I think you did too.

Can you believe this?!? I wasn't allowed on the entire long weekend. I could kill something.
Nevertheless I finished the beginning. Just so no one else dies, here tis


Copper sighed and glanced at Acid and Electrik, who was glowing in the half twilight that served as Tubelectric's night. "You wanted a fight, Acid," she said quietly. "I am nothing if not accomodating." In front of them Claw suddenly fell victim to a coughing fit. Copper shot him a dark look as he straightened, grinning. "I hope no one gets hurt," she went on, glancing down at her healing leg. She still limped slightly.
"If we're quick and look out for each other, we won't," Crystal assured her. Copper nodded.
"I hope so."
Claw, fully recovered, tossed a wicked grin back at her. "Fear not, Coppertop, we know what we're doing."
"You mercenaries and warriors might," Kaz said, "but I for one have no idea why we're doing this."
"I'm not exactly a warrior myself," Crystal admitted. "I think I'll find a piece of piping and snipe from there."
"Good idea. Get anyone who looks like he's trying something."
"Sure. Even Radium."
"No," Radium stated. "Not 'even Radium'."
"Alright, fine. I'll make an exception for you."
"Thank you," Radium said, dignity drawn around him like a shroud.
"The rest of you -" Copper paused. "The rest of you, do as you need. No elaborate battle plans this time. Try to keep yourselves alive."
"Won't be hard," Defalcon interjected. She shrugged.
"Kaz, I thought you said this place you saw was near here."
"It is," the bird said smugly. "We're there."
"This is it?" KRSplat said unenthusiastically from Copper's other side.
What Kaz had led them to was a dead end. Where three other roads might have been, three wind tunnels ended. Copper knew at a glance that those wind tunnels had no other destination; they ended here. No Kiyrenin would find escape in those.
Crystal nodded to herself. "Good, good," she muttered. She checked the charge on her blaster bistol and nodded absently again. THen she turned to Kaz. "Alright, featherhead, you up to flying me up to that ledge there?"
"Featherhead? Featherhead? Are you talking to me?" Kaz was the picture of indignation.
"Yeah, I mean you, birdbrain."
"Birdbrain! I'll show you!" Furious, Kaz presented his back to Crystal, who chortled and hopped on. Wings working furiously, the angry bird practically tossed her onto the indicated ledge.
Copper glanced at the others. "Hide where you can. The more we can surprise them the better. Radium, Defalcon, stick around."
"Sure," Electrik said genially, and he, Acid, and KRSplat melted into the shadows. Copper gave Claw an expectant look, but he shook his head.
"I'm not leaving. Flames of Kyros, with that?" He glanced at her leg. "Not bloody likely! Six years, I think I know how to guard your back. Don't worry about me."
"Defalcon and Radium -" she began. Her partner cut her off.
"Defalcon tires quicker than either you or I, and if I'm not mistaken, Radium's going to have a lot more to worry about than you."
"True," Radium agreed ruefully. "The price of being a Chaos Mage."
"So you tell us, and repeatedly," Defalcon growled. Radium grinned.
"If I say something more than once, it's obviously true."
"We'll believe you," Copper said dubiously. "Where has Kaz gotten to?"
"He's waiting to attack," Radium said, glancing up at Tubelectric's uncertain sky. Kaz's winged figure was lost in the air traffic that streamed by, far overhead.
"None of those flyboys had better interfere," she said darkly.
"They won't," Radium said with certainty. She flashed him a suspicious look.
"You're sure."
"Of course."
"Well ... "
"Are we just gonna stand around all day or are we gonna start?" Defalcon demanded impatiently.
"We're gonna start," she said, and drew her sword. Then she shook her head. "Man, alerting them like this goes completely against every instinct I have."
"Just activate the stupid hunk of steel," Claw growled.
Defalcon reached back, brushing his hand across Nightfire before drawing Nightwind. Both blades sprang to life, glowing an intense, cold blue.
Copper sighed, and Shale too began to glow. Light flowed off the blade, coalescing in the middle of the dead end, throwing deep, blade-edged shadows onto the walls. Then Copper vanished. Claw made a sound of disgust.
"Was that necessary?"
"If I've gotta do it, may as well go the whole nine yards," she said, materializing again. "They won't be able to resist that."
"We hope. What if they realize this is a trap?"
"Oh, shut up, prophet of doom."
Radium held his hand out now. Defalcon eyed it warily as a spark of light like a coal glowed in his hand; then a shaft of green and silver-laced light shot up. When the glow died, the Chaos Mage was left holding a translucent green spear.
"My little invitation," he said with a lazy grin. "They've gotta come now. I just told them that there's a Chaos Mage in the neighborhood, and he's out for blood. They've got to get me first."
"Now that," Claw admitted, "they won't resist."
"That's the idea," Defalcon said caustically. Then they all fell silent, Defalcon and Copper dousing their swords, and moved slowly into the shadows that lay between the wind tunnels, and waited.
A dark shape shot out of the middle tunnel, uncoiling in front of them and dropping into a crouch. Unfortunately for the Kiyrenin, they were behind him as he warily eyed the alleyway. Copper silently restrained Defalcon with a touch of her hand.
Two more figures materialized from the shadows, obviously having just teleported. A few others followed the first from the tunnels, and Coppertop suppressed a snicker at the thought of flying Kiyrenin.
That reminded her of Shinyso, who was a flying Kiyrenin. Hopefully he wouldn't show up - she'd hate to kill him by accident - but she was confident that if he did, Radium could handle him.
Chaos Mage versus the Ninja. Quite the match. Ten credits to see the show ...
Radium gave her a look that said shut up, you're thinking too loud, they'll hear you, and she obeyed. To be heard was the last thing she wanted.
More and more Kiyrenin gathered, all of them out for blood. Copper glanced over at Claw, who returned the look.
A last Kiyrenin materialized in front of them. He didn't see Radium, who was directly behind him, but he looked straight at Defalcon.
"There," he commanded, and three Kiyrenin stepped uncertainly towards the concealed warrior. Defalcon readied his sword, waiting for combat. Then the commanding Kiyrenin turned, obviously checking for other non-Kiyrenin. Copper held her breath, worrying. Claw also looked nervous.
Then Radium calmly tapped the leader on his shoulder.
The Kiyrenin's reaction was spectacular. He jumped about a foot, whipped around, and almost fell over. His shock at coming face to face with an extraordinarily powerful Chaos Mage was almost palpable. Straightening, he struggled to regain both his composure and his balance. He just had enough time to say, "it's a tra- " before both Radium and Crystal got him. He didn't stand a chance.
"'Itsatra'?" Radium said into the sudden silence, as every Kiyrenin turnied. "Odd. Doesn't sound like any spell I know."
"Ambush!" one of the Kiyrenin shrilled. Coppertop grinned and stepped into the half-light.
"Full marks, soldier," she said. "We were wondering when you'd figure it out."


*feels proud of self* Almost too long.