DeLarge Posted June 3, 2010 Share Posted June 3, 2010 [size="3"][font="Lucida Sans Unicode"][u][b][center]Second Sight New York[/center][/b][/u][/font][/size] [size="2"][font="Lucida Sans Unicode"]The scruffy-looking man walked quickly and purposefully across the square, beanie hat pulled firmly down over his unruly locks, eyes darting back and forth, constantly surveying the scene almost to the point of paranoia. He walked up to the small coffee stand in the centre of the square, placed his order and then sat down on one of the metal chairs placed around the stand, waiting for his order. [b]"Tall Americano for Mr Smithee,"[/b] called the barista, and the man got to his feet and grabbed the paper cup. He took a deep swig of the hot liquid, almost burning his mouth, but the caffeine hit almost instantly. As he sighed and lowered the cup from his lips, he saw a black scribble on the side of the cup, where the customer name would normally be written. [b] "Turn around...?" [/b]he whispered, reading aloud. He turned slowly, eyes locking on a male figure sat with his back to him, the green hood of the jacket underneath his outer leather jacket lifted over his head. He walked slowly over to him, cautious as ever, one hand reaching into his jacket, fingers closing around the cool metal handle of a combat knife that hung on the lining. [b] "I don't think you'll be needing that,"[/b] said the seated figure, turning to face him and lowering his hood. He revealed a ruggedly handsome face, the lower half of which was covered in stubble, his brown hair cut relatively short, his piercing blue eyes locking with the scruffy man's. [b]"It's been a long time, Kain,"[/b] the seated man said, getting to his feet and outstretching his hand. Kain's face broke into a wide grin, and he knocked the hand out of the way and locked his old friend into a firm embrace, which the other man reciprocated. [b]"How did you find me?"[/b] asked Kain. [b]"You don't need to be a Tracker to find people,"[/b] he replied, a little smugly, [b]"Only reason you didn't find me was because you didn't know you were looking for me. But I need your help."[/b] Kain's eyes darted around, and he moved in close to his friend, whispering: [b]"Are we safe to talk here?" "We're fine,"[/b] he responded. [b]"Are you sure, Alex? They keep finding me, I don't know if I'm safe." "I'm sure, Kain,"[/b] replied Alex,[b] "Listen, whatever we're going to talk about, with the amount of Thinkers and Seers they have to hand, chances are they already know. And as much as they want us dead, they're not going to try anything in public, and in broad daylight. Now take a seat, and relax."[/b] Kain nodded, trusting his old friend, and took a seat opposite Alex's. [b]"So what's this about?"[/b] he asked. [b]"I need you to find some people for me,"[/b] replied Alex, taking his seat again. [b]"Could be tricky. You know I can only find people I've managed to imprint." "Oh, I'm pretty sure you've imprinted these people,"[/b] Alex replied with a smile, pulling a crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket and sliding it across the table. Kain picked it up and read the list of names written on it. [b]"Timothy Frost, Natalie Callahan, Lucas Kain, Peter Chiasmus, Patrick Bellamy?"[/b] he read aloud, before looking up at Alex,[b] "These are all the members of PART One, along with you and me." "Correct,"[/b] Alex said, nodding and leaning forward, [b]"I'm...putting the old band back together." "Why?"[/b] asked Kain. [b]"Aren't you sick of running? Second Sight took our lives, and the only way we can get them back is by taking them,"[/b] Alex replied, [b]"and the only way we can take them back is by working together. I can't do this on my own, I wish I could. I'm only asking because I have to." "Alex, this is huge,"[/b] replied Kain, [b]"This is a suicide mission, Second Sight are powerful, they're expansive, and they don't follow any rules. If they get an opportunity, they will kill us, no mercy." "I know it's a big ask,"[/b] said Alex,[b] "But if we pull it off then we can live our lives again. We can be free." [/b]He looked into his friend's eyes, and Kain smiled. [b]"Of course I'm in, Alex,"[/b] he replied, looking at the list,[b] "Is there somewhere safe we can go to do this?" "Oh, I've got somewhere a little bit special," [/b]replied Alex, getting to his feet and gesturing for Kain to do the same. --- Ok, glad this is off to a start. For your first posts, I need you to write up your character's reunion with Alex. It doesn't matter where, when or how you meet, just make sure it ends with your character following Alex back to New York, where the majority of the story will be set (although don't worry if you don't really know New York, I don't know it myself, we're not likely to go very specific with details about the city). Afro, hope you don't mind me using your character, your first post can be Kain helping Alex in his search for the other team member, just go with what feels right basically. More importantly than anything, just have fun![/font][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMNOMNOMALY Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 (edited) [font="Garamond"]Natalie stepped out from the apartment building that brisk Sunday morning, the rusted metal door of the apartment squeaking closed behind her, desperately in need of oil for what looked like years and years. She had tucked her hair into an oversized white toque, and wrapped a large grey scarf around her neck, which covered completely the lower half of her face. [i]I hate the cold.[/i] Natalie grumbled to herself, rubbing her gloved hands together for warmth. She adjusted the Satchel slung around her shoulders, before starting her walk to work. Since her run in with Second Sight agents a few months back in Barcelona, Natalie had moved to the town of Petrovsk, Russia and had found herself a job helping out at a small family-run bookstore. She crossed the street, the snow muffling her footsteps completely. She moved quickly. Although it had been some time since sheâ??d encountered Second Sight or even anything remotely suspicious, Natalie still found herself wary, watching. It was only a matter of time until they caught up to her. It was always just a matter of time. It wasnâ??t necessarily that she didnâ??t want to fight again â?? she always did. But she had become settled here â?? it was familiar and comfortable to her, and she hadnâ??t felt like home in longer than she cared to remember. Stopping in front of the shop door, she pulled out her keys. First, unlocking the reinforced outer door, and next the inner wooden door. She stepped inside, quickly shutting the lighter wooden door behind her, trying to keep in the warmth of the store. She inhaled, enjoying the warm, musty air. Natalie pulled the hat off her head while simultaneously unwrapping the scarf from her neck, shaking her hair out. She dropped them, along with her coat, on the floor behind the counter. She reached the small backroom and flicked on the lights. Seconds later, the little bell above the front door rang. [i]Goddamnit. Who would come to the bookstore at 8 in the morning? Jesusâ?¦[/i] her inner monologue barked out several obscenities, but her outside voice inquired tentatively in heavily English-accented Russian, [b]"Dobroye utro!"[/b] But no response came back, just the creak of heavy boots on old hardwood. Military issue boots. One of those things you donâ??t forget, when youâ??re being hunted. Natalie stood, back to the wall, facing the front of the store, the intruder hidden by the rows of books between her and them. The person moved slowly but with purpose in her direction. She fumbled, panicking, in her pockets for a lighter, the piece of flint, anything. The steps continued on until the reached the row directly next to her, stopping just out of sight, a tall shadow cast on the floor in front of her. [i]Shit. Shit shit shit.[/i] Natalie suddenly remembered. The lighter and flint were in her coat pocket. She had put it there for easy access on her walk to work. [i]So much for being extra careful, idiot[/i]. She chastised herself and crouched, trying to make herself as small a target as possible. [b]â??Callahan? Is that you?â?[/b] A familiar voice tugged on her memory. [b]â??It might beâ?¦ depends on whoâ??s looking for her.â?[/b] She cautiously called back, looking desperately in the vicinity for something that could double as a weapon. [b]â??This is an unusual hideout for you. We had a heck of a time trying to track you down. Very uncharacteristic. I like it.â?[/b] [b]â??Just trying to keep you bastards on your toes. Make you puppets work for your pats on the back by superiors.â?[/b] She was met with a laugh. But a kind one. She pulled a particularly hefty book off the shelf. [b]â??You must be rusty, Callahan. Hope it doesnâ??t take you too long to get back into top formâ?¦â?[/b] The man stepped out of shadow to reveal himself, as Natalie reached back, ready to launch the book in his face. [b]â??Alex!â?[/b] she dropped the book and it fell to the floor with a thud. [b]â??I could have killed you, you fucking idiot.â?[/b] She sighed at him, exasperated. He looked from her, to the book on the floor. [b]â??What were you going to do, exactly? Bore me to death?[/b]â? He grinned at her, jamming his hands into his coat pockets. [b]â??Oh, haha. Still witty as ever, I see.â?[/b] [b]â??Like fine wine, I only get better with age.â?[/b] [b]â??You wish.â?[/b] She walked over to the counter and hopped up to sit on it, facing Alex. [b]â??Enough pleasantries... nice as it is to see you, what do you want, anyway? Weâ??re all unsafe enough as it is on our own, but two for the price of one? Second Sight goldmine, Alex. You know that.â?[/b] [b]â??Of course I do. I wouldnâ??t do this if I didnâ??t think it was absolutely necessary. Itâ??s about the team.â?[/b] She cocked her head to the side. [b]â??Go onâ?¦â?[/b] [b]â??We need to be a team again. We need to take Second Sight head on, and we need to win.â?[/b] Natalie laughed mirthlessly. [b]â??Alex, my sweet, Iâ??m a lot of things. Iâ??m impulsive, Iâ??m insane. But I am not stupid. I like living. I like killing, maiming, destroying. All of which require being alive.â?[/b] [b]â??You call this living?â?[/b] He turned both his palms up, gesturing to the room, to her. [b]â??This isnâ??t living, Natalie. Itâ??s hiding. Itâ??s being afraid.â?[/b] Natalieâ??s cheeks flared red in response. She clenched her teeth. [b]â??I am not afraid. Not of Second Sight. Not of anybody.â?[/b] He rolled his eyes at her. [b]â??Yeah, Natalie? Really? Because all this,â?[/b] he gestured again[b] â??Says otherwise. Arenâ??t you tired of this? This isnâ??t you. This isnâ??t any of us. We served our purpose. We have a right to live again, Nat. Really live.â?[/b] Natalie lowered her eyes to the floor, thinking. [b]â??Kainâ??s in. Thatâ??s how I found you. Heâ??s helping me track down everybody else. He also thinks we need to solve this problem, once and for all.â?[/b] She lifted her eyes to sweep the old dusty room, dimly lit by both the too few light fixtures and the grey, sunless sky, before meeting Alexâ??s own. [b]â??Will there be fighting?â?[/b] she asked thoughtfully. [b]â??Lots of fighting.â?[/b] He replied. [b]â??Alright.[/b]â? Natalie cracked a sideways smile [b]â??Alright,â?[/b] she said again, [b]â??Iâ??m in. Just let me call my employers, to thank them and let them know that something's come up and that I canâ??t work for them anymore.â?[/b] [b]â??Attaâ?? girl.â?[/b] He grinned. [b]â??Iâ??ll call Kain and let him know Iâ??ve found you and that youâ??re in. And then weâ??re out of here. We've got a plane to catch.â?[/b] OOC: Hope this is okay! Let me know if I need to change anything.[/font] Edited June 4, 2010 by Anomaly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Enemy Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 Timothy walked down the stairs of his most recent hotel with renewed hate. The building was dirty, the vending machine didn't work, the doors that worked squeaked, absolutely nothing was properly taken care of. Almost drove Tim over the edge every morning. He hated living here, but it was the best he could come up with. He was only in London Ontario a few nights while on his way south to elude capture, so there was no point in trying to rent an apartment. As he left the building he glanced back at the building and frowned with disgust. [i]At least this is my last day here. [/i] He thought, slightly cheering him up. He walked down the street toward the nearest coffee place to get started for the day with a nice cup of tea. On his way however his plan was interrupted. He sensed someone behind him was happy to see him; it was only a vague sensation though. They might find him attractive, or it could be someone from the bus station who he'd given money to in the last 24 hours. Just to be safe Tim changed his usual route dramatically. He veered left and right at nearly every street corner hoping to lose the follower when they continued to their own destination. The pursuer closed in now, in moments he would be within arms reach of Tim and it could be all over. To avoid this scenario Tim took drastic measures. He took off running, not looking back even for a moment, he ran down an alley way then another and another. Soon he thought of a trap to catch his pursuer off guard. He darted around a corner. When his follower caught up Tim was firmly in the grasp of a Second Sight agent. [b]"Mission accomplished; I have the mark under control."[/b] said the agent holding a gun to Tim's head. [b]"Wait what the-!?" [/b]the soldier saw Alex but it was too late to recalibrate for this new situation. Alex threw his hand out in front of him and a powerful wave of force crashed into the Agent, sending him hard into the wall behind him. Alex tried to grab Tim's hand to move him out of the way if he could find a large object to crush the agent with, but Tim wasn't there. The illusion was broken and the agent against the wall faded to reform into Tim himself. [b]"It appears I failed to account for this variable in my calculation."[/b] Tim coughed as he dragged himself up the wall. [b]"I suppose there's no one to blame though, with the time that's passed since our last encounter the chance that it would be you following me is astronomically low. "[/b] Tim concluded dusting himself off, and cracking his back. [b]"Same old Frost. Sorry if I hurt you. I honestly thought it was another Second sight dog... if that makes you feel better. "[/b] Alex reassured his old friend.â?[b]We best get down to business. I'm gathering the old team. We're taking down Second Sight, you in?"[/b] Tim thought for a moment, and then appeared to be counting on his fingers. [b]"Yes the likelihood of someone taking down SS increases nearly 30% if the job is done as a group and another 13% if the group has experience working together as we do. Who can turn down those odds?"[/b] Tim replied with a smirk. Suddenly Alex felt a hand on his shoulder from behind, he turned to see Tim gesturing for them to go. Looking back the other Tim had faded and the indent in the wall was gone. [b]"I figured I was talking to a ghost."[/b] Alex commented, remarkably unsurprised. [b]"Noone gets up that fast from a push like that."[/b] He concluded to answer Tim's questioning look. [b]"Well let's go the faster we gather the other members the better." [/b] [b]"Agreed, a quickened execution increases our chance of success nearly thee fold!" [/b]Tim said aloud as he followed Alex. Alex grinned [b]"Same old Frost."[/b] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.J. McKrafty Posted June 4, 2010 Share Posted June 4, 2010 [size="2"][size="2"][font="Arial"]As far as Lucas was concerned, it was a slow night. Only ten calls during the first four hours, a rarity in Miami. He rode shotgun in the ambulance watching the streetlights go by. After dropping off their last patient, they decided to run over to a convenience store for their break. They rolled into the parking lot. The building was lit up like a Christmas tree with neon that made the parking lot glow in a hodgepodge of colors. They parked and Lucas exited the ambulance with his partner. [b]â??I wonâ??t be that long. You can just relax in the ambulance.â?