Oh sure, the boss gets the chick, and we get to search the dumpsters and run down buildings.
Sting pointed to the map. Ok, this area has mostly modest height buildings makes it a little easier for me to navigate when jumping. Plus the tight alleys are not an issue for me; multi-faceted eyes and motion detecting antennae make it hard to ambush me.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
Coolant pointed at the area of the map containing the tattoo parlor. "I am familiar with that neighborhood. Since no one else has laid claim to it, I'll scout out the streets around there and this marked building."
Coolant turned towards the door and added, If you need anything, just call on the radio. Otherwise, I am going to get this man hunt underway.
With that, he quickly made his way out of the building and began heading east.
Newton nodded as he looked over Sting's shoulder. "I'll cover this area. Warehouses, parking lots, open spaces. I want to see what's coming. I don't have have those movement sensing antannae, so I want to see them coming." Newton chuckled.
Newton followed Coolant System out of the building. He reduced the effects of gravity upon him even more, and floated straight up. Once up a hundred feet, he looked in the direction of the warehouses. He sent out the friendly singularity, and then followed it through the wormhole.
He was high enough to see what was going on, but not so high as too really attract too much attention. He did see several groups of Skulls, but no Outcasts.
He pulled the radio out of his sweatshirt pocket and punched in his birthday 09-04-80 and grinned suddenly. This the Apple to Snow Whites Brigade. No sign of Dopey or any of the other dwarves. Hope the Poison, Prince Charming and the Wicked Step-Mother are having better luck. No 'happily ever after' here."
Chuckling, reached out another wormhole and jumped through it.
Sting headed out too, leaping through the neighborhood, keeping low and trying to catch a glimpse of any movement. Oooh, some Skulls. Wonder if they want to play? Sting moved down to the ground and moved through an alley to approach them from behind as they were pulling a few items off of an abandoned car.
[ QUOTE ]
This the Apple to Snow Whites Brigade. No sign of Dopey or any of the other dwarves. Hope the Poison, Prince Charming and the Wicked Step-Mother are having better luck. No 'happily ever after' here."
[/ QUOTE ]
Sting stopped and looked at his radio. It showed that it was Newton laying down the gibberish. It had also alerted the Skulls to his presence.
Sting snapped his spines out and said; Guys, Im just trying to find some Outcast Chiller. You dont have to get yourselves hurt or dead.
The first one turned and held a knife. His buddy, with a tire iron, just started to run.
Sting was on them in a flash. A precise swing of a spine cut a hamstring on the one trying to run. A small dose of poison just made it painful enough that he did not get up.
The second slammed the knife into Stings side. It made scratch on the surface of the chitin, but did not penetrate.
Sting was about to plunge a spine through the thugs throat, but hesitated for a moment. Instead he simply used the spine as a club and knocked the thug head-over-heels. Before the knife-wielder could get up Sting was on him with a poison drenched spine held at his chin.
I said, I am looking for an Outcast Chiller. Seen him?
The thug swallowed hard. N..no! He has been around but I havent seen him for a while. D..dont know what an Outcast is doing around here. Cmon man, I just steal purses and crap, I aint important.
Yeah, I guess you arent. Sting pulled his arm back and just before the spine would have penetrated his throat, Sting pulled it back in, and instead laid him out with a forearm. He put an arrest tag on that one and sent him away, then moved to the other thug.
How ya doing buddy He asked as the Skull tried to crawl away crying in pain. Ok, here is the deal; That poison is probably going to kill you in about 5 minutes. Sting was lying at this point. He hadnt injected enough to cause anything more than pain and some damage to the tissue in the leg. So what can you tell me about any Outcasts in the area? Maybe then Ill send you to the hospital.
I dont know! Please help me! I dont want to die. I promise Ill go straight!
