07-31-2017, 05:34 PM
The recycled facsimile of Hornet Man buzzed and darted swiftly through the air, pursuing the spacecraft that the super-elite Jaco still piloted. The replica of the darkling commander was still a powerful foe, able to keep up its strength despite its reduced durability thanks to pushing its regenerative capabilities into overdrive. But already, it was starting to wear thin. Precision and grace was leaving it, leaving it to do little more than fire wildly and batter at the craft, even as Blink fended it off from committing to an actual, earnest attack. But the sole focus of the overgrown insect's attention on the airborne due did leave the rest of the group free to plot an attack against him.
And in short order, a plan came together.
Waiting for the right time to strike, they bided their time, fending off the continuing attacks of the clusters of darklings pouring out of the island's center. When Jaco did another fly-by, the great big insect buzzing alongside him, the group struck. A swift, raking stream of gunfire from the twin handguns of the quincy, not scoring any hits on the nimble hornet but forcing him to break off to avoid flying right into the stream of gunfire. Wings buzzed angrily, and in a silver blur the insect shot down from his lofty perch in a diving attack at the gunman. The singleminded focus of the less than perfect replica was its undoing, as it was left wide open to the attack of the preteen machine, leaping from a root and crossing paths with the overgrown insect, buster cannon leveled off and glowing with gathered charge.
The impact produced an explosion, shredding the hornet's wings and sending it spiraling in a smoking, charred trail toward the roots and sludge-filled waters below. It hit with a surprisingly heavy thud, hitting the tree root and bouncing along it, rolling several times. The blackened stumps of what was left of its wings buzzed and fluttered, trying to do their intended function, but the battered and burned machine barely had time to regain its senses before it was pelted by another onslaught of gunfire, forcing it to scramble madly, blindly, along the limb of the tree.
And right into the waiting path of the buster sword, wielded by the spikey-headed soldier. It came around in a blurred arc, cleaving through the fragile, battered metal of the recycled darkling commander. It did as much cutting as smashing, sending a hail of shrapnel as the far from cleanly bisected soldier went down, tumbling to pieces and dropping off the side of the root. The red glare in its eyes went out as the life left it, and it sank below the waters, dissolving into a mess of silver-gray goop.
"Boy...you guys sure are puttin' up a fight..." A lazy voice drawled out, drifting down from higher up. Reclining on one of the branches, looking down at the disposal of the recycled fighter, sat a man who was at least partially mechanical. "I know these recycled guys are fragile, but you sure took 'em apart like they were nothing. Guess we're gonna have to get serious to handle this if we've got a bunch like you knockin' on our door." He shrugged, as if disinterested in this whole affair. "But hey...that's not my business. Unless you actually get to the portal, I get to sit back and just watch." He hopped up, sliding down from his perch and dropping through the air. A dozen feet down, he vanished into a swirling pillar of smoke. His voice echoed behind him, even after he was gone. "That said, I think it's time we got serious here. I'll be calling in a bombardment from our ships, so...find some cover. And happy trails."
Only moments later, all of the darklings still pouring out from the island's center stopped as one, turning to look up toward the sky. Like a great herd of animals sensing danger coming, they all as one let out a high-pitched scream, whether of fright or as a signal of some kind, and broke rank. Diving into the water, scrambling up and leaping among the trees, turning and retreating back toward the island's center. They were no longer paying the liberators any mind.
For almost a full minute, it was silent, and nothing happened. But slowly, a dull whining sound took hold in the air, growing steadily louder. It grew to an almost painfully loud pitch before someone among the group realized what it was. "MOVE!" came the shouted warning of the massive sword-bearing soldier. And almost at the same time, one of the massive trees above was torn to splinters with a deafening, earth-shaking impact and burst of noise and force, burst asunder as cleanly as if a portion of it was just...removed. The upper portion slowly came toppling down, raising an almighty cacophony of its own.
More troubling, though, was the series of other impacts crashing into the trees and water. Smaller shells, not doing anywhere near as much damage, but...which broke open seconds after impact. From within, humanoid forms clambered out, brandishing weapons. Pirates, corrupted citizenry, pokemon, all manner of creatures from across the verse. Each and every one of them with the sinister, glowing red eyes of nebula's corruption. Covered in pulsing, purple veins, and all with a look of delight at the destruction they'd been dropped into.
