This is the end, but still your need is driven on

[liebe_krieg]

WHO: The Major, the Doctor, and their game pieces. I.e. EVERYONE.
WHERE: Throughout the City.
WHEN: The nights of Friday the 6th to Sunday the 8th.
WARNINGS: Violence and death galore.
SUMMARY: The Major and Doctor Einsturzen go to war for fun, and drag the entire City along for the ride.
FORMAT: Whatever works!

Nightfall was marked by fire. The subway station at East 42nd Street and Park Avenue rocked as a series of explosives ripped through the tunnels, setting everything ablaze, lighting up the evening and filling it with the terrified screams of civilians. That was the first. It was starting.

Across the City, there was movement from the underground. Vampires in trenchcoats and gas masks emerged onto the streets, bloodthirsty and vicious. Hounds the size of bears or larger, barely recognizable as what they once were, prowled from the alleys, saliva dripping from their jowls. Children in canine masks darted across the rooftops. All the while, more explosions tore across the City subway systems, as if keeping time for the two monstrous armies marching towards each other.

Anything that stood between them would be consumed-- natives, ImPorts, businesses, homes. Nothing was safe. This war would be winner take all, a prize of bloodshed and destruction to the psychopath left standing. The nights to follow would be long and full of terrors.

Comments

[returnsmagic]

[ And it's true that Khisanty is halfway successful in pulling his strings - he's torn to go out and stop the madness or to follow her and see her actual goal.

Finally making up his mind he follows her quietly, even as the City's lights reflect off of his shining scales. ]

[onblackwings]

[ Oh, good. She definitely doesn't want to look like she's actually asking for his help, and the best way to avoid that is to have him as the pursuer. She tilts her head up to focus one golden orange eye on him as she descends. ]

There's a human down here that I trust to be competent. I'll renew my attack on the building containing the Major as soon as he's gathered his weapons. [ ...With Aurican's assistance, hopefully. She could really use some dragonfire in this, even if it has to come out of a gold. ]

[returnsmagic]

[ Aurican clenched his jaws at the thought of a lowly black actually ordering him what to do. But he takes a stranglehold on his patience as he glides down to the location Khisanth is leading him. Of course, he is tense, already half suspecting this to be a trap of some sorts. ]

What kind of forces are at work here? And how long this conflict have been going on?

[ He won't do anything without questions answered, of course. ]

[onblackwings]

This is the third night. [ in the tone of man, buddy, where were you? Except she can guess. Dragons don't fit very nicely into the City, she'd left it pretty quickly as well. She turns her attention back to the ground below, but she's paying careful attention to Aurican. She doesn't like flying vulnerably below a metallic dragon, but a show of being more concerned by these events than by a potential attack on his part is important. ]

And the last night, I think. The imPorts are closing in on both of them.

[returnsmagic]

Are the attackers imPorts themselves, or they from the natives?

[ Aurican wonders if this is a result of a possible strife between imPorts and the natives. Always possible.

Movement caught his eye, coming down below. He looks down and sees a man and a strange looking dog, side by side, looking up at the two dragons on the rooftop of a building. In the man's hands is a long metal tube, and he holds it heftily on his shoulders. It looks remarkably heavy for a creature so small.

He points the metal tube at the direction and there is a loud bang and a bright flash of light.

Sensing nothing good in those two seconds, Aurican veers away, but something grazes against the membrane of his wing and it burns. He let's out an angry snarl, tumbling out of the sky in surprise. There's an even larger bang, of something exploding above him. ]

[onblackwings]

[ Well, she would have been happy to answer, but that whine of a rocket launcher is a little distracting. She's already folding her wings to dive out of the way, even before the explosion, and narrowed eyes quickly pick out the monster responsible.

Immediately, darkness falls over the area. A black dragon's most instinctive spell and, as it just so happens, fantastic for avoiding being targeted. She continues her dive, and when she's low enough, parts her jaws to rain acid down onto the pair.

The darkness melts away, just as they do, and she glances up at Aurican. Not out of concern, of course. But it would be annoying if her potential and very temporary ally was wounded already. ]

[returnsmagic]

[ In his tumble, he unfortunately crashed into a building, glass and steel bending over the unexpected weight. He turns around and grapples at the building, resulting in the ridiculous sight of a large, golden winged serpent using his claws for support as he is slowly slides down the building, much like a cat slides down a tree hindquarters first. Shattered glass falls around him, nicking his wings and nearly taking put his eyes.

When he finally slows, there's a long gash in the middle of the tall building, made out of five floors.

As he gathers himself to get ready for flight again, he gives the insides of the building he just gutted a glance. It turns out he just crashed into a residential complex. A woman with in some rather fluffy pink robes stares at him, aghast.

The gold dragon feels as though a little decorum is in order. ]

My apologies.

[ The woman screams in return.