You really dont know, do you? Ok, Mr. Goodyboy Coolant wanted me to give second chances. Here is yours. Sting took an arrest tag and attached it about 5 feet up on a light pole. If you are quick, and get to that tag, and turn yourself in, they might just save that leg. You can tell them insect anti-venom #6 when you get there. Otherwise you can crawl your way home while the poison does its job. Youll probably get gangrene, but if you get one of your hack doctors to saw off the leg you might have a chance of survival. Im sure the Skulls have lots of uses for one-legged thugs.
Have a nice day!
Sting went on his way, not bothering to look back. He continued to search his area but saw no signs of any Outcasts.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
As usual, Coolant sauntered through this section of King's Row like he ran the place. The punks that had been here for any length of time knew not to mess with him, and the newer ones usually avoided the intimidating metal-man. One Skull came too close and wound up flat on his back and ready for pickup.
When he heard Newton's Apple come over the radio, he had to calm himself very quickly, but a smile still managed to seep through. He could tell that Newton was going to be a daily test on his self-control. Well, if he had to let an emotion slip, amusement was easily his favorite.
The sign above the door said King's Tats. As he walked inside, a large bald man with a goatee turned to greet him in what passed for manners on the Row, You got busy-ness 'ere, Sardine Man, or is you just admiring my pretty?
Coolant System decided to try things the way his teammates would handle it; being opposed to murder never meant he was opposed to violence. As he turned to face the man, his shoulder armor opened up and cold air filled the room, dropping the temperature to about 40 Fahrenheit. Actually, I had some questions for you. It would be in your best interest to be honest.
At this point, the bald individual did about the stupidest thing he could; he attempted to punch his intruder in the face. Coolant could see the fingers smash and flatten into his face shield, and he watched the shield flicker into visibility for a moment before fading again. Assuming his most intimidating smile, Coolant stared the man in the face and repeated himself as the punk clenched his cold, broken hand. As I said it would be in YOUR best interest to be honest. I can tell if you lie to me...
Five minutes later, he emerged from the shop convinced that the tattoo artist was either a very good liar or had no idea of Sudden Chill's location. This is Coolant System. The tattoo parlor was a waste of time. I am going to scout the surrounding area.
His radio beeped. "Excuse me," Newton said, looking at the lone Skull he had found trying to break into one of the warehouses.
[ QUOTE ]
This is Coolant System. The tattoo parlor was a waste of time. I am going to scout the surrounding area.
[/ QUOTE ]
Newton turned his attention back to the Skull. "So, are you absolutely positive you don't know where to find some Outcasts?" the green-haired man asked the gangster calmly.
"N-n-n-n-no!" The pasty white man was looking down at the ground. It was a full three hundred feet away.
"Are you sure?" Newton idly rotated the man so he was upside down. "Gee, I never noticed. The people look like ants down there, don't they."
"I swear to you, I don't know any Sudden Chilled.
Are you positive? The man sank 20 feet rapidly. Six foot? Two hundred and forty pounds of muscle? Outcast? Newton brought him back up to this level. Fourteen tattoos?
There is a guy with lots of tats who hangs out over on Bacon Lane! the hapless Skull said. Has a girl there. We dont mess with him. Hes nuts, even for an Outcast!
Anything else? Newton asked. The man sank twenty feet again, and was brought back up.
Naw, man, the gangster begged. Lemme down now!
Thank you, neighbor, for the information. Newton attached an arrest tab to the Skull. A suggestion, the green-haired man said as he rotated the Skull back to vertical. Dont let me find you in this neighborhood again. You see, Im the nice one on this beat now. If I see you again, I send Poison Sting after you. Hes the cranky one. Newton smiled. Take care, he said as he activated the tab.
The Skull disappeared.
Mystic Inferno was checking out the girls place. Newton hoped that he was okay. He pulled out his radio Mystic, you copy?
Mystic had flown for a bit through the neighborhoods before he reached the girls house. There was a car in terrible condition in front of the girls house, not to mention four Outcasts on it, looking bored. They whistled at passing girls, threw things into the air and caught them, and listened to bad music. Mystic waited in an alleyway across the street. He turned down his radio after Newton came across in code.
