Scene #7214: The Devils Cry

Owner	Pose
Vergil	Despite his warnings on the radio, Tony is just barely on time, rolling up to the meeting place while cramming a pizza slice into his mouth. Awaiting at the meeting place were a group of five; A mousy slim woman with thick glasses leads the pack along with another, more glamorous girl with platinum blonde hair. The other three are all tall, strapping men that look like they fell out of the same mould with different skin and hair colors. They're all wearing olive green trenchcoats that hdie most of their body. "Thank you for coming everyone," the bespectacled girl says with a faux-curtsy, using the coat in lieu of a dress. "We've managed to secure an appointment with the owner of the statue. He's expecting... well, he won't be expecting a fight. And hopefully we won't have to give him one. But if he refuses to accept any of our offers..." She gestures everyone to a parked limo, and the blonde gets into the driver's seat. Tony settles into the leather seating, admiring the interior, but not touching the fully loaded minibar they're told to help themselves to. They cruise down the city streets until they hit the hilly countryside, with only the limo's headlights providing light. It's a long, long trip, long enough that a couple of movies get played on the in-car OLED television to pass the time. Tony clearly hates it and spends the whole ride fidgeting. The destination is an intensely Gothic mansion built atop a scraggly hill. The wrought iron gates swing open on the car's approach as Tony leans his head out the window. "What a mansion!" he exclaims as the limo comes to a stop. A silhouette stands at the front doors, cast in shadow by the lights behind. A tall, broad man, his face partially concealed by an iron mask. "Welcome," he rumbles. "Thank you for having us. We-" The man holds up a broad palm. "I know who you five are." He points to the Elites. "I do not know who you are, or why you are here. Before you may step foot in my home, introduce yourselves."
Gawain	Gawain approaches the crowd of five, dressed in a black suit with golden tie, sword sheathed at his side. "Well-met! All will be fine, don't worry!" He carefully tries to see what toppings are on Tony's pizza. That's how you know what kind of man he is. During the limo ride, which Gawain enters happily, he drinks water and watches the television. He talks to anyone who'll listen about mundane stuff, such as sports, movies, and video games, but never politics. That's how you make enemies out of friends. When the mansion arrives, Gawain steps out, towards the doors. As the man with the iron mask tells them to introduce themselves, Gawain half-bowss with an arm over his chest, speaking as he does so. "Sir Gawain, Knight of the Sun, Warden of the Paladins. I am here in an attempt to ensure this all goes peacefully!" His smile is genuine. He really wants this to end without a fight.
Edward Blackwell	Unimpressive. Unimpressive untamed earthen hair. Clean, but defiant. Everyday stubble around a sharp chin. Thin brows over muddy eyes emptied of urgency. The cigarette between thin lips smolders more attentively than those eyes. Smoke clings to a wiry frame like a possessive ex. So does the labcoat. It's clean. It's new. Still stinks like tobacco-flame. Like a romantic parlor. Like a movie starlet. A brand-new pale green tee-shirt and black slacks are the last line of defense. They don't smell yet. But every step of those tennis shoes is a step closer to their surrender. Edward Blackwell is on time. He is perilously close to being too on time; that state of on-time that feels like you're trying to show up the other party with your obnoxious precision and slavish devotion to schedule. All that swayed him was pouring himself a cup of coffee from the Aegis Astray break room. You wouldn't know it from his trip through the city. He shoved a woman into a wall with his shoulder. She turned to scream at him and found her RSI mysteriously evaporated. He grabbed a man by the shoulder on the bus and pulled the emergency stop cord. Crashed into him at full-force. The man thought he'd be robbed. But his athsma was gone. Not his wallet. It just was like that. Couldn't help it. Edward just did what he could. So he's on-time. Obnoxiously so. He looks over the men and women with those unhurried brown eyes as he smokes. The coffee's gone cold. He shrugs. He sits down shotgun if he's allowed so he can roll down the window and smoke in peace. If he's not allowed he probably does it anyway and cites that he's not going to stop smoking so they might as well not argue with him. Indeed he doesn't. An industrial chimney. If he's physically stopped then he goes into the back and the whole ride smells of cigarettes. The Gothic mansion draws a raised eyebrow. He gets out. He snuffs the cigarette with two fingers and puts it in his pocket. No burn marks. Huh. Man in an iron mask. Couldn't place it. Probably something in the classes he ignored. Edward takes a long sip of his coffee as other people introduce themselves. When it's his turn, he says, "Doctor," in a tone that suggests he doesn't want to say it again or hear it said in his presence any time soon, "Edward Blackwell." "I fix things."
Hesinca	"I'm Hesinca," says the ten foot armored centaur. "Hi! I'm prinny number #304, dood!" says one of the penguin things that's following her around. "'Sup! I'm prinny number #252, dood!" says one of the other penguin things. "Prinny number #608, reporting for service!" says another of the penguin things. "Howdy! Prinny number #574, ready for the roundup, dood!" says another of them. "Dood! I'm super psyched, I'm... um, I forgot my number," says prinny number #308. "I'm #308," says a straightforward prinny. "Dood." "I'm the third strongest prinny!" says the fourth strongest prinny. "Number #805!" "Um, uh, um... #224..." says a shy prinny. "Dood." "Prinny #608, whazzup, dood!" says the next prinny. "What, no, dood, I'm #608," says the first prinny. "No, I'm pretty sure I'm #608." "No, dood, I'm #608, stop being so whack, dood!" "Nooooo, I checked my prinny suit tag this morning, it's clearly #608." "Nah, dood," says a third prinny, checking. "Yours says #809, you were reading it upside down. Also I'm #561, dood." "Number #869, that's my prinny number, dood!" says the next prinny in line. "#502, don't wear it out, dood!" says the next prinny. This goes on for a while. Hesinca has a stone-serious face throughout.
Mordred	Although Mordred didn't speak up during theinitial discussion of the strange job, she certainly heard it well enough through the familiar voice of Tony Redgrave. She's joining the pack today, donning her usual armor with that silver blade strapped to her back, and she takes a moment to size up everyone in the group that's there to greet her and the other Elites joining in for the job. "... Huh. Didn't know you had a family business going on." She comments on the three men, shrugging after a moment before approaching the limo. "Wouldn't mind a fight myself. It's beena w hile since I've had a good..." She trails off as she peers at the interior of the limo, then at her own armor and weapon. With another shrug, she gives the armor a dramatic whack to the chest as it shimmers into light, letting her plop right in there with a significantly more comfortable t-shirt (red and yellow with the Eggman Empire logo in black) and shorts instead. Between the more comfortable clothing and being in a fancy limo, it doesn't take long for her start lounging around and helping herself to the minibar. The long ride does start getting to her after a while, though, and there's likely more than three instances where someone will have to stop her from trying to get in the driver's seat. Once the ride is over, Mordred steps back out with her armor going right back on, and she doesn't waste any time approaching the masked guard with her own face hidden by the horned helmet. "Mordred, Knight of Treachery and future King of Britain." There's a brief approving noise under the helmet. "... Got guts. I like you."
