From his position west of the Marketplace, he couldn't see much visually - the high walls of the position he took at the flush point precluded that possibility - but he had other ways of 'watching' the situation.

As soon as he'd heard the ruckus about the bus and the kamikaze attempt, he'd called up the monitoring system he'd had planted throughout the city in every public place imaginable that he could reach.

The devices were incredibly advanced and designed to pick up on activity in a startling number of ways. Bordering on the microscopic, hundreds of thousands of them were 'seeded' throughout the city, and formed a complex, interconnected network. Each device was a highly modified and specialized version of the very same SHIELD nano plates that were the primary component of his armor suits. Utilizing a wireless communications system and a number of listening implements that ranged from one end of the electromagnetic spectrum to the other, they, along with D.I.A.N.A., formed the core of his informational infrastructure in the city, and permitted him to not only listen in on just about any method of over-the-air communication, but also allowed him to ultrasonically image any section of the city that was public domain in real time.

He hadn't gotten to implementing a system like it for the underground sections of the city, but that was something he was hoping to remedy in the near future.

This was the system he called up once the communications channels went crazy with the reports of the bus and its explosive cargo came over the air as he listened in, and as such, though he didn't have a line of sight to the action himself, he still 'saw' the action as it went down.

He had to admit, he was impressed with this Cyrus Merrick. Dude was quick to react, and in just the right manner, without hesitation, first seeing to his teammates, then working to take care of as much as the problem before he followed them down.

But that was nothing compared to Jester.

He'd read over the Saurian's file when he came to the Avengers. But reading reports was one thing - seeing the big lizard in action?

That was something else. He and the rest of the Phalanx armored group could do that sort of thing, but they had to use augmented suits to do it, and what was more, the saurian made it look?effortless.

Damn, big man. Gonna have to make room in my budget for vehicles this guy can use as combination transportation and cudgel.

He keyed the comms as Jester dropped into the sewer so they could hear him chuckling. "Nice job with the truck. I think I'm gonna have to make sure you have an unlimited supply of those just so I can see you do it again."

A brief rumble of a chuckle answered the armored figure. The Saurian didn't waste words, not when one sounded like he did. The gleam of his eyes gave just enough light to see by as he slowly scanned the area, brushing a bit of dust off his own suit of armor.

"For as far as to see, can I, clear is. No movement. No heat. No ether. Tight tunnels. With caution, we proceed?"

Let the others draw blades or ready weapons. His hands remained empty. More dangerous that way.

Jester was not the only one seemingly unarmed. Though she had to admit, at least to herself, that she was tired and a little more than off balance. She kept her problems to herself and presented her usual, confident front.

Those chocolate brown eyes scanned scanned ahead. She couldn't do much without risking a collapse in here. She again was a sledgehammer as opposed to a scalpel. Brian was on point and this was his op. She knew how to follow chain of command.

She stayed towards the middle of the group, even with her powers and her *uniform* she was the most physically vulnerable of the group. It made sense to stay near the more armored members, just in case.

Though when it came to a fight...

She would be the surprise punch.

There was a silent gesture to the group she was leading. There was no words as they paused and waited. They knew not to piss off the Spathi Warrior.

She took out a pair of field glasses to watch the group they were tailing. There was a half smile as she watched the group leader go to knee.

"(vqw) Very smart. They know they are walking into a *nest.*"

She looked at the group again. "(vq) I will engaged the warriors of the group. The four of you try to hold off that big lizard." She gestured to the ones she hand selected. "(vq) You two, the witch is your priority. Remember she is not to be underestimated either."

She continued to monitor and wait for the right moment to move in.

?Copy that Elpis, in addition we have possible contacts?several, two large and several smaller. Bi-pedal it seems. We?re just south of junction Mike-Papa-23, we?ll advise momentarily.?

The radio channel was changed over to the TAC-2 channel, as Brian spoke once more. ?Simms this is Ravenlock, Team Alpha is going off the grid past the reach of the maps, expand the perimeter by 5 or so blocks, and stay frosty. Remember to keep those grates cleared, they may be the only way in and out.?

Hearing the reply, Brian nodded to himself.

?Well guys an gal, looks like Alpha hit some contacts & maybe some pay dirt. We?re a long way off from em, to boot. Anyone got anything up ahead in reference to what I?m seeing??

~Storm, we got possible contacts at Junction Mike Papa-23. Check & see how?re we?re looking grate wise if you can & any updates on our bus?~

~Storm, we got possible contacts at Junction Mike Papa-23. Check & see how?re we?re looking grate wise if you can & any updates on our bus?~

She was positioning people as they spoke. ~Grate is clear for the moment. The 27th has the clean-up under control and Fox is hunting.~

She looked off in the distance towards where that bus had trundled off, ~Fox, status update.~

~The slitch managed to disappear in the chaos of the city. This track is cold for the moment.~ There was a undertone to Sionn's words that said the Fox was pissed off at that. ~Returning to position.~

She shook her head and reoriented on Brian, ~Negative on the bomber. Having Blackstone move into cover the exit.~ She was covering her bases here.

