trans_9 | Stampede!

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Stampede!

Thanks to Transmigration 9's crew, Geartopia was fairing much better than a few days ago. The Mayoress having support of her townsmen in near full now thanks to what they had uncovered allowed for most people to go hide into the farms on this day, while everyone else prepared their guns, polished their boots and readied their steam-powered weapons and horses. The air today was dry, with not a cloud in sight. Another typical arid desert afternoon.

Tumbleweed passed by in the city, undaunted by such crazy theatrics that were about to play out.

What they didn't quite expect nor grasp was Snidley's entire plan. They knew of the planned attack. They just didn't know how much he didn't care even for his own men planted there.

First came and earthquake. Or rather, what felt like one. If they looked up at the mountains surrounding the towns, they might notice, slowly, more and more red dots appearing and running down and down towards the city. Shepofalant were, by trade, a very peaceful animals, so much so that most of them had been allowed to stay in gigantic herds of ten of thousands. It made hunting for their meat and clothing that much easier, considering how they could survive practically anywhere.

However, when one allows such things to happen, the consequences can be deadly, if used by the right people with twisted minds.

"Stampede!" Someone yelled out, breaking the silence as they watched.

The townsmen moved frantically, trying to get everyone out of the way. They expected men with guns, not this first wall of frantic, bleating creatures who aren't sure where they are going, just away from what scared them off. Everything stands to be run down by their hooves, buildings, crops...people. There is simply too many animals to shoot everything down without causing the entire ecosystem to crash.

"The farms! We have to go to the farms! Most of the children and the elderly have been kept there!"

[OOC - OKay here's how it's going down. During this phase, there will be giant creatures descending in mass, that should, perhaps, remind you a bit of this scene from the Lion King. Feel free to NPC some goons running around during the chaos trying to attack your characters, making NPC helpless people situations for other characters to rescue, and helping out people using the meat_mooks account! Helpless kids nearly about to be run over, people standing on top of buildings, robots turned to scrap metal for your characters to play their big rescuing heroes on, its all good!

People getting kidnapped (Cazali, Jamie, Kalyee, Punchy), please start your own threads and I will NPC some goons taking you away.]

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"Mommy?" Having sneaked away from the farms to find his mother, but not knowing where she was, this poor boy found himself now the town's center just as the beast were coming down the mountain.

He stood starting at his impending doom, too paralyzed to do anything.

Atom, midflight, spotted the little kid standing right in the path of the oncoming Shepofalant and swooped down toward him, rocket thrusters firing as he brought himself to a hover. He grabbed one of the boy's hands, eyeing the oncoming animals. "Hold on tight, okay?"

The other small boy nodded with tears in his eyes, and held on for dear life.

"How come you can fly? You're not a raven or a crow are you?"

"Nope!" said Atom, lifting the boy high up in the air to safety. "I'm a robot! Is your mom or dad around? I can take you to them!"

There were plenty of other things to worry about, but it was important not to make him feel any more scared than he was. "Don't worry, okay? We'll do our best to make sure everyone's safe!"

"O-okay...I dunno where my mom is. I was trying to find her. She's helping pa get ready to fight the bad guys but they left all of my family ack at the farm...I guess my oldest brother must be really worried...I just wanted to see my mom." funny thing about tiny kids, they'll just go off talking if you let them.

Atom nodded. "Okay. Is the farm safe? If it is, we can go look for your mom and dad." It sounded like this was going to be a little more than just dropping the boy off on a roof somewhere, but Atom wanted to make sure his family was okay.

"Yeah it should be safe," he answered meekly, pointing to an area far away from them. "I don't think the beast will want to go there."

Atom nodded, then touched down on a nearby roof. "Grab around my neck," he said, "And then we'll go look for your parents."

After all, he'd probably need his hands free for this.

The commotion had gotten Shoutarou out of where-ever he'd been holed up, having formed Double prior to coming out. Spotting the child, he switched out the left memory for Luna. The left side of Double's body turned yellow and gold as he ran up to the kid, stooping down beside him. "Kid, grab on!" He left himself open to be hugged onto by the child.

As if it wasn't bad enough, during the stampede, some of Snidley's goon were using the distraction to start firing at the townsmen who stood by to help the others. Giant monstrous men, riding steam-powered horses, they sounded as mad as the Shepofalant running around them.