[/b] Said Mickey, the portly middle-aged paramedic that Lucas regularly worked with. [b]â??I know, I am just going to have a smoke.â?[/b] He replied flashing a pack of cigarettes and lighter. Mickey nodded patting Lucas on the shoulder and proceeded into the store. Lucas opened the back on the ambulance and sat down with a grunt. He lit his cigarette and took his first drag before a car pulled into the parking lot. It parked in the parking spot behind the ambulance, its headlights trained on Lucas. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes. The car's engine and lights cut off and a man stepped out. He had close cut hair and a decent amount of stubble that made it look like he hadn't slept in days. He walked slowly toward Lucas, hands in his pockets. [b]â??Hey Alex.â?[/b] Lucas greeted nonchalantly in between puffs, waving his hand. [b]â??Lucas.â? [/b]He replied with a nod. [b]â??How have you been?â?[/b] [b]â??Pretty well, yourself?â?[/b] [b]â??Iâ??ve been better,â?[/b] Alex crossed his arms. [b]â??You arenâ??t surprised or worried about seeing me?â? [/b] [b]â??If you want to kill me there isnâ??t really much I can do about it, I am unarmed and you can crush me to a pulp with relative ease.â?[/b] Lucas took a long drag and let it out slowly.[b] â??Besides, Second Sight didnâ??t send you.â?[/b] Alex paused for a moment, and then put his hands back in his pockets. [b]â??So you already know your situation then?â?[/b] [b]â??Yep, I died in the explosion at the hotel, and that is how I would like to keep it.â? [/b]Lucas replied sharply. He flicked what was left of his cigarette on the ground and stomped it out violently. [b]â??I love these get-togethers and all, but I am still on my shift.â?[/b] He turned and shut the doors of the ambulance. [b] â??I am getting the members of Part One together. We could use your skills.â?[/b] [b]â??Iâ??ll pass on the high school reunion, thanks.â?[/b] [b] â??We are going to take on Second Sight. Get our lives back.â?[/b] Lucas turned back to Alex. [b]â??I have a life.â?[/b] He gestured to the ambulance. [b]â??They donâ??t bother me, why should I risk myself for you guys?â?[/b] Alex took a step toward Lucas. [b]â??This isnâ??t a life, it is a facade and you know it!â?[/b] He barked pointing a finger at Lucas. [b]â??You live a fake life, in a two bit job that you are overqualified for. No matter how many times you reassure yourself that they arenâ??t after you, you still walk softly and look over your shoulder on every other step.â?[/b] Alex took another step forward, making Lucas back up a step. [b]â??We can offer you a real life, we can offer you your freedom.â?[/b] Lucas stared at Alex for a while. They both sat in complete silence. Alex then let out a heavy sigh in frustration, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose. [b]â??Lucas, if you want to live this fake life, with a fake name, and a fake career, then donâ??t let me interrupt. But if you want to return to what you had, join us.â?[/b] He paused for a reply and let out another sigh. He turned back to his car. [b]â??Good to see ya Lucas.â?[/b] Lucas froze. He gave up his old name, he went by Mark Alderman now. He worked at a local hospital as a paramedic when he probably knew more about medicine than most of the doctors employed there. He had a plain apartment on the edge of Miami that he paid way too much for. All he had in his apartment was his bed, an old sofa, his clothes and a TV, nothing else, nothing on the walls, no food in the pantry or the refrigerator, nothing. He had no friends, he had co-workers but outside of work he had nobody. He had secluded himself from everyone else. [b]â??Alex! Wait.â?[/b] Lucas called right before Alex got into his car. Alex looked up at him. [b]â??Do you really think we can do this, with just the few of us?â?[/b] Alex nodded. [b]"Then I'll do it."[/b] He pulled a pen and a notepad from his shirt pocket and wrote down his address. [b]â??Meet me at my apartment at six, I will be done with my shift by then and we can go from there.â?[/b] Alex nodded and smirked as he took the slip of paper with the address on it. He got into the car and drove off. Lucas sat in the parking lot and watched him go. [b] â??What did I just get myself into?â?[/b][/font][/size][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcus Posted June 5, 2010 Share Posted June 5, 2010 (edited) [font="Book Antiqua"][b]"Eff!"[/b] [i]Shift.[/i] [b]"*pant*"[/b] [i]Shift.[/i] [b]'Who".[/b] [i]Shift.[/i] [b]"Is."[/b] [i]Shift.[/i] [b]"This".[/b] [i]Shift.[/i] [b]"Guy?"[/b] Peter's body forcefully slammed into the ground, tired and spent from days of shifting. How did they find him here in Spain? In Spain, of all godforsaken places! His spanish was terrible; this should have been the very last place on the planet they would ever look for him. And just who the hell had they sent after him? He had shifted in all manners of erratic fashions, shifting long and then short and then long distances repeatedly. He had even shifted himself into the ocean for a bit, but to no avail. There was only ever one tracker who could tail him that well, and he was probably off somewhere blowing up suspicious looking folks with his MacGyver bombs. Peter chuckled to himself despite the situation, but quickly covered his mouth as he heard the wheezing and clunking of the car that had been following him the past couple of days. He quickly clenched clenched his eyelids and focused on moving from his current location on the Giralda of Cathedral of Seville to moving just about anywhere else. Unfortunately, all he could manage was to disassemble and reassemble his molecules. [b]"Damnit![/b]" He was just too panicked to shift away. To be honest, it had been painstakingly hard to shift this far, which was unusual for him. Ever since this game of cat and mouse began, he'd felt like there was some invisible hand on his shoulder, never letting go. It was a familiar feeling, but that frightened him-- familiar usually linked back to Second Sight. He had pressed on vehemently, despite the feeling, afraid that it was merely the workings of a particularly skilled Thinker. But what did it matter now? He was exhausted and he couldn't think enough to escape from his predator any longer. The fact of the matter was he was just tired of running. [i]Maybe this soldier can kill me[/i], he thought as the door slammed close on the ground below him. He sighed and closed his eyes again. [b]"But he's going to have to work for this one."[/b] He concentrated on the ground below and shifted next to his assailant, trench knives at the ready. Before he could make a movement, however, he was hit with a blast of concussive force. [i]A pusher[/i], he thought to himself as he hit the car and crumpled down onto the floor. Defeated, he laid motionless on the ground as the Pusher sauntered towards him. The Pusher growled and spoke into his cellphone with an extraordinarily familiar voice. [b]"Yah, I caught him Kain."[/b] Peter opened one eye up in surprise and stared at his 'assailant'. [b]"Alex?[/b]" He watched as an irritated smile tugged at the corners of the man's lips. Excited, Peter attempted to jump up and embrace his friend, but could only flail around weakly. Alex laughed and grabbed his friend's arms, hoisting him up and leaning him against the car. He shook his head and slouched next to him. [b]"A week. A whole week devoted to catching you. If it weren't for that push I gave you right then, we would not be on speaking terms."[/b] Peter laughed and shrugged, although both actions caused him to wince in pain, which subsequently just caused him to laugh harder. He wasn't sure if he way giddy because his life wasn't about to end, or if he was giddy because for the first time in roughly a year he was with someone he trusted fully. Having regained a little bit of strength, Peter levied himself against the car and stood up so he could face Alex. [b]"You look almost the same... Save for the stubble."[/b] He managed to get out after a few seconds of deliberation. Alex scratched his chin and replied nonchalantly. [b]"Yeah well, I've been busy these past couple days, if you hadn't noticed."[/b] Peter put his hands up, admitting his fault in that matter. [b]"What can I say, you didn't exactly let me know it was you."[/b] [b]"Had to make sure you were still sharp. Didn't expect you to be a week's worth of shifting sharp, though. Sometimes I forget that you use yours a little more readily then the rest of us do."[/b] Alex's last couple of words caused Peter to teeter slightly. He blinked a couple of times and responded incredulously. [b]"The rest of us? Are you telling me the others are with you?"[/b] Alex shook his head and responded. [b]"Not everyone. I haven't gone to get Patrick yet. I figured you could make the trip to see him a bit easier."[/b] Peter took in a deep breath and exhaled sharply. Alex was gathering the team together. And they had all said yes. Well, Patrick hadn't yet, but the Seer knows all; he was probably watching himself right now say yes in the near future. Peter's head spun again, and he had to lean against the car once more. Alex, concerned, opened the driver's door and helped Peter sit down, then crouched down in front of his friend so that they were eye level. [b]"I know what you were thinking just a while ago. The way you came at me said everything. You were hoping to die. You're tired of this running nonsense, aren't--"[/b] [b]"Of course I'm in, Alex."[/b] Peter interjected quickly, startling Alex. Alex grimaced and shoved his hands into his pockets. [b]"Did I rush that? Or was my tone off?" [/b]Peter laughed and waived his hand. "[b]No, no, your delivery was great. I could tell you had practiced. But you don't have to sell me. If anyone else had come to see me, I might have needed the pep talk. I know we shifters have a rep as being dishonest, so for you to want me back in regardless..."[/b] Peter swiveled around in his seat, resting his foot on the gas pedal. He motioned to the seat next to him and grinned. [b]"Find out where Mr. Bellamy is. I'll get us there in a jiff."[/b] Alex scoffed and shut Peter's door, then pulled out his phone and called Kain back as he walked over to the passenger's seat. No more than thirty seconds later the car shook slightly and then disappeared altogether.[/font] Edited June 6, 2010 by The 10th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLarge Posted June 7, 2010 Author Share Posted June 7, 2010 [size="2"][font="Lucida Sans Unicode"]The car reappeared with a burst of air, in the middle of a barren field, a few wiry shrubs poking out of the dust at various places. The dust that the reappearance threw up settled around the now-filthy car, and the drivers' side door creaked open. Alex stumbled out, breathing heavily, feeling a little nauseous. [b]"I'd forgotten what that feels like,"[/b] he groaned, leaning on the front of the car with both hands and taking a few deep breaths. Peter jumped out of the car, looking much healthier and happier than his friend. [b]"Yeah, it's a bit tricky if you haven't done it for a while,"[/b] Peter replied, patting his friend on the back, [b]"Besides, I think I may have misjudged things slightly. This doesn't look right."[/b] Alex looked around, the feeling of nausea slowly disappearing as he breathed deeply. There was nothing around for miles, except a cloud of dust a few miles away and getting closer. He shaded his eyes from the sun with a hand and squinted towards the billowing cloud, seeing vague shapes within it. [b]"Peter!"[/b] Alex called, and Peter came around the car to stand next to him, [b]"What does that look like to you?"[/b] [b]"Hard to tell,"[/b] replied Peter, squinting, [b]"But it's a little too much of a coincidence for my money."[/b] [b]"Second Sight,"[/b] whispered Alex, [b]"They must have a Tracker with them, and a good one at that. They'll keep finding us if we don't do anything, so fancy sending them a message?"[/b] [b]"Fancy it? I'd thoroughly enjoy it,"[/b] replied Peter, flexing his knuckles. --- [b]"Target vehicle sighted,"[/b] the soldier in the passenger seat of the lead hummvee said into the radio clipped to his chest, [b]"No sign of hostiles, suggest they have abandoned the vehicle."[/b] [b]"Where are those fuckers?"[/b] spat the driver, squinting into the distance. [b]"Language, boys, please,"[/b] responded an unfamiliar voice from the back of the vehicle. The two soldiers in the front turned around to see Peter casually reclining on the back seat, aiming his pistol towards the front seats. The soldier in the passenger seat panicked and fumbled for his rifle, but before he could grab it properly there was a bullet in his throat, sending blood splattering across the windscreen. The driver swerved, slamming his foot on the brake, then immediately turning to face...nothing. --- Alex stood directly in the path of the two hummvees, unarmed but unafraid. He watched as Peter worked his magic, teleporting the two soldiers from the backseat of the front vehicle onto the side of the road. With a flick of the wrist, Alex threw one of them hard into the other, knocking both soldiers out cold. A blood splatter covered the windscreen of the lead hummvee, causing the driver to swerve off the dirt road as Peter reappeared at Alex's side, firing two shots into the front wheels of the vehicle. [b]"My turn,"[/b] said Alex with a grim smile, facing down the second hummvee. He briefly saw a glimpse of the driver's face as he hurled a telekinetic pulse upwards from the front of the vehicle, flipping it end over end. Alex ran up to the overturned vehicle and yanked the drivers' side door off it's hinges with a thrust of his hand, and dragged the driver out by the scruff of his neck, hauling the bruised and bloodied soldier to his feet and slamming him against the side of the vehicle. [b]"Where is he?"[/b] he snarled into the soldier's face. [b]"Wh...who?"[/b] spluttered the soldier through a mouthful of blood and teeth. Alex angrily slammed the man back against the side of the hummvee. [b]"The Tracker! Where is he?"[/b] The soldier shook his head, and Alex hurled the man away, sending him skidding across the ground, coming to rest at Peter's feet. Alex looked into the vehicle, and saw a bloodied but angry man attempting to crawl out of the door on the other side. Alex reached in and grabbed him by the ankle, dragging him out of the wreckage, and landing a punch into the Tracker's face. He hauled him to his feet and looked into his eyes. Blood was running from the Tracker's nose, and a deep gash across his forehead, and bruises covered his face. [b]"Not looking too happy there, fella,"[/b] said Peter, appearing at Alex's side, leaving the bloody scene of destruction he had created behind him, [b]"Is there some kind of problem here?"[/b] [b]"You...you won't get away. We can find you wherever you go..."[/b] the Tracker spluttered. [b]"We're not trying to get away,"[/b] replied Alex, [b]"We're coming for you, and we're coming for you hard. Why don't you take that back to your superiors?"[/b] Alex let go of the Tracker's jacket, and turned to head back to the car, with Peter following him. [b]"You really think you can take Second Sight down?"[/b] shouted the soldier, [b]"We can destroy you!"[/b] [b]"I was hoping he'd say that,"[/b] murmured Alex, not looking back. He nodded to Peter, who turned and fired a single shot into the Tracker's stomach, knocking him bleeding to the floor. It wouldn't kill him for a while, but there was no way he was getting back to any kind of civilisation before he bled out. Alex gestured, raising the radios from each soldier in the convoy from his belt, and with a clench of his fist, crushed them all. [b]"Let's go find Patrick,"[/b] he said to Peter as they got in the car, and Peter nodded. A moment later the car vanished once again. --- This is just a little filler to keep the flow going until Darren has a chance to post. Loving the posts so far, people![/font][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darth Vectis Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 [font="Arial Narrow"][b]â??Youâ??re sure youâ??ve got the right location?â?