| Episode 4: All Aboard!; In which another train dies horribly because of our heroes | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 22 2017, 05:20 PM (15 Views) | |
| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 05:20 PM Post #1 |
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The morning had been uneventful. Sherman made certain to wake up early to pack, and woke Williams and Comwell shortly after. After a few quick showers and a stern speech about the importance of arriving on time, they made it into the car and started off. Sherman was driving this time, with Zach at shotgun and Avory and Yumi once again in the back seat. It had only been a short twenty minutes since they left, and all the while Sherman had been whistling a merry tune. Cheerfully chirping away every passing moment. He enjoyed being out of his house for a change, and the idea of traveling to Xing was exciting. He had only read about the country in his books, but from what he read it was beautiful. And more importantly it was the birthplace of the mysterious alkahestry, an eastern variant of alchemy dedicated to healing. ~Who knows? Maybe I’ll pick up a trick or two in Xing that can apply to my research. I might not lose my job after all.~ He thought happily, all the while whistling away without a care in the world. They soon pulled into the train yard, Sherman bringing the car to a steady stop. Finally, after so many minutes of whistling like a dandy man, he stopped. Smiling wide as he turned to his friends. “Alright everyone, we’re at the train. Lets hurry up and meet Colonel Evans’ contact and get going.” He said, opening the car door and climbing out. The morning dragged on, and the train station was nearly deserted. Not a single train heading from the Central track came by, even though there were two or three scheduled arrivals that should have already passed through. Still, the day would remain peaceful, with no air of foreboding. Finally, when the sun was high in the sky and shadows shrunk close to their owners, a blob would appear in the distance by the tracks, blurred by heat mirage, but there nonetheless. Eventually the blob became two blobs, and the blobs became people. As they trudged closer and closer it became apparent that whoever they were, they were military personnel, and only an important mission would motivate them to walk the tracks to the train station. "Finally," Kirk huffed as the station came into view. She adjusted her bags over her shoulder for the umpteenth time. Her companion, Claive, had offered to help carry them, but she said she couldn't allow her superior to do such work. After a while, she began to regret having said it, but she wasn't the type to give up or go back on her word. Quickening their pace with the goal in view, they were upon the station in no time. Kirk quickly found the band of militants she had traveled so far for, and presented herself as best as she was able to. "Second Lieutenant Elizabeth Kirk report-- reporting... in..." Kirk gathered her strength and made a starchy salute as she presented herself to Major Greyhound, but her strength couldn't make it to the end of her sentence. Her knees wobbled, and she sank to the ground (along with her bags) with a loud ker-thunk, still saluting ridiculously. Upon closer inspection, a bruise could be seen on her temple as well as various blood splatters and streaks across her uniform; Claive's wasn't much better. Kirk's hose was also splitting in several spots and one of her shoes had lost a heel, not to mention the touseled state of her hair. All in all, the picture might be fairly amusing, that is if you were the military hating type. Zach, who had been sitting on a bench, staring at the ceiling of the station, brought his head down as he heard the 2nd liutenants voice. He had been almost certain something had happened to the informer on the way and that they were now waiting for a ghost to appear. The next scene was not far from it... About to say something else, Zach was stopped to his tracks from the sight of these roughed up soldiers making their entrance. ¨...What in the world happened to you two...?¨ He asked with mildly quirked brows. To his surprise, he knew the girl from before. She was the same one that had jumped on him in Sherman' s office. So this was supposidely their contact? The other one he didn't know by name, but was certain he had seen him somewhere. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Claive walked with leisure beside the 2nd liutenant. His military uniform was torn and covered partly in blood. There was visible cuts and wounds on his left arm and seemingly the whole sleeve had been torn off by something. The Captain was about to give a salute but was stopped after hearing the rumble and seeing the pile of stuff and the second liutenant in the middle of it. Quickly kneeling down he prepared to help her up. ¨The train was unexcpectedly rowdy, Major. I'm sorry for the delay.¨ “… Alright. So their late. No big deal..” Sherman said, taking his state alchemist pocket watch and popping it open. It was almost an hour since the rendezvous time, and there was no one to be seen. Indeed, even the train hadn’t come in. Sherman spoke with the man in charge of the train yard multiple times since they arrived, but he didn’t seem to have any answers either. “It’s only been… What? An hour? Doesn’t mean anything happened. Maybe the train got a flat tire. What do you think?” He asked, turning his head to face his official consultant on such matters. Yumi looked back up to Sherman, little dog ears perked up to listen. She responded only with a tilt of her head and a little whine. “Yah… I know that didn’t make any sense.” Sherman responded, crossing his arms over his chest. He was well passed the point of getting worried. When military personnel were late for an appointment it was almost never for mundane reasons. Finally two figures appeared on the horizon, walking up to the train station battered and bruised. He blinked when the pair finally got close enough for him to tell who it was. “Second Lieutenant Kirk?” He asked, walking to meet them. When Kirk collapsed, however, he quickly jumped into action. “Kirk!” He called out, taking a knee at her side and immediately checking her pulse. “Are you alright? What happened?” He asked, turning his attention to Claive who was helping Kirk back to her feet. “Relax soldier, I’m a doctor.” He said, helping Kirk to sit up, but stopping her short of actually standing. His eyes came to the bruise on her head, examining it closely. “How many Zachs do you see, Second Lieutenant?” He asked, gesturing back at Comwell. Immediately, Kirk's eyes sharpened. She was just tired and sore, not an invalid! Nevertheless, she allowed Greyhound to play doctor with her. "One," she replied flatly. "Major, if I had a concussion, I'm sure I would have passed out or felt it by now. The way I see it, I'm in perfect health for having walked five miles or so without any breaks." Adjusting her legs, she removed her lopsided shoes; now that they were indoors she didn't need them to protect her feet from stray rocks and other unpleasant things that might stick into her. Sighing, she began her report. "Some time after the train departed, my guess is 10 or 11 o'clock, Captain Claive and I were ambushed by a gang of ruffians. The train was compromised in the ensuing battle, so naturally, that only left us with one mode of transportation. And here we are." Liz pushed the hair on her forehead back, wiping her sweat off as well. "Has there been any word on the condition of the tracks or adjustments in the schedule?" |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 05:24 PM Post #2 |
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Sherman looked back to Zach to confirm her report on how many Zachs there actually were. Luckily for everyone she was right, and there was in fact only one Zach. He turned back to her with a smile. “It’s a poor doctor that doesn’t cover all the bases, Second Lieutenant.” He said, before tapping his bearded chin in thought. These two had been walking for five miles after some sort of skirmish. One that took down a train. “Lieutenant Williams, can you fetch these two some bottled water? There should be some in my duffle bag.” He said, looking over his shoulder at his student. Turning back to Kirk he continued to look her over for any visible wounds or scratches. One thing he had learned in his time in Ishval was how stubborn soldiers were about their physical well being. “Well that’s not good news… The trains are under attack now?” He exclaimed, thinking deeply. If the trains were under attack getting on another one might not be the best idea. But simply walking to the desert would add days to their trip, not to mention tire them out before they even got to the Eastern Desert. Content that Kirk wasn’t in immediate danger he stood up, turning his attention to the Captain. The bloodied arm came to his attention immediately. “We’re going to need to get those wounds cleaned, but they should heal on their own with proper bandaging.” He said, before turning again to Kirk. “They have a train coming in from the north in a few minutes. We can board that, even if the eastern tracks are destroyed. But…” He paused before continuing. “It’d be a risk. If the trains are being attacked there’s no promise the next train we board won’t as well. At the same time if we just walk to the desert the likelihood of actually surviving the journey to Xing drops considerably. We’d need to get a lot more supplies. And we’d definitely not make it to Xing on time.” Claive took a notice of his own wounds as Sherman spoke of them. ¨I'm grateful, but don't worry about me. I'll manage somehow.¨ In truth, the wounds on his arm were not that deep and certainly looked worse then they actually were. ----------- Zach on the other hand dodged the subject by shrugging it off and lighting up a smoke. In the spur of moment, the short alchemist walked next to Kirk and started poking at her side while kneeling down. ¨Well at least you made it here alive, eh missy?¨ Comwell let out a little chuckle before standing up again and exhaling some smoke before turning to face Sherman. ¨This might be little problematic Hound... I'm not sure if this whole thing was just a coincidence...¨ Taking another lungful from the cigarette, Zach took a slight step to the side, avoiding the jogging wolf who immediately took over the situation by crawling through the pile of gear and washing Kirk's face with vast tongue of justice. While all this happened, Avory had went through the bags and was now carrying few bottles of water, handing them down towards Kirk and the captain. Claive accepted the offer and took a log sip before speaking again. ¨Major Comwell. Actually before the incident, I did hear 2 of the men speaking before they had the time to spot us. It seems they were after your team. Since they had no idea we were traveling in the same train.