Burning_Brawler_NA

"Da, Elitist vill be very unhappy. But I rather like my chances vith him than de likes of you. Try stopping me again. Mein men are on their vay to pick me up." Panzerfrau stepped around Twilight, moving more quickly now that the Independence Port gate was in view. Up ahead, the Masters checkpoint guards could be seen.

One was on his radio. He'd obviously spotted her and was giving her location. Good. This would all be finished soon.

Then that idiot would get what he deserved.

((... I could get a kick outta this.))

*Whistles innocently as he kicks a little black box into the center of the thread, and teleports away*

*Box pops open, instant Vacuum of Space turns everyone inside out*

"I do not need help vrom ze likes of you." Confident in the power of her personal force field, Panzerfrau turned her back to the creature and began stomping off the way she had been going. If it followed her, this could be an annoyingly long walk...

Panzerfrau turned to regard the creature speaking to her. Wrapped in her forcefield as she was, the thing couldn't harm her. Still, being caught alone and without henchman of any sort made her uneasy.

"Da. You go avay and I don't blast you."

The commander looked back to the lieutenant standing behind him, who shrugged. "Erm... Right. Well then, as long as it doesn't blow our cover."

He cleared his throat, then walked back over to his men, shouting more orders. Another five minutes and the base would be ready.

Among the wreckage of the flier and the building it collided with, there was a rumble. A fist surrounded in blue light shot up from the debris, grabbing for a handhold to pull the rest of itself out of the ground.

Panzerfrau's head came out, slowly followed by her body, all covered in a shimmering force field that wrapped tightly around her. "Dat fool!" She spat a chunk of cinderblock out. "Vhen Elitist hears of dis! No von makes a mockery of Panzerfrau!"

Staggering, the villain trudged toward the gate into Independence Port. Soldier were of hers were on their way to pick rendezvous, but she needed to get away from the wreckage. It was too likely some Resistance soldiers would investigate this soon, now that the Mayhem soldiers had pulled out.

The entire area was just a smoking wasteland, of no value to either side anymore.

At least, as far as anyone could see.

"Wait, here?" said the commander, suddenly very nervous. "I'm not sure we're ready to cloak something of that size. How long do we have to boost the spell effect?"

Sybil stood silent in the Resistance control room. "My god..." the old woman muttered, shaking her head.

"What is it?" asked Rachel, stepping up beside her mentor.

"They've retrieved it the object, and I've given the order to retreat from Kings Row. They will be meeting here shortly. Unfortunately, things did not seem to be without cost..." Sybil stepped over to her throne-like chair and sat down, weary. Foolish, foolish me. The boy's blood is on my hands... "It seems you- ... we made an error in judgement, my dear."

Rachel stepped up beside the throne. "What do you mean?"

"That thing... Wretched creature... Thule has betrayed us. We were fools and fooled. He has taken Steve from us."

"You don't mean-"

"I'm afraid so, dear."

Rachel bowed her head in silence. She liked Steve. He'd helped her get through a lot of tough nights. Nights where she had that same dream about her mom. Endless darknesses filled with cries of loss and screams of agony... "They'll pay for this."

"They will. Soon. But not right now. Now we need to plan."

-----------------

The soldier shrugged at Block Bot. "This location was given to us under Sybil's orders. From what I understand, your friends thought they could protect it best here. Either way, it seems they've retrieved it. They should be here any minute now."

[ QUOTE ]
Because so long as they put up a few illusion wards, even the best scrying can't see anything else but what's being projected, so I don't really see the problem..."

[/ QUOTE ]

"That's what Lady Sybil originally thought as well. Our first base was cloaked with illusions both magical and technological. But something went wrong right after we secured Galaxy City." He looked around to see if anyone who wasn't supposed to was listening. "A few of the more paranoid soldiers swear we had a mole, but I heard the Lady talking one night. Supposedly, people experienced in magic can use it through a scrying... It's all just fluff though. This anti-scrying ward covers just the entrance as far as top-side goes. It's so small, even if he knows we're here he shouldn't be able to figure out where we are."

----------------

Throughout Kings Row, the Resistance fighters all received a message. Return to base. This place is no longer worth fighting for.

--------------------

"You WHAT?!" Elitist's fierce backhand sent an already battered Harlequin spinning to the floor. The mime looked down, pouting as blood from a thoroughly split lip dribbled down her chin.

"Zey were too strong, Elitist. I could not 'old out much longair. But when 'e attacked me, I learned zomething you may want to know. Hees mind was like an open book to me 'as 'e attacked." The woman grinned, her blood-reddened teeth adding to her disturbing expressions.

