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Post by chief on Nov 8, 2003 22:02:44 GMT -5
"Of corse Nack has a plan! He always has a plan! Right Nack" The fox Ryan said who was now fully equpied now with his over coat and twin 9mm hand guns.
"Give me a minute Chief" The weasel said as he walked in a small circle " I know this place pretty good an-" Just then Nack looked at the roof and examed it with close detail
"What are you looin for?" Ryan asked nack with a low voice to keep the others from clearly hearing. "Don't tell me we can deystroy all this by lookin up at thar roof! Get with it we need an ide-" Just then Ryan was cut off by Nack pointing at him but not taking his attention from the roof.
"Of corse we can't deystroy the the project from here Chief my good pal... of corse not. However if I'm not mistakin most of the security system wires run through a crawl space just on the other side of that crumbling mess of a roof" Nack finnally looked down at the others "No one was expecting the prisoners to escape or get out of their cells.. And its not like they would be in the cells for long anyway. So the security system was'nt too well protected. I figure if we can get into that crawl space we cab cut the wires turning of the security system. But of corse the bots will realize something when all the cameras and other junk go off so they'll go to high allert... And there is a backup system.. A poor one but still one, I'm pretty sure it takes 30 minutes to actavate its self.."
"Sounds good" Said Kaige "It'll give us a brief window of opertunity to do what needs to be done"
"Yeah..." Said Ryan, just who's going in?
OOC: ok next
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Post by Jim Doe on Nov 11, 2003 18:24:04 GMT -5
OOC: Sorry this is late. Meh.
IC: "Okay," Nack said as he pulled a small datapad from his jacket pocket, "here's the plan. Gearman," he said, pointing at Ed, "seeing as your the techie 'round these parts and also one of the smallest here, you're going to be going up to get to the security system." He placed the datapad on the table and punched up a digital schematic of the building. "To get to the crawlspace with the system hub, you'll have to first crawl through the ventilation ducts. We'll have to lift you up into the vent right over there in the corner . . . I know it looks small; just remember to collapse your shoulders in and take shallow breaths, neh?"
Ed nodded curtly as he quickly checked over his equipment, shifting the electronics gear forward for easy use. "You want me to just cut the entire system out?" he asked.
"No, actually," Nack replied. "Just below the hub is a hatch that leads to a bank of security terminals. Lots of video feeds and alarm panels and such. There's normally a bunch of SWATbots manning the stations, but the Ghost in the Machine has been relying more on his lieutenant-bots lately than the security system itself, so it should be empty. I want you ta open the hatch just enough that you can keep an eye on the monitor showin' the central command room. I'll be in there eventually, and when I give you the signal-" he tapped the brim of his hat three times "-that's when I want you to cut the wires. When ya get that done, I want ya ta get the hell out of dodge any way you can. We'll meet ya back where we stashed my and Chief's bikes, all right?
"Now, Draco and Escort Boy," said Nack as he turned to Kaige and the knight, who snorted in disgust. The fact that he was the only one Nack was still using a derogatory nickname for was not lost on him. "Ya see the security camera up there in the corner?" the bounty hunter continued. "Right at the moment, it's showing a loop of an empty room, so don't worry 'bout it spyin' on us. Now, when the red light on the side turns off, that means Gearman's done his job and its time for you guys to do yours. I want ya to split up the explosives we brought between ya, and use them to hit two very specific targets with 'em . . . "
Nack showed them a digital map on his datapad. "Two blocks north of here, there's a factory workin' on puttin' out more of those damn LTBots. It's only one of three in the city, but it's currently the only one runnin', so it's gotta go. Draco, that's your job, since it'll be easier for you to crash your way through the roof and divebomb the building from the air. Hopefully the other two won't have time to start up production before we're done here.
"Escort Boy, you'll be staying here in the command center. You'll go down here," he pointed out the route on his map, "and use your explosives to destroy the main reactor that's powering everything in this building. The Ghost has its own backup generator, but it's not enough to keep it connected with everything else in the city. This is very important as that means it won't be able to keep up its link to the LTBots at the factory, making it easier for Draco here to outsmart the bastards while he's bombin' 'em. So try and get it done fast, all right?
"Doc, Chief, you two are with me. We're going to go have a little chat with the Ghost in the Machine itself. The story is that I convinced Chief that joinin' Robotnik's the most profitable thing ta do, and the Doc I'm takin' with me whether she likes it or not 'cause living on my own is kind of rough and tumble and need someone to stich me up proper every once in a while. When the power goes out, it'll probably turn into a shootout. So, Doc, I want you to find something nice and sturdy to hide behind, and Chief, I want you to keep the LTBots busy while I do what I gotta do. I'll be their main target, so you two probably won't have much to worry about."
"Wait," Carmen suddenly interjected. "I'm no fighter and you just said all you want me to do is hide, so . . . why am I going with you at all? Why don't I stay with one of the others?"
Nack ticked off the reasons on his fingers. "First, Gearman's going to be squeezing through some pretty tight spaces, and you can't do that with all your injuries. Second, Draco and Sir Escort will be going into situations just as - if not more - dangerous that walking into the lion's den itself. Third, Chief and I are two of the best fighters here - no offense, Draco - and so you'll be plenty safe with us. Fourth, if I get messed up, I want the team Doc as close as possible. And fifth," he sighed, "since I patched you up, you've become my direct responsibility. I didn't save your life just to get ya killed right when we're about to beat this thing, so I want ta keep as close an eye on ya as possible. Plus, hey, I owe ya one for helpin' me out back there in the hallway."
"Oh," Carmen said simply, looking slightly abashed.
"Any more questions?" Nack asked, looking around. "No? Good. Let's get this show on the road!"
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Post by John Roberts on Nov 20, 2003 22:30:07 GMT -5
OOC: Bloody finally! After much bullshit I can now give you my next post. ;D
IC: "Oh," Carmen softly replied. Her face felt suddenly warm as blood rushed to it causing her face to slightly redden under her fur from embarrassment. She smiled inside, thinking about how stupid she had been at being so quick to judge Nack so wrongly at the beginning. A friend is what she now saw in him, not a stranger.
"Any more questions?" Nack asked, "No? Good. Let's get this show on the road!"
‘So we’re all being split up again.’ Carmen gloomily thought. Her mind’s smile soon faded. Every time all her friends were finally together again, something would cause them all to separate. Every time she would be in Ed’s presence, she loses him.
Carmen looked down at her feet. She sighed. Even after so many close encounters with death for both herself and Ed, she still couldn’t bring herself to acknowledge the feelings she had for him, couldn’t even express herself to him the way that she wanted to. It seemed too complicated for her; her relationship with Tamara, these feelings she has for Ed, the guilt for even having those affections for another. Nothing seemed simple anymore.