¨ Listening the Captain's words, Zach looked at Sherman from the corner of his eye. ¨Well well... Ain't that interesting...¨ Kirk largely ignored Zach's actions, and stared the wolf-dog down, quieting its excitement with a steady hand on its head. Gratefully, she accepted the water from Williams with a quiet thanks and quickly gulped half of it down. Suddenly hydrated and thinking clearly, Liz reddened. She felt silly for not having done it earlier, but there was no help for it now. Liz opened her bag and pulled out an identical pair of heels, tucking the battered pair she had been wearing away in their place. After slipping them on, she shoved her belongings out of the way and stood, one hand still resting on Yumi's head. "Isn't it just..?" she replied, striding over to Zach. With her quick fingers, she nabbed the half-spent cigarette from his mouth and took a long drag off it. She held the breath for a moment, and exhaled slowly, letting the motion calm her. Scratching Yumi's ear, she continued speaking in a low tone that only their group should be able to hear. "While a meeting to Xing has been planned for some time, the date wasn't decided until recently, and sent over in a coded message. While that could have been leaked fairly easily, it doesn't add up. This mission was put together, quite literally, at the last minute. The Colonel was given the authority to pick a delegation, which she passed to Major Comwell." Kirk acknowledge him with a quick jerk of the head, pausing for another quick drag. "We didn't receive the paperwork until yesterday afternoon, after you all had already departed. Given the time span, direction the assailants were sent from, and locations, there's only one logical explanation... We're dealing with espionage in the command centers." Kirk finished the last of the cigarette before tossing the smoldering butt to the ground and stamping it out with her heel. Slowly, she looked around and met each of her teammates eyes as she continued. "Maybe it runs deeper than that, but in any case, we need to watch each other's backs now more than ever." “Even a small cut can get infected, Captain.” Sherman replied to Claive, determining his rank by his shoulder stripes. “Especially one that’s had sweat, dirt, and other people’s blood pooling over it for over an hour.” He reached into his side bag and produced a bottle of anti-bacteria spray and some grey-green bandages and stood up, handing them off to Claive. “I trust you can apply band-aids properly.” He said, half joking with a smile. He listened to what the rest of the group had to say, first Zach’s deduction and then the Captain’s report. A long, heavy sigh escaped the suddenly very tired major. The mission had barely begun and already there were people after them. Most haunting of all was Liz’s insertion, the idea of a leak within the military. Reaching up to roughly rub his bearded chin he closed his eyes as he turned away from the group, deep in thought. After a long pause he spoke again. “Alright… We clearly can’t use the trains anymore. If they are indeed targeting us specifically, they’ll just catch the next train on it’s way east.” He said, stopping suddenly. It was true, it was safer to avoid the train entirely and walk on foot. But that meant falling days behind schedule, and there was no guarantee they wouldn’t be tracked. “Actually…” He turned back to the group, tired eyes now alive with a sharp cunning. “No. We’re not walking to the desert. We can’t have them coming up behind us when we’re trying to survive a journey across the giant death trap they call the Eastern Desert. Or when we least expect an attack and are unprepared.” A hand went down to lightly tap the base of the slingshot that always sat at his hip. “After the last failure they’ll be sure to come after us. They’ll probably not expect us to take the train. Just incase though, I’ll talk to the guy in charge here and make sure we’re the only ones onboard. Don’t want any civilians around just incase.” He glanced around, scouting the sparse crowd for anyone who looked like they were listening in. “Once we’re on the train we’ll begin the debriefing and figure out our next step.” Stephen was about to resist but remembered his position in the given situation. ¨Yes Sir, Understood sir.¨ Making a salute with his uninjured hand, the man fell back to one of the many benches of the train yard and started applying first aid to his wounds. ---------------------------------------------------- After having his smoke snitched by 2nd Liutenant Kirk, Zach gave her a long stare before lighting up a new one with haste. ¨Never figured you for a smoker.¨ The girl had gotten some personality around her head since the last time they had met. Or perhaps it had been the long lasting after effects inflicted by the havoc Colonel Evans had released around the the office, he was not sure. However, focusing back to the matter at hand, the fragile looking alchemist kept smoking while listening to Sherman's plan. After he was finished. Comwell thought for a second and answered. ¨Well, to be honest, that's the best idea so far. I doubt it's gonna get any better the longer we wait so I suggest we follow it.¨ This was one of the reason Zach had wanted Sherman to be with him on this mission. He knew that the old Hound was good when it came to alchemy, but his sense over situations like this did not lose with a margin difference. ¨I also have something to give you all after we get this thing going.¨ |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 05:27 PM Post #3 |
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The barest hint of a smile tugged Kirk's lips. "I smoke when I have to," she replied with a shrug before falling silent to listen to Greyhound's plan. While he talked, she finished off the rest of her water. The way she saw it, they would be seeing a deal of combat either way, but at least taking the trains should get them to their destination on time. Nodding her understanding, she waited for Zach to finish adding his two cents in. "Alright. Also, Captain Claive has orders to return back to Colonel Evans posthaste. Major Greyhound, did you want me to write out a report for him to take back, or would verbal be safer?" she asked, her military starch suddenly back in full. Sherman turned to Kirk again, offering her a nod. “Very well. I think a verbal report would more than suffice. We don’t have time to wait for a written one. Besides, Captain Claive has seen everything with his own eyes. He knows what to tell the Colonel.” He said, turning his attention to the captain who was tending to his wounds and gave a nod. He turned back to Zach, giving him a nod as well. “Alright. Once we’re safe on the train feel free, Major Comwell.” He said, using Zach’s military title. He normally didn’t bother, but then normally he wasn’t an acting commander for the military. “I’ll go talk to the commissioner and get things situations. I want everyone who’s going on the train as soon as possible. We can’t loiter here for long.” And with that he turned about, heading off for the train station commissioner’s office. He didn’t bother to knock, simply pushing open the door and walking in. He flashed his state alchemist’s silver pocket watch for all to see as he spoke, “Major Greyhound, state alchemist. I’m going to have to commandeer your train for military use, given the recent events. I want everyone who isn’t my squad and the conductor and his trainmen off that train for their own safety, understood?” “What? But all these people have already paid for tickets! I can’t ju-” “That isn’t my problem. Give them a refund, or tell them to come back tomorrow. People’s lives are in danger commissioner. Can you really afford another train of civilians to crash?” He gave the man a narrow glare, awaiting the response that didn’t come. The old man seemed defeated, nodding his head in agreement. “Very good.” Sherman replied, sliding his watch back into his pocket. With that he turned around, heading for the train as the commissioner’s voice came over the speakers, telling everyone who was already boarding that the train was cancelled until further notice. After bandaging himself up, Stephen gulped the rest of the water he had been given and stood up. ¨Well then. I'll be heading back to central with the information I have. Have a safe trip you all.¨ He started walking towards the car Sherman, Avory and Zach had been using. Turning around one last time, he looked towards 2nd Liutenant Kirk. ¨I'm sorry for the inconvinience and this whole incident... Elizabeth. I hope that the next time we meet will not be as formal.¨ For the first time during this mission, an honest, unguarded smile escaped from the mans lips. ¨Although, I cannot say I didn't enjoy it for a bit.¨ Captain Claive returned facing his original direction and kept walking to the car. After getting all set, he started the vehicle and headed towards the road and the general way of Central. Slowly the car faded in to the horizon. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Zach started gathering all the stuff they had lying around the station while Sherman made sure their transport would be empty for them to use. ¨Don't fall behind now.¨He said jokingly towards Avory and Kirk. While making his way towards the train, the short man whistled sharply, resulting Yumi to follow his footsteps immediately all the way inside the train. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Avory, who was still standing next to Kirk, showed her tongue towards the Major's back as he walked on his ways. ¨Don't mind him, 2nd Liutenant. I think his mind set is always like that...¨ Gathering her own stuff and some of Kirk's as well, the young girl would wait for Kirk before moving. ¨Are you sure you're ok now?¨ Kirk smiled crookedly and saluted toward Claive's back. "Likewise. Have a safe trip home, Captain." She continued to try to ignore Zach, but the young alchemist's actions caught her eye. She suppressed a giggle and slung her file case over her shoulder once more before falling into step with Williams. "Still tired, but I should be able to rest at least a few minutes on the train. Thank you for asking." She paused, remembering back to the chance meeting in Greyhound's office. "Umm... Lieutenant Williams, was it..? I don't think I ever got a chance to ask how you got mixed up with those old warhounds." If Zach was listening, he might take offense, as he was younger than Kirk herself and not much older than Williams. People flooded out of the train, many grumbling and protesting against it. Some even pushing against the train guards to get back in. Even with the protests it didn’t take long for the train to empty, the crowd spilling out of the train yard as they dispersed, many going home or to a hotel that managed to secure on such short notice. Sherman walked through the train yard, the sea of angry customers parting to let the military officer through, along with the rest of his entourage of soldiers. As soon as the all clear was given Sherman climbed on board and walked to the front-most passenger cart before sitting down in one of the booths. “Alright… Looks like we’re alone now.” He said as the train’s engine let out a low rumble. It was only a matter of moments before it started forward, and Sherman wanted to make sure everyone was aware of what was going to happen next. “Once the train gets moving I’m going to need everyone to spread out. Set some traps, make plans… This train is going to get attacked for sure. When it does it needs to be the most defensible moving position it can be, understood?” He said, looking between everyone. He felt awkward giving orders, especially to Zach whom he had only interacted with socially outside the office. The change from being just a researcher to the commander of a military operation was staggering, yet at the same time exhilarating. “I have a basic idea of where I want everyone to be… But well. Lieutenant Williams and Second Lieutenant Kirk. I don’t know either of you very well besides you’re military. Any specific skills I should be aware of?” |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:15 PM Post #4 |
