Carmine sighs. Now THIS is something that Red Queen could help with.
He flips both pistols into the air, the two flintlock-style weapons connecting together and reconfiguring. Seconds later, Carmine lifts a two-foot long baton, while the orb hovers over his head, the sphere with two pronged horns. As he shifts his weapon, he backs away from the spider carefully.
On the Spider's Sleeved King of Spades: The huge thing finally stirs, moving forward and aggressively pulling its web, including the far stretches of it that are barely visible in the darkness. Thin fibers that have fallen under chunks of rock and altar stretch away, coming up from under the dirt and pulling inward.
On the Two of Clubs: The creeps above ground circle for Tana as she clings to the Ursa's leg. Those below sprint for Azure as she retreats from the spider.
Azure is able to easily keep moving and keep the Creeps at bay, however Tana is not quite so lucky. Trapped between the bear and the creeps, she's constantly fighting to keep them off of her and ends up stunned and off balance.
Round 2 Combat Card Draw:
On Hold: Tora
Ace of Spades: Beowolves
Ace of Diamonds: Beoh
Ace of Clubs: Azure
King of Spades: Tana
Jack of Diamonds: Sorzar
Ten of Spades: Grimm Spider
Ten of Diamonds: Carmine
Eight of Clubs: Onyxia
Five of Diamonds: Azure (Action 2)
Three of Hearts: Shamrock
Creeps: Two of Spades
On the Ace of Spades:
One of the fallen Bewolves is able to shake off the fall they took down below, but the other is still stunned. Out of range of the combatants, they wait this round.
Azure takes her first action to change Grimm Reaper back into its melee form, and attack one of the creeps surrounding her :
= 2
She takes her second action to attack another one of the creeps :
= 23
Frowning at the unmoved grizzly, Tana shakes her head. "No, no, this is the part where you..."
"...Fall, down! Fall down! Fall down, fall down, fall down!" She shouts, getting increasingly more frantic as the huge beast still refuses to budge.
Seeing the trouble that Tana was in and the sheer brutality that his clone was destroyed, Sorzar rushes in with Mirage and swings the motorized, vicious yo-yo at the beast.
"C'mon baby! LET HER RIPPPPP!!!!" Sorzar cheers, the blades tearing against Grimm flesh and carapace.
And the blades skip off again, the attack just not finding the right place to tear into the Ursa Major.
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:P
Carmine will start backpedaling, pointing at the giant spider grimm with the baton in his hand. The pronged points on the orb over his head glow brightly and then fire a pair of concentrated rays of light that slice across the thing with great power.
Onyxia seeing the difficulty in distracting and taking down the Major Ursa she will attempt to assist Tana who seems to be wrestling with the Major and Sorzar who is jumping around it. She will switch her weapons to melee mode "You see. The key to taking something down." and do a running slide between it's knees and attempt to take it's legs out from under it to help them with Rose and Gild."Is to weaken the foundation!"
Switch
After being suddenly pulled closer to the spider, Shamrock decides to dash even closer to the Grimm and shoot the enemy at almost point blank range.
"Take that!"
Below Ground:
Azure's first swing whiffs, being easily dodged, but the follow up is swift and brutal, pounding one of the Creeps into the ground where it melts away into the dirt. The extra range of her weapon is keeping them from closing in or swiping at her as she backs up.
Beoh's wild swings do the first real damage to the enormous spider. The first shot seems to stun it, and the second swing actually pops one of the huge leg joints, leaving it skittering and reeling for a moment. It rears back to swing before being caught off guard by Carmine's shots from the Red Queen skimming along its carapace. They don't pierce, but knock it off balance as Shamrock, reeled in close, is able to get a cleaner shot and shoots the injured leg clean off.
Above Ground:
Tana, unable to budge the Ursa is instead kicked by the beasts' back paws. It can't find any purchase as it kicks blindly, but shakes her off. Sorzar's swings skim off the carapace, but as it arches its back up to bite at the empty air where he was, Onyxia is free to skim under, her shot from Rose...
...Obliterating its right leg and dusting the whole creature.
On the Two of Spades:
Creeps v. Azure
Creeps v. Tana
Grimm Spider v. Beoh/Shamrock (Sweep)
Below ground, the creeps seem wary enough of Azure that they're barely able to land a hit on her even as they try to corner her.
The creeps above ground converge on Tana as the weakest available target, still bowled over by the swings from the Ursa. Her armor asbsorbs the first shallow strike, but before long, two of them have gripped her and pinned her for a brutal finishing strike.
The spider spins, throwing out its huge legs. Off balance from its wounds, its unable to hit Shamrock or Beoh, the only targets in range.
