thebastion | Day 163, Closed

Entry tags:

Day 163, Closed | WE HUNT!

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."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Paarthurnax is still raised high above the whole mess, looking for that "nice sized rock" Tris has asked for. At Colin's question, he scans the rest of the area and that beyond their battleground. Something catches his attention immediately and his deep voice carries down to the earth.]

Far past it are rocks, many of them. There are walls- they seem as though they were once tunnels.

[It's just his guess- he'd have to go past and get a closer look. That's not something he's willing to do just yet with everything as it is.]

Damn! We have to stop it somehow...I guess we don't have much a choice now...!

[Alright...that didn't work, it was time to take the gloves off and put the hurt on; not waiting for anything else to happen, Ippo rushed forward, weaving his body around as he stepped forward. The Gasfella's movements had hitched, but it still had all the forward momentum being thrust into a downwards swing...a prime opportunity if Ippo had ever seen one.

He whipped his to the right, building up tension in his body and funneling it all upwards as he slid into range; his body snapping up hard as he attempted to ram his right fist into the Gasfella's exposed gut as hard as he could, definitely hard enough to fire off his gauntlet's lasers. If the Gasfella had a solid body beneath it's cloak, it was definitely about to have a bad day if his punch connected./small>]

Edited 2014-03-06 01:01 (UTC)

[Kitten has scooted off to the side so no one is in her line of fire, but she stays very far away from their opponent. Her magic is strong enough, but Kitten isn't a match for a human in physical strength, let alone whatever this is. When she sees a clear shot, she takes it, screeching a generic destruction spell, the kind that might crumble a bridge. It is less specialized then the spells meant for bone or rock, requiring more power and leaving her with a lot less finesse.

She's seen the power of the others in their group, and Kitten doesn't expect her attack to be the deciding one. She does want to hurt the Gasfella badly enough to make it listen for a second. Kitten yells at top volume into its mind.]

What are you protecting!?

[Kitten really hopes she hasn't just drawn its aggressive attention. She's not sure how vulnerable that ax will be to her power if it's swung in her direction...

Invisibility might be a better plan if it comes to that.]

"If you want ice, then make sure you keep as far away from it as you can!" He calls, bracing himself for the transformation. There's a shimmering aura that begins flowing around his body. It takes a moment to picture the form he wants. Something with ice, and something big. Something to distract the Gasfella from trying to crush anything smaller with that pick axe. The transformation takes hold as a bolt of lightning shoots down from the sky, erecting a dome of energy around Ryu. Any attempts to push in the dome will meet with resistance, but it doesn't stay up very long.

It shatters away like glass, revealing a Behemoth dragon before the gasfella. The dragon's appearance is closest akin to an Ankylodon with two pairs of massive curved spikes protruding straight upwards from his back. Interestingly, the dragon's outer scales that covered his face and back were a dark blue, while the underbelly of the beast was a more leathery light brown in terms of color and texture.

In terms of sheer size, the beast could easily rival the gasfella, and that was Ryu's plan. Give it a big enough target to focus on, keep the others safe. But he had one other trick up his sleeve. As soon as the transformation is finished, he rears his body back and unleashes a mighty gust of ice and wind from deep within his body. If fire wouldn't slow down the Gasfella, then maybe ice would. It wouldn't be enough to completely freeze the creature, but definitely enough to hopefully hold it back.

Edited 2014-03-06 03:51 (UTC)

"Prophet-girl?!"

No, wait. There's no time to argue about that right now. Right now she needs to phrase her visions in a way that sound like simple battle advice, with no possible connection to future-sight.

"Um, the axe. If you can knock it out of that thing's hand, it should be easier to fight."

That sounds simple enough, right?

[It was at about this time that Alucard decided that throwing in some of his own spells would be useful. More fire seemed a bit redundant at this point, which left but two options. Summoning spirits might be of use, but perhaps it would be best to use something else...

He stops for a moment and briefly glows red, uttering only two words:]

SOUL STEAL!

Edited 2014-03-06 04:10 (UTC)

Even for something as almost unnaturally sturdy as the Gasfella, the group effort does seem to be working to some degree. There are so many different attacks being slammed into it, the Gasfella almost seems to be having some difficulty deciding who to go after.

So it goes with a tried and true method: whoever is closer.