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¨I was assigned to Sir Major Greyhound as a student in training since I lack the experience to actually make it to State Alchemist yet.¨ Williams spoke while walking towards the train. ¨But it was Major Comwell that asked me to come on this mission so I'm not actually sure if I'm supposed to be here.¨ She smiled warmly to Kirk's way and entered the train where she would put her things in order before lining up near Sherman to get her assigments. After the question, she showed her black glove towards the man. ¨Emm, I guess I should mention this.¨ Turning around briefly, she dug up a document from one of her bags and handed it towards Sherman. ¨This is my report that got me this promotion.¨ The document incöuded the explanation for "Black Materia" but the crucial parts had been overwritten that there couldn't be any copies of it. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zach, who was already waiting inside the train, dumped his cigarette in to one of the ashtrays on the way. Separating one of the bags beside him, he waited for the girls to finish their explanation before he would have a turn. Liz smiled back at Avory as the boarded. While she wasn't sure how they would work together in combat, she decided she liked her young colleague. She hoped they would surive the journey and get to know one another better. While Avory spoke about her talents, Kirk pondered the best way to explain her skills. Normally, she would have preferred to do a demonstration like what happened on the train with Claive, but obviously that was not possible if Greyhound wanted to do some strategizing first. As Greyhound took Avory's report, Kirk decided that a visual confirmation was still the best way. She waited until the Major would finish reading the document, then removed her military jacket and unbuttoned the cuffs of her white sleeves. She then grabbed the hem of her skirt, folding it up and over and drawing it up so the length was more than halved. With pretty much all of her long, shapely legs showing and her skirt turned inside out, the others would be able to see the arsenal of weapons she kept stashed there: sewn into the inner layer of her skirt all around was extra fabric that held at least 20 needle-like throwing knives; strapped to her legs were five slightly larger knives that could be palmed with ease and without detection, as well as an extra magazine for her gun strapped to her inner thighs. She then rolled up her loosened sleeves, revealing the knife sheaths strapped to her forearms, although the left one was empty. Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, she reached down the front of her blouse, pulling loose a pendant shaped suspiciously like a dagger, and another short knife from a sheath between her breasts and twirling it between her fingers. "There's more, but I don't really think it would be appropriate to try and find them all..." she said absently, still playing with her breast knife. "But I know how to use every single piece of equipment on me with deadly force," she added, her tone as mischievous as her eyes. Sherman looked to Avory first, taking her documents with one hand. “Oh great, reading..” He said, reaching into his dark green side satchel and fumbling around through his things. Finally, he pulled out a small case. He set the documents on his lap as he opened the case, producing a pair of thin lens reading glasses and sliding them easily on his face. “There we go…” He went on, picking up the documents and reading over the report. Little did he know that as he read Avory’s report about her black materia substance, the woman sitting opposite him was in the process of disrobing. A small hum of interest escaped the alchemist before finally looking up from the papers, just in time to catch Kirk in the midst of hiking up her skirt. He jerked back, waving a hand frantically to dismiss her lewd actions. “Whoa! Second Lieutenant sto-” He stopped short of finishing his sentence upon noticing the array of weapons she had on her. He dipped his glasses down the length of his nose so he could peer over the lens, looking her over with his own eyes before continuing. “Alright.. So we have a weapon’s specialist and a…” He pushed his glasses back up, again reading over the report. “Ultra flexible composite material.. Specialist…” He sighed, glancing over to Zach. “And then we have a living butter knife factory and a glorified florist. What a team…” With a light chuckle he leaned back in his seat, slipping Avory’s report into his side bag along with his glasses, container and all. “I’ll read your report more thoroughly when our lives aren’t in danger.” He said to Williams with a smile. Slowly the train started in motion, the small dip of acceleration shaking the train before it set off. A loud whistle blew through the air, signaling it’s departure from the train yard. “Alright everyone. Anywhere between now and reaching the Eastern Desert we’re probably getting attacked. Last time around the men on the train probably boarded with you. This time… Well. Obviously they couldn’t have just snuck on as passengers since we’re the only passengers here. So if I had to guess, they’re either going to try and make the train stop by putting an obstacle on the tracks… If they do that this becomes a small fortification we have to hold until either myself or Major Comwell manage to remove the obstacle. That’s the worst case scenario, because if the train stops it’ll be pretty easy for them to overrun us, assuming they have a numbers advantage. Buuut that’s a lot of work. And after one failed attempt they probably don’t have much in the way of manpower now. So they might just use horses to board the train while it’s moving to catch us off guard.” He turned to Zach again, dark brown eyes focused on the younger state alchemist. “Major Comwell, you’re team A. Don’t let it go to your head… But I need you at the head of the train protecting the conductor. They’ll probably try to kill him and pull the breaks to make us stop… Yah, don’t let that happen, alright?” He then turned to the two girls, gesturing between the two of them with a simple smile. “Lieutenant Williams and Second Lieutenant Kirk, you two will be team B. I want you to be just behind the Major protecting the trainmen. This is a very important job, mind you. I don’t want civilian casualties, but we also can’t cross out the possibility of a few of them either being rebels themselves or rebel sympathizers. If you see one doing something he’s not suppose to be doing, like going for the break cable or unhooking the carts from one another, take him down… With non-lethal force, though. Killing rebel sympathizers isn’t the same as killing people actively trying to kill you. Also take Yumi with you, she needs some exercise.” With that the dog let out a bark of approval. “Aaaand I will be team C… I’ll stay back here alone to deal with the group they send to take us out. The rest of you set traps and plan your attack strategies as best you can… Lieutenant Williams, you’re an alchemist. You might consider spreading some basic transmutation circles around where you and the Second Lieutenant will be fighting. Never know when it could be handy. Any questions?” Liutenant Williams nodded. ¨Understood Major Greyhound¨ Leaving the comment about everyone's capabilities to its own value, the girl quickly armed herself with standard Military gear and waited for Kirk to get her things together before they would head to the appointed stations. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Zacharty would listen to Sherman as he planned it all out, but was caught off guard by his witty comments of his talent. ¨Oi oi...¨ Giving the man a "hurt" glance, he lit up a new cigarette but stayed quiet until the explanation was over. Stepping right to the middle, the short alchemist stuck his hand to the large sack and pulled out a smaller one from its depths. Pouring the contained items on the palm of his hand, he revealed 4 rings. the largest one had vines carved circling all around it, which obviously was meant for certain someone. 2 smaller rings, one with a a fully black metal, and the other one with a small cross carvings, were fit for Avory and Zach himself. The last one was plain metal-looking with no special marks on it. Turning towards Kirk, the small Alchemist measured her from head to toe. ¨Sorry... Didn't know what kind of person that Demon would send after us so I couldn't prepare this one especially for you. Just hold on of a second.¨ Handing out the already made rings, Zach walked few meters to the back and placed the plain ring on one of the cabin tables. Clapping his hands together once and touching the ring, he sent out a blue stream of light all around. Soon returning, the man handed a newly customized ring towards Liutenant Kirk. The carvings resembled a document of some kind, pierced by a dagger similiar to that of Kirk's own. ¨Also, 2nd Liutenant, I see you had your arsenal depleted in your way here. Here.¨ Once again clapping his hands together, Zach reached in to the larger bag which soon was filled with the same blue light as earlier. This time pulling out the exact copy of Kirk's lost "thigh" dagger and the last remaining throwing knives, the Blade Alchemist tossed them over to the girl. ¨That should suffice.