Woah, that's a unique beastie!

Hey! I'm here for a bit!

Oh, you like? X) Glad to hear. If you're on the clock, we could start right away if you wish.

Sure! I'll get a reply ready.

After Dianne vented her anger on him, Hawk crumpled to the floor in a miserable heap. He didn't dare fight back.

Hunter attempted to rise to his knees to protect his brother, but another pulse rippled through his legs so he too collapsed the ground.

Hawk cracked his eyes open to give Jerry a pleading gaze. //Please help us,// he begged silently.

(Oh yeah, I forgot to give you a working ref for Jerry #AAJeremiah That one should work.)

{Jerry caught Hawk's pleading gaze.}"Hey, I'm not saying we should take them home with us, I'm just saying maybe there's a peaceful resolution to all this that can benefit both parties, that's all."
{Dianne gave Jerry a glare that could kill.} "Really? Pray tell!"
{Jerry got a little closer to Hawk.}"Hey kid, You still alive? I think there's a way we can both walk away from this, if you and your...." {He takes a minute to look at hunter's poor state.} "...Brother are willing to negotiate."

(Btw this version of Jerry doesn't have a 44. Magnum. Just that piddly, rusty 38. XD)

(Thanks!)

Hawk gazed cautiously up at Jerry, though he was eager to hear what the man had to offer.
Hunter had his hands wrapped around his wound in attempt to stop the blood flow, yet he still had the fire to interject. "Don't listen to him!" he barked fiercely.

(Lol gotcha. XD)

{At Hunter's barking, Dianne motioned her head towards him, and the ragged one viciously stomped Hunter's wounded leg. At this, Jerry turned slightly.}
Jerry:"Dianne, was that really necessary?"
Dianne:"Just get on with it, I don't have all day and neither does he."
{Sighing, Jerry turns back to Hawk.}"So, we both saw how you can manipulate matter. Can you do that with any substance?"

The sudden jolt of pain stole Hunter's breath away, so he only made a strained gasp and curled up more.

Hawk grimaced when the skeleton harmed his brother further, but he knew better than to retaliate. He sat up a bit but avoided Jerry's gaze. "No... .Just metals."

{At this, Jerry smiles.}"Hear that, Dianne? I think they can help with our little problem."
{Dianne just rolls her eyes as Jerry continues.} "Well you see, back where we preside, we're trying to get our water running again, but all our pipes are too old and decayed. So, here's my offer to you: You want some of this food, right? You make us some copper piping, and I'll not only keep Dianne here from tearing you guys apart, but also give you some of the food we've recovered today. As an added bonus, we'll even wrap your brother's leg before we leave. How's that sound, boyo?"

Hunter's breath finally returned, and he moaned as he clutched his leg. It seemed he wouldn't be fit for giving his opinion at the moment.

Hawk, deep in thought, watched his brother for a while, then looked to Jerry. There was a faint spark of determination in his eyes. "Okay. I will do that, if you will hold to your promises." He glanced at Dianne momentarily.

{Jerry smiles some more.}"See Dianne, no problem. We help them, they help us." {With that, the skeletons resume work loading the cans while the ragged one uses one of its rags to wrap Hunter's leg. Dianne, still a little angry, speaks to Hawk.} "after we leave, the ragged Skeleton will take you both home, to ensure we're not followed by you."

At first, Hunter pulled away in stubborn retaliation when the ragged skeleton stooped down to bind his leg, but he soon gave in and let it have its way. His vision was spinning, and he was nauseous from blood loss. //I swear... They're gonna pay for this.//

Hawk watched Dianne a moment, then gave a silent nod of obligation. He put a hand against the nearest wall and slowly worked his way onto his feet.

{With the cans loaded on, Jerry approached Hawk.}"Hey, here. A peace offering." {Jerry hands Hawk two cans of chicken noodle soup.}"Just to prove we're not heartless." {With that, he heads out the door with Dianne. After wrapping Hunter's leg, the Ragged One stands in the center of the room, between him and the door.}

Hawk blinked up at Jerry, then accepted the cans with a murmur of thanks. He watched the two leave before crouching down in front of his brother.

Hunter, with some trouble, pushed himself up into a sitting position. There was a pained and agitated grimace on his face. "You agreed to work for them, didn't you?" he growled.

Hawk set the cans down. "It's only temporary. Once the job is done, they'll leave us alone." He rose with a grunt to search the building for anything made of copper.

Hunter watched his brother go, then turned his annoyed gaze on the ragged one. "What're you looking at?"

{The Ragged one's jaw unhinged with a loud crack before it spoke. Most unsettlingly, the jaw never moves as it speaks. Its gruff voice emanates from a hollow ribcage.}"I'm looking at you, kid. That was awfully stupid of you, back there. The both of you nearly died."

(*stalks RP*)

(Hiii Radiant. XD It's Hawk and Hunter shenanigans again.)

(Yep, I saw them. XD)

('Sup @Radiant! Watcha doin'?

(Hi Aggron! Not much, I'm just lurking around everyone's chatrooms.)

Hunter had mostly overcome the creepy behavior of the skeletons by then, so he showed no intimidation. Rather, he turned his chin up defiantly. "But we didn't. I'd rather die than let people have their way with me and my brother."

In another section of the floor, Hawk discovered several copper pipes running in labyrinth patterns across the wall and ceiling. Since removing them by hand would be tedious, he reached out and touched one pipe, which melted and streaked down the wall, taking the other pipes with it. In a few moments, there was a swarming, restless form of metallic liquid on the floor.