[/b] Kain said as he raised from his chair looking around again, his eyes flashing between several different visions to make sure they were safe as they penetrated the walls of the â??Safe houseâ??. It was always nerve wracking to be near people, especially ones that he didnâ??t know. His distress grew when in an environment he didnâ??t have rigged to explode on a momentâ??s notice. He never reached the point where he wanted to draw a knife, but came close to just curling up in a corner and hide from the world. Alexâ??s voice rang from the headset Kain had on. [b] â??Of course Kain, it will all be fine. Just take your time and focus, Iâ??m confident in your abilities.â?[/b] Kain nodded and felt a new confidence; no matter how limited it was, swell inside of him. He sat back down again and went over the digital map they had left over from their days in Second Sight. It had been thoroughly checked several times for tracers and bugs. It helped Kain pinpoint the other quickly; Peter had been an issue because he liked to jump a lot. But, it wasnâ??t a big problem since Kain was one of the few who could firmly follow shifters that advance in their abilities. Alex had followed him for some time now, but, jumping that much tired out anyone trying to escape. He heard and audible beep from the headset, that usually meant he had at least gotten the target (in this case the elusive Shifter of Part one) to within his pushing range. Kain tapped the side of his head set and then spoke as he looked around one more time. [b] â??You catch up to Peter this time?â? â??Yah, I caught him Kain.â?[/b] Kain let out and audible sigh and he slid down the chair until his lower half was just hanging off the seat. He could hear Alexâ??s responses to what Peter was saying, and then started to go over his map. The others had already arrived to the safe house; many of them just sat around bored, finding entertainment any way they could, trying to pass the time or sleeping off their jet lag. He scoped through the map quickly, already knowing where his next target was as he pinpointed his exact location in the great big world they were in. When he hit the area he knew to look, he zoomed into the spot with a few touches on the panel the map projected from and was focused into his exact spot. The final one they were looking for, the Seer. Patrick Bellamy always unnerved Kain when it came to his powers, came close to making Kain feel useless but not quite. He wondered if the Seer already knew that Alex was going to confront him, and that Kain was sitting at his table right now looking down at him on the digital map. Another beep came from his headset and he tapped the button and Alex voice came through again. Kain quickly relayed the next and final location they would have to travel to pick up Patrick, with Peter there now; it would go by much faster now. With that taken care of, Kain set his headset down and then stood up from his chair. He stretched for a moment and scratched his beard; he pulled down his beanie and then scurried from the room. Opening the door carefully and then closing it gingerly so as to make no noise, he grabbed the bookcase beside the door and pushed it in front of door. These were all unnecessary precautions, but one could never be too careful about these things. After walking to the doorway that lead to the stairs that went from the basement, that he resided in, to the main floor, he set up his usual traps and devices that made this a nightmare for anyone not paying attention to the assortment of string and fishing line all about. After he finished setting them up, the closed the door and then darted up the stairs and dodge rolled to the next doorway and he peaked out to determine who he could see from his vantage point. He saw no one in the living room, he recalled that timothy had gone up to his â??roomâ?? to rest from using his powers when he was meeting Alex, and the trip over here didnâ??t help much. He quickly moved from one doorway to the next, rolling over the couch and pressing his back up against the wall before creeping across until he looked around the corner to see both Natalie and Lucas in the kitchen. She was sitting at the table, flicking her lighter on then moving the fire around and moving it between her fingers. Lucas was standing in front of the fridge, drinking some orange juice from the carton. In a flash, Kain had two knives drawn and thrown, one passing through the sleeve of his shirt, shocking Lucas enough to release his grip on the juice as the other knife conveniently sticking into the refrigerator underneath the orange juice container. Kain had rolled and stood in a half crouch as Lucas looked down at him with one eyebrow raised. Kain pulled the knife from his sleeve and looked Lucas dead in the eye as he sheathed the knife. [b] â??Donâ??t drink from the carton.â?[/b] He said plainly as he grabbed the carton and pulled out the other knife, sheathing it then placing the carton back into the fridge. He rowdy ran away from the scene, Lucas looking irritated and slightly confused from the whole ordeal as he watched Kain leave the room. Natalie hardly noticed, the boredom seemed to be getting to her as she played with the fire nonchalantly. Kain returned quickly, this time, unleashing a quick spray from a fire extinguish at Natalieâ??s hands. She yelped from the surprise and turned on Kain with venom in her eyes. [b] â??Theyâ??ll see the fire through the walls; the thermal sensors will find it.â?[/b] Natalie rose hastily from her seat, her hands slamming down on the table. [b] â??You idiot! They would see our body heat before my small fire.â?[/b] Kainâ??s eyes shifted as he looked around quickly then back to her. [b] â??Maybe yours. My clothes are insulated; they have to work harder to find me.â?[/b] She suddenly charge him and he squealed, a slight giggle following it as he turned and booked it. Turning occasionally to spray Natalie to prevent her from setting him ablaze; this, however, seemed to just enrage her more as he did his best to out run her. Meanwhile, Lucas had reached back into the fridge and withdrew the orange juice carton and began drinking again. Enjoying the show this time around as he took deep gulps with every pass they made.[/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMNOMNOMALY Posted June 16, 2010 Share Posted June 16, 2010 [font="Garamond"][b]"It's fine! The last they heard of me was Barcelona. They're not going to be expecting me here! Christ, Kain... I'm housebound! Just let me go, I won't be more than 10 minutes, there's that little place on the corne-" [/b] [b]"No. You can't. Absolutely not. You heard what Alex said. Nobody leaves. Not til we're all together. Not til we have a plan.[/b]" Kain shifted uneasily, refusing to make eye contact with her, as her own eyes drilled into him [b]"I'm not scared. I can take care of myself."[/b] Natalie countered, almost whiney. [b]"I know that."[/b] Kain answered, matter-of-factly. [b]"Then what is your problem?!"[/b] her voice rose, now edged with anger. [b]"You should be."[/b] Came another voice. A hand rested gently on her back. [b]"Lucas..."[/b] Natalie began, preparing another argument. [b]"Natalie. Look. We all get it. We know you're on edge. It's not exactly hard to tell with you..."[/b] he gruffly chuckled, before continuing, [b]"We all are, really. Look at our situation. But sit tight. Alex will be back soon. I'm sure of it.[/b]" he finished. Natalie raised her hands, palms out in defeat. [b]"Yeah fine, alright. Whatever. You win."[/b] She lightly shook Lucas' hand off her shoulder, still clearly irritated but quelled for now. As she headed to the living room, she stopped in front of Kain for a moment, and jabbed her finger into his chest. He jumped and quickly stepped back and away from her. [b]"And you,"[/b] she started[b] "You owe me a new lighter."[/b] he gulped but said nothing. Sometimes with Natalie, silence tended to be the best course of action. [b]"Jackass."[/b] She added, before storming off, leaving the two men. Natalie knocked into Timothy on her way out of the kitchen, not even pausing to apologize. Timothy stopped in the doorway to turn his head to look back at her, before shaking his head and yawning, having just woken up. [b]"Still rude as ever."[/b] he observed. [b]"Still terrifyingly angry as ever..."[/b] Kain replied. [b]"isn't it nice that some things never change?"[/b] Lucas smirked, leaning against the counter. [b]"As long as she's still useful to the team, I suppose that it is a good thing that she is here."[/b] Timothy said, thoughtfully. [b]"Factoring her abilities in, on the combat side of things, she does improve our chances of success in this suicidal mission of ours."[/b] Kain and Lucas both nodded. The three men stood in the kitchen in silence now, all lost in thought about the completely insane mission that they had agreed to take part in. [b]"Have you heard from Alex, yet? Have he and Peter found Patrick?[/b]" Lucas broke the quiet after a few moments. Kain shook his head. [b]"They're closing in on him, but for a Seer, he's as difficult to find as a Shifter these days."[/b] Kain said, pacing the kitchen nervously, eyes flicking this way and that. [b]"Maybe he doesn't want to be found just yet."[/b] Timothy responded as he opened the fridge, looking for something to eat. ------------------------ [b]"Asshole..."[/b] Natalie muttered, flicking a lingering piece of fire extinguisher foam out of her hair. Natalie now sat in the darkened living room of the safe house, flung haphazardly backwards over an old, overstuffed easy chair, her legs dangling over the back, her head resting where her bum should sit. She folded her arms back under her neck as support, and stared up at the ceiling, tracing the cracks with her mind, counting the spots where paint had chipped off. Her favourite lighter had been ruined by the fire extinguisher in the mini-altercation in the kitchen with Kain, and hence so was her only form of entertainment. She sighed, her eyebrows knit together in annoyance. Natalie sighed again, and blew a strand of hair out of her face, before cracking her knuckles. [i]'How I could go for punching something right now...'[/i] [b]"Hurry up, Alex."[/b] [/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darren Posted June 17, 2010 Share Posted June 17, 2010 (edited) [size="1"]It was late. Patrick sat in the booth at the far back of a small diner in New York, sipping a cup of coffee that he'd used the last of his money to buy. Patrick hated coffee, but it had become necessary in order to stay awake as long as his precognitive abilities required. And ever since Second Sight's most recent attempt to kill him, his powers had been pulling double-time. Since the two weeks that Second Sight had tried to kill him, Patrick had run through all of his clean clothes and what he wore currently (a pair of dirty, mud stained cargo pants and a ragged shirt) didn't exactly give people a sense of ease when they were near him. Especially with his strange mannerisms and the unhealthy obsession he had with his Bible. Not to mention the smell that came from not being able to take regular showers. He jotted a couple of extra notes and circled a passage in the tattered book before replacing the bookmark and carefully closing the book and returning to his coffee. He looked at his watch. The sun would set pretty soon, but not until after Alex showed up. Sometimes, Patrick hated his visions and how often they were correct. Sometimes things were vague, but the outcome was always right. That is, if he actually predicted an event before it happened. And Patrick knew that Alex was going to show up at this diner in about 30 seconds. He would sit at the booth opposite Patrick, open that morning's paper, order a coffee, and then speak. Patrick didn't really want to play games that long and as Alex entered the diner and moved to sit at the exact booth Patrick knew he would pick, the seer raised his hand and motioned for his old team leader. [b]"Don't bother. I've already seen that future and it's pretty boring. Not much point to it. Have a seat, Alex. You've been looking for me."[/b] Alex sat down and waited for the waitress to take his order (a coffee) before he began speaking nonchalantly. [b]"You knew."[/b] He said. It definitely wasn't a question, as Alex was one of the few people in the world who know just how effective the seer's powers were. Patrick didn't need to answer. He waited for the waitress to return and leave again before he spoke. [b]"Have you watched the news lately?"[/b] [b]"Been a little busy hunting a shifter."[/b] he replied. [b]"So you found Peter already?"[/b] [b]"Actually,"[/b] Alex said, [b]"You're the last one, but I bet you knew that. Why didn't you just come to us?"[/b] [b]"I did. You're in New York aren't you? You didn't have to hunt very far for me.[/b] Patrick took another sip of coffee and opened his Bible to the same passage that he had just circled earlier. [b]"The reason I didn't come to you earlier was because I saw that we met here, on this day, just before sunset."[/b] [b]"Can't argue with that."[/b] Alex conceded. [b]"Right, well...[/b] There was an awkward silence between the two. Alex knew that Patrick was about to give a little insight into what the group's future was. [b]"Second Sight tried to kill me two weeks ago in Chicago. Apparently it was all over the news, but the news has never really interested me. I just know a woman is going to ask me if I'm the man she saw on TV about the apartment explosion."[/b] Patrick shrugged and took another sip of his coffee. [b]"I didn't know if I was going to live."[/b] he continued. Alex nodded, knowing better than anyone else on the team the extent of Patrick's powers. [b]"But I did. And the second I escaped, I saw you and me sitting in this diner, having this conversation. But that's not all I saw and I figure that's probably why it took two weeks for us to find each other. Or maybe it's because you decided to find the others first."[/b] [b]"And why's that?"[/b] Alex was truly curious now. [b]"After the vision of this moment, I began dreaming about all the members and let me tell you, it doesn't take a seer to figure out what you were planning just from the glimpses of future I saw."[/b] Patrick lowered his sunglasses to make eye contact with his former [and soon to be] comrade. [b]"I really had to study this damn book,"[/b] he said, pointing to his Bible, [b]"And make all the connections before I came to meet you. And just this morning, I figured it out. I know what's going to happen and that's why my initial vision said our meeting would be today. We both had other things to do before we were ready to meet."[/b] [b]"And what's the verdict?"[/b] Alex asked. Patrick pointed to the verse in his bible. Of course Alex wouldn't be able to decipher it, but he looked at it just the same. It was so marked up he couldn't even tell what the passage was supposed to be other than it being in the book of John [b]"You're going to fail. We're all going to die."[/b] The waitress behind the counter stopped. She must have heard something, but when Patrick slowly turned to look at her, she turned away quickly, making herself busy. There was an awkward silence again as Alex processed the information, he opened his mouth to ask if Patrick was sure, but the seer stopped him and nodded his head. [b]"I'm sure. Some of the details are still fuzzy, like what's going to happen in the days preceding the fight, but I know that you die first. Then Lucas. Then me. It suppose it makes sense to take out the leader first. And then the stitcher and the seer."[/b] [b]"So how do you know we all die?"[/b] Alex asked, [b]"Wouldn't your vision end there?"[/b] [b]"It does, but that's why my ability is so much more effective than regular sketchers. I just had to do a bit of studying and I saw that all of us die, I just don't know in what order after me. But it will all happen pretty much at the same time. It's going to be a slaughter and I bet their seers have already seen it."[/b] [b]"Timothy seems to think we have a pretty good chance."[/b] Alex said. [b]"Timothy's wrong, Alex."[/b] he said dryly [b]"Then why even show up here?"[/b] Alex demanded. [b]"Why don't you just leave and use your abilities to stay ahead of the game. You're better suited for running than the rest of us."[/b] Alex didn't mean for it to come out like that, but it was to be expected; Patrick just told him he was going to die. [b]"I came because I thought I should warn you."