A Bear of a Time: Rhydin Waterfront

[Cptdragon9]

Tristan was riding an emotional high. Thinking he finally had that stuffy blowhard of a dragon pinned to his word, he had managed to assemble a team that would meet Dracon’s requirements. No mutants. Nobody under the Vashtalian’s “no fly” list. No citizens from the dragon’s plot of landscape.

In fact he was so proud of himself he was whistling an odd ditty from his home world; nothing of note, just one of the few happy little tunes that actually didn’t involved rape, maiming, and evisceration. His “team” such as it was, trailed behind him, waiting to see if the tiny little crystalline golem of a dragon would make good on his promises of fortune (not so much fame, not in their line of work; too much of a handicap unless it was under the guise of rumor.)

[Cptdragon9]

(setting the scene as we may have a new player joining us in this thread….)

In fact the gluttonous evil pig was so pleased with himself that Tristan decided on treating his newly forged “reclamation team” to a few drinks in the local tavern before embarking on their sojourn to their most assured doom. It probably would have been an interesting sight when they shouldered their way into the bar. Of course Tristan himself couldn’t shoulder his way much out of anything. Standing at a whopping 2.5 feet tall he was staring mostly at knees, but at least the crystalline form he was stuck in was hardly enough to deflect a boot or two.

His cohorts had a better time of it. “Hard” was the barbarian’s name. He wasn’t exactly towering either, but he didn’t have to be, not with the broad shoulders and the spiked club to help clear the path. He seemed quite willing to apply that club to good use as several disgruntled patrons of the seafaring type stepped up to go toe to toe with the fighter, growling and barking their objections in whatever odd language they happened to partake in. Hard actually only had to swing once to bring such arguments to a decisively quick and short end. After that the crowd gave him wide enough berth to let the party through

The girl needed no additional help, though her means of coercion was more of the sultry (well more like slutty) kind. All she had to do was bat a mascara-enhanced eyelash and she found the way opening up before her like the parting of the seas. Tristan had wondered if she was a succubus, or perhaps some sort of witch that perhaps used a pheromone potion to get her way. Not that her fashion sense took away from that effort at all. The woman might well have been a double D, perhaps and E, and the thin clingy fabric that barely covered what needed to be covered left nothing to the imagination, including the indentation of the nipple ring.

What was also surprising was that Tristan wasn’t moved by her charms. Well not by the sensual smokescreen at least, his senses were culled short by the limited receptors in the body (limited for him, and on purpose); but that he didn’t feel the urge to tie her up in one of his dungeons and beat her unconscious. No it seemed his perversions were reserved for only a specific few. For now, she would be relatively safe from his predications.

He also saw that he would have to watch his wallet as well. The woman had already picked three pockets and hadn’t made but five steps into the establishment. At least he would be getting his money’s worth. He hadn’t seen her practice her professed profession when he hired her, but seeing her in action helped. Of course he hadn’t exactly hired her for that purpose (only she thought that for now), but the added skill set would be considered an added perk, for now.

Tristan and his company finally made it to the bar. The tiny dragon golem clumsily shimmied his way up the stool to park his comic derriere as he bellied up to the counter; flanked by the woman and the warrior. At first the bartender ignored the party as he tried to keep his other paying patrons satisfied, but all it took was a mental push from the mutant before the trio found themselves treated to some strong brew. Tristan had struggled with the task. Normally it would have been nothing to make the whole bar grovel at his feet, but since being stuffed in this shell it was like swimming through mental molasses to bend the most malleable of minds. It wouldn’t matter much longer. Once he sealed the deal with that damnable dragon king, he would get his upgrade, then he’d be off to find what was rightfully his.

For now he sat back, watching the belle of the ball upend her tankard, matching Hard drink for drink, both well on their way to becoming quite blitzed.

[Krepta]

Krepta had had better days, but a good case of Temporal Sickness would do that to you. At least, that's what she was pretty sure it was called--- that sea-sick, half-mad state you sometimes found yourself in just after a dimension hop. Of course, she wasn't really sure any more. She wasn't really sure of anything. The scarred shapeshifter had been, one moment, taking a pleasant snooze on a sunshiny beach, and then next, she was, well here. Where ever here was, she couldn't tell, though she was almost sure it was some kind of building that she had stumbled into. In her current state, it was hard to tell, other than the thick smell of sweaty bodies and booze that made her feel vaguely nauseous.

