King’s Row
Post Praetorian Incursion.
- - -
Snow whipped down the street as Seraph carefully poked amongst the debris from the assault. Most of the Legendary, Riot Force, the P.S.I. and a few others had volunteered to root out the remaining War Works, but it was slow going.
After the initial attack, the BUC’s and AUC’s had started hiding them selves in the rubble. While the War Walkers would sit in an abandoned building, all waiting till some unsuspecting hero would walk past only to leap out and kill them.
There was a crunch as Neph landed next to him, spinning he let out a slight sigh as Neph walked, the snow causing her armour’s stealth field to flicker on and off. She walked up and yanked her helmet off, wincing as the cold air struck her face. “So, find anything?” she asked.
He kicked what looked like the remains of some one’s car. “I haven’t found shit, maybe they shut down when it’s to cold or something… I don’t know.” He looked along the street, shaking his head. “We have no idea how many came through… and they don’t dare start rebuilding till they know it’s safe, this place might be the next boom town.”
They made their way down, Neph paused to poke at a snow drift. “You know, I have noticed one thing with this.” Pushing the snow away she uncovered the smashed remains of a Praetorian Clockwork. “No one is salvaging these things, not even the local clocks.”
“I guess there’s some shit even they won’t touch.” He muttered, pulling his coat tighter around himself.
Standing up, Neph stuck her helmet back on. “Lets get this over and done with… this place is fucking depressing.”
Nodding they started walking down the street, passing more burnt out cars, shattered buildings, more and more signs of Cole’s desire to destroy in the interest of protecting his Utopia.
As they reached the end of the street, Seraph cocked his head slightly. “Did you hear that?”
Neph looked over, scanning the buildings, a slight rattle coming from one of the abandon buildings. “Rats, the only thing left alive out here... but we better check it out.”
As she started towards one of the buildings, Seraph heard a click as Neph looked down, swearing slightly as a landmine hidden in the snow detonated, slamming her across the street into hood of a burnt out car. She let out an audible grunt of pain as she slid to the ground.
Seraph spun and cursed as he saw War works starting to exit the buildings, their frames scared and pitted, their metal feet crunching on the frozen sidewalks as they moved into rough formation and marched forward, gun arms pointed at Neph as she tried to get to her feet.
With out a second thought Seraph rushed Neph, sliding her along the ice as they opened fire, the blasts tearing into him. Biting down, trying not to pass out in pain, he rolled over and fired a blast of energy. The azure wave crashing into them, crippling and destroying the weaker ones.
The lead ACU raised its canon, aiming at the car behind them. Looking over his shoulder Seraph noticed several shots from the first salvo had punched through the tank, causing fuel to flow out onto the snow.
Looking up he saw the glow in the depth of the gun barrel. “Oh shi-” He was cut off by the bark of the weapon as it fired, a loud wumph as the gasoline ignited, pain flaring along his body as darkness filled his vision.
- - -
Tish had been patrolling around Wentworths when she heard the first blast. Without a seconds thought, she sped towards it. Snow flying around her as she saw the fireball rise from a car, two figures illuminated by the flames as she ducked behind a battered PPD SWAT truck and teleported them to her.
Neph scrambled to her feet and ripped her helmet as she landed, the front of her armor covered in gouges as she shook her head to clear it. The second person was on their side, smouldering slightly in the snow, rolling him over Tish felt her stomach drop.
It was Seraph. Most of the left side of his body had suffered extreme burns, the off white of bone visible in some places. His breath came in a gargling rasp as he tried to move.
Placing a hand on his good shoulder Tish looked to Neph and was about to ask what happened when she heard the loud call of the War works.
“TARGETS HAVE TELAPORTED, ACTIVATE SERCH AND DESTROY PROTICOLS.” There was the sound of weapons discharging as they started to shoot anything that could pass for cover.
Turning she looked Neph in the eyes. “I need you to go out there and hold them off, okay?”
