Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 12, 2016 20:32:19 GMT -7
Dragon dead, check. Day saved, check. Evidently, it was time to celebrate! Well, there was the small matter of half the city being in ruins. That, and minor problems such as the gruesome death of a heroic super, the horrifying injuries sustained by those who had fought to stop the beast, the mental trauma that would stay with them long after the scars had faded... Okay, maybe not so much a celebration, then. A more apt comparison would be that strange, shocked interval where joy and horror mingled in the aftermath of a barely averted massacre. However, there were several things that kept the site of the dragon's fall from looking like the aftermath of a nuclear bombing. One was the wide variety of gaudy costumes worn by the survivors, and another was the abundance of cats trotting over the rubble amidst clouds of dust, seeking out those in need of aid. Big Martin had told them to help, so they were helping! One bright orange tomcat hopped over the top of a large pile of shattered concrete, all that remained of a ruined building, and surveyes the area from on high. There certainly seemed to be a lot of people who'd made it out, and all of them looked a bit distressed, one way or another. However, one human in particular caught his eye. A young man, dripping red all over the place. The sheer amount of blood on him was astounding, he was surely on the brink of death! Bounding into action, the cat raced down the mound of debris and over to the super some called Bloodbath, yowling loudly as he did so. "Hey! You need help, person?" Bloodbath
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 12, 2016 21:14:15 GMT -7
Bloodbath eyes swam blankly as he looked around, taking in the sheer destruction of the city. The tilted skyscrapers in the distance...the scorch marks that stretched for miles...the idea that somebody who had fought here was dead.
His jaw clenched as he forced an emotional response to rise, finally able to feel a slight twinge in his chest, there was something at least.
He jumped as a voice rang out, scrambling into a crouch as his mouth moved to make an apology before he realized they were asking if he needed help! "N-no-no!" He stammered, he knew enough that his arm was broken in some way, but he never needed help for something like that, "I-I-I'm fine...huh?" Where was the person asking him that question?
He finally leaned his head down, coming eye to eye with a cat. A cat. Did it talk to him? Well, it wasn't as weird as voices in his head, now was it? He reached his uninjured hand out, "Are-are you talking to m-me?"
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 13, 2016 1:46:55 GMT -7
The tomcat cocked his head to one side, confused. "Duuuh, of course I'm talking to you! Who else would I be talking to?" He moved a little closer, trying to look around Bloodbath. "Is there someone small hiding behind you or something?" In a couple steps, he was behind the super, glancing around. "Nope! Nobody else here, so I must be talking to you! Silly human..." He paused. "I was talking to you." Then looked up at Bloodbath, eyes wide. "What were we talking about again? Your arm looks bad, we should find you someone to fix you..." Suddenly, the cat raised its head, shouting surprisingly loudly for something so small. "Hey, Mary! We got a hurt one over here!"
Responding to the call, a massive lioness came bounding rapidly towards the two, before suddenly halting right in front of Bloodbath. Her huge yellow eyes roved over his body as she stepped right up to him, sniffing.
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 13, 2016 9:42:09 GMT -7
Bloodbath closed his eyes and waited for the cat to finish, this was way to similar to how some members of Pandemonium talked to him, he could even feel his usual tics to apologize for something rising back up.
It was immediately replaced with exasperation as the cat asked what they talking about. Bloodbath opened his mouth to explain when the cat circled right back to his injury and, before he could tell them not to, called for help.
He yelped as an honest to goodness lioness bounded over, drawing out a stream of blood instinctively. He moved behind the cat, as if it could stop this huge feline, "Um-um, m-mister cat?" He whispered, "What's s-she gonna do t-t-to m-me?" He couldn't imagine how a giant cat would help him, especially by the fact she didn't have opposable thumbs.
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 13, 2016 20:37:12 GMT -7
The little tomcat laughed. "Oh, don't you worry. This is Mary!" The lioness backed away a little, then raised one paw, making an awkward wave as the tomcat rambled on. "She's just here to help you. There was a healer around here earlier, but I don't know where she went... so we should get you somewhere safe! Come on!"
He hopped onto Mary's back, and the lioness padded cautiously closer to Bloodbath, drawing up alongside him and addressing him in a slow, deep voice. "Get on, and hold on tight. We can take you to a human medical center... unless there is somewhere else you wish to be?" The tomcat piped up. "We're here to help! I'm Freddy, by the way."
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 14, 2016 7:29:08 GMT -7
Bloodbath waved just as awkwardly back at Mary, half-smile raising his face. Amazingly, his mind currently wasn't questioning this, all he was wondering was how fast a lioness could go.
