View source for 2721/TMatM: Freefall

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/08/03
|Location=Earth-7207 <MANA>
|Synopsis=Ainsley's world is full of magic, and none wield it more potently than the Metahumans.

One particular man, going by the name of Red Oil, has found the Scepter of the Typhoon, and has used it to take over vast swaths of the Greater Los Angeles area of the world.

With aid from Union Elites, the Scepter has been contained before it could cause a Dimensional Quake and cause further damage to the area.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=42, 151, 162, 457, 675, 834
|Tinyplot=The Man and the Mission
|Tinyplot2=
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A region of Ainsley's world is experiencing an unprecedented problem.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This place, not previously investigated by the Union but mentioned by Ainsley, is the greater Los Angeles area. Not the dry, desert climate it once was, it has been overtaken by the magical jungles and forests that spread up from the south, though the wildlife here is far less dangerous than elsewhere. It's filled to the brim with warring tribes and city-states, which are all kept balanced by a few major tribes that have created pacts with each other. The minor tribes would like to go at each other's throats, but the power of these major groups keeps them at bay, and for good reason. A combination of illusion, water and earth magic from these tribes has made any attempts to kill them impossible, and their individual skills in agriculture and social maneuvering make them ideal for leading the region. The Ghost Scales, the Baywalkers and the Leathershells are these tribes. And they're having a lot of trouble recently.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Firebloods, a tribe of very angry, very large fire-breathing lizard men have constantly been a threat to their neighbors, but never to the degree they've shown recently. Their leader, an exceptionally large man by the name of Red Oil -- more of a nickname than anything -- has an object that has been considerably amplifying his destructive fire magic to the point that nearby rival tribes are being beaten into submission within the span of a day or two, and anyone who tries to reject his influence is being wiped off the map in huge displays of magical might.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As you might imagine, this is not good for the landscape, and so the awful ashen wasteland with the offending tribe in the center can be seen from the sky when flying in. Smoke columns dot the landscape where battles have been fought to devastating conclusions. And a war camp has formed of the Three Tribes on the edge of this expanding circle of destruction, with refugee setups all around the war camp. It's easy to spot because it's surrounded by massive rough quartz stone walls, haphazardly put up in case the Firebloods get twitchy and decide to strike first.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Red Oil can be seen marching across the ashy landscape toward the fortified camp. He looks vaguely like a wingless humanoid dragon, with shiny black scales with glowing red cracks. Horns, claws, a very long tail, the works. It's pretty clear WHY his tribe is called the Firebloods. His footsteps leave smoking scorches on the ground and scatter ashes up into the air. He's wearing a chainmail skirt and a rough iron breastplate that glows faintly red at all times. And he's about seven feet tall.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He's alone, and grinning, and holding something that clearly doesn't come from his world in one of his hands.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:162|Zephyr Windstar (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The object in Red Oil's hand is some kind of a Scepter. It glows ominously in a ghostly blue light, contrasting the red aura of the rest of his equipment. Along his arm, blue pulsing veins also creep along the skin, and up towards his head, forming a kind of net around his face.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The TSAB cruiser Ganemede D-Jumps into orbit, and immediately, sirens begin to sound. <span class=" bold_fg_c bg_n ++ hc">&lt;LOST LOGIA-CLASS SIGNATURE DETECTED. WARNING, ACTIVE STATE.&gt;</span> blares the ship's AI.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce and Zephyr share a look, then turn in unison to the teleportal. "Divine Wind." says the girl, as she steps onto the platform. "Set Up."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce also activates his Device and Barrier Jacket, as the pair(Plus anyone else who arrived on the ship) teleport down to the burnt wasteland.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You have one chance. Stand down and disarm all your Devices." Zephyr sweeps her axe in a show of force, slamming it into the ground and creating a crater.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; From the air is apparently the best place to see this battlefield, and that is exactly the littlest Neuroi sees. As Zephyr closes in on Red Oil, the sleek, glossy black form of Evangeline flies in to form up with her on her left flank. "...we will not hesitate to use deadly force...", she says, her arms held toward the big lizard man. Her voice sounds meek, but she broadcasts it very well with the speaker built into the wristband given to her as a gift.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So, this guy thinks he's big so he can push everyone around? Time to show him there are bigger fish out there.