View source for 3542/Paint The House REd

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2015/12/18
|Location=Asian Plains
|Synopsis=A dangerous necromantic artifact is stolen from the Confederacy by the yakuza, and some Confederates and a syndicate member go after it1 People get shot, stabbed, and there's a giant horror ball. Also buckshot is the worst.
|Thanks=
|Cast of Characters=530, 583, 691, 714, 924, 929
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|pretty=yes
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{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:691|Yari Takane (691)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> The stolen Artifact from the Confederacy has been tracked to an illegal auction being held by the Yakuza in a large city within the Asian Plains, not unlike the city of Tokyo within many Earths. It's a city that stretches to the sky, is cramped, and generally has plenty of back alleys to explore for the seedier of travelers and the local yakuza. <br /><br /> The auction house in question is on the edge of the better part of the city, and the worst part of the city. It's a large auditorium style building, typically used for opera. Outside, it's a two story building with a single front entrance and a deliveries area in the back for props and other necessities. Inside, an atrium leads to the left and right towards various staff areas for getting ready for performances and other administration areas, while area in front is another set of double doors and stairs upwards leading to the balcony seats for those particularly rich. Past the doors, there's a large amphitheater, with plush red chairs that is currently seating about one hundred rich yakuza and various other criminals and their associates. The stage is high up, with dark blue curtains. <br /><br /> Despite the size of the gathering, security is relatively light. Only two guards at the entrance, one in the back which leads to the storage area for the various items to be auctioned. It seems the Yakuza either believe their own guns mitigate the need for guards, or reputation alone will safeguard them. <br /><br /> The first thing for sale is wheeled onto the stage by the auctioneer: a stolen painting worth several million. Bids begin immediately, and all eyes are on stage. <br /><br /> In various points around the auction house, the Confederates arrive, Yari herself landing atop a building adjacent to the front of the theater. <br /><br /> "Our mission is simple." She relays. <br /><br /> "We go in loud, and make an example of these Yakuza garbage. Meanwhile, a small team can begin extracting and searching for the artifact. Anything of value is also a target, but the artifact is paramount. You'll be looking for a star-shaped pendant made of emerald, about the size of a human fist. We don't have much information on the artifact, but it's necromantic in nature, so be careful in handling it." <br /><br /> A small smile in her voice, but it's quickly squashed down into professional respect. <br /><br /> "Captain Rondel, if you'd do us the honors." She offers to Sanary, even as she flicks a kunai at a guard. He goes down, and the other looks up at the darkness, distracted!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:530|Garen (530)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Garen, having made his way to the operation site, wasn't his normally well dressed self today. He wore somewhat of a business suit and his his features under a mask. He also took painstakingly meticulous measures...to smell like a raging drunk. Stumbing towards one of the guards, he all but flops onto him. "Hey....where's the can around here?" He asks, voice slurring. He also aims to fall, hoping the guard would catch him, or at least be there as a leaning post. If it worked, the poor guard would find himself being dragged into a shadow, piano wire around his neck. Once the guard expired, he changed clothing again, doing his best once more to pose as a guard. "Cipher Nine infiltrating the building. I'm dressed as a guard under a mask, but you'll know it's me." He relays, before slipping inside.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sanary's going in for a moderately stealthy approach for once, wearing a completely out-of-place kimono that would look more suited for a period play or a TV show than an auction. Then again, she could probably try to pass herself off as an eccentric millionaire or something, but who's asking? <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hopefully, not the guards. She doesn't have her trusty gunaxe on hand this time around, instead just keeping an innocuous-looking bell on her person that certainly hasn't been used to crush skulls before. She's seated near the side of the auction, eyeing the painting with an unamused/only eye. Hearing Yari, she chuckles softly and steps off to one of the walls while speaking into the comms quietly. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Hey, hey. You know I'm just hear to break things. But... I'm in position. Once everyone's ready, we'll have a little fun with the... Everyone here~"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:583|Mantigora (583)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The response to 'go in loud' is the mechanical cocking a weapon loud enough for comms to pick it up. Considering the gleefully mad giggling that follows it's pretty obvious that Skuzzler is the source. "Yes, loud. -Love- loud." Or just not having to show restraint in general. "Very loud and much 'aquisition' to be had." And he cocks his oversized launcher again, just for effect.<br /><br />Mantigora huffs a bit, and makes sure to keep her foot on his tail so the overeager little furball doesn't go scurrying out of the alley before the signal to go is given. Her eyes are on the back door to the building that's opposite the alley they're lurking in the shadows of. That there is only one guard makes her frown more than anything else, that's foolishly understaffed. Immeadiately she's suspecting there's going to be more security inside.<br /><br />"You deal with the guard," she mutters to her sidekick. "Be as loud and as obnoxious as possible -- which for you, is not hard. I will sneak in while you're doing that and start searching the place."<br /><br />Skuzzler tilts his head a bit at her, one ear flopping with the motion. "And after guard is kaputtled?"<br /><br />"THEN you can start pilfering whatever your deranged little heart finds insteresting."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Must it be loud?"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The even-voiced objection comes from a silver-haired woman in a black pinstriped dress. Much like her tone, her appearance within the establishment is equally curt and sudden: She simply is not there one moment and there the next, appearing mid-stride as if she had always been there, ascending the staircase of the main foyer.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"At the very least avoid creating an unnecessary mess. There is more here your masters value than a simple necklace, after all."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She has /other/ matters to attend to. An ulterior motive beyond simply what she was contracted to do. And that motive is not in tonight's auction inventory at all. After all, she'll leave the thieving to the thieves.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:924|Winedark Archer (924)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>There's no reply from 'Rider'. Instead, those with magical senses might detect what seems like a blip of pure magical energy moving rapidly into the theatre, up to the second floor. It leaps from the balcony over to the lights above the stage, before stopping. This blip is completely invisible, and those who don't have any form of magical sense won't even know its there.<br /><br />Readying his bow, Archer waits. He keeps it trained towards the crowd, waiting to see who will go on the offensive or not.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:691|Yari Takane (691)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>~In Back~ <br /><br /> The guard in the back suddenly has himself with a drunk on his hands! Hurk! Dragged down into the darkness, the man begins to resist, but is eventually taken out by Garen! He slips inside, and Mantigora is free to do the same! <br /><br /> The back of the auction house indeed has more security. It's a large open area, with many a crate and box being dug through and generally prepared by the staff of the auction. They're good targets too. There's at least a dozen large boxes to sift through, and three guards in the area. They have their eyes on the boxes and staff, though, so the pair can easily sneak up. <br /><br /> ~In Front~ <br /><br /> Sanary's stealthy approach works wonderfully, and Yari can't help but grin. It carries in her voice. "Good." Everyone makes their affirmatives, and Yari takes a breath. No one even bats an eye at Sanary's odd appearance, there's plenty of eccentrics in the audience! <br /><br /> ARcher's leaps mostly go unnoticed, but a few heads do pop up. Most shake their heads amongst the Yakuza, but two amongst the crowd seem more alert. They're already moving to the sides of the auction, eyes up and keen. The Servant might even feel them gathering magic and their senses extending to search for whatever spooked them! <br /><br /> Sakuya's entrance goes utterly unnoticed, and there's a nice view to the auditorium floor if she steps through another pair of doors. <br /><br /> Yari pipes up. "This is meant to be a statement. Kill as many as you can." She offers to the group. Then, leaping down from her perch, she stabs the remaining front door guard without regard for noise. <br /><br /> "Go!" And then with a heavy, stealth-loving heart that instantly breaks, dramatically kicks in the door and leads the charge. Another set of doors open, and Yari pauses to make a few handseals just as a golden egg is wheeled into the stage from in back. <br /><br /> A large fireball lashes out and right into the middle of the crowd, incinerating a good ten people. Screams erupt, people panick and push and trample, and gunshots pour at those who make their way in. Mostly into the backs of terrified auction-audience members. Yari leaps up to the wall, clinging there, ready to avoid bullets and get work as she awaits her more sturdy companions.