The world swam in a myriad of colors and faces, and the ground beneath her feet felt wobbly, bouncing and shifting and sticking to her feet as she tried to walk. It felt like she was trying to walk in peanut butter, and she probably looked ridiculous--- at least, she might of if she hadn't been a great red dragon the size of a hearty Clydesdale! All teeth and claws, and angry scars, she was no doubt a sight to behold, even with her seemingly aimless stumbling about. One might assume she was drunk!

Two flipped tables and a broken chair later, Krepta's vision had finally begun to clear, and with tattered, bat-like wings spread for balance, she manged to right herself at least a little. From the feel of it though, she had knocked down none too few patrons in the process. Oops--- she hoped they weren't mad. No hard feelings, right? Well, she was already likely in trouble--- either that or she simply looked insane and the local Knights in Shining Armor or Irate Priests were no doubt on their ways to banish her from this pristine citadel.

Krepta snorted. Yeah, right. From the smell of this place, she was either way back in the Dark Ages, or someone ought to call the local health inspector! Anyway, there was probably no harm in asking for directions, considering everyone was already either pissed off or terrified of her. So, with a pained grunt, the bemused she-dragon wheeled in place, lurching like a drunken buffalo, and weaved her way to the bar top. The fact that went up to juuuuust the beginning of that barreled chest of hers was the only thing that kept her from toppling over it and onto the other side.

"Gn--- Where the hell is this place, if you don't mind me asking?" She didn't care who answered-- the barkeep, the drunks, or even that sleezy looking dude in the corner. Only that someone helped to shed a little light on what the hell had just happened! It wasn't as if she hadn't been sucked into other dimensions before just because the Fates Above had a really, really sick sense of humor, but did it have to be in the middle of a sunbath?! Not to mention, Krepta made it a habit to know just where and when she was at all times. Such things were useful, after all. Just a little. Mismatched green eyes, predatory and fierce, if a little unfocused scanned the crowds irritably while she waited.

"I'm a little lost."

[Cptdragon9]

The dragon stumbling about in the already crowded bar didn’t help tempers much and it made attempting to enjoy herself that much more difficult. No one was necessarily afraid of the great beast, though many did try to get out of the reptile’s way to avoid being trampled or squished. Most that is, save for the beefy bully of a fellow at the end of the bar.

Mack would not have been able to express correctly what motivated her to intervene. More than likely somebody along the way had installed a sub-routine during one of her upgrades. The likely culprit would have been Ashmire in one of his attempts to make her more “human”, but then again it was part of their contract that he assist Mack in her endeavor to fit in.

The fact that the target under imminent threat was a dragon probably was a factor as well. The reptile was probably more than able to defend herself, but Mack still slipped from her perch of a barstool and slipped quickly through the churning mill of inebriated patrons. Most would have merely seen her as just a normal peasant woman, perhaps a bit better off than most with the clean pressed blue cotton twill sideless surcoat that overlapped a simple white chemise. A thin band of navy blue and white embroidery on the overskirt and neckline that matched the same tones in the woven hemp belt. She wore no jewelry; neither earrings, rings, or necklace. She didn’t even have a knife, and odd sight since even the simplest of peasants had at least a blade to defend themselves. The thug proved to have quite the weapon himself; a long curved piece of obsidian with a row of shark’s teeth running the length of the edge that glistened even in the dim light supplied by four suspended hurricane lamps and a small hearth fire at the south end of the room.

As he raised his weapon to strike at the flank of the disoriented beast, Mack proved she didn’t need a knife at all. Her first strike of her fist slammed into the thug’s wrist, shattering all the bones in his hand, forcing him to drop his modified meat cleaver. The second strike hit him square in the chest. Though she was petite in stature, she had enough weight behind the blow to throw him backwards nearly eight feet, right into the intense card game gathered around a low circular table close to the fireplace.

A five-fisted free-fer-all erupted over the broken table.

The fact that the brawl didn’t cascade through the bar was probably due to the large contingent of gypsy folk that frequented the establishment. Soon there was a close circle of spectators surrounding the melee, deeply entrenched in a rigorous round of betting to see who would win the battle.

