Post by ArtyJayWolf on Feb 5, 2016 19:47:03 GMT -5
Just gonna roll right into the next one. Shout Out to Nuke because Dragunov is his... XD
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"Thalia vs. Dragunov: The Virago Bowmaster VS The Sharp-Eyed Vagabond
The Heroes got lucky...
Two weeks and four days have past since Stealth's assault that severely injured twenty-one Heroes and four Templars. Of that number, most have recovered, including the four Templars. Two weeks and four days have gone by without a major Heartbreaker attack; only a few minor grunts have dared to attack the barn. However, grudges were held since one fateful day... The day Nicoletta became an Ultimate... The day she fought the Heartbreakers' Ophelia... The day Dragunov and Thalia became bound to fight. Eagle-eyes, arrows, and bullets...
Thalia Lumenstavros Dearly is one of two younger sisters to Hyperion, and also a Sentinel-BowMarshal: the Dual Ultimate Class of Warden and Hunter. She wields a mighty longbow, a javelin, a long-bladed spear, and a long, curved hunting knife. She typically doesn't use a shield. She sports a sleeveless white Templar tunic with purple trims, black skinny jeans, and purple sleeves as her Radiant-Templar apparel.
Dragunov is a Black Labrador Retriever. A Mercenary who currently works for the Heartbreakers... Though he's still debating it, he may have found a permanent job with them... He wields a dagger, a magic replica of a Russian Dragunov SVD rifle, and a multi-shot crossbow similar to the one Van Helsing uses. He wears a white sleeveless top with camouflage cargo pants. Strapped to the sides of his legs and large, black, rectangular, metallic holsters that store the magazines for the sniper rifle and crossbow. When the magazines are not in use, their ammo is replenished in these holsters, to be used again in a matter of seconds or minutes. The Black Lab is a Dual Ultimate Class: Videographer-BowMarshal. Wielding the advanced technological fabrications of a High-Videographer and the deadly aim of a High-BowMarshal, Dragunov is a force unlike any other.
Dragunov was in the Heartbreaker hideout, arming his person to the teeth. He was equipping his holsters with all assortments of special ammunition. Barbed, Poison, Electric, Fire-induced, Spreadshot... He stopped to roll his eyes and let out a sigh. "I know you're there, Ophelia..."
Out from around the corner, Ophelia leaned against the wall with her arms folded, swaying her curvy hips. "What chu's up to?"
"I'm gonna fight Thalia..." Dragunov responded. "Put a bullet in her... Or two... Or five..." He stared into oblivion with teeth grinding together in anger. He hates Thalia... He hated the way that day played out. He had the chance to prove himself to Diana, to the Heartbreakers... To Ophelia...
Ophelia knows a great deal about Thalia... She's the most powerful archer of the Radiant-Templars. Of the Twelve... She's the third most powerful next to Atlas and Hyperion. Her aim is unmatched other than by that of her adoptive parents. The Irish Setter walked up to Dragunov, still outfitting his weapons with ammunition. She leaned on the table, and placed her other hand on her hip.
"Really?" She questioned. "You're gonna fight Thalia... A Templar...? But youse a Merce-..." Then it clicked. Dragunov's a Mercenary. He'll offer his services to anyone willing to give him anything of value to him. However, the fight is between Radiant-Templars and Heartbreakers, not Radiant-Templars, Heartbreakers, and a Mercenary... "You joined the Heartbreakers, didn' ya?"
He was silent. He just stared down at his weapons. Ophelia noticed what seemed like scratches and chips on the hilt of the dagger. She went to pick it up and examine what appeared to be a damaged hilt on the dagger, however Dragunov quickly snatched it back. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't... That's for me to decide, and for Diana and Rob to have the final say on..."
Ophelia was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say! "I, uhh... Thought the knife was damaged..."
"It's not..." Dragunov muttered sternly. "I carved something into the hilt..."
"What'd ya carve?" Ophelia asked. She tilted her head to look at the dagger once again, sitting on the table. Dragunov moved the knife a bit closer to him.
"A promise." He replied after stepping away for a moment to fix a loose gear on his crossbow. "A reason not to get killed..." While Dragunov was preoccupied with fixing his crossbow, Ophelia quickly snatched the dagger off the table and studied the etching. On the bottom of the hilt, the letters "D x O" inside a small heart were engraved. Ophelia gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Dragunov walked up to her and seized the dagger back once again. This time, he slid the dagger into the sheath on his right ankle. "I'll make my move on the windmill in ten minutes..."
