Crouching Tigers, Hidden Wolf Beast - RPLOG
Participants
Date
10/10/2014
Log
NOTE: Scene was interrupted due to a MUCK crash; it will be resumed night of 10/10/2014. Some cleaning still needs to be done.
The Agents invited have been directed to report to the guard tower at the southern gate of Clairmont. One of the cty's liasons is waiting there, a golden-scaled dragon. He waits patiently, arms crossed, tail slowly twitching; when everyone arrives, he looks the group over, sighs, and then nods. "So this is it, huh?" he asks. He waits for pleasantries to be exchanged, then cuts to the chase. "A pack of ferals have been harassing our hunters. Worse than that, two of them have disappeared, and a third was hurt bad enough that it took him a full day of intensive medical care back at our hospital to recover. He said that they were a pack of mixed tigers and a few bears - you may be familiar with them, Edel." Joe gives her a quick smile. "They're too strong for most of our hunters, and they're smart enough they've been skirting the edge of the bubble - if too big of a group comes for them, they draw back, knowing we don't want to risk the casualties we'd get chasing after them. Your jobs is simple. This is a hit. Go out there and make them wish they were anywhere else." The dragon pauses, looking over the Agents. "Any questions? When you're ready, you'll be led to the last area where we had contact."
Edel slips along towards the meeting point, the snowleopard thumbing the hilt of her sword as she comes to a stop near Joe, listening to the debrief. "Ahhh. Them again... That's fine by me. I did have some unfinished business with their 'leader' last time... Very well," she says, dipping into a little bow. "Consider it done."
It is rare that Jade gets to indulge in her instincts-- the grafted skills lingering from transformation-- especially in good cause. But with Tad left at home (with firm admonishment), arrowheads selected, sharpened, an all in readiness... She traces the earth with her fingertips, smiling quietly. "And for a noble cause," she remarks, shaking her head. "It would be a pleasure to help."
Thelergramor grins, the fox liking the simplicity of this assignment. "So, go out, fuck 'em up, come home? Easy. Or should be. Edge of bubble doesn't sound like a problem. If they go out of it, I can stay back and snipe 'em. Maybe. Bit harder to aim with it like this..." The fox gestures with his head towards the firearms mounted on his back. Of which there are two. And a crossbow. "But then they wouldn't be getting back up after they're hit, so... Problem solved." Nods to Edel and any others. "Edel, hello. Other people." Turns back to the one known as Joe.
The fact of a group of ferals on her front doorstep harming any agents, hunters and scavengers quickly reaches her ears and Sara emerges from the nearby New Ireland compound, her 'retirement' having come to a complete and utter stop. After a short walk to the gate the group had been standing by Sara stops infront of the golden dragon and offers him a nod before pulling a cigarette from an inner jacket pocket, lighting it and asking, "By pack, how many do you mean?"
The dragon shrugs, looking over at Edel. "Edel ran into them the last time she took a job for us. If I recall there were... two large bears of some sort, almost a dozen tigers and tigresses by now, and their boss, who we've heard is "the largest damned fucking sabertooth
" that our hunter had seen." Joe falls silent for a moment. "Any other questions?" he asks, as he waves the waiting scout over - a familiar looking (to Edel) female husky. "This is Claire. She'll take you into the woods."
Jade nods as she keeps an ear canted to the conversation, listening. "How could the tigers be wandering this far?" she murmurs thoughtfully, stretching into a slow rise. She bows to Claire, nodding welcome as she remove the bow from her back. "I am prepared when you are. Let us waste no time."
Edel pauses for a moment as she hears the husky's name. She tilts her head and peers for a moment. "What an odd coincidence," she murmurs before smiling and nodding at Claire. "Hello again! Glad we got you out of there. But yes, we will put an end to this," she says, looking back over her companions and checking the string on her bow.
Thelergramor nods, tail swaying behind him. Eyes the husky a bit, in a totally innocent fashion. <nope> "Alright, Claire, ready whenever the others are. These poor bastards don't stand a chance." Cocky, uninformed. "What's a big striped pussy gonna do, right? Er, sabretooths have stripes, yeah?" Shrugs, in that vulpine not-really-a-shrug way.
With her question answered, Sara nods inwardly and takes a long drag from her smoke and breathes it away from the group, "Mm.. that'll do for me, thanks Joe." she finishes with a brief, though friendly pat on his shoulder before turning away from the other dragon and looking to the husky scout. "Good to see you, Miss Claire." she greets innocently enough before turning to the gates and waiting for the group to press onwards.
The briefing done, Claire leads the four Agents to a converted electric jeep, giving Edel and Sara both friendly smiles. "Hey Sara. Good to see you in the field again. And thanks for the save, Edel. Don't worry, I'm not going to do any stupid 'I can scout it alone' stuff this time." The husky's ears fold for a moment, and then with a quiet hum the jeep takes off. A short distance out of town she cuts off the road and follows a small trail through a wild field, and up to a forest; the trail thins, but remains passable for about fifteen minutes before Claire stops and turns the jeep around, then pulls the key. "Alright. We go on foot from here. The hunter said he found a cave they came out from before he got jumped, about two miles deeper in." She pauses, then raises a finger in front of her lips in a motion signaling for stealth, then turns and leads the way deeper into the forest.
Jade falls into place as a shadow, a silent whisper of dark and light. Arrow nocked to bow-- she trails behind Claire, eyes bright as she searches the forest with sight and feel and scent. Hunting more than scouting, each in equal measure as she moves. Quiet as she reslishes the shadows of the forest; reverent as she stalks after in silent grace.
Edel shakes her head and smiles. "I trust you. I was just amused because I happen to have a husky daughter named Claire! I thought it was unusual, that's all." She tucks her hands in the coat of the white jacket she was wearing over her bodysuit, striking up a little merry hum as she sets off on the walk!
"A cave? Should've brought my shotgun..." Thelergramor whispered low and to himself, staying low and as quiet as possible. Remains at the back of the group. Flicks his head, dropping the binoculars perched atop it down to his eyes. Glances over the area ahead of them. Likely can't see dick through the trees. Then sniffs at the air, trying to find scent of bear or tiger.