The taller girl nodded slowly, grabbing her helmet and vaulting over the truck, the sounds of metal being torn apart. Tish turned back to Seraph, biting her lip, unsure if she could do anything for him. “What happened?” she muttered.
A long strangled gasp exited him lips as his good eye opened. “Ambush… Neph was down… gonna get shot… gonna die… had… to save...” He stopped as he started to cough, blood foaming on his lips.
Tish started trying to apply pressure to his wounds. “Why though?”
“Si… Simple Tish… she… family…” He started to hack again.
“Shh, don’t talk, save your strength.”
He looked up and tried to smile. “Tish… don’t sugar coat… we… can both see…”
“NO!” she yelled, cutting him off as she looked for anything that could help. “You just need to hold on till-”
He cupped her face his eye focusing. “Tish… promise… look after the-”
“Don’t.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Tish… please Gir… Laz… Neph too… promise me.”
She giving the whisper of a nod, replying with regret “I- I promise.”
He smiled, wincing slighty. “Thank… you… love… y…” his body slumped as he let out final sigh, the light in his eye dimming.
Leaning over she closed his eyes and stood up, blinking away her tears she bit down on the sorrow and pain, leaving only a fiercely burning rage. Looking at her hands she saw his blood covering them. Stepping out from behind the SWAT truck, fire starting to roll off her, she started down the street.
She saw Neph ripping the BUC's apart, pausing to look at her, seeing the blood on her hands, the look on her face. She slumped for a few seconds, one of the bots moved in to take advantaged of her laps.
Tish warped the air around Neph, speeding her up as the girl straighten up and let out a throaty growl, grabbing the nearest bots arm and ripping it from its socket before brining it down with enough force to shatter it’s skull.
Leaping after her, Tish let the flame roll off her, Imps manifested and ran forward, screeching as they climbed over them, their flaming claws tearing the metal apart. She was going to follow his dying wish… after she'd burn every last one of those Preat tin cans from the face off the earth, she would see them burn.
- - -
To be continued.
Post Praetorian Incursion.
- - -
Snow whipped down the street as Seraph carefully poked amongst the debris from the assault. Most of the Legendary, Riot Force, the P.S.I. and a few others had volunteered to root out the remaining War Works, but it was slow going.
After the initial attack, the BUC’s and AUC’s had started hiding them selves in the rubble. While the War Walkers would sit in an abandoned building, all waiting till some unsuspecting hero would walk past only to leap out and kill them.
There was a crunch as Neph landed next to him, spinning he let out a slight sigh as Neph walked, the snow causing her armour’s stealth field to flicker on and off. She walked up and yanked her helmet off, wincing as the cold air struck her face. “So, find anything?” she asked.
He kicked what looked like the remains of some one’s car. “I haven’t found shit, maybe they shut down when it’s to cold or something… I don’t know.” He looked along the street, shaking his head. “We have no idea how many came through… and they don’t dare start rebuilding till they know it’s safe, this place might be the next boom town.”
They made their way down, Neph paused to poke at a snow drift. “You know, I have noticed one thing with this.” Pushing the snow away she uncovered the smashed remains of a Praetorian Clockwork. “No one is salvaging these things, not even the local clocks.”
“I guess there’s some shit even they won’t touch.” He muttered, pulling his coat tighter around himself.
Standing up, Neph stuck her helmet back on. “Lets get this over and done with… this place is fucking depressing.”
Nodding they started walking down the street, passing more burnt out cars, shattered buildings, more and more signs of Cole’s desire to destroy in the interest of protecting his Utopia.
As they reached the end of the street, Seraph cocked his head slightly. “Did you hear that?”
Neph looked over, scanning the buildings, a slight rattle coming from one of the abandon buildings. “Rats, the only thing left alive out here... but we better check it out.”
As she started towards one of the buildings, Seraph heard a click as Neph looked down, swearing slightly as a landmine hidden in the snow detonated, slamming her across the street into hood of a burnt out car. She let out an audible grunt of pain as she slid to the ground.
