Ranger24: Now it's party time.
Chapter 9: Bar fight
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
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Sea spray splattered against him as he edged along the face of the cliff, his eyes fixed on the large cathedral like structure ahead of him. He shirved, not from the cold but from the anticipation. The hour of Vengance, of Retribution was near. He shimmed along the narrow ledge for what seemed like hours nearly falling to his death on the jagged rocks below twice.
Finally he reached the side path he'd been told of and climbed up the path. The dark skies above crackled with thunder heads and brooding storm. He couldn't have asked for a better night. The path lead him up the cliff up onto he spit of rock upon which the massive cathedral had been built. Several figures in white robe patrolled outside it, sabers sheathed at their sides. His fingers itched to begin it now but his patience held.
He slipped sliently towards the cathedral and scaled over the stone walls with little difficulty. He pulled himself up and gazed down on the courtyard. A large fountain centerpeiced the area before a massize set of doors that were flanked by two large statues of monks holding large tomes. More of the warrior monks were crossing amongst the courtyard while two in heavy armor weilding large pole ax's.
He frowned and slipped down the wall into the shadows. He rushed to the arch ways and slide open a stain glass window and slipped into an empty scriptorium. The dark shelves frowned down on him in silence as he slipped passed the desks covered in parchment and bottles of ink. He reached the far door and opened it a jar, greatfull that it didn't creak.
Outside a single man was patroling the corridor with his saber sheathed at his side. A smirk crossed his face and he slid out into the corridor and crept up behind his victim. When he was within inches of the other man he clapped a hand over the mans throat. The muffled cry was quickly silenced as a knife was plunged into his spine, severing the key vertebrates. He pulled the man back into the scriptorium and tossed the corpse into a dark corner. He wiped his knifes blade on the mans robes and slipped back out into the corridor...
'Hey! Ranger wake up ya lazy bastard!' Nukid's voice called.
Defiant, Ranger's quarters, 0932 hours day 6
Ranger woke with a start and sat up rubbing his eyes. Nukid leaned over him a questioning look on his face.
"Bad dream?" Nukid asked.
"Bad memory," he muttered pulling himself out of his small bed.
"We've reached Radaint Garden and we're holding position in the shadow of it's moon," Nukid reported as Ranger began pulling on his gear.
"Good," he said slipping Ddraig S Caul's sheath onto his belt. He glanced at the second sword in his colllection. The darkside blade Gashgar, the sword of his master. He picked it up and slipped it over his shoulder buckling it to his harness.
"Tell Rolo'mono to get a raptor ready. I'm heading down there alone," he ordered.
"I thought we were supposed to be a team, Nukid noted.
"And I'm telling you I'm going down there alone," Ranger growled leaving his quarters.
He strood down the narrow corridors of the ship heading to the small kitchen to grab something to eat before heading down to the city. He just hoped they weren't running out of time.
Shade's Fortress, Shade's Quarters, 0937 hours day 6
Shade slide Soul Eater into its sheath before sliding fresh cartridges into Devil's hand. He straightened up, tasks completed and opened a dark portal. The billowing dark doorway burst into existence before him and he slipped on through without a backwards glance. When he came out of the dark portal he quickly realized he had gone way off target.
Instead of being at the entrance to an old Chapel he was high up in freezing mountain conditions. He shivered slightly pulling his rusty brown cloak tight about himself to ward off the cold winds. He stumbled through the snow trying to keep from suffering a white out in the spray of cold death.
He made his way along the ridge trying to ignore how much his teeth were chattering but finally he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Fuck this," he growled.
He closed his eyes and tapped into the power of his curse mark. His cloak receided and from his back burst forth the black angel wings. He shot into the air pumping his wings furiously, fighting the mighty winds. But the gail was to great and before he knew it he was vering off coarse.
Then finally he came tumbling out of the air struggling to get his wings to adjust his flight to save himself. His wings filled with air but he was being buffeted by to strong of winds and finally came crashing down in a snow back at the foot of the mountains. He pulled himself out of the snow back muttering a curse disenaging the curse mark.
