Chapter 7
Consequence and Retrobution
The blinding Azure light subsided and Hsu and Cucumba were back in Forumscant proper. They were in the Miscellaneous section in between buildings of dubious content and tight alleyways littered with trash and graffiti. Here is where people made questionable "aftermarket" modifications to the city's greatest export, but they were not here for modifications of that sort.
"My loyal Death Pickle to the last . . . Thank you for coming to get me Hsu," said the Green Devil.
"No need to thank me, it is what Friends do for one another. Besides, you still owe me twenty bucks, and I'd hate to see that debt go uncollected."
Cucumba chuckled despite the weight of the situation. A little light in the dark wouldn't be so bad before he had to do what must be done.
"You know that Smith got his hands on my ban saber."
"That's what Greg told me, yes," said Hsu.
The rounded a corner market, and walked as fast as possible down a narrow alley littered with trash and dust.
"Well then Shoe, you know what I have to do . . ."
"Make another one?"
"Wishful thinking."
"I was hoping you wouldn't say that."
The two continued in relative silence on foot through some small market places. One stand called "Evolution Mod" was covered in the ashes of people who had met their fates here. Cucumba looked on in sorrow. These were people he failed to protect. Existences infinitely more fragile than his own snuffed out because their great protector had been betrayed and fooled. He gritted his teeth: if his mind had not been adamant about his course of action before, it was now permanently part of him. Desire, deed and self were now one; he was one with his destiny.
Besides, this would not be the first time that one had met such a fate, and he doubted that it would be the last.
Hsu helped Cucumba to the great wall of Forumscant, and to a locked service entrance on that wall. Hsu pulled out a key card, and slid it into a barely visible slot in the wall. Brick moved aside and revealed a keypad and a lens at eye height. Hsu wordlessly entered in a passkey and lined his eye up with the lens. After some whirring noises and a faint beep, a large section of the brick slid away revealing a tunnel that led to Mount Noobus.
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The Tripods began to move again, blaring their death trumpets. Pride grimaced and looked up to the nearest one, "Moderate time eh? Looks like Cuc managed to pull something off. C'MON GUYS, GET TO COVER!"
Pride and the other moderators began ushering people out of the Tripods' sight. Ravendust came across a group of stragglers staring in awe at the destructive metal titans. "MOVE IT OR LOSE IT," shouted Ravendust.
"Get your ass in there Fire Phoenix," barked Pride as he spotted Fire Phoenix near a subway entrance.
"Get off the streets Shiyojin," shouted Synth from a building face out of the sight of the tripods.
"Grega, do you want to die," asked Sailor Alea. He was staring at the Tripods from a hole in an outside wall of a ruined building.
"No," retorted Grega.
"THEN STOP PEEKING AT THE DEATH MACHINES," Alea yelled, motioning him to follow her.
"Scruff, KelesK, what are you doing with that Map," asked Engar as he saw the two coming out of a store called ESF World.
"Erm, nothing Engar," the sheepishly replied in unison, both dropping the map files.
"STOP LOOTING! Get your arses out of plain view," ordered Engar.
"Raeku, Hurry up," shouted Synth at the citizen who was running up the middle of a street.
"Cap J? Get back here, we have to hurry," shouted Prozac at yet another straggler.
"Prozac, round up those stragglers over there," barked Magus, his finger outstretched.
"No problem, Magus," he replied with a salute.
"Chakra X, get in with the rest of the group," exclaimed .
"C'mon Gohan, we can't wait here any longer," said Deman.
Magus grabbed Donnierisk by the collar and dragged him to cover.
In the chaos, Karrde was helping a battered Sonic Boyster up. "Are you alright?" He asked his fellow admin.
"Fine, ego is more bruised than anything . . ."
"This is looking bad, the tripods are moving again," intoned Karrde.
"We have to do something. We are the last lines of defense," said Sonic with a thousand yard stare soaking in the
destruction wrought so far.
