Another week, and another chapter. I hope this was worth the wait. As always, Read and review
Tobey was met face first with a gust of wind with rain mixed in it. Home, sweet bloody home he thought to himself. He heard gasps of surprise and aghast with the other smashers not far behind him. Concrete beneath his feet, the rain in his face and the sounds of violence in the distance, God he felt at home. "I don't know exactly where the heart of the element is at." Tobey said to the others over his shoulder, many of whom were adjusting to the sudden change in the weather. "But I'll have to shake my contacts to see if any of those chummers know anything about it. Follow me and keep close; it's always safety in numbers."
The smashers got behind Tobey and many of them looked around the city. Some of them had been raised in an urban environment, but they had never seen anything like this. All of the buildings reached out to the skies, yet there were plenty of buildings run down, condemned or just left to the sands of time to take them. Ulfric had never seen such a sight and deep down he wondered if he ever wanted to again. Link felt the same, but somewhat wanted to see more if it was possible. The others had mixed reactions in this place and time.
Tobey was at the head and stopped at the edge of a street corner, trying to reconnect with his bearings. It was quite obvious that he was in the barrens, a portion of Seattle that was devoted to constant warfare in between gangers. These weren't shadowrunners, they were punks with guns. He looked for any of the totems that displayed ganger territory. He looked to his feet and saw that he was standing on one of them. He took one step back and looked down at a jack-o-lantern with two crossed AK-97. He growled and spat, Hollowennies. This gang had always been a thorn in his side as with many others, while for the most part an undisciplined and grossly untrained organization, they still always had that potential of being true monsters. The symbol meant that they were inside their territory, and that forced Tobey to reach for his trusted sidearm and to make sure that there were bullets loaded into it.
"Hey, you chummers!" A deeper voice came up to the right side of the group. Tobey turned his head; he clicked back the hammer on the revolver as he did so and spied a Troll ganger. The brute was tall with a pair of horns growing out of his forehead and a massive machete was held in his hands. "This be our turf, get lost dandelion eater!" The troll charged them and Tobey responded to the insult in kind. As the troll charged, Tobey raised his revolver and lined up a shot. He pulled the trigger and sent the bullet right between the eyes of the eyes. Normally such a round would have dazed the troll, but it was loaded with armor piecing ammunition, so it sent the bloody grey matter of the brain spewing out behind the troll and it came toppling down in a mass of dead flesh right before his feet.
Naturally, the second he fired off that round that instantly alerted the rest of the ganger in the nearby vicinity and they came out. Unlike the troll he blew away, they were armed with fire arms. Granted they were AKs and other crude weapons, but they were still enough to cause concern with Tobey. The Holloweenies began to fire off their ammunition in their direction, and Tobey bellowed orders for the others to get into cover. Holstering his pistol and brining up his own assault rifle Tobey provided suppressing fire as others made their way to one form of cover to another. Snake and Link hugged a burned out air-car both of them readying a form of range, snake with one of his handguns and Link with his bow. Samus took the children with her and got behinds some garbage filled crates. Ulfric, Marth and Ganondorf moved forward and took their backs against a wall. They would be the first to respond if any of the gangers got to close to them.
Tobey fired of the last of his assault rifle rounds and soon expended his empty clip. In a smooth motion, one that surprised Snake to a point, Tobey slammed a fresh magazine home and chambered the first round with a military like discipline. Tobey noticed that the Holloweenies were spraying their ammo, rather than keeping their rounds conserved and aiming. He laughed slyly and looked down his sights. Pressing his trigger down, he fired off a burst of automatic into the densely crowded areas of the gangers. Snake rose with a grenade primed in his hand, and with a flick of his arm, he sent the explosive into the group of Holloweenies. With a clap of thunder, the grenade exploded, sending the flesh of their enemies scattering in many direction. From the bloody smoke came more Orks and trolls. Fortunately Ganondorf Math and Ulfric were on them with a massive attack, bringing down powered fists and axe heads along with blades.
