Evil's Return Chapter 6: Road Rage

[Demetrius]

Harm contented himself with swiping off any leapers that closed with them as he watched the more than slightly otherworldy flight unfold above and behind him.

"Task, Laurella, I have an idea, I like the 'Stang and all, but the back is a bit cramped for my taste. Pull up behind one of those SECA vans, I'll jump ship and get us a couple guns so we can have a bit more effect and keep Laurella further from the action." Throughout his speach Harm continued to dispatch any leapers that landed on the back of the car... Laurella wasn't going to be happy with what was happening to her seat covers and paint job.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Alicia was busy.

Busy steering her bike with her bad arm and aiming at anything that got too close to her with the other. It was fortunate that the woman was riding a motorbike, or else she'd never catch up to the others.

*BZAP* a strider fell, legs snapping from momentum as Alicia swerved and narrowly avoided the jaws of a leaper that took Alicia's time to reload as an opportunity to strike.
[12]

Click, click, FWOOSH. Twin arrows wreathed in searing hot fire scraped skin off the chasing leaper, causing it to screech in pain and anger.
[11]
"Damn, I missed!" Alicia accelerated, causing the leaper to fall behind. Her bike leapt forward, trying to get alongside Martin's.
Her crossbow launched another twin bolts of fire that lodged themselves in a strider's hind leg as it tried to pull up to Martin's car. It fell right in her path, and she swore as she swerved to miss the flailing body.
[10]

[PyrosNine]

A leaper got too close and Task proceeded to cut it in 3 pieces with both his knife and sword, before it even could come a foot near the vehicle.

"Alright, but you'll have to use whatever guns you find yourself. I don't use guns. Guns kill people. I just maim them something fierce."

[IHateMakingNames]

John stared at the explosives for a moment. There were two problems with him using those to fight the chasers. One, he only cared about the Fallen now. None of these minions, humans, or summoned demons concerned him. He wouldn't bother with them, instead wanting to save everything for when the Angel comes.

Second, he has no idea how to use the explosives.

Eventually he decided that just tossing stuff out of the back of the random only wouldn't drain him of strength. So he just started tossing stuff out the back of the van.

[Astral Harmony]

Laurella nodded and slowed the Mustang down sharply, crashing it into Skeleton Rider. The cycle gave and spiraled to the side of the lanes while the skeleton was thrown onto Laurella's hood, and slipped off and got run over as she slowed down even more. She turned to the right and pulled behind one of the SECA vans just as its driver tried to get them with a poorly aimed carbine rifle. A skeletal hand came up on Laurella's side. The rider had survived becoming roadkill...well, some of him did.

Now lacking anything below the spine, Laurella pulled out the rapier she set between her legs and lunged for the skull, getting him on the nose socket and managing to pry the bastard off of the car while keeping it behind the van. "Go, go, go!" Laurella shouted.

[Demetrius]

"Go, go, go!" Laurella shouted, and started as Harm ran across the tops of the seats, over the hood and made a crazy leap through the just openned back doors of the SECA van.

"Hey, lads! Drop your guns, jump out now and no serious harm will befall you!" The SECA agents didn't take Harm's offer, instead they tried to bring their weapons around on him.

"Can't have that!" Harm quickly closed the distance between himself and the agents, his height giving him the advantage in the confines of the van. Moving fluidly and being careful not to kill the men, Harm went through his basic three step hand to hand techniques, slide in, stomp the knee-cap, break the shoulder, knee to the head, move on...

Fake heigh, drop low, uppercut to the groin, headbutt to the jaw, double palm strike to the solarplexis, two down...

The last agent had seen his comrades dropped in less than three seconds, and he laid down his m249. Harm didn't stop, he moved past the man and grabbed the driver by the throat and growled, "I don't kill women and children, and I don't keep well with those that will, keep it straight and you walk away, we're going to send some demons back to hell."

Sensing movement and hearing the metallic click of the m249's bolt being drawn, Harm turned to see the remaining SECA agent shoot a leaper off the hood of Laurella's mustang. Looking back to the driver he threw down his earpiece and shouted, "Herb, do what he says, think about your daughters, cultists are one thing, they choose their side, the girl, she had no choice. I feel better helping her and fighting for life." With that the agent went back to firing at the demons.

"Well Herb, the choice is yours, kill bad guys or die as one, what is it gonna-" Harm was cut off as Herb attempted to stab his attacker with a large knife. Harm reacted by violently slammed Herb's head into the steering wheel and tossing him out of the van, before taking his place at the wheel. Adjusting the mirror to observe the yet unnamed agent, Harm pulled the van up beside Laurella's mustang.

"I've got your back, Laurella, let's get clear of this mess!"

[Toastburner B]

“Hey, I’m not the old one, Naruto!” Duncan barked back. “That would be Nat. As for mages…you can call them yourself,” Duncan says, holding his arm out the window with the walkie talkie in his hand, “but I dare say that everyone is in the same boat as us.”