"I really need to wear warmer clothes," he muttered pulling his cloak about him again and throwing up the hood.
Radaint Garden, Black and Blue bar, 1021 hours day 6
Ranger stepped inside the bar which was dark and suprisingly packed to the gills with bums sitting around drinking. He glanced around in the darkness searching for his objective. Then his eyes fell upon a young woman who had long brown hair. She was dressed in rather revealing clothes of red and black. Drapped across her shoulders was a long black cloak that had little demon wings attached to it.
Ranger smirked and walked on over to her and sat down next to her at the bar. She had her eyes closed and was drinking from a bottle which was cleary marked as Captian Morgan's Black Rum. Ranger smirked.
"Hey bar keep, shot of Jack Daneils number seven," Ranger said wrapping a knuckle on the bar.
The bar keep hardly looked at him before sliding him a glass of the liquid which Ranger down before he leaned forward resting his gauntleted hands on the bar.
"Hoowdy Abby," he said casually.
The woman simply finished her bottle before setting it down and looking at him with glum blue green eyes.
"And what do you want And..." She paused and frowned. "Oh wait, you go around as..."
"Ranger," he finished for her as the Bar keeper refilled his glass.
Abby sighed. "What do ya want?" She asked.
Ranger frowned smelling more alchoal on her breath than what was in one bottle of Captian Morgan.
"You drunk?" He asked.
"More like drinking off a hangover," Abby replied.
"I don't think it works that way," Ranger said raising an eyebrow.
"Well what do you want, honestly?" Abby asked her voice noticably slurred to a degree.
Ranger sighed and leaned over the bar.
"Well if I told you that ye old crazy ass order of the Church of the Holy Light knows where everyone of us has been hiding and we need to round up the others before those crazy light drunk bastards track us all down and slaughter us like lion's on wildabeast, would you think I was crazy?" Ranger asked looking up at her.
Abby picked up another bottle of rum and uncorked it. "Eh pretty crazy but knowing you it could be crazier."
Ranger sighed. "Are you still upset about me hooking up Axel and Konan?"
Abby socked him in the face and Ranger fell out of his chair and he pulled himself back into the stoll.
"I'll take that as a yes..." He muttered checking if she had broke his nose. He glanced up at the mirrior behind the bar and frowned as the door opened. Then he instantly reached for the hilt of Ddraig s Caul.
Abby frowned at him.
"What's the matter?" She asked before looking up in the mirrior as several men in white robes entered with sabers at their sides entered. She sighed and glanced at Ranger.
"So I take it you believe me now?" He muttered.
"Yeah," she replied with a matter of fact nod. "So how do we get out of here?"
Ranger smirked. "Only one way."
Then he whirled about and kicked over a table!
"BAR FIGHT!!!!" He shouted!
Instantly all of the patrons pulled out knives, hand guns, broken bottle tops and started brawling mercilessly with the nearest other patron. The agents from the holy light ducked as the Bar keep dropped his cleaning rag and came up with a shot gun and began firing wildly intothe crowd. Abby stared at the scene in utter confusion.
"How did you..." She started.
"Please, they're drunk bums. It doesn't take much to se them off," Ranger said handing her Gashgar which was still in it's black sheath.
"Still holding onto this?" She said raising an eyebrow.
"Family Heirloom of sorts," Ranger replied before leading her through the crowd sword drawn.
"Hold heretics!" One of Holy light agents shouted drawing his saber and forcing his way through the crowd towards them.
Before Ranger could even raise his weapon Abby stepped forward yanked out Gashgar and sliced clean through the agents saber and cut his head clean in half. Ranger raised and eyebrow in suprise but there was no time to wonder why she was still in practice. He pulled her out of the bar and they steeped out into the streets of the town and Ranger lowered his sword.
"So you come in with?" He asked.
Abby shrugged. "Eh, I need a vacation."
Suddenly the bar exploded be hind them and they were catapulted across the street! Ranger groaned and pushed himself to his feet.
"You okay?" He asked Abby.
"This normally happen?" Abby asked trying pull her head out of the crate she'd crashed into.
