moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jun 16, 2018 22:47:05 GMT -6
The battlefield near the bridge had been torn asunder, and it seemed that both sides had been caught in the confusion. The huge slab of building blocked the Highlander from the Kirin, as it cut straight down the road at an angle, forcing the Spartan to either move forward and engage, or turn around and regroup. It must have meant that the opposing squad could not advance either, but…
Fire came from the sky, and Cain seemed to prioritize the Milkweed. His rapid fire shots didn’t have as much power behind them, but it was still a hefty beam rifle- and the Spartan boosted back, closer towards the Garmr in hopes of regrouping, or just figuring out what the hell was going on.
It seemed that for a few seconds, the battle had slowed down. The reactions from the Martian squad made it appear as if even they had no idea what had just transpired, and the Lotus- caught in the strike of rubble, could do little but attempt to stand up from the it. Dirt and steel and building material crashed to the ground.
Fear and shock had overtaken Lin’s senses for a few moments; everything that happened, did so over the span of a few seconds. Almost dying, explosions followed by the extremely timely fall of a skyscraper. The stinging pain on the side of her face helped her snap out of it, bringing her attention to… an AA? And then there was the voice – one that was all too familiar. Lin was quiet for long enough that it seemed like it would be a repeat of last time. “… as long as you don’t walk out on me again, doctor. I still have to make up for last time.” Her voice was surprisingly steady, even almost sharp. “Sorry Merlin, Dropkick. I’ll have to join you later. That dickbutt better be gone when I’m back.” With that last-ditch attempt at humor, Linnea focused her attention on the machine in front of her. With the skyscraper and the building to the Kirin’s left and back, it had no choice but to back away to the right. She held up her shield and rifle, firing a few desperate close-ranged shots at her opponent as she moved.
Sean could only watch as the scene in front of him played out in slow-motion. The Highlander aimed towards the Phalanx as it rushed towards the Kirin, but was suddenly interrupted by what he would later process as the top half of a fallen skyscraper. The Spartan shook violently as the ground below trembled, but its footing held strong. He didn’t hesitate to press forward, using the dirt and rubble to mask his presence.
The Lotus escaped rather miraculously from under the wreckage, but the Highlander wasn’t so forgiving. The Spartan bull-rushed the bewildered Phalanx, bashing the machine’s face with its compact shield. He pumped several rounds into its knee joints with his SMG, then slammed his shield into its face again for good measure. Sean didn’t wait for the dirt clouds to settle before diving for cover in a narrow alleyway nearby.
“Tempted to spray the damn thing on my own machine,” he remarked. “If ye want to stop me ye’ll just have to come back from this fight in one piece.”
The shots Linnea fired found her mark, but did nothing. Each one fired straight into the chest of the strange white machine, but it continued to walk on, beam saber extended. That familiar voice didn’t seem to fade either, a few chuckles rolling out in response to each shot fired. Almost instantaneously, it slid forward, sweeping its arm down. Its saber cut into the Kirin’s rifle, slicing it in two, the thrown half of the rifle bursting in the air not long after.
There was a pause after the sweep, and for two seconds Linnea could see that there had been nothing- absolutely nothing outside of his own will that had stopped him from thrusting his arm forward, ending her life in a single blow. Perhaps that was why he let out another, louder chuckle, the white machine standing up straight.
“You could try to be a little more entertaining, yeah? I don’t want to kill you just yet.”
He made it seem like it was a game.
“You’ve shown promise so far, but I really, really, really don’t want to be disappointed now. Scream if it helps you get into the mood, but I need you try to kill me.”
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on Jun 17, 2018 13:58:45 GMT -6
The smoke wasn’t toxic, not that Kara and Myra would immediately notice. It did fill the room quickly, hiding their vision behind thick billows. What they couldn’t see immediately, they quickly realized seconds later through sound. The first thing, naturally, was the sound of a rifle behind fired. Though still behind cover, the bullets race into the nearby walls, as if the shooter had been spraying. Some bullets even traversed the narrow distance between Kara and Myra, racing towards the back of the maintenance room and crashing into the adjacent wall. There was a momentary pause in the shooting, before it picked up again, the spray splattering their cover, the bullets occasionally passing through. Tempted as he may have been to enter the fray, the apprentice is glad he followed instructions: maybe he'd consider this moment the next time Ken issued an order. ...Maybe. He makes his presence known with a whistle as the door on the farther end of the maintenance hall swings open, still ready to let loose his own bullets at a moment's notice -- not that he's openly advertising that fact. "You still alive?" He's not addressing his companion, contrary to how it may seem, and he doesn't sound concerned. What his voice lacks in caution it more than makes up for in a tone that can only be described as sarcastic, jeering: "Hope so." The only answer he received was a professional response, one that did not require words. Kara patted Myra's shoulder to make her follow. The smoke was thick, but sound still traveled fine; Kara used this to approximate the enemy's position. As Myra closed their door with her crowbar to cover themselves from Kenichi’s gunfire, Kara crept towards the maintenance door to the south and emptied the rest of her magazine towards their new assailant in a semi-wide spray. She didn’t wait for a hit confirmation before rounding the corner and making a mad dash for the door. Myra followed close behind, firing off a few shots of her own before the two reached the room’s exit. They didn’t have time for the usual protocol, or even for the common decency to use the doorknob. Kara charged the heavy metal door with her shoulder, busting the lock and forcing it to swing open. The hallway was now clouded with smoke, a convenient cover for the two to make their way back into the staircase. Myra covered the doorway into the staircase and trained her handgun towards the decimated cubicles while Kara sifted through her belongings. She couldn’t get a read on what Kara was planning, but the purpose in her movements was enough to convince Myra that the situation was still (perhaps implausibly) under control. She was nonetheless surprised to see Kara pull out a long string of detonating cord and looked at her. “Plan B,” she said. “We cut this escape route and we take a more direct approach.” She then motioned for Myra to keep covering the door while she rigged the underside of the stairs. The cord made a couple zig-zags, glued to the concrete supports with a fast-acting paste. It wasn’t that long, but enough to turn the whole staircase into rubble. Besides, she had other plans for the rest of the detonating cord. She reviewed her hasty work and plugged in a wireless detonator that she then handed to Myra. “I’m putting you in charge of this one,” she whispered. “You see or hear anything approach, you get to cover and cut them off. I’m going to prepare the same stuff over there.” She pointed to the backup generator room’s direction. “After that… we do what we do best. We improvise. If all goes well, this will be short work, but…. Eh, anyway.” “If all goes well…” Kara snickered and patted her shoulder. She then made a quick run to the backup generator past the first floor’s cubicles, looking up towards the wires as they trailed upwards. Myra had a good eye; the main generator was likely just above the back-up. It wasn’t a certainty, but a decent enough bet for Kara. Her new plan was to access the main generator room directly. If the main generator stood just above the back-up, it would fall onto it and potentially disable both. Trashing the dock operations building might not have been a particularly media savvy move, and Kara would certainly suffer through another lecture by Captain Adamaris for it. Accessing the control room by foot would have been ideal, but circumstances dictated a less subtle approach. As these thoughts raced through Kara’s mind, her hands ran fast to rig the ceiling with the remainder of the detcord. It seemed rather excessive to her, but she wanted to be absolutely sure that the floor would give way. Even military-grade explosives had their limit, and the floor needed to support a generator of this size would need to be fairly thick. She plugged in another detonator and detached the activator button, the same kind she had given Myra earlier. A green light lit up to confirm its connection and Kara left the maintenance room to cover herself from the blast. She quickly checked her weapons to make sure they were fully loaded and pressed the button.