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:530|Garen (530)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Garen makes his way slowly over towards the other guards. He gives Mantigora a gesture that would reveal his identity to her and points towards their quarry. He wanders just close enough to listen in to anything they were saying, at least until the fireworks went off. He would then move quickly to garrote one guard, and kick the other into the third, and hopefully into the waiting clutches of Mantigora.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"You heard the lady. It's showtime." <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sanary grins slightly when she hears the beginning of the chaos: Those screams, those pained cries, the terror. If she didn't know any better, she'd think she was starting to enjoy hurting people. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Well, maybe a little. Glancing back at the maid and the ninja as they come in, the healer feigns fear and surprise as she backs up towards the stage, trying to get behind some of those gunners and somewhere higher to get a better view of the chaos unfolding before her. Whether she gets onto the stage or just near it, the end result is the same: She starts howling in the loudest voice she can. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "GOOD EVENING, ASSBUTTS! You're all going to die today~" And with that, she brings up that bell, then starts swinging it at the largest clumps of gunners while channelling magic into the innocuous instrument. On its own, it'd just be good for cracking skulls. With the spell matrixes embedded in it and the magic energy flowing inside it, however, it lets loose deafening sonic blasts at those unlucky enough to be caught in its path!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:583|Mantigora (583)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>With Garen disposing of the guard with professional ease, Skuzzler can scamper right into the building proper to get on with the real fun, waving his launcher around excessively. "Attention criminal trash, your opperation now being upended! Get down or get dead, Chua not really care which!" Is anyone really going to be threatened by a three foot furball even if he is toting a gun larger than himself? Likely not the hardened yakazu enforcers.<br /><br />But that is why he's just the distraction so the two sneaks can move into position. If the three of them turn on the Chua threatening them, it just leaves them all the more open for the others.<br /><br />Slipping around the other side of the room thanks to her cloaking tech, Mantigora is right there for when the third guard falls, catching him. And by catching him I mean shoving her blades right into his back, and grabbing his mouth with the other hand to keep him from yelling before he dies.<br /><br />The guard in the middle might of gotten back up, but he's the one that gets to demonstrate that short stature is a bad thing to judge on, as a massive arc of electricity flies from Skuzzler's launcher to electrocute him.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Statements, I'll leave to the less subtle," Sakuya responds after a moment's thought. Her presence flickers and she seems to split in two, one dashing forward. A knife is drawn, slashing through an oak-paneled door on the second story before the duplicate disappears. Calmly, with all the appearance of an unarmed woman, the maid strolls through the opening left behind, one hand resting on her hip.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This opens up into the second story boxes, where the richer sorts can watch opera without having to mingle with the common rabble. Free hand hanging at her side, the silver-haired woman closes her eyes, "Now then. My compatriots may have less subtlety about this matter-- but I am the sort who simply cannot abide garbage left strewn about."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Eyes open, narrow slits with a faint blue glow behind them, "As a maid, of course it is my duty to clean up such messes." Her silhouette flickers mid-step and the blue shade in her eyes turns crimson. In the same instant, she's surrounded by knives hovering in midair. As if released through some unspoken command, the floating daggers lash out in all directions, embedding themselves into everything within her line of sight.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Now--" Eyes flicker back to blue and she pauses. Head turning, she addresses the nearest survivor, "The location of your boss, if you please."