Already ready, Sara makes her way to the jeep and climbs in along with the other hunters, "Yeah, s'good to be back, Claire. Was also good to actually be able to be with family, but.. well.. always nice to go out and be the hero once in a while.." she admits with a soft chuckle. "Though a cave, huh? We got any flashlights?" As she speaks, Sara pulls out two handguns from their hidden shoulder holsters and dutifully checks them over, for as long as those two miles last.
On foot in the forest, Claire demonstrates that she is a fairly decent scout; the group makes good time through the underbrush, and eventually it thins out as the trees grow thicker and taller. There are a few times where Claire pauses to sniff, listen, or peer around, and at her latest stop it dawns on the group: the normal sounds of the forest have faded. There are no birds singing, no insects buzzing, and no squirrels, rabbits, or other creatures scurrying through the underbrush. Clearly, something is up... "We're getting close," Claire whispers. "Very close."
Edel closes her eyes and sniffs at the air. "Mmmh. Yes, I would agree," she says, laying one hand on the hilt of her sword, the other gripping the scabbard near the top. She gives a little nod towards Sara, but otherwise gives no other indication that something might be up. It's time to wait.
Jade's body quivers with a silent, electric pulse. Nostrils quiver as she scent the surroundings, nodding in unspoken agreement. Wordless, she moves to the right; stalking within the underbrush, moving to give the others clear shots, should it come... And to cover the husky scout herself, should danger present. And agreeing quietly with the others-- shotguns would be welcome.
Thelergramor flicks his head upward, setting the binoculars back atop his head before following the others. Does as Claire did; sniffing occasionally. Fights the urge to mark the trees. Should all be his territory. Isn't nearly as concerned as he should be by the silent forest. Sniffs around again, readying the remote trigger for his weapons. Stays near the back. Most likely to get picked off that way, but, sniper needs more range.
Her weapons readied, Sara looks up and into the tree line, just in time to catch two tigresses blending into the foliage. The dragoness however doesn't seem to make the fact widely known as her gaze passes by them before too long and she instead looks to the new motion; Edel, and Jades nodding, both of whom recieving a nod of her own. "So.." Sara begins, ".. anyone catch the game last night?" she asks, turning her back to the stalking tigresses and giving her fellow hunters indistinct gestures to show the two tigresses, all the while, her hands gripping the handguns tightly, and readying herself for the attack.
Claire turns to face the Agents and starts to speak; predictably, with the party's attention turned inward and the defenders apparantly unaware, the tigers on sentry duty choose to spring their ambush. One tigress launches herself at Edel in a sudden blur, her camoflauge dropping as she springs up from the forest floor; a second has decided that Thelergramor looks like the easiest prey to take down and has dropped from the trees towards him, and the third goes for Claire's unprotected back. Unprotected does not mean unwatched, though, as Sara calls out a warning and launches herself between Claire and the springing tiger.
Edel's quick reflexes allow her to painfully catch her attacker with a countering sweep of her sword, while Thel is nimble enough to avoid his assailant - and the hail of bullets from Sara's rapid shots. Sara, unfortunately, takes the brunt of a tiger's charge, claws sinking in to latch into her shoulders as the tigress tries to drag her to the ground.
Edel was waiting for that, and the other feline fell right into it! As soon as it makes its pounce and is airborne, and thus unable to avoid, she counters. Her blade is drawn from its scabbard and, in one electrically charged sweep, carries through with the motion, blade finding flesh, blood, and bone alike. She doesn't let up there, though. She presses the assault, stepping forward and bringing the blade back down in a diagonal two-handed arc.
Jade's eye flicks. One, upon the dragoness. Another, taken by Edel. The third--%T
%T
From thought to action-- instinctive as she releases her shaft towards the tigress chasing after Thelergramor. "Not today," she says softly, arrow released even as a smooth motion draws the second from its quiver, nocked and ready to release.%T
%T
Harmony in motion, quick shafts spearing the air. Bliss.
Thelergramor growls at his attacker, evading their clumsy assault easily. "REally wwant em to shoot you then?" Then levels his Auto-Hammer at her. Presses the button on the remote trigger in his paw; unleashing a torrent of carpentry nails towards the tigress.
"Ambush!" Sara shouts as she rushes to Claires side, just in time to push her out of harms way. With her pistols already handy, the dragoness breathes a shrill whistle, motions to Thel, and raises the weapons just in time to fire of a few rounds into both the tigress now attacking her, and the other attacking the clearly capable fox. "Graaah!" she shouts as the wounded tigress bowls into her and proceeds to try to bite, and claw at her. "Get.. offa me!" she shouts. Meanwhile, with one arm, she tries to fend off the tigress, and with the other, she reaches for a knife at her side and begins jamming it into her attacker as fast as her hands would be able.
Sara's earlier whistle is later answered by a violent shriek as a red-tailed hawk bursts through the uppergrowth and attacks Thelergramor's already heavilly wounded attacker with its razor sharp claws.
The fight degrades into a scuffle as Edel and the first tigress circle. Edel's blade scores shallow, glancing hits against her opponent, while the tigress attempts to dart in and out to sink its claws into the leopardess but only manages to graze her leg. The second tigress gathers itself for a second lunge, only to be distracted by the swooping hawk and a quick arrow; when it turns back towards Thel, it catches a face full of magnetically propelled nails. She screams, a blood-curdling shriek of pain and anger, and falls to the ground pawing at the lengths of metal sunk into her. The third tigress fares better, her claws tearing through Sara's vest like it was paper. Fortunately the dragoness' scales are tougher, and although she is still painfull raked with a spray of blood, the tiger fails to eviscerate her. It also gets a mouthful of trench knife when it tries to clamp its teeth down on Sara's neck, as the commando's rapid assault perforates her hide. Sara clips a vein and a spray of blood rewards her efforts, but the tigress is only pushed to redouble her assault.
Edel gives an agitated little growl as she tiger manages to graze her leg, the armour soaking most of the blow, but it still hurt! And now the pants she was wearing over it were torn. With a hiss, she brings her hand up, not for another sword bow, but to strike out with a lance of arcing electricity.
