[center][b][u][h2]CLASHING TITANS[/h2][/u][/b] [img]https://s11.postimg.org/bycd1viyb/War_Pulse_Word_Art.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/uvX201s.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/oM6nPmR.png[/img] Location: Outskirts of Chinatown, Lost Haven-Maine Time: Night (Some time around 1 am) [/center] Rach knew she had gotten reckless. She knew it the moment when she spotted a large and metal coming in for a strike. Her face turned away instinctively, pain erupted across her skull side as she let out a frustrated snarl. A metallic taste spilt into her tongue from the inflicted back to keep herself from screaming out. There was a slight cracking sensation from what she assumed it to be her head nearly caving in and more pain rippled through her brain, the tissue tingling like needles pressed deeply without a careful hand. It hurt beyond anything she could’ve known as she plummeted down into the concrete ground. Shortly, rubble piled onto her. The dust floated and wafted out, settling into the ground when everything went still. Moments passed into seconds before suddenly a hand shot out from the destruction. Brick crumbled from the small made hole as Rach stirred, her figure gradually worked herself upward into the night air. Several gashes, some broken bones and worst dotted her body from the fall creating several blacken stains against her outfit. Thankfully, they were difficult to see against the color scheme. Several rebars stuck out at odd angles from her legs to her torso, some penetrating her very mass. Heaving hard, her mind turned inward as she focused on the matter literally causing her suffering. Crack, screech… the sounds were soft at first. Like metal being bent and busted, one of the rebars crunching inward then vanishing in a short period inside her. Her breath became harder with the strain on her nanites while more of the steel was broken down then used to reconstruct her missing and damaged tissue. A few dripped from her mouth and dropped to the ground where they tore into the street. They died in a matter of seconds afterwards. At a shambling pace, Rach started to creep out of the alley way. She mentally chuckle how she likely looked like a walking undead. [color=00aeef]“Huh, and I thought the plant man was weird.”[/color] Rach would look up from her pathway to see a lone figure sitting on the edge of a nearby fire escape overlooking the alleyway. The silver flash of his battle suit was more than indication of who the figure was, taking the moment of surprise to push off of the scaffolding and drop into the concrete, blocking the pathway of the recovering bioweapon. [color=00aeef]“I'm going to go out on a limb here...you’re Racheli, aren't you?”[/color] War-Pulse started, pointing at her as he spoke, a few nonchalant strides placing him just outside of arm’s length. Rach studied him, her wounds still healing over, as she considered her options. She fought the subtle drop of her heart into her stomach when she heard her name slipped through his masked lips and that he knew who she was. Instinctively, she denied it, [color=indianred] “Pfftt, no. Name’s Nemesis. So you were the asshole chasing after Evergreen?”[/color] She fought through the pain drifting across her skin while her body continued to mend itself. Wounds gradually drew closed, the blood stopped pouring out, and would eventually seal if she could draw out enough time. Rachelii held out her hand and leaned against the brick wall, balancing herself from the weakness swirling in her head. In the background, subtly, a few metal rebars jiggled when she tapped into her magnetic ability. [color=00aeef]“That I was, and that’s how I know you’re lying through your teeth ‘Nemesis’.”[/color] The merc said, folding his arms as he spoke, a sneer evident in his arrogant tone. [color=00aeef]“Or should I just assume every meta in Lost Haven knows greenpeace by name?”[/color] The merc gave Nemesis a once over, his eyes momentarily crossing the rebar sticking out of her as he sized her up. The evidence of his conflict was only in his attire. His battle suit had stained a substantial amount of damage. Fraying edges and torn seams told the story of his battle with Evergreen, along with the delightful scent of flowers. Yet the damage didn't deter the merc in the slightest, His stance just as cocky and self-assured as ever, the snarky smirk clear through his facemask. [color=indianred] “So, what do you want… a fucking lollipop?”