Aurican lets go and flaps his wings, catching up to Khisanth. He's relieved that he isn't hurt enough to be ground, and that's a small blessing. ]

What was that thing?

[onblackwings]

[ Wow, metallic, way to be dignified. Khisanth would snigger, were she watching anyone else, any time else. But as it is she only straightens her own flying and lifts her head a little higher. He can be as slovenly and chaotic as he likes, she'll continue to be graceful and beautiful. (Definitely jinxing herself, here.) ]

A gun. A... "rocket launcher", I think. Their long-distance weapons have grown significantly more powerful. [ He doesn't seem overly hurt, though. She supposes that's good. ]

[returnsmagic]

A weapon? That isn't magic?

[ What is this place he doesn't like it anymore.

It doesn't take long for Aurican to absolutely despise guns or anything remotely similar. Another monster started to fire at them, this time with smaller but just as painful jabs. His scales are just barely not thick enough for the bullets to blast into. Furious, he looks for the weapon responsible - at another rooftop, far lower than their height.

A quick inhale and a plume of fire rains down on the shooter. His screams were barely audible over the roar of the flames and he soon quieted as he topples over the rooftop and pummels to his death. ]

[onblackwings]

[ So that's dragonfire. She can feel the heat even from here, far hotter than any fire she'd ever conjured with a spell. It's almost surreal that it's coming from a gold, but not aimed at her. But she shakes the thought off for later consideration, folding her wings into another dive. ]

To the ground. We won't be such obvious targets there, and Bond should be ready by now.

[ And she drops, landing heavily just outside the dilapidated warehouse and glancing about warily. No vampires or dogs in sight so far, that's good. ]

[doubleoohbaby]

[Bond's been busying himself inside his warehouse (which now has a few extra shattered windows, thanks for that), gathering up weapons and ammo and weighing up his options of what to take. His high-end sniper rifle at first takes his fancy, but reasoning depicts that he'll have little chance for the pure accuracy that it'd require. Perhaps he needs to rethink his assault ideas.

By the time he's decided, he's re-holstered a favourite PPK pistol in the holster under his left arm (his last one was removed when he'd been taken), slung a semi-automatic over his shoulder that shoots at good distances and doesn't require much in the way of aiming, and- his favourite of the lot- a grenade launcher.

The noise of Khisanth landing draws him out, James spending more time eyeing up the other dragon than her, grenade launcher hanging from one arm.]

Is he with us?

[returnsmagic]

[ Aurican sees the man, but his attention lays more on what he is holding, a similar looking metal tube that nearly knocked him out of the sky. He gives the weapon a untrusting, dislike look before looking at his surroundings cautiously. Quickly he assumes another form, his civilian human elder form he picked out when arriving here. ]

I am.

[onblackwings]

[ And Khisanth, in turn, gives Aurican's new shape a distasteful stare. It's just so old and unattractive. Who would ever pick a shape like that? (...And how did he do that with clothes? If he weren't a loathed metallic dragon, she'd ask him to teach her that.) ]

Yes. [ She steps a little closer to James, protectively, just in case this is some metallic trick to get her guard down. ] I hope you're both ready.

[doubleoohbaby]

[He eyes the shifting form with a moment of suspicion (at least he's got Khisanth on his side if the other guy decides to try something) before James decides to spare enough trust for the moment.

He grunts and walks closer to his favourite ever dragon, turning his gaze up towards her.] Ready. Give us a boost up, would you darling?

[returnsmagic]

[ Aurican gives the man a passing glance before looking around at the devastation, which looks a lot worse on the ground than it is in the air, especially when dead bodies litter the streets like inconsequential trash. Smoke tickled his nostrils and the city is unabashingly warm from all the tires and in the summer heat. ]

Where are we going?

[onblackwings]

It's an apartment building. It's not far, but you'll know it for the chaos centered around it.

[ She scoops James up with far more grace and decorum than she had last time (she has a gold to show off for, this time), dropping him carefully at that point between her wings, where a temporary rope harness is already in place from the day's earlier passengers. Then she straightens, spreads her wings, and takes a breath. ]

Let's go.

[ No waiting for any answers, or for Aurican to shift his form again. She leaps into the air and begins a rapid ascent, eager to prove that even if she happens to have a rider, she's still the one in charge around here. ]

[doubleoohbaby]

[James is glad for the carefulness that she uses in getting him up there, being good enough to return the favour with not too much bouncing around once he's there. He eyes up the series of ropes, decides they could be of some use and decides with looping his legs into them to provide a hands free hold once the shoot starts.

As they take off, he hands on with one hand and peers back at the other shifter who, he notes, looks a hell of a lot like that one English actor while in human form.

James opts for shouting over at the other dragon but with the wind and movement as it is, he can barely hear himself speak. He's just gonna assume dragons have better hearing, okay.]

Any magic at your disposal?

[returnsmagic]

[ Any magic at your disposal.