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jun 17, 2018 15:53:46 GMT -6
In an instant, the entire ceiling of the maintenance room that held the backup generator was gone. Several chunks of it flew past Kara’s cover, landing with loud THUDS. Even louder than the explosion was the screeching of metal when the main generator dropped through the large hole and onto the backup. Sparks filled every corner of the room for just a moment before silence returned. Kara peeked into the room and sighed. This… was not a very clean solution. As if to punctuate her thought, Myra detonated the wire along the staircase to cut their opponent’s escape route off as she ducked across the cubicles. Kara activated her comm to the Menaulion as the two regrouped.
“Command, this is Echo. Mission is a… technical success, I think. We have encountered hostiles but I think we’ve managed to resolve the docking situation. Can you confirm?”
The Menaulion responded promptly, even as roof continued to crash near the two, caving in on the room and quickly filling it to the brim with rubble and destroyed machinery. The voice that responded back was caught out in the sound of the destruction, and it wasn’t until they realized what was occurring that they attempted to raise their voice.
“This is the Menaulion, we’ve confirmed the clamps have been removed, Echo. We suggest you rendezvous with Tinder.”
Their commlink cut, undoubtedly due to the Menaulion beginning to respond to the new developments. The raining rubble finally ceased, though from the groaning of the structure, it seemed that even the threat of another explosion would cause the rest of that section of the building to crumble.
---
Ken called out to his companion as the two ran. Their covering fire forced them back. Though he could chase, he had no interest in pursuing them past this floor. This was, after all, where their prize was. Attempting to reach the generator via the roof was possible, but riskier than simply a head on approach. In his mind, Ken had claimed this as a victory for them.
That was, until, he heard the sound of explosions.
The floor beneath them quaked, and his first response was to run to the main computer room. As he dashed there, he felt more rumbling and the sound of heavy blocks shattering along the ground. He was partially surprised to find that nothing had happened to their floor, in fact, the computer room was intact.
Until the power went out.
Getting shot at definitely wasn’t on the agenda, and he’s glad he hadn’t put himself front and center to catch any bullets. The next step was, of course, to return fire, which he might’ve been happy to do except for the fact that … -
“Shit-!”
The blast was unexpected, unwelcome, and unappreciated – kind of like how they were. Though it was obvious (too obvious now, really) that their opponents were alive, they clearly hadn’t been in a very talkative mood… not that that was a priority.
“Well this is a bit of a development, huh?” his voice can be heard through the comm link, even save for a slim trace of what can probably be perceived as annoyance. “We got anything as far as our next move goes?”
Matters of strategy were, clearly, out of his jurisdiction.
His commlink buzzed, and the voice of Ken coming through almost immediately.
“Get to the roof through the fire escape, I’ll pick you up in a moment.”
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jun 18, 2018 13:05:57 GMT -6
The Lotus seemed to be stuck, and the rushdown by the Highlander didn’t help. Though its shield was still primed to defend it, and its armor was thick, the shots fired by Sean helped keep it down for a bit longer. Cain could swear he heard the pilot scream in anger through the comms, but his real focus was on the white machine that had just struck Lin.
There was a very distinctive feeling in his chest, one that said she would be dead in the next few minutes if they didn’t manage to stop these Martian pilots here and now.
[Dance of Demons]The bull-horned Milkweed launched forward, following the Highlander into the alleyway. Its shield and rifle had long since been tossed aside. Two short handles popped up between its shoulders, and it grabbed on, seemingly tearing out twin heat shotels that had been hidden between its shoulders and back. As the blades turned red, the machine lunged forward, bringing them down to bare on the Highlander almost instantly. “Just die!” --- The Garmr stepped forward, shieldless but still bearing its rifle-cannon. The pitch black machine seemed like it was going to follow after the Milkweed, and moved forward accordingly, its wary gaze still giving the Wolfsbane a few quick glances. This at least partially made sense- the Lotus was locked down, and their primary concern would be taking out the Highlander now that the Kirin had been cornered by what appeared to be an ally. That was what fed into the pilot’s decision to put the Lotus in its sights, reticle locked onto the cockpit at an angle that would have let him bypass the shield entirely. Cain hadn’t forgotten the glaring bright green and pink machine as the one that had given him trouble not too long ago. Pesky pilots, annoying rivals- he couldn’t afford to have those linger. Before he could fire a shot, a warning blared about one already fired. His Phoros ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding the explosive round that had been chucked towards him. The Garmr hadn’t gone to the alley at all, and in fact had set up just outside of it. Confident that his partner could keep the opposing Spartan at bay, it seemed it was intent on shooting down the Phoros. “Annoying!” Cain tossed the Wolfsbane around, firing over a shot quickly, the laser forcing the Hoplite to side step as it began to return fire with its kinetic rifle. “ Arrogant.” Returned the Garmr. --- The pilot of the Milkweed was quick to anger and quicker to pursue. The Highlander’s submachine guns could do little to keep the bull from crashing down on it and the narrow street gave him no room to dodge to the side. Sean discarded the weapon in his right hand, tossing it into the air as he reached for the heat sword at his back. Red-hot blades collided. The Spartan’s knees buckled under the weight of the blow, its left forearm forced to hold up the back end of its heat sword to keep the twin shotels from tearing into its frame. Thick concrete cracked below them. “Not the first to say that to me…” The Highlander’s gaze matched the Milkweed’s, defiance written all over the expressionless machine. “...and certainly not the last!” The Highlander’s vulcans fired against its enemy’s helmet, a meager attempt to stymy its assault. But Sean’s eyes lingered just beyond the Milkweed, where the SMG he had so ‘carelessly’ discarded began to fall. A grenade attached to its right side detonated behind the enemy Spartan, the Highlander using the machine as cover against the blast. The Milkweed met the Highlander’s assault head on, pushing down on the machine with added force. From simply an exchange of blades, it seemed more and more that the Highlander was outmatched in terms of pure power. Even as its vulcans fire, the Milkweed refused to budge, its stubby horns facing forward, actually taking much of the brunt force of Sean’s attack. “Seriously, give it up! I can see your joints-” Bianca’s voice was cut short as a sudden, powerful blast rocked her Spartan. Reflexively, she lunged upward, her thrusters flaring to life as her machine pressed downward on the Highlander. The Milkweed’s knee crashed into the side of the Highlander’s blade as it rocketed upwards. Swinging its shotels around wildly, one of its blades caught into the side of the building to steady it, and the Milkweed managed to spin around to face the back of the Highlander. Its landing only helped to kick up more concrete, the machine distinctively crunching the ground underneath it. “I’d say you play dirty, but after this mess I can’t exactly complain about that, can I? Fuck it.” The Milkweed crossed its heat shotels, taking a defensive stance, yet also another step forward. Though not outright damaged by the blast, it did seem a little less steady than before. Spartans were, after all, not the most acrobatic of machines. --- The Garmr and the Wolfsbane engaged in a duel of wits not too far from the other two. Each shot made towards the other was paid in kind. Cain had long since switched from a long-fire mode to a shorter, rapid fire mode. It put more strain on the barrel, but that would be something he’d deal with back in the ship. The two of them danced around buildings, taking ducks and dodges to avoid each others fire, the collateral slowly ramping up. Cain’s shots were too contained, the pilot trying hard to avoid further damage, while Hansel’s shots were wild and erratic, slicing