Post by Soldier 76 on Aug 31, 2016 19:52:46 GMT
George let out a heavy sigh as he set away the hammer and dropped his gear. An aborted mission, because doomsday was looming over them all. It was a heavy feeling, he'd been consoling Ansell, assuring him everything would be okay. They were far enough from the blast to ensure they were safe; no one would hurt him. George kept promising that as he kept his kit with him in case they needed to go out and do something about this disaster. He almost wished Hephaestus would say something, drove him crazy never knowing whether that voice was real or not.
Ansell kept fiddling with the hammer, curious as to it's purpose beyond what he'd been told. It had a fascinating construction, a bit like a lightning rod with battery storage and a mechanism to discharge that entire store of energy on command. What was the purpose of it? As he could see no way to actually charge it. No cable or insert point, though the handle seemed to have a space for a hand, without any protective coating; was that where you charge it? Wouldn't that just lead to it electrocuting the user? He hummed and looked at George curiously.
He went back and forth on terror and calm, it was so much to take in, he wanted to help...he wanted to hide. He wanted to run to the rescue of any survivors and yet he wanted to find a safe space underground with those he'd grown fond of. He supposed it was hard to know exactly which to go with. George said he'd protect them, Ansell was having trouble figuring out how exactly? Not that he didn't like George and it wasn't that he didn't figure he could wrestle a bear, it was just he was just a regular person. Sure a military person previously but Ansell was also a military person. He recalled George talking about someone else.
Hephaestus, who is that? Is he the one who uses the hammer? Ansell grumbled. "Hephaestus," he said finally to George and the big man raised a brow. "Meet him." At least he could manage to make that pretty clear.
"Meet him? Why would you want to meet him?" George asked careful to keep his tone from being snippish. He sort of bristled a bit.
"He protect? Who. He is?" Ansell said in a stubborn tone. "Need know." George shook his head.
"I guess, he is the reason I was in Overwatch to begin with; he's just...I don't know, he's a thing, not really a person," he replied and sighed. "You don't need to know him. He's just for fighting he's not much for conversation."
"Not you? Want. know, show!" This wasn't going to be dropped it looked like. George snorted.
"No." There was a finality to that word. No, Hephaestus could stay buried till they needed him. Ansell made a frustrated noise, he was anxious and now he was angry.
"Yes! YES! YES!" He dragged the hammer over and dropped it at George's feet. "Show! SHOW!" He was not backing down. "Need know!" Why was he doing this now of all times? Wasn't there enough stress and destruction?
George furrowed his brow and grunted picking up the hammer, he looked down at it. "Fine. But we can't be in the building..." he said softly, heading for open space, he wasn't about to ruin Whiskey's things after all. He stopped and sighed, right he'd almost forgotten. He had Ansell hold the hammer a moment as he returned in a different pair of pants. It only took once to remember that ever time after. The wildman looked confused. "Trust me, it's required."
They walked in silence, Ansell briefly regretting being so pushy about it, seemed George had a real issue with it. Outside, well away from any kind of building or other very destructible thing George took a few steps away from Ansell. There was a bit of anticipation in the air. He took a deep breath, and for a few brief beats nothing happened. /Oh, so you do want me? How touching. Here I thought you'd forgotten./ A profound frown grabbed the old man's lips, Ansell was about to call it off but it was a big late for that.
The taste of electricity, and the smell of burnt ozone were not unfamiliar, as he heard the crackling. He could see why George had swapped pants, and went shirtless. The ground sizzled with fire from the current pushing through it. It was hard to look at it for a few brief seconds, and when his eyes returned to the figure he didn't recognize it. Taller, broader, with a bemused sort of expression on a younger looking face; the hair was impossible not to notice, it seemed to flicker like fire, the color of it matching the motions. Static electricity holding it aloft. Ansell gaped, he reached out curiously.
"I wouldn't, unless you want to have a heart attack, and cooked flesh," mused the stranger, as he gripped that exposed bit of metal that was at the handle of the hammer. The weapon seemed to come alive, charged up. That would explain it's design. "Cute tool isn't it? Built just for me, better for aim, cause lightning is one to be easily directed on it's own." He chuckled. Even his voice was different. As the Hammer lit up he offered his hand to Ansell. "Should be safe now."
The wildman cautiously took the hand, noticing a strange fuzzy feeling, which could have been a few thousand volts if it wasn't being correctly channeled. "You...Hephaestus?" he asked slowly.
"Good name don't you think? I do make lightning bolts after all;" he mused as he shook the man's hand. "Old George didn't want you to meet me, what a shame; he's not exactly my biggest fan." A chuckle from his belly as he glanced around. "Gibraltar, ahhh yes, remember this place well, not that I was here much." The electrified man took a few steps away to look around.
