Re: Vendetta [S!2 Round 1 ~ Presidentialgon]
08-05-2012, 11:09 AM
Originally posted on MSPA by SteelKomodo.
“FELGURD!”
JESUS DICK!
[color=#99z8rz]Felgurd might have heard them, but even if he did, he showed no sign of it. He was a pitiful sight, lying amongst the mess of severed hands next to the broken corpse of the policeman and weeping behind his mask.[/color] Even though he barely knew the multi-limbed monstrosity, Artemis felt his stomach churn at the sight, even as security guards ran up to the body, dragging their fallen comrade away. It reminded him too much of those people who, parkouring around Portsheath, got too confident about that leap or that ledge. The last experience they had on this side of existence was similar to what the poor Felgurd had gone through.
It was never pretty.
We gotta do something! he mentally screamed at Grendel.
Are you fucking insane?! was the response. He’s a broken wreck surrounded by security guards! There’s not a fucking thing we can do for him!
Would you rather we left him for dead?! To be killed by those guards, under the control of that deer?! We can't just leave him there!
"Back, you fiends! Back!"
Thankfully, whatever dilemma had existed was quashed when Johnny Raptor suddenly burst out of the front window like a charging bull. The security guards immediately trained their guns on him, but it would have been like aiming a lance at a speeding train for all the good it did. Artemis watched in surprise as the muscled hero promptly turned into a whirlwind of testosterone, then ducked as an unconcious security guard came whistling over his head.
Bet you're glad we found him now, sneered Grendel.
Shut up.
When it was all over, the general area outside the memorial building was littered with dazed security guards. Johnny dusted himself down, then reached down and picked up Felgurd's battered form from the floor. [color=#99z8rz]The mask betrayed no emotion on Felgurd's part, hiding his continued weeping from the superhero as pain continued to rack his form. He probably didn't even hear the encouraging words coming down from above, although considering they consisted mostly of[/color] "SPEAK TO ME ARE YOU ALRIGHT" [color=#99z8rz]repeated in several varations, this was probably a good thing.[/color]
"Okay," muttered Artemis after what seemed like the fiftieth attempt, "I don't think that's going to work anytime soon."
[background=#FFFF00]"There HAS to be medical supplies in that building!" rumbled Johnny. "We can't leave this poor chap to die here!"
There was a hand on his shoulder.
Yes we can, sneered Grendel's voice. The dumb bastard was clumsy enough to cripple himself, so why should we help him? He's no fucking good to us now!
The glare that Johnny gave the demon could strip paint off a tank. "The first rule of the Secret Service," he growled, "is to help the helpless. And that includes poor old Felgurd here. We need all the firepower we can get if we're going to take on that deer. Now, either you go get a medkit from within that building so we can help this fellow out, or I'm reaching in there and pulling you out of that boy's head. And believe me, I will do it"
...fine. Come on, kid, we got a multi-limbed monstrosity to save.
Isn't that, like, par for the course for you? asked Artemis as he turned and headed back into the building. I mean, what with being a demon and all...
Well, Midas can be a bit of a clumsy bugger...
"Be careful in there! There might still be security guards!"
As the others headed back into the building, Johnny looked down at the weeping Felgurd. His mind - or, what was left of it - was tugging at some familiar memory deep inside, of seeing someone in this exact position a long time ago. And it hurt, and it was Viper's fault, and this whole mess was going to pot faster than you could say Two Tickets To Timbuktu.
"Hang in there, kid," he whispered.
And then an alligator walked out of the alley and, quite rudely, went for him.
In the ensuing wrestling match, Johnny did not see a hulking shadow slip into the building behind him.
-----
It took half the damn building.
And Johnny had been right - with Felgurd's rampage came heightened security, and now there were guards at almost every nook and cranny of the place. It was a situation the vagrant boy was quite familiar with - Grendel's mad schemes often included stealing priceless artifacts from museums, or a fancy gemstone necklace from some rich woman's mansion. And no idiotic heist was complete without the ubiquitous army of security guards. Artemis had learned many, many tricks from dealing with such situations, such as keeping eyes out for closets to hide in, or areas the security cameras didn't cover. But the one major thing he'd learned was that, usually, it was a good idea to not try and rob the things in the first place.