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sonic boom arrives first, and then a speck in the sky suddenly comes closer, growing into a plane, then a humanoid mecha as it slows but still lands hard, at least partially for effect, createring the area around its feet slightly. Having bent knees as it landed, it stands up straight to its full 42-foot height. It stands beside Zephyr, emphasizing whose side its on should Red Oil hope it might be on some 3rd side.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Having been on a few of these excursions before, Cirra was aware, in broad terms what to expect. What she did not expect was for the artifact to allready be active on arrival.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cirra steps on to the teleportal as she slides on her judge armor helmet. As the teleport resolves, she holds out her hand and a blade of blue crystal appears in it, grasped tightly. "I don't think he's going to surrender." She asides to Zephyr, but this is tSAB mission, and their protocols.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;SOMEHOW, Valentha's hovercycle is keeping pace with Staren's mecha. Valentha, goggles down to protect her eyes from stray bugs and dust, has her TK engine running at full power to drive those turbines.. and is it ever accomplishing that. Ash and dust scatters as a cloud in her wake once she nears the ground. She mumbles a spell under her breath before dismounting near Zephyr.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Power crackles and sizzles from her skin today. A golden light that sets her hair and clothes waving and flapping, fills the air with a crackling static discharge, and casts a golden radiance. It's a show of power, make no mistake.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hail, warlord."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The party arrives all at once to interrupt Red's path toward that enemy camp. His grin slowly fades for a neutral gaze that regards each of them with a growing confusion. Zephyr's words prompt a frown, which only grows thanks to NG's threat, and then Staren shows up in a bigass robot. Cirra's arrival and comment is brushed off, and Valentha's attempt to be cordial is given an even deeper frown. It seems they have made a VERY poor first impression on the strange dragon-like creature. So what does he do?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He raises the scepter, and the party would feel the spell coming the moment he starts forming it, because the air around him heats up until heat shimmers are plainly visible. His armor heats up until it glows brightly, and then he sweeps the scepter in a wide swing toward all of them. Just a split second after he's finished this gesture, the spell goes off...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everything lights on fire. Well, not quite, but it will feel like it, because a huge crescent-shaped billowing wall of fire expands outward from Red, pushing searing air and furious flames toward them, along with the accompanying cloying smoke of it burning up any leftover plant matter still left on the ground around them. In an instant, nothing can be seen around Red but fire and smoke, and he's already moving through the flames -- he's apparently immune to them -- toward Staren's robot, moving very quickly. The glowing lines of the Lost Logia's effects can be seen on the fire-cloaked figure, making him easier to spot in the hellish environment he created.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:162|Zephyr Windstar (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce narrows his eyes as the magic forms. He steps forward, plants the butt of his spear-staff into the ground and projects a bubble shield. "Barrier Aegis." he states firmly, the golden energy solidifying against the wall of flame.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce is a Barrier Mage, so that shield is pretty damn strong, but the pure force of the Scepter's augmentation causes it to crack and fracture rapidly. "I can't hold it, SCATTER!" he shouts, prompting Zephyr to take off at high speed.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Zephyr sweeps her axe around, and charges her own Device. "BLOW IT AWAY!" Divine Wind chimes. <span class=" fg_m bg_n ++ m">&lt;WIND CONTROL, GALE IMPULSE.&gt;</span> A wall of compressed wind magic flies out to clash against the wall of flame, trying to negate it, or at least give the others time to react.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staren raises the mecha's arm to fire the railgun, but then EVERYTHING IS FIRE, so he can't get a clear shot. Heat and smoke don't bother Staren inside the cockpit, but they /do/ still make it harder to pinpoint Red. Catching a glance of him moving through the fire, Staren tries to step on him.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It might not be the best plan. Mecha are hardly the best weapon to bring against a single-man-sized target. Staren was kind of hoping Red would actually be intimidated, or that he'd be able to fight from range. With that in mind, if Red doesn't end up clinging to his machine, he'll leap and engage thrusters to hover after that stomp. If Red /does/ cling to him, hopefully his allies will be able to get Red off.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Evangeline also has a shield, and it reveals itself with a flash of blue light and a sharp sound like metal scraping against metal. Blue hexagons about half her height form around the Neuroi, protecting her from the brunt of the damage. That shield isn't impenetrable either, so she quickly dashes upward and away, only to spiral around and back in toward Red Oil. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "...you were warned..." Evangeline says in her deceivingly meek voice before she thrusts both arms forward and dives. The sound of energy gathering can be heard as the sinister red glow of her beam weapon appears. A moment later a solid beam thicker than herself is fired, and Eva banks slowly upward to rake the beam across Red and the path he is taking. A second after the beam impacts, an explosion erupts along the line the beam carved into the ground. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She passes over Red's head, then banks around, preparing for another strike.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cirra figured that would be the response, after all these things typically take over their hosts. When the fire spell starts, she takes advantage of Royace's shield and takes off at a run perpendicular to the lizard man with the scepter.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Zephyr starts her MIGHTY BEAM CLASH cirra takes that as another cue and turns, running around to the lizard man's side. She hefts the Law Blade and swings it in both hands, trying to slice the lizard in the side as she runs past.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Valentha was expecting fire.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What she got was a STORM OF IT! "Gyah!" Without even any time to put up a meaningful defensive spell, she simply braces herself against it. The flames slam into her and past her. The instant she has footing she kicks off the ground only to land atop Staren's mecha and grab hold. "THAT WENT BAD FAST! Do you think it was a new record?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her clothing's partially GONE. It simply vaporized into charred bits, leaving only scraps. Only the armored segments of the StreetWolf gear remain after that, and after Valentha gets a good look at herself... she snarls. "... Those were expensive..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now that she has a safe perch, she starts wildly gesturing and forming a flow of blue energy. Answering her words of power it flows to the ends of her fingers... then launches as a barrage of little 'homing' missiles. They all converge with the force of a few grenades going off on Red Oil!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Red is, apparently, not very easy to take down. There are good reasons for this, the first being the fact that trying to stomp on him is not a wise decision. Shoving the mecha's foot into the flames around him exposes it to thousands of degrees Fahrenheit made by magic fire that will quickly bleed into servos and machinery if Staren doesn't get away from it quickly. Zephyr's wind blast only serves to block a small portion of the flames, which are quite expansive and still emitting so much heat that even the wind can't repel all of it. Everyone's likely going to feel a little cooked after all of this.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Evangeline's beam, however, knocks Red away from Staren and backward through the air, mostly through the explosion throwing him off his feet. This triggers his flight, which is powered by, you guessed it, little magically-maintained flames at his feet that burn bright white, as well as a pair of large magically-manifested wings. Cirra's blade meets Red's hand when he reflexively guards, and she'd discover that his armor is just for aesthetics, and his weird obsidian hide is actually stupidly dense. The blade gouges into his forearm but not enough to disable it, and dribbles glowing red blood all over the ground which combusts on contact with the ground. This hide also protects him from the explosive blasts of the homing grenades, chipping at his scales and forcing his feet to dig grooves into the scorched ground.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He turns on Cirra, who is right there in front of him, moving surprisingly fast for a seven foot tall brute of a creature to aim the scepter toward her center of mass.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A funnel of fire emits from the scepter that extends an entire football field, so it's likely to also hit a couple of the heroes as the fire spreads out.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cirra would hear something disquieting. Red is laughing very hard. He seems to be enjoying this, despite the injuries he's already sustained. Or he's insane. Possibly both.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:162|Zephyr Windstar (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Damn it..." Zephyr curses under her breath as flames lick at her Barrier Jacket, causing it to smolder before it flashes and extinguishes itself. "Divine Wind. Drive Ignition."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Device chimes resonantly. <span class=" fg_m bg_n ++ m">&lt;DRIVE IGNITION. DEVICE SET, MISTRAL FORM. MISTRAL SQUALL, AREA MODE.&gt;</span> intones the voice, as the axe shrinks down to a shorter, hand-ax. "Tch, he's tougher than he looks..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Windmage draws back her axe, and sets her stance in mid air. <span class=" fg_m bg_n ++ m">&lt;STRIKE MODE. MISTRAL CUTTER.&gt;</span> intones the Device, as the two small spinning Bits latch onto the counter-balance side of the axe blade, glowing brilliantly as they start to spin and provide additional force. The blade glows brightly purple and leaves a trail in its wake as Zephyr surges forward, attempting to get close and slam that empowered blade into the monsterous man.