Thelergramor growls at the now downed tigress once more. "Sorry, sweety, but you've just been nailed." Then turns towards the one attacking Sara. Doesn't want to risk a shot that close to an ally... So, the fox charges at them. Lashing out with his teeth to latch onto one of the still-capable-of-attacking-limbs.
Jade's eye hovers with practiced patience. No need to charge in; the bow removes that need, as she freezes for a heartbeats' stillness. One falls, the others remain. One circling--- The huntress releases her shaft with a practiced ease, a whisk of sharp metal sailing through the air. Taking advantage of Edel's maneuvering, circling the back of the feral tigress straight into her arrow.
With little sound aside from the sudden rush of a large form and the scrabbling, scratching noises of leaves and dirt being overturned, (which is impressive considering the size of the source), a large wolf beast comes barreling out from behind a few trees, launching himself at the tigress Edel had just lanced with electricity. He seems to have little regard for his own safety, more than willing to take some of that electrical current himself as he tries to grapple large, muscular arms up and around the tigress' much smaller body in an attempt to bear-hug her to unconsciousness.
With a final shriek as the tigress's claws strike true, and being completely unaware of Thelergramor's charge, and figuring Nimbus had still been busy with the previous tigress, Sara's eyes glint gold for all of a moment before her draconic maw opens wide and she blasts a hellish wave of flames.
With perfect timing, Edel hops back from the first tigress as it pulls back from a lunge, widening the space between them; she raises a hand and sends bolts of nano-powered lightning into the feral. It howls, but caught off guard as it is it fails to dodge Jade's arrow, or the sudden appearance of the wolf beast that falls on it. Sara's opponent fares worse, as it starts kicking the dragoness again - although it tears a scale free, it's face and shoulders are quickly enveloped in fire, while Thel catches one of its feet in his teeth and savagely tears. The tigress goes limp, the nanites rendering her comatose as they kick into overdrive to try and repair the damage. The second tigress wails as she picks nails out of her face and rolls around on the forest floor.
Edel lowers her hand and peers at Taggart. "Well, well. I'm surprised to see you out here. Pleasantly so. It'll be nice to fight alongside you," she says with a curt nod as she swings her blade to the side, trying to flick the majority of the blood from it before wiping the rest off in the crook of her elbow. It stained something awful on the white fabric of her jacket, but it was bound to end up ruined by now, anyway.
Thelergramor spits blood from his maw, licking his lips afterward. "You're welcome." A cocky grin on his vulpine visage as he looks down to the burnt once. "Hope she tastes better cooked..." He shakes his head, somehow not the least bit surprised to see Taggart for some reason. "Hey, Taggart." Before turning back to the tigress he already shot. Plods on over to her. "Don't get up. Would be unpleasant." Doesn't exactly give her a choice in the matter before breathing a shadowy morass at the wounded tigress.
Jade's aim hovers over the wolfbeast for an instant. 'Another feral?' is the thought, but she lets her draw ease as the others make noises of recognition. She closes her eyes as adrenaline's rush hammers through her veins, exhaling with a shiver of release. Leaving the wounded to the tender mercies of her companions, she glances swiftly about. "CAve, cave, where is the cave...." she murmurs, twisting to survey the area once more. And spare a glance towards the Ddraigh. *Something * familiar there.... The swiftness.
Taggart simply grunts to Edel's greeting, most of his attention upon the tigress wrapped up in his grasp and struggling to get free. He wrestles and tugs her about with his tree-trunks for arms before taking an opening when she lifts up her head to squirm. His large jaws suddenly open up and lunge upward, trying to latch about the front of her throat in a crushing grip native to his particular species while his arms continue to press down upon her body from the sides. Crunching unpleasantness is bound to happen in more than one part of her body.
After charring the tigress nice and crispy-like, Sara breathes a heavy sigh and pushes the comatose creature off of herself apparently only to look down to the damage the creature had done, wince, and fall back, her crimson gaze spent looking to the canopy above her. This silent wait lasts until finally, her equilibrium had been recovered and she rises to a seating possition. "Gods damn.." she grumbles, "Is everybody alright? C-Claire? You still here?" Further moving leaves her wincing again, and looking over the wounds she had recieved, so instead she simply calculates the damage, smokes? Destroyed. Jacket? Torn. Vest? Useless. Damn.
The burnt tigress lays still, the nailed one whimpers as she is overtaken by frigid shadows, and the third... well, wet crunch signals the end of her resistance. Claire finally raises herself to her feet, eyes wide. "Wow. That escalated quickly," she comments, before her tail starts to wag, although there is some hesitation there. "Uhm. Right! The cave! It's this way," she says, and motions for the Agents to follow. "I'm glad we decided to tap the reserve, damn you guys are beasts." Only a little ways further in and the party finds the 'cave' Joe had mentioned - a clearing in the forest created by a sinkhole, approximately twentyish feet wide and fifteen feet deep. One of the massive forest trees tilts over it at an angle, some of its roots snapped, others exposed, unable to support its massive weight. Down at the bottom of the hole, a sloping tunnel can be seen.
Edel winces a little. Though she was used to that sort of thing and worse, the sound still gives her a little flinch. Never a pleasant business. "Well. That certainly looks like an interesting cave system! Not what I was expecting, to be honest." She fans her wings a little, as if stretching them in preparation. "How shall we get down? Just jump?"
"You're welcome.." Sara grumbles as she rises to her feet, not without a little stumbling, as she tries to find her balance once more and is left following behind, "We're not going to bind 'em?" the ex-soldier asks as she makes her way away from the fallen foes. "Huh.. guess not." she concludes before her gaze falls on Taggart's bestial form. "Good to see you, boss.." she greets, her calmness returning, and the wounds no longer seeming to be that big a problem. As the group reaches the sinkhole, Sara looks down into the depths and asks, "How do we want to do this? Anyone got any rope?"