Combat Card Draw Round 3:
Red Joker: Beoh
Black Joker: Shamrock
Queen of Spades: Carmine
Queen of Clubs: Creeps
Jack of Spades: Onyxia
Ten of Hearts: Azure
Nine of diamonds: Beowolves
Five of Spades: Grimm Spider
Four of Hearts: Sorzar
Four of Diamonds: Azure
Targeting System: Recalibrated. Welcome, Carmine. Red Queen says, powering up and firing another pair of beams at the spider.
Carmine manages to keep his footing as he backflips over a thick thread of web. "Whoohoo!" he exclaims excitedly.
As Beoh is riding the massive spider, he looks lup and sees both Carmine's beams coming in and the creeps pinning down Tana. Nodding to Carmine, Beoh waits for the next bound and uses it to springboard himself into the air, propelling him into a triple summersault and arcing to land next to Tana.
Sticking the almost perfectly silent landing, the only noise the creep hears is when Beoh growls slightly before swinging his claw at him.
Even as he slashes his left-hand blade into one of the creeps, his right-hand blade is arcing into the other one.
Noticing Beoh's leap, Shamrock looks up and sees Tana overwhelmed by the Grimms. He jumps up and does a backflip, disappearing in a cloud of leaves and reappearing right behind the creeps that are attacking Tana. Using the surprise Shamrock takes a shot at each one.
Yes, that I'm well aware! I have a weapon feature that actually increases my raise damage die by 2 steps, which is why I rolled the d12 and added it to the damage! :)
...But that begs the question, why did you roll the d12 in the first place? You rolled a 6 (the +1 also gets added to the Wild die) on your Shooting, which is a Success, but not a Raise against a TN of 4.
So, subtract the 5 from the Raise and roll a d8 again...
Beoh's claws cut clean through the Creep tearing into Tana, and it shrieks as it dissolves into dust across the forest. His second swing doesn't quite kill another Creep, but it impales and picks it up, the creature screeching and leaning in for a bite before being blown off of his claw by Shamrock's close-range spread. The remaining creep is dusted by a shot to the neck that sends it flying into a tree, where it smashes into rapidly-dusting pieces.
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Without saying anything, Beoh will flick his wrist on his left hand, which causes his claw to collapse back down momentarily into a wristband, and then he will offer Tana his hand and forearm.
After helping her up, Beoh will shoot Carmine a brief nod and then turn towards the pit and the giant beast below.
"Any one know how to patch anyone up? I think we need a medic!" Onyxia will call out on seeing Tana's condition "Thanks for the help guys" not seeing anything else up above but hearing the fighting going on down below she will move over toward the ledge passing shamrock"Tag me in Sham looks like some fun still going on down below" She will toss up her weapons really quick switching them to shotguns as she isn't sure what to expect down below while they are in the air she will attempt to get a high five from Shamrock. Then leaping off the ledge at her target/s below.
If the spider is alive she will land on it crouching with both guns flush and firing springing her off the spider toward the Beowolfs. If the spider is dusting she will attempt to get as close to beo's as she can before unloading one gun on each.
"It is so dark down here how can you guys see anything?" With the huge report in the enclosed cavern she will quickly then mumble "Definitely need more aura to the eardrums next time I shoot these indoors like this."
Seeing as the creeps are all taken care of, Azure changes her weapon back into ranged form, and follows Onyxia down into the cave, firing her weapon just before she lands on the spider's back :
= 4, Success
(+4 due to Smite)
And again :
= 9, Success and Raise (no MAP due to Quickness)
While her first shot hit the spider's back at an angle, her second shot was more perpendicular, doing more damage.
She uses the momentum from her shots to spring off the spider, landing near one of its back legs.
Sorzar watched as the Ursa Major turned to dust, focusing in again on himself. A second version of himself split outwards, looking back towards the original with a grin.
"How are things going?" He asked, making the original Sorzar sigh and shake his head. "We're looking awful right now! We haven't done anything!"
With a nod, the two of them turn towards the hole and leap down, the chains snapping together and returning into Shimmer. The sharp blades catch into the wall, slowing their descent enough to land in the hole.
Turning towards the remaining Grimm, the clone and Sorzar throwing their shields with all their might. Flying through the air, the massive discuses cut along the Grimm.
The clone's attack hits the wall wrong though, circling back too quickly and dangerously. "Aw crap..." It mutters before the blade smashes through the clone, both turning into sand that fades to nothing.
"Thanks," Tana manages to choke out before half-collapsing against Beoh, then slumping the other way to lean against a tree for support as Beoh steps toward the pit. "Rah. Kick its ass." Her eyes never quite focus, and she groggily plugs her stomach wound with her hand.
Carmine's shot from Red Queen lances through the spider's abdomen, giving it a clear wound that leaks black across the webs on the cave floor. The huge things winces, screeching, and charges. Before it can bear down on Carmine, Azure shoots into its back and then jumps off...
