Mon Mon Nepu Nepu 14

"YOU'RE ALL DUMBER THAN YOU LOOK!"

With another stomp Toughman had fully emerged from the cave, revealing a very large and wide man.  He was noticeably bigger than the other bandits, wearing only a tattered loincloth showing off dark red body.  I'd say almost looks like a small brick house with the way he's standing...

Uni was busy peering inside the cave from all the way back here until Toughman came out and frantically cried out.  "Th-that's no normal human.  That's a Golem!  How are we supposed to deal with this?"

"I never said Toughman was a normal foe.  He's a coward that couldn't face me head-on!"  Falcom kept her gaze locked forward.  "You hear me?  Face me one on one if you're not as spineless as your cohorts!"  Challenging him she a took a step forward.

"COME!"

The other bandits started getting rowdy and came at us like an unruly mob.  They wielded all sorts of old looking clubs and axes that looked like they were going to break at any moment.  "Tch."  Falcom charged forward as well with her sword barely dragging along the ground, challenging all of them at once.

"Falcom no!"  Before I could even try to stop her she raised her sword and spun with a force so great that it sent dust flying everywhere, forcing Uni and I to cover our eyes a little.  The sounds of wood splintering and metal clashing metal shot through the air, followed by the sound of heavy things hitting the ground.

I looked up to see several broken weapons and bandits laid about on the floor.  Out of the eight that had charged at us, she defeated more than half of them in a single blow.

"LEAVE THE RED ONE TO ME IDIOTS!"

Toughman lumbered forward as he commanded the remaining bandits to leave Falcom alone.  She let them pass and continued stepping forward, sword now pointing at him at an odd angle.  "Lady Nepgear, you two should be able to handle those grunts!"  She bolted straight at Toughman and engaged him one on one, her sword causing sparks as she got the first blow.

"Pay attention and get a good luck at your new masters."  The first bandit that approached us spoke up, dangling his club carelessly to his side.  He nudged the other bandit, whose weapon had been broken and pointed at Uni.  "Take the scrawny feathery one."

Uni didn't have to speak for me to know how angry that comment made her.  The mostly unarmed bandit walked towards her and leered at me a little, and then charged Uni swinging around his broken weapon recklessly.  She took to the air and defended herself with her talons as the both of the fought back towards the broken arrow traps.  As they fell the back Uni shouted at me.  "You better not lose Gear!"

"I won't hurt you too badly, sheepie.  I'll just sell your wool and..."  He rubbed his rugged chin as he looked up thinking of what else...or at least I was hoping he was having trouble thinking of what to say.  "Pffffthaaaahaha!  I'll make loads of money selling your wool AND your horn!"  He hunched over and raised his weapon over his head, getting ready to attack me.  I may not have a lot of experience with other weapons but I'm positive this stance would hurt him in the long run.

I feel unusually calm as I bend my knees and put my fists up.  I suppose it's because I felt more threatened by Red...and she meant well...sort of.  "Awwww look at the little sheepie put up her dukes."  I tense a little as he lets out a fit of hoarse laughter and moves forward raising his weapon even higher.  "Good.  Sit still and make it easy!"  As he brought his weapon down I instinctively threw my arms up hoping to block it.

Trust your instincts, Nepgear.  Just focus on defending yourself somehow...focus...focus on the club coming straight down on you and stop it somehow!  I brace myself as the club comes slamming down on my wrists...leaving me with a dull feeling ringing throughout my arms as it rests there for a moment.

"What the hell?  Your hands should busted up by now."  He raised his weapon and brought it down again, but I kept my guard up and focused even harder on keeping myself from harm.  He attacked again but I hardened my defense and raised my arms to counter him again.  Wood splintered as he struck my wooly bracelets, throwing him off balance.  "The hell!?"  He backed up a little to inspect the damage he had done to his own weapon, giving me a chance to see what was going on with myself.

"Hm?"  I poke the wool on my wrists...or I try to at least.  It's lost it's usual fluffiness in favor for a more...tough feeling.  I want to say it's almost like steel wool but it isn't budging at all.  I wonder what would happen if I hit my wrists together.

-clack- -clack-

When I do it sounds as if I'm banging two rocks together and I can hardly feel a thing myself outside of the weird feeling in my arms from earlier.  I even rub them together and they still make weird rocky noises.  IF did say there something funny about my wool...

