SRS: A Rising Stargazer - Volume II: Walken Tall

Ozzy then faced foward to Gregory who had stepped foward in between Brussev and Ozzy. Gregory was dragging his swords along the floor.

This act created sparks on the floor as he lifts up on his swords and grins "You will not get in the way of our conquest, you will all die on this day , and become an example for many others, that is your role in this event."

Brussev chuckled "Oh yes? I wonder then, how come you waited so long, i took my time with this place, and met no resistance, the resistance i did meet i killed, the people who complied with me, i spared, that is the rule, you are either with me or against me, that is the law of this ocean as well, you stand there and lecture , but you take money for protection, what does that make you? If im a murderer , that makes you an extortionist, and i do not mind be branded a murderer for my great cause."

Ozzy was now clearly not interested, he would deal with Walken later, he needed to defeat the immediate threat here, which was Brussev and his men. Ozzy though said "Yeah, whatever you say mate, but you keep this in mind, after im done with those two clowns, ill take my time to beat you out of this town." Ozzy did not like Walken too much either, but he knew who he must fight at this very moment. Ozzy charged and Gregory charged as well, their katanas clashing. At close range they both barraged slices which start clashing against each other. Ozzy was surprised, this guy was able to keep on par with his speed. Ozzy dashed back at the same time Gregory did too. Ozzy then asked "Who are you? You're actually good at this."

Gregory then sneered "First mate of the Red Menace, Gregory "Bloody Blades" Volakis", as he said his name, he prepared his blades for another high speed exchange. Ozzy then got into stance to dash foward and barrage. "Ozzy Hummingbird, thats my name mate, remember it" Ozzy then dashed foward for yet another high speed exchange.

Brussev then said "Climb over this battle my men, destroy that coward WALKEN and send his crew to the very depths of hell itself!!!" The recoated men, began firing shots at Walken and some were charging to destroy him. Another group was moving to begin clearling out the town, they were going to see which homes would begin to submit to their will or perish if they reject.

monothay saw these pirates that he ran into as some people who were not going to kill him so when they had gone past him he he was a terrified and he did not want to get killed and if they were going to kill him they would search everywhere on the island. when monothay approached the dock he thought my own ship which dosnt look like a ship he would use but if they found him they would obblirate the ship but if he hid in the pirate ship he though they are pirates so they would kill him anyway. but monothay decided to take his chance with the pirates so he snuck onto the pirate ship where man with an anchor came off and ran below deck looking for a place to hide.

Bryce hung behind just a bit, keeping the other two in sight for the most part but maintaining a respectable tail. He'd occasionally put on a burst of speed, catching up with the other two, gesturing down an alley or requesting a moment's still to listen, but otherwise he stayed his distance. In the roughly grid-shaped network of buildings and streets, there was a good chance they might not catch assailants in the crossings. With the other two passing first, there was a good chance Bryce would get the jump on anyone who tried to get the jump on his crewmates.

"-and then we handle the situation as we think we should. I trust you both to make smart decisions."

Bryce almost completely missed his captain's assessment, catching up only from a considerable distance when the latter had stopped moving to survey the carnage. The gunman surveyed the remains of what had been a brief but fierce battle, listening for the sounds that would tell him where the battle had moved. His ears not being a tenth as good as his eyes, however, he made as educated a guess as he could towards the epicenter of the chaos, a short ways away from the building that had first caught fire.

Rather than give up his guess, which either of the other could have made themselves just as easily, he simply nodded assent to his captain's orders. Standing nearby, he waited for the two monsters to make their move.

((Alright everybodies, Heir Captain has some internets woes and has asked me to try to prod things along in the right direction until this is all over.))

Before either his captain or the hulking fishman could make a move, the fight found them. A wave of men in red coats erupted from an alley just a ways ahead, flintlocks and sabres to the air. They sighted the trio almost immediately and began rushing towards their newest intended victims, shouting and hollering the whole while.