...Stopping its momentum, but not managing to truly wound it.
On the Nine of Diamonds: The Beowolves, dodging around Onyxia's short-range fire, growl. One goes low, the other high, as they swing for her...
On the Five of Spades: The spider shakes its massive head, eyes visibly wincing, before it bears down on Carmine for a direct attack.
The huge bite is thrown off course, however, as Sorzar leaps down. His chain once again, doesn't quite manage to wound it, but throws it off course, makign it miss Carmine by a mile.
Round 4 Combat Card Draw:
Red Joker: Beoh
Ace of Spades: Shamrock
King of Spades: Azure
King of Diamonds: Grimm Spider
King of Clubs Carmine
Nine of Clubs: Onyxia
Six of Diamonds: Beowolves
Three of Diamonds: Azure
Two of Clubs: Sorzar
Beoh will turn back as he sees Tana staggering to stand and attempt to treat her wounds before diving back into the fray.
Beoh's medical training, however, was severely lacking. Ripping off his shirt to make bandages, Beoh will press it against her wounds then cover her in his jacket. After that he will turn and do a full sprint into a dive into the hole, shoving his claws into the spider to help break his fall.
"Sure thing!" Shamrock gives a high-five to Onyxia. After he takes a look at Tana, but sees that Beoh's already helped her and leaps down the cliff, teleporting in the air in front of one of the Beowolves, popping three shots right into the thing's head.
Azure fires her weapon, targeting one of the creature's legs :
= 10
(+4 due to Smite)
= 11
And fires again :
= 5 (no MAP due to Quickness)
It's also time to activate my Semblance again :
= 4, Success (Free action)
And I'm choosing to maintain my Quickness Power (2 PP, Free action)
Shamrock pops to the base of the cavern, his first shot knocking the Beowolf off balance, and the second popping it into an impromptu backflip as it crashes into the ground. The other snarls, running towards him in a zig-zag.
On the King of Diamonds: The Spider, pinned by Beoh's claws and Azure's fire, can barely move under the onslaught. Letting out a feral, eerie screech, it tries to get ahold of itself...
After a moment, finding a pause in the fire, it scuttles toward Azure and sweeps out with its remaining legs, stretching to hit both her and arcing a leg up to Beoh.
It throws Beoh off, but doesn't damage him significantly, however one of the whipping legs catches Azure, spiking her downward into the web.
Carmine, seeing the spider is getting desperate, sends Red Queen's rays arcing across the grimm's legs.
Onyxia will see the attacks coming in and brace her Aura getting knocked back a few feet from the savage attack. Then Shamrock will Teleport directly between her and one Beowolfs and killing it and distracting the other. "Dang it Sham you tagged me in! I thought you were helping with Tana." Looking around will then see also Beoh jumping down she will let out an exacerbated sigh/groan. so she will jump ontop of one of the spider's legs." I know we are not on a team or anything but some one should really be watching Tana she seems accident prone or has a lot of bad luck." Bracing herself on one of the legs and as the spider picks up it's leg to try and strike Beoh using the motion to launch her up and she will fire all 4 barrels into it's body to propel herself up to the top along with the spider's own strength."Fine consider yourself tagged back in Sham but no more take backs!" Those looking up her skirt/cloak may notice her tail
As Onyxia dives for the spider, it rotates its wincing eyes to look at her. Carmine's shot from Red Queen catches it across the side of the head, skimming off without damaging it, but making it round on him with another bizarre snarl. As it starts to step toward him, Onyxia's multiple blasts go off, propelling her up on top. As she whirlwinds around, beating the spider through multiple segments of its body, it screeches, growing louder, until finally, it collapses to the ground with her on top, Rose and Gild covered in black Grimm blood, its remaining huge legs curling in and piercing through its chest as it ceases to move. It begins to disintegrate after a few seconds, but its huge web remains intact.
On the Six of Diamonds The last Beowolf gives a snarl and swings for Shamrock as the only person still in reach, but can't manage to hit him, only digging its claws into the rock wall of the cavern.
Sorzar watches as the others sail through the air, teleporting in and out of combat, rescuing one another, and his eyes remain wide and open the whole time. "This is what it is like to be with other Hunters." The humbling moment was gone as the last beowolf aims for Shamrock, its claws raking against the wall of the cavern.
Splitting into two again, the clone and the real Sorzar move in as Shimmer rips back into life once more and shifts into the chained death weapon known as Mirage.
"Pleasedon'tsuck, pleasedon'tsuck, pleasedon'tsuck" Sorzar murmurs again and again as the ripping yo-yos are swung outwards towards the remaining Grimm.
