Welcome to Kenton, where everything goes to shit.

Axel was uneasy as they aproached the town. Lucas had been keeping up a pleasent chatter to try to ease everyones nerves, but axels thoughts were elsewhere. He knew the feeling he was getting, the same one from a long time ago, before he knew enough to understand the implications.

"So anyway, it just seems like it would be a good idea to try to get the guns back quick, via one of our transporters or something, but since we have to find them first we dont really have to worry about that yet, that being..."

Lucas was certainly trying had, axel had to give him that. Still, he just couldnt shake the feeling of oddity....like the world was off kilter somehow. He cracked his knuckles, a tic of his, and tried to put it aside as they began to pass wrecked buildings.

"The weapons are supposed to have been in the town hall over there." Axel said shortly.

And he began heading in that direction.

Antonio felt wrong. Wrong in the worst way. Sick, uneasy, scared...weak. He felt like he had when this whole war, this whole situation, started. The thought forced its way to the front of his mind and he paled. They couldn't be...back? No. No, no, no. He turned to Axel.

"Something is really REALLY wrong." He had the feeling that Axel was quite aware of this. Glancing at Lucas, Antonio felt a little bad about possibly scaring him. He seemed innocent, almost as if he was unaware of the gravity of what was going to happen. "Mr. Carrlo, I don't think we're transporting any guns back today."

-------------
Volker could smell it. He could feel his skin prickling with absolute hatred and another feeling...one he couldn't place. It was as though the feeling he was experiencing wasn't perceivable by the human mind. He looked around him, at the abandoned and destroyed remnants of the Kenton Town Hall. He had been camping out here for a couple of days, not for the guns stored here, but because he was tired of wandering. He could hear voices outside. He was torn between trying to drive away whoever was speaking and trying to join up with the group.

'Well well...This is a battle between my ego and my survival, isn't it?' He cursed quietly at himself for having any emotion at all. Something was forcing it upon him. Something dangerous. Something deadly.

Axel Gritted his teeth. He was having the mother of all internal conflicts. On one hand, he had a responsibilaty to deliver the guns he had promised... on the other. The feeling he was having, it was getting to the point where it couldnt be ignored. He let out a growl of annoyance.

"I know...but its not like we have much of a ways left to go...i mean, maybe we can just mark the location here and get a transporter or something...gah..." he ran a hand through his hair, getting progressively more panicky as he felt the feeling in his gut worsen. "I mean, after all its-"

Lucas didnt undrstand what was going on, both of his comrads had begun to freak out a little. "Uh...i mean, guys...if you need to take a breather i can go in and......." Lucas tapered off. There was something standing on the top of the ruined town hall. It was gigantic, at least twice as tall as the tallest human, and it was a shining white, like it was carved out of pure light... It's body had segmented plates all across it, and it seemed to have an ever shifting number of arms. It was looking down at the assembled group... Then, there were others, smaller figures surrounding the huge one, around the size of humans, some with two arms, some with more, some with odd, fractured visages and deep black eyes... All silently staring.

Axel was the first to break out of the shocked silence that had sweapt over those on the ground.

"Holy shit...." he said, his voice shaking. "Thats....thats a fucking centurian...."

Lucas used this oppertunity to let out a strangled yell and back off very quickly indeed.

Axel seemed to be in shock, but, though his hands were shaking, shadowy stuff began to wrap itself around him....despite his knowledge that he was not even remotely strong enough to defeat a centurion by himself, it seemed he was willing to try to let the others get away.

"Run...run now" he said softly. "Ill try to catch up."

The lie was obvious, and only became more pronounced as the centurian raised it's head, and let out a sound that seemed to shake the ground, such an unearthly note that it raised the hairs on the back of axel's neck... it had begun.

Antonio didn't need any further instruction. He took off, keeping close to Lucas, and ducked into a building at the edge of Kenton. He ordered Lucas to sit down, tossing his hat to the ground in frustration.

"I thought we were done with this shit...A centurion? NOW of all times?" He cursed vehemently. He suddenly became aware of Lucas and the anxiety pouring off of him in waves. Antonio sat beside him, placed a hand on his shoulder, and tried to focus on a relaxing song. A song by Michael Hedges drifted into his consciousness and he forced the feeling onto Lucas, trying to lower his anxiety and prevent him from going into shock. "Listen, we'll be fine. Mr. Carrlo is strong and I have a feeling he's not the only one out there. Talk, just talk and keep yourself distracted alright?"

------------------------
Volker heard the centurion and his stomach lurched. This was supposed to be OVER. This was supposed to be in the past, not a problem, all fine and dandy...And it was back. It was all coming back. He wasted no time in shoulder-ramming through the door and skidding to a halt next to Axel.

