[img]https://i.imgur.com/h131DW9.jpeg[/img] Well, the hard decision had been made. Golem was proud of him, but Dean still felt like he had been strong armed into it. For the past hour, wards and glyphs hidden within street art and carved into cobblestone roads all throughout Shieldtown had begun to thrum and reinforce all of the structures. All unseen to the still "sleeping" masses. Dean rested his bat on across his shoulders as he followed Golem's lead. The former piece of sport equipment had every inch of it carved with interlocking geometric runes, jade studs were embedded in any place where a rounded space had been carved. The implement's etchings pulsed with a dull green light, a note hinting at Dean's current agitation and anxiety. [color=8dc73f][b]"You sure he's this way?"[/b][/color] He questioned the earth spirit. Golem didn't stop their trundling march, simply waving the man to continue following. He was going to complain, mostly to fill the air since the general commotion and chaos brought on by the Ripper's had been getting quieter and quieter by the minute. He had buried a few up to their necks before the cyber freaks got the hint to leave him alone. Weren't these guys supposedly smarter with all those augments and upgrades? Guess not. Thoughts steering away from complaining, Dean was about to make some form of witty jab at the chromed up gangers- [b][color=#FF0000]T[/color][color=#FC0003]h[/color][color=#F90006]a[/color][color=#F60009]t[/color] [color=#F0000F]w[/color][color=#ED0012]a[/color][color=#EA0015]s[/color] [color=#E4001B]w[/color][color=#E1001E]h[/color][color=#DE0021]e[/color][color=#DB0024]n[/color] [color=#D5002A]t[/color][color=#D2002D]h[/color][color=#CF0030]e[/color] [color=#C90036]t[/color][color=#C60039]h[/color][color=#C3003C]u[/color][color=#C0003F]n[/color][color=#BD0042]d[/color][color=#BA0045]e[/color][color=#B70048]r[/color][color=#B4004B]d[/color][color=#B1004E]o[/color][color=#AE0051]m[/color][color=#AB0054]e[/color] [color=#A5005A]s[/color][color=#A2005D]h[/color][color=#9F0060]a[/color][color=#9C0063]t[/color][color=#990066]t[/color][color=#960069]e[/color][color=#93006C]r[/color][color=#90006F]e[/color][color=#8D0072]d[/color][color=#8A0075].[/color] [color=#84007B]I[/color][color=#81007E]n[/color] [color=#7B0084]a[/color][color=#780087]n[/color] [color=#72008D]a[/color][color=#6F0090]b[/color][color=#6C0093]r[/color][color=#690096]u[/color][color=#660099]p[/color][color=#63009C]t[/color] [color=#5D00A2]d[/color][color=#5A00A5]i[/color][color=#5700A8]s[/color][color=#5400AB]p[/color][color=#5100AE]l[/color][color=#4E00B1]a[/color][color=#4B00B4]y[/color] [color=#4500BA]o[/color][color=#4200BD]f[/color] [color=#3C00C3]m[/color][color=#3900C6]u[/color][color=#3600C9]l[/color][color=#3300CC]t[/color][color=#3000CF]i[/color][color=#2D00D2]c[/color][color=#2A00D5]o[/color][color=#2700D8]l[/color][color=#2400DB]o[/color][color=#2100DE]r[/color][color=#1E00E1]e[/color][color=#1B00E4]d[/color] [color=#1500EA]l[/color][color=#1200ED]i[/color][color=#0F00F0]g[/color][color=#0C00F3]h[/color][color=#0900F6]t[/color][color=#0600F9],[/color] [color=#0000FF]c[/color][color=#0003FC]o[/color][color=#0006F9]u[/color][color=#0009F6]n[/color][color=#000CF3]t[/color][color=#000FF0]l[/color][color=#0012ED]e[/color][color=#0015EA]s[/color][color=#0018E7]s[/color] [color=#001EE1]f[/color][color=#0021DE]r[/color][color=#0024DB]a[/color][color=#0027D8]c[/color][color=#002AD5]t[/color][color=#002DD2]a[/color][color=#0030CF]l[/color][color=#0033CC]i[/color][color=#0036C9]n[/color][color=#0039C6]e[/color] [color=#003FC0]s[/color][color=#0042BD]h[/color][color=#0045BA]a[/color