Xion	Ooh! Xion, a weird cult kid in weird cult coat, is picked up BY A LIMO! "Hi! I'm Xion. I'm here for the ghost warlord occult doll!" She introduces herself. Followed by "I'm the muscle you hired!" Followed by 'Wahoo! Li-mo li-mo li-mo!' and bouncing in the carriage seats, smudging the tinted windows with her nose after getting a Dr. Pibb as they are conveyed to the HAUNTED MANSION of MANSION HAUNTINGS... SPOOOKY! "Wow, Mister Redgrave, do you have the money to pay everyone? I mean, I guess if it's a big job, more friends is better... Okay! Good plan, Mister Redgrave!"
Rean Schwarzer	Rean shows up...on time-ish? He's got on his usual red uniform jacket and his black hair is about as spiky as usual too. He doesn't really know any of the people with Tony, or Tony himself, so he gives everyone a brief wave. "Nice to meet you all." Rean is...vaguely comfortable in the limo. It's reminiscent of the limo Jusis' brother took him and his classmates in when Class VII visited the pair's hometown for a field study. The movie screen is new though. What's also new is seeing Mordred without her armor on! As boys his age are wont to do, he stares for a bit as he processes this. Pull it together, Bean, you have a girlfriend. Rean tries to do some schoolwork readings in the back while they drive, but is eventually distracted by whatever movie is on screen, or Gawain's chatter. The group eventually makes it to the mansion and Rean gives the iron-masked man a courteous bow. "Rean Schwarzer, first year at Thors Military Academy, and Chevalier of the Paladins. I'm also here to make sure this goes peacefully and safely." After all, it would really suck if the probably cursed artifact took its due while they were there.
Staren	Staren shows up NOT wearing armor for once. He looks a little surprised to see Gawain, but gives everyone friendly nods... including the ones giving the mission. But not every single prinny. Wow, there sure are a lot of those guys. He'll have to ask what their deal is later. Or perhaps during the car ride, where he uses some piece of magitech to make fresh air if Edward has to smoke in the passenger compartment. During said limo ride he takes up Gawain on that conversation, although he knows barely anything about sports, his knowledge of movies is kind of spotty, and his knowledge of videogames seems to be pretty spotty after the mid-90's. Although he HAS seen many of the Deathdance Saga movies from his own world and can launch into a critique about them that gets hard to follow unless you happen to have gotten them on multiversal import. As the ride drags on he'll even offer tablets and videogames to the others to play, with multiplayer offerings including some games well-known across the multiverse but also old-school multiplayer games like bomberman-types, beat-em-ups, mascot racing, and so on. He's even got one of the Deathdance Saga FPSs, 'The best one before they went downhill.' He's actually able to lose himself in friendly chatter and forget, so that when they reach the point of introductions and Gawain gives his he bristles at the reminder that they may be at cross-purposes here. He barrels ahead with the introduction anyway "Staren Wiremu, of the Concord. Here to... see if I can help it go peacefully." It's not even entirely a lie, maybe this will turn into a chain fetch quest that needs elite help rather than the guy stonewalling them and forcing some of the elites to steal the idol so that it can be properly studied.
Hesinca	The prinnies take all of the handheld video games. When it comes time to return them, they act as though they have no idea what Staren is talking about.
Staren	Staren rolls his eyes at the prinnies. Fortunately they're mass-produced tablets packed full of infinitely-copiable pirated roms, so he's not out too much at the... forgetful long-term borrowing.
Vergil	The three burly guys don't talk much, but the woman in glasses happily chats away with Gawain during the ride. She's not too into video games, but shows a lot of knowledge about equestrian sports and horror movies. The chauffer lets Edward ride shotgun, and lights up herself the whole ride. Her brand is probably significantly more expensive than Edward's, but she's willing to let him bum one if he asks. Tony, in spite of not being able to sit still himself, is the one who yanks Mordred back when she tries to clamber to the driver's seat. He's very clearly trying to pull her onto his lap whenever he does, but takes whatever licks he gets for trying with that usual infuriating smirk. He also looks to Xion and says, "I keep telling you kid, I ain' paying. She is." He points to the bespectacled woman, who gives the girl a smile and a wave. "It's very important we secure the uh... 'ghost warlord occult doll.' No expense is too much. So I asked Mister Redgrave to spread the word and get extra help if he could." Rean's homework finally gets one of the muscleheads (the one with a strong tan and red hair) to speak up. He helps out with mathematics. He's pretty good at it. The pale one with brown hair joins in on Staren's multiplayer, as does Tony. He's not very good, but the big guy is clearly a veteran. When they're all done introducing themselves, the masked man nods, and introduces himself. "Gulliver Thomas. Philanthropist. Please, come in." He stands aside and waves everyone through. The woman and her crew go in first, followed by Tony and undoubtedly the rest. They enter into a freezing cold grand foyer that has also become a museum of sort. Ghastly masks and cruel instruments of torture adorn the walls, and many other statues and idols are behind glass cases. But the centrepiece is the horned statue in the picture Tony showed. The glass case it is in has a second glass barrier around it. Touching it would be like touching ice, and your hand comes away with a film of condensates on it. "You are here for this, I know," Gulliver rumbles. "You cannot have it. No one can. It will stay here with me. When I die, my will stipulates the mansion be sealed completely, and reinforced yearly. None will be harmed by it." The bespectacled woman speaks up. "You can't possibly account for everything! Someone will come along and abuse it! Please-" The man raises a hand again. "I won't hear it. I have an envoy of magicians and mystics on the way. They will reinforce the barriers with their occultism. It is safe. Your efforts are not necessary." He claps twice, and from the shadows, large men and women emerge, clad in singlets and cargo pants. Each one is carrying a military-spec weapon, grenades, and combat knifes. And they all bear scars that imply they know very well how to use them. "I will permit you all to spend the night here before departing. But the statue is off-limits." "But Father-" the bespectacled woman insists, only for Gulliver to roar, "OFF-LIMITS ELIZABETH!" Tony sighs and whispers to everyone. "Family matters huh? Sorry everyone, had no idea." The two are still arguing, and voices are getting shrill, when suddenly, a gun fires. The two are shocked. The man looks to the mercenaries, who are immediately in combat positions. It wasn't either of them. The woman is examining herself, but she is unharmed. The gunshot came from outside. And then is followed by another, then semi-automatic bursts. Yells and screams. Suddenly, a body flies through a window, bearing deep, grievous cuts, and not from the glass. All the lights go out. "Your daughter brought more than this lot," one of the mercenaries growls from the dark. "No we didn't!" Elizabeth insists. "Leave her alone," Gulliver growls. Flashlights come on, attached to those rifles. Footsteps pound on the ground outside as those who were fighting rush into the mansion. It's about to get hot in here.