Jhonen began fighting some mooks. Bryce couldn't be sure why, but he had a feeling that his captain would be busy fighting mooks for a good long while.

"Jaw-nii?" Bryce stepped up alongside the sharkman, looking up at him. "We should move on ahead. Captain seems to be handling these guys just fine, and we won't get anything done if we don't find the root of all this."

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

Walken smiled grimly, tight lines in his face showing in spite of his young age. He was rushed on all sides by the Red Menace, but he didn't seem particularly rushed as he drew his wooden bo staff into his hands.

"You're wasting you're time, sending these green little seedlings in first," the pirate jeered. The first few of the approaching wave entered melee range of the town's guardian pirate. A moment later they exited it, soaring over the heads of their charging colleagues who, in turn, gave pause. Walken gave his staff a quick spin and stood still, prepared, waiting to see if any of the little guys would grow a new pair and resume their charge or Brussev would step in himself.

The whole fight was getting more and more with people and it was dangerous to be inside the whole melee if you did not have the proper reflexes. Fortunately for Jaw, he had more than needed reflexes as a squad of pirates had charged from all positions to his crew.
The sharkman anticipated the move and with a few sidesteps and finishing karate chops the victims laid in rest on the ground while more came it seemed that Jhonen was going to take them on while Bryce and Jaw would continue.

The marksman approached the big fishman and suggested they continued forward. He was right, they should do so unless they want things to become more gruesome than they were now. His big figure even attracted more attention than needed, sadly for him.
"Lead the way." He grunted due to another pirate attempting to "catch the big fish" while the big fishman easily dispatched the man.
He hoped he didn't have to meet stronger foes as if they continued this way it would be much easier and peaceful to end rather than fighting an equal foe which would result into great damage of property and fatal wounds.

Ozzy was still battling Gregory to a stalemate. He was not going to simply fall over and die like some dog. Ozzy was prepared to see this through especially since he told the old man he was going to protect his bar. Ozzy sliced and striked, but Gregory was handling himself well. Something told Ozzy this man was no newbie when it came to battle. Ozzy and Gregory clashed and sent each other flying back. They both landed on their feet and panting. Ozzy then grinned "Your surprisingly good guv, i actually thought you would be weaker than this, but hey, you proved me wrong guv" Gregory did not find Ozzy amusing, the grit and sterness could be seen all over Gregorys face. "You understand nothing music boy, we were part of a army in our homeland which aimed at bringing stability back to the people and help our poor starving people as well. However we lost the civil war and had no choice but to flee. Brussev took everyone he could, made a crew and began our life in exile, thats why we have to skulk around and attack like this, i must admit, comrade Brussev is violent, but war does that to a man..." Ozzy yawned, he did it on purpose to piss Gregory off "Blardy, Blardy blah guvnor, give it a rest wont yah? Ive heard enough sad stories to make a hit album out of, i got a story too you know, but im not gonna bother, with such a trivial matter, tell your story after i beat you!!" Ozzy dashed foward and Gregory was in stance to greet him "Suit yourself musician!!!"

Brussev was waiting, to see what this Walken can do, he had heard rumors, but he had no reason to go in and start randomly fighting with someone he knew nothing about. his soldiers were sturdy, years of war do that too you. The ones that were sent flying by Walken got up and charged foward once again. Brussev was watching very closely. One of his soldiers ran up "CAPTAIN!!! We have some unknown intruders joining the battle!!!!" Brussev then said "Pay them no mind, if they reach this area, we will use our secret weapons"

Like an immovable statue, Walken held his ground in the face of his assailants. There was something artful about the economy of motion he used, his arm always moving the smallest distance possible, his wrist flicking where others would put their body into the swing; with this barest of actions did the Plank Pirate captain repel the Red Menace goons. When he'd tired of keeping them at bay, he drew his arm back and gave a powerful swing, the staff itself knocking over dozens and the shockwave that trailed from it's tip blowing back any the staff's business end had missed.