Nodding instead of speaking, the saurian glanced once more at the group ahead, blowing a chuffing sort of breath out his nostrils. Two tiny golden disks on the vambraces of his armor gleamed as he strode forward, a faint shimmering in the air around him.

Moving a good ten paces, he approached the half-way point and stopped. Standing, he nearly filled the tunnel. Instead, he sunk down into a half-crouching stance, teeth bared, and brought both arms up to the ready. The slight whine from his armor rose in pitch a trifle as he cycled up the power, turning one fist palm-up, and curling his fingers in an unmistakable gesture.

'Come at me, bro.'

The slight whine from his armor rose in pitch a trifle as he cycled up the power, turning one fist palm-up, and curling his fingers in an unmistakable gesture.

'Come at me, bro.'

There was an answering chuff followed by a low growl of menace. Four, what could be assumed to be bipedal, creatures stalked in the direction of the Saurial. The feral creatures vaguely resembled a humanoid being; yet their minds were seemingly gone. There was one off to the side, chuffing and growling almost as if it was giving orders.

The blonde warrioress in the back gave the signal for her team to move into position. She moved silently as well, moving closer to where Brian and Cyrus stood.

Then the pack leapt at Jester in a frenzy?

? It was on like Donkey Kong?

He didn?t like this.

Once everyone decided where they were going to be positioned, he assigned himself his place. He was used to being on point, even when he had been in command of his own fireteam, before he came to Rhy?din; but with that spot already filled, he took up the next best spot - the rear guard.

He?d had his comm unit patched into the frequencies that the teams were using, once he?d found out and requested being assigned to Brian?s team, listening to the reports as they came through.

He?d been doing combat ops for over ten years, both as a member of the UNSC Marine Corps, and as a Spartan, against an enemy whose tactics, numbers, and technology were superior to that which he was given to work with. In order to overcome that advantage of the enemy?s, he?d had to develop skills and abilities of his own to be able to survive.

Chief among those abilities was knowing when something wasn?t what it seemed to be.

The bus in the marketplace, the attack on Alpha Team, and now the quartet of hostiles in front of them, ready to attack, indeed, taking the offensive rather than falling back to a defensive posture?it wasn?t right.

It didn?t fit, unless it was all connected.

Which meant they were walking into a trap.

Watch your back, the voice that identified itself as Ranger had said.

He intended to do just that?but if something was going to come from that direction, he knew from first hand experience, it wasn?t something that was going to just reveal itself openly, not while it thought someone might be watching for an attack from that direction.

The human in him wanted to take the preventative measure, turning towards the rear and covering that quarter, rather than keeping his eyes ahead on where the action was.

But it was the killer in him, the Spartan - that cold, inhumanly efficient and deadly combat machine - that he listened to.

And the Spartan had no desire to force the enemy that he suspected was closing on them from the unwatched quarter to back off.

He wanted that fight.

He craved it.

One hand left the shotgun he was holding, reaching down to the active camouflage unit at his waist. A single tap was all it took to activate it.

And, all at once, the Spartan vanished from view as the Sangheili active camo module powered on and bent what little ambient light there was down here around his armor and shielding, rendering him almost completely invisible in the low-light conditions of the sewer tunnel.

Not a word was spoken as he moved, drawing closer to the group and turing, working on covering all the available directions at once while rendering himself all but undetectable to even the most sensitive of sense.

A grin formed on his features under the helmet as he waited for the unseen enemy he was nearly sure was out there to reveal itself. Come on, f*ckers?don?t leave me hanging?

She obliged Brian and Cyrus by stepping out of the shadows into their line of sight fully. At the same time, six other figures moved into position.

?Now you--- are something that doesn?t seem to belong all the way down here? So while our friend wraps up with your friends, let?s you an us have a lil? chat, hmm? Let?s try to end this with as little bloodshed as possible, we?re kind of on a time table, here.?

The blonde looked like she could have stepped off the catwalk somewhere, not in the middle of a sewer. "I could say the same for your people..."

Those blue eyes panned before her, keeping a close eye on Brian and Cyrus. "You really should not be down here. You've disturbed things that should have been left sleeping." There was a soft note of amusement at that even as her hand rested loosely next to the Spatha at her side.

The remaining hounds, at last count a full 15 including the ones he just batted aside were circling Jester, when the remaining members of the pack leapt in from all sides.