"What you?" Ansell had to ask, was he still George? How did they change places and faces?
"I'm a million million little machines, all working together to create an intelligence; so I guess you could say I'm an artificial super organism, that happens to use this body as a host. Mmm makes me sound like a parasite, but it's more symbiotic, I use the bio electricity to replicate and fuel myself, and I keep this body repaired, and protect it from disease...though if I'm being honest with you the program wasn't exactly a success and I often draw a little more energy than I ought to," muse Hephaestus. "But who cares, you're cute, I'm strong, and we should get to know each other."
Ansell was a bit uncomfortable with that concept, so Hephaestus was essentially an AI? One that could just write over George? He frowned. "He okay?" he asked.
"George? Yeah, he's just fine; just sleeping right now, while I'm in control," he replied with a smirk. "Anyway who cares about that old fart? He's no fun, I'm thinking I should get into a bit of trouble while I'm out. Want to see a trick?" He swung the hammer around in his hand and smashed it to the ground after a moment, the weapon discharged scorching fascinating line along the ground grass and dirt instantly liquifying and burning for a moment. The charge lasted around 20 feet, leaving a cone of little lightning bolt-like marks spreading out. "That's not particularly impressive I know, but I probably shouldn't bring down any of the buildings, nor should I cause any shorts. A shame there's no where to really stretch out my legs."
"George. Back?" Ansell asked slowly and Hephaestus raised a brow.
"No, not right now; maybe later when I've burned out a bit. Come on, you can't honestly say he's more fun than me, your Junker friend seems to get a kick out of me, lets go find something or...someone to break," he answered with a chuckle as he hooked the hammer onto his back. "Oh I know, there's an old abandoned town that was built on a cliff, it's falling off that cliff maybe I can give it a hand." And off he went, he just lept and climbed up glancing down. "Not coming?"
Should he? Ansell frowned, starting to regret this decision the more he thought on it. There was something deeply unnerving about this stranger. A mad gleam to his eye that wasn't like Buckshot's crazy, it was something more sinister. He should probably follow if only to make sure nothing went really wrong. The wild man was accustomed to climbing and followed after. "After, George back?" He called and Hephaestus rolled his eyes.
"What is your obsession with the old man? He's so dull, he watches day time TV and puts bengay on; what is the appeal?" he asked. "Come on, I thought you were a wildman, what's fun about the domestic anyhow?" Ansell frowned. He could imagine while George had been so hesitant, there was a bad feeling growing in Ansell's stomach.
Ansell kept fiddling with the hammer, curious as to it's purpose beyond what he'd been told. It had a fascinating construction, a bit like a lightning rod with battery storage and a mechanism to discharge that entire store of energy on command. What was the purpose of it? As he could see no way to actually charge it. No cable or insert point, though the handle seemed to have a space for a hand, without any protective coating; was that where you charge it? Wouldn't that just lead to it electrocuting the user? He hummed and looked at George curiously.
He went back and forth on terror and calm, it was so much to take in, he wanted to help...he wanted to hide. He wanted to run to the rescue of any survivors and yet he wanted to find a safe space underground with those he'd grown fond of. He supposed it was hard to know exactly which to go with. George said he'd protect them, Ansell was having trouble figuring out how exactly? Not that he didn't like George and it wasn't that he didn't figure he could wrestle a bear, it was just he was just a regular person. Sure a military person previously but Ansell was also a military person. He recalled George talking about someone else.
Hephaestus, who is that? Is he the one who uses the hammer? Ansell grumbled. "Hephaestus," he said finally to George and the big man raised a brow. "Meet him." At least he could manage to make that pretty clear.
"Meet him? Why would you want to meet him?" George asked careful to keep his tone from being snippish. He sort of bristled a bit.
"He protect? Who. He is?" Ansell said in a stubborn tone. "Need know." George shook his head.
"I guess, he is the reason I was in Overwatch to begin with; he's just...I don't know, he's a thing, not really a person," he replied and sighed. "You don't need to know him. He's just for fighting he's not much for conversation."
"Not you? Want. know, show!" This wasn't going to be dropped it looked like. George snorted.
"No." There was a finality to that word. No, Hephaestus could stay buried till they needed him. Ansell made a frustrated noise, he was anxious and now he was angry.
"Yes! YES! YES!" He dragged the hammer over and dropped it at George's feet. "Show! SHOW!" He was not backing down. "Need know!" Why was he doing this now of all times? Wasn't there enough stress and destruction?