"And what is that?" Elitist crossed his arms, doubtful the girl could know anything of value. She was likely attempting to merely save herself from the imminent punishment for her failure.

"Thees Vendetta 'as troubled you before, no?"

Elitist neither nodded nor shook his head.

"I know 'ow 'e slipped through ze cracks..."

Steve charged forward. If he could just knock Thule off the roof, it would stun him long enough t-

All thought was suddenly halted by a sharp pain in his chest. He glanced down at the sword, confused. That shouldn't be there, he was fairly certain. For some reason he couldn't think straight.

He saw Thule step away from the blade, leaving some kind of egg attatched to it. After the three seconds, he realized it for what it was.

"Damn," he choked, and then his world went boom.

((Soon as Toy posts, I can move us along. ))

"Danica, still kicking." She smirked at her own joke, but no one else seemed to appreciate it.

"We are present as well," said Thelth, meaning himself and Straum.

Danica had seen her use was at an end in that fight. Though she was loathe to admit it, if she couldn't get in close, there weren't many things she could do.

Except watch.

Thelth and Straum hadn't acted much during that fight either. Odd, because the mage definitely would have come in handy. As for the teleporter, who knows what else was up his sleeve. "Maybe I'm just paranoid," she muttered.

Except I'm never wrong.

The soldier gave a small start at the head lying on the ground. The fact that no one else seemed bothered by this told him it was a friendly, but still...

"Anyway, we've got several wards in place to block the usual scryings, particularly of inside our little compound, but Miss Rachel can only do so much at her young age. Lady Sybil can't risk coming herself, unfortunately. However, as long as Blightlord doesn't suspect we're here, the object should be safe..."

------------------

Panzerfrau's stream of German curses were drowned out by the sounds of the flier sputtering as it slowly lost altitude, not enough of its turbines active to keep it in the air. The villainess shoved her boot through another console. It had been such a beautiful machine!

"Ve vill get zem back later. Prepare for teleport!" she shouted, stomping towards the untorn section.

"Doesn't the captain go down with her ship?"

Panzerfrau whirled around to see Blightlord standing calmly at the edge of the shredded flier, his cape flying back in the roaring wind, but it never took him away. She fired a force bolt that passed harmlessly through him. Damn... Only an image. "Dis is nothing like zat! Go avay. I can handle tings on my own!"

"But of course you can. I'm merely here to observe."

A soldier ran up behind Panzerfrau. "Ma'am, our teleporters are jammed. We're going down."

The villainess whirled on Blightlord, who wore an amused expression, clear even in his rotted eyes. "You... You are ze one doing this!"

Blightlord chuckled. "Da."

His image faded, leaving a once more furiously cursing Panzerfrau. Her screams of anger rang out up until the very moment the flier slammed into one of the few remaining apartment buildings in Kings Row. The thing exploded in a massive ball of flame. It was likely they were all dead before the building came tumbling down on top of the wreckage.

"Not quite," said a soldier as he walked up behind Block Bot and the others. His cape and the gold trim around the star on his chest signified he was a leader here. "He just doesn't trust them. How much longer do you think your friend will be? I don't like remaining above ground."

-----------------

Harlequin's cry of pain echoed outward into a psionic shockwave, sure to rattle minds to their edge as the structure itself shook with the cry.

The villainess slumped against the wall, her costume in shreds and her hair a mess. One eye was puffing and nearly swollen closed, something that added to the child-like pout she now gave Toy Dispenser.

"Why? Why would you hurt me?" A small tear flew down her cheek. She began to laugh then, a harsh, insane laughter as she stood back up. "Oh, but I 'ave learned much, M'sieur Toy Dispensair. Or should I say, Vendetta?" Her cackling rose to a chilling cry as she vanished in a flash of pink light.

So what if she left the prize? That was so much fun!

*Ghost Widow steps into tower*

LR: You're just in time! Scirocco just finished cooking dinner for us.

GW: I can't eat...

BS: Sucks for you. This sushi kicks [censored]!

S: One of my better recipes.

LR: By the way, anyone seen Mako lately?

Panzerfrau stormed across the deck, kicking at machines as they began to smoke and spark. "Damn zem! Damn zem all to hell!" One severely angry kick dented a control box, causing it to explode in her face.

The woman wiped smoke and soot away from her eyes. "I vant out of here. NOW!"

"But what about the clown?" asked one brave soldier.

"She can take care of herself..."