¨ Not bothered by the sudden nudity at the slightest, Comwell started explaining before anyone had time to ask about the rings. ¨Don't get your hopes up. I'm not proposing you all... Those rings are made of the same metal called Alcino, which have been covered by slight layer of silver afterwards. Their meaning is simple. They react to each other magnetically whenever they are close by each other. If you keep it on, you'll notice if any of us is near you from let's say... around 30 feet resulting it to react with slight vibrations. Also as the effect is amplified by my alchemy, I can track any of you from at least one kilometer radius. It's not much but it's something sort of a back up plan if we were to get separated .¨ Zach placed his ringer to his right index finger and waited for others to do the same. ---------------------------------------------- Avory Took the ring with suspicious look while listening to Major's explanation. Not sure what to think of it, she placed the ring to its place on her index finger and hoped for the best. Kirk nodded to Greyhound and after securing her bags and praying they wouldn't be destroyed in the skirmish, took her place next to Lieutenant Williams. She took the ring without much thought, but watched closely as he used his alchemy to create replacements for the weapons she had lost. Touched, caught the newly minted daggers and thanked Zach. She examined each throwing knife and she stored it on the inside of her skirt, and paused to stare longest at the wrist dagger. "Well... You're not Sparkles, but you'll suffice," she murmured, sliding it into its place in the sheath. As Kirk listened with acute interest as Zach explained about his "present," she pushed her skirt down to its normal length, stored the daggers back in her blouse, rebuttoned it, and slide her military jacket back on. If they hadn't all seen it, they never would have known about the weaponry hidden under her clothes. Zach finished explaining and she decided that while the rings were a bit frivolous, their functionality far outweighed that. She approved. "Cute," Kirk commented, taking the ring and examining it briefly before sliding it onto her right middle finger. She turned to Avory. "Williams, any ideas on how to handle the situation? I have a few, but..." Technically speaking, Williams just barely outranked her. But with her age and inexperience, Kirk thought that maybe she would appreciate a guiding hand. At the same time, she was also a talented alchemist. She simply wasn't sure what to think about working in a group with her, and wanted to make sure they were on the same page before they made any major decisions. |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:19 PM Post #5 |
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Sherman watched Zach with interest as he took out the bag and presented everyone with their own rings. Reaching out he took the floral ring from Zach, moving it around in his palm to inspect the craftsmanship. It was superb, as always. “Awwe, for me? You shouldn’t have, Zach.” He said before sliding the ring over his left middle finger. “You know Comwell, if this whole State Alchemist thing doesn’t work out for you, you’d make a wonderful jeweler.” Sherman replied with a grin. Leaning back in his chair he looked over his team. It wasn’t much and most of them didn’t know each other, but then miracles did happen. “Alright everyone, get to your posts and start preparing. Oh, and… You might not want to come back here after you leave. It won’t be very safe. A jungle you could say.” With that he chuckled, waiting for the rest to go off and prepare their traps. “And remember, the train has a built in communications system. Use it.” Avory seemed a bit relieved as Kirk questioned their next move. In truth, she was unsure how to deal with the situation as she would be teaming up with the 2nd Liutenant. She seemingly could handle herself in combat situation. ¨Umm, I might have a few ideas for some traps while we still have the time.¨ She answered while starting to walk towards the frontier. ¨I'm going to prepare them our wagon as we get there anyway. Any other ideas?¨ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¨pfft¨ Zach shook his head while letting the smoke hang from the side of his lips. ¨Well I guess I see you crew later...¨ Walking to the locomotive car, the man stepped inside and greeted the conductor and other members of the staff before explaining the situation. After the awkward moment of silence Zach would prepare himself while sealing the wagon door with the alchemy in a similiar fashion as one would by wielding it shut. Afterwards, he took one of the steel bars from his sleeve and transformed it into average ranged spear. Leaning back on a chair, the man stared how the smoke from his cigarette started climbing towards the ceiling. Indifferently, the short Alchemists eyes started glassening as he sank deep in thought, not care in the world. Kirk clasped Avory's shoulder. "Alright," she began in a low, secretive voice as they exited the car and went to the next, "go ahead and set any traps you think will be sufficient." Out of the corner of her eye, Kirk saw Comwell heading past and explaining the situation to the staff; that made one less thing she herself had to worry about. "Williams, I want you to find a vantage point in here that's out of the way. If and when the situation deteriorates, deploy your traps at will." Kirk smiled crookedly. "Unfortunately, I'm not so useful in this type of combat situation, so I'm going to be playing the fool. I'm going to try and get to know our charges, as it were, and see where they stand... Williams, anything you overhear-- and this is important-- disregard it. Oh, and one more thing-- if it comes to it, I'll also be trying to lure our enemies off guard. If you see a chance to strike, take it. Do not worry about me." With that, Kirk nodded at Williams and, with her most seductive walk, headed over towards the railmen, who were hard at work keeping the train's engine fueled and running smooth. "I bet you boys don't get much company up here, huh?" she asked, a flirtatious smile on her lips. While one man remained straight-faced and ignored her, another smiled back, lessening his work load to talk to the pretty military lady. "Well, not really... But every once in a while, someone like you comes along and we get lucky," he replied with a laugh. Kirk could see his eyes wander over her body. Knowing she was welcomed by at least one worker, she sat down, subtly hiking her skirt up an inch or so as she did. "So why aren't you over there, helping ye'un?" He jerked his head at Williams. "Ha ha! That's funny, you think I'd be able to help. I'm just the paper-pusher here; I've never done field work. Besides that..." Kirk leaned forward and jerked a thumb towards Avory, silently apologizing to her. "She's an alchemist. I dunno about you, but I think they're a bunch of weirdos, drawing on the ground with chalk all the time and doing magic or whatever." She waved a careless hand, continuing to run her mouth. "I mean, it's so unnatural! Besides that, there's always the risk that the military decides to use you as their personal killing machines." Kirk glanced sidelong at Avory, then back to the railmen. "Personally, I think some of them sign up with that hope." "HAH! I hear you there. I met a State Alchemist once-- Unhinged, that guy." The man shook his head, and Liz saw his partner give him a sharp glare for half a second. She wondered if that meant something, and was about to press. "But miss, if you hate it so much, why join the military in the first place?" Drat, she thought. I have to get this conversation back on track... "Oh, well..." she began with a shrug and cute little sigh. "It pays the bills. Plus the men in uniform aren't bad to look at either." She recrossed her legs, fidgeting and wiggling a little. "But tell me, what important thing were you doing that you got to meet a State Alchemist?" she asked with interest. The man grinned absentmindedly, pausing for the first time in the conversation. "Oh, well... Nothing really. Actually I-- I met him a bar. Got to talking, and he bought me a drink. Thankfully. I mean, he was sort of a seedy guy, so the little extra helped me through the meeting." Meeting. If her ears could twitch, they would. Of course, there was the possibility that he just couldn't find a better word, but judging from his change in demeanor (and his partner's consistent one), her guess was that it was more truthful than he would have liked to admit. There was a strong possibility that these men had been hired to help with a planned attack on the train. When the time came, she would be ready. Giggling, Kirk changed the subject. "So, how did you boys end up working for the rail anyways..?" The atmosphere immediately relaxed, and eventually the seemingly stiff man warmed up to their female companion, too. The three chatted about nonsenses lightheartedly, all the while Kirk used her fluttering lashes and flirtatious glances to disguise the fact that she was looking all around, gauging possible weapons, entrances, exits, everything. No one was going to get the jump on their team. Sherman watched as the other members of his military team went to their stations, each with their own plans on how to handle themselves. He noticed one member of his team still standing though, sitting there and looking up at him with big, questioning eyes. “Well? I have you an order too. Get to your post.” Yumi let out a little whine before following down the corridors that Avory and Liz went to aid them in their battle. With his last order given the good doctor sat in quiet contemplation, going over his battle formulas and strategies. This was going to be a difficult battle, he could tell already. And his first real battle in years. The last scuffle was just a bar fight, these men would be armed and ready to kill. With a sigh he finally stood up, a hand slipping into his side satchel. “Well… No point putting it off any longer. Time to plant some seeds.” He said as he drew out his alchemical gloves, dark green leather gloves you might use when gardening, and each one with his signature transmutation circle sewn into the palms and back of the hand. Slipping them over his hands he moved down the train’s aisles, ready to start gardening. -------------------------- A few hours after the train had left the station a group of horses rode up from the distance, kicking up a cloud of sand as they came down a sloping hill. The sun was still high in the sky, making any manner of sneak attack impossible. But if they did not strike now, the train could very well reach the next station before being attacked. Still, they found little difficulty in masking their arrival under the metallic crashing of the train’s wheels against the iron railway. Even the loud trampling sound of the horses’ hooves were diminished behind the metal leviathan. The men pulled up beside the train, shouting some orders even they could barely hear. There were ten men in total, two on each of the five horses. As they spoke the horses began to fall behind, so they had to move fast. One horse