"Brussev, you can send a thousand such men...a million of them! Greenwood like this isn't suited for building anything, let alone an army. If you want the heartwood, boy, you'll have to fell the tree yourself!"

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

Bryce felt that they were close at hand; his suspicions were confirmed when they ran out into the streets right by the Green Man. The young marksman froze in place, watching the exchange between Ozzy and Gregory, between Walken and the Red Menace soldiers.

"Now we know where the center of all the trouble is," Bryce stated, hoping nobody too strong'd noticed their arrival. "So...we have to figure out who's side we're on now, right?

Ozzy finally broke through. It was shocking to him how he managed it. He had been clashing with Gregory, their swords clashing made noises like thunder and lightning. Continuously attacking the two of them were not letting down. Till Gregory's leg gave way first. Ozzy then took this opportunity to slice vertically on Gregory's torso, causing a spurt of blood to spray all over himself. Ozzy finally took a deep breath as though he had not been breathing all this while. Gregory did not believe his horrifying luck, he had been slashed. He had lost this fight for certain. He simply remained on his knees and was unable to move.

Brussev saw Gregorys defeat and was immediately sprung into action. Brussev stood foward "Thats enough men, ill deal with Walken, the rest of you, destroy the musician and anyone else in the way. Brussev walked foward and removed his red coat, revealing his battle attire, a black close combat suit. He walked foward "I wanted to avoid a battle where i would have to fight.. but i have no choice, this has to end now.." Brussev ran foward and jumped, he twirled in mid air and fired his pistol at Walken, he then landed behind Walken after firing at least 5 shots.

Walken stood firm as the Red Coat leaped over him, a vicious smirk on his face as he saw the other pirate springing into the air.

"Never jump! Trajectories only ever have one endpoint, and in that moment even the mightiest of oaks can be felled with the slightest of provocation!" he shouted as he twisted his body to avoid most of the shots. Three missed, grazing his body, whilst his staff swept another one out of the air, but one lead pellet struck the Captain, sinking into his shoulder. Walken grunted and let go of the staff with that hand, whipping it out into an arc as his bodily twist continued, swiping Brussev's legs straight out from under him. The older pirate fell heavily as Walken's staff came whipping around to complete the arc, slamming against his chest. There was an audible crack as at least one rib snapped, causing Brussev to roar in pain.

"I suggest you tend to your fallen comrade, and get out of here before I snap any more of your bones like twigs!" Walken stated, towering over Brussev. "I will not stop you from fighting the man who killed your comrade, but I am going to be acqusitioning your ship. Its cargo and the money from its sale will cover the costs to rebuild this place and recoup the faith of the people who pay me to protect them," he advised.

Walken forced the tip of his staff against Brussev's laryinx, offering him the chance to retreat with a very clear threat against him if he were to do otherwise.

~ ~ ~

"Out of the way!" bellowed Dreyton, a sizzling crackle of electricity emanating from his fist as he brutally punched one of the Red Coat pirates out of his path. His marines were cleaning up some of the other pirates, but at least one of them was moving to apprehend Bryce. He moved warily, recognizing the boy from the previous encounter. However, he felt quietly confident, as he was the best marskman of the Marine patrol group and he knew now what the boy was capable of. He had to make sure the boy wasn't able to back up the Anchor whilst his superior pursued the Anchor for combat.

Dreyton punched and kicked his way through the crowd, looking for the man he'd had on the ropes only the day before. This time, when he and the Anchor met that scummy pirate would feel real fear, defeat fresh in his mind. And this time, Shocker would win. He had no doubt that the battle between Captain Walken and Captain Brussev would leave at least one of them critically injured, and he'd round up the weakened one and the crew for the World Government. But first, he had to apprehend the Anchor.