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:924|Winedark Archer (924)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Magic users have been identified now, just as Archer expected. With a flash, he materializes, dressed up in a beggar's robe over his armor. His bow appears in his hands, as he rapidly nocks an arrow and points it at one of the mages, firing straight at their head.<br /><br />With that, Archer leaps off of the light fixture, nocking another arrow and firing it in midair straight at the other mage. As he lands on the ground, he draws a sword, perfectly non-magical but effective, to slash at guards next to him, before he begins moving, sheathing the blade. He's exceptionally fast as he leaps up to the balcony, grabbing his bow and firing arrows into the crowd. "Let this be a lesson to all thieves: If you steal from the dragon's nest, you must take care to not let the dragon know."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:691|Yari Takane (691)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> ~In Back~ <br /><br /> Garen's approach is silent and easy, and lets him listen in. At first, the guards are offering general chit-chat and oggling one of the prettier stage-workers, before talk turns more serious. <br /><br /> "You hear about the big ticket item?" <br /><br /> "Yeah, brother. Supposed to go for Thirty Million! Where'd they stash that thing anyway?" <br /><br /> "Who knows? Heard something about a red chest. Ain't exactly out in plain sight though." A clue! Thus far, there's nothing but large crates, but any one of them could hold a pendant-sized chest. There will need to be digging, or some technology or magic shenanigans to speed along the search! <br /><br /> Hurrrrrk! Scratch one guard from the neck. Another is kicked right into the third, and both stagger! Mantigora shanks the man from the back, and he falls! A smooth job so far! <br /><br /> But then the last guard proves more alert. Skuzzler levels his weapon and the guard throws himself down! He gets winged in the leg and shocked, but not before he squeezes the trigger and lets out a spray of semi-auto fire right at the tiny fuzzball! <br /><br /> The stage-hands, it turns out, are alert too. Two of them run away, leaping out into the stage and knocking down the auctioneer. The remaining two draw stub pistols, and start firing at Mantigora and Garen! <br /><br /> ~In Front~ <br /><br /> Sanary gets a clear 'shot'! Her voice and the ringing of the bell are amplified enough that the sonic waves crash into the crowd, only adding to the confusion as several of the Yakuza trying in vain to gun down the encroaching attackers are sent flying. Many land hard, losing their weapons. Others have their skulls crushed from the impact. The smell of burning bodies and blood already fills the air. <br /><br /> Two of the more intrepid Yakuza rush Sanary, one with a pair of knives, and the other firing a pump-action shotgun! The knife-user's blades glow with lightning magic as he leaps at her, coming in underneath the gunshot! <br /><br /> Sakuya's sudden rain of knives on the second floor balcony seats and box leaves quite a few of the richer Yakuza dead. One or two aren't quite killed by the strikes, offering a trio of low-caliber pistols shot at the maid who offed their friends and loved ones! <br /><br /> "Anyone who messes with the Yakuza will pay!" Screams one, before one last knife is embedded in his skull. <br /><br /> There's a single survivor up top, a cowering young man in a suit who could barely be into his mid-teens. <br /><br /> "Th...the Boss is over there!" He points down to the floor below at a balding, large man that's making his way along the left side of the auction house floor, surrounded by a quartet of guards. Yari seems to have noticed him, as she chucks a kunai or two at the man, but his guards take the fall. It leaves the Yakuza Boss open! Unfortunately, he's drawing out a pair of what appear to be tommy guns with far too many modern attachments. Those weapons are aimed at Yari, who takes one straight through the tail, forced to dodge and weave up on the wall like some kind of demented spider to avoid being killed, taking a few scratches. For now, it might be up to Sakuya to get to him! <br /><br /> Archer's move takes out the first mage with no troubles, though the second is slightly more competent. Her left arm gets thwacked by a magic arrow straight through three magical barriers, and she raises her hand. Patient, it's only when he's leaping down does she send off a curving fireball his way! <br /><br /> The arrows he sends screaming down, however, take out a good ten more Yakuza! By now, at least two thirds are already dead, thanks to scared Yakuza firing, trampling from the crowd, and the actions of those assaulting the place! <br /><br /> ~Both sides of the building~ <br /><br /> A strange feeling seeps into the air, however, magical and ominous. In the back, amidst the chaos, a single crate about half the size of the others begins to glow.