"Hey hey, you said you could replicate my mic yeah? I wanna see you do it if ya find the chance! Since I gotta get mine back later from that scaaary cowboy lady it'd be nice to have an alternative until then!" He said thoughtfully. Really, he just wanted to know if the guy could do it or not, it was a pretty big fucking claim that he could y'know?
There was a beat of silence.
"Ooh, or a knife could work!" He spoke up, with a snap of his fingers as if he forgot those even existed for a second. He didn't, but Doc didn't need to know that.
"By the way you can call me Ramuda! Who knows if you get to see your 240th I might make you an outfit as a gift! Making clothes is fun, haha." He chirped as he made his way down, bouncing over where he heard the Doctor speak.
"Ya never know though someone might ask if you're my Grampa, it might make a good cover for something." He teased, a grin in his voice.
"Aaanyway, whatcha need me to do, Doc?" He asked curiously.
Team PRUDENCE
"Let's... Let's avoid the topic of knives for now, hm?" The Doctor chirped, prying the fuse-box open. He signaled to Ramuda with a flapping finger, calling him to his side.
"To be entirely frank, Mr. Ramone, I wouldn't trust you with a pair of scissors, let alone a bladed weapon. Now, if you could so kindly place your hand here--" The Doctor directed Ramuda's wrist over to the fuse-box and set it down upon a small, silver switch.
"--Keep it pressed down until I say you can release it. In the meantime, continue to dwell upon your infiltration fantasies and fancy dresses, hm? Anything to keep your mouth shut..."
In all of the chaos, Daniel had not even realized Forge's unfortunate fate. He was just grateful that the man he saved was okay. Daniel felt good hearing that he had saved somebody's life. Still, a part of him wished the man he had saved had been the missing Ouka.
"W-What can I do to help?" Daniel asked the Doctor. He was pouting at the idea of going into the sewers but he knew they really had to get out of there.
The very air around her seemed to heat up a little when she was denied her request to get food, and in her hunger... She could hear a faint voice in her head once more. Urging her to abandon the others... To fend for herself. To burn the whole place down... Starting with the sewer, but like she had at Rhodes Island so far, she refused to listen, refused to even acknowledge it.
"Need food. Soon." She said finally.
She turned away from Rhodey briefly to peer down the sewer grate herself.
"I can make... Fire. But fire explodes in sewers..." She said.
Though she still seemed lethargic, she managed to shakily raise a hand, producing a rather bright, hot flame in spite of it being a mere demonstration. In the state she was in, she seemed to have some difficulty controlling its temperature...
"Perhaps then this is nothing but a mistaken identity," Henshaw remarked. "I am nothing but a man trapped in the machine, and any involvement in time travel is happenstance." The arrival of their new member didn't strike much of a reaction from Henshaw as he surveyed the sewer. Again he'd use his heightened vision to try and see if there was something out of place. Getting down here this easily did not sit right with him.
"Ah..." The Doctor froze at the suggestion of Daniel providing him some assistance. A concerned specter loomed behind his eyes. He chewed upon his gaunt cheeks.
"Yes... of course, young man. Just... stand by my side. Right here. Away from the wall. Come, come..." The Doctor placed his hand upon Daniel's chest and forcibly slid him out of the path of some unseen harm.
"Quickly. Quickly..."
"Easy now..." Rhodey called down from the surface. He placed his hand upon Ifrit's shoulder and did his best to hoist her up.
"Where there are sewers, there's methane. If your fire explodes down there, you could take out the whole--"
BOOOM!
Concrete soared high above the rooftops. Smoke. Shrapnel. Ribbons of fire seared the sky. James and Ifrit were tossed like ragdolls, a concussive wave forcing them away from the manhole.
"Cover!" Rhodey roared, dragging Ifrit into a nearby alley. He turned his eyes towards the few, remaining pedestrians.
"Get down! Everyone get down!"
Chunks of concrete rained down upon the city.
"Oh of course. You will have to forgive me. My old age has finally started to catch up with me." Shang Tsung pocketed the ruby and instead pulled out for the layman was a simple shilling. The wizard handed it over to the salesman placing his hand on the sellers shoulder and looked deeply into his eyes. "I trust that will suffice?"