(XD)

( @Radiant Haha, ok. XD)

{The skeleton began to approach as it spoke.}"Sure, //you'd// rather die, but did you ever consider that maybe your brother //doesn't// want you both to die, or perhaps even have to live without you? Your reckless actions today involved him as well. Where would he be without you? What if Jerry aimed for your head instead of your leg? What if Dianne decided she had enough of you, and broke you in half over her knee? Where would your brother be then?"

Hunter grounded his teeth as the skeleton pounded him with deep - and very true - questions. "Shut up," he growled. "Why should I have to listen to you?"

Around that moment, Hawk returned with the coppery fluid slithering behind him, capable of controlling it by touching merely a sliver of it. He allowed the formless thing to gather into a blob and solidify, then looked up to examine Hunter and the ragged one.

(Ground? Grounded? Grinded? Why doesn't that first sentence sound right?)

{After looking at Hawk momentarily, the skeleton turns back to Hunter.}"Still fighting with me, eh? Then allow me to put it in a different perspective. Where would //you// be if Dianne had decided to kill your brother? Could you live with that guilt? What would you even do at such a loss?"

(I believe the proper form would be ground or grinded.)

At that, Hunter went silent. He doubted he would have much will to live without his brother, who had been with him since birth. He held up an aggressive attitude to protect his twin, but if the skeleton was right and his actions had endangered Hawk... He scowled and turned his face away.

Hawk hesitated, looking back and forth between the two. He quickly decided to break the tension. "I'm gonna try to do them all at once," he announced as he touched the copper. Turning metal into simple objects was easy, but the more complex - or greater in quantity - the item was, the more energy and focus it required. In addition, he would have to picture the form of each component as he created them.
Dianne had beat a good deal of strength out of Hawk, but he determined to finish the task quickly. The boy concentrated and the copper began to twist and break into long slivers. In a few minutes, dozens of pipe components had appeared in a pile, ready for pickup. Hawk gazed down at his shaking hands. //I did it...//

(Have a ShadowPikaboo-sized novel)

(Yeah, that would sound better. Thanks!)

{The skeleton said one last thing before turning to Hawk.}"The truth isn't easy to hear, is it? Hm, you're done already? I was supposed to take you back to that rooftop first, but I guess waiting here will be easier now."

Hunter said nothing, but there was a defeated look on his hidden face.

Hawk blinked up at the skeleton. "Hm? Oh... That doesn't mean I have to deconstruct this again, does it?" he asked nervously.

(I probably misunderstood something you said, oops xD)

(Not really. Dianne just said to take them home. It doesn't matter very much, let's roll with it.)

{The skeleton shakes it head.} "No, this is good. Now, we just wait for Jerry to come back." {The skeleton's jaw snaps back into place, and it begins to wait.}

(Alrighty!)

Hawk gave a small nod and sat cross-legged on the ground, wincing as he did due to the bruises Dianne had given him. He could feel the swelling of a dark bruise around his left eye. Suddenly recognizing how hungry he was, the boy took the soup cans and cracked each one open. He handed one to Hunter and kept the other for himself.

{After a short while, the same clattering of hooves is heard outside. Jerry has returned, only with a mean looking draugr. Not skeleton, a draugr, with an appreciable amount of flesh on its bones. This one had scrap metal as armor and a large, curved greatsword slung on its back.}
Jerry;"I'm back. I've got food to bargain with and plenty of scrap copper to help- oh..." {Jerry stops when he sees the pipes.}"Wow, guys, you're already done? Cool." {He walks over to the pipes and inspects them.}

Both boys set their cans down as Jerry returned. Hawk gave a little shrug in response to his remark. He couldn't help but feel proud at how quickly he had done the job, and - he hoped - a job well done. He watched Jerry expectantly.

{Nodding with approval, Jerry sets his pipe down.}"Nice work, boys. I think you've earned this. Bring it in!" {A different draugr walks in with a case of thirty cans and sets it down.} "Y'know boys, if we set up a trading relationship between our two settlements, we could keep you two fed pretty much indefinitely. Tell me, can you guys make bullets? Assuming we provide the powder?"

Hawk gawked at the supply of food Jerry gave them. However, his expression grew nervous at his next question. "Bullets? ...Yeah, we can do that." He rubbed his neck and admitted, "I can't help but wonder what you'll be using them for."

Hunter observed silently, preferring to keep a particularly mistrustful glare on the man.

(Looks like I'll have to leave in a little bit. Just fyi!)

{Jerry caught their look of concern and chuckled.}"Hehehe. Self defense only, I assure you. It's no secret that there are bandits everywhere these days." {Getting up, he breathes in deeply.}"Take a few days to think it over. But here, have something extra, for the good work you did." {He tosses Hawk a jar as the two draugrs and skeleton begin to take the pipe. The jar is filled with peach preserves. //Fresh// peach preserves. Something that should be impossible to obtain in a place like this.}

( @Fade Ok, let me know. :) )

Hawk scrambled to get his hands moving in time to catch the jar. He lifted his gaze to thank the man, but brought them back down to take a closer look at the peaches. "Where did you get these?" he murmured.

(Yup, I gotta head out now. When do you think we can finish this? If in fact you think the plot can continue?)

(Oh, I'm sure it can XD We can finish it tomorrow afternoon, if you'd like.)
{Jerry just tapped his nose with his finger and had a wide grin on as he exited.}"We'll be in touch."

(Sure, if I'm available then! If plans change, I'll let you know as soon as possible. Last reply and I'm off!)

Hawk watched Jerry leave, bewildered. He looked back down at the jar, then looked to his brother. Hunter seemed about ready to faint: he had his arms on his knees and head resting on them and was breathing heavily.
"Hunter, I think they're hiding something from us. How could they get something so fresh?"

Hunter gave an incoherent mumble in reply.

Hawk fell silent, but he watched the doorway for some time, deep in consideration.