A Million Challenges Await (R)

Before Gavin finished the sentance, a sound like thousands of papers tearing at once ripped through the air. The dislodged section of flooring flew as if it were fired out of a cannon, becoming a nondescript blur.
It looked as if the attack would follow through; then the Sentinel turned to the side as it fell, putting its shoulder into the drop and moving just enough for the peice of metal and concrete to narrowly miss it.
As the giant crashed into the building it had formerly been holding onto for support, the structure buckled.
Dust and debris showered the area. The low buzzing noise steadily grew, then the Sentinel opened its mouth and blasted them with a roar that echoed for dozens of city blocks.

"What the-- !?!"
Appearing all of a sudden in midair at fifteen feet above, Kas barely had the time to question what happened as he fell toward the tin man.  The Sentinel bot extended an arm the size of a tree so much faster than anyone would have expected, and swatted the surprised 'insect' out of the air. After crashing into a wall, Kas remained motionless for a second as the Sentinel started to push itself up to sitting position. No stupid robot would have worked out the steps to get from laying to standing. This one had to be programmed with a higher understanding. An adaptive AI that could solve problems, as well as the equipment to nullify a variety of mutant powers.

Turning its hellish red eyes on Blade again, it re-stated that he was the current most-wanted mutant; still, for reasons unknown.
"ELIMINATING TARGET"

As though to remind him that a robot couldn't possibly register the feeling of fear for itself, the firey red eyes flashed; arming the laser beams that came standard on any Sentinel. This lighter chassis, double-strength myomers, enhanced gyroscope, adaptive AI model was far from standard. Obviously Blade's antics in District X in the past had earned him a reputation. The government pawns were granted permission to get the goodies out. A Mark II, with all the fancy counter-measures and improvements for combat against Beta and higher level mutants. 

While the bot's attention was diverted, Kas quickly jumped up and ran to the roof of the building, using the fire-escape stairs around the corner. The giant bent forward, preparing to fry Gavin before it got to its feet. That was when something thudded against the Sentinel's back, and a ringing of metal on metal struck. A laugh taunted the fearsome robot from behind. It tried to turn its head, though the only thing that happened was hydraulic fluid spilling onto the ground. The 'bot twitched, unable to move, though it was still very capable of laser fire.

"Blast the fucker!"
Hanging from little more than a long peice of metal sticking out of the back of the Sentinel's neck, Kas was smiling despite the looks of things. 
"Go for the eyes!"

As soon as Gavin stepped away, a shock of force similar to a speeding car rammed into the staggering giant, finally ending it. The Sentinel hit the ground with a crash, sending peices of its outer armor rattling apart and flying off. Exposed internal structure sparked as the robot's arm managed to twitch.
While the dust and wreckage settled, a smoky form appeared, standing over the ripped-up head of the downed enemy. The ghost lingered there for a moment, before dissolving into a cloudy mass that drifted through the hollowed eyesockets of the metallic face.
Barely a second later, the cloud rushed out, and a distant-sounding voice was trying to yell, though it was so far away, it scarcely reached more than a quiet murmur.

"Run! Run!! GO!"

Gavin had been away from the sentinel, away enough for Kas to ram against it. Blade pounced around the flying parts of the robot. It seemed like hundreds of cars were being thrown Gavin. Blade arrived on top of the downed bot's chest. His landing had broken open the chest area even more.

Blade looked around, looking for Kas. That guy had a talent for disappearing. Gavin had got distracted enough for him to be hit with piece of the sentinel's former arm. He flew quite a while, finally hitting a nearly destroyed building. Gav was worried about what had just happened, but when he looked down, he noticed a piece of metal, sticking out of the building. That wasn't the bad part. The bad part was that he had been pierced by it. His chest felt extremely sore, and a pain rushed through Blade's mind.


His first movement, was placing his hands on the part of the structure that still held itself up. An impulse that gave him enough wind to fly the hell away from the damn metal. He dropped on the floor, crawling towards a dislocated car. His jacket and shirt were now off. Blade was not even sure how he had taken them off, but his wound was visible to anyone watching. The blood that poured down from Gavin's chest was wiped away, by a dark black hand. Blade's gloves now had blood dripping from them. But his wound was a little smaller.

Looking up, he saw the familiar cloud move out. Crap... He thought when he heard someone yell. How could he run? In his condition, it was close to impossible. However, when he looked back at his wound, it was closed. It still had blood around it, and Blade still felt it, but he was now on his feet. "Could be worst..." He commented, with a smirk. The smirk really wasn't in the best situation. But Blade did what the voice told him too, and ran in the opposite direction the sentinel had fallen. Anyone that was watching, could say that he was following the smoky cloud.

