View source for 6249/P:WtWM - A Hurried Pursuit

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2018/12/28
|Location=Alberichstadt City
|Synopsis=Die Reisende cause urban destruction in pursuit of a member of the Wildekinder
|Cast of Characters=909, 894, 714, 6856, 6733, 6381, 934, 6828
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The city centre of Alberichstadt is packed with people seeking to take advantage of the post-Christmas sales. Well-intentioned but poorly-thought-out presents are being returned, gift cards and presented cash are being redeemed, and preparations are being made for the New Year festivities. There's barely enough room to scratch yourself, let alone take part in a hurried foot pursuit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And yet, that is exactly what Janine Liberi is doing. Leading with her right shoulder, she barges through crowds of people in pursuit of a scruffy-looking young woman. While Janine is taking at least some interest in not causing a scene, her quarry is ploughing through anyone who gets in her way, creating obstacles out of their prone forms for Janine to leap over as she brings her cellphone to her ear.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I've got one!" she hisses down the receiver, the phone tapped in to the Multiversal broadband. "One of the assholes who razed Drachenblatt! They might know where their boss is! We find their boss, we find whoever the Woodsman is looking for!" The Wilderkinder squeezes between a couple of buildings and then, in a startling display of dexterity, hop from wall to wall to reach the rooftops. "I need help, quick! Can't afford to lose them!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that, she sets her location to broadcast, and runs into the same alley before summoning Biancabella, who takes her to the roofs with a gust of wind. Now out in the open with no people around, the chase is truly on!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:'''<br>August was just done scouting out in the Mirror Forest, hunting Shadows, when he got the call. With his gun still at his side, and winter coat tightly over him, he concealed the pistol inside it and made sure his mirrored bracelet was tightly around his wrist, before rushing into town.<br><br>Once in Alberichstadt proper, August would, following Janine's coordinates, head eastwards and try and cut off the Wilderkinder. He does this by finding an alleyway and then climbing up the buildings to the roof top, using parkour and wallrunning to reach the top, and then crossing from roof to roof. He doesn't summon his Persona yet - too risky, but instead hopes to get close enough to come in at the Wilderkinder's side.<br><br>Speaking over his communicator, August talks. "On my way. Gonna try and cut them off at the side." Hopefully, this doesn't have to get messy.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Having had little to do following the Christmas haze of binge eating, Sanary had been in the area already looking for something relatively healthier to eat. With the call for assistance coming over the radio, she's quick to respond. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; After ducking into a convenient alleyway, the healer fiddles with her magitech anklets while muttering to herself in the hopes that they'll still work well enough. They take a bit to power on, but power on they do, and the white-coat-clad healer is soon taking to the skies. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &lt;&lt;"On my way, Janine. Let's see... I'll try and box 'em in or whatever the word is!"&gt;&gt; And then she takes off like a figurative rocket: Not a great deal of mobility, but a decent amount of speed as she launches herself eastwards along the edge of the blocks she's traveling along in the hopes of discouraging the runner from coming towards her side!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's no shortage of food around cities this time of year. For everyone enjoying a warm Christmas there's someone suffering a miserable one, usually because of someone or something. It's not like rural regions at all! And then sometimes you get the ping that's just a bit louder, more vivid, more visible and more desperate.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But which of the two to linger on?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A pursuer seeking revenge and a runner desperate to live. It's win-win. A reversal would taste a lot better, though.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Like a dark specter, Kalia's form appears ahead of the runner - floating in midair, fast enough to stay ahead despite the mad run. Pale white skin, glowing white and black eyes, and clothes more akin to rags and a patchworked-together cloak of various shades of black to grey.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With that scarf covering their mouth, their voice may as well be telepathic, and they reach out, to tug at the runner's feelings.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">Why do you run?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Do you lack the power to stay and fight?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The reason?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The payoff?<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;What if you had them?</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia attempts to pull on the puppet's strings.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">Do you want them?</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Their gaze looks past the runner, towards Janine. It's explicit and intentional, with the next statement hammering it in.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">If you don't, maybe she will. We don't care either way who gets stronger today. So, tell us, do you want to rise above your pursuit?</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6733|Tony Stark (6733)}} has posed:'''<br>EARLIER<br><br>Tony Stark was not keyed in to the skeins of Fate. Tony Stark was not engaging in prescient Golden Age Heroism.<br><br>Tony Stark was sitting in the waiting room of a municipal building, messing with his phone.<br><br>"Friday, I'm pretty sure we had a 4PM."<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">You did.</span>"<br>"And did it get moved?"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Nope.</span>"<br>"So why am I sitting here at four thirty?"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Working... Apparently the Secretary of State was called in to another emergency meeting.</span>"<br>"Right. I'm over the white glove treatment, cut a check and send a formletter, bill SHIELD, find me something to do."<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Already have something.</span>"<br>Tony smirks. "You know me so well."<br><br>NOW<br><br>Squawking on the broadband is a good way to get eyes on your target, especially ones who would slow up your quarry to take them down. It was also a great way to get meddlers. Swooping in from the sky ahead of Janine and her scruffy target was the unmistakeable red and gold form of Iron Man, 'running lights' glowing a bright blue as optics panned across the area.<br><br>Stark's voice magnified through the square, he raised both palms in a 'alright, stop' pose, while hanging in the air.<br><br>"Alright everyone, if you could stop where you are, especially those of you committing either A) Crimes, or B) Past Extreme-and-or-War Crimes, magical or otherwise, that'd be appreciated."<br><br>In his helmet, Stark starts picking out Persons of Interest. "Friday, what are we looking at?"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Anywhere Germany?</span>"<br>"Exoenergy reactions?<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Still calibrating for local ambience.</span>"<br>"Do we have <span class="underline fg_n bg_n ++ u">anything?</span>"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">That guy in a hoodie looks pretty suspicious...</span>"<br>"Save it for the city PD, keep working on it."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova jumps.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As her invisible ship rises away from the city again, likely missed by everyone below, Nova plummets out of the sky. She activates her own cloak, light quickly washing over her as she vanishes from view. After several seconds of falling she hits the roof of a building in a roll, quickly rising up onto her feet and running up to the edge of the building.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the location for Janine's position comes in, she is highlighted on Nova's HUD. This allows the Ghost to look ahead and see the target. She hmphs, "I hate it when they run." Nova reaches out with her mind to try and touch the thoughts of the runner that she is tracking. Unfortunately the barrage of thoughts from those on the streets below drown out everything. Not to mention creating the beginnings of a headache. Nova wobbles for a moment, clutching her head. That's not going to work...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Trying to shake off the cacophony of thoughts, Nova reaches up to her back where her rifle is, offering helpfully over the radio, "I could shoot them in the leg."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:934|William Pauwel (934)}} has posed:'''<br>Will was, in fact, out with August as well! Hunting shadows in the middle of the Mirror Forest alone is a good way to get killed or abducted into the depths of the collective human subconscious and shortly thereafter getting replaced by an evil, hollowed-out replica. So, you know, Will wasn't just there for moral support.