to gift what they have given you today...Those with hearts fertile for this special blessing are scarce on Mobius." "Cherish your gift, dear Darren." She prayed as she stroked his cheek one last time, "You may not be a chosen Guardian, but you are a Knight of the Source and its magics..." When at last she was done speaking, he said, his face growing stern as the business at hand resurfaced to the front of his mind, "This task beckons us, I fear." "Indeed it does." Celeste answered kindly, unable to keep the hint of disappointment out of her expression. Straightening to stand once more, toes grazing the floor, she looked out to the 'bots and to the team, awaiting a moment to dash across the bay. "Forgive me for keeping you... I wish time could stand still to make room for what we should discuss, but I'm afraid that it is not a luxury we have." She began floating away, but paused for one last moment before looking down at him. "I am glad I was able to meet you, brave Fennec." She nodded, a sort of elegant bow of respect. "Let us meet again." With ethereal grace, she lithely spun, vanishing from before him in only a few flickers of light. She was not gone however, but had reappeared on the other end of the docking bay, following the fennec's wise direction. There was a sudden silence as she came into view, facing the horde of machines that had been sent to squash the freedom fighters. They looked upon her with dead red optical orbs. Already, her appearance in the open had done the trick, and with the robots distracted, the lot of them were now making a run to the engine room. She closed her eyes as they opened fire. She felt nothing as the spray of bullets surged through her translucent body. It only peppered the ground just behind her with deep rivets where the ammunition became embedded. It was then she felt something cold spreading through her chest. She doubled checked herself, sure that she was uninjured and yet wondering what this feeling was. It wasn't a wound... The spirit looked up, facing into a specific direction. Sonic. Her eyes widened, and her eyes dilated in mortification. She couldn't feel Sonic's spirit. He was... he was... Moments later, Shadow appeared, running past only long enough to give an approving thumbs up to the group before vanishing again. The robots had just now discovered that she was unharmed by their bullets, and she took the opportunity to vanish. This wasn't supposed to happen! "Darren!" 'She cried, reappearing beside him with no regard for decorum or circumstance. This was an emergency. "I am afraid I must depart for now, and quickly!" She brushed her hair from her eyes as she turned, staring once again in that unspecified direction where she felt the hedgehog last. The worry on her face was dire, her eyes glossy with unshed tears. "Sonic is dead...." ((I think this post feels incomplete, but after scouring it for days, I think this is the best I have at the moment. I hope everything still flows well enough. BAW SONICS DEAD!!!!)) Posted by: Darren Fennec Apr 24 2010, 12:21 AM ((OOC: Great post, Rach! As always, you inspire me. smile.gif )) Darren had never believed in chance. Even as a young kit, there were depths in him that understood happenstance encounters were never simply random. This was not to say that he believed to be consigned to fate, an inescapable tapestry into which the thread of one's life was woven. No! What it meant was that there was meaning in everything, purpose. The choice came with how one responded to those encounters. Nevertheless, the words that danced upon his ears from the angel's lips were difficult to believe. For all the days he had lived he had been seasoned for this moment? An encounter with the L'Ladria of legend herself, their meeting not by chance. How could such a thing be true? It was too magnificent to believe. Of all the things now before you, you choose this to doubt? Be still, Darren, and know. The same voice that had rebuked him spoke again. The absurdity of his condition startled him and he clung eagerly to the command. He would listen, and he would let her words penetrate to the utmost center of his being, writing them as truth upon the scroll of his soul. She smiled, and the act sent sparks through his being, each movement of hers guiding the flow of magics coursing about them. With a touch more gentle than he had ever known, her finger came to rest above the beating member in his chest. "It is the condition of your heart," she continued and Darren listened as he had promised. Each sentence brought with it a wave of adoration, the magics of the moment cascading her feelings in gentle waves phsyically across his fur. "It has been a long long time since the Source sought to gift what they have given you today...Those with hearts fertile for this special blessing are scarce on Mobius." His heart? Whither the heart is, so shall ye be, son. All comes to issue within the heart. his father could often be heard saying. Julayla had echoed the same wisdom to him, years later: What matters is the condition of the heart, Darren. Be mindful of it, always, for out of it flows life. He had not fully understood her then, but gleened enough to know the value in keeping the heart protected. So he had studied the traits of the mentors he admired most: his father, King Maxamillion, General D'Coolette, Julayla, and strove to learn their qualities, girding them about himself. Only now he was beginning to grasp the true weight of their teachings. The life he had lived, the path he had chosen to walk, and the decisions he now made all poured from the things in his heart. A heart cultivated over the years to be what The White Spirit now called a fertile one. Fertile for growing blessings. It astounded him. This was not something that could ever be earned, nor was his heart the sole making of his own. As she had told him herself, from the earliest days of his birth, he had been seasoned, a power at work trying to guide him to this moment. The work was not by his hands, but the honor was his to hold as were the tasks that would be demanded of him. He was a servant. A blessed servant; to the Crown, to Mobious, to Celeste, and to the Source. The voice hummed, pleased with a lesson learned. The thoughts passed through his mind in the bat of an eye. Although The White Spirit's explanation brought some light to his new condition, much was still shrouded. But now, in the "distance" he "felt" an essence spring sharply to mind, clothed in woe but familiar somehow, vaguely reminiscent of... Sally! There was no more time for questioning. "This task beckons us, I fear." "Indeed it does," she answered, disappointment rich in her music. The glow from her emerald began to disappate. Time, begruding her stayed hand, swooped back in upon them, reminding Darren that though she could be slowed, she could not be stopped. "Forgive me for keeping you... I wish time could stand still to make room for what we should discuss, but I'm afraid that it is not a luxury we have." His eyes filled with longing, not wishing the moment to end. So much he wished to speak with about, to know and understand. To know her as more than the Aribter and The Woman of Compassion. But to know her, L'Ladria, Celeste! But such desires were selfish, he believed. Her visitation alone was more than could ever have been hoped for. "Nay, Lady Celeste. Forgiveness is naught to offer, for I have no offense with thee. Our hearts are united in this grief. My thanks... though the words seem weak, they are heartfeltly thines. My sword shall forever be at thine call." He bowed now, formally after the manner of the courts, uncaring of what attention he may draw. It was the least that was due her. "I am glad I was able to meet you, brave Fennec." She nodded, a sort of elegant bow of respect. "Let us meet again." Aye, he thought. Tis my wish as well, m'lady. Though, should a thousand years be mine, could I dare count myself so blessed? The glow had completely faded now. With a twirl, her hair and gown spinning, she winked away, sparks of otherworldly colors in her wake. Reality, in all its harshness, washed back in over him. The essance of his fellow Mobians muted sharply, even to the point of silence. He blinked, the limitations of his old self claustrophobic in retrospect. How could one ever dare to describe these things, in what manner would a man ever impart to another the times? It could never be done rightly, no poem written, no sonnet penned, no dream dreamt, no song sung could ever ring out the simple truth of the encounter. All would pale and leave it dull, no matter the sheen of the craft. It would be a simpler task to describe the colors to the blind. True to her word, The White Spirit glided across the docking bay, the Gen-I's tracking her ethereal form with intense fire. It was just the distraction needed and soon the group had made short work of them. Kyle and Bunnie were in full bore mode, already splitting the teams into offensive and defensive parties. At Bunnie's command, Darren brought up the rear, the troop pressing forward to their goal. It wasn't long before something inside him felt dizzy. A coldness that formed in the pit of his stomach was slowly making its way to his heart and his pace began to falter. He wasn't sure what to make of it, at first. His time spent in the infirmary at Wiseteria's skilled hands had been exceptionally fruitfall. Nevertheless, he momentarily feared something was catching up with him, his body finally unforgiving in his punishment of it. But as the coldness grew, so too a knowing came with it, a knowing his mind barred from recognition. "Darren!!" A shimmering envelope waverd into existence, the colors rapidly coallescing into the beautiful White Spirit. This time, however, no bow did she make, nor hail of greeting. Her presence reignited his senses with a furvor and what he felt knocked him to the ground. He pushed his back against the wall, breath coming in shallow gulps. "I am afraid I must depart for now, and quickly!" Her once serene face was now fractured with pain. Of course she must depart! He knew why, even before she told him. "Sonic is dead...." No! by the Spires, no! But he knew. He knew because Sonic's essance was soft and his form silent. There was the distinct sensation of disjoint between the two halves, as if some eternal error had been rendered. But it wasn't this that had drawn his feet from under him. It was the despair of Sally. He brought his hands to his temples, squeezing his head in a vain attempt to keep his Princess' woe at bay. It was a useless endeavour, however, and tears rapidly pooled on his cheeks. Stop! Have thy wits about ye, Darren! His thoughts broke through the intensity of emotion, discipline demanding its dues. Never before had such berievement been upon him. How powerful was The Hope of Mobious' emotion for The Hero! Thy task is still upon thee and Celeste is thy ally. Yes, she was still alive and he desired nothing more now than to run after her, to free her from this nightmare! They had come too far, searched too long, and endured too much! Sonic's sacrifice must NOT be in vain. Someone must see her through.... SHADOW! But Sonic...lingered? He wrapped his arms about his torso, clutching for a few brief seconds, an iron will fanning through his frame. The focus returned to his eyes and he was on his feet in urgency, bring himself up beside The White Spirit. "Do not tarry here, Lady Celeste!" He spoke quickly, throwing his arm out at his side to press her on. His eyes were fiercely pleading with her own. "Be swift in thy action! Surely ye know, he has not departed wholly from this land. Perchance restoration is possible?" Perhaps a miracle! He was grasping at straws, completely unknowing if what he asked was even permissible. "Have no concern for us here. Of thee I have asked too much already! To the remainder shall I challenge. If I ever behold thee again, may it be upon better days." Even if today were his last. He bowed his head sharply once, more of a snap than anything, and turned in a sprint down the corridors. "Fly! May thy wings sweep faster than the scythe!" And forgive the sharpness of my tongue. Tis unjust for a lady like thee to endure. He ran full sprint to catch up to the others, the echo of Sally's wails driving him onward. The others mustn't know of Sonic's passing, not before inflicting their wounds upon the steel beast. There was also the chance none need ever know. He dared to hope and, although uncertain if one could, offered a prayer on The White Spirit's behalf. Celeste... she had come to him in belief of having little to offer. And now? Now all their dreams and hopes rested on her. Posted by: Delano Apr 25 2010, 04:38 PM “What’s this? I leave for a couple of days and we suddenly have a roach problem.” A disdainful frown creased his lips. “How annoying.” Phlegmatic topaz eyes scanned the fortresses’ cameras with mild, bored interest, watching the infiltrating intruders as if they were lab rats on a screen. He crossed his arms loosely across his chest, the cold metal of his mechanical limbs still felt against his organic fur, despite them being covered with grey bandages. What was left of it, anyway. A brief sensation of bitterness overcame him. Oh, how he despised those blasted robotic limbs. They were so hideous. Ugh. Anyway. For what purpose were these rebels here? “To rescue that chipmunk princess, perhaps?” His questionable tone was mocking. Of course that’s why they were here. The Resistance required the female’s leadership and equity in order to lead them through these “devastating” times. Feh. He never did comprehend how anyone could strive toward a “peaceful and prosperous” future. What was a world without any sort of chaos? Such an ebullient utopia was ridiculous to even imagine. These mobians… irked him greatly with their false sense of reality. Delano smirked as his snowy white hair shrouded his malicious, mirthful gaze. “I suppose it is a noble deed. For a princess’s loyal followers to come and rescue, excuse me, attempt to rescue was an awful cute effort.” The panther hybrid released a low chuckle. “What a shame that I have to interfere. However, if I don’t, Oblivion will undoubtedly be cross with me.” His master was currently occupied more pressing matters, he presumed. No matter. These trespassers would be dealt with in an efficient manner. Hopefully, these “Freedom Fighters” would serve to satisfy his amusement. His negotiations within that urban dump, Starlight City, had left him in a somewhat sour mood. Not that the RUIN soldier was accustomed to exuding such behavior openly. He would use this assault to… what was the saying? Relieve one’s stress? No, no, that wasn’t it. As a product of Oblivion, “stress” did not prohibit his abilities. Pah. What a useless sentiment. It would be for a valid learning experience and… fun. Yes, that was it. He peered at the security screens closer, a particular scene catching his eye. “Oh?” That boisterous Beta model, Harpy, was engaged in battle with a rather powerful, ebony hedgehog. ...Correction. That boisterous Beta model, Harpy, was getting kicked around like a piece of scrap metal by a rather powerful, ebony hedgehog. That’s how Delano perceived it, anyway. That blasted female irritated him to no ends with that maniacal, obnoxious voice of hers. And her irrational proclamations of love toward their master were most redundant. Did that fool truly believe that Oblivion loved her? Love was yet another useless sentiment. Another one he didn’t care to understand. But, why was he wasting his precious thoughts on her? “Dear me, I must be bored.” Even so, he had to admit, he was quite envious at the moment. She had the glorious opportunity of combating against such an interesting opponent. Recently, all he’s had to deal with were those impudent gangsters of his. Well… he did have the pleasure of observing Oblivion dispose of the first assault by that pitiful group of felines. But, it has been a while since he has had a chance to exhibit his skill. At the very least, this little invasion of theirs certainly did spice things up a bit. >>Connection established. Orders to Zeta Class 9.38 are ready. Important notice. Intruders are assaulting the Fortress. A small group is heading toward the Engine Room. << The message was relayed to him through his left glass eye, causing him to shift attention from the harpy eagle and the hedgehog to the docking bay. As the order transcribed, there was indeed a group of those Fighters heading toward the Engine Room. How predictable. Did they intend to fracture or decimate the Sky Fortress? Delano snickered. These interlopers were very entertaining. “Now, whom do we have here,” the blue-violet murmured, idly brushing a lock of hair out of his face. “A tiger, two foxes… no, wait, the older one at the rear is a fennec. … Still, a fox, nonetheless.” He chuckled at his own precision. Always so meticulous, he was. His face faulted at the sight of the cybernetic rabbit, though. “How dare that female parade around here with her robotic limbs exposed like that! It’s absolutely appalling!” The panther’s expression was reminiscent of one witnessing a horror movie; highly disturbed. What was wrong with her?! …Wait a minute. Something… peculiar appeared at the other end of the docking bay. It only his own unnatural, shadowy prowess that enabled him to spot the translucent, white figure. Then again, it must’ve been visible enough for those mindless droids to shoot directly at. Unfortunately, the security camera prohibited him from getting a good look at the phenomenon. What was that? Was it… a female mink? ...White spirit? Ah. Where had he read that before? The white-haired Zeta snapped his fingers. “The White Spirit, of course. I remember reading vaguely of her in some old text of mine… before I burnt them.” He chuckled once more. “That spirit was as annoying to read about as the ancient novels I once read regarding phoenixes. The joy and love these beings preach about… ha!” His chuckles gradually evolved into a devious laugh, as he backed away from the surveillance cameras, slowly dissipating into the shadows, his body literally deteriorating into the darkness. How would his impending foes fare against his awesome power? "Those inferior fools don't stand a chance against me. Oblivion shall be proud..." ((OOC: Cruel, ain't he? Anyway, those headed toward the engine room, beware! He's comin' for you! He doesn't appear immediately, so you can just state that there's an ominous presence as they near the room. I'll elaborate more in my next post. Xd)) |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:41 AM Post #5 |