Mack has made her stand, her right arm outstretched, her hand still curled up in a fist, waiting to see if her target would break free and reengage. When she saw that he was otherwise occupied, she then turned her attention to the dragon. She clearly was not of Vashtalian decent (no respectable Dragoon would visit such a place unless under orders or under cover), nor did she have any of the Del Marian bearing. Though the mutant strain did vary quite a bit in form and structure, this one didn’t have the cacophonic vibrations that her systems had been developed to detect, much to her dismay.

So clearly This dragon was a newcomer, and unaware of the rules of social engagement in this world. Granted Mack was still learning the finer point of such graces, but she could at least help this poor beast. She looked upwards into the animal’s eyes to get her attention. “It is proper etiquette in most of these establishments to alter one’s size to a smaller stature to allow for proper service of patrons. I can assist in transporting your order outside if you are unable to transform into an applicable shape. There is a veranda there through the doors that will allow ample room for a creature of your girth.” She paused a moment, canting her head a bit to the right. “Do you require assistance?”

[Krepta]

The first thing Krepta did was open her mouth with the intention of chewing out the ballsy woman who was lecturing her on what size she should be, and no doubt in a manner that could be taken as a fat joke. However, as Krepta glared down at the other female, green eyes angry and still a little bit glazed, she realized that the woman was only trying to help her. Despite her urges, she closed her jaws again with a snap, though the thin line of her mouth indicated that she really wanted to say something unpleasant. She stood there for a moment, staring down at the other, silent and broody until at last she came up with some words that would not prove, she hoped, horribly damaging to their newfound relationship.

"I'm not really in the habit of following etiquette, but I appreciate the well meant intentions. I was just a bit dizzy." She was still a bit dizzy, as could be observed by the subtle shuddering of her great frame. "This form's kinda my insurance card, you see. Insurance that no one comes up behind me and bashes my brains in. You'd be surprised how many people try to do that on a daily basis." She looked the other woman up and down again, then at the remains of the very brief bar fight she had accidentally instigated. "You look like you can take care of any problems that arise though. Thanks for the save." She offered the woman a grim smile, as well as a passing flash of pearly whites at the downed man on the poker table as well, though that was less of a smile than a silent, promising snarl.

Without another word, she stepped back, albeit not as gracefully as she would have liked, and began to change.

It was a small shift at first, a subtle difference in size and shape, but the changes gathered speed quickly. The shine of crimson scales dulled and softened, melting away into smooth, human skin with just the faint pattern of her previous skin, like a faded tattoo, until even that faded, along with her wings and horns, and that powerful tail of hers that was quickly reabsorbed back into her spine with a quiet clicking and popping of bones. Suddenly, the big bad dragon was very much in human shape, or had it been human in dragon shape? Either way, a fairly dazed looking woman was standing in it's place now, tall, scarred, guarded, definitely the same creature, aside from now she had a full head of long brown hair, and was blessedly clothed, though hardly in period garb.

"How's that?" She asked, wobbling a bit. The world spun out from underneath her, like someone had just yanked the rug from under her feet, and she stumbled into the bar again. Unfortunately, she was a little more yielding this time, and she found herself quickly winded as a result.

"Oi," she groaned, closing her eyes, if just for one, precious moment, to make the spinning stop. "Maybe I could use some help after all."

[Cptdragon9]

Mack had grabbed the woman’s arm to steady her, the contact very strong and unyielding. It was clear that Krepta’s new benefactor could have inflicted quite a bit of damage had she not been gentle with the dragon-changed-woman. Mack then gently but firmly sat Krepta down on one of the tall wooden stools. If she were shocked, or even curious about the woman’s non-period garb; again she brought no attention to it. In fact not many took notice of her odd dress; only the occasional barfly either pursed his lips as if to kiss her across the room, or made more suggestive and ruder gestures.

　

Mack ignored all of this “You require water to help re-hydrate your body. It is clear that you have undergone a stressful event, one of a trans-dimensional teleportation as evident by the tachyon gradient radiating from your skin. You should limit your regiment to rest and refuel for at least one day to adjust for this temporal shift.”

　

The woman now turned to the counter. The bartender had not intervened in any of the activity, including the barfight that had briefly interrupted service in the tavern, but now the notably shorter man behind the counter was giving Mack the evil eye. Mack was full used to it by now. “Barkeep. Please bring us a flagon of cold water and some buttered bread.” Mack then reached into the leather pouch hanging from the woven leather belt, depositing a rather large gold coin on the counter. She had learned one thing from her association with Ashmire and his kind; that many transgressions, even those unperceived, were smoothed over with the application of monetary reparations.