Perhaps I might have informed him that the frequencies are already encrypted. It was a few more moments before he saw two people emerge from the building. One, a striking blonde girl in her early twenties. She was dainty, feminine, not at all what you would expect from a gang members girlfriend. The cat calls flat stopped when she appeared in the doorway. It could have been the six foot four (the report was WRONG) gang member walking out with her. Strange though, he didnt have any tattoos. Two piercings though. Actually, he didnt fit the description
Hey, Brander, should we make room for your new squeeze? Mystic cocked an eyebrow as one of the thugs opened a door.
Nah, shes gotta stay here, dont ya Carol? The mage in the alley tapped his chin with his index finger through his mask as the scene played itself out in front of him.
What the hell is this? Mystics blood ran cold. A six foot tall man with light blue skin had flown down from a nearby building and landed only a few meters away from the girl, who was now looking sheepish and standing behind Brander, who was already exuding flames from his fingertips. The four guys in the car were new pulling sledge hammers and pistols.
Mystic picked up his radio and said, Oh god, its all going wrong at the girlfriends house. Its like a nightmare. He then turned on the homing beacon, clicked the radio to his belt and flew toward the impending melee.
Youre old news Chill. Evidently your girlfriend thinks youre a little too cold
and a little too sudden. Brander caught a ball of ice in the face as a reward for his clever little joke. It sent him over the balcony and into some bushes. Two of the four opened up with their pistols on Sudden Chill as the other two rushed him with sledgehammers.
Mystic quickly slowed himself to a hover, realizing that his aim would be off if he didnt. He incanted both his extra focus and building energy spells as the two with sledges rushed Sudden, who was getting up from the impact of the pistols. Mystic identified sudden as a friendly to the magic, meaning it would curl around him and not burn him, and let fly with a simple fireball.
The impact engulfed the three of them, and the Honda that Sudden was standing next to, setting two gang members and the car on fire. Due to their exposure to various drugs and superpower awakening materials, the sledge wielders didnt immediately fall down screaming, though they were distracted enough to forget about chill for a second and turned their attention to Mystic.
[ QUOTE ]
Mystic, you copy?
[/ QUOTE ]
The response was a homing beacon. I guess he doesnt copy, Newton said, sending a singularity to the source of the beacon. He raised it ten feet above Mystic, and forced himself through.
He found an old Honda in flames with five gang members and a beautiful blond all in front of Mystic Inferno. Newton reached out his hand and caught up the two Skulls with pistols.
Ive got to pay more attention to gang colors, Newton thought. Im really confused as to which gangs these guys belong to.
Bubbles! Newton called out as he got a gravity bubble around Mystic.
A six foot four guy with piercings raised his arms and shot flame at Newton. Newton yelped as the flames licked him. Grabbing a pool table he had seen from two days ago Steel City, he yanked it through a wormhole and smashed it into the flamer. The big man was knocked back, but surged back to his feet.
Oh, this isnt going to be pretty, Newton muttered.
Two .357 slugs cut wavering paths through the air around Mystic, deflected by the gravity bubble. Mystic returned fire, setting one of them ablaze. Unlike regular people, when you set them on fire, Outcasts have a tendency to get mad. The two with the burning sledge hammers simply dropped them and drew pistols. A second volley from the two gunners rang out. One flew past Mystic, the other impacted on his defense spell, somewhere around the left leg. Pain shot through him and he dropped altitude. A small red stain was spreading from where the bullet penetrated his robes.
Mystic drew up a ring of fire around one of the two thugs that moved toward him, hoping to keep him in his place.
[ QUOTE ]
Oh god, its all going wrong at the girlfriends house. Its like a nightmare.
[/ QUOTE ]
Coolant was hurdling himself through King's Row at insane speeds. He already had his icy armor at level one and was preparing himself for the unknown. When he arrived at the scene, he had only a moment to let it all sink in. Mystic was hit; there was no time for thinking.
