Nov 28 107 PA - Vixen's trip to Laramy
From Chronicles
It is agreed upon and they set out of the city, heading along the road to Laramy. Where it can be called a road, rather than a path or track in the dirt. Fortunately, the truck is made to handle the rough terrain and the ride is only moderately bumpy, the pace kept to around 40 miles per hour. Sebastien leads the way on his horse, with Vixen following in the truck about thirty yards behind. Leo and Gabriel are in there with her, the truck's radio tuned to a particular frequency that's open to communicate with Seb. She's armored, but for now has her helmet off, to make driving easier.
Having been accustomed to riding the occasional roof of an M113 tracked APC clunking along Southeast Asia, or maintaining purchase inside a bucking Huey, Gabriel claps Vixen and Leonard in turn, gently. "Kind of cramped in here, guys. Can't see much in the way of doing my escorting job, anyway, right? I'm gonna see if I can't find a clear space back there." In answer to where "back there" might be, he leans over - possibly across or behind someone - and sticks his head out the window, looking for a semi-open spot in the bed.
"..and then her bear mauled me," Sebastien regales, riding along. "In fact," he muses, "Tirzah nearly set me on fire. Katsumi tried to eat me. Monique's bear tried to ugly me up a bit -- ha! A little late for that! I think every woman I have dated has tried to kill me at some point. Hm."
Leonard rides shotgun, but doesn't carry one or appear otherwise armed. He is either confident enough that nothing drastic will occur, or aims to make himself as low a priority target as possible. The nagivation is also left to Vixen and he hopes to just enjoy the ride. It is an almost novel experience for him. He watches the scenery, glancing back to advise Gabriel with a casually amused smile. "Don't fall out."
As the road becomes a path, the land a forest, and the borders of Kingsdale pass things get wilder. The trees are thick in this area on the way to Laramy. Moss and vines growing on them to maximise the vegetation into a green kaleidoscope. From the forest all is quiet over the rumblings of the large truck. That is until a loud "WHOOP WHOOP" echoes through the trees.
Vixen glances over to Gabriel and shakes her head slightly. "Don't worry too much about it, man. But there's a window you can use to crawl out the back if you need to. But I have tents and crap there, so be careful. Don't pull the tarp back too much to the wind will yank it off." She glances at the radio as Seb goes on and on and sighs softly. "Maybe that should tell you something.." She glances to the side at the loud sound, however, her head cocking. "..the hell was that?"
"Hit the gas!" Sebastien declares, and heels in to Sara as he leans closer. "Don't stop! If they aren't mounted we'll fly right past!" He grabs at his polearm, mostly to keep it from shaking free, as Sara accelerates down the trail.
And just when Leonard considers turning off the open channel, something much more entertaining catches his attention. Namely, the noise. "I've no idea..." He does peer and peek through the assorted windows to try and discover a better answer, however. "That's preferable to being an static target, if something's shooting at us..." Leonard can't argue with Sebastien's suggestion.
No doubt because of both the noise in the cab, and the muffling effect that a cab has on the surroundings, Gabriel isn't quick enough to do anything but say, "What there hell, there IS a fucking monkey?" If that references something past, it goes unsaid. Strange noises along an escort route do not make him happy, that should just be obvious to even the most dense. The CP-50 is unlodged from the rather cramped quarters, and the rear window loosened. Just because there are weird noises, doesn't mean that you start firing blindly into the woods. Have to keep your senses around you, because it's probably nothing at all. Hopefully. Nevertheless, Gabriel is in a fine position to roll out and onto the bed, if necessary, or use the cab like a mobile pillbox.
It would seem the group is accelerating into the trap as a rope across the road catches the mounted Sebastien and dismounts him. That wont stop the truck, but the four trees that fall a hundred feet further down the road will certainly do.
