Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 0:34:38 GMT -6
Etrah: 0900 hours, M13D15, 8008 AV Haven: 10:00 UO, M8D12, 4078 I
"Sir? The men are ready. We move at your command."
Roland cleared his throat. It was the only acknowledgment the messenger would receive, and it was enough to send the man away. As the door closed behind the messenger, Roland sat back in his chair, looking over the mess on the desk in front of him. Most of it was balled-up paper, with a few stacked sheets here and there, and some books hidden under the mess. He'd been designing as of late to unwind, but he'd been too busy to bother himself with keeping things tidy.
It had been a little over 3 weeks since he'd squared off with Eddie Crown, and formed the Dogs of War. During the first week, he'd had his hands full handling the merging of the Deathhounds and the New Empire. Objections were voiced strongly on both sides. However, as the objectors were...dealt with, the two factions learned to play nice.
The past two weeks had been spent setting up a command structure, and using it to put his forces through a rather intensive boot camp. In the first 3 days, there had been nearly 20 deaths as the former Empire members adjusted to the rigorous training regimen, while the Deathhounds seemed to take to Roland's demanding expectations like ducks to water. He'd expected as much.
Over the past few days, he'd spent very little time with the bulk of his forces, fully half of his time spent in meetings at the DWP with Zeke, who he'd named his Beta, and the Gamma Dogs that handed the orders down to the rest of the Pack. The other half were spent here, in his workshop. He'd set it up in the basement of the DWP as an escape, both from the day-to-day waiting, and from the pain and discomfort from his arm.
After returning from the Doghouse, Roland had refused any attempts at treating his arm. He'd splinted it himself as best he could, but he knew all too well that the bones had begun to heal crooked. His left forearm had a noticeable bend in it and his hand had been frozen into a twisted and mangled fist. He couldn't move his fingers without causing blinding pain, and the fatigue and nausea that plagued him as of late had him seriously considering blood poisoning from a displaced fracture.
Today, however, he made his boldest move yet. Today, the Dogs of War would make their debut to those living in the Outer City, and Roland would kill 3 birds with one stone. In one move, he'd wipe out the City Police, eliminate the abominations thriving under the old witch's watchful eye, and more pressingly, have his arm brought back to its former glory, and whatever sickness he had would be cured.
Today would be a good day. Today was the Big Push.
---------
As he stepped outside, Roland was greeted by a mass of howling voices, directed at him by his assembled forces. He let it continue for a moment, then raised his right arm, his hand forming a fist. The effort fatigued him, and he didn't hold his arm up long.
"My brothers, today is not a day for speeches. Today is a day for action. You know our mission. You know the plan. I have the utmost confidence in each and every one of you to get the job done. Cry Havoc, brothers..."
At the mumbled words, the howling started again for just a moment, before 200 voices yelled as one. "AND LET SLIP THE DOGS OF WAR!!!!"
Climbing into the passenger seat of a jeep that Zeke had obtained for them, Roland glanced over at his lieutenant, his Beta. Around them, the masses were filing into truck beds and cars, onto dirtbikes and 4-wheelers, whatever they'd been able to outfit to handle the rubble between the DWP and Ring Section #17. As the caravan began to move out, Roland allowed himself a small smile.
"Let's roll, Zeke. I wanna get this over with."
|
|
Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 1:45:09 GMT -6
Roland watched from the jeep as the caravan hit the border between the Inner City and RS-17. The mismatched group of vehicles split into three, with the majority of the caravan heading off to his left or his right. 4 cars had stayed with his jeep, parked at the innermost border of the neighborhood. Each of the cars held 4 Dogs, plus Zeke and himself sitting in the jeep. 18 men. More than enough for this part of the Push.
The vehicles sat idling for 10-15 minutes, until a radio installed in the dashboard of the jeep came to life with a burst of static, followed by a few squelches before the signal cleared. "Squad A in position, Alpha."
Roland reached for the mike, pressing down the button as he did. "Hold position, Squad A. Squads B and C, report."
