Dervish
๐: ๐๐๐ก๐ฅ. ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐ / / ๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ฃ๐, ๐๐๐ฃ๐ช๐๐๐๐ / / ๐๐ ๐จ๐ / / ~๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ/๐๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค
With the net rendered useless and the spiders gone, nothing impeded Siena's attack as it tore through the nearest centipede's head, sending spasms down the creature's body and finally rendering it immobile.
Angel's scream pushed the dead creatures backwards into the centipede circling on the outer ring and the remaining sweep of Hazel's hand disintegrated over half of its body, leaving just a twitching tail length behind.
A burst of white light from nearby blasted a wide path through the small dirt hill that had buried Ethan and Genevieve during Factory's fall and the two of them clambered slowly out of the ring-shaped patch of smooth earth that had been the effect of the barrier preventing the worst of the dust storm from reaching them. As Genevieve complained about the bits of soil in her hair, Ethan looked towards the fallen form of Factory, noting as his gaze swept over them the fallen clockworks nearby.
As if Factory's fall and the partial destruction of the subnatural inside the core had signaled the end of the fighting's worst, the remaining creatures seemed to lose the single-minded purpose they had prior.
The collector nearest the offensive support team jerked suddenly, its movements faltering into repetitive motions with its outstretched hands while the lights on its face blinked sporadically. With a modicum more autonomy than its peers, the construct limped and hobbled on legs that no longer moved in tandem, the inside chamber of its body breaking apart with the loss of vital administrative functions that had set and maintained the inner segmentation of its body.
The weak screams and pained groans from inside its form ceased rapidly after a brief burst of muffled crackling and watery noises.
The three dogs that had shaken themselves free from the impromptu burial in debris collapsed as well once their legs refused to move in any useful pattern, sliding along the ground almost pitifully before several shots of light vaporized the majority of their bodies, leaving behind the scorched remains of their densest parts.
Only the sky serpent remained actively fighting, meeting Chris's charge head-on with an open maw, swallowing the dragon whole just as the last of the subnatural's fine control on his clockworks dissolved into mindless static that barely held together independent function.
The change was immediate.
Every scale on the snake's body spasmed, displacing and realigning rapidly in no apparent order, revealing the minute construction of its inner workings where strange gears and cogs whirred and spun beyond their proper speed, some breaking and others snapping off their places, flying outwards as its body spat up parts in the malfunction. The systems holding it aloft failed and basic movement mechanisms ground to a stuttering halt. With Chris clamped in its jaw, the massive creature crashed to the ground, its body sprawling out across the ridged hill of Wisford and the spasming Factory.
Beside the toppled behemoth's chest lay the large sphere missing a ragged chunk as if someone had taken multiple bites from it. There was little human left in the vaguely humanoid shape that was almost enmeshed into the metal with only its torso visible, and the black strands of liquid that pooled from the missing head could hardly be called blood.
Nearby, a broken cranium had been thrown carelessly aside, the back and sides of the metallic skull crushed by two hand-shaped gouges. A face had been in the process of merging with metal, the front of it separated from the head by careful metallic wiring and joints as the power worked to replace every organic part with alloys.
Now the thin plating of the face lay looking upwards besides the rest of its head, one eye already mechanized and broken off in the struggle.
But the rest of the person it used to be was still recognizable in the glassy glaze of the dead eye staring into the last vestiges of dusk.
Aaron.
Ethan watched the large construct's uncoordinated movements a moment longer before coughing and spitting out some of the dust in his mouth. Eventually, he turned towards the group of combatants nearby, walking over slowly with Genevieve. Several of them he recognized from the fight near the Institute's grounds and he really should have pinned more faces to his memory when the rest also seemed familiar.
"We'll go have a look," he spoke between heavy breaths, gesturing at the fallen clockwork titan. "You guys can head back to the drop-off point. ...Good work."
In the distance, the roving, jittering collector caught his eye and he pointed at the teetering creature.
"Can I leave mopping up to you guys?"
๐ผ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐
While Marcus, Dean, and the old man got into position, the opposing trio approached the back doors. Inside the APC, the girl with black hair silently stood from her seat amidst the other passengers. Facing their backs, she gripped her scarf tightly while holding it over her nose. Beneath the fabric, a rapturous smile blossomed as her features slowly distorted. The changes were small and subtle at first. Easy to miss. Before the doors swung open, however, a chorus of staccato shouts served as the only warning for the pandemonioum that was to come.
Two large, sturdy bat-like wings sprang from the girl's back, roughly slamming the nearby survivors against the inner wall of the vehicle. She now possessed sharp claws where fingers should be as well as talons for feet, which were used to grab Savannah's leg just before she launched herself towards the half open doors, bowling over those stationed beside them. Dean, who was already out of the line of fire, pressed himself up against wall and avoided the charge.
Anticipating their comrade, the trio of aberrations had quickly backed away from the doors upon opening them. They were sure to give the winged girl plenty of girth as she knocked Marcus and the old man clear out of the APC, sharply dragging a screaming Savannah along the way.
The perfectly aimed beams from Brent were, in that moment, obscured by her passing as she flew out of the doors. Three smoking black marks upon the tough webbing that made up the girl's wings seemed to be the only evidence of his hard work. She came to a stop, spreading her wings to block Brent from any addition shots directed at her allies while she pinned Savannah's torso to the ground with the claws of her feet. Savannah kicked frantically, pulling at the heavy claws on either side of her neck and shoulders in vain. The girl turned a pair of yellow cat-like eyes in Brent's direction with an aggravated expression marring her already distorted features.
Between a pair of large, pointed ears, two black horns protruded from the girl's forehead. Her nose had shortened and scrunched between her eyes, forming a knot of angry wrinkles where her brows met. Elevated cheekbones as well as the upper lip set her mouth into a permanent snarl that revealed a set of sharp fangs. A large, powerful reptilian tail extended from beneath the back of her black petticoat. In a sweeping motion, she swung it towards the downed time mage, aiming to knock the shotgun away.
The older looking aberration with black hair gestured towards the them, her hand glowing yellow as debris and bodies alike began to float. The gargoyle girl dug her claws into the dirt to keep herself from floating away, though her hair and the loose ends of her clothing moved weightlessly about her person.
๐ป๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐ฅ/โ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ค
Kusariโs attack managed to halt the collector. The breaching hammer, propelled by the unnatural strength of her monster limb, connected with the massive creatureโs head, creating a huge dent on the smooth surface dotted with the thin grooves of its red eyes. Right at that moment, Allison went in with her blade, the magic slicing off the two front legs with ease. With only its two hind legs left, the creature stumbled, but its arms were still reaching out toward the mages.
Then the connection from its creator dimmed to a flicker.
Abruptly, the grasping arms went limp and crashed into the ground with the front half of its body, throwing up dust and debris. Its remaining legs still moved jerkily, as if trapped in some sort of twisted momentum. Slowly, the creature pushed itself along the broken ground, still heading toward the mages. As it moved, the hatch on the front of its torso went lax, blood and bodies spilling out to litter the ground, marking the creatureโs trail in vivid red and choked gasps from people who had barely survived.
Near the other healer team, the other collector wes exhibiting the same pattern of movement: its limbs spasmed and jerked, sending it slamming into a nearby wall. The collision left the creature with a deformed head, the lights on its head sporting cracks. Yet, it repeated the motion, pounding against the wall again and again, until the surface broke before its weight. Free of any obstacle in its path, the creature charged forward, moving head first into another wall.
To the far right of town, another collector was stumbling about, its failing limbs dead weight as it weaved back and forth between the buildings.