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce grunts a little and falls to his knees as his shield fails, redirecting his energy into a Field-type defense that sheaths his body in golden light. Once the worst of the flames pass, he stands, and retrieves his Device, scorched and blackened, but still functioning, and levels the tuning-fork head. "Struggle Bind!" he announces, lashes of golden light whipping out to try and ensnare Red Oil. These have the added effect of trying to drain, or at least suppress his energy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cirra has never seen the Law Blade get stuck in something, or someone so easily. "Tch-" She grabs a Law Card from her side and slaps it to the ground. "The. WALL!" A wall of magical bricks builds itself up between herself and Red. It's in time to stop the fire from hitting her directly, but the heat is immense and flows around the wall, leaving her trapped in flames.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sweats in her armor as she tries to find an out, but then hears that awfull laugh, "Enjoying this, are you?"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Black smoke starts to rise out of the joints in her armor, but it's not her burning. She grabs the edge of the magic wall and vaults over it, holding the sword point down with two hands as she burns her own blood to enhance her strength, and comes dow to try and stab it at the lizard man. "I'm not."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So many allies in close range with the dragon-like man. Evangeline is unsure of what method of attack she could use to hit Red without risking hitting someone else. It takes her a moment of thought to come up with an idea. She has no melee weapons, but she figures she might be able to approximate one. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As Zephyr and Cirra slice at Red, Evangeline flies in quickly, her hand-less arms glowing bright red at the tips. When she reaches Red, Evangeline delivers what looks like a punch, but rather than impacting she fires a beam at near point-blank range and with much less risk of hitting her allies. The beam is much smaller than her initial blast, but that means she can deliver several quite quickly with much better accuracy. Evangeline aims her beam punches at Red's joints, as well as his head when possible.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fortunately, Staren /does/ get away from it quickly. This all happened so fast that only /now/ does he have a chance to react to damage warnings. The heel of his hand hits his helmet. /Magic/ fire, right. Fortunately, that was relatively brief exposure, and Staren's in a heavily-armored war machine. Still, if he tries that again, he might lose his robot's foot, so he won't. As it is, the foot and part of the 'calf' are blackened, and melted armor drips and bubbles before rapidly cooling.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least he's in the air now. And so is Valentha! The mecha's head looks at her. &lt;&lt;The front's gonna become the top! I can hover better in hybrid mode!&gt;&gt; Staren transforms, the mecha now looking like a plane with arms and legs. Staren aims the railgun, but Red is zipping around in melee with his allies. &lt;&lt;I can't get a clear shot!&gt;&gt; Staren radios. He considers the armor-piercing minimissiles, which are less likely to catch his allies in their smaller blasts. But it looks like Red's armor isn't very piercable... Well, it's worth a shot. The mecha readies its missile pod and fires one, programmed to optically home in on Red, ram into him, and explode in a small but deadly blast, the futuristic high-tech explosives of Staren's world several times more powerful than conventional explosives.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And if anyone can manage to knock Red away long enough for Staren to aim and shoot, he's getting a hail of railgun slugs.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The insane heat should be INTOLERABLE to Valentha, who appears to be a normal human. Her outfit's still smoldering and she's been forced to relocate a few gadgets from pockets that are no longer there... into other pockets. Instead of going on the attack this time, she shuffles towards the mecaha's front AND LEAPS... only to land to the left of the cockpit just as it finishes shifting. Her boots glow, apparently responsible for how well she's staying in place up there!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Let's see how you do in THIS situation..."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mage raises her arms and begins gesturing down at the battlefield below. Wisps of light fly from her arms, slamming into the ground one after another. Where they strike the fires are snuffed!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Boundaries form around each place where her streamers slam down, marking places where fire's power is drastically weakened. They'll probably last a few minutes, and while they're not COMPLETELY protective against THIS much fire...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It'll definitely make weathering this guy's assaults far easier.