Kevin the Bored
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39 Fight! 2 Electric Boogaloo
🕑 Added 2023-04-30 00:06:40 +0000 UTCA/N: Made the image in paint to help understand everything going on lol
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Fighting my way through the untrained gangsters wasn't particularly challenging except for the sheer number of them.
Even with the troopers behind me providing supporting fire with rubber bullets, I could hardly make any headway in approaching Melty. All I have to do is take her out of the fight and then the troopers will be free to foam all of these mooks and I can help the fight elsewhere.
Alas, I am only one man and there is only so much I can do against these numbers.
Both of the gangs ambushing us are estimated to have a membership count in the hundreds, something that is being proven right now by the hordes of men united against us.
It doesn't help that Blacked has apparently decided to use her Trump power to boost Red Branch's gangsters as well as her own, something I discovered after taking a glancing blow that almost dislocated my arm.
It's like facing a horde of Brute 1's, not something I can really deal with efficiently.
Even then, those that aren't currently capable of punching a hole through a brick wall are all armed with guns, mostly small arms but it's still a whole lot of bullets coming our way.
Luckily, I am able to coat my entire body in my power, letting it absorb the kinetic energy of the bullets until they are effectively harmless, not that I am completely immune, but it helps keep me alive from pot-shots since I'm not wearing full body armour like the troopers are, safe behind the armoured trucks.
Thankfully, that problem doesn't remain one for long as Tiamat joins the battle, evident by the army of golems that form out of the floor and walls around me, filling everything in sight with human shaped holes.
I know we were expecting an ambush, but with the level of opposition seeming to be literally every combat ready cape in both gangs, as well as what is probably every single one of their normal members, I can't help but think that we are missing some critical information about why they want Tear so badly.
Enough to even work together, even going so far as to recruit a rogue in Melty.
However, even with the small army of golems making the fight much easier, battle isn't a time to be lost in thought.
Taking a deep breath from the brief respite Tiamat afforded me, I start moving again, charging straight for Melty.
The mooks try to stop me but are intercepted by golems of brick and tarmac.
Though, some still make it passed Tiamat.
A pair run towards me just the same as I do them.
The first to reach me throws a wild right for my chest and I twist my body to the side and bend my knees, bringing my hands up to slide across his arm.
The second one reaches us then and throws their own punch, much more practiced than the first.
Dodging to the side, I snap one of my hands forward and tap him on the chest, making him immediately lurch to the side as my stretched out power recoils, bringing them crashing together, stuck with each other.
Without paying the pair anymore mind, I keep rushing forward, spinning and jumping past anyone that gets in my way, tagging people and the ground intermittently to keep them locked down.
Eventually, after what felt like an hour but was probably only a few minutes, I reach Melty with a band of golems at my back, keeping the gangsters from reaching me.
It really is quite scary to see Tiamat in action, knowing that she can fight a small army better than you without even being there. Especially once you consider that she is probably fighting everyone else's battles as well right now.
Shaking my head, I focus on the girl in front of me, because that's what she is really, a girl. She barely looks fifteen, even if our analysts have pegged her at sixteen.
She is dressed in a dark tie-dye outfit that almost looks like camo, but is still clearly tie-dye if you focus on it. Her mask is also tie-dyed, though much more colourful as it decorates her lower face.
Frankly, she looks terrified right now. Even if she's trying to put on a strong front, I have enough training to recognise the dilated pupils and the slight shake of her hands and legs.
I come to the obvious conclusion that she doesn't really want to be here, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the gangs likely 'asked' her to use her power to help them and that she felt that she couldn't really refuse.
"Surrender peacefully." I demand, deciding on diplomacy and hoping she will take the rope I am offering her.
With movement that borders on frantic, she raises her arms and takes an instinctual step backwards, eyes darting around as she starts speaking rapidly.
"I-I-I didn't- I mean, I- they said- I couldn't- please- I-I'm sorry- I-" She says, her words jumbled and chaotic as she is too overwhelmed to speak properly.
Mentally sighing to myself about kids getting in over their heads, I raise my hands placatingly and interrupt her with a calm voice, trained for de-escalation.
"Take a deep breathe Melty, it's ok, no ones going to hurt you, I just need you to get on your knees and to keep your hands raised ok? Can you do that for me?" I ask as I start to slowly approach her.
I observe her keenly, noticing the way she subconsciously takes the breath I asked her too and how she calms down slightly thanks to the fact before she drops to her knees with her arms raised and head bowed.
I try to ignore her muffled cries as I turn to signal the troopers, past the gangsters between us that are still fighting with Tiamat.
Getting my signal, they swap from rubber bullets back to foam and blanket the entire alley up to where I am, burying the gangsters completely.
I don't know how many times I've thanked Dragon for developing containment foam, but the fact that it is breathable, letting us simply cover people in a cocoon, is incredibly helpful.
Turning back to Melty, I am about to try to console her and bring her back to our defensive line with Tear until a piercing noise yanks my attention, making me spin back around to face the street.
The sight that greets me paints a grim frown on my face as the sound grates itself deep into my ears as if to personally insult me.
