Scene: inside the Kansas Bar - just after the brawl that took place between Alita and the Kansas regulars.
I felt something, an impact tremor from just outside. Alita looked at me and I nodded she had noticed it too. Together, we watched the door. Lanky-blades went on, but we werent listening. We only watched the door.
At the bar, the bottles of booze began to clank together.
An earthquake? said the barkeep. Here!?
A foreboding wind blew through the door. Duke growled.
Suddenly, there was an explosion in the stairwell that led down to the door, throwing blasted chunks of concrete inside. The rumbling didnt subside, as it seemed something huge was beginning to push its way through the comparatively small door (the sign above it proclaimed a max headroom of three meters).
Finally, the structure could take no more and burst inward with a shower of concrete wreckage. And in through the wreckage strode a huge man. I recognized him at first as the champion I saw on the plaza monitors, Kinuba. But then the man laughed in a way that chilled my innards.
Its Makaku! I hissed.
Are you serious!? said Alita.
Only he laughs like that. Suddenly Lanky-blades was asking Kinuba for an autograph. I shouted out to him to stop, but it was too late. Seeing what Makaku did with the man disgusted and amazed me. To be able to cut him up the way he did, but leave the brain intact, was remarkable. I noted to myself as Makaku devoured his treat and laughed his hideous laugh that we were in serious trouble.
Makaku, you bastard! How about you pick on someone who can actually stand up to you!
Oh-ho! said Makaku as he mask flipped up. Its the pip-squeak, and the cute babe too! Just the people I was looking for.
Daisuke was, needless to say, shocked. Makaku! This Thing has gotten hold of Kinubas Power!?
Duke was at our side, barking his head off at Makaku as he had a seat in the rubble. The imagery made me think of some tyrant king taking to his throne. Koyomi wailed and the rest of the patrons cowered at the bar.
Makaku chuckled. Ah, pretty thing, youve gotten hold of a new body too, eh!? I suddenly tensed as I felt Makaku scan Alita and I with some sort of active sensor system. My shields could do nothing to block it they were not a stealth system. Alita took up a defensive stance anyways.
My, how very interesting, boy! said Makaku, addressing me now.
I glowered at him. Oh, and what do you find so interesting?
That energy you made to protect yourself and your friends. Quite the black box. I wonder what Factory Law would think of it?
Quietly I turned this over in my head and I realized that while I may not have much offensive capability against the likes of the grind cutters, my defensive capabilities would most likely be effective, and Makaku knew it too. He would rather risk going to Factory Law to rat me out than fight me directly, the coward.
He then turned his attention back to Alita licking his lips grotesquely. And you I want you. And what I want, I get.
Makaku then rubbed a hand over his wounded eye. Daisuke and Alita had both filled me in on the parts that I had missed. While Makaku had nearly killed Alita, she had given a good accounting for herself. At least, as good as she could in a cyborg body not built with combat in mind. Right now, one of her arms was still lodged in his eye. I kept that in mind as it might make for a tactical advantage.
Ill never forget the agony of having this eye crushed, went on Makaku. But I wont kill you. My desire, pretty thing, is to rip your limbs off while you still have life to turn you, crying and screaming, into a living pendant with which to adorn my chest. There could be no greater pleasure than to hear your pleading voice, every moment, every day. Makaku suddenly raised a finger and finished, Well? Dont you think thats a wonderful idea!?
At this point, Alita said something. I had no idea what it was. All I could see was Makakus leering face, his slathering mouth, the lustful look in his eyes and unseen to everyone else, save the ever-observant Daisuke, three disks of shield energy appeared over my right fist, glowing with incredible energy.
Suddenly, Makakus head lunged out, laughing. Take it or leave it! Im just a little ol maggot worm!
In an instant I was inside his defensive perimeter and I attacked with the pinpoint shielded fist. Jump jets in my lower legs fired as I jumped into the attack and hurled me, and Makaku as I had given him a nasty gut-check, through the ceiling above and into the Scrapyard.
Time for take-two you ugly bastard! I snarled.
***
Everyone stared in slack-jawed amazement as Rhodes had moved with unbelievable speed and exploded in Makakus face, sending them both through the roof. Even Alita and Daisuke had been left flatfooted by Rhodess suddenness.
It was Alita that broke the tableau, naturally. Well, what are we waiting for!? Lets go help him! she yelled, and took off running up the stairs. Daisuke only waited long enough to get his hammer assembled in record time and was off after her.
-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.
