I glance over the short wall indicating the end of the tower block rooftop and focus on the group of cars blocking one side of the street, Lung standing up front with his skin steaming, his powers seemingly getting ready for the coming confrontation. Oni Lee was leering at the group atop a nearby lampost, kneeling atop it while sharpening his tanto against a whetstone he just so happened to have on hand.
The PRT had already partially evacuated the area and were setting up blockades to prevent the fighting from spreading to other parts of the city... Someone must've tipped them off with how fast their intervention was, that or they finally pulled their heads out of their asses.
"God, hope I'm doing this right..." Gozen anxiously mutters as she triple-checks her group of explosive-carrying RC Cars. It wouldn't surprise me if those things were expert-certified and legible for insurance with how focused on them she is...
"Chill out, with Lung here there's no chance in hell the Empire'll try to fight us, especially when we're on their turf. They don't care if he burns down our territory, but having a giant flaming dragon rampage through where most of your businesses are is a stupid idea on every level."
She chews the inside of her cheek for a moment before forcing a sigh, as if she were trying to excise her tension with that alone. "Let's hope we don't have to use these things then." she gestures at the cars. "I probably need more practice with them anyway." she adds, pulling out a plastic square with so many buttons that it looked as if you took the inside of a cockpit and condensed it into a T.V remote.
"What in the fuck is that?" I can't help but utter in bafflement.
"How else was I going to control these things at once? I don't exactly know how to make neural ware yet, or even if that's part of my speciality..."
"I thought you were going to control them one by one," I say, taking a closer look at the control device... Truly, even Tinkers specialized in this kinda thing would have trouble using it. Some of the buttons were small enough that I'd only be able to singularly press them with the tip of one of my claws. How Sherrel was going to operate it without accidentally blowing something up is a mystery...
Still, this was my first real look at Tinker tech, and I see now why even simple things created from garbage would puzzle scientists. By all accounts, these RC Cars should be replicable, yet any Tinker tech more complicated than something reminiscent of a potato battery was akin to rocket science a thousand years in the future.
I'm brought from my thoughts as she snatches the controller from my grasp and jabs it over the roof, where some high-class-looking vehicles are arriving. "Looks like they're here..."
"Yeah..." Sherrel mutters, her grip on her device tightening.
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POV Lung :
He feels his back straighten instinctually as one of his arch-enemies steps out from their fancy German vehicle. Despite the threat the man served, Lung kept his arms folded, even if his arm muscles flexed with anticipation.
Kaiser, the pompous fool, was dressed in his usual costume, and looked every part of a medieval knight. Steel plates trimmed with styled black markings, along with the occasional Empire 88 logo interspersed throughout, but not overused.
It was cowardly, Lung thought, to garb yourself in so much protection. He was stood here in nothing but jeans and boots, and his opponent was too scared to show even the slightest skin. Yes, his powers allowed him some degree of control over metal, but from an outsider's perspective, it was clear who was more confident one present.
The man was joined by his other lackies and armoured whelps, Crusader, Fenja and Menja, the latter two of which were the only people who might be able to match Lung in strength, if only for a while. Othala, their healer was hiding conspicuously near one of the rear vehicles, and beside her was Cricket, the one his cat had almost killed...
"You're missing some people, Kaiser." Lung remarks in a low, barotone and smug voice, "Did they lack the nerve to face me?"
The absence of Purity, one of the Empire's strongest capes, Storm Tiger, Victor, and the new one called Rune was strange, given the rather severe situation the Empire had found themselves in.
Lung pitied anyone foolish enough to face him, but doing so without their full strength only drew up anger from within. Were they underestimating him? Or was it a subtle sign of mockery?
Kaiser's sneer behind his mask was somehow 'loud' enough to be audible to all. "We felt it would be unfair to outnumber you so. But since we hold the home-field advantage, forgive us for those we have brought." he drawls, raising his arms casually toward the Empire's gathered capes.
"Home field? You speak as if you own this city, stupid, as it only exists on my word." Lung grouses before continuing, "Let us end this pointless banter, you invited us here, I hope for you to hand over the rats who dared attack us, for your sake."
"Attack? Oh? You're talking about that unfortunate fire earlier in the day? You have my condolences, tragic accidents are unfortunately avoidable." he shrugs, the action made noisy by his armour.
Lung angrily breathes out, causing wisps of flames to exit the nostrils of his mask. "Then, why have you 'invited' us here? Eager to see more of your whelps die at our hands?"
"Your hands?" Kaiser cuts a laugh, "You mean that kitten of yours, who isn't even present I might add. Didn't trust the boy to achieve anything without slinking around in the night? I knew you people lacked honour with your ownership of sex slaves, but to send assassins in the night and break the unwritten rules? Pathetic." he spits venomously.
"You dare!? Even while murdering people under dark in my territory!? German dog, give me a reason why I shouldn't tear you apart, here and now?" Lung angrily asks.
Kaiser gives another shrug, "Why, because I have my dear Purity ready to level your territory should you take even a step forward. Did you think she was absent from a bad case of PMS?" he cockily asks, even as Lung's form seemingly bulks up in response to his mockery.