The flier sputtered as it began to rise higher, forming a retreat. The machine certaintly seemed to be on its last legs as it tried to fly back it the direction of Independence Port and Striga Isle.

---------------

"Time travellers?" Blightlord sat back in his throne. "Are you certain?"

"It was him," answered The Ruby Blade. "I would stake my life on it." The assassin waited a moment, but Blightlord didn't say anything else. "Elitist will want to know of this."

The master of undeath chuckled. "Exactly."

Panzerfrau pouted at the extensive damage to her flyer. Her beautiful, streamlined, sleek machine... so...

The villainess snapped out of her train of thought. This 'dragon' thing needed to be taken care of, and her weapons didn't seem to be able to do much to its thick hide. She contemplated contacting one of the more mystically inclined...

No. She could handle this. Information rushed past her monocle. After a few seconds, a little grin crossed her face.

"Ze eyez! Aim for ze eyez!" she screamed. The men not lying with their entrails on the floor nodded, nervously setting the turrets targeting systems. A quick series of beeps confirmed they had locked on.

"But ma'am, last time-" began a soldier.

Panzerfrau drew a laser rifle and fired a burst point-blank through his skull. The man collapsed on the ground, head smoking.

"FIRE!"

The group came upon a fairly startling sight. Arrow, costume torn apart all over, holding a head in his hands, the body lying across his lap. His costume was thoroughly soaked with bright-red blood, and the emotions in the air were so full, that even those out of touch with such things could feel them.

Before anyone could approach him, the archer pressed a button on his belt, disappearing as his cloaking device rendered him invisible. The body slowly laid down on the rooftop, as if being carefully lowered. There was a brief scuffle of boots, and he was gone.

And of all those feelings in the air: death, sorrow, one of them stood stronger than the rest.

Rage.

-----------------

They reappeared in a heavily wooded area. The feel of magic in the air told them they had reached Croatoa. But something felt wrong about the place. The stench of death and decay here was greater than it had been before.

The trees, formerly strong and lively, were now shadows of their old selves, black and withered, leafless. The air was cold, and dread seemed to drift around them.

Up ahead a camp of Resistance soldiers were preparing for the arrival of the weapon, fortifying what looked like the entrance to a bunker.

[ QUOTE ]
The Mastermind walked, along with his thugs, stealthily into Independence Port from Kings Row. He noticed the several lonbow and police around, so he remained as quiet as possible. He managed to scare off a few civilians and police, all of them deciding to report his activity. Eventually, a gunshot was heard, followed with several screams. He was just repeating his last activity. This time, something was blocking his way through to the money...

[/ QUOTE ]

((Erm... Did you even read the introduction post? Or any posts after the first? For one, I haven't received a PM from you. For another, Longbow isn't around anymore. Nor any 'police' by our meaning of them.

IC post of my own coming soon.))

((Whoops. ))

Sybil stepped up to the computer, keying in the orders herself. The tele-pad began to hum, signaling it was ready. "A team will meet you there," she said, turning to the ones leaving. "Good luck."

-----------------

((Shoulda described this ship better. My fault. ))

The dragon's claws raked into one of the pilots, who indeed had no chance of escape. The other four, from their side-control boxes in the dropship's bridge-like setup continued their work, though obviously unnerved.

Panzerfrau stood in open-mouthed amazement. Zhis shouldn't be possible! That glass could vithstand a hail of bullets! Laser fire! Arcane power!" The woman was visibly fuming, literally actually, pieces of her armor giving off steam. "Tear it avay!" The turrets re-aligned their fire, all at once setting off a pulse of pure force directed at its softer underbelly. It should be effective. The force technologies were modified after her own father's.

And Nemesis was no fool.

Harlequin whirled as the electric coil hit her, smoking as she came to a stop. The mime pouted, an expression that quickly turned to a face of complete insane glee as the three began their next attacks. "Oh, I zink I have all ze time in ze world!" she shouted.

As the attacks came, a shield of psionic energy flared up in front of her, the elements dissipating on contact. With a flick of her hands, Harlequin sent the shield turning horizontal, then splitting apart into dozens of razor-like disks. With a flourish of her arm, they rushed forward at the trio, her laughter urging them onward.

Danica watched as Grey charged the nearly gone Dark Watcher. He was likely to finish the automaton. No use getting in his way.

Instead she turned to Nemesis. "Alright then. Let's see if Burning was right about this." The martial artist ran forward, leaping at the last moment. Her foot kicked up off his arm, allowing her to reach the arch-villain's head as she continued a flip. Either this should remove his head from it's weakened supports, like Burning had knocked off after a large blast of fire, or her arms were about to get really sore.