Vixen doesn't seem inclined to argue with the logic, the truck accelerating just a bit. The uneven road is handled, but she won't push too hard and risk losing control. At least, not until some even ground presents. "Hang on, shits going to get bumpy here and there ain't much to be done.. keep an eye out sides and back, I can't look." She keeps her eyes on the road, trying to steer for spots of less bump to bleed out as much speed as she safely can. When Seb falls she glances, but doesn't immediately stop. Her brow furrowed, the rope does indeed get bypassed as the truck barrels through it. But the trees.. Damn. Vixen leans on the break carefully, the truck bumping to a stop a few dozen yards from the obstruction. "Shit! Is he getting up? Leo, can you get those trees out of our way? Blow them up or move them or something?" She glances to the sides, then straight ahead as she considers next moves.
Sebastien can't duck fast enough. The first rope snaps across his chest, the knight airborne with Sara barreling on underneath him. His fingers grab at the polearm, the latter flipping into the air as Sara drops, skidding to a halt in a cloud of dust as Sebastien balls and goes off the road, crashing into the brush in a green mist of shredded leaves and broken vines that does little save give an extra second or two of warning of danger ahead.
Leonard snaps his head around to try and watch all sides... and then back to the front when Vixen speeks of trees. He's just in time to see a dusty ball of Sebastien roll into green. "Not before we hit them unless you stop!" His voice is raised in urgency and anger, but not at the driver.
It's pretty difficult to miss seeing trees come crashing in your path. It's even harder to watch a mounted cavalry officer get clotheslined by what actually comes very close to being a clothesline. The CP-50 may not be the most efficient weapon in the world, but it's large. Gabriel glances between trees an grenade launcher, perhaps considering for a time, then leans out the window, points the heavy assault rifle downrange, and operates the grenade action once with a satisfying clunk. As it flies, he adds, "Someone else assist please." He seems to be shockingly calm.
With the party having come to a virtual halt things are quiet save for the explosuions and skattering wood fragments. One tree is out of the picture, so is six feet of the ground beneath it.. Then "WHOOP! Whoops" Comes from behind the truck as two very brutish humanoids show themselves. They are large and toothy, looking to have bionic eyes and claws. Their bodies are stained with the local greenery for good camoflage. A head at the trees four more emerge and look interested in Sarah. "Pretty horsie.." One says.
Vixen glances back as she hears the things, only getting a glimpse, though they're too far back. "Shit.. surgery time. Keep those fucks busy," she shouts, pulling her helmet on before she opens the drivers door to hop out. "Don't blow up our way out anymore. I got the front."
The horse, for her part, rolls to her feet and comes, head-up, looking around rather unphased. She trots a couple steps towards the trees, peering down into brush too thick for her to traverse, before turning to cock her head at the assailants, peering at them with one wide brown eye.
"You've got the trees, or the four Brodkil? I doubt they're admiring the horse for its coat..." Leonard is more worried about the quartet ahead, especially if Vixen is running up there. He slaps on his helmet and exist the passenger side, not about to sit in the truck, even if it's safer.
Realizing the problem that he's created by trying to help, Gabriel shouts what is obviously an expletive in a foreign language. In his defense, he's only seen one of these grenades go off in his entire life, referencing life as this new world. How was he supposed ot know that modern grenades dug man-sized holes in the ground? Of course, there are also a couple of adages of warfare. If you have a tank or heavy APC and you're ambusehd, you remain in the APC. You do not get out and fight your way of an ambush, you simply drive the fuck away the fastest and easiest direction. Unfortunately, as the driver has now walked the fuck away, this is no longer an option. Still, it wasn't too quick a movement before the older man was able to yell, "Back into the fuc... shit." He probably takes a moment to wonder, "What the hell is a Brodkil?" then lays his rifle against the bottom of the opened rear window. The creature on the left relative to his line of sight is chosen. A single shot is lined up on the odd creature's head, and the trigger is nursed.
