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Post by NeonAzure on Mar 17, 2012 3:44:02 GMT -5
"Bloody 'ell..." the cockroach muttered under his breath, turning his attention back to the petrified human female, "Look, luv..." he began, easing himself back to his feet, the small child still clutched in his arms. He approached the woman cautiously, but with urgency, "I ain't gunna hurt ya... but I gotta go find my... 'companions'. Here..." Taking a step closer, he gently eased the girl into Siofra's arms, "She'll be safeh with you."
The small girl was eager to be reunited with the older female, wrapping her small arms around Sio's neck, which left the lass with no choice but to lower the rifle and embrace the younger female. Once the girl was safely in the human's arms, Giac was quick to make his leave, lest she turn the rifle on him again. Dashing off past the woman, he sprinted through the back streets and narrow alleys, avoiding the sounds of conflict from both sides of the battle. No matter what he thought of himself, this wasn't his fight and he wouldn't be welcomed by either side. Be they local or outlaw, neither would hesitate to riddle his hide with holes. He knew this when he had risked his life to rescue the girl, but he could never have stood by and allowed any harm to befall a child, human or not.
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Elsewhere, the bandits had broken into the saloon and had begun ransacking the liquor cabinet. Linnea had quickly retreated to the upstairs apartment, her thoughts focused solely on her young ward and escaping from this unprovoked attack.
She burst into the room she shared with the young aphid, closing the door behind her as quickly and quietly as she could. Panic was obvious in her every movement as she scurried about the room, packing away all of the meager supplies she could grab, stuffing it all into a tattered rucksack. Throwing one strap over her shoulder, she rushed to her young charge.
"Alphie! We have to go! We need to leave! Grab your coat and hat! Cover up! Quickly!"
Lin dashed back to the door, peeking out into the hallway to make sure it was clear. Meanwhile, the young aphid -- still partially wrapped in bandages, his four arms bound together -- quickly collected his oversized coat and the small cowboy hat that hid his short antennas. He rushed back to Lin's side once he was concealed in the heavy coat and hat, where she took hold of his two right hands and led him quietly out into the hall.
The two moved quickly down the hall to the stairs, listening intently to the rabble below as they descended the steps. Lin took the lead, peeking around the corner at the bottom of the staircase. Three armed men wandered about the small saloon, flipping tables and chairs, digging through cupboards and cabinets, searching for whatever loot they could find.
So far, none of the bandits had discovered the presence of the two outsiders as they made their way silently to the back entrance of the saloon. As the door slid shut behind them, and they were safely out of immediate harm in the back alley behind the building, Linnea finally let out the breath she had been holding, a sigh of relief to have made their escape. Now it was only a matter of navigating through the streets and avoiding the ongoing assault on the townsfolk.
--
Giac scurried through the alleyways, avoiding stray gunfire and struggling to follow the scent-trail of his companions. They'd definitely followed him into town, but they were weaving in and out through the streets just as much as he was and he was finding it difficult to follow them in all the chaos and mixed smells. Soot and sulphur, the multitude of human scents, and the strong pungent odour of fear and panic filled the air.
The roach darted down another alleyway, antennae waving wildly as tried to pick up their scent again, scanning the passageway for any sign of their location. However, he was so preoccupied with his search that as he turned down yet another narrow alley, he failed to notice the two fleeing townsfolk rushing straight at him, and in their escape the pair were unprepared for the sudden appearance of the large insect.
The trio collided.
The roach was stumbled only slightly, but remained upright, whereas the young woman was knocked down by Giac's larger frame, dragging her smaller companion with her. She quickly climbed back to her feet, but stiffened upon seeing the creature she'd run into. Tucking her young companion behind her, she stared hard at the roach, daring him to make a move.
Giac, on the other hand, looked a touch frightened, his upper hands raised in defense. "Don' shoot! I-I'm not here to hurt 'nyone! I--!" He glanced past the woman and before anyone could say another word he pulled her around the corner, just as a spray of buckshot blasted down the alleyway. "Run!"
Lin could only gape at the arthromorph as he urged her and her young charge down the alley. The bandit quickly rounded the corner and readied his shotgun for another blast. A second round of buckshot hit the wall behind them, spraying brickdust everywhere as Giac yanked them down another alleyway. His antennas wavered erratically, his brown eyes flicking back and forth across their path, seeking out the best escape route as the man with the gun continued to pursue them, shouting nasty remarks at the roach.
They ducked down yet another passage, the street coming into view up ahead. They had nearly reached the end when a dark silhouette stepped out into their path. They trio skidded to a halt, quickly turning to head back the way they'd come, but the second man had caught up, cutting off their escape.
They were trapped.
Linnea clutched Alphonse close to her, tucking him between herself and the larger arthromorph and casting a hard stare at the filthy rogues. Though she was unarmed, she would do everything in her power to protect the young aphid, even as the men closed in, chuckling and brandishing their weapons threateningly.
"Stay behin' me.." Giac muttered to the girl and the young boy, waving them behind himself as they backed against the wall.
"Lookie, here... Looks like we got a crawlie who thinks himself some kinda hero, rescuing his little damsel-in-distress. Hehe, you expecting a kiss from the girlie, bug-breath?" the bandit taunted. Giac ignored his taunts, keeping himself between the men and the girl as they moved along the wall. The thugs moved closer.
"I think he does.." laughed the other man, "Look at him, tryin' to protect her and the little one.. Well, I got news for you buddy. Ain't no girlie ever gonna kiss a crawlie like you. The way we see it, we're doin' her a favour, squashing the big nasty bug. Ain't that right, sugarlips?"
"The only insects that need squashing are lowlifes like you!" she spat.
"Well, that ain't no way to speak to your betters, lil lady!" growled one of the men.