Ophelia tilted her head once again. She asked, "What's the importance of the windmill?"
"It's a Hero training hall... There's usually a good number of them. If I cause a bit of havoc there, one of the Templars are sure to show up... Hopefully, when they see me, Thalia will show up." He grasped his guns and latched them onto his back. He went for his ammo holsters and strapped them to his legs. After that, he was about to depart. Dragunov felt someone pulling on his arm. He turned his head to look back, and it was Ophelia, holding his wrist. She smirked deviously, wrapped her arms around Dragunov's neck and kissed him. At first, Dragunov was utterly shocked, and blushing out of his mind! In the back of his mind, he accepted it. His body language certainly didn't show for it. Dragunov slowly closed his eyes and kissed back. Ophelia backed up a bit from the kiss and smirked at Dragunov.
"Go beat that tramp for me, a'ight?" said Ophelia.
"Alright." Dragunov smirked. With that, he departed from the Heartbreakers' hideout, leaving Ophelia with another compelling reason to remain a Heartbreaker.
Meanwhile, at the Windmill, a group of Heroes were training. Shadow and Vladimir were sparring each other. Two Archdemon-classes goin' at it with wings fabricated from darkness.
"You've still got a lot of catching up to do..." Vladimir jested.
"Yeah, not my fault I got shredded by a Wolverine pup!" Shadow replied as he charged for Vladimir. Just as he was about to attack, Shadow let out an "Argh!" and fell forward on his face with a Bang! A black energy wound with sparks of white lightning marked the base of Shadow's spine, where his darkness wings met. "Ow! What was that?!" Shadow exclaimed after he looked up at Vladimir. "I-... I can't move! It hurts like hell!"
Vladimir looked up and saw their assailant. A Sniper. Another Bang! was heard, and Vladimir stumbled back with a sudden jolt of pain from his right-side chest. "Dragunov!" He yelled as he was shot in the knee and collapsed, leaning against the base of the windmill. Multiple other Heroes watched as Dragunov walked steadily up the hill with his rifle and crossbow, taking down the Heroes there one-by-one with Video bullets and crossbow bolts.
"Where are you, Templars?!" He demanded. "Come face me!!" He was nearly blindsided by Wizzer, but Dragunov simply blocked his swords strikes, and shot Wizzer's abdomen three times at point-blank with his Video-magic rifle. Wizzer let out a few grunts of pain, and fell backwards; curling up into a fetal position with his arms covering his stomach. Dragunov stepped over Wizzer as he suffered in pain on the ground. As he advanced, three arrows sunk into the ground in front of Dragunov. The Lab was taken by surprise, and he took a half-step back and glared angrily at the arrows, as if they had been his life-long rivals.
Standing across the field from Dragunov was a female Dalmatian with an infuriated expression on her face and her bow aimed at him. Without even muttering one word, Thalia quickly nocked an arrow and fired at Dragunov. He evaded to the left, and swung his head back around at her. She fired again, and he evaded to the right. The Lab brought up his crossbow, dropped to one knee, and fired three bolts at the Templar. She leaped into the air, performed a front flip, and drew her short-sword. She thrust her steel at the Heartbreaker Mercenary, however he simply drew his own dagger to block. As the two combatants were stuck in a stalemate, Dragunov glared at the "D x O" carved into his dagger's hilt. He closed his eyes briefly for a moment and thought, I'll win... For you, Ophelia..."
Dragunov pushed against Thalia's strength and shoved her back, forcing her to take a few steps away. "You're playing with fire, tomboy!" growled Dragunov. He pulled his rifle off his back and switched the magazines. He turned a dial on one of his ammo-holsters and aimed his rifle at Thalia. He charged up a shot, a ball of fire slowly expanding and glowing brighter from the end of the barrel. With a pull of the trigger, the ball of fire went speeding towards Thalia for what seemed like a direct hit. A cloud of smoke shrouded the Templar. Thalia jumped up through the smoke-cloud with her spear in hand, with small trails of fire blazing off the blade of the spear.
"Then let's light 'em up!" Thalia snapped back as she threw a javelin with such force that it shattered the ground where Dragunov once stood. He jumped out of the way, and ran around in a circle while simultaneously firing at Thalia, whom was still airborne.