Focusing all his thoughts on anger, he felt his should armor open and crack his icy shell slightly. A freezing cold seeped from him and his armor solidified into a smooth icy barrier, chilling all around him slightly. He leaped between Mystic and the oncoming gun fire and yelled with an amplified voice that was not easily ignored.
You wanna play?! Play with me!
Moving to the nearest thug, he quickly analyzed him and sent a blow to the man's stomach. As the Outcast flew backwards, Coolant could only hope he had used the right amount of force. Too much could seriously injure the man, but too little could seriously injure his teammates.
The second thug was encircled by Mystic's flames and seemed to be a contained threat; Coolant decided to let him be. Two others seemed to be occupied firing at... someone who matched Sudden Chill's description? Coolant decided to leave them to their own devices as well. Perhaps Inferno had some kind of mind control magic as well. The other punk was completely ignoring himself and Mystic and seemed content unleashing fire at Newton.
Fire was not one of the things Coolant excelled against. He swiftly moved his hand to his head while continuing to stay between Mystic and the Outcasts. Sting, I don't know where you are, but we need someone who can take the heat. Quickly!
Sudden Chill took three more hits and went down to a knee. From where he was, Mystic could see Coolant come in like a frozen cannonball. Too many people were here now. What they don't show you on TV was what's going on outside the fight.
It's a city street in front of an apartment building. Windows are open, people are looking out of them to see what the noise is or simply watch the fight. Mothers are screaming at their children to get out of the street. Cars are approaching from both sides, unaware of whats going on except for the sudden flames leaping into the air, both from the fire and from Brander. The girl was plastered with ice and holding her face while she lay on the steps, crying in terror. Some moron was screaming about how his stereo was in the car that was on fire. This had to end, quickly.
One more shot, Chill went backwards and Mystic took off. Coolant, we need Chill alive! He once again activated his spells that augment his magical strength and closed in on Brander. Unhand my teammate! For the second time, Branders attention was diverted from his target.
(double post)
((OOC: Sorry Im late, volleyball night!))
A large spine hit a gun-wielding thug in the front of the shoulder, spinning him around and down to the ground as Sting landed in the middle of the melee.
Sorry Im late, I ran into some old friends. Hey Coolant, hell survive if we get him to the hospital. Sting sneered.
He bent over a bit and started pushing. The pressure started to build as spines were ready to fly everywhere. Then he saw the girl. Small, afraid, and clearly not able to take a beating. Sting stopped and stood looking at her for a moment, cursing the little morality he had left.
Then it happened. One of the other pistol wielding thugs, seeing his friend go down, aimed at Sing. The bullet struck him solidly in the abdomen. Fortunately the gunner was scared enough that it went off-center about 2 inches above the belt and on the outside edge. But regardless, yellowish-green fluid splattered from the wound.
Stings eyes seemed to turn a darker shade and poison pulsed into his spines as he turned to the gunman.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
Mystic heard the shot and saw the blood. He was nearly right over Sting when it happened. It was just too much. He unleashed the most powerful magics he possessed, one right after another.
The first streaked to the gunman engulfing him in blazing hot flame, the second hit him and the gunman next to him, and Mystic followed it with a blast of flame breathed out from under his mask. The scream was quickly silenced by the lack of oxygen, as the gunman that fired on Poison Sting fell first to his knees, then face forward.
Mystic hovered there, turning to Brander in mid air, flames still trailing from his hand and said, "run."
Coolant was mad. Coolant was very mad. Had he been in his right mind he would have realized he was burning up his energy at an accelerated rate. He had moved from hours of remaining power to minutes. The little girl had been the straw that set him over the edge. Everyone clear out of here!!! he yelled as loud as his suit could, but he really didn't notice whether or not anyone paid attention.
He could feel his suit venting fast; he was too cold to go near the girl or the others. He didn't like being helpless. He couldn't get near them without making things worse. On the other hand, there was one person nearby that could take the cold; a certain Outcast that now deserved Coolant's full attention.
