Day 163, Closed | WE HUNT!

[freedom_engineer]

Who: Colin Starfury, everyone who responded to his rallying cry
What: Hunting a Gasfella for a fallen friend
When: Day 163, "Oh God" Early
Where: The Skyway
Format: Whatever the heck you want, we're all big kids here
Open: Closed to those who responded.
Warnings: Violence, oh boy is there gonna be violence. Also, this thing has killed one person already, so there's that.

He'd gathered his crew. He'd interviewed Rin. He'd examined Night's body, the wounds she'd suffered. He had all the evidence he'd be able to get here, and now it was time to head out. He'd grabbed his pistols and an ammo belt, wearing both openly. Also, he'd fashioned a bandolier some time ago to carry grenades, and today was the first time he was going to wear it out.

He wasted no time in getting everyone who said they wanted to come. He was mindful of the residents who didn't want anything to do with it, those who needed only to sleep and mourn. But for those who were going to hunt this thing down, Colin was there, waking them from their rest and rousing them to meet at the Skyway entrance.

There, he set out what was coming in what he hoped was easily understandable terms.

"Okay everyone," he announces. "Our first stop is where this all went down. We need to find more information so we can track down the creature. Rin tells me it was a BIG Gasfella, different coloration than the ones we normally see out there. She'd tried to talk to it, and it attacked them mercilessly. It didn't want them there."

His eyes narrowing, he continues. "So we're going there, we're going to find what it was guarding, and then we're going to find it. We are going to give it one chance to surrender, and if it does anything other than lay down its weapon and put its hands in the air, we are going to kill it so certainly that it will have to crawl into its afterlife."

He looks at Nanaki briefly, then he looks at Paarthurnax and Alucard. "Again I'm going to say... No eating this thing. It tore apart two full-power demons, I don't want anyone getting close enough for a hug, because that will open you up to all kinds of hurt," he explains. "We can inflict plenty of harm WITHOUT opening ourselves up to close range attacks."

Comments

Setting out, any questions

[freedom_engineer]

"All right, Alucard and I have the lead, we'll be best able to track the blood trail back to where the attack happened," Colin explains. "Paar will be watching our backs from the sky. If you've got any questions, now's the time. Otherwise, get ready to move out."

He looks around the assembled group expectantly.

Re: Setting out, any questions

[wayofvoice]

[Awww no eating it, he's been cheated]

[Paarthurnax just gives a nod when he's looked at for the 'eating' comment, and is one of those to speak up. His deep voice is easy to hear.]

What reasons have we considered for its actions? Ryu discussed with me that perhaps its actions were not its own.

[Second Ryu, for the record.]

Re: Setting out, any questions

[freedom_engineer]

"I wish I had an answer for that," Colin says, shaking his head. "All Rin said was that it didn't want them there. It may have been protecting something, it may have been hunting, it may just be an asshole. We don't know the answer to that. That's something we need to find out when we get there."

Colin is not relishing that possibility. Finding more could make it easier to kill this thing, or it could make it a lot more difficult for the others.

[wayofvoice]

"We must not be hasty." This time, Paarthurnax's long neck twists so that he's staring at the rest of the group gathered. "All are angry here, but we must not let that overcome our senses." He's already done hours of meditation to calm his own self down, and he won't let anyone else make a mistake.

[dragonform]

"How much do we know about the area we're going into?" He asks with a serious expression. Ryu knows he hasn't spent much time out on the Skyway, and he doesn't want to be a liability.

[freedom_engineer]

"Very little," Colin replies. "Most of the skyway is still unexplored territory for all of us. Rin, understandably, wasn't able to tell us all that much."

It wasn't the best answer, but then very little about this whole situation was actually working in their favor.

Investigating the site of the attack

[freedom_engineer]

Their group wasn't easy to miss, and today, they weren't scavengers. Most anything on the skyway that might normally have attacked was exercising an abundance of caution. The group didn't look like prey, today. They were definitely hunters, and in the wild, you didn't approach something on the hunt if you wanted to live.

When the group approaches the site of the attack, Colin slows down and looks at everyone. "Okay, we're getting close, there's a lot more blood here," he says. "Something big was here before, so there may be other guards. Everyone, be on your toes, and if you find anything that you think is important, let me know."

He pauses, and shakes his head. "Also, keep your eyes open for any fragments of Night's sword. I want to bring it all back," he adds.

[bastionpc]

It's definitely clear to tell that something happened. It's near impossible to miss the blood that's scattered and soaked into the ground, or the burn marks scorched against stone and earth.

