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Post by Skyfire on Dec 23, 2009 8:38:43 GMT -5
Oh no. Erin’s more practical side told her that he was playing mind-games with her now, but… her almost empathic sense told her that he meant what he said. “Taking a life doesn’t make me a killer,” she said firmly.
The shot startled Erin as much as anyone else. “Warp, you IDIOT!” she screamed.
Oh, Warp, that was a **** fool thing to do! Erin seethed, angry and scared at the same time. Her face now very, very white, she looked up just a bit from the scope and said, “Ain’t about guts, Hellboy. I do what I have to do to protect my family.”
She looked back into the scope, her trigger finger switching levels to the lowest blast. Still powerful, but not lethal, and this next shot wouldn’t be lethal, anyway. She fired, the bolt hitting the “Z” insignia on Hellboy’s suit, destroying only that spot and not penetrating the armor itself.
“Call them off,” she repeated, desperation just beginning to color her otherwise calm voice. “I don’t want to kill you, Hellboy. Just call them off and go home. A girl’s wedding day is supposed to be the happiest day of her life – well, guess what. You successfully ruined it. Objective accomplished.
“Now please. Just go home.”
Buzz managed to push himself up so that he was leaning on one elbow on the floor. “Listen to her, Red,” he urged quietly.
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Post by Warp Darkmatter on Dec 23, 2009 9:58:36 GMT -5
Warp watched Erin and Hellboy face off as he stepped from his hiding place that would do him little good now, plasma rifle in one hand, immobilizer pucks in the other. He could tell that Hellboy was evaluating the young woman with the rifle aimed at him.
Is that an open invitation? He knew that it wasn't but asked himself anyway as began throwing his pucks.
Thunk...Thunk, Thunk.
If I ever happen to get my hands on that suit, I WILL find a way to destroy it.
The scream almost made Warp jump. It did make him pause half-way through throwing another puck and stare for a moment before Hellboy's words got his attention.
Warp threw his last four pucks, glad that the Beetles were now useless for the most part, spun on his heel at the "invite", stopping with his cross-hairs on Hellboy's ear. He didn't shoot though, to him this part was Erin's to have, if she would take it and he didn't doubt that she'd pass. But he was right there just in case.
Yep, she's mad, but she's scared too. He watched out of the corner of his eye, knowing that Erin's feelings were naturally and typical of someone who had something to loose and who had never killed before. It was different for him. He'd killed before and yes, he had something to loose, but he had been fighting for so long that those feelings hardly surfaced anymore, once he'd focused on what needed doing. And if she was mad, then he was in a different category. He wanted a word with Zurg, and he wanted it bad. You have to let it go, Erin. Whatever it is, just let it go.
((I guess that was a little rash, huh. Is this a little better?))
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Post by Blacksteel on Dec 23, 2009 17:24:03 GMT -5
"Well, for your sake, I hope you're right," he said softly, in barely above a whisper. "But for some people, it's a changing point, and they're never quite the same again after that."
Hellboy recoiled, grimacing in pain as he clutched at his chest. But the same thing that happened to the suit happened to the emblem. One moment it was mangled beyond repair and the next it had seemingly flowed back into its previous form like a viscous liquid... only this time, instead of the Z symbol, the eerie red eye took its place, glaring at them all balefully, but otherwise doing nothing else. Hellboy began to wonder just how far the suit's capabilities went, but now was not the time to dwell on such matters, especially not when Darkmatter and the others were taking down all those Beetles.
And at their words, at their pleas for him to understand, the demon finally lost the last shred of his composure. At first, he merely began to chuckle weakly, but soon enough it had blown into an outright fit of laughter, the sensation as bitter to his ears as it was to his mouth.
"Home?" he spat, his voice rising shrilly "I don't have a home to go to! After all this is over you'll go back to your comfortable little lives like nothing ever happened, but for me there's nothing left to go to! I'm stuck here! I'm stuck here and I can't do anything about it!"
He drew a deep, heaving breath, his hands clenching into fists. "So excuse me while I refuse," he concluded ominously. "And this wedding won't be considered ruined until this entire building is a pile of rubble!"
He quickly flicked a switch on his belt, and his thruster pack whirred to life as he kicked off from the ground and into the air. Once he was airborne he flicked another, and dual shoulder-mounted gatling cannons decompressed from his pauldrons. He twisted the knob sharply and shot twice, hitting the walls and ceilings with his missiles. There was a loud rumbling as the building began to shake and cracks began to snake across all surfaces like a rickety train, rocks and other debris crumbling down into the room.