She sighed again, looking up from the ground. Her view was immediately on Kaige. The large dragon stood still. He arched back, his shoulders stiff. Large, strong hands were balled into power fists by his side. He was ready for battle, ready for anything at any given moments notice. Carmen was glad that he was with them, gladder still that he trusted her enough to follow her judgement. She wouldn’t be feeling as confident about this mission as she is now if Kaige had decided to turn his back and leave. But Carmen knew that would never happen, not Kaige. She trusted him, trusted him enough to even put her own life in his hands. She knew he would always be there for her, always protecting her. She constantly felt a firm connection with him. A strong fondness they both shared. Their loyalty and love for each other were no different to that of a close family. Like a bigger brother.
She nearly laughed at loud, remembering not too long ago when she first referred to Kaige as her big brother. The confused and somewhat embarrassed expression he gave her as a response was too much for Carmen to stand and she ended up laughing herself silly. Ever since then, she has used that term in a way to always lighten the mood of the sometimes troubled dragon. After all, if Kaige was like a big, protecting brother, then she was indeed just like a little, annoying sister.
The overwhelming feeling to laugh soon passed when her eyes moved onto Wildfire. She didn’t trust him. Not one bit. The anger that boiled up inside of him behind those eyes still scared her. Sure, swat-bots frightened her too but they were machines programmed to hate, they were built to bring harm. Wildfire though was a fellow Mobian, his anger was self provoked. He lashed out at Carmen because he wanted to, not because he was programmed to. And that is what scared Carmen the most, someone wanting to harm another. She wondered what would’ve happened if she had been alone with him. Would he have forced the last breath from her body by strangling her? And if he snapped again, would there be anyone around to stop him?
“So, I-I suppose I should be the one leaving first then.” Ed spoke up, his voice nervous but his gesture full of courage. The expression on his face seemed awkward, almost amusing as he tried his best to look brave. Carmen couldn’t help but a smile. He was quirky in his own little way. He was far from strong like Kaige and his fighting skills were little to none, but that still didn’t stop Carmen from feeling safe around him, from admiring him. His nervous stammer made him seem so adorable to her, or though, that was something she had never realised until now. And now, as they were about to become separated again, she started to realise that she was losing an opportunity. She now desperately wanted to talk to him, to tell him her feelings. But she couldn’t. She remained silent as she watched Kaige lift him up in his arms and helped him reach up to the above air ducts.
As she watched Ed struggle with the air vent cover, her heart was pounding hard in her chest, almost like it was calling out for him, a strong beacon signalling what Carmen was too afraid to express. There was no more denying it. Carmen was in love. A love so strong that it was starting to hurt her if she ignored it any longer.
‘I have to tell him. He needs to know.’
Whatever consequences come about from this revelation she will have to accept and deal with, but for now, there was only one thing on her mind to deal with, and that one thing was about ready to leave.
‘No.’
Ed finally pulled the air vent cover away.
‘Wait’
He placed one hand inside and started to pull himself in.
“W-wait!” Carmen desperately called out. “Wait. Eddie. Th-there’s something you need to know. I mean. I have to tell you something.”
Kaige lowered a puzzled Ed back down from the air duct and put him beside Carmen. Straight away their eyes locked with one another as they both stared at each other. They seemed to inadvertently move closer until their bodies were mere inches away from touching. Carmen started to blush at the situation and was now even more loss for words.
“Ed, I. . .I. . .” Carmen started to say, her nerves getting the best of her.
‘What do I say? What do I say?’
Carmen took a deep breath and then focussed on more about what she wanted to say, she thought out each word carefully so as not to mess up what was suppose to be her pouring her heart out.
“Ed,” Carmen began, her voice full of emotion, “Eddie, did you really mean what you said to me earlier back in the alleyway, when you kissed me?” Carmen’s hand moved to her check, remembering the part that was touched by his lips.
“You. . . heard that?” Ed replied, his nerves now getting the better of him. “I. . .wuh-well. . .”
Carmen smiled, she loved the way he would sometimes stutter his words.
“I did.” She said, “I don’t know how, and I don’t know why but I did. I was unconscious but I could hear the words you said to me so clearly that it burned into my memory. Your kiss, your love. Ed, it’s what kept me alive. Knowing that you were out there for me fuelled me on, there were so many times when I wanted to give in, but I didn’t. I had to stay alive, just so I could find you and ask what I’m asking you now. Do you really love me?”
There was a long pause between the two before Ed responded. He took short breaths, his nerves still there. “Yes.” Was all he could muster without stuttering his words.
“Oh, Ed,” she cried out as she threw her arms around him and leaned all her weight into him, surrendering herself. She could feel her eyes burning up, tears were beginning to form as she started to cry. She rested her face into his shoulder and allowed herself to keep on crying happily. Ed’s arms reached them selves around her and squeezed graciously. She shuddered, loving the feeling of amorousness she got from his simple touch. It just made her melt even more in his arms.
She felt the warmth of Ed’s breathing on her slender neck as he softly spoke to her, all signs of uneasiness gone from his voice. “I love you, Carmen, I do.”
Carmen lifted her head from Ed’s shoulder and stared into his handsome features. It was then that she noticed that he too had been crying as well. Carmen moved her arms from his back and pressed her hands either side of his head and pulled his face closer to hers.
“And I you.” Carmen finally expressed, she smiled. New tears glistened from her eyes. “I love you so much.”
Slowly Carmen’s face closed in on Ed’s until their lips decisively met. Their kiss was somewhat awkward at first, but it soon became electrifying as their meeting lips explored each other. Their tongues eventually touched, sliding together. Their hands moved wildly over each other, caressing. Touching. Carmen was now completely lost in the passion as she shifted herself more aggressively onto Ed, her body screaming for more.
“AHEM!” An impatient Nack cleared his throat. “Ermm...we’re all still here y’know? Meh?”
Carmen reluctantly broke from the embrace, panting for air. She once again peered into Ed’s eyes. She wanted to tell him goodbye, to say good luck, but the words remained sealed behind her closed lips. She was scared that if she did say goodbye, than there was nothing stopping him from leaving, to carry out his end of the mission. She didn’t want to let him depart. But he had to go. She knew that, but still, she couldn’t bring herself to saying anything more to him, especially a farewell.
Ed nodded his head and smiled at her, as if understanding her silent statement. He then dropped his arms from around Carmen and made a step back. He turned around and faced an amused Kaige.
“Okay, I-I suppose I’m ready again,” Ed puffed, trying to catch his breath.
Kaige winked at him and had a quick chuckle to himself. He then grabbed Ed with his paws and lifted him high up again to the air vent. Carmen watched on as Ed started squeezing himself through the opening, head first. He kept struggling through until there was nothing left but his booted feet showing Then those too quickly disappeared from sight. And just like that, he was gone.