　

This was clearly the case at the squat man took the coin and slipped it into the til before plunking a battered tin of water on the counter. It took him longer to round up some food. At least the bread was warm and fresh; which was more than could be said for the butter and it’s layer of black mold, a singular fly stuck on top of the small dish like a macabre cherry.

　

Again Mack cocked her head, repeating the gesture to the same precise degree. “Do you have someplace to rest? Or have you need of accommodations’ for the night?”

[Cptdragon9]

Tristan Rex had sat back during the whole exchange, watching the scene unfold from the safety of his seat at the other end of the bar. He had easily figured out that the dragoness was not one of the Vashtalian horde, being too loud and clumsy to even be faking it. He had admit that even though she seemed to be a lummox, she was a fetching young hen of a reptile. He was further intrigued when she shifted in a better looking humanoid, finding her image stirring some of those same old desires that normally landed him in trouble.

Still he kept himself in check. Not because of those damnable Vashtalians (though he was sure that just by thinking such thoughts that whatever magical hoo-hoo they had whammied on his container was ratting out his ill-intended thoughts to his jailors right now), but because of the dragon’s recently acquired guardian escort.

The robot.

He couldn’t help but curl his lip in contempt. Of all the creations on this insufferable planet to run afoul of, it had to the thief’s personal bodyguard. Why, by tooth and toenail; was she out here in this neck of the woods? Didn’t she have a brood of baby mutants and their worthless pelt of a father to protect?

Tristan continued to grumble at his run of bad luck. Even in this badly wired shell he still had a modicum of command over his talent. He could nudge a mind, implant a small suggestion. It had been his only means of manipulation since landing on this rock and being imprisoned in the golem, but he was able to wriggle his way around the edges. But no amount of telepathic power could influence a creature of metal and gears. Worse, it, knew him. He had no means of surprise or subterfuge against the robot should he want to attempt to take the dragoness.

At least not directly. Already his brain was in motion, taking in the whole of the bar, looking for anything or anyone he might be able to coax or nudge into acting unwittingly on his behalf. Had he thought the oversize lug that had attacked might have had a chance against the automaton, he might well have backed the brute; but he knew Mack too well. A frontal assault did not bode well against a machine programmed for combat.

For now he bided his time, shelling out the coins while his two compadres celebrated their new found venture. Best to keep them inebriated and in the dark until it was too late for them to back out of their little agreement…

(trouble coming very soon, I promise….)

[Krepta]

(( Oh noes! ))

Krepta grimaced. She had little to no idea what half of that jargon had meant, though she did recognize a few words, like, 'tachyon' and 'radiation'. Didn't tachyons have something to do with space? And wait--- what? Radiation? That was bad, right? She wasn't sure anymore. Her brains were still more than a little addled from her recent trip through time and space-- she was sure she'd figure it out later, though, and decided to translate the womans words into, 'You look like shit. Sit down," which was probably a good idea. So she did.

However, as soon as she had settled into a precarious perch on one of the wobbly wooden stools that lined the bar, she wished she hadn't. The 'bread and butter' that had been brought to her looked like it had seen more than better days, and she had to try very hard not to retch. Even the food they had served them at The Tether hadn't been much more than stale at the very least. This, though--- there was no way she was eating that. Picky Krepta was not, but black mold and still wriggling insects, well, she doubted even her immune system would be okay with the idea of what it would do to her. The water probably wasn't very safe either. She ignored both. She'd go hunt later, and maybe drink from a stream or something, assuming the pollution here wasn't terrible. She'd figure something out. Just... not... this.

"I'll be okay," she assured her recently acquired escort. "I've hopped before. Just... dizzy as all. Disoriented. Where am I?" She assumed since no one was freaking out at the big red dragon who had just stumbled about trying to crush the place, nor her abrupt and rather dramatic shift in forms, that the locals of this place were used to weird things. That at least was something, and it would make it a lot easier for her to find out exactly what had just happened and where and WHEN she was. "I just got here, so... no, no where to crash yet. I'll figure something out. No offense, but these aren't really my kind of digs." She nodded to the bread, then twisted her head to look over her shoulder, wondering if she could spot the stairs to whatever rooms they had. She assumed she was in an inn. It looked like an inn. It felt like an inn... It certainly smelled like an inn! Of course, that didn't mean that they necessarily had a second floor. The place seemed a little rundown.