She opened her mouth for another scathing retort, when Giac hushed her. He glanced over his shoulder at her, inclining his head slightly as though indicating at something. Lin glanced over her own shoulder and realized he had backed them against a door into one of the buildings. "When I say th' word, you two go insoide and lock th' door, awroight?" he whispered. She nodded, pulling Alphie close.
"Well, then.." Giac smirked, addressing the two thieves, "If you're big men, then why don'chya pick on somebody your own soize, ay? Loike me!" At that moment, he spread his brightly coloured wings in a threatening display, simultaneously concealing Lin and Alphie's escape as they ducked through the doorway.
Lin slammed the door shut behind them, sliding the lock into place. They were safe, for now. But she couldn't help feeling a sting of guilt for so easily abandoning their unexpected savior.
Back in the alley, Giac stared down the two thugs, who had leveled their weapons at him. Ya've gone and done it agein, Giacy boy, he thought bitterly to himself, Gone an' risked ya life for anotha human, an' it don' look loike yer gunna get outta this one aloive.
Raising his arms in surrender and closing his wings, he smiled cheekily at the thugs, "I don' suppose we can talk this out ova' a pint, ay?"
---
Linnea flinched as a sharp crack split the air outside; a gunshot. She slumped against the door, overcome by guilt. They'd shot him... and all he'd done was try to help. Pulling Alphie close, she tucked her head against the door, warm tears slipping down her cheeks. She could've helped him, could've pulled him inside with her, but no... she had left him there. She didn't even know his name.
Suddenly, she heard screaming! It was the bandits! They were shouting at something... and running away! Confused and curious, she pulled open the door... only to have a thoroughly wounded, but definitely alive, australian cockroach stumble inside and push the door shut behind him. He slumped against the door with a groan, clutching his side with both left hands.
"You're alive!"
"Am I?" he groaned, sliding to the floor, "Coulda sworn I'd been shot..." he quipped.
Linnea rushed to his side, pulling out a cloth rag and pressing it firmly against the jagged holes in his carapace. "Oh, you've definitely been shot! ...but you're still alive, thank God!"
"Oh.. well, that explains the-- ARGH!!... th' a-agonyyy!!"
"Shh, don't talk too much." she pressed harder, trying to stem the flow of blood and other bodily fluids from his punctured shell, "I don't know what scared off those ruffians, but it probably kept them from finishing you off."
Giac groaned again, panting heavily as she tended to his wound, "Th-thank you... N-name's Giac, by th' way.."
"Linnea, and this is Alphie," she motioned her head at the small boy, wrapped in bandages and bundled up in a heavy coat and hat, as she continued holding pressure on the wound, "Thank you for helping us."
"M-my pleasure, ma'am..." he glanced at the child, "He yours?"
"Sort of... I-- I'm sort of taking care of him... he has no one else."
Giac nodded, but somewhere beyond the pain that consumed his senses, he caught a whiff of something familiar. "He's... h-he's not like you, is he? He's an arthro.."
Linnea stiffened, glancing between Giac and Alphie. She sighed and nodded, "Yes." Of course, he knew. Arthromorphs could always recognize their own kind. She should've known that. But what had been the chances of running into another arthro way out here on the outskirts of the galaxy, let alone amongst a human colony?
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Post by Lily on Mar 19, 2012 9:27:20 GMT -5
A low growl erupted behind the assailants after they took a shot Giac. The men turned around to see a giant shadow towering over them with burning red eyes. They screamed as they were both lifted up off the ground by their necks. It roared in their faces and then clamped down on one of their heads, then lept up into the night. Giac stared horrified. It could have been Min, yet the shape of whatever it was, was not quite Min's shape. No time for him to think as he heard more voices coming his way, he made haste to get to the door. Other shadows started making their way down the same alley toward his hide out as the door creaked shut behind him.
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luseylottay
Member
Sexy Flea Monster
... *chirps happily*
Posts: 413
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Post by luseylottay on Apr 24, 2012 21:43:04 GMT -5
Charlotte was quick around her fellow arthros, corralling them through back alleys and small shops and homes while gunshots and wailings echoed in the walls and through the air. The behemoth of a beetle had given them exactly the break she needed (despite the short moment of terror) to get the crew out of the main fire. Far out on the outskirts was the home she shared with Lusey, and right around the back was a public shed, She slashed the lock and swung the doors open facing those who had followed. “There iz no time to argue, if you want to live,” she tossed a bag full of ammo, rifles, pistols, and even small bandage kits to each of the bugs, “you'll take these back and help the townspeople.” “Are you crazy!?” “That's suicide!” The treehopper and ant both were against the idea at the start, but Charlotte was up to them in a moment, a long primary at both of their faces. “We can argue about ze suicide of this AFTER you 'ave helped them. The sooner those bandits are dead or chased away, the safer for all of us. Now pay attention!” She gathered them quickly, antennae twitching in the anxiety of the large crowd and difficult situation.
Charlotte quickly drew the outlines of the town. “I know all our defense fallback positions from previous raids, red ant, you need to take your bag to the general store here, fruit fly, you'll need to take your bag of supplies to the doctor here, and tree hopper, you're taking these here to the barricade. Knowing Luzee, she has already built it. This is important, so get a move on.” “What about you? Where's your bag?” “Well somebody needs to watch your backs while you run the deliveries out there. Now go! Run quick! I will be right behind each of you!” She hurried the group without another chance of an argument, ushering the insects back out into the fray, stabbing into enemy joints and guiding the allies to their locations.