"You cheating mongrel!"  He slammed his club on the ground, shattering it and pointing his nub of a weapon toward me.  "You'll pay for ruining my last club!"  He came running at me with his weapon raised again as his eyes widen in rage.

I know I can win this for sure now.  As long as I keep my mind clear and focused on protecting everyone I should be able to pull through whatever we're up against!  I clasp my hands together tightly and wind up, swinging upwards like a hammer at such an angle and force I lift a little.

My hands smash into his club, shattering it and sending splinters flying everywhere as the bandit stumbles past me.  "Aah!"  I cried out expecting the impact to hurt a lot more than it did, but I hardly felt a thing.  My hands look a little scarred and scratched but I feel just fine.  "Heh...looks like I'm tougher than I used to be..."

"Hey!  HEY!  You got splinters all over me!"  My wonderment was interrupted by the bandit's angry complaining.  "I'm done playing around!"  He cracked his knuckles and I sidestepped immediately as his feet shuffled toward me and grunted.  "What!?"

His punch flies through my hair as I barely evade it, tripping him in the process.  I'm starting to feel a little more...confident in this whole fighting unarmed thing.  I guess all that training with Uni and Noire is finally going to pay off.  I don't think this bandit is going to down so easily and I'm only just now recalling that training.  Even though this bandit is getting madder and madder I can only think of how I'm not even bothered by this guy anymore.  "I wonder how strong the sleep in my wool is..."  IF did mention we all had something going for us that wasn't completely obvious...

"Sleep!?  You'll be sleeping alright!"  As he got back to his feet he flew into an even bigger rage and charged again.

"Falcom was right, you guys aren't all that tough."  I stepped forward with and threw a punch hoping with all my might that I might put him to sleep somehow.  "Hiyaah!"  I stayed completely focused and struck him center in the chest, with faint puff of glittery powder coming out of my bracelet.  He didn't seem to notice it as he started having  trouble standing up without my arm supporting him.

He flailed about drowsily trying to hit me but he was all over the place and fell face-first as I backed up, snoring loudly and grumbling nonsense.  Before I had a chance to celebrate my victory I remembered Uni also needed might have needed help.  No, I believe in her, she's probably done by now.  "Uni, is everything ok back there?"  I shout as I fall back to the previous area in hopes of finding finding her, but all that remains is a very scratched up bandit lying on the ground.

"Gear!"  I look down the path and see Uni soaring in hot pursuit of another bandit.  "Don't worry about me, go help Falcom out!"  She didn't wait for an answer and took a dive at the bandit, but she missed and kept up her attack.

I nod even though she wasn't looking and ran back to help Falcom, who was busy laying into Toughman with her weapon.  He was barely able to withstand the barrage of attacks and was forced to step back defending himself.  "There!"  Falcom did a small somersault forward slashing down, literally disarming him as a bright line flashes across his right shoulder.  Loud screeching noises came from him, distorting his voice as sparks violently shot from his shoulder as his arm hit the ground.

"DAMN Y-"  An even louder screech rang out, forcing Falcom and I to hold our ears until Toughman hit himself in the chest, cracking it a little.  "Jackass!  My freakin' ears!"  A completely different voice came from the golem...a feminine voice.  "Gaaaah!  I can't hear a damn thing!  Die already!"  It stepped to the side and the sparks on it's side intensified and...backfired I think and knocking it down on its side with a crash.  "I should've said to hell with my funky feeling and finished when I had the chance!"
Falcom and I inched our way toward the pile of rubble as smoke cleared to reveal a young woman rising from the debris.  "Ah hell, boss lady isn't gonna like this."  She wasted no time in abandoning the golem and running towards the cliff ledge and turned to taunt us.  "You broads shouldn't have interfered!"

She wore a pair of large....red and yellow poofy pants with two noticeable holes, the right one exposing a lot of leg and straps and the left one resembled a pocket, over blue short-shorts.  Wait.  Pale purple skin, black fingerless gloves, and that symbol she wears on her chest along with...mouse ears?  Before I could make sure I wasn't seeing things she turned away, waving her tail and slapping her...behind before jumping off the cliff with a graceful flip.

"No!"  Falcom and I cried out as we sprinted over to the cliff expecting the worse, when we were greeted to a huge broken heart shaped parachute.

"So long chumps!"

I shouldn't be surprised she's up to no good, but how did she even get her hands on something like a Golem?  "Get back here Underling!"