As Thalia dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding Dragunov's bullets, she spun around on her back in a breakdancing-esque motion. She kicked her legs up and sprung into the air again. After landing on her feet once more, Thalia jumped out of the way of a few of Dragunov's crossbow bolts in a motion similar to a cartwheel. While she was upside down, Thalia fired three arrows that followed a similar path to a spray of bullets from a shotgun.
Dragunov tucked into his shoulder; with his gun pressed against his chest, rolled out of the way of Thalia's arrows. He felt a jolt of pain from his right shoulder, and glanced over to investigate. One of the arrows had caught him, presenting him with a clean cut across his fur. He examined the wound closer and noticed tiny barbs where the arrow had made contact. Were those barbed arrows? He thought. I guess she's not messing around, this Templar...
Dragunov stood up slowly, clutching both his crossbow and rifle. The weapons radiated power, with veins of technological energy flowing through their very mechanisms. "You know, you're very impressive, I must say." He jested as he adjusted one of the gears on his crossbow. "You said that the fight is between Heartbreakers and Templars, so tell me... Why did you show up to fight me today?"
Thalia didn't respond. She nocked another arrow and quickly fired it. The two inched slowly around in a circle, staring each other down like a scene at high noon out of an Old Western movie. Dragunov quickly leaned back, narrowly escaping the arrow's bite. "Because you're a threat." Thalia snarled back. "You attacked all these pups in the name of the Heartbreakers. Even though you're a Mercenary, that might as well have made you a Heartbreaker yourself. Pongo and Perdita can't do anything in situations like this. They can't just step out, lecture or beat up a bunch of pups that aren't their's. That will spark major controversy..."
"Well, you're right, there." Dragunov replied. "But we'll take the farm. We'll be on top. We're sick of being cast out in the shadows, invisible to everyone else while Roxy and those Heroes enjoy themselves all the time! We're looked down on, tired of being unnoticed! It's high time we've taken our vengeance! The farm will belong to us!!"
The Black Lab put his crossbow on his back and charged, guns blazing at Thalia. The Templar, with arrows in her hand, quickly fired one by one at her opponents as she too charged at him. Both had a burning desire in their hearts to put the other down, for the sake of themselves and their allies... Thalia's not going down easy, she's trained for this. She's survived so much more than a mercenary sniper in her lifetime. Sometimes, she still can't believe all she endured. Thalia seemed to be trapped in an emotional vat of her own design. She has a tendency to become extremely emotional should anyone dare to harm her family. Her bow locked in stalemate with the rifle of Dragunov. He pushed back against Thalia and turned his body to strike her with the stock of the gun. Narrowly avoiding the forceful strike, she retaliated by slashing the winged limbs of her bow along the abdomen of the Black Labrador. She then brought her knee across her body and unleashed a full-blown kick into the middle of Dragunov's chest. He collapsed to one knee to regain his breath, then glared up at Thalia with the most intense, fear-striking expression he could muster.
Dragunov pushed up off the ground into a backwards somersault whilst firing those small singularities of black and white electricity towards his opponent. Thalia glided gracefully across the grass, her feet barely grazing the ground away from the path and impact of the bullets.
Thalia ground her teeth together. Neither of them have taken any sufficient damage! This never ends! She thought. She panted, sweat dripping in thick beads down the sides of her head. The Black Lab breathed heavily through his wet nose. He fired an odd-looking black bullet that emitted a small cloud of gray. It exploded a few feet in from of Thalia, who took a stance to be ready for whatever came through the cloud of smoke. Dragunov came charging through the cloud of smoke, and drove his knee into Thalia's stomach. She coughed as she bent over. Using the stock of his gun, Dragunov slammed the weapon across Thalia's back, then shot her right-side rib cage with a bang!
Thalia smirked and turned to face Dragunov. "Some nerve..." She laughed as she ear-boxed him, still grasping her winged bow. She loosed an arrow into his stomach and slashed the feathered limbs of the bow. She jumped up and delivered a spinning back kick into Dragunov's chin. The two combatants fired projectiles at each other for quite a long time in terms of a fight. As they continued to avoid one another, their energy was drained. Their reflexes became sluggish as their bodies needed to rest. Neither could afford to get hit, however...