"I'm Krepta," she said, offering a hand, only to pause and frown. "Did I say that already?" God. She hated dimension hopping, or... what had the woman called it? 'Temporal Shifts'. Whatever it was that had just happened to her, though, it hadn't been the first time, and it always left her out of sorts when she landed. She hoped the haze would lift soon, and that she could get on with her life. It was no doubt making her look like a damned fool!

[Cptdragon9]

As the townfolk along the wharf worked towards the evening hours a low buzz began to softly waft through the salty spray. Most didn’t take notice of the sound; many could not hear it over the rolling seas as the waves slapped against the hulls of ship and trawls. One or two looked up when shadows of the late setting sun seemed to flicker across the ill-worn planks that made up the boardwalk. One salty old dog set his fingers to his brow, trying to see what was flying, but couldn’t discern any shapes in the bright sunlight.

Slowly the humming noise rose in pitch and tempo, causing more of the seafaring folk to pause in their work. More people now gazed into the setting sun, trying to see what was causing the vibration. One young cabin boy slowly backed up, the hairs on his arms standing on end, giving him a very unsettled feeling and he heeded its call, retreating into one of the small sales shops that lined the breaker.

He moved just in time as the first bear slammed into the boardwalk, sending splinters of wood flying. The bear turned and roared before thin white beams of light shot from its eyes, ripping into the side of the taffy shop, tearing through a wall lined with various flavors of the tasty treat.

More bears now crashed into the wharf, roaring and snarling before pausing the sniff the air. A low grumble racked through one she-bear before she charged down the rickety structure, making a bee-line towards the bar at the end of the pier…..

[Cptdragon9]

Mack nodded, perhaps a little too perfunctory to register as human; as she listened to Krepta. “You are in the establishment known as the “Slimy Pig” located in the city know as Rhydin situated on the eastern quadrant of the continent of the same name. Currently there is no designation for the planet. I am Mack,” she replied. “I know a place where you might be able to find accommodations among those of your persuasion. They are noble creatures and find kinship with most dragons. I will escort you….”

The girl paused, as if listening to something, though how she could hear anything above the boisterous racket made by the bar’s patrons would have been miraculous. “Something is wrong,” she noted as she turned slowly, trying to pinpoint what was bothering her.

[Cptdragon9]

Tristan had also paused, picking up some sort of vibration that was making his teeth rattle. It wasn’t so much as a cognizant thought as much as an overbearing emotion. A really upset on at that. He looked quickly towards the robot, thinking that perhaps the automaton had acquired some sort of emotional chip in her last upgrade (who Knew what Ashmire might have programmed into her), but from what he could determine by her reactions (and that’s if Ash hadn’t mucked that up with all the tinkering he probably did on his little metal pet) was that it wasn’t her that was pissed.

It sounded bigger, and much madder than that.

It was then he decided that a tactical retreat was in order. He turned to his associates, pondering if he should warn them. As he watched them laughing at Hard’s attempt to play darts (the darts were embedded in the wall up to the feathered shafts) he figured that they should be able to take care of themselves; either that or he would have to find more suitable replacements. For now he pushed the last of the tab (no tip, of course) down the bar before turning to head out the door….

[Solem'cleavu]

There was the "pop" of an incoming teleport followed by a red streak from a blade's edge before the bear's head would start rolling away from it's body. Where the bear's body would crash down Melissa stood. Stretching out her wings some before refolding them the Dragoon simply looked over small swarm of flying bears. Shortly after Onyx would be landing next to her in her human form having just arrived herself from Megan's ranch. "So I see you decided to show up Melissa."

Melissa simply shrugged a bit. "I've been listening to your comm chatter for quite some time now as has Dracon. In the end we've decided that one of us should make an appearance and see these things for ourselves. Onyx get with the local law enforcement and try to work with them to evacuate any civilians from the area, I will command our forces here."

As Onyx left to go about her orders Melissa would fly towards the approaching group of bears, just as the pursuit forces would just now begin hitting them from behind.

