3233/Woodvale Trial: Call of Nature

Woodvale Trial: Call of Nature
Date of Scene:	19 October 2015
Location:	Paragon City <CoH>
Synopsis:	Investigating heroes locate a mysterious enemy force engaging the Devouring Earth in Woodvale... But what are they after?
Cast of Characters:	Deelel, Alexis, 560, 769, 872

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Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    Despite the fact that the only neighborhood of Woodvale remaining in human control is Arcadia, just inside the zone, this beachhead has proven quite valuable in launching strikes against the Devouring Earth, conducting scouting missions to learn what their distribution is, etc. Office buildings, a parking garage, a pair of parks with petrified trees, and other assorted buildings and area in Arcadia have been modified by civilian and heroic efforts to support patients from among the quarantined survivors, super hero coordination, and paragon police (even if ther latter are woefully underarmed for taking on the enemy at hand).

    Barricades have been set up facing west, towards the city-turned-jungle, and all that lies beyond. Attacks by monstrous patrols are common throughout the day, though police drones are playing a part in keeping anything from getting into Arcadia. The hovering platforms with their teleportation beams seem to be effective even at getting rid of walking rock piles, humanoid trees, and so forth. Even they can be overwhelmed by sheer numbers, however, so relying upon them too much isn't wise.

    Instead, right now what must be prioritized is the fact that those infected with spores continue to worsen, and people being exposed to the psychic presence of the god-like being behind the Devouring Earth, presently believed to be the planet itself, are gradually having their resistance worn away... And are willingly trying to make their way into the ruins, and back into the grasp of monsters. Until these people can be cured of the spores coating their lungs, they can not be evacuated. And if they aren't evacuated, eventually they'll all join the Devouring Earth to be turned into mulch or whatever the monsters do to them.

    Dr. Maccabe has a plan, however. One of the Devouring Earth bosses has been spotted at the remains of the Circuit Court of Woodvale by other heroes. Getting there, ambushing and capturing the creature, and then bringing it back could provide doctors with the samples they need to figure out a cure. As would have been explained to everyone before they set out, a stasis field projector based off of captured Rikti technology has been granted to the heroes on this Task Force for this mission. It only has 10 charges, and can be used on other enemies, but isn't guaranteed to be effective except upon the Devouring Earth boss. Weakening it might be necessary too.

    After having the time to gather, hear the instructions, and make their way into the ruins, possibly encountering enemies along the way, though avoiding them is also possible, the group will find themselves before the court house's steps, on a street torn apart by plant life, and a building crumbling from the passage of time... Even though only a week or two has passed. Somewhere within that darkened interior is the target they seek.

    In the distance, the ululating cry of the Devouring Earth can be heard. And something about it may speak to a primal, ancient part of the listeners. It might seem... Almost understandable how some might be seduced by this call and stray in their embrace to be devoured.

    There is something almost hypnotic about it, being summoned by a power greater than one's self, older than one's self, and somehow welcoming. As though the Devouring Earth offer a unity unattainable anywhere else in this world.

Alexis has posed:
Okay, Stasis Projector. Basically it's a fancy Boss pokeball, but a gun instead of a ball. Easiest way for Alexis to think of it.

She's got Wildfire with her. She tried to get the Entei to stay in her ball, but he persisted, and now stood at her side with a solemn expression. He knows what it feels like to be corrupted, controlled and tormented by the taint holding onto one's mind and heart. He wasn't going to just stay idle while his Trainer put herself in danger to deal with it. He was likely using his limited psionic ability to help block that mental allure out of the head of her and her other pokemon. That and his own ties to certain aspects of the land due to being an embodiment of volcanic nature might be useful, too.

Alexis tucks the device away in a pouch of her bag for safe keeping, and rolled a shoulder. "Alright, let's do this. Sooner we beat that thing into mulch, the sooner we can do something about these corrupted folk."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Emiya Shirou trudges across the ruined streets with the Stasis Projector device slung over his back and strapped in place, the emitter tucked away and secured. "If we're lucky... the Woodsman will be there. I think he's key to solving this mess. He's somehow important to the Devouring Earth, though I don't really understand how." As usual, Shirou is.. fairly clueless about details, but is on the right track somehow or another.

    He can only clench his teeth at the occasional siren song feeling of the place. The sooner it's dealt with, the sooner those infected people can be saved!

    ...Hopefully...

    Well, he can just hope that whatever infection has them will go away if they drive off the Devouring Earth.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel had been doing what she could to help stop the Devouruing Earth who in her world view are akin to rampant murderous Gridbugs So here she was if they had issues they were making it just like Clu which didn't get them bit of sympathy out of the program SO here she was with the strange gear and she knew what she had to do not being a creature of flesh she might be able to be more able to deal with these biological horrors.