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Posted by: Shortfuse Apr 26 2010, 01:13 AM The summer night was cloudless, but warm, hardly a breath of wind disturbing the sky. The moons hung like ghostly ships in the black velvet sea, the land beneath bathed in etherial silver light. It would have been perfectly peaceful, if not for the explosions and antiaircraft fire lighting up the night like a New Years Eve firework display. Of course, it had been a long time since it had been safe for anyone to let off fireworks on Mobius, New Years or otherwise. But Shortfuse was getting distracted from the point. He stopped dead above Greenhill Zone, thrusters keeping him level as he regarded the unusual sight. He didn’t think he’d ever seen signs of fighting on Sky Fortress before. Simple reason for that, because nobody was nutty enough to attack it. And nuts was what you’d have to be, it was suicide. Folks who went in to that place didn’t come out, or if they did, they came out monsters, or at least that’s what the rumours said. It had to be Knothole, he decided as he continued to watch. No one else on Mobius had the guts, or the insane passion, to try to pull off something like this. This irked him a little, they had ways to get in contact with him after all, and they hadn’t even bothered to ask for his help. Of course, he probably would have turned them down, but that wasn’t the point. Seemed like out of sight really was out of mind. Nevermind that, the best plan was to just let them get on with being slaughtered, and for him to go back to his original plans for the evening. Flailing aimlessly around the planet, looking for a needle in a haystack, which honestly wasn’t super appealing. Fun times. Shorty scowled, and continued watching the Fortress. From the sounds, and the details his optical readouts were giving him, it was full scale war in there. Was it possible the Horde could actually be in trouble? He laughed out loud at the thought. It wasn’t possible. In a fight between mortals and machines, the results were always the same. Machines didn’t get tired, didn’t feel pain, didn’t bleed, didn’t stop. That was why there was so little point in bringing the fight to them. All that did was get you dead. That thought caused a rush of unpleasant memories, and he was grateful when another, pretty epic explosion distracted him. This one was powerful enough to blow an actual hole in the fortress, and Shorty let out a low whistle. That was practically an open invite right? For the two years since… For two years he’d been collecting info on the Horde, details on the different models, ways he’d discovered of bringing them down, activity hot spots, the works. But all that hard work would pale into nothing compared from what he could undoubtedly learn from just five minutes with the Fortress’s computer. That temptation was just too great. Never one to hang around when he’d come to a decision, Shorty set off at once, speeding through the air like a silver and crimson bullet. A squirrel shaped one. The antiaircraft guns swung towards him, but they didn’t have a hope of hitting him. Coloured lasers lit the air like party streamers as he flew towards the still smoking hole, touching down heavily in a corridor beyond. There had been one heck of a fight here, that was for sure, smoke and debris everywhere. But it was quiet now, though he could still hear sounds of fighting in the distance. For a moment he considered finding the Freedom Fighters and leaning a laser canon, but he had to keep his priorities straight. Computer panel first, this was a once in a life time chance, he could save lives later if he had time. He set off at a jog, his heavy footfalls echoing from the metal walls. He’d almost reached the end of the corridor when the door slide open of its own accord. A figure stood there obscured among the smoke and ash. Shorty raised his right arm uncertainly, laser sight trained on the figure. He didn’t shoot though, his scanner was throwing back weird readings, was this a horde bot, or a Freedom Fighter. “Identify yourself!” he ordered. Better to make sure of his target rather than risk blowing an innocent person away. Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Apr 28 2010, 07:54 AM Kyle's eyes were sweeping systematically around the corridors of the sky fortress, intent on taking in as much detail as he could. Observation lead to insight and insight led to advantage and he knew they needed all the advantage they could get. The first room they entered after passing out of the docking bay was a large, hemispherical room whose floor opened up into the black gulf of night. The path they had been following split, branching left and right to circumnavigate the room before joining and continuing on the other side. Across the center of the room, hanging in the void, was a precarious service walk held up by metal poles that joined the ceiling. The team had split to cover each of the paths as they moved through the room. Kyle took the service walk across the center of the room. A blackness devoid of natural stars stretched out beneath him as he crossed. Occasionally a reflection from the treetops below could be seen, but it was the unnatural stars, the sporadic movement of red and blue lights flitting about, that caught Kyle's attention. The lights grew in size and intensity until the faint outline of a robot came into view. Kyle's plasma rifle was instantly at the ready, but it was not needed. The robots were service and recon droids. They glided with a slight rush of air into the hemispherical room, past Kyle and the others and into small docking ports in the ceiling before others would disembark to take their place. It seemed they were in a small secondary docking bay reserved specifically for these droids. Easy access to the outside allowed for quick and efficient repairs to the fortress. The recon droids helped explain how the Horde often times seemed to be one step ahead of the Freedom Fighters. A gust of upward wind brought the smell of the forest below into Kyle's presence. It reminded him of a time now long gone when he and others could walk amongst the trees without fear. A longing for simpler times sprang up within him, mixed with a desire to one day walk hand-in-hand with someone special through those very same woods and listen to the beautiful night sounds, sharing silent moments. But the forest held dangers both metallic and organic. There was a growing sense that something evil had awaken in the woods at the coming of the Metal Horde and it made no such distinctions as friend or foe. Kyle shook his head and refocused his thoughts. This room was going to go up in smoke with the engines. He shouldered his rifle and signaled for a satchel charge. Grabbing a hold of one of the poles securing the walkway, he began to climb, trying not to think about the drop below him. He placed the charge at the apex of the ceiling and set the detonator for the secondary signal, reserving the primary for the engines. Proceeding down the next series of corridors resulted in several firefights. But the troopers were quickly dispatched, Bunnie's strength allowing her to rip a wall panel from its moorings and toss it into the group, crushing them. When Janson had said the engine room was port side aft, straight and true, Kyle had thought that perhaps that was so if one proceeded through several air ducts. To his surprise, this was one mission where he wasn't going to be crawling through an air vent. They soon found themselves outside a control room. Looking in at it through the heavily reinforced glass window and into the room beyond, he could see why the port engine was so hard to miss: it was three stories tall. Power conduits ran along the ceiling at a variety of angles to giant repulser lift batteries. They all shared a common origin, a large, multi-ribbed, hour-glass shaped core in the center of the room. A giant arcing ring circled the core, bright bolts of electricity racing across its surface before launching inward to the central spire and finding their way to the power conduits. The arcing ring spun rapidly, but drifted slowly upward and then downward across the central two thirds of the core. Metal walk ways circled the large machine, diagnostic stations scattered throughout. Worker bots were tending the terminals. "Janson," he whispered into his comlink, "it's three stories tall..." "Is it?" Janson queried back. There was a moment of silence before his voice came through again "yeah... I guess it is, huh? Can you get me a picture? It must look amazing." "...Yeah, you could say that." But how were they going to take it out? The technology of the repulser lift was essentially the same in any application. The charge between the arcing ring and the central core built up power that was diverted to the batteries. In land speeders, specifically the early T-65s, the arcing rings had a tendency to go bad and crack because of the buggy electrical guidance system software, thus needing replacement. But how did you crack an arcing ring a single story tall? "You should be just outside the control room of the second floor," Janson spoke into Kyle's pondering, "Figure it's a good place to start. Maybe just try shutting it down?" Kyle chewed his lower lip. He didn't want to shut it down. He wanted to break it. Maybe they could force a feedback loop, over charge the arcing ring? Usually there were safety systems against that and the physics behind it were self regulating. An uneasiness was growing in the pit of Kyle's stomach. Was it anxiety at the task before them? It was then that he noticed Darren racing up the corridor to meet them. There was an uneasiness in his features, almost pale as though he was ill. Kyle looked over at Bunnie and the few other freedom fighters with them and could tell they too were feeling uneasy. The uneasiness was also growing. It was an almost palpable ominous foreboding now. Kyle looked back at Darren and read the unspoken message in his eyes. Something wicked, this way comes! If that was true then he wanted a better position to defend. Kyle clicked his com link, "Janson, can you override-" "Already done." The control room door slid open. Posted by: Harpy May 4 2010, 10:06 PM ((ooc: *evil laugh* I might have misread, but I do believe the lift party was left with no pc's to protect them. Is that right? Long post is long, so summary at end.)) Dack looked confused, jaw dropped and watching Sawyer sprint away, miraculously whole again. Sandra was frowning, but didn't dare follow. Neon, a small poison-arrow frog behind her, voiced what might as well have been written on her face. "I don't know what he thinks he's doing, but we have a defense to set!" Sandra nodded, Neon tugging at Dack's elbow, who seemed to break out of his shock and follow them. The group maneuvered crates, vehicles, and even bits of robots into makeshift barricades, arranging their position to give them clear sight of the entrances without compromising cover if they had to fight again. When they had to fight again. Janson was still out of sight at the other end of the vast room, hidden behind the cover of service machines and presumably still plugged into the terminal Kyle had spotted for him. Soon the two pine martins sent to walk the perimeter returned, both helmeted with dark visors covering most of their faces. There wasn't much to report to the others, so they knelt behind a barricade and talked between themselves. "Where's the cat? All I see is the bloodstain." "Looks like he's run ahead, Biggs." "Got anything on you stronger than water, Wedge?" "Sure don't." "Heh. I hate the waiting." Phasers are not the swiftest of badniks, but they move directly. Not needing to follow halls and search for doors, they passed through walls and floors, flickering in and out of sight towards the gravity lifts where the trespassers had entered. The wan light cast by the energy crackling along their bodies lit the doorway long before they arrived, and there was a solemn silence among the Fighters left behind. The waiting really was the worst. Nothing entered through the doorway. A dozen of the serpentine machines phased in from the walls to the left instead, snaking their way through the air. They could not maintain their phase-forms long without overheating, so the invaders had a brief moment to see the unexpected direction of the threat and fire their own weapons, the bullets and plasma shots taking down several of the G-Is only to have more phase into view to replace the ones destroyed. There was a collective tensing of the rebels. The barricades would be useless now. "Sugar, Neon, cover Janson!" Sandra shouted, lobbing a meltie over the barricade at the approaching swarm. It managed to go off before all of the phasers could vanish, blasting bits of their sparking metal bodies across the room. The flying squirrel and the colorful frog shifted their position, crossing the room and flanking the technician who was either too focused on his job to notice the attack or two practiced at staying calm to even flinch. He was on his comlink, but tapped it back off. "Jan, just shut it off and get to the barricade!" Sugar pleaded. She didn't like their position. The walls no longer seemed safe, she wanted to be in the center of the room with the others. "I've got to keep the Fortress lock-downs from barring the other team's path. They don't have time to find another route," he said, not looking up from his computer. "Neither do we have time to wait for their other route," Neon agreed, trying to reassure Sugar. Beyond the terminal, the phasers had reached the main barricade and swam over it. "Keep moving! We don't know where they'll reappear!" shouted Braid, an opossum with a gun in each hand and a readied meltie clutched in her tail. Zigzagging might help, after all. Running in a straight line was predictable, the machines could predict a runner's position and appear ahead of them. Or in them. And staying still was just asking to be cut to pieces. The two martins, the last to move away from the barricades, nodded at each other. "The wait's over, Wedge." "Sure is, Biggs." They hoisted themselves up onto the crates that had shielded them, jumping forward as a trio of phasers swam towards them, managing to exchange their position with the machines who weren't expecting to be charged. The two martins immediately turned, firing their weapons rapidly. The other Fighters scattered, abandoning the barricades and leaping across the room, pausing only long enough to take shots, like the pine martins had. The room was filled with noise and confusion. The movements of the phasers were hard to predict, they could show up anywhere. There was a fountain of blood as one appeared at Wedge's shoulder, the canine too slow in turning away. Biggs shot the bot immediately, backing away as he fired in order to keep moving, dropping the badnik to the floor where it writhed uselessly. But a pair of phasers were drifting up to Biggs from behind, meaning to catch him while he was distracted. They were about to cut into him when a black and red blur dashed between one entryway and the next, crushing the bots on his way and throwing a casual thumbs-up before he vanished again. Shadow was obviously in some sort of hurry. Another phaser appeared right between Sandra's hands as she aimed her gun at a target across the room, slicing her arms open and reducing her rifle to scrap. She screamed, reeling back. The phaser followed, ready to tear her apart while she was stumbling, when something heavy batted it aside. The bot hit the ground, crushed beneath a dense metal canister from one of the supply crates. Behind it, Dack was standing, wide-eyed and breathing heavily. Sandra shook her head, biting her tongue to keep from crying out again. "Dack!" "Yeah!" was all he said, though what he was agreeing to was anyone's guess. He barreled into the fox, carrying her with him as they both dodged a trio of phasers slicing through the crate that Sandra had been thrown against. Braid appeared on top of a nearby crate, tossing her meltie with her tail as she spun about to shoot down a phaser in the opposite direction that was headed towards Janson. The meltie destroyed all three of the bots and the remains of the crate with them. "Keep moving!" the oppossum shouted as she ran ahead again. Everyone did. So much was happening in such a short span of time, the air constantly erupting, torn apart by the electric bodies of the enemy machines or by the shots and blasts of the Fighters slowly taking them down. Everything was a bloody haze of frantic motion. Except for the group hiding beside the terminal. Sugar was insistent. "You have Kyle on that line, right? Tell the others we need help!" "We have to help them, too, Sug," answered Janson calmly, then tapped the com back on. "You should be just outside the control room of the second floor. Figure it's a good place to start. Maybe just try shutting it down?" Kyle's voice was barely audible through the static. Maybe the same static would mask the background sounds here. "Janson, can you override-" "Already done." "Move! Now!" Neon warned them, pushing Janson bodily away from the terminal as a phaser slithered towards them. Sugar, tense enough to have already dashed ahead, shot over their shoulders and nailed the metal beast on it's head. Another one down. Out of how many... there was no good way to count the blinking things. "Wait!" Jan shouted back, tension finally audible in his voice as he rolled aside, cushioning his computer and narrowly avoiding a violent tangle with the wiring that still connected it to the terminal. There wasn't much more he could do for the other team from here if he lost that connection. Neon unplugged it himself. "Janson, we need to regroup!" After all, there wasn't much more Janson could do for the other team if this one died protecting him. The squirrel nodded, leaving the computer. He could come back for it. Hands now free, he pulled out a meltie, speaking into his comlink again. "Kyle, we're holding here! Do what you have to do!" He turned it off without waiting for an answer, running like the others now. The phasers were not infinite, though the difficulty in knowing just how many were present was part of their menace, especially in large number. But a few, a mere handful, had departed from the attack on the lift team, never reaching that room but instead dispersing through the halls, looking for stragglers. Like a lone tiger. Considering he'd been dying just a little while earlier, Sawyer was making good time, the path was fairly direct and the troopers stationed nearby had already been taken down by the earlier team. But as he rounded a curve in the metal halls there was a crackling hiss of light and a phaser appeared in his path. Another appearing behind him. ---------------------------- Harpy had witnessed the end of a similar attack, the one that had destroyed the turret room. As Shadow leapt nimbly away from her again, this time audacious enough to steady his flip by holding onto her head with his hand of all things, she saw the light gathering across his quills. Her beak snapped at the fingers that were so close to her face, but managed to catch nothing more than a part of his glove and no flesh at all! Her internal combat programming was quick to initiate a retreat order. But she didn't want to run! She wanted cut him into pieces and grind the pieces into pulp and strain the pulp into a clear liquid that she could paint across the walls and- She had all of four seconds while he was gathering energy to wrestle with her programming and ultimately lose, retreating from the gear assembly. The destructive blast destroyed the equipment, melting the walls and grinding the many moving parts to a jarring halt. Harpy was thrown further than she had managed to fly, the force at this distance still enough to knock her prone, her mechanical body dark and lifeless. "I'd love to stay and play, Harpy, but I have a date to die for!" Silence but for the metallic groaning of the broken equipment settling in the bowels of the Fortress. So much atomized metal was in the air that a being needing to breathe would likely have choked. But Harpy only breathed because she was designed to keep her singing ability. And for now, she was silenced. Reinitializing high tier functions.......Failed. Reinitializing base functions..... Running self-diagnostics..... Immediate maintenance required. Directive processing damaged. The metal body twitched. In the cold mechanical depths of what was left of a once-Mobian soul, Harpy was faced with a dilemma. Should she allow herself to follow protocol, she would shut down and wait for recovery and maintenance. This sort of damage was not tolerable for a RUIN, after all. But the programming in place that would normally force her to follow such basic protocol was absent. She was receiving the uplink, but the carefully constructed layers of control, especially designed to tame the violent Beta, were now gone. She could choose to defy the orders she was receiving. A strange and unlikely result of the damage she had taken, but one which she now had to deal with. Recovery mode confirmed With another twitch and with an unnatural bend to her back where normally a spine would prevent such movement, the Beta stood and looked around her, frowning unhappily. "Where is Oblivion? Why can't I hear him in my mind?" It was too terrible a thought. Other voices, ones that were not her master's and that she could not stand to have seem familiar, were clawing at her thoughts, teasing at memories she willfully denied having. "I must find Oblivion!" Her tone was practically cheerful. Her normally natural motions disturbed by an occasional jagged twitch, the metal that plated the top and back of her head sparking noisily, she stepped lightly away from the gear room, oblivious to the damage around her. Intent on a single self-determined objective. She had not far to go before entering one of the long long halls that connected the overly large rooms that occupied this quadrant of the Fortress. Rooms like the gear hall, or the turret room that had a new view of the night sky. A thick mist-like fog of dust and ash followed her from the wreckage of her her last fight as she stepped through the door to find an armored creature before her. Grinning and cocking her head to the side with an unnatural jerk, she hummed quietly, her song gathering strength. This stranger, machine or rebel, was not Oblivion. It was therefore her enemy. ((ooc: That means you, Shorty infytongue.gif Harpy isn't really broken, since she's willingly a Beta at this point. She's just going to be more uber-stalker-ish till Liv fixes her. Hope this is okay, guess I'm wanting to use this as a way to develop her a bit, but if it breaks rules I'll edit it, kay?)) Edited 25/03/11 SUMMARY: Phasers attack the party at the lift. Fighting happens. A pair of phasers flank Sawyer as he's following after the main team. Harpy survives Shadow's attack but is damaged, and redetermines her directive to be finding Oblivion, encountering Shorty on the way Posted by: Darren Fennec May 5 2010, 08:55 PM ((OOC: Let's go engine room team! Also, Summary at the end.)) Sonic is dead.... Foot falls fell hard upon the hard steel surface of the corridors, their white washed gleam a false testimony to the distopia they were in. Soft lighting in a light blue hue peaked out from recesses at the joints between the walls and ceiling. Sonic is dead.... No! Her melodious voice had sounded dead, as if she herself could not believe the news, the very thing that, by her blessing, they both knew to be true. The look in The White Spirits eyes had been the same as when he