[Krepta]

More dragons? No thank you! Krepta was sure they were a nice enough lot, but that was half the problem! Dragons always seemed to be convinced that they knew best in any situation, no matter what, and this was doubly so when half-breeds like her were involved. She valued both her privacy and her freedom, thank you, and experience had taught her that it was probably better for her sanity if she remained as far away from her father's kin as possible. Anywho, who was this woman, assuming that she would escort her anywhere? Maybe she didn't want to be escorted! It wasn't as though she didn't appretiate the though behind it, but Krepta was a full grown, not to mention headstrong woman capable of both making her own desicions and protecting her own ass. She was suddenly scowling fiercely at the woman, but as she opened her mouth to respond, no doubt a little bluntly, something else seemed to capture her 'rescuer's' attention.

Something was wrong, she had said, but what? In this weak, stunted, useless body, she felt blind and deaf, and more than that, completely helpless. She knew some hand to hand combat, that much was true, and could defend herself to a degree, but if a big woman like Mack was concerned, then anything she could possibly come up with in her human form would be completely worthless. No, she would have to shapeshift. Whatever it was, the fact that it made so many of the bar's denizens so antsy told her that she had reason for concern.

Suddenly heedless of her self assigned keeper, the scarred shapeshifter shoved her way to the door. She needed outside, and she needed it now. So distracted was she with finding a way out of the smothering, smelly bar, that she failed to notice the gradually growing humming coming from just beyond the establishment's scarred and pitted doors...

[Cptdragon9]

As the bears barreled straight for Melissa, the suddenly slowed, as if confused by what they saw before them. Instead of engaging her they seemed to purposely avoid her; whipping around, over, and under her, swooping wide of that wicked blade before continuing straight on into the bar….

　

　

Tristan opened the door, saw the wall-o-bruins flying straight for him, then slammed the door shut and scooted to the side, expecting the bears to blast right through the door…

In that quick glimpse outside, Mack saw the flying grizzly bears tear-assing down the pier straight for the bar. Instead of hiding, it seemed her whole body writhed before various weapons popped out of her body. A large shoulder cannon seemed to unfold from her back to roll and rest on her shoulder. A smaller laser rifle popped from a compartment from her forearm, the energy chamber within’ the piece humming to life; while and oversized hand cannon made her ridiculously small (not that she was almost childlike and petite in appearance to begin with.

　

There were others in the bar that heard the roars and had peeked out through the window and the brief view through the door. Most were scrambling to get out through the bar’s back door. A bulky monster of a man that could have easily passed as the rude patron’s brother did stand his ground, drawing a long scimitar that was nearly as long as he was tall.

He was pointing the blade straight in front of him when the bear smashed in the door.

[Solem'cleavu]

Melissa had just quirked a brow when she noticed the bears slow down, of course she wasn't one to miss an opening so she got at least one more of the bears before the rest of them started avoiding her like the plague. "You cheeky little bastards..." Raising her hand up to brush up against the stone in one of her hairpieces, afterwards it took on a greenish glow as she spoke. "All forces switch to urban combat we must prevent as much damage to the surrounding area as possible I do not want to cause Lord Dracon to have to pay for the damages if I can help it. That means all Dragons who have not already switched over change into your humanoid forms and keep the wide area destructive magic to a minimum. Our top priority will be the safety of the civilian population, if possible try to lead the bears away."

Melissa had herself made her way to the bar that the bears seemed to be trying to converge on, giving a rather deep and nasty gash if not killing any bear that could not get out of the way fast enough before she attacked it. Once she saw a bear crash through the door and immediately spit itself head first onto the curved blade of one of the bar's patrons she then made it inside herself and immediately found what could be the cause of the bears' interest in this particular building. "Tristan, if you have your team together already then perhaps it would be best if you returned to Vashtalia and got underway on your task."

Nodding a bit to Mack once she had seen her before she just indicated that they should take it outside with the slightest tilt of her head. "Mack perhaps you should follow me." Would be all that she said as she picked Tristan up and made her way back outside the building. Spinning around and driving the heel of her armored boot into the side of the head of one of the bears that got too close to her in an attempt to get to Tristan. Afterwards she drove her halberd through the top of it's head temporarily pinning it against the ground before she pulled her weapon free and continued on her way.

[Cptdragon9]

When the bear smashed through the door, the bar became a bedlam as cutthroats and pirates and murder’s scrambled to escape. Tristan already had it in reverse, and tried to slip out the back door, only to have another grizzly smash it’s head through the door to get at him. He again retreated, nearly scurrying under Mack’s titanium frame as the robot turned and sent volley of explosives into the bruin. It exploded, splattering blood and brains and smoldering fur everywhere.