up buildings and skyscrapers alike. Cain felt his anger only grow at the wanton destruction he was participating in, even if he did his best to stifle it. Was it intentional, what the Garmr’s pilot was doing? His grip tightened, the Phoros banking right around a building hard, its feet only a few meters away from the road below. One moment it held its rifle, and the moment after it turned only to rush toward the Hoplite, it's rifle was no longer in its hands. Instead, the Wolfsbane had drawn a heat sword, which it struck at the Garmr with. Not to be outdone, the Hoplite returned with its own blade, quickly pulling it from its back to catch the opposing Phoros off guard. With the blade in one hand, the Garmr attempted to pull its rifle-cannon forward, aiming straight at the Phoros. “As if!” It was met with a foot, the Wolfsbane kicking the barrel of the rifle aside, unable to knock the gun aside but applying enough force that the Hoplite’s hand shattered around the wrist. It fired, but the bullets sprayed off at an angle away from the Phoros. As the two locked blades, the Wolfsbane reached over to grab at the destroyed hand, pushing the arm of the Hoplite further away. “Dropping your gun in favor of a melee engagement, you’re not suicidal, are you?” Their blades clicked into place, their arms groaning from the stress. The Wolfsbane’s dark blue a stark contrast from the black and red of the Garmr. “I’m not an ace for nothing.” “Ace? An ace?” Hansel couldn’t believe what he was hearing, his stony exterior crumbling just a bit as he laughed incredulously. “You stole a machine that wasn’t yours for a few weeks and you want to call yourself an ace? I’ll end your career right now.” --- “Ye most certainly cannot,” Sean retorted. “Making a right mess of this city, and for what? To lure us out and corner us? Well, ye know what they say about cornered beasts…” The Highlander took a cautious step back towards the entrance to the alleyway. Its right hand gripped its heat sword, shield still held close in its left. Rubble tumbled into the alleyway from the crumbling buildings beside it. The longer this fight drew out, the more destruction befell the city– even Cain’s best attempts to keep the collateral to a minimum only served their enemy. A thought crossed Sean’s mind as he focused on his opponents machine. He pulled up his thermal sensors to confirm that the Milkweed had ditched its rifle before attacking, the still-cooling weapon laying on a roadside nearby. The Highlander didn’t hesitate to strike through the building’s scaffolding, large chunks of flooring and furniture sent crashing into the alleyway to slow the enemy Spartan as his machine dashed back out into the open street. The Highlander practically lunged for the laser rifle, sparks flying as the machine skated across the concrete. It braced the weapon against its chest and fired shot after shot towards the Milkweed’s forearms. Bianca held steady as the Highlander added to the destruction, rubble and furniture now slowing her path. The Spartan stumbled, but picked up the pace, chasing after the Highlander with its shotels still crossed. Her chase was met with a fury of shots from the Highlander, the lasers striking at its arms successively. The Spartan’s armor was nothing to laugh at, but the continued barrage quickly whittled away at it, until hefty bits of metal crashed into the ground. At this point, the Milkweed had closed the distance, bringing its arm back to swipe at the Highlander, heat shotel blazing through the street. --- Not too far away, the Garmr and Wolfsbane clashed, their blades striking at each other, the bulky and armored Hoplite facing off the top heavy but thinner Phoros. The two machines had each other at the end of their ropes, dancing between the street lights and cars as they crossed blades. The Phoros occasionally boosting to close the gap, its powerful shoulder thrusters giving it high speed for its otherwise weak frame. The Hoplite was tougher, its armor harder to break through. Speed could only help so much. Cain knew that this wouldn’t be a fight he could outlast. Yet with their position now, it wasn’t like they could do much else. As the two lunged at each other, once more locking themselves, a friendly reminder trickled into Cain’s focus. “Merlin, Dropkick, Fawn, the Menaulion is making preparations to depart, please return-” The Wolfsbane side stepped a quick jab by the opposing Hoplite, the machine’s red eyes flashing as it pushed forward, forcing the Phoros to back away from the duel. The pilot took advantage of the brief moments of peace to open a direct link to the Highlander. “We need to go, now.” --- “Easier said than done…!” The Highlander sustained its fire for as long as it could before the Milkweed came bearing down on it. Asphalt melted under the heat of the shotel as the Spartan rolled right to avoid the strike, its left hand pushing the machine up and into a crouch. Before the Milkweed had a chance to strike with its other weapon, the Highlander tossed the stolen laser rifle into the blade. The gun bubbled and expanded before exploding, causing a bright flash of light that momentarily blinded the enemy. The Highlander scooped a chunk of asphalt from the fractured ground and shifted its weight forwards. The machine’s fist came crashing against the Milkweed’s jaw, blisteringly hot rock crumbling between its fingers. It was far from a knockout punch, but the change in momentum was enough to force the Milkweed to stumble backwards. The Highlander didn’t wait for its opponent to come back swinging, immediately sprinting in the opposite direction. The roll wasn’t unexpected coming from the Highlander, and it was swiftly met with a slice of the Milkweed’s other heat shotel, cleaving through the not far behind the first. What she hadn’t expected, however, was that it wouldn’t meet armor- but instead, cut through the remains of her laser rifle. It took only a second before it shone brightly and exploded, the Milkweed taking a step back as it did. Amidst the bright light came a fist flying with hot pavement, smashing into the Milkweed’s helmet. The armor cracked with the force, and while its visuals stuttered- they ultimately remained intact, though it did stumble with the force of the blows. The minor damage the machine had sustained throughout their encounter had collected up to this point- its response time was hampered and its defenses compromised. As the Highlander ran away, Bianca simply sat firm in her seat, staring off after it. Was she shaken? No, not quite. Her grip tightened around her controls, the pilot biting her lip. She needed to get better. --- From the Wolfsbane’s periphery, Cain could see the Highlander covering distance. It seemed that one of them had made the first moves, at least. Though not in view, the Kirin was still operational as far as he could tell. That, however, was rapidly becoming not his concern. Not dying to the Hoplite in front of him, was quickly becoming his priority. They clashed blades one more time, the Hoplite crushing a car underfoot as it traversed the road to push closer, the machine tilting the blades away from its body as it leaned. “You put up a fight, but that’s it. We’re done here.” “Couldn’t agree more!” Flaps along the Wolfsbane’s legs opened up, firing shots of chaff at the opposing Hoplite. Its shoulder thrusters flipped forward, blasting the Hoplite in turn and launching the Wolfsbane backwards. Though meters away from a building, the thrusters were adjusted once more, quickly flipping back and locking in place before the machine threw itself into a wall- and launching it straight into the air. The Garmr threw itself into a defense stance near instantaneously, spending only a second blasting any chaff caught along its main camera eyes with a sudden release of air, before striking at- Its heat blade struck nothing but air. It swept its head along the road, before looking up. The image of the Wolfsbane dashing off towards the Highlander burned into Hansel’s retinas, and the pilot could do little but stand there as his opponent exited his range.
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Post by fen on Jun 19, 2018 12:01:45 GMT -6
“Stop!”
Were the first words out of Cain’s mouth as the two neared each other, the Wolfsbane slowing its descent before the Highlander. Its deep blue arms stretched out, the Wolfsbane’s visor array glowing a bright green in the dark.
“I’m going to very quickly run down what’s going to happen,” He followed up, settling his machine near the floor. A hand reached towards its waist, procuring a recently recovered long beam rifle, but not before handing it over to the Spartan. “You are going to hold this. I am going to lift you. You shoot at anyone that tries to stop us heading back, alright?”