Hesinca	Hesinca remains mostly with the same expression as the dialogue plays out. The prinnies all fan out and eat any food that has been carelessly left out. "Alright, so this was a waste of time-" she starts to say, but then weapons fire starts. "Ah." She patiently waits for more dialogue to play out, but then she gets told that they're about to get ambushed. "What?" "And then she seems to come to life. "Screw that! Nobody ambushes Hesinca!" Before anyone else can come through the door, she leaps through another intact window, going to go ambush whoever's outside first.
Mordred	- EARLIER - Luckily for Rean, Mordred didn't notice the staring in the limo. She'd be a little too distracted between all the flashing lights from the games, the movies, and also roughhousing with Tony a bit each time after getting pulled back from the driver's seat. - NOW - Mordred's controllable enough as the group is led inside, and it's hard for her to hide all her gawking at the weird masks and torture tools. She even laughs and points out the weirder looking ones, although her attention is quickly snatched by the horned statue that's the target of today's outing. And then the family spat comes into light. Tony gets a shrug from Mordred in response to the apology, but her attention soon goes back to the statue. "Wonder what it's for if it's so... All of this." Alas, she doesn't have time to investigate, as things start getting considerably crazier. She whistles lightly when the body comes crashing through the window, squatting briefly to give the head a poke. "You alive? Eh... Maybe? You handle this, doc." She's not checking very thoroughly, leaving the task to Edward because of course she's going to. Getting back up, Mordred draws her sword while turning to the entrance. "Come and get it, assholes, or I'll come and get you!" True to her word, Mordred rushes for the door, flipping the long blade around in her hand just so before swinging the flat of it at those trying to come in and those closest to the door if she can get outside. "It ain't lethal if I just cave your heads in, right?!"
Xion	It's pain. Remorse. Family drama. Xion, scratching her nose, zones out while watching the large burly mercenaries guard the people shouting. It's not until Tony whispers to her that Xion comes back to reality. "It's fine. I just imagine I'm in a mission briefing with Zexion and think about ice cream instead." She shrugs with a zenlike serenity about the whole thing. The gun going off, though, that gets a reaction. Her stance opens up a bit, as she pivots left and right, listening. "There's people outside? Don't worry! Lock!" Xion swipes her hand through the air with a metallic 'shwink!' but instead of a key or a weapon, a flick of purple motes spill from her gloved fingertips -- and the front door's keyhole flickers with a shining black flame. It won't stop anyone from entering, but it'll stop them from pouring through the front door. "Hey, Tony, do we protect the VIP? Who's the P being VI?!"
Edward Blackwell	Indeed Edward has the bummed cigarette tucked into his coat pocket. Gulliver introduces himself. Edward walks in after him. Masks. Pain. Cold. Shivering. Probably freezing to death. Oh well. Sluggish footsteps behind Gulliver Thomas. Part of it to look at the instruments. He's more interested in the instruments than the masks. Masks are creepy office supplies. A tiki mask makes your office expensive. Imposing. A torture rack makes your office a federal affair. Masks. Pain. Cold. 'Philanthropy.' A long sip of the coffee. You can't donate a punch in the face, Gulliver Thomas. Edward touches the glass. His hand freezes over. He doesn't move. His hand keeps freezing. He doesn't move. By the time he's pulled away his hand it's frozen over with ice. The skin is blue. Teeth chatter. He waves his hand a few times to warm it up. "Th-that's f-fucking cold." Without permission he lights up a smoke with his good hand. It's not the good smoke. It's a shitty one from his box. His teeth stop chattering. He's still shaking his blue hand. Family drama in a freezing, smokey parlor. The house guard comes tumbling through. The mercenaries growl. Edward sighs. OK. A long, long sip of his coffee as the guards get intimidating. He's just staring with those muddy eyes. Staring at the dying man. Staring at the body. Blue fingers twitch irritably. God dammit. Edward walks over. Gunshots won't stop him. Just slow him down. Heedless of his own health. Bullet holes in the tee. He kneels. His eyes are full of madness. Those muddy eyes are bright and clear. Edward reaches out. His eyes dance back and forth. Aura? It's dimming, cut to ribbons. Humors? Imbalanced. Not enough sanguine. No time for trepanation. No time for crystal. No time for injection. Fastest way to stop the blood is to stop the heart. A balled fist goes clean into the chest. Fingers grip the heart hard. Squelch, squelch. He tightens his grip. Squelch, squelch. The blood flow stops. He's not bleeding out. Edward pulls his hand out and puts his cigarette out on the man's chest. He slaps the man's cheek with the man's own blood. "Wake up," he says, and then stands, still dripping blood from his palm. There's no sign of the bullet wounds. There's no sign of the fist wound. Just a bloody palm-print. Edward lights another cigarette. "Wasted a light," he mutters.
Gawain	Gawain has a good chat. Then he gets inside the mansion, sees the mercenaries, and learns the details of the statue. He does not touch the case, but he can feel the cold from a distance. And then it turns out - they're family. Oh boy. He's still hopeful, when a gun goes off and a man goes flying through the window. The mercenaries under Gulliver's side believe they did it. They don't have time to convince them otherwise. As the lights go off, Gawain switches to focusing on his hearing. He moves to pinpoint the location of the mercenary who accused Elizabeth, rushing with superhuman speed, leaping over any cover. His sword and armor flash, and the sword swings out, moving to slam into the man's head with superhuman strength and sword skill and knock him out. "Sorry! My friend can fix your concussion!" He means it. And if he succeeds, Gawain will try to find his way back to the statue and the VIP - via feeling that cold in the air once again.