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Red is a seven foot tall beast of a metahuman seemingly made of rock and bad personality and therefore very hard to restrain. But Zephyr has some limited success with attempting it, slowing him down in his responses to Cirra and, funnily enough, draining the magic that is hardening his hide and turning his shed blood to dangerous fire. Red was so preoccupied with the wall that his current target manifested that he couldn't avoid the restraints and then the sword coming down at him. When he gets a sight of a sword coming down at him, all he can do is react with-- nothing, because he's getting hit with beams of Neuroi energy that definitely throw off his poise. The sword gouges into his shoulder but finds it very hard to pierce his hide past the bone. Bone that must be made of something harder than his scales. They're doing damage, though, seen in the short window before the next chaotic step of this fight. The scales are being torn away from blasts and the sword's strikes, revealing glowing red scaly skin underneath that gets torn into much easier and bleeds all over the place. He is definitely not going to last forever.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then he emits a wave of fire magic that is so intense that standing in close proximity to him is going to swiftly stop being a good idea. His armor, or what's left of it, starts to melt and stick to his hide and his eyes glow a bright blue as he begins to overexert his magic with the power of the scepter. He collects all of this fire magic and just... releases it in all directions as a massive explosion that would be heard from a mile away, throwing dust and embers for a good distance and further obscuring the air around him with smoke and dust and tongues of flame.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Valentha's provided spots that definitely will help shelter from the constant burning aura that fills the wasteland they're fighting in. They'd be good places to stand if they don't want to get cooked by the very hot ash all around them.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Missile blows off some scales! That's progress, at least.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staren still can't get a clear shot for a proper barrage, though... until Red /makes/ everyone back off. "Wuh-oh!" Staren immediately pulls the Star Hawk up some, just in case.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And now there's ash all around so he can't see clearly. Drat.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, since Red is so obliginly keeping everyone at a distance, at least that means Staren can open up with some area weapons: A port on the front of the Star Hawk's left arm pack opens, and three missiles launch out. These are full-size, designed for use against other vehicles, with twice the power of the minimissiles and a blast radius of over a dozen feet. Designed to deal all their damage with explosive force, rather than ramming or superheated plasma.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&lt;&lt;FIRE IN THE HOLE!&gt;&gt;<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That is a lot of fire. The Wall isn't going to save Cirra this time. The Judge Blade lodges in Red's bones and Cirra grimeces. She dismisses the sword, letting it disappear from sight rather then try and force it out of the lizard man's body. The Judge curls up in a body with armored gauntlets infront of her face as the explosion of fire goes off.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Fire blast sends the Judge flying backwards, streaking smoke and flames off her armor as she impacts the ground and rolls. She keeps rolling, intentionally to exinguish and flames still burning on her armor until she's satisfied they're out.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Looking much worse for wear the Judge staggers back up. "The scales are extremely tough, switch to armor breaking strategies." and despite the burns under her armor, she draws out another law card, "The. Rampart!" and punches it into the ground. Magical spikes shoot up from the ground beneath Red, trying to pierce through that scally hide and accelerate the weakening of his defense.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:162|Zephyr Windstar (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce is, thankfully, at 'Long Range' so he can relatively safely ignore the pulsing flames and channel his next spell. This might take a few moments... lets hope Red Oil doesn't notice the growing energy signature coming from the mousy looking man.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Zephyr, meanwhile, slams into that thick scaled hide, and comes to a dead stop, eyes wide in shock, before she's blasted with intense heat. The mage grunts, and gets shoved back by the convection current, and tumbles through the air, before righting herself. "Right, fire magic, unstable..." she muses, then blinks. "Falka... the Scepter's going critical... we have to end this. Now."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With a flourish, Zephyr switches things up. <span class=" fg_m bg_n ++ m">&lt;MISTRAL STORM, FOCUS MODE.&gt;</span> The bits shift position, circling around the head of the axe in the girl's hand, joined soon by a third, as she gathers magic to the gemstone at the tip of the haft. <span class=" fg_m bg_n ++ m">&lt;MAELSTROM BUSTER!