It seemed that, whether intentionally or not, Cain had neglected to mention Lin.
“Menaulion, this is Merlin, I’ve rendezvoused with Dropkick and we are about to return.”
The Highlander slowed as it approached the Wolfsbane, glancing over its shoulder to make sure its opponent kept out of range. He wasn’t satisfied with how the fight had turned out, but they had held their own; with how this night had gone so far he couldn’t really ask for more. The Spartan faced the Phoros and held out its hands to reach for the beam rifle. But they stopped just short, hovering over the weapon instead.
“Hold on just a moment,” Sean interjected. “What’s the status on Fawn? I know ye don’t have the strength to carry us both.”
“It won’t matter if we can’t regroup, unless you want to take on two instead of one?”
As if to emphasize his point, he dropped the rifle onto the Highlander’s outstretched hands, the Phoros maneuvering towards its back, its hands reaching out to circle underneath the Spartan’s shoulders.
The Highlander grabbed the Wolfsbane by the wrist.
“Menaulion, this is Dropkick. Thought I’d let ye know there’s been a slight change of plans.” The Spartan shrugged off the Phoros’s attempt to dock their machines, releasing the other machine from its grasp. “Merlin here will rendezvous with the Kirin and the two’ll make their way back to the ship while I cover their retreat. If I’m lucky they might even have time to swing by somewhere to buy me a double-stack burger and a large order of fries. Don’t forget to grab ketchup and napkins while ye’re there, aye?”
Having given his teammates little say in the matter, Sean closed the communication line. They didn’t have time to bicker over strategy, but he’d be damned if he let that creep in a tacky white suit do whatever he wanted– again. As if to emphasize his point, the Highlander shoved the beam rifle back into the Wolfsbane’s outstretched arms.
Cain mouthed something that would have been better kept quiet, but not before locking his helmet in place, the pilot sitting back in his seat. The Phoros grabbed its rifle once more, more or less immediately launching itself into the air. It circled the area for a moment, momentarily veering towards the last known location of the Kirin before-
Nope, there it went towards the Menaulion.
The pilot opened up another line, not caring whether it was four way or not, the Wolfsbane blasting through the heights of Shanghai.
“Menaulion, this is Merlin again. Ignore those last words, and can you patch me into Cinco’s team?”
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jun 19, 2018 12:04:10 GMT -6
[Tear the Metal]Missiles raced after the Brutus as it spiraled in tighter and tighter circles over the Arlington, their smoke trails forming a vortex that threatened to swallow the crimson machine whole. Its weapons turned to face the swarm of explosives, bullets punching through their metal casings and lasers melting their compact warheads. The Brutus met the few remaining missiles head-on, their payloads crashing against the machine’s hull as it reached the peak of its ascent. “Kill me over and over and over and over again…” The Brutus emerged from its blanket of fire as it descended towards the Arlington. Only now could Ernest see the visage of an AA glaring down at him from above, seemingly fused to the center of its hull. The machine rapidly accelerated, weapons trained in circles around the Hippokon to keep him within its trajectory. At this rate the two machines would collide, the Arlington inevitably crushed under the massive force of the vengeful Brutus. “...but it won’t change that fact that I’m dragging you straight to hell with me!”Moments before the Brutus could deal the finishing blow, rockets exploded onto its hull. The machine was forced off-course as its damaged thrusters pushed it steadily to the side. Cursing under their breath, the pilot leveled their machine as they zoomed past the Red Sun. Ignoring the Phalanx had proved to be a mistake, no matter how incompetent they considered its pilot. The Brutus realigned its thrusters as smoke billowed steadily from its backside. Its heavy metal plating was bent and cracked, but the hull remained intact. The pilot took heavy breaths as they turned to face their opponents once more. A signal suddenly blipped onto their radar, and soon after it another. The first bogey was an Athen that swam just below the surface of the sea and the second was a Phoros that zoomed through the sky from within the city. They reached for a heavy latch that sat to the side of their control panel, clutching its handle with enough force to warp the steel. A voice suddenly tore through the quiet tension within the Brutus. “...You’re telling me I should just retreat?! These whelps mean nothing to me–” The pilot was interrupted by the voice, which spoke more sternly this time. Their teeth grated against each other in stifled rage. Ernest, it seemed, was not the only stray dog on a tight leash. Denied his vengeance, the pilot could only shift their focus to the future. They would have another chance. Circling around the Arlington one last time, the Brutus blasted out of range and into the city, disappearing as suddenly as it had appeared.
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Linkyu
Cosmic Kiddie
aaa
Posts: 47
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Post by Linkyu on Jun 19, 2018 16:37:13 GMT -6
(Meanwhile, inside the docks' operation building...)
Kara and Myra stood up once the rumble had simmered down. What used to be the backup generator room was now nothing but falling debris and dangling power cables. Every now and then, an arc would spark between broken pieces of machinery. “Going to go ahead and say that the back exit is a no-go,” Myra mused. “Afraid so. Or rather, it’s a dangerous exit. We’ll go through the front in the cover of the night.” “Really would prefer cover that actually stops bullets.” Kara smirked and pressed on her comms to contact Lana. "Tinder, this is Echo. If you're around, we're ready for extraction."
"Good to know you're still alive. Wait by the pickup point, okie Echo? Be right there!"
They silently advanced towards the front entrance, checking the half-collapsed stairwell to make sure they weren’t being pursued on foot, then slipped out of the building. They didn’t bother sneaking around behind buildings or across side-streets, opting to make their way straight for the pier.
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Post by fen on Jun 19, 2018 19:17:43 GMT -6
Hansel had expected things to go differently.
The Garmr knelt to the ground, its arm reaching to grab the rifle-cannon it had dropped during its encounter. The Phoros it had been dueling had left, and not long after that he could make its visage retreating towards the Menaulion. Strangely enough- it had been alone. This fact clearly meant, at least in Hansel’s mind, that Bianca had been successful. The way the situation looked, either that or the Highlander was beyond saving.
“Executor, are you still active?”
“That I am, Deadeyes.”
Her response time was good, which led him to believe that the enemy Spartan had been destroyed.
“I’m going to rendezvous with you back where Fireball’s last known location was. If you’re still around her, can you confirm her machine is intact?”
“I can hear you!”
Ah, there she was.
“...Can confirm, Deadeyes.”
“Good to hear.”
Momentarily ignoring the frustrated babbling of his sister, Hansel’s machine began to head back. Though not far- the two had still covered more distance than imagined, and several blocks worth of road remained between himself and the last known location of the others. He expected to see charred husks of metal, but instead…
Nothing.
Down the road, he could spot the obnoxious bright green Phalanx his sister was so well known for. It was still half covered in rubble, but intact at least. No sign of the enemy Spartan, though the Milkweed did eventually reveal itself from a mixture of rubble, piled up cars, and other debris from their scuffle it had been hiding behind.
“...And your target?”
“Not here.”
I can see that. Hansel’s focus shifted from checking on his squadmates to investigating their surroundings. Cities were, if nothing else, a pain to navigate. The various other signals they were receiving only seemed to muddy their path forward- especially with the knowledge of him still on the field. His focus was once more on the Lotus. Securing it would be their best bet.
“Form up on Fireball, we’ll most likely have to regroup on attacking the Menaulion.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Hansel couldn’t help but to bite his tongue, the pilot wanted nothing more than to come around knocking, but he knew that with a machine disabled, part of their vanguard destroyed, and little else available- that it was a lost cause.
