5235/ICoT - Brusher Patrol

ICoT - Brusher Patrol
Date of Scene:	04 May 2017
Location:	The Bastion
Synopsis:	On his latest hunt for a Shard, Kid and co. are forced to battle with a living myth
Cast of Characters:	The Kid, 571, Alexis, 215, Kotone Yamakawa, 673

---

The Kid has posed:
    Roathus Lagoon is named from one of the Pantheon gods. The Gorging Host, the God of Thirst of Plenty. A pitiable, tragic being who consumes and consumed, but never achieves satisfaction. The place earned such a title through two layers of meaning. The first is the marshy soil underfoot. Constantly fed through a steady diet of rainfall, it sucks at boots as if aiming to devour them. Even the driest patch of land reduces the gobble to a nibble.

    The second is the number of lives sent in, never to return. The lagoon became a place of terror, even compared to other parts of the Wild. Even Brushers, the hardiest wildmen of Caelondia would give the place a wide berth if they could manage it. If you asked any of them as to what the biggest thing to fear from the place would be, their answers would be the same.

    Anklegators.

    A curious species of reptile, ones that treated the soupy ground like a clear lake, swimming through with ease. Their nostrils, located at the tips of their horns that jut from the surface, would sniff out prey above ground before the whole creature submerged, getting under their meal's feet, and then swallowing them whole. Due to the thick reeds and grasses that would reach waist high on even the tallest Brushers, the only way you would realize one was on you was when someone at the front of the line was gobbled.

    Of course, most Brushers would then claim that Anklegators are extinct. Creatures as strange as that need to eat a lot. And even if they were hardy sons of bitches, they couldn't do much about the Brushers and Trappers competing for their food supply when they were doing it beyond the lagoon shores. That, coupled with the fact that their eggs took decades to hatch, should they even survive that long... Of course, not a single one of them would be willing to wade out there to prove that claim...

    "Though they were prolly right. No one knew the Wilds like the Brushers," Kid says, wrapping up his explanation. The threat of a rainstorm rumbles overhead while he sharpens a spear. He found it near the warpgate, and has been tending to it almost ceremoniously. It's a simple shaft of wood with a leaf-shaped tip that he's been sharpening with a knife. "Knifebark," he explains to anyone who asks about the curious method of tending to the weapon. "Ya strip it from young trees, let it age juuuust right and it becomes as good as any metal blade. Don't rust neither, which is why the Brushers used it. Lotta ways for things to rust out here."

    Eventually, he blows some flakes from it and gives it an experimental thrust. With a grunt of satisfaction, he starts using it to probe the ground, so as to lead the party along a safe path.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    The Kid had helped out Maaka, so she's here to help him. Her new suit is quite...tight, to say the least. At least it has an auto-fit seal, otherwise Maaka would be cursing her STALKER suit for being in the shop. Trudging through the marsh, a heavily modified AK in hand, Maaka keeps an eye out for anything resembling these anklegators. "I'm not willing to take chances." She muses dryly, glad her blood isn't exactly delectable to mosquitoes. Any who try tend to die very fast, considering Maaka's blood is artificial.

    She watches The Kid sharpen and test his spear with fascination, wondering just what kind of material would be that effective without any of the drawbacks. "Shit, should've brought a bow if I was gonna come out here." the cyborg says, making a mental note to scrub -thoroughly- after this.

Alexis has posed:
At the mention of rusting Alexis glances up at the sky briefly. "Yeah. Can kinda see that." Interesting tale though. "Anklegators kinda sound like Gabites, 'swimming' in the ground. Except Gabites are sharks instead of gators."

Somewhat idly she takes a step forward and leans on that foot a bit, testing how soogy the ground truely is. Squishy and squashy as it oozes around the sole of her boot before she grunts and pulls it back. "Yep, gonna be a trek. Just hope this doesn't prove to be one of those things they say are extinct and you find out otherwise."

Iria (215) has posed:
Iria's never met The Kid before, but she's always willing to lend a hand if and when the situation calls for it. And besides, some might view a place like this as dangerous, but for Iria, it's all the more interesting with all the various dangers that lurk here and whatnot. Not to mention, Iria's armored bodysuit means she's more than likely ready for taking on a place like this.

Arriving on her glider, Iria drops to the ground from it before sending it back to her place. "I don't think we've met before. I'm Hunter Iria, or just Iria if you will." She smiles a little and runs a hand through her hair. "I'm ready to get on with this when everyone else is!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Regardless of any poltical issues The Kid and Rucks were friends to Kotone or at least she saw it that way and she would be glad to help them out. It was also strange off time, now as shemakes a comment to MAaka over the radio on clothing for tramping through the multiverse she keepos an eye on the nature of the terrain and what Kid's saying.

"Something like that? Would have a lot of uses in the multiverse at large."

Simple, enough to grow without any fancy magic or technoloyg and able to act as a knie? That stuff doe have heer attention. She keeps with him the strange ground though and the Reptile like things were also on her mind shtye would have to watch for it.

"Iria huh? Weren't you with the Union before everything went up?"

She then gtrins over to Alexis and Maaka as with a grin. "Good to see you both as well."

Rory White (673) has posed:
When in the wilds, do as the wilds do. RORY WHITE has chosen to sleeve into her optimized Felinoid, experimental or not. Its a mechanical tigress of sleek silver and tiger-like proportions. The tail clearly ends in a VERY aimable laser emitter and a number of weapons are mounted along its sides and legs in pop-out joints. It has no paint job or any other cosmetic accomodations - it's just a featureless and expression mass of silvery metal with very noticeable binary optics.

    Rory's Saucer hovers above, providing a bird's eye scan of the surroundings though.

    "... Analysis of previous Multiverse encounters suggests... if there is a mythical creature that is supposed to be extinct in the area, our chances of encountering one are inexplicably seventy percent if not greater. Do stay alert. I shall prioritize heat sources on scanners."

The Kid has posed:
    New faces and old are joining Kid today. Maaka, Alexis, Kotone and Rory all get a nod from the young man, while Iria gets a more involved greeting. "Thanks fer comin'. I'll do my best to get ya up to speed." He gives Rory a long look and says, "Don't jinx us."

    As they wade, Kid keeps up the chatter to keep spirits high, and distract from the rumbles in the sky above. "Brushers would use these pikes. They were simple, reliable, an' could be used to poke at new things they found out here. Stinkweeds, Wallflowers, Pincushions... they all felt the business end of a pike first." He charitably points out each kind of plant as they go. Stinkweeds are large green bulbous things that live up to their name, even from a distance. Wallflowers look like withered roses that failed to bloom, until their petals split open and reveal a pistil that fires bullets of nectar and pollen... well, like a pistol, right at the party. Kid raises his shield and lets one of the others deal with it. Pincushions are round plants that bristle with needles, and actually fire them at the group. Again, Kid focuses on finding a path and lets someone else take it out.

    As they proceed, loud squawks from the sky make the Kid's face sour. "Peckers," he spits, levelling his pike at one that lands before them, standing on a tree root to regard them with beady, intelligent eyes. It flaps, preparing to take off...

    When the ground beneath it splits apart, and a massive reptilian maw swallows it, and the root, in one gulp.

    In that brief instant, its slit eyes looks to the team with a hungry cunning, before it slips back below the soil. The horn at its tip pokes above the ground as it moves, before it too submerges.

    Kid goes still, and is as pale as he can possibly get. "Queen Anne..." he whispers.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Maaka nods calmly. That's all the response she needs to give.

    "Seems like it worked out fine for them." She says, just in time for the Wallflower to open fire upon them. Evading their fire, Maaka raises her rifle, before firing off a few 7.62x39mm rounds in retaliation with dead accuracy.

    The Pincushions will find a similar fate waiting for them. That said, Maaka feels a few needles embed themselves into her shoulders and chest, grunting in paint as she pries them out and flicks them aside. "Fuckin' barbs." She grunts, peeling one loose from her forehead and leaving behind a trickle of blood, before the wound clots. It's only then that she notices the bird snagged by....someting, before the cyborg glances to Kid and Rory. "What was that about extinction again?"

Iria (215) has posed:
Meanwhile, Iria draws her handgun and loads a clip into it. "I'm ready for whatever's coming our way!" She fires at the Wallflower as well, offering a little extra support to Maaka. As for the Pincushions, Iria finds that she can't even hit them with her sword. She scowls and mutters a curse word before working on flicking the barbs off of her. "My armor... dammit!" She says with a sour looking scowl. "If this requires extra repair costs, I'll be pissed!"

When she sees the birds being snagged, she goes wide-eyed for a moment. "Holy hell," She comments. "Looks like something's hungry, and I don't want to get too close to it!"

Alexis has posed:
"And that's where the saying about not touching things with ten foot poles comes from?", Alexis chimes in, if only to make a wisecrack to try and lighten the mood a little despite the possible storm brewing over their heads.

Only for that attempt to be cut short as some of the indicated plant life decides to take offense at them being here. "And I thought Victreebels were annoying!" she yelps, ducking down to avoid a volly of nectar shots since sidestepping in the muck is a bit difficult. While crouched down she snags a pokeball and flicks it front of her. "Heatsink, defend!" With the usual flash of energy a beast similar to a large aardvark appears in front of her. Except this one has a tail like an exhaust pipe and large vent rings cuffing his front paws as he holds them up in front of himself to shield against plant shots and needles. Most of the botanical attacks smolder off his heat generating body.

"Now," Alexis continues as she stands back up and makes whipping motion with her hand. "Strike back with Fire Lash!" Much like an aardvark, the Heatmor has a long tongue to stick out of his mouth-snout.

Unlike a normal aarvark, this tongue catchs aflame as it touches air, and like it's name would suggest is lashed like a flaming whip at the assaulting plants.

Alexis glances over her shoulder, having missed the bird chomping while getting a 'mon to deal with the plant attacks. "What are you all gawking at?"

Rory White (673) has posed:
"You are welcome. Hopefully a little more perseverence will have this entire matter settled. It has become so chaotic." Her optics flash briefly in response to the warning about jinxing. That's probably an acknowledgement, since she certainly has no words for it.

    She slinks around the plants... and those that the Kid pokes safely, she actually briefly stops to gather samples from - by stabbing them with her form's claws.

    Then SPINES fly everywhere! This gets Rory hunkering down low to the ground, letting mot of them whoosh by overhead - if just barely. A few do strike her back though, digging deep enough to draw a few sparks. "... minimal damage, self-repair systems can handle. What a fascinating plant!"

    All eyes turn towards the Pecker...

    And the great beast that simply swallows it up. And the land it was perched on.

    The AGI exclaims, "I do not believe in jinxing. ... But if my observations in any way lead to this creature being around... everyone has my SINCEREST apologies." Her voice actually quivers slightly.

    She's not worried about the plants. Or the Peckers. But VERY worried about THAT.

    "Readying a tracer round so we can track it after it next surfaces."

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is glad to see the Kid and then she looks to ROry for a moment raising her head. "Whelp that sure is a jinx." She's taking it in good spirits however letting a scout drone lose to give them some update and she'll attempt to tac net up with Rory and Maaka if she's able to. She has a rifle out an now is moving with the rest of the group as they keep going.

The attackers will soon find that Kotone isn't ging to give them much mercy as she fires at the wallflower as well adding what she can to the whole fight. She's also not sitting still either as that would be a horrible idea in a situation like this but she doesn't get away from all the spines sadly.

The Kid has posed:
    "Run," is all the Kid says in response to those who might have missed the event. Unfortunately, running in this muck is hard, so everyone might have to settle for a fast wade. "Queen Anne was a myth among Anklegators. An absolute beast that scared the Brushers half to death. My ma would tell me stories about her to get me to behave. 'Be good or Queen Anne will swallow you up.'" It's funny, he's much chattier when scared half to death.

    The tall reeds become a much more threatening place. Every now and again, those eyes peer out from them, glittering with hunger and animal instinct. Although, it actually seems to jerk away when Kid turns to face it with that spear. Maybe its felt the sting of sharp sticks from Brushers past?

    Eventually, Kid leads them all to where the pull of his City Crest is the strongest. The Shard hovers before them, glittering alluringly. Unfortunately, the surroundings consist of many bones jutting from the damp soil. Teeth marks indiciate that they were torn at. "... her nest. She's why there's a Shard here. Anklegators love shiny thi-"

    The last of his words are cut off, as the beast rises under his feet, launching him ten feet into the air. He tumbles, as Queen Anne opens her maw to catch and devour him!

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    "/Shit./" is Maaka's reaction, and she wades quickly, covering the others as she trains her gun towards the beast of the depths. "Don't suppose there's any secret weaknesses this bitch has, is there?" She wonders, before she lowers her weapon when the giant gator trails off. She's wary, but follows Kid and the others toward the shar-

    AND THEN QUEEN ANNE COMES BACK. "SHIT!" She flings her grapple out, trying to snare Kid's waist before pulling him out of the way of the maw. "I got you, Frosty!"

Iria (215) has posed:
Running in muck like this is not easy, indeed. Even with her armor on complete with her boots, Iria still has difficulty moving. She grumbles as she tries to get away as quickly as she can, while scowling at the thought of that huge thing trying to have her for dinner. "I hope it does have a weakness. I don't want to become a meal for that creature!" When it disappears, Iria's readied her grenade launcher, since she knows an enemy can return at any moment.

Her instinct proves to be right as Queen Anne comes back, and Iria calls out, "HOLY SHIT!" Reacting quickly, Iria fires off a grenade round at the creature, aiming away from The Kid albeit to avoid collateral damage of any kind. "Leave him alone, you overgrown freak!"

Alexis has posed:
Alexis recalls the Heatmor once the plants are dealt with, and Kid is insisting they run/wade as quickly as possible. Quick, the flame-aardvark was not. Even with her athletic traits Alexis was having a workout sloshing through the muck and mire towards their goal. There's the shard!

In what's obviously a nest, and remains of previous meals. "Looks like a Marowak graveyard almost. Creepy shi--"

Cue big bad momma coming out to try and snatch the Kid down in one greedy gobble. "--it that thing is big!" 'Queen' might be an apt moniker here. She reachs for her pokeballs, but hesitates when people start chucking grenades in the direction of the beast.

Rory White (673) has posed:
"There are genetic engineers in my home world who are trying to revive ancient megafauna such as the Tyrannosaurus Rex. Either through actual DNA samples and patchwork, or simply hacking together facsimiles. And those who try to create mythological creatures like griffons, cockatrice, and dragon. ... Seeing this, I am forced to consider the ramifications of their efforts. Having a beast like her on the loose is... A DISASTER!" Rory protests, apparently only able to equate this creature with DINOSAURS.

    The scream coincides with the creature's sudden reappearance. "LOOK OUT!"

    Rory's normal weaponry remain sleekly slotted into place along her form. None of it activates. But she does open her mouth, exposing... well, that the inside of it looks kind of like a satellite dish with fangs?

    Waves of MICROWAVE ENERGY do her bidding, tuned to do what explosives and blades probably can't - excite water molecules in organic matter and COOK FLESH. A few quick pulses, which should be enough to inflict extreme and direct agony on the creature... even if it won't INJURE it much, all she needs to do is make it flinch.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa hears the warning to run and she's going to try to rget moving.

"Really? That sort of story is more just to keep kids from ... going somewhere dangerous when they are too young to understand the actual danger."

She doe sliten and she keep smoving following after Kid as fast as she can go which is not the noprmal home she looks and ses the kid.

"KID LOOL...."

Something snaps in Kotone when she sees this, a she could hurt Kid witrh ranged fire breaching the body so now is the time to pull a combat knife.

Kotone then is going to make a ruusn for the thing and leap at it with the knife, this is going to end badly for her.

The Kid has posed:
    When you're falling, your brain has a habit of firing in some strange directions. For Kid, he's oddly bemused that, after all this time fearing a fall to his death from impact, he might die instead by falling into a mouth to be eaten. Luckily, Maaka's tether yanks him away from the snapping jaws, so he instead impacts on the slick ground. Being covered in mud is much better than other fluids, he decides.

    Meanwhile, Queen Anne is blasted with microwaves and grenades, and then stuck with Kotone's knife. It scales are smooth, but incredibly tough. No match for a cyborg's strength though. The wounds make it shriek with pain and swiftly tunnel back under the earth, possibly yanking the knife with it. It becomes immediately clear why such a creature is so formidable. Under the earth, it's near invincible to conventional warfare. And the cool soil is probably helping those burns and cuts, extending its ability to fight.

    Kid gets back on his feet, pike ready in both hands as the skies overhead crack, the storm finally coming. Rain begins to hammer down, filling the Lagoon with noise and obscuring vision further. "Feel for tremors!" Kid barks over the rainfall.

    After a long, pregnant, tense pause, there comes one. Just as Anne erupts, dragging her entire bulk from underground to come at the whole party side-on. Each teeth is like a sword blade, and they all have everyones name on them!

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Maaka quickly helps Kid to his feet, "You okay?" She asks, before they join the fight. She opens fire upon Queen Anne's scaly hide, her AK blazing with short, controlled bursts. She reloads once her magazine runs dry, before the gator scurries off.

    "Where did she go?" She asks, chambering a new round before she whirls about, before tremors announce Anne's return. She dives out of the way from the tooth, firing more at the massive gator's wounds.

Iria (215) has posed:
As soon as The Kid comes down, Iria smirks a little, glad that he's safe. Then she resumes firing her grenades at Queen Anne. Scaly or not, Iria's not about to let up on this freak, even if her weapons do minimal damage. She keeps firing until the Kid calls out for her to feel for tremors while the rain starts up. "Got it!" Iria calls out, and then she does indeed sense a tremor coming.

"THAR SHE BLOWS!" Iria screams as Anne erupts and makes her presence better known. She steps back a few steps then jumps backwards, attempting to utilize her acrobatic skills to keep herself from being cut to ribbons by those teeth.

Rory White (673) has posed:
This time, Rory is ready. The tremors alert her quickly, sensors and analytical systems pinpointing the point of emergence quickly enough for the robotic Feline to hop about in place and re-orient.

    She never did get a chance to get that tracer off... it seems there will be no need.

    As terrifying as having the big... 'lizard' coming at her with that vicious horn and the razor teeth, Rory's somewhat confident that her SOLID METAL CONSTRUCTION will be able to withstand one direct chomp. Perhaps two. And if not, well, there's always Plan B.

    So she tries something a little risky.

    Targeting systems lock onto the creature's open mouth. Instead of trying to dodge first and foremost, she takes a half-second to activate ALL of those pop-out weapon systems. Mechanical whir-clicks herald multiple gun barrels locking into place...

    *RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!*

    It's machine guns, loaded with some of the NASTIEST of flesh-shredding bullets she has available. The smart rounds will dynamically alter their mass spread to maximize impact and tissue damage.

    And they're aimed straight down the creature's gullet. Up towards the roof of its mouth. At everything she can SEE.

    Most creatures have some manner of external toughness... but few creatures can guard their guts.

    After unloading all she can possibly risk, Rory VAULTS UPWARDS with all of her robotic strength. It's a toss-up about whether she can clear the horn after that delay....

Alexis has posed:
Queene Anne fights like a Ground type. At Ground types are one of Alexis' specialties, next to Fire types. There's certain strategies to dealing with this sort of thing. She picks a pokeball free and tosses it. "It's ring time Hurricarana!"

Queen Anne bursts out of the ground into a bumrush. At the same time the form released from the pokeball drops from above, the plumage from his arms fluttering like a cape. "Hawluuuchaaa!" Rather than go for the direct approach though, he aims to land on her back, then grab onto her head and try to yank her attention away from roughshodding over the others with her charge.

Sometimes the best way to deal with big and brutish is to go with stout and agile.

The Kid has posed:
    The Anklegator is a creature made for ambush. Once that is nullified, its battle effectiveness typically drops. Queen Anne is ancient though, and its size and hardiness closes that gap. It maintains its course, even as Maaka's bullets pound against its wounds. It chases Iria at first, frustrated at her acrobatics. But then Rory plants herelf in its path and fires into its open maw... it's a good idea. But creatures in the Wild are tough. It takes a strong mouth to properly eat them, and Queen Anne's is stronger than most. Those slick teeth come bearing down on the AGI...

    Just before Hurricanrana grabs a hold and forces Anne to only sideswipe her instead of chomp down. The beast gives a furious howl and starts rolling about, trying to dislodge the Pokemon. Blood seeps between its teeth, indicative of the damage done.

    Kid rubs his chin as he considers the Hawlucha wrestling with the reptile. "It's used to things being above it, but on the ground... take to the air if you can!"

Iria (215) has posed:
Take to the air? That's actually a great idea!

"I got it, yeah!" Iria says as she calls back her glider, which she gets into a seated position with at first. But then she switches to hang glider mode, allowing her to open fire from the air above with her assault rifle. "Good thing I brought this with me! You never know when you need to take to the sky!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa does something stupid and she's likely going to pay for it. She gets a good hit in but finds it was harder to od than she thought it would. She pulle and twists the blade before she pulls it back out or tries to but she ends up losing the knife as the thing tunnels away. She's now out of a kniofe but The Kid has not been devoured. She however looks about wondering what this thing is, are they going to have to feed it grenades. 5R
"I getcha..."

She atrmps to do so but well she can only feel vibrations as much as someone could.

"keep alert..."

She wonders about Queen Anne.

She hears the warning to get up into the air and she'll make use of her monility system. She can't fly but she can double jump well. That should be neough to keep her not walys on the ground as she'll attempt to snipe a few shots at it with her rifle when she gets a clear shot. She can't keep airborn for long but not always being on the ground is better than always being on the ground.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Maaka lets her rifle hang on its sling as she draws her HF knife, the blade buzzing in her hand as she charges the gator. Once Hurrincanrana grabs ahold of Queen Anne, Maaka tackles the massive beast and plants her knife in its side, twisting it hard and stabbing it over and over to make the wound -last-, really make it bleed more than a dip underwater can fix. "HOLD HER DOWN!" She barks to the Pokemon, before a tail swipe knocks her free, the blade ripping free.

    She lands in the muck, and her boonie hat promptly disappears, never to be seen again.

    RIP, boonie hat. You will be replaced, but never forgotten.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis nods a little at Kid while the two creatures are rolling around on the ground. "That's part of the idea." Grappling directly isn't working though, and after getting battered around enough Hurricarana plants his feet and pulls away from the tumbling beast as he kicks off and launchs back into the air. Plumage spreads from his arms as he angles them back, acting like a glider to keep him aloft. But they're also starting to glow.

Alexis smirks. He's got the right idea. "Live up to your name and rock her like a hurricane!"

The Hawlucha loops over mid-air, then folds in his arm-wings as he spins around, corkscrewing as he goes into a high powered dive. That's not its trademark Flying Press though.

Not when he pulls up abruptly, but the powerful wave of air pressure that was building up behind his spinning dive continues on, aimed at hammering down the beast with his version of Sky Attack.

Rory White (673) has posed:
The horrifying noise of teeth and lizardskin shearing into and then crumpling metal assaults everyone. Sparks fly and electricity arcs from the robotic feline. One of its guns ends up ripped half to shreds and the sheer FORCE of Queen Anne's passage sends the poor robot tumbling through the muck. Splish-splash-SLUMP.

    "...VERY certain that resurrecting mega-fauna is a terrible idea." She comments more solidly now, voice clear and unpained despite the OBVIOUS damage to her Morph.

    Damage that seems to include one leg NOT properly responding as she straightens up and gets upright. The Felinoid staggers.

    "That was my best tactic available. We are at a severe disadvantage while that thing's body remains largely underground."

The Kid has posed:
    Queen Anne looks around, confused as Iria and Kotone take to the skies. It seems the Kid was correct. It manages to spot them, but now it's in a bit of trouble. The speed they show by suddenly emerging is the result of building it while below ground. Now that it's emerged, the best it can do it start to pull itself free from the soil to snap at the two as they shoot at it.

    This gives Maaka a very effective target. By exposing more of itself, it's revealing scales that have never been wounded, never had to grow back tougher. Her HF knife slips in and out like it was gliding through butter, drawing more shrieks from the living myth. It comes down like a ton of bricks, trying to belly flop on her!

    At this moment, Alexis might regret her command. That Flying Press pressure only pushes Queen Anne down harder, but it also leaves her stunned on the ground for a moment. If there's a time to kill it, it's now.

    And Kid capitalizes on it immediately by driving that spear into one of Queen Anne's eyes. The scream it lets out is the most horrid yet. "FINISH IT!"

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    Maaka is barely able to react in time, but she feels the weight of Queen Anne press on top of her with a loud yell. She struggles to stay above the muck, and keep from being squashed entirely as her muscles flex and stretch, her strength focusing to hold the gator up while pushing it off. "MOVE, DAMMIT!" She roars, before she sees Kid stab Anne in the eye.

    "Kotone, catch!" She tosses the fellow cyborg a frag grenade, before she goes back to trying to free herself before she either drowns or is flattened.

Iria (215) has posed:
Still in the air on her glider, Iria smiles with an evil look in her eye. "All right, time to give the coup de grace!" She takes out a grenade and tosses it towards Queen Anne, albeit while angling it away from the others. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!" She calls out, gesturing towards where the grenade landed. "She'll get a bang out of this, I'm sure!"

Alexis has posed:
Well that worked, but getting Maaka stuck between a crock and a hard place wasn't part of the plan.

On the other hand, we can be thankful for something other than finishing off the beast that needs to be done.

Alexis sloshes in to grab onto Maaka. Her birdmon twirls in the air and drops down next to her to grab hold as well.

Hopefully the two of them are enough to yank the cyborg out before people start whipping those grenades.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Queen Ann is having a bad day or is at least confused. She now is bouning up and only touching the ground long enough to get back up into another pair of jumps. She's also dashing in the air as well, the upgrades the Flotilla gave her are holding well. She darts about and will catch the grenad efrom Maaka then toss it at the moment she's got an opening ot do and the grenade goes flying.

"Time's up critter, your days are done."

Rory White (673) has posed:
Rory's morph finally stops sparking quite as much. The optics once again flash, and she angles the laser up and around. Sophisticated software draws a targeting reticle on her vision, locking image recognition onto Queen Anne's OTHER eye. The tail laser comes up...

    She can't offer a lot of firepower to this effort, but the laser activates without fanfare... or any kind of glow. It's a REAL SCIENCE LASER, so the only glow is the bright violet-blue glow where it's aimed - an attempt to vaporize-explode the OTHER eye and burn through the socket into deeper things...

The Kid has posed:
    The bell tolls for Queen Anne.

    Explosions ring out as it is pelted with grenades, stabbing it with shrapnel and shockwaves that damage its internals. Its other eye is burned out, leaving it totally blind and screaming as its humors boil over, spilling from the socket and rupturing the organ.

    Kid also helps in pulling Maaka out and getting her away as Queen Anne takes her last breath before slumping, howls fading to a low gurgle.

    The Kid doesn't say much of anything. Wordlessly, he walks up to the carcass and touches it. Queen Anne was a myth, a recurring feature in his childhood nightmares, and now she's dead, by their hands. Conflicting feelings clash in him, painted clearly on his face. Eventually, he says, "Thanks for the help," and goes to collect the Shard.

    Underneath it is a small nest with a single, large egg. It looks like Anne was a mother. Kid picks that up too.

Alexis Maaka (571) has posed:
    KABOOM! Maaka's ears ring for a brief moment before they switch off, then back on again with a readjusting. She grunts, trying to pry the croc mama off of her when the fighting ends. "...christ." She mutters at the gory display, and the solitary egg left behind. Nodding to the Kid when he helps her, Maaka just wipes mud and gore from her body and rifle, not protesting Kid's decision to take that egg.

    God only knows what to do with it after the fact.

Alexis has posed:
Alexis lets out a soft huff. Sometimes this was the only way to deal with wild monsters. But that doesn't mean they have to enjoy it. "She was certainly worthy of the reputation she had for being a tough bitch," she murmurs as she recalls her pokemon. "Let's get that shard back to Bastion before some other giant monster shows up."

Iria (215) has posed:
Coming back down, Iria gives a thumbs up to the others. "We did good out here, it seems!" She smiles a little. "That was one bad creature though. At least it wasn't like Zeiram, but oh well." She runs a hand through her hair. "Let's get outta here before more show up!"

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa comes in for a powerful landing that shows off her nature very well she ain't no tiny little lady in terms of the mass of her body even though she looks it. She looks at the thing is dead andshakes her head she als puses for a momehnt looks at the egg musing. "Could raise it to be a guard animal, or if we did somehow find a Zoo they might pay big for it, if your looking for a payout Kid."