Thelergramor looks down into the hole, any kind of darkness shouldn't matter to his vision. Flicks his binoculars back down, peers in, and flicks them back up. Glances at Claire. "You're fine, yeah?" Then the rest. "Anyone hurt and need, uh, help?" Assumes noone is hurt enough for his help, felt like asking. "If you want to jump Edel, I'm right behind you." Looks over to Sara. "NAh, stopped carrying rope after I didn't have hands to tie it with. Shortsighted, I guess..." Sniffs at the air, listens for movement, then shrugs again.
Jade makes her way to the cave smoothly, cautiously; her arrow remains nocked as she stares into the sinkhole, eyes barely adjusting to the gloom within the cave. "We do have our moments," the tigress says cooly, though with a hint of mischief. The quick tail whips behind her, and she eases the draw of her weapon, replacing the arrow back into its quiver. "It might be best for you to remain here," she says, glancing over at Claire. "I do not mean to be unkind, but it may be safer for you at the entrance. To anchor a line everyone without wings can use... And to have another set of eyes on our prisoner." She glances at the remaining tigress pointedly, standing as she retrieves a thick, heavy cylinder from her belt. A flick of a hidden switch sets it humming; the shock baton crackles as she tests the discharge burn, nodding to herself with a quiet satisfaction. "I do," she adds, smiling with relish. Unfurling her pack from her back, her movements are quick as she begins setting out a few oddments of exploration: a slender zip line, a few flares, a tin of sardines...
Taggart lets loose with his jaws and arms, the tigress falling heavily out of his grip to the ground. His hand lifts and wipes off his muzzle with the back of it, looking around at the small group with his bright green eyes. He gives a small smirk to Sara and nods, tipping an imaginary hat before he silently falls into step behind the rest of them, some sort of hulking and protective juggernaut watching over the group as they approach the sinkhole. Seems he also has a length of thick rope bound around his body, one clawed hand taking it up and off of his shoulder before it thumps down into a pile nearer to the hole.
Leaving behind the scent of blood and charred feral, a new scent is barely traceable from the edge of the pit - well, the smell of tigresses is heavy and unmistakable, especially after that fight, but under it is the scent of other ferals, the stink of animal rut, and the damp mildew smell of old mud and fungus. Claire shrugs as she peers down towards the hole. "I've got a flashlight. I was planning on staying here... but I think I'm better off following you guys. I don't want to run into another one of those tigers if they're off hunting, you know? Although if you really, really want me to stay behind I can..."
After giving Taggart a nod in thanks, Sara grabs the bundle of rope he had dropped, ties it to a nearby tree, and slings the bundle down into the hole, making for an easy ascent and descent. With nothing to really lose, and her wounds either all healed, or close to it, Sara rappels down into the darkness below and peers into the tunnel, her crimson gaze looking for any humanoids hidden within.
Jade follows soon after. Close confines limit the usefulness of bow and arrow, but the silent thrum of the stun rod signals its readiness as the tigress weaves down, quick along the cable's length. She smiles, shaking her head with quiet rue-- outdone in survival readiness by a wolf. "Dio'd laugh for hours," she remarks quetly, eyes twinkling.
Thelergramor looks over to the rope. "Yeah... I'm not going to be able to climb that. So, if anyone wouldn't mind carrying me down..?" The fox shrugs, eyes the knife strapped to his foreleg. Doesn't have any idea how or if that's going to help him. Turns back to Claire. "Stay with me and I'll keep you safe. If you'd rather wait up here, I'll stay with you. Be a bit of a bitch to get up and down that rope." The fox smirks, peers into the hole.
Again, without word, Taggart thumps forward and wraps a heavy, large, clawed paw around Claire's hip, guiding her up and over his shoulder, whether she goes along with it to start or not. As if she could really argue with the hulk of a wolf. The other monstrous hand reaches over and snags Thelergramor up by the scruff of his neck, while he's not looking, holding him up into the air before, without warning, Taggart thumps over and steps off into the hole, falling through space with Claire on his shoulder and Thel held against his side. Seems to think he's capable of handled the landing.
Already in the hole, Edel sniffs at the air and furrows her brow before starting off, trying to follow the scent along the cave and towards the source. "Well, let's try to be quiet," she murmurs softly. "Maybe sneak up on them."
The tunnel is long, and dark, and it gently slopes down into the earth. There are a few places where it twists and bends, and a few pocket-type areas off of it, but it isn't until after walking for quite some time that the Agents discover a larger cave with three branching paths. Any comunits that are still active give their owners quiet, troubled beeps as they register the plummeting nanite density in the area - it seems the tunnel has led even further away from Clairmont. Although there are multiple paths, each with signs of passage and the faint, linger smell of the feral tigers, the heavier musks come from the center path - it is clearly the most used, and has been marked in the not too distant past by the siberian tiger.
Edel perks her ears at the notification given by her comm unit, but she doesn't pay it much mind. She didn't need to rely on the nanites as much as some others did. "Figure we should take the obvious path?" She asks, nodding towards the center path as she props her arm lazily upon the pommel of her sword.
Thelergramor meeps as he is picked up and jumped into the tunnel. "...Could've warned me first." the fox shakes himself off, walks behind the others. "Be as quiet as you want, they can probably already smell us." The fox glances around, walks towards the center path and sniffs. "Why take any path, Edel? Just bring them to us? No way to walk into an ambush, and can setup our own."
Jade follows with caution and care, eyes not nearly as sharp as those of her companions. But the traces of tiger-scent are unmistakable; she pauses at the triple branch, glancing to the others with silent curiosity. "Beneath the earth we may be, but this is still their ground," she remarks absently, a flick of fingers silencing her comm unit. She pauses at Thel's comments, tilting her head in curiosity. "Would they fall for it? I would not want them to flee instead, and take root somewhere else."
Taggart keeps Claire upon his shoulder, unless she starts to protest, one hand wrapped up and about her body to keep her from slipping around as he walks. His bright emerald eyes squint a little as they peer into the darkness, his nose lifting to snuffle at the air before his muzzle curls into a sour scowl of distaste. There is a moment of his pause, then his free paw digs into the satchel at his side before producing a few sticks of home-made dynamite, wrapped together, to which he tosses in front of the group to draw their attention, again without words.