Ahead two of the bordkil remain focussed on the horse. The other two turn and look a Vixen. "Thats the girlie." One says. "Vixen, head intact." The other replies before the both stalk towards her. In the back the shot fired dispenses with the niceties and both Brodkil charge up to Gabriel.
Both pairs of forward Brodkil move to slash at their chosen targets with their vibro claws. Growling and drooling all the way.
Leonard is in agreement with the Brodkil, partially. Vixen's head will definitely stay intact, if he has anything to say about it. Which he does, even if the syllables are unintelligible to many. One arm extends and a mass of unfurling, conjured fibers flies forth at the pair. Without waiting to dwell on the results, he gestures again to conjure another mass, this one writhing up from his feet to encase him in mucous-laden tendrils.
As the giants close, Sara runs ahead, ducking right and accelerating with hooves that tear chunks of clod from the street as she streaks past the Brodkil. There's a horrendous screech of metal on metal as their claws rake her barding, and the massive horse sharply changes direction as a claw hooks into the plate at one point, but then she's past, launching into the air with power that no natural horse might have.
In the rear the other two subdemons are still closing on the truck and the brave Gabriel. They will definitely leap in and rip him to shreds next chance they get. Even though Gabriel's shot did not seem to faze the one.
That didn't help much. One can only imagine what's going on under the man's helmet as Gabriel tries to comprehend how a creature can take a laser pulse right in the face and keep on going. Everybody goes down when shot in the face. Shoot a Grizzly bear in the face, and what happens? It goes down. This world continues to suck. Hopefully wisely retreating the immediate battlefield and hoping for strength in numbers, the man exits the vehicle on the driver's side and begins to run, popping off a single pulse at the one he'd already shot just before he breaks.
"Trees!" Vixen's response as she shifts her hand towards a small 'gun' of sleek, black design hooked in a bit behind her hip. The business end of a Wilk's portable Laser Torch, the cord linking it back to the lightweight power pack on her utility belt. "This baby should ash those trees good and.." then she hears the two talk about her. "Fuck.." She leans back as they charge at her and one swipes high, then simply falls back as the other comes in as well. She uses the movement, rolling under the truck and to the other side in a rapid scramble. She jumps when she sees Leo in his gross armor, but realizes what it is and says, "NEver gunna get used to that."
One of the two Brodkil after Vixen is consumed by magic netting. The other finds her unavailable as she rolls to the underside of the truck. However, the demons after the robot horse have found their quarrie to flee much faster than they could hope to match. Instead of chasing they turn to meet Vixen on the other side of the truck. The other decides to chase after the fleeing Gabriel
Brodkil aren't known to be intellectuals, and Leonard could tell from their comments that they have a specific target. This does not excuse them rushing past him to claw Vixen as soon as she springs up from under the truck. An explicative or three is followed by a hope that she'll get back under there and be left alone. He also attempts to redirect their energy by pointing to one while speaking to two others. "There is your prey. Take the head, leave the body."
The rear Brodkil were after Gabriel, but seeing as he's taking a woodland stroll right now the instead turn on Vixen's would be body guard, Leonard.
FlashSNAP! The afterimage of a pale line of energy exists in people's eyes, the smell of ozone fresh with dust motes that drift through the air. The line leads between Sara and a Brodkil, the horse staring defiantly from her dubiously safe perch. Small crackles like popcorn follow as charged objects release their static electricity, and the groan of a burning tree follow as the trunk falls, well left of the brodkil she'd meant to spear.
"Shit, shit. shit," Vixen cusses, fumbling briefly before she snatches a blinder from her side. She doesn't say anything, but snaps the hand out with it. Careful that the grenade be behind Leo, protecting him from the sudden flare of blinding light. She dips her head into her curled arm, protecting herself. ANd she thinks everyone else is far enough away. Everything but Leo in thirty feet of the passenger side of the truck will get an eyeful.