Resolved to get back to the main fight and limit casualties, I turn back to Melty and quickly speak to her.
"Melty, just this once I will let you off, so go on and get out of here, and try not to get yourself mixed up in any messes like this again. Maybe consider joining the wards." With that, I don't wait for her response as I spin on my heel and run back into the fray, making sure not to touch any of the orange containment foam.
Idly, I send one last thought back to Melty, hoping that she does end up joining the wards, for her own safety, before casting all thoughts aside and focusing on the battle in front of me.
...
Crouched down behind the armoured trucks with the faceless troopers, I can't help but lament my new job.
Counter intelligence sounds interesting, like something in a spy movie, but honestly it really isn't.
For one, I certainly didn't get shot at as much as I am now when I worked in CI.
As a brief lull in the near constant gunshots that preceded it opens up, I quickly peak over the truck and send a wheel of fire tearing down the street and burning up the cannon of air that was heading our way, intending to disrupt our formation.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY OF THE FUCKERS!!" A trooper to my left screams out, still barely audible over the renewed gunshots.
I can't blame them for wondering. It must be just about every fucking gangster in the dams city shooting at us right now.
Even worse is that they are probably all powered up by Blacked.
I don't have confirmation of that just yet, but the line of gangsters groaning on the ground a few feet away from out trucks thanks to a generous amount of rubber bullets attests to the fact, as I can only assume they were hoping to punch the truck out of formation to make a way in.
Another wave of foam flies over our heads in an attempt to capture them and I throw a ring of fire with it, hoping to stop it from being blown away.
Alas, Merlin blocks my fire by erecting a wall of earth in its path, allowing Dovah to once again shoot it off to the side.
Cursing to myself, I hear someone respond to the earlier trooper.
"FUCK SHOULD I KNOW?! MAYBE THEY'RE JUST CELEBRATING NEW YEARS!?" Another trooper shouts in return, and I ignore the ensuing banter as I focus on trying to figure out a solution.
It's times like this that I really wish we were allowed to use lethal force, but as they say, the first two letters of the PRT are PR for a reason.
Wouldn't want the public to think we Heroes were anything less than morally perfect after all.
The thought makes me glance back to the centre of the formation where Tear sits alone.
I notice the way her head keeps snaping from side to side, looking at everything happening around her, even twisting her body in a way that seems painful to see behind her.
With how much she is shaking, compounded with her frantic movements, I can't help but come to the conclusion that she is terrified right now.
Being chained downs in the middle of such a conflict must be reminding her of her time with Jason that no doubt gave her a rather severe case of PTSD.
However, as much as I might want to comfort her, protecting her comes first.
I do notice that there is some blood around one of her feet, but I quickly focus back on the fight, assuming it to have just been an injury from when her transport got destroyed, not to mention that it's already healed since she seems fine.
The fight continues as a stalemate for a minute or so, even with Tiamat backing us, her focus is too split up to properly handle them, not to mention, she has to also focus on keeping things non lethal.
After all, getting punched in the face by a golem of rock can very easily be lethal, even more if she forms her golems with claws and blades like I know she can.
But as it is, she has to fight at a disadvantage, we all do, that's the price of being on the side of the angels and it really sucks sometimes.
Another wave of foam passes overhead as we simply aim to keep the stalemate until someone else is available to assist us.
However, as I rise again, repeating the same action, knowing it won't work, things change.
I throw a ring of fire, just like last time. And just like last time, Merlin blocks it while Dovah protects them all.
Only, this time I don't duck back down.
Instead, before I even realise what I'm doing, in an almost haze like state, I throw another two rings of blue fire.
Except this time I don't aim for non lethality, instead I aimed for the largest concentration of them, not for a second even doubting my decision, despite knowing that I will be in a shit tonne of trouble for doing so.
The gangsters in front of me clearly weren't expecting a change to the rhythm of the battle as a large number of them are engulfed in flames.
A chorus of agonised screams ring out as I duck back behind cover, not understanding my own actions.
It only takes a moment for me to remember all the master/stranger training we all get put through so that we may be able to identify and possibly neutralise anything that is effecting out minds in some manner.
At first I think I'm being mastered, but since I seem to still have proper control over my body, I scratch that theory off and consider my mind properly.
If anything, it's like being drunk, only without the intoxication.
Getting a theory, I decide to test it and turn to the trooper next to me.
Then I simply think about slapping their ass, something that I am far to professional to ever actually do, and yet before I can even comprehend it properly, my hand is already on their ass.
"I DON'T THINK NOW'S REALLY THE TIME!!" He shouts out in a weird mix of annoyance, confusion and amusement.
I ignore him however as I turn on my com and shout urgently into it.
"MASTER!! THERE'S SOME KIND OF MASTER EFFECT ON ME THAT I THINK HAS REMOVED MY INHABITIONS! BE CAREFUL OF YOUR ACTIONS!" I shout, letting everyone know that there is an unknown on the field.
With that in mind, I am almost afraid to attack again, the screams from earlier still audible.
Yet, even as I am thinking that, I find myself standing up and throwing another slew of fire at the enemy, only stopping when a pair of troopers pull me back down.
Shit.
Why can things never be simple?
