Outskirts

[Rampage]

Rampage is by no means a fast individual. He certainly can't run fast but up close, he is wealth of strong, toned muscles (to say nothing of his cybernetic arm) are more than adequate to make him a dangerous threat up close. The glittering arch of the sword blade twirling through the air might have had an awe inspiring beauty to it under different circumstances and if this were anyone else by the king of trigger-happy lunatics everywhere.

If Rampage hadn't seen Novus standing over a fallen SWATbot WHILE holding a sword, Rampage might have felt bold enough to block the sword with his bar cybernetic arm. But he DID know better. In a flash, Rampage sprang to his feet and with a wide sweeping wave of his cybernetic arm batted the spinning sword out of harms way from the side rather than stop the blade head-on. Sparks flew as the two opposing metal surfaces clashed. Even by striking the blade on the side, the blade still managed to gouge a slash across his arm since the impact angle was impossible to precisely make given the circumstances.

With his right hand still clutching his laser rifle loosely leveled on Novus one-handed, Rampage glanced over his shoulder to where Novus' sword stood straight and tall; embedded in the soft soil. Tsk, tsk, tsk... I hope that wasn't your best shot bub. Cause if that was, then I think my job security is quite safe."

"I call this move SLAYER!"

"HAH HAHAH!!! What, those puny pea shooters again? Those things couldn't kill a cold!" Rampage laughed heartily; completely unafraid of the weapons Novus had drawn upon him.

[Novus]

Novus unloaded both pistols at Rampage with his remaining 8 shots aiming to put four rounds at his neck and eyes, and one at each of his limbs. After firing, before even waiting to see what effect his shots would have, Novus put away one gun and as he dashed to the side towards his sword which was just deflected, and reached for his speed loader filled with the armor piercing rounds that Rampage would surely find more threatening.

[Rampage]

Throwing his robotic arm in front himself, he managed to deflect the shots aimed for his head and neck. On shot did bounce off Rampage's metal face, but the tiny rounds did almost nothing to Rampage's tough metal hide. The shots to his real arm and legs were a different matter however.

One shot only grazed his left leg while the second one took a direct hit in the thigh. His right arm also took a direct hit but somehow Rampage neither flinched or screamed out in pain. If anything, Rampage only looked angrier all of a sudden.

"MY TURN!!!!" Rampage roared in fury as a reddish haze spread around the edges of his eye; even his cybernetic eye seemed to change to a darker, almost reddish colour. Rampage charged headlong at Novus. Or rather ran straight for the sword with the intent of intercepting him before he reached it. Since the sword was much closer to him than to Novus even Rampage's slower trot would mean that he'd reach the sword about the same time as Novus. And to compound the matter, Rampage unleashed another hail of laser fire at the center of Novus' chest until his weapon auto locked into recharge mode. But by then, Rampage and Novus would be on top of each.

[Novus]

Novus had roll to avoid being hit by the shots from Rampage's gun, but still took a shot in his left arm and another grazed shot across his side. He slowed down and wouldn't reach his sword before Rampage, but no matter... Novus still had a full complement of armor piercing rounds in his revolver and was just feet away from the cyborg badger.

Novus stopped in his tracks with Rampage still closer to the sword and pointed the gun directly at his face. "You're a respectable fighter, I'd rather not kill you. Instead why don't you tell this Robotnic person that I'm looking for a job and that this fight was intended to be my application." Said Novus with a serious face for the first time all day.

[Rampage]

Rampage smiled, for what all appeared to be genuine. He certainly didn't appear to be scared by the fact Novus was pointing a gun straight at his head at practically point-blank range.

"HAH HA HAH AH!!" Rampage bellowed out with an almost psychotic laugh. "Oh? You think that's how this is going to play out do you?"

Rampage turned his back to Novus without any fear, taking a step towards Novus' sword. "You think I'm just going to break down groveling for my life because the big tough Human is pointing a gun at my head? Take a look at me, Human. I've survived worse than anything that puny pop-gun can do to me... and ripped the heart out of the ones that did to me." Rampage warned darkly, turning his head and torso enough to display the grizzly metal covering his body where flesh and fur should have been.

"Besides, see that tower over there?" Rampage gestured with the tip of his gun as he turned back around to Novus. The SWATbot still stood atop the AA tower watching the battle like a hawk; still at the controls the large laser cannon. Rampage watched Novus carefully and the moment his gaze shifted to look at the SWATbot, he'd deftly grasp the hilt of the sword with his robotic hand while Novus was distracted. Turning his body so that Novus could only see Rampage from the side, with his body blocking what he was doing with the sword Rampage spoke again.

"You shoot me and he'll burn so many holes through you, you'll look like Swiss cheese inside a second. So don't try bluffing that you have the upper hand. Besides, they don't call me Rampage because I surrender... I RAMPAGE!!!!!" As he bellowed, Rampage hurled Novus' sword underhanded at him like a horizontal frisbee. The instant the sword left Rampage's hand he took off, charging headlong at Novus, intent on tackling him.

[Novus]

Novus barely saw the sword coming and wouldn't be able to dodge and block the tackle at the same time, realizing this, he would do something more drastic. Novus drew his spent revolver and hurled it at the spinning blade to change its trajectory, and at the same time, started running to the tower where the SWATbot was manning the gun.

As he darted off towards the tower, Novus shouted back smuggly. "Very well, but remember, I'm faster, and that gun that used to be a problem for me, will be a problem for you when I get ahold of it!"

[Dr. Robotnik]

[Figured I should interject this, since I had noted the tower's fortifications before.]

As Novus ran for the ground entrance of the tower, he'd notice the heavy metallic doors. The SWATbots who retreated inside before had locked them behind them. Novus would not be able to open them barehanded. At the minimum he'd need a welding kit, plus a decent amount of time to hack through. But right now, he definitely didn't have either. The tower walls consistend of smooth, dark metal with no handholds. Even if there were handholds, trying to climb the tower would make Novus an easy target for Rampage's gun before he reached the top.

[Rampage]

Rampage skidded to a halt when he saw Novus side step him and tear off toward the tower and shook his head in bemusement. An AA gun? That's his big plan?

Alright, he want's escalation, Rampage will GIVE him escalation. Running as fast as he could, which now appeared to have a bit of a limp to his stride that matched the streaks of red staining his legs, Rampage hoped back aboard his hovercraft and activated it's engines.

Novus would have no difficulty at all hearing the distinct whine of the hovercraft. Rampage hadn't quite got it off the ground yet, but the doors were now securely sealed. "Ya might want to reconsider your earlier boast. Looks to me like I got all the cards here." Rampage's voice boomed out over the hovercraft's loud speaker.

[Novus]

"Well.... crap!" Novus said, noting imperviousness of the fortification. The ones he was used to weren't like this, they were usually brick, lumber or both, and could be climbed using footholds or by boosting off off of protrusions.

Without anything else to do, Novus stepped back and fired a shot at the head of the SWATbot manning the AA gun, walked out in the clearing, holstered his pistol, and put his hands up.

Novus smiled extra wide, "I know when a fight's over, but I'd like another go at you sometime, without distractions. That said, do I go to meet your boss now or to meet the warden?"

[Rampage]

As the hovercraft lifted off the ground and turned toward Novus, a thin smile spread across Rampage's 'half-face' as his finger hovered over the hovercraft cannon's trigger. "First you can say hi to the man in the black robe and scythe." Rampage's finger squeezed the trigger.

A massive cloud of dust erupted from the ground. But as the dust cleared, Novus would find himself still standing, though covered in dust and a massive crater only feet in front of him.