That was when Melissa showed up. The halberd-bearing angel may have been the only calm point in this storm of brawling bruins because while she kicked and slashed and stabbed at various bears, others took to clawing the entranceway wider, ripping chunks of woodwork apart in their attempts to get inside. This was hampered when Mack opened fire, blasting chunks of flaming bear meat off the thick muscular frame of the bear that had been stabbed in the brain case.

　

Soon Melissa slipped through the jagged gap at the front door, snatching Tristan from under his hiding spot (Mack was too busy being on the defensive to concern herself with the gnat hiding under her skirts) to drag him out of the bar. Tristan’s team, to their credit; were into the fray. The women may have seamed helpless before, but she threw a set of thin narrow knives with great accuracy, blinding one bear enough for her associate to dispatch. Harm was in his glory, bringing a mace high over his head to smash down on the bruin’s skull.

Unfortunately grizzly bears have very thick skulls. Celestial laser-shooting flying bears doubly so. The beast tossed it’s head, sending Harm flying across the bar to smash in the already broken table from before.

　

The robot would have followed Melissa out, however Mack was reluctant to leave the bar and her newest acquaintance unprotected. As she shot a plasma blast just past Krept’as ear to burn a serious gouge into the next bear trying to wiggle it’s way through the back door’ the robot shouted at Melissa. “Let the ursi have the Rex. They cannot harm him in his current housing.” She turned slightly, her targeting systems locking onto another grizzly and a rocket launched from the shoulder mount, catching the fast-flying bruin in the haunch, ripping it’s leg from the socket, but failing to kill the animal.

[Solem'cleavu]

Melissa had heard Mack and then just sighed a bit before she shouted back. "I think not, if we are correct in our observations these bears seem to be attacking anywhere with a mutant population. Therefore if we remove the focus of their hostilities then they should follow us away from the city. Sorry Mack but Tristan is remaining with me as bait so I can lead these things away as the safety of the local civilians is our top priority. Now you can either follow along or continue fighting in there causing more and more property damage. Keep in mind though that the Vashtalian government will not be responsible for any damage you cause so the repair bills will be coming out of your pocket."

Another swipe at a bear that had gotten much too close. "You can bring your new friend if you wish but I can almost guarantee that these things will follow us if we remove Tristan from the vicinity. Then you can fight without worrying about collateral damage."

[Cptdragon9]

(( Sorry Mack but Timothy is remaining with me as bait so I can lead these things away as the safety of the local civilians is our top priority))

(you mean Tristan, not Timothy. Tim ain’t even on the planet….. Now you know how hard it is for me to keep everyone straight, yours and mine….))

Mack merely grunted before turning just in time to plow her mechanical fist through the face of yet another bear coming through the broken back door. It did seem that the bruins were determined to get at the pint-sized bottled mutant. How they were able to detect him had to be the same way Mack did, to trace the discordant energy patterns emitted by the species. What concerned her now were her charges. If Ashmire and his family … if they were threatened….

“Very well. I will follow and terminate any of the ursine that continue to pursue.” She felt that if she could eliminate the threat here and now, her charges would remain safe.

She then turned to Krepta. “You should remain here. The bears will be drawn to the Rex and the angel carrying him and will pursue. To follow us would prove to be both hazardous and foolhardy. I shall return once the threat has been eliminated.” And off Mack went, half her armament still extended from the various housing on her chassis; looking much like some mini- multi armed two-legged tank as one of the shoulder cannons exploded, sending another plasma shell into a cluster of bears winging above the bar, blowing them apart. One bear was gutted, sending a shower of guts raining down

[Cptdragon9]

Tristan knew when it was time to keep his trap shut, and this was most definitely one of those times. He normally would have been bitchin’ and complainin’ about being manhandled, but when a bevy of bears were trying to eviscerate you, well then your choice of heroic figures to rescue your jeweled hiney couldn’t be too narrowly defined.