Staren	So, a mysterious masked philanthropist. Staren wonders if he should offer to fix whatever the mask is for, but there's no way to make that not sound rude, it might be a stylistic choice, someone this rich could have solved such a problem if they were so inclined, and also Edward is here and can no doubt do it faster. "Why is it so cold in here?" Staren asks aloud, although his facial expression follows that up with an unspoken 'why is your collection of torture devices the first thing you show to guests?' Then the argument starts. Wait, this guy is their employer's dad?! Also, they both recognize that the artifact is dangerous, the 'private collector' isn't trying to use it themselves with incomplete knowledge or holding onto it for other reasons. Perhaps they can chat over dinner and learn just how much Mr. Thomas knows about the artifact... That chain of thought is interrupted by a gunshot. His hand on his laser pistol, he looks around to see who shot... and then there's more noise. His ears rotate towards it. Just before the lights go out, his forcefield activates with a soft amber glow, and an electric-blue glow washes over his coat as it's reinforced by essence, before both VFX fade and leave him in darkness again. He is now in the odd position of having to look around in the dark with his gun-camera while trying to locate sounds with his ears. He looks towards the fallen guard -- no, Edward's got that. Next concern, his own safety: He takes cover behind the artifact (that's probably not NORMAL glass around it, right?) and considers his next move. After all, perhaps this chaos is an opportunity for team not-Paladins to get away with the statue... but he yanks his hand away from the glass at the cold. How do you safely move that?! It might freeze him if he tries... Oh well. One thing at a time: If whoever's attacking wants it to be dark, then light will be disadvantageous to them -- so he pulls some lights from his bag and throws them into the center of the room! The effect is more like setting out some unnatural lanterns than turning the lights back on, but it's something.
Rean Schwarzer	Earlier: The homework help is appreciated, though Rean's 'math' homework is probably more like formulas for trajectory and the like. "Thanks." Rean says. Now: So...by the sound of things, Gulliver was going to try and seal the mansion once the idol took him, and the Bespectacled woman - his daughter, apparently. Rean sighs, looking sadly at Elizabeth. Leaving a family member to sacrifice themselves when it might not even work must suck. Then there's gunshots. Apparently not from anyone here. "Ugh..." Rean mutters, drawing his sword. As if they needed this right now. Rean widens his senses, trying to pick up on how many intruders there are in the darkness.
Vergil	Hesinca bursts out of the mansion into the gardens. It's pitch black out here. No moon in the very early morning sky. The only source of light comes from a flashlight from one of the guards, who swivels it in the centaur's direction as they emerge. But it immediately cuts out, as it and its holder are split clean in half from behind. Darkness pervades. And then a voice from behind Hesinca says, "Die," before a whirling flurry of slashes forms around her. Mordred rushes outside just before Xion manages to seal the door and clobbers someone with the flat of her sword. The other mercenaries back off in surprise, but can't raise a defence as she clobbers two or three more. Those out of reach fan out in a way that prevents crossfire between them and blast away at the armoured knight! Others try to ram against the front door, but Xion's seal keeps them at bay. The wounded man lays on the floor, and for a moment believes that the devil himself has come for them as Edward plunges his hand into their chest. But in a single, frenzied burst of madness, they are well again. The sheer shock of it all causes them to pass out, but they'll live. But in that moment where Edward was complaining about wasting a light, someone passed by him in a flurry of stepless movement. Gawain jumps towards the man who pointed the finger at Elizabeth. He is stock still right now, straining his own hearing to hear Elizabeth's breathing, keeping the barrel of his gun raised to fire at her the moment he isolates it. But Gawain clobbers him good, sending him sprawling to the ground, his gun spinning away. One threat dealt with. Tony shouts to Xion, "Cover Elizabeth! The glasses chick!" before moving with purpose. Sounds of a struggle in the dark as he clashes with the other mercenaries. His sword clashes against guns, and his own guns fire off against theirs. But each time, he seems to come out on top. Staren puts some light on the situation. The room is lit, revealing Tony standing above one of the female mercenaries, having pinned them to the floor via their own combat knife through their khakis. He is now admiring a sawn-off shotgun he pilfered from one. "We all good?" he calls out as Rean expands his senses. Someone else is atop the glass case containing the statue. A blade hisses through the air, and both layers of protection around the idol are cleaved clean in half. A figure drops down, clad in blue and clutching a katana which they lovingly sheath. But in an instant, Tony has covered the distance between them, bringing his greatsword against katana and pushing the man away from the statue. "Hey buddy! I don't remember inviting you!" he hisses. "Don't waste my time, fool," the intruder snarls. Their blades spark as they press against each other, their bearers locking angry glares against the other. But anger gives way to confusion, and Tony speaks a name. "Vergil?..." The two stop. The blue demon blinks, and looks closer at his opponent. "Wait... Dante?" At the moment, the two are completely wide open.
Mordred	"You ain't getting inside that way, punks! Now who hired you to screw with us and the... Daughter, I guess?!" Mordred bellows out in a battle-fueled frenzy, tanking those shots with her armor and standing tall just to look that much more imposing in the heavy armor that almost compensate for the very likely height difference. "If you answer right, maybe I won't smash your head into your chest!" A beat, and then she adds snidely. "'Non-lethally'. See, I'm not using the sharp side." She holds up the silver blade threateningly, turning it to block another shot aimed her way before going right back to busting heads. Rather than charging and swinging at the closest person each time, though, she shifts to a strangely methodical pace. Mordred zeroes in on a single mercenary at a time, striding forward confidently and not so much as flinching at the shots impacting against her armor. "For example... This guy!" The flat of the blade is swung, and Mordred switches targets, advancing from person to person and repeating the process with sword and fist until she gets some answers or a pile of (maybe unconscious) bodies.
Gawain	Gawain doubles back to the statue as the man goes down, just in time to see Vergil atop it, dropping down, and calling Tony Redgrave 'Dante'. Gawain should help Tony, but... Tony's really good at this! He'll be fine. The statue won't be if someone grabs it in the chaos. Using his superhuman speed, the knight clears the distance in the light, leaping upwards and diving into the cursed statue, moving to grab it with his strength, and roll to the ground, keeping it from impacting. It might jostle a bit in his arms, but it should mostly be fine, as Gawain moves to get some distance from Vergil, trying to hold the man-sized statue awkwardly under one arm and use the other to carry his sword. Hopefully he doesn't get cursed in the process. "I'll keep it away! Help Tony!"