<br><br>Besides, he's needed to get out for a bit now. Hunting shadows down for fun, experience and interesting resources is as good an excuse as any!<br><br>When the call comes in, Will immediately turns about and races back into the city. Quite literally, at that. He brought his motorcycle this time, and now it seems as though it's time for the scifi cowboy to ride again.<br><br>"I'm headin' in over-land," Will says as his motorcycle screams from rooftop to rooftop in hot pursuit of Janine's coordinates. Fortunately, compared to the appearance of IRON MAN, he'll only be the second most eyecatching thing on the news today. "Let's see 'em try to outrun us all. Also uhhhhhhh."<br><br>Will... sort of side-glances over at the guy soaring through the air. "...Hm."<br><br>"I have... an idea. Openin' up a secure channel--!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6828|Orta (6828)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Despite references to scruffy-looking young women on the run, Janine isn't after Orta. It could be said that the girl who had inconvenienced Janine by her very existence and general proximity to loud noises and fire once before isn't all that terribly scruffy by appearance's sake, so much as weird and seemingly not aware of the fact that wrecked shackles don't count as cuffs, regardless of how silver anf ancy they are, but one would be splitting hairs.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The two had run into each other with the latter lifting wine from a tasting, which she has since pawned off to nomads for coins to buy dubious odds and ends. It's more out of a vague feeling of guilt for scaring Janine away (by blowing up the building, which she doesn't feel bad about) than anything else that is Orta's reason for responding to the call.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A chase isn't super difficult to follow for her typical method of transport; the one that allows chases to happen and not just be 'running away'. For being at an altitude high enough to mistake for a bird (not for very long, albeit) from the ground, Orta seems to be fine with leaning over the Dragon's neck to assess the ground with vision alone. Logically, the fleeing person should be as much an ant to her as she and the Dragon are a gull to them, but the winged part of the duo has better senses for things that should go on a radar, as well as things that should go on a threat detector.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From her saddle up high, Orta slips free another one of those odd little chitinous computer chip things, snaps off the little tab that leads to the tiny white phosphorous sparkle, and the drops it like a malignant child drops a penny from the top of the eiffel tower, aiming to have it fall onto a rooftop just as it goes off so that all the flash and the bang and the extrasensory scrambling happens to the pursuit target, and coincidentally not the people on the street, who are shielded by not being on the roof and the basics of how line of sight works.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do not shoot!" Janine orders. "Too much noise, I expect some stuffy prick has already called the police about us. Don't make it a serious thing!" The arrival of very obviously out-of-this-world people like Will and Iron Man has her fuming, but she has no one but herself to blame. "Try not to draw attention!" she yells as she leaps over a gap in her pursuit. At that instant, Orta's strange sensory-srambling grenade comes down and goes off, catching her in the umbra of the blast. She makes the jump, but slumps, as does the fleeing girl.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This poor gangster's life has in just a few short minutes become the point of focus for the Multiverse. Sanary and August are coming at her from the sides, some flying machine man is hovering before her, a motorbike is driving across the roofs towards her, and the crazy cripple is coming up behind her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But there is a voice in her mind, asking her why she runs. Truthfully? While she has a Persona, she barely used it. She was on guard duty by the gates during the attack, and got put down instantly by some shiny gold guy.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ever since then, she's barely been able to sleep, wrecked with guilt over what happened. Feelings of worthlessness would come off the girl like a tide for Nova and Kalia. Right now, she just wants to curl up and hide from the world, and the world has come looking. So it has to go away, one way or another.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... I want them. Please help me," she chokes out, audible to all but addressed at the spirit.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's a lot of pursuit. All the better, really. And lucky for Kalia, they're not the target of all that ire, and what blows rain down are brushed away by virtue of continued floating - and when they're momentarily blinded and deafened by Orta's flashbang, darkness surges around the specter to restore their senses immediatly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">Then rise over your worthlessness and make it all go away.</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The girl's emotions become power. With the contract in place, a dark (personality-colored) aura surges around her, granting a variety of boosts atop the ones they no doubt already have. Maybe even enough to rise up to the challenge! Or at least make quite a dent.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But maybe not. It's a lot of challenge.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia backs away, still floating, now content to just watch unless engaged. At least for now!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Doubts become strength. Fears become power. Insecurity becomes empowerment. The girl has all of these in spades, as a mingling aura of blue and magenta arise from her, the latter swiftly overpowering the former as her Persona arises from her form in spite of a lack of her own reflections. It's feminine in shape, dressed as a shepherd and bearing the large crook that implies.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But rapidly, its form begins to distend in awful ways. Wool sprouts from its form in a way evocative of stuffing poking out of tears in a plush toy. Its hands become cloven as the crook melds with them, becoming a shaft of curved bone and vertebrae. Its blank heads takes the form of a frenzied goat with wild, sharp, curling horns spilling from its skull. It stomps upon the roof with warped feet before braying an awful cry.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The bony crook is waved, and the heavens reply. Bolts of lightning rain from above, each one aimed precisely at the many pursuers, even those high above!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6733|Tony Stark (6733)}} has posed:'''<br>Flying stuffy prick in a suit, Tony Stark immediately gets told that this is NOT, in fact, a magical world of fairies and bullshit and/or Just New York, where people would continue walking by the apocalypse if they could to get to their meetings or across the city.<br><br>"Right. Ha ha. Hey, everyone!" Tony waves at the confused crowd as things go a bit sideways. "We're... shooting a movie! You're all a part of Paramount Magic."<br><br>Internally, Stark sighs. "Friday, get me a line on that footloose and funky fresh magic criminal."<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Rooftop, seven o' clock.</span>"<br>"Got it."<br><br>Getting only SLIGHTLY disoriented by that magic flashbang Orta drops like some sort of Tactically Shit Child.<br><br>Shielding optics with a metal hand, Iron Man raises to roof level to pursue just as SOMEONE IS MAD IN PARI^H^H^H^H LEGALLY DISTINCT GERMANY.<br><br><br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Exoenergy reaction just went crazy, boss!</span>" Friday announces, just as frikkin' lightning bolts start blasting out from the heavens.<br>"That damn dragon girl is here, too. Divert auxiliary power to---"<br><br>A bolt cracks through the air, sizzling into the FLYING METAL OBJECT before finishing its travel to the ground, stalling the Iron Man armor out as the internal HUD reboots - and Stark catches his breath with another, deeper groan. "--repulsor shielding. Still sore from London."<br><br>Raising back up to roof level, Stark fires a series of magnetic clamps, targeting the strange demon-sheep's legs to drop the Baa Baa Black Sheep and let the dogpile commence.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; No shooting. Low attention. Simple enough, right? Sanary's flying, but her anklets don't give off any sort of visible radiation or effects that would make it look... Fancy and movie-like. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thus, she has to create a few effects of her own to do just that. Taking a cue from William, the healer looks over towards a random rooftop and waves while channeling some healing magic under her feet, leaving a green light cloud that makes it look like there's something SHINY and LIGHTFOGGY there. "Hey! This thing's safe, right?!" She calls out, momentarily distracted from whatever's going on wit the runner and Kalia. After waving again at the totally-there-crew, she turns back around and notices that there's suddenly an aura around the running girl. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "... Ah, crap. Uh. Places, people!" That's about all Sanary can call out before she starts turning to fly towards the shepherd gone wrong, drawing her axe just in time to get hit by lightning herself. She tumbles out of the sky and lands with a loud crash, bouncing and rolling along the surface of the roof before settling into an upright position. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Convenient placement, but that hurt quite a lot. At least she doesn't have to worry so much about being seen now that she's on the roof instead of flying alongside it. "Oh... You ass. Alright, you want do this hard way, let's do it hard!" She stomps once and points her axe towards the Wilderkinder, striking a sort-of-pose while charging in with her axe poised to strike at the Persona(?)'s legs. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Someone /did/ mention taking off a leg to begin with.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Grabbing her rifle, Nova chambers a round. Shooting the fleeing whateverkinder in the leg to slow her down sounded like a good plan. Nova lowers down into a crouch as she raises her rifle to look through the scope. However, as she's sighting in on the runner, she catches sight of something flying near her. Nova tweaks her aim to focus in on that spectre... What the hell is that?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Something's not right about this...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Forgoing shooting for the moment, Nova straightens again and then jumps, easily clearing the gap between buildings. She begins to run towards the target and her new friend. If Nova can close the distance, she'll have an easier time picking up on their thoughts and maybe learn something about what's happening.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Nova runs and jumps across the rooftops, she starts to get a sense of the girl's mental state. Judging by what little Nova's heard of the context of this mission, it's not too surprising. Nor is it really Nova's concern...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova's fast pace slows as she feels the target's emotions change rapidly. It's one of the most bizzare things Nova has ever felt from someone before. Such a rapid and extreme change in her mood. Nova finally stops as her visor shows the manifestation and subsequent mutation of that Persona. Yeah, this just got a little more problematic. Nova really should have shot her in the leg.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova is saved from being hit by lightning by the fact that their target probably doesn't even know she's there. That's not going to last much longer though as Nova kneels down, once more raising her rifle, "Shit shit shit, this is going bad fast." Nova quickly puts the Goatsona's head in her sights, before firing off the well aimed shot, her cloak shimmering in the process.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:934|William Pauwel (934)}} has posed:'''<br>Oh good, the living bullet-man took his advice! Perfect, now to seal the coverstory proper-like. "Yeehaw!" Will yeehaws as he crests another jump, rootin'-tootin'-shootin' harmless pyrotechnics into the air with his amazing scifi handgun. It's hard to say why, but the glow emanating from the weapon seems somehow displeased with being used as anything but a kill-shooter. "That's right y'all! We're gonna need a bunch'a extras to act the part of a fleein' crowd, iff'n y'all'd be so kind as to oblige! Ahahahaha!"<br><br>This... Is probably a good idea.<br><br>Considering the fact that Little Bo Peep seems to have found her sheep <span style="color:#FFFFFF">O</span><span style="color:#FCFBFD">N</span> <span style="color:#F8F5FB">T</span><span style="color:#F5F1F9">H</span><span style="color:#F3EEF8">E</span> <span style="color:#EEE7F5">I</span><span style="color:#ECE4F4">N</span><span style="color:#EAE1F3">S</span><span style="color:#E7DDF2">I</span><span style="color:#E5DAF0">D</span><span style="color:#E3D7EF">E</span><span style="color:#E1D3EE">.</span> <span style="color:#DCCDEB">T</span><span style="color:#DAC9EA">H</span><span style="color:#D7C6E9">E</span> <span style="color:#D3BFE6">B</span><span style="color:#D0BCE5">L</span><span style="color:#CEB9E3">A</span><span style="color:#CCB5E2">C</span><span style="color:#C9B2E1">K</span> <span style="color:#C5ACDE">G</span><span style="color:#C3A8DD">O</span><span style="color:#C0A5DC">A</span><span style="color:#BEA2DA">T</span> <span style="color:#B99BD8">E</span><span style="color:#B798D6">M</span><span style="color:#B594D5">E</span><span style="color:#B291D4">R</span><span style="color:#B08ED3">G</span><span style="color:#AE8AD1">E</span><span style="color:#AB87D0">S</span><span style="color:#A984CF">.</span> <span style="color:#A57DCC">I</span><span style="color:#A27ACB">A</span> <span style="color:#9E73C8">I</span><span style="color:#9B70C7">A</span> <span style="color:#9769C4">S</span><span style="color:#9466C3">H</span><span style="color:#9262C2">U</span><span style="color:#905FC0">B</span><span style="color:#8D5CBF">-</span><span style="color:#8B59BE">N</span><span style="color:#8955BD">I</span><span style="color:#8752BB">G</span><span style="color:#844FBA">G</span><span style="color:#824BB9">U</span><span style="color:#8048B7">R</span><span style="color:#7D45B6">A</span><span style="color:#7B41B5">T</span><span style="color:#793EB3">H</span> <span style="color:#7437B1">G</span><span style="color:#7234B0">L</span><span style="color:#6F31AE">A</span><span style="color:#6D2DAD">S</span><span style="color:#6B2AAC">Y</span><span style="color:#6927AA">A</span><span style="color:#6623A9">-</span><span style="color:#6420A8">L</span><span style="color:#621DA7">A</span><span style="color:#5F19A5">B</span><span style="color:#5D16A4">O</span><span style="color:#5B13A3">L</span><span style="color:#580FA1">A</span><span style="color:#560CA0">S</span><span style="color:#54099F">.</span><br><br>Will doesn't quite have time to curse before a bolt of lightning streaks out of the clouds and aims for the two most obviously metallic targets they can find. The scifi cowboy tries as best as he's able to make sure his feet don't complete a circuit with the ground. Electricity arcs through empty air between the base of his motorbike and the concrete building below, taking the most convenient path to ground that doesn't involve going anywhere near those huge rubber wheels. Will's teeth chatter and spark as the bolt surges through him, and finally...<br><br>He... Seems to still be conscious? Smoldering, sparking, but conscious.<br><br>"I-I think w-we can p-probably shoot now, right?" Will asks, his weapon's energies turning blue-white as he takes aim at the evil sheep and its quite obviously evil-swathed mistress. "I'm bettin' lightnin' ain't gonna do much so..."<br><br>Why not try <span class="bold_fg_c bg_n ++ hc">NUCLEAR ELEMENTAL</span> shots right to the Persona!?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6828|Orta (6828)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh hey, it actually worked. Not just the penny off the Eiffel Tower gambit, but it actually succeeded in stopping the runner in her tracks and letting Janine and her even-weirder-this-time friends catch up. That means Orta can turn around and leave, feeling better about being mean to Janine (and precisely no one else) and go about her day again with nobody-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She'd only just turned her head from the 'crash site', starting to put her gun away at her back, when some kind of horrible beastman resembling nothing she's ever seen before folds out of the aether and calls lightning down on her for the trouble. Whether or not it was wise of it to do so depends on whether or not it was wise for Orta to interfere in the first place. Lightning bolts typically aren't things you react to; all she gets is the faint whiff of ozone and the desire to look up more out of curiosity. The Dragon is significantly better equipped, and significantly warier about a situation wrapping up this quickly. When the pillar of electricity comes crashing down, the ancient bioweapon is prepared to bank its rider out of the way, taking the bolt to the sternum at the last second.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The explosion of the lightning hitting the Dragon is somehow loud and distinct next to the thunder itself, distinctly bass and solid. White sparks and blue wisps are thrown up from the impact, as the beast smokes, catches fire, briefly spirals out of the air, and then arrests its fall with a massive thump of its purple and gold ripple-patterned wings, extinguishing the flames on its body at the same time. Having lost enough altitude to be visible from the ground, it rears up into a semi-vertical position, with Orta essentially astride its shoulders, pushing her hair back out of the way and drawing her gun with a dark, angry expression.