Dragunov glared once more at the "D x O" carved into the hilt of his dagger. Finally, he had enough. He drew both his gun and crossbow, adjusted a dial on both of them, and aimed his firearms at Thalia. She took an evasive stance with her bow gripped loosely in her left hand. Dragunov closed his eyes and muttered the words... "Let's do this..." He clamped down on the triggers simultaneously, unleashing an onslaught of bullets and bolts hurtling straight towards Thalia in a rapid-fire action! Thalia spun, flipped, twirled and glided across the ground to avoid being hit. A bullet nailed her right shoulder... Another bolt sliced her left side... Another projectile into her foot, another her arm, another her chest, another and another and another!! Finally, she reached Dragunov, parried his firearms to the side and drove her bleeding head into Dragunov's. She ripped off the red bandanna that the Black Lab wears and drove her foot into his stomach.
"Nice side kick..." Dragunov grunted. The two clashed weapons for quite a while, Thalia used her winged bow to attack and cut Dragunov, while Dragunov simply used his crossbow and rifle as blunt-force objects. The two fired when they could.
The two stood square to each other... Dragunov was about to fall over while Thalia looked as if she were about to pass out. With the last aching bit of strength left in the two combatants, they aimed their weapons at each other... Tension in the air was high as the eyes of the downed Heroes that Dragunov had shot prior to the fight gazed upon the Radiant-Templar and the Heartbreaker-Mercenary. The finale, not so much grand as it was excruciating.
Twang!
Bang!
Thalia was struck with a crossbow bolt and a bullet to her chest and stomach. Dragunov had taken an arrow right below his heart, dead center of his upper body. The arrow tip was so fine that it barely grazed Dragunov's diaphragm. He can still breathe. He will still survive. An audible thud resounded as a combatant fell back and hit the ground. A defeated Dragunov lay there, pulling the arrow out of his body and not moving again as he just rested, staring into the sky... Alone stood Thalia.
She swung her bow on her back and limped over to the other Heroes... She helped Shadow and Vladimir onto their feet, even though Shadow can barely move, and a bullet still left its mark in Vladimir's knee.
"That was amazing, Thalia!" Shadow exclaimed.
Thalia scoffed. "Don't flatter me just yet." She grunted in pain and almost buckled underneath the pressure of trying to remain standing. It was Shadow and Vladimir who grabbed her arms and caught her just in time. "I'm fine..."
"No, you're covered in bullet holes and open wounds. You need rest, Thalia..." Vladimir explained. Out of the rustling bushes, the atmosphere filled with a grim tension...
Ophelia, the Irish Setter, looked on with a horrified expression. "I'll... I'll kill all of you!!!" Ophelia shrieked as she rushed to Dragunov. "Dragunov! Stay with me, a'ight?"
Dragunov opened his eyes and swung his arm around Ophelia's shoulder. "I'm fine... Ain't nothing too damaging..." After aiding the Black Lab back onto his feet, Ophelia began to carry Dragunov away. She turned around to the Heroes and stared at them with a face full of vengeance.
"Youse gonna pay for dis..." She growled. With that, Dragunov and Ophelia disappeared into the dark of the setting sun. Nine Heroes were injured by Dragunov. Shadow, Vladimir, Daisy, Izzy, Wizzer, Nuke, Kasey, Dana, and Lita... Some of which had just recovered from Stealth's attack, and were out of commission once again...
About a day and a half has passed since Thalia secured the Windmill for the Radiant-Templars and the Heroes. She was relaying the story to her younger sister, Amoura and to the adorable fox that everyone loved, Roxy. The one who the Radiant-Templars protect the most. The primary target of Diana... Roxy and Amoura listened closely with deep concern and worried expression on their faces. "I wonder who I'll come to fight..." wondered Amoura.
"It might be Fang..." Thalia smirked. Amoura's turquoise eyes immediately widened, allowing the light to glimmer off of them. They shone brightly, despite the jolt of astonishment that chilled Amoura's spine.
Amoura slapped her sister's arm a few times. "That's not funny!!"
"It is to me!" Thalia snapped back.
Roxy giggled a bit, covering her mouth with her hand. "Haha, you have a sick sense of humor, Thalia."
Thalia gestured to Roxy in agreement. "That, I do, Roxy." She said. "That I do..."
Dragunov proved to be a formidable foe for the Templar Sniper to face. In the end, the Cross stood while the Heart collapsed. There are still many pressing matters at hand for the Heroes. The Heartbreakers are becoming stronger and stronger. Heroes are becoming ensnared in the crossfire of the conflicts, and the Templars are walking away more and more injured. It is only a matter of time before the Heartbreakers reach the final step of their plan... How much longer will the Radiant-Templars be able to hold their own? Will they outlast the Onslaught, or succumb with broken hearts?