first met her, sad and morose, but this time lacking the flame of hope in them. The life in her eyes had faded and the effect was traumatizing. So this was the type of torment that she had endured for countless generations? This was the despair she had learned of time after age and still remaind so loving as to delight in the smallest kindness of a heart like his? No spirit was ever more deserving of honor! How he wished he could reach out and take the pain from her, as he wished for all who wept, but hard enough was the task with mortal to mortal. What offering could he bestow to the eternal? Sonic is dead.... NAY! His pace slowed as an anger in him rose to challenge the tremors of his heart. It was a red fury, drowning out his disbeliefs and suring his legs. The woe of Sally, however, was still persistent in his core, more distant now as his path from The White Spirit grew. It pressed in on him in waves of torture, his eyes tearing with each pulse. So this is what lay hidden in the very heart of the Princess? I love for Sonic so rich and deep that its fracture shook the world straight through to beyond, causing the angels to cry? How had she hidden it so, to be able to command the legions of survivors when knowing nothing of the fate of her beloved? A revelation unfolded before him. The Metal Horde was now the third trial in which he found himself struggling. More than half his life had been dedicated to the protection of those who could not fight and for the prosperity of the Acorn Kingdom. During it all, he had grown in stature in the eyes of many, developing a character known for handling hardship and tackeling the challenge of leadership. He was a man someone could depend on. A clear and sharp thinker who wouldn't falter in the face of terrors. It all paled compared to the 18 year old Princess Sally. Darren had known loss before, had blessed and buried family, friends, and comrades. Never had such berievement been known as he now felt from Sally. For three years she had survived the tragic unknown over Sonic. Countless times had she rallied her subjects to the call at arms, plotted a path through murky days, her very presence a boon to those still living, her words like water to a world thirsty for hope, and the whole while containing this passion within. Oh, every knew she cared for The Hero, that she loved him. But not like this. No, they truly didn't know. This alone was what separated true royalty from the commoner: Strength of heart. He was proud to serve her. Again his prayers returned to Celeste, making her paths straight to her goal. For of the flesh should the mortal take charge, and of the spirit, the angels. Sonic was in her hands, the only ones capable. And by this you honor the trust placed in you by her, Darren. For she came to you in aid for the physical and blessed you with the spiritual. May you know bless her in the physical and she will aid you in the spiritual. The voice was soft and confident and, with this trust established, his anger waned, the disbelief not returning. Then, his fur stood on end and his skin crawled. The physical change in him was so sudden and unexpected that it brought him up short. Why would he react this way? No more than a second had passed since his pause when the air in front of him rippled with blue currents of electricity. From the well of light a Phaser materialized. Had he been still moving, he'd be dead. Instincts took over and he lashed out with his sword arm in an offense move from the "Flight in Forest" stance, bringing his weapon sidelong, edge wise, into the bots weakened joints where its arms met its frame. This was a problem, however, as Darren was not carrying a sword in his hand but a rifle. Its tip was now bent and lodge in the machine! Blades spun out to tear his head from his torso. He ducked and let his legs give way, dropping to the floor as fast as gravity could carry him. The blades missed, but only just, taking a nick out of his left shoulder, another scar for the collection. Upon the floor, he rolled to its flank, yanking the gun with it. The rifle discharged, sending a hail of plasma through the Phaser and to the ceiling. He shielded himsef with his arm as charred metal peppered him, pot marking his cheeks with burns resembling freckles. It'd be awhile before fur grew there again. His uniform would need tending again, too. But the encounter was over and not too worse for the wear. He'd heal, which was more than he could say for the Phaser. Upon inspection, the gun was still usable, although wouldn't fire straight again. But he hadn't been particularly good with doing that in the first place. He resumed his jog. It was a quick jaunt from there for the engine room to at last revel itself. Up ahead, he could already see the rest of the squad, Kyle at the lead, fanning out to prepare for an assault. And then the atmosphere changed. His jog slowed to a halting step. The very air felt thick with villainy. The sensations of Sonic and Sally vanished, shrouded in a dark cloth, and replaced with a quiet dread. He found it difficult to breath and his skin paled. Be wary! Your enemy prowls like a lion! He caught Kyle's eyes and knew he sensed something too. Whatever they were going to do, they'd best do it fast. For a wicked creature sought them, wishing to be their undoing. ((OOC: Summary: Darren has a revelation about the quality of character that Sally has. What a woman! He fights off a Phaser bot, reaches the engine room, and his new found sensitivities alert him to the approach of a villain most fowl! )) Posted by: Sawyer May 5 2010, 09:11 PM Sawyer ran through metal scattered halls on all fours again, not meeting anything along his way. The plasma rifle was rattling uncomfortably against his back. However, he ignored the slight pain from it. If he carried it, he’d have to run on two legs which meant him slowing down... and that was something he didn’t want. After about 5 minutes of running, he began to grow bored, causing his mind to wander. Sawyer wished he had a com-link. He was worried for the group at the bay... Did he make a mistake leaving them there? Sawyer, dashing around a corner, was lost in his worry for the group at the dock. Snapping back into reality, he spotted something appear right in front of him. Hovering in front of him was a weird robot thing with blades and a bright light. Oh crap... Sawyer realised there was no time to stop without colliding into it. At the 11th hour, he managed to jump and summersault over the object, missing it by inches. Landing neatly, he skidded to a halt and spun round to see what is was that had suddenly appeared in front of him. Looking back up the hall, he caught a glimpse of both Phasers before they faded out of sight again. Sawyer, only having agreed to join the Freedom Fighters since with his encounter with Jade, had no idea what is was he’s just seen. The only experience he had was with Cutters. Sawyer took a step back. Had they turned invisible? “What the hell were those--” he broke off. A Phaser had just materialised into where Sawyer was standing less than a second ago. Leaping back in shock, a second one appeared seconds where he was standing before he jumped back. Almost immediately Sawyer reached for his gun before they disappeared again. However, by the time he even touched it, they had disappeared. “Oh shit...” he muttered. Sawyer, who wasn’t one for cursing, spun round on the spot and sprinted in any direction he could see. Hurtling along the corridor, a Phaser emerged in front of him again. Letting out a cry, he hit the floor, skidding roughly across the ground, which he felt burn him. The Phaser whizzed past him. Recovering, he resumed bolting on all fours again. The second Phasers appeared inches away from his head. There was no time to react as Sawyer attempted to dodge it. A sudden pain erupted from his right ear, as the Phaser skimmed it, only taking of bare skin. Lucky for Sawyer... “Okay... This just isn’t working!” he shouted to himself, trying to keep up the pace. He continued sprinting down another corridor... Where was he going? He was lost now, no thanks to the annoying robots... Taking a quick glance over his shoulder, he never saw them behind him or in front of him. They must’ve given up... I hope they-- As though summoned by his thoughts, the Phasers appeared side by side each other in the corridor, making it harder or Sawyer to dodge them. Again, he didn’t have enough time to halt. Suddenly, without thinking, he dove at the wall, and continued sprinting. He wall-ran over the two Phasers, but lost his footing and slipped. He landed hard upon the smooth floor, skidding along at a fast speed. The ground burned his skin and fur again but it was better than being cut up from the inside. Reaching for his gun, he quickly aimed and fired at the two Phasers, still hovering where Sawyer had been running before he jumped. His aim was true as the two Phasers received a few plasma shots between them both. Falling to the ground in a heap, Sawyer had stopped sliding across the cold floor. Sawyer lay there for a few moments, breathing heavily, trying to catch his breathe. “Phew...” he panted, “There now... wasn’t so bad now was it? I’ve only tripped, saved Kyle, saved Dack, get blown up, get healed and nearly killed again by invisa-robots! See? Totally not breaking my promise to Jade” Sawyer smiled to himself. He’d been through a lot in his first Freedom fight... But it wasn’t over yet. Picking himself up, he slung the plasma rifle across his back again. Checking his burns from the floor, they didn’t seem bad. His ear didn’t neither. Brushing himself down, he set of again, only this time at a slower pace. He was now lost, having being thrown of course by the sudden appearance of the Phasers. He had to be close by now... Wither it be the Kyle’s party, or just another ally... Why did the Phasers suddenly find him? There was no one round... Just another reason to be cautious... Posted by: Shortfuse May 5 2010, 09:13 PM The figure didn’t answer, instead she began to sing, which was more than a little weird. A low, haunting melody that undulated like waves on the ocean, rising to fill the space between them. Shorty hesitated a moment longer, his aim drooping uncertainly. “What the…?” But a moment was all it took, the song wrapped around him like silken chains and pulled tight, and suddenly he was lost. The world around him flickered and blurred, the figure in the doorway shimmering like a mirage. Plumage that had seemed stormy grey in the shadows were revealed as bright acid green as the girl stepped into the light. She was no stranger; everything from the curved feathers that framed her pretty face to the scuffed toes of her combat boots was painfully, heart wrenchingly familiar. “Tekno…” The name slipped from his lips like a sigh, and at first all he felt was numbing disbelief. She stood before him, unharmed and healthy as she had been the day she walked out of his life. It had been almost three years, but she hadn’t changed, not even a little. She didn’t speak, and neither did he, though his chest was slowing flooding with all the things he could have said, all the things he’d been rehearsing since he’d lost her. None of them seemed to fit now, crumbling away like ancient parchment exposed to harsh sunlight. “How…. What the hell are you doing here?!” The answer to that was obvious, she was with the Freedom Fighters. His trademarked temper threatened to flare at that, but now that the numb was being replaced by a joy so intense that he almost felt drunk, he found he didn’t care anymore. “I… oh hell, Tek,” he shook his head, feeling tears burn his eyes beneath his helmet. “I thought I’d never find you.” He could have asked her why she’d stayed hidden from him, but there’d be time for that later. “Never doubted it for a second,” she replied, speaking at last. But her voice sounded like an echo. Too faint to come from someone so close by, and wait, when had she gotten so pale? It was like she was wilting before his very eyes, she stumbled, and he darted forward to catch her, but his hands met only empty air. Shorty stumbled, ending up on his knees, he looked up in confusion to see that Tekno was once again standing by the door, a weird smile twisting her face, distorting it… His ruby optics flared, zooming in and clarifying the face of the woman before him, glowing redline picking out the features disguised by the delicate mask. A hooked eagles beak rather than Tekno’s dainty one, wild eyes filled with an insane light. Shorty frowned, trying to make sense of the confliction images, his emotions whirling. “You’re… you’re not Tekno.” Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Kyle Cornyn May 15 2010, 01:03 PM Sandra let out a scream as the phaser tore her rifle asunder and cut deep into the flesh of her forearms. The surprise of the phaser's appearance and the jolt of pain that followed caused her to blindly stumble backwards into a crate that, fortunately prevented her falling to the floor. The phaser was nearly upon her, but as sudden as its appearance in front of her, so too was its demise. Dack's quick thinking had crushed it beneath a large, heavy canister. "Dack!" she cried in both relief and thanks. Having lost her rifle, she needed another weapon to defend with. Dack's side-arm could do just that and she was about to request it from him when he hollered back "Yeah!" as if reading her thoughts. Before the transaction could take place she was abruptly scooped up by him and deftly removed from a three-way phaser throw down. Planting Sandra on her feet in mid run, both she and Dack began a dance of zig-zaging to stay one step ahead of the enemy. Dack tossed Sandra his rifle, which came as somewhat of a surprise because she was seeking the side-arm, but she wasn't going to complain in the middle of a firefight! She caught the rifle barrel in her right hand and brought the stock up to her dominant left hand, but somehow she missed gripping it in the midst of a dodge. The slip-up caused her to have to side roll away from the aim of a phaser instead of blasting it. Fortunately, Braid's well timed shot did the job for her. Unfurling from her side roll she attempted to grip the stock of the rifle a second time, but it slipped from her grasp again. She looked down at the rifle as she performed another dodging maneuver. Her blood was running down the rifle apparently making it difficult to grip. The wounds on her arms were going to need some tending too immediately, but she had to find a momentarily lull in the phaser onslaught. Having made her way to the center of the room she again brought the stock of the rifle to her left hand and for the third consecutive time she seemed unable to grip it, but she was sure she had it that time! This was intolerable! She needed to blast these phasers and the stupid rifle absolutely refused to cooperate! With a growl she looked down at the rifle once again, this time to methodically place the rifle butt in her left hand and provide some defense. As she did, though, the pit of her stomach rolled over in realization. She couldn't grip the rifle with her left hand because she couldn't grip with her left hand! She stared at her left hand dumbfounded. She was telling it to close, telling the fingers to curl and hold the rifle, but the digits were unresponsive. Her eyes glanced over the wound that the phaser had inflicted on her left forearm and saw it was a much deeper cut than her right arm. It must have severed something... "Oh no..." she whispered. ------------------------------ The outside door to the engine control room slid open, much to the surprise of the worker bots attending the consoles inside. In a flawless execution, several plasma bursts and and one very strong Bunnie arm simultaneously gave the freedom fighters sole access to room. The group swarmed inside and locked the outside door behind them, each aware an ominous presence was upon them. The plasma rifle in Kyle's arms gave a polite beep indicating it was out of ammunition. He depressed a button on the side causing a vacuum seal to hiss open and a now empty glass plasma vial to discharge onto the floor with a tinkling. Closing the rifle's breach, Kyle swung it over his shoulder and unholstered his Iago Enforcer. No need to waste a good rifle, though it was empty there was ammunition back at HQ. "Kyle," Jansons's voice piped in over the com-link. There was a bit more background noise now than before and Kyle's experience told him it was probably due to weapons fire. "we're holding here! Do what you have to do!" The urgency in Janson's voice confirmed it. He had known the group at the docking bay would eventually come under fire, but not this soon. Maybe he and the other freedom fighters had done a better than anticipated job of acting as a diversion for Sonic and Shadow. Still, he hadn't heard any update from them regarding the rescue of the Princess. And there was still the matter of the arcing ring in the engine core and how to crack it. Kyle gritted his teeth, everything seemed to be coming down to the wire. One thing at a time. He depressed the com link button. "Team C to teams A and B. Engine control room secure. Requesting status update and confirmation for execution of engine core disable and destroy orders." He waited a few moments for a response, but was only met with static. "Sonic, Shadow, this is Kyle. Respond." Samantha, a lynx who had served with Kyle on a number of previous missions, threw a concerned look at him. In reply, Kyle pointed to his eyes, then the rapidly spinning arcing ring in the core beyond the control room window and finally to the computer terminals in the room. Nodding in understanding, Samantha slid into a chair and began typing rapidly at the computer keyboard, investigating engine core readings. "Janson, this is Kyle. Can you get a read on Sonic or Shadow?" Again he was met with only static. "Janson, come in!" This was bad. "Unwilling to respond... or unable." Samantha spoke Kyle's thoughts. "Unable could mean a number of things." He replied. "Equipment does get broken in a fight." Samantha conceded. But Kyle could hear the faltering optimism in her voice. They were all thinking the same thing now: Had something happened to Shadow? Was the Princess beyond recovery? Was Sonic lost to them? The feeling that welled up inside of him at the thought was quite unsettling and his mouth started to go dry. If Sonic, Shadow and the Princess were gone then it would mean... The ominous feeling grew a little stronger. Kyle forced the thoughts and feelings of "what ifs" away and into a place where he could deal with them later allowing him to focus on the moment. They were still deep inside the heart of the enemy and they had an opportunity to do some damage. "We have a job to do." He said with steadfast determination. Time for overdrive mode: one thing at a time... just in rapid succession. "Samantha?" Kyle queried. The young lynx shook her head. "I'm locked out, Kyle. This is an amazing rig. You should see the kind of power it's outputting. Takes a lot of robust software to control it and there's no crack in the armor. Granted, I'm not Janson, but I can tell you this much: I can't just shut it off." Joined by Samantha, Kyle crossed over to the inner control room window that looked out upon the engine core and the arcing ring beyond. The hour-glass three story pillar it ringed was a awash in a radiant blue from electrical discharge. To keep a ring that size centered around the receiving node would undoubtedly require a huge magnetic field. It was naturally generated by the arcing ring and central node, but if they could somehow force it off-axis slightly they might get an oscillation going. And if they could crack the ring in the process the decrease in structural integrity might cause the shifting magnetic field to tear the ring apart. Pressing the key lock on the inner control room door, the portal wooshed open allowing entrance into the core itself. Kyle looked over at Bunnie and eyed up her robotic left arm. "How hard, exactly, do you think you can punch with that?" |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:42 AM Post #6 |