Carmen covered her mouth with her hand. Her tongue darted between her lips, savouring Ed’s taste that still remained. She didn’t know what this now means for her and Tamara and it still troubled her greatly at the thought of betraying her in any way, but she was in love with Ed. Maybe always has been. Her fingers brushed against her lips enjoying the memory of their first kiss. She was scared though, scared that there may not be a second.
‘Please come back to me safely.’ Carmen silently prayed.
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Post by Scott Reese on Dec 4, 2003 12:50:46 GMT -5
EDIT: Okay, here it is, finally.
Ed wriggled through the constricted passage, following Nack's instructions to breath shallowly. He managed to keep a steady pace, but his mind kept drifting, his thoughts returning to Carmen. He was in ecstasy from the passionate moment he had shared with her and the knowledge that she cared for him as well. He hadn't felt this way since-
Katrina.
A momentary pang of guilt passed through him as he thought the woman he had pledged his life to, the woman he had lost to Robotnik. After her death, Ed had sworn he could never feel for another the way he had felt for Katrina. It had taken him nearly nine years to come to grips with her death, and it was then that he realized he loved Carmen. A second flash of guilt hit Ed as he suddenly remembered Patches. It was already known that the doctor and Tamara were romantically involved, perhaps in a serious relationship. What right did he have to come in take that away simply because he had had a crush on Carmen? Ed bit his lip in frustration. Katrina would have understood and told him to move on with his life, but the unfortunate love triangle was a more complicated matter. Ed couldn't see how the problem would be resolved without hurting someone. If- He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Nothing would be resolved if they all ended up dead or robotisized, and that would surely happen if he didn't concentrate on shutting down the grid when Nack needed him. He quickened his pace through the shaft, determined to stay on target. Fifteen minutes later he was crawling out of the air duct and into the accessway. The security hub sat in front of him, a metal plated cylinder bulging out of the crawlspace wall. Ed glanced at the floor in front of it. Sure enough, there was the access hatch the weasel had described to him. His heart jumped as he gently slid it open, half expecting to be greeted by one or more of the LT Swats. But again Nack was correct and there was no one manning the security station. Ed gazed at the bank of monitors for a few seconds, orrienting himself to their layout and the locations they showed. Satisfied that he was ready, he retrieved his laptop and the peripherals that would enable him to hack into the system. His expert hands quickly had the equipement deployed and plugged into the hub. Keeping an eye on the monitors and his ears alert for Swatbots, he sat back and waited for the bounty hunter to initiate the operation.
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wildfire
Socially Acceptable
I'm spastic with a handgun
Posts: 206
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Post by wildfire on Dec 12, 2003 22:53:18 GMT -5
OOC: I'm real sorry about the delay guys. I hadn't realized Scott posted. I'll try to get something up tomorrow.
OOC2: Sorry again guys, it seems i've got a cold at the moment. I can't really keep me head straight at the moment. So i'm gonna trust Jim with Wildfire till I get better. That is if he's willing, ya know, just to keep things moving.
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wildfire
Socially Acceptable
I'm spastic with a handgun
Posts: 206
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Post by wildfire on Dec 19, 2003 19:41:19 GMT -5
OOC: I'm gonna double post this so that everyone gets the response thingy and knows I did it. (finally) Once again, sorry for making everyone wait.
Max spied the camera in the corner very carefully. After what seemed like hours, but was only a few moments, the light went out, signifying his start of the operation. He bared his teeth and took off down the corridor Nack had pointed out. His mind was set only on completeing his task. That and two words... "Escort Boy" His honor had been completely stripped from him in one moment of rage. He swore to himself that he wouldn't allow such a thing to happen again. He reached the generator room with no difficulty, and with his mind still on his transgression, he wired his bag of explosives... He carefully twisted the wires on the explosive charges, he saw the bomb as a weapon to destroy not only The Ghost, but his own weakness as well. He remembered the rage that bubbled in him, and quickly replaced it with shame. He twisted the detonater into place and set the timer. Two minutes, thirty seconds, more than enough time to get to safety, and eradicate his target, and his weakness. Wildfire ducked around the corner as the bomb detonated. The force pushed him into the wall, or at least, he thought it was a wall. Until he felt the cold metal hand seize his vest. He used a free hand to rip his sword from its aged scabbard and cleave off the offending arm. Only when he hit the floor did he look at his assailant. It was a Lt. Series bot, and he was alone...
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Post by Jim Doe on Dec 19, 2003 19:59:16 GMT -5
OOC2: Sorry again guys, it seems i've got a cold at the moment. I can't really keep me head straight at the moment. So i'm gonna trust Jim with Wildfire till I get better. That is if he's willing, ya know, just to keep things moving. Ooh, that's why double posting is really the only way to go in some cases . . . I didn't even see this until just now.
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Post by Kaotix on Dec 21, 2003 20:11:40 GMT -5
OOC: Here you are, boys! It's gonna be long and I haven't started my mission for it yet because Nack hadn't given the signal and Ed hadn't cut anything yet. I guess that will be the next round of posts we make.
IC:
I hate waiting.
Kaige sat waiting for his cue to move. He had been waiting for the security cameras around his target to shut down. Currently the bright little red light on the top of them were as bright as ever telling him that they were still active. If he was caught on a securty screen, their plan would be nothing but scrap. The "Ghost" as Nack put it would know of the Weasel's treachery and hunt the Bounty Hunter down and kill him and those around him. Kaige wasn't gonna let that happen. Carmen was with him after all.
Kaige was so much different than the other members of the group. Not only was he the only dragon, but he was also huge and it made things difficult when they had to sneak around. He had gotten use to it over the years though and now can slither around with the best of them. Even the Bounty Hunter picked up that he was a little bit odd to be with this group of rad tag Freedom Fighters. Yes, Knothole had Dulcy but she did not play as big as role as Kaige. She usually did emergency pull outs and bringing the rest of the freedom Fighters in that Sonic couldn't carry. She rarely participated actively in the raids themselves.
Kaige, though, was second in command here at Centerpoint Village. He helped plan raids and helped execute them. Up until now they didn't have that many problems but this Leuitenant Project changed all that. If anything, this Articial Intelligience was just as cruel as it's creator. It made Kaige shiver to even think about what that program was truly capable of. But that program was the reason they were here. To bring it down and those robotic versions of it's consciousness. If they failed, the whole planet would be in trouble.
Nack's question echoed through his mind again.
******************
"Why do you fight with 'em?" Nack asked the dragon after the meeting was over and they were getting ready to do their assignments.
"What?"