"Mm, you're right." Shion gave Evie a small smile, grateful for the comfort. When she brought up Team Prudence, he brought his hand to his chin in thought and furrowed his brow.
"If we grt this map, then maybe we can catch up to them and see if they're willing to at least talk with us? If I remember right, that Cyborg is with them and he doesn't look too friendly, but I'm sure if he was interested in the fighting he would of joined in." Shion reasoned. He didn't know what the Cyborg was capable of outside of what he showed when going against the Arcades, but surely he'd hear them out if they had the same goal in the end, right?
"I'm fine with diplomacy," Phi said casually. As far as she could see, there did not yet seem a point in fighting the other teams beyond simply surviving.
"Though, I wouldn't trust them so quickly. Sure, they got a kid, but Shion is right, they don't all seem so easygoing. Plus with the kid in mind, we don't really know what those people are capable of."
Still, definitely the best option out of the three teams available, as far as Phi had gathered.
Team OBLIVION
"Now... that wasn't too hard, was it?" The Salesman chirped, snatching the shilling from the Wizard's hand. The Salesman's eyes had triggered a change within him. It was hard to describe. Hard to pin point. But it was almost as if he had suddenly recognized the old wizard. He reached into his jacket and offered Shang a pair of crisp, clean maps. With a smile and tip of his hat, he bid them farewell.
"Have another one on the house. Have a good day, now..."
"Thank you, sir," Evie tipped her head and paid the man with a smile. She plucked one of the maps from his hand and tucked it away inside her jacket.
"And the same to you. Now..." The Assassin broke away from the queue and started to run after Team Prudence, gesturing for her team to follow.
"We've wasted enough time here as it is. Let's get a move on. If we're going to get the others on side... or at least, if we want to try and get through to them, we're going to have to move quickly. I'm guess that the old man is slow enough, but I'm willing to wager that a situation as dire as this is enough to put a spring in even his step. If he's as spry as Shang, then we might--"
Evie stopped at the edge of the street. She squinted down the road, observing two blurry figures in the distance.
"Those people... they're the strangers from Team Oblivion! They're heading into the sewers, we can still---"
BOOOM!
Concrete soared high above the rooftops. Smoke. Shrapnel. Ribbons of fire seared the sky. One member of Team Prudence ran and ducked for cover, screaming for some nearby pedestrians to do the same. He dragged his comrade down an alley after him. Team Oblivion, were met with a raging win and the roar of a charging dust clown. The flash of the flames were enough to momentarily blind them, but the stun didn't last. The frightened screams of some nearby civilians were enough to sober their stunned senses.
"Get down! Everybody, get down!"
Zora let out a genuine chuckle.
"Carrot Top? That's funny," Zora said, a smile on her face.
ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!!!
Soft and Wet punched at the knives, destroying one of them. Josuke grunted when he saw a massive shadow, as Eren tried to crush the entire team. Josuke rolled out of the way alongside Mato, and joined the girl in running.
"Looks lahk it's ya bloody trail plan, pardner," she commented to 17 based on the actions made by Fushimi and Eren.
Zora took out one of her time guns and fired several times at Mato, Josuke, and all those who tried to enter the sewers, all those her bullet touched being aged to death, even if it was a scrape.
"Hurry!" Josuke called out to the surviving members.
❝ Better than sticking around here... r-right! Black Rock Shooter, we need to escape to the sewers, okay?! ❞ Mato's voice resounded from Rock's body, realizing that this was the safest best to avoid more bloodshed for now. The Other Self hesitated but then obeyed Mato's word, turning around and running away from the fountain area with hopes that the rest of the Dead Hearts would follow suit.
Team DEAD HEARTS
A fist, falling like a hammer, was enough the scatter the Dead Hearts. Sinestro ducked and ran mere moments after Josuke and Mato had fallen back. He had avoided the Titan's wrath by a hair's breadth. He was off his game. He wasn't thinking clearly. Couldn't focus. He should have held his ground. He should have paid better attention. He should have summoned a construct. He should have done something- anything- to cripple the beast. Instead, its hand hovered 5 feet off of the ground, repelled only by the strength of Spitfire.