Of course, the urge is to run. Had this been an ambush on a proper, mutually-supporting military squad, that would probably even be the correct action. However, there are two issues. First, who knows how long and how fast this bastard chasing him can go. Second, there's no way in hell that he's going to leave civilians behind, and in the face of superior numbers, at that. Unfortunately, in able to help them, Gabriel finds it necessary to attempt to get this beast off of his own back. As he sends two pulses the creature's direction, he simply yells, "Let's get in the truck and get the fuck out of here!"
A gauntleted hand appears on a tree beyond the roadblock. There's a flash of fire, and Sebastien staggers free with a flicker of flame from his jet pack burning at the brush behind him. A burning vine still trailing from his left leg, his once-white armor a smear of green and brown. Sebastien's head swings left, and right, and the young knight stumbles forward, running for Sara to plant a foot in the stirrup and leap into a run. The horse leaps once more, up and over the log, and Sebastien ducks low to draw loose a handle. From either hand sprout spears of light, the left more defined as a pearlescent white broadsword, while the right is a broad fuzzy green flickering beam of something else entirely. He angles towards Gabriel's brodkil, to provide close support to the man on his own.
Back at the truck things are actually improving somewhat. One of the four Brodkil is blinded, another suddenly attacks his fellow demon. The other two still focus on taking down Leonard.
Leonard does his best to avoid the claws of the incoming Brodkil. Unfortunately, he does far more catching than avoiding, and isn't even aware of the tossed blinder until after it goes off. His only consolations are that the grenade was aimed behind him and all the big, brawny sub-demons pummeling him should block any inconvenient reflected glare.
Back with Gabriel the Brodkil howls in pain ase Sebastien slices into it. Still focussed on Gabriel though its claws lash out at him again.
The Marine colonel can't help but acknowledge the assistance of the cyberknight (and odd concept to say the least). However, there are more pressing matters than handing out thanks for the moment. The awkward, ex-Coalition CP-50 is raised and fired, a single pulse, at the attacking beast.
Sebastien brings a world of pain. As he crashes into that Brodkil, light flares between the screaming Sara and the larger creature before her. There's a crack of lightning in that blinding flare, static streaks running back and forth between the two. The second flash of lightning goes high right as that head impacts the Brodkil. Sebastien's two swords rise and fall as a master drummer beating out his opus upon the thick red hide of the demon/machine amalgamation he pushes back from Gabriel. "Engage the targets on Leonard!" Sebastien calls, using his and Sara's mass to press the creature back from Gabriel. He dips his head, three mechanical eyes fixed on his taregt as he growls, "This one is mine."
Given time the group probably would win this but that is not really something the Laramy Whykin Patrol force weighs when the come on a scene. Nope, hostiles are shot without hesitation by the newly instated division. As such the six Northern gun hovercycles swoop in without hesitation, concentrate a lot of laser fire on one of the Brodkil by the truck.
Sebastien is tearing into that Brodkil, pressing forward hard to drive it under Sara's hooves and make it fight for just its feet as it fights for its life. The would-be knight's swords fly in a whirl of light, around and down even as lights spear from the sky a quarter mile away, spraying blood and super-heated ichor into the air in a pink mist all around.
Okay, fine, he can't help but be impressed by the exacting destruction brought on by the man's swords. Swords, how anachronistic the may be, seem to do well in this world. Maybe the kind of thing that he should pick up on one day. For the moment, however, despite the mild musings taking place in the back of his mind, Gabriel - now free from immanent attack - pulls the heavy CP-50 to his shoulder and nurses the trigger twice, firing two separate three-round bursts downrange toward the remaining monster threatening the woman he's here to escort.
When the fire start to rain down, Vixen tenses, but as she sees a Broadkil fall, she starts moving again. "Leo!" Calling to him as she reaches out to tug at his ankle, shifting a bit towards the other side, glancing at the drivers side to see if that one is still kicking, but not exposing herself yet.