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Posted by: Ruby May 16 2010, 09:16 AM ((ooc: lol I say I'm going to take a break from the board for a couple of days, and then I'm on, posting the next morning. Anyway I hope this and my next post are good and don't distrupt the thread's flow. I personally think this is much better than what I had before; much more logical ^^' and I think Kevin's last post really helped ^^)) The entrance into the control room was simple and easy enough, and the bots inside were made quick work of. They locked the door behind them but something just didn't seem right. It sent a slight chill up Ruby's spine; like something or someone was watching them, unseen. However, Ruby's equipment wasn't picking up anything out of the ordinary, so she dismissed it for the time being, hoping it was just her nerves acting up on her. "Kyle," she heard Jansons's voice come in through the fox's com-link, "we're holding here! Do what you have to do!" there was an urgency in the squirrel's voice that made the bat more worried and nervous -if that were even possible. Should I have stayed behind to help? She shook her head to clear her mind. No. That would do little good, her tech support was needed there; to help shut down the engines. But still... "Um.." Her thought was cut short before it could develop too far. Snapped back to reality, she noticed Samantha at one of the computers trying to hack the system. Well this wasn't good; normally Ruby'd be at work hacking the systems before the thought even occurred to anyone else, but her nerves were getting the best of her. Distracting her and costing the team. She needed to regain focus before she made a mistake. She looked in the direction of the source of what had gotten her attention in the first place. It was Max, a green and black hedgehog who had become one her best friends since the three year long war began. She had a look of bothered confusion on her face as she looked about the room. "Where's Tani?" Eyes wide, the bat looked around the room. The echidna wasn't there, "She came with us, didn't she?" "R-Ru-gah!" Ruby could tell by how Max was unable to say her name, that she was upset and she didn't blame her. "I'm locked out, Kyle," piped in Samantha's voice, and Ruby turned in the lynx's direction, "This is an amazing rig. You should see the kind of power it's outputting. Takes a lot of robust software to control it and there's no crack in the armor. Granted, I'm not Janson, but I can tell you this much: I can't just shut it off." "Let me take a crack at it," Ruby said as optimistically as she could. Though if Samantha couldn't break past the security system, she doubt she'd have much better luck, but she had to at least try. She needed to keep herself busy. "Alright, but I doubt it'll do much good," Sam replied getting up to let Ruby have the seat. The lynx wasn't insulting her computer skills; Ruby could tell by her tone. She was just tired and stressed, with tense nerves. They all were, the air was think with it. Ruby barely waited 'till she was in the chair before starting. Fingers working at an incredible speed on the keys, and eyes darting swiftly analyzing everything on the screen, though it wasn't much, she quickly became enthralled in her work. Still she couldn't help but worry about Tani. They were in the very heart of the enemy HQ. This was no time to be wandering about, let alone by oneself. When did she even leave the group? ((ooc: Though Ruby's an amazing hacker, she won't get very far in the system. The most she'll be able to do is break through the first of many firewalls; if even that much. But believe me, she will keep trying.)) Posted by: Tani May 16 2010, 09:24 AM The engine room was easy enough to find just like Janson said, they were there in practically no time at all. Though it didn't seem that way to Tani. She was very distant, everything around her in a sort of haze. Something just didn't sit right with the echidna & she was compelled to go back to the docking bay. She was just a few short paces ahead of Derren, the two bringing up the rear of the party. That is until she stopped dead in her tracks, letting the Fennec pass her. Her tangerine eyes focused on the group in front of her & she noticed Kyle, some sort of disturbed expression painting his face. This made her heart sink, or rather drop, as she felt a sudden, creeping presence enveloping her & the entire corridor. That was it! Mind made up, her distant & apprehensive expression became one of focused determination as she turned & bolted back the way they came, without a word to anyone. She was definitely going to get an ear full about this later. The echidna was doubling back to the docking bay, the trip taking much less time in her head than before. She was half way there when she stopped abruptly. Coming from a branching corridor she could hear gunfire. Without a second, or even first thought, she ran down the hall in the general direction in which the commotion had come from. Lead by the sound of several more shots, she came across two serpentine bots, blasted & on the floor, destroyed. It had to be someone from the bay, heading to the engine room & forced to make wrong turns by the bots. Without giving her mind a chance to protest, she bolted again, at top speed, searching for her lost comrade. She couldn't just let them remain lost, getting themselves killed. If there was something she could do, she had to do it. That was her way as a Freedom Fighter. After what seemed like an eternity of running & about a dozen corridors, Tani turned one final corner. She skid to a halt, her eyes wide with shocked disbelief. There he was, running. "Sawyer!" ((ooc: Ok now I'm going to take a break for a few days. I'll be back by Wednesday. & I just had to have someone find Sawyer, it'd be a shame if he died because he got lost.)) Posted by: Bunnie May 17 2010, 12:57 PM "Ah'll have none of that he'ah. Don't be thinkin' those kind of thoughts. Won't do us any good." She was referring of course to what was obviously being thought. That Sonic had failed and was dead (again) and with him Sally and maybe even Shadow. Bunnie puffed her chest a bit and sighed. The utterly depressing atmosphere coupled with tension was not helping her keep her head straight. The engine was, in a word, huge. Bunnie didn't take the pleasure of being astounded. Once those door slid open and they had access, it was time to figure out what they were going to do. Bunnie smirked at Kyle when he inquired about her strength. She was looking more and more beaten up, with scratches and bruises showing up on her light fur, but she had still been one of the more fortunate ones as far as injuries went. Even a scorch mark here and there didn't seem to deter her. "Sugah, ah am the heaviest hittah this side of the Mississippi." Of course, on the inside, she was concerned about just punching the thing. It could very well electrocute her or otherwise fry her into nothingness. That would be a bit uncomfortable. She was about to mention it, but instead the fur on the back of her neck bristles, and with it, so did the rabbit. Bunnie, again, didn't mention it. Not yet. She felt unease, a knot in the pit of her stomach that made her feel miserable. Was it just worry? No..it felt like it was a harbinger. Something was wrong. [OOC: Short post is short. 8u;;] Posted by: Delano May 19 2010, 12:06 AM Insolent fools. An ambush was what it was defined as, but he didn’t like to call it that. After all, he didn't plan on attacking the intruders that quickly. Well… it depended on how much of threat he deemed them. Even if they did prove to be insufficient fighters, which they probably were, he would make sure that they would provide him some entertainment. And so far, they were doing a splendid job. A malicious, amused smirk played on the Zeta’s lips as he watched the Freedom Fighters cross the threshold of the control room. Unbeknownst to the "heroes", he was there all along. Observing. Contemplating. He would let them believe that they were actually making some headway in their futile attempts. What were they trying to do? Destroy the engine room? Oh, this was too funny. The intimate shadows concealed his presence, watching darkly from his ominous confines as one would an entertaining show. Topaz orbs glistening for opportunity, a pair of Reaperbots hovered quietly beside him, awaiting the hybrid’s orders. As a Zeta, his specialty was that of stealth and efficiency, a conduct similar to that of a thief. Reapers worked especially well with the new RUIN class, although because of the immense strength as a G-II model, Delano usually refrained from using even one. But, of course, these circumstances were different. These "heroes" had to be dealt the consequence of meddling with the Sky Fortress. While they may have perceived their notions to be valiant and courageous, it was all in vain. Even if the other team or whoever made off with that princess, even though he highly doubted his master would such a thing, he would ensure that these folks wouldn’t make it out alive. "Hmm…" the blue-violet male murmured, peering upon his unaware audience like a stalking predator. "Half of their group is here… while the other half are still stationed at the docking bay." He emitted a soft chuckle; he couldn't help but find it humorous how the mobians exchanged wary expressions. Had they sensed his presence? No. They're right to be cautious, however. Certainly, they didn't think that they would simply be able to decimate the place and stroll out of here? A few Phasers were hardly a sufficient challenge. His glance shifted over to the inner control room, where two females were attempting to hack into the engine's systems. Wait-- a white bat was now currently trying to hack into the computer's firewalls. That action only drew more laughter from the panther robian. Perhaps now was the time to make his debut. She didn't look to be much younger than him-- in fact, all of them looked to be at least around or a little older than himself. The metallic-skulled mechas hovered silently beside their superior, one at each side of him. Delano cast them each a fleeting look before focusing again on the group before him, motioning northward with a loose hand. "We have some uninvited guests occupying the docking bay, as well as some aimlessly wandering around here. 'Kindly' escort them off of the premises, if you will?" The robots didn't respond, but merely hovered away at a steady pace, the hum of their generators faint as they headed off of their separate paths toward the interlopers. The RUIN soldier smirked. "There goes one problem." He brushed an idle strand of thick hair out of his eyes. "And now to take care of the rest." With a brisk movement, Delano emerged from his "hiding place", flipping elegantly from the radical height and landing promptly outside of the room where the computer terminals were placed, and more importantly, where the energy core lied vulnerably near. He didn't waste time with any witty comment; instead, with a swift swipe of his hand, an ebony, translucent length extended from his arm, knocking everyone out of the room with a "gentle" push. The arm-like substance retracted back into his organic, bandaged arm as he turned to face his newfound opponents. "Ah, Freedom Fighters. Such a delight to finally encounter you lot." His tone reeked of a cold, baleful politeness that was unique to his sadistic personality. The topaz glass eye scanned the team briefly, his lips curving into a devious, toothy smirk that bared his fangs. None of them possess any supernatural abilities as far as I can tell. "As much as I appraise your efforts for rescuing, excuse me, trying to rescue your dear Princess, it is all in vain." His "smile" then digressed to a more fitting stoic frown, an unwavering, black aura beginning to form around him. "And then you all have the audacity to be greedy and try to decimate the energy core? Unforgivable." "You remember that ominous, looming uneasiness you all were previously feeling?" He gestured toward himself with a flamboyant hand. "That was I. I've been here the whole time, you know. Surely, you didn't believe that these lowly Phasers would be your only company?" Said robots have now regressed from the mindless assaults at the unspoken order of the panther Zeta. He paid them no mind. Their presence was no longer required (nor desired), after all. "Hahaha. Of course, you didn't. I would hope that you all were smarter than that." That daunting smirk of his gradually reappeared, the merciless expression shrouded by his white bangs. "My name is of no concern to you, but I suppose you should know that I am one of RUIN, Zeta class, model 9.38. And in order to uphold the glory of that of which Oblivion is, I will kill you all." That was indeed a promise. Posted by: Harpy May 21 2010, 01:38 PM However strong the body, the mobian heart was frail. Harpy had not even needed to attack, the stranger dropping to his knees willingly on his own, arms as empty as his hope, speaking to illusions. The RUIN stepped closer, smiling. A feather's breadth away, she attacked, her bladed wing snapping at his limbs, her beak snapping down at his shoulder. Harpy possessed a strength that could slice bone and pierce metal, but in this case her beak struck his armor with a dull clank and bounced her head away. Her wings let go as well, and she frowned to see that not even a scratch had been left! She crouched down where she stood, perched on her hooked toes while her head wove back and forth and her wings splayed to either side, puzzling over the obstacle before her. If her Beta programming was still functional, she would be driven to win by whatever means. As it was, she had no particular desire to fight, except in order to remove what hindered her. She cooed, cocking her head so that another small sputter of sparks fell across her face like a veil. "Tekno? No, I'm not. I am Oblivion's Harpy! And you.... are in my way." He was still on his knees, so she leapt lightly over his head, turning around to make sure the song wasn't wearing off too quickly. She had had quite enough of being attacked from behind when Shadow fought her. Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Shortfuse May 23 2010, 07:42 PM There were times when a pretty lie was much more appealing than reality. The truth could be harsh, it could be cold and cruel. It could tear a heart into so many pieces that the shreds would no longer be recognisable. In seeing through Harpy’s illusion, Shorty hadn’t lost anything, not really, but it had made the old pain feel new again. It was like ripping at the stitches on an old wound, tearing into knitting flesh. Sudden, sharp, and totally unbearable. It would be so much easier just to believe the dream than face the emotions tied to losing her all over again. It would hurt so much less to just give in… Shorty could feel himself sinking back beneath the waves of the spell, hurt and confusion starting to once again melt away. Just give up… What was the point in struggling on? What was the point in any of it? Clang! The sudden attack didn’t hurt him, the things that had the strength to damage or even scratch his suit were few and far between. But the shock did something to wake him from the enchantment. A rather rude awakening. He rocked backwards, nerves jangled and buzzing, his heart thumping a painful drunken beat. He could feel his suit trying to stabilise him, painful little pricks crept up and down his neck as it injected him with various chemicals to soothe and calm him. It never had been able to tell the difference between strong emotions and cardiac problems. Even with the new found clarity the drugs were giving him, the remnants of the spell clung like cobwebs, trailing on his thoughts. As the harpy-thing leap over him to make her escape, he could still see Tekno, superimposed over the stranger like a ghost. But this time, instead of longing, he just felt angry. How dare this freak use her image to try and mess with his head? It was unforgivable! Shorty struggled to his feet, raising his arm, his weapon locking on automatically, targeting the harpy’s head, right between her eyes. “Stop!” he ordered, doing his best not to react the sudden panic that flooded him, he was aiming at Tekno! No, no, no! This wasn’t Tekno! He knew that. “You aren’t going to just walk away. Nobody messes with me.” Even as the threat left his lips, he realised the fatal flaw in this course of action. If he killed her, he’d never know how she’d known what Tekno looked like. This crazy bird could be the key to finding her, perhaps she was even here in this Fortress. He had to find out! “The image you showed me, my girlfriend, Tekno. If you could create her image, then you’ve seen her. Tell me where she is, and I’ll let you walk away.” Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Sawyer May 23 2010, 07:43 PM Running down countless hallways and corridors, Sawyer began to panic. He was lost inside this giant flying labyrinth with no way of contacting either team. If he stayed in one place too long, more robots would surely find him. If he kept running, he might stumble across more robots... It was a lose-lose situation. At least if he kept running there was a slim chance he could find Kyle’s team. Maybe you SHOULD have stayed with the team at the bay Sawyer... Turning what seemed to be his fiftieth corner, Sawyer continued jogging down yet another boring cold metal corridor until he seen someone appear from the left at the turn at the end of the hall. “Sawyer!” As he got closer to them, he could see it was the purple echidna called Tani he’d met before the mission had got underway. A wave of relief swept over Sawyer. He wasn’t lost anymore. Running right up to her, he skidded to a halt and hugged Tani so tightly. “Oh my goodness! I found someone! Thank you Tani!” he gasped, letting her go. He looked over her shoulder to check where everyone else was. It wasn’t time to let his sense of urgency go... “erm... Tani? Where’s the rest of the team...?” Posted by: Tani May 24 2010, 02:29 PM Out of breath, not just from running but from Sawyer's death-grip hug, Tani panted trying to recollect herself. Finally she said, "Um, the others aren't with me. I broke off from the rest of the group to head back to the docking bay, but detoured when I heard gunfire; and I'm glad I did," she finished her explanation. "I do know where the others are though. Follow me," she encouragingly instructed the tiger and lead him back the way she came. Tani's sense of direction wasn't normally very good, and often times even worse when trying to remember where she had already been, but everything around her seemed to be moving very slowly and her mind was working at an amazing speed. Amazingly to herself, she was able to remember exactly where she had been, and the exact path she had taken to get to Sawyer. It didn't take long to find the destroyed bots & then the hall she originally detoured from. Stopping in the middle of the hall, she turned to Sawyer and said, "Alright, Kyle and everyone else are that way," she pointed toward the engine room, "It's not hard to find, go until you reach the end of the hall, turn right, then first chance you get turn left and there's the door. Can't miss it." Removing her wrist-bound com-link -Why didn't she contact the others with that after finding Sawyer or something?