"Squad B is in position, Alpha Dog." After a short pause, the radio came to life again. "Squad C is approaching position, Alpha. Ready to proceed at your mark."
Roland nodded to no one in particular. "Squad A, send a crew to the hospital, find the boy, bring him to the Boarding House. I'll meet you there with Alpha Squad. Squad B, take out the Police, fast and hard. Anyone in that station is fair game. Squad C, you're on civilian duty. Collar's off, Dogs. Let's roll."
Roland heard the squad leaders confirm, then waited a few minutes longer to give the squads time to move in. As the sounds of gunfire reached him, signalling that Squad B had reached CPD HQ, Roland waved them in, and the jeep moved onto the cleared streets of RS-17, flanked by the 4 cars that held his Alpha Squad.
|
|
|
Post by gideon on Feb 23, 2010 3:39:59 GMT -6
Nate sat in the den of the Boarding House, relaxing in his chair. It was his day off, from both his jobs, and he had every intention of enjoying it. Not that he needed it...with winter approaching, what few clients he had busied themselves preparing for the season. As far as CPD work went...well, there hadn't been much at all to do.
In the past few weeks, all overt signs of gang activity outside of the Inner City had ground to a screeching halt. If one knew where to look, they could see that the gangs were still there...but something big had gone down, he could tell.
The Deathhounds, easily the most-feared gang in the City, seemed to have either disbanded, or changed their colors. Nate guessed that the latter was the case. The New Empire had also gone quiet, and its territory had been taken over by the re-organized Deathhounds, now calling themselves the Dogs of War.
If the Dogs were the Deathhounds, though, then why the change in tactics? The DH had always excelled when it came to scaring people into doing what they wanted, but it seemed they'd backed off on that, and had stayed well within their territory. Nate had a creeping feeling something was going on, something more than just a change in leadership, but there was no proof.
Old Sarah seemed to know something, Nate could tell that from the way she kept staring out the window, like she was waiting for something to happen. But whatever she was waiting for, she was keeping it to herself. Nate wasn't a fan of the secrecy, but he trusted the old woman, and trusting her had never steered him wrong before.
His thoughts were interrupted as the phone began to ring, and Nate got out of his chair and walked into the kitchen to answer it. "Old Sarah's Boarding House, Nate speaking..."
"Nate? Thank God you answered!" Angela's voice screamed out of the earpiece. In the background, raised voices could be heard, and Angela pulled the receiver away from her mouth to shout something to the people in the background. "Nate, listen to me, there's no time-"
"Angela, what's going on? What's all the yelling abou-" A sudden burst of gunfire from Angela's end of the line cut him off. Nate's eyes widened, and his grip on the phone tightened until his knuckles were white. "Angela, what the hell's happening down there?!"
Another burst of gunfire, followed by a few gunshots closer to the phone. "It's the Dogs, Nate. They just stormed in here, said our time was up, and started firing! There's more Dogs headed your way, Nate, get your shit together and get the hell out of the-"
A sudden gunshot rang out, far closer to the phone than any of the previous ones. Nate thought he heard a dull thud, but it was obscured by the sound of the phone hitting the floor on the other end. After a few moments, footsteps could be heard approaching the phone, followed by noise as someone picked up the receiver. "We're sorry, the party you have reached is no longer available. Can I take a message?"
Nate stood there shaking as the color drained from his face. He struggled to think for a long moment as he processed that his partner had just been killed. Finally, he stammered, "Wh-why are you doing this? What do you want?"
The voice on the other end chuckled, then spoke, his low voice gravelly over the continuing gunfire in the background. "The Dogs of War are done waiting for this City to come back. We're doing things our way, and the CPD needed to be dealt with. The only thing left now is the infestation at the Boarding House..."
"Infestation?!? What the hell are you talking about? There are people here!!" Nate screamed into the phone, slamming his fist against the countertop by the phone. He heard footsteps upstairs, and knew he'd drawn the attention of the other tenants. He didn't care.