Moments after Sudden Chill fell to the ground, Coolant was upon him. He saw a cold blast come from the thug's hand and slam into his body, but he didn't feel it. Had his suit not automatically restricted him, he may have hit Sudden with his full power. As it was, he was certain that if he didn't break ribs with the initial blow, those ribs had broken when the Outcast's unconscious form came back down.
Coolant quickly reigned in his emotions as he realized how far he had almost gone. He turned off his ice leaving himself defenseless and leaped over to the fallen child to shield her. He quickly placed his emergency teleportation beacon on the child and activated it.
[ QUOTE ]
Mystic hovered there, turning to Brander in mid air, flames still trailing from his hand and said, "run."
[/ QUOTE ]
To late. Hissed Sting. His voice had taken on a completely different tone. There was something about his stance and body language that spoke of feral instinct.
There is some sense that all creatures have; from the smallest bug to the most brilliant human mind. It tells you when things are
well
about to get very, very bad. This was one of those times.
Brander sensed this as Sting leaped at him. Fire launched from his fingers in a futile attempt to stop Sting but the bug-man was feeling no pain at this point.
Brander managed to lean back far enough that the first spine only penetrated his thigh. Not a scrape, or even a deep gash in one side and out the other almost pinning the Outcast to the ground. Fortunately for Brander, most of the poison ejected onto the ground in a small, smelly pool.
The spine from the other forearm was cocked back, ready to make its point with Brander.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
As Mystic Inferno had distracted Brander, Newton was able to focus in on the others in the situation. He had seen the child, and had thrown a gravity bubble around her to help protect her not from everything, but every little bit helped.
[ QUOTE ]
Coolant quickly reigned in his emotions as he realized how far he had almost gone. He turned off his ice leaving himself defenseless and leaped over to the fallen child to shield her. He quickly placed his emergency teleportation beacon on the child and activated it.
[/ QUOTE ]
Another bubble was thrown up to protect Cool.
[ QUOTE ]
Brander managed to lean back far enough that the first spine only penetrated his thigh. Not a scrape, or even a deep gash in one side and out the other almost pinning the Outcast to the ground. Fortunately for Brander, most of the poison ejected onto the ground in a small, smelly pool.
The spine from the other forearm was cocked back, ready to make its point with Brander.
[/ QUOTE ]
Newton threw one of his singularities at Sting, pulling him through the wormhole to the other end of the alley, separating Sting from his prey. Man, hes going to hate that, the green-haired man murmured as he saw the bestial, mindless look on the insect-mans face.
[ QUOTE ]
Newton threw one of his singularities at Sting, pulling him through the wormhole to the other end of the alley, separating Sting from his prey. Man, hes going to hate that, the green-haired man murmured as he saw the bestial, mindless look on the insect-mans face.
[/ QUOTE ]
Stings spine hit nothing but an empty garbage can, but the initial spine was left in Branders leg. Sting was confused for a moment, unsure of what exactly had happened. He looked around and saw that he was now down the alley from the battle, with Newton looking at him with a somewhat sheepish stare.
Sting all of a sudden felt the wound in his side it was still slowly oozing a bit of yellow-green gunk, but it was already closing. Sting charged down the alley and stopped at the end, looking for a target.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
Coolant would have to remember to thank Newton for his efforts later, but for the moment he had other pressing matters. He quickly placed himself between the fallen Outcast and Sting. Hopefully to act as a shield for both parties.
He forced his armor to emit a heat absorbing aura in an effort to protect himself from the flames, but he could only take a few blows before it started to seep through. Without the energy to properly armor himself, he couldn't take down Brander without feeling the burn.
Using a large piece of a pool table as a shield (he would worry about where it came from later), he began to approach the wounded Outcast in attempt to end this fight. As the table became engulfed in flames, he hurled it at the fire user.