They'd need to be taken out, dead or alive. Otherwise the town's populace would be cut short, really fast.

One of the goons would find a boot launched at his gun. Then another at his head. A few moments later, a blue streak would tear through his horse, skidding to a stop.

As the dust cleared, they would see the form of one Sonic the Hedgehog, his gift-given boots replaced with his trademark red sneakers. "And here I thought I was the guy who liked living life on the edge! You'd better get the heck out of here or you're gonna be trampled, too!"

"You damn vermit!" the man replied, jumping away just as metal and steam exploded violently. He took out his gun and pointed it to the hedgehog. "I dunno what the heck you aren't stranger, but I know that nothing resists a bullet to the head."

"I'm a hedgehog, not a 'vermit'!" Sonic replied. "And I might not resist a bullet, but there's one thing you gotta do: catch me!"

And in an instant, the man would find Sonic gone in front of him, and reappear behind him.

"Hey boss, I think he's toying with ya."

"Yeah well he's not going to be toying soon," the other man replied, trying to fire a shot at him.

"Missed me!" "Hey, over here!" "C'mon, I could shoot better than that!"

Indeed, Sonic was toying with him... and getting closer as he did. "You're too slow~!"

Erhart strides towards the Giant monstrous men, being a giant monstrous Astartes, and starts blasting away with his own pistol, a finely-crafted instrument of death known as a bolt pistol, which fired mass reactive .75 caliber rocket rounds at these goons. He's not bothering with cover, or even subtlety, secure in his armor, his faith, and the utter devastation a Black Templar can unleash on the battlefield. As for the Sheolofalants, he's more than capable of avoiding a group of them (Or braining one that dared try to gore him with a titanic punch). But for the moment, he concentrates on castigating the foe, closing towards the mounted men with a wrathful bellow from his vox-augmitters.

"Knaves! Blackguards! Poltroons! You are without honor or bravery! I will cleanse your filth with bolter and blade.!"

"Did...any of you guys catch what the guy was saying?"

"What in hell's tarnation..." The men are both confused and maybe the tiniest bit afraid, but stand their ground, drawing their guns.

The Sheolofalants, advance towards him, some of them flying off as they meet his fist. If they do win this, there's going to be an urgent need of a BBQ.

Erhart continues to close relentlessly, firing towards one of the two fellows with another deadly bolt round, then launches into a ferocious shoulder-lowered charge towards the other fellow, trying to smash him (and his horse) to the ground for possible prisoner-taking and interrogation.

Once the action had started up, Simon cut away to find where he'd stashed Lagann upon arrival. These bozos had some nerve, riling up the animals and then attacking on top of it!

Simon flew overhead, then dropped down rather heavily in front of the goons. Lagann's face was twisted into an angry glare, and spoke alongside Simon. "You guys wanna start a fight, you're gonna have to go through me!"

Oh dear. Look at all these lovely ladies running away from the saloon for their lives. Clearly they needed people to, uh, help them out with their strong, strong arms.

"Grab on!"

Normally, the image of a twelve year old boy in cowboy-esque garb riding on a mechanical horse would be strange, but Jr. was always good at making things look flashy and good. He had been charging in toward the herd itself to try and do a bit of damage control, but in comparison, making sure the people were well out of the way was more important. So he veered off of his intended path for the time being and rushed toward the saloon.

Mechanical hooves kicking up sand with the light sounds of movement and clicks from inside the horse, Jr. reached out a hand toward one of the ladies closest to the oncoming herd.

~~Ooh Mr. Jr. ooh~~

A frightened, comely young vulpine woman with pipe curls and wearing a lovely green velvet dress took Jr.'s hand with her own, black-gloved one. "I'm... not a very good rider," she said by way of warning.

"All you gotta worry about is holding on-- and hold on tight!" he called back as he helped her up (thankful for once that he was stronger than an average human his size). Kickeing his heels to the mechanical horse, he caused it to speed up and careen around to get to a safer area. "I'll take care of the rest!"

But he still had to hurry, since there were a lot of people in town and this fine lady probably wasn't the only one who needed help. He spotted a structure with a wooden porch, raised up a couple of feet by access of a small set of stairs where some others had taken refuge until everything was under control. There was his designated drop-off point for anybody else he'd be picking up, too.

