Re: Intense Struggle Season 2! (Round 1: Training Facility ONX)
07-14-2010, 01:11 PM
Originally posted on MSPA by GreyGabe.
[background=#000000:2jopfs6u]Marcus had been hearing the crashing and yelling for a short while, now. It was difficult to pin down exactly where, though it sounded more or less ‘ahead'. He suddenly decided he wanted to be off of this winding, elevated pathway. Given his choice, he would have liked to be on a resort planet, somewhere with a beach populated largely by ladies in skimpy outfits, but he'd settle for somewhere with adequate cover. Beggars and choosers, you know. He hustled the rest of the way across, fighting the strange urge to look down. Finally back on solid ground, Marcus approached the door, sticking to the side and checking for hostiles before continuing through. He entered a large, round room, with a single door across from where he had entered, and another door to the left of the one he had come in from. The screaming continued, now seeming to come from the side, still muffled, but understandable.[/background:2jopfs6u]
“…YOU ASSHOLE! YOU AND ANYONE ELSE WHO GETS IN MY FUCKING WAY!â€
[background=#000000:2jopfs6u]Well. That sounded promising.
Marcus took almost three and a half seconds in deciding that he really didn't care to meet whoever that was. Scratch Plan A: Meet with closest ‘contestant' first, attempt to form temporary alliance. Commence Plan B: Get the hell out of Dodge and hope to meet someone rational somewhere else. He pointed his rifle at the door, and slowly began backing up towards the exit opposite. As he got close enough to trigger the door-opening mechanism, he checked over his shoulder to make sure his escape was unobstructed.
Of course not. On the other side of the door, a strange, reptilian creature stood on four long, spindly legs, with thin, insectile wings fluttering on its back. Its front legs (arms?) were long, flat blades with serrated edges that looked way too sharp to be completely natural. Altogether, it looked like nothing so much as a raptor crossed with a praying mantis. Goat-like eyes narrowed, antennae twitched and four nostrils flared as the thing recovered from momentary surprise and quickly categorized Marcus. Marcus could practically see himself being filed under ‘F' for ‘Food'.
The creature pounced, arms pulled back and mouth gaping to reveal several rows of wickedly sharp teeth. Marcus spun quickly, using the momentum of his turn to slam the butt of his rifle into the side of the thing's head. It flew past him, propelled by its own inertia and the force of Marcus's strike. Marcus lined up a shot and opened fire, Retribution roaring like Norellian plains-cat. The creature moved with unbelievable speed, avoiding injury but for a scratch on one flank. It rushed at him again, this time staying low to the ground. Marcus dodged to the side, again slamming down the butt of his rifle, this time hitting the creature's spine. There was a sickening crunch, and the creature fell. Marcus backed away quickly, keeping his weapon trained on the creature. It tried to haul itself up on its fore-legs, but its hind legs hung uselessly, and it quickly fell over again. It let out a keening wail, and began pulling itself away by its bladed arms, leaving small furrows in the concrete floor. It glanced at Marcus once, and began pulling itself faster, towards one of the back doors. Marcus was about to put a few rounds through its skull to end its misery, when the door it was headed for opened up. There was a slight pause, and then a foot came crashing down on its head. The creature jerked once, pitifully, and then went still.
Marcus kept his rifle trained on the girl who came through, watching her warily. She looked like a teenage girl, but her strange skin tone, the wings and the armor seemed to blow that theory out of the water. As she stood, Marcus could see her tense, and long, metallic claws began sliding out of her fingers. Her wings fluttered slowly, and she scowled at him.
Marcus somehow got the sense that if he made any significant movement, she would rush him, and he didn't want to tangle until he had some sense of her abilities. So he put on his most (read: ‘not very') charming face, nodded once, and said, “Hey. Thanks for the assist. Had it covered, though.â€
Oh yeah. A smooth diplomat was Marcus.[/background:2jopfs6u]
[background=#000000:2jopfs6u]Marcus had been hearing the crashing and yelling for a short while, now. It was difficult to pin down exactly where, though it sounded more or less ‘ahead'. He suddenly decided he wanted to be off of this winding, elevated pathway. Given his choice, he would have liked to be on a resort planet, somewhere with a beach populated largely by ladies in skimpy outfits, but he'd settle for somewhere with adequate cover. Beggars and choosers, you know. He hustled the rest of the way across, fighting the strange urge to look down. Finally back on solid ground, Marcus approached the door, sticking to the side and checking for hostiles before continuing through. He entered a large, round room, with a single door across from where he had entered, and another door to the left of the one he had come in from. The screaming continued, now seeming to come from the side, still muffled, but understandable.[/background:2jopfs6u]
“…YOU ASSHOLE! YOU AND ANYONE ELSE WHO GETS IN MY FUCKING WAY!â€
[background=#000000:2jopfs6u]Well. That sounded promising.
Marcus took almost three and a half seconds in deciding that he really didn't care to meet whoever that was. Scratch Plan A: Meet with closest ‘contestant' first, attempt to form temporary alliance. Commence Plan B: Get the hell out of Dodge and hope to meet someone rational somewhere else. He pointed his rifle at the door, and slowly began backing up towards the exit opposite. As he got close enough to trigger the door-opening mechanism, he checked over his shoulder to make sure his escape was unobstructed.
Of course not. On the other side of the door, a strange, reptilian creature stood on four long, spindly legs, with thin, insectile wings fluttering on its back. Its front legs (arms?) were long, flat blades with serrated edges that looked way too sharp to be completely natural. Altogether, it looked like nothing so much as a raptor crossed with a praying mantis. Goat-like eyes narrowed, antennae twitched and four nostrils flared as the thing recovered from momentary surprise and quickly categorized Marcus. Marcus could practically see himself being filed under ‘F' for ‘Food'.
The creature pounced, arms pulled back and mouth gaping to reveal several rows of wickedly sharp teeth. Marcus spun quickly, using the momentum of his turn to slam the butt of his rifle into the side of the thing's head. It flew past him, propelled by its own inertia and the force of Marcus's strike. Marcus lined up a shot and opened fire, Retribution roaring like Norellian plains-cat. The creature moved with unbelievable speed, avoiding injury but for a scratch on one flank. It rushed at him again, this time staying low to the ground. Marcus dodged to the side, again slamming down the butt of his rifle, this time hitting the creature's spine. There was a sickening crunch, and the creature fell. Marcus backed away quickly, keeping his weapon trained on the creature. It tried to haul itself up on its fore-legs, but its hind legs hung uselessly, and it quickly fell over again. It let out a keening wail, and began pulling itself away by its bladed arms, leaving small furrows in the concrete floor. It glanced at Marcus once, and began pulling itself faster, towards one of the back doors. Marcus was about to put a few rounds through its skull to end its misery, when the door it was headed for opened up. There was a slight pause, and then a foot came crashing down on its head. The creature jerked once, pitifully, and then went still.
Marcus kept his rifle trained on the girl who came through, watching her warily. She looked like a teenage girl, but her strange skin tone, the wings and the armor seemed to blow that theory out of the water. As she stood, Marcus could see her tense, and long, metallic claws began sliding out of her fingers. Her wings fluttered slowly, and she scowled at him.
Marcus somehow got the sense that if he made any significant movement, she would rush him, and he didn't want to tangle until he had some sense of her abilities. So he put on his most (read: ‘not very') charming face, nodded once, and said, “Hey. Thanks for the assist. Had it covered, though.â€
Oh yeah. A smooth diplomat was Marcus.[/background:2jopfs6u]