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:530|Garen (530)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Garen looks over as he hears the fire, and curses. "So much for the quiet approach." He says. He keeps the mask on for the moment, and dives back behind a few crates. He then keys into the radio to give a warning towards Mantigora and Skuzzler. "Flash out." He says. He reaches into his bag and chucks one of his grenades out. He waits for the count and the boom before emerging from cover. From under his outfit, he pulls a pair of blaster pistols and puts fire at the yakuza and the stage-hands. It's about then that he feels the ominous feeling. "Hrm...should make it easy to find..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sanary could definitely do without the smell. Or the sounds, even. Sure, she's gotten used to the din of battle over the past year, and even the smell isn't something new to her. That doesn't make them any less unpleasant, though, and it distracts her just long enough for those two Yakuza members to actually get the jump on her! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Dumbasses... You really think that's gonna work on us?" Jerking back to face the pair directly, she channels more energy into her eye to fire off a firey beam at the two, the thin laser detonating in a significantly larger explosion once it's between the knife-wielder and the shotgunner. She doesn't detonate it quite early enough, however, and she still gets a load of buckshot for her trouble. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; If it wasn't for the adrenaline coursing through her, she'd probably be in shock right around now. There's even a quiet pained noise going through the comms. as the healer staggers back and nearly topples over from all the bleeding wounds covering her front. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Then again, being able to heal herself does make it easier to cheat her way into looking like an absolute monster despite not actually moving towards anyone in particular. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We're the Confederacy, you stupid shitstains! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:583|Mantigora (583)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>The air around Skuzzler is filled with hit flashes as the gunfire collides with the Engineer's energy shielding. "Idiot have no idea what dealing with." The blasts are wittling away at it's energy allotment, but that's better than wittling away at him as the Chua waddles up, slinging his weapon as he does. "Guess you get to be first test subject of night..." Followed by the sort of evil scientist laughter one would expect as Skuzzler pulls one of the large laser scapels he has loaded in his SCIENCE BANDOLIER and stabs at the guard's face with it. "See if you even have enough brain in ugly skull to lobotomize!"<br /><br />Mantigora doesn't have to look, her astute awareness of surroundings have the Stalker twisting away from the guntoting stagehands, a few shots zinging against her armor-lined coat. The spin motion handily conceals her reaching for her belt with one hand, pulling a military grade concussion grenade from it, and chucking it at the stage-hands. The disorienting shockwave should fire off at the same time of Galen's own grenades. Followed by a couple of her razor discs aimed for one of the gunmen's face.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:924|Winedark Archer (924)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>As the flame engulfs Archer, he vanishes in the fire. Though the mage might have a second to think she succeeded, it will soon falter as the fire fades and Archer lands, only slightly wincing as he begins /laughing/, walking up to the woman. "Pathetic. Did you really think that would hurt me? Regret your mistakes, woman, for they are the death of you." It is at this time that Archer's sword is drawn and rapidly thrust into her gut, before being pulled out and sheathed again. Dashing through the chaos, he draws his bow again, firing it at passing Yakuza as he leaps back onto the light fixture. He waits. He feels. There's something going on in the background. Looks like this isn't all they have up their sleeve.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Gunshots go off and the maid suddenly disappears, her silhouette dissolving in an instant. In the same blink, she reappears in the same location, crouched. A hand swings out, releasing another knife. Time blinks again and a spread of daggers sail from the arc of her hand, the finishing blow on the surviving attackers from her initial attack. Rising up, she raises a hand to adjust her cuff, eyes closing.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"My gratitude," Sakuya states to the quivering youth. Her silhouette flickers again, and in the same instant the scattered knives disappear from the walls, ceiling, floor, chairs, and gangsters they had embedded themselves into. Raising one which suddenly occupies her hand, she wobbles it loosely from side to side, then as if performing a magic trick, makes it disappear as well, "Now I recommend you tidy up this mess before I return."