The heavy crashing of a set of machineguns began a deafening crusade that rendered all other sounds of battle insubstantial, throwing up great plumes of dirt as the wandering line of bullets sought flesh through the dusty clouds. The wielder: a black-armored nomad bearing an LMG in each hand. The unnerving sound of insane laughter could be heard through the nomad's black mask, and the two surviving bandits fell in line behind the nomad after exchanging uncertain glances. One of the pair was a sniper, the one who had shot Vic; the other, a goliath, wielding wicked metal swords in either hand. All three of them bore shield generators and had the look of hardened fighters about them. They would not be easy prey.<br/><br/>The goliath spotted Meatbag through the fog of war and charged, screaming and viciously brandishing his swords, while the sniper put Linneia in her sights, preparing to take the shot. The nomad himself had his murderous eyes set on Vic.<br/><br/>Vic, seeing the oncoming danger, leapt into cover behind an outcropping of rocks on the side of the road. The nomad spotted the movement and began to pepper the area with volley after volley of deadly fire, forcing Vic to stay down. He slowly strode towards the rock, not letting up on the trigger or letting the unshielded victim a second of respite. Vic was on the verge of panic, his screams not audible over the deafeningly steady barrage of gunfire that encircled him and threatened to close in on him. His fumbled the pin off of his only grenade and threw it over the rock, but the blast seemed only to redouble the unfazed nomad's efforts.<br/><br/>Sensing his companion's peril, Blood threw himself at the nomad's armor, crawling over him and stabbing at him ineffectually. The nomad tried to shake off the unexpected assailant but couldn't even loosen the reptile's grip. Dropping one of the guns to the ground, he gripped the stalker's tail and swung the hissing, biting creature around his head before releasing his grip, sending Blood flying into a metal wall with a sickening crunch. The nomad bent down and retrieved the second gun, but the stalker had cloaked and limped away before he could be finished off.<br/><br/>Blood was simply making a play for time.<br/><br/>As the nomad turned around to continue firing at the rocky outcropping, Vic's image slithered into existence behind him, bladed revolver in hand. He unloaded five shots into the base of the nomad's skull before thrusting the blade deep into the back of his neck, all before his prey could even react. The bandit fell to the ground, his dying gurgles spraying deep crimson blood into the sand from the gaping hole in his neck where his throat had once been. Vic turned away from the dying nomad in silence, watching the surviving bandits fight the strangers. His fears were not held for them; he feared for Blood, who had sacrificed his safety to save him and give him enough time to recharge his shield and cloak.<br/><br/><span style="color: #008000">"Blood...? Where are you, Blood?"</span>He called, his voice cracking from fear and residual adrenaline.<br/><br/>The injured stalker limped into sight, hissing in discomfort. Oblivious to the continuing battle, Vic rushed to his friend's side and began to see to his wounds. Scavenging a few health syringes from the dead, he carefully injected Blood with a few precious grams of the healing serum. The stalker whined thankfully as the crushed flesh and bone knitted itself back together. Vic embraced the stalker, despite his mewling, and thanked him for his bravery.<br/><br/><dl class="codebox"><dt>OOC | <a href="javascript: void(0);" onclick="var spoiler = this.parentNode.parentNode.getElementsByTagName('dd')[0]; if ( spoiler.style.display == 'none' ) { spoiler.style.display = 'block'; this.innerHTML = '-'; } else { spoiler.style.display = 'none'; this.innerHTML = '+'; };">+</a></dt><dd style="display: none;">No worries, Aro. As long as actions are made, quality over quantity. :)<br/><br/>Linneia, do remember that you may be a siren. I'm not sure if I you remember what that means, but you basically have one singularly powerful magic ability of your choosing. What exactly the power is defines you as a character and what your role is in battle, so choose wisely.<br/><br/>These three bandits are substantially stronger and better suited to taking each of us out. Have fun with taking them down, but remember that these people are nearly as powerful as you are. Give them some credit.</dd></dl>