"Greetings, sorry I'm a bit late but I'm ready with hte projector. Just keep in mind if they have gone full viral? It may be best to consider ... what we'll have to do."

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    This whole thing is awkward for Shadowed Aesthetic of Quicksilver. The concept of fighting the very world that sustains you is intrinsically a very wrong concept to him. After all, one wouldn't expect to see people chipping away at the brain of Autochthon in an attempt to destroy Him. Such a thing would be unthinkable! Then again, Autochthon hasn't sent hordes of machine-based enemies to kill all the humans inside of Him, as far as the Mirrorblade knows. So things are a BIT different here.

    It can be difficult, being somewhere between 'artificial construct' and 'human being'. In this case, because that psychic presence is very much one he's aware of, trying as it is to wear his mind down. But Shadowed Aesthetic is not from anything remotely resembling Earth, and he's also an artificial being. So the 'call' doesn't have QUITE the same sort of 'pull' that it might over a being from Earth. But that doesn't mean that psychic presence doesn't HURT, bashing against his mind like that.

    To that end, when he's arrived at the place where the people that will be undertaking this mission are gathering, he's raised one hand to his forehead, pressing there slightly just under the diamond on his forehead in memory of the pain he'd ended up in last time he'd been here. He remembers the awful headache that trying to 'talk' to that psychic presence gave him last time, and he's anticipating another, similar one, once they get closer. "...That alone is motivation enough to be rid of this pest. I can't remember the last time I had a headache as bad as that last time. I can already feel it starting."

    As for his stasis projector? He's got that looped over his shoulder, strap on one shoulder as the projector rests on the opposite hip. Given more time he could have actually incorporated it into his body, but they didn't have days -- or possibly weeks -- for Autochthonian technicians to figure out how to make that possible.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    The courthouse looms over the assembled group like an ancient tomb. Two crumbling buildings, caked in dirt, but still showing some of the modern sheen of facilities that were actively in use only a few weeks prior. It looks like there may have once been a third building, but a tree has grown up in its place, practically consuming it within its trunk. A billboard advertising 'Up-N-Away Buger' has been bent at an angle by either the destruction to the terrain caused by Blurr's bombs, that kept the Devouring Earth from pursuing, or by a creature that came when the dust settled and simply twisted the steel like tin foil.

    Angry-red flashes down the street, dotted with white, mark the mushroom-capped heads of the same spore-wielding monsters they are looking to find a cure for. But something else is off about this place, beyond all of the obvious. There's puddles of water here and there... Not necessarily remarkable... But this moisture seems to lead up the steps and into the building. What kind of creature leaves that much water in its wake?

    It's unclear. But somewhere through the door ahead, answers may wait.

Alexis has posed:
%rIt's somewhat reluctantly, but realizing he's not going to do much right now but take up room Wildfire does finally return to his ball in a flash of red, but he'll be ready as soon as he may be needed.

"Well, then lets end it," Alexis remarks to Shadowed as she pulls her trademark hockey stick out of her bag.

And being the sort of girl she is, she just walks right up to the building door and gives it a good ol' kick with her reinforced boot to open it. In we go! Nothing to be accomplished by sitting around out here.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel :is now looking at the courthouse and she seems on edge so much she summons her keyblade which form in her hand and she nears the door she's also looking about for intact secrity systens she might be able to access and get more information for the group.

"I don't like this, it reminds me of Abraxas..."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    The puddles. The puddles leave him headscratching. "It didn't RAIN here... why are there puddles?" His confusion only grows when the same water's revealed on the steps. WHAT.

    Rain does not work this way.

    "Whatever it is can't be good. Some kind of water monster? An elemental?"

    He doesn't get it. But the monsters are getting WEIRDER and weirder. "Trace; on!"

    White and black light congeals in his palms, smoothly forming into Kanshou and Bakuya the moment he's through the door Alexis kicked open.

    "Just what are they doing in this place?!"

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    It really is one of those situations where, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes as the earth devoured it, Shadowed Aesthetic wouldn't have believed this had been a bustling human city not too long ago. It's bizarre and surreal as it is now. particularly to him, who had never seen flowers or grass before leaving Autochthon. Now he's very much aware of how very like the smoke and oil of Autochthonia nature is-- when it wants, it takes.

    He also notices the mushroom monsters. And the water. And the Pokemon trainer suddenly kicking in the door. Which actually prompts a quiet chuckle that he raises a hand to his mouth to muffle. "That certainly left no mistaking intent~," he comments, almost teasingly.