Erring to the side of caution, Sara looks to Thelergramor as he makes his suggestion and nods, "Huh.. good point, but what exactly would we be able to use that could bring /them/" the word 'them' joined with a nod in the tunnels direction, "to u--.." her words ended briefly to look at Taggarts next offering. "What? You want to bring the entire cave down on us?" she asks with a sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "Not sure how stable this cavern is, and I'd rather not be buried. Thanks though.." she adds with a pat on his shoulder showing no disapointment, or anger of any sort.
Claire, silently bemused at where she has been carried, finally speaks up. "The point -is- to get them to take root s-" she halts at the appearance of dynamite. "Holy shit big guy," she says quietly. "Do you always have a little extra bang in your pocket?"
Jade's eyes follow the thick sticks, nostrils quivering with the scent that makes her hair stand on end. "Perhaps after we are through," she remarks, staring at the bundle as though it were a viper. "Collapse the caverns after we are done with the mutants, to keep the caves from being used as a den again." And not because of panic, no... A forced exhale whispers through her nostrils, a quick glance spared to Claire with a nod.
Edel nods slowly. "Yes. Collapse it when we are done, perhaps. And we could, Thel, but why would they come to us? If we made it this far, I'd flee in their position. No, it's easier to make -sure- we do this right. And go on the offense."
Thelergramor chuckles, almost maniacally at the explosives. "Ah, there we go. Collapse the tunnels and leave. Easiest solution. Maybe not the best one, but, fuck these guys. Oh, and it wouldn't be hard to get them to come. I mean, smell this place." He sniffs at the tunnel again. "If I start marking it, making it my territory, the big bad pussy will come running." The fox grins back at the group. "Probably. Worked on those primes a week or two back."
Finally, the large wolf speaks, chest rumbling near a heavy base, constant growl undertones along with his thick, Irish accent, "Won't bury us iffun we know wut we're doin' wittit. Which... I do. More like collapse them spare tunnels... don't give'm way ta retreat or way ta come'up attus from bahind." He gives an idle shrug, his shoulder bouncing with Claire upon it, whom gets a tongue-in-cheek sort of smirk from the large wolf at the quiet comment.
"Mm.. well, guess that'd definitely work; collapsing the tunnels, I agree.." Sara concludes before grimacing at Thelergramor's plan, "Well, sounds like we've got nothing better to do. Ambush it is then." reaching around her back, Sara finds her rifle still completely undamaged from her earlier fight, a small blessing, and waits, "So which two do we collapse then?"
The husky scout keeps her arms crossed as she balances on Taggart's shoulder, ears perked and her light swinging back and forth. She does not weigh in with an opinion, though, leaving it up to the hired specialists to decide.
"The tunnels to either side?" Jade suggests, drawing back from the central passage. "This will channel them, most assuredly. It would certainly protect us from unexpected visitors. Small regrets for those, if any, within."
Edel strokes her chin and shrugs. "If you want to do an ambush... Then alright, I guess. I'm not about to march in their on my own. Do you want to lure them back here, then? I can drop into a disguise further along the main passage, to prevent them from retreating backwards once you spring it on them," she comments as she steps forward, as if to go down the central tunnel. She doesn't go far, though, before she brushes her fingers over a leaf. Where once a snowcat stood, now is a small little rock! Sitting off to the side of the cave wall.
Thelergramor yawns, tail swaying behind him while he walks over to the wall of the central tunnel. Glances back at Edel who is now a rock. "Fun. Alright, get that dynamite setup. I'll start marking the tunnel." The fox lifts his leg, starts marking his territory. "Yup. Mine now." He smirks, then backs away from the opening.
Giving Taggart a sidelong glance, Sara admits a sullen, "Sorry for doubting you, boss.." settling down on one knee and waiting, her rifle readied for whatever had decided to show itself.
Jade glances at the place the dynamite fell, whispering a murmured prayer that it was only dynamite-- and not something stronger! She exhales a silent whisper, slipping back to find a place to crouch down. Below the shockwave, or the dust, or... whatever might come. And a firm grip on the imagination, to prevent it running wild!
"Won't be much of'an ambush, really, but yer welcome ta try. I ain't hidin', but I'll let'em come runnin' t'us instead uv tha'utter way'round." Taggart plods over to the dynamite, leaning and picking it back up before he makes his way over to one of the side tunnels. He takes a moment to examine the walls, the density of the dirt and possible rootage to provide structure, then digs his claws into the wall slightly before shoving a pair of sticks of explosive into it, making sure it's nice and tight to provide a good explosion, fuse hanging out. The wolf smirks gently at Sara, shaking his head, "Know it's been awhile since we dun this, Cil, but... I ain't changed that much." Then, he's at the other wall, doing the same.
The group has several minutes of uninterrupted time to work with, while Taggart prepares the explosives and there is no sign of the remaining feral pack. Back down on her feet again, Claire has moved back to the tunnel the Agents entered from, keeping an eye on their extraction route. When everyone is ready, the fuses are lit, and a deafening explosion causes minor cave-ins of the side tunnels. Shortly after, a low, rumbling growl can be heard from the central tunnel... and shortly after that, down in the dark shadows of the passage, a massive lumbering shadow with dimly glowing red eyes rounds the corner, roars, and begins charging down the passage towards the main room.
Edel is a rock! Waiting. She doesn't want to bring her attack, yet, waiting for them to pass her first. Or that's the plan, anyway. She's hoping to be able to attack them from behind, once they set their sights on the others.
After having set the explosives, Taggart turns and faces the yawning cave entrance, rolling his muscular shoulders a few times while the fingers of each hand curl and flex, knuckles cracking once more twice before he hunkers slightly. At the appearance of the lumbering shadown, the large wolf snarls deeply, sending his own growl down upon the echoing walls in an attempt to get the beast to focus upon him, challenging the saber while distracting at the same time away from everyone else poised and ready to attack.