[/b] They both took another drink from their coffee and waited as the waitress came to refill both their cups. She had a curious look on her face, but the two men dismissed her quickly so Patrick could continue. [b]"And you know me, I like to be the one to change my own future."[/b] A smirk appeared on Alex's face. [b]"So you are joining us?"[/b] [b]"Obviously. I was in the vision wasn't I? Besides, I figure I can tell you what the current state of our future is so we can try to avoid it until we're ready to face Second Sight. But I'm telling you that if we go in right now, we're all dead. Remember that."[/b] The two men shook hands and Alex left money to cover the bill and a tip. Then they both exited the diner just as the sun had completely disappeared beyond the horizon, casting a pink glow over the sky. Patrick had all of his stuff tucked into the bag over his shoulder and stopped for a moment to watch the sunset. [b]"Excuse me."[/b] an older woman had walked around the corner, heading toward the diner's front door. [b]"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?"[/b] Patrick glanced at Alex who also seemed to know what she was going to ask next. [b]"Weren't you the young man whose picture was on the news for that terrible accident in Chicago?"[/b] [i]I hate being right sometimes,[/i] he thought. [b]"No, ma'am. I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else."[/b] Then the two turned and left. Patrick took the lead. He already knew where Alex was taking him and he was desperate to take a shower and maybe sleep for the first time in a few days.[/size] Edited June 17, 2010 by Darren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLarge Posted June 17, 2010 Author Share Posted June 17, 2010 (edited) [size="2"][font="Lucida Sans Unicode"]The drive back to the temporary safehouse was short, but Alex was feeling uneasy the whole time: being told you're going to die will do that to a man. Patrick sat in relative silence, occasionally flipping open his Bible and scribbling something on the pages, and Alex's thoughts couldn't help but linger on what the Seer had told him. Often, the best way to deal with a Seer's bad news was to ignore it, push it to the back of your mind and not dwell on it. But Patrick's visions had never been quite as morbid as this one, or at the very least he chose not to share them if they had been. [b]"One thing's been bugging me,"[/b] said Patrick, out of nowhere. Alex was snapped out of his daze, blinked a few times and looked to his comrade. [b]"What's that?"[/b] he replied, fearing he knew the answer to his own question. [b]"I don't normally look back. Doesn't seem much point when I can see what's coming, but I've been thinking about Siberia,"[/b] he said. Alex shuddered a little with the memory of what happened in the frozen wastelands of the Altai Mountains, but tried to forget it for the sake of his friend. [b]"You're wondering how they managed to attack us. How they got around your visions, blocked you from seeing that particular moment of the future,"[/b] said Alex, then, seeing Patrick's raised eyebrow, added [b]"You don't need to be a Seer or a Thinker to work that out. It's the one detail I can't figure out, and the one thing which concerns me about what we're going to do."[/b] [b]"The one thing?" "The main thing, then,"[/b] replied Alex with a small laugh, [b]"Hang on, we're almost there."[/b] Alex pulled the car up outside a modest suburban house, opened the door and got out, with Patrick following him up to the house, and around the side to the back door. He unlocked the door with his key, pulled the handle down and pushed the door open, only to be greeted with a handgun pointed directly into his face. [b]"It's just us, Lucas,"[/b] he said, holding his hands up in the universal gesture of peace. [b]"Prove it,"[/b] said Lucas, maintaining his aim. Alex sighed, rolled his eyes and flicked his hand in a beckoning gesture. The weapon flew out of Lucas' hand and into his, at which point he placed it down on the kitchen counter, then returned his hands to their previous position. [b]"Proof enough?"[/b] he asked, and Lucas nodded, moving to one side to allow him into the kitchen. Alex moved through the kitchen and into the hall as Patrick shoook hands with his team-mates. Natalie emerged from the living room and looked down into the kitchen. [b]"You found him, then?"[/b] she asked, and Alex nodded, [b]"Where's Peter?"[/b] [b]"He's gone on ahead. Grab your stuff, we're moving out as soon as we have everything we need,"[/b] he said, heading up the stairs. [b]"Moving out? Where are we going?"[/b] [b]"Come on, Natalie. You didn't think we were going to stay in a house, did you? I've got somewhere a little bit safer than this."[/b] He smiled, and ran up the stairs to gather his things. --- Fifteen minutes later, the six of them were gathered in the kitchen, their bags packed and their weapons ready. Alex looked at his watch, tapping it a couple of times and then looking up as Peter materialized in the room with a rush of air. [b]"Hello, shiny happy people,"[/b] he said, a wide grin across his face, [b]"Are we ready for Chiasmus travel?"[/b] [b]"Get on with it, Peter,"[/b] sighed Natalie, grabbing onto his shoulder with one hand while holding her black carry-on bag in the other. The others grabbed onto him, and a moment later they materialized in a new location. The group broke apart, each of them feeling a little dazed other than Peter, and took a moment for themselves before looking at their surroundings. They were in a large, circular room, the ceiling maybe eight stories above them. The complex was entirely windowless, lit entirely by electric lights placed at various points around the concrete walls. A slender central column rose to around ten feet from the floor, with computer consoles attached to the column. A large bank of monitors covered one wall, showing news footage, tracking programmes and other information sources, and a metal spiral staircase led up to a second level made up of a small kitchen and several rooms with sliding doors. The group looked around their new location, apparently impressed by their surroundings. [b]"Welcome to the Hub,"[/b] said Alex with a smile, [b]"As you can see, I've been pretty busy for the past year. You each have a room and a separate bathroom upstairs, there's a shooting range and a gym downstairs, holding cells and interrogation rooms in the basement, a kitchen, a recreation room, and right now you're standing in the Information Centre. We have links to all major television and internet news networks, as well as direct secure lines to almost every world government and security agency. I've had an independent Tracker and a Thinker in to set up a psychic field around this place to make sure that as long as we're here, Second Sight can't find us, however, Kain and Timothy, if you wish then please feel free to add your own special touches to this field, I want it as strong as possible."[/b] [b]"This is impressive, Alex,"[/b] said Timothy, [b]"However, I will take you up on your offer and attempt to improve the psychic protection. Our chances of survival will be much greater if we cannot be found."[/b] [b]"Absolutely,"[/b] replied Alex, slapping him on the shoulder, and heading up the spiral staircase to his office. Once inside, he looked through the large window down at his team making themselves very much at home. He smiled, but the niggling feeling of doubt at the back of his mind was beginning to grow... --- Have fun exploring your new surroundings! Also, the Backstage thread is now up for any questions, comments or discussion you may have - just [url="http://www.otakuboards.com/index.php?/topic/44403-the-hub-second-sight-backstage/"][b]click here[/b][/url][/font][/size] Edited June 17, 2010 by DeLarge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcus Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 (edited) [font="Book Antiqua"]Peter grinned and jammed his hands into his pockets. The overwhelming presence of â??The Hubâ?? was still striking to him, despite having already been here once before. How Alex could have found the time to create this monstrously large base of operations, while recruiting another Thinker and Tracker and running away from Second Sight agents was incomprehensible. All Peter had accomplished in the last year was robbing a few banks and losing his favorite shadesâ??although to be fair he had recovered them a couple months later from a particularly crafty Tracker who had stolen them to hunt Peter down. He chuckled to himself, which caused Kain to flinch next to him. Peter rolled his eyes in response and patted Kain on the shoulder, which caused him to flinch again. [b]â??Relaxâ?[/b], was all Kain and the others heard from Peter before he had disappeared again. Peter couldnâ??t help but grin wider as he rematerialized; even having shifted to his room upstairs, he could hear Kain yelp with surprise crystal clearly. He quickly reached for his fedora atop his pillow, and then reached under it to pull out his two handguns. He took a moment to adjust his fedora, then shifted back downstairs. Unluckily for him, the startled Kain was on high alert now, so when Peter reappeared he was forced to quickly dodge the two knives Kain instinctively discharged. Luckily for him, he was expecting some sort of assault on his person, so he managed to fall onto his knees quickly to escape being punctured. Without missing a beat he shifted again, this time next to Natalie, and placed his arm on her shoulder. [b]â??Excuse me for being so bold, but you look a little on edge, Callahan. How about you accompany me to the shooting range to relieve some stress?â?[/b] Natalie shrugged Peterâ??s arm off and forcefully pushed him away from her. [b]â??In your dreams, Chiasmus.â?[/b] Peter raised an eyebrow quizzically, but quickly raised his hands up in defense when he realized what she had thought he was insinuating. [b]â??No, no, nothing like that, Nats,â?[/b] Peter could see Natalieâ??s eye twitch slightly in annoyance at his pet name for her, [b]â??I was simply under the impression that there would be something for you to set ablaze down thereâ?¦ Or at least something for you to fill full of lead and pretend itâ??s me.â?[/b] Natalie thought it over for a second and then smirked and scoffed in response, which Peter knew was Natalie for â??yeah sureâ??. He grinned and turned to the rest of the group. [b]â??Anyone else looking to practice a little sharpshooting feel free to come on down as well. See yâ??all in a bit!â?[/b] He tipped his hat with the end of his handgunâ??s barrel and then shifted away once more.[/font] [center]---[/center] [size="1"][b]OOC:[/b] I hope you don't mind the inclusion, mapthesoul., I just figured Natalie needed to get out that anger from Kain ruining her lighter. I also apologize for the relative shortness, but I was eager to post, haha.[/size] Edited June 18, 2010 by The 10th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Enemy Posted June 18, 2010 Share Posted June 18, 2010 Timothy looked around for a moment then closed his eyes, focusing on the phsychic barriers around the building and looking for ways to improve upon them. He found a couple holes here and there, patching them up was simple enough. He wanted to do something a little extra though, something to ensure they wouldn't be found. He cosidred layinga false vision on this place so any seers would see it as a second sight base of operations, but that ran the risk of a few soldiers coling in to 'check up' of the out of place base. He also considered setting up a trap, anyone using a seer or thinker to scan this lcation would be met with a counter wave of pain or some other debilitating effect, but that would immediately tip off SS to the location's true nature. Even the idea of a falsehood vision of an abandoned building ran the risk of Second Sight checking it just as a precaution seeing as the group was still on the run and might be desperate for a solid roof. The thought of making it sem like a busy local mall or rec. center or something crossed his mind aswell, alas the ammount of people inside coming and going but noone outside to be seen would be cause for alarm at SS aswell. It took about half an hour of Tim standing still in the room with his eyes closed to complete his final strategy. While his range wasn't infinite he could create traps for seers at least a few blocks away, more if he had been intimate with the location. So that was the plan he would pick a few strategically placed area's and rig them with seer traps. A few blocks from here there were 3 buildings in different directios that would appear to be housing the team, a few locations farther away would triger heavy headaches to any who tried to pierce Tim's blanket of darkness in store for seers and thinkers. A mall he frequented in his old town, an apartment building he lived at for about a month, anywhere Tim had been familiar enough with to create a solid connection. Once complete Tim opened his eyes and grinned, regardless of the throbbing headache he'd given himself with such use of his abilities. He reached into his pocket and took out bottle of pills, quickly popping off th topn and downing about four before closing the container and sipping it back into is pocket. He took his lasses off and pinched the bridge of his nose while waiting for the pills to kick in, as he went upstair to check out his room and the kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMNOMNOMALY Posted June 19, 2010 Share Posted June 19, 2010 (edited) [font="Garamond"]Natalie wasn't sure if she was offended or relieved that Peter had shifted on ahead of her to the shooting range downstairs. As much as she hated the feeling of shifting, she had to admit it was a rather useful power to have. She grinned and, placing both her hands behind her head, she strolled off in the direction of the stairs. [b]"Natalie...?"[/b] came a tentative call from Kain. [b]"What?"[/b] she snapped, without turning around. A pack of old matches whizzed by her head, dropping to the floor a few feet in front of her. [b]"I'm sorry... about your lighter. I found these in one of the kitchen cupboards of the other house. I hope that they're okay for now."[/b] Before he had even finished his sentence, Natalie had let out a cackle of glee and rushed forward to grab them. She held them in what could only be described as a hug. [b]"They're perfect! Thank you, Kain."[/b] her earlier anger had entirely dissipated, and now in front of them stood what could only be compared to a little kid on Christmas morning. [i]Fire! Fire fire fire.[/i] He didn't say anything in return, but took a step back as if fire might actually erupt from her at any moment. [b]"Be... careful?"[/b] he shouted after her, but she had long since forgotten he was even there, and had broken out in a skip to the stairs, far too excited about practicing. Alex and Lucas only laughed, Alex running a hand through his hair. Lucas gently clapped a hand on Kain's shoulder. Kain only minimally winced in response. [b]"C'mon, Kain. Let's go have a look around at our new home sweet home. Leave those silly kids to their devices."[/b] Kain didn't look overly convinced but he allowed himself to be led away. ******************************* Halfway down the steps, Natalie could already hear the crack of gunfire through the double doors ahead, her excitement only increasing with each step. In one hand were the matches, with her free hand she reached around her back to ensure her own gun was still tucked safely into the back of her jeans. She reached the doors and opened them, and without missing a beat lit a match as she entered the room. Immediately she pulled the fire from the match and held it across the tips of her fingers. She jammed the box of matches into her sweater pocket, before pulling it off and dropping it on the floor to allow better freedom of movement in her T-shirt. The flames grew stronger and brighter as she made her way across the small entrance room to the second set of doors. Behind these heavy metal doors, she could hear mechanical movement of targets punctuated with short blasts from Peter's handguns. She tore open the second set of doors, hardly able to contain herself. The room she entered was a giant octagonally shaped room with hundreds of compartments built into the ceiling, walls and floors, for different targets to come out from. There was a control panel to her right that would allow you to change the brightness of the room, to mimic daylight or night time, and another to change the frequency of target appearances. The targets themselves looked to be some sort of heavy duty plastic or wood people shaped cut outs. The shooting range appeared to be more of a high tech training facility, very similar to the ones of their Second Sight days. [b]"Nats!"