The spot lamps followed them intently for a brief moment.  Rat shielded his face from the lights, and there was tension in the air for a tangible moment.

[b][color=#7270db]"Is that my Power Cell in your bag, Rat?"[/color][/b]  Wolf's voice chirped from the loudspeaker of the cannon drone as it edged in just a little closer.

[b][color=#9e8659]"Yesyesyes!  Rat delivers to Lady Wolf"[/color][/b] he shouted back, unnecessarily loud.  [b][color=#9e8659]"...For Fred...,"[/color][/b] he muttered under his breath, clutching the bag a little tighter.

[b][color=#7270db]"I got two empties for recharge... extra hundo if you can take them?"[/color][/b]

[b][color=#9e8659]"Two hundred clatters!  FOR RAT'S TROUBLES!!"[/color][/b] He shrieked, shaking the sword at the drone.  Wolf groaned audibly.

[b][color=#7270db]"Fine. Fine.  These ruffians bothering you?"[/color][/b]  Rat froze in Maire's grip, his beady eyes darting up to look at her nervously, and then at Cat-Kitty-Bug-Lady.

[b][color=#9e8659]"Uh...,"[/color][/b] he hesitated.  The cannon spun up.  [b][color=#9e8659]"Nonono!  Nonono!  Rat guides them, Rat is their guide!"[/color][/b]  The spot lamps clacked off, though the cannon drone darted to the side and rolled to dump altitude, thrusters flaring brilliantly to stabilize the craft and compensate for the cannon's ridiculous recoil.  [b]*BRRRRRRT!!*[/b] The cannon screamed angrily, whipping a hail of tracers past them.  A fissure had opened up near the bottom of the wall and a hulking beast with glowing veins evaporated in a plume of impacts and dust.

[b]"Wolf I swear to Christ if you ruin the meat with your contraptions it's coming out of your cut!!"[/b] A large woman screamed up at the drone from the fortified window of one of the buildings below.

[b][color=#7270db]"MAMA~~ Jeezo, that one wasn't edible!  I'M [i]BEING CAREFUL![/i]"[/color][/b]  Wolf yelled back, the shrill feedback of the drone's loudspeaker punctuating her words.  [b][color=#7270db]"You three get behind the wall.  Big man's gone out, but someone will get you sorted.  Let us take care of the rest,"[/color][/b] she ordered, as the cannon drone whooshed upward to take sentry over the wall.  The *crack* of smaller sporting rounds began to occasionally ring past, picking off stragglers and anything that broke from the pack.