"Yeah something like this," Ranger said picking up Ddriag S Caul. Abby pulled her head out the crate and shook it free of dust. She looked up onto a nearby roof and froze terrified.
"Abby whats wrong?" He asked.
"Ba-ba-ba-ba..." She stuttered.
Ranger followed her gaze and his gaze fell upona bear of a black man with a French mustache. He wore the robes of higher ranking member of the Church of the Holy Light and held a Panzerfaust. At his side was a massive sword that was definatly worth a compensation joke.
"Vo my, A seem to ave missed," he said jumping down to the street and tossing aside his Panzerfaust.
Ranger went into his ready stance as the man approached.
"So I face the infamous Twilight warrior who has bested my master with his heathen powers," the man said strolling towards them.
"And who the hell are you tough guy?" Ranger growled.
"My name is Fransisco Duponte," he replied. "Commander of the Church of the Holy Light's heavy assualt forces. You might also calm me your death."
"Yeah, well tough break jackass, its two on one smart guy! Right Abby?" Ranger shot back.
There was a silence.
"Abby?" Ranger queered glancing over his shoulder to find Abby cowering right behind him.
"Ba-ba-bald..." she whimpered.
Ranger groaned.
"Aw shit, you still have your Phobia of bald people?!" He demanded in annoyance.
Abby nodded her head vigorously and Ranger sighed.
"Okay grab your stuff and head for the Bailey, dust off in ten minutes. I'll take care of this guy," Ranger said stepping forward.
Abby nodded and bolted off as Duponte raised his sword and pulled a large sheild off his back.
"Come on vhen Twilight heathen," Duponte said coldly.
Ranger tightened his grip on Ddraig s Caul and then charged forward with a yell! Duponte meet his first stroke with his sheild and threw Ranger back. Duponte then struck with his massive sword which Ranger side stepped, the sword struck the stone street and left a small crater from it's point of impact.
"I am not the head of the heavy assault forces for nothing boy!" Duponte proclaimed Making another slash at Ranger who ducked the blow and made a stab at Duponte's chest. Duponte however knocked the sword of coarse with his sheild and Ranger gritted his teeth in frustration.
"You fight well heathen!" Duponte commented as he blocked Ranger's next stroke aimed at his head. "But you cannot match the strength of the Holy Light with your bastard powers."
"Bastard powers eh?" Ranger growled parrying Duponte's counter. "Well if you want to face twilight..."
They locked swords and Ranger threw out his open left hand!
"Twilight Frigra!" He shouted as a blast of Twilight energy erupted from his palm and slammed into Duponte's chest, throwing the paladin back. Duponte crashed into the burning wreckage of the bar and Ranger turned to run for it.
Then an intense pain burst from his right leg and he gave a cry of pain falling to the ground. He had a blazing white bolt shaped like a sword stabbed through his calf. Blood dripped from the wound and he cursed grabbing a hold of it cursing as the light energy burned his palms.
"Heathen!" Duponte proclaimed clambering out of the rubble. "You cannot match the power of the light! It condems you to burn in hell itself!"
Ranger ripped out the energy blade and crushed it.
"You know," he growled. "You guys are really starting to piss me the fuck off!"
He then focused on his power and proclaimed. "Final Twiligth form!"
In a flash his clothes turned silver gray in color and Ddraig s Caul burst into flames.
"And people vay I'm flaming," Duponte snorted.
"Oh you did not just make that horrible of a joke!" Ranger snarled giving the sword a shake revealing its true form. Duponte's eyes widened in horror at the sight of the weapon.
"The lights bane!" He screeched! "The blade of heathens!"
Ranger grinned sadistically. "Yes, now it goes to battle against its anceint enemies. And this blade hungers for blood."
Then he charged forward with a mighty roar sword raised and Duponte braced himself against the charge!
Radiant Garden, Abby's Apartment, 1025 hours day 6
Abby sealed up the zipper on a duffel bag before slipping two double ended daggers into her belt. Throwing the duffel bag onto her right shoulder she hefted her last weapon, a large rocket launcher taller than she was. She hefted it onto her left shoulder and the threw open the door to her apartment.