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She hadn't heard anything about pretending this is a movie, or keeping bystanders out of the way. The air pops and fizzes into a multitude of circular blots of incandescent plasma light, creating a rotating orbit of multicoloured orbs around the pair, linked by shifting rings of energy. While they remain circle around the Dragon and its rider, a swarm of pale, translucent green blades form outside of those, remaining briefly fixed in midair, before suddenly orienting on the hideous sheep-apparition, and firing off in sequence, painting dizzying green trails of corkscrewing afterimages through the rising fire smoke. They seem to blink in and out of view, as if viewed at too few frames-per-second to keep track of, but hunt down the Persona like living things, taking turns diving and slashing into it like blood-frenzied sharks.<br><br>BASE WING 3:<br>BERSERK EXECUTE: VENGEANCE ORBS.<br>BERSERK EXECUTE: PHANTOM SLASHERS<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:'''<br>August closes up, but there's a problem. The Wildekinder girl makes a pact with a ghost, and summons her Persona. August swallows his wish not to summon his own, as he raises a mirrored braceelet to eye-level. "Light em' up! Tin Soldier!" In a flash of blue energy, a robot soldier with a rifle-leg is summoned, and the plan is formed over radio. Smoke and fire.<br><br>As lightning burns the Persona's hull, August clutches his chest in pain, but prepares to fight. He hangs back from the flashbang, pulling his head away, and prepares to strike. Sweeping the gun-leg forward, the Persona moves to make a big streak of fire blast forward across the building, setting a controlled fire that won't consume everything in its path but will create smoke, as well as hopefully hit the sheep Persona in the process with the flames. As August focuses on this, though, he does shout out. "Hey, red spirit! What the hell are you doing?!"<br><br>As the Dragon appears, August's eyes widen. People might definitely think that's real, but...it's sure as hell Awesome.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The battle is joined.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Tony immediately deploys clamps on the goat monster's legs, trying to bind them together. They fall foward, but their whole form immediately begins crackling with electricity to try and short them out. As Sanary rushes over to start chopping at those legs, they pull them closer, aiming to block the strikes with the clamps. This is no dumb brute, there's some intelligence behind those freaky red sheep eyes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;August sets upon it with fire, causing it to break out into horrified bleats as its fur catches. It seems that fire is its weakness as it rolls about, before taking a bullet to the head courtesy of Nova, followed by a piercing beam to the body from Will. And then lastly, incandescent blades seek to carve it to bits, over and over again. Surely that should do it?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Unfortunately, there is no power greater than a teenager's self-loathing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sheepsona rises, its many many wounds filling in with more and more wool as it swings about its crook. The segmented bone extends on nervous fibres as it lashes about, covering a wide area before suddenly collapsing seeking to wrap up everyone, Kalia included, and pull them close to it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Should it succeed even once, it lets out a long bleat, one that steadily rises in pitch and fury as the heavens open. A single, somehow 'fat' bolt of lightning streaks down, aiming right at the monster borne of angst, and all those who have been dragged close.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We're not doing anything anymore," Kalia responds to August, presuming the shouting was directed at them. Maybe not! Either way, that's their statement made. The spirit backs away - having no interest in being caught either in the sudden onslaught of lighting bolts, or the ensuring disasters (case in point: Orta and William) that proceed to rain on the rooftops with evidently no regard for collateral damage.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though something does pique their interest.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia's form disappears, rematerializing behind August with few indications besides the then-obvious source of their voice.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But why do you care? You were going to fight her anyway. This way you can go as hard as you want and your odds of accidently killing her are way lower. We think that's a pretty good deal, right? You can cut loose and give in too if you want. Don't let us distract you."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's no string-pulling here, just words.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia's already feasted.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:'''<br>August knows fully well that there's no power greater than a teenager's self-loathing, so he's not so surprised when the Sheepsona keeps moving. As the segmented bone fibres extend and grab him, he ducks out of the way, but they latch onto the Tin Soldier, pulling it forward and striking it with lightning. The lightning surges through the metal, causing both the Persona and August great pain as he drops to his knees, before August thinks through a plan of action. Slowly shaking, slowly trying to climb back up, he takes a breath, and then the Persona rises again...<br><br>And moves to dash past the sheep and for the girl herself, moving to throw a punch at her. It's purposely held back to not knock her out into a concussion or kill her, and August wouldn't be upset if her Persona protected her. The plan is to make an opening long enough for everyone to get shots in.<br><br>And then Kalia speaks up. August is like a dormant volcano when it comes to negative emotions - they're welled up and there, and he's a very emotional person, but they're not currently active. "Sorry. I don't cut loose when it comes to what I consider my job, whoever you are. If you caused this, though...stay the hell out of this!" Frustration mounts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As Sanary's axe clashes with a clamp, she winces at the crackling electricity flashing in front of her and draws her axe back in front of her to shield her eye. "Son of a... Okay. Plan B!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She has no idea what plan B is. Flames seem to work well enough, though, and watching it get torn asunder between getting shot multiple times and chopped apart by flying blades make her feel only slightly bad about not being able to take in their target alive. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Except their target is still very alive. "Heads up, people! Job's not done yet!" Bringing her axe up again as the crook comes sweeping in, the healer grimaces lightly even after blocking it with her weapon. That wouldn't be a problem in itself, but she's not quite so prepared for getting pulled in. She resists the pull of the crook, digging her feet and relying on brute force to keep herself steady. "That all you got? Come on, I've fought tougher things than you in my sleep!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Her taunt is quickly repaid with another lightning bolt to the face. Quite literally, even, drawing a sudden sceam of pain from the healer as her head sizzles and her body tenses up. She topples over for a moment before catching herself at the last moment, slamming a fist against the ground to steady herself and try looking cool despite nearly faceplanting seconds earlier. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; First things first: Fixing herself and her allies up rather than getting drawn into trading hits with this sheep thing until one side falls. Using her axe as a brace against the ground, Sanary pushes out a (relatively) massive wave of healing magic, spreading it around to try and catch as many of her allies in it at once. It'll mend wounds and speed up natural healing to freakish levels for anyone that is caught in it, but it won't fix any psychological damage!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova watches as their damage piles upon the warped goat creature and yet it all seems for naught as the wool fixes it all. Nova is only passingly aware of what a Persona is but that just seems like cheating.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;While trying to determine what to try next, Nova is caught off guard by the fibres that have spread out. The invisible Ghost is caught by them and dragged across rooftops, smashing into a few along the way, until finally coming to rest on the same one as the Goatsona. She doesn't have an opportunity to get free before she is engulfed in the large blast of lightning. Nova cries out in pain, appearing amidst the electrifying energy as her cloak fails due to the excessive charge.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After the blast passes, Nova slowly climbs to her feet again, still smoking a little bit. On the one hand, that really hurt! On the other... She's now a lot closer.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seeing August have much the same idea as Nova, the Ghost moves to follow him. She tries to take advantage of August's opening, whether it be him distracting the Persona, or actually getting a hit in on its owner. Nova slips around him and tries to place a gloved hand against the side of the girl's head and delve into her mind to try and find the source of her anguish.