Anchors Away - (1-5a)

Sheff · Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2010 11:53 pm

Well, was Sheffer caught by surprise. He hadn't expected the kid to go all acrobatic on them, or even pull out an automated weapon, but he was cementing himself as a nuisance, to say the least. He definitely wasn't a normal human, if it wasn't obvious enough already, the hedgehog making a mental note not to underestimate the kid next time.

Sheffer could feel a few stray bullets dig themselves into his suit of crystal, the impacts barely noticeable and didn't injure him at all, absentmindedly regrowing the crystal across his face to make sure there were no holes in his armor. Guess he could add impervious to gunfire to the list of cans and can nots with the green rock. Yet he couldn't help but think what could have happened if he weren't, which only led to more anger. This brat was going down, and he be damned if he managed to hurt any of his companions or himself.

The kid was coming his direction (in the air, of course), but his attention was on Tank and Jack, who seemed to be under the cover of the turtle's shell. How much longer the kid would bother with them was unknown, so the hedgehog did the first thing that came to mind.

Looking down to his hands, he held them about a foot apart, crystal shooting from his palms to conjoin in the center. From there, he worked on adding layer upon layer hastily, soon forming a ragged sphere, spikes of mineral poking out every which way. With his weapon ready, he took a quick moment to start a spin, grinding against the floor just like before.

This time, though, he did not last as long, maybe only a second or two. As he pulled out, he firmly planted one foot forward, his whole body bent back. He still held the spiked orb in his hands, and with his eyes locking on to the still airborne kid, he let forward momentum take over, his arms swinging forward in a blur, releasing the crystal.

Hopefully it would hit its target.

...preferably in the head.

Admin · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 3:50 pm

As much as he may have made it look like he did, Seven didn't truly fly, so it was less than three seconds before gravity brought his high leap and bullet storm front to an end. It likely rendered void any thoughts Sheffer may have had of catching his target in midair because of the lengthy prep time of his attack, what with the crystal forming, adding layers, shaping, spindashing, throwing, etc... The wildly acrobatic boy had already aerially tumbled to a crouched landing not all that far from the vault door again some moderate distance from Sheffer, and possibly close to Badge (if he hadn't strayed far). Worth noting was that he kept an eye out for the masked hero, and avoided letting him out of his direct line of sight. Further worth noting was that there was an anomaly observed in said hero's emerald sensor—A second source, identical to the emerald they sought, was highlighted somewhere inside the open vault. Had something been overlooked?

Meanwhile, the hedgehog's elaborate attack served only to amuse the kid. The punk genuinely laughed at him. When the spindash-launched shot was fired off, he just... skirted away from the dangerous projectile with a cautious series of sidesteps, and showed all the concern of someone making way for an out-of-control shopping cart, or something similarly harmless. Would it have hurt if it hit? Way more than the target likely realized. But as far as targets went, Seven was a very small, mobile, and overconfident one.

"Sonic the Hedgehog you ain't, Sparkle-Spines," he quipped as stayed spry and in motion, avoidant of anyone getting too close. "You thought you could hit me spinning like that?! That's like a window of milliseconds to aim!"

Yes, the he was lecturing Sheffer on his tactics. Yes, he was that kind of obnoxious villain. Before he could chide the hedgehog much more, though, there came a heavy-metal thud from above.

"Speaking of not having ti—"

*KROOOM.*

... An unconventional sound effect, perhaps, but it was a weird sound. An explosion blended with the scream of metal and the static roar of frothy seawater into an aural cocktail of bubbly terror as the only frail barrier between them and untold tons of ocean gave out in a huge way, and flooded the chamber with a white pillar of foam that barreled straight to the floor, smashed it outright, and spread from the center of the room to its walls in the blink of an eye with sweeping, crushing might. The boy was lost in the torrent immediately, but that was because he didn't escape it. Where he ended up was all but impossible to determine in the ensuing chaos.

Had that really been his plan? If so, it wasn't a very good one, because they had totally stalled him into being around for his own coup de grace. Either way, there were only about ten seconds to go before the chamber was filled with water, and there was no safety in going back the way they came. The hole in the ceiling was probably the only viable route... and it was a long, long way to the surface.

Seafarinhare · Posted: Fri Sep 24, 2010 9:35 pm

Wild Badge staggered when the agile child kicked him in the back of the head, but it felt like being pelted with a foam ball. Annoying, but albeit only harming his ego. Not to worry, however, as Badge had plenty to spare.