A lucky shotgun blast peppered his coat and Tobey bit back a curse. He looked to the injury and saw several black pellets of spread shot. He slammed his hand against the wound and allowed the glowing energy of healing pass through his veins. The black pellets came out of the wounds and soon the wounds began to knit back together. He saw Link firing off an arrow and the arrow into the eye of another ganger. Ulfric and the other melee combatants were fighting it out no quarter given to either side. He bellowed from his mouth as student in the way of the voice sent many of the gangers sprawling in confusion. Ganondorf was lashing out whit hallo of his dark powers, easily holding his own with two trolls with axes. Marth on the on the other hand, was fencing away an elf with his own sword. Samus was holding off against whatever ganger tried to even come close to harm the children.
A second burst of machine gun fire became audible and swears that were familiar to Tobey. He looked through the smoke and soon saw two runners running from a new wave of Holloweenies. "Watch your fire!" He bellowed to the other smashers. He looked at the newcomers, and was concerned when he saw several dark, wet spots on their chest armor. "Hey, morons!" He yelled to the two runners and gestured for them to get behind cover. One of them was dressed in black carapace armor with sub-machine gun ammo clips around him and a smoking Uzi in his hands. He had short brown hair with piercing brown eyes and with goatee of five o'clock shadow. The one next to him had white skin and deep green dreadlocks with some metal grafted into his skull. His hands radiated with some magical energy and before he dove into cover, he sent a small orb of fire crashing into the new wave. Tobey knew who these two chummers were. El Duce and Gallowglass respectively.
Closing his eyes, Tobey activated his powers of a shaman of the bear. Using the energy of nature that flowed through all of us, he used those powers and acted as a rod for healing powers. The shadowrunners were beginning to be healed and they rejoined the fight and they began to fight with renewed conviction. The battle was winding down and in rather short time, the last of the Holloweenies ran with their wounded comrades. Tobey slammed a fresh clip home and chambered a new round. He turned to El Duce and was enveloped in a bone crushing hug. "Goddamn you, Tobey! It's good to see you again." The shadowrunners that Tobey frequently ran with greeted him in their own way. For El Duce, it was a bone snapping bear hug. Gallowglass did one similar by it was a hand shake modified into a hug.
Tobey remembered these characters. Gallowglass was the most proficient mage Tobey had ever came across. One of the few to escape Corporate death row and live to tell the tale was no small feat. El Duce was a close friend of Tobey and was one of his contacts in Seattle and the two connected when Tobey was hiring bodies for a run he was doing. The three were close friends, forged in blood and tempered in battle. They went to hell and back for their city, thankfully they received their much needed praise. Laughing, Tobey introduced them to the others. El Duce kicked it off with Snake and Samus, while Gallowglass did the same with Link and Ulfric.
The group ran like hell through the Holloweenies' territory, and in between the heavy labored breaths of El Duce, Tobey was filled in with the information about the job they were on. They were originally hired by a Mr. Johnson to take care of a Company man who went rough for fifty thousand. However as they left Coyote, one of the bartenders and shadowrunners, hired them for something else along with it. BTL dealers were staking out there and Coyote hired them to take care of them. Better Then Life chips were a hot contraband and they were going beyond what they could do. Dealers were getting more ruthless and many were dying from being turned into mindless drones of the dealers. Toby spat and fired off his revolver at those Holloweenies that tried to stand in their way. The children were in the hands of the adults so that they were not left behind.
They got out of the territory and the shadow runners exhaled in relief and spied a taxi bench. They collapsed next to it and Gallowglass turned Tobey. "What are you doing back so soon? Thought you be back later."
Tobey sighed and nodded. "I thought I would be too, but something has come up. " He swapped his story with the other Shadowrunners and they grimaced. From the brawls to the Norse Gods, they watched wide eyed. El Duce would have though Tobey was using some powerful chem and wasn't sharing. But he knew Tobey said that he would rather die then use street drugs, knowing what was in them. Gallowglass shuttered when Toby brought up what he was searching for. He was a wizard of the arcane, not one with the elements. Still, the heart of the elements were a mighty and powerful collection of artifacts and if they got into the wrong hands… hell take them, for it will them more mercy then they.
