Another boring school day. ( Open)

[The Hopeslayer]

The bots were moving to circle the slayers, trying to trap the two girls as well. Yet the two young ladies were too swift and escaped the trap, leaving the slayers to Hopeslayer's minions. The robots and the two imps in borrowed forms went to work with murderous efficiency. Rend's talons sliced through the knights' armor like it was made of tissue paper, his beak striking their tender flesh to tear out gobbets of meat. The imp was not above eating what he killed in this form, using the psychological terror to cripple his enemies even more.

Tear was little better, though at least he wasn't actually feeding on the slayers. He smashed bodies and crushed skulls one after the other while the scout and assault drones herded the humans like sheep to the slaughter, shooting any that tried to break away. Soon there was only one left, quivering in terror of what was about to come. Tear picked the last slayer up in a firm grip, holding him up to his electronic eye level.

"Tell us where the rest of your order are hiding and I won't kill you." Tear said in a machine's voice. The slayer was babbling incoherently, scared out of his wits. It seemed the man's mind had already checked out. "Oh well... sucks to be you! Hey Rend, care to make a wish?" The griffon walked over and reared up, taking one of the man's arms in his claws.

The robot and the griffon pulled the man in two directions like two kids pulling apart a wishbone. The man screamed and then a sickening tearing noise could be heard as he was literally torn apart. Tear waved his larger half of the dead human around in the air. "Looks like I won!" "So what did ya wish for?" Rend asked in a slightly disappointed tone before devouring the smaller half.

"I wished for the bigger half so I'd win... duh!" The imp said with glee, tossing the bloody carcass away.

"Now let's go find those two girls. Boss said to take them alive if possible, and kill them if they resist." Rend took to the air and Tear took off in the direction that they'd seen the girls running, the lesser bots running in the wake of the two field commanders.

Rend spotted some movement on a nearby roof as he ascended. "What have we hear?" The griffon asked itself diving in for a closer look. What he saw made him pull up short and flap his wings to hover over the roof. "Whoa! I think the boss will want to see this!" He said aloud, calling for one of the cloaked surveillance drones that he knew to be lurking about the area.

The drone flew over swiftly and sent images of the cowering human and the small purple fox with three tails.

Hopeslayer felt numb all over his body suddenly as the image of the purple fox with three tails appeared on screen. "It can't be... it can't possibly be him... that's... impossible!"

[Fox]

Fox was trying to get Taylor to go closer so he could help, but the little kitsune had to admit that these new bad guys were MUCH scarier than the armored humans had been. Especially the big birdy and the big bot. He watched in horror as the new comers slaughtered the slayers like a pack of wolves going at a herd of sheep. The horrific finish was enough to make Fox shake with fear too, but at least he saw that Sarah and Fane had got away.

Then the griffon was looking right at them. This wasn't good. "Taylor... we need to get out of here! Knock the birdy out the air with some wind or something and get us out of here, Sarah and Fane already ran!" Fox said, trying not to panic as he shook Taylor a little and then pawed at the youth's face to try and snap him out of his terror.

[Yuki]

Sarah and Fane did not look back, they where to scared to see if they where being followed by those killers. How... How did a normal day turn out to be like this? Well all they could do now was run and hope not to get caught. It was a good thing she knew this city like the back of her hand. But if those guys did as well they where dead. " Keep running fane and don't look back!! That will only slow you down!" Sarah said. Fane said nothing but nodded as she ran along side Sarah.


Taylor sat there frozen in fear and did not seem to hear Fox, but his words where heard by the youth, yes he had to get out of here. Taylor's eyes blinked as he broke though the cage of fear. Soon bravery filled up within his eyes and he stood up. He glared over at the griffon. Yes... Just like he dealt John he would not allow himself to be caged in fear!! He would break out and reach for the skys! A power swirl of wind came around Taylor, mixed with all the emotions he was feeling, he then sent a power gust/razor wind at the griffon, It had the power to knock the giant bird brain out of the sky and possibly into a near by building. Taylor himself then lifted into the sky, he stared at the griffon for a minute before turning and flying away. " What... What I have I gotten my self into?? I'm no hero!! Those guys are gonna kill me!!" Taylor said in a panicked voiced as he flew away.

[The Hopeslayer]

Hopeslayer seemed to snap out of his shock at around the same moment as Rend got blasted by hurricane force winds, slamming into a nearby building. Rend let out a screech as he shook some rubble off himself, many cuts and slices over his griffon body. Rend took to the air again with anger in his eyes.

"Capture them alive! Don't hurt either one of those that were on the roof. I need to know more about them. I want them now!!!" Hopeslayer shouted over his communications system, speaking to Rend directly.

"Scout drones, take to the air and follow Rend. Help him bring in that boy and the unidentified kitsune. Do no harm a single hair on their heads." His last sentence was filled with malice toward anyone or anything that would dare disobey his orders. He'd have them if possible, and have them unharmed.