Grendel had insisted on turning into a short knife. He'd insisted that it was "just in case", but Artemis firmly believed that killing should be a last resort. No, the real skill was in slipping in, getting the job done and slipping out again without anyone realizing it. Partly because the boy wanted to stay alive, but mostly because he loved the mental image of the guards stomping on their own hats in impotent fury.
Eventually, after god knows how many floors of ducking, dodging and weaving past god knows how many security guards, they found it.
"I still don't get," muttered Artemis as he prised the wall-mounted case open with the knife, "why they don't have more of these things."
Obviously, put in Grendel, because they don't expect their security guards to be hurt. Whoever these guys are must be some hardcore motherfuckers.
"What did I say about swearing?"
Oh, shut up. Now grab that thing and get back down before...
"Before what?" asked Artemis, after a three-second pause had elapsed. He blinked. When did it turn so dark all of a sudden?
Clutching the medkit on one hand, he turned.
"Privet, comrade," growled Raylen the Scourge, raising his weapon.
----
"Now, that was just plain rude."
The alligator looked sheepishly up at Johnny Raptor like a scolded child.
"You do not," the man went on, shaking an admonishing figure, "jump a man when he is administering important medical aid. Why, I ought to-"
A buzzing sound made him snap his head upwards. A familiar gunship was hovering above the building, and lowering a rope ladder towards the roof of the building. As Johnny watched, a very familiar band of helmeted men, all of them toting rifles, swung down from the rope onto the topmost floor.
"VIPER!" roared Johnny, shaking one fist. "You'll not get away with this! You! Stay here and look after Felgurd!"
The alligator didn't seem to want to complain. And when the burly man leapt to his feet and rushed into the building with a cry of "JOHNNYYYYYYYYY RAPTOOOOOR!" it didn't really feel like it had any other option.
[color=#99z8rz]Even in his pain, Felgurd wondered why the big man had to be so dramatic.[/color]
“FELGURD!”
JESUS DICK!
[color=#99z8rz]Felgurd might have heard them, but even if he did, he showed no sign of it. He was a pitiful sight, lying amongst the mess of severed hands next to the broken corpse of the policeman and weeping behind his mask.[/color] Even though he barely knew the multi-limbed monstrosity, Artemis felt his stomach churn at the sight, even as security guards ran up to the body, dragging their fallen comrade away. It reminded him too much of those people who, parkouring around Portsheath, got too confident about that leap or that ledge. The last experience they had on this side of existence was similar to what the poor Felgurd had gone through.
It was never pretty.
We gotta do something! he mentally screamed at Grendel.
Are you fucking insane?! was the response. He’s a broken wreck surrounded by security guards! There’s not a fucking thing we can do for him!
Would you rather we left him for dead?! To be killed by those guards, under the control of that deer?! We can't just leave him there!
"Back, you fiends! Back!"
Thankfully, whatever dilemma had existed was quashed when Johnny Raptor suddenly burst out of the front window like a charging bull. The security guards immediately trained their guns on him, but it would have been like aiming a lance at a speeding train for all the good it did. Artemis watched in surprise as the muscled hero promptly turned into a whirlwind of testosterone, then ducked as an unconcious security guard came whistling over his head.
Bet you're glad we found him now, sneered Grendel.
Shut up.
When it was all over, the general area outside the memorial building was littered with dazed security guards. Johnny dusted himself down, then reached down and picked up Felgurd's battered form from the floor. [color=#99z8rz]The mask betrayed no emotion on Felgurd's part, hiding his continued weeping from the superhero as pain continued to rack his form. He probably didn't even hear the encouraging words coming down from above, although considering they consisted mostly of[/color] "SPEAK TO ME ARE YOU ALRIGHT" [color=#99z8rz]repeated in several varations, this was probably a good thing.[/color]
"Okay," muttered Artemis after what seemed like the fiftieth attempt, "I don't think that's going to work anytime soon."
[background=#FFFF00]"There HAS to be medical supplies in that building!" rumbled Johnny. "We can't leave this poor chap to die here!"
There was a hand on his shoulder.
Yes we can, sneered Grendel's voice. The dumb bastard was clumsy enough to cripple himself, so why should we help him? He's no fucking good to us now!
The glare that Johnny gave the demon could strip paint off a tank. "The first rule of the Secret Service," he growled, "is to help the helpless. And that includes poor old Felgurd here. We need all the firepower we can get if we're going to take on that deer. Now, either you go get a medkit from within that building so we can help this fellow out, or I'm reaching in there and pulling you out of that boy's head. And believe me, I will do it"
...fine. Come on, kid, we got a multi-limbed monstrosity to save.
Isn't that, like, par for the course for you? asked Artemis as he turned and headed back into the building. I mean, what with being a demon and all...
Well, Midas can be a bit of a clumsy bugger...
"Be careful in there! There might still be security guards!"
As the others headed back into the building, Johnny looked down at the weeping Felgurd. His mind - or, what was left of it - was tugging at some familiar memory deep inside, of seeing someone in this exact position a long time ago. And it hurt, and it was Viper's fault, and this whole mess was going to pot faster than you could say Two Tickets To Timbuktu.
"Hang in there, kid," he whispered.
And then an alligator walked out of the alley and, quite rudely, went for him.
In the ensuing wrestling match, Johnny did not see a hulking shadow slip into the building behind him.
-----
It took half the damn building.
And Johnny had been right - with Felgurd's rampage came heightened security, and now there were guards at almost every nook and cranny of the place. It was a situation the vagrant boy was quite familiar with - Grendel's mad schemes often included stealing priceless artifacts from museums, or a fancy gemstone necklace from some rich woman's mansion. And no idiotic heist was complete without the ubiquitous army of security guards. Artemis had learned many, many tricks from dealing with such situations, such as keeping eyes out for closets to hide in, or areas the security cameras didn't cover. But the one major thing he'd learned was that, usually, it was a good idea to not try and rob the things in the first place.
Grendel had insisted on turning into a short knife. He'd insisted that it was "just in case", but Artemis firmly believed that killing should be a last resort. No, the real skill was in slipping in, getting the job done and slipping out again without anyone realizing it. Partly because the boy wanted to stay alive, but mostly because he loved the mental image of the guards stomping on their own hats in impotent fury.
Eventually, after god knows how many floors of ducking, dodging and weaving past god knows how many security guards, they found it.
"I still don't get," muttered Artemis as he prised the wall-mounted case open with the knife, "why they don't have more of these things."
Obviously, put in Grendel, because they don't expect their security guards to be hurt. Whoever these guys are must be some hardcore motherfuckers.
"What did I say about swearing?"
Oh, shut up. Now grab that thing and get back down before...
"Before what?" asked Artemis, after a three-second pause had elapsed. He blinked. When did it turn so dark all of a sudden?
Clutching the medkit on one hand, he turned.
"Privet, comrade," growled Raylen the Scourge, raising his weapon.
----
"Now, that was just plain rude."
The alligator looked sheepishly up at Johnny Raptor like a scolded child.
"You do not," the man went on, shaking an admonishing figure, "jump a man when he is administering important medical aid. Why, I ought to-"
A buzzing sound made him snap his head upwards. A familiar gunship was hovering above the building, and lowering a rope ladder towards the roof of the building. As Johnny watched, a very familiar band of helmeted men, all of them toting rifles, swung down from the rope onto the topmost floor.
"VIPER!" roared Johnny, shaking one fist. "You'll not get away with this! You! Stay here and look after Felgurd!"
The alligator didn't seem to want to complain. And when the burly man leapt to his feet and rushed into the building with a cry of "JOHNNYYYYYYYYY RAPTOOOOOR!" it didn't really feel like it had any other option.
[color=#99z8rz]Even in his pain, Felgurd wondered why the big man had to be so dramatic.[/color]