Termination Orders(Stratus, Arty, Nius)

Kuroi stepped through the senkaimon, It was odd really, a fourth squad member being sent into the world of hte living, but not unreasonable, A shinigami had gone off the grid after a battle, and he was being sent to terminate a being as well, a gifted human, Kuroi had serious reservations against killing, so he was allowed to take him into custody for 12th squad analysis, and execution. Kuroi was supposed to aprehend the superhuman first, then take find the shinigami, who was presumed dead.

He still needed to find this superhuman though, and he was also instructed to kill all hollows he encountered. Kuroi started off, not having a gigai, his shinigami robes fluttered against the stiff breeze of the night. Kuroi wondered what would be in store for him tonight.

The city blurred beneath him. There wasn't a lack for excitement in this place. There were plenty of spiritual people to feed upon. But with that benefit came a cost. There were other hollows here to contend with as well. And thanks to that there were also numerous shinigami in the area as well. Food and fun, everything that Stratus could want. Finding his prey got harder, and he had to always keep alert. In most situations he could easily hunt down a human, now he had to be aware they might have power to defend themselves. He circled a promising human below him on the street. First came his screening; the gray hollow fired a shot of slime at the isolated human. The captured woman screamed as she was suddenly tangled by the unseen slime. The human struggled for several seconds, the slime muffled her screams. Still she didn't seem to have any way to free herself, a simple human. He dove down and landed on the waiting meal and began to eat. It was then he sensed a new signal appear near him, way too close. How had it snuck up on him? He suppressed his signal and climbed up the building's wall. He reached the top of the wall he saw a shinigami standing several feet away. A hole in the air behind him closed and vanished. Stratus dove back down, dropping to the street below. It seemed the shinigami had just arrived here. The signal felt weak, and the human hadn't filled his belly. He grinned. Shinigamis tasted only so much better than humans when torn to shreds. Part of that taste was the joy of killing a worthy foe. Stratus circled to the back of the building and then climbed the wall once more. He peeked over the edge; the shinigami was still there and now he was behind him. He jumped over the edge and sprayed a wave of slime from behind the warrior.

N.I.U.S was observing the city it had just recently arrived too for the promise of great opportunities to improve through the mass of energy that would crowd the heavily populated area. It had tapped itself up into the network of camera surveillance that was present in the city, its tail serving as a direct input into the electronical devices. Every single camera was observed simueltaneously throught the great network of processors that occupied the enterior of the metallic serpent. As it watched through the cameras it spotted the shinigami exiting a gate of some kind, enough to peak the interest of N.I.U.S. It would localize the location, too far away for it to feel the spiritual presence, thus proving the usefulness of the human networks.

The serpent would set off quickly, slithering through the streets and up to buildings with the sound of metal against concrete and stone. The creature would move as a thing of nightmare through the shadows, the eerie sounds emanating from its movements being the only sound in a city asleep, and the red eyes standing out in the moonlight. N.I.U.S arrived to the position, looking over the area that the shinigami was in just in time to see spray of slime heading towards the robed one, it had not been alone in finding this target.

James was making his way home during the twilight hours of the day, as the sun was beginning to set he was at the top of the hill he climbed everyday to watch as the light died for another day. This was something he had done for as long as he could remember; even when he was a hatchling he would climb the huge knurled tree that grew outside the cavern where his nest was to watch the sun set. His mother would often come out and find him there just staring at the horizon.

Smiling at the memory of his mother James watched as sun fell below the horizon, but was shocked back to reality by the screaming of a woman that was cut short. I guess I better go check it out, it will haunt me for a decade if I don’t. Taking off he ran down the top of the hill back towards town, cutting around the corner he stopped before he was out in the middle of the street. From around the corner he could see a hollow and the body of a dead woman lying on the side walk; sniffing the air he frowned as a growl started deep in his throat. Dead, I am too late and that woman’s life was cut short because I chose to watch the sunset.

Clenching his fists he could already feel his hatred at himself beginning to slip as the scales around his eyes started to change color, his nails were already elongated and sharp enough to tear through stone as they scratched against the scales against the inside of his palm. Walking out into the middle of the street he let loose a roar, “Why don’t you face someone who can defend themselves you coward!?”

((I thinks you should start teaming up, any time now...))

Kuroi felt his communicator vibrating in his robes, an inside pocket, it had started soon after he had exited the gate. Kuroi reached inside his robes, and flipped it open to see a signal, nearly a block away. Kuroi instantly was on guard, he decided to jump upward, but before he heard a roar, which could had been been construed into words, had they been listened too. However feeling a slight contact with his foot, his blade was drawn, slicing at what had increased in pressure and surface contact with his foot. He slashed through the slime, granted it was like slashing through a human body, not impossible, but that was what Kuroi had expected in density.