Brussev was coughing up blood. He was clearly old now, not strong enough for a long fight like this. He then shouted "YOU DARE TELL ME TO RETREAT WALKEN!!!!!! THE REDCOAT PIRATES NEVER RETREAT !!! NOT ONE STEP BACK!!!!" Brussev was about to charge when he noticed something shiny and gleaming pierced straight through his body. He felt the pain and then looked back. It was Ozzy, who had dashed and sliced all the enemies to reach here. Brussev could not believe it, the boy had beaten Gregory and now had finally killed him. Ozzy then said "I told you guv, youll both die by the end of all this, starting with you... regret your actions in hell......" Ozzy slid his sword out of Brussevs chest. Brussev then took one step foward "Gurghhhhhh, not one step bac......." Brussev fell to his knees and to the floor, his life ended. The rest of the Red coats ran for their lives after seeing their leaders fall. They scattered and some of them headed for the hills, literally. Ozzy chuckled, they would not ever return by the looks of it. Ozzy then lifted his blade at Walken "Your next... after i get a breather...... i need to play the funeral tune for this man... he was a human being after all, and we pay our respects to the dead.." Ozzy walked to the side and opened his violin case and took out his violin. He stood by Brussevs body and began playing a sorrowful tune. Ozzy at least wanted to treat the dead with some ounce of respect as he sent them off to their faith in the afterlife. His tune filling the air that was filled with the smell of blood and steel.

When the older pirate in the red coat went down to the large, younger pirate with the staff, Bryce felt like he knew who's side he was on. Before he could act, though, the redcoat had already been impaled. A young man with a strange way of speaking immediately began performing his dirge, which complicated things even further.

This was chaos. Eyes were everything, and none could be turned to him right now. It was a hopeless, agonizing situation where nobody could win. Gritting his teeth slightly, he tried to find something to do, somebody to shoot. His outrage and resentment began to manifest as a burning hot spot right in is arm. The burning point of pain became greater and greater, until Bryce had finally realized that it wasn't a psychosomatic manifestation of his annoyance with the current scene. He'd been shot.

"Iyaaa! Mother of..." His defensive instincts kicking in, he identified the group of marines rushing towards him. The one in the lead had fired at him through the crowded streets, while running; he was no slouch himself in the accuracy department. He may have even hit his intended mark; the arm stricken was the arm carrying Diem. The shotgun now hung uselessly by it's strap across his chest.

Tears of pain and indignity welling up in the corners of his eyes, Bryce dashed for the nearest cover he could find, narrowly avoiding two more bullets, these aimed to his leg. His mind was already begining to go into panic mode. The irony of being shot himself was not at all appreciated by the young gunman. Terror was beginning to choke out his anger, and he'd begun shaking. He wanted to be gone from that place, he wanted his wound treated. He wanted all the marines dead.

His rage to fear ratio began to level out, with his desire for revenge meeting his need to be safe somewhere halfway down his gut. He wanted to shout out for Jaws and Jhonen, but his need to be recognized as more than a liability was currently greater than his mortal peril.

The building he'd ducked into was a small residence with one window and no back door; they'd surround him in there, or rush in and corner him; it was a bad place to hide. Swinging his rifle over his shoulder into his remaining functional arm, Bryce kicked the abandoned lodging's table over, dragging it behind him and setting it up directly infront of the fireplace. Sitting down and backing into the sooty nook for security, Bryce waited. He waited for his pursuit to burst in through the door or the window. He waited for Jaw to notice his peril and help.

He waited for a chance.

It was way beyond than what it looked like when they first docked the ship. The whole conflict had raised to a great level and the streets were a bloody battlefield between more than three sides.
Out of nowhere the fire of the conflict was ignited even more by the assault of the marines.
Jaw who had just neutralized a marine who was rushing at him did not see Bryce anywhere though he realized it might've been that he was targeted and probably he had to take cover. He wasn't a melee type either.

The fishman analyzed the situation carefully and then looked at his captain and said in a neutral tone:
"Captain, this is way beyond our reach." and the fishman continued. "The marines are entering, I assume they'd be only dealing finishing blows after this fight and I suggest they get neutralized first."
Jaw paused and after a moment of silence he spoke again:
"We have no chance of routing, our ship needs to be repaired." The sharkman meant that they had to win or die trying.