He hesitated slightly before heaving himself onto Mary's back, pausing for a moment to do what many people never got to do, pet a lioness. He tensed at the mention of a "human medical facility", "W-wait no, not t-that!" He barked out, waving a hand as if to dispel the option, "Just-just take me t-to a b-building, I-I can fix it t-t-there...Please?"
After his request, he leaned down, holding onto Mary's back the best he could.
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 14, 2016 14:58:41 GMT -7
As Bloodbath got himself on Mary and gently pet her, a rumbling purr swept through her body, a loud show of her appreciation. She turned her head, looking back at him. "You are a nice human. I know a safe building- I will take you there."
As it turned out, a lioness could go very, very fast.
Once the super was secure on her back, she leaped forwards, charging over the wreckage surrounding the dragon's fall and into the suburbs. The wind whipped against Bloodbath's hair, rubble and buildings alike becoming a blur as the huge cat ran through the streets, easily dodging around any cars they came across. The orange tomcat, also along for the ride, dug his claws in to hold on and whooped with excitement. "This is the best way to travellllllllll!"
After only a few minutes, Mary began to slow down, panting hard. Her run turned into a trot, and then a walk, as she approached a large warehouse in a state of general disrepair. When they reached the door, she nuzzled it open, and stepped inside.
The place was filled with cats, with ever kind of feline from the tiniest kittens to a huge liger that dwarfed even Mary lounging about, snuggling up against each other and licking their wounds. There didn't seem to be a single human in the whole place.
Mary found a relatively open patch of floor, and sat down. "We are safe here, only Big Martin knows this place. You can rest, and heal, until you are ready to return home."
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 14, 2016 16:50:34 GMT -7
Bloodbath ducked his face down, curling his lips at the horrible sensation of wind tearing at his clothes and skin. One arm was latched around Mary's neck, leaving him to will his arm to not jostle even when Mary darted through the city.
He froze before peering upward, eyes widening at the huge warehouse. The huge amounts of cats were just a little frightening, all of their big eyes and claws...He shook his head to eliminate these thoughts he shouldn't be thinking of around the...people...helping him.
He glared at his arm, which looked like it had just been mangled in a vice. Just moving it hurt enough to make him see white.
This was going to hurt.
He covered his eyes as he twined a rope of blood around his arm, clenching his jaw before willing it to pull. He let out a wavering cry as it snapped into place, letting out a horrific crackling along with pain racing up his body at every sound.
Next, he hardened it around the arm that was almost correctly in place. By now, he was allowing himself to think about what was happening, "Excuse m-me?" He ventured, "How a-are you ta-talking?"
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 15, 2016 15:13:10 GMT -7
The cats looked on with curiosity while Bloodbath used his own vital fluids to repair his body. Humans really were strange animals! By the time his arm was in place, he had an audience, dozens of smaller cats sitting on and around Mary so that they could get a better look at him. Once the blood had stopped moving, they came even closer, some of them rubbing against his legs and mewling for attention.
Mary yawned, apparently tired after the short ride. "I talk just like you do, by moving my mouth and making words. Big Martin showed me how." Her head turned towards the entrance. "I hear him. He is coming."
Barely a moment later, the door to the warehouse creaked open, and a group of huge cats came prowling through. They paid no attention to Bloodbath, instead moving straight to the center of the floor, carrying a limp human form between them. Carefully, almost reverently, they lowered it to the ground, laying it out and gathering in a circle around it. The cats near Bloodbath turned, running towards the scene. In fact, every cat in the warehouse seemed to be congregating around where their master lay prone on the floor, smoke curling off his scorched clothing.
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 15, 2016 17:10:23 GMT -7
The audience of cats were clearly making the bloodied man uncomfortable, who stared back at all the eyes with his face turning paler and paler. He let out a breath he was holding as some cats brushed against him, avoiding to touch them unless it was to give a pat to a particular affectionate feline.
At Mary's answer, he almost chided himself, of course she was going to answer like that! He couldn't fantom how they talked, but clearly they had no idea...beyond the literal definition.
He flinched at the creak of the door, expecting an impressive man to step in, cat ears optional. He shrunk back as huge felines prowler in, leaving him a wide-eyed figure in the corner while the cats abandoned him to rush over to the man Bloodbath only got a brief glimpse of.