Karrde followed Sonic's gaze and looked at the devastation that was once a beautiful city. For both of them, this was a
place where they had taken an active role in keeping it wonderful for all. A place where the people of Forumscant could speak their minds freely while observing respect for one another. Now it was blasted rubble and the last bastion of hope for so many still left alive. Karrde grimaced and balled his fist.
"I'll take the tripods from the streets and try to organize the populace into a useful fighting unit."
Sonic smiled, "I'll take them from the air, I'll use the Troop Transports in the admin tower."
"All that's left then is to decide which moderators are on our team," Karrde said with a smile.
Sonic began selecting his team and transported them back to the tower. Karrde strode menacingly over the rubble toward the tripods while pulling on his gloves.
On the other end of the city, Smith kicked the head of a trampled forum citizen left for dead in the ruins of ESF Chat. "DESTROY IT ALL," he roared with his face screwed up into a portrait of rage. "Especially that tower . . ."
Smith marched over the dust of the disintegrated, and the bodies of the crushed. Each step brought him closer to the tower. He smiled and ordered the Catalyst Nanoprobes to bring Pain's body to him. Within only a few clock cycles, Pain's corpse was lowered to his level. The damage from the hole was nearly repaired, and would be complete by the time they arrived.
"Wake up Pain," said Smith.
Pain grunted as he squirmed in agony and slowly his eyes fluttered open.
"Do you know why I've spared you," asked Smith with a sinister grin on his face.
"Choke on . . . it, you sack of . . ."
"Now, now, that's a terrible way to speak to someone who spared your life. Not to mention, I am your new master. It's not as if I'm asking you to betray your comrades, you simply have no choice in the matter."
Pain watched in horror as his hands came into view and he popped open his administrator control band. The holographic display authenticated his identity and allowed him access to Forumscant's inner workings. He tried with all his might to stop himself from going any further, but it was useless, the nanoprobes had him now.
"I see that your predicament has come to light. I hope you enjoy killing your friends."
Pain couldn't reply, instead, he felt himself smile and speak something utterly alien to what he wanted to say.
"I have lowered the shields to the Administration Tower . . . my master."
The Tripods opened fire, and began to demolish the tower's heavily reinforced armor.
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The tower rocked back and forth from the impacting beams on the outside. Sonic thought to himself, there isn't much time.
He looked at the dazed and confused moderators before him. Arthos, Hitokiri, Sailor Alea, Mad AxMan, Nuttzy, Ravendust, , LiteNET, and Phobius all stared at each other in disbelief that they were in the hiding spot again.
"Before we get all worked up that were in here to hide again," said Sonic with authority in his voice. "Let me tell you that were here to grab weapons and a drop ship for air assault on those metal monstrosities."
There was a cheer of approval from most of them, and silent nods of approval from the rest.
"Arthos, you're flying the drop ship, Phobs and Lite, you two are passing out the IP Range Rifles."
"IP Rifles? We haven't used them since the DDOS of 04," said Phobius astonished.
"Good, then they should have really charged batteries," said Lite. "Let's get to it then. Hey Sonic, can I use my glow worm bombs?"
". . . as long as you don't hit citizens or buildings with it . . ."
"Hehehe, I'll be real careful. Oh and Sonic."
"Yeah Lite?"
"Just cause your doing the right thing doesn't mean I don't think your a ***."
"As long as you do your job, you can call me all the names you want."
"I'll hold you to that."
Arthos put on his leather cap and flight goggles, and quickly ran through all the things he learned from playing flight sims with World War 2 fighter planes. Hitokiri ran to his locker and began pulling out very large guns, some of which were illegal in Forumscant, and began loading them onto an equipment frame. Sailor Alea grabbed a seat and began cracking her knuckles. Mad AxMan grabbed a giant sword vaguely shaped like a guitar, with the end of the neck as a handle. Nuttzy grabbed a pair of IP rifles. Ravendust found himself a set as well, and found a seat in the drop ship as another salvo of beams collided with the fortress of the moderators. grabbed his rifle and sat down to meditate before battle within the confines of the drop ship. LiteNet grabbed a big revolving, six barrel, IP weapon and a back pack full of batteries, while Phobius grabbed a pair of ban daggers.