    But she does have a point. While subtle is Shadowed Aesthetic's preferred method of dealing with problems, sometimes one can't be subtle. Particularly with problems that one can't trick or convince the source of that one isn't a threat, get close to, and then take down.

    He's not sure what 'Abraxas' is, and now isn't the time to ask Deelel about it. So. In they go! Shadowed Aesthetic already has a fan out and opened as he follows the rest of the group into the courthouse. He too is keeping several of his eyes peeled for things that might mean them trouble as he enters. Technically those things in the 'tiara' around his head are eyes, even if they look like gems.

    He smiles in Shirou's direction, the sharp smile of a spy accustomed to hiding his true feelings. Which he's doing here, because he's quite nervous, even if it doesn't seem so. "We'll find out, I'm betting," he responds lightly to Shirou's words.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    As the heroes entered the darkened building, the door crumbling before them, they may immediately be hit with a number of things (but none of them attacks). The smell of mold and mildew. The claustrophobia of the walls bending inwards in the hall ahead of them. The fact the light from outside doesn't reach very far indoors, so the area at the end of the hall is a big, open dark space with only glimpses of ghostly marble columns supporting (or not supporting) a ceiling that might be about to fall at any moment. Everything being strewn with ropey green vines and jungle flowers of species that have not been seen on Earth in tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of years.

    And the sound of something like water boiling, and metal clicking on stone somewhere up ahead. Rhythmically. Like legs. What the heck? Did someone bring machines in here? ...More importantly, is someone else here ahead of them?

Alexis has posed:
Alexis wrinkles her nose a bit. "Bleh. Careful if you've got allergies." As for darkness, well, at least maybe we can do something about that. As she starts down the path Alexis snaps her fingers, and Caddie pops her head out of the tomboy's club bag. Only to immeadiately put a forepaw over her own nose cutely. "Sylveon! (Pew, smells like a Grass type breeding ground in here!)" "Nevermind that. We need a little more light." "(Okay, but if you see things you don't need to see it's not my fault.)"

Snarking a little aside, Caddie raises her ribbons over her head and the ends of them start to glow brightly as she uses Flash to better illuminate the path ahead of the group as they proceed towards the dripping and clicking sounds.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel gets the feeking Shadowed, may have a question later she wil have ot bring it up for now she enters into the building. The darkness highluights the fact her strange tattoos are giving off light as is her keyblad and it alone is baout enough to see. She looks at the various planbts and feels a bit skeeved out. This is chaotic more so than even what she's used to with user spacel.

"Keep alert, we're not alone and I think I hear mechanical movement."

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    It REEKS in here. Claustrophobia Shirou can deal with, the darkness too - his Reinforced eyes have a bit better night vision. And besides that... that weird noise. That his attention far more solidly than the environment.

    "Whatever it is, can we draw it outside or something? It's got the high ground right now and closed quarters!"

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    So much pollen! Shadowed Aesthetic would indeed be in a mess if he had allergies! But he does smirk at the Sylveon's words. No chuckling now, because it might be heard. That is, however, a useful ability the little pink creature has. And so he offers a nod of thanks to Alexis and her companion.

    Deelel's words get a nod as well, this time a single slow on. He'd noticed that too. There shouldn't be metal here-- wasn't metal 'unnatural', and thus as much a detriment to the earth as much as it thought humans were? But then again, metal comes from the ground, so maybe not completely. but it's still odd.

    Shadowed Aesthetic nods. "True," he acknowledges. "But on the other hand, if it's outside it has assistance." He speaks of the spore monsters outside. "So fighting it in here, where we can corral its movement AND prevent reinforcements from arriving, might be better."

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    The illumination provided by various sources reveals up ahead... Some strange machine, crumbled and crunched in the middle of the big open area. It's an odd looking thing. Kind of like a metal spider, with a steam engine. Some water is pooled around it, still emanating heat. It looks like something powerful hit it...

    There's more machinery sounds from deeper inside the courthouse. That can't be considered welcome by the Devouring Earth! And as if on cue, the roar of a Devouring Earth creature fills the room as out of the dim parts of the main hall, a creature of crystal comes charging forth, accompanied by two plant creatures! A Geode and two Blade Grass! Well, at least they know this area isn't abandoned!

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    "Gah!" Shirou acts entirely on instinct, hurling both weapons towards the enemies and flinging himself backwards and away. He ends up with his back to a moldy, smelly, wet wall though. His reaction to THAT is... "My body is made of swords...!"

    The familiar chant focuses his mind, but not to invoke the Reality Marble. Instead... there's a flicker of prana from his hand, bolts arcing above... and blades form! Caladbolg, Froberge, and Clarent come streaking down to impale the creatures!