((SHort post, got Geography big ass homework Q.Q))

((Think we're waiting on you, Cook.))

((Crud, forgot Cook wasn't going to show up any more. Sorry guys, hopefully this will somewhat make up for it.))


With an enormous sweep of his anchor, Jhonen swiped away another handful of Red Coats and Plank Pirates who had charged him. Having batted away several waves of the attackers now, he could tell that the pirates were looking at him with wary eyes, considering the situation and their options. Ironically, though the captains of the two pirate crews were fighting each other, Jhonen had noticed that some of the Red Coats and Plank Pirates seemed to be working in unspoken unison to attack him, a silent truce to eliminate the greater threat. He smiled a wry smile, noting how even though he was an enemy to these pirates his fledgling skills at leadership were still bringing them together as a team.

If I survive this, I should consider honing these leadership skills, Jhonen mused sarcastically as he twisted to avoid a sword thrust from one pirate whilst simultaneously elbowing the other attacker in the face. He felt the man’s nose break beneath his elbow and lithely stepped back. He felt the momentum pushing him in particular ways, and left his body flow along with it. That had always been the basis of his unique anchor-fighting combat style, letting the weight of the anchor carry him through a series of interlinked attacks for a fluid and graceful style, whilst remaining highly aggressive and offensive. Against large number of weaker fighters, such as the situation he was now in, his Anchorage martial arts proved to be incredibly effective.

The attacks against Jhonen ceased for a moment, giving him a chance to catch his breath. He saw the tall, broad figure of the fishman nearby, and heard Jaw shout out to him.

"Captain, this is way beyond our reach. The marines are entering, I assume they'd be only dealing finishing blows after this fight and I suggest they get neutralized first. We have no chance of routing, our ship needs to be repaired"

Swinging his anchor lazily in small pendulum-like arcs in his hand, Jhonen gave the fishman’s recommendation some thought, but then shook his head firmly.

“Jaw, you can handle the marines if you want, go and find Bryce as well. He’s disappeared somewhere, and this isn’t a great place for a gunman to be right now,” he called back.

“I’ll keep on handling the pirates. They’re complete pushovers, but the Marines would just be fodder as well,” he added smugly.

His smug response was punctuated almost immediately by a loud smack, and Jhonen was sent tumbling to the ground, his cheek gashed and bleeding. He looked up with shock, seeing the figure of a man standing over him menacingly, shadowed by the sun behind the attacker.

“Marines are fodder, are they?” the man asked mockingly, his voice a taut growl. “That’s not how I remember it,” he added. All of a sudden the glare dimmed, the sun moving behind a cloud, and Jhonen saw his attacker. The harshly cropped black hair, the stony gaze, the metallic gleam of boxy shoulder augmentations. Lieutenant Junior Grade Shocker X. Dreyton. On realizing who it was, Jhonen scrambled backwards, standing up quickly and holding his anchor ready.

“Let’s see who’s really the fodder, Iscariot Jhonen!”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Seaman Cooper Carrodus moved through the almost deserted street at a calm pace, his pistols roving across both sides of the road to cover any instances that may be a threat to him. He’s seen the man with the guns run for cover, and he noticed the splash of blood on the cobblestones where the man had stood. A hit, and from the fleeting glimpse he’d grabbed of the man, it seemed like a good hit as well. He observed the building that the man had run into, the broken door all too evident.

“Hold it,” he commanded, waving the other two Marines to stop. “The pirate we’re after has holed up in that building. We need to quickly get around it as best as possible, in case there are any other doors or windows on the sides we can’t see. Seaman Jacob, head around the back, but keep low. Don’t expose yourself to that window, it’s probably a death sentence with him in there.”

He turned to the other seaman, who also held a pistol in his hand. This one was also cautious, he’d been with Seaman Cooper when this little brat had attacked them on the last island and killed two other Marines.