And in short order, a plan came together.
Waiting for the right time to strike, they bided their time, fending off the continuing attacks of the clusters of darklings pouring out of the island's center. When Jaco did another fly-by, the great big insect buzzing alongside him, the group struck. A swift, raking stream of gunfire from the twin handguns of the quincy, not scoring any hits on the nimble hornet but forcing him to break off to avoid flying right into the stream of gunfire. Wings buzzed angrily, and in a silver blur the insect shot down from his lofty perch in a diving attack at the gunman. The singleminded focus of the less than perfect replica was its undoing, as it was left wide open to the attack of the preteen machine, leaping from a root and crossing paths with the overgrown insect, buster cannon leveled off and glowing with gathered charge.
The impact produced an explosion, shredding the hornet's wings and sending it spiraling in a smoking, charred trail toward the roots and sludge-filled waters below. It hit with a surprisingly heavy thud, hitting the tree root and bouncing along it, rolling several times. The blackened stumps of what was left of its wings buzzed and fluttered, trying to do their intended function, but the battered and burned machine barely had time to regain its senses before it was pelted by another onslaught of gunfire, forcing it to scramble madly, blindly, along the limb of the tree.
And right into the waiting path of the buster sword, wielded by the spikey-headed soldier. It came around in a blurred arc, cleaving through the fragile, battered metal of the recycled darkling commander. It did as much cutting as smashing, sending a hail of shrapnel as the far from cleanly bisected soldier went down, tumbling to pieces and dropping off the side of the root. The red glare in its eyes went out as the life left it, and it sank below the waters, dissolving into a mess of silver-gray goop.
"Boy...you guys sure are puttin' up a fight..." A lazy voice drawled out, drifting down from higher up. Reclining on one of the branches, looking down at the disposal of the recycled fighter, sat a man who was at least partially mechanical. "I know these recycled guys are fragile, but you sure took 'em apart like they were nothing. Guess we're gonna have to get serious to handle this if we've got a bunch like you knockin' on our door." He shrugged, as if disinterested in this whole affair. "But hey...that's not my business. Unless you actually get to the portal, I get to sit back and just watch." He hopped up, sliding down from his perch and dropping through the air. A dozen feet down, he vanished into a swirling pillar of smoke. His voice echoed behind him, even after he was gone. "That said, I think it's time we got serious here. I'll be calling in a bombardment from our ships, so...find some cover. And happy trails."
Only moments later, all of the darklings still pouring out from the island's center stopped as one, turning to look up toward the sky. Like a great herd of animals sensing danger coming, they all as one let out a high-pitched scream, whether of fright or as a signal of some kind, and broke rank. Diving into the water, scrambling up and leaping among the trees, turning and retreating back toward the island's center. They were no longer paying the liberators any mind.
For almost a full minute, it was silent, and nothing happened. But slowly, a dull whining sound took hold in the air, growing steadily louder. It grew to an almost painfully loud pitch before someone among the group realized what it was. "MOVE!" came the shouted warning of the massive sword-bearing soldier. And almost at the same time, one of the massive trees above was torn to splinters with a deafening, earth-shaking impact and burst of noise and force, burst asunder as cleanly as if a portion of it was just...removed. The upper portion slowly came toppling down, raising an almighty cacophony of its own.
More troubling, though, was the series of other impacts crashing into the trees and water. Smaller shells, not doing anywhere near as much damage, but...which broke open seconds after impact. From within, humanoid forms clambered out, brandishing weapons. Pirates, corrupted citizenry, pokemon, all manner of creatures from across the verse. Each and every one of them with the sinister, glowing red eyes of nebula's corruption. Covered in pulsing, purple veins, and all with a look of delight at the destruction they'd been dropped into.
Quote:The struggle continues. One of the darkling commanders of this verse, Bola, has revealed himself, and perhaps foolishly warned about an incoming bombardment. Said bombardment has now commenced, bringing in stronger, more crazed soldiers to deal with, as well as raining destruction on the island -- specifically targeting your group.
The objective remains the same: get to the center of the island, and take out their command structure there. Should you make it there, there is also a portal that will lead you to the ship doing the bombardment, which you should probably destroy in whatever manner you deem appropriate.
Everyone has until Monday, August 7th, at 11:59 PM EST to make up to two posts, each of which may be up to 1000 words.
Go raise some hell.