charged forward as fast as it’s mighty legs could carry, running alongside the train before reaching the back of the locomotive at the train’s head. The man on the horse’s back seat jumped off, barely managing to grab hold of the train’s side door. He started pulling at it frantically, trying to get in, before managing to break through the meager resistance. The second man jumped in after him, both ending up in the car just behind their target. Only one door now stood between them and the conductor, and yet… It wouldn’t budge. “What the Hell? Is the door locked?” Said the taller of the two, standing nearly a head above most men and very well built. “No, see? The handlebar still wiggles! The door just isn’t opening…” His companion replied, slamming his shoulder hard into the metal exterior to no avail. “Gah! M’shoulder!” He yelled out, clutching what he thought was sure to be a dislocated or fractured shoulder. “Shut it! You want the whole train to hear you? C’mon… There’s gotta be a way in.” Meanwhile two other horses came along the middle of the train, repeating the same process as the first two but this time on the car behind the locomotive. Two went up top, climbing a side ladder normally used by repairmen to reach the roof, while two others began working on the door. One man broke in and drew his gun, yelling out. “EVERYBODY ON THE FLOOR NOW.” He didn’t waste time looking around at who was with the trainmen, he only knew it was their job to pull the break. The second man boarded shortly after, this one armed with an assault rifle to his friend’s handgun. Both alert and waiting for any surprises to come. The last group of horses came down to the caboose, each one jumping on the back floorboard and drawing out their guns. They knew what they had to do, find and kill the military scum that were passengers. “They even made it easy for us. Kill anyone on board, the idiots decided to ride without any civilians. No need to worry about collateral.” Liutenant Williams watched with confused eyes as Kirk went ahead to talk to the men. As the conversation went forward, she made her way to the next car. She shook her head to clear it up from distracting thoughts and got her mind to preparing this part of the train. Drawing alchemy circles to some of the seats, roof, and floor, she inspected her work that everything would be ready before sitting down and waiting for Kirk to follow. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Zach who was lazily staring at the roof was awaken by the sudden ramming at the door. The conductor and his assistance were startled and started showing obvious signs of panic. The red eyed Alchemist stood up and started stretching jokingly with a serious face. ¨Well. It seems that we have some guests. How about we say hello to them, see if they're on our side or not?¨ Disregarding the shaking heads of the staff, Zach walked to the door while pressing his hands together. Touching the door, he made a small, eyeline wide hole appear to it. Suddenly staring at the culprits, the man smiled slightly with narrowed eyes. ¨Well hello to you my good sir, how are we doing today?¨ |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:21 PM Post #6 |
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After a while of talking about nothing with the railmen, Kirk yawned and stretched. In actuality, this was boring her to tears. What she said was, "Excuse me a second, I'm getting pretty stiff. I'm going to take a little walk." She excused herself and joined up with Avory briefly, touching base with her and making sure her prep work was completed. Finding out it was, Kirk nodded with approval and saluted her, to give the illusion to anyone watching that she was under the thumb of the little alchemist girl. Slowly, she strode back to the engine room with the rail workers. "Loner," she explained with a shrug to the others when they gave her a questioning look. "Didn't want my company, so I figured to come back where I can find some better companionship." Kirk leaned into the corner by the emergency exit, although she stopped mid-smile as she heard something like footfalls coming from outside. Suddenly her body tensed and her eyes, eagle-sharp, fixed themselves on the only door on that side, the emergency exit. "Get down," she told the railmen, who seemed bewildered by her sudden change in demeanor. The door busted open, and a stranger with a gun demanded that everyone get on the floor. The railmen, already halfway through the act, quickly followed through. The gunman was still trying to get his bearings on the train, and quick as a flash, Kirk raised her foot and lashed out at the man's knee, shattering it. Unfortunately, she also shattered the heel of her shoe (again). The man yelled out in pain, forgetting his gun as he stumbled and tried to take his weight on the intact knee. When he fell, Kirk saw his companion from over his head. Reacting faster than she could think, she grabbed the hurt man with one hand at his collar and the other on his gut, lifting and shoving. Before his friend could raise his assault rifle against her, he found himself trying to keep his balance. After a breathless moment, he lost his battle and the pair fell off the train. Backing away from the door, Liz heard the assault rife fire for a few seconds, but then silence as they either landed on the dusty earth or beneath the train's unstoppable wheels. She slammed the door shut, double-checking the lock this time and turned her attention to a thud, thud on the roof. A little off-balance from her damaged shoe, she threw herself into the opening between the engine room and Avory's compartment. "Williams, the roof!" she yelled, jerking her thumb upwards. Turning around, she reached down and grasped her broken shoe. The military was going to get a VERY nasty letter about standard issue for female officers if she made it out of this. Testing the heft of the shoe, she lined up her sights with the panel leading to the roof and chucked the shoe at it, hitting it squarely and wedging it open. Making a mighty leap, she grabbed the opening and hoisted herself up, popping the panel off completely with her shoulder. She found herself face to face with another gunman. He stared at her as she broke into a pretty smile. "Well hello to you, too, handsome," she said, pulling out her gun and shooting him point blank in the face. She turned quickly and saw one other guy. He turned in the direction of the gunshot, and Liz quickly dropped back down into the train before he could return fire. She landed, and felt the same sensation she had the other night exiting the train. Catching herself, she stared in disgust at the newly broken heel. "GOD FUCKING DAMMIT!" Pissed beyond belief, she had an Evans moment and chucked the shoe clean through the window of the train before heading into the next compartment with Williams. The frightened rail workers exchanged glances as they poked their heads from their hiding places, not sure what to make of the whole scene. The two rebels standing outside the locomotive car jumped back as sparks of blue light shot from the iron door. “What’s that!?” Cried the shorter of the two, still nursing a bruised shoulder. As he spoke the metal parted way to form a small peep hole. “I think it’s some sort o-” The taller one was cut short by Zach’s greeting, jumping back and reading for his pistol incase of an incoming attack. “I think the door is talkin’ t’us!” Said the shorter man, quickly putting his eye up against the whole to stare in. Upon seeing another eye peering back he jumped, keeping his stance from the strange door. “I think I saw a demon in there! The devil lookin’ back!” “The devil? Did the devil ever say, ‘g’day to you sir’ and ask how you’re doing? I think not! It’s just a rottin’ little alchemy wanker. Now c’mon, he gave away his position! Shoot ‘im!” “Shoot him? How? Through that beady little hole? The bullet won’t go in there, boss.” Replied the shorter man, holding his arms over his chest. “And besides. I think we should lure him out here. Finish him off with a quick blow t‘the head, yah?” “Gah! You dumb little… Look, he’s standin’ right there listening to us! You’re giving away our strategies.” “What strategies!? We can’t get in there. He knows it.” The short man paused, looking back out the door they came from to the open plains. “Oy! Oy! I got an idea. We can climb out of the train, crawl around all sneaky like, and come in through the windows that the conductor waves through when he’s passin’ the townies!” “Oh, and let the bastard shoot us between the legs when we stick our asses through the window?” The larger man smacked the smaller, clearly frustrated. “Alright. How about we just go backup the others ey? Seems like the best idea.” “Agreed.” And with that the two turned around, ready to walk into the next car where the trainmen were being kept. -------------------------- Meanwhile, the trainmen watched in amazement as the young woman handedly crushed the invading rebels, crushing one man’s knee, throwing two off the train, and shooting a final one in the face from down below. Gawking, one of the older men working on the train smiled to her, and with an impressed look asked, “Will you marry me?” The two men on the roof started on their way back to the link that connected the train to the passenger cars when they heard a cry of pain from down below. The two paused, looking at each other worriedly. Sure enough both men that were sent down below went tumbling off the train to their deaths. “Whoa! That looked painful…” Said one of the rebels, walking to the edge of the train to see how far his friends has fallen. The other came up behind him, but kept his distance from the edge. “Come on. We need to complete our objective. If the two farmer’s boys don’t kill the conductor, this might be our only shot.” As he turned, a woman busted out from the train car’s roof. He paused and looked at her, as she looked at him. He narrowed his eyes, staring. “Clever girl…” He said, before whirling his gun around to shoot. But he was too slow, a bullet caught in his skull. “NO! You bastard!” Yelled the other roof rebel as he ran to his friend’s side. But as he turned to avenge him the woman had already dropped back down. “Damn you!” He yelled, turning his assault rifle on the roof hatch the woman had broken through. Gunfire shot through the air as bullet after bullet came raining down into the train room, many ricocheting off the metal floor in random directions. All the trainmen dropped to the ground, trying to take cover from the unpredictable rain of death. -------------------------- The men on the caboose walked carefully through the threshold from caboose to the next car, blinking in surprise and awe at what they saw. The floor and walls were coated in what looked to be a green fur, some sort of algae or mold. Little spores floated through the air. Had they stepped into some sort of wonderland? It hardly looked to be a train anymore, with the way the thick, green vines wove together across the walls and ceiling. Every so often the rebels would see a small, blue flower blooming brilliantly against the emerald world that surrounded them. “.. I.. Just… Stay close men. This is some sort of alchemy trick. Be on your guard…” Zach eyes quirked a bit as the bandits gave up so soon. ¨Oh, but I can't let you leave just like that. You still haven't seen my hospitality.