Arthos finished the final engine checks as the last of the strike team entered the shuttle. Sonic strode confidently into the co-pilot's seat, and accessed his administrator panel. "Strike Team Bravo, this is Alpha leader, the bird is heavy and hot," said the vampire into his communication device. "Looks like Smith figured out how to take down the curtains."
Karrde's voice returned over the airwaves, "Roger Alpha Leader, Bravo is organized, I used a riot cache at the corner of Help and Off Topic. Confirmed, shields are down, no way to access the logs without a Super Admin though, so we won't know who shut them off."
To their astonished surprise, a third voice came in over the channel, "This is Task Force Theta, were coming in hot: Angels 25, Cherubs 6. Enemy sighted."
"Hibiki?"
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The monolithic halls had been dusty for some time. Grand scrawled columns rose high into the murky darkness above their heads, and huge statues of their former leaders lined the sides of walls in large alcoves. The latest statue was that of the verdant leviathan himself. At the head of the hall stood the Statue of Majin_You; here it would remain until his day of retirement, when he would join the rest of the former forum administrators. The marbled floor too was covered in dust, losing all it's resplendent luster and high polished sheen. No lights were lit here but the old emergency lights. Together, Hsu and Cucumba crossed the hall of the moderators, high atop the peak of Mount Noobus. Cucumba's walking was getting worse, not better however, and Hsu found himself taking more and more of the brunt of Cucumba's massive frame.
"I'm sorry old friend, I'm not the easiest burden to carry."
"I used to think it was the burden of the forums on your shoulders . . ."
The too laughed again as they made their way into the doorway behind Majin_You's statue. Their laughter quickly died this time however, replaced by the heavy, sullen quiet that had haunted this arduous trek. Their goal was not taken lightly.
"Are you sure you have to do this Cuc," asked Hsu through gritted teeth.
"As sure as the cut on your ban saber."
They entered a laboratory, and used another retinal eye scanner to access a lab further back. They both entered the room and saw several chests laid about the room and a work bench. The chests all glowed from the inside, their seams illuminated by whatever lay inside. Cucumba leaned forward and unlocked the nearest chest by closing his eyes and gesturing his hand toward it. The lid swung open and and a piercing green glow permeated the room. When their eyes adjusted, they saw the object of their quest.
The green ban crystal, as large as a volleyball, lay on a deep purple pillow of satin with gold trim. Cucumba mentally willed the crystal to rise and follow them, and it did.
Wordlessly, they left the strange room, and headed back to the outer laboratory. There they were greeted by a small group of people. Cucumba smiled.
"Friends, you've come," said Cucumba weakly.
Two wore suits of impeccable quality, not unlike Smith in dress, but with distinct faces of their own. Each of them radiated authority, one had blonde hair, the other black. The black haired one carried a large carbon coated Axe. A cyborg ape stood behind them, it's mechanical eye, peeking from the half cowl, focused on Hsu and Cucumba. A young man carrying a katana and a ban saber sat with a smug face nearby on a counter. A beautiful, voluptuous woman with legs up to her neck and skimpy clothes leaned against the door frame. Her ban saber hung from her hip. In front of them all was a man seemingly made of cheese. He wore a dark cloak and brandished a ban saber as well.
"Bout time you showed up, ay," said Hsu.
"There was traffic mate, the midtown bridge has a few holes and screaming people on it," said Cheeseman.
"Cucumba, I don't think you should do what you plan on doing with that." vt, the black haired, suited individual gestured to the large floating crystal. "With all of us combined, we should be able to get rid of Smith."
"I agree mate, this won't be healthy for you if you know what I mean," said Greg, the other suited individual.
"All the more reason to do it. I've been infected with Smith's nanoprobes, it will only be a matter of time before he can control me as I suspect he is doing with Pain now, and as he did with Majin_You. If I die while ridding the forum of him, then he . . . and I, will no longer be a threat to this forum."
"Good thing Maj was strong enough to resist outright control," intoned the mechanical voice of Chimpbot, "too bad he couldn't suppress the fledgling feelings of jealousy that Smith amplified."