"Oh my...sit tight, monster. The Alpha Dog will be there soon." A sudden burst of gunfire sounded out immediately next to the receiver on the other end of the line, and the line went dead.
Nate's clenched fist gripped the countertop as the phone slid from his grasp. His legs felt weak. His throat was dry. He couldn't think. Even as Old Sarah approached him, a reassuring hand resting on his shoulder, Nate simply stood in the kitchen, his eyes staring blankly ahead.
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Feb 23, 2010 12:26:19 GMT -6
As Taka walked into the Director's office, he hid his anxiety as best he could. He'd been called in on his day off, only to have the Director himself pull him aside, and ask him if they could talk later. Taelyrn had answered yes without really giving it much thought at the time, but now his nerves were catching up with him.
One-on-one meetings with the Director rarely ended well.
Approaching the Director at his desk, Taka stood back from the desk a few feet. Clearing his throat, Taka mumbled, "You wanted to see me, sir?"
The Director looked up from his paperwork as Taka cleared his throat, his face expressionless as he motioned towards one of the chairs on the opposite side of the desk. "Of course. Have a seat, Mr. Riskan. There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Taka took a seat in the chair the Director had motioned to. His anxiety showed no signs of subsiding. "Is there something wrong, sir? If this is about that bedpan I dropped in the waiting room last week, I can explain..."
The Director watched Taka fidget for a moment, then held his hand up, cutting Taka off. "Oh no, its nothing like that. This isn't a disciplinary meeting, or anything like that. You can relax, Mr. Riskan."
Sitting forward, the Directer laced his fingers together, looking Taka right in the eyes. "How long have you been with us, Mr. Riskan?"
Taka relaxed as the Director insisted he had nothing to worry about, then thought for a moment before answering his question. "Hm...a little more than two months, I'm fairly certain. May I ask why?"
The Director nodded, a small grin showing on his face. "Mr. Riskan, in the last two months, a considerable amount of feedback has reached my ears. A good deal of that has been about you. Your supervisors, your fellow volunteers, even your patients, all have something to say about you. And not a one of them has had even the slightest concern or criticism with your performance."
"From everything I hear, and from what I've seen on my own, you are a caring, selfless individual. You are consistently kind and open with the patients that walk through our doors, and you're always willing and eager to help your fellow volunteers if they should need it. Your love for the work you do shows in your interactions with everyone here, and your bedside manner is consistently praised as a major factor in a patient's recovery."
Taka's anxiety had almost disappeared, but now, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed. He had just done his job, same as everyone else. Certainly the Director hadn't called him in just to give him a pat on the ego? "Sir...if you don't mind my asking...surely you didn't need to sit me down just to compliment me?"
The Director's smile grew. The boy didn't feel comfortable taking compliments, nothing wrong with that. His humility, the Director suspected, factored greatly into the rest of his demeanor. "Not at all, Taka. I'll assume you wont mind if we drop the formalities? You see, Taka, this is a privately-funded hospital, as you're no doubt aware. We are staffed mostly by volunteers, but every month or so, we have enough room in our budget to add another employee to the payroll. As this happens so rarely, when we consider an applicant, we keep a very close eye on their performance."
"Now, we both know you haven't put in an application for this latest opening. But that's where things get interesting. You see, I've had 4 separate applications cross my desk for this position, all of them in your name. It seems you've made quite an impression on your fellows, Taka, and you've made one on me, as well."
The Director reached into the top right-hand drawer of his desk, pulling out a small stack of papers. "Now, the paperwork is simply a formality, a few signatures, nothing more. But Taka, if you're interested, it would be my distinct pleasure to offer you a full-time, salaried position here at-"
The Director was interrupted asthe intercom on his desk beeped to life. After a moment of frenzied clicking, the main lobby receptionist spoke, her voice frantic. Excuse me, s-sir? You're needed in the lobby immediately...we've got a situation here.