- she tossed it to the tiger, "Here's my com-link; I think you might need it a little bit more than I." Then jerking her thumb in the opposite direction she continued, "I gotta get ta the docking bay and help out the others. Good luck Sawyer," and with a quick salute, hardly waiting for a reply, she turned to start continuing to the lift. ((ooc: as suggested, edited to try & give Sawyer a chance to reply -now it's not nearly as long lol x3 that's actually a bit of a relief to me ^^')) Posted by: Kyle Cornyn May 28 2010, 08:19 PM (OOC: Long post is long because I'm a week behind O_o) Though she put on a brave face, deep inside Sandra was scared. Part of it was fear over how she was now going to fight well enough to hold back the phasers. But the larger part, strangely enough, was fear over losing the use of her left hand. It was strange to command it to move and receive nothing in return. She blinked back a few tears as a torrent of thoughts born of the fear went creeping through her mind. Wist was an incredible doctor, but was she capable of fixing something like this? What if she didn't get medical attention in time? Would she regain any use of it? Would she be able to compensate for it with her other hand? Sandra shook her head and braced the butt of the rifle against her right shoulder and, with her one hand, began to fire plasma bursts at the advancing phasers. They were clumsy shots, however, both from the size of the rifle and the use of her off hand, and did not hit any of their intended targets. They did cause the phasers to take an alternate route however, allowing Biggs and Wedge a flank attack. Despite the injury to his shoulder, Wedge was keeping up with Biggs, matching their movements to gain advantages over the phasers. When the wayward shots from Sandra's rifle caused a phaser to leap ahead of them, they were ready. "Wedge!" Biggs called out, "Beggars canyon!" Wedge understood instantly. The phaser found itself in between a series of crates spaced about two arm lengths apart. Wedge ran and leapt off one side while Biggs ran and leapt of the other. As they passed each other in the apex of their flights, they fired plasma directly at the phaser. But this was not the intended kill shot. Wedge landed with a grunt and fired into the air behind him while Biggs landed and fired ahead. The phaser, having winked out of position from the initial crossfire rematerialized inside the stream of Wedge's plasma and disintegrated. "That got him!" Wedge smiled at Biggs while beginning to dodge again. This time the kill was his, maybe next time the phaser would materialize inside Biggs' plasma. Sandra fired several more rounds of plasma. Again not direct hits, but they served to scatter the phasers. A wave of light-headedness hit her and she dropped the rifle to the ground. She shook her head again trying to focus, but a second wave of dizziness hit her and she fell to one knee. For the second time that day her stomach turned over; it wasn't fear or shock that was causing the spells, she was loosing too much blood! She had to stop the bleeding and she had to stop it now. "Dack!!" she cried out. It wasn't a cry for help so much as a shrill plea. She was defenseless and getting worse. "Sandra!" Dack had stayed relatively close upon seeing how Sandra had been initially wounded by the phaser and he now came up beside her. Janson had heard her cry and was with them as well. "Sugar! Neon!" Janson shouted, "Sandra's been hit! Keep the phasers off us!" In the meantime, however, Sandra realized there was another problem. Her med-kit had been lost in the fighting. She clamped down hard on her left wrist, wincing at the pain while Dack tore a strip of clothing from his shirt. It was all they could do. ------------------------------ Kyle stepped into the room that housed the engine core and actually felt himself slightly intimidated by the arcing ring's size, but as he studied it further, the idea that had been forming in his mind began to solidify. Normally he wouldn't suggest Bunnie directly punching the ring. Though the core scaffolding was electrically isolated (it would need to be to prevent the ring from arcing to its surroundings rather than the central node) the large charge accumulation on it could quite conceivable find a nice path to the node through her. But Max could influence electricity. And if she could provide an additional push on the current, forcing it towards the central node, Bunnie would be in the clear. Grinning at the confidence in Bunnie's voice when she commented on her hitting abilities, he began to relay his idea to her for her approval. With a little luck they could decimate this place and simply stroll out of here. With the engine core before them and the loss of communications with both the docking bay and the rescue parties he was reluctant to allow the group to split further, but he shared Ruby and Max's concern over Tani. Hopefully she hadn't fallen behind and was now in trouble, but had instead decided to head back to the docking bay. If she had, however, he was going to give her quite the earful when they found her. They needed to work as a team and the stakes were far too high on this mission to simply go solo. "Darren, Samantha," Kyle called out as he took an additional few steps into the core room, "double back. Find Tani, two corridor max. If she's-" Kyle stopped mid sentence as the ominous feeling that had been pervading his being since coming upon the control room suddenly pressed in around him. In a flash of movement a figure landed in front if him with a grace the belied the height from which it had come. His mind had enough time to register that the figure was Mobian and to log a point of confusion over how and why another Mobian was already in the engine core room before the individual gave a swipe of its hand. The movement was fluid and graceful, almost difficult for the eye to follow because it was so smooth. What trailed in the hand's wake was a diaphanous substance having the luster of tar. It caught Kyle and Bunnie across the stomach and quite firmly forced them back into the control room before retreating, undulating, back into the organic hand of the figure. Organic hand. Though he had been caught off guard and was still a little spooked by whatever the thing was he had just seen push him around and disappear, the fact that one hand was organic and the other robotic was not lost on Kyle. He took a step back and went into a defensive stance, slowly raising his Enforcer to a readied position, as he took in the full sight of the newcomer. It was a panther with a bluish violet fur and a snow white hair. Topaz eyes peered out from under half lids with an expression that matched the rest of the body's demeanor, that of a superior tasked with the burden of dealing with refuse. Though it was hard to make out because of his attire, other parts of him were definitely robotic. But who was he and why was here? Was he friend or foe? Given the foreboding feeling that emanated from with panther, Kyle was inclined to believe the latter. But if he needed further proof it was readily supplied. "Ah, Freedom Fighters," the panther crooned in a silky voice, though its edge was hard and cold. "Such a delight to finally encounter you lot." "Who-" Kyle began, but was cut off. "As much as I appraise your efforts for rescuing," the panther's flow paused a beat, as though he had to remind himself how amusing something was. "excuse me, trying to rescue your dear Princess, it is all in vain. And then you all have the audacity to be greedy and try to decimate the energy core?" His tone changed again, this time to one of a parent chastising a child. "Unforgivable." In that moment Kyle knew for certain the panther was no friend of the freedom fighters, but he was still puzzled. Though the panther possessed some robotic limbs, he was quite clearly Mobian at his core. The Metal Horde consisted entirely of robotic servants and did not associate with the flesh. How had- It's not a bot! It's a fighter, a fox! He looks just like Bunnie! Apple's words from that horrible day when Sanctuary fell passed through his mind. John the Fox. That detestable, vile entity that was responsible for the deaths of 42 children and the resident adults. Apple had said it looked like Bunnie, both flesh and metal, just like the panther now among them. Kyle had exchanged words with it over the Satellite uplink and it hadn't sounded like any robot he had ever encountered. It had sounded alive. Looking at the panther he now knew why it had: John the Fox was alive. On some level at least, and his devotion to the Metal Horde was more than just programmed: he felt and truly believed it. Initially, Kyle had suspected John the Fox was a prototype robot of some sort, that he was an infiltration robot disguised as a Mobian to gain trust and entrance into hidden circles. But in witnessing the strange power the panther had just demonstrated Kyle began to feel a cold chill and wonder if perhaps there was something more to John the Fox than he had initially thought. Whatever John the Fox was, he now knew there was more than one. The manner in which the panther had to correct himself revealed that the Princess and her rescuers were yet among the living, though in the process of being terminated. Kyle's jaw clenched. Time was running out! The panther's eloquent, yet abrasively cold voice pandered on. "You remember that ominous, looming uneasiness you all were previously feeling? That was I. I've been here the whole time, you know. Surely, you didn't believe that these lowly Phasers would be your only company? Hahaha. Of course, you didn't. I would hope that you all were smarter than that." So much for strolling out of here. Kyle again tried to ask who it was they were dealing with and was again cut off, the panther answering his unvoiced question. "My name is of no concern to you," That sounded familiar, Kyle thought. 'John the Panther' continued, "but I suppose you should know that I am one of RUIN, Zeta class, model 9.38." RUIN? Zeta Class? Kyle's eyes narrowed. So John the Fox and this panther were part of what sounded like a special group. Perhaps elite soldiers with unique powers like that which forced he and bunny back into the control room? What else could the panther do? The thought of an elite group of Mobian-robot hybrids with untold abilities sent a shiver down his spine. What new evil was now upon them? How many of these RUINs were there? John the Panther's stare bore directly into the hearts of the freedom fighters. "And in order to uphold the glory of that of which Oblivion is, I will kill you all." There was no suggestion in that statement. There was a finality to it. A promise. Kyle's mind began to race. Though he did not dare cast a glance in her direction, from past experiences he knew Samantha would be trying to position herself to gain an advantage. He needed to keep the panther's focus and buy her time. At his side, he could feel Bunnie tensing. "So I suppose you had a hand in the atrocities at Sanctuary." He made it a statement, daring the panther to contradict. Posted by: Max May 29 2010, 11:22 AM ((ooc: Kevin that was great tension build up in the docking bay, that'll totally help with Tani's next post.. just gotta wait for Sawyer now)) Of course Max was frustrated, she was very frustrated! Out of the three that made up RMT, Tani was the most naive. And with the mental age of a twelve year old, as Max and Ruby had once put it to the echidna, she was quite reckless, almost never thinking about the consequences of her actions. And this was a biggy!!! Max just seriously hoped that she hadn't fallen behind at some point and gotten into trouble. She hoped that the girl had just doubled back and gone to lift. Though if that were the case, why didn't she say anything to anyone? She had a com-link, didn't she? She'd call if she got into trouble, right? Right? Someone was saying something to her. She shook her head and focused. Kyle's plan made perfect sense, she could easily redirect the arcing ring's current away from Bunnie. She'd done that same exact thing many a time before, far too many for her to keep track of. She was also more than willing to do anything she could. She needed to stay busy, be helpful; she couldn't just stand around worrying about Tani. That was stupid and a waist of time. And she did have to give the girl some credit, she could take care of herself when she needed, and she was pretty good in a pinch. If she wasn't, than she wouldn't have been able to survive a war zone planet for so many years; and solo no doubt. Tani'd be fine.. hopefully. Coming to that conclusion, Max came up with an idea. "Seriously that all sounds really good, and actually if Ruby can force its power to 100%, like I'm sure she can do, I could then give it some more juice, maybe frying it or something?" She then turned toward the two at the computer, leaned on one arm against the door frame and continued, "How's that sound to you, Rube? Sam?" "Actually, that sounds like it could work," first replied the lynx, nodding her head. "And I'm almost past the first firewall. Just another couple minutes and I'll have minimal access to the controls. Although giving it even more power could result in an explosion therefore killing us." "Ohh.." knowing that made her a little worried and nervous. But they wouldn't know until they tried and if they brought the engine down, that was good enough for her. Even if it did mean a painful death. "Anyway awesome, keep at it you two. If all goes well, then we could be done and out of here and looking for Tani in no time." With that she turned back toward the engine and continued, "Just hope she hasn't gotten herself into too much troub-" but she was cut short by some sort of large, shadowy arm hitting them back into the control room, Max falling reluctantly on her butt. Shaking her head, Max looked up to find the source. A violaceous panther with a white 'mop-top' hairdo. Where the heck had he come from? "Ah, Freedom Fighters. Such a delight to finally encounter you lot." OK this guy was being a little too polite for Max's liking. "As much as I appraise your efforts for rescuing, excuse me, trying to rescue your dear Princess, it is all in vain." This guy's attitude and words were instantly beginning to get on Max's nerves and anyone who's met Max knows you don't get on her bad side. His smile faded, "And then you all have the audacity to be greedy and try to decimate the energy core? Unforgivable." That's more like it, a slight smile made it's way onto Max's expression. She could handle angry and even sadistic threats, what she didn't like was those hidden behind fake and out-of-place politeness, it was just annoying and plain creepy. "You remember that ominous, looming uneasiness you all were previously feeling?" He gestured toward himself. "That was I. I've been here the whole time, you know. Surely, you didn't believe that these lowly Phasers would be your only company?" Max's eyes widened slightly. "Hahaha. Of course, you didn't. I would hope that you all were smarter than that." This guy's just askin' to be fried, isn't he? "My name is of no concern to you, but I suppose you should know that I am one of RUIN, Zeta class, model 9.38. And in order to uphold the glory of that of which Oblivion is, I will kill you all." At that, Max's eyes, once wide with slight shock, greatly narrowed with determination. She didn't quite know exactly what Kyle was getting at, though she did know of Sanctuary. Terrible lose and one of the bigger blows to the resistance; those poor kids. Ether way it was dead obvious a fight was about to take place. And in the engine room no doubt! This'll be fun. Max couldn't even remember her or any of the others getting to their feet. But now that they were, they were ready, or at least she was. The hedgehog was practically in her element. No matter what this RUIN 'Zeta class' guy thought, Max was the one with the upper hand. Behind Kyle, just out of view of the RUIN guy, Max whispered, "Guys, keep him busy while I get an advantage point from behind.." Turning her head ever so slightly, keeping her gaze on the panther, she continued, "Rube, you keep doin' what you're doin'. Trust me on this." And with that, the fight was officially under way, and she began to slink away unnoticed.. hopefully. She noticed Samantha sneaking away from the panther's view as well. This was good, Ruby could handle the hacking anyway, and maybe her and the lynx could double team the guy. ((ooc: when Max mentioned getting out of there and looking for Tani, she wasn't paying attention to Kyle instructing Darren and Sam; she was a bit lost in her own thoughts and yes this is going to be fun for Max, she's pretty much got an unlimited power source and way of recharging lol x3)) |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:42 AM Post #7 |
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Posted by: Darren Fennec Jun 3 2010, 08:31 PM "Darren, Samantha, double back. Find Tani, two corridor max. If she's-" The command was never realized, cut short by the appearence of a figure cascading from the heights. Cat like and surreal, a panther plumpeted to the floor in front of them. He stood tall, regal in bearing, and harboring grace his mane. Bandages wound their way down his arm and hugged his legs, concealing what Darren surmised, if his ears lead him true, were robotic limbs. A robian? No, half robotocised, like their fare Southern Belle. But this man was no friend, reaking of foe, the forboding presence pressing in upon the fennec's spirit with sickening waves, the source now pompous before them. With the authority of a lord, the Robian's arm presented itself, leveling upon the group. No word was spoken, nor sound heard, but from the extended limb a darkness spilled forth, brandishing a will that belied its airy substance, pushing them backwards and forcing retreat from their goal. Some toppled backwards, landing hard on the floor, Darren among them. With a coiled twist, he was back upon his feet and facing the being. Who, or more aptly, what was this? A genetic hybrid holstering unknown weaponry? He kept his gaze steady, watching each motion, studying the ways of this newfound combatant. And then the panther spoke. Darren focused, memorizing the Robian's speech, imprinting it upon his mind, knowing full well Kyle would recall the event with clandestine clarity. But what was said was surely invaluable and where as one would fall and the event be lost, now two must die, and that the greater task. Still the words dripped, elegeant like the courts but seasoned with ashes of the slain and all the promise of snake oil. And now, with the monologue at close, a smile fractured the panther's face, the kind that split an emporer's in bloodlust. Villainy had no higher visage save Oblivion. The song in Bunnie fell to a quiet march, tension filling her being. Beside her, Kyle bristeled, his tail flaring ever subtlely. "So I suppose you had a hand in the atrocities at Sanctuary." He said. Darren could hear the accusation in his voice. It wasn't a question, it was a damnation, judgment already having been levied. So Kyle knew this panther? How much had Darren missed, recovering from his nightmares in the bowels of The Great Forest? Should they all leave alive, White Spirit willing, he would need a full briefing. And sanctuary? Sanctuary.... He knew nothing about Sanctuary, what it was or what had happened. But he remembered the whispers between the nurses, the unmet gazes, distant responses and hollow voices, the terrible silence in the night and the despair in his Chinchilla caretaker's eyes when she tugged at the verdant ribbon around her arm. Forty two was the count; forty two strokes upon the thread bare. "Guys, keep him busy while I get an advantage point from behind.... Rube, you keep doin' what you're doin'. Trust me on this." A young hedgehog, Max if Darren recalled from the lift ride up, whispered softly. It was meant for no one except those by her, himself being privy only by way of his ears. He wanted to tell her to hold and stand firm, not to be brash in the face of such an unknown as this Zeta RUIN. But his words would never reach her ears. Already, from the edges of his sight, Samantha could be seen inching around and Max the opposite. Youth. The best he could do was to hope and do as Max had asked. Distract him! But nothing to sudden, not yet... not yet. Darren brought the gun down at his side, holding it casually and off center, the very impression of a man shifting weight on his feet. But the barrel had been bent, unseen to casual observations, and he kept its new point true upon the legs of Zeta. Yes, focus on me. See my motions. Posted by: Delano Jun 11 2010, 12:59 AM ((OOC: Sorry for the delay, guys. Work and stuff... it's a pain.)) Upon the Zeta's direction, the two Reaperbots took off from the engine room, each going their separate ways. The Generation II 'bots were prone to traveling alone, unlike Phasers and Cutters, whose strength relied on their numbers. Such tactics were reserved for the weaker models. A single glance at the metallic-skulled mechas could very easily ensure their win. At the most, their deadly mien would deter their enemy. The two mobians lingering near their previous destination did not go unnoticed by the robots. They were already so close to their superior, though. Surely, the RUIN soldier would dispatch of the interlopers. Their instructions were to head for the docking bay, anyway. All killings would be commenced there. Despite the slow pace of which they traveled, it didn't take them long to reach where the remaining Freedom Fighters were. Their anti-gravity fields were inaudible, although their appearance was most likely overlooked by the horde of Phasers bombarding them. However, another disturbance attracted one of the Reapers attention while en route. It hardly detected the elusive substance even with its enhanced sight. Distracted, the skeletal machine deviated from its path, leaving its partner alone in their assignment. Not that its departure was a major setback; one Reaper would suffice. Finally at the appropriate distance, the twin scythe-like blades that were folded on their ‘back’, snapped forward at a blinding speed, the appearance of its ragged “cape” gone. A silent, foreboding hum rung through the air as it swung the blades about in a wide arc, before beginning its brisk descent on its prey… ____________________________________________ Tch. Maybe he let them be for too long. His innate element of surprise was always fruitful, but did they… always have to be so predictable? From their tense, bewildered expressions, to their expected movements in an attempt to elude him… Oh, it was the same every time. How boring. His disheartened smirk remained on his white muzzle, an air of superiority and dominance present in his attentive yet lax stance. The frigid politeness of which he spoke with was not a facade. Underneath his hideous robotic limbs did not lay a seething male. Perhaps during his other life, he might have harbored some sort of resentment toward one or more beings. Such anger would probably be directed toward those he formerly called “parents”, since they would ultimately be responsible for him having these vile, disgusting metallic limbs. Sometimes the panther wished that he was able to retain the memories that were stripped from him prior his immersion into the RUIN program. That way he would personally search and slay those idiotic fools for their insolence. A merciless, precise death… much like the ones these Freedom Fighters were about have. The results would be the same as usual. Expected but interesting all the same. The distinguished smell of their soulless carcasses will soon filter throughout the air. A defeated, lifeless expression upon their deceased faces, with the optional compliment of blood staining their rustled fur. The presence