"You do what you have to Cuc, we'll take care of the people and those tin cans," said Deverz, thumbing his Katana, "besides, I'd love to get a work out. It's been a while."
"Sir, don't you think that this measure is a bit extreme," asked Groovy as she moved off the door frame. "There has to be some other way."
"There is no other way, he has my ban saber crystal installed in his own saber, and he has given chips of it to the tripods for power," said Cucumba with a sigh, as if he were tired of explaining it. "We can only match his stolen power with overwhelming force. He has proven time and time again that he can hold his own against administrators, and I don't feel like restoring any of you from the last forum backup."
"Mate, a fusion of this nature is a bad idea. None of us could handle it, and I'm sure it would damage you beyond saving," chided Greg.
"It is what must be done," said the green devil grimly.
With those words, Hsu began the procedure as Cucumba laid down on the table.
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The engines screamed as the drop ship quickly accelerated in it's sharp climb. Arthos looked at the guages, Angels 24, 26, . . . 30. They had hit 30,000 feet above the drop zone. This is precisely where Sonic had wanted to drop from. Arthos would then engage the Tripods with the drop ship. "All passengers, prepare for drop engagement," he said calmly into his communicator.
Sonic disengaged his harness and made his way to the back. There, the had done the same, opening the bay door and attaching their tethers to the rail were in process. Sonic quickly added his line to the queue. LiteNET looked down at the burning city below, and saw streaks of green energy slamming into the administration tower. "Damn, they're big from up here too," he said quietly. "Now wait for the light, and remember, no one attacks until the last 5,000 feet or when you are fired upon. No one wants to be shot mid air."
"Bravo Leader, Alpha team is ready for deployment, make sure they don't look up."
"Roger Alpha Leader," Said Karrde into his communicator.
His band had made it to the rear tripod, and was ready to strike with a vengeance. Pride leaned against a wall, weaponless, but clearly scouting the area for something. Prozac had two IP weapons, pistol class, as he preferred lighter weapons. Both were in hand as he crept through a ruined archway behind the infernal machine. Synth too, held no weapons, but he was slowly making his way to the far flank, navigating a pile of rubble that had been left in the street. Torlon was in the ruins of a building 10 blocks down, zeroing the scope on his IP rifle. Optimus Prime rolled up with his engine off, and transmission in neutral. He was waiting for the signal to hit hard only a few blocks away, but out of the path of the tripod's sight. Deman and Magus made their way through the sewer and sub-blocks, directly underneath the Tripod, with hopes of getting past its shields. Each one carried their ban daggers. Magus had called upon his werewolf and vampire heritages, while calling on his altered demonic state as well. Deman mentally ran through his katas, and cleared his mind of fear with some degree of meditation.
Karrde smiled and held his hand high, fingers outstretched. The moderators looked on tensely, and darted their eyes back and forth from their objectives to their targets.
Little did they know that some of the forum's populace had moved into position as well.
Karrde closed his hand to a fist, and all hell broke loose.
Optimus turned on his engine, and spooled up his turbo charged, v12 heart, rolling into motion with 1000 horse power of pure diesel muscle. The massive Autobot charged down the street toward the rear tripod. Once he was within only a few hundred feet, there was a detonation under him as his jump jets fired and he soared into the air, transforming during the leap. The tripod turned and fired at his trailer, turning it into smoking ruin. Prime was already mid flip, inverted and aiming down at the tripod with his transformer sized IP rifle. Blast after blast rang out from his over-sized weapon and slammed into the Tripod's shields with a throaty roar. Prime landed safely behind the now turned Tripod and took cover while continuing to fire. The tripod was being buffeted about by the blasts, but it's shields held strong, even if it's footing was dubious. Once the Tripod gained it's bearings, it began to return fire, keeping Optimus pinned behind the rubble he was using as a shield. Prozac chose this time to open fire, attempting to distract it. The tripod turned one beam equipped arm toward the brave moderator and made him scramble for cover as the archway collapsed. Deman and Magus waited, it was almost over them. Magus snarled and began to lift the manhole cover. Meanwhile, Karrde made his move. He had taken the initial moments of the assault to climb atop an adjacent building. The other Tripods kept firing on the administration tower, much to his approval. His cloak flapping in the winds of destruction, Karrde leapt from the building and ignited his ban saber. The tripod whirled it's body at the sound of the hissing instrument of banishment and brandished it's charged beam weapons at the Administrator. Karrde smirked and held his saber outstretched to deflect the blast. He was blasted from the sky with the jarring force of a fragment of Cucumba's ban saber. He stopped his fall with a thought, righting himself and landing in a cloud of dust as his feet stopped just short of the ground. The tripod took a step back and adjusted it's aim as it's weapons began to glow with a furious green-blue light.