The young women held tight as Jr. rode her to safety, squeezing his waist tightly as instructed. She was clearly afraid for her life, but suppressed any cries of fright. As Jr. dropped her off by the stairs, however, and she slipped off the mechanical horse's back, she managed to kiss him several times on the cheeks and the tip of his nose in gratitude.

"Thank you, stranger!" she said, with tears in her eyes and also probably there was lipstick all over Jr.'s face.

For a quick, fleeting moment Jr. was shockingly dumbstruck by the motion. But certainly not unhappy! He managed to snap out of it and flash her a sheepish grin in response. "No problem!"

And then he sped away. "Heh, I could get used to this whole cowboy rescue thing!" he said to himself as he rode off to the next person in distress (hopefully a damsel, if the rewards were that sweet).

A few brave cowboys and cowgirls were on their horses trying to change the pathway of the animals...but they needed help. Fast.

Zouichi pulled up on a horse of a different color (http://www.flickr.com/photos/56712133@N04/5318224737/), ready to do what he could. He pulled up alongside the flank of the Shepofalant charge, looking for an opportunity. He wasn't exactly an old hand at turning aside cattle stampedes, but if there was a big open space somewhere, or if they could get the stampede to redirect their current course somehow...

This was what Applejack was born to do. She was tense, and definitely worried, but herding was second nature. it would only be easier if she'd had Winona at her side.

"Howdy partner!" she hollered at the man she recognized from the ship's crew, galloping ahead. "Think you can get ahead?"

"No problem," Zouichi said, loud enough to be heard over the sound of thundering hooves. "Never herded anything before, though. Some tips would be much appreciated."

If possible, he'd like to avoid hurting the animals.

"Think of yourself as a barrier," came a calm voice from below Zouichi's bike. "They'll veer off of it in the direction you're urging them toward."

And then like a flash, Nanaki began running to meet the herd head on. Usually the calm, quiet beast, that seemed to change for the moment. He was quick on his feet, a deep growl in his throat and when he was close enough to know that they'd hear and most likely fear him, he roared; a loud, frightening roar.

Zouichi nodded, then sped forth, using the body of his bike to urge the herd to change course away from the citizens and buildings.

"Right! Keep up the funnel!" Applejack hollered, splitting off to the other side of the herd. So they weren't quite the well-practiced team that Applejack and Winona were, but she could handle this.

"That's right, little fella. Keep comin'," she prompted, gently bumping against the animals on her side.

Jamie is with some of the other people who are keeping an eye out for Snidely's men when the cry echoes through the air. It's not something that he's ever witnessed in person, not on that scale. But he's certainly seen panicked animals before, and knows what can happen.

For a moment, his blood runs cold, a feeling not at all helped as he realises at the same time as the townspeople that the children and the old folk are in danger. It's that which prompts him to volunteer almost before the man has stopped speaking.

"Aye, they need to be warned. I'll go!"

As long as he has a horse he can get there quickly - he's ridden without the aid of a saddle plenty of times, and knows he'll not need one. He takes off at a dead run towards the nearest stable, knowing his best chance at finding a horse will be there.

In some ways, this was all very familiar. Hooves running down the street, everyone working to keep them away from buildings and each other. It was almost like being home again, and for a small moment Kaylee thought she'd be okay with helping, that she would be able to help. There were a couple of small children nearby, staring in terror at the oncoming herd. Kaylee quickly moved to them, turned them toward the nearest door and ushered them toward it.

The all-too-familiar sound of gunfire caught her ear, and Kaylee froze in place. It wasn't a reaction she could exactly help, not after being on the wrong end of a gun a few too many times. The animals and cries were getting louder, the gunshots were getting closer, and pretty soon they would be here...

A whimper from one of the kids reminded her that she needed to move, to get them out of the way if nothing else. "C'mon," she said softly, opening the door to push them inside first. "Sooner you're inside, safer you'll be, okay?"

How...ambitious.

Frankly, Cazali had completely ignored the details of the attacks and backwater politics, focusing instead on keeping just within the crowd...and pilfering a thing or two. The stampede just made it easier to steal under the cover of chaos, but...something else was out there, more tantalizing than material things.