Lusey was almost out of bullets, and she could feel the pounding of bullets against the sandbags and piles of scraps separating her from the ruffians on the other side. Something down at the other end of town had increased her troubles, scaring them her way. Screaming and bullets and blood, more than she was used to. Even for a small and easily picked on town like hers, this was ridiculous. “Come on COME ON!” She shot out with a pistol before ducking again. “WHERE'S THE BAG!?” She checked the revolver's cylinder, three shots, three chances to scare off or kill the backwater dirt running about the street. She looked up to the sky for just a moment, whispering a silent prayer to the heavens above for this situation to turn out for the best in the end.
Her prayers were answered, Charlotte arrived in a flash with a treehopper and a bag. Her eyes grew for a moment and she let out a sigh of relief. “Whoever you are, you are quite literally my rescue squad. Thanks for the delivery, Charlotte, now go give them hell! Her friend nodded and was gone within seconds, running own the open road dodging bullets like a wild jackrabbit. Lusey was quick to open the bag, pulling out a few more pistols and boxes of bullets. She reloaded her own and a few of the others, tossing them to the few at the barricade fighters down the way. She grabbed the stranger arthro's hand and pulled him to the tall part of the scarp heap just as a bullet grazed by. She shoved a revolver in his hands. “You know how to shoot?” “WHAT!? ME!?” “Calm down I'm pretty sure animals like the ones we are dealing with can smell agitation. Look, you cock the hammer thing here,” she cocked the pistol, “aim it at your target through the two sights,” she peeked over the corner with the gun in hand, “and you pull the trigger.” A loud bang erupted followed by a shot, down the ways a bandit fell over, curling in startled pain at the bullet now embedded in his ass. “Just pull the little lever on the back, aim, and then pull the trigger.” She pushed him back a little, taking his pistol and cocking it for him in frustration. “Now SHOOT SOMETHING!” He swore he was shaking, even if he'd never admit it, and he looked around in panic for a sheer moment. Just enough time for a dead body to crash into the top of the barricade and go spinning further on at the ground. There was an earsplitting bang and Lusey suddenly felt her shoulder explode with pain. She dropped her gun for a moment and stumbled back onto her ass. “Oh merde!” The treehopper was still as a rock, petrified at what had happened. Lusey gritted her teeth, fighting back an urge to scream. She gave him one hard stare before hissing out a simple string of words. “You SHOT me!”
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Post by siffyleafylav on May 30, 2012 12:06:57 GMT -5
On the outskirts of the town, say a scant few hundred miles to the west and five minutes following that funny gecko with the correct formation of spots to be a map to the underground metro system of Brooklyn....You would find a shrubbery. Not just any breed of backwater shrubbery, with the right technique, not to mention a good molar and some patience, you could turn the ash-darkened leaves and roots for some wicked kind of medicine.
Or some tobacco, depending on the way you prepared it. For the moment, all he was doing was picking a few choice leaves from this brush, uprooting a bulb here, snapping off a twig of that and placing ‘em neatly in their own jar on his wagon.
‘So far so good,’ He’d think, straightening from his low crouch and dropping a herb besides it’s preserved and dried out cousins, turning on his heel before fastening the lid and turning his face to the sky.
He nearly dropped the glass container when he saw the blackened smoke rising to the screeching blue sky, the zip-zapping colours of the blasters making it a colourful display.
“SHIT!” Snatching the momentarily forgotten jar at his two-toed feet he threw it none- too gentle into the wagon and tied it with the others so to he wouldn’t end up with a wagon full of shattered glass and rubbish.
“Shitshitshitshitshitshitshitshitshit!-“ A continuous stream of curses spit between his teeth and half smoked cigarette, jumping onto the wagon and slapping the reins, the work horse immediately rearing and forced into a gallop.
“HEYA! C’mon!” Flinging both insults and praises at the poor startled beastie didn’t urge it to move faster, loaded with his precious cargo that needed to reach the settlement before dusk, and he was still too far to hear or smell the sulphur from the turrets blastin’ and the blood no doubt coating his ownage.
“Fuck this.” Fastening the reins to the sidebar, he leapt onto the horse’s back, whispering a command in a voice that no man alive could or would be able to deny. While the horse trampled on his owner stood up on his lengthy legs, crouching before launching into the open air a good fifty yards.
Free falling for about two seconds, the lanky figure stretched out before four gossamer wings burst from under his pancho, buzzing widely and propelling him forward with immaculate speed. ‘I leave town for a smoke for a hour and this shit happens?!’ Cursing the arthomorph flew on, cursing whatever black soul dared to mess up the town he’d been patching up since day one.
- ¬- - - --- --- --- --- -- - - -- “But I dun wanna sit with the boooooyyysss”-“Tough luck Mary, yer sittin’ with ‘em, and yer stayin’ with ‘em until all this mess is cleared up, a’right?” “Yes missus Dolan” Came the chorused responds, a trapdoor filled with dusty faces and big bright eyes, some scared, some exited, others indifferent to the point where you began to worry about them.
“Noaw you all hush up real good like and stay with Mrs Flare and stay IN the SHELTER!” With less than a glance back the woman shut the trapdoor and shoved enough crates around it that you wouldn’t be able to tell there was a whole underground bunker underneath the dirt earth.
Siofra leant against the wall, taking a spare, well-deserved moment to be calm and quiet and just ‘breathe.
‘What a right ol’ mess.’ Granted she never really expected this town, with nothing but dirt and rock and potholes within a 50 mile radius to be just a quiet, tranquil place, but a bit of peace of mind would’ve gone just fine by her. Instead another raid, another fight, but it was only it had only gotten worst.
Arthomorphs.
Giant, strange descendence of their much smaller, much more manageable predecessors. She wasn’t exactly a wiz at the how’s and whys the species got developed in the first place, only that it had happened a couple of years ago on Earth, the home world of pretty much every human and or subspecies alike, branching out on other planets the moment space travel had become as everyday as riding a bus.