The ground beneath it erupted as Magus and Deman made it into the shields.
Deman leapt at it's right arm, slashing it with his ban daggers in an x pattern. He was promptly swatted for his efforts by one of it's manipulation arms. Deman flew headfirst into it's shields with a smile on his face as the beam arm erupted into an inferno in the shape of a bird of prey. Magus used his unearthly strength to tear into the automatons leg, and climbed as Deman leapt. Magus soon made it to the bottom of it's body where the legs met the body. With his supernatural agility, he dodged past the manipulators as they furiously and fruitlessly attempted to dislodge him.
Smith slowly turned his head.
Magus rammed his fist elbow deep into the machine's plating and worked his arm. He reached around inside and grabbed whatever he could. Having filled his hand, he yanked with all of his might, tearing and rending all that was within his grasp. The manipulators moved in for the kill as Magus lit his ban dagger with his free hand and severed the first. The second struck him, but only served to finish the job Magus had started.
Sparks shot from the hole, then black smoke, and in Magus' hand lie cords and hydraulic line. Karrde ran forward as the shields fell, his communicator drawn to his mouth, "Magus, Deman get out of there!"
The two complied the best they could, dodging it's one good weapon arm. Optimus Prime got of from behind his cover and blasted it's wounded leg where Magus had climbed his way up. The tripod lurched perilously.
"Angels Five, all units, open fire," shouted Sonic.
But beneath them, beams of incredible brilliance slammed into the second furthest Tripod, and the machine nearly lost it's balance from the savage attack. A sleek drop ship exploded into view, tearing past them at several times the speed of sound, leaving a deafening sonic boom in it's wake.
Seven people dropped from the ship, at astonishingly low altitude.
"Open fire," shouted Hibiki.
Theta team's IP rifles tore into the shields as they fell into the rubble surrounding the tripod. Greentaco made his way to a manhole cover in the street and pulled it up for the other team members. Only Hibiki stayed above ground as Taco jumped in to follow the others. Hibiki closed the manhole cover behind them.
Evil Trunks made his way on point, with Greentaco behind him. Fatmanterror, Firefly, XxShadowxX, and Scorcher followed their leaders through the sewers. The walls here were littered with graffiti, as it was a popular spot to avoid bannings.
"Skater009 wuz here."
"Vote for Andreyesf"
"MajinSSJGOKU345PwNsJ00"
"Cucumber's grandma eats poo"
They ignored it all, and pressed on as Hibiki stood defiant before Smith and his Tripod.
"You've got to be kidding me Mr. Kensaki. You think that your rag tag group of retired heroes will make a difference?"
Hibiki smiled in response, then quickly dodged as the tripod fired at him. His speed was incredible and the tripod lost lock on him as he took cover. Smith scanned the area for him, a frown quickly appearing on his face. It was then that he heard the roar of IP weapon fire above him. He looked up to see Sonic holding a second group of moderators and himself from falling to the ground at lethal speeds with his mind. The Tripod rocked from the blast, but again the shields held firm. Smith looked back at the rubble just in time to see Hibiki toss a cardboard box from over him and level a very large revolver at him. Smith moved to take cover but took a bullet in the head instead. The impact was severe, sending Smith reeling to the roof below him as he fell of the tripod's head. But all it served to do was make him angry; the bullet simply made it's way back out the way it came. Smith roared as he punched the building top, shattering it's concrete foundation; he would not be made a fool in his hour of triumph.