"Just a moment..." Leonard answers Vixen's tug, proving that he's still alive. If that was her concern. He's lost much flesh, but all of the flesh was, thankfully, of the wirthing, conjured sort that vanished upon hitting the ground. There is much less gross covering him, now. Other than the misted remains of the vaporized Brodkil, that is. After a sidestep along the side of the truck, he tries to send the other to join it via a arc of electricity from above. Twice, if necessary.
The lone brodkil can tell its time is up, That wont prevent it from trying to escape though, dashing off into the woods with the dmoniated one following after it. Much devastation follows as the patrol sends salvos of missiles after the pair. Neither survive. Leaving things mostly quiet, one Brodkil blind and stumbling to try and attack Leonard still, the other still mummified.
Sebastien runs over the broken creature, blood sprayed up and down Sara's fetlocks and along the front of his armor as the horse wheels. The knight leans in low, pointing his psi-sword at the blinded creature as lightning connects Sara directly to the joint of blinded demon and steel limb. The man/machine amalgamation hits the demon/machine amalgamation in a horrible crash, followed by swords falling to a terrible beat that sends blood flying into the air.
Gabriel is both pissed off and feeling a good bit of punishment running through his veins. The assistance of the sudden patrol is noted of course, but it's his sworn duty to eliminate the last being that was threatening his charge. He may not have done much for the battle, but dammit, he can finish it. Two separate bursts, probably more than necessary, fire at the reeling creature.
Vixen slips out from the drivers side of the truck and glances around briefly. Then she notes the one that's netted and walks right over to it and kicks at it hard. Not that she expects the thing will feel it. "Take my head, huh? Who hired you fucks?" Which she asks as she reaches to her hip to pull her particle beam pistol.
Leonard also turns his attention to Vixen and the netted one, now that those that ran off were annihilated and the remaining one is stumbling around blind. Rather well-timed stumbles, but still. "Are you alright?" The concern is for the kicker, not the kicked, of course.
The blind brodkil is still trying to kill Leonard, however pathetic its efforts are. Mean while the Laramy patrol loops back around and vaporizes the netted one.
Sebastien reaches up and slaps his helmet, yelling into the radio, "Cease fire, cease fire, Laramy patrol! These demons were *sent,* we need to find by whom. Repeat, cease fire, cease fire, Laramy patrol!" He growls as he sees Leonard get smacked again, and runs Sara into the demon, trying to push the Brodkil away from Leonard. "Diddle him with your magic."
Frowning inside his helmet at the absurdly-rapid draining of his weapon - even in 1959 they had 30 round magazines - Gabriel jogs toward his companions and the remaining Brodkil, slipping out and slipping in another e-clip. Hearing Sebastian's words, the safety remains off, but his finger also remains off the trigger. He'll be on top of everyone else fairly rapidly.
Vixen jumps back as the netted beast gets blown to hell. "Damn.." She glances up towards the patrol. "Watch it!" A little annoyed, but she shakes it off and glances towards where Seb tackles the last man standing, so to speak. "Search the remains.. one of 'em has to have a note.. and you can do your mind thing on that one, Leo. This is a great time to use it." Obviously she seems fine enough, though the back of her coat is firmly shredded, the armor underneath is whole.
Leonard flinched a step back from the attack on the captive... and right into a flailing claw. The last wriggling bits are lost, but he is not left without armor. Turning to face the lone Brodkil, his first gesture is to conjure an energy field about the creature. There will be no more wayward claws. The next invocation is to encourage the creature to talk in the same manner his companion was encouraged to attack one of his own. "Tell us who sent you." staff then Why didnt you like Ash Ea? :P
As requested the laramy patrol deos not atomize the last sub demon. Rather they circle momentrily. "Understood, is further assistance or escort requested?" Comes back to Seb over the radio as he knocks the brodkil to the ground. The subsequent energy field traps it though its mind does not relent.