Gradually, he made his way over, stretching up to try and get a look at the source of the smoke. He huffed out a breath in disappointment, was he dying already!? He allowed some worry to seep into his voice as he crowded as close as he could, "What's w-wrong, i-i-is he h-hurt?"
|
|
Dead
Posts 113
Power Level 28
|
Post by Big Martin on Jul 16, 2016 0:51:23 GMT -7
As Bloodbath spoke out, several of the big cats turned around to stare at him, as if noticing him for the first time. "Who are you?" one of them growled, suddenly protective.
Luckily for the super, however, Mary was there to cover him. "He's with me. We found him hurt near where the fishy fell, and he asked us to bring him somewhere safe." Her voice perked up. "He is a very healthy human! He fixed his arm, very fast."
The cats were looking at him with interest, now. The one who had growled at him blinked, then bowed its head a little. "So long as you are sure." It looked back at Bloodbath. "Our master is hurt. If you have any human knowledge that can help-"
A sudden movement cut him off as the cats suddenly gasped in unison. The figure in the center of their circle had rolled over onto his side, and was speaking faintly.
"Owwwwww... Jesus. That... could have gone... much better."
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 16, 2016 10:17:23 GMT -7
Bloodbath bristled at the huge cats suspicion, a huge change from the previous cats attitude. He relaxed as Mary vouched for him, but gave those cats a wide berth, he didn't want to discover they still didn't trust him.
He gasped as they asked him to help, eyes flickering over to the man, who was apparently Big Martin. He knew some ideas on how to treat injuries, or at least how to make it hurt less. He started forward before jumping when Big Martin actually talked!
"U-um, hi...B-Big Martin." He mumbled, trying to push through the packed cats, "W-what happened to y-y-you?" He couldn't really help unless he knew what was wrong.
|
|
|
Post by Arthur Shale on Jul 17, 2016 13:21:46 GMT -7
The man was moving slowly, and smoke still rose from his clothes in some areas. He wore what looked like it had once been a very nice black suit, which was now charred and tattered, a ragged remnant of what it had once been. Other than his messy state and injuries, however, Big Martin looked quite... ordinary. When he committed his dastardly deeds and fought other supers, he was always covered in cats, a part of the swarm he commanded. Right now, however, he was exposed, simply a blonde-haired man with rather dorky-looking glasses, rubbing his forehead as he groaned and tried to sit up.
His eyes opened, and he slowly took off his cracked and dusty glasses, squinting at Bloodbath. "What happened... I don't know, probably had something to do with that massive beast that just passed through. Got hit by one of its guts, after that it's a bit of a blur..." He hesitated, seeming to focus on the other super. "Wait. You're not one of mine. Who are you?" He seemed alert, and suspicious of the younger super- but it was clear that he was only barely conscious.
|
|
Pandaemonium
I need a gingerbread man, the one I'll eat
Posts 154
Power Level 28
|
Post by Bloodbath on Jul 17, 2016 16:41:38 GMT -7
Bloodbath blinked as he realized he was looking at a super's real face, he was looking at his actual face! A quick idea of looking away struck, but disappeared as he reasoned with himself he had already seen Big Martin's face, already it was memorized like a picture.
He barely reacted to the question of who he was, standing at his hunched stance, "B-Bloodbath,I'm Bloodbath." He really hoped his reputation would do the speaking for him.
He cleared his throat and indicated awkwardly toward the man, "So-so, you're B-Big Martin?"
|
|
|
Post by Arthur Shale on Jul 19, 2016 13:01:31 GMT -7
"Bloodbath..." Big Martin scratched his aching head, trying to remember where he'd heard that name before. "You were in the flag game. A Pandaemonium guy." He looked around at his cats. They'd obviously brought him here for a reason. Perhaps they'd been looking for another super to heal him, although Bloodbath didn't seem like the type to have restorative powers. Didn't matter too much, he wasn't that badly injured.
On the other hand, his face was exposed, and another super now knew exactly who he was.
"No. I'm the queen of England." The words came out slowly, as he tried to figure out how to handle this. "Of course I'm Big Martin! Or did you know anyone else with this many cats? I very much doubt it!" His legs shifted, as he slowly got to his feet, leaning slightly on a nearby leopard. "You know who I am. More importantly, you know what I look like. So I'm afraid I can't let you go until you give me a reason to believe you won't go sharing this information."
With the aid of the big cats, he stumbled forwards, his surprisingly piercing eyes staring straight into Bloodbath's. "Choose quickly. You can fight me, here and now..." At this, all the cats in the room seemed to tense, ready to spring.
"...or we can come to an agreement." Big Martin extended one hand, close enough to shake. "I'd rather not eliminate you, not if there's a chance we can work together. Against monsters like we saw today, we need unity. May as well start now, hmm?"
|
|