View attachment 9103
"Sewers!" Spitfire growled with excursion as she slowly forced the creature's fist from her person.
"Hurry! Get out of h--"
SHNKT
A dagger tore through Jackie's abdomen. A flesh wound. A bloody flesh wound. A cripplingly painful flesh found, but if she could reach a doctor in time, she still stood a chance at surviving. She fell onto her hands and knees and started to scurry run through her agony. All she had to do was--
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Three bullets lodged themselves in Spitfire's back. She parted her lips to scream. Her cries were lost somewhere in her throat. She fell forward, still, irresponsible but still, breathing. Her pulse was rapidly slowing. The aging effects of Zora's bullets didn't seem to phase the Spitfire, but bullets were bullets. They weren't part of a balanced diet.
Sinestro called forth a golden barrier to shelter his allies from the projectile storm. Every bullet it deflected seemed to drain his ring at an alarming rate, but he held strong.
90%, 80%, 70%. It would remain functional for much longer.
60%. 50% 40%. Sinetro hoisted Jackie up onto his shoulder.
35%. 30%. He started to sprint after Josuke and Mato, a bloody trail staining the streets behind him.
25%. 20%. The last of the Dead Hearts vanished around the street corner.
With a flash of gold, Sinestro sent the cover flying up a nearby manhole.
"Everyone inside! They won't give up this easily! Get in!"
6 boots touched down upon the sewer floor. A protective, hard-light second skin crawled across Jackie's person, shielding her from infection. Another flash of golden welded the manhole shut behind the Dead Hearts.
"It won't hold them. They'll follow the bread crumbs. They'll follow the blood." He snapped with conviction.
"We need to keep moving. Just because the Titan can't follow us down here doesn't mean that--" He froze.
"Shh! Voices!" He whispered, pressing his back against the wall.
"From up tunnel!"
"Ya never know though someone might ask if you're my Grampa, it might make a good cover for something... Anyway, what do you need me to do, Doc?"
"Keep it pressed down until I say you can release it. In the meantime, continue to dwell upon your infiltration fantasies and fancy dresses, hm? Anything to keep your mouth shut..."
"W-What can I do to help?"
"Ah... Yes... of course, young man. Just... stand by my side. Right here. Away from the wall. Come, come... Quickly... Quickly..."
"I can make fire--"
"Easy now--"
"What on Earth are they---?"
BOOOM!
The sewers trembled. A wave of smoke and ash screamed down the throat of the sewer and washed over the Dead Hearts. The forced of the cloud alone was enough to knock the Conscripts onto their backs. The deafening roar of the explosion itself was enough to send their heads spinning and the ears ringing. The explosion had been close. Too close.
Footsteps. Overhead. A group of Conscripts were charging towards the explosion.
"What a pain. It really is too bad Carrot Top doesn't just offer himself up on a silver platter and save us the trouble," Fushimi breathed as he relented after hearing 17 and Zora say their pieces. Fair enough then.
So that was that. If they'd have to assert dominance for the big boss to show himself and wager his throne, then so be it. Fushimi usually fancied himself a patient person who was no stranger to playing the long game, but certainly, it seemed Arcade had already quickly proven capable of getting under his skin enough to warrant an impatient streak out of him. Egg on his face as it was for letting the boy go after he ended up killing Forge, but such was life.
With that all said, the young man took a step forward, a worm-like smirk tugging at his lips as he stared down the Dead Hearts alongside his own teammates, raising both of his hands and drawing three throwing knives between his fingers in each hand.
"What's the matter?! What are you looking at me like that for?! Waiting for a sign from Godot?!" He cackled, his outward mood seeming to turn from 1 to 10 in a flash as he swerved his arm about and swiftly threw his six blades at the team's general direction!
"Fight or run, it makes no difference to me! Just as long as you disappear one way or the other! Just let me know what you wanna settle on!"
Zora let out a genuine chuckle.
"Carrot Top? That's funny," Zora said, a smile on her face.
ORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!!!
Soft and Wet punched at the knives, destroying one of them. Josuke grunted when he saw a massive shadow, as Eren tried to crush the entire team. Josuke rolled out of the way alongside Mato, and joined the girl in running.