The cloud lead straight back to where they left the kid. He coughed, waving his hands around to clear the greenish-gray peculiar smelling smoke lingering in the doorway. A quick eye would catch him drop something small like a cigarette, and step on it.
"What is happening?"

There was no time to answer. 
For the briefest of moments, a rush of pressure seemed to pull the breath right out of their bodies.
It would have all been wasted gasping at the earth-shattering explosion that came anyway.
First there was a blinding flash. Then came the shockwave, tearing through everything without mercy.

Outside the doorway, the two could watch as the building across the street was ripped down by the blast. A car was hurled through the air like it was little more than a toy. The foundation of the building they took shelter beside started to shift, and as though they were caught on the set of an action film, they stood in stillness as wreckage fell around them. Nothing, not even a slight disturbance, made it past the doorway and the thin layer of smoke lingering like a curtain between them and the explosion.

"Shit, oh shit! Oh shit!" The kid was wide-eyed with terror as the walls around them began to lean. They could hear the bricks breaking and see cracks spider-webbing through the structure. He looked ready to bolt.


Then just as suddenly as it happened, it was over. Dust slowly began to settle, and a few peices of rubble tumbled down the side of the now demolished wreckage across the street.
"Dammit..!"
A tired grumble from around the corner told them it was more than okay to step out now.
Kas was sitting against the wall, which now leaned away from the street at an angle after the back side of the building had partially crumbled.

Unhurt but fighting fatigue, Kas looked forlornly at the pile of rubble that used to be an abandoned office across the road. 
"There were people in there.." He lamented. It was highly unlikely for anyone to survive a structure collapsing on top of them, and Kas was far too tired to go upturning concrete to look. His senses were too fuzzy to know if anyone other than the three of them was nearby. Assuming the worst, he sighed and let his head fall back to rest against the wall behind him.

The brown-haired boy looked around in astonishment, blinking his bloodshot eyes, then finally produced the concealable case from his jacket and held it out to Gavin.
"Thank you! I wish there was some way to repay you for everything. That was badass!"

Kas gave Blade a mostly blank look for a moment as the more experienced man tried to show support. He shook his head and reached up to take the minuscule case. Opening it, he turned the one remaining needle over, examining it.
He knew exactly where to use this..
Now that the fighting was done he tucked it into the case and held onto it, currently lacking any pockets.

"I owe you an apology.." Kelly muttered to Gavin. "I was using you as bait."

It was a problem even before he could turn into an untouchable mist form.
When Kas let loose on the battlefeild, he was commonly the last one standing.
A human had virtually no chance. A mutant needed some kind of ability that could save them from suffocating, being blasted by force, getting impaled or cut to pieces by flying debris. Not to mention see and hear through the amount of disturbance and distraction he caused. The infiltrator was used to going it alone.

His friend Loika with her fast regenerative power and animalistic senses was the most successful partner-in-crime he'd ever run with. Though after seeing what Blade could do, he tried an idea he wasn't willing to subject his best friend to. 

"Sorry for that, back there."
Non-chalantly giving the apology that was obviously owed, Kas pushed off the wall to stand. 
He did feel guilt over using someone that trusted him in such a way, especially after the guy was nearly chopped in half by a chunk of shrapnel. Kas wasn't proud of it; but what's done is done.

Kelly looked over at the brown-haired boy, arching a brow.
Sitting on piled rubble, the kid was waiting for them to say yes or no about following him to his place. During the delay, he lit up another funky-smelling 'rolled cigarette' and coughed.
"Again?" Kas quipped. "You've got a real habit there, Cheech."

Coughing, the boy held up a finger, gesturing that he needed a second.
As the kid hacked a few more times, small spouts of bizarre green flames erupted from his mouth. 
"I still have it!" Half choking, 'Cheech' seemed overjoyed.
Kas was astonished.
"Well I'll be damned.."

Even in the poor humor of the devistation around them, Kelly couldn't stifle a chuckle.

The brown-haired kid's eyes went as wide as saucers at the word 'posession'.
"That is not my name!" He coughed, another gout of green flame leaving his lips.

"My name is Javier. Javier Lagunes..." His looks didn't do much to give it away, but the name definately said the kid had roots south of the border.
"My friends call me.. Deadhead."
As the kid stated this, he lit up like a match with eerie green fire. Hands and face were still barely visable, though even his eyes were now jets of bright green. The kid dropped what he was holding, and a slight breeze caused the 'cigarette' to steadily roll away.

Kas broke down laughing at the name 'Dead-head', somehow having gotten over his remorse in the span of a mere few seconds.
"Omahgawd! That's fukkin rich!"