Eventually a bus came along and Tobey paid for the ride using his cred-stick. After transferring the funds, he sat down in one of the smelly seats. Other smashers did the same and the bus lurched off an drove them through the barrens. The bullet proof glass allowed Tobey to look at the city as it passed on by from their view. He saw Lone Star cops arresting a troll, not with much success. A few muggings here and there, followed by the occasional knife fight. Tobey let the movement of the bus take him away.
The Bus made a few turns and Tobey spared the others a look. Ulfric, Ganondorf and Link looked as if their minds were about ready to explode from all what was happening. Samus and Snake weren't much better off, but not as bad as the others. Tobey forced a smile and closed his eyes and rested his head against the window. Eventually sleep took him and only darkness awaited him, no nightmares thankfully.
Peach followed Leman through the massive libraries of his own personal long house. She was amazed, to say the least, at the character behind this man. He seemed like a strong and dumb brute, but was far more then that. This library was a testament to that. Dozens of sages from years past scurried around, placing books on shelves, transcribing new works and many other tasks. "As you can see, Princess Peach." His voice was a booming roll of the thunder all around her, and she was laughing ever so slightly with it. "Our knowledge covers many tomes. Few of us actually put our knowledge to paper, some keep it in their minds. I prefer to put it to paper so my knowledge is placed so that others may learn if I pass. Knowledge of medicine, architecture and warfare among other knowable things"
Peach nodded and Leman gestured to a table in the middle of the library with several tome of mythic arcane knowledge in the stacks of the books. A pot of herbal elixir sat in the middle and Leman reached for his tankard of mead that sat on his side. Peach opened one of the tomes of knowledge and saw that they were written in vast arrays of languages and symbols she could never understand. Leman taped his finger on the pot of elixir, Peach taking the hint. He poured herself a cup of the swirling green drink. Raising the cup to her mouth she drank the substance, it was slightly bitter to the taste, but she watched as the words before her soon became readable an she could fully comprehend everything.
The two peered over tomes of knowledge and looked for any indications of what these events. Eventually, Peach broke the ice. "That thing you fought, before the whole events happened, who was that?"
Leman sighed and opened another tome. "Jomon, a true bastard of a man, if you could stand your tongue calling him such a thing. He is the son of my father's enemy and that of mine as well, the world serpent Jormungandr." Lemans lips curled back into a snarl. Peach was an inquisitive woman, and she found herself noticing something about him. He hated the Midgard Serpent, but then there was something else about him that made him hate those who took the Mansion. She looked into his eyes and saw those two chips of ice. He looked at her and she adverted her gaze before he suspected anything. She would have to ask him about it later.
They finished peering over the vast array of published knowledge and managed to find several things that could help them. Leman said that he would deliver this personally to Odin so that the others could be dispatched to retrieve the necessary equipment and artifacts needed. She walked to Leman's master bed room , where Ike was recuperating. She opened the doors and looked at the master bed in the center. The Stranger which accompanied them all of the way stood in a silent sentinel over Ike. He looked down on Ike and Peach noticed that his travelers' robes were tossed to the side. She saw a chiseled face, as if it was carved from the hearts of mountains and thick short hair. His battle axe was carved from blackened steel and gold trim.
He looked at the intruding princess and grunted a wordless grunt. She sat next to Ike, who was still yet to awake. He was breathing and she grasped his hand. She hoped Zelda was ok, but she was told the hope was always the first step on the road to disappointment. She shook her head and prayed with all of her soul that Ike would awake before long.