The Saurian's dance of mayhem faltered a moment, as the remaining pack members assembled in a rough circle, gathering themselves for the bullrush. It only took half a second to calculate and plan, and as they leaped, he dropped into a crouch. Armor and scale vanished under the wave of undead horror.

The pile of Hounds settled ominously a moment, before erupting upward, lit brilliantly by the lances of white-hot fire in his hands. Two swords, emitting a field of plasma, joined the dance, parting flesh and bone, muscle and sinew as he whirled, swinging in great arcs. Fluids sizzled in the air, a reeking miasma of burning undeath. One Hound, then another, and more reduced to quivering gobbets of body parts laced with charred carbon, half the horde falling in as many moments under the Saurian's relentless attack. Wary, the rest moved just out of reach, watching for a hole in the pattern.

In the midst of the dervish, Jester noted the dangers approaching his team, and bared teeth at the challenge.

"You really should not be down here. You've disturbed things that should have been left sleeping."?

Now that drew a bit of a raised brow-- well more than he would have honestly wished to show, truth be told. His thoughts went back to Renna's outburst during the GAC meeting, which included a certified threat of harm and or death to anyone who ventured deeply within the realm that lay underneath the city of Rhy'Din.

A threat that Brian carried quite close to home, because when Ren said she'd do something, you'd bet the cow and arse on it, she would do exactly what she said and then take it to 11 just for shit(s) and giggles, cause that's how momma rolled.

But this being before him, this-- woman it seemed... Her words, as polite as they came across, carried a great deal of weight with him. The intent was quite evident, as much so as her words were a direct threat-- a threat that seemed more of a promise, in the eyes of the eldest Ravenlock.

They did most assuredly, disturb something...

Yet Brian seriously had doubts in regards to that fact that whatever they had disturbed was merely catchin' Zzzzzz, while the rest of city went on with business as usual for all this time, so that made him wonder a tad...

What did in fact disturb that which was sleeping, and more so--- why the hell was it so pissed it sent a bus load of goblin sappers as a welcome gift, and now whatever the hell that Jester had used as a melee weapon-- mind you with some seriously kick arse results.

Also, was team alpha dealing with something similar as well, and if so-- why the hell so much resistance!?

Then something else came to the mind of the eldest Ravenlock.

Would Jenai be cooking tonight in that skimpy lil number, he was so fond of-- or would it be another 'skins' type of deal in the kitch--- ?Focus boy!?

Shaking his head, Brian brought himself back to the present situation at hand as he made note of the additional arrivals, along with the group Jester had about him. ?No time for love, Doctor Jones...? The words were said softly, and were a way to assure he was on track.

A nod to Wanda as he replied, ?Copy that, Wanda... Then again, neither did we... Well, save the blonde there, I wanna talk to her some more, if we get the chance-- but her friends here? Fair game, Wanda.?

The .45 was holstered calmly, as Brian took a step forward while those hands of his reach just behind him to the small of his beck, fingers taking hold of a pair of hilts as his thumbs popped the securing piece offering a faint 'click' as he did so.

His gaze seemingly was quite set on the blonde, as another step was taken forward. Quickly his eyes shifted to Wanda, taking count of the Witch and then back to where the advancing 'Ghost' had originally been as well. A soft nod to himself, as those eyes returned to the woman once more, ?We'll talk about some more things in a few sweet cheeks, after we put down these pets o' yours.?

Brian detected the Spartan alright, even if he didn't know exactly where the enhanced soldier's current position was, that was fine an dandy, cause Brian knew the man...

That's where it counted.

So when he heard Merrick's words, Brian smiled faintly and drew the pair of 8? blades from their respective sheathes behind his back, ?Copy that, Spartan--- dust em'.. Save the tall one, though.?

The words were said softly, but Brian knew they were heard and in his mind's eye he had a damned good idea, what the enhanced soldier would do. Just as much as he trusted Wanda to act, and Jester to continue the arse kicking he had begun moments before.

No other words followed, as Brian simply broke into a dash straight into the head of those that were pressed before them, again knowing Merrick would act and begin the literal chain of carnage.

Of course that my friends is theoretical and subject to the terms and services of their opposition, hmm?

Game on.

?Come get some anytime you miss your mama and need your ass spanked."~ Dev Peltier, Dark Hunters series

The .45 was holstered calmly, as Brian took a step forward while those hands of his reach just behind him to the small of his beck, fingers taking hold of a pair of hilts as his thumbs popped the securing piece offering a faint 'click' as he did so.

The Spatha was slid clear of its sheath as the blonde smiled at the gesture. A smile made more sinister by the appearance of those elongated incisors.

His gaze seemingly was quite set on the blonde, as another step was taken forward. Quickly his eyes shifted to Wanda, taking count of the Witch and then back to where the advancing 'Ghost' had originally been as well. A soft nod to himself, as those eyes returned to the woman once more, ?We'll talk about some more things in a few sweet cheeks, after we put down these pets o' yours.?