The Director stared at the intercom, mild irritation on his face. Pressing down the button, he replied, "Miss Jones, I left clear instructions that I wasn't to be interrupted until my meeting with Mr. Riskan had concluded. Was part of that misunderstood?"
N-no, not at all, s-sir. But a large group of very angry-sounding men with guns just walked into the lobby, demanding to speak to whoever's in charge. They said they were looking for a boy, I think they might be talking about Taka.
For a moment, Taka and the Director sat in stunned silence, struggling to process what they'd been told. Taka's embarrassment had finally faded, leaving a sense of accomplishment at the job offer, but even that was gone now, replaced by a cold feeling of dread that crept over his whole body.
Without another word, Taka and the Director stood, and ran to the lobby.
|
|
Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 13:13:11 GMT -6
Etrah: 0930 hours, M13D15, 8008 AV Haven: 10:30 UO, M8D12, 4078 I
As the jeep rolled past the CPD building, Roland smiled at the sight of the Dogs of War flag being raise on the flagpole. Jaycen, the squad's leader, stood on the front steps of the building, and raised his rifle above his head as the motorcade drove by. At the sight of his motion, his squad members turned to Roland's jeep, and raised their voices in an imitation of a dog's howl. Roland raised his good arm in return, and his smile grew larger.
"This day's turning out alright, Zeke. The CPD's out of the picture, our ranks will swell by sundown, and this Boarding House situation's finally going to be dealt with."
The Beta of the Dogs glanced over at Roland as he drove. "Yeah...can I ask you something, Boss? I get taking out the CPD, and this recruiting thing's great too...but what's your beef with the Boarding House?"
Roland sighed, sliding his seat back and propping his feet on the dashboard. "Zeke. This City, with all its tragedies and horrors, is nothing compared to the nightmare I lived through. For more than a decade, my home was ruled by the same kind of people who huddle together under that old witch's protection. It was the darkest time my people had ever known. After more than a decade of fighting, there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel...we were taking our home back for ourselves. Then, everything died. I don't know how I escaped, but if we'd been faster in fighting back, if we'd been smarter...I'd still be home, my parents would be alive, and I'd have never known this blasted place existed..."
Roland's voice trailed off as he watched the buildings pass by. Despite Zeke's attempts at continuing the conversation, Roland didn't speak up again until they'd reached the Boarding House.
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Feb 23, 2010 13:17:08 GMT -6
Arriving at the lobby, the Director stared at the group before him. The entire waiting room, staff and patients alike, were laying on the ground, hoping to avoid getting shot by the ten large men standing at the desk. Each of them wore a red-and-purple armband around their biceps, marked with a canine pawprint across the borders of the colors. More alarmingly, the mean were each heavily armed, some with pistols, some with shotguns, one man with a sniper rifle, of all things.
Stepping forward, the Director spoke up, drawing the men's attention. "Alright, gentlemen, nobody needs to get hurt here. I hear you're looking to speak to me?"
The man with the sniper rifle sneered at the Director, but then his eyes locked on Taka. "Well, we was gonna talk ta you about where we could find that little bastard, but I guess this'll save us a bit a' time."
Taka's jaw dropped for a moment, then he stepped forward, stopping when the Director stepped in his way. Leaning around to the side of the larger man, Taka spoke to the sniper. "What do you want with me? I've never seen any of you before in my life!"
The Director sighed, stepping on front of Taka again, cutting off his view of the armed men. "Look, the police have already been contacted, they're on their way here right now. BE careful, and don't do something you might regret, alright?"
The sniper glanced at the Director again, sighing. "I'd hoped ta break this gun in on those Boarding House basterds, but I guess this'll have ta do..." Gripping his rifle, the sniper raised the sights to his eye, lined up the shot, and pulled the trigger. A thunderous bang rang out through the whole first floor of the hospital, and echoed up the staircases all the way to the fourth floor.
The Director had opened his mouth to speak as the sniper raised his gun, but before he could say another word, the back of his head exploded outwards in a red mist, and his lifeless body fell backwards, almost crushing Taka in the process.