Edward Blackwell	He'll live. The light dies. Fingers dripping blood close around the cigarette. Blood on his hands. Ironic, considering. Edward's a man who's never killed anyone. Now that it's passed he has a moment to be horrified. A moment to breathe in the complete fucking insanity. It's the taste of frigid air on the tip of his tongue. Of gunpowder and blood lingering in the air. Of crusted bodily fluids on old rusty metal hanging on the walls. Out of his depth. His fingers shake and it's not because of cold. He was glib earlier. Can he fight? Yeah. Sure. Of course. He's strong, he's fast. Knows his way around a scalpel. Stopped people trying to kill him. Yo-Yo Guy was fucking weird. Marine Biology Guy was fucking weird. This is horrifying. Submerged in a tank of occultism and chaos. Everything going wrong. Nobody's dead yet. Downs, concussions, light bleeding. Nothing that needs him yet. He has time. Time to think. The worst kind of time. The obnoxious kind of time. The cigarette dulls nerves but not enough. Submerged. No air. Drowning in chaos. He needs a minute. He needs a minute. "HOLD THE FUCK UP!" He needs a minute but he doesn't hesitate. The minute is for processing. Not for acting. He's already acting. Tony, he likes Tony. Talked to Tony. Feels bad for Tony. No, sympathizes. He doesn't feel bad. He just sympathizes. He knows Tony's name. He doesn't want Tony to die. It's a strike to Vergil's brain. It's a blow to the senses. It's turning off the TV for a hot second. Punching the remote control to shut it off as you scrabble to get hold of it. It's a scramble shot to give Tony a shot, because Edward doesn't hesitate, even when he should. Even when he really should. The labcoat flutters around him as he backs up. Pick a fight with a demon. Good fucking idea, Ed.
Hesinca	Hesinca bursts through the window, as one does. "Alright," she says. "Where's the guys who threw that body through the window! C'mon out so I can throw you through a window! We aren't gonna stop till we've broken every window in this place!" She pounds her fist into her palm, and is about to make another declaration when she's surrounded by whirling blades. This does not stop her. She just whirls around and charges, trying to find whoever told her to die, and stomp on them repeatedly. "No! You die!" The fact that she's getting cut up doesn't seem to concern her too much. That is, she's taking hits, but it's far more important to hurt the other guy than to worry about getting hurt. If everyone else dies(backspace backspace backspace) gets knocked out first, since we're apparently going non-lethal, then it doesn't matter how much you get hurt. (No but seriously she's gonna try to kill whoever it was that told her to die.)
Xion	The VIP is the glasses lady? Okay! Xion picks up the bookish girl and begins wrist-leading her 'away' from the fight at speed. "Don't worry! I'm a really good fighter! We'll just go deeper into the house so I can protect you better, and then--" KERTHOOM! DRAMATIC LIGHTING! <Slice!> textboxes! 'Vergil!' in a dialogue cue! "Oh gheez!" Xion calls, practically dragging her charge right past Vergil as he removes the sealing layers on the Ghost Warlord Occult Doll, lit by Staren's light. "Yeah, new plan!" Xion announces, a shadowy portal opening behind the bookish girl. "Say hi to Mog! I'll come get you in a second!" She adds to a shove. Tumbling right into a wicker chair under an umbrella outside a coffee shop next to a curiously empty laundromat in the sweltering heat of Phoenix, Arizona, a small moogle in a black coat flutters up to the visitor with a server's pad and a pen. "Coffee?" MEANWHILE Xion summons a steel pipe to hand with a metallic 'shwink' as she faces Vergil. "Where's that demon sword you got, guy?!"
Rean Schwarzer	Rean's senses pick up on someone standing above the idol's case. "Not yet-" Rean starts, whirling around to face them. But then the lights comes on, and he spots a blue coated demon man. It's been a very long time since he's seen Vergil, since his earlier days in the Multiverse. "...You again." Rean murmurs, his grip shaking a bit. The slashed up mercenary made sense now. What he wasn't expecting was Vergil's response to Tony and vice versa. ...They knew each other? Either way, Gawain needed a distraction so he could get the idol out of here. "..." Rean takes a deep breath, steadying his grip. If there was ever a time to test if he'd changed any since last time, it would be now, right? Rean rushes forward, coming up from the opposite side of Xion, swinging his sword in a wide arc.
Staren	When his cover is sliced in two, Staren (on some kind of magic energy wings) flies blindly backward, reflexively aiming his pistol at... SOME GUY IN A BLUE COAT! ...Who Tony recognizes. And Gawain's got the statue, so... that's not going anywhere right now. ...And now it comes back to him. The fighting tournament. Someone going on and on about how because they have superpowers, they have to protect the weak people who don't. Vergil seemed earnest, if annoying. "...What are you here for?!"
Vergil	Gawain hoists the statue under his arm. It's not cold at all actually. But it does absolutely radiate bad juju. He can feel it pressing against his spiritual essence, trying to harm him in any way it can. The stone becomes rougher, coarser, trying to shred through his armor with each jostle. Elizabeth's friends come over to help him, the burly guys lifting each end to support it. Elizabeth is horrified by what has happened, and so mutely follows after Xion, a girl several years her junior. When she throws open a dark portal, Elizabeth asks, "Um... is this sa-" before being shoved through, and offered coffee. Vergil looks distracted, terribly so. He can only behold Tony (or is it Dante?) in absolute shock. He's so stunned that he looks to Xion and says, "Oh, it fell apart immediately after." A clear, concise answer with no nasty insults. The same is offered to Staren. "The statue, to make its power my own." And then Edward brainshocks him. He goes reeling, offering no mental resistance in the slightest. "Whoa, hey!" Tony shouts, when suddenly Rean swings his sword. It bites all the way through, sending his blood flying in a clean crimson arc. "WHOA, HEY! Cut it out!" Tony shouts again. And then Hesinca comes barrelling back in, and body checks Vergil. He goes flying hard, spinning through the air, impacting on the wall at the opposite end of the foyer, and smashing clean through it to land outside. "Would you guys stop trying to kill my brother?! I already lost him once!" Tony demands. Outside, Mordred clashes with the mercenaries, demanding information even as she beats them into unconsciousness. "Not us," one gasps as she beats his friend into oblivion. "Gulliver only hired us to protect the statue! The girl's friends-he ran a background check on them. They're from Fortuna, a town that worships demons. They can't be trusted!" At that moment, Vergil comes flying through a wall, creating a convenient opening back into the building. "Blast!" he snarls, getting back up as his cuts and broken bones regenerate. "Run if you don't want to die," he says to Mordred and the mercenaries, before jumping back inside. While all this is happening, the chauffeur is examining the statue as Gawain and the big boys lug it. "Oh it's magnificent," she says in a French accent. "It's even more impressive in person..." Her hand comes up and unbuttons her coat and oh dear god she's naked underneath with horrific sigils scarred into her flesh. She lays her hand on the coarse stone, and they all begin to glow. The big boys are also glowing under their coats, as the bad feeling the statue gives off quintuples in intensity. "OH DEMONIC FONT, I BID THEE TO GRANT US THE FULLEST EXTENT OF YOUR POWER! LET US TRANSCEND THE WEAKNESS OF MORTAL FLESH, AND EMBRACE OUR TRUEST CALLING!" All four of them begin screaming as white light erupts from their form. "No, NO!!!!!" Gulliver cries out in horror as all four take on new forms. Enrobed in white feathers around a blackened, horned head, and clutching blades of solid light they ascend. They seems to be giggling, in a hollow, echoing tone as they look upon everyone present. "Well, I cannot call them misguided," Vergil says as he strides through the hole in the wall. "But they'll no doubt be eager to... put themselves to the test." Tony looks to him, and a baffled laugh comes to his lips. "So we gotta deal with them huh? Just like dear old dad?" Vergil smirks and clutches his Yamato. "I can handle it if you're feeling scared, little brother." Tony laughs, and raises his sword. "Just try and keep up, bro." The former humans descend, launching light like javelins and swinging them like swords, cackling wildly as they bring their new power to bear.