And then, Kuroi was gone, Shunpo'ing down the street. Kuroi laid eyes on his target. A large humanoid hollow, shot quite abit what looked like slime. Kuroi just stood, he wanted to see what else was around, and what else he could do.

The setup had been perfect as had the execution, but the ambush ultimately failed. There was a shout from the street below, and it hadn't helped matters any either. He could now feel something down there, but he wasn't about to turn his back on the shinigami to see what it was. He gave a small sigh, this is what he got for being greedy. The shinigami was focused on him now. Despite the feeling he had initially gotten from him, he seemed strong. What worried him was the signal the other signal he felt. It wasn't another shinigami thankfully, but it wasn't a human either. He would need to finish this one off before they could join up. Things would get complicated if he didn't.
"Sorry shinigami, I thought I would be kind and kill you slowly. But I don't think I have the luxury anymore." He spoke as he drove his hands into the rooftop and pulled, breaking the concrete easily. He hefted up the large slab over his head. "Be a good boy and die!" He growled as he hurled the stone at the shinigami and then sent himself airborne with a jump. Up and over the gray hollow went landing on the next building. Perhaps he could lure the shinigami away from the other signal.

N.I.U.S observed, the optical receptors adjusting to the distance between it and the beings before it. The movement made by the shinigami caught it off guard, such a fast move, reminiscent of teleportation, and it was hard even for N.I.U.S' processors to react to it. This was a dangerous foe, although fighting together could tip the scales. For now however, it would simply watch.

As the other hollow would perform its throw and leap, N.I.U.S noticed how it seemed to be moving in a way to get away both from the shinigami, and incidentally, N.I.U.S itself. N.I.U.S had observed enough of shinigami to realize that they would always be hostile to hollow, however when it came to other hollow things were more complicated, since after all, its first kill was hollow. With this in mind it came to two different conclusions, either the other hollow had sensed it and deemed it a threat necessary to avoid, or, it was unaware of N.I.U.S and it was simple coincidence that the agile hollow had set off in that direction.

Nevertheless, N.I.U.S had a decision to make, provide assistance to the other hollow, risking ending up between two hostiles or if not hostile, fight a being undoubtedly more powerful then it, not knowing how much of a difference the two together would make. Or it could leave, which would undoubtedly be the most logical decision were it not for one key point in its programming: it needs to improve, and fighting the odds would be the best way to do so, and with that, N.I.U.S set off after the other hollow.

The hollow had turned his back on him to face the shinigami, that is a big mistake hollow I will teach you never turn your back on me.Taking a deep breath he filled all of his four lungs with air as he prepared to shoot a ball of fire directly at the hollow when something tweaked his senses. There is another hollow here somewhere, I can smell him. He stinks of the same metal and silicon like everything else in this modern city.

James’ nose wrinkled as he looked around for the hollow that he had could only smell.I know you’re here beast just wait, as soon as you show yourself I am going to melt you down like a smith does to ore. Setting his site on the only visible hollow James let loose a blast of flame so intense that the pavement had started to crack; as the spines grew from his arms and back James roared, “I WILL NOT BE COUNTED AS A MINOR THREAT!”

Starting towards one of the closest buildings James started climbing the side hoping to gain a higher ground to fight from. The higher he climbed the stronger the metallic scent became. Hiding on the roof where you can pick off the weaker one, just like a hollow to be so ruthless they are cowards.

Kuroi felt another presence, not hollow, and his comumincator was vibrating again. Kuroi sheathed his zanpaktou, the sheath and sword fitting seamlessly together, and completely casual reached inside his robe again to check it, Using his perhipheral vision to watch the other hollow. Part of this ploy was seeing if this hollow really wanted to take him on, granted he had a relatively small amount of reiatsu for his rank, he felt that he was more than a match for anything he has felt in the world of the living. And yet, there was another part to this, it was to see if this hollow was smart enough, if he wanted to fight, to take advantage of this opportunity. Kuroi had recieved communication from Soul Society that his Intended Superhuman target was the source of none hollow reiatsu. It was quite strong, as it has emitted a blast of flame that has damaged the street. And Kuroi sighed, he would have to fight everyone here.

Kuroi kept watch on that hollow as he flipped the communicator shut and put it in his robes. No matter what happened, it was all part of his plan. Kuroi's next intention was to walk forward, and if the hollow did nothing, then he would do that, to try and see the source of reiatsu.