"Tear, continue with the first mission. Capture or destroy Ice Queen, try to bring in the other girl for questioning though. She seems to be some sort of sorceress. The assault drones are with you." Hopeslayer was swift with his orders now, no longer hesitating after seeing the purple kitsune. He still wouldn't admit that it could be his cousin... that was impossible. It had to be. Yet he really wanted to be wrong, so he could see his friend once again.

The scout drones backs opened up as they sprouted jetpacks and took to the sky, taking formation behind the still irate Rend. The griffon gave chase after Taylor, grumbling about his orders but knowing better than to disobey. On the ground the heavier assault drones moved into formation behind Tear and the bots took off quickly after Sarah and Fane, the tireless metal legs clanking loudly on the ground as they gave chase.

[Fox]

Fox clung to Taylor as the boy took off again, pretty worried about what that griffon would do to Taylor and himself. Yet even though he was scared, he was still worried about Fane and Sarah. He hoped they could take care of themselves and get away without too much trouble. He dared a look back since he was basically hitching a ride on Taylor, what he saw made his fur stand on end. The griffon was bloodied from Taylor's attack and it looked pissed! Even worse, a bunch of those robots that had been on the ground were now flying and coming after them too!

"Don't panic Taylor, you managed to hurt that birdy... so it's not invincible. You seem to be faster too. We'll be alright!" Fox said to Taylor, raising his voice to be heard over the wind. He just wanted to boost Taylor's confidence in hopes that they'd be able to escape without further incident even though he was really worried about Fane and Sarah.

Meanwhile on the ground someone else had taken notice of all the ruckus of the battle. Eric's ears twitched as he ran toward the sounds of battle. As he ran he suddenly saw two young ladies fleeing from the direction he'd been headed toward. That normally wouldn't have concerned him overly much, but one of the girls seemed to have clothing that was out of place for this day and age, and she reminded him of the witch that helped raise him.

As the girls sprinted away he saw what they were fleeing from, spotting a large metal man being followed by several other metal men. The smaller ones looked to be of a similar style to the ones that had attacked Arora and himself. That was all he needed to know and he charged past the two girls, his bracer shining as his armor was summoned around him. His warhammer and shield came to his hands and he ran directly into the midst of the robots, slamming one aside with his shield and crushing another with his hammer before they knew what happened. "Have at thee you fiends!" He shouted as he blocked a salvo of laser fire with his shield.

[Yuki]

Sarah's eyes grew wide as she heard the heavy steps of the robots behind them. " Oh crap!! They are after us!! But we did not do anything to them!! I hope.... I hope these robots do not belong to the guy that attacked the tower!! If so we are sooo screwed!" Sarah said as she started to run faster. Now that she thought about the robots did look a lot alike the robots that attacked the tower... Ugh at least that robot dragon was not around!! Fane nodded but said nothing she remembered as well and knew that trying to fight those things could end with their deaths.. But just then something caught Fane's eye. Something was coming toward them, a cat/human thing?? Sarah saw him and feared that it was on the side of the robots.

Both girls stopped and braced themselves for a battle only for the new comer to run past them and start to fight the robots that where chasing them. They both turned around in shock as the kitty boy turned into a knight and started bounding on the robots. Sarah and Fane then looked at each other, they both nodded thinking the same thing. They could not let this guy fight them all alone. " Fane know any ice spells??" Sarah asked. The witch nodded and held up her staff. "Izotz!!" Fane said at the same time as Sarah used her powers. The two tried to freeze the bots to their cores.


Mean while Taylor was flying at fast speeds and was just going faster as he went. Though he had no idea how long he would be able to keep this up. Even with Fox's words of encouragement he was still very scared and worried. He did not have training to take on things like this!! And the training he did do was all work trying to understand his powers better. He still did not know everything he could do. tears formed in Taylor's eyes out of fear. He was just not ready for something like this... " I hope your right Fox... I sure hope your right..." Taylor said back to the kitsune.

[The Hopeslayer]

Tear was knocked backwards several feet by the hammer blow from the stranger. "What the!?!" He staggered a bit before managing to stop himself, by then half the bots following him had been smashed to pieces by the over zealous kitty knight. The laser weaponry just seemed to bounce right off the fellow's armor like light off a mirror! As if that wasn't bad enough the two girls turned around and started to support him! The whole thing was a trap, at least that's how Tear saw it.

"How dare you interfere with the boss's business!" Tear blurted out as he swung his metal claw, missing the surprisingly agile knight and instead smashing a hole into the ground where the fellow had been standing.

