[thread] hello, woodpecker.

[coooooookies]

Who: "Wretched Egg" Shiro; OPEN to any and all in Terra
Where: Streets of Terra
When: After Matt causes intermittent black-outs.
Summary: "The lullaby" is gone. Shiro's alter-ego surfaces. This is a very, very bad thing for everything in her way.
Rating: R.
Other: Shiro has donned the "Red Man" suit and is going on a rampage in Terra. Any

Comments

[fraternitas]

The boy instinctively broke into a run, sprinting away from the wreck and smoke, out onto the pavement.

Yep, just like a bad action movie. Now all we need is the bad guy to show up and--

Right on time.

He wasn't that far away from it -- several feet away, give or take. It was already gliding further away by the time Claus was able to straighten up and crane his head upwards, looking at the thing with childish disbelief.

Predictably, monster was the first word that came to mind. Chimera was next, but he had never seen or heard of a Chimera that flew. But that didn't change anything, did it? There was always a first time for everything.

Time had frozen for him as he gazed up at the monster and its strange rotating, destructive discs and, for one frightening second--or minute, heck, it felt like an eternity was already passing before his red eyes--he wasn't sure if he could move.

--Now all we need is for the bad guy to show up so we can kick its butt.

But he could, if the slowly clenching hold on the sword's grip was any indication. Time was beginning to move again.

(and so can you)

He took a slow, almost dazed step forward and felt his boot hit something wet and distinctly squishy. Something akin to warm jelly.

Something even more nasty and unpleasant, he was sure, and the thought alone horrified and sickened him.

[coooooookies]

The Wretched Egg hadn't noticed the insignificant movement to its left, continuing to move down the street until it had reached an intersection where stragglers were still caught attempting to flee. They were trapped between it, a four-car pile up that had collided with a flaming building in the chaos, and the still-settling remains of the building it had just destroyed. Discs whirled, tentacles of blood red liquid swirling with it, as it reached a hand forward to clutch the face of a civilian who mustered the audacity to attempt an attack with a metal pipe.

The headless body fell with a thump as the Wretched Egg held the suspended head by the hair and tossed it into the crowd.

[fraternitas]

Something

(about that made him want to scream and he might have just done so right as his mouth opened in a terrified, outraged howl)

gave. The electricity crackling around the blade was evidence of that enough.

"PK--"

He brought the now fiercely glowing sword up over his head and--

"Thunder!"

swung it, sending a vibrant bolt of lightning hurtling right for the creature's torso.

[coooooookies]

This was a most unexpected turn of events.

Claus abruptly had all of the Wretched Egg's attention.

Trapped in the midst of an electrical charge the likes of which it had never experienced before, its body trembled and sizzled as if scorched, smoke wafting off of the metal armor and up into the air around it. It threw its head back in what could've been pain or frustration; the crackle of lightning was almost deafening. As the current ceased and died, the Red Man wavered on its feet, coming to slump shoulders forward, uncontrollable tremors wracking its body. Scorched armor attested to the doubtless damage.

The Wretched Egg breathed deeply, otherwise still... if only momentarily --

Ksaahhhh...

It was moving forward in one fluent push, cutting through the air and dripping blood in its wake. It charged for the boy, throwing out an arm and watching in delight as the Branch of Sin - the hexagonal discs accompanied by that pungent-smelling tentacle mess of blood - struck out for him. It felt no pain. Even if its body was at its breaking point, what did it matter? It could still move, and it could still kill.

[fraternitas]

He wanted to cry out again, cry out and warn what was left of the crowd to disperse; use this to their advantage to RUN before the red thing turned its attention back on them.

Now how could he when there were bigger fish to fry? The shark smelled the blood, took the bait and was ready to move in for the kill.

The smell of blood overwhelmed his senses, and Claus felt himself push off. Jumping backwards. Away.

(right as metal, mechanical muscles and tendons flexing and moving, began to unfold from his back)

(disperse)

Had he have been completely human, the blow would have met him head on that would've been the end right there. Claus heard something rip, obnoxiously loud even over this din, and felt something dripping down his chin and onto his jacket. Blood, by the smell of it. Probably his.

(disperse)

Wings unfolded, spreading like some ghastly mechanical--monster--bird, Claus was able to use the momentum to fly upwards, little more than level with the monster.

Now we're even.

The sword began to crackle with new electricity.

[coooooookies]

It watched this impressive display with no outward acknowledgment with the exception of a slight broadening of that manic smile; apparently it approved of this 'transformation' of sorts. Even so, it wasn't about to sit idly by and allow itself to be caught in the throes of another electrical attack without attempting a counter.

It was fast; the hexagonal discs went whirring forward, the whoosh as they cut air seeming delayed. Wind surged forward in a spiral - a current strong enough to heave giant chunks of debris into the air laced with tentacles of blood sharp enough to cleave bone. If he wasn't fast enough, the debris would crush him before he was cut into pieces like so many others had before him.

[fraternitas]

There were two things Claus realized in that instant:

One, that ripping noise from before had been from the sleeve of his jacket. When the boy had brought the sword up in preparation for another PSI assault, he noticed that most of the fabric had been, for better lack of words, shredded. The creature was fast, and those weird tentacle things were even faster. He had been fortunate that the only thing it took off was his sleeve.

Secondly, he was lucky. Very lucky.

The wind was both a curse and a blessing; for one instant, he was able to take advantage of the former. Not even waiting to listen for the telltale sound of those discs, he glided--dove--downwards, once again

(dispersing)

dodging out of the chain of fire. Blood may have been more apt.

If it wasn't for that necessary push the gale afforded him, he would have been pulverized by whatever rocky block or chunk it was that crashed to the ground behind him, stirring up smoke and rocks, cracking pavement.

NOW what?

The sword spoke volumes.

"PK Thunder!"

And another bolt of lightning followed.

[coooooookies]

This time, the Wretched Egg saw it coming, knew what to expect - and yet, wasn't able to completely avoid the incoming surge of lightning. It utilized the whirlwind of blood and wind, however, to lessen the blow; the stench of charred flesh filled the air as it continued it's push forward through the gale and towards its prey. Was it suicidal? Or was it that confident in its ability to persevere? Regardless the reason, that manic smile never faded - if anything, it only grew.

The Wretched Egg was bridging the distance between them fast, too fast; adrenaline and elation were coursing as thick as blood in its veins. For a moment, it seemed to disappear - no, blur - moving too quickly for the human eye to follow, and then there it was again, in Claus' face, arm raised and prepared to strike--

The mechanical thrum; the sound of labored breathing; the patter of blood dripping from its place concealed beneath red-stained armor... the quiet noises that filled the moment the monster stood frozen were deafening. But no attack came.

Its head was cocked as if listening.

Then, slowly, it turned away and began to withdraw down the street and away from Claus.