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"Thalia vs. Dragunov: The Virago Bowmaster VS The Sharp-Eyed Vagabond
The Heroes got lucky...
Two weeks and four days have past since Stealth's assault that severely injured twenty-one Heroes and four Templars. Of that number, most have recovered, including the four Templars. Two weeks and four days have gone by without a major Heartbreaker attack; only a few minor grunts have dared to attack the barn. However, grudges were held since one fateful day... The day Nicoletta became an Ultimate... The day she fought the Heartbreakers' Ophelia... The day Dragunov and Thalia became bound to fight. Eagle-eyes, arrows, and bullets...
Thalia Lumenstavros Dearly is one of two younger sisters to Hyperion, and also a Sentinel-BowMarshal: the Dual Ultimate Class of Warden and Hunter. She wields a mighty longbow, a javelin, a long-bladed spear, and a long, curved hunting knife. She typically doesn't use a shield. She sports a sleeveless white Templar tunic with purple trims, black skinny jeans, and purple sleeves as her Radiant-Templar apparel.
Dragunov is a Black Labrador Retriever. A Mercenary who currently works for the Heartbreakers... Though he's still debating it, he may have found a permanent job with them... He wields a dagger, a magic replica of a Russian Dragunov SVD rifle, and a multi-shot crossbow similar to the one Van Helsing uses. He wears a white sleeveless top with camouflage cargo pants. Strapped to the sides of his legs and large, black, rectangular, metallic holsters that store the magazines for the sniper rifle and crossbow. When the magazines are not in use, their ammo is replenished in these holsters, to be used again in a matter of seconds or minutes. The Black Lab is a Dual Ultimate Class: Videographer-BowMarshal. Wielding the advanced technological fabrications of a High-Videographer and the deadly aim of a High-BowMarshal, Dragunov is a force unlike any other.
Dragunov was in the Heartbreaker hideout, arming his person to the teeth. He was equipping his holsters with all assortments of special ammunition. Barbed, Poison, Electric, Fire-induced, Spreadshot... He stopped to roll his eyes and let out a sigh. "I know you're there, Ophelia..."
Out from around the corner, Ophelia leaned against the wall with her arms folded, swaying her curvy hips. "What chu's up to?"
"I'm gonna fight Thalia..." Dragunov responded. "Put a bullet in her... Or two... Or five..." He stared into oblivion with teeth grinding together in anger. He hates Thalia... He hated the way that day played out. He had the chance to prove himself to Diana, to the Heartbreakers... To Ophelia...
Ophelia knows a great deal about Thalia... She's the most powerful archer of the Radiant-Templars. Of the Twelve... She's the third most powerful next to Atlas and Hyperion. Her aim is unmatched other than by that of her adoptive parents. The Irish Setter walked up to Dragunov, still outfitting his weapons with ammunition. She leaned on the table, and placed her other hand on her hip.
"Really?" She questioned. "You're gonna fight Thalia... A Templar...? But youse a Merce-..." Then it clicked. Dragunov's a Mercenary. He'll offer his services to anyone willing to give him anything of value to him. However, the fight is between Radiant-Templars and Heartbreakers, not Radiant-Templars, Heartbreakers, and a Mercenary... "You joined the Heartbreakers, didn' ya?"
He was silent. He just stared down at his weapons. Ophelia noticed what seemed like scratches and chips on the hilt of the dagger. She went to pick it up and examine what appeared to be a damaged hilt on the dagger, however Dragunov quickly snatched it back. "Maybe I did, maybe I didn't... That's for me to decide, and for Diana and Rob to have the final say on..."
Ophelia was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say! "I, uhh... Thought the knife was damaged..."
"It's not..." Dragunov muttered sternly. "I carved something into the hilt..."
"What'd ya carve?" Ophelia asked. She tilted her head to look at the dagger once again, sitting on the table. Dragunov moved the knife a bit closer to him.
"A promise." He replied after stepping away for a moment to fix a loose gear on his crossbow. "A reason not to get killed..." While Dragunov was preoccupied with fixing his crossbow, Ophelia quickly snatched the dagger off the table and studied the etching. On the bottom of the hilt, the letters "D x O" inside a small heart were engraved. Ophelia gasped and covered her mouth with one hand. Dragunov walked up to her and seized the dagger back once again. This time, he slid the dagger into the sheath on his right ankle. "I'll make my move on the windmill in ten minutes..."