And came right into the swords of a dozen warriors of the holy light.
"End of the line Heathen," one of them growled.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender," another snarled.
"Yeah, bye." Abby said lifting the rocket launcher and pulling the trigger.
"By the light!" Another warrior screamed before the rocket slammed into his chest and Abby quickly threw up a barrier of flaming Twilight Energy.
Then the rocket exploded and Abby was blasted back through her apartment and found herself sailing over the city. The hole in the wall she'd gone through was ringed with flames.
"Well, probably not getting the deposit back," she muttered before she disengaged the sheild and she landed smoothly on the roof of an old ware house. She slid down off the roof and landed in the streets before running for the bailey shoving through crowds who were either angered by her or alarmed by the fact she was carrying so much weaponry.
Midway down a side street however machine gun fire rained down at her and she dove for cover. On the roof tops above a dozen Holy light soldiers armed with MP5's sprayed the crates she'd hidden behind with bullets. Splinters went flying eveywhere as bullets ripped apart the crates. Abby unslung her Rocket launcher and fired away!
The first rocket however succeded only in scattering the soldiers. She muttered a curse dropping the launcher and pulling out the twin blades. She twirled them in her hands before she hurled them! The two blades sailed through the air and both meet their marks slicing the heads clean off two of the soldiers. Then they came flying back around and cut down two more before Abby caught them deftly.
The soldiers regrouped and reloaded raising their weapons to fire again. Abby however closed her eyes Twilight energy gathering at her finger tips. Then she thrust out with her hands.
"Twilight Fire darts!" She shouted. The ten bolts of twilight energy flew from her finger tips and ripped right into the heads of the soldiers! Blood sprayed from the wounds as all eight collapsed dead, weapons clattering to the ground. Abby sighed and then picked up her Launcher trying to ignore the buzzing in her head.
"Note to self, don't drink to get rid of a hangover," she muttered.
After about five minutes however she reached the Bailey and set down her bag lifting her launcher onto her shoulder.
"So how the heck is he planning to get out of here?" She muttered.
As if in answer there came the roar of engines above her and she looked up to see a pelican dropship coming down towards her. She grabbed her bag and got out of the way just before the dropships wheels hit the dirt. The back hatch open and a blonde haired young man and some guy in a counter terrorist get up waiting at the hatch.
"Well hello," The blonde called over the roar of the Pelican's engines looking Abby and down.
"Eye's were I can see them pal," Abby growled walking over to the dropship.
"Where's Ranger?" The counter terrorist asked.
"Back fighting the crazy bald guy!" Abby replied
"What crazy bald guy?" He asked.
Radiant Garden, Outside the ruins of the Black and Blue bar, 1030 hours day 6
Ranger panted heavily as he broke away from Duponte again. The paladin was equally exhausted but was still much stronger physicaly than he was. He hefted the Dragon's maw again before he made feirce slash at Duponte which the Holy Light Paladin parried. Ranger tried to feint right but Duponte deflected the attack with his sword and made a counter which Ranger ducked before making another stab which slammed into the Paladin forcing him back a few feet before Ranger made another wild slash which Duponte parried
Duponte then thrust at him with his sheild and Ranger got in close. They clahsed, faces mere inches from one another straining againt eachother waiting for the other to give out so they could deal a lethal blow. Neither of them however could make a kill at this close range as their swords where to large. Ranger however jabbed at Duponte's side with the knife strapped to his arm!
The knife cut through the robes easily but bounced of something harder beneath. Duponte shoved him back suddenly with his sheild.
"Dirty tricks won't work against me heathen!" Duponte snapped raising his sword. "This is a battle of honor."
"Yeah fighting with honor just get's you killed," Ranger snarled before twisting the Dragon's Maw's grip and releasing a jet of flames at Duponte!