Caz had sworn not to make yummies or feed on the desire of those from the ship...but he'd never said he wouldn't feed from those on their planetary stops, had he? But no, he wouldn't settle for some mook's lowly desires. The guy behind this ambitious little stampede ploy- what was his name? Snidley? Whatever, he'd do. But how best for Caz to get to him? By making himself available, of course.

Thus, Cazali kept watch of the stampede from a doorway, watching the crowds and animals, and trying to keep his face from any of his usual sneers or attitude. He looked like a perfectly normal human, and he was wearing bright yellow clothes- it would be hard not to spot him.

Punchy, being the hardheaded type, is moving against the flow of the stampeding animals, determined to find the source of the crying voice he hears somewhere up the street. It isn't an easy task; the Shepofalant are kicking up so much dust that even with his goggles down he can't see anything, and if he isn't slamming his shoulders against the creatures they're liable to knock him down and trample him to death. He's pretty sure he's going to be one giant bruise by morning. Or dead.

He rushes headlong into a break in the stampede and hides behind a toppled steam wagon. Wherever the person in trouble was, they've either been rescued, are too far away to be heard, or are dead. Punchy tries to pretend the latter is more unlikely than it is.

"Anyone out here? Yo, S.O.S. kid, where you at?"

Stranded in the town is a family that needs help and quickly. The oldest child holds her baby sister and hides with her brother, while the two parents do their best to steer off any animals that come too close to hurting their children. They're doing their best to steer them away, but they have nowhere to go-- and they can only keep their little patch clear for a little while longer.

Oh no, no, no, a million times no, he won't allow that to happen. Without much thinking, Ted rushed off to picked up one of the children with no effort. With that, the blond silently carried the child as fast as he could to a safer place.

Of course, that's easier said than done. Sure he can carry them with no effort but it doesn't mean that speed wasn't an issue, not to mention avoiding the herd in general.

As annoyed as she'd been lately at the loss of some of her telepathic powers, she was grateful that she was unable to hear the thoughts of the people around her. All of the emotions swarming over her was chaotic enough. Not like how it was with the zerg. They were simple, orderly, and under her command. She...

Kerrigan closed that line of thought.

She projected what she hoped was calmness into the herd of animals and went for the other children. "Behind me." She said, taking the boy's hand.

While Tim had never ignored Snidley's willingness to sacrifice his own men, he had underestimated to what extent he was willing to go for that, or how much of a blatant disregard for lives, of allies and innocents alike, he possessed. And for that, he was cursing himself.

He saw the family in need of help, and even as he saw two other people moving into aid, Tim wasn't going to stand by without trying. He wasn't going to let anything happen to them.

"There's high ground not far from here," Tim shouted to the both of them, over the roar of the stampede. They seem to have the children covered, at least. Tim forced his way through, his staff at ready to press the animals back, moving to stand with the parents.

"Keep back," he warned. "Get with the children and follow the others to higher ground."

The little girl curled into Ted, when she was lifted, but she refused to let go over the baby, something that wouldn't make it any easier to carry either of them. The baby began to wail from the noise and from feeling the fear around her. As the little boy joined in with the crying, he held onto the hand that was given him out of fear. "Mama, papa..." he whimpered.

Some of the animals, fortunately, did slow, their panic seemed to ebb for a moment, but the crowd kept forcing them along. There were too many of them for the effect to endure, a chain reaction starting it all over.

The parents grunted their disagreement, though they looked regretfully back at the children. They were barely standing their ground, but they were holding it nonetheless. "Get the kids back first," the mother growled.

"Gotcha," Ted shouted back as he tried to rush where Tim instructed them. While he ran as fast as he could, he tried to reassure both children he was holding. Admittedly though, while carrying them was not much of a challenge, he was still risking not to get caught in the herd due to his lack of speed.

It was probably sheer luck that he manage to get the kids into safety without the wild beasts landing a scratch on them. Ted silently cursed to himself, if only he could somehow access his strength enhancing spells...

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Stampede!

Small Child in the middle of town

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Goons attacking from the bars

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Saloon

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I am dumb and forgot to track this 8|

♥

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Family to rescue!

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