There would be no response, quick or otherwise, to the Clockwork Man's plan. In fact, there would be no sign at all that Arty had ever been crouching next to his robot pal when he turned to regard him. As soon as he'd agreed to the the plan, Arty had dropped off the side of their little outcropping and began making his way toward the patrol, using the scattered rocks for cover. By the time the suggestion was made, he would be little more than a dark silhouette against the snow, crouching behind a rock less than 50 feet from the patrol. He moved silently in spite of the icy terrain, finding sure footing even on the most sheer of surfaces as he closed the gap further to position himself behind a boulder just in front of the patrol.

When they reached him and moved past, he stepped out from his hiding place and slipped a hand between the back of the helmet and the body armor of the two rearmost guards and grabbed their necks. Every muscle in their body went rigid in an instant as he lifted them off the ground, preventing them from calling out or dropping their rifles as he pulled them behind the boulder.