I felt something, an impact tremor from just outside. Alita looked at me and I nodded she had noticed it too. Together, we watched the door. Lanky-blades went on, but we werent listening. We only watched the door.
At the bar, the bottles of booze began to clank together.
An earthquake? said the barkeep. Here!?
A foreboding wind blew through the door. Duke growled.
Suddenly, there was an explosion in the stairwell that led down to the door, throwing blasted chunks of concrete inside. The rumbling didnt subside, as it seemed something huge was beginning to push its way through the comparatively small door (the sign above it proclaimed a max headroom of three meters).
Finally, the structure could take no more and burst inward with a shower of concrete wreckage. And in through the wreckage strode a huge man. I recognized him at first as the champion I saw on the plaza monitors, Kinuba. But then the man laughed in a way that chilled my innards.
Its Makaku! I hissed.
Are you serious!? said Alita.
Only he laughs like that. Suddenly Lanky-blades was asking Kinuba for an autograph. I shouted out to him to stop, but it was too late. Seeing what Makaku did with the man disgusted and amazed me. To be able to cut him up the way he did, but leave the brain intact, was remarkable. I noted to myself as Makaku devoured his treat and laughed his hideous laugh that we were in serious trouble.
Makaku, you bastard! How about you pick on someone who can actually stand up to you!
Oh-ho! said Makaku as he mask flipped up. Its the pip-squeak, and the cute babe too! Just the people I was looking for.
Daisuke was, needless to say, shocked. Makaku! This Thing has gotten hold of Kinubas Power!?
Duke was at our side, barking his head off at Makaku as he had a seat in the rubble. The imagery made me think of some tyrant king taking to his throne. Koyomi wailed and the rest of the patrons cowered at the bar.
Makaku chuckled. Ah, pretty thing, youve gotten hold of a new body too, eh!? I suddenly tensed as I felt Makaku scan Alita and I with some sort of active sensor system. My shields could do nothing to block it they were not a stealth system. Alita took up a defensive stance anyways.
My, how very interesting, boy! said Makaku, addressing me now.
I glowered at him. Oh, and what do you find so interesting?
That energy you made to protect yourself and your friends. Quite the black box. I wonder what Factory Law would think of it?
Quietly I turned this over in my head and I realized that while I may not have much offensive capability against the likes of the grind cutters, my defensive capabilities would most likely be effective, and Makaku knew it too. He would rather risk going to Factory Law to rat me out than fight me directly, the coward.
He then turned his attention back to Alita licking his lips grotesquely. And you I want you. And what I want, I get.
Makaku then rubbed a hand over his wounded eye. Daisuke and Alita had both filled me in on the parts that I had missed. While Makaku had nearly killed Alita, she had given a good accounting for herself. At least, as good as she could in a cyborg body not built with combat in mind. Right now, one of her arms was still lodged in his eye. I kept that in mind as it might make for a tactical advantage.
Ill never forget the agony of having this eye crushed, went on Makaku. But I wont kill you. My desire, pretty thing, is to rip your limbs off while you still have life to turn you, crying and screaming, into a living pendant with which to adorn my chest. There could be no greater pleasure than to hear your pleading voice, every moment, every day. Makaku suddenly raised a finger and finished, Well? Dont you think thats a wonderful idea!?
At this point, Alita said something. I had no idea what it was. All I could see was Makakus leering face, his slathering mouth, the lustful look in his eyes and unseen to everyone else, save the ever-observant Daisuke, three disks of shield energy appeared over my right fist, glowing with incredible energy.
Suddenly, Makakus head lunged out, laughing. Take it or leave it! Im just a little ol maggot worm!
In an instant I was inside his defensive perimeter and I attacked with the pinpoint shielded fist. Jump jets in my lower legs fired as I jumped into the attack and hurled me, and Makaku as I had given him a nasty gut-check, through the ceiling above and into the Scrapyard.
Time for take-two you ugly bastard! I snarled.
***
Everyone stared in slack-jawed amazement as Rhodes had moved with unbelievable speed and exploded in Makakus face, sending them both through the roof. Even Alita and Daisuke had been left flatfooted by Rhodess suddenness.
It was Alita that broke the tableau, naturally. Well, what are we waiting for!? Lets go help him! she yelled, and took off running up the stairs. Daisuke only waited long enough to get his hammer assembled in record time and was off after her.
-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.-NeoRaven
"I became insane with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe
Sponsored by Black Aeronaut Technologies -
Aerospace solutions for the discerning spacer.