"You dragons usually keep to yourselves. Except for Dulcy, I have never seen a dragon risk himself time after time again for people that are not dragons let alone nonmembers of his own clan. So I ask again. Why do you fight with them?"
What Nack had said was true enough. Dragons usually didn't care about any but their own clanmates. Kaige looked down at the floor for a moment as he remembered what had all gone on ten years before.
Kaige was a member of the Volcano Valley Dragon Clan. He and a score of other red dragons lived there in peace. Not even many Mobians knew that they resided on that mountain. They liked their privacy.
That all changed one day when a fourteen year old Kaige found a wounded black fox on one of his little exploration trips. He knew that his clan didn't exactly welcome outsiders but if he just left the fox there, he would die. Kaige wasn't gonna let that happen.
"Are you ok? can you hear me?" Kaige gently shook the fox to get him to respond, but the creature was nonresponsive. "I hope I'm not to late." He gathered the male fox into his arms and tried his best to wing his way back to the mountain.
He made it: barely. He hadn't had to carry that much weight that long a distance before and nearly dropped out of the sky before reaching his clan's domain. The other dragons sneered at the yong naive dragon and his Mobian cargo. The elderly male Krenya yelled at the youth, "Why did you bring an outsider here?! We can't let Robotnik know where we hide!"
Kaige shrunk a little under the elder dragon's anger, but he stood his ground. "H..he needed help! I wasn't gonna let him die. Why would he tell Robotnik where we are? Robotnik hates all Mobians. He would rather roboticize him."
Krenya was about to have it out with the stubborn youth, but Kaige's lovely mother, Corina, appeared by her son's side. "Krenya, we may like our privacy but we will not allow the death of an innocent Mobian when we could have easily prevented it." Krenya backed down with a snarl but said nothing more. She turned to her son and smiled down at him. "You have done well to bring him here, Kaige. Let's go get your father and see what we can do for the young fox."
Kaige's father, Talon was the wise ruler of this clan of dragons. They all looked up to him for wisdom and advice and no one looked up to him more than his son Kaige. Kaige worshipped his father. He was everything Kaige wanted to be: strong, wise, compassionate, and honorable.
Corina approached her mate in his chamber. "Our son has found a Mobian in need of our help, Talon."
Talon looked back toward his lovely mate. A small proud grin grew upon his maw. "Kaige must have been out exploring again."
"Like father, like son."
"Indeed." Talon stepped toward Corina and embraced her. "My son shows compassion where many of our clan would not. He will be a great dragon one day." He released her. "Let us go see what we can do for his new friend, hmmm?"
The King and Queen of the dragon clan saw to the Mobian fox themselves. They bound his wounds and prevented infection from setting in. The fox regained consciousness after several days of being in their care.
Kaige was with the fox when he awoke. "Hello there."
The fox was taken back but decided that if he was gonna be eaten he would already be dead. "Hello... Where am I?"
Kaige grinned as it looked like his new fox friend was going to be okay. "You are in our volcano home. We are the Volcano Valley clan."
If Kaige was as experienced then as he was now, he would have noticed the calculating look in the fox's eyes. "I see..."
The curious adolescent dragon could barely reign in his myriad of questions. "My name is Kaige. What's yours?"
"My friends call me, Dirk. I'm a bounty hunter."
Bounty hunter? That was a new term for Kaige. "What is a bounter hunter?"
The sly fox grinned as he began to twist the truth a tad bit to get the young dragon to trust him. "Oh we are people that find things. If a person had lost something very valuable, they would hire a bounty hunter to go and find it."
"How come I found you half dead near the base of our mountain?"
"Robotnik," he lied, "the fat oaf doesn't like for anyone to try to restore the belongings that he had taken to their rightful owners." That was the furthest from the truth. The fox had been hunted down by the remnents of a rebel village for giving their location to Robotnik for a handsome payment. The fox barely escaped and was badly wounded as a result.
The fox had then gotten the naive Kaige to tell him everything he wanted to know about the clan of dragons: their location, their numbers, their strengths. Kaige happily provided this information to his new friend. He would soon learn how stupid of a mistake that was.
Kaige waved goodbye as he and his two parents watched Dirk leave after fully recovering. "I'll miss Dirk. It was fun to have someone new to talk to." The king and queen smiled to themselves and took Kaige back inside.
A few days later Dirk returned but he wasn't alone. He had legions of SWATTbots and hover units with him. The clan was caught by complete surprise. Electronets and stun blasts were flashing everywhere. Kaige himself was about to be caught when his mother pushed him out of the way.
"Run, Kaige!" She yelled at him as a electronet wrapped around her.
"Mother!"
The net had done it's work though and Corina had fallen unconscious due to it's affects. Kaige stepped back in fear. He saw his father fall with a mighty roar next. Scared out of his wits, Kaige shot into the air to escape as his mother had instructed him and dodged as best as he could. He was still struck several times with the stun blasts and injured by FLAK grenades whose sole purpose was to damage a dragon's wings by tearing through them and making them useless for flight. Kaige escaped though, but the last dragon he saw was Krenya staring up at him with those hate-filled eyes.
His wings finally gave out when he reached the Great Forest. He fell through the canopy of trees and landed with a dull thud on the ground. His body refused to move and the fall hurt him even worse. He had gone several days without food while trying to escape the patrols that were out looking for him. He had very little rest and he was exhausted. That plus his injuries and the fact that the nights were gettin so cold to him meant he wasn't going to last long. He was going to die. A fitting judgement for one who brought his clan destruction. His young mind cursed that... that... Bounty Hunter. Even the name became a foul word to him. He betrayed the ones who took care of him and brought him back to full health for a few measily peices of silver and gold. Kaige had thought that Dirk was his friend...
Kaige slumped back to the ground and awaited death to take him. He had failed his parents and his clan. They were gone working in one of Robotnik's mines by now as worker bots. The most regal of species doing work that was beneath all creatures. Robotnik had a twisted sense of irony.
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Post by Kaotix on Dec 21, 2003 20:19:03 GMT -5
Kaige's eyes opened at the sound of feet coming toward him. He groaned in defeat because he knew that he would not be able to defend himself. He just hoped that they would be merciful and quick about killing him.
"Tamara! I heard it over here!" A female's voice? Kaige strained to try to see what was going on.
"See anything yet?" Another voice. It was femenine as well.
"Not ye... EEK!" Kaige's eyes snapped wide open in the shrill squeak made by the females that had popped out of the brush and found him. He wanted to die quickly not be tortured like this.
The female covered her mouth and blushed profusely at her outburst. She wasn't expecting to see a dragon lying there. "I'm sorry." She sputtered softly.
Kaige looked up to see a lovely Koala staring down at him. she wasn't paying attention to him as much as she was paying attention to his wounds. She was already down on her knees beside him trying to see what she could do for the hurt dragon. She turned when she heard the other female come up behind her.