[/color] Rach snapped back as she cleared her head, letting her power spread through the rebars from the rumble. They jiggled behind her figure harder and harder, her peripheral vision retaining their progress until the last possible moment. Without a warning, her legs jerked to the side as three bars suddenly shot into War Pulse’s direction. Their points blunt but the speed fast, the weapons aimed for his chest and torso section. In one smooth motion, the mercenary responded, lifting a hand to extend a transparent kinetic barrier. The rebar was sent ricocheting off the barrier, finding their mark into the brick walls and cement around him, embedding into the rock with a metal screech. [color=00aeef]“Oh, there’s a bunch of stuff I want. Fame, fortune, respect, an outfit that doesn’t ride up in all the wrong spots OR keeps all of the stink in like a full-body condom…”[/color] He paused, taking the brief lapse in his speech to adjust his stance, his muscle memory alone driving his body to take a stance he had taken so many times before. Energy crackled off of him, causing some of the loose rubble in the alleyway to shake and quiver slightly as he spoke. [color=00aeef]“But I’ll settle for kicking your metal-slinging ass in the short term...unless you want to spoil the fun and surrender now.”[/color] [color=indianred]“In your fucking dreams,” [/color]Nemesis spoke quietly. Her eyes darkened as black swallowed her irises, the usual color faded from sight, causing her magnetic power to once more seize the rebars impaling the wall. They shook and rattled, gradually working themselves loose. One managed to fly from the wall into her outstretched hand where her fingers gripped it tightly in her fist. Her eyes watched him while she manipulated the metal into a liquid state. The metallic substance oozed down her sleeve, leaving behind enough to coat her fist, and over to her other where another metal glove was fashioned over her other hand. She flexed it a moment to get a feel for the ‘gloves’ which was now her flesh. [color=indianred]“I’m getting tired of running,”[/color] Rach said then bolted forward. Her shoes thumped heavily across the pavement when her right hooked out at the merc’s jaw on the left side. Meanwhile, her left fist pulled back in a defensive position and ready to protect her face should he strike at her. [color=00aeef]“Good, I was worried that this would be easy or something.”[/color] The merc responded, ducking underneath her strike as it came, Her blow was well thrown, her hips and weight were behind the blow, but the mercenary had seen more than enough strikes like this to see that it was telegraphed in some manner. The very sound of her metallic fist whistled past him with an impressive momentum, the mercenary utilizing his footwork to slide behind the young woman’s wide arc and get within striking distance of her back. Only he did not strike, a mixture of curiosity and arrogance manipulating his features as he placed his hands behind the back, giving the woman a taunting snicker. [color=00aeef]“Hooo boy, we’ve barely got into it and you’re already swinging for the fences!”[/color] The mercenary jeered, swaying slightly out of her strike zone in order to force another charge. [color=00aeef]“You must be like...mad at me or something. Is this because I attacked your buddy? In my defense, it was only because he didn’t give you up.”[/color] Rach snarled at her miss, [color=indianred]“No, you’re pissing me off because you’re an asshole.”[/color] Her eyes narrowed over her shoulder as she noted where War Pulse went, her eyebrows narrowed in anger over her miss. Breathing harder from the extend of energy, she extended her fist fully out then activated the metal once more. The metal quivered and liquefied on her skin. Her right foot carried her through as she twisted about, jerking her arm toward War Pulse’s new direction. Droplets flung from the hand, narrowing into thin but dangerous spikes. They sped forward across the man’s chest. Another kinetic barrier flashed up with a wave of Pulse’s hand, the metal pinging off the wall of force to bounce into the surrounding concrete. [color=00aeef]“Right, and you’re such sweet young lady,”[/color] Trent shot back, again holding off on retaliatory shots while he continued to strike with his words, swaying back and forth slightly as a boxer would in case of another strike. “I can really tell by the blunt attitude and earthquakes.” [color=indianred]“You have no idea how far from ‘sweet’ I can be,”[/color] She snapped, her anger rising in her chest. Heat spread like a wild fire within her core as she glared at him. A form shimmered, invisible to War Pulse, into the form of Michael. His arms were crossed over his chest while he eyed the destruction being limited within the area and spoke to her. [b]”He’s not just going to go away. You’ll have to [i]remove[/i] him.”