Hesinca	Hesinca feels very good about hip-checking Vergil. She calms down somewhat. "... Oh, demon worshippers," she says, watching what else happens. "Okay." "..." "Yeah, I can make this work. HEY!" She stomps her hooves a few times, trying to get the attention of the cackling former humans by causing a few small-scale tectonic events. "Hey! HEY! LOOK OVER HERE!" She summons forth her DEMONIC AUTHORITY, takes a deep breath and shouts at them. "HEY! YOU CHUCKLEHEADS!" "I'M TAKING OVER! STOP WHERE YOU ARE!"
Mordred	"... Oh. So that means you're not.. Ah, dammit!" Frustrated with the mercenaries' lack of being anything more than human... Well, mercenaries, Mordred takes out her frustrations on the wall only to see Vergil crashing through the same wall a short distance away. She stares at him blankly from behind the helmet, watches him head back in, then laughs as she loosens her grip on one of the mercenaries. "Looks like he's having fun. Alright, get outta here. This is gonna get messy." That's about as close of a warning as the mercenaries get as Mordred braces that sword in front of herself, watching as the humans transform into those semi-angelic demons. "Now that's more like it.. Rip 'em apart!" She bellows out to the other Elites present, although between Edward going on about /not/ killing them for some reason and Gawain sounding like he's on board with that for some reason... "You're freakin' nuts. But alright... A challenge is a challenge, and don't let anyone say that the future King doesn't listen to his retainers!" Laughing again, Mordred fashes forward and just narrowly avoids getting run through with a light javelin as she bounds onto the mansion's roof, then launches herself right at the closest demon. ... Minus her sword. "Besides. Punching these things in their dumb faces should be pretty damn fun, too." Indeed, the swordfighter is going for a distinctly sword-less approach, aiming to slam right into that demon and force it to the ground with a wild rush of punches, headbutts, and berserk wrenching motions to try tearing those wings off if she can get her hands on it.
Edward Blackwell	Madness. Mad woman. Mad sigils. Mad men in maddened coats. Cast off their coats. Light. White wings, white lances. Spots of light in the dark. They're evil. They're insane. They're wicked, wicked people. They want to kill everyone in the room. They're people. No. Edward's fingers are shaking so hard he can't even hold the cigarette. His eyes are bright and clear as the cigarette shakes in his mouth. No, no, no. They're people. Even as Vergil speaks, even as Vergil says that this is what they wanted, even as Vergil tells him that they want to be strong and die like dogs, his eyes are bright and clear. Someone has to care. And he is a stupid fucking idiot. Hands. Trembling hands. The lighter. Snap, snap, snap. Fire. Pluck the cigarette she gave him from his pocket. Bring the fire to his lips. The cinders dance on the end of a stick. He cares. He cares because they're sick. They're sick and he's going to help them. His eyes shine through the smoke. Madness in those dark brown eyes. "Beginning the operation." Feet crack off the floor. Fast! Faster than a man has any right to be. A surge of wind, a surge of motion. Straight forward. No dodging. No dancing. No combat experience. Obvious. He's an amateur. Pure physical prowess. Pure physical power. The first demon he can find, he crashes into. He crashes into the weapon. The glowing spike goes straight through his stomach. Blood splatters out the back. Out his mouth. His hand grabs the spike. It burns. It's pain. It doesn't matter. Someone needs help. You don't let someone die because they refuse treatment. Decisive. He drags himself forward. He's clinging to the glowing weapon. Imbalance of humours. Best solution: trepanation. Best tool: drilling implement. Scalpel won't break through. His thumb snaps up. The thumb comes shooting for the side of the demon's head with enough force to punch straight through the side and into the brain. His eyes are bright and mad. The world goes mad with him. It may not be enough. You just have to keep trying in medicine.
Staren	Staren was expecting maybe 'Oh, I'm here to destroy it because none of you fools can be trusted with it' but okay, at least Vergil is honest. People attack Vergil and Tony yells at them to stop. "Then help us drive him off!" Staren suggests, landing in the darkness behind the broken case and trying to draw a bead on Vergil again. "What do you know about its power?!" ...And then the whole thing turns out to be moot as their employers use the statue for themselves. Whoops. Well, that answers a lot of questions! Staren has to kind of agree with Vergil on the radio -- these people got what they wanted, they took power, and he can respect that action, at least. ...Until they turn their newfound power on Staren and his associates! Obviously, they're going to defend themselves! Edward says he can 'fix' them... then he can probably still fix them if they have some laser burns, right? If they get fried then apparently the power of a demon wasn't worth the trouble. Staren lines up a shot on the closest demon and fires -- it's a high-power, double-barreled laser pistol, but doesn't have any other relevant properties. In return, his cover takes a javelin hit and he dives to the side to try and avoid follow-up shots -- or perhaps the case isn't so sturdy and the javelin nails him right through it, in which case it's stopped by his coat and he's still flung away by the impact -- either way, those wings manifest for a moment again, flapping to keep him up on his feet instead of prone. But now he's out in the open...
Rean Schwarzer	"-- Wait, your brother?" Rean stammers out, stopping his assault. He takes a few steps back, looking between Vergil and Tony (Dante?). Uh. Whoops? Speaking of 'whoops,' turns out most of the people brought with them were demon cultists...And thanks to the cursed idol, were now demons themselves. Vaguely angelic demons, but demons nonetheless. It sounds like Edward has a plan of some sort, and Vergil seemed to be cooperating for the moment, so Rean's attention shifts to the newborn demons. "Let's back Edward up with everything we've got!" Rean shouts, mostly to himself, but whatever. Rean shifts his weight to parry the javelin attack with his sword, light flashing off of it. He then sheaths his sword, and swiftly unsheathes it, the motion creating an arc shaped shockwave at one of the demons' wings, hopefully cutting through it and grounding it.