From one of the vans below, an orb of light flew up. It passed through several of the fakes created by Troy, and began to hover under the car. “Freak! Locator spell!” Duncan yelled. “Hey, ninja boy, am I driving or are you? Because we’re going to have to evasive in a few!” He yelled as the gunship hunting them began to work its way over to them.

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Meanwhile, the Road Rex was rather put out.

In fact, one could say it was downright furious….losing an eye will do that.

Given the fact that Road Rexes are generally used for their strength rather than their brains, it was somewhat inevitable that the Rex, now properly pissed off, would go berserk.

And so it did.

The Rex began to run down the road at full speed, trampling demon, undead, and human under it’s claws without a second thought. It’s good eye picked out a likely target…it couldn’t tell where it’s tormentor had vanished to…and it breathed in. It coughed, much like a person trying to clear his throat.

However…most people don’t huck fireballs after clearing their throats.

Despite only having one eye, it’s aim proved pretty good, as it detonated a S.E.C.A. SUV. As burning wreckage fell across the road, Nathaniel had to swerve to dodge pieces. “Does anyone have any ideas as to how to kill off that thing, I would be very excited to hear them!”

[Astral Harmony]

A flaming passenger door smacked into the back of Laurella's car before flying to the right side of the freeway, startling Laurella. "Oh, no, that thing did not just shoot that red shit at us!"

The Striders and Leapers and Skeleton Riders and even some SECA were getting their asses handed to them by the massive Road Rex...uhhh, rexing the road. "I wonder how many fanatical souls were butchered to summon that thing?" Laurella asked herself, making the Rex and the copters her focus. Those were the only things that could really get at her from a distance. She didn't see any Skeleton Riders using firearms, and the Striders and Leapers were becoming less and less of a concern thanks to her friends, the SECA boys, and the Road Rex itself.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Alicia narrowly avoided a collision with a flailing body, although part of the leg caught the edge of her jacket. Alicia heard a tearing noise as it shredded the corner of her clothes like a hot knife through butter.
"Damn that was close," she muttered under her helmet, cradling the crossbow with her bad arm as she caught up to Martin's car. She risked a glance behind her just long enough to see the Road Rex mashing through everything. When it started hacking and coughing up globs of fire, Alicia swore again, the words lost in the muffle of her helmet. She flicked up her visor and glanced at Martin, flicking her head backwards.

"Yeah, I know. Do you think I'm blind?" Martin shot back. Alicia rolled her eyes, and her arms switched positions as she rapidly clicked off the fire sigil and clicked on the sonic sigil. Reloading with her one hand, she swung her aim behind her, firing before her aim stopped.

Two bolts - one of wooden shaft, the other composed entirely out of immaterial junk - split out from each other, arcing through the air, their shafts strangely compacted and warped. Their flight path, angled from each other due to Alicia's strange shooting behaviour, brought them down at least ten feet from each other, releasing twin shockwaves. One caught a skeleton rider's horse, shattering one of its bony front limbs. The other caused the right side of a SECA SUV van's wheels to burst, sending them into an uncontrollable spin that eventually stopped them in the middle of the path, blocking others that wanted to get by.
[9]

Alicia checked her bolt case, and had the heavy, sinking feeling that she didn't prepare enough bolts today. She's going to have to make every shot count now.

[Toastburner B]

One of the many advantages of having a soul enslaved through necromancy is that you could see everything that soul does.

Of course, how advantageous that is depends on whether you are the controller or the controllee…and whether or not you were on the controller’s side.

The Fallen watched through the eyes of his soldiers as the four sides bit into each other. The actions of his undead minions, the demons, or even the foolish humans didn’t really concern him. He watched the actions of the Protectors and the Chosen. True…they fought with skill against the lesser demons, the undead, and the landbound humans…but the Road Rex and the gunships seemed to be giving them great trouble.

The Fallen shook his head. No, this would not do at all…if the Protectors couldn’t even handle a few airborne foes and a blood-summoned like the Rex, how could he possible hope that they could protect the Chosen until he was ready to use her?

It seemed that he would have to take her under his protection directly.

Which meant that the Protectors were no longer needed.

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Martin was beginning to wonder if any amount of money was worth this. Not only was he being chased by demons, humans, and the undead, he was stuck in a car with a bunch of guys who seemed way too amused by the current situation.

He heard the radio crackle, but the car was too loud between having the windows down while traveling as fast as he dared and the din of battle to heard it clearly, so he plugged the ear-piece attachment in and stuck it in his ear.

“-ft! Turn hard left, Martin! NOW!” Duncan was yelling.