“It’s not worth pursuing right now.”
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By the time the Wolfsbane approached the Menaulion, the fighting had more or less ceased. Though radar had given notice of an approaching bogey, its sheer speed and the direction it was going in led him to believe it wasn’t anything he needed to handle. The Menaulion had already begun the process to leave, the ship beginning preparations to exit the port as the Phoros made its landing.
Though the hangar was as wild as ever, he found a maintenance rack near the entrance to the hangar and slid the Wolfsbane in. Right on time, Cinco’s team moved in, making quick adjustments to the machine’s legs, as well as replacing the long laser rifle with a linear bazooka.
A mechanic climbed up to the cockpit, giving a sub-camera a quick wave. “You need anything?” He asked, waving a pack of water.
Cain would have responded, if the pain in his leg hadn’t come back in full force, the pilot’s hand now resting near the wound, leaning forward in his set. The cockpit never opened, and so the mechanic did little but shrug and step off.
Merlin, you’re up for launch again.
He kept quiet again, saying little as his machine lurched forward on the ramp once more, veering off towards the area he had just came from...
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jun 19, 2018 19:24:26 GMT -6
The loss of its rifle forced the Kirin to back up ever further along the road, Lin’s blood boiling at his laughter. She took this moment to glance around the area, and her eyes fell upon a fire hydrant off to the sidewalk closer to the building. Looking back to her opponent, she circled around to where the hydrant was and stepped behind it. The decision probably looked foolish; the Kirin only had a single shield on its arm and it backed itself into a wall again. It slowly lowered itself into a stance, shield tucked close to its torso and its left arm to its side. All the came out from the comms was a single word of acknowledgement. “… fine.” When the white machine closed in for another attack, the Kirin gave the fire hydrant a good kick. A pillar of water shot up between them, slamming into her opponent mid-swing. The Hoplite stepped around the fire hydrant, left arm slashing outwards with a folded sword that clicked into place with the force of the swing, blade glowing dimly with heat. The blades caught in the blast of water launched by the Kirin. The white machine was unaffected by the water, and had taken the opportunity to match the Kirin’s movements, slicing through the jet of water and directly toward it. The beam saber caught on the heat blade, both swords buckling at the force behind both of the opposing machines. The sound of gyros over-exerting and joints straining filled the air, and soon after, so did the amused chuckling of Lin’s opponent. “You’re doing better, much better,” he cooed, the face of the white machine- sleek and expressionless, neared itself as he continued, “But, you know, I don’t think you’re the type of person I’m looking for.” The machine’s saber cut out, and for a brief moment the Kirin’s heat sword continued, no longer caught. Its hand zoomed forward, bypassing the heat sword entirely, the machine taking a side step far too quickly to avoid the blade, its fingers cutting distance between the machine and Lin’s cockpit. With little warning, the fingertips began to glow again, signifying the beam’s return… When the two blades collided, Linnea was already in the process of turning her AA slightly and moving back so that it wasn’t facing straight forward, shielded arm kept low and close to its core. Lin’s eyes grew wide as the beam saber vanished and the heat sword continued going, the air steaming as it went – a quality the saber lacked, curiously enough. Everything else happened instinctively; Lin registered that a blade that she had eyes on was no longer there, and that was enough. … well, that and a little bit of luck. When the beam saber flashed on again mid-swipe, the Kirin’s right arm shot up into the underside of the machine’s arm with the shield. It was enough to force the oncoming swing upwards, away from the parts of the Hoplite’s chest that were thicker and jutted further out. That was where the luck – or perhaps exceptional skill – came in: the saber's edge only managed a light scratch along the top part of the Hoplite's chest as it leaned backward from its own movement. “And after all the trouble you’ve gone through to find me… what a damn shame. It’s almost enough to make a girl cry.” It gave the Kirin enough time to draw its hand back from the wayward swing, thrusting the heat sword forward, not at the machine’s cockpit, but at the center of its arm. Her hit met its mark, but much like the attacks before it, nothing happened. A dull ‘clank’ signified that she had struck, and the white machine retracted its arm not soon after that. With the speed he was moving at, it seemed that he could have very easily dodged that attack- despite his reaction time. “Hmm, no, not a fan of you trying to be witty. We can only have one of those in a scene, and it fits my character more.” The machine swung again, this time slower. The two caught each other’s blades again, the beam saber’s striking white light contrasting against the red-hot steel of the Kirin. The glow highlighted the blue in the face of Lin’s opponent, and the strange, almost alien appearance of his machine. Then, he kicked her. His speed seemed to pick up as the Hoplite was forcibly knocked back, the white machine rushing forward to follow through, its saber aiming straight at the cockpit for a thrust. “Would you rather I scream, then? Cry?” She’d done a good job of maintaining her composure up until now. Now, her voice cracked with a desperate anger. The kick certainly didn’t help. The Kirin was a beast far too heavy for its own good; it stumbled into the road and kept going, thrusters flaring on and off to reduce momentum. There wasn’t enough time to regain its balance before it was attacked again. “Well, I won’t let you have it!” Once more the Kirin swiped its shield out to redirect the thrust; however, between attempting to do this with an unsteady machine and slower reflexes, it wasn’t as clean as its previous attempt. The beam saber sliced along the surface, leaving a deep gash with a horrifying metallic screech. Lin’s HUD flashed with a warning: it had cut into the Kirin’s arm, doing some damage. Had the blade been larger, it probably would have rendered the arm unusable -- though at least she’d managed to direct the blow off to the side. Instead of retaliating, Lin took this opportunity to jump away, lashing out with her sword as she did, striking against the beam saber in a follow-up swing. She glanced behind her as the blades met. They’d taken the fight farther from the building and towards the waterfront, with the Kirin’s back currently turned to it. “… how did you find me, anyway? Why?” “Sweetie, it didn’t take us very long to acquire information on you and the rest of your friends.” The machine pushed and pushed, forcing the Hoplite back with each step it took. It could afford to push- both of its arms were intact, while the Hoplite had one compromised. The threat of losing power was very real, and even if the engagement had been relying on the use of one hand, it didn’t change the fact that she was sustaining damage. “Why?” His voice receded for a moment. “I’m not sure, that’s a good question! I think it was when I was watching you. To stab a good friend and to watch them bleed, it takes a special kind of person, doesn’t it?” The two remained locked in place, neither budging anymore. “You could call it a hunch, I guess. A hunch that you might be interesting.” Beneath the two machines, deep lines in the earth marked the Kirin’s one-sided struggle, having grown long with every push of the white machine. Lin had been caught between trying to save fuel and trying to push back lest she be shoved into the river, rapidly flitting between both. With the standstill, it was tempting to dissect the answer she was given – how they’d managed to get their information, when, where. But… [ Merlin, Dropkick, Fawn, the Menaulion is making preparations to depart, please return-] Linnea stared at the reminder for a long time, her thoughts quieting. She was fully aware of her situation. The possibility of her escape was minimal, but her chances of winning the fight were just as abysmal. She turned her gaze towards the machine in front of her. It looked – it was – so different from regular AAs that she had to wonder where it came from. It was almost mesmerizing. "Well... I appreciate the consideration, I... guess? However..." The Kirin braced its right hand against the back of its heat sword, carefully. As long as she didn’t put too much force on the Kirin’s arm, it would be