[/b] [color=indianred] “Shut up,”[/color] Rach replied over her shoulder, her expression hidden by her mask. However the fury was easily seen through her tone. Michael sighed then focused inward, his lips slightly smirked at her arrogance about the matter and watched the effect of his influence. Rach’s energy sparked larger as she tighten her fist through her gloves. Her right hand reached out in a clawed display and spread her ability to the metal in her surroundings, feeling the location of it around her. She smirked darkly at him then jerked her hand back. Metal screeched and lurched forward. First several rebars still buried within the rubbish launched forward, their form melting into a mercury like consistency, and aimed to splatter onto the merc. Next the bars within the two siding buildings shook and protested in loud rumblings as they bent inward to collapse upon her target. The mercenary had prepared himself for another shot of rebar, but not for a liquid mass now hurtling towards him. The metal spattered into his chest, launching him backwards and having him slide across the tar. [color=00aeef]“Gah! Who throws liquid metal!?”[/color] The mercenary objected, glancing out towards the darkened opponent. [color=00aeef]“Looks like I’m going to get the right amount of iron in my diet with this fight....”[/color] The mercenary’s taunts became mixed between grunting and struggling as he tried to get up, his eyes widening in shock as he realized the metal had once again changed consistency. He was now encased in a hardened steel shell welded to the floor, his chest bound by a thick metal place that forced him to remain in his current prone state. Which played extremely well into the collapsing buildings, before the force of nature was able to attempt an escape, he could only watch as the brick and mortar of the alleys fell upon him in a cacophony of destruction. A short scream emitted from the merc before the rocks crashed into his body. A brief silence followed after the dust began to clear, just enough for Rach to possibly consider that the merc was really all hot air. Of course, that theory was kiboshed when a rippling kinetic burst tore open a hole in the rubble, which would force Rach to shield herself momentarily. The mercenary stepped out, his facemask torn asunder to reveal an admittedly impressed raise of the eyebrows and a smirk. Racheli naturally assumed he was trapped rather than dead. He showed a serious amount of power and that was likely enough to keep him alive, easing her guilt over losing her temper. Her gait remained casual as her shoulders heaved slightly, her feet turned on heel to leave. The anger should've subsided but it burned hotter still, her fists clenched at her side with a desire to punch something lingering in her veins. She paused when she heard a subtle hiss. In moments a sudden boom echoed off the ruins causing her head to turn over her shoulder, her hands raised to shield her face. When the dust cleared… There emerged War Pulse. [color=00aeef]“Alright, I’ll give that to you, T-2000, that was a nifty move.” [/color] The mercenary said, shearing the metal away from his body like tin foil as he stepped away from the rubble. [color=00aeef]“Let’s up the ante and see if you’re really the gold standard everyone wants to find.”[/color] With a quick sweep of his hand in a chopping motion, a kinetic wave exploded across the ground, hurtling towards Rach’s feet. Pulse was not playing stupid this time, she was at the very least trained, and depending on how trained, would see an attack like this coming from a mile away. He decided he would be ready for that, a kinetic blast from his shoulderblades releasing him to sprint down the broken alleyway and launch into the air, intending to intercept her dodge attempt with a knee to the sternum. [color=indianred]“Shit,” [/color]Racheli cursed as her eyes watched the telegraphed move, the concrete street roared with the kinetic energy. Her foot stepped back then tingled with energy, the nanites increasing the energy with her limbs. On instinct she jumped backwards toward the alley’s entrance at about double human strength to clear the danger. Suddenly, a blue blue interrupted her vision as War Pulse’s knee collided with her sternum. All the wind immediately left her lungs and her figure bent over in pain. Her body went flying across the street before she came to a stop after plowing into a store front. A few bystanders, those who routines lined up with the nighttime hours, paused in shock to stare then scrambled out of the way. Racheli groaned from the impact. Her figure shoved off the beam that fallen upon her waist and shifted it to the side with a loud thump. Her hand reached for her mask to adjust it as she shifted upright, her outfit cut in a few places despite its design in durability. Dusting herself off, the woman spoke, [color=indianred]“Now.. I’m pissed.”