[/b] Peter's head turned to her and grinned as he unloaded a clip into a target with incredible precision in the opposite direction from her. [b]"Welcome, welcome. Glad you could make it."[/b] He gestured grandly to the room. [b]"Make yourself comfortable, take a load off,"[/b] bullets whizzed by her head as he hit a target just behind her [b]"And have fun."[/b] he finished. [b]"Why thank you, kind sir."[/b] Natalie laughed, mimicked a small curtsy at him and then bailed to the floor without warning to shoot a fireball at a target that had appeared right by Peter [b]"Heads!"[/b] she shouted as the flame erupted from her hand and leapt towards him. He simply nodded and shifted away, reappearing immediately behind her just in time to watch the fireball explode into white and blue flame on impact. Peter whistled. [b]"Never get tired of seeing that."[/b] She nodded in agreement, [b]"It's even prettier when it hits real human flesh..."[/b] she replied wistfully as she stood up. [b]â??Gross.â?[/b] Peter chortled. [b]â??You would say that.â?[/b] [b]â??I like to think of myself as an artist.â?[/b] Natalie stuck her tongue out at him. [b]â??Hmmmâ?¦ you know what would be even more cool than this? Live fire practice.â?[/b] [b]â??Live fire engaged.â?[/b] Boomed an electronic voice from out of the loud speakers. [b]â??No shitâ?¦â?[/b] Peter tipped his hat back with one gun to scratch his head in amazement. Natalieâ??s eyes sparkled and the flames in her right hand burned brighter, stronger. The two stood in awe as several large guns descended from the ceiling, and the original targets disappeared into the floor, new ones re-emerging affixed with weapons. [b]"Hell. Yeah.â? [/b] [b]â??Alex sure has thought of everything, hasnâ??t he? Manâ?¦â?[/b] [b]â??Dude this is just like weâ??re the X-Men or something.â?[/b] [b]â??How old are you again?â? [/b]Peter feigned disbelief. [b]â??Oh shut up.â?[/b] Natalie went to punch him on the shoulder playfully, but as she was about to connect, he shifted so she lost her balance and fell over just in time for several bullets to pass through the air that she herself was just standing in. [b]â??Jesusâ?¦â?[/b] she exhaled, but she had no time to recover. [b]â??Wake up, Callahan!â?[/b] Peter shouted at her from across the room as he continually shot and shifted. [b]â??Wha-? Ack!â?[/b] she raised her hands and immediately a shield of fire was up, just in time to catch another barrage of bullets. She stood up, pushing the shield out all around her. [b]â??This is incredible!â?[/b] she shouted across to Peter, who was shifting even more furiously now as he reloaded, over the sounds of gunshot and roaring flames. [b]â??I agree.â?[/b] He was suddenly behind her within the small circle of fire, taking advantage of the cover it offered. [b]â??Now how do we turn it off?â?[/b] They both laughed, and Peter shifted away again to draw the targets to him, so that Natalie could attempt to take advantage of their distraction and unleash an offensive. [i]Just like old times.[/i] [b]ooc:[/b] I let my imagination run wild with this one =P DeLarge, hope my vision is synched up enough with yours, everyone else I hope you like the idea. The 10th, thanks for the excellent lead in! Feel free to let me know if you'd like me to change anything. [/font] Edited June 19, 2010 by mapthesoul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLarge Posted June 27, 2010 Author Share Posted June 27, 2010 [size="2"][font="Lucida Sans Unicode"] [b]"Disengage live fire!"[/b] shouted Alex, the machine guns ceasing fire and retracting into the ceiling of the training room at his words. He stepped onto the floor, his outdoor clothes replaced by a sleeveless black t-shirt, a pair of black combat trousers and scuffed boots. [b]"You're no fun, boss,"[/b] said Natalie, a little breathless as she extinguished the roaring flame she held in her hands. Peter materialised next to her and nodded in agreement. Alex smiled and moved further into the centre of the arena. [b]"If you can beat me, you can have the live fire back,"[/b] he replied, flexing his knuckles. [b]"Two against one? Little unfair, don't you think?"[/b] smirked Peter, twirling a pistol around his finger. [b]"Maybe,"[/b] replied Alex, [b]"Shall we get the rest of the team in here to help you two out? No guns, just abilities. First to draw blood wins."[/b] [b]"Sounds good to me,"[/b] said Natalie, a devilish look crossing her face, pulling her gun out of the back of her jeans, flicking the safety on and tossing the weapon to the side of the arena. Peter did the same, and Alex nodded. Natalie lit a match with a flick, then dropped the tiny ball of flame into the palm of her hand, where it grew exponentially until both her hands were engulfed in flames. A buzzer sounded, and Alex immediately flicked his hand and sent Natalie to the floor as Peter disappeared. He then rolled to avoid Peter's reappearance and first attack, his leg just missing Alex's face. Alex shot a hand out, but just missed the leg as Peter vanished again, and ducked immediately as a fireball flew past his head, so close that it singed a few of the hairs on the side of his head. The stench of burnt hair filled his nostrils as he moved, his legs suddenly disappearing from under him as Peter reappeared with a leg-sweep. He hit the ground hard, but reached a hand out and caught Peter the moment before he shifted again. The Shifter tumbled through the air and collided with his teammate as she prepared another fireball. Alex jumped to his feet, grabbed a crate from the other side of the arena and pulled it towards himself, letting it hover in the air in front of him. He felt a wave of heat on the other side as Natalie sent a cascade of flame at him, but it left him defenseless as Peter attacked him from behind again, knocking him to the floor and breaking his concentration, causing the crate to drop to the floor and shatter. [b]"Alright, let's finish this!"[/b] he said as he clambered to his feet again, running into the centre of the circle of broken wood, lifting each piece of wooden shrapnel from the floor to hover around him, then sent them flying outwards in every direction, Peter shifting to avoid the flying shards, and Natalie quickly forming a wall of flame in front of her, burning the small chunks down to ash as they collided. [b]"Clever, big man,"[/b] shouted Natalie with a slightly manic laugh, [b]"But not quite clever enough!"[/b] With a thrust of her hands, she sent the wall of flame towards Alex, who crouched and threw up a shield around himself, which protected him from the brunt of the damage, but the heat crept through the shield and caused Alex to grimace, in discomfort rather than pain. The flame eventually dissipated, and Peter appeared in front of the crouching Pusher, fist raised and ready to land the winning blow. As the fist came towards Alex, however, he moved out of the crouch with lightning reflexes, a previously-concealed shard of the wooden crate in his hand, and drew it quickly and sharply across Peter's knuckles, the sharp splinters scraping a layer of skin away and drawing blood. Not much, but enough blood for Alex to win. The buzzer sounded again, and Alex dropped his makeshift weapon and slapped Peter on the back. [b]"Better luck next time, rookies,"[/b] he gloated, [b]"Now get cleaned up. Meeting room, ten minutes."[/b] --- Ten minutes later, the ragtag team of soldiers were gathered in the meeting room, seated around a long table with Alex stood at the head, a bunch of folders in front of him. [b]"First of all, I appreciate you being here. We all want the same thing, and it means a lot that you're all by my side to make this happen. As you know, Second Sight is a multinational corporation, with headquarters in at least twelve major cities around the globe. There's no way we can take them all down at once, but their major base of operations is right here in New York City. If we can take them down, it will create a power vacuum and the possibility of the whole corporation tearing itself apart in a power struggle. I know risking your lives for a possibility seems insane, but the destruction of the entire corporation is a long-term goal. First, we need to take down the North American branch of Second Sight - we've discovered the location of their New York headquarters, and that's where we need to strike. However, we need to carry out some recon on it first, discover any security weaknesses and any other information we can get. Timothy, you'll be in charge of ensuring that you're not discovered. Kain and Patrick will go with you, I need you to create a convincing illusion around the three of you so you can infiltrate the building, and get into the security office. Try not to hurt anyone, but if you have to then you'll have to take the initiative. Just make sure you aren't caught, we can't afford to let them know how detailed our information is."[/b] He slid a folder over to Kain, who flipped it open and looked through the sheets of paper and photographs within. [b]"Is there any way to avoid their Seers?"[/b] he asked. [b]"Seers are going to be our main problem,"[/b] replied Alex, [b]"Second Sight have at least a dozen Seers working for them, but it takes time for them to correlate all the visions they have to create a totally accurate picture of the future. I'm telling you the plan at as late a stage as possible, and you're going to be going in quickly in order to minimise the amount of predictability around you. It's not going to be easy, but you have to think like a Seer, and try not to make decisions until the very last second. If they can predict the future, the only way to get around them is to be unpredictable. That's one of the main reasons Patrick is going with you - he can help you see as a Seer does."[/b] [b]"What about the rest of us?"[/b] asked Lucas, lighting up a cigarette and puffing away, the clouds of smoke being removed almost instantly by the Hub's efficient ventilation system. [b]"We have information that suggests a very important convoy will be arriving downtown tonight. Weapons and research,"[/b] he said, tossing another file over to the others, [b]"And with the amount of security surrounding it, we can bet it's something new, and something dangerous. It's due to arrive at a warehouse just outside Greenwich village at 2300 hours. We need to monitor it, and if we discover it's something dangerous, then we attack the convoy and destroy it. That's why I'm taking the heavy hitters with us: Peter, Natalie and Lucas, you'll be with me."[/b] [b]"What kind of security are we looking at?"[/b] asked Lucas, flicking some ash from the end of his cigarette into a glass ashtray placed in front of him. [b]"At least three armoured cars protecting a reinforced-steel truck which we believe contains the new weapon. Somewhere in the region of two dozen heavily armed footsoldiers and a number of armed and dangerous Psychs, too. At least one Seer, whom we can safely assume will have a retinue of at least a Thinker, a Pusher and a Stitcher. If we need to attack, we go for the Stitcher and the Seer simultaneously, that way they can't predict any of our other attacks, and they can't heal themselves. I realise there's a lot of uncertainty, but Second Sight are so damn cautious it's difficult to know exactly what to expect. There's a relatively low level of risk in these first assignments, but they'll pay off if we pull them off. At least for now, we have the element of surprise. They can't tell what's going on in here, so they can only See what we're actually going to do, not what we're planning. So we need to move as quickly and as unpredictably as possible, to keep them guessing. Go get ready, we need to be armed and ready for combat. We move out in five minutes."[/b] --- ooc: Alright, we're moving properly now. I'll be sending out individual messages to people to give some further information about the assignments in order for everything to synch up, but they won't be ready to send out until tomorrow. Hope you're all able to continue, hopefully this should be fun.[/font][/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.J. McKrafty Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 (edited) Smoke pooled around Lucasâ??s face as he exhaled his final pull from the cigarette. He stood with the others and they all filed out of the room to get their gear together for the mission ahead. Lucas quickened his pace through the complex. He fumbled into his pocket withdrawing a half crushed pack of cigarettes and drawing the last one out. He placed it in-between his lips and threw the empty pack in a trashcan as he passed by. [b]â??Thoseâ??ll kill you.â?[/b] Natalie chided as he fell into pace beside Lucas. [b]â??I never got married for a reason Nat, I donâ??t like being nagged.â?[/b] Lucas retorted pulling his lighter from his shirt pocket and snapping it open. [b]â??You would think someone with your knowledge of the human body would know what that could do to oneâ??s lungs. I know that would turn me off the junk.â?[/b] She said stepping ahead of him making him stop. [b]â??Nag, nag, nag,â? [/b]Lucas lit the cigarette and took a long pull. [b]â??Cancer doesnâ??t scare me.â? [/b] Lucas said through exhaled smoke for dramatics. [b]â??Hell, if I think hard enough I can stop the aging process in my body.â? [/b]Lucas winked and flipped the lighter at Natalie. [b]â??A lighter will suit you better in the mission than that book of matches. See you in five Callahan.â? [/b] [b]---[/b] After getting the proper gear on (I.E. boots, camo pants, and a t-shirt) he proceeded to arm himself. Lucas stepped into the armory by the firing range. The cold room had all white floors, ceiling and walls. Racks made of what looked to be brushed steel flanked either side, spanning the length of the wall. The room was separated into two aisles down the middle of the room with another standing rack. All of which were filled to the brim with ammunition, explosives, all around firepower and equipment one might need to take down their oppressive ex-employers. Lucas walked down one of the aisles scanning the racks. He stopped at a cabinet which he opened. Inside was an assortment of body armors that looked like they were meant for anything from civil disobedience, all the way to one of the suits that is meant to take an EOD explosion. After browsing for a moment Lucas decided that he wasnâ??t going to take a RPG rocket to the chest so he went for the lightweight tactical Kevlar vest. He strapped it on and set the straps so it fit snugly. He walked down the rows of weapons and grabbed what he thought would be useful. He grabbed an MP5 SMG, a compact single shot grenade launcher, and a supped-up M9 handgun. [b]â??Well someone is ready for war.â?[/b] Lucas cast a glance over his shoulder to see Alex meander into the armory. He wore his black military fatigues from the meeting but had gained a vest much like Lucasâ??s. Lucas smiled cracking open the barrel of the grenade launcher and loading a shell before snapping it shut and hefting it up to his shoulder. [b]â??I canâ??t blow things up with my mind like you. So I have to improvise.â?[/b] [b]â??Understandable. But the desert camo pants are a little conspicuous, donâ??t you think?â? [/b]Alex asked crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow. [b]â??I mean, for an urban operation.â?[/b] [b] â??I though they made me look more. . . [i]Soldiery[/i].â?[/b] Lucas replied gesturing to his legs. [b]â??That they do, come on. Everyone is about ready. Time to get going.â?[/b] Edited July 3, 2010 by P.J. McKrafty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMNOMNOMALY Posted July 3, 2010 Share Posted July 3, 2010 (edited) [font="Garamond"]Natalie sauntered into the room last, dressed entirely in black, her hair tucked up into a tuque so that only a few strands of light pink were visible. As everyone double and triple checked their equipment, Alex checked the supplies they were all choosing to bring. [b]"Any questions before we move out?"