of blood indicated two things: either the victim was slaughtered with ease or they managed to uphold a formidable fight. Pah. No matter. The outcome was inevitable. Delano turned to the grey fox that had addressed him, casting him a flat, knowing look. Was that an accusation he just heard? What a foolish mobian for jumping to such audacious conclusions. “What does it matter if I was or wasn’t?” He raised his brow, mocking the grave tone in his voice. “What you would do, fox? Declare revenge? Reprimand me for my, as you say, atrocities?” The panther emitted a small chuckle as he recalled reading over the summary of the report. No, he had no part in the events that took part at Sanctuary. Those affairs lied with Nekrovixi and Harpy. Therefore whatever “atrocities” occurred there was not of his concern. During that time, the Zeta had… other matters to attend to elsewhere. Not that he was going to tell the fox and the other “heroes” that. It was always entertaining to toy with his foe’s feelings. Obviously, the Resistance did not respond favorably to those killed. Females, elderly, and children… no one was exempt from the wrath of those who opposed the great Oblivion. Innocence and whether or not they were “in the way” didn’t matter. Within the glorious world the Horde has established, there was no room for such trivial impudence. Heh. And with that crazed Beta on the scene, purging was bound to happen. Especially since she was one that was obsessed with blood. … How would blood reflect in this dim lighting? It always glimmered the best in the moonlight, he thought. An amusing sight then caught the panther’s eye. The black-striped hedgehog and the lynx were attempting to slip away from his jurisdiction. Silly, silly girls they both were. Hedgehogs especially were always brash in their actions. Observing the blue hedgehog from the control room proved that statement. His glass eye centered on the bright furred hedgehog. Ah, so she can control electricity? Well, to an extent. It wasn't that impressive of a power, notably faltering in comparison against his own forbidden technique. Did she think that just because he wasn’t focused on her that he didn’t hear her whispering? Oh, and she sounded so confident too. His cybernetics granted him a heightened accuracy to his senses, ignoring the fact that panthers naturally had excellent hearing. Then there was the fennec. A mere glance at the rebel relayed to the Zeta that he had had his share of experience upon the battlefield. He was a seasoned fighter who was undoubtedly plotting how he could take him down. And unless he has had had a previous encounter with shadow manipulation, a feat he highly doubted, his contemplations were useless. Had he already made a move? Perhaps. The tan-furred male shifted his weight on his feet, and… oh, come now. A gun? Delano sighed. When will these inferior mobians learn? Using artillery against a robian of his elite caliber? That wouldn’t have as much of an effect upon him as the fennec probably assumed. He wouldn’t fall for his unspoken tactics. Focus on him solely? No, that would be playing favorites. Although, if he had to choose, the rabbit with her robotic limbs brazenly exposed would be the one… One of the most practical rules of combat was to never underestimate the enemy. As guaranteed as his victory was, that didn’t account for any reckless actions. That would mean that he would have to take these fools seriously. Closing his eyes briefly, he released another soft sigh. Well, I know who will reign supreme here. As always, he did possess the upper hand here. Raising his metallic hand lazily, the RUIN soldier thrust it toward the elusive girls moving off in opposite directions. Forcibly, two shadowy hands appeared at their ankles and pulled them onto the concrete floor with a harsh ‘thud’. “Trying to evade me, were you? Please. Don't get cocky.” His topaz orbs shone ominously underneath his thick, white bangs, a phlegmatic frown creasing his lips. Hints of annoyance could be surveyed from his tone, but his natural stoic demeanor shrouded that. “There aren’t any advantage points in this room,” Delano elaborated, waving his organic hand about idly. “Where there is light, there is shadow. I am one with the darkness. Escape is futile. Your mission is hopeless.” He spoke as though he was a teacher reprimanding his class for something they did wrong. What was the mistake? Daring to oppose his master and the mighty Sky Fortress on a ridiculous endeavor? Feh. The question wasn’t what mattered; death would always be the answer. Cleansing the world of the unnecessary… whatever what would please his master, he would do. Apparently, the fight had been initiated upon his previous daunting words. Yet, no one has yet to make an advantageous, smart move. Another soft sigh escaped his lips as he lowered his flailing arm, an ebony aura beginning to form around it. He raised it toward the crowd, holding it firm in the air. Unseen to the heroes, another presence has just made its appearance. …Well, that wasn't correct. Like him, the presence had kept itself concealed until its opportune moment to emerge came. It was his shadow. If one paid attention to where he stood, they would notice that the darkened figure himself was no longer reflected on the floor. Silently, the extracted soul stood in front of its master, awaiting further orders. Any direct attacks toward the panther would be subtly repelled. Soon, all of their shadows would be his to manipulate… “Entertain me, Freedom Fighters,” Delano muttered, motioning for them to come forth. “I’ll allow you to attack me first. Show me the power of which you're willing to waste on your beloved princess.” ((OOC: I got rid of one of the Reapers because I didn't feel like controlling two. The substance of which the other is chasing after really isn't important, but if you're curious, it's just excess energy emitted from Delano's shadow manipulation. A lame excuse, I know, but I didn't want to just have it disappear, lol. Also, I slipped a Sonic Heroes quote in there. See if you can find it. wink.gif) Posted by: Harpy Jun 11 2010, 05:41 PM Far removed from the fighting in the engine room, across the Sky Fortress.... “Stop! You aren’t going to just walk away. Nobody messes with me.” The armored thing paused, aim hesitating. Did he still see the dream? Was this hesitation? Or realization? Harpy could hardly afford an additional head wound, not at this range, and she could hardly pierce his shell to simply cut the weapon-wielding extremity off him. Though with no time to spare him, she paused as well. “The image you showed me, my girlfriend, Tekno. If you could create her image, then you’ve seen her. Tell me where she is, and I’ll let you walk away.” "Searching for someone you have lost?" the Beta smiled. He did not understand that it was his heart creating the dream, but all she needed now was to 'walk away'. However capable his body, the heart and mind within were still weak, so easily turned to her needs by his own foolish hopes. Poor mortal! "Many are lost, all taken by Oblivion. This fate is inevitable, his dominion is sure. Tekno would be no different. But..." she cocked her head and sighed slightly, almost sadly. "What prisoners are kept here are at least kept alive. Yet even as we speak, this Fortress is under siege. The invaders wish to destroy us all. Do you understand? All of those imprisoned will die if they succeed! Before you have any hope to rescue her. She needs you, yet they will snatch her first. If they cannot be stopped, strange machine-man, then the only place you can hope to find Tekno is in your dreams..." Her voice could touch those dreams, but that was all they would ever be. The reality of the threat she spoke of could be evidenced by her own condition, broken as she was. This force that had dared to challenge Oblivion on his own ground was more than simple nuisance, and deadly earnest. Wasn't it? Shorty had every reason to believe her sing-song words, her magic working to try and wring hope and fear from his heart. Urgent need, deep longing. She frowned, reminded as always of Oblivion. "You have nothing to fear for yourself, but what would it mean to survive when all that is most precious to you will be destroyed and lost forever? You will not run away, will you?" She turned away again, oddly melancholy, tired of these frightening words and wanting only to stand beside Oblivion again. "Lost. Lost. Poor mortal... Whatever will you do?" Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Shortfuse Jun 23 2010, 06:38 AM The words washed over Shorty, sinking deep into his confused mind. He’d always been susceptible to such things, spells, mind control, programming, it was all the same. Once, not so very long ago, he had lost himself completely, his own spirit totally defeated by the cybernik program Robotnik had created, an obedient slave. If not for Tekno, he would have never broken free, it had been her brains, not his own will that had released him. He should have known better than to believe such lies, but no such luck. Harpy spun her story well, and he swallowed every word as though it were truth. Tekno was here… alive. But this place was under threat. A hot anger began in Shorty’s chest, scalding his heart with it’s intensity. How could the Freedom Fighters even think about trashing this place without any kind of consideration for other people on board? Were they really that far gone that they’d see the deaths of prisoners as ‘collateral damage’? Shorty had known the coming of the Horde had changed a lot about Mobius, but he’d never thought Knothole would go through this kind of transformation. “I’ll stop them,” he growled, forcing the words through his clenched teeth. Would he though? Surely it was still better to just find Tekno quick and make a break for it… what did he care about the other prisoners really? If their loved ones hadn’t the strength to come for them then it was there own problem. He wasn’t a hero, he’d decided that a long time ago and he had no wish to go back on that choice now. Still, if any of those damn freedom fighters so much as got in his way… well, he’d teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget in a hurry, that was for sure. The need to find Tekno, to hold her in his arms welled up again inside him, the longing so strong that it was almost like a physical pain. Harpy’s spell had a hold on his heart now, and only time and distance would make it let go. Her talk of running away didn’t phase him, that was out of the question, but she was right when she said he had nothing to fear. In his suit, Shorty could easily survive, even if the whole fortress was blasted to smithereens before him, but Tekno… she would be burned and broken, gone forever. The image flashed before his eyes with horrible clarity and he moaned, sinking back to his knees and clawing at his eyes, as if to tear them out, but thankfully his helmet stopped him from doing so. “No,” he gasped, “I won’t let it happen…” Strength returned, and he sprang to his feet once again, his fists clenched in determination. “I won’t!” Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Sawyer Jun 26 2010, 01:45 PM Sawyer was jogging behin Tani, quite relieved that she knew where the others where. He didn’t fancy having to stick it alone again. It was much better if the travelled in groups... Skipping along a corridor of destroyed robots, Tani came to a halt an turned to face him. She told him where to find the others "It's not hard to find, go until you reach the end of the hall, turn right, then first chance you get turn left and there's the door. Can't miss it." The tiger blanked, desperately trying to lock the directions in his already fried brain. He opened his mouth to ask if there was anyway of contacting them before rushing head first into the oblivion. As though she had read his mind, Tani took off her Com-Link and threw it to him. "Here's my com-link; I think you might need it a little bit more than I." Sawyer smiled at her. “Thanks Tani! I’ve been wondering around here without any way of communication. Hey! What about you? How will you--” "I gotta get ta the docking bay and help out the others. Good luck Sawyer," Before the feline could even so much as process with she’d said, Tani gave a quick salute and speed off again. Wonder what’s eating her... He slung his plasma rifle over his shoulder again, staring down at the com-link in his paw. Gosh... This is going to be hard to explain. The last time they’d seen him, he had shrapnel lodged in his stomach and arm. He only had a few minor cuts and bruises now after swallowing the little black stone, or pearl, or whatever it was, that he’d found the first day he’d met Jade. Jade... She quickly drifted into his mind again. He felt slightly guilty for going on the mission again. Jade seemed so adamant that he didn’t go, but Sawyer, being as stubborn as he was, insisted that it was the least he could do for everyone at the HQ. After all, they’d helped him. And he still had that promise to Jade to not act the “Hero” again, having broke it already. Shaking nervously a little, he brought the com link up to his mouth... “H-Hello? Sawyer here... Broadcasting for anyone... Anyone out there...?” He gulped, hoping and praying they were all safe. Although Tani was with them earlier, it didn’t mean that something couldn’t have attack them without that amount of time... Posted by: Tani Jun 26 2010, 04:29 PM ((ooc: yay I can finally post this ^^)) Tani was in a real rush, she had to get to the docking bay and put her worries at ease. She didn't even catch what Sawyer was saying to her before she was off. Another minute or two of running, throat dry and stinging, lungs feeling as though on fire, and the adrenaline coursing through her being just about the only keeping her going, the Echidna reached the entrance of the bay and skidded to a halt just outside. The scene she was witnessing wasn't surprising; her eight team mates being attacked by robots; no surprise at all and she was actually expecting it. She wasn't even shocked they were the same kind of bots that had ended up leading her to Sawyer. What did take her aback was the bots flickering in and out of sight. One moment disappearing here, the next reappearing there, trying to take advantage of any and all openings they could find. Tani wasn't quite sure what to do, then she obtained her chance. Everyone had migrated to the center of the room, huddled just close enough together. Taking a stance and raising her hands, not even half a second later, a pink, sturdy, translucent, domed force field flickered in, sheltering the defense party. A couple of the bots bounced off the dome as they suddenly became visible once more. The bots seemed to be caught off guard by this sudden interruption. Perfect. Acting on a moments notice; something usually quite difficult for Tani; she dropped the barrier, put a new one up of different property, and quickly spread her arms out away from each other and to the sides. The shield instantly expanded to all corners of the room, crushing each and every bot against the walls and crates before they had a chance to calculate what to do. The stretch caused the shield to fade slightly but it did its job just well enough. Relaxing, the thin, pink energy dissipated completely and the bots fell to the floor, limp and lifeless except for some slight sparking from their now exposed wiring. Panting, and nearly falling to the floor herself, the Echidna pushed on into the room to her comrades and asked, "You guys OK?" * * * Sandra's arm bound in a makeshift bandage, Dack rose to join Janson in firing again. This was getting bad, really bad. "Guys!" Dack called to the others. Silently he motioned to them, calling them over. Still blasting at the Phasers, the five of them made their way over and they instantly circled around Sandra to protect her. The Phasers were closing in, two of them disappearing, when suddenly and without warning, a pink translucent wall appeared around them, their plasma shots disappearing within it and the two Phasers were forced to show themselves. Not even a moment later, the curved wall vanished, reappeared, and expanded destroying the bots. The serpentine bots were not the only ones caught off guard by this. For the team just stared at the now nonfunctional machines, eyes wide and mouths gaping. That is until, "You guys OK?" They all turned to the bay entrance to see Tani rushing toward them. She was completely out of breath, and shaking slightly, but it was clearly her who had saved them. Shaking her head, trying to refocus from her dizzy spell, Sandra was the one to answer, "Uh yeah we're fine for the most part. Albeit I can't grip anything with my left hand.. and I'm a bit dizzy. I don't know where my med-kit is though." * * * Ignoring her own dizziness and going straight to the red Fox who she knew to be Sandra, Tani held out her hands and said, "Let me take a look." In response, the Fox gave the Echidna her left arm and Tani took it gingerly, removing the already bloodstained bandage and inspecting the damage, lightly pressing the areas around the cut with her thumbs. Sandra winced and Tani flinched in concern. "It's alright," the Fox said apparently noticing Tani's hesitation. There was clearly blood gushing from the wound, visible even on the female's already red fur; it even fell from her arm in a couple of drops and stained the tips of Tani's thumbs, but something wasn't right, it was flowing far too lightly for the width and depth of the gash. She'd lost too much blood. Good thing Max isn't here, she'd probably hurl, the Echidna thought to herself. She knew her friend and partner all too well, seeing her fully empty her stomach at the very sight of battle fields and corpses. The Hedgehog definitely didn't like seeing blood, and Tani concluded that she might even be a hemophobic. Suddenly, holding Sandra's arm steady with her right hand, Tani held her left hand just over the wound and concentrated. It took a lot, but her hand glowed a faint pink and for a moment she just left it there. When she removed her hand, the gash on the Fox's arm too was glowing pink, though much brighter and more solid. "That'll keep it from bleeding while we patch it up, and from getting worse 'till you can get proper medical attention, but it won't actually heel it. I doubt my powers will ever be able to do that." Adjusting herself she continued, "OK any other injuries?" And Sandra indicated her right arm in response. "Alright, any others?" Tani looked over her comrades; the two Pine Martens; she couldn't recall their names; though eyes hidden, seemed as though they could fight for hours longer and were.. bored? They couldn't be bored! She then noticed the one's shoulder, why he didn't say anything about it she didn't know, but ether way, she was going to help him as soon as she was done with Sandra. Neon, Dack, and Braid were conversing about what to do if and when they were attacked again and then headed to their positions. Janson went over to check the condition of his lap top and plug back into the terminal to try and establish a connection with Kyle's group once more. She couldn't tell what Sugar was doing on the other side of the room, though it seemed she was looking for something. All in all, it seemed Sandra and the Marten were the only ones with serious injuries. Everyone did a great job at protecting themselves and each other. "Alright, can someone finish helping Sandra?" In response, Sugar came over; Sandra's med-kit in her hand. So that's what she was doing. The Flying Squirrel took charge of bandaging the Fox's arms, as Tani stood up and walked over to the Martens. They were much taller than her and well built men, quite a few years older than her. They both turned as she approached, expressions quite unreadable do to their visors, and she asked, "Names?" "Wedge, Biggs," Biggs indicated, pointing at the injured one and then himself. Politely, but with the new-found authority of a leader, the Echidna said, "Wedge, that needs attending to," she indicated his injured shoulder with a slight nod. "Could you please take a seat so I may look at it farther?" she directed him with a wave of her hand toward Sandra. The two were taken aback by her tone. It was after all quite uncharacteristic of her; she was usually very hesitant in talking to them, or anyone of the male gender, and when she did, she often stammered, resulting in very few conversations. Glancing at his wound, Wedge shrugged his other shoulder and replied, "Sure." Apparently he didn't think it was as bad as she did... or he wasn't taking her seriously and therefore was humoring her. Nonetheless he sat down and she got to work. It didn't take too long, not much longer than Sandra at least. This one she bandaged herself. Finishing up the patch job on Wedge's shoulder, Tani walked over to Janson, and knelt beside him, another slight dizzy spell hitting. She ignored it like the last, "Well?" ((ooc: not really sure what condition Janson's lap top's in or how far along the events in the engine room are in relation to this post, so I guess I'll leave that up to someone else or get