Karrde lunged at the rear tripod as it once again tried to flush Optimus from his hiding spot. From the far side, Pride and Synth emerged. Synth slammed into the tripods body, foot first, denting it's armored hide severely, and nearly knocking it off balance. Pride looked around for a suitable weapon, and spied just what he wanted. Synth fell safely to the ground as Karrde engaged the remaining manipulator arms while trying to make it to the remaining death ray. Magus helped Deman to shelter, neither having much left to fight with. Pride pulled the steel chair from the wreckage and let the catalyst nanoprobes do their work. The chair became harder and harder, turning an ashen gray, then coal black. He charged the ruined leg, and slammed the chair into it as hard as he could. Something deep within the leg gave with a dull snap that resounded through the streets. And hydraulic fluid sprayed out with horrendous force, knocking Pride back into an adjacent building. Prozac saw it and went for it, firing round after round from his blasters, eschewing cover while cursing his own bravery.
He screamed as he made it to open ground, and the titanic blaster weapon turned toward him. Karrde severed one arm, then another, but it would not be enough, there were still more manipulators and he would never make it in time. The green blue ray turned Prozac into a pile of dust, but his final IP weapon blast did the trick.
The leg crumpled and gave way. Optimus leapt from his hiding spot and jumped on the giant falling head, firing rapidly into it's eye cluster. The face erupted into bulges, and smoke began to pour out of the seams in the armor. Prime was tossed clear from the head as it went level, slamming into a ruined building which promptly collapsed on him. Karrde leapt into the air, and sliced with all of his might into the weapon arm, severing it cleanly from the fallen tripod.
Torlon carefully aimed, and finished the tripod with a blast to a bulging plate.
The tripod exploded into flames and shrapnel with a deafening roar. The people of the ESF forum began to cheer!
Karrde walked out from the flames and dust cloud, motioning to the remainder of his team to come with him. Pride and Synth followed while Torlon began to aim at the second tripod.
Smith, shaking with rage, began looking for Hibiki again. Beneath him however, the beleaguered Tripod that was taking fire from Sonic's team, and having no luck hitting back as Sonic moved them from harms way as they approached the ground, was being silently undermined by Theta team. Evil Trunks was the first to exit underneath the tripod's shields, the rest exited quickly and quietly, each with a canvas bag marked "M-128 DDOS, do not store near open flames". The quickly strapped the bags up to the three legs, each getting four satchels. As quickly as they appeared, they made their way back to the sewer.
Sonic's team continued to fire as the landed in cover near the infernal machine. They took up positions around the machine, but were stunned to see it's legs blow up underneath it with a titanic explosive force. The shrapnel bounced around inside the shields, tearing into the bottom of it's hull as the machine crashed to the earth below.
Hibiki appeared once again, this time on a scaffolding with his long colt transformed into an angel arm. Hibiki smiled at Smith as he leveled the weapon at his building. Smith's jaw dropped, not believing that Hibiki would use such a destructive weapon here in the heart of the city he intended to protect. Smith prepared himself for the impact, he would, after all, survive it with some reconstructive nanoprobes. But then he saw Hibiki turn and jump off the building, running into cover as the weapon reverted.
Behind him he heard boots click. Smith wheeled around to see Sonic and Karrde, blackened faces frozen into masks of sheer determination and disgust.
"Lets see how you do when both of us have your full attention," said Karrde.
"And there won't be any Majin_You to save you this time," growled Sonic.
"Do you really think that I'm that incapable," asked Smith with a smile as he floated into the air. "I doubt you have the capability to take me down, but you may try."
On the tentacle of a tripod, a familiar face distorted with discoloration and features twisted in rage appeared. Pain hopped off the arm to the amazement of both Karrde and Sonic who could only watch in terror.
"Pain, destroy them."
With only a single tear falling from his eye, Pain drew his ban saber.
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From beneath a blanket of omnipotence, the eye that bound them all shuddered to life, and the assembled knew that it was time to go.