][color=#0048B7]r[/color][color=#004BB4]d[/color][color=#004EB1]s[/color] [color=#0054AB]d[/color][color=#0057A8]i[/color][color=#005AA5]s[/color][color=#005DA2]s[/color][color=#00609F]i[/color][color=#00639C]p[/color][color=#006699]a[/color][color=#006996]t[/color][color=#006C93]i[/color][color=#006F90]n[/color][color=#00728D]g[/color] [color=#007887]i[/color][color=#007B84]n[/color][color=#007E81]t[/color][color=#00817E]o[/color] [color=#008778]n[/color][color=#008A75]o[/color][color=#008D72]t[/color][color=#00906F]h[/color][color=#00936C]i[/color][color=#009669]n[/color][color=#009966]g[/color] [color=#009F60]b[/color][color=#00A25D]e[/color][color=#00A55A]f[/color][color=#00A857]o[/color][color=#00AB54]r[/color][color=#00AE51]e[/color] [color=#00B44B]e[/color][color=#00B748]v[/color][color=#00BA45]e[/color][color=#00BD42]r[/color] [color=#00C33C]t[/color][color=#00C639]o[/color][color=#00C936]u[/color][color=#00CC33]c[/color][color=#00CF30]h[/color][color=#00D22D]i[/color][color=#00D52A]n[/color][color=#00D827]g[/color] [color=#00DE21]t[/color][color=#00E11E]h[/color][color=#00E41B]e[/color] [color=#00EA15]g[/color][color=#00ED12]r[/color][color=#00F00F]o[/color][color=#00F30C]u[/color][color=#00F609]n[/color][color=#00F906]d[/color][color=#00FC03].[/color][/b] The pair stood still, eyes turning to meet one another after a moment of staring at the faint remains of the three colored lights that hung like an aurora over the town. The artifacting and glitching had already made Dean nervous about his friend. The dome shattering instead of simply dissipating meant one of two things; either someone or something had broken through it... or Something had happened to Alex. [color=8dc73f][b]"Shit."[/b][/color] No time for subtlety, had to get moving fast. All of the assortment of curios and trinkets worn on his person resonated with him as Dean trusted the top of his bat into the street. immediately, the ground swelled underneath his feet and began to carry him along like a surfer riding a wave. the stone and paving resetting itself behind him as if it were never disturbed in the first place. Golem surfed along the ground with him, pointing the way with more urgency now. Shieldtown became a blur for only a moment right up until Golem let out a sound of alarm akin to a geode cracking in half. Dean skidded to a halt. What he saw was a first for him. Alexander Dalton, out of costume, knocked the fuck out, and a visible bruise growing on the side of his face. On top of it all, there was a tench in the ground leading into the impact crater Alex was in the center off... right up in the face of Shieldtown's wall. [color=8dc73f][b]"Holy crap..."[/b][/color] Dean had been certain that nothing really could knock the big guy down for long, much less knock his lights out. He scrambled up to the wall, manipulating it and the surrounding ground to pull Alex free and set him down. No way in hell Dean could lift the guy if he wanted to. [color=8dc73f][b]"Come on big guy, please give me some sign your ok."[/b][/color] Dean fretted and checked Alex for any other injuries. However, despite his worry and the seriousness of the situation, he did get a reply from the unconscious man... In the form of a loud snore. There was a pause. Dean leaned away from his friend, With the look on his face that conveyed all the worn out emotion of someone who worked decades in customer service. [color=8dc73f][b]"...He's Fine."[/b][/color] Golem misread the situation and began to clap his earthen hands. Dean began to rub his temples, letting out a sigh that seemed to deflate him ever so slightly. [i]Today was one of those days.[/i]