"Now it's been ruined," he said, smiling mirthlessly, as he pounded at the already precarious wall with a stone fist and made his getaway through his makeshift opening.
And an all-too familiar blood-curdling cackle emanated from his suit, the faint ringing echoing ominously as he sped off into the night.
"Hahahahahahahahaha~!"
(( And thus, I make my getaway, hurr. Zurg sounds very pleased, doesn't he? xD ))
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Post by Warp Darkmatter on Dec 23, 2009 18:03:00 GMT -5
Now wouldn't he be a wonderful addition to our merry little, mix-matched group.
Craters, he's going to bring this place down on top of us!!
"Everyone, get out or take cover!! Booster!" Warp let his rifle drop as he ran, shouting to were Booster was standing and shook him to get his attention before shouting, "Get Petra and get Buzz and the pastor out, NOW!" He didn't know how much of the building was actually coming down but he'd rather be safe than sorry.
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Post by cherryproductions on Dec 24, 2009 6:53:56 GMT -5
Mira landed neatly into a pew, knocking the wind out of her as she landed onto her back. Taking deep, gulping breaths she stayed there for a momment, listening to all the rapid fire around her. It was just like a warzone. A big, bad dangerous warzone. It was only a matter of time, she suspected, before everything came crumbling down around them. She waited a few seconds more before getting her breathing in ceck. Satisfied she jumped onto her feet and fought. Mira lowered her laser, he face going just a pale blue. Looking over towards Booster she ran, grapping Buzz's arm, putting it over her shoulder. "I got Buzz. Booster, just worry about getting Petra and the Pastor out." She felt around for the jet pack button and in seconds the two were flashing out of the crumbling chruch and into the courtyard, meeting the cool night air that was somewhat refreshing to feel on their faces. "Stay here," She said, placing him by a tree. "I'm going to see if I can help any!" ((Sorry everyone, I'm letting you down by not being on as much! I'll try to be on much more since I'm on break now, but school and life's been keeping me busy. And it doesn't help any that Christmas is tomorrow and school's been just so stressful So sorry for not being on! ))
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Post by Skyfire on Dec 24, 2009 15:45:19 GMT -5
((@steel: That was… SHORT. ;D I mean, we’re doing this in UNDER A WEEK. That’s GOT to be a record. xD ((@cherry: Oh, sweetie, don’t worry about it! I feel worse about you being stressed than you not being on as much! It’s okay, really – I’m just happy that you can make it when you can! *hugs*))
Erin bit her lip back, the only visible sign that she was slightly shaken.
Erin stared in shock. What the galaxy IS that suit??
She shivered and tightened her grip on the rifle, clutching it in a death-grip. This had gone from adrenaline-charged to eerie waaay too fast, and she was more than a little scared.
And that shocked Erin more than anything else had that evening. She saw it now that she knew what to look for – facial expressions, voice tones, even actions and reactions. “Holy mother of Venus, you’re a TIME-TRAVELER??”
Two in the same lifetime – more than that, in just two years??
She traded looks across the room with her brother, and Buzz shook his head briefly, indicating that he hadn’t known.
“NO, NOT THE CHURCH!!” Erin screamed, lowering her gun and running to Buzz’s side.
Erin froze, her mind’s eye seeing something that she hadn’t revisited in a long time…
…She ran as she had never run before in her life – she had never known she was even CAPABLE of putting out so much speed. The huge bunker began to collapse around them, and fires were breaking out everywhere.
They were nearly to the hangar when Jeri stumbled and fell. A flaming beam crashed down onto her, pinning her to the ground. She tried to ghost out, but the fire was already starting to burn her, and it sapped at her concentration.
“LIEUTENANT!!” Erin screamed, whirling around to see her fallen comrade.
“Go, Erin!” Jeri shouted.
“NO WAY!” Erin rushed back to the Tangean and attempted to heave the beam off of her, trying not to notice the fire already eating away at the woman’s body.
“Erin, I’m DYING! GO!!”
“I’M NOT LEAVING YOU!”
…Her mind struggled against the tide of memory as Buzz called to her…
“GO!!” Jeri screamed, using what strength remained to push Erin away.
“But –”
“ERIN, RUN!!”