Ophelia tilted her head once again. She asked, "What's the importance of the windmill?"
"It's a Hero training hall... There's usually a good number of them. If I cause a bit of havoc there, one of the Templars are sure to show up... Hopefully, when they see me, Thalia will show up." He grasped his guns and latched them onto his back. He went for his ammo holsters and strapped them to his legs. After that, he was about to depart. Dragunov felt someone pulling on his arm. He turned his head to look back, and it was Ophelia, holding his wrist. She smirked deviously, wrapped her arms around Dragunov's neck and kissed him. At first, Dragunov was utterly shocked, and blushing out of his mind! In the back of his mind, he accepted it. His body language certainly didn't show for it. Dragunov slowly closed his eyes and kissed back. Ophelia backed up a bit from the kiss and smirked at Dragunov.
"Go beat that tramp for me, a'ight?" said Ophelia.
"Alright." Dragunov smirked. With that, he departed from the Heartbreakers' hideout, leaving Ophelia with another compelling reason to remain a Heartbreaker.
Meanwhile, at the Windmill, a group of Heroes were training. Shadow and Vladimir were sparring each other. Two Archdemon-classes goin' at it with wings fabricated from darkness.
"You've still got a lot of catching up to do..." Vladimir jested.
"Yeah, not my fault I got shredded by a Wolverine pup!" Shadow replied as he charged for Vladimir. Just as he was about to attack, Shadow let out an "Argh!" and fell forward on his face with a Bang! A black energy wound with sparks of white lightning marked the base of Shadow's spine, where his darkness wings met. "Ow! What was that?!" Shadow exclaimed after he looked up at Vladimir. "I-... I can't move! It hurts like hell!"
Vladimir looked up and saw their assailant. A Sniper. Another Bang! was heard, and Vladimir stumbled back with a sudden jolt of pain from his right-side chest. "Dragunov!" He yelled as he was shot in the knee and collapsed, leaning against the base of the windmill. Multiple other Heroes watched as Dragunov walked steadily up the hill with his rifle and crossbow, taking down the Heroes there one-by-one with Video bullets and crossbow bolts.
"Where are you, Templars?!" He demanded. "Come face me!!" He was nearly blindsided by Wizzer, but Dragunov simply blocked his swords strikes, and shot Wizzer's abdomen three times at point-blank with his Video-magic rifle. Wizzer let out a few grunts of pain, and fell backwards; curling up into a fetal position with his arms covering his stomach. Dragunov stepped over Wizzer as he suffered in pain on the ground. As he advanced, three arrows sunk into the ground in front of Dragunov. The Lab was taken by surprise, and he took a half-step back and glared angrily at the arrows, as if they had been his life-long rivals.
Standing across the field from Dragunov was a female Dalmatian with an infuriated expression on her face and her bow aimed at him. Without even muttering one word, Thalia quickly nocked an arrow and fired at Dragunov. He evaded to the left, and swung his head back around at her. She fired again, and he evaded to the right. The Lab brought up his crossbow, dropped to one knee, and fired three bolts at the Templar. She leaped into the air, performed a front flip, and drew her short-sword. She thrust her steel at the Heartbreaker Mercenary, however he simply drew his own dagger to block. As the two combatants were stuck in a stalemate, Dragunov glared at the "D x O" carved into his dagger's hilt. He closed his eyes briefly for a moment and thought, I'll win... For you, Ophelia..."
Dragunov pushed against Thalia's strength and shoved her back, forcing her to take a few steps away. "You're playing with fire, tomboy!" growled Dragunov. He pulled his rifle off his back and switched the magazines. He turned a dial on one of his ammo-holsters and aimed his rifle at Thalia. He charged up a shot, a ball of fire slowly expanding and glowing brighter from the end of the barrel. With a pull of the trigger, the ball of fire went speeding towards Thalia for what seemed like a direct hit. A cloud of smoke shrouded the Templar. Thalia jumped up through the smoke-cloud with her spear in hand, with small trails of fire blazing off the blade of the spear.
"Then let's light 'em up!" Thalia snapped back as she threw a javelin with such force that it shattered the ground where Dragunov once stood. He jumped out of the way, and ran around in a circle while simultaneously firing at Thalia, whom was still airborne.