Taka let out a wordless scream as he threw himself out of the way of the falling corpse. "Holy shit! I'll go, I'll go! Just don't do that anymore!" As soon as he agreed, the armed men moved forward, lifting him by his arms and pulling him towards the door. Looking back, Taka thought he could have saved the Director, if he'd only thought to lay a hand on the man when he was falling...
|
|
|
Post by gideon on Feb 23, 2010 13:39:50 GMT -6
Old Sarah stood by Nate for a few moments after the line went dead, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Come, Nathan. We'll get through this. Come with me, we'll get the others together. It's time we shared some secrets in this house. God knows we'll need all our secrets if we're going to live through this."
--------------
Nate sat on the stoop with the other tenants, 4 of them altogether, plus Old Sarah. Taka was still at the hospital, as far as anyone knew, and another tenant had simply walked off after their group discussion. No one had seen him since.
The discussion itself had been an eye-opener. It seemed that every single one of the tenants, including Old Sarah, had some sort of power. All but one had come out and stated what their gifts were, but Old Sarah had called them off when they'd started questioning him. Counting himself, the Boarding House was a refuge for an empath, a teleporter, a prophet, a pyrokinetic, a healer, an invisible man, and...whatever whats-his-face could do. Nate didn't know his name, and could care less.
Lost in his thoughts, Nate almost missed the cue as Old Sarah rapped her cane on the metal railing on the side of the stoop. Shaken back to reality, Nate stood, shouldering two duffel bags, one for himself, and one for Taka. Each of the others carried a similar bag, though the nameless guy carried Old Sarah's as well as his own.
As the group stood, they followed Old Sarah out to the street, and stood there as a jeep, flanked by 4 small sedans, made its way onto the street, and drove quickly towards the Boarding House.
Seeing the crazed young man with the white-streaked hair in the passenger seat of the jeep, Nate's throat went dry for the second time this afternoon. He trusted Old Sarah implicitly...but he couldn't help but worry that they might not get out of this after all.
|
|
Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 14:00:10 GMT -6
As the jeep and the sedans arrived at the Boarding House, they fanned out, parking in a semi-circle around the tenants. As Roland climbed out of the jeep, he cracked a smile, and gestured towards Old Sarah.
"Ah, old witch. How nice to see you again! I see you've put your little zoo on display! That's awfully courteous of you, saves us the trouble of dragging them out one-by-one."
As he stepped around the front of the jeep, Roland took a few cautious steps towards the group. "Why the display, though? You, of all people, must know why we're here?"
Old Sarah took a step forward herself, her thinning white hair stirring in the wind. Now that the gunfire at the CPD had died down, the streets were eerily quiet. "Of course, Roland. You're here for the boy. And then you're fully intent on killing us all once you're healed. But I'm afraid we'll have to disappoint you, at least on that second score."
Roland arched an eyebrow, honestly intrigued. "Oh? And might I ask what makes you think you've got much choice in the matter?" You're grossly outnumbered, and quite possibly outgunned."
Sarah nodded. "True. But there are more tenants in this House than those that stand before you, Roland. Or there were. Now they're out and about, and if you so much as raise a gun towards us in a way they're not comfortable with, this will turn into a bloodbath beyond anything you were prepared for."
Damn...if they had even one invisible among them, it tipped the odds. He was tempted to start killing them now, but he needed leverage for the boy. "Well, I'll tell you what, old witch. When my men arrive with your boy, we'll play it by ear, shall we?"
Turning away from the group, Roland looked to Zeke. "Get on the radio. I want to know where that boy is. The sooner we can kill these people, the better."
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Feb 23, 2010 14:09:36 GMT -6
With Taka loaded into the backseat of one of Squad A's sedans, the Dogs set out for the Boarding House. They'd gone a few block when the radio in the dashboard squelched to life. "Come in, Squad A, this is Beta. Do you have the boy?"
The man with the sniper rifle reached for the mike. "Yeah, we got 'im. Had ta put some fear into tha morons at that hospital, but we got 'im. ETA 5 minutes to the Boarding House."
