"And so it begins..."
The metallic (yea, I forgot to mention that last time, my puddle is a liquid metal) puddle began to take form. It slowly rose up into a shape resembling a metallic humanoid. It finished transforming in about two seconds and just stood there waiting for the Soulhound to get on its way.
"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne
((er... Element_Master, where is your puddle? Also, a couple of us have left already... aren't Blasters and Scrappers impatient? 
))
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates
MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"
(And dare I ask how he knows to wait for the hound? >.> Correct me if I'm wrong [I generally am, in fact...] but he hasn't heard any of the briefing.)
((He came in during the briefing, but after it was posted (if that makes sense) 
))
"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne
Dax watched as two left the group, the 'boom' one and a guy that wouldn't have a problem gittin' when things went south. He was just going to start to leave when he saw a puddle begin to form into a man. Well, stranger things have happened.
Dax yawned, tapped his foot, and looked around at the others. "Well guys. I vote we either start movin or call some women, and since none of you look like you've ever had a girl friend I'm guessing the second one's out." Dax turned and began walking with slow, measured steps deeper into Boomtown.
I do not know my reasons for posting, but post I must. ~~Build
"We can't stop here, this is bat country."
--Johnny Depp
"I ain't bi-curious, I'm a man. Why do you think I'm wearing this tight spandex and got all these muscles?" Meatwad
Martin grinned at the monster.
"Jebus! That was close! Why the Hell am I smiling?
...
Because I can't stop thinking it's actually a pretty cute little critter, like a puppy or a... bearcub?"
"Alright," he chuckled as he looked away from the creature's eyes, "I'll let 'em alone. Lead the way, and I'm ready to go."
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
"Heroes," snorted Ghoul as he watched the various winged types flutter around impatiently as the Sorceror explained about the Bloodhound.
He chuckled under his breath when the hobo-hero almost got his face bitten off. But then everyone started talking about moving and Ghoul realized something important the Vanguard had neglected to mention.
"And how tha hell is that thing supposed to know where the chick is?" Ghoul asked loudly, not budging from his spot on the wall. "It sniffed her other pair ah pants or somethin'? Cause I doubt she's the only human around here."
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((Negative. My script does not greet people. It butchers them with knives.))
Energon's sensors didn't reveal much. His HUD's databank didn't have any references to compare its observations to, the summative resulting in the thing giving him nothing but a really big question mark when it came to the quadruped.
His sensitivity to energy, however, did throw up something interesting. Although neither constant nor powerful, the being's collar periodically dispensed a low-level flux over its coat of scales. The period seemed random, measured in the tiniest fractions of a second (and perhaps this really did make the flux appear constant), but if Energon's senses were keen enough, he'd notice a direct proportion to the movement rate of the creature.
The Colonel and Sword Sorcerer accepted the various commentary from the task force without reply, and if one was suspicious enough in nature, taking extra care to avoid Ghoul's inquiry. Even Dax's comment went unheeded, though the Colonel (as any sensible woman would at such remarks) should've promptly taken steps to knock his block off.
"Very well." the Sorcerer gave a nod, lifting the staff from his back and passing the iridescent tip over the leash, which slowly faded away as a result, "Don't worry, I've still a hold of it with my staff. Just keep in mind what we spoke of."
With a command that apparently only the tracker could perceive, the duo of Vanguard let the thing loose. It didnt take but a moment to get a running start, then throw its wings wide and bolt into the sky. Keeping to a low altitude, its course made a beeline for the Cannonade...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
The puddle-man looked up at Ghoul as he made his doubts known.
"There is something off about this one..." His schizo-voice said, "Keep an eye on him..."
The puddle-man nodded and took off into the air after the Soulhound
"Life is hard; it's harder if you're stupid." - John Wayne
Dax watched as the soul lizard thing leapt into the air and started flying. Why is it always flight? Don't they know that it makes them a better target. That thing is gonna die and there will be panic and little children screaming, then everyone is gonna be like 'Dax save us!'. Man I hate when things start out like this, it always goes bad.
Dax started walking again, this time in the direction the lizard thing went.
I do not know my reasons for posting, but post I must. ~~Build
"We can't stop here, this is bat country."
--Johnny Depp
"I ain't bi-curious, I'm a man. Why do you think I'm wearing this tight spandex and got all these muscles?" Meatwad
Bladewing watched as the tracker soared skyward, and flew towards the cannonade.
"Oh man, now the clocks are gonna have clean shots at my ticket to the page I need."
Increasing his running speed, Bladewing began to slice, dice, chop, and generally wreck every clockwork within a 300 yard line underneath and to the sides of the tracker, judging that the clocks couldnt shoot any farther than that.
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper
Bladewing assumed too much.
The Clockwork would have normally been torn to shreds by his assault, but these Clockwork were NOT acting normally.
They were THINKING.
And they were clever.
Just as Bladewing was making another sweep of the ground directly beneath the tracker, he ran into something unexpected.
He smashed solidly into a solid block of concrete.
The two Cannon Princes he had been aiming to decimate before they could target the tracker had watched him as he swept the land for the little automatons, and despite the impossibility of such, set a trap with themselves as the bait. The moment Bladewing had homed in on them, seeking to take both the constructs out in one blow, they had brought up the concrete slab.
Whether or not running into the slab hurt him or not, it DID at the very least stop him in his tracks, and that was more than enough.
Two Tesla Princes rose from their hiding spots in the rubble nearby, and they both launched beams of electrical power at Bladewing, seeking to cage and imprison him within a Tesla field.
To make matters a tad worse, a group of various Knights rose from all around. The Tesla Knights shot more Tesla cages at Bladewing, seeking to lock him down and inprison him within a field of unstable electricity. The Cannon Knights started to throw ball lightning and fire off rounds of energy bolts at him.
The Tracker also ran into its own problems. The Clockwork had long ago developed a method of combating flying heroes...
Swarming directly towards it was a swarm of Perfected Oscillators, carrying Tesla and Cannon Knights on their backs...
Martin's body was covered in dark energy suddenly.
"Ah, wrapped in Cold... Much better."
He leaped surprisingly high into the air, following the creature, just like the others.
"If there's anything special to know, the others will keep me informed."
"That's... Very short-sighted. Especially with the individuals you're dealing with... For somebody working for the organization defending the city from the criminality, you're surprisingly quick to trust. I strongly suggest you... Oh, forget it. Some lessons are better learned through experience. Well, ta. You're heading into-"
And there was a dead space where there was once noise. Martin arched an eyebrow at this. He didn't expect it to seem so unsettling. It was like a father who suddenly walked away while his son played an important game.
"I never really got to know my father..." he grumbled as he bounded across the landscape, "Why would I liken this voice to him?"
Suddenly, he descended into a swarm of Perfected Oscillators. Apparently, the Clockwork had decided to take advantage of the heroes and rogues moving out of the protective perimeter of the DPO.
Flashes of lightning arced into him, tearing into the darkness enveloped around Martin and singing his skin. Unfortunately for the machines, he was tougher than the average meta... Well, he wasn't but he wasn't about to just stop...
One Oscillator got too close, and Martin snatched it out of the air. It wasn't that he needed it to slow his descent, no... These little bastards had taken something from him, and it was time to take some back...
Dark tendrils emerged from his hand, tore into the Oscillator, and wrenched glowing green energy from the machine, transferring it back into Martin. He wasn't done with it, though. Another set of dark tendrils, and bright blue energy was transferred into the dark scrapper.
The robot squeaked in dismay. When it tried to get a swing on Martin, he bashed it over the head with a darkness infused hammerfist. The head crumpled inward and the eyes went dark. Martin tossed the wrecked body aside and turned to the rest of the monsters.
"Time for some fun!"
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
Dax saw the clockwork surround the soul tracker and Bladewing. The hero can take care of himself. Without the lizard this mission is a bust.
Dax took a few quick steps and launched himself at the nearest Ocillator. He shoved his right hand into the rotating blades atop it's back. The blades sliced through the skin, but bent horribly out of shape when they hit the underlying crystal. The Ocillator lurched in the air as Dax's weight was too much for the automaton too handle, it fell roughly out of the air as Dax ripped the still spinning blades from it's back.
He lobbed the blades at another flying Clockwork. He felt gravity take hold again and began falling. Well at least I ain't bored anymore.
I do not know my reasons for posting, but post I must. ~~Build
"We can't stop here, this is bat country."
--Johnny Depp
"I ain't bi-curious, I'm a man. Why do you think I'm wearing this tight spandex and got all these muscles?" Meatwad
((Probably not gonna be able to post till tomorrow, Football game and then parties. If I do manage to post later tonight I'm probably not gonna be sober so just bare with it.
I do not know my reasons for posting, but post I must. ~~Build
"We can't stop here, this is bat country."
--Johnny Depp
"I ain't bi-curious, I'm a man. Why do you think I'm wearing this tight spandex and got all these muscles?" Meatwad
((owww cartoon style even, I honestly LoLd in me head when i read that Diov, and im guessing you did when you typed it.))
Bladewing looked out from his imprint in the wall at the cage of electricity that had formed around him. Brushing concrete dust from his shoulders he stepped from the imprint and let the cage enclose him.
Or rather the spot where he had been, because Bladewing was already behind the clockwork cleaving their heads in two for making him seem like some saturday morning cartoon.
"Oh when I catch this guy, He isnt gonna make it to the Zig, I'll bury him in Boomtown!"
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper
Dusan ran after the soaring creature at least long enough to see the Clockwork begin to ambush not only it, but the hero who had been attacking the Clockwork from below as well. He got an 'oh-my-God-they're-going-to-make-me-save-them-aren't-they?' look on his face.
He sighed. Normally, he didn't like to exert so much energy pulling souls from the ethereal plane, but, seeing as these things didn't have souls, he couldn't effect them any other way. Stopping suddenly and shutting his eyes, he concentrated waved his hands in an unnecessary fashion, the end result being a translucent human dressed in simply a trenchcoat and jeans making an appearance next to him. He opened his eyes and grinned. "Afternoon Dennis. How're things in the afterlife?"
"Peaceful until you woke me up. Whaddya need?" Dennis replied rather irritably.
"Ah, well, you see, I need your assistance. These Clockwork have a nasty habit of not having souls, so, as you well know, I can't hurt them by myself. Care to lend a hand?"
"Don't see why not..." He muttered, waving his hands as well as two duplicates of him suddenly appeared, immediately making their presences known as they ran up and attacked the Clockwork, imediately pulling their attention away from the others. At the same time, Dennis flew forward and blasted several clockwork with what could best be described as an energy attack, although it was much different than what other metas used. If one had enough knowledge on the subject, they'd know that it was spriitual energy being forcibly converted to the physical realm.
Dusan smirked knowing that his friend would be able to handle things for the most part. He partially summoned three other souls [As in, they can't touch you, you can't touch them, but they're there.] for even further distraction and went about his business pushing the limits of others souls, speeding them up, making them more powerful, and making them overall more potent, all the whiel watching his friend take care of Clockwork after Clockwork.
((woah woah woah are you trying to SAVE ME? I appreciate the help but, krazy, note the sig....scrapper here, unless you are helping Build's character....as your spirits can fly and I cant reach the high up baddies.))
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper
(<.< You're scrapper would willingly decline buffs? And yes, Dennis is attacking the upper Clockwork, hence why I said flying forward.
Guess I could've been more clear, but eh, I can't think when I'm hungry.)
A flurry of fists smashed a clustered group of Clockwork up, knocking down the two minions and leaving the Cannon Knight with barely a moment to "pop" before Martin smashed his fist through its face, knocking the head off its shoulders.
"Next!" Martin shouted to a group near the Bloodhound, "Oh, no you DON'T!"
He charged headlong into the Tesla Prince there with another flurry of shadow-wrapped fists. The machine's body withered and dented under the negative energy assault, but much slower than normal.
In fact, they all seemed a little tougher for some odd reason...
My Stories
Look at that. A full-grown woman pulling off pigtails. Her crazy is off the charts.
((well...<_< i wouldnt dream of refusing buffs, i thought you were sending your phantasms and PA to help me...and that would have Bladewing screaming "NO THESE ARE MINE!!!!!"))
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper
The Sword duo didn't waste any time either, though sadly they weren't exactly as mobile as the super-powered individuals about them. Still, a truck did just as well, Vanguard's modifications allowing the vehicle to efficiently traverse Boomtown's rough terrain.
The heavy diesel of the uncovered truck roared loudly into the distance, drawing the attention of Clockwork here and there, but their efforts against the vehicle were somewhat unwarranted. Electric bolts didn't exactly hold lava against a sturdy, grounded vehicle, and if things got too close for comfort...well, this was the reason fo the Colonel riding shotgun in the uncovered bed, her long-barreled rifle gaining a clear line of fire in all directions. Needless to say, there may or may not have been a zone of demolition about the moving truck, depending on the amount of attention it drew.
The creature they followed (and although he drove, the Sword Sorcerer made sure to keep a close watch upon his charge) looked to be having even less trouble. Low altitude was somewhat of a relative term, the flying being staying around a hundred meters in the air, give or take.
By the time the Oscillators had figured out that they couldn't carry other Clockwork on their backs (for such an action would cause their propellers to shred to pieces, rendering them unable to fly at all) and instead adopted the idea of two Oscillators clamped to the shoulders of every Knight, the tracker had been and gone. The creature flew quite a bit faster then your average sky-faring being hero, and a keen observer would note that it didn't seem to be exerting itself in any manner, likely leading to the fact it could still tear through the skies even more rapidly.
The Sword duo didn't seem worried about losing it though, the Sorcerer's staff apparently leading the man in just the right direction. If (or when, depending on their means of travel) the others lost sight of the creature, all they would have to do is follow the truck instead. Although the vehicle moved briskly, it still had to wave its way around (or through) larger obstacles. This circumstance and the rough terrain kept its top speed at a level that a very experienced sprinter should be able to keep up with a little extra effort...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Irritation.
Resistance.
Powerful.
Unstoppable.
ANNOYANCE.
Prevention.
Shift.
Place.
Influence.
Ready.
-----
The Vanguard Truck, despite its modifications, could not travel through the Powerderkeg.
Why? Simple. That particular area was home to three key methods of transportation:
Bridges
Ramps
Tunnels
All the available bridges were either snapped down the middle or were simply tilted at an angle making them impossible to traverse.
All the ramps were either completely blocked off by fallen pillars or statues or even fallen bridges mentioned above. Worse yet, these ramps also formed WALLS. GIANT WALLS. These walls were present everywhere in this section of the zone, and these were not your average three meter tall or five meter tall walls. These walls were 30, 40 meters average.
And finally, the tunnels that gave passage THROUGH these walls were all either completely caved in or blocked off by fallen walls, statues, et cetera.
If the truck wanted to follow the tracker, they would not be doing so through the Powderkeg. They would have to travel the outskirts of this section to get across it.
The clockwork that hadn't already been beaten retreated, falling into the shadows, cracks in the roads, or by simply falling to pieces which rolled and clattered away.
Fortunately, the group was unbothered for the rest of the way.
The tracker suddenly landed. It had reached its location. The outskirts of the Cannonade. It had landed at a three-way street junction, and it sensed that what it sought was right at the dead center of the junction. Not below it, nor above it, nor to the side. No matter what the tracker tried, it got the same results. Right there in that one spot.
Seeing as how it had easily outsped everyone there, it was probably logical to wait for them to arrive before events proceeded...
Bladewing skidded to a halt ten feet in front of the tracking lizard, claws digging furrows in the blacktop, and waves of heat shimmering off his scales.
"Hmmm first one here, and no city rep or archvillan in sight, I honestly wonder why I concented to follow a so called "Soul drake", ive never even heard of one of those before anyway."
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper
"Yesss, finally, let the hunt begin!"
Bladewing closed his eyes for a moment and then his right foot began to tap the floor. It tapped faster, and faster, until the sound of its impacts was almost constant. Then Bladewing's eyes snapped open and he vanished, a trail of dust leading off into the distance and then circling around the DPO entrance in a 1/2 mile circle.
"Well? Release the hound already so I can blaze us a trail, I've already annihilated 50 clockwork while I've been running."
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper