[center] [h2]Chaos Aligned[/h2] Juri and Edward Words: 2114 (+3) [/center] [color=ea590c]”What an eclectic collection… I think that’s just a beehive”[/color] Edward said as he examined the items in his box, before picking up Odden’s Pinky between an oversized finger and thumb and describing it as [color=ea590c]”Fascinating”[/color] as he examined it before setting it back into the crate. [b][color=ec008c]”What the hell?”[/color][/b] Juri asked with a delighted giggle. [b][color=ec008c]”Can’t be normal bees if they were inside that box. That’s sick.”[/color][/b] [color=ea590c]”I look forward to experimenting with those once I return to normal”[/color] he commented, before leaning over to see what Juri had acquired. Juri’s grasping hands gravitated towards the Akjagara hand guns first, picking them both up and twirling them around her finger. [b][color=ec008c]”Hey, alright! Double the bullets double the fun.”[/color][/b] She aimed down the sights as practice. She put them back and picked up the Sterilizer next. [b][color=ec008c]”Woooah. Pretty sure this thing’s a damn war crime. Gotta admit I ain’t eager to pull the trigger without a gas mask.”[/color][/b] She said, in a reverential type of way. As for the magic sniper rifle thing, Juri was less impressed. [b][color=ec008c]”Dunno if that one’s my style. Might trade it.”[/color][/b] Juri said. [b][color=ec008c]”I like these thingies. ‘Akjagara’. Badass. Fast, light, lethal. Easy to carry.”[/color][/b] To demonstrate, Juri simply shoved the twin pistols into the back of her pants. [color=ea590c]”Care to trade for the rifle right now? It seems more [i]my[/i] ‘style’ certainly”[/color] Edward requested, before suggesting [color=ea590c]” Perhaps you can find out what the beehive does?”[/color] [b][color=ec008c]”Well, damn,”[/color][/b] Juri said with a happy smile. [b][color=ec008c]”What kinda person would I be if I turned down a weaponized beehive?”[/color][/b] She tossed the magic rifle Edward’s way. Edward caught it, and then tossed her the beehive in turn as he said [color=ea590c]”A less interesting one, certainly”[/color] He then placed the rifle in his chest, and began the sequence to send it back. He, after all, could not wield any weapons in his enlarged state. Juri put away the beehive and the sterilizer, casting her magic spells. She’d use both later. Right now she wanted the handguns. After everything was put away, Edward opened another portal in the direction of the high tower, before sweeping an hand towards it and asked [color=ea590c]”Shall we?”[/color] [b][color=ec008c]”Let’s earn some money.”[/color][/b] A couple of dozen steps later, they reached the oilfields, which slowed down their advance a fair bit, as the smoke from the firespring choked out the sky and most of the good vantage points, resulting in shorter hops. It wasn’t quite enough for the various predators and threats to catch up with them, though at one point they did get surprised by a toxic pool suddenly rising up and revealing itself to be made up of a half a dozen Muks inorder to spray acid at them. Edward’s armor was signed before he opened up a portal to act as cover, sending the acid raining back down on the slimy creatures. He used another portal to get another angle on them, and after one moment of analysis said [color=ea590c]”Lets not”[/color] because he had absolutely no interest in trying to punch or stomp the poisonous to the touch looking things. [b][color=ec008c]”Is this really the fastest way to go?”[/color][/b] Juri complained, taking a few potshots at the creatures for target practice. Whenever the sprayed acid at her she just casually hopped to the side. [color=ea590c]”It is preferable to walking through land that is actively on fire”[/color] Edward replied, as he recalculated their path and opened another portal, taking them away from the muckpool. While they could simply step away from threats, Edward’s drones were relying entirely on outrunning them, which mostly worked till one got itself pinned between a pack of Lurkers and a stalking Rompopolo. [color=ea590c]”On slight detour here”[/color] Edward said as the situation became clear, stepping them along the path towards the scout squad, which they found knocked down to one member and dodging and weaving for its life between sprays of poison and the lashing claws of the lurkers. It was already dripping in the stuff, being mechanical and all, but the fragile thing was still taking a beating from the force of the spray. [color=ea590c]”To me”[/color] the man said theatrically, as he opened a portal to bail the machine out, only for one of the lurkers to lunge through it as well before he closed it. Juri smashed her foot into the thing, appearing from the left to launch it back through the portal. [b][color=ec008c]”This is pissin’ me off.”[/color][/b] Juri said. [b][color=ec008c]”I ain’t here for playtime with the local wildlife, I wanna get to that bigass tower!”[/color][/b] With that in mind she started unloading her pistols into every creature she could see. This worked wonderfully against the Lurkers, not so much on the Rompopolo, which as a hulking brute wyvern was not butt off by mere handgun fire, as it demonstrated by igniting an entire oilfield around itself, and by extension them, in retaliation for the pistol fire. [color=ea590c]”That explains”[/color] Edward paused to cough at the resulting toxic fumes [color=ea590c]”Why large areas are on fire I suppose”[/color] Juri shielded her mouth and nose with her arm, coughing. But she’d been dosed with worse poisons. [b][color=ec008c]”Alright, fine!”