Taka listened as they spoke, trying to ignore the fact that he was being restrained by and sandwiched between two very large, very sweaty men with shotguns. No one had told him why they were going to the Boarding House, and the last time he'd spoken up, he'd gotten the butt of a rifle to the back of his head for his troubles. Now he kept his mouth shut, just hoping he'd see the end of the day alive.
After a few more minutes of driving, the car pulled on the Boarding House's street, and sped towards the House itself. Pulling to a stop, Taka could hear the other sedan that came with them pull up nearby, before the doors opened and he was hauled out of the backseat.
Gripping him tightly by his arms, they dragged Taka past the group of the Boarding House's tenants, and held him in the air a few feet away from a dusty jeep. A man with white streaks in his hair stood there, and Taka couldn't help but be afraid of him. He'd obviously organized this whole thing, and Taka wasn't sure what he planned to do with him.
|
|
Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 14:17:20 GMT -6
As Roland heard the sedans pull up, he turned to face the group from Squad A. As they hauled the boy over to him, however, he frowned. Last time he'd seen him, it was through a crowd of people on the other side of a bar. He'd made a better impression then.
"Hm...you're smaller than I expected. Boys, put him down. This one can't harm me. Take up positions around the group, but do not line up a shot. Just trust me."
As the men set Taka down and walked away, Roland led the teen over to the hood of the jeep. He thought for a moment he heard a third set of footsteps behind him, but he didn't react to it. "Now, boy, your friends tell me you've got the quite a gift. Obviously, things are a little tense right now, but you can make this all go away, okay?"
Rolling up the left sleeve of his jacket, Roland exposed the crooked break in his arm, and the mangled mess of his hand. As he saw the telltale red lines creeping up his arm, Roland knew he'd been right about the blood poisoning.
"All you have to do is work your magic on my arm here. You do whatever-it-is that you do, heal my arm, and you and the rest of your little freakshow live to see another day."
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Feb 23, 2010 14:22:40 GMT -6
Taka was shaking with fear as the man led him around the jeep. As he rolled his sleeve up, however, Taka gasped. He'd seen bad breaks before, had fixed more than a few at the hospital, but this? The lines on his arm showed he'd be dead soon if he didn't get it fixed...but this was the man that had the other tenants, Old Sarah and Nate included, at gunpoint.
But if he didn't, they'd die. Sure, this man would die too, but not for another week or so. Sighing, Taka carefully grabbed the man's arm, laying it against the hood of the jeep. Laying his hands on the feverish skin, Taka closed his eyes...and nearly vomited as he realized how bad the damage was.
Stepping back, his forehead covered in a cold sweat, Taka gasped for air. "I...I can't. The bone's already started to heal, if I healed you now, I'd only heal it in that shape, and the marrow would keep bleeding into the rest of you. There's nothing I can do!"
|
|
Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 14:30:00 GMT -6
Roland felt a calming sensation flow through his arm as the boy closed his eyes...then felt it jerked away as the boy leaped back. As the boy explained, Roland felt nothing but anger welling up, until his good had formed a shaking fist, and his mouth formed a bestial snarl.
Without a word, Roland stormed around to the back of the jeep, reaching into the trunk and pulling out a crowbar. Walking back to the front of the vehicle, Roland threw his arm on the hood, raised the crowbar above his head, and brought it down as hard as he could on the crooked bend in his forearm.
His entire world disappeared in a blinding red-white flash, accompanied by a painful ringing in his ears and a wave of nausea shooting through him. Blinking it away, and spitting to rid his mouth of the taste of bile, Roland brought the crowbar up again, and brought it down on his mangled fist. This time, the pain was worse, and he couldn't stop himself from leaning over and emptying his stomach onto the ground.
As he finished, however, he wiped his mouth with his good hand, and looked up at the boy. His eyes watery and bloodshot, his hair damp with sweat, Roland snarled and grabbed the boy by his shirt, dragging him back to the hood.