As Thalia dropped to the ground, narrowly avoiding Dragunov's bullets, she spun around on her back in a breakdancing-esque motion. She kicked her legs up and sprung into the air again. After landing on her feet once more, Thalia jumped out of the way of a few of Dragunov's crossbow bolts in a motion similar to a cartwheel. While she was upside down, Thalia fired three arrows that followed a similar path to a spray of bullets from a shotgun.
Dragunov tucked into his shoulder; with his gun pressed against his chest, rolled out of the way of Thalia's arrows. He felt a jolt of pain from his right shoulder, and glanced over to investigate. One of the arrows had caught him, presenting him with a clean cut across his fur. He examined the wound closer and noticed tiny barbs where the arrow had made contact. Were those barbed arrows? He thought. I guess she's not messing around, this Templar...
Dragunov stood up slowly, clutching both his crossbow and rifle. The weapons radiated power, with veins of technological energy flowing through their very mechanisms. "You know, you're very impressive, I must say." He jested as he adjusted one of the gears on his crossbow. "You said that the fight is between Heartbreakers and Templars, so tell me... Why did you show up to fight me today?"
Thalia didn't respond. She nocked another arrow and quickly fired it. The two inched slowly around in a circle, staring each other down like a scene at high noon out of an Old Western movie. Dragunov quickly leaned back, narrowly escaping the arrow's bite. "Because you're a threat." Thalia snarled back. "You attacked all these pups in the name of the Heartbreakers. Even though you're a Mercenary, that might as well have made you a Heartbreaker yourself. Pongo and Perdita can't do anything in situations like this. They can't just step out, lecture or beat up a bunch of pups that aren't their's. That will spark major controversy..."
"Well, you're right, there." Dragunov replied. "But we'll take the farm. We'll be on top. We're sick of being cast out in the shadows, invisible to everyone else while Roxy and those Heroes enjoy themselves all the time! We're looked down on, tired of being unnoticed! It's high time we've taken our vengeance! The farm will belong to us!!"
The Black Lab put his crossbow on his back and charged, guns blazing at Thalia. The Templar, with arrows in her hand, quickly fired one by one at her opponents as she too charged at him. Both had a burning desire in their hearts to put the other down, for the sake of themselves and their allies... Thalia's not going down easy, she's trained for this. She's survived so much more than a mercenary sniper in her lifetime. Sometimes, she still can't believe all she endured. Thalia seemed to be trapped in an emotional vat of her own design. She has a tendency to become extremely emotional should anyone dare to harm her family. Her bow locked in stalemate with the rifle of Dragunov. He pushed back against Thalia and turned his body to strike her with the stock of the gun. Narrowly avoiding the forceful strike, she retaliated by slashing the winged limbs of her bow along the abdomen of the Black Labrador. She then brought her knee across her body and unleashed a full-blown kick into the middle of Dragunov's chest. He collapsed to one knee to regain his breath, then glared up at Thalia with the most intense, fear-striking expression he could muster.
Dragunov pushed up off the ground into a backwards somersault whilst firing those small singularities of black and white electricity towards his opponent. Thalia glided gracefully across the grass, her feet barely grazing the ground away from the path and impact of the bullets.
Thalia ground her teeth together. Neither of them have taken any sufficient damage! This never ends! She thought. She panted, sweat dripping in thick beads down the sides of her head. The Black Lab breathed heavily through his wet nose. He fired an odd-looking black bullet that emitted a small cloud of gray. It exploded a few feet in from of Thalia, who took a stance to be ready for whatever came through the cloud of smoke. Dragunov came charging through the cloud of smoke, and drove his knee into Thalia's stomach. She coughed as she bent over. Using the stock of his gun, Dragunov slammed the weapon across Thalia's back, then shot her right-side rib cage with a bang!
Thalia smirked and turned to face Dragunov. "Some nerve..." She laughed as she ear-boxed him, still grasping her winged bow. She loosed an arrow into his stomach and slashed the feathered limbs of the bow. She jumped up and delivered a spinning back kick into Dragunov's chin. The two combatants fired projectiles at each other for quite a long time in terms of a fight. As they continued to avoid one another, their energy was drained. Their reflexes became sluggish as their bodies needed to rest. Neither could afford to get hit, however...