Tobey's eyes shot open and rose from his seat, they had reached their stop. They finally made it to where Tobey considered his second home. The Seamstress Union was the name of the pub, among other things that were not needed to be mentioned. Tobey stepped off with the others in tow. Tobey walked up and opened the glass door. The bar was almost deserted, unusual, but then again it was the time for most runners to be out on their work. The bar had an almost homely feel to it. Electronic dancers were on display, doing their dances. There were several chairs and tables as well as booths set up. "Grab a seat, I'll check my sources." Tobey walked over to the bar with El Duce and Gallowglass with him. He gestured for the barkeep to give the smashers a drink on his tab.
He walked to he backroom with the other Shadowrunners. There was a tall man dressed with an overcoat and a tooth pick in his mouth. The usual Mr. Johnson, slang for the shadowrunner very good friend. Provides something for the runners in a reliable career option in exchange for a small cut. Gallowglass handed something to the Johnson and the Johnson nodded and gave him the cred-stick. El Duce turned to Tobey and nodded. "Want me to get Ms. Kubota?" Tobey nodded and turned towards the stairs head up. He knew that was where he could find someone he was looking for. The troll bouncer, Mr. Kluwe, was standing his watch. He nodded to Tobey, who bowed his head in respect.
Heading upstairs, he could smell the cheep perfume from the service girls that worked up here. He walked down the hall until he reached one of the doors. He pressed his palm against the bottom of gene-lock. It read his palm and dinged for access. He was greeted by a blast of cold air. He looked around the room, taking note of how the room has changed. Fortunately, there wasn't anyone's clothes on the floor, so his blood pleasure bled back. He walked around the corner and eyed someone special to him.
Cherry Bomb was standing in front of a tall mirror. She was getting dressed in her traditional barkeep get up. A rather small and leaving nothing to the imagination type of a shirt. Skintight leather pants and she was curling her thick cherry red hair. She was an elf, just like he was. Granted she was a few years younger the she was. He placed her thick and colorful head phones over her neck. She gasped and turned around, her dark hazel eyes meeting his green eyes. She leapt up into his arms and kissed him squarely on the lips and pulled away. "I thought you were going to be away for a bit longer than this. You didn't give me enough time to get my welcome home gift prepared. " She laughed sensually and ran her fingers through his hair. Tobey laughed with her and returned the kiss.
"I'm not going to be back for a long time, Cherry." She groaned and placed her head on his shoulder. "But I will be here for a while. Come with me, I'll buy you a drink. " She nodded and followed him out of her small rent room. They had a small house that they lived at, but most of the time, Cherry lived here so it as closer to work. They walked down the stairs and entered the bar. Ms. Kubota was talking with Gallowglass, El Duce and the smashers as if they were old friends. When Tobey came in with Cherry Bomb, Link whistled like a bit of an idiot, causing Cherry to shoot a sour gaze at him. Kubota turned back to him and shook her head.
"Mr. Tobey Duel-Fist, what is it with you, bringing in trouble like this?" It was a light joke and they nodded. She embraced him in a motherly gesture, fitting for her personality. Tobey along with the rest of the smashers told what happened to Kubota and Cherry bomb along with several others Tobey trusted. The reactions went from horror, to doubtful, to belief. When they were finished, Ms. Kubota shook her head again. "Tobey, you are always getting into the thick of things. First its with Sam, then it's the bugs, now it's the heart of the elements."
He laughed slightly and an elven mage, the name always escapes Tobey, spoke up. "True. I have been searching for the heart of the elements and it its being disrupted by certain sounds I have been hearing. Chirping, clicking and other noises among other things." Tobey paled over like a ghost. Gallowglass and El Duce did the same. They knew those sounds better than anyone else. He rose from his seat and the others followed him. Cherry bomb began to chat up a storm wit Samus and the tykes, trying to take the edge off the situation.
Tobey approached a piano and with his left hand played a quick barrage of chopsticks. Reacting to the sound, the piano slid to the side and a tunnel became open before them. This was Ms. Kubota personal black market where the best customers were allowed entrance. There were a few dealers down here, selling augments, guns, and the magician that was with them would sell his arcane and elemental prowess here. Tobey walked to his bunk and retrieved a small knife from a pillow and a picture. He spent a fair amount of time looking at it and Samus managed to get a good look at it. It was a picture of Tobey, a bit younger then what he was today with a strange man, human from the look of it. The human had thick blond hair and a well trimmed goatee and an arm slug around his shoulder in a brotherly gesture.
