Jones Sandstrider the Heliolisk
Prankster Platoon
Lotus Den Slums
Affected RPers: @Morzone (Julia).

The good news was that the Talon’s pursuer seemed to have vanished. The bad news was that the literal truck that Jones had used as cover was still going, and its driver seemed pretty annoyed.

“You neon idiot,” hissed the ghost Marowak, its phantasmal voice echoing above the roar of the engines. “Trying to throw me to the Lotus like that? I’ll end you.”

That black car had been Lotus? Jones filed that information away as she watched the Marowak take one claw off the steering wheel and place it on another set of controls. Her first instinct was to disengage, but doing so would set her careening and would give the Marowak even more freedom to unload its weapons. “Chesh, Tony! Get him off me, then hit him! One-two punch!”

Having a mind-reader in the car was helpful, since “one-two punch” wasn’t an official strategy that the Talon’s crew had ever discussed before. However, Tony and Cheshire seemed to get the gist. After a second’s pause, there was a loud noise of crackling energy and crunching metal, coupled with the unmistakable flash of a Protect barrier springing up between the Talon and the semi-truck. Jones had no time to ponder how much damage the barrier would do to the Talon itself, given the vehicles’ proximity; she was too busy righting her car’s trajectory to think about what damage it may or may not have taken.

The Protect faded in seconds, but those seconds had been enough. The semi had been pushed off of the Talon, and Tony was now taking aim at it. There was the sound of machine gun fire; Tony must have switched to the smaller weapon to finish the semi off.

“Boom!” Tony roared, laughing. A glance backward revealed that the semi was quickly receding into the distance, literal holes shredded into the tires. “Hope the ghost can phase through bullets - but even if he can, that truck’s not going anywhere!”

Durakan the Alolan Marowak (Independent) has been eliminated.

Once again, Jones was able to take the Screaming Talon up to full speed. That little kerfuffle had cost some time, but they’d been prepared for a few scrapes to slow them down. The damage that the collision with the semi had done, though…

As if he’d read her mind - ha, ha - Cheshire called out, “Right side’s functional, but we lost some armor! Tony and I are gonna be more vulnerable and I’m not sure how many more Protects I have in me!”

Jones saw someone coming up ahead, a car that spit fire out of its sides, painted with lightning decals. It was fast, maybe even faster than the Talon - but raw speed wasn’t everything. “Take out this scrap’s tire!” she called. They were close enough that she could see the Pachirisu in the vehicle ahead fiddling with something that most sensible ‘mons, and Jones, would assume was a gun. “Then get back to reflecting or deflecting or whatever it is as soon as possible!”

Mazer Pratten the Greninja
Prankster Platoon (De Facto Leader)
Liaocrack River
Affected RPers: Morzone (Theo).

At the Quilava’s threat, Krum leered at the Infernape. Mazer held up a webbed finger - you’re good doing what you’re doing, but wait. He wanted to hear the rest of this.

After all, the conversation was certainly interesting. He was curious about this ‘Valkyrie’; it was some sort of vehicle for the Tempest Festival, probably, but Mazer could only guess its kind. It definitely wasn’t in the Dreadmetal Derby; he could surmise that much. That said, though… whose name were they talking about?

The Infernape twisted slightly in Tatia’s grip, like he was trying to get away from Krum, but stopped when Mazer leaned in. “Whose name did he say, darling?” Mazer asked.

“You -” the Infernape hissed, breaking off as Tatia tightened her claws ever so slightly, “Look, I can’t tell you! Do you have any idea what the queen would do to me if she found out that I was giving out state secrets!? It’s bad enough that I failed in my mission; she’ll tear me apart if I give you Prankster freaks anything!”

Mazer nodded. When he spoke, his voice dripped with false sympathy. “I understand,” he said. “Fortunately, I can make it so that you do not have to tell the queen of this little incident.”

The Infernape was quiet for a moment. “Wha - glurk!”

An ugly grunt left the Infernape’s mouth as Mazer grabbed him by the tongue. The Infernape’s throat glowed as he tried to retaliate with a spout of flame, but Mazer raising up a spinning water shuriken right near the Infernape’s eyes put an end to that. “You’re going to tell me whose name our friend here said, love, or I’m going to saw out your tongue.”

After a few seconds, the Infernape nodded as well as he could with a webbed hand holding him by the tongue. Mazer let go, and the Infernape - after spitting again - said, “It’s Anthony. Queen Taiya is looking for information on Anthony of the Seven Knights.”

Several expletives found their way to the tip of Mazer’s tongue, but he contained them. Tatia locked eyes with Mazer, who said, “Take the Infernape back to the boat, please. You, Umber, and Mellie can keep him stunned. Krum, go with him. I’ll be along in a moment.”

Tatia looked a little concerned, and Krum a little disappointed, but they both complied - though it took a point-blank Thunder Wave to get the Infernape to stop wriggling. When they were gone, Mazer turned back to the Quilava. “I imagine,” he said, “that you’re among the Steel Scavengers. I can also imagine that you understand how this complicates things. I don't plan to harm you, darling, but this puts me in a deeply tricky position.” The Prankster Platoon and the Steel Scavengers had clashed before - and Anthony, that idiot, mud-brained, delusional kako, was at the heart of it.

But maybe this could be useful. After all, Queen Taiya wasn’t the only ruler of ‘mons who wanted Anthony Carpenter-Weaver dead.