[/b] Natalie's hand shot up into the air, like a child waiting for permission to ask a question. Alex rolled his eyes dramatically before giving it. [b]"Callahan."[/b] [b]"Can I drive?"[/b] The colour from Kain's face drained and he physically looked as though he wanted to be sick, and the entire team groaned in unison. [b]"Oh [i]come[/i] on. I've been practicing!" [/b]She added in defense. [b]"It doesn't take a Seer to know what'll happen if [i]you[/i] drive..."[/b] Patrick chortled. [b]"Shut up, Patrick."[/b] Natalie barked at him. [b]"Children, please,"[/b] Alex closed his eyes and rubbed his temples [b]"No, Natalie, you can't, if not only because you don't know the area we're going to and your driving style... fun as it is, would attract some unwanted attention."[/b] [b]"I can shift us there in a jiffy, if you'd like, Alex."[/b] Peter offered. [b]"Thanks Peter, and any other day I'd take you up on that, but we need to drive so we can survey the area on our way in. We'll park relatively close, go into an abandoned building and from there we'll use your shifting to get to our vantage point."[/b] Peter nodded in understanding, Natalie half-pouted and half forgot she was supposed to be mad, and Lucas continued to determinedly puff the last dregs of his cigarette. Alex looked down at his watch and then back to the faces of his teammates. [b]"Well, everyone,"[/b] he smiled grimly [b]"If there are no further questions..."[/b] he shot a look at Natalie before continuing, [b]"It begins. We'll see you guys on the other side. Best of luck."[/b] Alex saluted Patrick, Kain and Timothy, before gesturing to the rest to follow him. They headed down one set of steps, and then another, into the bowels of the building where the garage was. As they entered the dark cement room lit harshly by bright white fluorescents, Natalie elbowed her way to the front of the pack next to Alex. [b]"Shotgun!"[/b] she bellowed. Peter laughed and shifted so he was sitting in the front seat, looking at her with a grin plastered on his face. Natalie stuck her tongue out as the group reached the vehicle and tore the door open. [b]"Nuh uh, cowboy. Shotgun is shotgun."[/b] she went to grab him by the jacket and toss him out but he quickly shifted to the backseat. [b]"Yeah yeah. Whatever, your majesty."[/b] [b]"Ha."[/b] Natalie got in and shut the door, smiling smugly. Alex adjusted all his mirrors, smiling at the back and forth banter between Natalie and Peter and glancing at Lucas' less than impressed face for a moment, before gripping the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. The atmosphere in the car became tense and serious, and they quieted down to look at Alex. Alex began to speak, but kept his eyes trained on the steering wheel. [b]"Peter. Lucas. Natalie. We've been through a lot together - we're like family. I never imagined having to do anything - having to ask any of you to do anything like this."[/b] He cleared his throat before continuing. [b]"But here I am, asking. Here you are, willing to put your lives on the line, again. You know that. I told you that." [/b]He suddenly looked up, making eye contact with all of them through the rear view mirror. [b]"Thank you. That's all I want to say."[/b] The air in the vehicle was now charged with a quiet intensity, and his words hung heavily in the air long after he'd finished speaking. [b]"We'd do it again, you know."[/b] Lucas said gruffly, after a moment. [b]"In a heartbeat, Alex."[/b] Natalie nodded. [b]â??Though if we can get it right the first time, it would be great if we didnâ??t have to repeat this insanity.â?[/b] Peter replied. Alex smiled at their responses. [b]â??Agreed, Peter. So letâ??s do it right. One shot. Everyone ready to go?â?[/b] They all checked that they had their weapons on them plus whatever else they might need. Natalie patted her left breast pocket lovingly, confirming that the new lighter that Lucas had gifted her was there. [b]â??Sir, yes sir.[/b]â? Natalie leaned back in the front seat and clicked her seatbelt into place, before tugging gently on each of her black gloves and cracking her knuckles. [b]â??Roger.â?[/b] Came Lucasâ?? confirmation, in unison with the clack of ammo being slid into a handgun. [b]â??You got it, Bossman.â?[/b] Peter called out as he also secured his seatbelt and checked his own guns for ammo. [b]â??Alright, then. Letâ??s do this.â?[/b] In one swift movement, Alex slid the gears of the old black sedan into Drive and they were on their way, the high tech Hub garageâ??s motion sensor detecting their movement and swinging the huge steel garage door open on itâ??s track. As the vehicle left the garage and began its descent up a steep and dark underground driveway, the four teammates sat in comfortable silence, each anticipating what was going to happen next. [i]ooc: ahahah I wrote this all without seeing P.J McKrafty's post... I still think it works pretty well in tandem... it's been tweaked to reflect the post prior to it, now.[/i][/font] Edited July 4, 2010 by mapthesoul. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcus Posted July 6, 2010 Share Posted July 6, 2010 [font="Book Antiqua"][i]Earlier at headquartersâ?¦[/i] Peter attempted to keep his cheery demeanor up as he stripped off his casual outfit to better prepare himself for the struggle ahead. Before changing, he took a moment to carefully look over his body. Throughout the years, despite the danger of working for a company like Second Sight, he had taken great pains to avoid anything that represented a serious physical threat to him, and it showed. Whereas the others were covered in barely healed wounds and scars, his body was relatively blemish free. What he was about to engage in clashed absolutely with his own philosophy of life. He ran from trouble, not headfirst into it. So what made this time so different? Especially when, as Timothy would be more than happy to defend, their chances of survival were so low? He raised his gaze away from his body and towards his mirror, so he could look himself in the eyes. [b]â??Because these people are family, and theyâ??ve always trusted you. Always, without question. Even when they shouldnâ??t have.â?[/b] Peterâ??s characteristic grin faded as a painful memory surfacedâ??on one particularly dangerous mission he was shot in the arm for the first time in his life. Frightened, he shifted so away so far he was unable to recognize the area around him. Like a coward he hid for what seemed like an eternity, until finally his senses returned. By the time he finally returned to his team, the mission was completed and the damage done; although no one died that day, his team suffered heavy casualties, casualties that could have been avoided had Peter stood his ground. But had the team blamed him? No, not even sharp-tongued Nats so much as chided him. Ever since then he had sworn to never abandon his team. He sighed heavily and dragged his hand down his face. [b]â??I sure hope Alex has his wits about him on this oneâ?¦ If Iâ??m going to risk my hide for him, heâ??d better have a plan to keep said hide from getting riddled with bullets.[/b]â? He chuckled darkly to himself and quickly threw on his battle attire: a black tank-top, black trousers, black boots, and a kevlar vest. Truth be told he wouldnâ??t have thought of the last one if he hadnâ??t seen Lucas thrown one on as well. He looked at himself in the mirror again and frowned once more, before a stroke of genius hit him. He spun around, loaded up his handguns and trench knives, and then grabbed his fedora and placed it snugly on his head before looking back at the mirror. He looked himself over and then nodded, satisfied. Restored slightly to his usual manner, he strode over to the door, kicked it open, and yelled down to the team. [b]â??Everybody ready for a fun day?â?[/b] [i]Currentlyâ?¦[/i] Peter sat silently staring ahead for a few minutes, taking in Alexâ??s gratitude toward his team. Lord knows Alex wasnâ??t one for casually handing out heartfelt thanks, but this wasnâ??t exactly a casual mission. They werenâ??t performing a mission out of duty, they were performing one in self-preservationâ??no, they were performing a mission for one another. Oddly enough, that gave Peter a feeling of empowerment. They had given their all for people they barely knew, people who had betrayed them. One could only imagine what a devastating force they would be now that they actually cared. Peter was unexpectedly amused by that thought, and couldnâ??t help but burst out laughing despite himself. Everyone gave him a curious look, and Natalie spoke up, amusement and confusion lining her voice. [b]â??Awesome. Heâ??s already lost it. If Peterâ??s too crazy to shift us to our â??vantage pointâ?? can I drive us there?â?[/b] Peter stifled his laughing just long enough to respond to her. [b]â??Trust me Nats, I will never be so out of sorts that your driving would be preferable to my shifting.â?[/b] Everyone in the car couldnâ??t help but chuckle at that, even Natalie, who was attempting to hide her smirk and give Peter the evil eyes. He merely grinned back at her and blew her a kiss. Her face grew even redder with anger, and she opened her mouth to make some clever retort, but Alexâ??s voice, once more stern, cut her off. [b]â??Only a couple of minutes before we arrive. Everyone be ready.[/b]â? Natalie closed her mouth understandingly, but, not wanting to let Peter â??winâ?? outright, she stuck out her tongue at him before spinning around in her seat. Peter simply smiled knowingly. [i]You be careful to, Natsâ?¦[/i][/font] [size="1"][b]OOC[/b]: I'm sorry if this is terrible, but I haven't slept, haha. Anyways, tell me if anything need fixin'.[/size] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMNOMNOMALY Posted July 17, 2010 Share Posted July 17, 2010 [font="Garamond"]Once they turned off the main stretch and onto the long deserted road leading them to the outskirts of Greenwich Village and into the warehouse district, the street lamps grew fewer and further between, a testament to just how alone they really were. Alex kept his eyes trained carefully on the road, everyone in the vehicle tense and rigid, watching. After a few minutes, he slowed and switched the headlights of the vehicle off as they turned onto another road, this one gravel and uneven. Ahead of them, the orange glow of lights highlighted the large box-shaped buildings that dictated their destination. Alex turned off the gravel road and onto the patchy and unkempt grass of an empty storage warehouse far on the outskirts of the area. There were no lights, nothing around this building, long forgotten in lieu of something newer; bigger. There was only the heavy sound of silence that descended upon the group as Alex parked, and the group exited the vehicle, pressing down on each of them like a weight. Alex stood in front of Natalie, Peter and Lucas and jabbed his thumb behind him, indicating the direction they were to head. Another abandoned building lay beyond this one, unlocked, and from there they would regroup and be shifted to the vantage point Alex had already chosen. On high alert, each of them scoured the area for any sight of another human being. They could see nothing but in the distance, a low mechanical rumble started. They arrived at the second building and Alex gently shouldered the door open, and holding it, counted heads as the 3 others followed him. Natalie stopped for a second, cocking her head towards the sound curiously before Alex shooed her in rather urgently. Once they were inside and the door was safely secured behind them, Alex began. [i]"This should be a reconnaissance mission, as you are all aware. It is very very important that we keep up with Second Sight, we cannot allow ourselves to fall even a single step behind them or we're done."[/i] His voice was hoarse, quiet. Natalie, Lucas and Peter didn't move, didn't breathe, hanging on his words. [i]"But if it's something dangerous or powerful... we have to destroy it. We absolutely cannot allow it to exist in Second Sight's hands."[/i] They all nodded in grave agreement. [i]"We won't go in expecting to fight. But we will be prepared. No rash decisions, you make no movements without my explicit consent. Got that?"[/i] Again, they nodded in unison. [i]"Good."[/i] Alex pulled out a small square of paper from his pocket and unfolded it to reveal a map of the district, before pulling out a small flashlight and clicking it on. He placed the map on the floor and waited for them to gather around it. [i]"We are currently here."[/i] He pointed to a spot on the map illuminated by the flashlight. [i]"Peter, I need you to get us here."[/i] he pointed to another building nearly in the direct center of the district with a great vantage point of the main drag. Peter saluted. [i]"With great ease, mein Fuhrer."[/i] Peter saluted seriously. [i]"Good. You all heard that mechanical humming out there. We move now."[/i] Alex quickly folded the map back up, clicked the flashlight off and tucked both inside his Kevlar vest. They all placed a hand on Peter, Natalie grimacing, braced for the unpleasant feeling of Shifting. They all smiled at her reaction and in an instant the warehouse was again abandoned, the 4 of them catapulting between spaces. Not even a second later, they were standing on the roof of another warehouse. Natalie quickly pulled her hand away from Peter to clutch at her stomach, her other hand clamped in front of her mouth as she stopped herself from being sick. Alex and Lucas more quickly regained their composure, though both looked slightly shaken. Peter simply turned and crept towards the edge of the building, crouching down so that he could just see over the raised side of the roof and onto the street below. The rest of the team quickly joined him. They were just in time - the mechanical humming grew louder and nearer and the first of the heavily armed Second Sight assault team filtered into view. Organized, methodical, powerful, they walked cautiously but with purpose, guns cocked and ready. They scanned the skyline of the buildings and Alex and his team quickly ducked down to avoid detection. [i]"****,"[/i] Natalie exhaled. [i]"That's a lot of firepower."[/i] she looked down to the lighter she was holding - her hand was shaking. Alex placed a hand on her shoulder reassuringly and she looked over at him to grin, closing her hand around it. After a few moments had passed, they peeked their heads over again. Two armoured cars were now in view and behind them- [i]"That's it."[/i] Alex breathed. [i]"The weapons truck. That's where it is, whatever it is."[/i] [/font] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeLarge Posted July 18, 2010 Author Share Posted July 18, 2010 (edited) [size="2"][font="Lucida Sans Unicode"][b]"****,"[/b] whispered Alex, looking down into the centre of the compound, where dozens of heavily-armed Second Sight agents swarmed around the central convoy, made up of two armoured cars and a large armoured truck between the two. There was far more defence than he had expected, whic suggested that this was something big, something important. He pulled a small scope out of his pocket and raised it to his eye, watching the men sat in the cab of the truck jump out and go around to the back of the vehicle, preparing to remove the weapon from it. Alex swore again as he realised they had parked the truck in such a way that they were unable to see what was coming out of the back. [b]"Peter,"[/b] he whispered, [b]"Can you shift me over there?"