“Seaman Wright, cover Seaman Jacob and the window. I’ll be moving in on the door,” he advised. With a quick nod, the other two Marines moved to their positions quickly but carefully, making sure not to expose themselves to the window or door.

Cooper took his time, one pistol always trained on the doorframe of the building, as he strode across the street to another building. A small café or bar, not at all like the big bar where the main fight was taking place. But that wasn’t of interest to him, all he cared about was the bottle of alcohol that had been left sitting on one of the tables.

Setting down his off-hand pistol, Seaman Cooper quickly stripped off his azure neckerchief and stuffed it into the neck of the bottle. He then reached into his pocket, grabbing his Marine-issued flintlock igniter and held it to the neckerchief. He clicked it a few times, until the neckerchief caught alight, then picked up the bottle. Not only was he one of the best Marine shooters in the South Blue, he was also well taught in the art of improvised weapons.

With a grunt, Cooper hurled the bottle, watching it fly sure and true. His guns weren’t all he aimed well with. The bottle smashed against the doorframe, splashing out the alcohol across the ground and a little way into the building as well. Immediately, the flaming neckerchief caught the fumes of the alcohol and a small fireball belched into life, flames covering the doorway as the wooden building itself began to burn.

Picking up his second pistol once more, Cooper advanced on the doorway steadily, at just enough of an angle to protect himself. If the pirate tried to flee now, to escape the smoke and the flames, he would be picked off by Cooper as easily as a hunter shooting down deer.

Ozzy stopped playing his violin, there was more fighting going on elsewhere, but that didnt interest him. Walken did, he wanted to kill Walken to end this stupid battle . He put away his violin and slowly got to his feet. He was tired, but not enough to back down from Walken. He unsheated both his katanas "Its your turn.... i hope you have prayed for forgiveness to whatever god it is you worship..." Ozzy dashed foward at full speed, he took a hop and aimed to slice Walkens torso.

"More fool you then, boy," Walken responded, blocking the attack with his staff. There was a clunk as the swords struck the bo staff, but surprisingly enough the staff showed no damage whatsoever.

"A great structure can only be built upon the strongest formations, and the strongest formations can only use the best of wood," Walken stated as he pushed the bo staff back, forcing the violinist back a step. "Thus, to build a pirate empire, I choose only the best. This Adamwood staff is the foundation on which the Plank Pirates will achieve their fame!~" he shouted, swinging the staff at the violinist's unguarded side.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The air rang out as metal struck metal, a clashing noise that barely even began to hint at the animosity between the two fighters. Lieutenant Dreyton's metal knuckles held against the anchor that Jhonen had swung up to block the attack for just a moment, before he pulled back and threw another punch. Again, it rang out against the anchor as Jhonen parried once more, but Dreyton's other fist darted in over the top of the anchor, slugging the pirate captain in the shoulder with a crackle of electricity.

Jhonen grunted, but then grinned as the hand holding the anchor suddenly jerked slightly, triggering the wrist-mounted anchor cannon that was sitting on it. With a hiss of compressed air the anchor launched, slamming point blank into the Lieutenant's chest. There was a popping sound at the point of impact, and then the small anchor retracted on its chain once more.

"Damn it! That hurt!" grunted Shocker, pulling back with surprise. He eyed the cannons on Jhonen's arms warily.

"Can't say I was expecting that, why didn't you use those last time we fought?" he asked stoically. The young captain shrugged, pushing a lock of brown hair out of his eyes.

"Well, you caught me off guard last time. I wasn't expecting you to be able to break my Tekkai. Now that I know you can, things are going to be different," he said with a challenging tone of voice.

There were a few moments of relative silence, the din of the battle outside neither spiking nor falling. The thought that they'd targeted him at random briefly crossed Bryce's mind, that they'd simply moved on to pursue somebody else the moment he'd ran. Though it would have been the best possible outcome for him, he flared with indignant rage at the notion.