"You! With the shadows! You're helping me, just so you know."
Coming Undone - KoRn

"Keep holding, when my brain's ticking like a bomb..."
Volker's forearms slowly became blade like. Scythes, each 4 foot in height. His legs were briefly super-charged it seemed, and he leapt into the air, head-level with the being before him.
"Wait! I'm coming undone! Irate! I'm undone! Too late, I'm coming undone!"
Volker swung his arms upward, then crashing down with unimaginable force against the creature's shoulder. The blades didn't sink in of course. He didn't expect them to, but they left gauges and dents in the armor, barely scratching the skin. Volker hit the ground as the verse ended, glaring up at the being.
"Fuck you. Fuck you for being what you are, fuck you for what you've done, fuck you for being nearly indestructible!" He was pissed. Very pissed.
"Since I was young I tasted sorrow on my tongue, and this sweet sugar gun does not protect me..."
Volker let his anger fuel his transformation. He lashed out again, striking at its legs in what he knew was a futile attempt to injure the beast. Three times he struck the centurion. Once, and his blades were deflected entirely. Again, and he tore the armor around at its shin. A third time, and he missed in his attempt to dodge its retaliation.
"I'm....trying to hold it together...head is like a bed of feather, looks like I'm not getting better, not getting better!"
Staggering back, he began letting his body contort itself and gave the shadow guy time to do his thing. Whatever that was...His blade arms began to tear apart and re-form into his normal arms. He grit his teeth through the pain that this transformation always caused him. As the other man kept the thing busy, Volker's fingers began to extend, slowly, breaking and tearing and sharpening to 5-inch long claws.

Axel gritted his teeth, the shadows swirling across his body, wrapping him in ribons of darness, a dark rhythm pumping through his mind.

(Orchids-Stone Sour)

Cant begin to explain, the feelings i have restrained...

Axel's breath began to come in clouds of smoky blackness, and his entire form became wrapped in the darkness. Then...He bent his legs, as though to spring, and...

...Your epithet, let me tell you, DONT try to be the ONE person who...

On the first dont, axel launched upwards, his form trailing blackness, and on one, he crashed into the Centurion, spikes of darkness ripping into its armor, but quickly being dissolved by the sheer toughness of the things hide.

...AGGRIVATED....COMPLICATED

As he saw his new ally's attack deflected like nothing, and saw him barely dodge the thing's grasping hand, he redoubled his efforts.

Axel roared in fear and rage, and laded one last powerfull punch, laced with a large spike, made to drill right through the things chest...instead, it sunk a mere inch or so into the tings flesh, before with a sinking feeling, axel realised that he had stayed a bit too long. He tried to leap away, but in a single, almost casual motion, the centurion swatted axel out of the air with it's hand, as though he was an annoying fly.

Axel Was barely conscious as he smashed into the ground. If he hadn't been wearing his carapice armor, he would have undoubtedly been dead instantly. As it was, he knew he had, at the very least, gotten a minor concussion. He winced, and slowly pushed himself onto all fours, looking up just in time to see the centurion land in front of him, its souless eyes seeming to taunt him from far above. "Ah shit..." Axel said. Then, the things foot came down to crush his head.

-----------------------

Lucas was shaking badly, but seemed to clam down a bit after Antonio began his influence. "I...its that thing...It's just like before." he said, drawing his knees up to his chest. "They can just....just destroy everything....all it takes is a punch..." he said, his panic held in check, but still there. "Axel cant....i..." he seemed on the verge of freaking out, but was calmed again.

It was obvious that he had some dsort of serious trauma related to centurions. Still...the situation outside was, if anything even more disasterous...or...was it?

------------------------

Suddenly, there was a flash, and there was a figure standing between axel and the monstrous centurion...he was....could it be possible? Holding the things foot up, or rather, it seemed that the centurion had been forced to halt...The man had a facemask over his fac'es bottom half, but his voice was clear and powerfull. "Axel, lucas....the rest of you. Get back to the mansion. Do so now if you would." he said flatly, as though he couldnt care less about the giant monster in front of him.

Suddenly, there was a powerfull beat, and things were happening all at once.

(Thunder-The prodigy) OOC: Ironically fking awesome

I hear thunder but theres no rain, this kind of thunder breaks walls and window panes.

Suddenly, the man, who most who had knowledge of the carrlo family would recognise as "law" carrlo, had withdrawn his hand, and, on the beat as it became more intense, Law drew back his fist, and smashed it into the centurion's foot, and, immediately, the giant jerked violentdly as huge bolts of electricity ripped though it's body.

It leapt back, small spasms still rocking it's form, and quickly counteratacked, swining it's huge fist down to smash law to a pulp.

The man gracefully sidestepped, and with precision, pivoted foreward, driving an open hand into the centurion's side. It staggered slightly, letting out a roar... "Go." Law said again. And, despite his missgivings, axel did, his rage still pounding in his ears.