[/color] With those last words, her arms raised up toward her face and her legs widened into a common boxer stance. Her hood had fallen back to reveal her spiky and light brown hair through the flickering lamp lights that still stood. [color=00aeef]“Is that like...your tagline or something?”[/color] The mercenary called out, strolling out of the alleyway to taunt her from the other side of the street. [color=00aeef]“You said you were getting pissed off before, is that just your personality type or am I getting the special experience of pissed off levels?”[/color] WIth his words, War-Pulse kicked off the ground to push himself forward, a kinetic blast from the soles of his feet causing the ground to shatter and kick up as he bounded towards his foe, moving in a zigzag fashion to make sure she could not get a bead on his advance. He got within her strike range, enough to engage her in hand-to-hand, before launching a series of blows. She was guarding high, he could read that with her stance she was focusing on her upper body and defending her torso, intending to swerve and block strikes aimed for her face. Instead he started low, intending to cut her legs out from under her with a low sweep, his body moving fluently as it swirled into its next moves. Blood pounded in Rach’s ears and blotted out her focus on holding back, her veins hummed with the nanites at work. Their attention on mending her wounds and increasing her physical ability while her eyes followed War Pulse easily. Her nanites worked faster than she originally thought when her perspection altered and her reflexes jumped in another level beyond human. Her head moved ever slightly with his zigzag pattern as he cut the distance in seconds. Her body held its position, her nostrils flared at the thought of blood being shed, and let her instincts take over. It wanted blood. His...hers… anyone’s would do as she learned long ago. Her ears caught the sound of War Pulse’s leg sweeping underneath at her legs. Normally, she would’ve moved. Instead er metal from her boots traveled from her soles into her leg and rooted her in the spot, the material spreading to cover her leg backs. Her makeshift gloves also shifted down to her legs where they created thin sharp spike almost instantly. They slashed at the material then retracted. The odd sound of metal clashing into him caused the merc to raise a brow in confusion. The spike had sheared clear through his bodysuit, tearing it like tissue paper, stopping only at his kinetically enhanced skin. He had not expected her not only to read him, but her powers perfectly defended his offensive momentum, stopping his assault dead in its tracks. Without waiting to tally the damage, her outstretched leg jerked up then slammed down on the lower leg in the middle of its swiping motion. Trent felt his body jerk as his the sound of his leg being stamped on echoed throughout the compound, slamming his knee into the ground and once more shattering the concrete. He let out a yelp of shock when the leg came down, his body losing balance and falling to a kneeling position in front of her as he retracted his leg from the mini crater that had been generated. The merc pulled his leg back, using his other leg as a push off point to come up from the ground in a straight elbow to her gut, a kinetic burst from the point driving his weapon towards his target with amplified force. Racheli’s mind redirected the metal toward her navel and blocked War Pulse’s dirty little shot. The elbow impacted and kinetic energy sprung forth, the power sending her backwards toward the pile she originally came from. Her feet reflexively dug in to stop her fly back as she tore up the dirt and ground underneath where War Pulse had darted through earlier, leaving no concrete left. A few meters and she came to a halt, a powerful throbbing in her torso, while she grunted in pain. Her arm reached to touch the injury careful and noted the metal had been completely bent into her body. Fresh, black blood dropped from the clothing then hissed into the ground, her arm pulled away and let the nanites mend the tissue. Her hand hovered over the ground where she sensed something heavy and metallic, buried under meters of dirt, earth and rock. The magnetic energy spread from her toward various metal things. Street lamps screeched and twisted before they were ripped from their foundations toward her. Upon coming into a few feet, they