Participants:
| Scene Title | Road Trip, Part 2 |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Jason runs into trouble on his trip down south. |
After they outrun the neo-centaurs, the eclectic group encounters no more trouble for a little while. It's a fairly peaceful drive for the first five hours or so, aside from Sybass barking orders and Phaeton dodging and swerving to follow the odd directions. Fortunately, having an Oracle in the car works in Jason's favor, as they manage to avoid most threats. Phaeton easily takes care of the minor annoyances, like scattering swarms of goblins in the road or outrunning shinobi.
It's good to be Jason. James Bond Wannabees get all the best toys. Unfortunately, they obviously have the very worst families which is how one wind sup with things like a Pandoras box sitting around and mad pursuit by enemies. A yawn and Jason comes back awake, shifting awkwardly in his seat and look around. "Status?" he inquires of car and fish both.
"Boring," Phaeton answers promptly, with a hint of sulk in the electronic tones. "Other than having to take the least direct route possible."
"Just keep driving, you overgrown toaster on wheels," Sybass answers, sounding tense. "Keep your eyes peeled, or whatever you have for eyes. I've got a pricking in my thumbs."
"We'll take boring with half of North America in heading in our generation direction. How far out are we from Miami?" Jason takes a moment to check over his guns before turning his own attention to outside the vehicle. Phaeton may not have eyes, but Jason does! Ones with telescopic senses that see well outside normal spectrums and stuff, even.
"We're approaching the North Carolina state border," Phaeton replies. "Approximately twelve point seven miles. Miami is … very far away."
"Something wicked this way comes," Sybass intones in a soft sing-song.
For those looking, a huge shape can be seen high in the sky. It looks somewhat like a coatl, only bigger.
Much, much bigger.
"Right.." Jason says not sounding too terribly happy about the fact. He looks upwards into the sky and clears his throat, "He wasn't kidding about the dragon it appears. Wow that thing looks.. big. Phaeton, I seriously hope Erika installed some anti armor shells in your rocket launcher. Go ahead and load one up just in case. Sybass, what can you tell me about dragons that I really really need to know about now?"
The soft whine of Phaeton's hydrolics fills the cab as he arms up. "Rocked launcher armed."
"Xuihcoatl," Sybass answers. "Xuihtecuhtli created them to hunt Scions of the Aztlanti. They look like standard coatl except for a few differences. They're bigger. They breathe fire. They can assume mortal form. And they are mean. PHAETON, SWERVE!"
"Right" Jason says quickly taking that all in and looking not terribly happy, Scion killers. Great. On the plus side if we can handle this fucker the rest of our trip might go a little easier. I'd not want to deal with those that just fucked over an assassin dragon." He is tossed to the side as Phaeton swerves, "Fire I can handle. You guys can't. I'm getting out, it should be drawn to me since I've got the box on me. Phaeton, if I can get it stunned open fire. I'm betting Xuihtecuhtli never expected anti tank rounds." Jason waits until the next swerve slows momentum enough to leap clear, landing in a crouch with twin pistols drawn.
Phaeton swerves at Sybass's shouted order, just in time to avoid a fiery explosion in the middle of the road. The dragon screams in the air, a powerful, primordial sound and it exhales another fireball just barely missing both the car and Scion.
After Jason jumps out, another blast of flame comes his direction, but he rolls just far enough to avoid the blast radius. Phaeton's wheels squeal as he hits the brake and pulls a perfect 180, prepping the rocket launcher.
The huge feathered serpent descends lower, now hovering low over the road.
"Do you hide up there fearing to face me upon the ground in mortal guise?" Jason calls up towards the serpent, taunting. Meanwhile pistols are lining up on the juncture where feathered wings meet the body, steadying for a moment before twin trigger squeezes result in the bark of two guns. The Scion of Aphrodite returning fire in his own way. If the dragon won't come down, maybe it can be brought down.
The xiuhcoatl ignores the taunting, letting out another primordial scream that shakes the treets near the road. Jason's rounds hit home, slamming into the serpentine body, but the monster stays in the air, appearing to shrug off the attacks. However, dark liquid drips from the feathers and sizzles on the pavement of the road. The dragon swoops down, striking like the serpent it resembles with jaws open wide.