fine. “You’re making this sound a lot more significant than it is. I just did what needed to be done.” It took a single step forward, metal joints groaning slightly as it tried to push the other back. “We barely know each other, anyway.” “Oh?” The two were nearing the edge of the water, and it wasn’t as if her opponent hadn’t noticed. Rather, it seemed that he was doing all in his power to cover that distance as fast as he could. The white machine pushed hard against the Hoplite, angling their clashed blades away from the two of them, freeing space between them. “Maybe I misunderstood then! All good! Still, I had a hunch, and my hunches are usually right.” Another kick, this time towards the Hoplite’s knee, knocking it back. The two dangled off the side, before the white machine lunged forward, grabbing the Kirin’s head with its free hand, launching the two off the side and into the river. A moment of confusion shrouded the two of them as water rushed up to block their cameras. It wasn’t long before even the white machine’s grip had been freed, and the two could stand once more, though it didn’t take long before a white fist came crashing down against the Hoplite’s chest, causing it to stumble back once more. “I’m enjoying just how visceral this is, really! Watching parts fly off and armor get dented is fun, but it’s missing a little… Hmm…” The white machine was crouched into a fighting stance, the water rushing up towards both of their waists. Whether intentionally or not, it seemed dissuaded from using its beam saber. “Do you know what I mean? It’s missing that sort of… Adrenaline rush, I guess.” It was now clear as day that he wanted to toy with her. If he was interested in a kill, he could have claimed one at the beginning of their encounter- but what he was talking about… The way he fought… It seemed that he wanted to discover something first, and Lin was his test dummy. Another punch rushed towards her. Lin’s chest tightened as the Kirin went under. For a moment, the only thing visible among the murky waters was the blurred white form of her enemy before she managed to get the Kirin back up. The interior of the cockpit shook and jolted from the impact of the first punch – thankfully the metal held strong against it, but damn it if the sensation of feeling the punch connect wasn’t unnerving. It was a pretty good reminder that despite the perplexing decision to switch to unarmed combat, she couldn’t take many hits like that. She gave the notification on the screen a single glance. Another reminder. “… yeah. I think I get it.” The Kirin readied its own stance, sword still held firmly in hand. It had gone cold after being submerged in water, steam still gently drifting from the blade. The water had slowed the Kirin by a decent amount; the punch connected with its shoulder mid-step. It staggered a single step back, free hand snatching the white machine’s wrist and yanking it even closer, while the other drove the heat sword straight towards the cockpit. Whether or not its chest was its cockpit remained to be seen, but nevertheless the Kirin succeeded in momentarily disarming its opponent and jamming its blade forward. It failed to pierce the odd sky-blue center of the machine, instead skidding off closer towards its arms. Surprisingly, or perhaps finally, it managed to sink into a crack in its armor, the heated blade not quite penetrating, but seemingly making progress. The white machine’s arm reached forward, grabbing the arm of the Kirin. “Nice try, but-!” All of a sudden, it began to pull the arm forward, driving the blade further in. “You’ll have to try harder! Come on, put some effort into it! “I…” [ “Menaulion, this is Merlin, I’ve rendezvoused with Dropkick and we are about to return.”] “I don’t need you to tell me that. So just—” [ “Menaulion, this is Dropkick—“] She pushed the throttle forward, the thrusters on the Kirin’s back blazing to life. The roar drowned out the rest of the voices, the Kirin pushing forward with all the intent of running its blade clean through. There was only one way out, after all, and if there was a chance…! “Just shut up!”
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jun 19, 2018 19:45:09 GMT -6
Time to slowed down for just a moment as Lin sunk her blade into her opponent, the white machine’s claws sinking into the bulky arm of the Kirin. The water that had been crashing around them stilled, and as a loud ‘crack’ was heard, the two machines froze.
“It…”
The machine’s grip loosened.
“Hurts…”
“It hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it hurts it HURTS”
A loud creak and a tear signified the machine’s head tilting backwards, its eyes glowing blue. A loud, rancorous, continuous laugh followed, echoing throughout the area. Its grip came back, both arms now on the Kirin’s, forcing it to push deeper, metal creaking and cracking apart. A huge gash ran through the white machine at this point, glowing a bright red.
“I DON’T KNOW WHY IT HURTS!”
It didn’t stop
The blade sunk deeper, until it hit a point to which it could go no further, the machine alternating between deep laughter and raspy screaming. With nowhere else to go, the Kirin felt its arm getting pulled back, its blade coming with it.
No molten metal exited the machine despite the duration of the stab, nor were there any signs of it stopping. The white machine’s grip of the Kirin dropped, and it spread its arms.
The two chassis came together in an unceremonious hug- Lin was unable to respond in time to the white machine draping its arms around her Hoplite’s sides. Metal creaked and crashed against each other, the sight of the two machines hugging would have been wild to anyone else watching- but it seemed it was just the two of them.
“I get it now, I understand… I… This is…”
The clawed hand of the machine reached to the back of the Kirin’s head, sinking into the lighter armor and penetrating. For a brief moment, the Hoplite’s main cameras flashed as they lost power, before the sub-systems kicked in.
“Love!”
Even with all her desperation and anger, there was a moment were it all stopped. The voice shrieking at her didn’t seem like theatrics. And that red glow… it almost looked like blood— The cockpit shuddered once more, screens flashing red to signify oncoming damage as she was pulled in. Even if she wanted to back out, she couldn’t. It seemed, at this point, her enemy was doing more damage to itself than she was, but it didn’t stop her from pushing on with the sword. Because, after all, it was only a moment. The Kirin thrashed within the hug at first, the only thing halting its efforts being the damage to the cameras – any more movement and it could cause even further harm. Lin, however… “Love…? Are you kidding me?” The Kirin’s arms moved to reach around the white machine’s sides. For a second, it seemed like it was actually reciprocating the hug… until it angled the heat sword towards its opponent’s back, both hands on the grip. “Don’t tell me this entire thing was just so you could find love. You—you bastard!” It was a desperate, blind move; it wasn’t as if Lin could see where she was aiming, or if she had the heat sword perfectly in line. Even then— Clank! She still tried. Again, and again, and again.
The grasp certainly did not end, and no matter how much she tried to damage him, the blade failed to connect. No, the only way she left the embrace was once he stepped back. Though his machine had sustained damage, it was really hers that seemed to be breaking apart, its armor shredded and bent in multiple locations, and its sword likewise sporting a gnarly looking crack.
It glanced at the shambling Kirin, the white machine still standing tall.
“Don’t give yourself too much credit, love.”
It extended a hand towards the Hoplite, a palm unfurling near its chest.
“But I’m interested, not in you, but in possibility, in chance,” The soft hum of its sky blue eyes shone brightly in the darkness. “The question is, what about you? Do you want to take a gamble?”
As soon as it was granted freedom, the Kirin staggered backward, already raising its sword and readying for another attack. Nothing of the sort came, though. “That wasn’t what I—“ She stopped herself, seething. It was partially because she knew it was childish to try and refute him on that front, and partially because she was too tired to argue. She was feeling the exhaustion; if she stood still for too long, her reaction speed would suffer. Lin was quiet, trying to catch her breath. She wanted to fight, she did. The will to fight and the anger hadn’t left her yet. But she was realistic. Standing still, the reality of the situation hit her just as much as the exhaustion, and there wasn’t much she could do to stall those thoughts. The Kirin remained motionless, head turned slightly down as if looking at the hand. “… and what would we gambling, exactly?”