back to it later ^^; man even with it being split in two it's still long lol x3 hey, ya know what'd be cool, or at least I think would be cool? a forum section alongside the approved characters for mini profiles of NPCs. it'd make finding info on them much easier ^^)) ((ooc: oh and before I forget, due to all the running she's done combined with the fact she's just totally exhausted her powers (and herself), the next time Tani tries to use them, they will not work.. or at least not work the way she wants. It was mostly adrenaline that allowed her to do so much, but now it's beginning to fade. just an fyi ^^)) Posted by: Kyle Cornyn Jul 29 2010, 12:37 PM "What does it matter if I was or wasn't?" The panther said it so cooly, so casually, as if the lives of those lost at Sanctuary were of so little consequence as to not deserve a second thought. An eyebrow raised with indifference accompanied locked eye contact with Kyle. "What would you do fox?" To be simply called 'fox' at this moment stung Kyle. He felt as though the word should have been spat with contempt, but it was uttered with such condescension Kyle almost felt liked a chastised and embarrassed kit in his first days of school. "Declare Revenge? Reprimand me for my, as you say, atrocities?" John the Panther concluded by holding Kyle's attention and making a subtle shake of his head, a small chuckle escaping his lips. Kyle's blood was boiling. The calm manner in which the panther had spoken was irritating enough, but the smoothness with which the word "atrocities" was spoken and the slight emotion of confusion it was infused with, (acting as though it was he who was offended by the use of the word) had an an adverse effect on Kyle. The accusation Kyle had made implicating John the Panther's involvement with the massacre at Sanctuary had been a bid for more information. He had hoped that if the panther was involved he would have boasted of it and in the process revealed more about RUIN and if there were others in it. He hadn't expected it to be turned on him in the form of an ambiguous answer and cold taunting. And that cold taunting with the blatant disregard for the lives of children made the line he had been disciplining himself to avoid seem so inviting. But he caught himself and took a step back from it. Now was not the time to for misguided anger. Anger unchecked clouded the mind, but when channeled appropriately it could focus the mind with singular determination. And what he needed now was to channel his anger. He needed to be aware, and to observe this foe. Observation lead to insight and insight led to advantage… and they needed all the advantage they could get. So while he gritted his teeth he watched, and he caught it: the ever so slight flicker of attention in the panther's eyes. It disheartened him because even though Samantha and Max had been stealthy in their movements and Kyle had held his attention, John the Panther had still noticed them. But it made Kyle understand that the panther was also a keen observer and fairly aware of his surroundings. That was going to make things difficult. John the panther lazily raised his hand before thrusting it towards the two girls. The action was precise and quick, causing Kyle to take a step back. With a hard smack both girls fell to the floor. But how? Kyle hadn't seen anything emanate from the panther's hand. Was it an invisible barrier of some sort? Samantha was on the floor, one of her eyes shut and lips curled in pain from hitting so hard. At the same time she was taking short rapid breaths and shivering. "It's… it's s-so… c-cold.." she managed. The lynx's hand was reaching for her ankle, but would recoil as though stung or bitten whenever it made contact. Kyle's eyes went wide as he took in the sight. Where Samantha's ankles met her shadow on the floor a ebony hand protruded. So seamless was the transition that there was difficulty in determining where her shadow ended and the hand started. The odd nature of a shadow bending and curving in three dimensions coupled with the sheer irrationality of what he was seeing further clouded his understanding of the image and Kyle had to blink twice to make sure he wasn't imagining the whole thing. But there was definitely a dark hand forcefully gripping Samantha's ankle, refusing to let her go. Whatever it was, it had caused her to fall and was inflicting further trauma by being the source of the chill now coursing through the lynx's body. The same strange attack was also the cause of Max's fall. "Trying to evade me, were you? Please. Don't get cocky." The panther's topaz eyes shone in a manner to match the slight tone of annoyance in his voice. "There aren't any advantage points in this room. Where there is light, there is shadow. I am one with the darkness. Escape is futile. Your mission is hopeless." Again, there was the general tone of condescension and Kyle couldn't help but feel like a kit being reprimanded. He wanted to lash out against the cool and collected figure, to assert that he was no longer a child. But he stopped himself and again channeled his anger. He brought his attention back to John the Panther and observed the shimmer in his eyes and the tone in his voice and caught something else in his observation: arrogance. An arrogance born of a feeling of superior confidence. Kyle came to the realization that for John the Panther, the battle had already been joined and the victory already assured. The only thing left to do was to laboriously proceed through the choreographed steps involved in the dance. As if to further drive the point home, Kyle now watched with trepidation as the entirety of the panther's shadow detached itself from the floor and slowly rose like a wraith to inhabit the realm of the living. Who and what on Mobius were they dealing with here? "Entertain me, Freedom Fighters. I'll allow you to attack me first. Show me the power of which you are willing to waste on your beloved princess." John the Panther motioned for them to come forward. Slowly turning his head, Kyle switched his gaze to Darren, the individual whom he knew had experienced a strange array of magics over the years, and read the message in his eyes: this was not someone to be trifled with. This person was dangerous. What they needed was to regain the element of surprise. Kyle could think of only one way to do it. Directly behind him was the heavy entrance door to the engine control room. Beyond it, several corridors removed, was a drone docking bay with a satchel charge at its apex. In his mind's eye he could see the power conduit that ran from the drone docking bay to a power junction box right outside the engine room door. Directly before him stood John the Panther, an individual acutely away of his surroundings. But he was also an arrogant individual. Arrogant and confident enough in his victory to probably allow Kyle to reach into his jacket pocket and activate the satchel charge detonator. His intuition told him it was the correct choice. But if he made the decision he'd be stepping outside the boundaries of his leadership, essentially briefly usurping command. Bunnie was the greater of the two of them and the charges weren't supposed to be detonated without her authority. Furthermore, Tani was still lost among the corridors. Could he in good conscience subject her to possible harm? Kyle glanced around the room at his fellow Freedom Fighters, observing their uneasy contemplation before resting on John the Panther and the wraith of his shadow. Bunnie would eventually forgive him. Tani could generate a shield. He casually reached inside his jacket pocket and activated the detonator, setting the dance in motion. The first explosion was only heard as a deadened "thoom," as if something heavy had hit the outer hull of the fortress, and the room vibrated slightly. Several subsequent explosions grew in volume and strength as the power conduit running from the drone docking bay burst open, fire and concussive force spilling forth, warping the hallways. Like a fuse, the blasts made their way unerringly along the power conduit to the junction box immediately outside the engine room door. Kyle threw himself to the ground and out of harm's way (and inviting his fellow Freedom Fighters to do likewise) as the final, teeth-rattling explosion shattered the outer control room window and blasted the outer door from its moorings with a resonating gong. The door sailed across the room towards the panther, a column of fire behind it. Kyle watched through the malestrom. As soon as the opportunity would present itself, he'd be after John the Panther. (OOC: Sawyer's communication was missed in the blast. Bunnie, feel free to be terribly cross with Kyle. I feel like he's already overstepped his bounds a bit in your presence, but now it's blatant. yay.gif Delano, let's dance. cool.gif ) Posted by: The NPC Account Jul 29 2010, 01:39 PM Sandra looked at the glowing pink "bandage" that held the deep laceration on her left arm shut. She knew Tani could generate a shield, but she had no idea Tani could do this. The shield-bandage was slightly warm to the touch and it was molded to the fit of her forearm so exquisitely it stopped any further bleeding; the wound appearing as a barely perceptible line. She tapped at the bandage with her finger and she found it was quite solid, but there was virtually no thickness to it. Seeing that the immediate threats of bleeding and the phasers had been removed, Sandra's rapidly beating heart began to slow, but the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach remained. A quick, pained look crossed her face as she once again commanded her fingers to move and saw they're refusal. How was she going to write? How was she going to play the piano? She forced the questions from her mind and wiped the confused look from her face. Wist would patch her up…right? Sandra stood up as Sugar ran over with her lost med-kit. A wave of dizziness overcame her again, but Sugar caught her before she could fall. Dack was at her side as well. "Hey, take it easy, Sandra." Sugar said softly. "You and I both know you're hurt pretty badly and you've lost a lot of blood. So please sit down and let me help you." She began pulling some of the bandages and additional aids from the med-kit as Dack knelt down beside her. "Tani won't be able to keep those bands in place forever. Those wounds are going to have to be stitched shut…" Dack said reaching for the needed items. "Yeah," Sandra said slightly hushed. They'd have to be reopened for Wist to take a look, a thought that made her a little queazy. Sugar and Dack worked quickly and did a reasonable job of completing the stitching and wrapping her forearms. When they were done, Sandra slowly stood. Sugar caught her by the arm has a precaution. "Sandra…" she said, both as a plea of concern and a warning. Sandra shook her head, "I'm sorry, Sugar. We're not out of the woods yet." As if reading her thoughts, Dack placed his side-arm in her right hand and took the rifle for himself. "I'm going to have to move if we're going to avoid more-" A muffled, "boom" cut Sandra's words short. The docking bay shook briefly causing her to fall to one knee, Sugar caught and supported her again. Across the room, Janson's hands suddenly started flying across his laptop's keyboard. "Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! No!" Confusion and frustration laced his words. "What just happened?" Sandra and Tani both exclaimed in unison, then each looked at the other. "I dunno! Just- Just gimme a sec! I lost my signal, something just…" Janson continued to type frantically. "Got it! There's alarms all across the board. Whatever that jolt was, it caused the whole system to hiccup. There's traffic all over the place now, data's moving like a snail through molasses." Sandra looked at Janson with a serious expression. "What was that jolt?" Janson's eyes scanned rapidly across his screen while fingers danced on keys. "Oh, good Source, the drone bay is gone!" "What?!" Sandra and Dack exclaimed. "Someone detonated the satchel charge that Bunnie and Kyle's group set!" "But how are they going to get back?" Dack asked. "I'm working on it." Janson replied. "What about Sawyer? He was out there!" Sugar interjected. "I'm working on it!" Janson hollered. "Can you establish a connection with Kyle?" came Sandra's query. "I'm working on it!!" Janson yelled. A shrill whistle cut through the questions and echoed around the docking bay. It was Wedge, and when he had everyone's attention he pulled his fingers from his mouth. "Freedom Fighters!" he called out. "We are not alone!" In the silence that followed this proclamation, they all heard it. The sound of heavy, motorized machinery was growing in volume with each passing second. Something large was heading towards the main doors of the docking bay. "Everyone! Take up a defensive position!" Sandra called as Sugar helped her to the central set of crates. She motioned for Tani to join her. "Do you think you have it in you for another shield? We may need it." In that moment the large main doors to the docking bay shook violently. They bulged and bent outward with the sound of metal being torn and twisted, but they held. A moment of silence passed before a second violence was thrust upon them. Again the doors buckled and twisted with small gaps appearing at the mating surfaces, but again the doors held. A second, longer moment of silence passed before the motorized machinery sound started again, but now it sounded like it was receding. Dack looked from his cover position towards Sandra and Tani. "Maybe it's giving up and-" A loud "thoom" sounded as fire and shockwave tore through the doors to the docking bay an instant later. Chunks of metal fell from the now cavernous opening in the bay doors as the robotic monstrosity aching to enter the bay finally gained admittance. Four large tank treads served as its base and means of movement. Upon the base rested the giant torso of a four-armed, heavily armored robot. Two of its arms carried over-sized Warden shields while the other two held weapons. One carried a heavy duty plasma rifle and the other a missile launcher. The single red slit that served for its eye swept the docking bay before the robot brought its weapons to bear. Bigg's lips curled in a smile. "This day just gets better and better." Wedge nodded. (OOC: ~Kyle) |
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| SoDi | Feb 6 2012, 12:43 AM Post #8 |
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Posted by: Darren Fennec Aug 5 2010, 04:22 PM So much pretense and so much pomp, the confidence -- nay, arrogance -- wafted from the Zeta like a stench. If lords and dukes had manors, this fellow walked as in a kingdom crafted by the sweat of his very brow; so haughty were the words. While many a foolish man had unwarranted self worth, comprised from the deceptions of their own devising, not every man was so weak. Some men were exceptions. Some men spoke lordly by virtue of never having been bested or, by having learned the arts of confrontation, found to have bested all others. And it was this latter possibility that had Darren's neck hair rippling. The panther's eyes twitched only just, a tell tale sign of recognition, and Darren knew his attempt at keeping his focused attention had been a failure. Truthfully, he hadn't much hope for the tactic, but the attempt was worth the learning. Still, their opponent was expressly outnumbered, even strange powers considered. Could he really expect to stand alone and triumph? Unfortunately, the evidences compiling were rapidly leading Darren towards the conclusion he feared. The Zeta raised his hand as gently as if wishing to cap a burning candle for the evening, and Max and Samantha fell to the floor with a lung emptying crack. An abhorrent shudder trickled through Darren, like his spirit were shirking away. Curious.... Outwardly, other than a subtle tensing of muscles, he made no motion, maintaining a solid stance with eyes observing. Hand movements. They seemed to preface every action taken so far. Perhaps the powers could not be invoked otherwise? "It's s-so c-cold." The sentence clattered from the teeth of Samantha, hands vanely trying to release her foot from the floor. Each attempt brought them twitching back as if seared by iron. But it wasn't iron that held her. It was darkness. Darren's eyes grew wide. Both Max and Samantha were held fast by some unholy ethereal grip, reminiscent of a hand or the blurry offspring of one. Its edges were undefined, rippling in abstracts, but the core was wholly defined by the absence of light. Something in him grew sick, accompanied by a faint trickle of memory that clamored at his consciousness. But like the eyes upon the visage, it was too wispy to grasp. “There aren’t any advantage points in this room,”The prattling continued. “Where there is light, there is shadow. I am one with the darkness. Escape is futile. Your mission is hopeless.” It's s-so c-cold... ...there is shadow. I am one with the darkness. They echoed in harmonies, enticing the memories of yesteryear to voice their cry louder. And so they did. Childhood stories unfurled and joined with late night studies in the Monastic Library, their waltzing tune that of ancient culture. With all the torrent of its history, the revelation flooded across the fennec's mind, all other thought drowning. His footing softened in horror and the hand from his gun fell. Ma'gheal L'thruda it had been called in his old tongue. Ombre Malsaine by the Mercian's. The Shadow Dancer. A being of evil intent, brandishing skills that defiled the order set by the Source. Spoken of in whispers and legend, able to draw the soul from a man as one draws water from a well, birthing madness in its victim until taking his own life. Darren had never seen one. He doubt anyone living had. He himself supposed them to be only nightmare, unable to exist in the waking world. In the course of highest strife it seems the best and worst came forth from the lands. A blackness rose beside the panther, devoid of light, borrowing what little life it had from its master. Like the hands, it rippled on its edges, forever unfocused, and promising the comfort of death. Lady Celeste, if e'er your light be holy, may it be so now! His heart beat violently in his chest, but a courage rose from the light within him, reminding him of the touch of The White Spirit. His eyes darted to Kyle, catching them in a controlled panic. The message he conveyed was clear. Dangerous was too soft a word to describe their foe. Do not play into his hands. We must be nimble. Kyle, like Darren, had seen his share of combat and learned to read the warnings in gazes. He understood the message. All too clearly. If Kyle needed to throw out the rule book, he was perfectly comfortable in doing it if it reasoned out to the greatest good for the mission. It wasn't the first time Darren had seen him skirt the lines, the last time being a cause for much discord. When he wanted to be, he could be unpredictable. So, with the same casualness Delano had capped the evening candle, Kyle reached for a pack of cigarettes and ignited an inferno that raged through the room. Posted by: Delano Aug 28 2010, 05:29 PM (( OOC: Knockin’ the dust off of this thread… >.