Harm and his pocket-pickin’ sidekick were still working with the rest of the bar’s inhabitants in keeping the bears at back. Tristan gave an ear-piercing whistle to get their attention (along with the few bears that were somewhat confused as to where their target had gone) then tightened his tiny grip on Melissa’s arm. Harm looked to see their boss being absconded and with a roar that sounded like his name, he charged after Melissa and Tristan, taking an occasional swipe at a bear. All he managed to do what knock one in the skull, making the behemoth veer for a moment before it charged back onto the boardwalk, attempting to body slam the bruiser out of the way. Both muscle-bound creatures continued to shoulder each other as they charged through the streets, both determined to reach Tristan first.

[Solem'cleavu]

Melissa just sighed as she stood there waiting for Mack. "Mack, the half dragon can easily take care of herself even in the state she is currently in. She can come along if she so wishes.." Quirking a brow then at the scene of the human and the bear rushing towards her shoulder to shoulder. Hefting her halberd up then she changed her grip on it before throwing the weapon like a spear right at the bear. The weapon teleporting as soon as it left her hand only to reappear right in front of the bear too close for the bruin to evade. The halberd tearing through the bear's head to stick in the ground behind it. Teleporting the halberd back into her hand before she looked around for any other bears wishing to try their luck.

[Krepta]

(( Alright, I'm gunna have to back out of this for a while, sorry folks. Too much has come up lately and things are getting a bit stressful. I'll give Krepta an exit post though. ))

Krepta's ears were assaulted by the roar of combat and somewhere in the din, she heard herself mentioned briefly, but her mind was elsewhere. Beyond having just dodged death yet again, not to mention having to wrap her head around the idea of flying, laser shooting bears, something kept flickering distractingly at the edge of her vision, just at the tree-line beyond the city. She hesitated, and the fray before her threatened to overwhelm her as she ducked another bear's clumsy attack. She could do nothing for them in her human form, though, and taking orders wasn't really her thing. She grimaced and turned, dashing towards the looming line of woods in the distance. She felt a pang of guilt for leaving them there, but really, they would be okay without her, and to be honest, she didn't really fancy being led off to where-ever by the strange cyborg woman who had first rescued her. It wasn't that she wasn't greatful, but, well, the woman was just far too bossy for the she-dragon's liking, and she seemed set on bringing her to some clan of dragons somewhere, and that idea didn't sit too well with her either. No, right now was her best chance for an easy escape, and she took it, wings or not. Besides, she had sworn she had seen something off in that forest, something familiar...

[Solem'cleavu]

((bump bumpity bump bump bump, this thread seems to have fallen by the wayside))

[Cptdragon9]

(I'm getting my teeth kicked in at work this whole week and then some. Once the turbulent waters recide I'll breathe some life into the thread. It ain't quite dead yet))

[Cptdragon9]

Mack pouted, but upon seeing the dragoness slip out the other exit to the bar, she felt that her duty had been done and she turned to follow the angel, shooting a few more plasma bolts into the throng of bears thrundering up the boardwalk, likewise missing the barbarian. She likewise had to shift two inches to the right to miss being impaled by his knife-throwing side kick. At first Mack thought the woman was trying to kill her, but the satifactory thunk of metal sinking into bone and metal confirmed that the lady had sucessfully impaled her dagger into the eye of an oncomming grizzly, causing it to snap it's jaws mere fractions from Mack's head.

The robot merely turned, pressed the muzzle of the gun she was holding against the monster bear's temple and pulled the trigger. The bulk of the creature, now missing half of it's head; collapsed on the boardwalk. There were quite a few of those furry bodies collecting on the warped timbers. Still there was a sizeable pack left and they seemed pretty determined to get at Tristan, even if they had to tear the whole boardwalk apart.

[Solem'cleavu]

Melissa for her part was then leading the remainder of the bears away from the city. With the rest of the Vashtalian pursuit forces chasing them along with Tristan's new associates and Mack. Once at a clear area away from the townspeople, just as the city's militia and local guard forces were finally making their way to that area, the dragoon started tearing into three bears that did indeed try to press their luck. Setting Tristan on the ground before sinking her blade into the skull of one of the attackers. Afterwards pulling that halberd free and driving the shaft end through the eye and brain of another one before spinning around to catch another one with her heel. Once that bear was down she placed her palm on it's head and cast a fireball directly inside of it's skull causing it's head to blow apart when the spell exploded.

After the current three attackers were dispatched she just stood there, slightly crouched and setting her halberd to spin quickly in her hand, ready for another bear to try and attack to get to her charge.