[/b] He pointed to a small ridge over the other side of the compound, where he would have a view of the back of the truck. Peter nodded, grabed hold of Alex and shifted, hopping over the small valley, the only thing signalling the shift a small puff of dust as they landed. Alex dropped to the floor and raised the scope to his eye again, scanning the valley floor. He watched as the men hauled a large object out of the back of the truck, covered in tarpaulin. They moved it slowly down to the dusty ground, and a man walked over to inspect it. He was tall and muscular with a shock of red hair, his military fatigues cut off at the shoulders, and a figure-hugging pack on his back with cables running down his arms to a pair of black gloves. He waved his hand, and the two men who moved the weapon hauled the tarpaulin off, revealing a strange-looking device which felt strangely familiar to Alex. He tucked the scope back into his pocket and removed a small camera, took a few pictures and tucked the camera back. He nodded to Peter, who grabbed him and shifted back to the other two. [b]"We have a problem,"[/b] he said quietly the moment they materialized, yanking the camera from his pocket again and showing the group the photos. The device was a large, thick metal disc, maybe ten feet in diameter and a foot and a half thick, with a single metal chair in the centre. The chair had heavy metal restraints on the arms and legs, and a headrest which looked more invasive than comfortable. From behind the chair, a large arm rose up from the base to just over the top of the chair. [b]"What is it?"[/b] asked Lucas. [b]"A weapon, and a powerful one at that,"[/b] replied Alex, putting the camera back and hooking a Bluetooth headset onto his ear, [b]"I'll explain what it is later, but now we have to move quickly. We need to attack, we need to destroy that weapon and get out before we get caught. Peter, how good are you with a rifle?"[/b] he asked, formulating a battle strategy as he spoke. [b]"Not bad,"[/b] replied Peter, [b]"Need some long-range support, boss?"[/b] Alex nodded, kneeling down on the roof of the building and referring to the map. [b]"I need you to shift back to the car and grab one. The cars are placed so they surround the weapons truck, and the Seer will be in one of them. Find them, they're likely to be drawing or writing something, but if not then you'll have to take them all out. Then, once they've been taken out, I need you to cover the rest of us - shift to a new location every thirty seconds, take as many of them out as you can from that vantage point and then move again. Don't stop moving, we only have you to cover all the angles. "Nat, Peter will shift you over to the other side of the compound, but I need you to identify and take out the Stitcher."[/b] [b]"How do you want them? Rare, or extra crispy?"[/b] she asked, a devilish smile crossing her face. [b]"Just hurt them enough that they're too busy healing themselves to heal anyone else down there,"[/b] Alex said, the tiniest of grins at Nat's attitude breaking through his serious front, [b]"Lucas, there's a mean-looking Pyro down there, he seems to be in charge of the compound - at least distract him, take him out if necessary, while I plant explosives on the weapon. Everyone keep in radio contact at all times, we work towards the centre of the compound and once we're all there, Pete will shift in and grab us, take us back to the car. Everyone understand?"[/b] he asked, looking around for the nods. As they came, he folded the map up and got to his feet. [b]"Pete, get everyone to their positions, then get the rifle. Everyone let me know when you're in position."[/b] Peter snapped off a salute, grabbed Natalie by the hand and shifted, then returned to the rooftop and did the same for Lucas. Alex waited a moment, looking out over the scene. The soldiers were beginning to replace the tarpaulin over the weapon, but it would take them a while to get it inside the warehouse. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths: this was an insane move, going in with so little preparation, but it was the only way they could attack and have a chance of destroying the weapon. A bubble of fear rose up in his stomach when he remembered the weapon: until now it had just been a target, but the moment he remembered what it could do, it scared him... [b]"In position,"[/b] Nat's voice crackled through his headset, snapping him out of his thoughts. Two more calls followed swiftly, from Peter and Lucas, and Alex took another deep breath and whispered: [b]"Move out"[/b] He drew his handgun, twisting a silencer on the barrel as he jumped off the roof of the warehouse, dropping a cushion of telekinetic energy down below him to soften the landing. The impact jarred through his legs, but it was nowhere near as bad as if he'd neglected the cushion. He crept between the buildings, the silver moonlight casting bizarre shadows across the metal walls, the only light illuminating the valley. He pressed himself against the wall, seeing a black-garbed soldier patrolling the entrance to the warehouse. He crept out, fired a single slug into the back of the soldier's head, running up and catching the body as it slumped and lowering it gently to the floor. In the distance, he heard a few shots fired, glass breaking and a number of human voices. [b]"Seer taken out,"[/b] Pete whispered, being unusually frugal with words. [b]"They're kicking off!"[/b] said Lucas, as more shots were fired and more confused and angry voices exploded in the compound. Alex continued forward, worming his way through the maze of warehouses that littered the valley floor, taking out guards as he went. Eventually, he reached the centre of the compound, and realised how insane his plan was. Fires were erupting around the compound, from Nat or the enemy Pyro, Alex couldn't tell. Bodies were slumped on the ground, but more and more soldiers were emerging from the shadows between warehouses, aiming their weapons into the darkness surrounding the compound to try and hit their attacker. One of the armoured cars was still, the windscreen shattered and two dead bodies slumped in the seats, blood pouring over the notebook one of them held in his hand. [i]Good work, Peter,[/i] thought Alex, firing two shots into an approaching soldier, emptying his clip. He scowled, and tucked the weapon back into his pack, moving further into the compound. [b]"Alex Graham!"[/b] came a booming voice from a man ahead of him. Flames were issuing forth from the cables in his gloves, and the flickering light threw bizarre shadows across his face. It was the Pyro Alex had seen before, the makeshift flamethrower on his back now fully activated. [b]"Do I know you?"[/b] asked Alex, moving towards the man. [b]"I don't imagine so, but allow me to introduce myself. I'm Kraven, and you're a very brave or very, very stupid man. I've already turned your little friend into crispy duck, and he didn't even get a hit in."[/b] [i]Lucas...[/i] thought Alex, grimacing. But the time for words was already over, and flames were pouring from Kraven's hands, twisting and writhing around him in huge, thick snakes of pure fire. [b]"Oh, ****,"[/b] spat Alex, before turning on his heel and running. Flames shot towards him in thick columns, incinerating everything in their path, which luckily didn't include Alex. He ducked round a corner, yanking a heavy door off the warehouse with a flick of his hand and turning it so it was hovering in front of him. He moved back round the corner, holding the door in the way of the flame, feeling the heat come off it and the metal door heating up. With a thrust of his arm, he sent the red-hot chunk of metal hurtling towards the Pyro, who yelled and ducked out of the way of the bizarre projectile. [b]"Nice try, Graham,"[/b] snarled Kraven, turning back to the Pusher, [b]"But you're gonna have to do better than that!"[/b] [b]"How about this?"[/b] came a third voice from behind Kraven. Suddenly, the Pyro's stomach exploded outwards in a shower of gore, and he was thrown to the floor. A figure stepped up to the fallen Psych, charred and burnt clothes dangling off his form, his badly-burnt flesh rapidly stitching itself back together and a smoking handgun in his hand. [b]"Distracting enough for you?"[/b] he asked, grimacing as the flesh regrew over his face. Alex smiled, turned and raced towards the weapon, which had been abandoned by the soldiers desperately trying to fight off what they assumed was an army of snipers in the shadows. He swung his backpack off and plunged his hand inside, withdrawing a large block of plastic explosive, which he placed directly on the metal arm of the weapon, setting a charge and heading back to the centre of the compound. A still-crispy Lucas followed close behind, and a fiery hell-demon emerged from the shadows a moment later, surrounded by flames and laughing maniacally as she did, sending the flames forward with a final thurst of her arms, engulfing the remaining bewildered soldiers. [b]"Pete!"[/b] shouted Alex over the commotion, [b]"Ready for pick-up. Nat, light us up."[/b] Natalie nodded, sparking her lighter and hurling a small, bright ball of flame high into the air, acting as a flare for the Shifter, who appeared a moment later. [b]"Now who's going to clear up all this mess?"[/b] asked Peter, hands on hips in mock irritation. Alex smirked, and Peter grabbed the three members of the group and shifted them back to their vehicle. [b]"Jesus, Lucas, what happened to you?"[/b] asked Peter as they arrived, surveying the scene of destruction they had left below them. [b]"Alex took his time, that's what happened!"[/b] Lucas replied dryly as the last of his burns healed over, [b]"Speaking of which, I suggest you punch it and we get out of here."[/b] [b]"Agreed,"[/b] said Natalie, [b]"Let's blow some **** up!"[/b] Alex smiled, appreciating the camraderie of being back in the team, and fished the detonator out of his pocket, pushing the red button in the centre of the device. An enormous explosion bloomed on the valley floor, shards of metal and electronic equipment flying in all directions as the weapon was destroyed. Natalie and Peter cheered, but Lucas sidled up to Alex. [b]"What was that thing?"[/b] he whispered, genuine concern in his voice. [b]"Something they were testing when we were part of Second Sight,"[/b] replied Alex, his tone hushed and haunted, [b]"Something powerful and dangerous, but it's finished now. Come on, let's get back."[/b] The team, battered and bruised but triumphant, headed back to the car. The war had begun. --- ooc: If anyone wants to post what happened during their part of the assault, please feel free. This gives you an outline of what happened, but the gory details are up to you![/font][/size] Edited July 19, 2010 by DeLarge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.J. McKrafty Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 (edited) [size="2"][font="Arial"][i]Before the **** hit the fanâ?¦[/i] Peter shifted Lucas down in the shadows of a shipping container. He slapped Lucas on the back and disappeared. Lucas leveled his MP5 to and crept along the side of the line of shipping containers. The engines of the idling armored cars helped to cover Lucasâ??s footsteps. Every now and again he would pass a gap in containers giving Lucas a view of the scene. A tall dark haired man shouted orders to the guards scattering every-which-way. He wore a leather coat over fatigues and a tank on his pack that looked like a flamethrower. This was the Pyro. Lucas slid back into the shadows and set down his pack, he unslung the grenade launcher from it, and after checking the shell he returned to the gap in the containers. He went prone to help steady his aim and started adjusting his sights to the distance. A shot rang out in the distance. All of the guards around the armored car darted around for cover. [b]â??Seer taken outâ?[/b] Came Peterâ??s voice over Lucasâ??s headset. Lucas muttered a few curses and started to adjust the sights again when he caught the eye of the Pyro. The Pyro turned and looking directly at Peter. He raised his hand and yelled something to the guards taking cover behind the armored car. They all started pointing their weapons toward him. [b] â??Theyâ??re kicking off!â?[/b] Lucas yelled into the headset as he let loose with the grenade. The Pyro dove out of the way of the grenadeâ??s trajectory. It arched through the air and landed right below the armored car, sending it rolling over onto its back and crushing a few of the guards taking cover. Others were thrown from the explosion and lay motionless on the ground. Cracks of gunfire sounded in the distance from other areas of the complex but the little area laid out in front of Lucas was now deadly quiet. Lucas heard the click of and igniter and rolled out of the gap between the containers just as a column of flame came bursting through it. Lucas scrambled to his feet throwing the grenade launcher down pulling his pistol free from its holster and aiming it at the gap. There was a pause and the gap started to glow with the orange light of fire. The Pyroâ??s head peered around the corner for a split second. Lucas buried four shots into the side of the shipping crate near the manâ??s head making him retreat back. Lucas started backpedaling while keeping his pistol leveled. A strand of fire no wider than a fist came whipping around the corner and slammed into Lucasâ??s gun, making him yell and drop it. It fell to the ground completely turned into slag and burning red hot. Lucasâ??s hands were charred black. He turned to run but stumbled as the pain hit him. He struggled to focus and mend his hands and get to his feet as he heard the crunch of gravel and the chucking of the Pyro approaching from behind him. Lucas kicked to his feet and sped around the corner of the warehouse just as another plume of flame burst behind him. He kicked open a door to a corridor on the side of the building. [b]â??Where are you running to?â?[/b] Came the voice behind him. A fireball came hurtling down the hallway. Lucas dove to the floor, covering his head. Flames washed over him, and he was swept away in a sea of agony, as the flames bit at the back of his head, neck, and arms. Another fireball hit him with what felt like a physical force and charred his legs. Lucas struggled to breathe and maintain consciousness as he tried to heal what he could. The flames stopped. All of the flames still burning on his clothing and the walls around him instantly snuffed out. Lucas twitched and struggled against the pain to try and stand. A heavy boot came down on his back pushing him back down on the ground. Using his other foot The Pyro flipped Lucas onto his back. The Pyro just stared at the twitching Lucas with a menacing smile. A small flame slowly grew in his hand. Without a word the Pyro turned walked away and threw the flame over his shoulder as if it were an empty can. It slowly drifted down towards Lucasâ??s face and then exploded showering him in flames. All he could do is scream, long and hard with the little air that was left in his lungs. Out of pure stubbornness Lucas struggled against the pain to get his arms under him. In a slow agonizing motion Lucas rolled over and over again extinguishing the flames. Lucas strained and shuddered, and finally was able to cough, clearing his airway, and cold oxygen rushed into his lungs. Lucasâ??s thoughts became more clear, he started focusing on his face, then arms, then legs, and as he went about healing what he could. The soft sound of crackling burnt flesh being shed from his body. The pain dulled and Lucas climbed to his feet. Using the wall to steady himself, he made his way down the now half destroyed hallway. At the end by the exit Lucas found a water-cooler. He used it to help steady himself as he grabbed a paper cup, filled it with the now lukewarm water and took a slow drink, stinging his throat on the way down. He sat there for a moment breathing heavily with his head resting on the translucent blue water tank. The sound of yelling and more gunshots finally returned to Lucasâ??s attention. He pushed himself up and grabbed the exit door, pausing to see his reflection in the small window on the door. What wasnâ??t charred black was now bright pink as his skin shed its dead layer. Most of his hair was gone, his scruffy beard completely so, and what was left on the right side of his head was now black and sticking straight up. Cringing, he ran his hand through it fall to the ground. One of his eyes was cauterized and white, which explained his loss of depth perception. Closing the eye for a moment he opened it to see it was vaguely green. [b]â??Close enough.