melted down and condensed into a metal ball. More and more metal followed the same suit, adding to the mass. As the lights flickered out, the scene was slowly engulfed in darkness with only the moon over head to illuminate the scene. Behind Racheli, a figure came into focus, Micheal. The man’s eyes looked to War Pulse and thin lips twisted into a smirk at Rach’s powerful display, his eyes were the same dark color her’s had usually become: souless, black and empty. His words spoke toward the merc with a tone voided of emotional concern as Rach continued to let her anger build, [b] “You shouldn’t have gotten involved but I’m so glad you did…”[/b] For once in his life, the merc ended up momentarily biting his tongue when the secondary figure materialized from thin air, his opponent becoming completely silent as this new, mysterious figure almost seemed to speak for her. [color=9e0b0f]“Pulse? Pulse what are you doing?”[[/color] Came to static voice of Warden through his comm link, apparently he had recovered connection during the fight, but had only chosen to speak now when the mercenary hesitated. [color=9e0b0f]“You’re letting her acquire power, keep the pressure on her!”[/color] The words sparked in the mercenary, the broker was right in every regard. He had to put her down now, and like hell was this newcomer going to get him to back down from a fight. [color=0072bc]“What can I say? A little bit of Pulse makes everything better!”[/color] War-Pulse called to the materialized man, strolling over to a large power generator positioned for one of the nearby buildings, an industrial factory just up the street.[color=0072bc] “Though I’m going to say it’s mighty rude to join in on an uninvited party. Nevertheless, I’ll be taking your girl back to my employer whether I have to put you down or not, so if you want to get out of the way of this freakshow, now’s the time to do it!”[/color] As he spoke, he jammed his hand into the power generator, causing sparks to fly randomly off as the live electricity surged to meet the merc. His aura flared like wildfire, crackling power sparking off of his body as countless volts flew through his body, converting to their raw kinetic state to distort the very air about him. Rach retained control and manipulated the ball until it was about three times her own mass. The ball hovered there for several moments before she condensed then twisted it around her, her skin coated in the element and finally hardened. It was about an inch in thickness at least, more than enough for her needs, as her foot stepped forward. Her eyes narrowed on her target whose own hands held a counter measure against her aggressive collection of metal. “I don’t know who the fuck sent you, but I’m going to send your broken body back with a message: Leave me the hell alone,” With those words, her arm swiped horizontally across her chest. Several feather like metal daggers separated from her arms then shot out at War Pulse’s location. The mercenary, who currently had his hand inside of an active generator, didn’t exactly have the mobility to avoid or defend against the daggers, so he was pelted relentlessly by them. The shards of metal shredded his clothing, his face covered by his free arm as the blades impacted along his kinetically charged skin, causing him to grunt in aggravated pain. [color=0072bc]“Yknow what? I got a better idea!”[/color] The merc said, yanking his arm out of the generator as the barrage of daggers was halted. [color=0072bc]“How about I kick your tin-plated ass from here to Little Paris, then we go visit who the fuck sent me to tell him yourself!”[/color] He responded. In one smooth motion, War-Pulse swing his arm forward like a baseball pitched, releasing a kinetic orb no larger than a snowball with extreme velocity, the air shrieking as the projectile was launched towards Rach’s location. [hr] Ms Sparks watched from the relative safety of the SUV as War-Pulse and their target laid into each other with vicious assaults that made even her cringe. Through her years of service to Midas, Ms Sparks had seen her fair share of carnage, however, she had never seen anything quite like this, at least, not in person. “Maybe we should have just hired the merc to bring her in.” She said to no one in particular with an exasperated chuckle as she watched the meta brawl unfold before her. “Team One, what’s your status?” She said over the secure com system. Team One was responsible for incapacitating the young woman, and if need be, War-Pulse as well. However, as she watched the pair tear into each other, she became less and less confident that they had enough in their arsenal to get the job done. “We’re