¨ Touching the door in front of him, the man focused his mind to the car next to the locomotive. Before the men had time to enter, the door took a new shape and the metal around it started to creek. Suddenly the entrance had turn into a full scaled metallic wall with no entrance. ¨Now then...¨ As the smirk spread across the Blade Alchemists face, his hands pressed the wielded door once again, sending out a stream of light. The door started to deform before turning into more than few dozen spikes that would be aimed to nail the rebels to the newly formed wall of the next wagon. If they wouldn't move, the spikes would not kill them, but only paralyze them painly against it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Avory, who had been alerted by the sudden ruckus, heard Kirk's yell from the other side of the wagon. As the message sank in to her head, she nodded to herself and ran to the nearest alchemy circle. Waiting so she could hear the light steps across above her, she pressed her hands against. Wavering only for a second after hearing the gunshot above, she shook her head yet again and proceeded. The circle started glowing, lighting the whole wagon from the inside. The roof let out a series of cracks before suddenly it unhinged from the other side and both of its ends, starting to turn it to the outer side of the train and flipping anything on it to the ground next to the train, much like a carbage truck. In all its honesty, Avory had not killed anyone while being listed as a State Alchemist, and she was not eager to start. Kirk heard creaking from the very front of the train. Whatever was going on, she would bet money that Zach was the cause, and any trouble he might be encountering wouldn't be trouble for much longer. Barefoot but for her hose, Kirk strode over to Williams, closely watching her warp the train to do her bidding. As the roof dumped the solitary man onto the ground, she whistled in appreciation. "Nice work, Williams," she said, surveying the multitude of unused alchemical circles. "Sounds like Comwell is taking care of the front. Do you want to phone Major Greyhound, let him know what the situation is?" she asked, jerking her thumb at the com phone. "I thought I might try the roof again, see if any more of them are coming." The two dimwitted rebels turned around at the last second, staring at the metal wall where once there was a door. “Uh… I don’t like how the door is moanin’ at us boss.” Said the shorter man. Before the taller one could speak shards of metal leapt from the wall, impaling them with such force as to send them crashing against the wall of the car behind them. Blood splattered from their mouths and wounds, leaving them squirming and writhing in pain. “This.. This might be our last job…” Said the taller man, barely managing to stay conscious. “It was good t’serve with you, boss… It was good t’serve…” -------------------------- “Damn you military slut! I’ll avenge my brother! I’ll kill every last one of y-” The man yelled as he walked along the wall, gun ready. He was going to find that woman and take her down, one way or another. Alas, his goal was soon cut short as the very roof he walked on lifted up from under him. The metal let out a bellowing roar as it turned upward, sending the man tumbling over the side of the train. He dropped his gun, but caught the service ladder at the last moment. Dangling from a moving train, he yelled out for help. His one hand slipping from the hot, sun baked metal bar. -------------------------- The four men continued to walk through the narrow, cave-like tunnel that was once the passenger’s cars. It was surreal how strange a world they found themselves in. Every moment seemed to be more strange and beautiful than the last. “Careful of those flowers…” Said one man, eyeing the blooming blue petals with a look of suspicion. “You can’t trust a flower…” “Or a vine… I bet they choke you.” Responded another. “Shut it! We need to find the alchemist… He probably just set this up to distract us.” Ad so they continued on, every step a burden. The ground was slick with the green moss that seemed to cover every foot of the train’s halls, and somehow seemed to be making their boots heavier with each step. The flowers weren’t helping matters either. Their randomly blooming and receding was a distraction, and seemed a constant threat amongst the organisms that surrounded them. “So… How do you guys like my little jungle?” Came a voice from across the train. But if it came from one of the passenger seats or the next car, they couldn’t tell. “Careful of the mushrooms. I’m pretty sure they make your eyes bleed of you eat them, but really, I’ve never had anyone dumb enough to eat one to confirm.” One of the men who had stopped paused, rethinking his plan to consume the little mushroom. Backing way slowly he turned around, quickly rejoining the group. One of the other three men stopped suddenly, pressing a hand against his head. The grassy floor was starting to shift and bend beneath him, yet he stood firm on the ground. Another man felt his whole body lurch forward, threatening to expel his dinner from that morning. “I don’t like this… We should go back.” “Not to sound like I’m eavesdropping or anything, but your friend is probably right. This particular jungle isn’t just for show. There are predators here, just like any jungle you’d find.” The voice was louder now, or at least it sounded like it was. The walls were speaking, or maybe the flowers. “What… What did you do to us?” The man in front said as he finally succumbed, falling to one knee as the world spun around him. Another man’s eyes went wide with fear as he collapsed against a nearby wall, gasping for air despite having no trouble breathing at all. “I can’t feel my skin…” “Me? I didn’t do anything. You’re the geniuses that walked into an unknown environment without a care in the world. I mean really, even when you see regular mold you’re suppose to call in an expert to check your house. Did you know mold can kill people? Because I sure didn’t. Until I opened a book, dumbass.” “Fuck… You.. Alchemist…” Gasped the foremost rebel, the world spinning so fast he could see only a wild blur. He heard one of his allies vomit behind him, while another started humming a strange tune. The humming was almost as unnerving as the sudden emergence of a multitude of blue flowers, all growing from their buds around the group. Not one man was off his knees, and a few seemed to be about to keel over and pass out. Out from behind the curtains at the opposite end of the car came Sherman, a man dressed in blue holding a light green cloth over his face. His other hand wore his alchemical glove and reached out, gripping a vine that hung suspiciously over his head. “Don’t worry. I don’t intend to just leave you here to die… Though you might wish you had. Care for some fresh air?” With that a surge of green light flashed through the air, rippling through the vines and off the walls of the train. The vine lurched forward in response, and four great vines leapt from the very ground the men were standing on. All at once four men came crashing out through four different train windows, glass scattering into the wind. Each man hung only inches off the ground, suspended by the thick, wooden vines that had thrown them from the train in the first place. |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:24 PM Post #7 |
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Avory nodded to Kirk, ignoring the yells of the man who had almost fallen off the train and was now barely hanging on with his life, while walking towards the com. Picking it up, she connected to the car where Sherman resided. ¨Hello, Major Greyhound? Moshi moo~shi? Can you hear me?¨ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Zach, who now stared at the impaled pair of men struggling to keep themselves conscious, took a few step forward with his hand sank deep in the pockets of his trench coat. ¨Oi oi. Don't die on me just now. I still have lots of things I want to know from you. So let's play it in the same tune shall we?¨ His red eyes shifting between the 2 men repeatidly, his smirk grew even wider. ¨Although, it only takes one little birdy to tell all the secrets of its nest.¨ Slowly, step by step, the frail looking alchemist closed the distance towards the pair. Finally revealing his hands, the man kept walking while humming a weird tune. ¨~If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands~¨ Zach tapped it twice and took hold on one of the spikes that was nailing down the smaller man, which instantly split from the middle, creating a new more narrow spike that would piece through the man's side, while still keeping him alive. ¨If you're happy and you know it. And you really want to show it. If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands.¨ Repeating the little "dance move" the man touched the base of the spikes, making it burst into hundreds of thin spikes that would pierce every part of the tortured man, finally attempting to make him fall into the sweet embrace of death. Turning to face the remaining enemy with an expression of exhilaration clearly showing, Zacharty stepped next to him. ¨...Now then, shall we proceed...?¨ Comwell's dark crimson eyes stared up to the taller man with promise of pain and death. ¨I wonder if Sherman would need one more of you lot alive, or would he even notice or care what happened here... Maybe I should just tell him no one came through here, hmm?