"They couldn't have...not a chance! They knew exactly who they were-"

His words were interrupted by the sound of breaking glass, the stinging smoke made by burning alcohol. A puddle of fire rolled across the floor by the doorway, expanding, black smoke quickly filling the air. The doorframe was up, soon; before long, the whole place would be.

Though he was scared as sin, Bryce wasn't surprised. It was exactly what he'd have done; what had to be done. Even if he'd have been an utter amateur with his weapon, there's no way anyone could have come in through one of those two chokes without eating a bullet, even if the other one somehow managed to locate, sight, and shoot him in a heartbeat. They had to disentrench him, and 'smoking them out' was about the oldest, easiest method to do so.

All the same, though Bryce had selected the house he hid in now in panic, he'd chosen his hiding spot with this possibility in mind. Scooching back from his barricade, the young marksman grunted in pain and pushed his shoulders up into the chimney. He coughed as he stirred soot from the walls, blinking his eyes against the sting as it filled the air around his head. Pressing his back the bricks, he prepared for a short but unpleasant trip.

Before he began his trip up the chute, he tossed a few rounds of scattershot out into the room. As soon as they'd left his hand he slid himself up the far wall, sticking a sneakered foot against the one infront of him. Shimmying up the structure as fast as he could, doing his best not to grind his wounded arm into the sooty shaft, Bryce was soon inches below the top.

Bryce knew that anyone would notice him if he just popped out of the chimney, plain as day against the skyline, and if even of of those marines had the talent he'd be at it's bottom again, a corpse, before he had a chance to do anything. So, he waited, head turned towards the square of blue sky just above him, smoke beginning to curl up around him. Before long it was trailing up out of the opening above, providing the cover he'd been waiting for. It came not a moment too soon, though; a furnace-like wave of hot air rose up behind it, causing the wounded boy no end of discomfort.

Everything was set; doing his best to supress a cough, Bryce wondered how long he'd have to wait for his cue. The air in the chimney was stiffling, suffocating. If his chance didn't come soon, he might really...

For a split second, Bryce'd eyes went wide and a chill ran through his body, driving away the searing heat for just a moment. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes as he considered the possibility that he'd really die there, just like that. He almost let out a scream at the thought, the idea that he'd die like that, alone and unknown, uncelebrated, in that sooty hot hell.

Before his fear could take him, a trio of loud bangs snapped him from his stupor. At once his fear became outrage, a mad desire to prove to those who'd driven him to the fear of death that he would never die unknown. With a final push of his legs he crested the chimney-top, hooking his limp arm over one edge and swinging Carpe around with the other. Aiming directly down towards the door, Bryce trailed his barrel across the street.

He caught sight of the man, waiting, gun at the ready, for Bryce to flee the hellish inferno he'd created. There was never any other thought in his head; squeezing the trigger, Bryce let two bullets fly at the man in sequence, split-seconds apart. One was aimed at his heart, the other at his head.

The black soot he was covered in would have given him camouflage for only a second as his head popped into the open air, surrounded by the smoke wafting up around him. Tears ran down his face, drawing clear lines on his cheeks. Summoning all of his strength he pulled himself over the ledge, feet planting on the roof, the chimney between him and all but the far side of the house. Bolting the two steps to the roof's edge, doing his best to get a running start, Bryce shot from one roof to the next, trying to put as many houses between himself and his pursuit as possible.

As long as he could keep to the rooftops, the marines would have to fight through the pirates and all the rest of the madness in the streets and alleys to keep up with him. He needed space, needed to lose them. A two story house with open windows just a block away caught his eyes, and he practically salivated at the opportunity it presented him. Shutting from his mind the hole in his arm, the burns on his legs, and any thought of losing, he made for that building with all of his might.

Ozzy saw the staff coming from the right. He used his foot and leapt up, in mid air, he kicked back on Walkens staff to propel himself to the right. He lands square on his feet squarely and then looked towards Walkens position. He was quite surprised the staff could stop his katana. He had never heard about Adam wood, still he didnt feel fear. He knew what he needed to do. He lifted both his katanas and started humming a song.