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Fire Phoenix emerged first near the disabled Tripod. It was trying desperately to get off it's ruined legs, but the weapon arms and manipulators were never meant to support the bulk of the head. Fire was certain that he and the other's could finish it, and so in a moment of brashness, he ran into the area where the colossal mechanical beast lie injured. It blared a death trumpet as it spotted him and began to reposition it's arms.
KelesK emerged from a different spot, using his chaos control to nudge the beams off course despite their incredible power. Fire only barely escaped annihilation as the beams disintegrated a vehicle behind him.
Engar, who had been trying desperately to keep them underground, could no longer do so once they saw one of their tormentors broken and wounded in the streets. Chakra X ran toward the machine's eye cluster, using his limited Ki knowledge to run faster than could be achieved on muscle alone. The tripod zeroed in on him, noting as it did that he was carrying a large pole, and opened fire. Engar leapt in front of him, deflecting the beam with his rouge saber, only to be blasted back into the wreckage of a Tuner Computer shop. Chakra X hurled his makeshift javelin at the mechanical beast, impaling it's largest eye with his impromptu weapon. His victory was short lived however, as a blue green beam turned him into nothing more than dust and fluttering clothes.
The roar of a chainsaw was lost in the din of battle, but the Tripod's sensors picked it up none the less, and attempted to shuffle it's bulk as it heard the words, "Hail to the Scruff, baby."
In a flash, Scruffie was on the head, tearing into the head's plates with his chainsaw. He dodged a phalanx of manipulator arms and set back to his task.
Torlon looked up from his scope in disbelief. They're mugging it.
He pulled his communicator up to his face, "Alpha team, get to that downed tripod stat, there's a bunch of civvies trying to finish it off and it's already deleted one member."
A vehicle came screaming at the tripod full tilt, narrowly dodging destruction at the hands of the weapon arm nearest it. Cap J slammed his foot down on the accelerator, ramming the truck into the face of the tripod. The tripod shuddered from the impact as the air bag deployed, saving Cap J. Scruffie regained his footing after the impact and watched the manipulator arms head to the side where the crash occurred.
Cap J peeled himself off the steering wheel only to be wrenched from the vehicle by a manipulator arm. Shiyojin attacked the manipulator arm with his beam saber, and found that the armor was quite resistant. A beam of white light connected with the arm where he had tried to cut it, and the skin blistered and gave, allowing Cap J to fall several feet to the earth below.
Torlon moved positions after the snipe, not allowing the Tripods to home in on his position.
Shiyojin jammed his beam saber in the hole left by Torlon's shot, causing grievous damage to what lay inside the ruptured armor. The manipulator arm sank silently, it's animating force apparently dead. The other arms massed around Shiyojin, and coiled for the strike.
Raeku yanked Shiyojin out of the way with his fledgling telekinetic powers, only slightly damaging the hapless recipient of his aid in the process. Shiyojin hit the ground with a hard thud and dull crack as he felt his shoulder break. Raeku tried to get to his wounded friend but saw too late that the tripod's manipulator arms had targeted him instead.
One flew down with sickening force, coiling about his head and neck like some kind of clockwork python, and tore his head clean from his shoulders. Raeku could no longer breath, but he could still feel the mechanical vice crushing his skull from all angles as he faded into oblivion.
Fire Phoenix slid out from behind his cover, and began to manipulate the wind, summoning a dense pocket of air, and spinning it rapidly like a blade, he fired it at the mass of manipulator arms threatening Shiyojin's crumpled form. The impact was severe, and one of the arms that was badly damaged from the DDOS shrapnel blew apart from the damage he caused. The weapon arm instantly swiveled in his direction, but Grega got in front, using his solar shield to defend Fire as he dived out of the way. Grega's shield held for a short while, but became swallowed up in blue green doom, ending Grega's existence. Fire took this sacrifice seriously, and made for the top of the head to help Scruffie.
Meanwhile, Engar had crawled out of the wreckage and made his way back to the battle. He saw Shiyojin's grievously injured form sprawled near the arms. Engar rushed with all his might, dodging lethal beams as he went. As he approached Shiyojin, the manipulators joined the fight, recognizing Engar as a greater threat. Engar jumped and twisted mid air, narrowly avoiding impalement or worse several times. He landed only three feet from the fallen civilian. He pulled his rouge saber, and severed the nearest manipulator arm's tip.