Gawain	Gawain gets help carrying the statue! This feels awful and is bleeding into his armor, but he's extremely tough so he'll live, his body regenerating and the armor pushing it back. "Thank you." He says to the greencoated guys... Until they and the chaffeur start to glow and turn into demons. Gawain staggers back, being the only one left carrying the statue, and has to desummon his sword to catch it in both hands. This is bad. Real bad. But Edward has a plan. He's going to fix the demons. They just have to be held still. So...the knight formulates a plan. Inspired by the stylish moves of Tony Redgrave - aka Dante, apparently. Taking the statue, Gawain starts spinning. He builds up momentum with it, before hurling it up at the closest demon, moving to shatter it on impact. But that's not all. Right as the statue is about to impact and shatter, Gawain leaps up, landing on top of the statue as it'd explode, and then moves into a simple kick into a demon's head, moving to stagger it and slam it into the ground, so that he can pin it. "I trust Edward! I barely know him, but he says he cares, so I care too!"
Xion	So, let's recap: Tony Redgrave is actually named DANTE? By the jacket, he's definitely a 'Redgrave', but by the chest he may be a Dante. VERGIL is here, but not a total butt-lord? What a twist! Some of the people after the chalice decided to lick a demon artifact and use the DEVIL-COOTIES to ascend to DEVILDOM. Demondom? Is there a difference? Xion lowers her pipe, the tip touching ground as she ducks a blast and weaves about, still marking her idle animation. "I don't get it?" She shrugs. "They wanted to do this, right? That's fine, isn't it? They're allowed to do things to themselves. They're still people. You'll pay for the artifact, right?" Xion reaches out her free hand to help focus her senses and draw in the feelings of the 'hearts' of the demon-transformed. What have they done... to themselves? Are they truly MONSTERS? Or just MISUNDERSTOOD??? Are they The Four Good Random Midboss Demons?
Vergil	Hesinca has a degree of influence over demons. She barks an order that they 'stay where they are.' The four who are floating freeze up, and both Tony and Vergil flinch a little at the command. But 'stay where you are' does not mean 'stop attacking.' So they angelic figures begin raining down spears of light. Gulliver runs for cover through the hole as the battle begins. Mordred comes down on one and begins smashing them with bare-handed blows. She feels the satisfying crushing of metal-covered limbs against downy feathers a few times, but the demon abruptly becomes a cloud of glowing mist and she falls right through to the ground, the demon remanifesting once more to slash at her back. But it is at that instant that Edward lunges at it, impaling himself on its sword to stab his thumb into their brain. The demon /screams/ and writhes as Edward begins operating. Within them, their human essence is being overtaken and strangled by the demonic power. If it is extracted, the human essence should reassert itself. Rean sends a shockwave at one of the demons. They bend, straining against Hesinca's order, and manage to get only their wingtip clipped. Staren follows up with a laser blast, but gets sent flying by the full force of the laser spears blasting through his position. The demon raises its arms, and conjures a whole array of light spears to throw down at the two, a full-fledged barrage! Gawain Giant Swings the statue, now mercifully drained of all that demonic energy, and manages to smack one in midair. He leaps to ride upon it, but as he kicks, the demon becomes mist and his foot goes right through. The statue also continues on, and even picks up a passenger. "Do not break the statue." Vergil says, leaping off to get between the statue and the wall. He braces, letting himself be shoves against the latter, with his feet against the former. With an almighty shove, he launches the statue again, sending Gawain flying right back at the demon for another pass! And the sun is rising. So much time passed that morning has come. Xion is just confused, and so does what she does best; Heart Stuff She reaches out to understand why. And she gets her answer quite easily. Demons are not ones for subtlety, and now that these humans have become demons, their feelings burn bright. The three big fellows just want to Become Strong. But the woman? She is filled to bursting with an intense curiosity about demons. It consumes her. Thoughts of worship towards them, the genuinely belief that they are superior lifeform to her, that she is inferior simply due to being born. But now she isn't. Now she counts amount the strongest. And then Tony is right in front of her. Those who have worked with him have seen what he does. He swings his swords, he shoots his guns, all with a lot of panache. But here, he instantly crossed the distance between him and her, from the ground into the air, in a flurry of red and black. He moved the way Vergil does. "Yahoo!" he shouts, pirouetting through the air as he fires his dual handguns down, bullets ripping through the woman. Then he falls, faster than gravity, swinging his sword down with both hands to cut through her. As she falls, he lands and fires that new shotgun behind him under his arm almost lackadaisically, catching her in the blast and sending her across the room. She recovers, and launches a spear of light at him, but he raises his hands and swirls them like he saw someone do in a kung fu movie once. And as the spear connects, a flash of red light intercepts it and nullifies the attack entirely. "Anyone need a hand?!" he calls out. "Because this one isn't much trouble at all." He points at the demon and smirks, sending his style rating skyrocketing.
Edward Blackwell	Still a bad idea. Lungs are torn. Breathing, shaky. Gasping. No out. Just in. Blood in his mouth. Dripping on the spike. Spears of light raining down around him. Push through. You care. Push through. The thumb goes in deeper. First hole wasn't enough. He'd expected it. Patients who don't want treatment are the toughest ones to treat. It's struggling. It's stronger than he is. Fine. OK. Expected. It writhes. He hits the ground. Cigarette flies out. Blood out of the mouth. He'll live. He doesn't have a choice. The demon writhes. He can't hold it still. A contest of strength is no contest at all. It's all power. It's all strength. That's what they wanted. That's what they needed. They needed strength. Sad. Weak. Pitiful men. Diseased themselves to feel special. A Walk To Remember for burly, insecure men. Nicholas Sparks would be proud. God, he hated those books. Two fingers come together. One hole wasn't enough, so two, and bigger. His index and his middle finger slam into a new spot under the demon's chin. Straight up and into the brain. Leak out the bad humour through two holes. But that wasn't enough. God dammit. The demon writhes again. It smashes Edward's perforated torso to the floor. Another cough. But this time it's what he wanted. The hand slick with another man's blood grabs the lit cigarette still smoking on the ground. It's cold in here. Almost dead. But it's enough. Smoke burns out the miasma. Smoke burns out the humours. Edward drives the cigarette straight into the new hole. Right into the brain. Two. Two wasted fucking smokes. He's going to find that woman and drive the third right into her fucking eye.
Gawain	Well, not exactly SSSTYLISH, as Gawain goes through the demon and Vergil intercepts the statue smash. As it goes flying back, though, Gawain prepares. Riding on top of it, kneeled, and - he's about to get impaled on that javelin. Oh no. The sunrise shines through a window. The light reflects on his armor. The javelin impacts, and stops. The armor is fine. The javelin can't even scratch it. Gawain sighs in relief, and then, carefully, smiles. "Sorry, but this isn't the right line of work for you. Time for a retirement!" Gawain doesn't summon his sword. Instead, his fist reaches out, and with his strength maximized, he grabs the demon by the head in a grip it can't easily escape, and moves to leap off the statue. If Vergil cares so much about it, he can catch it on the way down. If the demon and Gawain go downwards, Gawain waiting for that mist trick again and prepared for it, the knight moves to slam it straight into the ground and start sliding on it towards Edward's position. "Edward! As soon as you're done with that one, I've got another patient for you!"