    "That doesn't look like the water source!"

Alexis has posed:
Alexis turns around but by the time she does Emiya is already attacking their unwanted company. ".. Why would they only show up now when someone else is here?" she muses out loud, if only for a moment. More importantly, what's with the machine, it doesn't look like something you'd normally find in a city hall. But that mystery might have to wait a moment.

"(Don't you know interrupting people is rude? Big meanie heads!)" Despite the childish sounding chiding Caddie means business, the fairy-fox's eyes lighting up brightly, and then a brillant burst of fairy light emits from them, the Dazzling Gleam aimed at the monsters that barged in like total jerks.

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    "No, but I can venture a few guesses," Shadowed Aesthetic replies to Shirou's observation. Later, though. There are monsters coming at them. he does however, add to Caddie's words, "I'm finding that a common trait amongst this world's beasties. You'd think the children of a millions-year-old planet would have better manners, but it seems not!"

    And with that, right on the heels of Shirou's summoned swords and Caddie's Dazzling Gleam, he goes straight for the plant enemies, them having proven to be weaker to his cutting fans than the rock creatures. For the time being he relies on his normal speed and nimbleness to keep him out of trouble.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel Says "If they do not consider such thing natural? I'm an Abomination to them."

She pauses looking at the steam punl like machine she doesn't seem to stop though as they got company she readues her blade now and the strange wepaon.

"Tch there's only three things you'd consider life on my world. Basics, ISOs and Gridbugs."

She now reaches to her back and pulls another strnge thing it looks like a throwing weapon and it's lighting up with a lethal ounding hum. She swaps hands with her keyblade and launches the disc at one of the devouring earth monsters.

"You got game, glitchs? Or are you just for show!"

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    As tough as these monsters can be, the assembled Elites are more than a match for them and the fight is ended fairly quickly in a flurry of blades, razor discs, and fae lasers! As the creatures lie about, and eventually fade from existing (or remain in pieces after being shattered as the Geode is doing), they may hear the sound of rapid gun-fire from deeper inside the building, as well as the distant sound of shouts. Seems like there's people in here, and probably fighting the Devouring Earth! Maybe the military or something!?

    Someone should help them! Charging forth to find them by following the sound will reveal that many of the enemies that might have been here are absent, possibly cleared out already, and the room that the heroes enter into has a number of men in... 19th-century Prussian military uniforms, facing off against the same Lesser Devoured that the heroes came for! They have an unusual, archaic-looking rifles made of very modern materials, and seem to be accompanied by squat little steam-powered robots with crab-like legs that are pelting the Devouring Earth boss with machinegun fire.

    Many of these men have been taken out already, and many robots smashed, in the fight to get here, judging by the bodies lying around. Whoever these people are, they don't seem to be on the side of the enemy! ...Probably!

Alexis has posed:
You hang out in the Multiverse long enough and you kind of learn to just roll with things like anachronistic soldiers with conflicting weapon types and steampunk gun-bots.

There will be time for questions later. After the beating up of the bad guys trying to beat them up.

Alexis grabs a pokeball off her belt and lobs it high enough to get over the soldiers. "Go, Stinkbomb!" A crackle of energy from the ball at it's arc and the large greyish-purple skunk pokemon thumps to the ground between the soldiers and the monsters. "Use Acid Spray!"

It's a skunk. We all know how skunks attack, right? Though in this case less mooning sink Skuntank sprays from it's entire tail instead of just small glands like a normal earth skunk, and said tail is draped over it's entire backside. As for the Devouring Earth, they get a spray of volatile Poison gunk that doesn't do a lot of direct damage, but will eat away at their earth and plant-matter bodies, lowering their defense against the other Elite's attacks. Or the machine-gun steam-bots, for that matter.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Once Shirou hears GUNSHOTS, he moves instantly. With a yell he tears forward, cutting through the halls at tremendous speeds and diving into the fray with Kanshou and Bakuya re-projected. Slash, slash, dash-slash, he's about on the fringes to avoid friendly fire and eventually hurls his blades at one of the monsters... only to replace them with a fresh set. "What are you guys doing in here?!"

    Okay so they're Prussia, he's yelling in Japanese (but has anything BUT the typical Japanese hair color...) and there's a living program and some sort of robot-dude and seizure monsters in the fray too.

    Yep, this is Paragon City alright.

    "Watch out for any that release spores!"

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    Deelel's weapon gets a wide-eyed look from Shadowed Aesthetic. "Oh, that's interesting! A bit like a gyroscopic chakram!" he points out. Now he wonders if Deelel could learn the style that Bitter Medicine uses. That would be a sight, wouldn't it?