Seraph spun and cursed as he saw War works starting to exit the buildings, their frames scared and pitted, their metal feet crunching on the frozen sidewalks as they moved into rough formation and marched forward, gun arms pointed at Neph as she tried to get to her feet.
With out a second thought Seraph rushed Neph, sliding her along the ice as they opened fire, the blasts tearing into him. Biting down, trying not to pass out in pain, he rolled over and fired a blast of energy. The azure wave crashing into them, crippling and destroying the weaker ones.
The lead ACU raised its canon, aiming at the car behind them. Looking over his shoulder Seraph noticed several shots from the first salvo had punched through the tank, causing fuel to flow out onto the snow.
Looking up he saw the glow in the depth of the gun barrel. “Oh shi-” He was cut off by the bark of the weapon as it fired, a loud wumph as the gasoline ignited, pain flaring along his body as darkness filled his vision.
- - -
Tish had been patrolling around Wentworths when she heard the first blast. Without a seconds thought, she sped towards it. Snow flying around her as she saw the fireball rise from a car, two figures illuminated by the flames as she ducked behind a battered PPD SWAT truck and teleported them to her.
Neph scrambled to her feet and ripped her helmet as she landed, the front of her armor covered in gouges as she shook her head to clear it. The second person was on their side, smouldering slightly in the snow, rolling him over Tish felt her stomach drop.
It was Seraph. Most of the left side of his body had suffered extreme burns, the off white of bone visible in some places. His breath came in a gargling rasp as he tried to move.
Placing a hand on his good shoulder Tish looked to Neph and was about to ask what happened when she heard the loud call of the War works.
“TARGETS HAVE TELAPORTED, ACTIVATE SERCH AND DESTROY PROTICOLS.” There was the sound of weapons discharging as they started to shoot anything that could pass for cover.
Turning she looked Neph in the eyes. “I need you to go out there and hold them off, okay?”
The taller girl nodded slowly, grabbing her helmet and vaulting over the truck, the sounds of metal being torn apart. Tish turned back to Seraph, biting her lip, unsure if she could do anything for him. “What happened?” she muttered.
A long strangled gasp exited him lips as his good eye opened. “Ambush… Neph was down… gonna get shot… gonna die… had… to save...” He stopped as he started to cough, blood foaming on his lips.
Tish started trying to apply pressure to his wounds. “Why though?”
“Si… Simple Tish… she… family…” He started to hack again.
“Shh, don’t talk, save your strength.”
He looked up and tried to smile. “Tish… don’t sugar coat… we… can both see…”
“NO!” she yelled, cutting him off as she looked for anything that could help. “You just need to hold on till-”
He cupped her face his eye focusing. “Tish… promise… look after the-”
“Don’t.” She swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Tish… please Gir… Laz… Neph too… promise me.”
She giving the whisper of a nod, replying with regret “I- I promise.”
He smiled, wincing slighty. “Thank… you… love… y…” his body slumped as he let out final sigh, the light in his eye dimming.
Leaning over she closed his eyes and stood up, blinking away her tears she bit down on the sorrow and pain, leaving only a fiercely burning rage. Looking at her hands she saw his blood covering them. Stepping out from behind the SWAT truck, fire starting to roll off her, she started down the street.
She saw Neph ripping the BUC's apart, pausing to look at her, seeing the blood on her hands, the look on her face. She slumped for a few seconds, one of the bots moved in to take advantaged of her laps.
Tish warped the air around Neph, speeding her up as the girl straighten up and let out a throaty growl, grabbing the nearest bots arm and ripping it from its socket before brining it down with enough force to shatter it’s skull.
Leaping after her, Tish let the flame roll off her, Imps manifested and ran forward, screeching as they climbed over them, their flaming claws tearing the metal apart. She was going to follow his dying wish… after she'd burn every last one of those Preat tin cans from the face off the earth, she would see them burn.
- - -
To be continued.