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Without another word, the woman disappears in that same hiss and dissipation of 'wait a second' she'd flickered with before.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Innocuously, an ordinary woman with silver hair appears amidst the chaos on the first floor, though seems disinterested in contributing to it for the moment.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:691|Yari Takane (691)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> ~In The Back~ <br /><br /> Ponk! Goes the flashbang, And there's several stagehands on the ground, that are easily gunned down by Garen's blasters! The remaining guard stumbles up! Stubborn guy he tries to shoot at the man once more, missing by a mile! Blam! Blam! Then he very simply falls down. <br /><br /> And then gets shanked in the face by Skuzzler. He dies horribly, screaming. <br /><br /> The stage hands that remain soon get a grenade courtesy of Mantigora, and then razors too. When the explosion (which ends up breaking open a crate full of gold bars), clears, there's nothing in the back but a ton of expensive goods, and lots of pulped bodies. Thankfully, the group has a few Confederate grunts to deal with the heavier objects worth stealing if they need to delegate tasks. <br /><br /> The amulet in question soon becomes utterly obvious, as the explosion opened up the crate where it was located. The red chest begins to float ominously, and then, the star-shaped amulet zips out from it with an explosion of dark magic! It's not enough to harm the Elites in the back, but it's definitely a bad sign. The light in the amulet goes out, and it simply floats, ready for one of the trio to take it. <br /><br /> ~In The Front~ <br /><br /> The two Yakuza laugh! <br /><br /> "Haaaah! You bleed, so you can die! The Family will find everyone you love and chop them up for parts!" Comes Knife Guy! Shotgun guy prefers to let his gun speak for him. <br /><br /> But there's a a laser being fired at them, and between! KABOOM! The knife user is ripped apart, while the man with the shotgun loses an arm and is forced to fire warning shots as he tries to crawl away! <br /><br /> And he finally talks! "Nnn...The yakuza will prevail, even over your 'Confederacy'!" These guys must not be used to Multiversals, or they're really that idiotic. Blam! Scootch blam! Sevearl more civilians run as Sanary seems to heal before them! The shotgun guy is trampled to death! <br /><br /> The woman mage lets out a sigh of relief as it seems she's incinerated her target! "Don't mess with the Yaku..." And then she screams, as she's stabbed repeatedly, eventually quivering and falling limp as she begins to bleed out in agony. ~Entire building~ <br /><br /> The efforts of the combined villains and mercenaries results in an utter bloodbath. The Yakuza are dead, the cops are certainly not getting here any time soon, and there's a ton of treasure to haul out. But that wave of magic rushes in, and in mere seconds, the entire piles of dead bodies are sucked towards the orb of magic that's zoomed out from the back and into the main auditorium, creating a squirming, wiggling mass of flesh that floats off the ground. Hands and bone-razor-tipped tentacles emerge from the insane thing, and a hundred voices cry out in pure agony and hatred. Twisted fleshy guns are pulled from within with sucking sounds as faces appear, hands pulling from the horrific ball as if seeking help from those who took their lives! <br /><br /> Gunfire lashes out at those who are farther away, filled with magic that's corrosive should they hit. Similarly, those flailing limbs slash at body, floor, and straight into the back room as well! <br /><br /> There's only two remaining members at this point: the young man now cowering on the floor upstairs that Sakuya spared, as well as the Boss! Even his attackers are ignored now in favor of that writhing mass, the big man firing both of those guns straight at the monstrosity! <br /><br /> "KILL IT! YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE GOODS! JUST KILL THAT DAMN THING!" He yells. <br /><br /> Yari contributes, dodging razor-tentacles as she draws her umbrella-sword, slicing away and avoiding death my mere inches! She doesn't yet attack the man, as his fire does help push it back, but nor does she move from being in the way of the exit!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:530|Garen (530)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>5r&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Garen spins his blasters and holsters them with flair. "Too easy.." He muses. He watches the light go out, and then the rush of magic and hears the eldritch horror come to life. "Scratch that....it's never easy." He mutters. In the meantime, he reaches up to take the item they came for, slipping it into his pocket. "Shall we?" He asks to skuzzler and Mantigora.