He turned to face the boy as he rained steel hell down on Mask with little effect. He didn't make any further attacks, trying to find an opening in the boy's movements. He was as flamboyant in his attacks as he himself, so he was certain one would crop up in due time.

He was distracted from his studying, however, by a blip on his HUD that he hadn't previously noticed. He looked at the others, but if this was something that their Number-named aggressor did indeed neglect, he'd rather not shout it to everyone.

In the midst of Seven's taunting of their hedgehog teammate, he jumped into the hole. That's when it happened.

He landed, and almost immediately afterwards, there was an explosion, making an unmistakable, if not somewhat distorted sound. He looked up.

"Uh oh..."

And then water rushed in. Badge immediately grabbed for a handle, or extrusion in the vault that could potentially keep him grounded as water rushed into the vault opening.

As it turns out, he realized that what he was holding onto was, in fact, some sort of high-tech chest. And the indention in the chest indicated that it was indeed where Seven got his emerald. But the sensor wasn't attuned to chests. After all, they skipped over finding the dungeon's treasure map.

He pushed the chest aside, revealing another one! He opened it, and sure enough. Seven, in his rush to GTFO, overlooked something big. It appeared that the vault contained two emeralds. Badge grabbed it, and kicked up and swam out of the vault. The glowing rock would be easy for anyone to spot, if anyone was still around after the tidal wave, that is.

Kazz · Posted: Sat Sep 25, 2010 12:46 am

Mako may or may not have been about to launch into another swear-word filled tirade (containing "hey, only I can call him Sparkly!")... when on came the onslaught of water. Not even bothering to ask what Wild Badge was doing, he was once again reminded that while he could breathe underwater, it was signifigantly harder to pull off that biological function without gills.

Using some good old reliable Mako Sign Language (read: flailing his arms like an idiot, and mouthing words very fast) he tried to impart one very important question onto his teammates as the room filled up.
What's the plan?

Considering the rather flashy show the kid had put on moments prior, he dearly hoped it didn't involve following him. Or any of his compatriots drowning-- that tended to put a damper on one's plans.

Rachel · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 5:21 am

As the others surged forward Jack got to step up and watch the attacks unfold. The opportunity to shoot something just wasn't there. Jack wasn't dumb enough to start firing off shots when people where attacking. Then Eggman Jr starting break-dancing or doing ballet, or something close to the two. Her mouth hung open. "Ya've gotta be Sh-YAAAAAHH!" He started spinning overhead, gun fire raining down. She almost leapt towards tank, if he wasn't already reaching to grab and protect her she'd have felt bad having used him for cover.

The short lived spray of bullets was met with Jack yanking her gun out from under her hat and spinning around the level a shot at the boy. But the terribly odd noise caused her attention to shift up as MORE WATER flooded in over them.

Jack lived in the desert, she grew up on a ranch, and never needed to learn how to swim until she was an adult. Even then she would rarely attempt it without nose plugs and goggles. That being said, she doesn't like doing it, at all. She ESPECIALLY hates doing it under threat of being drown. So when the wave crashed into her she was swept back and she had no choice but to grab tank again as she wasn't a strong enough swimmer to do anything more. Water filled the chamber, going back was suicide so she started to swim up in a pathetic sort of dog-paddle. She hadn't even noticed Mako's signals she just made a break for the hole in the ceiling as the water level raised.

Admin · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 2:20 pm

Once the room filled entirely with water (which only took seconds), the haze of bubbles began to clear a little. With the added sunlight, anyone with the presence of mind to look for him might have caught a glimpse of their new bestest friend, perfectly safe, dry, and floating quickly to freedom in a bubble shield. Yes, whoever he worked for had the means to equip him not just with technology, but also with mission-specific artifacts, from the looks of things.

If anyone was able to spare a glance at him, they just might have seen him waving, before he vanished outside the building, into the open waters, and drifted briskly toward the glittering ocean surface hundreds of feet above.

Greens · Posted: Sun Sep 26, 2010 3:47 pm

OOC: Didn't notice how big this was until it was done. Whoop!

About 15 seconds ago, Power Mask was sure he had his plan set out perfectly. After all, what villain would announce a timed death trap for the heroes invading, when he was in the very same room? Obviously, if they started fighting, and he took them on rather than running straight off, then the thread couldn't possibly exist, as the human would be in just as much trouble as they were. Of course, Tank did not count the possibility of giving the villain too much credit, and that, ironically, was his downfall.