When a metal plate came down from his hood and obscured his vision, Coolant realized he had used the last of his energy and could no longer support the drain of his face shield or other defenses. As usual, he realized this immediately before losing consciousness.
Mystic flew down behind Coolant, hoping to inspire him to give that extra effort. "Three more steps!" Mystic grabbed hold of Coolant as he gave Brander a taste of his own medicine. As Coolant began to lurch forward, Mystic incanted his sphere of flight spell and tried to keep Coolant awake by yelling at him. "Just hang in a few more! We can get everyone out of here!"
Mystic turned toward Sting, "Give me a hand." Then he spun toward Newton, "Home! Take Sudden! Pull us back, starting with Coolant!"
The distant sound of sirens was almost welcome. The not so distant sound of Outcast re-enforcements wasn't.
"You got it, Boss!" The cheerful facade was gone as Newton threw out four singularities at once. He followed the first one back to the Two-Six, cursing as he struck the wall outside of Cool's room. He'd thrown himself through the wormhole with a little too much enthusiasm.
The second singularity was locked on Chilled, and Newton wasn't too gentle. The Outcast careened down the hall and struck the desk in the outer office. If he wasn't out before, he surely would be now. Newton reminded himself to check what the desk was made out of later. It hadn't budged when the hefty Outcast struck it.
Newton didn't know exactly what to do with Coolant. He hurried to Cool's big refrigeration unit, swung it open, and then focused the third singularity inside. A moment later, Cool's unconscious form was deposited inside.
The whole time, he was also listening through the fourth singularity. He pulled the radio out of his red sweatshirt. "Mystic, do you want to come back? Sting, do you copy?" Maybe verbalizing would help Sting pull out of the murderous state he was in...
[ QUOTE ]
Mystic turned toward Sting, "Give me a hand." Then he spun toward Newton, "Home! Take Sudden! Pull us back, starting with Coolant!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Sting looked up at Mystic and seemed to come back to reality. He took a moment to hurl a small batch of spines at Brander, but they only grazed him. However, they did keep him off balance long enough to allow Sting to grab Coolant.
F#*$%, this guy weighs a ton! Sting was strong but all of the metal in Coolants suit made him difficult to carry. He pushed Coolant to some cover behind the car and he soon disappeared.
[ QUOTE ]
"Mystic, do you want to come back? Sting, do you copy?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Boss, get out of here! You are too much of a target for the incoming. Sting dodged a bolt of flame from Brander, who was hanging tough considering the beating he was taking.
Sting was hurting and tired, hoping he could hold out long enough for Newton to work his magic.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
[ QUOTE ]
Boss, get out of here! You are too much of a target for the incoming. Sting dodged a bolt of flame from Brander, who was hanging tough considering the beating he was taking.
[/ QUOTE ]
Newton heard the insect man's words buzz through the singularity. Newton raised his hand, noticed it was shaking, swore softly, and reached out for Mystic Inferno. The robed man stood next to him a few moments later.
Newton swayed, and staggered. He was no longer light on his feet, and moved like a man his build. He reached out one singularity. "C'mon, c'mon," he said, searching for Sting's elusive form.
[ QUOTE ]
Sting was hurting and tired, hoping he could hold out long enough for Newton to work his magic.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Gotchya," Newton said. No time to be subtle. Newton yanked hard, and the lean insect-man, bathed in flames from Brander, flew into the room.
Newton collapsed next to the refrigeration unit. He reached in, grabbed a Mountain Dew, and chugged it. "Oye," he said a moment later.
Mystic tried to help Poison Sting with the clasp, suggesting that maybe he tie it off. It will be harder to get it off his belt, but it would be more secure.
Then, turning his attention to the conversation, he waited for an opening. "Quite. So, I was trying to suggest that we split up for the search part of it. I will take his girlfriend's house. I'll fly near and see if I can spot him. Then I'll circle this area (Mystic indicated an area on the map) and see if I can spot him there. Everyone else should take a different area, and call if you see anything."