¨ Fighting the urge to slice this man into tiny little pieces of useless meat, Zach kept staring... About to head to the roof, Kirk heard the same thing Williams did-- a man pleading for his life. Intrigued, she followed the sound and opened a window. She was tickled to see the man Avory had just knocked off the roof. She smirked as a sort of twisted pleasure overtook her, warming her from her cheeks, down her spine, and to her toes. Lazily, she leaned out the window. "Well hey there stranger," she began, flashing a cold smile that contradicted her warm tone. "Looks like you could use some help." She paused, examining her fingernails as she held them out in front of her, cocking her head from side to side. "But you know, you did try to hijack the train. Heck, you even shot at me! Now that's no way to treat a lady." She saw the man fumble his grip, but he still clung on. "Me, I'm generous, though. How 'bout we make a little deal? You answer some questions, and you won't get torn apart under the train. But you have to answer all my questions and do it truthfully. Okay?" She spoke slowly, as if he were stupid and they had all the time in the world. The two half-wits whimpered, eyes wide with horror as their assailant began his mad song. Pain shot through one’s body as Zach began his game, squirming and writhing in agony as he desperately tried to make his escape. Yet it was to no avail, pinned to the wall like a fly in some mad twelve year old’s sinister science project. “I.. I’m happy!” Shouted the smaller of the two in a desperate bid to get on the torturer’s good side. “I’d clap m’hands… If I…” “They’re gonna blow the tracks!” One man said, tears streaming down his eyes. “The flare…” Was all he uttered before passing out from the pain. -------------------------- “You!" The dangling man yelled, reaching for his belt. “I got a special present for you, bitch!” He yelled, managing to pry the small gun from it’s holster. He pointed it first at Kirk, but then at the sky. With a sizzling sound a burst of fire shot into the sky high in the air. A signal, but for what? With the last of his strength spent the man’s hand finally slipped, and he plummeted down to the train trails below. -------------------------- Sherman lowered the cloth from his mouth, the spores that once saturated the air whisked away by the open windows. Wind blew around the passenger’s cart wildly, kicking up his air and causing his coat to flourished behind him. He turned when he heard the train’s comm system kick on, walking over to the ticket counter’s room before sitting down on a small chair. “Hello? Ah, Lieutenant. Good to hear you’re alive and well. How’s everything doing up there?” -------------------------- It wasn’t long until a cloud of smoke shot up in the distance along the tracks before them. As the train hurtled forward one could make our two small squads of rebel soldiers waiting, guns ready. With haste the squads scattered, their duty done. The tracks ahead had been blown a part, leaving only a smoking ruins for the remains. Avory turned around instantly as the light hit her back and watched the flare shot to the sky. ¨Umm, Major. I think we have a problem, can you move to the front? I think you should see this.¨ Quickly hanging up the com, the girl ran next to Kirk. ¨What happened? what did he say?¨ ---------------------------------------------- Zach ignored the whining while carefully listening to the man spitting his guts out. ¨Oh my...¨ Quickly turning around and leaving the soon-to-be-corpses hanging on to the wall, Zach ran inside the locomotive and watched from the front as the cloud of smoke spread not too far ahead of them. ¨You got to be joking...¨ Running back towards the next car, Zach slammed his hands against the wall, recreating the door he had vanished before the bandits were able to enter. The red eyed alchemist ran like a wind through the cars until reaching to the one with Kirk and Avory on it. ¨Girls... I don't mean to be rude but could you MOVE YOUR ASSES!! Head to Hounds Car, NOW!¨ Looking around, the short alchemist ran through his options like never before. ¨Shit shit shit shit shit SHIT!¨ His eyes shifted upwards and seeing... Nothing. The roof was not there. Narrowing his eyes, he watched to the side where the roof had been turned. Staring at it for a few seconds, his crimson eyes widened as the plan started to take form. Using one of the seats as a stepping stone, Zach jumped to the side of the roof, right next to the detached part of the roof. putting his hands against the metal, he closed his eyes and imagined how everything would go down and what he would need. The massive amount of light that surged out from the metal would blind anyone staring straight to it. The impressive sized piece of metal started to take shape before suddenly launching towards the front of the train. Colliding with the tracks ahead, it sent a wave through the tracks towards the part it had been exploded in pieces. When the wave hit the broken part, it started giving birth to new set of tracks, reaching just to the other side, connecting the bit of tracks to each other. Without the wooden support however, the tracks would get rough, and Zach could only hope that it would suffice and keep the train going. The small alchemist barely made it back to the open roofed car and he immediately fell on his knees from sudden exhaustion after landing. The man smiled slightly before losing his consciousness on the wagon's floor and lying on his side. Kirk waited until after the man fell from the train to let her panic show. She leaned out the window a bit more so she could see farther ahead of the train. Sure enough, a plume of smoke appeared, right in the path. Mixed in with her raw panic was red, hot fury, boiling under her skin like liquid magma. Sure it was a rough mission, but she hadn't slept at all that night, and her body was beginning to feel the effects combined with fatigue from the long walk early that morning, and the recent battles. If they survived, and that was a large if, that meant they would have to walk the desert. That was going too far. "I'm going to cut their dicks off and hammer them to this train like trophies," she muttered to herself, turning to reply to Avory's question. "He said... Nothing." She sighed. "He valued his mission more than his life. Commendable, but not so lucky for us. He shot off a signal and now..." She gestured toward the window where impending doom could be seen coming closer and closer. She bit her thumbnail. Finally she spoke. "Maybe we can stop the train before it gets there. Come on." She was about to run for the brake when suddenly Zach burst in, looking like a man on fire. Surprised more than because she was trying to follow orders, Kirk moved out of his way, keeping an eye on the crazed man. Vaguely she wondered why he hadn't gone for the brake himself, until she got her answer. In an amazing display of alchemical performance, he was able to repair the broken tracks from a distance, and without stopping the train. Unfortunately it seemed as though he had drained himself in the process. Considerably relieved, she found it in herself to joke again. "Williams, why don't you meet Major Greyhound halfway and make sure he hasn't gotten himself into trouble. I'll stay here with this guy and make sure he doesn't hurt himself more," she said with a crooked smile. Avory wouldn't be gone a minute before the entire train would start to shake and rumble. Although the immense quake threw her from her feet, she managed to fall in Zach's direction, suddenly aware that her little joke might not have been a joke after all. She braced her right arm against the floor while using her left to cradle Zach's passed-out head against her chest. She glanced to the side-- everything was shaking so badly that she couldn't see a clear outline, although she thought she saw screws coming up out of the floor. She gritted her teeth against the terrible rattling, and, just as abruptly as it began, it was over. After a moment, she breathed a sigh of relief and gently returned him to the floor. She paused to get her bearings again, and as an afterthought removed her jacket, folding it up into something like a pillow and tucking it under Zach's head. Not ideal, but better than the hard floor for sure. After that display, he sure didn't need any more brain damage. Looking around, Kirk decided she needed to be on her feet in case more enemies showed up, but found that her legs were no stronger than a bowl of jelly. Upset with herself, she made do and pulled out her gun from its holster at her back, and a spare magazine from between her legs. A quick check ensured a round was in the chamber and the safety was off, leaving her ready to blow away any enemies that may have escaped the initial skirmish. |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:27 PM Post #8 |
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“A problem?” Sherman asked, bringing the train com closer to his ear to hear. “What is going on up there?” Sherman didn’t receive an answer. “Lieutenant?” Finally giving up he hanged up the com and stood up from his seat. “This can’t be good…” He said as he quickly left the train’s staff room and started on his way to the next car. Sherman went through the next room quickly, all but running for fear that something disastrous was about to happen. Just as he was about to enter the next car the train lurched forward and back, the great iron wheels falling upon Zach’s newly created tracks. Sherman lost his footing almost immediately, falling aside and catching himself on one of the train’s seating booths. The whole train shook down to it’s very core, jostling the trainmen around and spilling their tools across the ground. A horrible metallic shrieking bellowed out loudly across the train as the wheels threatened to run off the tracks, until finally it all stopped with one last large jump. The train making it’s way back on the regular tracks. Sherman stood there, eyes wide with terror as he clung desperately to the booth he had fallen against. His heart was racing almost as fast as his mind, trying to piece together exactly what just happened, and whether or not the entire train was poised to explode at a moment’s notice. Avory nodded halfway to Kirk's suggestion after dropping the Com. She was still in pretty much of a shock after seeing Major Comwell, who usually was so mockingly arrogant and calm, ramming through the door and starting to yell at them. Petrified by the display of alchemy and the whole situation itself, the girl backed a way few steps before turning around and rushing towards the other end of the train. After the next car, she tried to run faster to reach her goal more quickly, but was suddenly stopped by something soft but solid. After the bumb, the girl took a few steps back before falling on her back with childish "gyaa!" following her mislanding Quickly regaining her compsure, the girl sat back up and rubbed the back of her head that was now pulsing with a promise of pain to come. Remembering the collsion on something or someone, the girl shifted her eyes up and saw Major Greyhound in front of her. Standing up Lightning fast, the girl made a salute out of reflex before starting to yell, more then to report, even with her breathing out of line. ¨M~OR GR~..OUND... * *pant pant* Car... me... 2nd L .... then... Major COmw~ The girls voice was suddenly lost as the train itself starting shaking uncontrollably, making her take few bambi-like steps before diving in between the seat lines by a sudden quake. As the worst was over, the heavy breathing noise could still be heard from the lower part of the car, somewhere in between the car's floor. It took Sherman a moment to realize he had collided with the girl. Between the worry that something bad had happened and the sudden feeling of the entire train about to rip itself a part, he was more than a little preoccupied with his own concerns. After realizing what had happened he turned to Avory, trying to reply. “Lieutenant! What’s going on out the-” She shouted what sounded like it was probably her report before the train’s trembling drowned her out. The girl dove between the seats as Sherman felt himself quickly losing balance. He grabbed hold of the seats Avory was hiding between, intent on at least trying to protect his young charge. “Damnit what did Zach do to the train!?” He yelled, silently cursing the young alchemist for whatever insane alchemy he had done. -He turned the train into a giant sword, didn’t he!? I swear he must’ve turned the train into a sword.