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6828|Orta (6828)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Truly sheep must be a special kind of horror if they can regenerate from these horrible wounds by overflowing with wool. Orta has seen plenty of murderous beasts recover from obscene injury in the blink of an eye before, but none quite so grotesque --so uneasily offputting-- as this one. It might be the lack of blood more than the splaying of nerves and bone that agitates her instincts; the piece of the picture that, even in the absence of any other context as to what is wrong with it, feels alarmingly amiss on a very deep level.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the horrid tendrils come lashing and grasping, Orta levels her strange, black and white chitinous firearm and begins unleashing a grossly disproportionate hail of withering interception fire. Blasts of green light each bigger than a head go flying at dizzying speeds, strobing back and forth across the tangled maze of bone and nervous tissue, obliterating not only organic tissue, but building and street around it, leaving continuous lines of smoking craters as deep as bowling balls stitched this way and that from sustained automatic fire, oddly no more audible than jets of burning gas, as only a small mercy.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her unease about the Persona is why she'd communicated for the Dragon to set up its Vengeance Orbs, and that paranoia pays off as much as vigilance. When the gigavolt bolt comes down for a second, much nastier try, the dragon lets loose a cry that is part furious giant reptile and part cascading speaker failure, and the lightning smashes down on the matrix of orbiting spheres instead, instantly turning harsh white and fixing in place. Only once the bolt finishes forking, the charged and ready orbs launch away, directly towards the source of the attack, tracing back to the sheepsona and blasting it with two dozen impacts of disgustingly overcharged plasma that move so fast as to look line laser lines, easily piercing through the unfortunate terrain of a 21st century urban area and atomizing chunks of building supports, water pipes, gas mains, and knocking down telephone poles and power lines.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This unfortunately includes the Persona's owner, and probably Will jumping in. It's completely indiscriminate overkill, steadily launched from the Dragon in a hovering position as Orta urges it to circle ground zero for multiple angles, hosing it like a gunship, and thus probably hitting all sides of the street and 'things necessary for the building to keep standing' as well. It's a monster. You shoot the monster until it disintegrates.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:934|William Pauwel (934)}} has posed:'''<br>Well, look. You don't just cart around a ridiculous scifi supergun without causing a /bit/ of collateral damage. And Will's plasma blast is still a little less of a concern, as far as collateral damage goes, compared to setting the whole place on fire.<br><br>But that's one thing. This is another.<br><br>This... Is about confronting a teenager's self-loathing and self-destructive tendencies head on...!<br><br>"Tarnation--" Will hisses as that deadly bone-crook sweeps out with its strange woolen sinew. Worse, his eyes dart up just in time to see something-- some/one/ he recognizes all too well. "Shhhhhhiiit, that's that crazy dragon-lady. Shit, shit. Uh--" The way things are, there's no way for him to dodge it properly. No way... And so...<br><br>"Okay," Will says.<br><br>He... doesn't bother.<br><br>"I... have a plan," Will grins, and quite possibly triggers August's PTSD.<br><br>He sees the crook coming and revs his motorcycle /into/ it. With a roar, he aims /back/ and fires, unleashing a blast of plasma that acts as a veritable secondary vectoring thruster. The Mistral skids and shrieks as he nearly loses control, when a couple of grapnels shoot out from its front end just as an enormous set of boosters unfold near the wheels. The grapnels streak around and dig into the ground just beyond the runaway persona as Will ignites his motorcycle's rocket boosters...<br><br>...And turns his motorcycle into an apparent crash-course with the monstrous Bo Peep.<br><br>Is this a suicide maneuver? Is Will about to sacrifice himself to take down a single Persona...!<br><br>Nope.<br><br>As the Mistral is launched like the world's most over-convoluted missile, Will fires his /own/ grapnel amidst the storm of dragon-born disintegration beams. He whoops and yells as he launches himself... straight for the Persona user. It might be crazy. It might be /stupid./ But Janine's right, they need this girl and they need her alive. His grappling hook whirrs back just in time for him to throw his arms around her waist to try and tackle her to safety. But... As-is, Will's momentum is probably enough to hurt them /both/ pretty bad. If only he coul arrest his momentum somehow, if only he could take the brunt of that impact...!<br><br>"Don't worry, darlin'!" Will yells, mostly to dispel his own fears but also because /that's what cool guys do/ when they rescue damsels in distress,* "Just hold on tight! Here we gooooo!"<br><br>Will... Aims at the rooftops beyond his target... And fires /just so/ in such a way that the recoil imparts enough angular momentum to ensure /he's/ on the bottom end of this likely extraordinarily painful maneuver when they inevitably hit the ground.<br><br>...At least it's a better fate than being disintegrated or smashed by falling building debris.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6733|Tony Stark (6733)}} has posed:'''<br>Wounds that fill with wool, a segmented body that snakes out to lash around, grabbing up even agile powered armors and starts drawing them in.<br><br>Struggling for a few moments, Iron Man is trapped in the constriction and the drawing in to the Danger Zone, before finally bursting free with a servomotor whine as the enhanced strength of the Iron Man suit finally found purchase, and the roar of breakaway thrust beat TEEN ANGST enhanced powers.<br><br>And sent Iron Man into a nearby window.<br><br>"Friday?"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Already buying it.</span>"<br>"Great." Tony wheezes. "Time to go see if we can cut this off at the source."<br><br>Pushing through the broken glass and masonry, Iron Man moves back into the air, pointing a palm at... Kalia?<br><br>"OK, creepy ghost lady. That's a real interesting power you've got, Enhancing people on the spot. Turn it off."<br><br>The whine of the repulsor in the palm spinning up adds a threat to his words. "Not gonna ask twice."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The corrupted Persona's regenrative power is a clear problem, and so the obvious solution becomes clear; deal with the user instead. Even if it means that the Persona has to focus on defence, that's a bonus. But there's a problem with that; as it stands, this sheep thing is fuelled by teenaged frustrations, and when has a teenager ever had 'self-preservation' as a priority?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hence, August's fist connects with the girl's face, and her Persona doesn't even bat an eye. Instead, its crook begins to arc with electricity as it swings it, aiming to disable its attackers further with stunning strikes! Nova also gets close and delves into the teenager's mind, trying to untagle the twisted feelings fuelled by Kalia's power. The inside of her mind is like a dense, constant scream, and once the soldier probes at it, the Persona turns to look at her and jabs with the crook! The girl may not have self-preservation in mind, but the creature her mind has birthed certainly does, it seems.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But now Orta is responding, with her usual level of disregard for anything. The Persona is hosed, and the user is dangerously close to the blast, before Will comes barrelling it to tackle her, leaving his bike to slam into the Persona and knock it off-balance. Will, the girl, and possibly Nova go flying off the roof and crash to the ground below.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Things are confusing down there for a moment, as hands come down, seemingly to help. But they ignore anyone except the girl, grabbing her up and restraining her as a knife comes up to her throat. It's a group of Drachenblatt students, all with eerily blank looks on their face in spite of the situation.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Bring Adelle Kaufmann here," the ringleader says, a boy who looks built to demolish any sport he decides to play. He presses the blade of the knife against the girl's throat, causing the goatsona above to freeze up. "If you do, we'll trade."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We won't interfere," Kalia confirms for August, raising their one visible arm to wave dismissively at the angry teenager. "But we'll defend ourselves if we have to."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And case in point, Kalia does nothing to interfere with August's attacks - or even Nova's, whose psychic probing prompts a curious brow perk from the spirit. That's interesting. Really interesting! Kalia's never encountered another psychic before. They're curious to see what happens. At least until Tony levels that glowing hand cannon at the spirit.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We didn't do anything. She chose. She wanted this. But it doesn't look like it matters now," Kalia says, with an idle glance towards the situation. Kalia likes the spunk of those 'changelings' at any rate. They can relate. When their head turns back towards Tony, ther eyes look through the visor of his armor, piercing metal to look at his'.