The light from below warned him of the incoming flame. Stratus rolled backwards away from the edge as the flamed engulfed the building. A wall of flame stood between himself and the shinigami now. Looks like whoever was below had targeted him as well. But there was no way to know if he was working in concert with the shinigami. As he viewed the shinigami from behind the fire as it blazed. An idea hit him, a devilish idea. He stepped back from the flames and aimed at the shinigami. From his palms he fired a rapid volley of slime. The baseball sized slime arced through the air catching flame as it passed through the fire wall, and rained down upon the shinigami and the street below like a meteor swarm.

The sounds of a roar accompanied with fire and flame was enough to draw N.I.U.S' attention, watching the apparent human coming towards it before becoming hidden behind the walls of the great buildings. Its not so silent approach had finally caught the full attention of one of those present and it meant it could no longer spend its time simply observing anymore. With a dash N.I.U.S went for the edge of the building, grabbed a tight hold onto the side of the building with its four jaws, breaking glass in the progress, then slammed its tail downwards and impaled the wall then moving its head past that and grabbing hold of the wall again, repeating this procedure very quickly until reaching the same level of buildings as the hollow and shinigami.

N.I.U.S eventually found itself at the right level, on the same side of the wall of fire as the other hollow and finally decided to set its line of thought into motion. "It would be beneficial for us both to co-operate. Our enemy has a superior level of power and fighting both him and each other would lead to a high probability of defeat." N.I.U.S had aimed for the most logical approach although its plan hinged on the reasoning capabilities of this other creature.

James clawed his way to the roof of the building, now he stood at the same level as both hollows and the shinigami, still targeting the hollows he looked around the roof for something he could use for an improvised weapon. Spotting multiple lengths of steel pipes he smiled as he ripped them one by one from the wall and frowned as the smell of rotten eggs filled the air.

Ignoring the smell he crushed the end to a point and smiled hefting it he leaned it against the edge of the roof and did the same with four more. Walking back to the edge of the roof he picked up one of his improvised spears and in a fluid motion sent it flying. Picking up two more improvised spears he sent them both flying. “Two on one is as cowardly as waiting to kill a weakened opponent, mongrels.”

OOC: Sorry for the short post

This night was shaping up to be quite interesting, as he loosed the slime against the shinigami something had snuck up behind him. What it he wasn't sure, but the way it addressed him was odd.
"Cooperate?" What was this thing? "How did you get up here?" He noted it lacked arms or legs. Try as he might he couldn't sense anything from it. But it did call the shinigami it's enemy. Was this mechanical beast some other form of monster that shinigami hunted? Even as he thought it over he felt someone else join them on the roof. There was no mistaking this signal. It was the one he had felt from the street below. He turned his head to look just as a metallic object came hurling at him. In reflex he dodged and swung at the object like an annoying fly. The spear grazed his shoulder missing his head, and his claw sent it flying off into the night. Stratus didn't have time to see where it landed, since two more were coming. The first had gotten him by surprise, the second he met head on. He raised his claw and caught the spear in his palm. It was sharper than expected. The makeshift point stabbed into, he tried not to show the pain. The hollow brought his other hand up and tore the spear from his hand. It had already started to heal.

"Well isn't this a surprise. I had thought you were another shinigami, but since you're a human I should have killed your first." Another brave face, he was surrounded. The metal worm to his flank, the shinigami to his back, and the human before him. The strange machine might be a ruse employed by the hollow or the human. Or they were working together? Why would humans work with the shinigami? All this thinking was hurting his head. He liked to keep things simple. "Alright wormy." he said to strange creature beside him. "If you want to cooperate, kill this human and I'll take care of the shinigami." Let the other guy do the work, if he doesn't attack it means he's working for them. Even as he turned to focus on the shinigami again he kept an eye on his metallic companion. It was then the shinigami's signal vanished, only to reappear next to the human. So they were working together? He thought, now the only question left was if he could trust the serpent. But what the shinigami said next shocked him. Stratus couldn't help, but laugh at the whole situation. His laughter echoed into the night.
"So you're going to kill the human too!?" he chuckled "And I thought shinigami protected these cattle!" He laughed clapping his hands at the whole spectacle "How about this; I kill the human for you. And since I'm such a nice guy, I'll kill you too." With that he releases a large geyser of slime from his mouth aimed at the human and shinigami.

The response given was not what N.I.U.S had expected, it would seem that even hollow remain as varied in personality as the humans he had observed in his time. However it decided to take the time to respond to the given question "Thousands of miniscule serrated edges along my metallic plating allow me to scale buildings. Comparable to how snakes can climb trees." The machine would quickly take note of the spears being thrown, evading the one coming towards it out of the three, coiling itself up around the spear after it landed.

