Pride and Madness: Manticore

Manticore felt his body being pulled and pushed in a hundred directions at once as his data was redirected dozens of times, bounced off places that may or may not even really exist to cover his tracks. Eventually everything smoothed out as he felt himself being flung at high speed through the net proper, on the way to his destination.

The beast opened his wings and soared through data tunnels. He finally felt something akin to freedom, something to distract him from the hunger and rage, if only for a moment. All too soon it ended and he was deposited into a quiet little section of the net. He didn't know where he was and he didn't care. He was told he could do what he wanted. Play. Master would watch but not speak. That was fine.

As his body fully materialized he stretched out his wings and tail, swinging them about dangerously as he limbered up. He gave a yawn and looked about in a threatening manor. Nothing.. Manticore sniffed the air and looked as far into the distance as his red glowing eyes could pierce.

He snarled. The hunger was returning and that made him angry. The rage was returning and that filled him with hunger. He extended the wicked claws from his paws and tore at the ground as he braced himself, opened his wings, threw his head back and set loose a deafening roar of challene to anything in the area..

[Requesting Battle 1]
Oddly, the roar blew back every virus in the area...save for three Metool, who seemed to completely ignore it. Maybe they were already deaf?

---EARLESS VIRUSES---
MetoolA: 40 HP
MetoolB: 40 HP
MetoolC: 40 HP

---UNHEARD OF TERRAIN---
100% Normal

---LOUD NAVI---
Manticore.EXE: 150 HP

- BATTLE ONE, READY
- SPEAK UP, THEY CAN'T HEAR YOU
- GO
Manticore finally spotted some prey, a trio of Metools! The beast rushed them, snarling and drooling the entire time. Chip data began to fill his mind suddenlt and he knew his body was capable of something new, at least for a moment. As he finally made it to the Metools he lept and sought to pounce the nearest one to him. As his shoulder rolled, wings beat and his tail snapped in front of him sending a volley of tail spikes at the Metools.

During his leap, his claws extended to wicked foot-long talons as Rageclaw kicked in and went to quick use. He slashed violently at whatever he could reach, opening his wings and blowing a blast of air behind one of the other Metools as to throw it forward, closer into the beast's reach. If luck was with Manticore (and not with the Metools) he would he tearing a second apart with the new handy Rageclaw!

[Passive Sig Activated: Quills (10Null, Shot) Random target]

1 - Move to and launch himself at MetoolA

2 - Rageclaw (40+Slashing) @ MetoolA

3a - Gust (Pull) @ MEtoolB
3b - Rageclaw (40+Slashing) @ MetoolB

Sig Quills: ACTIVE
After missing horribly with his spikes, Manticore prepared himself for intense RageClaw action. Unfortunately, his aim continued to be off a bit, only hitting on his second slash attack. In retaliation, both remaining Metool launched ShockWaves at him, one of which managed to hit him (10).

---EARLESS VIRUSES---
MetoolA: 40 HP
MetoolB: DELETED
MetoolC: 40 HP

---UNHEARD OF TERRAIN---
100% Normal

---LOUD NAVI---
Manticore.EXE: 140 HP
The monster of a navi recoiled for a moment from the attack.. What was this sensation? Was this pain? Whatever it was, it stirred his rage to new levels as he roared in the face of the Metool who had struck him.

Dangerous quills flew at random from his back and shoulders as Manticore snarled and charged! He leps into the air and pounced upon his foe, trying to tear the virus completely apart with his teeth and new claws.

Finally, leaving behind what may or not have been a tasty, if infurating, snack, the beast turns to MetoolA and with a buff of his wings, sends a tailsind spinning around and behind the virus, to pull it closer into the awaiting jaws of destruction.

Manticore's operator, meanwhile watched in silence.. This wasn't right. His navi was a massive beast of destruction, or at least looked and acted that way.. How could his data be taking damage from mere metools?! He tried to get a readout of his beast's status again, only to get errors and messages of corruption in the data. He sighed and wracked his brain.. This wasn't the plan.. But maybe it could still be salvaged.

Manticore had amazing potential, he figured. Yes, his mutated data would surely raise to power faster then any other denzien of the net.. Er, assuming regular methods would work on him. Was the monster compatable with regular store-bought upgrades? He had sent a Rageclaw so he was at least compatable with battle chips.. Hrm.


Passive: Quills [10Null, Shot Attack]@ Random Target

1 - Pounce upon MetoolC for (hopefully) increased accuracy.