>;; )) How amusing. Had he struck a nerve with the grey fox? The sentiment was faint, but it was apparent that he could not keep up his neutral expression. The calm, aloof manner in which he spoke was often an annoyance amongst his foes. No use in exuding false emotions toward an event he genuinely held no concern for. People died, whether it was due to a “massacre” or not. It was useless to waste time mourning over such things. In any case, the fight had been initiated. The path to his ensured victory already paved. It was simple, really. The interlopers could pull any trick or method that they would like. He wouldn’t object to any. The innate element of surprise resided within his being. No one would best him at it. He wouldn’t allow it. Delano remained in his haughty stance, a jeering topaz glare present from underneath his thick, white locks. The harsh grip he had upon the two, impudent girls held true, the insanity of his darkness gradually seeping into them. The lynx was exhibiting its gloriousness the most it appeared. An ominous cold feeling swept throughout her body, which would soon affect her mind's handle on sanity. Shivering with an unnatural coldness and blatant confusion, she will begin fall victim to an unexplained madness, her body unable to shift away from her self-produced fear. The process usually took about a minute or two to complete, depending on how stubborn or strong-willed the prey may be. His shadow would ultimately claim their quivering soul, leaving their lifeless body as nothing more but another piece of trash upon the floor. Admittedly, the method wasn’t always the best use. If the victim was dead, then their shadow was no longer within his jurisdiction. The panther’s abilities haven’t yet reached the power to revitalize the dead, let alone their perished soul. However, in this instance, there was no need for such concern. The lynx didn’t possess anything worthwhile for him to manipulate. Her wide, feminine eyes were wide in disbelief and horror, as her mouth hung agape, her body lied in a lifeless heap where she had fallen. It had only taken her forty-five seconds to succumb to him. Being a Freedom Fighter, the Zeta would have presumed that she would have been more resilient in nature. Perhaps he was granting his foe too much credit. What little credit he had granted them, anyway. How long would it take them to notice that one of their own had fallen already? The striped hedgehog was still combating his intrusive shadow. He arched a brow at that. One minute and thirty seconds. Adamant, feisty girl she must be. Begrudgingly, it was possible for one to break free of his portentous albeit weak influence. The ability of which had taken the life of the lynx was an elementary stage of his unique shadow manipulation. Hopefully, this battle would not be so short-lived that he wouldn’t have the opportunity to experiment. Those electrical powers of hers would suffice for mild entertainment. He averted his indifferent gaze back upon the grey fox and the fennec, taking note of the weighted, wary looks exchanged between them and their fellow posse. His natural arrogance took this a gesture of superiority, an unsaid acknowledgement of the superior one within the immediate vicinity. They should be concerned. They should fear his unknown power. Despite being heavily outnumbered, did he expect to win against the supposedly formidable Freedom Fighters? Why, of course. That wasn’t even a question. It was a statement, a succinct answer to the conspicuous question. Yes. Withdrawing the extended hand from the lynx’s corpse and the hedgehog, the blue-violet RUIN watched as the fox reached into jacket pocket casually. With a simple push of the button, a concealed detonator was activated. Interesting. It wasn’t a surprise, but the resulting inferno would definitely make for a brilliant scene. Though, all of that smoke could prove to be somewhat of an annoyance. The slight vibration of the first explosion didn't faze Delano, a small, daunting smirk present upon his features, his piercing hues still holding a taunting glint. As the explosions grew substantially, its volume and force increasing in a powerful crescendo, the presence of fire rapidly began to emerge into the threshold of the engine room. The last explosion arrived with a thunderous roar, a sonorous boom echoing throughout the room of which shattered the outer control room window as well as the outer door. It was a deafening prelude for crazed column of fire that soon erupted into the room with a ferocious blaze. By now, the Zeta’s faint smirk has widened to a more twisted, mirthful one. This was their diversion? He supposed he could accept that. So it begins… He shifted his posture so that he sat up straighter. “Emerge, my shadow.” Upon command, the invisible form revealed its true self: an opaque, ethereal presence. It was an animated, lifeless soul; his shadow. The shadow possessed the same bodily shape as Delano, a literal black cutout of its master, the vessel of the extracted soul. The being stood before the inferno in a limp, hunched stance, devoid of any expected feelings. The door heading toward him at a breakneck speed was promptly kicked away by the shadow, allotting Delano enough time to evade the thrilling mass of flames that had followed it. Hm. The engine room would unfortunately suffer from this reckless escapade, but it was nothing that couldn’t be repaired. Still, it was a rather tedious task, rebuilding, reestablishing lost connections, and what not. Oblivion was certainly not going to be pleased with the current state of the premises, and that realization… bothered him. Greatly. Any grievance caused toward his master by him was unacceptable. Completely and utterly unacceptable it was. This fire shall serve as these intruder’s graves. It has for one so far… Of course, the Zeta knew better than to blatantly exude such contempt. After all, he still had the upper hand. He had never lost it. Really, did they think that they had gained some sort of advantage by setting off a series of rambunctious explosions? Please. His dull, glass eye flickered, as another message was relayed to him. >> Connection established. Further commands for Zeta Class 9.38 are ready. Important notice. The Engine Room is currently ablaze. Eliminate all interlopers immediately. << Wasn’t that the implied order from before? Feh. He had planned on “eliminating” them whether it was official or not. Nevertheless, he would heed the “notice”. Through the maelstrom, Delano could vaguely spot the bundle of Freedom Fighters from their near distance. He made blatant eye contact with the grey fox and the fennec, casting them each a knowing look before prattling on, enjoying his pompous talk. “This is a mighty fine display you have made, Freedom Fighters, I must admit,” the panther crooned, glancing around his ignited surroundings. “Such a fearsome blaze… it’s a rather dazzling start to a fight.” He paused a bit before continuing. “Though, simply dawdling there isn’t going to commence things. Are you waiting for an opportunity to strike?” His obedient shadow mirrored his movements from behind as he slowly held his arms out, exposing himself to the enemy in a presumably vulnerable position. “Your opportunity is present. Come at me.” It shall be my pleasure to break your soul. Posted by: Max Aug 29 2010, 10:43 AM ((ooc: oh yes, we can finally move forward and I'm no longer holding up the thread ^^ I think I should of posted sooner though, I wanted Max to go before Delano had another post, but oh well, this is fine ^^')) Just as she requested, Kyle began conversing with the Panther, keeping his attention away from her and Sam. To her surprise, Darren seemed to be doing the same but in a much more subtle manner. How did he even hear her? She only whispered and he was out of earshot, then again he was a Fennec and had much more sensitive hearing than she. As she focused on reaching the engine, keeping a close eye on the Panther of course, she listened intently to what was being said, though it wasn't really much. Kyle seemed to be struggling with his anger at the RUIN's words, and Max didn't blame him. She'd be pissed too at what this arrogant guy was saying, in fact she was; albeit she didn't know the details of why Kyle was mad, but for her this mop-headed guy just rubbed her the wrong way. Seriously dude, get a haircut. Max was close, only a short distance away from the door she was heading to; one of many that allowed direct access from the control rooms to the engine itself, like the one the Zeta had sent them back through earlier. The moment she was near enough she'd open it, and the second it was open she'd be able to do just about anything her powers were capable of. Just a little more. However, before she had a chance to open the door, she saw the Panther slowly raise his hand, then felt something tug at her ankle and pull her harshly to the ground. "OK, ow," she said as though it were practically nothing, though it really did kinda hurt. "Damn it," she hissed suddenly as frigid cold stabbed at her ankle. What the hell? She looked over and saw Samantha was on the floor as well, shivering. "It's… it's s-so… c-cold.." she heard the Lynx shutter and she knew the same thing had happened to both of them. "Trying to evade me, were you? Please. Don't get cocky," the Panther said sounding somewhat disappointed. "There aren't any advantage points in this room. Where there is light, there is shadow. I am one with the darkness. Escape is futile. Your mission is hopeless." Max looked at her freezing ankle and noticed an ebony hand protruding from her shadow, gripping her tightly. What the hell? Seeing the trouble Samantha was having, trying to grip her ankle but unable to, Max thought of an idea. "Entertain me, Freedom Fighters. I'll allow you to attack me first. Show me the power of which you are willing to waste on your beloved princess." You want a fight? I'll give you a fight. Struggling to focus, the icy sensation diverting her attention and even spreading up her leg, Max generated electricity in her hand and grabbed at the shadowy appendage. Its already somewhat transparent form faded and the cold instantly left her, though somehow too soon. I don't think I did that. Nonetheless, she was free and standing once more. Looking over at Samantha, Max saw the Lynx limp and unmoving on the floor. Hand still alight with electricity, and paying no attention to Kyle and the others, she started a mad dash to her fallen comrade, but was halted by a sudden vibration. Looking around a bit panicked despite of herself, a series of loud reverberating explosions, each more intense than the last, the windows bursting apart, and then the door blasting off its hinges, followed by a column of fire, forced the Hedgehog to duck for cover. Covering her face with her arms to protect it from the scattered glass and heat of the flames, she peered to see the blast door go flying in a completely different direction than where it was just headed, slamming into the far wall, and see the Panther move well out of the way of the fire pillar. Damn his was quick. Max got herself up and moved away from the walls and computers. She glanced at Kyle and Bunnie, looking for some single whether she should join back with the others or stay where she was. ((ooc: Sorry about the mop-head haircut joke. I know it's lame, but I just had to do it, I couldn't help it x3 Also Delano retracted the hands just before Max had a chance to grab and electrocute it, so really she didn't do anything to it. This is just a little side note, kind of my own opinion I developed quite awhile ago: I don't think we should take Sonic on the next Fortress assault, or if we do, bound and gag him for the ride up so he doesn't blow our cover again like this time 'round >_< Also, anyone else starting to get tired of the word 'shadow'? I know I am. Of course when Shadow remakes his appearance in this thread, I suddenly won't be bored of that word at all lol x3 yes I am a bit of a Shadow fangirl if you couldn't tell lol x3 Man, I ramble >.<)) Posted by: Nekrovixi Sep 6 2010, 12:52 PM Vermin. It was important to not underestimate the power of vermin in number. Just as snowflakes offer no real threat, their power and woe becomes problematic when in multitude. Cockroaches, is what they were; resilient insects, lowest of the low, and yet even they, in number, could impose considerable resistance. Such creatures should not be treated lightly, especially on the home front. And yet this is exactly what that Zeta had done. The shockwave, its rumblings even perceptible this far into the superstructure, was enough to tell Nekrovixi as much, never mind the steadily flashing warning light. Beside him it glowed, politely persistent, beating at a steady pulse, crying with silence for recognition. It was a recognition he would grudgingly provide. From his inclined platform, he reached out, offering the light the joy it so desired. Immediately, an internal status report flickered through him, his root parsing the details. Drone Bay 42 has been compromised. Large explosive concussion. Additional damages include: Lower Level Quarters. Internal Navigation Relays. Secondary supply conduit from port side engines. Significant collateral damages to port engine control facilities. Engine Stats: OPERATIONAL. RUIN in authority of vicinity: Delano of Zeta: S9 V38 Hanger B-- Nekrovixi ignored the remaining information. He was well acquainted with the battle now raging in the docking ring. It had been one of his primary observances. The purging of Mobius had gone largely unobstructed. Certainly there were pockets that had managed to dig their way in deep, surviving like mice in rafters; "Sanctuary" had been one such infestation. As the purging continued, however, it seemed the heartier and heartier stock of reprobates, each more gloryless than the last, surfaced to shake their fists in ignorance at the gods. But hearty, gloryless animals were not all without some redemptive qualities. He too, his root reminded him, had once been such an undignified animal, raised to the loftiness of angels only by the mercies and wisdoms of Lord Oblivion. And, indeed, some of these animals had very intriguing qualities. Two hedgehogs, the blue one in particular, seemed to draw the attention of his Lord. Another, an Echinda, possessing a rare power conjuring ability, was also to be observed. These were the tasks laid before him by the very lips of Oblivion as he stood face to face with the Epsilon. The matter in the engine room was not meant to be his concern nor were any of the cattle present of any interest. They were, he observed, the gloryless animals with no redemptive qualities. Their dispatchment was a necessary and easy task. And yet something had happened. The blame could only fall squarely on the shoulders of the RUIN in authority: the Zeta. The Zeta class was a grand experiment, conceived, as all glorious creations are, by Lord Oblivion himself. An intensified and streamlined hybrid of Epsilon and Sigma classes, the Zeta resulted in an amalgamation of stealth and detection that, while not being as potent in either field as a dedicated operative, presented the abilities in a far more robust package ideal for front line use. Delano, the crown of the experiment, was a powerful angel, terrifying in display and far more resilient than the cockroaches he expertly crushed. There was glory in every step he took. But the Zeta had begun to grow careless, the Epsilon perceived. His assurity, bred from a record of success, led him to a domain of boredom and want to toying with the cockroaches for entertainment. An angel with a head so high could often forget how far the impure beneath him could reach, clawing at his feet and muddying the footsteps he left. Now, the loss of a drone bay and the necessity for reparations of the port side engines were his to shoulder. And Nekrovixi was not pleased. He had his own objectives to attend to and the infestation in the engine room was something Delano should have cleared without incident. Closing his eyes, his root opened a secure link to the Zeta. Nekrovixi's words sounded clear to him as if he were standing no more than three feet away. "Delano, you have a task to tend to, have you forgotten? You are not there as for toys to cater to your own amusement. You are there at the behest of our Lord." His voice was firm, devoid of the frustration bubbling beneath his root. "The drone bay is lost. The lower quarters destroyed. And extensive repairs are now needed to the port side engine facility. I'm sure you're aware of this, but perhaps you need reminding that your desire for game has caused it. Cease your superfluous displays and be about your work swiftly. If this task is too beneath you, I'm sure Lord Oblivion can find someone more willing. I've no desire to hand hold you." "Glory to Oblivion!" The link closed. With his incline swiveling, he busied himself again with his observations. Perhaps a soft chastisement would spare him any further interruptions. ((OOC: You get the feeling the RUIN don't exactly play well together a lot of the time? Hehehe. Renee, let me know if the description for Zeta is alright. If not, grab me or PM me and I'll fix her up.)) Posted by: Harpy Sep 11 2010, 05:04 PM Harpy's metal talons click-clicked against the floor. She didn't want to waste more time here, but the armored Mobian was agitated. More than that, angry. How easily could that anger be turned to fury? How foolish were these mortals' actions when made in a cloud of emotion that halted all other sensibilities? Poor, suffering creature. The least she could offer him was a final story, a parting gift before he went running to his own ruin... "Oh? Time is not your ally now. And time you will you need, even after you find your Tekno. Are you prepared for what you will find? Are you even aware?" She lowered her voice, her eyes half-closing as she spoke to him, as if offering some secret that she did not want the metal walls of the hall to hear. The story was true enough, or once was, before the prisoners had proved themselves useless. She wondered what his face would look like, beneath his metal mask, when he saw all that was left of them. Whether this 'Tekno' was among the remains she did not know, or care, but a similar fear played through his heart and maddened him. How well her song played him, his heart an eager instrument! She had won. "Pinned like butterflies, they are collected here. The hooks and nails twist through so that they bleed slowly slowly and the wounds can never finish closing. Sleepless but never waking, they dream endlessly. Pull them from their bonds and they will die quickly, for the rods and wires that hold them also keep them alive now. Perhaps that's why these invaders don't bother with them. Perhaps they already consider them dead, and see no harm in ending their lives as they attempt to end this Fortress. Or perhaps they think they offer them some mercy from their endless nightmare. So kind of them, isn't it?" The Fortress shook, ever so slightly. The source of the disturbance a long way off, yet felt even from here. Oblivion! "Isn't it?" she whispered to the stranger with a small smile before vanishing down the corridor in a halo of smoke and sparks, the sound of her wings screeching against the air. Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Shortfuse Sep 26 2010, 10:03 PM Shorty had every intention of simply rushing off, but somehow, as they seemed to have the power to do, Harpy’s words froze him in his tracks. Her final story spoke of horrors Shorty couldn’t even begin to imagine. Or at least, shouldn’t have been able to imagine, seeing as his imagination had never been particularly vivid. However were creativity failed, the spell was more than willing to help him. A shiver ran up his spine as the avian spoke, his blood running cold. He saw the room she described with perfect clarity, bodies twisted and hanging, dark blood dripping from eternal wounds… and Tekno among them, her vibrant plumage stained forever with dull red… “No!” The word exploded from him like a bullet, and he raised his hand, firing blindly at the place Harpy had been. But the blast only left a smoking burn mark on the wall, the metal bird, whoever she had really been, had vanished. For a long moment Shorty just stood here, frozen like a statue, his laser sight still trained on a target that had simply melted away. Had she ever really been there at all? Had he imagined it all? Well, if that was true he was loopier than a fruit loop, and he didn’t want to believe that. The existence of crazy half mobians, half robot servants of ‘Oblivion’, whoever he might be, was better than insanity. Though only marginally. The cybernik finally let his arm fall back to his side, the targeting light blinking out. He needed to calm down, that’s all. The things Harpy had been saying had freaked him out, and could anyone really blame him for that? Unfortunately for Shorty, calming down had never been his strong point. With shaking hands and reached up to remove his helmet, taking a shaking gasp of cool, smoky air that instantly made him go into a spasm of coughing. Not good. He wiped his sweaty hair from his eyes, jammed his helmet back on. One thing was clear to him, Tekno was in serious danger, and he didn’t have time to stand here like a lemon worrying. Who knew how long he had before the Freedom Fighters destroyed this place, and the love of his life along with it? This was a race against time, and it wasn’t one he intended to lose. Edited 25/03/11 Posted by: Sawyer Oct 18 2010, 02:46 AM “Hello? Please someone respond!” The tiger’s voice echoed off the cold walls. It made him feel alone again. Tani had disappeared as quick as she came. He considered following her... If she left the other group then they must be doing fine. Regardless of the fact that they were two people short – Sawyer and now... Tani. Just as he took a step in the direction were Tani had disappeared, the floor under him seemed to vibrate. It began to shake more and more vigorously, soon joined with the sound of an explosion. Sawyer paused in confusion, then heard something else that made up his mind, gun fire from the docking bay, loud and desperate. Sawyer abandoned any thought of seeking out the party in the engine and set off at a sprint, ignoring the growing pain in his stomach. It was just a few cuts and scrapes after all. The stone had healed him, hadn't it. Here we go again. Running head first into unknown danger. Way to keep your promise, Sawyer. But his friends were in danger as well. If it wasn’t for that adrenaline feeling, he’d probably be running away from the fray. Hell! He’d probably be dead if it weren’t for will. His desire. His determination for survival. There was no way he was going to die on this station. Besides... Jade would kill him if he did. ((OOC - post slightly edited with Aaron's permission to facilitate writing Soy out of the thread ~ Fal x)) |
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1:41 AM Jul 11