"NOW FIX IT, DAMMIT, OR THAT HAPPENS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM!!!!!"
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Feb 23, 2010 14:36:59 GMT -6
Taka screamed as the man re-broke his arm and his hand, and couldn't stop the frightened tears from rolling down his face as he was dragged back. Wanting nothing more than to be away from this madman, Taka pressed his hands against the man's forearm, and a white glow outlined his hands as he went to work.
Before their eyes, the bend in Roland's arm straightened as the bones righted themselves and sealed the break. Moving his attention to the hand, Taka stitched the fingers and palm back together, before wiping out the infection in his blood. Stepping back, crying and gasping for breath, Taka looked at the man. After a moment, he turned, and ran to the tenants, where Old Sarah greeted him with a hug.
|
|
Roland
Elite Warrior
Posts: 95
|
Post by Roland on Feb 23, 2010 14:46:01 GMT -6
As soon as the boy laid his hands on his arm, Roland felt that same relief wash over him. In moments, his arm was healed, and his hand was being put back together, and Roland could almost feel a slight chill as the infection was wiped out and his fever disappeared.
As the boy ran to the group, Roland stood, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he examined his arm. Flexing his hand, his snarl turned into a wide, toothy grin. "The joints aren't even stiff...amazing."
Looking up, Roland walked into the circle, beaming at Old Sarah, and the weeping boy in her arms. "For a genetic mistake, he does good work, I'll give him that. At least you can all die together."
Old Sarah's eyes widened, and she spoke back as Taka stood and moved to stand with the rest of the group. "Watch yourself, Roland. Remember my warning. Killing us is as good as signing your own death certificate."
Roland gave a short, barking laugh, before his left arm shot out and grabbed hold of something. By the way his arm jerked, it was struggling, but no one could see what it was he had grabbed. "Oh, you mean this? Your little insurance policy? Sorry, but your coverage just ran out."
Whipping out his knife, Roland plunged it into the air below his fist, and instantly blood began to run down the blade, dripping into a puddle on the street. For a moment, nothing happened, but then the air shimmered, and a shaggy-haired blond teenager appeared, Roland's knife buried in his chest. Roland pulled the blade free and dropped the teen, turning back to the group.
"Tell the next one to walk softly, eh? Men, open fire."
|
|
|
Post by rilkan on Feb 23, 2010 23:04:56 GMT -6
As soon as Roland gave the order, one of the tenants sprinted towards the gang boss, his hands and hair wreathed in flames. With a shout, he thrust out his arms, columns of flame shooting towards the gunmen that surrounded the tenants. As their guns began to fire on the pyrokinetic, he half-turned, screaming back towards the others. "Go! Now!"
Taka stood confused for a moment, until Jeremy, one of the other tenants, pulled him close. Taka struggled and panicked for a moment, until he saw that Jeremy had Nate under his other arm. Old Sarah backed up tightly against the group, while Taka felt the hands of yet another tenant wrap around them. Even as he wondered what was going on, Taka felt his hair stand on end, and the air around the group began to glow a fluorescent pink.
Nate felt himself pulled into a group hug, and felt the desperate panic radiating off of Jeremy, the confusion from Taka, the confidence of the man whose name he just couldn't seem to remember, and the determination flowing off Old Sarah in waves. Overwhelmed by the mix of emotions, Nate focused on blocking everything out. However, he was distracted as he felt the hair all over his body stand on end, and saw his skin outlined in fluorescent pink light.
Old Sarah pressed herself tightly against the group, and her hand reached for Jeremy's behind Nate's back. As she touched his hand, she sighed and closed her eyes. This would work, but another of her tenants would be lost. She was certain he knew it too. "We live this time, Roland. You've started a dangerous fight. Make sure you're prepared to finish it when the time comes."
The group of 5 was then obscured by the pink glow, even as the pyrokinetic tenant fell under a flurry of gunfire. Then, with a loud boom and a shockwave, the group disappeared, leaving only dust in in their wake.
|
|