&gt;</span><br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Zephyr fires a lance of purple energy at Red, focussed through the three spinning Bits to compress the energy into a tighter focus. She's aiming for the arm holding the scepter... or at least trying to through the roiling flames and heat distortions outside of the 'safe' zone. The beam also carries a spinning wind sheath that tries to, at least partly, remove the smoke that's filling the zone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Evangeline, as one of the ones in close proximity, is blasted directly by the exploding fire magic. There is a shrill metallic shriek as her shield flares again then buckles. Only one section of her shield maintains itself, and that is the one directly between her core and the blast. The rest of Evangeline's body disintegrates into silvery powder, leaving just a vest-like portion of her torso behind. That section is pushed backward . <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As she is flying back, Evangeline's body starts to reform. It is slow, thanks to the powerful flames covering everything, but the Neuroi manages to aim herself toward one of the protected areas and proceeds to pull herself together. <br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "...ow..." Eva says softly once she is reformed a bit more. Once she is fully reformed, she floats upward to the edge of her chosen protected zone, her hexagonal shield sections reforming steadily. She hears the warning from Zephyr, then holds her sleeve-like arms up in front of her. That red energy starts to build again, then...she takes off, right toward Red. She closes quickly, her shield starting to erode again. She closes as close as she dares, then fires another full power Neuroi Beam, aiming right at Red Oil's broad chest. Hopefully the big guy is caught in the crossfire with Zephyr's beam. When Evangeline's beam hits, metal reacts most strongly with it, being supersaturated to the point of exploding, and flesh is burned away.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh dammit--" Valentha's TRYING to pass herself off as a mage, but this disguise is getting incredibly hard to manage. What's left of her clothing's getting ripped to shreds by the insane heats bathing Staren's mecha - until he flies off, anyways.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's almost NOTHING left of her Streetwolf outfit, just scorched shreds. How is it exactly that the skin beneath is only lightly scorched and burnt in comparison?<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, it would be much, MUCH worse if she was in the HEART of that. It would.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But with all of her gear toppling to the ground courtesy of clothing damage and no pockets left to hold it...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh screw it, I don't CARE anymore."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She takes a FLYING LEAP off the mecha. And right as Staren's done firing off his shots, he'll see her body metamorphing. Smooth skin gives way to rough scales, horns sprout from her spine. Great wings emerge from her back.... and she's getting big.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;VERY BIG.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Within a moments, an enormous GREAT HORNED DRAGON slams down hard amidst the firestorm. Her armor-hide flesh ripples amidst the firestorm, but in the wake of all of those other blasts...<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She just reaches out with a single hand - one bigger than her target - and brings it down with a SLAM, hoping to pin the dude no matter how scorched the flames are rendering her.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"ARE YOU QUITE DONE YET?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Spikes shatter metal, beams slam into armor and explode THAT, Zephyr hits his arm and knocks the scepter out of it and Staren fires missiles that knock Red back and sliding to a stop in the ash. And then Valentha loses her temper. Before, Red was enjoying all of this, though he was starting to lose his "cheerful" demeanor as he came to realize how outmatched he really was. When he eventually found a big angry dragon falling on top of him and using one hand to pin him to the ground. The climactic THUD rings throughout the clearing, and now the chaos starts to come to a close. Fires die down, ash begins to settle supernaturally quickly, and all that's left is the baking sunlight and a wasteland with a furious dragon in the middle of it.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Red stares up at Valentha with wide eyes.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Y..." he hesitates, not wanting to surrender, and also to cough because he's in a lot of pain and there's a lot of smoke around. "Yes'm," he says to her, as respectfully as he can. "I'm done."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The exaggerated frown he displayed before is now a frown of terror.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The scepter is over there, laying in a pile of ash. Someone might want to retrieve that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:457|Neuroi Girl (457)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the heat and ash subside, Neuroi Girl floats down to perch on Valentha's shoulder. "...bad dragon-man..." she says, staring at him with her featureless face. Then, she notices the sceptre. She starts floating toward it, but stops when Zephyr warns them against touching it. Instead, she stands by, waiting for Zephyr to come for it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now quite likely the biggest thing on the battlefield, Valentha spreads her wings to their full span to cast a great shadow over the creature she's pinned. Like most dragons, she's a strong believer in the arts of intimidation! Ancient eyes bore into Red Oil's and she brings that huge, toothy muzzle just a bit closer.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"/GOOD./"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Only after she's well and sure Red Oil's lost the will to fight for real does she gently withdraw that hand and take a few steps back to give him breathing space.