"Did you find... Oh I guess you did." This one was a beautiful Calico cat who stared down at him in concern. "Oh my... We'll have to get him back to the village to help him."
The Koala turned back to him and spoke to him softly. "We're going to help you, but you have to trust us." She placed her small paws on one of his claws and held it gently. "My name is Carmen and this is Tamara."
"K-Kaige..." He squeaked weakly. The two females hoisted his arms over their shoulders and dragged him back to the village they called home. Kaige was sure that they were trying to torture him more. Thankfully, Carmen had gotten better at her bedside manner since then.
They took care of him and made sure he got everything he needed. Kaige had only received such kindness from his mother, father, and clanmates. The one named Carmen bound his wounds and set his broken arm so they could heal. She cleaned his cuts and made sure he got plenty of food and water. Kaige ate like he never saw food before and slowly began to regain his strength. He met other members of the village during this time. One that stuck out to him was a young wolf by the name of Ed. This guy was as softspoken and shy as they they come, but he was a good friend and Kaige needed friends now that he was alone. Tamara and Carmen checked his progress everyday and were surprised with how well the young dragon was progressing. Within three weeks, he was back to full health.
Tamara and the others wondered if Kaige was going to leave them now that he was better. The whole village had become very fond of the dragon and he would be missed. However, Kaige surprised them by asking if it would be okay if he stayed. He didn't have anywhere else to go and he promised that he would do whatever was needed to pay for his stay. Needless to say, he was welcome to stay as long as he wanted.
Tamara, Ed, and especially Carmen grew close to the dragon as the years went by. They became his friends, no, his family. And now that they were actively fighting against Robotnik, he stood by them and fought with them.
Why did he fight with them?
"They are my Clan." Kaige answered Nack before sliding his belt back around his waist.
*******************
Kaige was brought back to the present. Nack may be a little rough around the edges and downright annoying, irritating, uncouth, sarcastic, disrespectful, a jerk, and a myriad of other negative things; but he at least he wasn't in it just for the money. Sure, he was going to get paid by the princess for this job, but he wouldn't betray them to Robotnik like Dirk had. Nack had a sense of honor to him at least. That was one thing Kaige could respect about the purple ball of fuzz. Not that he would ever admit it of course.
Maybe just maybe, all bounty hunters aren't so despicable as Dirk.
His claw slid over his belt containing the charges. Hopefully he wouldn't have to wait much longer to move.
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Post by John Roberts on Dec 22, 2003 5:41:33 GMT -5
That was good read, Kaotix, a bloody great one. I do believe you've just giving me ideas for my next one.
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Post by chief on Dec 22, 2003 18:40:25 GMT -5
Ryan was sitting on the ground in the corner of the room checking his things over. His 2 custom made 9mm were lying on the floor next to him and he was sharpening his 6 inch knife.
“You ready, Chief?” Nack asked Ryan was he walked over and kneeled down next to Ryan
Ryan looked up at Nack “Well.. It sure looks like I’m ready..” Ryan said nervously
Nack looked down at Ryan’s tail, which was twitching rapidly “You ok man? You seem a bit… Nervous” he had trouble saying that because Nervous and Ryan just didn’t fit together.
“Yeah… I’m good” Ryan said “This mission has just gone a bit longer than I figured it would… I thought it would be a quick in and out… But its been far from that”
“We’ve been on harder places than this before”
“Yeah… But if I got hurt then, I had a better chance of getting medical attention” Ryan laughed and looked over at Carmen “Now… I got our medic pissed at me the first time we met her”
Carmen looked over at Ryan who was grinning at her and she gave him a dirty look
“Well that’s your own fault!” Nack laughed
“Yup” Ryan pulled out a silver cylinder about 6 inches long and half a inch wide, out of a inside pocket in his trench coat. “Take a look” Ryan handed it to Nack
“What is it” Nack unscrewed the top cap and held his paw out to catch whatever was inside it as he turned it upside down.
“I got it from a trader in Links Main” Ryan said as he saw the look of Nack’s face.
It was a large brown cigar, nicely rolled, and the perfect shade of brown. There was a gold wrap close to the end of the cigar, with the initials K.K. on it.
“Cost me a lot she did” Ryan grinned “I’m saving her for the end of a special mission… This might be it”
“Better keep that away from the doc” Nack laughed and put the cigar back in the cylinder, and handed it back to Ryan who put it immediately back in his pocket.
“When are going to move out” Ryan asked
“Anytime now I suppose” Nack said looking up at the vent they earlier pushed Ed up into. “Just got to wait and see…”
Ryan took out his last pack of cigarettes and opened it up, seeing only 2 left “See, we should be on our way back by now” Ryan showed Nack the almost empty box and laughed
“Yeah, only you can keep track of time by how many ‘sticks you got left” Nack shook his head. 'He still seems nervous about something' Nack thought as he looked back down at Ryan’s twitching tail. 'Its almost he is afraid he’s going to loose something… Like he has anything important in his life'. “Come on man, not like you got anything to loose” Nack laughed “All you got is that piece of shit bike, I’ll make sure she gets a good home…. Ryan?”
“Wha..? Oh sorry… Just thinking… Yeah, you better get a good home for her.. Uh.. I’ll be right back.. Going to see if I can patch things up with Miss doc over there” Ryan laughed nervously as he got up and started walking over to Carmen.
'Something’s wrong there'. Nack thought. Nack then spotted a black leather wallet laying open on the ground where Ryan had been sitting. 'Must be his.. ' Nack reached over and picked up the wallet. As he picked it up a small picture fall out of it and landed on the ground. Nack looked at it. 'It’s a family picture… 'Nack was looking at a pretty young fox sitting on a couch holding what must have been her son in her arms, who must have only been a month old at most. Then Nack looked at the man in the picture, who had his arm wrapped around what must have been his wife or girlfriend, who was holding the baby. Nack looked at the guy's face.
“Holy..” Nack looked up at Ryan who was talking to Carmen, then he looked back down at the picture and the father in it, then back up at Ryan. “Holy crap..!” Nack said to himself with a very shocked look on his face.
~~~~ Ok, Well there is my post.
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Post by Jim Doe on Dec 23, 2003 4:06:32 GMT -5
"Are they still alive?"
The hallways outside the prison wing seemed to be completely deserted, but Nack wasn't lulled into thinking he, Chief, or the Doc were in any way unobserved by the enemy. And even if he didn't have a killer machine looking over his shoulder, he had enough respect for Chief not to be any more elaborate with his question in front of the koala he was half-leading, half-dragging alongside him.
Chief looked over, not a bit surprised at the question. "Yah," he said huskily.