They had buses, hydraulic ones that were like great hulking houses with room for fifty ‘beings as it were, and pretty much any other kind of transport you could conjure up.
Feeling reluctant to keep still and idle, and a bit overstressed, she fished another round of bullets from her pocket, cocking the rifle open with a snap and fitting them in one by one.
She’d never liked ‘bugs.
Never liked the creepy crawlers, with their spindly feelers, beady eyes and overall goose-bumps-over-your-spine creep-charm. Having them human sized and even bigger did ‘nothing to ease that phobia. But, she supposed it was just fear, fear of something, a something that needed to be trampled down by the heel of her boot and by Pete she was going to trample on that fear like it was nobodies’ business.
“After all-“- She snapped the barrel back in place, cocking the gun and marching back into the fray, her sights set on reaching the barricades- -“Fear’s just a obstacle”
- - -- - - - -- -- -- - “GRAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-Ooomph!!”
Okay, so. His landings weren’t as...smooth, as they once were. Could you blame him for that though? A couple of decades down the line you tended to get a little rusty, Jebediah thought, even though his metabolism was just fine, he blamed his landing due the turret blasts and bullets raining upward. Dodging them was no easy task and led to having the tall grasshopper landing in a tangled heap of arms and legs on a thankfully soft patch of dirt and feed bags near the padlocks.
“mmgghrhnrrrr. ” Or ‘ damn that hurt’ if you couldn’t understand the words. Pain did a lot of things to you, or so you’d think, pain being nothing to do with feeling like screaming your head off, it was more your brain telling you that your hand was on fire and, hey, just so you knew, I’m going to send these zillion little sparks of messages through your body, all of them saying PAINPAINPAIN. Enjoy.
First, the artho felt around for his hat, because you couldn’t go without a hat. It was simply said not done by his books. It was a fine hat too, served him well for the last seventeen or so years, never flying off his domed head with the two wheat like antennae free to weave and wave about. Just as his fingers curled around the rim a bullet whistled past, missing his nose ( or where a nose would be had he been another species ) and without looking from where ever the living hell it came from, he was up and running. However lopsided. ‘Crap, stitch!’
While grunting in slight discomfort Jeb legged it across the street, hell bend on getting some cover before even thinking of finding his cabin.
“ ‘Shoot, this place en’t gunna last when all ‘em punks blowin’ stuff up!’” Gone were the years where he had felt the need to arm himself with anything more lethal than a shovel, those black and red days of carnage, countless killings and not to mention the terrible slob for breakfast, lunch and supper.
If he could just reach his place! The alley’s already reeked of blood and death, and if the screaming stopped he just knew that the morgue would have a party the following morn. Death wasn’t supposed to happen prematurely, Dodging around a barrel, jumping over corpses Jeb ground his teeth, gosh darn those ruffians for messing up this place! While the grasshopper hopped and bound over the dirt paying more attention to the shots coming his way than which way he was going, it was barely a second later that he crashed into a body after turning into the ally.
“Woah-WOAH!” For a moment Jebediah could’ve sworn he’d landed on a townie that had somehow managed to squeeze out of hiding. If that had been the case the lanky grasshopper would have had time to give that person a firm slap on the wrist for risking a stroll about town. As his antennae waved about in confusion, a new scent reached his olfaction, causing his mind to jump from one conclusion to the next, say he had run into a runaway bandit, and had the authority to finish him off or knock him out.
Confusingly enough, neither of his speculations were correct. Blinking stupidly, Jeb stared. Well what else could he do?! The figure trapped under his form was neither town member nor bandit, though a foreigner she certainly was, what with her black lace and red satin outfit, and quite mesmerising doe like eyes staring back at him.
Minutes passed and the round cheeks flushed in embarrassment when the grasshopper didn’t move.
“Ah, p-pardon me, ma’am!” hastily he scrambled to his feet, lifting the young female by grasping her gentlemanly by the wrist and back.
A closed off moment seized him by the neck, and Jebediah stared as it dawned just how out of place she looked, and embarrassed, but not agitated by their stumble. “Um...You ‘can let go now.“ She muttered in a high voice, pointedly looking at his hands still holding her arm. Dropping said limb, the sounds and smells of the raid reached his muddled mind and added a pinch of guilt.
‘Shoot, no time for gettin’ acquainted ya mad locust, there’s people ta heal!’ “Terra-bly sorry for tha’ lil ma’am, I’m in a wee bit of a hurry, being this town here only physician and...such...” The rest of his sentence trailed off as a towering shadow rose from the blurry shade, a quick wave of his antennae confirmed the hulking thing not to be of sapien descent.
‘Woah...big fella ‘ “You’re a doctor?” Flitting his eyes back to the slight figure, whom didn’t seem to react in fear of the sudden arrival. More like she noticed it, and dismissed it just as swift. Now though, the water beetle spoke in a rattling clatter that was too heavily accented Jeb puzzled where he’d heard it before. ‘They....they be off-worlders?'
“Yeah, “- “ Show him.” –“Wha? ” But the order had not been directed at his person, but rather the beady eyed water beetle, who gave a series of inaudible rumbles before clacking fierce some mandibles in irritation. “He’ll bring you to them”- “’Them? I apah-lul-gise if I sound rude or somethin’ miss, but yous gotta be a lil’ bit more specific if ya catch my meanderings.”
The brunette blinked prettily and crossed her arms before nodding back at her accomplice. “My friend happened to cross paths with some o’ these thieves, one of them wounded a fellow arthomorph, he’ll show you where he is.”
Something ‘clicked and Jebediah hastened to follow the bulk, scurrying off at a quick pace between the towering buildings. But not before showing his appreciation. Quick as a whip he reached in and grasped a lace gloved hand, pecking it just as fast and tipping his hat friendly like.