Or it almost was. While he jerked his head around to see what was making all that noise (the massive, overwhelming torrent) he realized something. As an aquatic creature himself, the greatest threat Tank faced was the initial blast of water itself... and getting everyone else out of there alive.

With nothing nearby to grab onto, and realizing that Jack was relying on him for securing herself, he did the one thing he could have done to keep himself steadfast. Put one foot behind him, clench his teeth, take a deep breath and brace himself for the entirety of the surge, to stay adamant for as long as possible. And, miraculously, he did, at least until the volume of the water was such that he was forced to float in it.

Somehow, he managed to take note of Mako's underwater panic, and almost translate it well enough. He answered with body language of his own: A finger toward Mako, then directed at Sheffer, then directed at the hole near the top. ...And then a cocked brow, as if to rhetorically ask 'Hhwat arlyou hwaiting for?' And with that, he made one single, powerful breast stroke, nearly covering a third of the distance required, grabbed at the sheriff's wrist, and carried her along with him as quickly as he could.

Truth be told, he was feeling a little guilty that he might be giving her more help than she wanted, but perhaps if they were to find themselves in a sharpshooting contest of sorts, she might be able to show him a thing or two herself.

Sheff · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 11:32 pm

As if things couldn't get any worse, Sheffer just so happened to be right beneath the detonation point from whence the water came, the pillar of ocean blue bringing all its fury and force straight down onto the rock-clad hedgehog. With any other person probably blown away from the sudden blast of water, Sheffer had the foul luck of being weighted down with his own crystal, quickly being forced face-down on the metal floor as the water rained down in a roar.

Stunned by the sudden impact, he soon realized he was surrounded by water outside his shell of protection, whatever air that had been trapped between the crystal and his body quickly vanishing. Taking the largest gulp of oxygen he could, he shed his suit, instantly meeting the cold of the ocean with a shiver running through him. Hastily, he tried to swim to the slowly diminishing air above, but was too late, stuck in the now underwater room.

So he did the only thing he could do, which just so happened to be darting over to Mako in a panicked stream of bubbles, grasping his arm in a death grip and frantically pointing to the surface, the distance fearfully long.

Kazz · Posted: Wed Sep 29, 2010 11:45 pm

He glared a bit as their antagonist drifted away like a leaf on the breeze in his shield, but he had no time to consider it; Sheffer would have run smack into Mako, as the shark had taken off in the hedgehog's direction at Tank's hint, were they not submerged. Mako, however, actually having some manner of control, had avoided collision and tried to say something that came out as a rush of bubbles from his mouth.

What he meant to say was "hang on tight, Sparkly", because as soon as he grabbed, with the arm that Sheff had clung to, the hedgehog's arm in a sort of chain-link, Mako swam upwards-- and he swam fast. The rush of a shark and a hedgehog passing through water at surprising speed (considering all things) was likely to have replaced the majority of sound heard by either of them at that point. Where Tank could clear long distances in a few strokes, Mako swam a tad more... actively, and was probably a bit harder to hang onto, what with all of his limbs (sans the one with a passenger), tail included, moving in an underwater flurry. That aside, Sheff would have done best to hang on as instructed, because the shark was hauling underwater ass.

One almost -- just almost mind you -- got the impression that Mako maaaay have been a capable swimmer.

psikeout · Posted: Thu Sep 30, 2010 12:29 am

As the swimmers exited the building's torn-asunder roof, they surely wanted to see nothing but the light of day above. It was hard to imagine that anything getting in the way could be a good thing, but for once, it was. Badge and Henshin's lovely white and blue submarine cruised into position not far away, moon pool open, and ready for boarding.

"Found you, Hoji!" came the old moth's voice through Wild Badge's headset, at last. "Some blasted transmitter's been jamming all communications, but it looks like you must have stopped it and gotten the emerald! Excellent work! Except half your party is drowning! Get those fool friends of yours on board!"

Seafarinhare · Posted: Fri Oct 01, 2010 9:26 pm

Badge was quick to begin swimming out of the hole at the top of the building. Then he saw the sub, and to add to the good news, that crotchety old voice ringed in his ear.

"You're a sight for sore eyes." He said, despite his eyes not being sore at all, then looked at the others. He noted what everyone was doing. Tank was carrying Jack, and Mako was helping Sheffer out.