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But you know what that's like, right? Failing. Wanting to be stronger. Better prepared. To fix things. Are you going to admonish her for wanting this? If we'd offered you power when you needed it, would you have been able to say no?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A pause, and then: "Be honest."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:'''<br>August doesn't make it in time to reach Will. The massive laser blast catches him off-guard, and he continues moving to avoid the fallout of the destruction. "Shit!"<br><br>August moves forward to approach, dropping to street level, and he sees them. The changelings. As they make their declaration, August considers his course of action. They look so human. They act pretty human.<br><br>But they're not human. They're not people. He knows this. He hates what they are. But they'll bleed like anyone else. Die like anyone else. So he hesitates. Is this what he wants to do? Is this what he wants to be? He's already come pretty far. He's already killed in cold blood before.<br><br>He's a quick draw. The pistol is brought out of his jacket and pointed at the ringleader's head, a quick pull of a trigger. It's a pinpoint shot from someone who trains frequently, though he's no master. August's voice is cold. His eyes are full of fiery conviction, even if his shot is slightly hesitant in timing because of his fear.<br><br>"I'm sorry. But I don't negotiate with monsters."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; With that initial issue dealt with, a new issue arises when several people go sailing right off the roof and onto the street below. Sanary's eye flickers as she struggles to even watch what's going on, hitting the side of her head a few times as if that would actually fix whatever's going on with her eye. Scrambling to the edge of the rooftop, the healer peers down at the goings on below while letting Stark and Kalia do their thing over there. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Part of her is curious enough to go see just what it is they're doing, but she can ask later. Probably. If only she knew. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Alas, she doesn't know, so her attention is on another priority entirely. Following August's lead, Sanary readies herself for an impact as she flings herself over the rooftop. As she comes down, she aims herself boots-first at one of the students while swinging her axe down at another. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Moments later, she speaks up in the hammiest tone with the most stilted delivery possible as she tries to keep up the movie facade. "Looks like you've had an unfortunate AXE.. Iddent."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova is a bit distracted trying to break through the sheer mess that is the girl's mind and get through to her. So unfortunately she notices neither the jab from the Goatsona, nor the curious attention from the other type of ghost here, nor the charging Will, nor the barrage from the dragon. The result is that Nova is sent flying, disappearing amidst the collapsing structure of the building.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the dust begins to clear from the collapse, a large piece of debris starts moving. It rises into the air before collapsing over, revealing a rather battered Ghost beneath, looking rather indignant. However, she freezes at the sight before her of their target held at knifepoint to some punk. Unfamiliar with this world, Nova doesn't realise their true identity. Not until the others inform her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova frowns in further annoyance as their target is kept from them. Even if they weren't monsters in human guise, by this point Nova wouldn't have a problem with inflicting pain on them. So when August enacts his plan-though that description is just a bit generous-Nova reacts quickly. She doesn't draw like he suggested though, because even as fast as she is with her rifle, her mind is faster. A blast of telekinetic energy rushes from Nova to smash into the other changelings to hopefully send them flying, smashing into the ground, nearby building walls, or simply breaking something from the sheer force of the impact.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:934|William Pauwel (934)}} has posed:'''<br>Well.<br><br>You know, all things considered, a situation that could have ended up with several disintegrated limbs resulted only in collapsing in a heap with only a handful of potentially fractured bones! It's trading-up in the world!<br><br>And then a set of... Not /familiar/ individuals, but things that Will quite clearly recognizes seem to emerge out of nowhere and go for the hostage play. But before Will can even respond, August...<br><br>August busts a cap in the guy's head.<br><br>But it /is/ like he said. These are changelings. Not truly /alive/ in the strict sense. And yet, they look like people, talk like people. Will hesistates and, by the time he lifts his own weapon, Judgment's light has turned to something like rippling violet waves.<br><br>He's not sure if the persona-girl is resistant to electricity, but it's a decent bet. And these other things... Well.<br><br>Will has... always been a softy.<br><br>He pulls the trigger, and discharges a cone of convulsive electrical energies into the crowd of changelings. If he's right, then it'll at least keep them all from swarming in at once, and the girl won't be nearly so badly affected.<br><br>Unless, you know, she's like August Kohler and weak to her own primary element. That'd be kind of funny in the not-so-ha-ha kind of way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6733|Tony Stark (6733)}} has posed:'''<br>"You didn't do anything? Bull<span class="underline fg_n bg_n ++ u">shit</span> you didn't." Tony snarls, the nigh-impassive mask of the Iron Man armor's faceplate hiding the lip-curled disgust in his face but not his tone. Well, perhaps Kalia sees. "You turned that person into... whatever that is. Was. And now someone's got a knife to their throat, and a whole bunch of people were put in danger... For what? Your sick jollies?"<br><br>Hovering there, clad in an armor of the most cutting edge technology a world had never seen (largely because he jealously horded all but one example of it), Tony Stark - Iron Man - continued to level his palm weapon at Kalia as she interrogated him.<br><br>"It doesn't matter if they want it. There's a difference bet-." The words catch in his throat, and his eye begins to twitch due to an involuntary itch, and Stark has to breathe for a moment. "--Between tricking someone into a deal and informed consent! I'm not admonishing her, though. That poor girl deserves a hero. Probably deserves Steven Rogers."<br><br>Iron Man slides through the air to land across from Kalia, bringing up a second hand (which had been steadying the hover). "Instead, she got Tony Stark. Instead, <span class="underline fg_n bg_n ++ u">you</span> got Iron Man. I don't hold her responsible for reaching out when desperate. I've been there. In the cave. Waking up with a car battery hooked up to my chest - I've been there. But would I have been able to say no?"<br><br>The two hands of the suits close, the palms dimming as he does, the held charge returning to the suit systems. "Yes. She's not Tony Stark. And I didn't have to ask for a good man to pull me out of a ditch like he did."<br><br>The 'knuckle plate' at the back of both hands of the suit pop up, revealing an array of emitters, which immediately begin pulsing out a screeching harmonic cone of suffering mixed with suppressing waves of force. "And I gave you a warning."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6828|Orta (6828)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Is that . . ." Orta murmurs to herself, getting her feet up on the Dragon's shoulders so she can lean over its head and watch as Will does a flying motorbike tackle and clears the Persona user out of the way at the last instant. Something about him looks familiar to her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No. He had normal arms." The Dragon warbles near-electronically in assent.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The fact that the monster and teen don't seem to act together, or with any unified ideas of keeping themselves or each other safe, doesn't do anything for Orta's understanding of the situation. To her, they're both separate entities completely, and the random girl who just happens to be near it is in the way; now out of the way, as the hero types do what heroes do and evacuate the innocent. Great. That means escalating more. A Holy Sphere might do. Sliding back down, knees to the side of its neck and hand against the side of its jaw, Orta urges the Dragon back down, swooping lower over the street so she can properly pick out faces and targets.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Now the girl is being accosted? Kidnapped maybe? The brief idea that they might be assassins vanishes as Orta realizes the mystery youths haven't actually cut her throat while they have the chance. Does a world this rich and with this much plenty have bandits? If the others are trying to get hold of this one girl, and there are menacing people with knives who aren't them, however, the situation seems pretty cut and dry.