"Looks lahk it's ya bloody trail plan, pardner," she commented to 17 based on the actions made by Fushimi and Eren.
Zora took out one of her time guns and fired several times at Mato, Josuke, and all those who tried to enter the sewers, all those her bullet touched being aged to death, even if it was a scrape.
"Hurry!" Josuke called out to the surviving members.
Eren could only watch Forge be killed by... that young boy with those forceful powers. Even with the Eleven hitching a ride on his Titan body, he couldn't go after Daniel as he's run off into somewhere else in the city, not exactly an ideal move to just split away from his group. Sounded like they were going to take a few more pot shots at the opposing team, even when the Dead Hearts were honing in on retreating on the spot. In his head, he kept telling himself, it's him or them. Anyone that got in his way, they were his enemy. Simple.
Making sure to not trample on his own teammates while stepping forward, the Titan balled up a fist before leaning down and delivering a powerful punch at the Dead Hearts.
Team NEXIUM
View attachment 9104
"Bravo!" Android 17 applauded with a smirk.
"You really put the fear of Godot in them... whatever the Hell that is. Another Conscript's down and out, and I didn't even have to get off of my ass... Arcade made a big mistake putting the lot of us together, let me tell ya..." With a hum, 17 kicked himself up off of the edge of the fountain and returned to the remainder of his team.
"Whatever advantage the Dead Hearts once had? It's long gone. Unless that blonde chick checks in with a doctor in the next hour or so, we can count that as another point for us. That's another man down, gents. Give yourselves a pat on the back."
"Don't count your hens until they're on your plate, Android..." The Eleven hissed as he stepped off of the Titan's wrist.
"Have you ever been down into the sewers of a city like this?"
"Judging by the look of your..." 17 smirked.
"I'm guessing that you're familiar with them."
"Remarkable. The Android thinks he's a comedian." The Time Lord sneered, his demeanor shifting again. His tone was cold. Cutting. He carried himself taller them before. His eyes were somehow darker.
"Think about it critically. This city is enormous. Its sewers no doubt stretch on for miles. It'll be dark. Their movements will be sheltered by their echoes. If we attack them whilst their down there, then they'll have a home-ground advantage. We'd be ambushed. We'd be vulnerable. Without the Titan, we could very well be killed... or at least, you very well might be..."
"What's that supposed to mean?" 17's smile faded. His arms folded across his chest.
"It simply means that I have a few more tricks up my sleeve than my appearance might reveal..." The Time Lord grinned.
"But that's not important right now. No... No. Right now we need for form a plan. Something prudent. Something careful. We cannot simply jump into the sewers and start blowing things u--"
BOOOM!
"You hear that?" Android 17 chuckled. He turned towards the site of the blast and started to drink in its direction.
"That's the sound of the party starting without us!"
"Perhaps then this is nothing but a mistaken identity," Henshaw remarked. "I am nothing but a man trapped in the machine, and any involvement in time travel is happenstance." The arrival of their new member didn't strike much of a reaction from Henshaw as he surveyed the sewer. Again he'd use his heightened vision to try and see if there was something out of place. Getting down here this easily did not sit right with him.
Team PRUDENCE/OBLIVION/NEXIUM/DEAD HEART
The smoke from the blast was already starting to clear. At the heart of the blast, Hank Henshaw knelt, the victim of a targeted gas-main explosion. Smoldering, but alive, the Cyborg's systems were sent into a flurrying cycle of reboots and reloads. The Doctor stepped away from the fuse-box, a mischievous grin pinned to his lips. He writhed his fingers around a small, silver object. An override filter, by the looks of things. The explosion was no accident. It was an assassination attempt.
"My, my!" The Doctor chirped as he cautious approached the Cyborg.
"You're still alive! What a resilient soul you are!" He raised a hand behind him, signaling for Ramuda and Daniel to stay back. The Doctor protected children. It was simply what he did. There was no point defying
that golden rule. Not
yet, anyway.
"Stay put, my dear friends... this man is a very dangerous individual! A murderer! A backstabber! A genocidal maniac intent on killing each and everyone of us, regardless of our Team Allegiances!" The Doctor continued his approach, as cautiously as a hunter might approach a wounded predator.