Jason stands there facing the facing the the dragon in the air for a moment? A rabbit in the dragonlights? Perhaps not. He's just waiting for that dragon to start it's downward momentum headed in direction while he gathers the energy of his appearance about himself. Then a sudden glorious rush he let's it out, blasting the dragon with compelling presence. That figure before it suddenly having something of the distinctly non human about it, an element of the divine, a bit of transcendent form. As that lodges home Jason dives and rolls to the side, hopefully leaving the dragon to continue it's downwards rapid course directly into the pavement below.
Jason's trick works a little too well as the massive serpent freezes completely for a second. Not long until it shakes it off, but long enough to allow the Scion to roll aside. The xuihcoatl roars again as it sees its prey evade it once more, but fortunately doesn't smash its head into the pavement. It glares at Jason through hateful, reptilian eyes and opens its mouth again, exhaling a huge cloud of burning flame.
"Now while the nice thing is trying to roast me alive would be a really good time Phaeton" Jason calls out towards his car. Jason is immune to fire and yet does not really seem to be in the mood to test it, as he rolls into a crouch. For a moment a pistol aligns with that opening mouth, snapping off a shot towards the open maw before his legs suddenly push him upwards into a leap well out of any human range. Hopefully out of that range of that flame. Hopefully out of the range of the explosion if Phaeton does make with the heavy firepower.
And again, Jason manaages to clear the flame. Just in time, too, as the serpent strikes down for another bite. Phaeton takes that moment to fire.
Powerful, anti-tank shells slam into the creature. Designed to pierce reinforced metal, they do their job equally well against supernaturaly reinforced flesh. Phaeton also has excellent aim.
The xuihcoatl screams, raising its head skyward. It's long, serpentine body thrashes around, side-swiping the car and knocking it rolling to land on its side off the road. The dragon now has only one eye, and the left side of its face is horribly burned.
It's a good thing Erika put so much armor plating on that car. Still! Poor Phaeton! That had to hurt. "Phaeton! Right yourself and engage self repair routines. We're getting out of here." Jason calls out as he reaches the peak of his jump and begins to come back down. Again both guns are aimed as he does so, body curved in the air to get the angle for the perfect shot and then triggers are squeezed again. The target this time is that last remaining eye, he's out to leave that dragon at least blinded before making his next hasty departure.
"I'm trying," Phaeton answers. A loud grinding can be heard as the car tries to right itself. "But I'm going to need help here, Jason."
Meanwhile, Jason's bullets strike true, blinding the xuihcoatl in a spray of gore and gunpowder. It reacts with an engraged scream and begins pelting the area blindly with fireballs and thrashing around wildly. Phaeton takes another hit, rolling him even further until he slams into a tree. Right side up, but pretty battered. The passenger door pops open and Phaeton's wheels squeel as he tries to head out of the immediate danger zone. "Get in!"
Jason really is glad about now that he is immune to those flames, a few fireballs splashing a bit too close for comfort but leaving the Scion unharmed. The same cannot be said for debris, a few jagged stones shaken loose by the dragons thrashing leaving bloody scratches upon his flesh which quickly seal shut. Not needing any further encouragement he rushes Phaeton and dives more than steps into that passenger door which is opened. Time for a hasty, somewhat victorious, withdrawal.
Phaeton pulls another 180 and his voice mixes with the roar of his engine as he hauls ass out of the inferno, a yell of exhilaration. Odd for a car to feel an adrenaline rush, but Phaeton's not exactly a normal car.
"Welcome back." Sybass says to Jason in a shaken tone. "Let's get the hell out of here."
Jason is actually panting. That was real exercise. Guns are returned to their holsters and he says, "You think we're having a bad day. Dragon is now having a worse one. Full speed, steer us clear of any more fights if possible. Let's get there and make this damnable thing somebody elses problem."
Car, Scion, and Fish zoom off, until the zone of destruction is merely a memory in the rear-view window. No other threats jump out at them, and a hopefully peaceful, long drive awaits them.
Hopefully.
Continued in Road Trip, Pt 3.