Lin wouldn’t get a response, as not long after the hand was offered, it was retracted, the white machine turning its head towards the bridge.
“It looks like I have the answer already.”
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jun 19, 2018 20:29:28 GMT -6
“That’s a negative on the double-stack, I take it?”
The moment the Wolfsbane took flight, the Highlander forced its way through an alley that led him away from the enemy trio. His original plan was to lose them in the thick of the urban jungle, using his knowledge of the area to make up for their advantage in speed and numbers. But as he watched Cain veer towards the Menaulion he realized that he would need to change his approach.
Sean also realized that he needed to make it through this... if only to knock that son of a bitch flat on his ass the next time he saw him.
The Highlander took a sharp turn right as it slipped out of the alleyway, using an old-looking historic hotel as cover. The windows had shattered from the impact of the skyscraper. He pressed forward towards the river, nearly circling back to his position at the start of the fight. The fallen building still blocked his path across the bridge, too tall to climb and too wide to barrel through. So he decided to do what any reasonable person would: Go for a swim.
The walkway that bordered the river was still lit by street lights. It was hard for Sean to believe that they had strolled along it just last night, the once-bustling street now deathly quiet. For a moment, the Highlander and the Lotus crossed paths once more, the Phalanx still struggling to escape from the debris. He flipped on one of his favorite macros, the Highlander flashing a pair of finger guns at the Lotus in response. The machine then plunged into the river, its murky water reaching just above the waist. Shanghai’s lights cascaded onto the Spartan as it passed through chunks of debris that sank into the murky water. The Highlander crouched under the bridge, turning on his communications as he approached Linnea’s last known position.
“Fawn, do ye read me? I’m currently on route to yer position, so I hope ye’ve held up yer end of the bargain. Already have an idea where I’ll spray that dickbutt.”
“Forget the dickbutt, why are you here?! Get out of here! Now—!”
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Post by Captain Ameijin! on Jun 21, 2018 12:40:02 GMT -6
Sean’s approach was mired by water, debris, and more water.
The Highlander met no resistance, surprisingly enough, whether it was the distance or scenario that dissuaded pursuers, he had no gunfire raining down on him nor radar blaring at an approaching foe. Instead, he had water and debris. Once he arrived at the bridge, his vision narrowed. It had, of course, begun to rain.
Across from his position under the bridge was the Kirin, battered, bruised, shield and blade forward- but it was clear that it had taken a beating. Armor was falling apart, and its head appeared partially crushed. Perhaps more glaring to Sean was instead the tall, sleek, white machine standing parallel to her.
The one that was looking towards him now.
Unlike the Kirin, it seemed intact. The long scar that ran down its side had long since cooled, and was hardly visible in the rain and moonlight. Its clawed hands stretched out, flexing as the machine stepped toward the Spartan and away from the Hoplite.
“Didn’t anyone tell you? Two’s a party, three’s a crowd.”
The voice… It was the kind of voice that he wouldn’t recognize, but one that seemed to explain its owner by bullet point. It sounded like the type of voice that should have been calm, even jovial- but with Sean’s approach it was nothing more than a viper baring its fangs.
Standing with its broad shoulders facing the Spartan, the machine’s blue surfaces began to glow brightly. Seconds later, they fired off sharp lines, blue streaks which crashed into the bridge above. It tore it asunder, each impact sending a new wave of debris downward, until the entire structure crumbled under its own weight and down onto the Spartan below.
“Whoever said that hasn’t been to very many parties, have they?”
The Highlander raised its shield overhead, bended knees applying as much upwards force against the bridge as the machine could handle. Chunks of concrete fell like rain around him. Waves crashed violently against the Spartan from every direction, at times covering its visor completely. The machine’s knees buckled as the weight of a hefty slab of concrete shifted onto it, metal creaking as it struggled to withstand the immense pressure. The Highlander’s chaingun aimed upwards, pumping bullet after bullet into the bridge above.
Soon the concrete cracked. Its weight gave way as pieces fell haplessly into the river, allowing the Spartan to stand tall among the wreckage. The Highlander tossed the remaining concrete from its shield. Its eyes were trained on its oppressive opponent, daring him to make the next move.
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jun 21, 2018 21:30:57 GMT -6
The Kirin stepped forward to pursue them, but even with that single step Lin could feel the Hoplite struggle to move, and every motion seemed to set off some warning or other. Combined with tired reflexes, Lin could do little else but watch as the bridge collapsed right onto the Highlander. “Why?! Why did you come back?! You were supposed to leave!” There was the tell-tale slam of a fist onto a console. “We just talked about this, you moron! You promised!” Another step. The Kirin rumbled and groaned, now focused on the white machine. “Don’t… hurt him. If you do, I’ll… I’ll—”
The silence was deafening as the machine stood there, scanning over the Highlander. It either ignored his remarks, or spent more time focusing on the damage done. Regardless of the reason, it seemed unfazed by its continued existence. Though the bridge crumbled into the river, none of the machines budged an inch, even as debris clung to the waves.
Lin’s words didn’t fall on deaf ears, and for a moment the machine seemed to be a tad more animated, it's fingers stretching and its body jittering. With a hand outstretched, it seemed to hesitate, before ultimately retracting it.
Was there some sort of doubt?
“...Darling, of the many things to say, that was not one of them.”
It began to walk now, striding across debris filled water, its white visage cutting through the shroud of rain and towards the Highlander. Its hand was outstretched once more, reaching towards the Highlander with confidence, ignoring the fact it had its armaments prepped.
It reached out for the Spartan’s gun, before-
A bright, sudden burst of light blanketed Sean’s cameras. As soon as it had arrived, it dissipated, leaving him with the image of the white machine. That too faded not long after, an afterimage that seemed out of place in the oppressive rain and fog.
Several meters behind the Spartan stood the white machine, its back towards Sean, its hand outstretched in the same pose it had just been. Yet that too dissipated, until all eyes settled on the white figure directly behind the Spartan.
“Sorry about that, still getting used to this.”
Its hand dove into the Spartan’s right shoulder, splitting its armor like a crab leg. Wiring and frame shuddered and snapped at the attack, the white machine’s other hand grabbing onto the Spartan’s head as leverage. There was an inhuman crack as bits of the Highlander’s arm flew off, crashing into the waters below. The machine’s head focused in on the opening, as if it was peering into the arm personally. It was no surprise that at this point, the Highlander’s internals had been blaring warnings to Sean that power had been lost in its right arm.
“Now, what was it that you would do?”
There was a cheer in his voice, as if this was the exact outcome he had wanted. The machine stood straight as he said it, its grip not leaving the Highlander’s head.
“I’m really, really curious.”
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Post by fen on Jun 23, 2018 18:27:07 GMT -6
“I… I’ll kill you.”
The slight shake in her voice betrayed the chill she’d felt when she saw what felt like a more proper display of her opponent’s capabilities. The fact that in three blinks of an eye, the white machine was already upon the Highlander.
“You asked me if I wanted to take a gamble. Well, here it is!”
The Kirin pointed its sword straight at him – a declaration. A mighty pose for the trembling hands that directed it.
“You were my opponent before you were his, Euzone! Don’t walk out on me a second time!”
Chills ran down Sean’s spine as the mysterious machine poked around the gaping wound in his machine’s shoulder. There was overfamiliarity in the way his opponent inspected the damaged mess of steel plating and copper wiring, even as the Highlander struggled in vain to escape from his grasp. Gears in his mind locked into place as Linnea addressed the man by name. The cold sweat that had crept across his body was suddenly replaced by a warmth deep within Sean’s heart, spreading through his veins and boiling his blood.
