trans_9 | Chase through the City [Closed]

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Chase through the City [Closed]

The massive dragon that was Crucible watched the city from a vantage point on one of the taller towers of the city, one that could hold his weight fortunately. Numerous new scratches and a few acid burns dotted his one hundred and fourty foot long form from his encounters with the numerous assortment of constructs that had been pitted against the crew, especially in the defense of certain locations, such as the Drunken Dragon in, or more particularly those stranded there during the initial attacks.

Since then he had defended what locations he could and assisted the crew in watching over the city. Such as it was as his sharp eyesight scanned through the buildings, many of which now in ruins, smoke billowing from some sections of the city. It was when he spotted movements amongst the rubble, a considerable horde of constructs that appeared to be in pursuit of something, or more specifically someone as he caught a glimpse the crew member in question, one that had been making supply runs from what he had heard.

If he didn't get assistance soon, it looked likely that the horde would soon catch up with the human, not wasting another moment Crucible crouched back and leaped into the air to wing his way to intercept.

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It looks like this last supply run (to get food supplies to the Vatican) might have been one too many - Howard didn't get careless, but he's exhausted, and unfortunately that meant that he didn't move fast enough to avoid being seen. The robots are gaining speed on him, and while Howard dodges down alleyways and zig zags through abandoned buildings to keep them from just shooting him, they'll soon overtake him on the ground.

He makes the mistake of looking over his shoulder, and that's when he trips. An unfortunate combination of a bad landing and too much momentum leads to the sound of his ankle snapping beneath him, and with a surprised yell he hits the ground.

They'll be on him on seconds. He tries to get up and falls facefirst again, unable to put weight on that foot or even muster the energy to run any further. Unwilling to stare death in the face, he starts crawling, looking for something, anything to use for cover. It's no use trying to hide. The droids have caught sight of him, and their weapons are readying.

"Somebody help me!"

Crucible can see the situation getting worse by the moment as he catches glimpses of the robots gaining on Howard, powering his wings all the more despite their protestations from both old injuries and more recent ones. His path turning to intercept as best he could manage.

His view between the buildings clearing just as Howard trips, from the landing and the human's failed attempt at standing that he had injured that ankle. Which made his situation all the more dire with the horde closing in. Not a moment later Howard may notice a shadow pass overhead as the massive dragon swept passed, searching for a suitable landing point.

Finding no other alternative the dragon swept back around, cutting as much momentum as he could before folding his wings in to drop the rest of the distance into the street directly between Howard and the advancing horde, the ground shaking from the impact. Landing not ten feet ahead of Howard, his form casting him in shadow

"Help is here, are you injured?"

He cast but a glance back over his shoulder before he fixed his gaze on the advancing droids with a low, deep growl.

Oh, thank God for the cavalry. Howard was certain he was about to die when the big old dragon shows up. Not that the dragon doesn't look like he's taken a few hits.

Howard tries to get up again and sinks back to the ground as his ankle buckles under him. Even with a very high pain tolerance, he can't walk this out; structurally, he can't support anything on that foot.

"I can't run!"

There's a keen of panic and hysteria in his voice. Running has been his best defense for a long time, both metaphorically and in the obvious physical sense. If he can't run, he'll die. And the idea of staying still, practically paralyzed, while death moves inevitably towards him fills his nerves with buzzing fear. He tries to get up a third time and collapses again.

"I can't run," he repeats. Tears, from terror and not from pain, are running down his face. "I'm sorry about the comm posts. Please just save me."

Crucible swept his gaze over each and every one of the constructs ahead of him even as heard Howard try to get up once more, he would have to stop them getting through to him, especially if he could not move. "Stay down, don't make the injury worse," He replied over his shoulder, a reassuring hint to his tone.

"Now is not the time to worry about such things, I do my all to protect the crew, that includes yourself, just stay behind cover," He called back to reassure him before growling lowly at the droids as they no doubt raised their weapons to focus on the much larger threat.

Crouching back on his powerful hinds like a cat ready to pounce before he did just that, closing the gap between himself and the front line of the droids in an instant, crashing into and likely crushing those droids unfortunate enough to end up beneath his claws.