2 - Activate Sig: Hungering Strike [10Null+Lifesteal, Melee; 1TCD]

3 - Rageclaw (40+Slashing)@ MetoolC
-Gust (Pull)@ MetoolA
Again, Manticore's spikes missed their mark, which the Metool responded to with another round of ShockWaves. Well, one anyway, as the Navi jumped over to the other. It managed to get off its attack, and nailed him (10). The other one looked on in fear as the beast regained the HP he just lost, though his powerful claws failed to penetrate the virus's helmet as it took quick cover.

Oh, and the other Metool was pulled closer. Fun times.

---EARLESS VIRUSES---
MetoolA: 40 HP
MetoolB: DELETED
MetoolC: 30 HP

---UNHEARD OF TERRAIN---
100% Normal

---LOUD NAVI---
Manticore.EXE: 140 HP (RageClaw1: 3/6 uses) (within Melee range of both viruses)
The beast snarled drooled and gulped as data filled his mouth and mixed with his own code to restore damage. For a brief moment the hunbger raging through him diminishes. Just as he was about to tear into his last victim however, he was struck again. To make matters worse the Metool he was aiming to destroy had lowered it's helmet and was blocking.

Ignoring the virus who dropped down to guard it's self, for the moment, Manticore turned it's focus on the one which hadn't, swinging madly at it in hopes to tear it to pieces before it too could defend. In the midst of the murderous slashing, quills from his wings flew dangerously about!

The operator, meanwhile, was taking notes.. His navi's attacks couldnt break a metool's shield.. It could inflict harm to heal it'self. Interesting. He glanced at the chips he had left and frowned. Merly a cannon and a shotgun, neither of which would be much help against a shield. He supposed Manticore would just have to do his thing and try to make that rageclaw last.

1 - Rageclaw (40+Slashing)@ MetoolA

2 - Rageclaw (40+Slashing)@ MetoolA
- Passive: Quills [10Null, Shot Attack]@ Random Target

3 - Rageclaw (40+Slashing)@MetoolA

Sig Quills: Active
Sig Hungering Strike cooldown: 0 READY
The non-hiding Metool was quickly deleted before it could react to suddenly being near the Navi. And for a third straight time, the tail spike attack missed. That's some awful luck. Oh, and the remaining virus just kept on hiding. It did NOT want to come out of there willingly.

---EARLESS VIRUSES---
MetoolA: DELETED
MetoolB: DELETED
MetoolC: 30 HP

---UNHEARD OF TERRAIN---
100% Normal

---LOUD NAVI---
Manticore.EXE: 140 HP (RageClaw1: 2/6 uses)
Tearing most of his foes to shreads, Manticore snarled and took a few steps back. He raised his wings and blew a tailwind back behind the Metool, trying to drag it to him, hopefully a bit more prone. And to that end, fangs and claws were to the ready! In the event that he didn't see soft underbelly in a moment he would just wait.. For now.

1 - Back up a bit from MetoolC
- Gust (Pull) @ MetoolC

(waiting ttill/if the thing stops guarding..)
2 - <turnsplice> (Sig Hungering Strike>
3 - <turnsplice> (Rageclaw)
Aside from movement, nothing changed in the battle. The Navi might have to take matters into his own hands at this rate...

---EARLESS VIRUSES---
MetoolA: DELETED
MetoolB: DELETED
MetoolC: 30 HP

---UNHEARD OF TERRAIN---
100% Normal

---LOUD NAVI---
Manticore.EXE: 140 HP (RageClaw1: 2/6 uses) (2 actions remaining)
The beast inchest closer to the Metool and sniffs at it.. Hmm. What to do? It doesn't seem to be moving or squirming so.. He reaches out with a rageclaw and tries to slide it under the virus, to flip it so he can stab some underbelly! If that doesn't work then he will just plain try to pick it up by the helmet, hoping for the same effect!

2 - Flip and slash! Rageclaw

3 - Lift and slash! Rageclaw
Manticore wasn't going to give up just because some virus hid under its helmet. No! He was going to do everything he could to defeat the obstacle in front of him! When he flipped the Metool, the claw wasn't long enough to stab the virus, but the second attack was just enough to finish the vermin!

---EARLESS VIRUSES---
MetoolA: DELETED
MetoolB: DELETED
MetoolC: DELETED

---UNHEARD OF TERRAIN---
100% Normal

---LOUD NAVI---
Manticore.EXE: 140 HP

-BATTLE WON!-
200z