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Dragon's gaze flicks left and right across the ring of changelings, and red confirmation markers appear in Orta's eyes for the targets locked, receiving a mental confirmation. Blue-white light builds up between the Dragon's jaws, becoming larger and brighter with a rapid series of iterative pulses. Biting down, the Dragon splits it into a spray of searing laser beams, scattering light in a wide cone of fractured rays around it --which then curve gracefully through the air and warp inward to the changeling crowd, spiralling through the air with perfectly calculated trajectories that are almost artistic to watch. Exactly one (homing) laser(?) goes for each changeling student, effectively a precisely guided missile aimed to blow top halves off of bottom halves or makes heads disappear in salvo of raining light.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's good! That's actually helpful! Orta doesn't *know those aren't actually human kids*, but it's helping!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Then there's all that screeching racket from a sonic attack elsewhere drawing her attention. Orta clamps her hands over her ears as best she can while still clutching her gun in a death grip, turning her head back and forth to look for the source of the sound. Spying Tony, the mental math goes like this: grunge ghost lady had been with girl held at knifepoint, there are a bunch of people trying to save the girl, there are multiple completely different enemies, Tony is attacking a clear accomplice of the girl who is apparently supposed to be save, and Tony is already known as a tricksy liar who ambushed her with a piece of furniture last time she stopped to listen to him (let's ignore the fact it wasn't him who threw it), thus Tony is another enemy.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Orta has no idea what he's even saying, but yells "Don't listen to him!" in a panic anyways, a little too late to prevent Kalia from having an attack sprung on her. She twists back in her saddle position and fires a burst of bowling ball plasma bullets at Tony's back, doing her best to save more people she doesn't know from more weird enemies.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6856|Kalia (6856)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Our purpose is ours alone," Kalia responds to the accusations, suddenly semi-distracted by August. The spirit, in fact, seems to have entirely lost interest in Tony in favor of the teen, at least right up until Iron Man works his emotions up and stands for something. It's unfortunate this is followed immediatly by CANNONS, specifically of the awful and disabling kind. Kalia's form materializes fully, the spectral qualities disappearing as the demon's boots hit the roof. Their one arm is used as a shield, a circle of darkness forming to protect Kalia, luckily long enough for Orta to step in.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That was unexpected. But not unwelcome.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia immediatly seizes the opportunity. They're not sticking around to be wrecked by Tony! Their form blurs, and reappears several rooftops away, ragged clothes a bit more ragged than before and scarf slightly dislodged, just enough to reveal there's... nothing under it? No jaw. Kalia hurriedly adjusts the scarf back up.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You're not being honest," she counters Tony. "But that's fine. We understand it's hard to be sometimes. You have an image to keep up. A shield to put up around the whole world. If you ever want more drive, we'll be there for you. We promise. We won't even hold the attack against you. Everyone deserves our help when they most need it. So when you do, we'll come running to help you."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kalia vanishes again. This time she doesn't return, but leaves a lingering voice in August's head.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_r bg_n ++ hr">That's right. Monsters don't deserve pity.</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There might be an ounce of pulling on strings there, but... August already took that shot. There wasn't much else to do.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;BANG!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That gunshot seals something that is yet unseen, but its immediate effects are apparent. The large jock slumps, that knife dragging across the girl's throat, but not going deep enough to nick an artery. His body dissolves into nothing, and the rest begin to act, several reaching out to snatch the girl themselves.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But Sanary comes crashing down, breaking them up, and Nova shoves them all back, giving the girl clearance to run free to hide behind August. She dives through the wave of electricity (it not harming her in the slightest, thankfully) as the crowd of Changlings convulses, keeping them still long enough for Orta to rain down devastation from above, disintegrating each and every one. While that is many 'children' now gone, the girl and Adelle is safe, as is their foster families from whatever darkness they would have unleashed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The girl looks to everyone with a kind of panicked relief. "You saved me..." she breathes, pressing her palm against her cut throat. Up on the roof, the dark Persona begins to squirm before fading away, the girl's panicked outrage giving way to relief. However, that does admittedly leave Kalia, but she makes herself scarce, much to Janine's annoyance. "Who the hell was that?" she grumbles before leaping down and making the Wilderkinder tense.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We just wanna talk," Janine says. "Not gonna turn you in. We just want Sascha." The girl looks worried for a long moment, before giving an address. A small house in the abandoned warehouse district.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:714|Sanary Rondel (714)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "That's what I wanna know." Sanary replies to Janine with something resembling actual seriousness for once, standing tall for a moment as she looks up and over towards where Tony and Kalia had been. She stares that way for a few moments before dipping down to a knee and holding a hand out towards their target. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Healing magic time. She keeps the intensity lower this time around, focusing a little more on relieving pain with that nick to the neck being what it is. No sense letting this kid stay injured after all that's happened, after all! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then she'll work on tending to the rest of her allies. She'll leave the movie facade to someone else for the rest.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6733|Tony Stark (6733)}} has posed:'''<br>Tony begins this awful ten-second span hearing a really strange set of words. 'Don't listen to him!'<br>Well, that doesn't make any sense, Kalia asked Tony a question, and he answered it. Why would anyone shout 'don't listen to him!' at Tony Stark? Certainly, this is August Kohler's problem. He's a 'him' that people shouldn't listen to, certainly. Yes.<br><br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Exoenergy spike, tracking--Multiple wounded. Local authorities and rescue is on its way.</span>" Friday buzzes in Tony's ears, but he's bearing down on Kalia. The dark spectre that had directly pressed on his rawest nerve, Iron Man wasn't letting this one go. He takes a step, and then another, disruptor emitters distortedly howling to suppress the ghost, the tinnitus in his ears from his tightly-clenched teeth blurring into his suit's proximitor sensor from the oncoming attack.<br><br>Orta smashes the ball of plasma into Iron Man's back, and a ripple of blue energy shatters outward from the suit's back where it connects, a portion of the heat-energy wicking away as the sneak attack doesn't connect and surge against and across the invisible shield, but instead violently shatters the screen, impacting with a meaty metal 'kthunk!' and a slagging, sizzling heat-crackle.<br><br>Iron Man goes flying, unconrtolledly, into the building he had just blown a new window into (and then bought), smashing through the roof and support structure of the building, debris crashing into him with a further issuance of clangs, thwongs, and chungs from Tony bashing against walls, beams, and floors of 'his' new building.<br><br>He doesn't move for almost a minute, blacked out from getting thrown about, shock, and probably a bruised head. In his mind, Kalia's 'offer' plays, as Stark 'hears' her from his dark subconscious. It's not a pleasant feeling, or a pleasant offer, like a gentle caress across an open, raw wound. Tender, and still agonizing all the same. <br><br>Delirious and head swimming, Tony wheezes a cough and a struggling sucking for breath from these new injuries bearing down on his sore chest and ribs. "..D-damage report?"<br><br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Reactor power twelve percent, flight system compromised. Also, I'm detecting multiple contusions.</span>"<br>"Yeap." Tony wince-affirms. "I detect those too. Any... brainwave patterns? Exoenergetic reactions? Did the regular ghost get in my head?"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Beyond the concussion, there's no change to your brain activity.</span>"<br><br>Sitting up as his HUD crackles back to life, Tony heaves out another pained groan. "What the hell hit me?"