The psychic in her did not miss the movements nor the subtle tension of the warriors. Yes, this is the moment... "We can talk anytime you wish, handsome or dance if you prefer."

Brian smiled faintly and drew the pair of 8? blades from their respective sheathes behind his back, ?Copy that, Spartan--- dust em'.. Save the tall one, though.?

Words softly heard by one with enhanced senses. She barked out a guttural command in ancient Greek, a dialect so long dead it was forgotten in the mists of time. The remaining blonde moved into place and started for their respective targets. The Remaining hounds circled and leapt at Jester attempting to bring the Saurial down with the ferocity.

No other words followed, as Brian simply broke into a dash straight into the head of those that were pressed before them, again knowing Merrick would act and begin the literal chain of carnage.

The General spun into action, meeting that charge head on with a clash of arms and weapons...

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the witch attempting to hold her own.

"Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war." Julius Ceasar William Shakespear

(Note: This scene takes place BEFORE Brian and Jenai's girls were taken and Brian lost his hand and part of his left leg, while getting them back and also Brian being brought back by Kruger and Renna. As a result Brian currently in this scene has abilities he no longer has in the present and still carried what was left of the gauntlet before surrendering it to the Onyx Lotus. Thanks!)



The gap between Brian and the mysterious ring leader was cut to nothing in the blink of an eye, as the pair quickly engaged in what looked to be a dance of sparks and violent flashes that gave the area around them an almost strobe light like atmosphere which normally would have made it a bit of a mess for the man, but given the close proximity the ill effects of the changes in light were kept to a minimum as far as Brian went.

Back and forth the pair went, trading blow for blow as if they had done this so many times before, which began to unsettle the man somewhat more so with each passing second and exchange.

It was as if she were... clearly familiar with Brian, as each strike was clearly met with a proper counter, more so--- the counters were clearly not wasted at all, as she began to press the measure against Brian, gaining ground more assuredly.

Her strength was more than evident, clearly reminding Brian of the likes of Renna, or even Jenai... Hell, even that skank vampiress that always like to dress up like a high class hooker, or something. What her was name? Hell, Brian couldn't tell you to save his life right now, even if he had a moment to do so, which of course he did not.

A quick glance of to his side somewhat and he could make out Wanda, who looked to have more than her hands full!

?$h!#?, Brian yelled to himself, as he tried to pivot just enough to maybe roll or spin aside, in order to get to Wanda somehow.

He struck bad harder against his 'dance partner', using the matching force of her counters, in a hope his plan would work. The exchanges became faster and faster as Brian allowed himself to lose ground while shifting his stance enough to gain ground towards Wanda.

The pain was more than evident in the eyes of the Ravenlock, but that mattered little, because.. it was working!

And then--- ?!??

It all went to $#!&...

?The hell!? Wanda??

The sight of Wanda being snatched broke the man's concentration, opening him up wide to a world of hurt, which followed with the most extreme of prejudices.

He couldn't tell you what exactly happened, just that it all came at once somehow. In fact the only two things he knew right off the bat, was that she jacked his jaw with the force of a friggin' hammer, and despite his armor when she kicked him in the gut, it felt like some took a railroad tie and just impaled him with it.

The sound of Brian hitting the far wall of the corridor was something that really couldn't be described, maybe that was because of all the chaos around, or maybe because Brian got knocked the ^&%$ out for a moment or two. Either way, ^&%$ got real and damned fast!

That moment or two, mentioned earlier? Literally it was just that, but he'd be damned to tell you it felt like hours for some reason. Blackness gave way slowly, as those eyes of his opened slightly, the chaos still more than evident about him yet for all purposes it might have all been in slow motion.

Iron... He tasted iron... His right hand lifted to his mouth, a gloved finger running down his lower lip as he took in a breath, the warmth felt down to his chin as he realized it was blood.

His feet began to scramble, trying to press him against the wall more so in an attempt to rise somehow, yet part of his body felt much heavier for some reason.

His left side in fact.

Something was off...

Throwing the cobwebs aside somehow for the moment, he looked to his left a moment and then downward to the flooring. His eyes widened, as he realized he didn't see his hand there. Nervousness began to seep in the more so, as Brian felt pangs of panic as well. His free hand reaching over, fingers clawing at his tactical harness and clothing.

It as before, it felt like forever but he realized what had happened... And it did not make him feel any better at all.

As he looked upwards a bit, he found his arm extended... his hand still quite attached, no less.

Well attached, to him... And impaled in the wall itself, by his very own blade.

His eyes shifted from his hand, to where she had been... Back to his hand once more, as his free hand reached for the blades hilt, again and again.

"Shoulda just shot the bitch..."