Thunder King Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 GM February 2nd, 2012, 8 PM It was early evening, the sky above was a cool dark blue, overcast with clouds. It was surprisingly warm for a February night. Several figures dashed from building to building, hopping across short distances. It was a night for silent work, and the figures were already doing just that. They ran quietly and efficiently, occasionally pausing to hide and survey their surroundings before moving on. They were on a mission, that much was clear. Their master had instructed them to bring the artwork to an abandoned factory in Greenbank, and they had no intention of disappointing him. They were also not to be seen, and were doing their best to ensure that none knew of them. It was going to be a profitable evening. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Unfinished Business... an endless web of dangling threads and unfulfilled vows. That was the Steel Shrike's legacy. Or... at least that was the legacy the figure in grey was left to work with. Cloaked beneath a layer of masking nanites, he pondered for a moment if this was what it was like to be a ghost. The sole remnant of a dead man, bound to the world by a set of tasks you could never fully understand... ...Of course, it was difficult to be introspective when you were an invisible robot tracking down a gang of ninja art thieves. It was an old lead, but one Shrike hoped would give him the answers he sought. His predecessor, the original -and as far as the world was concerned, only- Steel Shrike had left a series of files regarding a breakout of art-thefts in the vast web of data that formed his robotic progeny's mind. The details were vague, but everything seemed to point here: an abandoned factory in Greenbank. From a quiet perch on a billboard advertising a bail bonds service, Shrike watched and waited... Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Crimson Tiger watched the night sky and leaned back. She wondered if the evening was going to be a boring one. Her previous patrols had seldom lead to anything. She often came home, frustrated that she hadn't been able to get any good work done. That was, of course, until she spotted a series of black-clothed figures running across the rooftops. That was new. She watched them for a few moments. She imagined that a whole group of people running across rooftops weren't doing so because of a strange new workout group. She was willing to bet that something unusual was going on. She waited until they were far into the distance, and then started her motorcycle. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM The black-clothed figures were nearly home free. The factory their organization had set up as a base was a short distance away. They passed underneath a large billboard, occasionally sneaking careful glances backwards. Yes, they were very nearly home free. They pulled out their grappling hooks and tossed them to the next building, swinging down in teams until all of them were safely to the ground. They passed the goods around, making sure none of it got damaged. Two similarly clothed individuals stood in front of a door, looking around outside carefully. The moment they spotted the group, they opened the two side-entrance doors to the factory. The group shuffled in quietly, confident that they had safely returned from their mission. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Ah... here we go. With a single leap, Shrike leapt from his perch, the coating of nanites spreading into a vast pair of wings to control his decent. He landed silently near a window, peering in as the black cloaked figures began to pass around their ill-gotten gains... Yup... definitely Ninjas. He calculated his next move. He had the advantage of stealth, though he couldn't maintain his cloaking nanites while in combat. They simply weren't designed for that sort of multitasking. He needed an entrance... His eyes immediately locked onto the Skylight. Perfect... With a few skilled leaps, Shrike was a top the factory roof, ready to smash a servo empowered leg through the dust coated glass of the factory skylight. He was so focused, he could barely make out the sounds of an approaching motorcycle. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 The low hum of the Tigercycle cut out as she pulled the key from the ignition. She swung her legs over and hit the alarm. She was glad she was able to find a place to hide it. Those figures looked suspiciously like ninjas, but did ninjas really exist? Once the Tigercycle was hidden, she gazed up at the building. She spotted a man, standing atop the building. He looked to be in costume. Was he a superhero? Could be, perhaps. She decided she would just ask him. She ran towards the nearby wall and, gathering momentum, hiked herself up to a ledge that was lower to the ground. With a short hop and a flip, she landed on another ledge and made her way forward She ducked a little and readied herself before bolting. Her natural speed lent her momentum as she left the air. She soared forward, towards the ledge. She reached forward and grabbed the ledge, pulling herself onto it. "Hi."She said with a wave. "Um, did you see the ninjas too?" Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Shrike was just about to stomp in the skylight when the voice of a woman broke his concentration. His cloak seemed to ruffle with frustration as he faced the mysterious newcomer. "...The ones currently going inspecting a pile of stolen masterpieces not 40 feet below us? I may have seen something. Now if you don't mind." With a single mighty kick, Shrike shattered the skylight separating him from the thieves below, his cape billowing as he landed among the thieves. He didn't have time to indulge the curiosity of a passerby: He had work to do. ...The question of how she got up to the rooftop was one he would answer later. But in the meantime... "Odd place for an art exhibit, don't you think?" Alright... good. The witty banter database seemed to be working. From the shadows, Shrike's eyes seemed to glow as shards of glittering glass rained down around him. "Why don't you put the paintings down and come with me. Unless you want me to show you a different kind of art..." His voicebox let loose a deep growl as he beckoned the ninjas to attack. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 "Oh, come on!", she shouted, diving into the now-open skylight. She growled in frustration, this guy charged right into a ninja fight without her! Ninjas were probably fun to fight. She rolled as she landed on a catwalk roughly ten feet in. Standing back up, she swung over the catwalk railing and dropped to one below. Finally, she jumped over the railing and landed in the middle of the ground floor, rolling to a stop and jumping to her feet. "Okay, so, what's going on?" She said. "You're not very good at this superhero team-up thing, you know.". She balled up her fists and grinned like a madwoman. This could be fun. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 For the second time tonight, Shrike's concentration was broken. He had such a good line too... "...Superhero team up thing? What superhero team up thing?" ...Oh, right. Superhero team ups were a thing. Weren't they supposed to be prearranged or something? "...Never mind!" he shouted, as his cape billowed dramatically behind him in an imaginary wind. "Evil Doers, prepare to face the Wrath of the Steel Shrike! ...And whoever this person is." Not quite as intimidating as he had hoped, but it would have to do. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 "This'll be fun!" Crimson Tiger shouted, bolting towards the ninjas. She leaped into the air, soaring over the heads of some of them so she could get to the center of them. As she came screaming down, she extended her right knee, colliding into one of the ninjas, straight to the chest. He collapsed backwards from the force of the blow, out cold. She twisted around, slamming her elbow into the face of another ninja. Her eyes gleamed with the primal joy of battle. She turned to her right and delivered a fierce snap kick to a third ninja, sending him backwards. She turned and punched a fourth ninja, but his head moved back slightly, causing him to barely feel the fierce blow. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Shrike leapt into action, aiming a metal coated fist at one of the ninjas... only for the newcomer to take it down first. His fist soared through the air with a mighty whiff as ninja after ninja fell before the human Cuisinart. "...Impressive. How about you save some for me?" First this woman crashes her investigation, then she upstages him... This was embarrassing! Why was he programmed to feel embarrassment?! Nevermind... he had to ready himself for the next round of blows. There were more ninjas where that came from... Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM Immediately, one of the ninjas slashed across Crimson Tiger's midsection, her body jerked out of the way, ensuring the strike only grazed her costume. A second ninja came at her head from behind, but she managed to duck beneath the strike, effortlessly evading it. Meanwhile, one of the ninjas charged Steel Shrike, blade flashing. He went for an upward swing, but Shrike managed to back away from the attack. Another ninja went to cut Shrike's abdomen, but the attack went wild and went nowhere near him. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Standing back up straight, Crimson Tiger brought her knee up to the ninja's midsection. Unfortunately, her momentum was off and the strike missed by a mile. Realizing that they were getting too close, she flipped backwards and out of the crowd. Upon landing, she raised both hands to defend and balanced herself on one foot while keeping weight off the other. It was a classic Muay Thai stance, one she had adopted hundreds of times before. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 "This time I won't miss!" shouted Shrike, as he aimed a roundhouse kick at a Ninja's gut. Of course the first person he runs into during this investigation was a black belt... at least she was holding her own. ...Okay, she was completely dominating. He really needed up update his combat algorithms. This was just shameful. "Alright kids. Unless you want my friend and I to wipe the rest of you out, you'll drop your weapons and come quietly. Got it?" he growled, cracking his knuckles for emphasis. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM "This is quite shameful..." A voice said, coming from the darkness. My men, my shinobi, fall before you like wheat. They are weak, pathetic. I trained them better than this...ah, well." Suddenly, a large, muscular man dropped in from above, where he had apparently been observing. He wore a black robe, tied around the waist. "You two are quite skilled fighters, it seems. I doubt that either of you has really tasted the blood of your foes. Neither of you know what it means to be a ninja." He walked forward and undid the sash on his robe, letting it fall. His legs and arms shifted as he entered a martial arts stance, he grinned. "Well, come on then, let's see what the two of you can do..." Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM "Too slow!" He roared, charging forward. He grinned as he came at Crimson Tiger. He brought his right arm across Crimson Tiger's face, his eyes gleaming with a sinister bloodlust. Crimson Tiger's head rocked back instantly. She felt his hardened, calloused knuckles on her cheek. She knew that he was a trained and deadly warrior. Were it not for her reflexes, the attack would have hurt noticeably. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Crimson Tiger growled and brought her left knee up hard, and fast. She expected him to buckle over in pain. She expected him to wheeze and breathe hard. She would settle for him to flinch. He did none of those things. Instead, he grinned like a madman as if her strikes had no effect. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 "So you're the one behind all of this..." Shrike tossed his cape of his shoulder as he approached the leader of this motley crew of sinister Shinobi. "If it's a fight you're after, then get ready for the fight of your LIFE!" ...Then he missed again. This just wasn't his day. "What do you want with all of this art, thief?! Who are you working for?!" The girl wasn't looking too good either. Her kick barely even did anything, and this man was too fast to get caught in his nanosnare. He needed to think of something, and fast... Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM The shinobi master chuckled and delivered a fierce kick to the side of Shrike's head, causing a bit of noticeable damage. "It was done for profit, that's all it is. I wanted money, and they were worth a lot of it. It's just business, you see." He grinned and glanced at the two heroes. "Neither of you is a match for me, I've been studying ninjutsu since before you were born. Now, why don't you just lay down and die for me. Do that, and I promise your bodies will receive a proper burial..." Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 "That is NOT going to happen...". Crimson Tiger shouted, going for a swing to his head. Her strike went wild and she stumbled forward. She growled, she was better than this. How was this man evading her so effortlessly? Was she being stupid? Careless? She tried to think back on her actions in the fight. She'd done everything she could, this man was simply better than her. Well, she decided, she'd have to be even better then. Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Shrike could feel the servos in his neck strain as they took the kick, nearly knocking him to the ground. He was going to need repairs. This wasn't good... Drawing upon his backup reserves of energy, he dove into a roll as his cloak wrapped around him like a cocoon. The nanites within coated him from head to toe as their audiovisual inhibitors flared to life. Now unseen and unheard, Shrike carefully lined up his next attack. All he needed was one solid hit and he could end this... Just... one hit... With one mighty round house kick, Shrike's cloak melted off of his frame as his metal boot struck the villain squarely in the side of the head. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM Unable to sense his foe, the Ninja Master reeled from the strike, eyes wide with pain. He reeled from the pain, his vision blurry. He could barely see. He stumbled forward, trying to focus, but he could not. He saw two Steel Shrikes and two Crimson Tigers, he shook his head, trying to regain his composure. Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Crimson Tiger walked up to him, ready to finish the fight. She knew the fight was over, he just hadn't fallen down yet. Shrike's attack had nearly laid him out. She didn't know what kind of skills he had. He was already back to normal, having shaken his head loose of the cobwebs enough to resume fighting. Her knee smashed into his abdomen, causing him to gasp for air. He grabbed his abdomen in pain, again, as she danced out of his reach. "Look, it's over, you can barely stand." She said Link to comment
Cube Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Shrike's cloak sprang to life a second time as he vanished from sight like a sinister cheshire cat. "She's right, you know..." he said as the coating of nanites creeped up his limbs. "You can either surrender peacefully, or I can hit you again." You could almost see a smirk beneath his mask as his face vanished from sight. "Your choice." As he moved himself into position for the inevitable takedown, he couldn't help but feel a bit pleased with himself. HA! Take that, stupid ninja! Just because the karate kid over there can take out more minions doesn't mean that I can't take you out! Oh yeah! ...Oh, right. He was supposed to be a stoic warrior of the night. Gotta focus... See if he makes a move... Link to comment
Thunder King Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 GM He growled, and then roared. Somewhere inside of him was the mind and body of a trained killer. But now? Now he was hurt, and tired, and very angry. The girl, couldn't be much more than twenty, twenty five years old, beat down an entire regiment of trained shinobi like they were nothing. And the man, he used invisibility and stealth, couldn't defend against that. Part of him thought to surrender, to give up. Then he shut that down. Regardless of what happened next, he would go out on his feet, like a warrior. He lunged where he thought the invisible man could be... Link to comment
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