“Thanks lil’ signorita!” And he was off... - - -- ---- -- -- -- -- - The scent of fresh blood was the first thing he noticed. The corners of his mouth turned down in a grim line, his duty to protect and evade those suffering rang clear in his mind while the beetle directed him to a shady alley with nothing but empty crates, some planks and a few littered bottles. Nothing out of place save for the smear of green liquid on the dirt and far wall. ‘Artho blood...beetle by the look o‘ it.’ Inspecting the strange mark closer, Jeb uncovered a door, and with pressing his ankles and head to it, a hidden room.
‘Sonofa sailor’s shot the poor bugger with lazars?!’ –“Eh, hey where yous stalkin’ of ta?” The water beetle had promptly turned his back on the hopper, scurrying off with a low rumble. Through the thick brogue Jeb managed to catch the phrase ‘orders’ and ‘treated like a butler’.
Recognising that calling the beetle would be fruitless, he shouted a last attempt at courtesy . “I’ll see ya around! Wednesday night, I’ll buy ya a round, awight?” Although he earned no reply in return, Jebediah smiled ruefully at the departing artho. ‘Noaw....back to business.’ Carefully he pushed at the door, the rusty hinges creaking ominously as he peeked around the edges, antennae waving around in search for the source of the blood spill. No signs of it showed themselves, neither did anything unexpected jump at him the first moment, with slow motions the grasshopper edged inside and closed the door behind him, shutting off the light expect for the thin beams shooting through cracks.
“Somebody’s got a leak, I ain’t no plummer but I can fix it...?”
“’Ello?” A weak groan, plaintative and quietly hushed by another voice echoed from a corner. Quick as his legs could amidst the half darkness Jeb skirted around crates and the occasional odd scrap metal, halting just short of walking into a bundle of cloth right at his feet. The bundle turned out to be a child-formed ‘something that chittered anxiously, then tugging his pants leg until he saw two huddled figures at the far wall. One had to be a young woman, no older than twenty going by her features, staring worriedly at the source of the gruesome scene just outside.
"Lawd above, da hell kinda fight you got into brutha?" The cockroach gave a grim smile, blood dripping past his lips as he winced. "Kinda been askin' m'self that question..." Within a moment the hopper had kneeled by his side, cautiously tugging at the soaked cloth that was held there by the girl. “Easy noaw miss, I’m ‘ere to help. Diploma-ed physician, at your service. ”
Her strikingly pale face bleached even more but she relented with a stiff nod, laying a soothing hand on the roach’s other hand. "Ya sure ya can fix it? K-kinda been shot fulla holes 'ere, Doc..." As his breath caught the roach coughed, groaning at the pain it caused and the fresh blood to seep through the ragged edges.
He drew breath and let it hiss through his teeth in sympathy, assessing the damage done. Oh, that was a nasty hole alright. "Course I can, I’m a paramedic, ain't I?” With a searching look at his posture Jeb shook his head and gestured for him to lay flat. “Ya gotta lay down, my friend. Losing too much blood stayin’ like tha’ .“ Feebly raising a hand to stop the hoppers attempts to shift him, the artho gave a meek responds.
"Kinda already on the floor 'ere, doc.." His fingers’ made to pry him off, but with his weakening strength and even emptier inside it was no fair fight.
"Nah, nah, I mean on ya side, our bodees ain't made like hooman's, it's got no arteries ta keep blood in if ya get holed up, it's all gravitational...”- Stuck with inspiration he leaned into the black roach’s face. “ere, wha do ya smell?" -"Smell...?Wha are you goin' on abo- ‘ “With a mighty gush Jeb burped loudly, grinning unembarrassed when the lady grimaced and the roach lurched. Immediately the injured roach exploded in a fit of gagging coughs, tethering to his uninjured side. “Bloody 'ell! Whadya do tha' for? Crikey, that smell!-coughs- Loike'a dead fish.. blimey.." Until finally, he gave in and submissively slid down.
"You have my thanks, friend, noaw, I take it this gone hurt so much ya'd rather die at this mo, no? We-elll I can't let tha happen.” Exchanging a worried glance with the young nymph, the girl swallowed nervously before tightening her grip on his hand, flinching as the roach gagged his way through another coughing bout.
"Ya've got n-no idea 'ow much this hurts, mate..." A fierce discolouring was testament to his ailment, and he groaned when his world tilted nauseously. "I feel loike swiss cheese..."
"I'm a gorgonzola man mahself...ah! here we goes... 'ere miss, can ya hold ya friend down for a tic? "
Despite his chit-chat Jeb was very much concerned, ‘course he had dealt with worse in his years, but he had always had his whole shop of supplies and wonder brews within reach to aid him. Being caught in-between with a severely injured morph made his usual grin strained and his easy banter missing their carefree lilt. Oh mama he needed his cabinets! But moving the roach now would surely mean death.
So he settled for the very next best thing ; drunkening him up with soporifics and closing the gap temporarily with plaster gauze. With that he fiddled with his belt, praising the heavens for having remembered to bring his moonshine painkiller in a sturdy flask.
Linnea firmed her hold and leaned down. "H-hold still, it’ll be alright, soon. Right, Doctor?" –From his position Giac missed the grim realization in the older morph’s expression, and for the sake of saving the young woman from feeling helpless Jeb schooled his features and nodded. But the glint of caution remained. "CCChriiisst! Tha' better be some damn good med'cine, doc... feel lioke I'm dyin' here."
"...you probably are..." Lin quietly replied.
"It's tha best on da planet, garrantee! " With nary a warning he popped the cap and poured the liquid straight into his wound, quickly clamping his hand down on the roach’s mouth. "Shuuush, shushs noaw friend, there's still some bad folk out ther', ya'r in trouble enough already. "
Giac’s growls and groans were muffled, but far from indistinguishable . " Mmmmphhsshhh!!”