<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">The dragon-lunatic.</span>"<br>"Really?! What the hell?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6381|Nova Terra (6381)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova hmphs with some satisfaction as the changelings are vaporized by the barrage of lasers. Finally things settle down with the Goatsona fading away and the target choosing to not run anymore. Nova begins brushing dust from the building collapse off her suit as she replies to the girl's comment, "Of course we did. Wasn't about to let someone else take you out before we had a chance to talk."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The information is retrieved and Nova considers that mission success. No doubt the locals will soon swarm the area trying to ascertain what happened. At that thought, Nova glances around at the destruction surrounding the group...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well. Good luck with all this."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Nova turns around and starts walking away, raising a hand in a goodbye wave as her cloaks reactivates and hides her from view.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:894|August Kohler (894)}} has posed:'''<br>The gun is still smoking in August's hand. August only flinches when the tactical explosives come down and disintegrate every one of their enemies, but he doesn't move. Despite the fact their bodies dissolved helps him know he made the Right Choice(TM), he still just shot someone dead of his own free will. It's going to haunt him a little...but he'll be able to get past it, hopefully. Part of him knows the path he must now take.<br><br>As they get the information, August steels himself, putting the gun away. "Good. Go home. If your information is wrong..." August doesn't say anything. He doesn't actually plan to do anything to her, he's just adding it for effect to make sure she's honest.<br><br>And as Nova extracts herself, August nods. "I need to get out of here, I can't get caught near the scene of a gunshot. We'll investigate the place soon."<br><br>And then August desummons his Persona and moves to extract himself back to his cabin in the woods. Though he does call up to Orta as he does so. "Hey, dragon-girl! Thanks for the...help, even if it was super destructive."<br><br>And also slightly out of range, "You too, Stark."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:934|William Pauwel (934)}} has posed:'''<br>It looks like Will's hunch paid off! The cowboy breathes a relieved sigh as the lst of the replicants are reduced to a squirming mess of shadow-stuff. That's a whole host of them gone, at least. And...<br><br>"That's what we do, miss," Will says, tipping his hat at the distressed Wilderkinder. "We just want everyone to get out of this situation nice and safe, and--"<br><br>Uh.<br><br>That... Iron Man guy just went spiralling into a building. And the one who's responsible for it is... Uh.<br><br>...That... Dragon Girl.<br><br>...<br><br>"...Hey, Dragon Girl," Will says up to the Dragon Girl. "You uh. You /are/ that same one what almost exploded me, right?" Will just kind of sighs and shakes his head, but... Now he has to make sure TONY STARK ISN'T ACTUALLY DEAD.<br><br>And so Will grapnels up to that crater what Tony made in that building he owns. "Heeeeeey, Tooooonyyyy," Will calls, "Are you still aliiiive?"<br><br>Beat.<br><br>"Do you need repaaaaairs?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6828|Orta (6828)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It worked! Orta did the thing and got rid of all the bad guys!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay, even she isn't oblivious to the fact that she has no idea what was going on, and basically fired randomly with her tag team power kaiju buddy, but things seem to have worked out. That much is cause for a little sigh of relief, putting the gun away once a gain and slumping in the natural depression in the Dragon's white body armour as it lowers to the ground, crunching into the massive sprawl of heinous collateral damage that is 90% her fault and almost shrugging her off it with a soft hiss.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coming down the side of its neck, yet refusing to break hand contact, Orta comes up to Janine as far as that allows, and after an awkward pause, slowly blurts out "Sorry. About your wine. I ran before, so, I wanted to help. This time." She swells up with just a little confidence when she turns to look at the Wilderkinder, evidently proud of herself for this mission accomplished, completely negligent of the utilities she's knocked out for blocks and the urban damage she isn't paying for because she's not a billionaire. August actually *thanks* her, and that much gets her to step back and halfway hide behind the Dragon's head, currently in the process of giving him A Look (as far as weird bioweapons can), the top half of her face visible for a short-lived, enthusiastic nod.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh." she suddenly 'says' when prompted by Will. "You remind me of someone, but he had arms." She makes clenching motions with the fingers of one hand for emphasis, which is slightly helpful given the uncertainty of that bizarre creole she speaks. When he goes after Tony, she yells out "Be careful! He almost got her friend!" she points to the VIP, before looking around the street. "I don't know where she went though. If he's still alive, don't listen to him! He tries to distract you before attacking!" Biting her lip, Orta suddenly scrambles back into the saddle. "W-wait! I'll come and finish him off! Just to be sure!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yeah kid. You do that. That's totally what'll happen.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:934|William Pauwel (934)}} has posed:'''<br>It's okay Orta. Will lives in a backwater pseudo-USA and speaks with the kind of twang that only shows up in the cartooniest of western-themed cartoons. He can understand you juuuuust fine. "THAT WAS ME," Will says from his position at the crater. "I /had/ normal arms! And then I shot too hard and blew them off!"<br><br>The sad irony: Will didn't even /get/ his arms disintegrated. He did it himself! By accident! WHOOPS! His big ol' metal hand waves and makes a nice friendly O-K sign. "It's okay, it's okay! He's PROBABLY one of the good ones! Nobody who goes along with one of my great plans can be TOTALLY BAD!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:909|Janine Liberi (909)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Janine blinks in shock as she receives an apology. This is not a common thing for her, so she's a little out of her depth. "Uh... hey, that's fine. I managed to snag a good bottle on my way out. We're cool, thanks for the assist." She offers a shaky smile, one that looks like its fallen out of disuse.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Whoa, no!" she shouts as Orta starts getting back in the saddle to finish Tony off. "No uh, that's cool. We can take it from here." Again, that wobbly, crooked smile. "Don't worry, I never listen to adults. We'll get rid of him. You and your uh, dragon buddy can get out of here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6828|Orta (6828)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That makes two girls who aren't old enough to be doing this who are awkward and bad at smiling. Clearly this was meant to be. Orta only just has that weird 'gun' out again for the second time today when Janine catches her with a half-explanation that seems to at least do the trick. "Oh. Okay." she says, a little lamely. "If you're sure." She doesn't sound sure. "I don't know why you need her, but if it's about the Queen, I hope you have good luck. You were kind to me before, so I will help more if you need it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then on the way out. "That was you? You should be more careful with your arms." A brief, thoughtful pause. "I forget why I shot you last time, so I forgive you." Fwoosh. Away.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:6733|Tony Stark (6733)}} has posed:'''<br>Will goes over the lip of the roof to check on Tony. Iron Man raises an arm, palm dim, to wave, before he goes back to heaving cieling beams and drywall off of his legs. "Yeah... yeah, I'm still alive. And yeah, I need repairs - which you are categorically incapable of rendering to me, so-woah-woah-woah!" He draws up a knee as Orta decides she's gonna finish the job. "Girl just hit me with energetic plasma the size of an engine block and you're just... Hey, kid, we were on the same side!"<br><br>Janine isn't reassuring either.<br><br>Muttering to himself, Tony rises up to his feet, taking a strong-looking stance, fists clenched at his side - the classic hero pose - as dust and wall fill drifting off his chalked metal exterior.<br><br>Muttering to himself internally, Stark muses on his current predicament. "The hell is the Scooby Doo gang gonna do, walk this off? Reroute damaged stabilizer power to manual control, and get something to meet us halfway."<br>"<span class="bold_fg_m bg_n ++ hm">Replacement enroute. Systems rebooting, flight to manual control.</span>"<br><br>Outwardly again, Tony takes a step back, glancing over the rubble at what was out behind him beyond a story of drop and a backyard - not much. "You're just gonna leave?"<br> <br>
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