Howard drags himself over to the side of a wall and huddles, arms up over his head and around his face so he doesn't have to see what happens. It's not that he doesn't want to see the robots get destroyed, or that he has soft feelings for Bight in any way. It's just fear. The old, childish, human instinct that visits all kids when they're out of options: 'if I can't see the monster, it's not there'.

But unfortunately, covering his eyes doesn't spare him from the cacophanous sounds. When the sound's over, he opens his eyes.

"Councillor?"

Edited 2011-12-21 05:24 (UTC)

The sounds of weapon fire, the crash of metal and the roars of massive dragon filled the air during those few moments. The dragons claws, teeth and tail making short work of the horde that been hunting Howard down, as large a target as he was he did not come out unscathed, numerous blackened scorch marks dotted his scales from the impacts of the droids weapons. His thick scales had fortunately taken the brunt of the attacks.

When it was over he stood there a moment, panting slowly as he surveyed the wreckage for any survivors before finally turning toward Howard as he called. Slowly walking his way back toward him, though favoring one foreleg over the other, a few of the bolts had gotten past his scales there and a small trickle of blood trailed down the limb from the cracked hide beneath.

"I am here, the threat has passed for now," he replied in turn as he stopped not a few meters away, "We must go before more arrive however, do you think yourself able to climb to my back?" Lowering his shoulder and shifting his good leg so that Howard might be able to use it not unlike a ladder to pull himself up.

Howard swallows and nods and starts to haul himself up Crucible's leg. "Those hurts you got, do those stay when you go all human-ish again? Get us to safety and I can patch us both up."

Like with Crucible protecting the crew, it's Howard's job. It has very little to do with Crucible defending him. He still doesn't trust him.

Crucible watched Howard for a moment as he began to haul himself on up, dipping his head in acknowledgement, "Injuries sustained in this form remain in a similar manner in my human form," He replies even as he looks up and scans his gaze through the wreckage that lay strewn through the street, "However, I cannot currently assume another form, that which appears to be affecting the powers of all on board is also preventing me from making use of my own abilities,"

He respected Howard for that. He didn't expect his trust, he would let his actions speak for him, spreading unfurling his fortunately undamaged wings he moved to the center of the street as Howard got into position, "Once you are in position I will take wing, hold on back there,"

"Then I patch you up as a dragon. No big." He is a bit worried, though. Crucible seems to have sustained more damage than him, at least in this fight. Howard's still reeling from the head wound he got earlier; his head feels like someone's trying to stab their way out his skull with a fork.

He takes a old of the scales and hunkers down, trying to avoid getting hit by too much wind. He double-straps his kit and backpack, and uses said backpack strap to anchor himself. "Ready when you are, Big Scary Dragon Man."

"I would not wish to drain your supplies from those who would need it, I have taken far worse than this and lived on," he replies, the numerous scars that were evident across his form, from the blackened scar that remained on one of his hind legs from his encounter with an abyssal lance, the scars across his wings from the more recent times they had been attacked and broken along with a multitude of other old injuries that had healed in time.

Once Howard was hunkered down and had a good grip, Crucible crouched back as he lifted his massive wings on high and with a powerful leap propelled them up and over the buildings before bringing his wings down in a strong beat, the two soon soaring high above the city below. The extent of the damage a bit clearer from on high, "Where were you headed before that little detour?" he called on back over the wind, his gaze scanning the city below.

"If you say you're okay, man. I'm going to need a splint for myself at least." Looking down at the City, the damage is disheartening. On the upside, it keeps Howard's mind off the physical pain he's in.

"Back to the Warehouse. I just finished a supply run to the Vatican." Howard cringes with each buffet of Crucible's mighty wings. "We got some kids hunkered down there, all of them about my age. It's a safehouse right now, since the robots haven't noticed us."

And Howard doesn't want to think of the Warehouse getting destroyed. They already lost Med Bay. That's a loss enough.

"We will see to getting you one then. Once the device or power is preventing the use of magic is dealt, I have some ability to heal, both myself and others," He commented even as he took in the damage below, it would take much work to repair, but as long as the crew fought on they would recover.

After they reached a fair height Crucible stretched out his wings and glided for a time, "You have done a great deed in delivering supplies to those who need it," He looked back over his shoulder briefly as Howard spoke of those hunkered down in the Warehouse. "Do you wish me to take you there? I would have to land a distance away so as not to alert those below to its presence,"

"Good. Then let's hope that gets done soon." Howard relaxes a little as Crucible glides. It's much easier to stay on now, at least.