At first that's Raimundo. The kick does make its fingers jerk open, making the ax fall down to the ground besides it with a heavy thump as it sinks into the earth with disconcerting ease. This means it's all the better prepared for anything in such close range like the young teenager is. With a hiss of air expelling from it, it backhands its enormous fist at Raimundo- something that will definitely break something if it hits. Either way, hit or no hit, it does seem to be ready to approach him with fists at the ready. Still on fire as it is, flames flickering from its hood and bracers, it doesn't seem to notice Zuko's own fire attacks besides a flinch and jerk of its shoulders.

It's Ippo who successfully distracts the enormous creature. Windbags are known for bursts of speed at best, and Gasfellas don't tend to have that unlike their Squirt and Scumbag kin. The sudden appearance in front of it is startling, allowing Ippo that moment he needs to slam his fist forward. The combined hit and lasers makes it crumple for a moment, a wheeze and the smell of more burning sewage filling the air. That doesn't seem to stop it from making a move- or maybe it's just bestial instinct that has it lunge a hand towards the boxer. It's aiming to grab his head, but it'll accept a shoulder or an arm so long as it has a hold. Just something to grab onto, since it plans to get Ippo real acquainted with its other fist that'll be incoming again and again.

Anymore attempts to hit him are stopped when it suddenly gets slammed by that force. Surrendering its pursuit of Ippo with a brutalized face, it looks around with vicious intent only to- pause at the sound of a responding voice. Its response is still loud, still angered and upset and desperate, but it doesn't seem to be quite screaming it anymore.

I protect my-

And that's the exact moment that Ryu's transformed self unleashes a small blizzard at the Gasfella. It hunches in on itself as the ice and wind barraging its form. Blindly, it gropes for its ax and swings around itself to clear some room. It falters for a moment even more at Alucard's words, seeming to weaken a little before it forces itself back into action with more violent swings.

Mostly towards Ippo oncemore. It seems to have decided on its target.

[Ippo was quick enough to get out of the way of the Gasfella's grab; unfortunately he wasn't quite so lucky as a giant fist smashed into him hard enough to send him flying back and tumbling to the ground. On the upside, this pushed him out if the way of Ryu's blizzard, but by the time he'd gotten back on his feet, the Gasfella was already surging forward towards him with violent intent.

One of his best shots had only served to anger it...but it was injured and clearly desperate; he couldn't understand it, but from what he'd been picking up from the others, it was protecting something...but what? Ippo pushed his anger down and wove around the Gasfella, jabbing it in the back before retreating in an attempt to keep it focused on and following him.]

What is it protecting?! Anyone figure that out yet??

Its stash of rock candy, obviously.

Edited 2014-03-06 05:20 (UTC)

[When it decides on a target, Kitten's eyes narrow in sympathy, though she's glad it isn't her. She does much better at protecting people than she does at fighting close up herself.

Kitten shrieks another spell as the Gasfella approaches Ippo, this one aimed at the axe. She knows more of axes than she does of creatures like this. The dragon kit concentrates hard on everything she knows of metal, of the materials that make up the weapon, and of the type of pressure they need on them to break. She wants the axe shattered.

This time when she speaks words, her mindvoice just as firm and a little bit irritated, but it isn't a shout. ...And it's audible to everyone. If they haven't gotten around to conversation with the dragon, people may be surprised by her voice in their minds.]

I'd have an answer for if it hadn't been interrupted by that last blow!

Protect your WHAT?

[The smell is only adding to her irritation. Kitten's sense of smell is stronger than human, and this is incredibly unpleasant.]

Okay, we can work with that! TAKE OUT THE AXE!

[He gives Kitten a warm grin, glad that they seem to be on the same wavelength.]

PAAR! Keep overwatch on the battle! Give Tris all the openings she can get! And try to cover me, I'm going for the rocks!

[He looks at Nanaki.]

Any objections, prophet-girl? 'Cause I want you coming with me!

[Alucard continues to keep his distance, although he holds off on casting another spell for the moment. He too wishes to know the answer to the little dragon's question.

It's not the smell that's keeping him back here. Really it isn't. ...Well, okay, maybe it is a little because of the smell, but he does need to actually breathe to cast spells.]

Tris really thinks they should find out what those rocks are that the gasfella is protecting before anyone goes running to them. As it is, Colin plans to head over, which means that something to keep the gasfella from following him.

There's enough fire down there still that she could probably work with it. At the moment, she's taking some of the wind that Paar's wings stir up and guiding it toward the gasfella. One hand free, just in case, and a quick spin of her fingers will cause a whirlwind to disorient it if the creature goes after Colin.