Nack eyed his friend warily and said, "I don't think I have to tell you what people like that can mean for people like us."
"No you don't," the fox replied. "And I don't need any lectures from you, Nack. You're not much in a position to be givin' 'em anyway."
From the look the mercenary shot him, Nack could tell that the last statement hadn't been just for the benefit of the Ghost in the Machine. "Those who can, do, Chief," he said with a frown. "Those who can't, teach. I've learned the hard way more than once that I can't, so listen close. Whether or not it's a good or a bad situation isn't my call to make, but I will tell you this . . . in the end, you're going to have to make a choice. You can't play this game and that game forever or you'll lose at both of them."
"Maybe I've already mady my choice," Chief snarled. After a moment's silence, he softened his tone and said, "Look, I'll . . . I guess I'll just think about it, alright? In the meantime, there's something I wanna ask you."
Nack could guess what it was, but urged him to continue anyway. Chief sighed and looked down at the metal panelling of the floor as it moved past.
"If the machine decides not to go for your plan, or if I don't make it through this for whatever reason," he said, "they're yours. You're the only one I trust enough to give 'em to."
Bounty hunter and mercenary both knew well enough that Nack's chanches of making it through the next hour were much slimmer than Chief's, but they also knew that that fact was well beside the point. The weasel looked straight ahead as he carefully considered his answer for a few moments. Finally, he turned back to Chief . . .
"No," he said. "They're yours alone, and you're going to have to deal with that."
Chief's teeth ground together as his ears laid back flat on his skull. "You always were a heartless bastard, Nack," he growled.
"And you know damn well I have good reason to be," Nack growled back. "I already told you I failed at that sort of thing more times than I want to remember. If you trust me enough for that, then you're a damn fool. But you knew my answer would be no all along. Why even bother asking?"
"Because sometimes the attempt is more important than the outcome, Nack."
The weasel snapped his head around to the Doc and stared at her hard. "This is none of your concern, Sawbones. Don't be stickin' your pretty little nose into affairs you don't know a thing about, savvy?" he said sternly. But with a twitch of eye and lip that was almost but not quite a wink and a smirk, he let her know that he and Chief had understood her well enough. Aloud, he immediately killed any further conversation as they swept into the main corridor leading up to the control room.
There would plenty of time afterward to take Chief aside and discuss the matter of his wife and child. Right now they had work to do.
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Post by Jim Doe on Dec 23, 2003 4:07:08 GMT -5
On two seperate occaisions, Nack had been hired by Dr. Robotnik. The first job had been rather mundane, a simple scouting mission to find a suitable abandoned mine shaft in which the fat doctor could perform specific tests regarding some secret project or another. When Robotnik stiffed him for fully half the promised payment, Nack should have learned his lesson then and there, but still took a second contract a few years later. This time all he had to do was locate and capture one Sonic T. Hedgehog of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. A most handsome payment would be rendered upon delivery of the hedgehog, dead or alive. Nack had never been able to collect the payment, however, since he never managed to collect Sonic. He barely managed to get away from Robotnik with his life after that.
It was on those two occaisions that Nack managed to see Robotnik's main control room, a sight that few outside the core Knothole Freedom Fighters ever got to see and remain organic long enough to talk about it. The control room that the Lieutenant occupied was almost exactly the same save for two important differences.
First, where Robotnik's control had several bay windows looking out over the city, this version had video display screens covering every available vertical surface, each flickering rapidly through various views from around the city of Centropolis.
And second, where the not-so-good doctor's command chair would have been sitting was the Lieutenant's central hub, extending upward from the center catwalk to the communications array on the top of the tower, and also downward through the central shaft into the tower's bowels to connect with the building's main generator.
There it sat, a giant black cylinder of malevolent computerized intelligence, covered with consoles and various data-gathering devices. A small hatchway led to its interior, where the core brain lay, sychronizing every move and thought and drive that ran through the electronic minds of the Lt. Series Bots. Speaking of which . . .
"Looks like you've got quite a collection going on here," Nack called out aimiably as he looked around at all the Lt-Bots. A quick visual count registered six of the bastards stationed around the Ghost in the Machine's central hub and fifteen more scattered around the room, working at various consoles and screens.
"The same could be said for yourself, bounty hunter," the machine intoned, its voice carying an overlay of whispered echoes from the Lt-Bots around it. "Perhaps you would care to explain yourself."
"Sure, sure," Nack said as he walked up and stopped right at the edge of the catwalk leading to the hub. "I've decided that I really don't need a lot of the stuff Doc 'Botnik might try and shove on me when I delivered these guys.. So in lieu of some of the payment, I'm gonna be taking ol' Sawbones and Chiefy here. I talked him over to our way of thinkin', and as for her . . . "
Nack leered at Carmen and pulled her in a bit so he could smell of her hair. She feebly tried to pull away from him and looked appropriately disgusted at the very idea of what the traitorous weasel obviously had in mind. He laughed harsly and let her resume her place an arm's length away from him then turned back to the Lieutenant.
"Well," he said, "she ain't got much of a choice in the matter. Things are rough and tumble in my line of work, and I'm gonna need someone to patch me up better than what I've been doin' to myself. So, whattaya say? You've still got the dragon, the knight, and the mechanic, and they're the more important ones, neh?"
The oppressive weight of the Lieutenant's full attention bore down on Nack, but this time the presence of a plan (however foolhardy) and allies (however scattered) helped him keep his nerve. The Doc and Chief, however, had not been placed under this sort of scrutiny before, so it elicited a gasp and a sharp grunt of surprise from each respectively. Nack fully sympathized, but kept his attention focused solely on the hub.
"We are not pleased with your attempts at renegotiation, bounty hunter," the Lieutenant's voice rose in tempest, "especially renegotiation of a contract that has not yet been drafted! We do not care for your whims or desires concerning your payment; we only demand that you deliver these undesirables to our Great Lord Robotnik. Whatever concerns you have for the ownership of your fellow organics must be taken up with him. Bother us no longer with your petty requests, and simply conclude the job for which we have allowed you to keep your pitiful life!"
The echoes of the raging voice washed over the three Mobians, straining their eardrums to their maximum, then abruptly stopped. Nack quickly regained his composure, then tapped the front of his hat three times in a gesture of farewell. "Alrighty then, Ghostie," he said. "Good doing business with ya!" He snapped his fingers at Chief, then turned and pulled the Doc along with them as he slowly started towards the door.
"Oh, crap," he said suddenly, then turned back towards the Lieutenant. "I almost forgot. You said you'd get in contact with Robotnik for me and make sure they guy would know I was coming. I sure as hell don't wanna get there and have a not-so-welcoming commitee waiting, now do I?"