As he ran by his companions in the nearbye building he called out. "Come on guys, quick....theres..." he hated himself for having to say it... "Theres nothing we can do...Lets just get back to the mansion...come on!" he yelled... but...it wouldnt be so simple. The other figures were beggining to move after axel, their pallid white forms rippling and morphing, as blades and fangs flashed... Axel snarled.

"Not a fucking chance!" He yelled, and, as the first reached him, he smashed a shadowy gauntlet into its fanged jaw, sending the bottom part of it's head careening up into the top. The thing dropped to the ground, leaking black blood onto the ground. With a roar, and with the words;

DONT try to be...

a large fist of shadow burst from his arm and caught the next figure around the middle crushing it in midair as it leapt, before throwing it into another...

These were weak footsoldiers...the true danger of them was getting swarmed...

As it was however, the most intriguing aspect of the scene was axels brutal fighting style, pure impact...used with zeal and great effect.

(NOTE: I can't understand 99% of what this guy is saying, so I'll be putting down things like "1min 30sec" to refer to what's happening and when.)

Volker took off alongside Axel, utterly confused by everything that had just taken place. It took about half a second for him to figure out what was going on after that and with surprising speed, two whip-like appendages tore through from the back of his hoodie and he spun around to help Axel.

As he stopped, a beat began to play...

(0:00-1:10)
The footsoldiers surrounded and circled the two of them. He placed a claw-hand on Axel's shoulder and nodded.
"You motherfuckers best PRAY and RUN."
He seized two footsoldiers, one with each whip, and as the first scream in the song erupted in his head, he slammed both of them down into the ground, shattering them and spraying black blood everywhere. In that moment it seemed something snapped inside of Volker.

WE PRAY! (1:15-1:58)
He swept both whips in opposite directions, knocking several soldier out of the air. He drove a clawed hand through the middle of another one, letting loose an insane cackle as the blood hit his face. He caught another one mid-air and used it to knock a couple others out of the sky. Volker wrapped a whip around one's neck and drew it close to his face, screaming along with the song...
"What do you pray for?! What is it good for?! Get up and- *incomphrensible*"
...and he promptly decapitated the fucker.

The song got quiet. (2:20-2:50)
Volker glanced over at Axel. "Stand very very close to me or run very very far away from me. Either way you're carrying me back from this."
Volker drove his fist into the ground and what happened next was startling at best.

(2:50-end of song)
Huge silver spikes exploded from the ground, piercing several if not all of the remaining footsoldiers. The spikes rose and fell in time with the music, jogging the speared bodies and causing a black-blood rainstorm. Anyone not standing within 3 feet of Volker would have also been caught up in the spikes, unless they jumped or had immense amounts of luck...Alternatively, if anyone had been about 50 feet away they would have been safe. Volker's eyes had gone completely white. He screamed one last time
"What do you pray for? What is it good for? Get up and-" And as he did so the spikes rose a full 30feet straight upwards.
The song wound down to an end and the spikes sunk back below ground.

Volker fell onto his side, breathing heavily.
"Yeah...I'm out..."
He fell unconscious.
---------------------------------------------------------
Antonio heard the words "Nothing more we can do" and grabbed Lucas by the shoulders.
"We are going to run as fast as we can physically manage, plus whatever I can boost us to do. In other words, have you ever run faster than a stock car, kid?"

As they exited the building they had been hiding in, a voice began to blare over some invisible loudspeaker....

They took off just in time to miss the cloud of footsoldiers, who were presently, swarming Axel and Volker. Antonio focused on Lucas and himself, however, and both of them would have felt an adrenaline rush unparalleled by any other. At first they simply ran....
"Let's jet out we'll cruise at hyperspeed, I got the beat I got the beat and that's ALL we need!"
...and then Antonio's mind games set in. They took off at roughly 75mph. Neither of them were quite sure what direction they were going...But they were going.
"Keep up! Keep-keep-keep-keep up, keep up!"
Momentum carried the pair into a 185mph sprint.

(A short amount of time passes. The exact amount of time remaining in the song, conveniently.)

They skidded to a halt in front of the gates to the Sprawl. Antonio was exhausted, more from having to use his powers non-stop for a solid 5 minutes while being under intense stress than from running for a solid 5minutes under intense stress at 185mph. This would not be true for Lucas.

Lucas would be experiencing the equivalent of 22 cups of coffee.
Lucas would be very very hyper.
Very.
Very.
Hyper.

Axel was bleeding, and he was bleeding pretty bad, he was also however, grinning like a maniac. Opalecent white corpes littered the ground around him. "Hahahahah!" Axel laughed, stumbling as he took a step towards the last of the foot soldiers. "What now?" he yelled, slurring slightly from fatigue. "What The Fuck-" He suddenly rushed forewards, and even as the glistening figure drove a spike'ed apendage out at him, a great spike of dark matter rippled out of Axel's chest. "NOW?!?" And impaled the wayward soldier, which crumpled to the ground.