â? [/b]He muttered as he pushed the door open. Scanning the area he saw a flash of orange light from over one of the other buildings, hoping that was where the Pyro went and not just Natalie, Lucas started in that direction. Lucas came across a dead soldier and lifted a monstrous Desert Eagle off of the manâ??s belt. He checked the clip and chambered a round. Lucas heard a yell in the direction he hoped the Pyro was and picked up the pace, jogging gimpily towards the sound. Lucas came around the building to see The Pyro now moving towards a prone Alex. [b]"Nice try, Graham,"[/b] snarled the man, turning back to the Pusher,[b] "But you're gonna have to do better than that!"[/b] Lucas raised up the hand cannon. [b]â??How about this?â?[/b] and emptied the clip into the rat bastardâ??s back. Stepping over the Pyro's body Lucas winked (or at least tried) to Alex as skin started to grow on his face. [b]â??Distracting enough for you?â?[/b][/font][/size] Edited July 20, 2010 by P.J. McKrafty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orcus Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 (edited) [font="Book Antiqua"]Peter lay warily on the roof after shifting Natalie and Lucas, his rifle fairly clenched in both of his hands. He aimed his rifle down at the compound below, simultaneously surveying the ground enemies with his scope. Though their numbers seemed vast, he was confident in his alliesâ?? abilities. He moved the barrel back in line with the armored cars when he heard Nats and Lucas whisper that they were adequately positioned. [b]â??In position,â?[/b] he repeated. He quickly scanned the operatives sitting in the cars, searching for any small movements that might indicate the person was writing or something of that nature. He altered the rifleâ??s aim ever so slightly, albeit swiftly as he searched for the Seer. [i]Noâ?¦noâ?¦noâ?¦[/i] He could feel himself starting to become frantic. [i]Any minute now the Seer will draw a doodle of Alex or Lucas approaching or Nats lighting someone ablaze, and then there lives will be in danger, and the blame will fall onâ??[/i] Something caught his eye in the car he was inspecting and he fired instinctively. Blood pumping and suffering from a sudden adrenaline spike, Peter fired a couple more bullets into the car. From both sides of the vehicle popped Second Sight agents looking to discover the vantage point of their assailant. Before they could prepare themselves, Peter sniped them both. [b]â??Seerâ?¦taken out,â?[/b] Peter alerted the others curtly, still on edge from the adrenaline pumping through his system. That shot had been extremely lucky. Whether it was his killerâ??s intuition or he had simply received a fright from the Seer rising up his notebook was at this point irrelevant. He shouldnâ??t have fired without foresight. That would put the others in danger. [b]â??Theyâ??re kicking off!â?[/b] he heard Lucas call out. Peter took a deep breath to collect himself. [i]You mean well, but remember, they can protect themselves. The important thing is to keep a clear head, and most of all, to enjoy yourself[/i], he thought with a chuckle. Back in control, he fired a couple more shots into the disarrayed soldiers trying to scramble out of a nearby armored truck. He had barely fired a few shots when suddenly a spray of bullets showered the rooftop next to him. [i]Drat![/i] He thought so loudly he almost yelled it aloud. He quickly rolled away from the source of fire and shifted to a nearby rooftop, reforming in a crouched position. He aimed his gun at his previous position and shot the three soldiers who had attempted to ambush him. Without missing a beat he sprung up and leapt towards the ledge so he could cover his comrades. He managed to just narrowly shoot an assailant who had been tailing Natalie, although the bullet came dangerously close to grazing her. She looked up in his direction and sneered, the flames around her burning brighter and more intensely with the spike in her emotions. [b]â??Youâ??re so very welcome darling,â?[/b] he grumbled under his breath. Quickly he shifted to another rooftop, and this time he had Lucas clearly in his sights. Rather, he had Lucas in his sight a second before the grenade Lucas shot exploded and covered Peterâ??s sight with smoke and fire. He grinned and steadied his weapon. [b]â?Chapâ??s got the right idea.â?[/b] He shifted to another rooftop and shot a few more soldiers down below. He quickly surveyed the battlefield and, spotting what he had been looking for, shifted down to the ground level, grabbed the item, and then shifted back up to a nearby rooftop. He took a moment to admire his recently acquired grenade launcher, and then went to town, firing grenades wildly. He couldnâ??t help but grin as he watched the explosions hurl enemy soldiers every which way. He fired the last grenade when suddenly a strong force struck him from the side and forced him to drop his grenade launcher. Before he could react he felt another intense force from up above slam right into his back. [i]Pusher![/i] He realized angrily. He felt another wave of pain as the invisible force came down again on his back, but this time he was ready, and managed to quickly shift to the rooftop where he had left his rifle. He picked it up and steadied it on his arm in one swift motion, but he wasnâ??t fast enough. The Pusher knew where he had shifted toâ??[i]Damnit, thereâ??s probably a Thinker working with him[/i]â??and pushed a massive wave of energy at the building beneath Peter. The structure shook dangerously, threatening to give out. He grimaced in irritation and quickly tried to devise a plan before the building collapsed. Luckily, he spotted Natalie near the Pusherâ??s position and he knew exactly what to do. [b]â??Nats! Up!â?[/b] Without hesitiating, Natalie shot a monstrous plume of flame straight into the sky above her. The sudden rush of heat and the roaring of the fire caused the Pusher to frighten and lose his balance, giving Peter the chance to shift behind him and sweep his leg out from underneath him. [b]â??Thinker nearby! Do you what you can dearies!â?[/b] Peter yelled as he shifted above the Pusher and slammed his foot into his back. In a series of rapid fire shifts, Peter kicked the Pusher in the face, twice in the ribs, and disarmed him. He tossed the weapon back and forth between his hands and flipped the Pusher over with his foot. The Pusherâ??s hands twitched in an attempt to shove Peter away, but Peter quickly shot through both of the Pusherâ??s hands. The Pusher cried out in agony, his hands almost literally exploding from the backup of unreleased energy. Peter grimaced and scratched the side of his head with the Pusherâ??s gun. [b]â?My apologies, that looked rather painful.â?[/b] He put the Pusher out of his misery with a bullet between the eyes. [b]â??Pusher killed.â? â??Thinker killed.â?[/b] Natalie and Peter called out at the same time. Peter ran to the edge of the building in an attempt to spot Nats, but could only see a trail of smoldering bodies. He shuddered slightly, both impressed and frightened by Natalieâ??s trail of destruction. [b]"Pete!"[/b] Alexâ??s voice rang into Peterâ??s ear, [b]"Ready for pick-up.â?[/b] A bright ball of fire rose up in the sky, and Peter immediately shifted to that location. Standing in front of his comrades he grinned and looked over the scene of destruction they had left in their wake. [b]"Now who's going to clear up all this mess?"[/b] he asked, hands on hips in mock irritation. Alex smirked in response, and Peter grabbed the three members of the group and shifted them back to their vehicle. [b]"Jesus, Lucas, what happened to you?"[/b] asked Peter as they arrived, only now noticing with unease the reforming skin of his friend. [b]"Alex took his time, that's what happened!"[/b] Lucas replied dryly as the last of his burns healed over, [b]"Speaking of which, I suggest you punch it and we get out of here."[/b] [b]"Agreed. Let's blow some **** up!"[/b] Peter gave Natalie a high five as Alex pulled the detonator out of his pocket and joyously set off the explosives. An enormous explosion bloomed on the valley floor, shards of metal and electronic equipment flying in all directions as the weapon was destroyed. Natalie and Peter cheered heartily, although there was still an air of shared solemnity. One thought couldnâ??t help but tug at the back of all of their minds. [i]What exactly was that weapon?[/i][/font] Edited July 20, 2010 by Vongola Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OMNOMNOMALY Posted July 21, 2010 Share Posted July 21, 2010 (edited) [font="Garamond"][i]Earlier...[/i] On the other side of the compound and in position, Natalie cracked her knuckles each individually followed by her neck. She glanced along the rooftops, trying to confirm the presence of her teammates, [b]"In position."[/b] she whispered into her mic as she did so. Her confirmation was quickly echoed by Lucas and Peter, followed by Alex's whispered command, strained but forceful - [b]"Move out."[/b] [i]'Time to do what we do best, my fiery friend.[/i]' She grinned at her lighter. [i]'Grab people's attention. And then burn them the **** up.'[/i] A swift click sparked the simultaneous release of fuel into a tiny flame and Natalie came to life. She quickly stashed her lighter into her pocket, before clapping both hands together and pulling them away to create a long fire chain. Shots could be heard now, their distinct popping interspersed with the panicked shouts of the ambushed. [i]'Let all hell break loose.'[/i] without warning, she broke into a sprint, bursting forth from her cover and directly into the thick of things. [b]"Hey ladies, come get some![/b]" Natalie bellowed as the flames twisted and writhed up her arms, vibrant and hungry. Quickly the foot soldiers turned. Natalie paid them little mind as she raised her hands so that the flames could eat up the oncoming bullets. She scanned the crowd of soldiers, looking for the Stitcher, who more likely than not would be too distracted at the large amount of injuries to pretend to be engaged in the actual battle. She didn't spot him immediately but after a few moments she did spot a soldier who seemed far more preoccupied with the others, counting heads, weapon drawn but held down. [b]â??A-ha, gotcha! Pew pew.â?[/b] She mimicked a gun with her hands and the distracted Stitcher took a flame straight to the side of the face as the other soldiers hit the deck. Natalie rushed forward as the Stitcher glared at her, hand covering the burnt half of his face. [b]â??You *****-â?? [/b] [b]â??No, you!â?[/b] she laughed, rushing forward, her hand enveloped in wildfire. She made a motion to punch him in the head but at the last second, opened up her fist to grab hold of his face. He howled in pain just as the smell of burnt flesh reached her nose. The plume surrounding her hand exploded outwards in the Stitchers direction, covering him head to toe in flame. He fell to the ground, overwhelmed by the force, and simply lay there whimpering as the flames went out and his body began the long process of healing itself. [b]â??There, there. Youâ??ll be alright.â?[/b] Without warning, a whizzing sound was accompanied a bullet nearly grazing the side of her head. Her eyebrows knit together and her flames spiked in fury as she whipped her head back to unleash her own fire-power. Until she saw that it was Peter and that he had in fact just probably saved her life, a lifeless body with blood pooling around it's head lay mere feet away from her. She sneered. [i]'I could've done that.[/i]' she thought, but she turned away again immediately, just in time to shield herself from another volley of gunfire headed her way. Though several ground soldiers lay at her feet, more and more seemed to come from nowhere to take their place. Irritation got the better of her and she shouted, unleashing flames that seemed as though they could rival those in Hell. Angry and blazing bright, the flames engulfed all those in their path, their monstrous roar drowning out the cries of agony of those it felled. And then, [b]"Hello, hi! I found you. Well, you know, not you-you. I was looking for your Stitcher, but then I found him and heâ??s going to be out for a while if you know what I mean... But then here you are, and you can play with me too."[/b] A man, and a fairly plain one at that, crouched next to an overturned vehicle ahead of them. She would've assumed he was simply smarter than the others and trying to save his own skin, but she noticed his lips moving and that he had no weapon drawn. Natalie laughed, the sound cutting through the air and ringing out like a bell. The Thinker however, made no move, didn't respond. This obviously did not please Natalie, but she simply shook her head. The flames that had died down began to seethe again, sensing her excitement. Unexpectedly, Natalie was knocked off her feet and slammed into a wall off to the side by a strong force. She crumpled to the ground like a rag doll. It took her a moment to catch her breath. As she leaned on one arm, the other hand raised alight and defensively, she spotted a Pusher. A distracted Pusher, but a Pusher nonetheless. And he had clearly been given instructions to protect their Thinker, as they worked in tandem. He was concentrated elsewhere, and Natalie spotted some rippling air space over a building ahead. [i]'****, he's got Peter.[/i]' she thought to herself. The Pusher intently moved his hands in a crushing movement, dictating the collapsing motion of the building. [b]"Nats! Up!"[/b] She heard Peter call to her and at once she understood, shooting off a gigantic fireball straight up into the air. The Pusher clearly had forgotten she was there, and the fireball had it's desired effect of throwing off his attention. Peter quickly shifted behind him and the last Natalie saw was his sweeping leg taking the Pusher out from behind, before she turned her attention back onto the Thinker. He had also sensed her renewed feeling of purpose, because he quickly stood up to stumble away. [b]"Oh no, no, no. We do this my way."[/b] A long chain of fire shot out and tripped the man who fell head first into the ground. He began clamouring for help, scrambling for his radio so he could alert headquarters, possibly even call for more back up. He attempted to clamber to his feet again but was stopped short by the fire now winding up his leg. He was screaming in pain now as the fire ate it's way through his clothes; his skin. It painfully branded him.[b] "Hush, baby. I'm not so mean - I'll make it end quickly, I promise." [/b]With a sweep of her hand, the chain expanded to an all over flame, overwhelming him. The Thinker soon fell silent, lay still, accompanied appropriately by a solemn final shot nearby. [b]"Thinker killed.[/b]" Natalie's voice called into her headset, in unison with Peter's own, [b]"Pusher killed."[/b] There was no one standing now, there were only bodies, many charred and smouldering, a testament to just how powerful Natalie could really be. She smirked, though the smile didn't reach her eyes. She picked her way through the bodies daintily, jogging lightly towards where she assumed Alex and the others would be. She crossed a long empty corridor and through the other side were indeed Alex and Lucas. As she came into view, Alex simply nodded in the direction of the sky as he barked into the microphone. She didnâ??t even need to hear him â?? she shot a flame into the air, signaling to Peter their location. Not even a second later, he stood in front of them, his hands resting on his hips in mock irritation. [b]â??Now whoâ??s going to clear up all this mess?â?[/b] he asked, playfully. Natalie grinned in response as Peter grabbed the three of them and shifted them away and back to their vehicle. As they sat, taking in what they had actually accomplished, Natalie got a good look at Lucas and had to stop herself from drawing a sharp intake of breath. He was in rough shape and it made her almost feel bad about what she had done to the Stitcher on the other team. No time for regrets, though. The war had begun. [i]ooc : let me know if this is okay, I feel like Natalie almost got into overkill mode but really the stitcher wasn't going to hurt her and I think the thinker could only have been as good as his protector, in this case the Pusher. I swear I'm not trying to make her over-levelled or anything. Not the intent.[/i][/font] Edited July 21, 2010 by Anomaly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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