***
Evangelia jumped, flipping over a Wing Raider and slicing off one of his jets, sending him out of control. "Okay people," she said as she landed
lightly on the street, rising to a ready pose again, "what's our status?"
"Looks like the Lost are bugging out," Mag Flashlight responded. "They're all moving around the edge of the fight and heading for Skyway or
their shanty town."
"Body thieves are trying to keep fighting," Daley Wong reported, "but it looks like they annoyed the Clockwork... I have no idea how, but
they're both a bit distracted from us right now."
"I'll take that as a result," Lady of the Peace said, moving up to burn the Raiders focusing on Eva, Knight alongside her. Scrapper sprinted past
them, intent on dealing with a Sky Skiff (The one-man aerodynes apparently being shiny enough to class as flying mousies to the catgirls - Alice was thinking
much the same thing). As the Fey fired off a tight beam of concentrated flame that cooked a Raider and took him out of action in one shot, Alice let loose with
a rain of arrows, her powers letting her aim into a group of heroes and villains safely. "What about Arachnos?" Riot Forces leader wondered.
The amused voice of Detective McNicols responded to that. "Looks like the Freaks got their act together and decided to join the fun, but found that the
Spiders were blocking the road. I've got a buttload of SWAT here with me. Once they're done kicking each others asses, we're gonna go have a
friendly discussion with what's left." There was a pause. "And a robot threatening to hold me down and apply stitches. Bossbot, a little
help?"
"Reminder: I assigned him to you for a reason," HE-AT replied promptly.
Knight chuckled, blasting through a force field and taking out its generator. "So, all that's left is these morons," he said as Scrapper and
Archer took out the few Raiders left at their current location.
A moment later, Purrfect Scrapper skidded to a halt on the edge of the cliff face that marked the end of New Overbrook and the start of the ruined area
commonly called Aftershock. She took a look out over Aftershock, before her ears and tail shot straight up. "Uh, guys, about the whole only-Raiders-left
issue," she said in a nervous tone. "There's a slight problem. Well, not a slight problem, more a lot of little problems that come together to
make a bigger problem, like addition or multiplication and all that stuff..." her voice trailed off as Archer stepped up beside her and placed a
reassuring hand on her shoulder. The other heroes moved up as well, getting a good look at what looked like well over a hundred Sky Raiders moving towards New
Overbrook, flying below the cliff face and staying in the caved in zones to avoid detection.
"Well," Neko said from her position on Archers shoulder. "This would seem to confirm suspicions that the Raiders have managed to make tunnels
under the Dam War Walls."
"That's an awful lot of Raiders," Ifrit managed. "Castillos not taking this well."
"Well, he did royally cock up," Knight said. "He's the sort of man to solve a mistake like that with more dakka," he quipped, before
frowning and zooming in with his visor, finding a squad of Raiders on the ground, gathered around an oddly proportioned body in a pool of blood. "But they
have taken down at least one hero. Looks like Pooky is dead." To one unfamiliar with the Legendary, the amusement in his voice would have seemed uncalled
for, even cruel.
Behind him, Terrence snorted. "Yeah. That'll last. Lazy demon's probably using the chance to take a nap."
Knight chuckled, then nodded. "And I found Castillo. Over near the eastern edge, surrounded by Skiffs. I think he's a bit upset."
Evangelia took out a small pair of binoculars and looked. "Ah yes. There's his custom flight suit," she noted. "What do you think? Take him
down, use him to make a point to the other Raiders?"
"If nothing else, it will work wonders on damaging their morale," Neko agreed. A moment later, their conversation was brought to a halt as Miranda
appeared next to them in a flash of warping space.
"... Mir?!" Ifrit exclaimed, taking in her sisters new look and energy pattern with more then a little surprise.
"Oh, hey 'frit," she smiled, waving. "I thought you were around here somewhere," she added, before her eyes rolled back in her head and
she passed out, Scrapper darting over and catching her as her legs shut down.