Duponte brought up his sheild just intime and got down behind it. Flames licked around him but failed to scortch him. Ranger gritted his teeth in frustration. He released the flame torrent and charged again, letting the blade skip along the street sending sparks into the air. Duponte blocked his stroke with his sheild and slashed at Ranger's head. Ranger ducked and made a slash at Duponte's legs but the paladin back stepped.
"Face the power of the light!" Duponte proclaimed releasing his sheild to fire off a stream of white swords and hammers!
"Aww fuck!" Ranger cursed jumping back and twirling the Dragon's Maw disapating the light based attacks.
"You're tiring boy. I can sense it." Duponte hissed picking up sheild again.
Ranger landed on the stone floor sweat beading down his neck. He lifted the Dragon's Maw into his ready grip glaring at Duponte.
"Please, I'm just getting warmed up." He growled.
"Then let me bring on the main coarse!" Duponte replied snapping his fingers.
Then from the alleys shot large figures in heavy armor with jump packs on! They charged towards Ranger with small lances strapped to their arms and sheilds in hand! Ranger side stepped the first one and slashed it across the back. The Dragon's Maw dug through armor and the figure collapsed only to desolve into light energy. Ranger taken off guard was barely able to avoid the next armor's attack and soon found himself under attack from all sides!
"Meet the true force of the Holy Light, the heavy assault Sions." Duponte proclaimed grinning evilly.
Ranger blocked another Sion's attack only for another to knock him off balance with it's sheild! Ranger fell over and the Dragon's Maw clattered out of hs reach! He reached for the weapon but he looked up to see a Sion lifting it's lance for the killing blow!
"Good bye Twilight Heathen!" Duponte mocked!
Suddenly the head of the attacker exploded as Machine gun fire ripped him apart! Ranger tossed a look over his shoulder to see the Pelican charing forward 70mm cannon roaring! The Sions scattered and Ranger grabbed his sword.
"Take cover!" Duponte shouted!
Ranger waved at the paladin. "Adios homo!"
"I'm not gay!" Duponte snarled.
"Oh well!" Ranger said with a shurg before he disenaged final Twilight and reached for the power of his curse mark. He felt momentary resistance before the barrier gave in and the dark marks spread across his face and neck. Withing moments his slate gray wings burst forth and with a mighty swipe of his wings he took to the sky.
Duponte glared up at the escaping Twilight Warrior.
"After him!" He shouted and the Sions activated their jump packs and took up after Ranger pulling out Pnazerchrecks and Skorpions.
Ranger pulled out Sol and Luna before he turned and opened fire on the on coming Sions! Some of them brought up their sheilds but others were cut down by the triple barreled blasts. Ranger cackled before hammering out even more slugs as the pelican approached at maximum safe speed. e flew around to the back to find Nukid manning the gun turret, Abby firing her rocket launcher, and TSS using a sniper rifle to cover their rear. He landed inside disengaging his curse mark which apperantly caugh Abby off guard.
"I'll explain later," he said heading to the front of the craft. He banged on the cockpit door. "Rolo, close the hatch and get us the fuck outta..."
Suddenly Nukid gave a cry of pain! Ranger whirled about to see Duponte standing on the ramp, Nukid on the floor, and the turret smashed. TSS swung his sniper rifle like a club but Duponte sliced it in half. Abby cowered before the paladin stuttering out bald. Ranger charged forward a slammed into the Paladin! Their swords clashed and whined against one another as Ranger tried to force the paladin out!
"Someone give me a hand here!" He shouted straining against large French men.
Abby sprang up pushed with Ranger but the moment she caught sight of Duponte's crome dome she flatered.
Then Nukid wrapped his hands around Abby's eyes and she screeched in alarm. She shoved forward first, throwing Duponte off balance before whirling about and slamming her fist square into Nukid's face throwing him across the troop bay. With Duponte off balance Ranger shoved one last time and the Paladin tumbled out with a cry of alarm.
"Close the damn hatch!" He shouted and the hatch hissed shut.
Nukid looked up from his currently bleeding nose.
"Next time, TSS grabs them from behind." He growled.
Ranger24: Alright finally done with this chapter. Next time, I hopefully break writers block and don't make a filler chapter. Read and review.