“Shut up! Just… shut up, ye goddamned hypocrite!”
The Highlander’s neck creaked as it turned to face its right shoulder, vulcans firing deep into its own laceration. Warnings rang deep into Sean’s ears as bullets found their home inside the muscle-like connective tissue that kept his shoulder attached to his frame when the metal joint no longer could. He pulled hard against the force of the white machine, remaining wires pulled taut as they snapped one-by-one. Sparks flew from their frayed ends and cascaded into the water below, shimmering as they refracted through droplets of water. As the last wires gave way, the Highlander tore itself from the white machine’s grasp, leaving its own arm in the doctor’s tender care.
“Don’t give me that heroic horseshite after telling me to just leave ye behind! Weren’t ye the one who told me not to do something so stupid again, not on my lonesome?! Here ye are doing the exact same thing!”
Digging its feet into the muddy riverbed, the Highlander shifted its balance back towards the white machine. Heat from its sword sizzled and steamed in the rain, thrust towards his opponent’s neck in a desperate attempt to catch his opponent off-guard.
“I don’t give a rat’s arse who this utter bastard wants to tango with because I’m not abandoning ye to him again!
A loud, rumbling groan escaped from the machine after the exchange occurred. The Spartan’s dismembered limb was still in its grasp, the machine holding onto it with ease- despite the size difference. It regarded the Hoplite no differently than the dismembered Spartan; with a disgusted, relaxed posture, the disappointment oozing from its joints.
Its free hand reached out, fingers gripping the heat blade, all amusement seemingly vanished from him. In a swift motion, he snapped the blade in two, gently pushing the remains of it to the side, allowing the Highlander to stumble forward.
Then, it brought back its other hand.
Thud.
The Spartan’s own (dismembered) hand met its face, cracking its neck as the head was violently adjusted within its socket. It had only a few seconds before Euzone brought the arm down again, and again, and again.
“DO NOT,”
The Highlander’s armor creaked under the repeated blows, the weight of its own arm crashing down on it. Cameras began to fail, and slowly but surely its internal systems were reporting problems with the frame.
“INTERRUPT!”
It came as an order, and with the Highlander all but buckling under the blows, there was little it could do to retaliate.
Exasperated panting echoed from the white machine, its body moving and shuddering as if it had just got off a treadmill, the pinpoint movements almost alien to witness from such a foreboding machine. It eventually steadied itself, dropping the Spartan’s arm in the water, its hand reaching up to press against its forehead.
“Alright Kamille, let’s take it back a few steps back now, haha...”
He turned to face Lin once more.
“Sorry, sorry! I promise I don’t always get worked up- not like this, at least, nooo, usually I get a chance to take a breather, but…” In the distance came the sound of a machine veering through the air, it bore down on the battlefield like a hawk, a thick barrel aimed dead center at the white machine. “Anyways, where were we?”
A huge boom echoed throughout the area, causing waves to dash forward, momentarily shielding the Highlander from sight. Only seconds later, the Wolfsbane veered into sight, flying close to street level as it circled where the bridge had once been, a linear bazooka held tightly in its arms.
For once, it was an oddly calm voice that broke the silence.
“Fawn, this is Merlin. I have a bead on your target and I see the, err… Remains of the Highlander. If Dropkick is still in there, I can buy you about a minute of time to grab and go.”
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moo!!
Cosmic Kiddie
Posts: 63
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Post by moo!! on Jun 23, 2018 21:27:27 GMT -6
Sean’s outburst was met with silence. A silence that would stretch through the violent outburst that would take place soon after it. Despite Lin’s threats, she remained still as Euzone retaliated to Sean’s attempt at a surprise attack. And she watched as he kept going. As if nothing had happened, the white machine was looking back at her again, saying something that she didn’t hear. Her eyes were still on the Highlander, just barely breaking the surface of the water after having fallen to its knees. “… Sean?” … “Sean!” The Kirin moved as the explosion happened, dropping the heat sword. The waves did little to deter it as it made a beeline to the Highlander’s position, as did the white machine’s proximity. Lin gave a single glance upward as she heard Cain’s voice, catching a glimpse of the Wolfsbane as it swerved past. “… I-I will! Just… be careful!” It was hard to look at the Highlander as the Kirin lifted it from the water. The previous battle had clearly taken its toll on the machine, and that was hardly the worst of the damage. Her eyes fell upon the Spartan’s chest, currently little more than a ruined mass of metal, caved in from heavy blows. Lin hesitated. She knew she only had a minute of time and yet she froze anyway, the Kirin’s hand hovering over the cockpit. And then she heard it: the crackle of static, just barely reaching her ears. The Kirin’s fingers dug into one side of the cockpit and pulled.
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The Highlander struggled as its own arm crashed into its helmet over and over and over again, slowly succumbing to its injuries as the machine fell limply onto its knees. The cameras had ceased functioning entirely, red pulsing lights bathing the dim cockpit. White text scrolled across its consoles, an incomprehensible mess of code that soon went dark. And then, a droplet of water fell onto his head.
“Ye have to be fucking kidding me–”
What had seemed like a wayward raindrop quickly became a full-fledged leak as an explosion knocked the Highlander onto its back, waves crashing into its frame and pouring into the cockpit. Sean couldn’t tell where it had come from or even if it was a friend or foe, but he could only hope that it meant reinforcements had arrived. As nice as it was to think about, he didn’t have time to give the idea a whole lot of thought. The machine was quickly taking on water. Sean unbuckled his seatbelt and grasped at the manual unlocking mechanism.
Clack. Clack. Clack clack clack clack clack.
No matter how much he pulled on the lever, the hatch failed to open. The frame had been warped so drastically that it no longer allowed him to escape. And without his uniform, well… he was locked inside a metal deathtrap as water threatened to drown him. Sean kicked at the hatch but was unable to force it open. He swam towards the crack in the cockpit, reaching his arm through it– but that too was unsuccessful, his shoulders too broad to force his body through the slim crevice. He took his last few breaths before the cockpit was entirely filled with murky riverwater and seaweed.
Sean pushed himself back towards the hatch, using his shoulder to ram into the cold metal. He punched and kicked and bashed every part of his body against it as he could, the exertion making it more and more difficult not to take water into his lungs. He moved his whole body against the entrance, using all his strength to make the damned thing budge.
And to his surprise… it did!
Thanks, in no small part, to the timely assistance of the Kirin, whose hand ripped the metal hatch from its frame. Sean swam frantically to the surface, taking desperate breaths of air as he emerged. He coughed as waves tossed water down his gullet, lifting his arm to give Linnea a thumbs-up.
The Kirin responded with a clumsy, non-macro’d attempt at a thumbs-up of its own. It promptly lowered a hand for Sean to climb up on, raising him back up towards the Hoplite’s cockpit, which slid open with a familiar hiss of air. Lin flinched at the first few drops of rain that hit her before turning her head towards him. Apart from the visible signs of exhaustion, one side of her face was covered with drying blood – the same sort of blood that was smeared all over the controls and had dripped onto parts of her suit. She barely gave Sean a glance. Her focus was on the white machine, deep hatred in her eyes. “Get in.”
The Kirin rose to its full height once Sean squeezed into the cockpit, the latch hissing back into place. It gave one last glance towards the white machine, turned around and began to sprint down the river, making a beeline for the nearest riverbank.
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