"Guys, little help here cause she's not oh thanks," she said as both Knight and Lady of the Peace grabbed their sister and lowered her to the
ground carefully.
"EMMY! GAMMA!" Knight yelled out, his voice reaching the atomic duo about a hundred meters away. Both were there almost instantly, kneeling down next
to Miranda, Gamma pulling a medical scanner from her belt.
"She's unhurt, just exhausted," Gamma said, holding out a hand over Mirandas chest and emitting a faint green glow. Emerald Blast did the same as
the former nurse continued. "I'm not sure what did it, but I think I can provide some basic energy to... hold on. This is odd."
"What?" Knight asked as he knelt down for a closer look. Bullets raced overhead as the front of the next wave of Sky Raiders closed in. Purrfect
Archer responded with an explosive arrow, Terrence with a phone booth. The bullets stopped for the moment.
"Her energy signature's changed completely. No extra electrical charge, more of a... Kheldian?"
"... Are you serious?" Ifrit gasped, eyes going wide, before jerking back in slight shock as Mirandas eyelids opened, revealing a misty black energy.
"She had no choice," the Warshade said in an odd, almost ethereal voice. "She was injured, dying. By merging, we saved both our lives, but
repairing her... took energy we could not spare." The voice began to waver, exhaustion ripping through the Kheldian half as much as the human.
Her sister looked at her for a moment, then smiled faintly and brushed a hand through Mirandas bright blue hair. "Go ahead and get some rest," she
said softly. "And thanks." The Kheldian smiled faintly, then slipped back into unconsciousness again. Ifrit looked at her for a moment, expression
darkening, then stood up.
"'Frit," Knight said, recognizing the expression. Behind him, Archer went slightly pale, recognizing her mothers anger taking hold. Before either
of them could do anything however, the Fey literally vanished into midair, and they both barely heard her wings beat as she lifted up into the air and out of
sight. "...Shit."
"Wonderful," Evangelia sighed, readying her sword again. "For Love and Justice!" she yelled, leaping over the cliff and towards the
Raiders, the catgirls right behind her.
***
Evangelia jumped, flipping over a Wing Raider and slicing off one of his jets, sending him out of control. "Okay people," she said as she landed
lightly on the street, rising to a ready pose again, "what's our status?"
"Looks like the Lost are bugging out," Mag Flashlight responded. "They're all moving around the edge of the fight and heading for Skyway or
their shanty town."
"Body thieves are trying to keep fighting," Daley Wong reported, "but it looks like they annoyed the Clockwork... I have no idea how, but
they're both a bit distracted from us right now."
"I'll take that as a result," Lady of the Peace said, moving up to burn the Raiders focusing on Eva, Knight alongside her. Scrapper sprinted past
them, intent on dealing with a Sky Skiff (The one-man aerodynes apparently being shiny enough to class as flying mousies to the catgirls - Alice was thinking
much the same thing). As the Fey fired off a tight beam of concentrated flame that cooked a Raider and took him out of action in one shot, Alice let loose with
a rain of arrows, her powers letting her aim into a group of heroes and villains safely. "What about Arachnos?" Riot Forces leader wondered.
The amused voice of Detective McNicols responded to that. "Looks like the Freaks got their act together and decided to join the fun, but found that the
Spiders were blocking the road. I've got a buttload of SWAT here with me. Once they're done kicking each others asses, we're gonna go have a
friendly discussion with what's left." There was a pause. "And a robot threatening to hold me down and apply stitches. Bossbot, a little
help?"
"Reminder: I assigned him to you for a reason," HE-AT replied promptly.
Knight chuckled, blasting through a force field and taking out its generator. "So, all that's left is these morons," he said as Scrapper and
Archer took out the few Raiders left at their current location.