Shiyojin stirred, and saw that one beam cannon arm had moved over Engar's preoccupied head. He pulled every ounce of strength he had and violently exploded off the pavement, ramming into Engar at full tilt. Engar exhaled hard from the hit, and was blinded by the light that struck where he was standing only moments before.
In that place lie Shiyojin's clothes and a pile of dust.
Fire and Scruffie continued their work, nearly cutting free a maintenance hatch on the head of the machine, but they knew their time was limited when they heard the arms coming back for them.
Scruffie roared with triumph as he cut through the last section with his chainsaw arm and Fire pulled up on the panel, tearing it free. He stood triumphant with the panel in his hand as the first manipulator arm burst through his chest with a severed tip.
Fire coughed up blood, and his eyes went glassy as he dropped the plate and uttered his final words, "Bullsh . . . ."
His body was thrown hundreds of feet in the air, and slammed into the side of sky scraper.
Scruffie attacked the manipulators with the best of his ability, but glancing attacks with the chainsaw were not working. He was fairly sure that the chain had gotten dull cutting through the plate. Engar appeared at his side and narrowly deflected a death ray with his rouge saber. KelesK helped once again with his chaos control, but now he was flanked by two balls of ice the size of a small apartment. A broken fire hydrant was all that told the truth of the origin of his new charges. The weapon arms attacked with renewed fury, firing rapidly at the trio as they dodged for their lives. Engar managed to stab the rouge saber through one of the beam arms, pinning it to the wall of the building it fell near. KelesK used his moment of opportunity to smash the head of the beam cannon with both ice boulders.
Scruffie leveled his double barreled shot gun at the remaining eyes, and fired both rounds, shattering the last of it's large sensors.
SA Gohan ran into view, carrying a Katana of strange hue, and stabbed the mechanical monster directly in its side. The wound sparked and dark, hot fluid leaked from hydraulic wounds.
"Bout time you showed up," yelled Engar. "I thought you got lost back there."
"Nope, a skilled warrior plots and strikes at a precise moment."
Synth smiled and brought his communicator to his face, "Pride, ready to take this nob to the extreme?"
"Heh, I'm ready when you are."
Synth crouched at the edge of the sky scraper, and jumped with all his might. Pride waited, and tossed his altered chair up at precisely the right time. Synth began to spin, his red aura showing, sticking his leg out as he did, and kicked the chair with incredible force as it touched the open area near the hatch.
Fire and smoke rose quickly from the wound as the mechanical beast died.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Smith smiled as Pain advanced on the administrators, not noticing that the clouds above were swirling in peculiar patterns. Pain's saber screeched against Sonic's as he kicked Karrde in the chin, he too oblivious to the strangeness happening above him.
Ryoko, who was flying the Theta team drop ship noticed it first, and flew clear of the strange gravitational disturbance.
Motes of iridescent and translucent energy fell from the clouds like firefly lit snowflakes, and they fell directly over Smith's head.
Karrde brilliantly out fenced Pain, only to be shoved back with the force of Pain's mind. Sonic took advantage of the moment of distraction and nearly severed Pain's arm, merely cutting his shirt instead.
Smith looked up and frowned as he saw the clouds form a fast moving vortex, they ever increasing eye showing only starry expanse behind it, and eight burning lights. The heat and light from the eight auras was oppressive in it's power, and Smith found himself needing to shield his eyes.
The others on the ground, moderator or otherwise looked away from the power assembled in the sky.
Smith could see in the center of each aura the body of an administrator.
"You have nothing to fear from the former admins of the ESF forum."
Smith growled under his breath.
"Fear instead him," vt gestured to the form of Cucumba, hooked up to a respirator mask and bearing EKG sensors underneath his shirt, their wires giving up their secret.
Cucumba pulled his mask off slowly, and with one hand tore all the EKG sensors off.
"Smith . . . your existence is at an end."