Thelth and Straum looked over at the Watcher. Obviously, they decided Grey would need the assistance. The mage cast a quick spell, firing a burst of icicle shards. The jagged pieces were headed for Grey's back, but before they touched, they disappeared with a pop, reappearing in front of the large man to hit the automaton just before he reached it. At the very least, this should startle the construct.

Arrow and Windsong stood over their work. One crashed flyer, due to a wave of sonics overloading their systems and an explosive arrow in the exhaust, and a dozen soldiers, plus one Heavy Assault.

Both of their costumes were torn in several places, Arrow's brown hair peeking out in tufts from a tattered mask. A few wounds bled freely, but nothing too severe. "Well, now that that's done..." started Arrow.

"We do need to talk, but not here. Let's find Steve and the others. At the least we can report on the damage," said Wind. She smiled at Arrow who gave a nervous smile back, shifting his feet a bit.

"Listen, I-" He found himself cut short as blood splattered across his face. Arrow looked back up to see Windsong staring straight forward in horror. He couldn't understand until a faint red line traced her neck, then her head fell one way, her body the other.

A man in a red and black costume was holding her up by the back, wiping his blade clean, then let the body fall with a thud.
He looked up, expecting his next target to be a pathetic soldier. The sight he recieved instead made him start. The assassin threw down a smoke bomb and disappeared.

Arrow stood in shock. His brother. Ruby Blade. And he'd just killed... A cry echoed through the broken city.

--------------

The Ruby Blade perched far away on one of the few remaining rooftops. His brother was dead! This was impossible. He had killed him with his own blade! But there was also those odd readings... Could it be?

The assassin's instincts told him to return, finish off his brother once and for all. But no... He needed this hunt. He needed to enjoy the chase once more. Without it, his life had been nothing but mindless, simple battles. He needed a new challenge.

He sheathed his blood-red blade and instead headed back in the direction of Dark Astoria. He had things to report.

-----------------

As the Proc Bots exploded, Panzerfrau's voice came in over the flyer's loudspeakers. "You can't devheat ze power of ze Masters! You-" Hotaka's dragon appeared into full view. "[CENSORED]! Pull up! Pull up!" The flyer's nose rose, though the actual upward movement wasn't very quick.

This exposed the turrets, but they still had the ability to fire rapidly at the dragon creature, particulary the head and eyes where Hotaka stood.

The Assault Bot's other arm also converted to a rather sharp implement. It's entire top section began spinning rapidly as it stepped toward the Oni, intending to shred it.

-------------------

"Oh, I believe zis way is quite fun..." Harlequin's eyes began to sparkle as she raised her arms. The room shook with the force of her power, and she began to cackle in insane glee. A wave of psionic power shot forward, the same that had disabled the turrets so easily.

The Assault Bot slid back to the side, avoiding it colliding with its head, but the sword of flames still sunk deep into the bot's shoulder, causing an arm's larger weapon system's to go offline. The arm converted into something similar to a spear, which it quickly fired at the Oni as the other arm fired another powerful burst.

The Battle Drones were unbothered by the Jounin, firing on it more rapidly than before in an effort to get to its master. As for the Proc Bots, they were noticeably more sluggish, but by no means out of the fight.

As one lobbed an electric charge at Hotaka, the other sent a small explosive orb hurtling towards him. Even with a Jounin in the way, the area of impact would still suffer.

The flyer may not have been involved before, but that was merely because it had not yet reached full range for its weapons. Escape here would be intolerable. Holes opened in the bottom and a variety of turrets hung down, except for one which dropped a forcefield generator in the midst of the fight to protect the bots. A barrage of laser bursts and bullets came down on the fight, while a weapon on top of the flyer began to glow.

Toy Bot may have received the robotic equivalent of a minor migraine as the panel shorted and the door opened. It wasn't a code, the thing was scrambled.

A circular room was revealed, pop-up turrets all pulled out of the walls dangling by wires. The sparks they cast were the only light in the room, except for one single beam that shone down on a large, blinking orb.

But it wouldn't be the orb that would catch their eyes first. It would be the figure of a woman with bright pink hair and a black and white striped costume. She looked up at them with her large eyes, one green, one brown.

The villainess was just about to reach out to take the orb, and sighed as they entered. She spoke in a French accent. "Well 'ello. You won't just let me take zis, will you?" she said, pouting.