Thelergramor backs up quickly, behind Taggart some distance, then braces himself for the recoil of his rifle. Aims for the mutants throat; more room for error than aiming straight for the head. Best to hit before they get too close; the other can ambush more ambush-y then he is. Fires the rifle, which throws him back a step. Small body, yep. Really hopes he doesn't somehoe hit Taggart.
"Like shooting fish in a barrel.." Sara mumbles to herself as she looks down the scope of her rifle, and pulls the trigger, aiming for the head of the looming beast. And after discharging the spent round, waits again.
Jade wishes, for the second time, that she had a shotgun rather than a bow. But the string thrums as she releases one shaft after another, quick and certain as the feathered bolts fly down the narrow corridor. Stun baton at her side, she draw--release-- draw again, as swift as movements will allow. And time, before the hungry hunter comes...
That's no moon! Nor, apparntly, is the massive onrushing shape the sabertooth tiger; it proves to be quite impossible to miss the charging bear-feral, as it nearly fills the tunnel wall to wall. However, he is one hell of a tough customer - he doesn't flinch at the hail of nails, nor does he seem to care about the arrows, although it is undoubtable that a few sunk through his thick hide. Sara's rifle does cause it to stagger a half step, but then he is picking up speed again and, with an answering roar and a snarl, rushes full speed into Taggart. The sabertooth, wisely, is following just -behind- the bear, along with four more of the pack's tigresses; the tigresses spread out around the bear like a flood of angry orange fur and nasty-sharp claws and teeth, lunging forward towards the Agents, while the sabertooth hangs back for a moment, quickly assessing the situation.
With a gentle puff of smoke, the rock is gone and Edel is once more! "Ahem! Excuse me!" She calls out towards the sabertooth, a frown on her face. "Why are we doing this, anyway? I mean, infringing on the territory of others isn't good! And that is why we're here to infringe upon -yours-." She has no clue if talking will work, but it's worth a shot.
Thelergramor growls at the tigresses and them prime motherfuckers. Looks over his options in his mind. Has a grenade... Doesn't want to hurt his allies... Has his auto hammer. That worked once. Has his bolt action, is in the process of automatically drawing back the bolt from the last shot, so that's out... "WEll, shit." Fires a burst from his auto hammer at the nearest feral, one of the tigresses. Not Jade, clearly.
With her shot doing nearly nothing at all, Sara curses under her breath, "And ofcourse this is the day I leave the harkonnen at home.." before setting the rifle back behind her, and pulling two trench knives, which she uses to launch an all out offensive on the bears hopefully unprotected backside! With her knives gripped, Sara charges behind the bear, leaps at it, and digs both blades into its massive shoulder blades.
Jade has the bow! And clothes, so is *clearly* not one of the regular, obviously inferior tigresses. But even then, she lets the bow fall aside as she draws the baton from her waist. "So...." she remarks, all but purring the words. "We begin." The heavy weapon crackles ominously, sparks descending down the heavy rod. Mesmerizing... Which is what Jade counts upon as she springs into the first tigress, fangs bared as she swings her weapon viciously.
With her shot doing nearly nothing at all, Sara curses under her breath, "And ofcourse this is the day I leave the harkonnen at home.." before setting the rifle back behind her, and pulling two trench knives, which she uses to launch an offensive on one of the tigresses. A toothy grin is offered before she shouts a loud, "GRAAAH!" and charges the feline beast, once close enough, Sara holds one blade at the ready to deflect any attacks, and the other makes a large diagonal cutting motion.
Taggart opens up his arms to hug the giant bear barreling down upon him, turning his torso slightly to wrap them around the beast's giant head and neck in a wrestling hold. He's pushed back several feet, large paws and dull claws digging into the dirt and pushing the earth aside to take the weight and force being thrown against it. The wolf is growling and snapping his jaws, but he manages to stay upon his feet, bringing the bear to a standstill while his digitigrade legs flex and strain, pushing back against the massive weight. His goal is to simply keep the bear occupied and focused upon him while the rest of the team takes on everyone else.
The siberian tiger spins to face Edel, then chuckles, the sound a low and grating rumble. "Hello, kitten... I fight because these woods are mine. MINE. And everything in them is MINE." The sabertooth sniffs at the air, and his tail lashes back and forth, paying no heed to the fight behind him. "Everything. Including you now. Submit, and it won't hurt. Too badly." The bear, meanwhile, tries to use its larger size to wrap Taggart in a massive, crushing hug; the wolf beast's own strength is enough to keep the two stalemated, neither able to get a clear upper hand. The rest of the fighting becomes very bloody, very quickly, as the tigeresses and the remaining Agents close into a scuffle. Fortunately they keep any of the tigers from closing in on Taggart, but not without suffering; although several of the tigers are seriously injured, two are ganging up on Sara and the other two on Jade, both of whom receive raking wounds from their claws.
Edel spreads her arms and flashes a cheeky grin. "Nah. Come on, then, big boy. Show me what you've got. Or are you afraid of a little kitten like me?" Looking back over the siberian tiger's shoulder she calls out, "Deal with the others. I've got this one for now." Settling into a ready stance, she assumes a ready-to-draw pose. "Now then."
Thelergramor flashed a grin at the tigress he fired upon, too damn cute to be attacked. Hearing the prime claiming this land is his: "This is -my- cave now, motherfucker!" Doesn't really want the cave, but it is his by way of marking it... Fires his crossbow at the tigress still bearing down on him, taking a few steps back to keep distance while his rifle finishes chambering a second round.
Taggart keeps up the resounding growl, each muscle in the large wolf beast's body giving a straining shudder as he tries to win out in this struggle of strength with the enormous bear. A soft grunt here and strained rumble in his chest there. Then, he gives a sudden sharp tug in the opposite direction with his arms, still locked around the neck of the bear, in an attempt to use the things massive weight to roll him onto his back. Hopefully, that will let him adjust the headlock that he's got so he can apply more pressure and more damage.
A loud boisterous laugh erupts from Sara as the knife strikes true, and leaves a long gash along its chest. The laugh however soon turns sour, becoming a howl in pain as a tigress, (who until recently, Sara had been unaware of) rakes its claws against her back, tearing both the heavy coat, and kevlar vest and reaching the scales underneath, which, like before are left with deep, bloody gouges left in them.