    But yes, as soon as Shadowed Aesthetic hears the sound of gunfire, he's off and away towards it. His soulgem sparks a little as he pushes his dexterity augmentations for a bit more speed. But when he sees the steam-powered robots, he ALMOST squeals delightedly! Finally, some technology in this green hell! Also they're rather cute! He does, however, resist the urge to squeal. But it's a very near thing.

    Shirou's call out to the people gets an added, "Yes! Be careful!" However, he's being wary. After the whole fracas with Crey attcking him while he was clearly in combat with the same enemies they were trying to kill, the Mirrorblade is not going to take his eyes off the newcomers until he's sure they're not going to shoot HIM to.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "It's more than that I'll explain it to you when this is over."

Shadowed was right it was a variant of the chalram but it was also very different in another way. She doesn't care if the guys fighting the Devouring Earth are local villains or heroes. If they are fighting these monsters they at least have a surival drive and she's more than willing to help them out. She'll end up moving to cast a protection spell on the troop hopefully it should be able to get some protection she's taking a wild guess here but it might just help. She's also starting to move about not wanting to sit still.

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    The Lesser Devoured looks pretty beat up, blasted, burnt, shot, smashed, etc. But it also still looks like it's probably lethal to any non-Elite who comes within poison-spit range, let alone claw-strike range. Working together, those assembled here should have more than enough firepower to...!

    Once the soldiers notice the newly arrived heroes, one of them yells out, "Heroes are here!" As protection spells are cast on them, they look around at the fallen allies, realizing how many losses they've had, and the state they've worn down the last monster to... And the officer-looking man calls out, "Retreat! We'll find a sample elsewhere!" And then the robots and the soldiers just start... Trying to run out of the vine-trashed and gunfire-ruined records department, with all its broken bookshelves and toppled computers! If anyone tries to stop them (by force mainly. They just don't respond to verbal communication), the robots that follow after the soldiers turn and start shooting with built-in guns that release bursts of very accurate triple-shots! ...Of course if no one attacks them and just focuses on the mission objective before them, which is still quite active and dangerous, then no hostilities commence!

    And hey, if they aren't Elites, then maybe it's for the best they evacuate and let the heroes handle it, right? Besides, look at the bright side: The Lesser Devoured is already beaten down by those strange unidentified soldiers to the point where they can stasis zap it!

    Alexis's pokemon keeps the worm-mouthed monster from retaliating due to a seeming inability to detect where its enemies are in the steam of acid dissolving its slimy flesh. That allows Shirou to slash the creature, first from afar and then up-close, with only some blinded claw swipes and gurgling roars thrown his way!

    It's teetering on its feet as some awful ichor pours from its wounds. This is the moment! A stasis shot should do the trick! ...Though assuming people do so, it might also take more than one, since this is experimental technology. Each shot makes it seem to become more and more transparent, until finally it freezes in places, stunned, and shimmers out of existence, teleported to a containment cell back at the field hospital.

Alexis has posed:
They aren't the only one's looking for samples? Who -are- those soldiers... More questions for later, mission now.

Alexis pulls her stasis projector out and fires it at the weakened monster. "This ain't a pokeball but I'm pretty sure the phase 'THROW 'EM!' fits!"

Shadowed Aesthetic (872) has posed:
    As soon as he notices the soldiers and their adorable little steambots retreating, Sahdowed Aesthetic sighs, "Disappointing. Very disappointing." After the soldier, he calls out brightly, "You should really hide your allegiances better, your leaders will be very disappointed~!" Since 'oh no, heroes are here' is pretty much a dead giveaway that their intentions are less than noble.

    Oh well. He'll just have to 'liberate' a few of those steambots later. Right now there's a... thing to be captured.

    Since the thing looks pretty weak anyway, Shadowed Aesthetic just aims the stasis field projector at the thing and fires. Since this seems to be a sustained task, he's trying not to fire across anyone else's stasis field projector. That just seems like a bad idea.

Emiya Shirou (560) has posed:
    Shirou is quick to backflip away from the creature after getting his strikes in. But the strange thing is those others who were there already... retreating?! Well that's smart but... "... They're not supposed to be here!" Who ARE THEY?!

    He goes skidding across the ground and unslings the stasis emitter once the others do!

    ZAP!

Dr. Vahzilok (769) has posed:
    ...Well, the Lesser Devoured has been retrieved, but who were those mysterious soldiers? What did they want with the creature? Either way, hopefully a cure can created now!

    Dun DUN dunnnn... DUN!

    MISSION COMPLETE