A moment later, Purrfect Scrapper skidded to a halt on the edge of the cliff face that marked the end of New Overbrook and the start of the ruined area
commonly called Aftershock. She took a look out over Aftershock, before her ears and tail shot straight up. "Uh, guys, about the whole only-Raiders-left
issue," she said in a nervous tone. "There's a slight problem. Well, not a slight problem, more a lot of little problems that come together to
make a bigger problem, like addition or multiplication and all that stuff..." her voice trailed off as Archer stepped up beside her and placed a
reassuring hand on her shoulder. The other heroes moved up as well, getting a good look at what looked like well over a hundred Sky Raiders moving towards New
Overbrook, flying below the cliff face and staying in the caved in zones to avoid detection.
"Well," Neko said from her position on Archers shoulder. "This would seem to confirm suspicions that the Raiders have managed to make tunnels
under the Dam War Walls."
"That's an awful lot of Raiders," Ifrit managed. "Castillos not taking this well."
"Well, he did royally cock up," Knight said. "He's the sort of man to solve a mistake like that with more dakka," he quipped, before
frowning and zooming in with his visor, finding a squad of Raiders on the ground, gathered around an oddly proportioned body in a pool of blood. "But they
have taken down at least one hero. Looks like Pooky is dead." To one unfamiliar with the Legendary, the amusement in his voice would have seemed uncalled
for, even cruel.
Behind him, Terrence snorted. "Yeah. That'll last. Lazy demon's probably using the chance to take a nap."
Knight chuckled, then nodded. "And I found Castillo. Over near the eastern edge, surrounded by Skiffs. I think he's a bit upset."
Evangelia took out a small pair of binoculars and looked. "Ah yes. There's his custom flight suit," she noted. "What do you think? Take him
down, use him to make a point to the other Raiders?"
"If nothing else, it will work wonders on damaging their morale," Neko agreed. A moment later, their conversation was brought to a halt as Miranda
appeared next to them in a flash of warping space.
"... Mir?!" Ifrit exclaimed, taking in her sisters new look and energy pattern with more then a little surprise.
"Oh, hey 'frit," she smiled, waving. "I thought you were around here somewhere," she added, before her eyes rolled back in her head and
she passed out, Scrapper darting over and catching her as her legs shut down.
"Guys, little help here cause she's not oh thanks," she said as both Knight and Lady of the Peace grabbed their sister and lowered her to the
ground carefully.
"EMMY! GAMMA!" Knight yelled out, his voice reaching the atomic duo about a hundred meters away. Both were there almost instantly, kneeling down next
to Miranda, Gamma pulling a medical scanner from her belt.
"She's unhurt, just exhausted," Gamma said, holding out a hand over Mirandas chest and emitting a faint green glow. Emerald Blast did the same as
the former nurse continued. "I'm not sure what did it, but I think I can provide some basic energy to... hold on. This is odd."
"What?" Knight asked as he knelt down for a closer look. Bullets raced overhead as the front of the next wave of Sky Raiders closed in. Purrfect
Archer responded with an explosive arrow, Terrence with a phone booth. The bullets stopped for the moment.
"Her energy signature's changed completely. No extra electrical charge, more of a... Kheldian?"
"... Are you serious?" Ifrit gasped, eyes going wide, before jerking back in slight shock as Mirandas eyelids opened, revealing a misty black energy.
"She had no choice," the Warshade said in an odd, almost ethereal voice. "She was injured, dying. By merging, we saved both our lives, but
repairing her... took energy we could not spare." The voice began to waver, exhaustion ripping through the Kheldian half as much as the human.
Her sister looked at her for a moment, then smiled faintly and brushed a hand through Mirandas bright blue hair. "Go ahead and get some rest," she
said softly. "And thanks." The Kheldian smiled faintly, then slipped back into unconsciousness again. Ifrit looked at her for a moment, expression
darkening, then stood up.
"'Frit," Knight said, recognizing the expression. Behind him, Archer went slightly pale, recognizing her mothers anger taking hold. Before either
of them could do anything however, the Fey literally vanished into midair, and they both barely heard her wings beat as she lifted up into the air and out of
sight. "...Shit."
"Wonderful," Evangelia sighed, readying her sword again. "For Love and Justice!" she yelled, leaping over the cliff and towards the
Raiders, the catgirls right behind her.
***