"Gods damn you!" Sara shouts as she gets her bearings back, and with a quick pivot, swipes the blade that had up until recently been protecting herself from the now wounded attacker, this time aiming for the bitch that had gotten in the lucky shot.
The sabertooth tiger hisses and lunges at Edel, as Edel strikes at him with her sword. The tiger ducks and weaves in an attempt to get past Edel's guard, but she is too fast for that to work; he ends up blocking a strike to his neck with one meaty forearm, blade shearing through muscle and striking bone, in order to get in close enough to connect with his own attack. The feral punches the claws of its other hand through Edel's armor and into her chest, lifting her and throwing her against the far wall of the tunnel; then it murrs in a low, rumbling half purr before pouncing at her again. Between them, Jade and Thel manage to drop one of the tigresses (although the second one attacking Jade manages to tear through the back of her leg with a lucky gouge of her claws), and Sara's powerful swing knocks both of her assailants away, dazed. They begin picking themselves up, when the entire floor of the cave seems to shudder with a heavy impact as the bear suddenly goes over Taggart. It does not take long for it to begin struggling back up, though.
Edel draws her blade in her typically quick fashion, the electric blade little more than a blurr as it embeds itself in the tiger's arm. She's a little surprised when the arm doesn't come off, though! And even more surprised when she's suddenly stabbed with with a hand, drawing a yelp from her before she's tossed against the wall, slumping down. "Hah," she sputts, spitting to the side. "It's been a long time since anyone has managed to harm me." She's not about to just let him pounce, though. As soon as he does, her sword is up, tip angled towards the tiger as she tries to get him to impale himself right onto her sword with his own momentum, before using it as a conduit for a surge of electricity.
Having successfully rolled the bear, Taggart lets up for a half second with his hands to try to bring them around to the bear's muzzle, shoving his fingers into it's jagged maw. The one arm still wrapped tight around the top of the bear's head, keeping him hugged tight, he groans and grunts, muscles in his arms quivering as he slowly and painfully attempts to pull the bear's jaw open by brute strength. He knows he's working against the larger creature, an uphill battle, but he gives it his all, his growl slowly building if he gains any inches at prying those jaws open.
Thelergramor looks over to the thrown Edel, and the wounded Cil. "Shit. Cil, Edel, you alright?" Doesn't wait for an answer before working his supernatural fox... stuff... to heal them both. Give them some o' the old 'vulpine vigor' as it were. Focus required a bit too much to aim and fire a eapon with any kind of accuracy. Looks around for Claire, thinking she might need his help too.
"Go t'hell!" Sara shouts as she drops, one knife in favour of gripping the second in both hands and driving in the direction of the tigresses skull. Ignoring the other stunned opponent for now.
The massive bear gets its arms around Taggart and begins squeezing, applying massive pressure to the wolf beast even as Taggart cuts his fingers forcing the bear's mouth open. Jade goes down under the other tigress that had been attacking her, the two tigers struggling on the floor in a brutal scuffle, while Sara finds herself strengthened by Fox even as she delivers a killing blow to one of her opponents. The other turns, and quickly begins running back down the tunnel, past Edel and the sabertooth; the massive white throwback of a tiger had taken a couple of short hops, trying to feint past Edel's guard again, then surged forward to impale himself up to the hilt on Edel's blade, giving her a full-throated roar at point blank as he sinks his massive teeth into she shoulder of her sword arm despite the electricty cooking bits of his insides.
Edel gives a roar of pain of her own as the sabertooth feline sinks his fangs into her shoulder, but the snow leopard is quick to react in kind. "You came closer," she croaks out, pained. "Thank you." She brings her other hand up even as she speaks, setting it atop the larger feline's skull and sending her electricity right into his head, using her own nanites to help keep it from directing right back into her.
Thelergramor shakes off a bit of fatigue from doing his... fox... stuff to the group. Looks over the fight. We got this one over there, that one there... Taggart, Edel and Jade can handle themselves. "I'll get the runner!" Moves to a good angle and aims his sniper at the fleeing tigress; aiming for the knee. Drop it before it can get help.
Caught completely unaware of Thelergramor's blessing, Sara drives the blade to its hilt into the tigresses skull and leaves it there, figuring there had been much more important things to do. Instead, Sara rises to her feet once more, pulls a pistol from her shoulder holster, and takes a quick stock of the room. Noticing Jade had been underneath one of the tigresses, Sara raises the pistol, looks down the iron sights, and fires a salvo in the direction of the tigresses side.
Taggart gives a heavy grunt as he feels the bear crushing down upon his sides, fighting back against it as his blood pools into the giant creatures mouth from his hands. He growls and then grunts again, arms straining and quivering, even as he feels and hears his own ribs cracking and breaking in his chest, a spray of blood ejected from his muzzle while he ever so slowly pries that maw open with his hands. The wolf's eyes squeeze shut and he groans, feeling his lungs puncturing, making breathing difficult as the hollow and sunken noise echoes from his blood drooling muzzle.
Thelergramor's shot goes wide and the tigress scampers out of view as the sabertooth tears his fangs free of Edel (painfully, and messily) and then staggers backwards from the electrical assualt, roaring with laughter. The sabertooth is bleeding copiously and partially cooked, but he sneers and wipes at his muzzle with a paw before glancing over at the bloodsoaked mess of the cave. "Tch. Why don't we take this somewhere a little more private, kitten?" he rumbles, then takes off down the tunnel after the tigress. Fortunately for Jade, she sees Sara lining up a shot and, as painful as it is to let the last tigress get some good gouging rakes in, she uses its body as a shield from (most of) the hail of bullets, then gives it a vicious jab in the neck with her stun baton, finally managing to knock it out. The bear gurgles and growls as it continues crushing Taggart, although the big wolf is making progress.
Edel glares daggers at the retreating feline and staggers to her paws, taking her sword up with her. "I'm not done with you, damn it!" She turns and tears off down the tunnel, blood dripping from her frame as she goes, leaving a nice and handy sanguine trail. Figuring she might -just- be -little- outmatched, she decides to even the odds, calling upon a bear of her own! Though one born of spirituality rather than nanites.