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:583|Mantigora (583)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Too arrogant for their own good," Mantigora replies to Garen. "They bit a much bigger hand than they anticipated." Garen has the artifact, so she turns her attention to the other goods that were spilt out by the blast. There's not always time for extensive looting on the battlefield, which is why the Dominion has this handy technology that just sucks up items like a vacuum and stores it in your inventory. No muss, no fuss, no need to slow down your bloody mutilation of enemies in the process!<br /><br />Skuzzler leaves the scalpel in the man's head as he turns away for a moment and taps a few quick strokes into the small unit strapped to his wrist. It sends the signal to come to his robots, which in turn clue in the waiting grunts before doing so. The Repair Bot drifts in without issue.. but then has to hover back out and use it's one large manipulator hand to grab the Disruptor Bot and drag it inside because the thing kept bumping into the wall next to the doorway. Tch, pathing issues. But once inside both robots are put to work helping the grunts gather up the goods.<br /><br />Then Skuzzler grabs the dead guard and in total disregard for the deceased tosses him next to one of the larger packing crates. Grabs a second guard and tosses him on top of the first, then props the third against them like a ramp so he can walk up on top and pry the crate open himself.<br /><br />Using your dead body as a step ladder is probably some form of Chua equivilent to teabagging.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Sanary's quite thankful at the crowd in general trampling that man with the shotgun. Any longer, and another one of those shots might have actually hit her! She's content to just continue looking menacing without really doing anything for a while, letting her magic work on those wounds while the bodies start moving and getting dragged into... <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She doesn't even need to do a double-take there. It's fairly obvious that their target has been found, and all they really need to do is follow the trail of bodies turning into a larger pile of body! <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Oh. Hi, that's... Uh. Well, then!" As much as the healer hates to admit it, wearing no armor really does make it easier to evade attacks, and she's just flinging chairs into the path of those shots that are centered a little too much on her. Between the fleshy mass and the cowering Bossman... <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Someone can hunt him down later. Flicking that bell upward, she takes a magically-imbued swing at the mass to send a shockwave at it, then follows that up with another explosive heat beam from her eye. Unlike the first one, however, this explosion is even stronger and filled with Psycho Power, powered by the same sort of anger and hatred that might very well be powering up that mass itself!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Its true colors are finally shown."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Formerly blended in with the crowd, Sakuya kicks off the floor and rises above the throng of retreating criminals. Twisting in place, she produces a single knife and throws it, aimed to pin the mob boss' sleeve to the wall behind him. With another gesture, she follows it up with a few more, aimed at other sleeves, pant legs, and perhaps a little personal intimidation.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This will be handled. But we wouldn't want you to miss the show, now, would we?"<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her attention shifts back to the monster, now fully formed, and the woman raises an arm in a half-guarded position. Bullets zip by her. Ones that would actually strike her body instead stop a few centimeters in front of her, striking an unseen barrier and making it flicker blue, a simple rectangular shape.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Another mess to clean up," she mutters to herself, a handful of daggers appearing in her back-stretched hand. Once the option presents itself, Sakuya twists in midair and hurls the entire handful in a spread. Her figure flickers faintly and the number of blades in the air multiplies, hovering briefly before surging into motion, all directed on the fleshy monstrosity.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:924|Winedark Archer (924)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>With the magus dead, Archer sets his sights on the mass of corpse parts that manifests, aiming his bow directly at it as he begins nocking arrows. He fires rapidly as he perchs, aiming to rain hell from above on it. Hopefully, it works!