Re-capping the flask Jeb swiftly mopped the edges, muttering distractedly under his breath. “Black market semi-automatic lazar...multiple buck shots, shot off with a distance of less than 5 feet...Ya'r lucky to be alive at this moment, brutha o’ mine...”
Rumaging again, Jeb waved a hand before the young girl, drawing her attention back. “Hold him dead still, ma'am, I've gotta remove the shrapnel before closin’ it up proper like." Certain that the artho held no more unsavoury commetry left to be said, seeing that there were young ears present, he removedhis hand and began to work on extracting the pieces still floating around under his shell.
“...Ain't got no brotha', ya crazy ol' locust... ‘The flow of muttered half-curses dispersed until a misplaced humming stole a shocked giggled from the girl holding him down.” Hmm... I'm a weeee lil buddahflyyy...” He even ‘giggled.
"...My weepin' an' wailin', and rockin' th' cradle, an' nursin' a wee one that ne'er is my own..." He carried on cheerily, ‘And ther's the singin'
”O mama ya wouldn't belief the songs this town 'ere comes up with,.....Friday night's are the most fun, they git all drunk and such and beat the crap outa each other, then I get called in to patch em back up again...”
A few minutes pass without so much as a peep, safe for the muffled sounds of the raid still going on outside their temporarily hideout, and all though he worked as neat and as fast as he was capable qih four hands, Jeb knew that time was a-wasting. The curious little nymph watched with green eyes al but glowing in their innocence, and he openly stared at the elder morph’s movements, but continued to clutch the skirt of the girl, who held on hand on his tiny shoulder and the other soothing the roach’s bow in her lap. The roach whom had been staring at her groggily for five minutes straight. "W'ellooo... Wot's aaa priddy lil ang'l loike you doin' in a place loike thiiissss, ayyy?"
Instead of rebuking him, she teased right back “ Making sure you don't find yourself in Heaven prematurely.." Leaning his head near the little-er morph, Jeb grinned and stage-whispered. “And what a assistance ya are, miss! Why, I think we're done and done...noaw...let's get him to a saver place bef'r the hell tha broke loose out ther' come's in here."
"Will he be able to walk like... this?"
Giac was humming again, antennas twisting and twirling around each other, occasionally brushing across Linnea’s face, she batted them away distractedly. “ Stop that.”
" The wounds’ closed of, nuthin’ can get in, nuthin’ can get out, but it ain’t healed yet, so we gotta be carefull... he won't feel a thing till the med's worn off...'Ere, help me git him up on his feet. I know a safe place for him ta be...” It took a odd bit o hauling, pushing and lifting to get the loopy roach on his feet, and his wider bulk proved to b hard to stabilise while he stood, leaning heavily on Jeb, wobbly knees and unsteady feet.
“'Ey, ey, mate! Mate! Can we, loike.. git some icecream? Ah'd KILL fer sum icecream roight naow.. Maple and walnut! Mmmmm... “ And he drooped, grinning goofily at a rolling-eyes Linnea.
"Hee hee heeee sure buddie, let's get outa here and get ya sum " Lin took Alphie's hand as, waving them forward the moment she deemed the coast clear. "Reaaly? Aww mate, that's jist loike...sooo amazin', loike tha thing ya did with me side, ya turn me blue...eheeh, like a blueberrry...mhmmmmm...icecreamm~"
He didn’t stop his humming and singing even whe they crossed across bullet ridden road and streets, all but dangling from Jeb's shoulders, barely supporting his own weight. "Yee-di-yi-dee-doooooo~"
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“- WHACK-for the love of- WALLOP- Git it, noaw, GIT! –BLAM” Hardly enjoying herself Siofra scowled of a the blinding sun, assessing the raid had gone on for a solid four hours, a wariness she felt and a much lighter pocket telling her she needed to stop shooting arse and get cover.
A quick survey of her surroundings was all she needed to know where the barricades were, spotting the battered sandbags, as well as a alarming flash of colour, but needing no more coaxing than the roar at her back and the scattering of thieves at both sides. Braving the open she dashed, hitching up the tattered hem of her skirt and using a fallen bandit’s limp body as step, bounded over the barricades in time for a rush of wind to blast over her head, missing her by half a inch.
“Annabeth! “ Her shout cut of mid-scolding, eyes widening at the wound at the young girls shoulder and a shell shocked morph staring at the sudden arrival. Smoking gun in hand.
“Jo, now’s not t’ time to do ya lil’ freeze trick! Git down, ya mad woman!” Another roar-like blast sounded, lifting her eyes to the roofs she cursed, quickly emptying her pockets and cramming bullets in her rifle, pointedly not paying attention to the morph at her side.
“Yee have somethin’ ta explain ta me when we’re done here, Beth.”-“You‘re not my mother, Jo. You can’t tell me what to do... “ Lusey hissed, tightening her grip on the wound, muttering something about a doctor. Scoffing Siofra turned her head to address her, turning her back on a fast approaching threat and blind to it save for the others. “I beg to differ, young lady.”
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kinkachu
Member
I see what you did there.... and I like it
Posts: 117
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Post by kinkachu on Oct 13, 2012 20:05:16 GMT -5
Vandall shook so hard his body felt like it would fall apart at the seams. His hands were no more coordinated than the rest of himself, seeming to take on a life of their own with no intention to do as he commanded. Cursing did little to alleviate his displeasure, seeming to only add more fuel to his already erratic emotions. Clutching a lower hand to his chest, he immediately sunk his head low, gasping for breath to alleviate the sudden pain there. His heart pounded furiously, increasing for every RIP-CRACK whizzing overhead.