"No. Take me to a place the robots already know about. I don't want them finding my house, and I can't walk that far right now. Unless you let me get splinted first." He doesn't really respond to Crucible's compliment. He wasn't handing out food and medicine from the goodness of his heart; he just knew that the best way to keep track of where all the resources were was to dispense them himself. But he did risk his life, time and again, in this robot attack. For others, even.

Howard doesn't know what he is anymore.

"You did a good deed saving my ass, man."

"Indeed so, once it has been however and time permits, come to see me and I shall do what I can to mend your injuries, should you so wish it,"

"Very well, I shall take you by the Vatican. I will remain there a short time in the case that my assistance is needed, if you have your ankle splinted and feel yourself able I would be willing to transport you closer to your warehouse," He offers in turn, noting Howard's lack of response in regards to his compliment though doesn't think too much of it for the moment.

Tipping his wings slightly as he changed their course towards the Vatican, a few slow beats of his wings propelling them along before gliding for a while longer.

Glancing back over his shoulder to his passenger at his comment, before dipping his head lightly and looking forward once more, "You are welcome,"

"I'm fine. I need it to be good enough to run on, but we've got finite healing resources and there are people hurt worse than me." That's the medic in him talking, not the selfish scared kid. A few months ago he would have been begging Crucible to heal him, but the war's bred something akin to camaraderie in him.

"So, um." It's intimidating to ask someone for something when you're up in the air with them. "What was that whole thing with you protecting Kang and his kid? Was that just because they were crew? Because it didn't sound like it."

"Very well, you make a fair point, I intend to lend my resources where they are most needed, that includes my healing abilities should they be needed as they well might," He wasn't going to press the point, and he fully intended to put his abilities to use for the good of the crew.

Crucible remained quiet for a brief moment after Howard had asked that question, a brave one to ask given his situation but nevertheless he answered, "That is somewhat of a...complex matter, I protected them because they were crew, yes, but not just for those reasons,"

"Kang's kind and my own have had far from good relations ever since their creation, to say the least, it is something that I as head of the bronze clan have been striving to rectify," His tone sombre has he explained, "I also owe much to Kang and his people for their intervention during the final battle of the War of Souls, a battle that threatened to consume my city, were it not for Kang and his forces, Sanction may have been lost,"

"Though in the time since then I have begun negotiations of alliance with Kang and his nation, the Kang that is here is fourty years younger and such events had not happened for him,"

"No offense, man, but did you not have enough friends as a kid? That all sounds way too altruistic for me to take on its face, you know?" And no matter what, Howard always believes there's an angle.

He tightens his grip on Crucible's scales a little.

"So you just can't send him a Cliff-notes of the future? I mean, me and Kang are kind of," Howard makes an unsteady motion with his hand, aware Crucible might not see it but figuring Crucible can get the gist, "but he seems like the kind of guy that actually listens to logic a little."

Howard pauses. "Not that that stops like, prejudice back home, though, so what the hell am I even talking about."

"I understand your hesitation to take such an offer at face value, however, I have dealt with many in my hundreds of years of life who have had motives under such action and indeed it is wise not to take everything at face value," he comments after a moment.

"Nevertheless it is my duty as a councilor and indeed a member of the crew at large, my resources in such a matter are far from insignificant all things considered. If the crew is stronger because of my assistance would you not think that would be of benefit in many ways in the long term?"

Crucible gives a short humourless chuckle at the suggestion, "I have already done so to a degree," He comments before shaking his large head lightly in flight, "For such things logic can only do so much, the relationship between our kinds is not one that logic can easily mend, it will take time,"

"I know Kang however, whatever feelings he may have towards my presence currently, he is a skilled governor and leader, to keep such a people of his own together for so long, it shall not interfere with his duties,"

"If you had your duty as a Councilor, why did you lie? Even I didn't lie when I was on Council, back home. At least, not when I had a choice."

And no, Howard doesn't believe in furthering the greater good to help himself. If you build others up too much they're higher up to hit you when things go sour.

"I mean. It already did, when he lied. Personal issues getting in the way of transparency."

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Chase through the City [Closed]

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Late, really sorry about the delay

Re: Late, really sorry about the delay