Facing Hogan

With his path cut he had few options. One was to run back into the forest and the second one was to hold his ground. The latter was the wisest, at least in his book.

"First one that makes a step forward gets more lead than a toy painted in China." Dominik utters, keeping his aim on the pack ahead and scoping between the different targets. He wondered for a moment if they even understood him at all.

It takes about three seconds to decide that these creatures have no idea what he said. He determines this when he sees a grey blur streak out towards him. The creature has darted out from behind a tree directly in front and to the left of Dominik. As Dominik reacts, the corner of his eye spots another such darting motion from the right. Both of these creatures are heading straight towards him.

Zeneviev reaches Dominik's position in time to see the two creatures darting in for the attack on Dominik.

[Both of you roll perception, please.]

Dominik clenches his teeth as he focuses on his adrenaline to try and follow the supernatural hastened opponents. Only a fraction of a second in his sights would be enough to lay on some hurt...

2010-08-02 11:45:54 Dominik Bzek rolled 5 dice to "Wits + Composure" 6,3,5,1,9 (1 successes)

As Dominik responds to the two attacking from the front, his eye suddenly catches on a shadow. This shadow is directly in front of his left foot, which is completely odd unless... one of the grey ghouls was directly above them in the trees!

Dominik hops back and raises his gun, immediately trying to train the barrel on the source of the shadow and firing a shot. Even if he missed, he hoped it was enough to knock it down to the ground - or enough to alert the rest that he was in deep shit.

2010-08-02 23:51:57 Dominik Bzek rolled 8 dice to "shoot -2" (9-again) 4,10,9,1,7,1,1,1,4,2 (2 successes)

The branch above your head shuddered as more weight came down on it, desperately clinging to it. Drops of green, gooey blood began to slowly ooze down from the branch above. A screech that sounded like a wild cat sounded as a grey arm lashed down from the branch, slicing towards your face.

Spoiler:

Pain erupts as Dominik's ear is raked by sharp, black claws from above. The creature above withdraws the arm, yowling and coiling as though it plans to leap down upon you.

The other two grey ghouls emit no noise as they close in, barely five feet away now...

Dominik hisses and spins, leveling another shot at his next attacker. Maybe if he put the pain of a searing bullet into each they'd think twice before approaching him. Or perhaps buy him time until the rest got to him to get him out of this conundrum...

Zeneviev arrives to stand with Dominik, but rather than level off a shot she drops to the ground, her right hand placed firmly in to the earth.

"Saint Agrippina, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray." She begins to pray as quickly as she can while still keeping the words clear and concise, invoking her Faith to protect them both and cast out the ghouls upon them.

Success - Blessing of St. Agrippina:

As Zeneviev prays, the ghoul above uncoils it haunches, springing down onto the ground before Domik. Its odd, inhuman body contorts as though it means to spring for Dominik again- when something sparks in its unnaturally colored eyes. An odd sort of bark emits as the creature shuffles backwards, away from Dominik and Zeneviev.
The other creatures take up this confused, almost bewildered barking. A ring of dangerous creatures forms as the creatures all seem compelled to flee the area, darting further into the trees. They are barely in sight now, only an occasional bark belies the remain, confused at being denied your warm flesh.

Dominik shoots as they distance, hard shots considering their speed and the obstacles but he was steamed enough from being cut (and having another suit that would require mending or replacing).

"Yeah, you run!" he yelps once their out of sight.

"Little bitches."

He touches his wound, obviously it was sore. He flinches.

"What was that about? Why didn't you just shoot them? I might have not been intimidating enough on my own. Even though I was."

Black clad figures dart out from the woods from the direction of the rest stop.

"Zeneviev!" A tall, pale skinned young man runs up to you. Two other men- both holding pistols and looking warily at the trees - take up position beside Dominik.

"We saw the creatures! Did you have an encounter with them?"

"We ran them off, one of them is dead. Zeneviev crippled it and I finished it off. There's another one wounded, a few others completely unhurt." Dominik says, pressing his clothes against the wound to stop bleeding.

"Way more than we had expected though."

"I cast them out, otherwise we would have been over run." Zeneviev wipes the dirt off on her knees, still not too eager to undo the protection she had formed on the ground or to spare Dominik's ego that he himself had done it.

"Maybe we can look at the body and determine what they are?"

"Nothing like I have ever seen." Dominik says, holstering his gun and creasing his lips in a tight grimace, shaking his head. It wasn't the pain bothering him but the fact that he had almost bite more than he could have chewed. He didn't like to feel himself vulnerable.

"Won't be easy to get them all. I stress on their numbers. Many. Bastards are fast, very fast. Hard to hit."

"That must be why we haven't been able to see them at all. They stuck to the woodline." The man frowned.

"I need to head back to Hogan and the others at the rest stop. We really had no idea how it was going- the bastards seemed to be quiet too. We got bored and headed through here in the trees when a whole mess of them seemed to come out of the ground like an anthill attacked with a stick."

"Shall we look for them? I fear Dominik and I might get outnumbered if we split from you. This ground is sanctified now but just a few steps." Zeneviev adjusts the rifle over her shoulder, looking out in to the darkness for the creatures possible return.

The black clad frowned, apparently confused. "Well, I need to get back to Hogan. He'll be wanting a report."

He seemed unwilling to depart from the sanctified ground though, staring out at the trees dubiously.

"How many were there?"

"A handful or so, it was hard to count them. They kept moving." Dominik says, trying to recall a number with somewhat more precision than that.

"Definitely will be too much for the two of us if they catch us up close, and with the trees it is hard to engage from distance."

"Yeah... lets stay here then. You said it was sanctified." The man decides, pulling out his cell phone. He hits a preset number.

"Hogan, its Ezekiel. Yes. Yes, they are." He pauses for a moment. "No, we think that may be unwise. They are numerous and have us surrounded. If we depart from the sanctified ground, they will likely attack."

He pauses and screws up his brow, listening to the other end.

Dominik looks down and around, had it been another 'blessing' what she had conjured that make all the creatures run off? And here he though he was real intimidating while waving a gun around.

Zeneviev continues to stare out in that darkness, as if she tried hard enough she might actually see through it. Frustration became visible on her face, knowing the ghouls were out there watching but being unable to watch them in return.

Eekiel ends the call. "It would be wise if we move to the road." He states hurriedly. "As soon as possible. Hogan has a team sweeping through here that will be able to dispatch the creatures or at least determine if they are what we think they are."

"I won't be saying no to that." Dominik says, brushing his jacket off with his hands.

"Just keep tight until we get out there, eyes peeled and call it if you see anything. Shall we?"

"Oh yes. Definitely."

Ezekiel draws a pistol from his ankle holster and orients himself towards the road. With an anxious glance behind him, he began to sprint for the road.

[roll Dex + Athletics for me, please, if you follow suit]

Dominik begins pushing forward, backtracking to the roads and out of the woods, mindful of his surroundings and ready to draw and take cover at the first sign of hostile presence.

2010-08-05 23:30:32 Dominik Bzek rolled 6 dice to "Dex + Ath" 10,2,8,4,6,1,1 (2 successes)