"Got anything to say for yourself, hm? Or are you speech centers still recovering? No matter... I was planning on doing all the talking myself, anyway..." The Doctor crouched down beside Henshaw. Electricity continued crackled across the Cyborg's mechanical parts. The Doctor set the override filter down upon the machine-man head, like a treat on a dog's nose.
"There's a good boy." He chuckled.
"Tell me, Mr. Henshaw: What type of buffoon do you take me for? A case of mistaken identity? No... you know exactly how I am, don't you? And I know exactly who your are, in turn. You'd be wise to stay out of my way, old chap. I shan't warn you again." The Doctor picked himself up off of the floor and dusted down his trousers. He lightly ruffled Henshaw's hair.
"Ah, don't worry. Your systems will be back online shorty. You'll be fine before you know it." The Doctor doesn't
kill after all.
"Though... by then, we'll all be long gone. We. Ha. I am exclusively referring to my companions and I, of course. In our absence, you'll find yourself in some new company... though I doubt they shall be as merciful as I..."
The Time Lord wrapped his scarf around his mouth and coughed up a lung-full of smoke. He stepped away from the Cyborg and returned to his team. The smoky haze was growing thicker by the second. The Doctor placed his hands upon the backs of Ramuda and Daniel and pushed them until they ran. The Time Lord wrapped his scarf around his mouth and coughed up a lung-full of smoked.
"Get out! Everyone! We must leave him! Remember: He would have done far worse to us, had we given him the chance, believe me!" He wheezed.
"Hurry! Down the tunnel!"
Around the corner, Sinestro raised his ring. His brow was bejeweled with sweat. His fingers twitched. He couldn't bring himself the blink. Footsteps. Voices. Explosions. They were bad omens, to say the least.
View attachment 9107
"We've got company inbound, Dead Hearts! Prepare yourselves! Anticipate hostility!"
[18% Remaining]
Above ground, Evie offered the elderly wizard an arm to lean upon. Hidden under a veil of smoke, Team Oblivion watched helplessly 17 soared overhead. The Eleven wandered through the smoke after him, oblivious to Oblivion's presence. The Assassin pressed her fingers to her lips as Team Nexium approached the scene.
"Shh... Nobody panic... No sudden movements... they can't see us... they don't know we're here..."
Android 17's cold eyes locked onto the body of the wounded Cyborg Superman. The Sewer's latest skylight gave the conscripts an excelent view of the kneeling Kryptonian.
"Hey, Gents!" He called out to the rest of Team Nexium.
"You'll never guess who I've found... And you'll never guess what he's kneeling in..."
From the cove of a nearby alleyway, Rhodey coughed himself away.
"This..." Rhodey wheezed, offering Ifrit a hand.
"This makes no sense! Your fire didn't even explo--" The hairs on Rhodey's neck stood on their ends.
"Something's wrong..."
With a hum and a hiss, the Cyborg's systems were fully recovered. The Hunt was back on.
SHANG TSUNG// SHION// PHI// MOLLYMAUK TEALEAF// SUIGETSU HOZUKU// EEVIE FRYE// GODBRAND// AKUMA
^ @Jeremi @Atomic Knight @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy ^
MARRIANE VON EDMUND// JOSUKE HIGASHIKATA// DAN KUROTO// AIZAWA SHOTA// MATO KUROI// CONNER KENT// THAAL SINESTRO// JACQUELINE FALSWORTH
^ @Yun Lee @Capri @MagatsuNoImouto @Space_Candy @Gummi Bunnies ^
CIRI// SARUHIKO FUSHIMI// ZORA SALAZAR// EREN JAEGER// ALEXANDER ANDERSON// FORGE// ANDROID 17// THE ELEVEN
^ @Minerva @Ver @Capri @Gummi Bunnies @Crunch ^
RAMUDA AMEMURA// YASHAMARU// DANIEL DIAZ// CHASE DAVENPORT// HANK HENSHAW// THE DOCTOR// JAMES R. RHODES// JANET VAN DYNE
^ @Takumi @Yun Lee @Atomic Knight @Lucky @Jeremi ^