Dragunov glared once more at the "D x O" carved into the hilt of his dagger. Finally, he had enough. He drew both his gun and crossbow, adjusted a dial on both of them, and aimed his firearms at Thalia. She took an evasive stance with her bow gripped loosely in her left hand. Dragunov closed his eyes and muttered the words... "Let's do this..." He clamped down on the triggers simultaneously, unleashing an onslaught of bullets and bolts hurtling straight towards Thalia in a rapid-fire action! Thalia spun, flipped, twirled and glided across the ground to avoid being hit. A bullet nailed her right shoulder... Another bolt sliced her left side... Another projectile into her foot, another her arm, another her chest, another and another and another!! Finally, she reached Dragunov, parried his firearms to the side and drove her bleeding head into Dragunov's. She ripped off the red bandanna that the Black Lab wears and drove her foot into his stomach.
"Nice side kick..." Dragunov grunted. The two clashed weapons for quite a while, Thalia used her winged bow to attack and cut Dragunov, while Dragunov simply used his crossbow and rifle as blunt-force objects. The two fired when they could.
The two stood square to each other... Dragunov was about to fall over while Thalia looked as if she were about to pass out. With the last aching bit of strength left in the two combatants, they aimed their weapons at each other... Tension in the air was high as the eyes of the downed Heroes that Dragunov had shot prior to the fight gazed upon the Radiant-Templar and the Heartbreaker-Mercenary. The finale, not so much grand as it was excruciating.
Twang!
Bang!
Thalia was struck with a crossbow bolt and a bullet to her chest and stomach. Dragunov had taken an arrow right below his heart, dead center of his upper body. The arrow tip was so fine that it barely grazed Dragunov's diaphragm. He can still breathe. He will still survive. An audible thud resounded as a combatant fell back and hit the ground. A defeated Dragunov lay there, pulling the arrow out of his body and not moving again as he just rested, staring into the sky... Alone stood Thalia.
She swung her bow on her back and limped over to the other Heroes... She helped Shadow and Vladimir onto their feet, even though Shadow can barely move, and a bullet still left its mark in Vladimir's knee.
"That was amazing, Thalia!" Shadow exclaimed.
Thalia scoffed. "Don't flatter me just yet." She grunted in pain and almost buckled underneath the pressure of trying to remain standing. It was Shadow and Vladimir who grabbed her arms and caught her just in time. "I'm fine..."
"No, you're covered in bullet holes and open wounds. You need rest, Thalia..." Vladimir explained. Out of the rustling bushes, the atmosphere filled with a grim tension...
Ophelia, the Irish Setter, looked on with a horrified expression. "I'll... I'll kill all of you!!!" Ophelia shrieked as she rushed to Dragunov. "Dragunov! Stay with me, a'ight?"
Dragunov opened his eyes and swung his arm around Ophelia's shoulder. "I'm fine... Ain't nothing too damaging..." After aiding the Black Lab back onto his feet, Ophelia began to carry Dragunov away. She turned around to the Heroes and stared at them with a face full of vengeance.
"Youse gonna pay for dis..." She growled. With that, Dragunov and Ophelia disappeared into the dark of the setting sun. Nine Heroes were injured by Dragunov. Shadow, Vladimir, Daisy, Izzy, Wizzer, Nuke, Kasey, Dana, and Lita... Some of which had just recovered from Stealth's attack, and were out of commission once again...
About a day and a half has passed since Thalia secured the Windmill for the Radiant-Templars and the Heroes. She was relaying the story to her younger sister, Amoura and to the adorable fox that everyone loved, Roxy. The one who the Radiant-Templars protect the most. The primary target of Diana... Roxy and Amoura listened closely with deep concern and worried expression on their faces. "I wonder who I'll come to fight..." wondered Amoura.
"It might be Fang..." Thalia smirked. Amoura's turquoise eyes immediately widened, allowing the light to glimmer off of them. They shone brightly, despite the jolt of astonishment that chilled Amoura's spine.
Amoura slapped her sister's arm a few times. "That's not funny!!"
"It is to me!" Thalia snapped back.
Roxy giggled a bit, covering her mouth with her hand. "Haha, you have a sick sense of humor, Thalia."
Thalia gestured to Roxy in agreement. "That, I do, Roxy." She said. "That I do..."
Dragunov proved to be a formidable foe for the Templar Sniper to face. In the end, the Cross stood while the Heart collapsed. There are still many pressing matters at hand for the Heroes. The Heartbreakers are becoming stronger and stronger. Heroes are becoming ensnared in the crossfire of the conflicts, and the Templars are walking away more and more injured. It is only a matter of time before the Heartbreakers reach the final step of their plan... How much longer will the Radiant-Templars be able to hold their own? Will they outlast the Onslaught, or succumb with broken hearts?