in position. Awaiting your orders.” came the reply from Team One. “Stand by.” Ms Sparks replied coolly. “Team Two, are you in position?” Team Two had a simple job. Once the target was down, they were to speed in and load her into the back of the containment van, which had been specially outfitted to keep even the most reluctant “guest” secured in place. “Yes Ma’am, we’re just waiting for you to give the all clear.” Team Two responded. “Very good.” Ms Sparks said. She was about to give the order for Team One to begin their assault on the two metas, however, as she saw the young woman launch several metal daggers from her arms at the mercenary, she decided to delay the order. She wanted to see more, she wanted to know what this woman was capable of. “Stand by, Team One. I want to see where this goes.” [hr] Racheli’s eyes watched War Pulse’s orb sail through the air toward her. Her right arm raised upright then brought up with it the liquid metal. It rounded and formed a half dome like shield, taking the impact of the kinetic energy. Dust, concrete and more were blown into the air a few feet creating a hazy debris cover. When the dust settled, the shield was dented as it flowed back behind thanks to her magnetic ability and hovered there a moment. She continued to stare at the man, the liquid metal dripped onto her skin and slithered to coat her completely. Her skin ceased the shimmering hue then dulled into a hardened and flexible substance like metal. Rach’s right leg took one step hen followed with her left to cover the distance between them quickly. Her left fist came swinging at War Pulse’s face side. The blow hit home, the thunderous impact causing a shockwave as the merc’s body shuddered, his face wrenching backwards as he failed to estimate the time to react to her blows. He returned fire with a slug of his own, a heavy right cross to the metallic opponent’s jaw. Racheli jerked back, her foot widened to catch her balance from the sting of the last blow. Her left hook whipped out in reaction at the merc’s lower side and around where the kidney was. It didn’t have quite the power she had before as her chest heaved up and down, her mind realizing she should be getting tired around now. Another impact, the merc’s body actually being flung back and bouncing along the concrete before sliding along the floor in a face down position. He slid his hands underneath him, pushing his body back to its feet. He could feel the adrenaline taking over, his body pinning for the air that burned in his lungs. He glanced up to see his metallic foe, pure and smooth, transformed from the punk girl he squared with the beginning of this fight. His second fight, even with the energy he had gathered the back-to-back fighting was beginning to take its toll. He could feel his body pushing to throw his kinetic power into his body, his battle suit battered and torn. And yet, she barely looked injured, any cuts and scrapes she suffered were either completely healed or hidden behind a wall of metal. And yet, there was something about the way she stood, the way she fought. Her body didn’t show it, but she was getting worn down. He could feel in her strikes, in their exchanges, she was slowing down just like he was. It was rare someone pushed him so hard, and the eager little smirk on his face made it clear that he was in total bliss to reach that limit as he charged her once more, pushing off the ground with a kinetic burst to launch himself forward. He impacted her with a shoulder tackle, careening both of them straight into the brick wall of an apartment building, shattering it upon impact. Rach tried to dig her heels in when she felt War Pulse impact into her chest. Her arms wrapped about and legs stiffen, but her body still rocketed into the wall. Her body impacted the ground, unable to stand up to his force. A chunk of her steel encasing broke off from the brick’s sturdiness, revealing several unhealed cuts that renewed in bleeding. It seemed the nanites had went into survival mode and mended only life threatening wounds rather than everything. Black blood oozed through the lower part of the jacket as it stained the wall where she landed. Pain, something Rach wasn’t expecting, washed over in an intensity she hadn’t felt in a long time. Ignoring it, she huffed in resistance then moved. Her mask slipped from her face revealing herself to the public but the woman didn’t give a damn. All she wanted to do was get on her feet even if it killed her. Her fingers curled into fist and popped off a punch to his lower back, her feet slipped underneath to kick the idiot off of her. Sure enough, the punch made it’s mark, buckling the merc’s body enough to the foot shoving the mercenary off, throwing him over her and landing flat on his back. [color=0072bc]“Damn girl, you’re really making me work for my pay, aren’t you?”