[/color][/b] She ‘holstered’ her pistols and got out her Ghoulsaw. A much bigger, heavier weapon. She Drive Rushed forward and met the Rompopolo in combat, slashing into its thick hided with spray of blood. As it came to bear down on her she dodged backwards and kicked the beast in the face to stun it before curling around the side. It stumbled to the side, taken aback by the amount of force the little human could output, and was then double stunned as Edward’s armored boot stamped down out of a portal and squashed its face down into the oil sludge. Juri took the opportunity to charge up a quick Fuha stock that empowered her next move, a twisting OD heel slam into the creatures skull. Stunned, Juri got her her Ghoulsaw and slammed it into the things bruised head, spraying blood and then ash everywhere. Juri frowned and pulled her saw from the muck. [b][color=ec008c]”C’mon, let’s get a move on already.”[/color][/b] It was only fun when the things she was crushing were sapient. [color=ea590c]”As you wish”[/color] the man replied as he portaled the spirit into his hand, chanaling the return ritual in it as they kept moving. After all that, the duo emerged from the oil and smog and finally got a view of the high tower and just got to bask in its awe inspiring tallness for a bit. Mainly because Edward was finding himself a bit winded. A military man entirely used to long matches or days in the saddle, he found this a bit perturbing. Juri gave him a side-eye, she herself was a highly conditioned martial artist but even still she didn’t think he was the type to get tired after walking. Juri whistled appreciatively at the distant chaos. People were shooting each other and scrambling around and desperately trying to secure payloads of crates before being warded off or biting it. Her eyes traced the massive tower up to the evil flame clock above. [b][color=ec008c]”It’s a total shitshow, Edd.”[/color][/b] Juri surmised. Some part of her wanted to make the hike up the higher tower to smash that thing and avoid the view. [color=ea590c]”Let's make sure we know what we're doing before we jump into that”[/color] Edward suggested, as he portaled two of his few remaining scout squads onto the tower itself. One stayed low to spy, the other just started going up and up and up, because the mystery of what in the world was up there was just too tempting for the Dreadnaught to ignore. [color=ea590c]”In the meantime, let me recharge my fuel cells, and make us some disposable fodder. We’re going to need it in that”[/color] he then said as he sat down on the ground, pulled out his tomes, and charging and casting. In contrast to his weakened constitution, this seemed to come a little easier than before, as he forged a cannon and several copper golem squads. Juri was squatting, checking the ammo on her new handguns and trying to get a read on the battle. [b][color=ec008c]”It’s a real party down there, so I’ve got mixed feelings about staying out of it. On the other hand, if we want the goods, we gotta be smart. And I definitely want the goods.”[/color][/b] Juri rolled her neck. [b][color=ec008c]”Way I see it, our only chance to get anything is using those portals of yours like before.”[/color][/b] She pointed a pistol at Edward like a finger. [b][color=ec008c]”So we need to find a good spot to extract to, and enough time to make sure no one follows us through like that freaky thing did earlier.”[/color][/b] She strategized aloud. [color=ea590c]”A sound strategy”[/color] Edward (unconcerned by the tiny firearm being pointed his way) said, after completing one of his incantations, before adding after a moment added [color=ea590c]”Ah, which is not exactly what I would call the other seekers who just arrived’s, plan, which has involved blindly endearing the fray in one of the two person from our heist”[/color] He was observing this from his scout, which then picked up a more distant figure, upon which he also commented, saying that [color=ea590c]”Sectonia seems to be doing what I am doing, portaling in disposable summons”[/color] He pointed out this (somewhat distant from them part) of the fighting as he stood up once more, his own squads of disposable troops now arrayed around him, ready to set off. Juri scratched the shaved part of her temple with the barrel of her gun. [b][color=ec008c]”Morons. But still, useful.”[/color][/b] Juri looked around. [b][color=ec008c]”You found a good spot to post up yet?”[/color][/b] Considering the battle seemed to be a total stalemate, she wasn’t in a rush to get down there right this very minute if they could secure an advantage first. [color=ea590c]”There aren't that many good ones unfortunately,”[/color] replied as he scanned the area through his drones’ eyes, [color=ea590c]”cliffs too steep, structures to small, and then, well, there’s just the void out there”[/color] [b][color=ec008c][i]”Thppppbt.[/i]”[/color][/b] Juri blew a raspberry. [color=ea590c]”With the cliffs blocking line of sight, I think we’ll have to portal through the warzone several times to make it out to an uncontested spot. But when it comes to spots to start from, I believe up there will grant us an unparalleled strategic advantage”[/color] Edward said, pointing towards a structure hovering above the valley. It was too small to fit much on it, and so any loot would simply tumble off the side if they tried to teleport it there, but for getting in, it commanded a dominating position over the battlefield. [b][color=ec008c]”Can you shoot from up there?”[/color][/b] Juri asked. [b][color=ec008c]”Or just send one of those drone thingies with me and portal when I ask and you have line of sight?”[/color][/b] [color=ea590c]”I’ll send more than drones”[/color] Edwards said, as he gestured to his troops, before crouching down, picking up the self animated cannon and then preparing to wield it like a small-arm [color=ea590c]”and yes, I think I should be able to help from on high”[/color] Juri grinned, making sure her pistols were fully loaded. [b][color=ec008c]”Then what are we waitin' for? Let's get this show on the road. I got skulls to crush.”[/color][/b] She lifted her foot and twisted it, gathering ki energy for her Fuha stocks. [color=ea590c]”Lets”[/color] Edward agreed, before opening the portals to begin their raid upon the highest tower.