N.I.U.S would turn it's head towards the other hollow as he gave his demands for their cooperation, a suitable arrangement, yet it was clear to it that the other one did not truly take him seriously. It was no matter however, the opinions of others had no impact on N.I.U.S aslong as it remained merely opinion and not a direct action. There was no need for further conversation in the eyes of the serpent, and at the same time as the hollow let loose his slime, N.I.U.S would smash his way through the wall of the building in front of them, then utilizing its ability to jump from a coiled position to smash its way upwards from floor to floor.

James turned his back on the two hollows, his anger was at its limit as his tattoo started to burn. “You think you can take me Reaper? I will not be captured nor I will I be killed by the likes of you or these hollow. On whose order am I to be captured or killed, I demand to know!”

Not waiting for an answer James swung the spear in his right arm high aiming for the reapers head, while he brought the other one round to swipe at his feet. Letting loose an even more bestial roar he let loose a blast of flame as his tail grew and his scales along his shoulder started to part for his wings. The ball of flame was a mistake as soon as it was in the air it reacted with the gas on the roof top causing an explosion that sent him barreling off the roof and through the window of the building across the street.

Struggling to his feet his wings flared open, It has been to long since I have let the blood lust loose. James smiled his teeth had grown in so much that he looked more like an demon than a man. He could feel the pain from the tattoo, but he knew he must endure it for as long as he could. “I will not die this night, not by the hands of a hollow or a reaper.”

[ooc: I am going to let you all think I killed myself for the next round of posts]

Kuroi didn't draw his zanpaktou, He did a tricky manuver, capitalizing on his small size. He simultaniously ducked and jumped, a hard thing to do, but his legs came to his chin as the spears sailed beside him, he barely touched the pavement before realizing htat the gas was igniting. Kuroi shunpoed away abit singed, but unhurt. He shunpo'ed off into the street between the two buildings, and stood on the air between both of them, that was, before noticing the swoosh under his feet as the Superhuman barreled uner him.

Kuroi looked at both hollows, "Well that seems like one down, any more?"

The human's fire met the slime and became ablaze. The force he expelled the slime from his mouth was fast enough to keep the flames from tracing back to him. He forced his energy into the slime and it crystalized protecting him from the flame while the fires raged on the other side. He could see the light of the inferno dance on the other side of the green crystal wall. The flames died and he shattered the crystal. His jaw hurt, but he was unhurt. A black smoke had formed due to some of the slime catching fire. He looked at the scorched area. The human was gone and the shinigami hung in the air.
"Well I hope you don't take credit for that kill, he did himself in!" Stratus cackled "Don't feel sad, you'll be joining him soon."
In one hand he made a ball of slime and made it crystal. He connected the heavy gem with a line of slime from his other hand. Stratus swung the newly made flail and whipped at the shinigami.

N.I.U.S would quickly find after crushing its way through the building that it had been rendered a futile attempt as the top of the building was engulfed in flames, bursting down towards it as well. The serpent would stretch itself out to its full length and had its cooling agents at full blast as the fire enveloped it while it rushed out through the window and lunged itself to the other side. As N.I.U.S crashed into the building on the opposite side, where it had first entered the other buildings from, it did an analysis of the damage taken. 'Mere superficial damage, along with redundant circuitry. Trivial.'

The now very singed serpent would then once again return to the matter at hand as it would show his head out from the hole where it had crashed into the building, looking up at the shinigami. N.I.U.S would then proceed to rush up the side of the building before grabbing onto it with its jaws and swinging its tail towards the shinigami, timing this with the other hollows flail as it activated the electrical impulses inside it to augment the attack.

Looking around James spotted the hole where he had crashed through into the now trashed office building; James could still hear the sounds of battle outside and wondered why no one came after him to finish it. They must think that explosion finished me, flexing his wings once before he folded them flat against his back he smiled, well aren’t they in for a surprise I have never had to push my transformation this far.

Wincing he looked down at his left arm at the crimson tattoo that was starting to radiate pain through his entire body at a steadily growing rate. If this pain keeps growing I won’t be able to stay conscious for very long, better make the best of it while I can. Looking straight at the ceiling he let loose a ball of flame that crashed through six floors all the way to the roof keeping himself right behind the ball of inferno.

James spread his wings feeling the pure bliss of flight again for the first time since his banishment, the sight of the two hollow brought him back to reality, banking he turned back to face the slime-hollow. Folding his wings in James dived at the hollow as he kept his body completely straight to cut through the air like one of the spears he had thrown. The wind whistled in his ears as he brought his claws forward out of reflex, this is just like when I would hunt deer and cattle with my brothers, only now this city and the lives below are the ones that I protect.