[/color] The mercenary groaned, rolling over to his stomach to wearily push himself to his feet. [color=0072bc]“Unfortunately...your banter needs work, it’s not fun to fight someone with no rapport.”[/color] [color=indianred]“Fuck you.”[/color] Rach said, doing the same. War-Pulse let out a chuckle, the weariness evident in the rasp of his voice as he got to his feet. [color=0072bc]“See? That’s what I’m talking about. You aren’t making this any fun for you. The power to shake the world and you don’t even take the time of day to enjoy it. Though I think that’s what people are afraid of...hence why I’m here.”[/color] [color=indianred] “You’re real charmer, you know that? I got fucking enough problems in my life and this is just another one to top the shit storm. I didn’t meet society standards before this virus, this only makes things much worse,”[/color] Rach huffed, then fell back into another boxing stance, [color=indianred] “Now are you going to run your mouth or what?”[/color] War-Pulse gave a hoarse laugh, offering her his signature cocky little smirk while he squared up his hips in a fighting stance as well. [color=0072bc]“How about you come over here and try to stop me, pretty lady?”[/color] He teased, gesturing for her to strike. [color=indianred]“You should’ve just walked away,”[/color] With those words, Rach lashed out another punch at his throat. [hr] Ms Sparks watched as War-Pulse and Racheli continued to tear into each other. As the battle between the two metas raged on, it was clear that both combatants were being worn down by the battle. War-Pulse seemed more sluggish than he had been earlier in the fight, and Racheli appeared to be less focused. And though Ms Sparks found the entire confrontation fascinating, she knew that unless they were stopped, Chinatown would be levelled. “Team One, it’s time. Put them down.” She said into the radio. “Yes Ma’am.” came the reply from Team One. Moments later, two small metallic objects appeared on the horizon. The experimental drones, designated MIHK Predators were equipped with a number of different high powered ordinances, and could be deployed in just about any battlefield, however, they were specially designed for urban warfare. There were a number of parties that were interested in the drones, however, their lack of field testing was an issue. However, after today, that would no longer be a concern. “The drones are within range, awaiting your orders.” Came the voice of Team One’s leader. “Take them down.” Ms Sparks replied. Ms Sparks had barely lowered the radio from her lips when the drones struck. The first drone engaged both War-Pulse and Racheli with a high powered sonic attack, the sound waves assailing them with such a force that it drove to their knees. The sustained sonic attack had been designed to combat high powered metas such as War-Pulse and even Icon himself. As unrelenting as the sonic attack was, it was not enough to put the two combatants down for long. As both Racheli and War-Pulse struggled to their feet, the second drone unleashed its arsenal of high powered explosives. It released a pair of rockets, no larger than a soda can. When they impacted the ground just behind War-Pulse, it triggered an explosion that was large enough to take out nearly half a city block. Fortunately, the battle had driven the residents of Chinatown away from the blast zone, and with a little push from Midas Industries, the media would soon be reporting on how War-Pulse had ignited a gas leak which was caused by the confrontation, and therefore was responsible for the damage. No one would know of Midas’ involvement in any of this…no one except for potential buyers for his drones, anyhow. When the dust had settled, both War-Pulse and Racheli lay motionless amongst the rubble. Seconds after the blast, the containment van pulled up beside Racheli’s prone form, and three men got out of the vehicle. They quickly grabbed her and placed her into the back of the van, where they frantically went about securing her in the restraints that they had been assured would hold her. “The subject is secured. Repeat, the subject is secured.” Team Two called over the radio once they had her locked in the restraints. “Very good. Return to base, We’ll meet you there.” Ms Sparks ordered. “Yes Ma’am. What about the merc?” the Team Two leader asked. “Leave him. He’s got enough to worry about. He won’t be a problem for us.” She said as her armored SUV pulled away and headed back toward Midas Industries.