"Fuck!" Thele missed, spits on the floor while his rifle starts to chamber another round. Glances about for what to do... Bad idea to let the target get away, so, charges at the prime sabretooth. Pulls his knife from it's sheath, holds it in his jaws. Is 100% sure Taggart has the bear handled. Should he be able to catch up with the pansyass prime, the fox would throw himself at it, stabbing with the knife in some... uncomfortable angle...
Taggart goes slack for just a moment, regrouping what energy he has left while he feels his massive body slowly being crushed and his insides turned to pulp. His clawed fingers are shredded to their bones, bloody white visible beneath tufts of fur as he tugs and strains against the massive jaws that he's trying to pull apart. The injured wolf suddenly tries to turn his battered body into a weapon, spitting some of the blood drooling from his own muzzle into the bear's eyes to distract before he opens his jaws and bites at them, an attempt to permanently blind while wrenching that muzzle open.
Her hands shaking from both exertion, and the two heavy weights battling it out, Sara's aim goes wide and threatens to hit Jade in what had originally started out in an attempt to assist. "Sh--.." she hisses as the shots go off, and ends in a wince in both pain, and regret as Jade takes a few more claws from her opponent. "S-sorry!" she shouts as she looks to both the heavilly bleeding Taggart, and the other two chasing both the tigress, and sabertooth into enemy territory.
Decisions, decisions.
Figuring she had owed Taggart a lot more, Sara pulls a third knife, this one a much larger hunting knife from the shredded remains of her tactical vest, and goes at the bear with a low swipe.
The massive bear snears as it feels as though it were on the verge of squishing Taggart like some kind of fuzzy grape, only to be taken by surprise by the sudden eye-gouge and the slashing knife. Although the crushing doesn't stop entirely it loosens a little, and the bear howls with pain and rage, mouth opening further. Down the tunnel, Edel's spirit bear snarls at the sabertooth tiger, who prompty laughs and viciously backhands the spirit creature before shoudler-checking it out of the way and picking up the pace. The distraction does allow Edel and Thel to close the distance, although not quite back into melee range yet - for a wounded creature, the sabertooth moves fast.
Edel narrows her eyes, hand slipping back towards her bag while she begins working up another nanomagic trick... This time, a simple bit of earth magic. Just enough to raise the earth in front of the running tiger. This was no blocking wall, or anything quite so noticable. Instead, it was a simple ridge, intended to send the tiger tripping and, hopefully, sprawling.
Thelergramor just keeps charging with the blade in his mouth. And, as he realizes 'fuck, I can't stab like this', wings his head back, jumps, and throws the knife at the sabretooth. No words, just keeps charging the tiger.
Taggart takes the slacking in the bear's muzzle to jerk with his paws, yanking the jaw open with audible cracking of bones. He grunts and tries to catch a breath, only to cough up blood, more into the bear's eyes while he gnaws and chews into them. With the jaw hanging loose, finally, the large wolf leans back and gets a good eye before one of his clawed paws suddenly shoves down the bear's throat, punching and then extending his claws to rip and tear at the inside of the massive creature's esophogus, tearing and rending soft flesh easily to send blood pouring into it's lungs.
As her blade strikes true, and Taggart takes the initiative and tears the bears jaw clean off, Sara looks to the man in question and asks, "Are you alright?" before holding out her hand, the hand ebbing with an odd light to it, offering some sort of healing without words.
If the bear's jaw were working, it would clamp down on Taggart's arm; as it is it releases its grip, and shoves the wolf clear even as it wheezes out its last breath and tries to roll over. Jade picks herself up off the ground and gives the bear a vicious jab with her stun baton, then recovers her bow; meanwhile, the agile feline down the tunnel easily recovers from the attempted tripping. The chase has wound down a couple of side passages, and then the tiger breaks through into a massive cavern - a cavern filled with large trees, grass, and the sort of undergrowth one would expect in a jungle.
Edel growls a little as the feline continues to get away. But... Thankfully they have emptied out into a much larger cavern. This could certainly play to her advantage. She pauses for a brief moment, catching her breath and trying to work a bit of her nanites to help heal her wounds as she flips her goggles down over her eyes.
Thelergramor keeps running, doesn't exactly notice the trees and shit in his bloodlust. "Shit... Lost my knife... You'll pay for that!" Keeps running even as he fires off a burst from his Auto-Hammer. No specific aim, his back is likely at knee to ass level on the large tiger. Glances back at Edel, keeps running.
Taggart slumps to the ground as he's released, wheezing himself as he tries to coax his nanites into repairing the damage that was wrought upon his insides and mangled fingers. The wolf pulls himself to his feet, slowly and a bit unsteadily, one hand moving to clutch his side while turning his attention down the tunnel to whatever was happening there. He gives a glance of disdain to the fallen bear, growling at it and warning it to stay down before looking to Sara, his free hand waving her away gently before he starts to plod his way down the tunnel.
Nodding to Taggarts response to her offer, Sara drops her hand back to her side, and grabs her two knives before making her way down the tunnel behind Taggart.
Claire starts to follow after Taggart and Sara, although she hesitates, then digs out her field kit and begins tending to Jade's injuries instead. The path down the tunnel is not an easy one to follow at speed, although there is little chance of losing the trail of fresh blood. In the underground jungle, the sabertooth tiger quickly vanishes into the undergrowth; moments later he laughs. "I said alone. What's with the shawl trying to throw knives
?
"I don't control what they do," Edel says, pulling a few cannisters from her bag. With a deep breath, she briefly closes her eyes before fanning her wings out and taking advantage of the expansive cavern to take to the skies.
Thelergramor loses the sabertoothed prick in the undergrowth. "Your MOM is the shawl trying to throw knives!" Then starts pissing to mark more of the territory as his own. And is now left on the ground. Alone. Takes tries to work out how to throw a grenade in his current shape. Does so with his muzzle; towards the last place he saw the tiger who is surely not there anymore...