That's everyone, right?

He motioned to Tank and Mako to swim toward the underbelly of the submarine before he himself swam that way in order to board the vehicle.

Rachel · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 4:51 pm

[]We'll be moving and AWOL the next few days. :D See you in a few days.[]

Jack was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Or in this case gift turtle? She clung to him as he pulled her through the water towards the ship. she'd have been a burden to anyone else given how heavy she'd become with her clothing. If it hadn't been Power Mask there she wouldn't have accepted help knowing it'd put her savior in trouble as well. That didn't stand for the turtle though, He was more then powerful enough to pull her and the rest of the party along if he choose to do so, and with little effect on his own well being.

Once they reached the sub Jack gasped and sputtered for air. Coughing up water, her gun still in hand and her hat, magically floating to the surface in the sub not far from her, but she didn't seem worried about it at the moment, more so that breathing thing. Jack sure loved breathing.

"Thank you." She rasped to both Tank and the ancient moth.

psikeout · Posted: Sat Oct 02, 2010 6:59 pm

"No, thank you," said the moth, waiting just a few feet away, next to a stack of fuzzy towels, one of which he extended most thoughtfully to the griffin. (Tank would have to get his own. Doc H's chivalry did not extend that far.) "I was worried about sending Hoji in alone, and clearly, it was for a good reason. I'm glad you were all willing to brave the danger, whatever it was!"

His odd little cybernetic wings carried him back to his captain's seat, where he examined the various monitors. "I saw there was an explosion. Any idea of the source?"

*** Meanwhile... ***

"Alright, we're done here," said the boy as he climbed atop a strange-looking, nearly UFO-shaped silvery vehicle floating on the surface of the waves. His bubble-shield disintegrated, and along with it, the odd, ring-like bracelet on his wrist did the same. Single-use, apparently. "BIU-D, prepare for departure."

"Sir, I detect a second emerald," the feminine, computerized voice objected as the topside hatch opened, and Seven began to climb in.

"... Is that so?" he replied thoughtfully and paused, feet dangling into the vehicle. He dropped the rest of the way inside a second later.

"Yes," reiterated the computer. "There is a second Chaosol Emerald below, with little to no probability of error."

"That's nice. Didn't I say 'prepare for departure'?" he asked with an impatient bend to his words.

"Yes, sir, you did. Should I remind you of your directive?" it argued, albeit politely.

"Please do," he said tersely, "with exact phrasing."

"Yes, sir. 'At 0700 you will depart for...'"

"Skip to the part about the emerald, BIU-D," he interrupted.

"... 'and collect the Chaosol Emerald at the coordinates given.'"

"Emerald. Singular. And what do I have?" he asked rhetorically, holding up the one emerald in his hand, before depositing it in the box at the side of his seat in the cramped cockpit.

"That is a very literal interpretation," it observed placidly.

"I've done my job for today. See, if there's anything to this kind of work... you don't go out of your way to do more than you have to. You do exactly what's asked, and only as well as you have to. Otherwise... you destroy your own usefulness prematurely." He rolled his head around on his shoulders for a second, drew a deep breath, exhaled, and continued. "Besides. If we leave the emerald with these chumps, we can have a lot more fun later..."

"... You mean following—"

"I don't mean anything, BIU-D. Command will give us the orders. And you will erase your log of this conversation, as well as any record of spotting that second emerald's signal. Understood?"

"Understood."

...

The engines started up, and the craft lifted free from the water with a light lurch from the liquid's suction. He looked back into the box containing the emerald, and flipped its lid open. The stone, vivid green, burned with energy.

"New friends... Lots of fun... This'll be a good game."

Kazz · Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 10:07 pm

"Yeah, a freaky little brat!" The shark exclaimed as he boarded the sub, depositing his hedgehoggy load.
Mako was a bit livid at the moment, but you know. Even though the explosion may or may not have been the kid's fault, he was sure gonna blame him.

He grumbled for a few minutes, but a moment later, he spied something of vital importance.
A vital, hat-like importance.

Mako scooped up the Sheriff's hat from the water and, making sure it was relatively dry (or at least not about to dump a hatful of water on his head), he plopped it onto his own head. His mood seemed to brighten almost immediately.

He may or may not have said something along the lines of "howdy howdy howdy". H coughed once into his hand before he turned his attention to the aged insect.

"So, uh... what now?

Anchors Away - (1-5a)

Who is online