Erin picked herself up from the floor and backed away, staring in terror at the burning woman. She coughed at the smoke, then turned to run. Her eyes burned with the acrid fumes… and tears.
A moment later, a mighty explosion rocked the self-destructing bunker.
Erin felt herself being thrown backwards from her feet, saw the floor rush up to meet her, heard the blood roaring in her ears… And then her world went black…
“NNOO!! NONONO!” Erin heard screaming, then realized from the rawness of her throat that it was her own. She was crumpled on the floor beside her brother… and crying.
Desperate, Buzz was shaking her. “ERIN!! SNAP OUT OF IT!!”
Erin stared back at him, her already-big brown eyes now wide and slightly wild as her mind returned to the present. The church was burning and crumbling…
Oh no. “My dress,” she whispered.
She’d left it in the basement.
He stared at her with horrible foreknowledge. She scrambled to her feet and bolted for the stairs.
“NO! ERIN!!” Buzz screamed.
“No, wait, Mira,” Buzz tried to say between coughs. The smoke was getting to his lungs.
“Mira, wait!” Buzz pleaded. “Erin! She’s in the basement!”
((IMPORTANT: Warp and/or Mira can go in and pull Erin out of the basement, but don’t get her outside the church just yet, ‘kay?))
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Post by cherryproductions on Dec 24, 2009 16:11:58 GMT -5
((@sky: Thanks. Now that breaks starting maybe I can become a little less stressful. RPing helps me unwind a lot. ;D))
Mira skidded in the snow, turning around at the waist to look at Buzz.
"Okay," She said, taking the message. "I'll get her out.
Before Mira ran back inside, and seeing the smoke, put up her helmet thinking it was a safer idea to have clean oxygen in her than smoke in her lungs.
She hoped, as she ran through the crumbling chruch, that she wasn't took late to get to Erin.
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Post by Warp Darkmatter on Dec 25, 2009 6:55:31 GMT -5
"Helmets! Helmets on people!" Warp was now blazing his own trail in between the rest of the Rangers, as he made sure evreryone had there helmet on.
He heard Buzz scream, and turned, looking for the 'why'.He's not gotten out yet? But there was the reason. Erin was sprinting for the basement.
"Eriiiiin!!" Warp was split of a moment. He had an obligation to go after Erin for more than one reason, but he also had an obligation to the other Rangers. Who goes first?! A piece of the ceiling landed a little close for comfort.Just pick one!
The response seemed numb, with no purpose as Warp spun and began herding Rangers to the door. "Everyone out! Get out! Come on, let's go!" More than one got a hearty shake or a rough shove in the mere seconds it took to get all of them outside with the exception of Mira, who was coming in.
"Mira! Erin's in the basement! This is gonna take two!" He was stating the obvious but he felt like he couldn't just recruit someone to go with him.
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Post by Skyfire on Dec 25, 2009 7:21:35 GMT -5
Erin, on the other hand, hadn’t thought to put up her helmet, even though she had been drilled to do just that in fires. The basement was filled with smoke, hot and stifling. Coughing violently, she managed to find the dress lying on the floor and clutched it to her chest, then ran – as fast as she could while coughing – up the stairs. Petra had already evacuated her things in the dressing area.
She caught sight of Warp and Mira and called, “Guys –” coughed – “I’m coming!” But a flaming beam swung down toward her and connected. Unconscious, she crumpled to the floor.
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Post by Warp Darkmatter on Dec 25, 2009 7:40:59 GMT -5
It's about time! Warp said to himself. Really, he was more relieved than anything to see that Erin hadn't gotten herself trapped.
"ERIIIN!" His heart skipped a beat as the beam hit it's mark, knocking Erin unconscious. Sprinting over the rumble, Warp felt like he just couldn't move fast enough.Dear God, NO!
He didn't bother to check for any vital signs. There wasn't time. "Mira, you blaze the trail and get us out of here!" He said, scooping up the unconscious Erin.
((sorry. I was google earth-ing))
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Post by cherryproductions on Dec 25, 2009 12:19:15 GMT -5
"Got it Warp!" Mira yelled, running after him towards the basement. The fire was getting nasty and while the other half of the church was crumbling the side they were on was at least stable, for now. But with how things were going Mira wasn't sure how long they could last without the floor crumbling under them.
"Got it!" Mira cried out before she was consumed by smoke. It took her a few seconds to venture out of the black covering before a beam came down on top of her, pinning her where she lay.