Kuroi was not a cruel person, and he didn't want to prolong the wait for fate. Kuroi drew his zanpaktou which rested at his waist, He didn't have to wait long, so he said, "Bakuto 8 Seki" and Cast it in his left hand. Kuroi saw the tail coming in too and blocked it with his zanpaktou, while hitting the gem with his Seki that he held in the palm of his hand.

Kuroi now just had to concentrated on holding the tail back for a moment, and then Shunpo'ing 10 feet back up. When he saw the streak of black he immediatly thought. 'Another Hollow'. Upon catchign it in focus, and feeling it, he realized that was the human, and why he was dispatched.

"No more holding back, Hakai Shinasai, Mudashu!" Kuroi felt his Zanpaktou elongate into the 6ft long staff, with two tubes glowing at either end, holding sand for his use, Kuroi left the sand in teh tubes however, and held the staff horizontally with both hands, waiting for responses...

The gray hollow was only slightly relieved to see the mechanical monstrosity was still "alive". The way the shinigami easily deflected his blow gave him the feeling the fight wasn't going to be an easy one. It was then that he felt the surge of the human's signal. It had changed, it felt more like an animal.
"Guess that bastard won't stay dead." he chuckled. Almost on cue the shape rose into the air. The shinigami weapon's sudden change was more interesting than the human's change of pressure. Now he was really glad to have some support. Even though it was no longer a blade, he still felt a bad vibe from it. "Quite a trick you got there shinigami!" He pulled the flail back towards him and spun it. It was then he could feel the human coming at him. He drew his eyes from the transformed weapon. "What the hell is this idiot thinking?" He saw the shape coming at He leap into the air to meet the charge. Well now that he saw him he didn't look human at all. The thing before him had wings and scales. Whatever it was, it wasn't human. Probably why the shinigami wanted to kill or capture him.
"Two people trying to kill ya, and you come straight at them." he snickered as he tossed flail swinging at the wings of the creature. He wasn't trying to hit it with the heavy crystal, but tangle him in the sticky rope it swung from. "If you can fly I'd think you'd try to run away." His left hand created a crystal sword and tossed it at the shinigami now below him.

The tail smashed back into the wall as N.I.U.S still held itself attached with its strong jaws, its attack had been parried and it had released its electrical attack too soon. As it kept its eyes on the shinigami, it was an unexpected move to see the sword change. This complicated matters further as not only had this one the ability to move at extreme speeds, but also transforming its weapon. N.I.U.S realized that its position on the building was a rather vulnerable position however, and quickly scaled the wall up to the roof, only to when at the edge of it grab onto the thick edge with its jaws and swinging its tail against the shinigami again.

N.I.U.S had a different plan this time however, it was aiming for the staff however it had rolled some of its tail together, giving it less reach but making it almost like a sledgehammer coming down towards the staff. This however was not the full extent of the plan; if succesfully hitting the staff, then N.I.U.S would extend its tail quickly again to try and tap the shinigami on the head while using its shock ability, to temporarily paralyze the enemy.


(( Kind of bad, but yeah. ))

James folded his wings flat as he dropped into a dive, a second later he felt the wind from the flail as it zoomed past his head. If I would have been a second slower that might have done some real damage to my wings. Twisting in mid-air James brought himself into a spin as he extended his claws ahead of him. I only get one shot at this so I best not screw it up. As he whistled past the hollow James’ tail whipped out hopping to catch the hollow on the barbs of his tail to carry him down with him.

(OOC: Sorry for the extreme shortness of the post I am at a block for a moment)

Kuroi saw the attack coming, a coiled serpent's tail, Kuroi sent sand out of his staff, sending it torward at the tail of the hollow, a minute amount, but he would try and snake((Lol pun)) some of the sand inbetween its armor plating.

He dodged back, forming glass out of his staff, and it formed a blade on the end, a spear head, a cone that was sharp enough to penetrate concrete. Kuroi pointed it like a spear should be used, and made sure to stay out of range of that tail.

Kuroi was using peripheral vision to track everyone, a karate technique. He saw the man, or flying lizard. He was charging the grey hollow, but he had wings, and he was a true danger. Kuroi paniced, he could not let this city be destroyed. "Serpent, i have no fight with you, i cannot classify you as a hollow. I need to supress that human before he destroys us all."

Kuroi pulled back his sand, it hadn't penetrated anyway, but he would need it to take down that damn human.

((Short, but so was everyone elses >.>))