"Stand still so I can squish you!" Tear yelled angrily, unable to catch the knight as he continued to pound the robots into so much scrap. It didn't help that the two girls were slowing all the bots down, even if they weren't able to quite freeze them completely yet.

~~~

Rend was having a little bit more success, keeping Taylor in sight but only just so. The scout bots were starting to have trouble keeping pace. "Hey come back! The boss just wants to talk with you two!" Rend yelled out actually being honest for a change. The young man didn't stop though, taking the small fox along for the ride. Rend though it might have something to do with all the blood on the griffon's fur and feathers.

[Fox]

Fox was cheering for Taylor now. "They can't keep up with you! I bet we could lose them real quick if you swooped down into some alleys. That big bird would probably have a hard time in those tight places. You can fly there with your wind right?" Fox said with a great deal more cheer than he'd had only a few minutes earlier. At the very least they were leading more than half the bad guys away from the girls, and it looked like Taylor and Fox would be getting away too!

"You're so awesome! More speed! Hehehe!" Fox let out a laugh, starting to have fun despite the situation.

~~~


Eric was swinging his hammer with one hand, smashing bots to bits with each blow he landed. Their strange weapons seemed to bounce right off his enchanted armor and shield! He stopped trying to dodge the smaller bots' weapons after a little while and just concentrated on smashing them! He noticed that the two girls were helping him too, smelling the icy magic in the air and watching as frost formed on some bots and slowed them down.

Soon the small bots were all a bunch of scrap metal and the only one standing was the rather formidable looking large one that kept yelling. "Your underlings are destroyed you knave! It serves you right for attacking these young ladies. Now face your fate you cur!" Eric shouted out at Tear, not knowing it was really a robot being possessed by an imp. The large bot took the hammer blow, using it's arms to block and slid backwards a few feet before stepping forward again and attempting an uppercut that would likely have killed Eric in one blow if it had landed. Luckily the robot was slowing as more frost formed on it's surface and the agile Kitty Knight easily dodged the attack before swinging his hammer again in a downward stoke that connected forcefully with the robot's arms.

The robot seemed to lose it's balance, sparks flying from it's shoulders as it nearly lost it arms to the attack from the magic hammer. Eric decided to press the attack, dodging attacks and then countering with hammer strikes of his own. Each blow he landed on the slowed enemy left a dent or crack. "You are a worthy adversary, but you shall soon taste defeat!"

[Yuki]

Sarah and Fane where now starting to feel the effects if useing so much power. Fane was the first stop and fall to her knees though held herself up with her staff. " I'm sorry... My magic is spent..." Fane said weakly as she panted. Sarah was feeling weak two but she was to stubborn to stop. She then started to focus on the robots legs, if she where able to freeze them the robot would not be able to move. So what was left of her own power she sent the best deep freeze she could on the robots legs before almost passing out. She fell to all fours and panted heavily. " looks like I'm out to... Its all up to the Knight now..." Sarah said weakly and lifted her head to watch the Knight fight.


It felt good for Taylor as Fox cheered him on, though he felt his power level dropping. When Fox gave the ideas to weave in and out of the alleyways he had no idea if he could pull it off. As it was he was already starting to slow down now. He was not used to racing around in the sky. And when the giant bird said its boss just wanted to talk to them that made Taylor frown. he may not be a hero but whenever a bad guy used that line it was ever good. " I may not be a hero but I know not to fall for that line!!" Taylor shouted and was unsure if the giant bird would be able to hear him. " I.. I will try Fox but I don't know how much longer I can last. I never trained for anything like this!" Taylor said in a scared tone and dove down to start weaving in and out of alleyways.

[The Hopeslayer]

Tear was having more than a hard time with the two girls and the knight. His movements were slowed badly from the frost, continuously missing the knight with each attack. It was infuriating the imp inside the machine. Hopeslayer wasn't much happier as he saw the way the fight was going on one monitor back in his base.

Then it happened, Tear's legs locked up completely from the cold. He attempted to move but all that happened was a lot of noise and no effect. The knight ran up then and leaped into the air, his hammer held in both hands as he came crashing down. Tear let out a frustrated cry as all systems went offline in the MAX.

~~~

Rend was starting to tire out now, his wings beating more slowly. The blood loss from the boy's attack sending him into the building earlier was starting to take it's toll on the imp's borrowed body. He couldn't push it anymore without risk killing the body. The scout bots had no such problems though as they went whizzing past the griffon. "Sorry boss, this body is giving out on me." Rend stated with fear in his voice as he landed on a nearby rooftop. Hopeslayer was not one to disappoint.

"Bah! Return to the carrier then. No use losing a perfectly good vessel for you for no gain. Hopefully those scout drones will be able to pick up the slack." Hopeslayer's voice stated inside the griffon's ear. Rend nodded and flew upward, disappearing into the still cloaked aircraft that had carried him here to begin with.

The scout drones were closing in on Taylor and Fox now, easily within firing range yet the didn't use their wrist mounted guns. They were determined to chase their prey and then capture them once the boy ran out of energy. That was until a tree suddenly grew up in front of them, causing a couple to crash into it and explode.