‘I’m not here. This isn’t happening.’ Repeatedly he denied the reality, clenching his lids tightly shut with a wheeze dragging behind his intakes. The screams and stench only grew, though he tried his best to drown it out. He couldn’t be in this place. Such an environment didn’t exist any more and he was NOT lost in the thick of it. “I cant be here, I cant be. This isn’t my life, not one tiny bit.”
Wood splintered above his head, showering the fragments over his shoulders and having them stick there due to the blood. His pupils screwed onto the filth, then the gun still smoking in his palm. “Mon dieu.” Bile immediately launched itself into his throat. ‘This is… this is really happening…I’m in a war and… and I shot her.’
A shell shocked expression fell over him, clinging to his features as a shadow stuck to a wall, giving a hollowness to an already haggard appearance.
“Oi, what‘s this about?” Siofra fell on her ass a second before a chorus of plaser blast’s slammed into their shield, glaring hard at the hunched arthro that did nothing but gap, ‘Oh for fooks sake!’ She half grumbled in exasperation, this creature riding the last nerve she had left. “ ‘ey, lily livered!?” Hesitant eyes turned towards her, she gripping her weapon tighter and contemplating if she should spare a bullet to put this sorry git out of his misery. “If’n ye done dribbling over there, ye might want ta, oh I dunno, get yer ‘ead out of yer arse and start throwing some shots!”
A few more stray bullets peppered the above wall, some having enough force to penetrate the already weakened barrier they hunkered behind. “OI! Bow legged curd suckers.” Again she fixed her glare upon the arthro’s form, burning a hole into his soul that resembled hell fire all over, “Ye got five seconds to strap yer big boy panties on and git yewr ‘ead in the game,” She cocked a few more rounds in her weapon of choice, finding a sick pleasure in seeing him cringe, “… least I plug a ‘ole in that there noggin of yers and throw you to the wolves over yonder.”
That seemed to do the trick, having wiped the uncertainty clean off his face to replace it with a new found scowl that rivaled her own. “Excuse me if my cultured upbringing did not prepare me for gunning down back water marauders.”
“I dunna care for yer sob story. Makes no never mind to me if you live or die so I suggest you shake some dust and start defending yer life! Ye keen?”
“Get out of my way.” Vandall shuffled his feet until he stood on either side of the girls, ducking his head lower when a bullet zipped between his horns. A blind determination clung true to his mind, pushing those turbulent thoughts from before onto the farthest backburners. Right now, as much as he hated to admit it, he needed to do as the mouthy chit said and find his focus. If he cracked, it was game over for all of them. “How many did you see over there?”
“The ‘ell if I know! More could’ve swarmed in the span we’ve been jawing with each other.”
“Keh. A lot of help YOU are.”
“Son of a-!”
“GUYS! Stop already.” Lusey sat up just slightly, reloading her pistols with one arm, “we aint got time for this bicker fight. I’m gonna lift my head up and-”
“You’ll do no such thing!” Had he really shouted that? Apparently if Lusey gave him a wide eyed stare, followed by a huff as she lurched herself further off her post. “I said sit. Last thing we need is you bleeding out…. Because I have no intention of lugging dead weight like you.”
“For your information, mister shit for brains, I got this injury because you SHOT me.”
“That was an accident.” He fumbled a bit, shifting a quick glance over to Siofra who held both an indignant frown and a humorous smile at the same time (if that were possible). “I’ve never held a gun.”
“Aim,” Lusey leaned forward, holding his hand that, upon further inspection, still shook despite how diligently he fought to maintain an air of confidence, “and shoot.”
A curt nod signaled his understanding, a lower hand held her down just as he lifted up. Swiveling his sights across the expansion, he quickly tallied the amount before falling down just in the nick of time. “Eight. Eight in total. Two over there,” a hand gesture to the left, “three over there,” to the right, “and three in front. They’re behind an automobile and inside buildings.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. I’m very rarely wrong with numbers.”
The three looked squarely in each others eyes, silently conveying the confirmation. “Rioght than.” Siofra reevaluated her weapon, clicking a few more notches on it before steadying herself flush against a barrel. “Lets send these pecker woods to the pits, shall we ladies?”
Vandall hovered himself over his wounded acquaintance, brushing off that jib to make sure a hand rested over Luseys uninjured shoulder. “I… I can still shot with-”
“Down girl.”
“I aint no dog for you to-!”
One stern look told her to clamp it, swallowing her words with an angry hiss. “I can still fight.”
“If there are any left, I’ll gladly throw them to you. But for now…” another soft shove kept her near to laying in the mud, his face coming close to hers to assess her expression, “Let me make this,” Another hand hovered scant inch’s from her blood caked arm, “up to you.” he settled his hand over her blood crusted fingers, helping to apply a little more pressure to the injury.
Rubbing his thumb over her knuckles, Lusey knew in that brief instant she could trust his words. Those violet eyes, that dipped so far into her soul, calmed her more than the words spoken. And for that small span of time, she forgot everything save for their locked gazes existed.
Vandall eventually tore his attention back towards his gun, letting go of her hand to stroke the trigger. He didn’t know if he could keep his word. Hell, he didn’t know if he could shot worth shit and keep her from getting hurt even more, yet he knew he would give it his all to at least try.
He had to… for all of them.
Mounting a determined frown into place, he sprung to his feet, letting the fire burst forth from the greeting end of the pistol as he pounded the ground in full steam. Hardly anyone knew what was happening til he vanished behind the nearest pole, muttering over and over in French, “what the hell am I doing? What the HELL am I DOING!?”
“That damn fool!” Siofra gritted, unleashing her own hell upon those that poked their heads over to fire at the lack wit. Try as she might, she only managed to scare the lot back into their rat holes, their heads ducking with nary a scratch on them but all asking the same question. “the hell is he doing?”
