06-29-2017, 01:50 AM
(This post was last modified: 01-29-2018, 12:54 AM by Kelly MacAryn.)
With his android ally momentarily holding the human hornet's attention, Kelly made and discarded half a dozen plans in rapid succession, deeming them either unworkable or foolish. They did, however, all have one thing in common - the high ground. As risky a maneuver as it might be, forcing Hornetman to divide his attention between two different planes would largely negate his advantage in maneuverability. The traveler fired off several psychokinetic force-bolts, holding the fetishes at bay as he squinted into the verdant crimson gloom above him, searching for a likely-looking perch.
There.
Just beyond the treeline, about three stories up, right at the edge of his prodigious vertical leap, there was a thick branch draped in moss and glistening purple algae. The only issue was that he'd have to step off the path to reach it. This jungle didn't look nearly so forgiving as the one on the other side of the portal, and with his higher senses blinded he'd have only his reflexes to defend himself against whatever might be lurking in the brush.
High risk, high reward... It's certainly a gamble - but if we try to fight guy according to his rules he's going to wear us down. Even if we win, we'll be in poor shape for whatever comes next.
The psychic's scarred knuckles creaked as he tightened his grip on his staff. He took two running steps, vaulted over a totem-stack of squealing fetishes, and vanished into the gloom of the undergrowth. The mud, sweat and broken foliage that matted his hair and soiled his clothes rendered his camouflage very nearly perfect.
He was immediately attacked.
Something - he couldn't see what - lunged out of the darkness, knocking him off his feet. He felt claws dig into the lean muscle of his shoulders. Kelly curled his spine and rolled as he went down. The sour smell of poisonous sap assaulted his nostrils as ferns and ivy crumbled beneath his weight. As his weight shifted back, he bunched his powerful legs and kicking blindly upwards into the center-mass of the thing that had jumped him. The claws ripped free as the creature flipped over him and slammed into a tree.
The traveler braced one hand against the ground and tried to pull his feet under him, only to discover that the foliage had begun to wrap around his legs, trapping him in place. He tensed, and with a burst of strength tore free, uprooting sinister saplings as he surged to his feet. All around him, the jungle breathed in the dark. He could hear X saying something to Hornet Man, and the buzz of their enemy's wings, but it seemed muffled and far away.
Kelly looked up, focusing on his goal, kicked his formidable footwear free of the leafy black tendrils that were once again trying to ensnare him, crouched, and jumped, erupting from the forest floor like a rocket. He managed just enough height to hook both arms and one of his legs over the edge of the moss-draped tree-limb, though it took him a couple of seconds to pull himself up, even supporting his staff telekineticaly in order to spare his hands. The slime-coated wood was slippery under his arms, and smelled like snails.
Once he was firmly in place, the psychic reclaimed his weapon - then he took one look at the scene down below and immediately began to charge a force-bolt in his free hand. Just one more threatening shape in the trees, from this vantage point he had a wide enough view that it was easier to follow the darkling commander's movements.
Other possibilities aside, my best bet might be to trust that X can hold out a little longer and wait for an opportunity...
No sooner had he formed the thought than the battle shifted. X's buster-cannons fired once, scattering fetishes and spraying soil into the air, then again, anticipating their foe's reaction. The darkling was blown backward, slamming into a tree not ten yards from where Kelly crouched, even as X went down. The traveler spared one more second to focus his power, sighted between his fingers, and fired. The potent blast of raw inertia streaked across the distance to where Hornet Man hovered, momentarily stunned by X's attack. It smashed into him like a tiny wrecking ball, landing just between his shoulder-blades with a horrible crunch.
He plummeted from the sky with an indignant scream.
The psychic cleared his feet of moss - which had begun to dissolve his boots - and leapt after his fallen enemy.
The idea that a hand-to-hand matchup was more of a fair fight flickered across his brain, but he dismissed it out of hand.
Kelly was a tactician - he had no intention of making this fair.
There.
Just beyond the treeline, about three stories up, right at the edge of his prodigious vertical leap, there was a thick branch draped in moss and glistening purple algae. The only issue was that he'd have to step off the path to reach it. This jungle didn't look nearly so forgiving as the one on the other side of the portal, and with his higher senses blinded he'd have only his reflexes to defend himself against whatever might be lurking in the brush.
High risk, high reward... It's certainly a gamble - but if we try to fight guy according to his rules he's going to wear us down. Even if we win, we'll be in poor shape for whatever comes next.
The psychic's scarred knuckles creaked as he tightened his grip on his staff. He took two running steps, vaulted over a totem-stack of squealing fetishes, and vanished into the gloom of the undergrowth. The mud, sweat and broken foliage that matted his hair and soiled his clothes rendered his camouflage very nearly perfect.
He was immediately attacked.
Something - he couldn't see what - lunged out of the darkness, knocking him off his feet. He felt claws dig into the lean muscle of his shoulders. Kelly curled his spine and rolled as he went down. The sour smell of poisonous sap assaulted his nostrils as ferns and ivy crumbled beneath his weight. As his weight shifted back, he bunched his powerful legs and kicking blindly upwards into the center-mass of the thing that had jumped him. The claws ripped free as the creature flipped over him and slammed into a tree.
The traveler braced one hand against the ground and tried to pull his feet under him, only to discover that the foliage had begun to wrap around his legs, trapping him in place. He tensed, and with a burst of strength tore free, uprooting sinister saplings as he surged to his feet. All around him, the jungle breathed in the dark. He could hear X saying something to Hornet Man, and the buzz of their enemy's wings, but it seemed muffled and far away.
Kelly looked up, focusing on his goal, kicked his formidable footwear free of the leafy black tendrils that were once again trying to ensnare him, crouched, and jumped, erupting from the forest floor like a rocket. He managed just enough height to hook both arms and one of his legs over the edge of the moss-draped tree-limb, though it took him a couple of seconds to pull himself up, even supporting his staff telekineticaly in order to spare his hands. The slime-coated wood was slippery under his arms, and smelled like snails.
Once he was firmly in place, the psychic reclaimed his weapon - then he took one look at the scene down below and immediately began to charge a force-bolt in his free hand. Just one more threatening shape in the trees, from this vantage point he had a wide enough view that it was easier to follow the darkling commander's movements.
Other possibilities aside, my best bet might be to trust that X can hold out a little longer and wait for an opportunity...
No sooner had he formed the thought than the battle shifted. X's buster-cannons fired once, scattering fetishes and spraying soil into the air, then again, anticipating their foe's reaction. The darkling was blown backward, slamming into a tree not ten yards from where Kelly crouched, even as X went down. The traveler spared one more second to focus his power, sighted between his fingers, and fired. The potent blast of raw inertia streaked across the distance to where Hornet Man hovered, momentarily stunned by X's attack. It smashed into him like a tiny wrecking ball, landing just between his shoulder-blades with a horrible crunch.
He plummeted from the sky with an indignant scream.
The psychic cleared his feet of moss - which had begun to dissolve his boots - and leapt after his fallen enemy.
The idea that a hand-to-hand matchup was more of a fair fight flickered across his brain, but he dismissed it out of hand.
Kelly was a tactician - he had no intention of making this fair.
Quote:789 words according to wordcounter.net for a total of 1600 exactly. Kelly shot that buzzing bastard with a soliton blast (5 second charge). Bring us home X!