- Suddenly all the shaking stopped, and all was well. The train was back on regular tracks, and the alchemist was alive. Taking a few deep, calming breaths he stood up, running a hand through his tussled hair to push it back. “A-alright.. Lieutenant. Report?” After the shaking stopped, Avory, who still was unable to get up from the floor between seats, answered to Sherman's request. ¨...I think Major Comwell just saved us from crashing in the middle of an rebel ambush, sir. They exploded the tracks after the flare was shot. I'm sorry Sir, I'm really not sure what happened just now.¨ Trying to gather herself up, the young Liutenant focused on making her heart stop beating so fast. ¨Umm, I'm not sure what happened afterwards either. 2nd Liutenant asked me to come and get you to make some sense of the whole situation.¨ Suddenly a black glove covered hand appeared from in between the seats and pointed towards the front of the train. ¨You can find them few car's over to that direction, Sir. I think... I'm just gonna lie here for a second.¨ With that said, the hand disappeared back to hiding. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A small figured closed up next to to Zach's unconscious body. Yumi sat next to the man and poked his cheek with her nose a few times before whimpering silently and lying next to him. Pressing her head against Zach's side, the wolf kept an watchful eye over him. Sherman let out a long, relieved sigh as he slowly stood back up, regaining his normal posture. After hearing that Zach had indeed saved the train rather turn it into a sword like he originally suspected, the major felt a small pang of guilt. “Ah, well.. Very good, Lieutenant. Thank you for the report, I’ll go check on Major Comwell and Second Lieutenant Kirk. You just… Do whatever you need to do to calm down. You did good today, soldier.” With that he gave a tired salute before starting down the hall. He stopped, calling back. “Oh, and if you go to the passengers cars in the back… Just.. Don’t take any deep breaths, okay?” With that he walked off to the next car. It didn’t take him long to make his way to the front of the train, placing a gloved hand on the handle that separated the two cars. With a slight push the whole metal door came crashing down with a tremendous CLANG. Sherman stood just behind the threshold, staring intently at the fallen door with a look of surprise and exasperation. The first thing he noticed was how unusually bright the room was, and how strangely windy. “What the..? Hey, did you leave the windows open-” He looked up, noticing that the entire roof of the train car was missing. “… Well then.” He looked back down, noticing Kirk laying there on the ground beside a passed out Zach. His face was completely blank as he stared at the pair, seemingly unfazed by their circumstance. “Well then… Am I interrupting something?” Sherman replied, echoing Zach’s same words from back in his office at Central. “You two sure did blow the roof off this place didn’t you?” A sly grin spread across his face with a look of amusement in his eye. “But seriously, do you need assistance Second Lieutenant?” |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:30 PM Post #9 |
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Kirk jumped slightly as she heard the door from the rear move. She pointed her gun, poised to hit any intruders. Luckily, it was just Major Greyhound. Tiredly, she lowered her gun with a sigh. The Major made his silly comments and puns, and Kirk tried to roll her eyes so he couldn't see. Holstering her weapon, she began to speak. "Just worn out, Major... As for that--" she pointed up at the roof "--Williams sliced it open first. Then I think Comwell used it for material to fix the track." She rubbed the back of her neck. "I dunno too much about alchemy, but I think the range was too much for him. He should be unhurt, though, since he was fine before the transmutation." She closed her eyes and swallowed, trying to remoisten her suddenly dry mouth. "Sir, how is the situation at the rear of the train? Did you send Williams to clean up?" “Lieutenant Williams is… Recomposing herself.” Sherman replied in the most polite way he could. The girl was far from an experienced soldier, and this was probably her first mission where she got to see live combat. Sherman raised a finger to lightly tap his fuzzy chin. “And I suppose you could say everything in the back of the train is… All wrapped up.” He offered a kind smile this time, walking into the room even as the wind blew his hair around wildly. The major stopped before them, kneeling down just within arm’s reach of the pair. “Do you think you can stand, Second Lieutenant? I don’t think I can completely carry both of you.” A small growl came from Yumi, the wolf looking up at the alchemist with weary eyes. Ultimately she did not further object to his approach, simply remaining at her master’s side. Kirk groaned. "Truth to tell, I was hoping to be able to rest a little more... But if we're heading somewhere a little more comfortable, I think I can make it." She grabbed her extra magazine and somehow stuffed it back into its nook under her skirt and crawled to her knees. Kirk steeled herself, then managed to lurch to her feet, her body complaining every step of the way. "Ugh..." she moaned, leaning against a seat for support. "Major, if we make it through this, remind me to kill anyone who so much as mentions the word 'rebel'..." She looked down at Comwell, then reluctantly asked, "Do you need a hand carrying him?" Sherman was quick to make sure Kirk had someone to catch her if she looked about to make a bad fall. Once confident Kirk could keep herself upright he turned to Zach, eyeing him. “Mmm… No. When I was a kid I use to carry my little sister on my back all the time.” Sherman kneeled down beside Zach, gaining Yumi’s stare once again. With a smile and a gentle pat on her head she receded, allowing the doctor to take hold of the alchemist. “Zach here isn’t much bigger.” With a sudden heft Sherman pulled the younger alchemist up over his shoulders, and with all his strength stood up. “There. See? He’s light as a feather.” In truth Sherman wasn’t use to carrying much in the way of weight, but he did his best to hide his difficulty with the tiniest of alchemists. “Lets take him to one of the cars that hasn’t been wrecked, shall we?” With that Sherman started off back down the train’s halls, carrying Zach over his shoulders like a large sack of potatoes. Yumi followed by his side, never wanting to leave her master for even a moment. Once they came back to the car Avory was in the older alchemist dipped down, letting Zach slide down onto the train’s seats where he could sleep more comfortably. As Sherman had gone to the car where Zach and Kirk were located, Avory would slowly drag herself to one of the seats from the floor level. ¨ i'm starting to think I'm not cut out for this.¨ She said to herself while leaning back on the seat. She had always wanted to be a state alchemist due her interest in science, but this whole battling with your life on the line on your first real assignment had given her a whole new angle to the job. Covering toward her knees, the young alchemist rubbed her eyes before hearing the voice from the next car approaching. Straightening herself on the seat to a proper stature, the girl waited until Sherman carrying Zach appeared on the doorway along with heavily wobbling Kirk. ¨How is it Major, is he ok?¨ She asked in a spur of moment. She was genuinely interested of Major Comwell's well being, but the question was more to distract herself from grim thoughts. |
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| Talonheart | Feb 22 2017, 06:31 PM Post #10 |
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Sherman offered a smile to the Lieutenant as he situated Zach on the train’s seat so that he wouldn’t simply slip off or wake up with a stiff neck. “He’ll be alright. Little guy just tired himself out repairing the train tracks before we all crashed and burned, is all.” He said, before walking over to the seating booth Avory was in and taking a seat opposite her. “I’d say this has been a very successful endeavor, wouldn’t you? Doesn’t look like any of us were injured and all the threats were neutralized with minimal risk to the passengers.” Sherman leaned back in his seat, pushing his hair back from his face with a long, tired sigh as he finally found the time to relax since reaching the first train station. “And I managed to capture four rebels for interrogation… We’ll probably call Central and have them pick them up at the next station.. I doubt what remains of the rebels in this area are sufficient to chase us into the desert. So from here on out just think of it as a nature hike. Doesn’t that sound nice?” Kirk slid into a seat beside Zach and closed her eyes, listening to Greyhound and Williams talk. Her body's exhaustion was catching up with her, and she could feel waves of sleep trying to pull her down. But at the same time, she was still adrenaline high, and it was impossible for sleep to win. At least, for the time being, anyway. She waited until Greyhound finished answering. "Sir," Kirk began with a salute, "permission to take a break..?" Usually excessively polite when addressing senior officers, Kirk didn't bother to stand up, or even open her eyes so she could look his way. Avory smiled briefly as the color started slowly returning on her cheeks. ¨That does, doesn't it?¨ taking a deep breath, the girl returned back to her usual, energetic self. ¨Well, I'm at least glad it happened now and not in the desert I guess.¨ ------------------------------------------------------------- Zach felt dizzy as his consciousness slowly returned. Not having a clue of his surroundings, the man slightly opens his left eye. ¨Ugh...¨ Using a moment to try and clear his head, the man turns his attention towards the voices at the other side of him. Seeing few hazy figures, and concluding that it was at least Sherman and other one of the girls, the man cracks a smirk. ¨Are we there yet...?¨ |
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10:24 AM Jul 11