Vandall jerked his leg out a bit, attempting to peek somewhat from the corner. He hissed suddenly with hand clutching at his side. The adrenaline did wonders to fog his mind, or at least it had thus far, yet as its supplies dwindled with his courage, he soon saw the injuries sustained from his reckless endeavor. His hand fell over the wound on his hip, clutching it with gritted teeth. ‘Isn’t that just lovely?‘ another painful throb pulsed behind him as well, being lower and, as he searched for its location, nearly made him groan in both anger and humiliation. The bullet wound went clean through, from hip to right butt cheek.
He didn’t dare stick his head out when the haze of metal rained upon him again, but this didn’t stop him from cursing the sky all shades of blue in his native language, nor from whipping his own pistol about to fire at their location (or so he hoped). Those bastards would not get away with shooting him in the ass! He’d make damn sure they got at least a matching hole if it was the last thing he did.
CLICK CLICK
Or not.
“Well shit.”
His focus swiveled in Siofra’s direction, waving the useless metal about to charade his predicament. What he received was nothing less then an eye roll, followed by middle finger. “Aren’t you the classiest lady in the cosmos.”
“Fook off and do something!”
“LIKE WHAT!? I‘m wounded now.”
“Whose fault is that?”
“How can you speak to me like that, after risking life and limb (and ass) to help you?”
“And look at what you’ve done so far. Absolutely fucking NOTHING!”
“Insufferable harlot!”
“Spineless bastard!” Her insult cut itself short when the ground shook beneath her. It took everything within Siofra to keep her balance, steadying herself the best she could against the barrel and even then finding it hard to keep her foot… and her bowels in check. Her eyes widened in a sudden state of fear, heart clenching as screams sprang forth in its highest crescendo. She, along with the ruffians, poked their heads around their hidey holes, eyeing the titanic beast that not only charged the scattering lot he’d been chasing, flinging limbs and what have you in their direction, but also those that had stood on the opposite side of the gunfight.
His roars were damn near ear shattering, reverberating off the wooden timbers and carrying far louder than the bullets whizzing by; sprinkling his chest plates with no affect. “Oh dieu merci.” Vandall whispered. He may feel at ease but this did not settle Siofra’s nerves in the least. Swallowing the last ounce of bravado, she steadied her gun squarely between that beast’s eyes; debating whether her gun could pierce through that horn or not.
She highly doubted it at this point but with no other option than to aim, and his gleaming eyes swiveling around to her, she had little choice but to squeeze the trigger.
Min flipped a car onto the outlaws, they having long forgotten they possessed guns or legs for that matter and found their deaths rather sudden for it. A satisfied bark filled his mouth, especially when those fools no longer cried for help. The dead tell no tales after all.
His eyes narrowed, scanning about the openness, following the many departing figures that’d long ago thought to escape while the getting was good.
Min’s burly chest heaved in triumph, belching out one final roar towards their retreating backsides. Let that be a warning to the lot because next time… he’d leave no survivors to spread his legend.
His laughter curled manically in the air, swinging his arms, flexing his claws in search of any stragglers he might be able to pick off. The blood lust still flowed thickly in his veins, thirsting to quench what had not yet been sated. Though he did not see red or have his anger to fully fuel him, this didn’t mean he wanted the carnage to stop just yet. He’d been restrained for far to long, had some pint up frustrations he wanted to work out before the night came to a close. Tilting his head, he had scantly a milosecond before realisation dawned, a bullet out of nowhere whistled through the air, pelting into his skull with a burning vengeance. If not for that horn, Min knew without a doubt his existence would’ve ended then and there; his eyes crossing as the smoke stabbed at them, sending small traces of water to gather in his eyes.
It took him a few seconds to fully gather himself, lifting his hand up to pluck the bullet out. He rolled the yellow bead around his palm, studying it with thought. The shock ebbed the longer he focused upon the tiny item, and then like a light bulb it clicked. This matched the other he’d dug from his crotch plate.
Anger swelled from his belly, contorting his face into a frenzied state that left even the steely schoolmarm to shutter.
“You.” His voice, even from this great distance, carried a threatening note that stabbed smack dab in her heart. In that one word she felt all her color drain through her shoes, causing Siofra to raise her rifle yet again at his face. “S-stay back.”
He did no such thing, bunching his shoulders till his head dangled much like a bull ready to charge. Those piercing turquoise pools buried deep into her own, hardening just as she fired.
Vandall lurched forward just then, not sure if he should stand between the two forces but he hoped they heard his protests at least. “No! We’re on the same side, you fools! Stop this… STOP! NOW!”
For his efforts he found himself slammed hard across the street, thrown off to the side by Min as if he were nothing but a fly buzzing about. And the beetle… He had chucked Siofra’s protection at Lusey (unintentionally) and now wrenched her gun clean out of her hands, only to bend it into a perfect U shape right before her eyes. “You son of a-!” her insult chocked straight down her throat, the enormous paw encircling her neck perfectly, hoisting her high off the ground.
“YOU! Are going to regret that.” The putrid stench from his breath would’ve curled her nose hairs had she not been gasping for breath. Hot tears raced down her face as desperation to wiggle free stormed her with a severe intensity.
But his claws, those enormous digits larger than her windpipe, squeezed harder. Her vertebrae cracked beneath his hold, she becoming aware that if she didn’t die from asphyxiation her neck would surely snap. “You fucked with the wrong guy. And now… imma have to make you suffer,” His lips twisted upwards, being down right demonic while the last little flames of life were slowly being snuffed. All because she had to be a hero. She just had to join the fight. And now… she was going to join the numerous corpses lining the street.
“Goodnight, worm.”
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