The blood is concentrated mostly in one place, soaked deep into the ground from the amount of it. However, there is more of it leading elsewhere... In contrast, the the scorch marks are liberally spread. There's not nearly as much blood near them- the immense heat taking care of that, perhaps? There's one in particular that isn't the same, although there's not as much near it as that other scene.

Another thing of note would be the oily splotches here and there. They're nowhere near as large as the bloody marks, but it's hard to miss their shiny black-blue presence. They, along with scraps of bright orange fabric, lead along a slightly different way than where the group has come from and where the blood trail leads. It's a bit more scarce of a trail, however. Still, it's something.

> Investigate?

[freedom_engineer]

Colin approaches the site warily, his eye constantly scanning for foreign presences. The oily blotches and cloth are immediately picked up on, and Colin frowns slightly. He turns and looks skyward, waving his hand to signal for Paarthurnax to land.

He then turns to look at everyone else, and he beckons to the battleground.

"This definitely seems to be the place," he says. "Let's spread out and see what we can find. But keep someone in sight at all times, I don't want anyone wandering off."

[wayofvoice]

You rang, Colin?

With his companion still firmly on his neck, Paarthurnax comes in for a landing. His nostrils flare and breath gusts out over the area. "I will stay close," he answers, taking in the smell of the scene. It's not one he's unfamiliar with, sadly. Perhaps the Gasfella is new, but... Blood and death, those are common.

[windgod]

[Ippo gave Colin a small nod as he walked a little ways away; he began to follow the trail of blood and tattered cloth while keeping his eyes out for pieces of Night's sword and anything else as he went. He tried to keep his thoughts on what he was doing, but the more blood he saw, the more his jaw began to tighten; only a few days ago, he'd been talking to the owners of this blood, laughing and chatting like there wasn't a care in the world. Now he could never talk to one of them again...and who knew if the other would ever laugh again?

The thought made his own blood boil, his fist tightening up as tensely as he jaw had; but he had to calm himself...think objectively...push aside all that anger and hate. Surely, there had to be a reason for all this, right? Even Colin had said there might be more to this than just a random killing...if that was true, he owed it to Night to find the truth, rather than just go off killing on a whim.

He shook his head and refocused his search doubly, he was going to get to the bottom of this no matter what...thankfully he had plenty of help behind him in that regard.]

[freedom_engineer]

You know, Ippo. You keep tensing up like that, you're gonna injure yourself.

[That sure is Colin walking up behind him.]

You're a boxer, you know what that's gotta be doing to your muscles.

[superdrowningskills]

Alucard begins his investigation by examining the oily blotches himself. He doesn't need to get any closer to the blood; not with so much of it around. He knows who it belongs to.

So he follows the trail of oil - Gasfella blood by the smell of it - occasionally looking up to see if someone decided to follow his lead. If it leads where he thinks it might, the others would likely appreciate at least one other present for the discovery.

Re: Investigating the site of the attack

[therealprotagonist]

Raimundo walked off in his own direction. He started to look around the area. He could see the stains on the ground from the fight and the damage. Whatever had happened here was ugly. It wasn't any wonder why Rin was so bad off as she was. Sword pieces, look out for monsters, and find the trail of the tall, mean, and ugly guy to cause this. Check. The ex-Xiaolin Dragon walked forward with his eyes on the ground.

"If I were shards of a sword, where would I be?"

[bastionpc]

Well, if Raimundo is looking, there does seem to be something shiny catching the light in the area with the most blood on the ground...

[findsrisks]

[Yep, she's going to be investigating.

She's also keeping her eye out for any signs of what she saw in her vision. The whole reason she's here is to keep everyone alive, after all. Might as well keep up with that job.]

[bastionpc]

[Well, there's no sign of the Gasfella responsible save for oily blobs it's left behind and scraps of orange fluttering in the wind where they've been caught by branches or wall.]

[Although... does that piece of Gasfella goo seem a bit less blobby than usual? Could go check it out.]

It's Gasfella time

[freedom_engineer]

Their investigation had been fruitful. They'd recovered several pieces of Night's sword, and while Colin wasn't sure it was all of them, he was certain that they hadn't left any behind.

Alucard had managed to find a likely-looking trail, and it was time to follow that. What would they find at the end of their quarry? Success, or a check for a whole lot of pain, just waiting for them to come and cash it?

Either way, Colin unsecured his pistols and made sure they were loaded. He wasn't going to be caught off guard.