Axel was breathing hard, blood dripped down into his eyes from a cut above his eyebrow, he just smiled. He was standing about four feet from volker, who he had been defending. "And as for you you asshole, you almost fucking killed me." He grumbled, nudging the unconcious man with his foot. "And now i have to carry you. You're lucky i dont just let law take you back via his lightning step bullshit...youll be throwing up for a week...ill laugh and laugh and.....damn taking to unconcious people is boring....allright, lets go you bastard." He said with a sigh, and heaved volkers unmoving form onto his shoulder.

-----------------------------------------

Lucas was having a really hard time standing still...hell he was having a lot of trouble not hyperventilating. He could swear that he was feeling each individual air molocule around him. His eye twitched, he let out a nervous little jittery laugh. He was still terrified, but it was somewhat muted Antonio had done his job well. It was hard to be in shock when you were ready to run laps.

Volker wasn't very reactive to Axel's taunts and threats. In fact, he didn't care at all. He was completely apathetic. Primarily because he was also unconscious. Had he been awake, a lot of profanity and stabbings would have occurred.

-------------------

Antonio cast a sideways glance at Lucas and let out a tired laugh. He was doubled over with his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath and stop his head from spinning. Every muscle in his body ached and throbbed. Not to mention the pounding headache that was beginning to pulse just behind his eyes. He groaned and straightened up, removing his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry, I kind of burned myself out on that one. You alright, kid? You look a little...shaky." Just looking at Lucas was making Antonio feel even more exhausted.

He hoped the others were ok. He didn't have enough left in him to run back and help. Besides, he didn't want to leave Lucas while he was so...bouncy. Who knows what he'd do? With that much energy he could simply tear up the city without any reason to do so. Antonio squinted into the distance, trying to see if they were coming back. He could see a single figure on the horizon, way way out there. There was something on the figure's shoulder.

He hoped it was them. And he hoped that whatever that figure was carrying was still breathing.

It took axel a good few minutes to get to the other two. He grinned at them and dumped Volker into Antonio's lap. "Tag, your problem." He said, dripping a bit of blood on Antonio's shoes. Then, his legs gave out and he slumped into a sitting position with a groan. He was taking deep breaths and it was obvious that since his adrenaline was wearing off he was in serious pain. Nonethe less he was seemingly more concerned with Lucas. Who was now bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking like he was very concerned at mach 2.

"The fuck did you do to him?" axel asked with a chuckle. "He looks like a godamn hummingbird on crack."

----------------------

Lucas was incredibly worried. He looked a little blurry with all the up and down movement, but axel was bleeding. He tried to ask where he was hurt, but for some reason axel just raised an eyebrow.

----------------------

"Holy shit, was that an entire sentence compressed into one fucking second?" He asked antonio.

Volker still didn't care much about being dumped on the ground. He grunted slightly, but he did not come to.

--------------------

Antonio looked at Volker, and then at Axel, and then back at Volker, and sighed. His lip was curled up in disgust and he shoved Volker off of his lap. He landed face down in front of him. It had taken the pair quite a bit of time to get back to the Sprawl, which had given him a little time to recover from his run. It had not, apparently, given Lucas time to calm down.

Antonio struggled to his feet, still very sore but a little less drained, and tried to assess Axel's condition. "You look like you took quite a beating. And he," he nudged Volker with his boot, eliciting another grunt. "looks like he took an even worse beating."

As Axel commented on Lucas's manic state, Antonio laughed. "I had to put a little speed on our escape. This is the aftermath." He jerked his chin towards Lucas, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm a little less spent now, so you have a choice. I can either calm him down now or numb some of your pain. One or the other, freebie for carrying this lug back." He nudged Volker again. This time it seemed as though Volker did not have enough life in him to grunt, so he just wobbled pitifully on the ground. Blood was pooling under his face, however, and Antonio kneeled down beside him, rolling him over. "Shit." He mumbled, examining his obviously broken nose. It seemed that he may have been tossed around a little too much. Antonio tore a little piece of his sleeve off and held it to Volker's nose to stop the bleeding.

Lucas said something incredibly fast and both of them just stared at him in awe. "I...Well. Yes. Yes that was an entire sentence in one second. I didn't know I was strong enough to even cause this much hyperactivity. I don't know whether I'm proud or ashamed."

Axel nodded to antonio. "Just calm him down. Im fine." he lied. "But you are carrying...or dragging him, back to my boss." He said. "I need to....shit...i guess...deliver some news." axel said, suddenly looking extremely unhappy. "Just help me up will you?" He said.

(And transfer into the city, just post in the old thread.)