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:691|Yari Takane (691)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span> Schlurrrrrp! Up goes a vast majority of the goods as Mantigora wields her futuristic loot-hoover! The grunts get to work, even as Skuzzler too is looting alongside robots amidst the corpses as stepstools! The pair and the grunts get a lot done, but soon enough those corpses are sucked into the monstrosity! <br /><br /> Garen is in a nice position to get a few shots in as well at the monstrosity! <br /><br /> Sanary's psycho-powered laser blast explodes into the creature, just as her bell sends a shockwave into it! The blast does little damage, causing severed, writhing heads to fall off of the floating orb. The shockwave is far more effective, knocking it back and causing several tentacles aimed at Yari and Sakuya to go wide! <br /><br /> Thunk! Thunkthunkthunk! The mob boss drops his weapons, quivering as he's pinned like a party decoration against the wall! <br /><br /> He simply nods to the maid with knives, crying openly! <br /><br /> The stunned abomination is then met with a hail of knives, slicing off tentacles and flesh-guns at an alarming rate before digging deep within! More bodies seem to melt out of it into a grotesque pile as each one strikes, reducing its mass and range with every blow! <br /><br /> And then Archer follows right up, filling the rest of the beast with arrows, until it's nothing but a dissolving flesh-ball! In the end, one last arrow plunks into the thing, and it's horrific visage is gone in favor of the piles of Yakuza bodies all horribly mangled. <br /><br /> The smell is /awful/! <br /><br /> The Yakuza boss is quivering and ranting in pure insanity by this point, not even bothering to get free from his pinned state. Yari simply walks up, draws and red-and-black pistol, then shoots him twice in the head. He falls limp. <br /><br /> "That seems to be the last of them. Time to pull out. Good job, ladies and gentlemen." Comes Yari, before she's over to Sanary, helping with potions if necessary to help her pull out! The grunts in back help Manti and Garen if necessary!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:929|Sakuya (929)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Sakuya floats for a moment, squinting as the monster flails and perishes. Eyes slide sidelong before her head turns, just enough to regard the mob boss and his execution. Only then does her outline flicker. All of the discarded knives disappear, including those that had been used to immobilize the gangster, while Sakuya flickers into existence a few paces away, teasing grit from under her fingernail with the tip of one of those very same blades.<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hardly sporting. It seems my efforts for a live capture were unnecessary."<br /> <br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The knife is put away and she turns, stepping off towards the door, "Next time you require my services, keep in mind I prefer literal monsters, not metaphorical ones. Murder is messier than I care for."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:583|Mantigora (583)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>Skuzzler was already leaning into the crate, so when the dead bodies are yanked out from under him the Chua yelps in surprised as he's dumped into the crate. Which slams shut again. Which does a nice job of muffling what is probably a load of swearing from inside as the crate shakes back and forth comically as Skuzzler is incapable of opening it from the inside. And wouldn't you know it, his launcher fell off his back as he fell in.<br /><br />Mantigora walks over and picks up the gun, unable to hide the smirk on her face at her sidekick's predicament. "Oh, if only I had a 'Do Not Open Until WinterFest' sticker." But instead she just gives one of the Engineer's bots a kick, and makes them carry the crate out.<br /><br />She'll let Skuzzler out. Eventually. After she enjoys the peace and quiet for a bit.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:530|Garen (530)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Garen sighs softly as he see's the monstrosity die off. "Riight....I need a shower...or 10 after this." He says. He looks over the artifact, making a note to drop it with yari later. He looks over to mantigora and nods. "Efficient, as always. It's a pleasure working with you." He says. Afterwords, he tosses the mask and clothing away, slipping into his usual longcoat before fading into the crowds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br><span></span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A little messy, but the job seems to be finished! Sanary's looking rather pleased at that, finally letting herself relax a little when Yari comes over with those much-needed potions. THe buckshot will still need extracting later, of course, but the cleric's much more spry on her feet after that bit of rejuvenation. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Great work, everyone. We'll keep that in mind, SAkuya, but... I did see this one story that was supposed to be about humans being more monster-y than monsters." Silence from the comms for a moment. "... Didn't finish it, though." She breaks out into laughter, then winces again before continuing in their escape from the scene. <br /><br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She'll probably finish reading it sooner or later, right?<br> <br>


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