[windgod]

[Ippo was going to stay near Colin...there was safety or at the very least added security in numbers; he had no idea where the others had gotten off to, but with Colin's...well, everything and Ippo's strength and speed, he figured they'd be marginally okay.]

Do you think we're close? I'm starting to get a bad feeling...

[freedom_engineer]

If you haven't had that bad feeling since we hit the battle site, your deployment instincts aren't yet honed.

We're close enough that I'm anticipating an ambush at any moment.

[Hope you weren't hoping for comfort, Ippo.]

[dragonform]

Ryu isn't much use as a detective, that much is true. But when a fight starts, they can be certain he'll be able to end it. The entire time they've been searching, he keeps his right hand on the grip of his sword. At a moment's notice the blade can be drawn and put to good use. So far, however, everything seems to be quiet.

So far.

"Got a plan, Colin?" He asks in a slightly hushed tone on the chance the Gasfella is nearby.

[freedom_engineer]

"Once we find it, I'm sending Paar on high so he can cut off the escape route," Colin explains. "I'm marching forward to address it, and all of you are fanning out so you can take it in a crossfire. Once the initial salvo is launched, I want melee fighters to close in while our ranged attackers hang back and hit with suppressing fire. If it survives the initial assault, our ranged sorts likely aren't going to be dishing out enough harm to bring it down, so we'll have to get messy."

He pauses.

"And wary of the dragon. Paar is on another level far above all of us," he adds. "If Paar needs us out of the way, we get out of the way, period. Fortunately, Paar is more overwatch than artillery in this engagement. I don't want any surprises, and he'll be able to keep the entire field in sight the whole time."

[daughterofursa]

Zuko has kept to the outskirts of the group the entire time, hanging near the rear or one of their flanks. She isn't used to working with people who neither know her nor fall under her command, and from the way she carries herself, you'd think she was doing this solo. She doesn't trust any of the others to watch her back, and she doesn't see any reason for idle conversation.

As far as she's concerned, they said everything they needed to before they even set out. They have a trail to follow, and a job to do when they reach the end of it. It should be that simple.

A wild GASFELLA appears!

[bastionpc]

On the bright side, there isn't a small army of Windbags, or even just a posse.

On the down side...

Something suddenly seems to come slamming down in from the sky. It slams right down into the ground with something, just narrowly avoiding whoever is at point. The impact is forceful enough to send debris- dirt and rock- scattering everywhere. Anyone not careful might find themselves briefly blinded or hit in the head with a small rock.

Those with their eyesight clear will get a momentary glimpse of the creature- a Gasfella with unusual coloring and twice, maybe three times, as big as them. It's skin is a toxic green, and its eyes bright from beneath its hood. There's a wound on one shoulder, bubbled over in a strange way.

There's not much time to get a good eyeful of it. In a flash, its swinging its enormous ax with reckless abandon. It's making an effort to hit anyone in the group who's too slow, but it doesn't seem to mind when its ax drives into the ground to fling about more dirt.

For Alucard and Kitten, they'll be able to hear something if they're paying attention and not more focused on trying to save their own hides.

DON'T COME DON'T TOUCH THEY ARE NOT YOURS DON'T COME DON'T COME DON'T BRING DON'T COME DON'T YOU DARE, MINE

Considering it is more or less screaming it- at least that's how it will feel to their minds- it might be hard to miss. Not once does it let up on swinging its ax, however. It doesn't seem much interested in conversation.

[freedom_engineer]

As it happens, Colin has taken to the front of the group to follow the trail. He's asked Paar to keep to the sky, to prevent the Gasfella's escape in the event that it chooses to flee when confronted. It turns out that's likely not going to be an issue.

But Colin's been on the receiving end of a Bulrathi air drop before. The plummeting Gasfella triggers all sorts of warnings in his eye, and he's already jumping to the side to avoid the first slash of the axe, and then into the Gasfella's personal space, making it difficult to hit him with the axe.

"FALL BACK AND SPREAD OUT!" He yells, throwing a punch at the Gasfella's wounded shoulder, not trying to hold back his augmented strength in the slightest. "TAKE ITS BACK AND GET IT IN A CROSSFIRE! ALUCARD! KITTEN! TELL IT THAT IF IT DOESN'T LAY DOWN ITS WEAPON, WE ARE GOING TO TURN IT INTO A GREASY SMEAR ACROSS THREE KILOMETERS OF SKYWAY!"