After looking at the picture for a while, Tobey pressed a button behind his bunk. A door opened out of nowhere. Two guardians stood eternal guard over this area as if they would resist an order from time itself to move. Tobey walked in and they parted for him, allowing acess through the door. A closed cable channel TV was allowed for the other's view. They would watch. Gallowglass and El Duce grimace, they knew that this wasn't going to be pretty.
Tobey clenched his teeth as he looked at the person before him. Thick blond hair a sly smile, she was like her brother in more ways then she knew. "Jessica Watts." Tobey spoke with a lot of acid in his voice. A mere three feet in front of him was Sam's sister and murderer. "I had hoped never to see your face again."
The former occult leader laughed in his face, "As if you could ever go away from me. What do you want meta-human?" Tobey felt an eyebrow twitch, but he sighed it away.
"Where is the heart of the Elements?" He asked. Tobey was never one to dance around the subject; he wanted to get straight to the point. She laughed that laugh again.
"Why should I do that?"
Tobey spun around and back handed her harshly. "Because you owe your life to me. When you came back to your senses, you were about ready to die by the hands of monstrous bugs. I could have left you to die, but I spared you because of this." He showed her the picture of him and Sam. "I knew that Sam would never forgive me if I killed you, even if you caused his death. You will tell me that which you know, you I will take drastic measures."
She spat in his face, causing Tobey to growl. "What are you going to do, read poetry?"Tobey took off his sunglasses and placed them on a near by stand. Her eyes went back into her head. "You can't do that, your boss explicitly-"
"I don't care. You will tell me or I will have you beg for death." Tobey's eyes were pulsing crimson. When he received no answer, he unsheathed a knife and held out his now glowing black fist. The reaction was almost instant. Ethereal chains restricted her movements to the chair and using his body as a center of gravity, the room all around him began to creak and whine in protest. Jessica's skin began to tug towards his direction. She screamed in pain as skin nerves dethatched from her muscles and other parts of her body. "I will not relent, Jessica." Tobey's voice was far lower then what it usually was. He was certain that many of the smashers were afraid of him now, but damn them, this was personal.
Jessica refused and Tobey showed her the knife and the sliced the skin open. The skin was soon loosened and it began to tear itself off the body. Jessica bellowed in pain, "Our..Our Fathers Cathedral!" She bellowed and Tobey lessened his powers and allowed her to speak. "Our Fathers Cathedral in the Western Barrens." She was weeping in pain. Tobey grabbed her chin and she watched as his eyes turned to green from his enraged baleful crimson.
"If you lie to me Jessica, and this costs me," He pulled out a round with Sam Watts inscribed on the jacket. "this round is going through your skull." He turned around and left the murderess behind him.
"So this is what they are after?" Zelda asked Loki, her tight leather clothes keeping in her body heat from the winter. Before the two were many books from the Smash Library, and around them giants lumbered about and other fallen smashers under the World Serpent's influence gathered weapons, alchemistic potions and other tools.
"Yes, they are after exactly what we are. I will dispatch several of the others to gather the materials we need. I was wondering which one you would best be after." Zelda nodded at his words and looked over the words inscribed before him. She remembered Tobey talking about his home and his powers. If she found him, she would find the heart of the elements. If not… well, she could find someone that would make him hand it over to her.
"Send me after the Heart of the Elements. If you would my love." She purred in an almost feline like voice. Loki laughed and bellowed orders in the tongue for some fallen smashers to accompany her but she requested that she would go alone. The Smashers would best be at the other objectives they needed to have achived. Zelda rolled her eyes into the back of her head and mutter three words and a portal opened up before her. She could smell the rain even as she walked through the portal.
However when she entered the world, she felt a familiar presence in the area.