"I will cause it to get a bit windy for the creature if he tries to follow him. I don't think we'll need that rock.."

[Raimundo isn't unfortunately as lucky as some of the others. That first comes at him and it comes in fast. He tries to use wind to blow himself back out of range but it isn't enough. It connects and sends the teen flying. He hits the ground hard, bounces, hits again and starts skidding across it...and toward the end of the Skyway.

Someone going to catch him?]

There's something to be said about a dragon that size. Ryu stops his icy assault and turns to the direction Rai seems to be flying. It's not the fastest body, but Ryu charges ahead, trying to outrun how fast Raimundo is moving and stop him physically with his body. He has no doubt he can stop Raimundo from falling off the Skyway, but the question still remains if he'll get there fast enough.

He's gonna try though, as he exhales a blast of steam and charges off in that direction, hauling with everything he can muster with such a large body. There's also the matter of the strange voice in his head, but he can't be sure about that. Not when everything is so chaotic and someone is in immediate danger.

Edited 2014-03-06 09:18 (UTC)

"I'm fine, don't worry about me!"

She's already seen how this fight will go, barring any huge changes as a result of her warnings, so she knows where not to stand. But there's too much going on at once. Everyone is shouting and fighting, and it's hard for Nanaki to keep focused. But somehow she does see that Raimundo fell and is skidding off the Skyway, and she focuses in on that.

Sorry Colin, she's taking off running towards where Raimundo is falling. Ryu will probably get there before her, but she's still going to try.

There's no immediate reaction to Kitten's words. Ippo is doing far too good a job at distracting the upset Gasfella and it's still doing its damndest to swing its ax right into the boy's flesh. Good thing the little dragon does that spell. As its weapon shatters and falls apart in its hands, the Gasfella gives a grimace and for once pauses without being set on fire or electrocuted. It even seems to float back a moment, hands lowering to its sides and clenching.

For the first time in the battle, it looks... conflicted. As much as a Gasfella possibly can look, anyway. Kitten might get some more words, but they don't seem necessarily directed to her as something the Gasfella just seems to be 'muttering' to itself.

Mine, mine, mine, mine...

It's obviously fighting the urge to retreat now that its weapon has been robbed from it. Its hooded head jerks back and forth as it does its best to keep an eye on every member of the group, not knowing who to focus on most. At Colin's words, however, it snaps its head towards the engineer and bends down to grab a hefty stone that fits well in its palm. The action is distinctly threatening, although it's hard to say if it's focusing on Colin because it understands to some degree what he's saying.... or if Colin is just the loudest motherfucker on this piece of land right now with the rest scattered as they are.

[Well, the injuries the Gasfella has sustained hadn't made it any less a threat, but it did make it's movements a lot more telling, giving Ippo a lot of time to dodge between it's strikes; he wasn't attacking anymore, perhaps a small jab here and there to keep it focused, but now he knew that it was fighting for something...he wanted to know what exactly, maybe a part of him even needed to know. Thankfully Kitten's spell turned it's weapon into a pile of scrap metal, and for the first time since it had fallen from the sky, the Gasfella seemed to be hesitating...at least until it picked up a rock and focused it's attention towards Colin.

Without a second thought, Ippo dashed past the Gasfella and skidded in front of his friend, putting his hands up and tensing up as he prepared to smash the rock to bits should it be thrown; maybe a useless gesture, but he'd rather Colin have someone between him and a potential projectile than not at all.]

Alright...it's not attacking now, maybe we can end this without any more injuries now.

[That hurt him...it hurt him inside to say that about the Gasfella, the creature he wanted dead more than anything in the world; but Colin was right, Night wouldn't want him to become so bent on revenge that he was blind to the truth of things. Obviously, this Gasfella had something it was protecting that was worth killing over...Ippo just wanted to know what exactly it was.]

[The monk keeps rolling. The others don't reach him in time but Rai isn't about to just go over the edge. He looks like he is about to go over when he catches the edge. He yelps, the pull causing his broken ribs to hurt even more than they were before. It was like he was being stabbed by long claws into his left side. He looked up and hoped someone was coming to help pull him up.]

H-Hey! A little help here! Please?!

Colin's eyes narrow again as Nanaki takes off, and he mutters "Civilians..." to himself. But his eyes follow her past the Gasfella, and frowns, first at the sight of Raimundo's predicament, then at the sight of the Gasfella. Well, that's certainly interesting. Raimundo had both of those two coming to help him, he was well in hand. The Gasfella...