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Unfortunately, your scepter is cursed and should never have been for the taking. Let this be a lesson, though. If your only right to rule comes from power, it will be taken away by someone more powerful. Now that you have lost it, those you have subjugated will no doubt seek to settle a blood debt."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, she's still gazing hard into his eyes... and her mind also reaches out to get a well and proper feel for the situation.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now quite likely the biggest thing on the battlefield, Valentha spreads her wings to their full span to cast a great shadow over the creature she's pinned. Like most dragons, she's a strong believer in the arts of intimidation! Ancient eyes bore into Red Oil's and she brings that huge, toothy muzzle just a bit closer.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"/GOOD./"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Only after she's well and sure Red Oil's lost the will to fight for real does she gently withdraw that hand and take a few steps back to give him breathing space.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Unfortunately, your scepter is cursed and should never have been for the taking. Let this be a lesson, though. If your only right to rule comes from power, it will be taken away by someone more powerful. Now that you have lost it, those you have subjugated will no doubt seek to settle a blood debt."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, she's still gazing hard into his eyes... and her mind also reaches out to get a well and proper feel for the situation.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:162|Zephyr Windstar (162)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Royce sees the battle turn in their favour, and instead of the spell he was working on, he transfers the energy into a Sealing spell. The energy lances from the gemstone of his Device. The golden light engulfs the Scepter... even as it continues to crackle and violently shake against the ground. "I need help here! It's running out of control!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Zephyr pants for breath, then turns to add her own Seal to the mix. "Stagger limit. Carry the charge and let it bleed!" she calls. "Keep the beams coherant."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A tense moment passes, the wasteland falls deathly silent and still... as if caught in that single blip of time before... slowly, the Scepter stills, the blue energy bleeds away, and it becomes encased in a golden sheath. <span class=" fg_m bg_n ++ m">&lt;SEALING COMPLETE.&gt;</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a Neuroi on her shoulder! If only for a moment. Valentha blinks and tilts her enormous head to see better, but decides there's nothing wrong with this at all.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Instead she turns some of her attention to Zephyr and the sealing effort. Unsure how she would help with a sealing effort, but ready to grab Zephyr if it goes badly!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:675|Cirra Constantine (675)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Cirra slowly stands up as Red submits to the full dragon that is Valentha. She dismisses the ramparts and from around Red and turns to watch the scepter being sealed. "Is it done?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staren sees Valentha... become a great horned dragon?!<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Wh... what."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You can turn into a--" he starts, then shakes his head, "No... <span class="underline bold_fg_n bg_n ++ hu">You're</span> a DRAGON?!"<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Star Hawk transforms again and lands, kneeling by Valentha. Looking at her curiously. Then Zephyr calls his attention to the scepter. "How do we help?!" Divine Wind's got it, though.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staren looks back to Valentha. "So, um... what? Were you a dragon the whole time, or did you get turned into one somehow, or... why hide it? You know the Union's cool with dragons, right?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:151|Ainsley (151)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Red carefully gathers himself to a stand, now seeming wobbly. He looks down at himself and his sorry state, and then up at the dragon-- oh god it's staring at him, why is it staring at him --and then away toward his camp. Then, unless they try to stop him or capture him, he just starts to stagger off toward his tribe, expression vacant and his tail dragging behind him.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He's unlikely to be a problem ever again.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:834|Valentha Summers (834)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ONce Red Oil is out of earshot, Valentha lowers her head down towards the ground and shakes it. In regret. "For every victor there's a loser. I hope he has learned a valuable lesson, but... it's more likely the ones he subjugated will retaliate before any good can come from said lesson."<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then of course, there's the matter of Staren.<br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Whoever said ANYTHING about HIDING? You never asked if I was human." She chuckles with amusement.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:42|Staren (42)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Staren groans and his helmet thunks gently against the control panel.<br> <br>
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