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Post by Skyfire on Dec 25, 2009 13:17:41 GMT -5
The cold air worked wonders with Buzz, and after just half a minute of waiting, he stood easily. “Booster, you’re with me!” he ordered, jetting back into the church (with his helmet on, of course).
“Yes, sir!” Booster saluted, following.
“WARP!” Buzz called. “MIRA? ERIN?”
“Buzz!” Booster gasped, pointing.
“What??” Buzz followed his gunner’s finger to where Mira was pinned to the floor. “MIRA!”
…“C’mon, Warp – it’s time to blow this rock!” He heard Warp respond with a pained groan, and saw him on the floor below, a beam and other debris crushing him to the floor…
…[/i]Not this time[/i]. He swooped down and knelt beside his copilot. “Booster, help me!”
Booster settled down on the other side of the beam, and together, the two men lifted it and sent it crashing aside. Buzz helped Mira to her feet, then saw Warp cradling a limp Erin in his arms. His heart skipped a beat. Oh, God, no, not Erin… His voice was completely flat as he said, “Let’s get out of here.”
He shot back toward the entrance, and Booster beat him to blowing a hole in the wall big enough for them all.
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Post by Warp Darkmatter on Dec 25, 2009 16:11:59 GMT -5
Warp trotted after Mira as she disappeared into the smoke. He counldn't see anything beyond his own two hands. Buzz voice reached his ears above all the noise from the fire and crumbling building, and he headed toward it. The smoked starte swirling in front of his as if something had fallen and disturbed the air.
[/i]Not this time[/i]. He swooped down and knelt beside his copilot. “Booster, help me!”[/quote]
Then there was Booster's voice and then Buzz's again, and he was calling for Mira. As he came out of the smoke, Warp looked around the ground until he spotted Mira from on underneath a beam. Buzz was already at her side, with Booster.
He breathed another sigh of reliefWe don't need anyone esle to get injured on the day. "Yeah, today would be good, I think." He said more to himself than anyone. Erin needed to get outside five minutes ago.
Warp ran as fast as he could and not give Erin a rough ride at the same time. Once outside and a safe distance away from the burning church, Warp gently laid Erin in the snow and checked for vital signs.
Pulsepulsepluse.....Come on!
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Post by cherryproductions on Dec 25, 2009 18:54:05 GMT -5
[/i]Not this time[/i]. He swooped down and knelt beside his copilot. “Booster, help me!”
Booster settled down on the other side of the beam, and together, the two men lifted it and sent it crashing aside. Buzz helped Mira to her feet, then saw Warp cradling a limp Erin in his arms. His heart skipped a beat. Oh, God, no, not Erin… His voice was completely flat as he said, “Let’s get out of here.”
He shot back toward the entrance, and Booster beat him to blowing a hole in the wall big enough for them all.[/quote]
Mira felt the huge weight of the beam being lifted up off her. Then Buzz's large hands pick her up to set her on her feet. She felt heavy and little unsure what was going on. All she knew what to do was follow everyone outside, so on shaky legs she stumbled after them only falling to her knees when they were safely outside, away from the crumbling church.
"XR? What's....what's going on? Where's Erin? Is she alright?" She held her head, trying to stop everything from spinning. That beam did a number on her.
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Post by Skyfire on Dec 26, 2009 7:09:32 GMT -5
Erin didn’t respond to Warp’s frantic checking, but a pulse still throbbed in her veins. Blood trickled a bit from where the beam had struck the back of her head, and a burn ran the length of the right side of her face.
As he watched Warp check her, Buzz exhaled shakily, his right fist clenching and unclenching. Not too far away, he saw Brent Starkisser, of all people, already on the scene and reporting. Clenching his jaw, he strode over to the reporter and said in a tone that brooked absolutely no argument, “Brent, go home. Now.”
“O-o-okay,” the reporter nodded, shying away. “And, um, folks, that about wraps it up here…”
Buzz didn’t wait for an acknowledgement, just returned to his group.
XR wound his arms around her and shushed her, surprisingly gentle. “We’ll have to get her to a medcenter, but she’s not gonna die,” XR assured her. “Kid’s just like her big brother – both are too blasted lucky to die. How ‘bout you?”
“Yeah,” came Buzz’s solemn voice from above. He knelt beside Mira in the snow and gripped her shoulder. “Mira, are you okay?”
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