Without looking, Martin spun the wheel hard to the left. As he did, the wreckage of one of the S.E.C.A. helicopters crashed onto the highway in a fireball, followed shortly by the severed tail rotor which chewed up the demons and undead it landed on. On his right, a blinding flash of light preceded the explosion of a S.E.C.A. van. A pack of leapers in front of him were impaled on spikes of earth that suddenly erupted out of the ground. As Martin pushed his car even harder to the left to avoid the spikes, he found himself yelling, “What the heck is going on here!”

As if to answer his question, as figure landed on the road right in front of him. Before he had a chance to turn again, he hit the figure…or, at least, that was what he thought was going to happen. Instead of impacting the man, Martin watched wide-eyed a blade carved through the frame of the car with apparent ease. It was only when the car separated and threw him inward that he realized that the car had been cut clean in half.

There was screaming in the back seat. He looked back, and fought the urge to retch as he saw Jacob clutch at his arm…which now ended just below the elbow. Before Martin could do anything, an arm smashed through the window, and pulled Jacob out. With a grunt, Martin forced his door open, and climbed out.

Jacob was being held by his neck, his feet futilely kicking in the air, blood pulsed from his arm.

However, Martin only barely noticed the dying man…he was focused on the creature holding him.

It looked like a man…but one that stood about 7 and half feet tall. Its skin was pale, but seemed to faintly radiate with a golden light. Its hair was short and curly, a fine golden-blonde. It was wearing a white robe, which was clean, Jacob’s lifeblood rolled right off without leaving a stain. In the hand that wasn’t holding Jacob was a large sword, which was shrouded in white flames. Two great feathered wings sprouted from it’s back.

It looked at Martin. The face was handsome, pleasant to look at…but the eyes radiated a malicious madness that repulsed him.

“Forgive me,” it said to Jacob, “While I must take your life, I had no desire to maim you so…for your actions against the demons, you deserve better than that…”

Some instinct inside Martin took over. He reached back into the care, pulling out his semi-automatic shotgun, and leveled it at the Fallen. “Let go of him you freak!”

His gun barked again and again and again. The solid-slug shells struck the Fallen in the back. The shells either bounced off or shattered as it impacted the Fallen’s skin. The angel turned and looked at Martin. “[color=gold]Valiant…but useless.[\color]” the Fallen said, then raised the sword at Martin. “Go to your reward…”

Martin’s sixth sense triggered, and he rolled to the left, just as a jet of white fire scourged the pavement that he had just been standing on. He dropped the shotgun mid-roll, and as he came up, pulled his mauser from his inside pocket. The Fallen, however, had apparently lost interest, and was looking at Jacob once more.

“Martin!” Duncan yelled through the radio. “Martin, listen to me! You can’t let the Fallen kill Jacob!”

“I’m not really sure what I can do about!” Martin retorted.

There was a pause of silence, then: “Martin, listen to me…shoot Jacob.”

“What?!”

“Shoot him!” Duncan yelled. “He’s dead anyways, and shooting him will be a kinder death than any that thing is likely to give him. Jacob knows where our meeting place is…the Fallen can only enslave unwilling souls of those him or his minions kill! Do you understand me! Kill Jacob or the Fallen will be waiting for us!”

Martin’s mind swam. The Fallen raised his sword, and the flames seemed to dance in anticipation of the coming kill. Jacob head rolled, and he looked at Martin.

Martin raised his gun. “I’m sorry.”

The mauser barked three times. Three bullet holes appeared cleanly across Jacob’s forehead.

The Fallen turned, throwing the body aside. “It appears I gave you too much credit. Killing your own comrade? You are not better than the demons you hunt.” His empty hand shot out. “DIE!

Again, only his sixth sense saved Martin’s life, and he rolled again as spikes erupted from the ground around him. Again, he dropped his gun mid roll, and drew his .357 magnum…his “just in case” gun loaded with three magic bullets. He had gotten the weapon from a particularly hard job five years ago…and in those five years he had only fired off three of the bullets.

He fired off his remaining three in three seconds. The first round was ice, the bullet was designed to penetrate the skin, and freeze internal organs. The second round was fire, and it erupted into flame as it struck it’s target, and as a result, melted the ice. The final round was a lightning round, which struck with the force of it’s namesake, the water spreading the damage around.

As the steam cleared, Martin was only mildly surprised as the Fallen stood there unharmed.

Before the Fallen could react, the Road Rex steamed past. The Fallen grunted in frustration. “Stupid humans…I don’t have time for this…”

The Fallen stretched it’s wings and took off.

Martin fell to the ground, knowing his life was spared on a whim. “Head’s up,” he said weakly into the radio, “the Fallen is coming up fast.”

But the warning came too late. To those riding in Laurella’s Mustang, the Fallen appeared ahead of them…it’s sword raised.

((OOC: The Fallen is on the scene…and plans to do what it did to Laurella’s car the same thing it did to Martin’s car…but you guys have a little more time to react. Feel free to attack it if you want…but with what you have, there isn’t much you can go against it.))