"I should have expected such a thing from you... But, what if I persist? What if I tore you, and the rest of you insects apart?" he questions, as if such a thing was easily possible for him.
"Maybe from the inevitable kill order that'd earn you? Without us to take the blame, you'd be made responsible for the countless deaths and destruction caused. Unlike you, however, the Gesellschaft would continue our mission. A world without inferiors, a world without you or your disgusting kin." Kaiser states with an air of determination, as if ready to die for the cause.
"Now, the reason why I called you... Hand over the cat or the Empire will begin its efforts once more. No matter how much you plead for peace."
Lung steps forward with a rumble bubbling up from his chest, causing everyone, even the ABB to tense up. "I refuse... Is that all? Or will we finally start the fighting ?"
"Wait, what about the thousands of people that will die? Do you not care about your own people?" Kaiser quickly asks as he and his people ready themselves for a fight. He appeared honestly surprised that Lung would disregard his threat so blatantly. The ABB members behind him were looking awkwardly at each other, likely hoping their leader would change his mind.
"They will recover." Lung simply says, dooming thousands to die and continues his march, slowly growing larger as his power takes effect.
"Shit! Kill them!" Kaiser shouts, prompting everyone into action.
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POV Kieu :
The tense silence quickly vanished as Lung lunged at Kaiser, the man's body guards springing into action as Oni Lee vanished and reappeared above where Othala was hiding. He drops a clone holding a clone and vanishes again, but before it can detonate and kill the healer a spear of metal springs forth from a car's bonnet and deletes the clone, grenade and all.
"Looks like we're on." I say to Sherrel as Fenja and Menja both instantly grow to half the size of nearby buildings. I knew they could grow far larger but they seem to be restricting themselves to prevent collateral damage. "Send a car for Othala and-" I'm interrupted by my partner's shriek a ghostly duplicate of Crusader floats up through the floor and stops between me and Sherrel. The ghost looks between the two of us before raising its spear, to which I respond by trying to stab it with my blade.
Unfortunately, the Crusader clone was completely immaterial, allowing my weapon to pass right through it. Unbalanced by this, I'm unable to dodge the ghostly spear from piercing my stomach, causing a pained grunt to leave my lips.
"Ki-Kaibyo!" Sherrel exclaims and ineffectively throws a half-empty water bottle through the figure.
"F-focus on your job!" I growl painfully as I'm lifted a few feet off of the floor by the ghost with a spear in my gut. I thrash a bit more but notice the two other ghostly figures flying up from the battle, which was now drowned in gunfire as the two gangs went at it.
Finding no other choice other than fleeing and leaving Sherrel to die, I jerk my body and push myself further up the spear before pumping wild magic into my hand and thrusting my claws into the spirit's chest.
Much to my surprise, it actually works! The ghost lets out a pained squawk and vanishes with a flash of light. And as I fall back to the roof I notice Crusader on the road clutching his chest and looking up at me... Our eyes meet, something I regret as a dozen more ghosts fly through the building to finish the job.
Thankfully, this doesn't stop Sherrel from getting her RC Cars out... Ten immediately drive down the vertical drop of the building, in a blind spot of the Empire goons and then towards the group of cars they were fighting behind.
I see one RC Car nearing Kaiser, but before it can reach him Sherrel's concentration is once again interrupted, this time by five more ghosts that exit the floor. Two hands grip my legs through the floor but they're easily dealt with via a mana-infused stomp, allowing me to tear a path through those trying to attack Sherrel.
The last four finally show after dispatching them, though, the expressions on their ephemeral faces are ones of pain and exhaustion... Perhaps an effect on Crusader from losing so many ghosts? Regardless, I lung at them, dodging two spears, getting grazed by one, and getting nailed in the foot by the last.
Thankfully, I'm able to ignore the giant hole in my foot and catch all four with my claws, ridding the rooftop of them. I glance over the edge and spot Crusader almost collapsed against a car, vomit spilling out through his helmet's visor. Serves you right you fucking goon!
"You good?" I ask Sherrel, who was clutching her chest and breathing hard. I couldn't tell if she was injured or just terrified, as the smell of my blood would've overwhelmed hers.
"I-I think so."
*BOOM!*
The building trembles as one less-than-intelligent Empire goon shoots at one of the stalled RC Cars, causing it to detonate and kill five of his friends in a fiery explosion that temporarily halts the battle. They all look at one another before turning towards the other RC Cars, which Sherrel had finally started moving against.
"T-THEY GOT A TINKER! STOP THE TOYS, QUICKLY! BOMB! BOMB!" someone yells, prompting Crusader to summon four ghosts, presumably his max at the moment, and have them carry the bombs towards the ABB crowd.
"Shit!" Sherrel shouts while hastily smashing a few buttons, "T-there! They're inert!"
"Who cares! Get the other cars to their targets!" I retort, while watching Lung, now quadruple his original size, punching the crap out of Menja while her sister wails into his back, only achieving burns on her hands from the dragon's flaming body.
"O-on it!"