The Lieutenant, obviously annoyed but not really paying attention to Nack anymore, barely made a response. "Communications have been reestablished," it said. "He is aware of your arrival."
"Mmm," Nack murmurred to himself. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, then said, "Well, y'know, I was pretty low on fuel cells when we got here. You think you could spare a few for the trip? Draggin' a dragon ain't easy on the hydrogen, neh?"
"Make arrangements with one of our extentions on your way out," the machine said distractedly.
"And hey, how about some grub?" he said as he rubbed his belly. "This is hungry work, and I'm sure my two buddies here haven't had a bite to eat in a while."
That did it. Gradually, every bank of surveillance equipment in the room began to turn towards Nack and his two companions. The machine's presence could once again be felt as it zeroed in on them and began to scan them in ever-growing alarm.
"What do you think you are doing, Nack?" it asked. "We will not-"
The explosion that sounded from the tower's lower levels was music to Nack's ears. The Lieutenant was cut off midsentance as all the lights in the room dimmed momentarily as everything switched from main to emergency power. All of the Lt-Bots momentarily jerked like puppets with their strings cut, but quickly regained their upright stance and turned towards the Mobians.
The Lieutenant howled in fury at the betrayal, pouring its bile through hidden speakers with enough force to send pain shooting through the Mobians' ears, but not enough to stop them from doing what needed to be done. Nack gently pushed the Doc behind him as he drew his ion pistol and launched himself into a run.
"YOU MAY HAVE DISCONNECTED ME FROM THE REST OF THE CITY, BOUNTY HUNTER," the machine howled around him, "BUT THE BOTS IN THIS ROOM ARE STILL MINE TO COMMAND! DESTROY THE WEASEL!!!"
Nack ignored everything around him, keeping his sole target in sight. He simply had to trust that the Doc would stay out of the way and Chief would keep the Lt-Bots busy while he slithered his way through the hatch in the Lieutenant's central hub, into the beast's very heart so they could end this once and for all.
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Post by John Roberts on Jan 5, 2004 4:32:56 GMT -5
OOC:Okay! This post has been reworked. I apologies for those that read it before hand. It really was fucking hopless. But no longer. ;D
IC: Carmen paused for too long as she watched Nack take off at full speed. The closest of the Black Swat-bots were already targeting him, one of which already had their hand laser powering up. The blue glow that Carmen knew all to well was growing larger with each passing moment. The aim looked directed straight into Nack’s path, there was no way he would outrun it in time.
“Fuckers!” Came a yell behind her, followed by several small ‘bangs’.
Carmen watched as unseen projectiles ricocheted off of the Swat-bot’s weapon arm causing it’s aim to fall short, narrowly missing Nack. All the LT series machines still had their attention set on the bounty hunter, as one after the other fired their lasers. Each and every blue beam struck the ground only inches behind their target and before they could re-aim, Nack leaped onto the Lieutenant’s bulky frame and disappeared into it’s masses.
“What? No! What he is he doing?” Carmen cried out in panic.
“What has to be done.” Ryan incautiously replied. “Now come on, move, we’ll be the targets now!”
Sure enough. Ryan’s words came true as Carmen surveyed all of the LT Swat-bots now facing them. Simultaneously, the dozen or so of the machines raised their arms and pointed their metallic fist at them both. Already the eerie blue glow was emerging.
Ryan put himself in front of Carmen, “No matter what happens, stay behind me.” he paused, stopping to tilt his head back and looked at Carmen. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry for being a prick.” the words he spoke struck Carmen as words she thought she would never hear come from him. Bravery and apologetic, two things she never thought he was capable of expressing.
The swat-bots all made a step forward, a few from the sides made more steps closer forming a kind of circle around the two. Carmen’s back was to the wall, Ryan stood firmly before her, his own weapon held tightly in his hand was outstretched in front of him. There was nowhere for them to go, Carmen knew this and her heart was agreeing with her as it frantically raced within her chest. The fear of death creped inside of her. Ryan’s steady stance was almost comforting, though, if indeed he felt any fear, he wasn’t showing it.
Suddenly an enormous screech erupted around them. The Lieutenant’s painful cries was deafening. All of the Swat-bots were reacting to it, their metallic limbs were indecisiveness thrashing in an unusual method, they seemed out of control. One after the other, they collapsed to the ground. Their frames still jerking around.
“Wha-what’s happening!” Carmen yelled, trying to make herself heard over the computerized screaming.
“It’s Nack!” Ryan yelled back, “What ever he’s doing, it’s fucking working!”
Suddenly, as quick as the screaming started, it ended. The fallen Swat-bots had stopped moving erratically and ceased all movement all together. They seemed dormant harmless. Carmen was almost ready to cheer when suddenly a head visor on one Swat-bot flashed red and started to move. Three others did the same and eventually all four stood tall once again. The many other bots remained inactive as the four started to move towards the two mobians. Their movements of the bots though, seemed jerky and less responsive, but the threat they showed was still apparent in their menacing, emotionless gaze.
“Shit! Aw shit!” Ryan cursed.
Once again the robot’s arms raised and pointed towards them both. But as the lasers began to warm up, something different occurred. The blue glow was replaced with a flash of white light followed smoke and sparks flickering out. The weapons seemed unworkable.
“Arrrrrrrrrrrrgghhhhh!!!” The lieutenant shrilled. The swat-bots again reacting to the Lt’s distress. “Kill them! Rip them both apart! Now! NOW!!” the artificial voice screamed out.
The Machines lowered their weapon arms and made steps towards Carmen and Ryan, their motions were slow and stiff.
“Only four of the fuckers left, babe. What ever Nack is doing it’s affecting these pricks. Look at ‘em Doc, they can’t even seem to walk straight. We gonna get through this, Doc.” Ryan beamed, he still held his gun firmly in his hands. “Hey sweet cakes, I’ll distract ‘em while you make a duck for cover over towards those consoles over there. There’s no need for you to be in the middle of this fight.”
Carmen paused for second trying to go through in her mind what Ryan had just said to her. Was he actually putting himself in harms way just to keep her protected? Carmen couldn’t believe it, maybe what she thought of him before was just an act on his part. She definitely never considered him as someone who would put their own well being before someone elses.
“Since when did you become the heroic type?” Carmen asked.
“I’m not. But someone’s gotta keep that pretty arse of yours intact.” Ryan laughed.
Carmen scolded. ‘I should’ve known.’ Before Carmen could say anything in return, Ryan pushed her to the side and ran off to the other side, firing his handgun randomly between the swat-bots.
“C’mon you fuckers!” He yelled as he continued firing round after round.