As Sorzar's attacks land, they draw two long crossing lines through the Beowolf. Mirage spins through its flesh as it gives off one last angry howl before dropping to the ground in four pieces. A silence passes over the surrounding cavern as the Grimm silently disentegrate into the air. Scattered relics rest on the ground, surrounding the web, which still remains.
With the dust barely having settled, a boy strides in through the tunnel to the cavern with the air of a cowboy walking through the batwing doors. He's skinny, weaselly, his back is crooked into an artificial stoop as he leans forward, tossing his chin-length bangs arrogantly to one side. He's flanked by two larger boys, one a scarred up, orange-haired Faunus, the other one chubby, grey-haired and shy-looking, tinkering with the circuits of what looks like an immense iron glove. A skinny, tiny girl with a bored-looking expression rides on his shoulder, tapping on her scroll and barely bothering to look up, her pink-and-black hair bouncing as the boy walks forward. "Well, well, thanks for the help," says the one in front, grinning and steepling his fingers. "Felix, get the stuff," he says nodding to the Faunus boy, who silently picks up an armful of relics--several more than the four they need.
"That spider thing was like, weird," says the small girl, glancing at the web and snapping a picture with her scroll. "I think it was a new breed. That's gotta be worth something. Maybe they'll like, still let you be hunstmen when we win this little training exercise." She tosses her hair, crossing one leg down and bumping the chubby boy who puts on the glove up to his elbow and gives a weak-sounding "yeah."
The last Grimm falls apart, the pieces landing on the ground. There is only the silence of the cavern with the faint sound of the monsters disappearing.
"Well, at least we looked cool at the end..." Sorzar murmurs to his other self, the clone nodding as their attention is pulled to the others that emerge from the cave. A small growl escapes his throat as she moves so nonchalantly, the little Faunus examining their foes like a predator would.
Moving quickly among the others, as Felix reaches for one of the relics that got away, the white boot of both Sorzars land upon it. Those sharp eyes look down at him as he speaks.
"Hiding in the back like prey? I thought I was the sneaky fox here, didn't know our kind came in chicken." His attention turns to the arrogant boy and the bored girl, a disdainful look upon Sorzar's face as he speaks with a sneer. "When you go out hunting, are you going to wait in the back while the Grimm attack and just tell the others you 'showed up late'? I mean, the coat button trick is really neat and not totally obvious."
Sorzar quietly looks amongst the others, gauging what they're doing so far. Against four others, even the confidence that him and his clone have feels a bit shaky. Perhaps they'd take the opportunity to get around them or they'd think otherwise. Don't poke a bear too much till you realize what the other wolves were doing.
Shamrock teleports to the Felix guy and grabs his hand. "Uh-uh!"
He then turns his head to the others. "Can someone check on Tana?"
|
From down the tunnel came a slight scraping sound and a subtle humm, after a few moments another figure zoomed out of the tunnel behind the others reaching riding atop a large metal sheet. The rider is ducked into a crouch as they ride dangerously close to knocking the one named Felix down, reaching out to nab two of the orbs that the boy had silently stooped to grab before he had a chance.
"Missed some"She said as she brought the metal sheet sideways and into a stopping slide, showering sparks in front of her as it groaned to a stop. Her head was wrapped in a brown sash and tinted goggles sat over her eyes. She looked at the newly arrived boys and the girl, "Next time maybe you should not leave someone behind to face off against grimm on their own. Then you can have your little baubles." She laughed and stepped off of the metal sheet giving it a slight kick in the center as she did so causing it to fold down into a much more manageable size before pulling it up onto her back.
She pockets one of the orbs, freeing enough room in her hands to fixate the strap on her shield so it lay on her back without needing to hold it. She looked on at the scene the dusting remains laying about and those who still stood somewhat near the bodies making mental note of it for later.
Azure double-runs at high speed up to Felix just as Shamrock arrives, and grabs Felix's other hand. Then she faces the new group and says "What, do you really think your little trick is going to work?!? It's all of our word against yours that you stayed behind and showed up only once all the real work was done. Wait a minute, you guys didn't launch with us ...are you even really students?!?"
Carmines initial response, before they even have a chance to speak more than their first "Well, well-" is to turn to the three and whip the point of his baton just over their heads from across the room.
More grimm! He thinks, expecting another giant spider of some sort.
Two Very powerful rays slice the air just over their heads. Tracing two glowing scars in the stone over their head. As the fourth person skims into the room, the tunnel behind them, now damaged, starts to collapse.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Carmine says, but he goes unheard as Shamrock and Azure both engage the man. Sighing, Carmine spins his baton, changing his weapon back into the crook.
What are they thinking, just walking in like that. You want to try to get your credits, sure... but... are they trying to take more?
Carmine feels a sudden flop in his stomach. Bullies. Of course. Why did I think Beacon would be any different? Well, I'm not going to let those bastards cheat these guys out of their victory.