Sebastien blinks as the shield erupts between him and the demon, and he backs Sara off a few steps, reaching to run a hand along the deep gouge along the side of her barding. Wheeling her then, he looks directly at Vixen. "You OK?" He rides towards her, then peers up to Gabriel, "You OK? You look bad." He waits long enough to find out that they're fine before keying his radio, "Do you have thermo? Can you check the neighborhood? We have some banged up people down here, but everyone seems whole. Look for a spotter, or a leader, these things aren't bright." Sebastien turns on his thermo and rides upthe trail, back where they'd been, using his multi-optics to watch the forest.
Gabriel's drawl crackles across the radio. "Yeah, I'm unharmed, bodily at least. This shit took the brunt of it." A gauntleted hand taps the breastplate near the shockingly-intact insignia that had been so carefully placed. The weapon remains pointed at the creature on the ground, and he's not relaxed. However, neither is he jumpy, just listening in on the chatter about demons being sent on purpose. Something to be dealt with later when the road's cleared. His only other piece of advice as everyone seems to hang around is twofold. First, "Laramy patrol, please remain and assist. We're pretty battered down here." Then, "Militarily, I just have to say this. Next time, just throw it in reverse and get the fuck out." He then just stands and waits for further things to happen.
Vixen seems content to let Leo handle the last one. Her blinder has been put back into its place on her belt and with the fighting done,s he considers the trees ahead. Then looks over to Gabriel. "You can do policing. See if they have any valuables or any clues about who hired them. If they do, good. If not, well.. hell, maybe we can cut the cyber out of them and pawn that for creds. Might not be top of the line, but even second rate is worth something." She then nods to Seb and slips a hand under her coat, pulling the sleek, black business end of a Wilks Laser Torch free. "Won't take long to clear a path with this baby."
"It would be so much easier if you'd talk." The creature may not be able to see Leonard, but that could help him if it falls to interrogation or intimisation over magic. Magic continues to be his primary angle, though. It can have a strong influence on the weak-minded. The sub-demons should easily qualify.
Eventually the demon will give in. Although it doesnt know much. "Tom sent, Duscan." Is all he knows about his employer. "Vixen, bio machines in head, take head." He continues explaining once again his interest in the reporter. Meanwhile the Laramy patrol lends grappels from the hover bikes to get the road cleared in a matter of minutes. "Got to get you folks on to safe territory. Area's clean now but things have been escalating of late. The war seems to be encouraging all kinds of violence in the area." They relate over the radio.
Sebastien returns with his polearm, found while searching the forest, and he notes, "For what they were, they were dedicated. No obvious leaders, no signs they have been camping for days. Someone has gone to much trouble to scout you out, mademoiselle. This may be the first attempt, but it will not be the last."
Gabriel clambors up into a semi-open space on the truck's bed. Apparently, he's taken his role as escort very seriously. "Time to get you out of here, Miss Vixen, before anyone else decides to show their face. Mount up!" It seems to be a general call to arms. "Don't bump around too much, I'm staying back here for the rest of the trip." His rifle is rested on the top of the cab, with his left hand gripping the interior for support, his head on a swivel. "Any time."
Vixen will help with the clearing by sectioning the trees with her laser torch, less weight to shift each time. And when she's done, she returns to the truck, inspecting it for damage. Thankfully unscathed in terms of further damage. She smiles, patting the hood with a casual fondness. She does like it. THough Seb's words get him a look and a frown. "ONly enemies I have are the Coalition. Dunno why they'd want my cyber, though. Nothing special.. just senses." But it is something to think about, the minute details memorized for later. And after stripping the creatures of their bounty, she'll get ready to drive on.
Leonard has mixed feelings on the little information he receives. "If the Coalition wanted to silence you... I can understand. If they were simply cyber-snatchers... that's just insulting." He's not thrilled with either possibility, but the first one at least implies some importance on the person. All the more fitting it is the Brodkil that are stripped for spare parts, then.