George furrowed his brow and grunted picking up the hammer, he looked down at it. "Fine. But we can't be in the building..." he said softly, heading for open space, he wasn't about to ruin Whiskey's things after all. He stopped and sighed, right he'd almost forgotten. He had Ansell hold the hammer a moment as he returned in a different pair of pants. It only took once to remember that ever time after. The wildman looked confused. "Trust me, it's required."
They walked in silence, Ansell briefly regretting being so pushy about it, seemed George had a real issue with it. Outside, well away from any kind of building or other very destructible thing George took a few steps away from Ansell. There was a bit of anticipation in the air. He took a deep breath, and for a few brief beats nothing happened. /Oh, so you do want me? How touching. Here I thought you'd forgotten./ A profound frown grabbed the old man's lips, Ansell was about to call it off but it was a big late for that.
The taste of electricity, and the smell of burnt ozone were not unfamiliar, as he heard the crackling. He could see why George had swapped pants, and went shirtless. The ground sizzled with fire from the current pushing through it. It was hard to look at it for a few brief seconds, and when his eyes returned to the figure he didn't recognize it. Taller, broader, with a bemused sort of expression on a younger looking face; the hair was impossible not to notice, it seemed to flicker like fire, the color of it matching the motions. Static electricity holding it aloft. Ansell gaped, he reached out curiously.
"I wouldn't, unless you want to have a heart attack, and cooked flesh," mused the stranger, as he gripped that exposed bit of metal that was at the handle of the hammer. The weapon seemed to come alive, charged up. That would explain it's design. "Cute tool isn't it? Built just for me, better for aim, cause lightning is one to be easily directed on it's own." He chuckled. Even his voice was different. As the Hammer lit up he offered his hand to Ansell. "Should be safe now."
The wildman cautiously took the hand, noticing a strange fuzzy feeling, which could have been a few thousand volts if it wasn't being correctly channeled. "You...Hephaestus?" he asked slowly.
"Good name don't you think? I do make lightning bolts after all;" he mused as he shook the man's hand. "Old George didn't want you to meet me, what a shame; he's not exactly my biggest fan." A chuckle from his belly as he glanced around. "Gibraltar, ahhh yes, remember this place well, not that I was here much." The electrified man took a few steps away to look around.
"What you?" Ansell had to ask, was he still George? How did they change places and faces?
"I'm a million million little machines, all working together to create an intelligence; so I guess you could say I'm an artificial super organism, that happens to use this body as a host. Mmm makes me sound like a parasite, but it's more symbiotic, I use the bio electricity to replicate and fuel myself, and I keep this body repaired, and protect it from disease...though if I'm being honest with you the program wasn't exactly a success and I often draw a little more energy than I ought to," muse Hephaestus. "But who cares, you're cute, I'm strong, and we should get to know each other."
Ansell was a bit uncomfortable with that concept, so Hephaestus was essentially an AI? One that could just write over George? He frowned. "He okay?" he asked.
"George? Yeah, he's just fine; just sleeping right now, while I'm in control," he replied with a smirk. "Anyway who cares about that old fart? He's no fun, I'm thinking I should get into a bit of trouble while I'm out. Want to see a trick?" He swung the hammer around in his hand and smashed it to the ground after a moment, the weapon discharged scorching fascinating line along the ground grass and dirt instantly liquifying and burning for a moment. The charge lasted around 20 feet, leaving a cone of little lightning bolt-like marks spreading out. "That's not particularly impressive I know, but I probably shouldn't bring down any of the buildings, nor should I cause any shorts. A shame there's no where to really stretch out my legs."
"George. Back?" Ansell asked slowly and Hephaestus raised a brow.
"No, not right now; maybe later when I've burned out a bit. Come on, you can't honestly say he's more fun than me, your Junker friend seems to get a kick out of me, lets go find something or...someone to break," he answered with a chuckle as he hooked the hammer onto his back. "Oh I know, there's an old abandoned town that was built on a cliff, it's falling off that cliff maybe I can give it a hand." And off he went, he just lept and climbed up glancing down. "Not coming?"
Should he? Ansell frowned, starting to regret this decision the more he thought on it. There was something deeply unnerving about this stranger. A mad gleam to his eye that wasn't like Buckshot's crazy, it was something more sinister. He should probably follow if only to make sure nothing went really wrong. The wild man was accustomed to climbing and followed after. "After, George back?" He called and Hephaestus rolled his eyes.
"What is your obsession with the old man? He's so dull, he watches day time TV and puts bengay on; what is the appeal?" he asked. "Come on, I thought you were a wildman, what's fun about the domestic anyhow?" Ansell frowned. He could imagine while George had been so hesitant, there was a bad feeling growing in Ansell's stomach.