With all four swat-bots now pursuing Ryan, Carmen easily sneaked away to the computer consoles and ducked down behind them. She tucked her legs in as far as possible to fully hide her frame. She felt ashamed at hiding like this while she knew the others we’re surely fighting for their lives. She felt ashamed and selfish. Ashamed for being so useless in the time of battle, selfish because she hated having her friends protect her at their own risk. But she wasn’t a fighter, she was a medic, what could she possibly do in fight like this. She has no weapons, and even if she did, she would never be able to bring herself to use one.
After hearing another curse form Ryan, Carmen quickly peered over the top of the consoles and saw him cornered by many of the swat-bots. He had his 9mm pointing directly at the closes one. The swat bot advanced causing Ryan to yell and pull the trigger wildly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Ting! Ting! Ting! Ting!
Each bullet ricocheted off of the metalic frame with no affect apart from only stalling the machine slightly.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Click click click!
“Fuck!” Ryan cursed as one had quickly released the empty magazine from the chamber while the other made a grab for a fresh one. In only a matter of seconds he slammed the magazine into place and took aim. Ryan pulled the trigger again but this time the swat-bot was too close and too quick and swung it’s large robotic arm into Ryan’s hand knocking his gun from him. Ryan cried out in pain, the force of the hit was no less than that of a sledge hammer splitting wood.
Carmen saw the twisted look of a pain on Ryan’s face as he held onto his hand. The sounds of metal colliding with flesh has a sickening sound to it, bones were definitely broken as a result. He was defenceless now, she thought to herself. She knew she had to do something, anything. He’s a sitting duck out there, surrounded. Carmen looked around her at the computers, none of it seemed like it would help her in any way. She looked back over to Ryan, one of the swat-bots now had him lifted in the air, it’s strong, iron grip was firmly clamped around his neck. Another bot was grabbing at his legs but Ryan was fighting all the way and kept kicking. A third swat-bot was moving closer, it’s hands aiming for Ryan’s arm. The forth already had hold of his other arm.
“Kill him! Rip him apart!! Do it, do it now!!” the Lieutenant’s computerized voice boomed across the room.
The hand gun that was knocked from Ryan’s hands had slid across the smooth, metallic floor directly behind the swat-bots. And Carmen was fully aware of it as her eyes layed upon it.
‘No! I can’t use that. But I can’t just sit here and watch this.’ Carmen fretted to herself.
Her eyes remained on the handgun, not wanting to even touch it. She became a nurse because she wanted to save lives, to heal wounds. Not to cause them. But deep down she knew that that wasn’t the reason for her hesitation. Ever since the day she saw her mum die from laser fire she vowed to herself never to use such force herself. Just the thought of guns gave her chills. The image of her mother’s still body was forever burnt into her memory, and every time a firearm was near, that image renewed itself within her. It was like reliving that dreadful day all over again. And that was the feeling she was having now.
“Ahh! ARGGGHHH! Lemme go you fuckers!” Ryan yelled out.
Ryan’s painful cries snapped Carmen out of her saddened thoughts. Immediately she shook away all indecisions and sprang to her feet. She quickly dashed towards Ryan and the swat-bots and swiftly grabbed hold of the hand gun from the floor. As determined as she was two seconds ago, now that she was actually holding the gun, her fears came flooding back. Her hands started to shake. All she could see now was her mothers fallen body. Her glassy eyes looking into nothing, her soul forever gone from existence.
“Mum,” she whimpered. Her entire body started to tremble. “I can’t. . .I-I can’t do this.”
“ARGHHH!” Ryan’s painful cries echoed through her ears.
The hand gun dropped from her quivering hands. She took a step back, sobbing to herself. “I can’t...I can’t.”
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Post by Scott Reese on Jan 10, 2004 1:19:23 GMT -5
'Kay, here's mine. I hope its not too shoddy, I did it kinda quick.
IC: Ed's heart skipped as he watched Nack give the signal over the screen. The bounty hunter had played it so smoothly that Ed nearly missed it; fortunately for the team, he had not. With a few deft keystrokes, he activated the worm he had just sent through the Lieutenant's firewall. Turning back to the monitors, he waited for the mayhem to begin.
The wait was't long. The power went offline momentarily, then switched to backup. Half of the security terminals were now blank, with only the camera's linked to the Lieutenant's core remaining online. The monstrosity was obviously enraged at this sudden amputation of every sensor outside its core, and was doing its damnest to regain control of its functions. It would, of course, but with any luck Nack would destroy the Lieutenant while it was vulnerable.
Ed started to unplug his equipement, intent on getting the hell out, as per Nack's orders. But as he turned his head to look at the monitors in the security station below, he stopped in alarm. The weasel had disappeared inside the Lieutenant's core, but he could see Carmen and Chief in the corner of one screen. Chief was drawing his gun and firing off rounds at the jerkily approaching SWATs, but the metal slugs weren't doing much to slow the steadily advancing menace. He shoved Carmen offscreen, and took a few steps back. With a jolt, Ed realized they were pinned, the dark Swatbots closing in and reaching for the mercenary.
He knew what he had to do. Ed swiftly regained access to the mainframe; rather than trying to slip in undetected, however, he simply began hacking the Lieutenant's security protocols. Klaxons began blaring somewhere below him, the impending danger vocalized in an angry screech. The engineer ignored them, knowing the Lieutenant was unable to dispatch any of the towering black bots to his location. Ryan, on the other hand, was already in the grip of one of the bots, and more were closing. They moved slowly, unsteadily, but they advanced; it would only take a fraction of their normal strength to rip the merc apart. He would have to gain control of the extensions, or Chief would die.
Unfortunately, the Lieutenant knew what Ed was up to and began attempting to lock him out of the system. It took all of the engineer's skill just to keep the connection open, but that was enough. As the machine redirected its processing capacity at closing the security breach, the remaining bots lost power and dropped Ryan. He fell in a limp heap; Ed could not tell through the camera if the fox was dead or alive. He could not see Carmen at all, but he prayed she was safe.
A dull explosion somewhere near the control room was accompainied by a sharp crack as the computer core overloaded. He shoved the portable terminal off his lap just as it began sparking, the sensitive equipement unable to handle the massive feedback. All the cameras in the station below winked out and he could no longer see his teammates. It didn't matter though, Ed knew that explosion had been the Lieutenant's death, thanks to Nack. Whether his friends were dead or alive, he didn't know.
He wasn't given much time to ponder; the security station below was suddenly being invaded by Swatbots. Not the LT bastards, but they were still stronger than Ed, so he grabbed his gear, leaving the smoldering computer, and dashed for the open maintenance access. The bots were stuck below, but he knew he would still be caught if he didn't stay on the move. He worked his way towards the ground level, drawing from the memory of the schematics Nack had showed him. Once on the first floor, it wouldn't take Ed long to find the way out.
Though he knew the odds were not in their favor, Eddie hoped the team all managed to get out safely...
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