What a question to ask, and it is not something Aurican is comfortable talking about in front of a black dragon, despite the fact that her ancestors undoubtably know metallic dragons lacked the power . . . which resulted in culling of most of the patriarchs until Darlantan and Aurican are the ones left alive. In fact, she's likely to know Aurican's lack of magical power anyway.

Aurican is a dragon, and he is struck with the pride of one. Despite the situation, he can't bring himself to admit anything. But he cannot help but admit that there is shame that's causing him to not reply.

So he silently let Khisanth take the lead and take the human with her. He waits until there's enough distance for him to shrug into his dragon form, golden wings shimmering. He cllimbs higher to gain a higher altitude than her, watching her every movement and the direction she is heading. ]

[onblackwings]

[ Oh, good question. It's not one she could ask, because chromatics and metallics just don't share things like that. So she cocks an eye back to watch Aurican... not answer, or even change right away.

Well that's a little bewildering. Shouldn't he have taken the chance to brag? She would have. Or if not that, at least tell them what he has that could be helpful to this. She snorts derisively, lowering her head again. And just low enough to be sure her (somewhat smug) voice keeps to James: ] Apparently not.

[ But one more glance tells her Aurican is finally following, and from overhead—which she does not like. The discomfort reflects in constant glances up to keep an eye on him and a low, unhappy growl from somewhere deep in her chest. ]

[doubleoohbaby]

[No answer, huh? Strange but he understands a possible need for privacy. James certainly isn't in the habit of telling others about his so called 'powers' in the city, after all, so to an extent he can understand the silence. Doesn't stop him from offering a light scoff of a laugh at Khisanth's comment.

From his spot on her back, it's a lot easier to keep an eye on the dragon overhead and he barely thinks anything of it until his ride starts to show her discomfort. Part of him wonders if this is some weird dragon dominance thing, but either way he brushes it off with a rub of his hand against a rope free patch of her back.] Easy, darling, remember which of us has the black dragon and a grenade launcher.

[returnsmagic]

[ For Aurican, it wasn't so much as dominance as it was simply he wants to see further out into the City. He looks everywhere but at Khisanth, particularly at the rooftops where people are more likely to use those blasted weapons.

But then something appears: some kind of a long, slender metal crate, propelled in the air by something spinning on top of it. It looks similarly like the toys children used in the city of the elves, but even he can tell this thing is meant for aerial travel. On the side it has a red cross upon a white field. Aurican rumbles loudly, and flames start to lick from his jaws, ready to knock the thing out of the sky if it appears threatening.

Slowly the crate takes a swerve away from the golf dragon, avoiding him while continuing to fly past. Aurican gave the thing a suspicious glare until it was out of the City.

Satisfied, Aurican kills the fire inside of him and looks back in front, hearing a massive noise not too far - the sounds of rocket launchers and loud bangs, of the screams of the dying and the bloodthirsty. It comes to originate from a relatively large building. The apartment Khisanth mentioned, Aurican supposes. ]

Is that it?

[onblackwings]

[ James does have a good point there, even if she's not entirely confident that it overrides the disadvantage of flying below a metallic dragon. But she eases a little, with a low aside of: ] Speaking of, as long as he's up there, keep it pointed toward him.

[ But then they're at their destination, and Khisanth pulls up to hover just out of range of the gunfire. ]

I suppose there might still be imPorts in there. [ Dick might still be in there. ] I'm sure someone would be upset if we merely destroyed the entire building.

[doubleoohbaby]

[The helicopter incident doesn't escape James' attention, and he's rather interested to spot what appear to be flames from that dragon. It would appear he's not totally without use after all, not that just being a huge ass dragon isn't without it's uses, but fire breathing makes it so much better. And he's already witnessed first hand what sort of tricks Khisanth has under her sleeves.]

Don't-- [Oh okay he didn't shoot it down, never mind then. All is well once more.

The grenade launcher is held upwards, idly resting on his shoulder which, he realises, is pretty much just how Khisanth wants it.]

I think we'd do best to keep it in tact if we can, impossible to say who's inside it.

[He's all for killing the vampires trying to defend though.]

[returnsmagic]

[ Aurican hovers above them, looking at the apartment, pondering. ]

We need to draw out a considerable amount of enemy forces before we can rescue any hostages inside. A distraction, perhaps.

[ He swerves to the left, away from Khisanth and her rider as he looks at the other streets and alleys that are passageways to this particular building. ]

Creating a choke point so any outside support forces can be slowed down to a crawl will be our advantage as well.

[onblackwings]

[ Nevermind that those are actually pretty sound ideas, Khisanth bristles at the thought of following a gold dragon's suggestion. She watches him distastefully. ]

No, that won't work. [ Why? She has no idea. It just won't, because she said so. She scrambles for an alternative. ] We should destroy all outside forces before they have a chance to get near. Just a choke point isn't enough.