"Don't like that plan of mine, do you, Fluffy? Or maybe you just realize I'm the one giving the orders?" he asks, his expression turning wicked. "Tell you what. Drop the rock, and talk to us, or we'll just see where this plan takes us. I don't often give murderers a second last chance to screw me over. What's it gonna be, Fella? Gonna play nice now? Or do you think you've got what it takes to bring me down where so many others have failed? Do you really feel that lucky?"

He lowers his pistol, his feet still ready to dodge. He's watching the Gasfella very closely. He calculates the odds of it actually lowering the rock at about 2 percent, but he will not go back to the Bastion without saying he tried.

Honestly, he expects that rock to fly at his head.

There's a pause as it seems to consider what Colin's saying... at least, to anyone that isn't Kitten and Alucard.

...What is it saying?

Because wow, Colin, do you never shut UP. That is a lot of words, and it seems the Gasfella understands very few, if any, of them. Either way, it seems to decide it doesn't care for all that chatter so, yes, Colin, your predictions are very right.

There is a large rock flying at your head.

Kitten panics as she sees the rock rushing toward Colin, whistling shrilly. The sound may be mildly unpleasant for anyone hearing it, but Kitten knows stones. She knows the different types, she knows their strengths and her weaknesses The only thing that could make her fail to destroy this one is aim or timing, and she's fairly certain she has those correctly. She holds her breath, hoping that Colin will be hit with nothing more than a few slower-moving bits of gravel.

Then she rounds on the Gasfella, scales going red in anger and smoke streaming from her nostrils. They were the antagonists before. She could hold her temper. But Colin is a friend, one of the only ones she has here. Kitten is careful to speak so that everyone can hear her, her anger obvious. "He was telling you to drop the rock if you wanted to talk rather than fighting! It was an offer of truce!" A very rude one, but an offer nonetheless. "WHAT ARE YOU PROTECTING?!"

Edited (HTML is forever the bane of my existence) 2014-03-08 17:51 (UTC)

[Ippo saw the rock flying towards him and Colin, triggering an immediate action as he took a more streamlined stance...only to watch it get blasted apart by the small dragon; the noise she made to do it was enough to make Ippo want to grab his ears, but he kept himself focused enough to bat away any bigger pieces that might be left. This...wasn't working, they were still threats to the Gasfella, no wonder it was still attacking; as much as Ippo wanted to be a threat, he sighed and looked back at everyone.]

I don't think it understands us...but maybe it'll understand actions.

[It was worth a try, and at the very least it could only lead to horrific injuries; totally worth it, right? Ippo took a step forward and began to undo his Gauntlets, slowly setting them both on the ground as he raised his hands in front of him; both palms extended towards the Gasfella to show he was rather unarmed as he approached slowly and spoke even slower. Maybe it wouldn't understand him, but maybe it would understand the intention behind his words; or maybe Kitten would bother translating for him. Either way, his voice was softspoken, but definitely clear enough to be understood.]

Mr. Gasfella...sir. I'm putting down my weapon, I...I'm done fighting you. Right now...I just want to know why you felt the need to...to...

[His voice hitched in his throat, he hadn't exactly admitted to himself that Night was dead since the incident; as if holding off saying it would somehow magically bring her back, or that she would be awake and apologizing for worrying everyone when he got back. That's now how things were though, she was gone and she wasn't coming back...just saying it in his head was enough to make the tears flow freely, but he wasn't going to back down from the Gasfella now, not when it was right there in front of him.]

Why did my friend have to die?

"You idiot," Zuko hisses under her breath. She'd backed off after Ryu's ice blast, in part because she was definitely not expecting him to turn into that, but mostly because firebenders and ice don't mix particularly well either.

Now, though, she's moving back in, hoping to be close enough to snag this fool out of the way of the attack she's sure is going to come. Zuko doesn't believe those hesitations on the Gasfella's part have involved any consideration of not harming them; it was just reconsidering its odds against them. Ippo is offering himself up as an easy mark, and it'll weaken their fighting strength.

Nanaki lets the others deal with the Gasfella for the moment. With it's weapon gone, the future she had seen has definitely been averted for the time being. For now, she focuses on getting to Raimundo and grabbing his arm, so she can help him back up.

For someone who looks tiny, she has quite a bit of upper-body strength.

"Come on, I've got you."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

gagtag

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject