Re: The Great Belligerency [Round 1: The Rainy Place]
09-09-2010, 11:40 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by Pick Yer Poison.
For a few moments, the three humans stared at each other uncomprehendingly. Then Phil raised his rifle and Dove raised his hand. A beanstalk with a fist at the end shot up from the ground beneath Phil, knocking him off balance and making his shot go wild. A bullet whizzed past Dove's head, and he ducked instinctively. Julia covered her head with her hands and darted off to one side, running off the path into the forest of hands. She halted after she had passed several of them, peeking back at the battlefield intently.
Dove hissed at Phil. "You are a slave to your technology, a perfect example of the damage humanity has done to itself!" Several thick arms burst out of the ground in front of him, acting as shields. "It is my duty to the earth to end you!"
Phil didn't respond, instead firing several pulses from his rifle towards Dove. They went straight through the first few barriers, but didn't quite make it all the way to Dove. I sure didn't see THIS coming. Phil began running towards Dove, darting around the trees. Several hands popped out of the ground and tried to grab his ankles, but he either outran them or stomped on them first. He rounded the last triumphantly and let loose a shotgun blast, but Dove was already fleeing into the forest of hands and was very much out of range.
Phil nearly followed him in, but hesitated. He controls plants; it’s probably not the best idea to run after him into a forest. Instead, he leveled his gun with the man’s retreating back and flipped a switch. The muzzle extended drastically, and a scope presented itself. Phil peered through it and took careful aim with his sniper rifle, centering the crosshairs right on Dove’s head and then pulling the trigger…just as Dove hopped over a gnarly patch of roots. His left shoulder took the blow instead, a pinpoint hole letting forth a short burst of blood as the bullet tore through his hiking vest and sunk into the tendons.
Dove howled and gripped his shoulder, glancing back at Phil, who was already reloading. A hand burst out of the ground directly behind Phil, but he had already anticipated this and was changing position rapidly. Dove gave up the effort and ran a zigzag route into the trees, quickly leaving Phil’s eyesight. “That should take care of him for a while,” Phil proclaimed confidently. Unless he’s got some sort of mutant healing rate in addition to his overactive green thumb.
Julia ran out of hiding towards Phil. “That was amazing! I bet he won’t be bothering us again.” She leaned towards him happily.
Phil shrugged self-consciously. “It was nothing. But I wouldn’t be so sure about him not bothering us again.” Phil glanced uneasily at the tall, swaying hands, then motioned forward with his gun. “C’mon. We should keep moving if we want to get anywhere else.” They walked off again, Julia clinging to Phil’s arm as before, and Phil keeping a tighter grip on his gun than he had been previously.
For a few moments, the three humans stared at each other uncomprehendingly. Then Phil raised his rifle and Dove raised his hand. A beanstalk with a fist at the end shot up from the ground beneath Phil, knocking him off balance and making his shot go wild. A bullet whizzed past Dove's head, and he ducked instinctively. Julia covered her head with her hands and darted off to one side, running off the path into the forest of hands. She halted after she had passed several of them, peeking back at the battlefield intently.
Dove hissed at Phil. "You are a slave to your technology, a perfect example of the damage humanity has done to itself!" Several thick arms burst out of the ground in front of him, acting as shields. "It is my duty to the earth to end you!"
Phil didn't respond, instead firing several pulses from his rifle towards Dove. They went straight through the first few barriers, but didn't quite make it all the way to Dove. I sure didn't see THIS coming. Phil began running towards Dove, darting around the trees. Several hands popped out of the ground and tried to grab his ankles, but he either outran them or stomped on them first. He rounded the last triumphantly and let loose a shotgun blast, but Dove was already fleeing into the forest of hands and was very much out of range.
Phil nearly followed him in, but hesitated. He controls plants; it’s probably not the best idea to run after him into a forest. Instead, he leveled his gun with the man’s retreating back and flipped a switch. The muzzle extended drastically, and a scope presented itself. Phil peered through it and took careful aim with his sniper rifle, centering the crosshairs right on Dove’s head and then pulling the trigger…just as Dove hopped over a gnarly patch of roots. His left shoulder took the blow instead, a pinpoint hole letting forth a short burst of blood as the bullet tore through his hiking vest and sunk into the tendons.
Dove howled and gripped his shoulder, glancing back at Phil, who was already reloading. A hand burst out of the ground directly behind Phil, but he had already anticipated this and was changing position rapidly. Dove gave up the effort and ran a zigzag route into the trees, quickly leaving Phil’s eyesight. “That should take care of him for a while,” Phil proclaimed confidently. Unless he’s got some sort of mutant healing rate in addition to his overactive green thumb.
Julia ran out of hiding towards Phil. “That was amazing! I bet he won’t be bothering us again.” She leaned towards him happily.
Phil shrugged self-consciously. “It was nothing. But I wouldn’t be so sure about him not bothering us again.” Phil glanced uneasily at the tall, swaying hands, then motioned forward with his gun. “C’mon. We should keep moving if we want to get anywhere else.” They walked off again, Julia clinging to Phil’s arm as before, and Phil keeping a tighter grip on his gun than he had been previously.
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