Mordred	With that helmet on, it's hard to see Mordred grinning wildly while she beats the hell out of the demon below her. The laughter is a little harder to hide, but it does stop once the demon fades into mist. "... Huh. Softer than it l-" Mordred lurches forward as the demon carves its blade of light into her back, grimacing and gritting her teeth at that surprise attack. Whirling around with an audible scowl and shout, Mordred's treated to the sight of Edward jumping onto that sword and shoving his hand right into its head to do... Something. Mordred's not about to try and figure all of that in the middle of a fight. What she can do, though, is act as the muscle to Edward's whatever-the-hell, rushing that demon to grab it by the arms and hold it as still as she can. That may involve crushing or breaking arms, legs, maybe tearing a limb off entirely, but... Hell. She's not the doctor here, so she doesn't have to worry about fixing those parts after the fact. She'll just make sure that he can get through his procedure (relatively) cleanly.
Staren	Staren is just recovering his footing, but the wind is still kind of knocked out of him. Like getting shot in a bulletproof vest, that still HURT. Until the painkillers kick in, anyway. Hooray for tiny medical robots! That allows him to focus on the battle again just in time to see the demon whose attention he's drawn preparing a salvo. Damn! The forcefield reappears, and the barrage of spears rains down on him, probably destroying a lot of the floor and/or torture devices around him. Shots that hit the field don't go through it, but they do eat away at it and Staren recoils with every shot like he's been struck -- again like a bullet proof vest, but much better. "See?! They're fine!" he shouts over the radio, after Gawain's concerns for the demons. From what he hears elsewhere on the battlefield, they're also taking shotguns and a whole lot of lead without issue. It's time to step up his game. Staren pulls a cylinder out of his bag, resembling a map case or something. He grabs the ends and pulls apart, and it telescopes out to twice the length. He flips off the cap, flips up a sight, and kneels on the ground, taking aim at the demon. As soon as the barrage finishes, he drops the forcefield long enough to fire, not caring what the backblast does to the torture devices and walls. Yes, it turns out that even in the 25th century, one-shot rocket launchers have barely changed. This one's got an airburst function, though, with Staren trying to just catch it in periphery of the blast rather than dead center. He's not sure even a demon can take THAT much.
Staren	...Gawain keeps yelling at him over the radio. So Staren shouts up, if there's still demon to listen and he didn't just overdo it. "You don't have to do this, you know! Didn't you want this power to ACHIEVE something? If you get out of here, you can still do it! If you stay here, you'll only either die or get changed back!" Beat. "...I have like, a TON more of those in my magic bag, and next time I'm not gonna miss!"
Rean Schwarzer	Spears of light rain down on Rean, and he leaps backwards, clearing some but not all of them, as a few catch his legs, cutting into his pants and drawing blood. He skids back a few inches, before kneeling on the ground for a bit to recover. In the meantime though... "ARCUS, activate! Demonic Scythe!" Rean shouts, and a blue ring of light surrounds him for a moment, before disappearing, as a scythe made of pure darkness whirls though the air at one of the demons, aimed straight at their wings and whirling around them like a boomerang. Yes, Rean is using a spell literally called Demonic Scythe on a demon. But it's not literally demonic seeing as it's a time element Art.
Xion	Xion reaches out to touch the hearts of the newly made demons. She feels them - the converted feelings and searing heat of their feelings and -- Holy cheese what is Dante doing???? "Smokin Sweet Style!" She catcalls at the pistol pirouhuette, mostly jumping up and down and saying 'yeah!' and 'rad!'. Flickering with a 'zot' of purple motes, she reappears hanging from the roof, watching Dante. It's the most beautiful violence she's ever seen. It's mesmerising. She has to feel it for herself! With so many demons desiring power, to become strong - Xion echoes that desire towards Dante Sparda, and extends her hand. With an intangible tug, four colored motes scatter from Dante and fly into Xion's grip, disappearing into her palm. "I've gotta try that out for myself!" She's totally forgotten about the mission. Frankly, she forgot the demons for a short while at the height of Dante's SSS Combo Supercut.
Staren	...Gawain keeps yelling at him over the radio. Staren shouts more: "Hey, actually, hang on! What IS the goal you turned into demons for? Because Sun Knight is right, if this is some kind of 'now I'll be the predator and kill innocent people just because they're weaker than me, as is my satan-given right' deal then we kinda have a bone to pick and you can either commit suicide by us or rot in jail for the rest of your life!" He is possibly getting just a little tongue-in-cheek now.
Vergil	Edward drains the humors as Mordred restrains the demon, allowing the ascended medic to dig deep. Ahh, there's the biggest buildup of demonic humor. It drains out, and the creature shudders. White feathers begin to molt instantly, the beam of light leaving Edward's body as it fades away. Before him now is the red-headed fellow. He is not so tan any more, his skin bleached white. But he is human and breathing. Gawain is struck by light. Sunlight. That renders the spear of light utterly helpless against him. He slams the demon hard enough to make the air bend, and stomps it even as it tries the mist trick once more. It lays there, twitching, as he slides it over to Edward to do his treatment on. Vergil lands and catches the statue with a grunt, looking at the cracked ground under where Gawain stomped the fight out of the angelic figure. "Not bad," he begrudgingly admits. Staren tries to airburst one with the shockwave of an RPG. They go tumbling and slam into a wall, prime bait for Rean to slice with a mystical scythe. It's wings are properly clipped this time, and it drops to the floor. Another for the pile. Xion draws from Tony, causing him to examine himself. "Whoa! Hey, what was that?" he asks, looking up at Xion. As she absorbs them, she understands. Power, combat aptitude. Nearly infinite, but unformed. Able to adjust itself to suit any situation, wield any weapon. Not just well, but stylishly. The flair, the finesse, the /style./ It's not just Tony's personality, it's a part of how it works. As the man himself is distracted, the demon that was once the chauffer rushes at him. But he merely raises his hand, and from it erupts the same red flash of light that parried the light beam. It strikes her, and pierces clean though. She goes down, her wing and body bearing a massive hole that is slow to close. He kicks her into the pile for Edward and stretches. "All right! Job didn't go the way I thought, but I'd say that's wrapped it, don't you?" He looks to Gulliver, who is peeking around the hole in his home. "The idol... it's been emptied?" He breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you... now please. Bring Elizabeth back. I'll call am ambulance for..." He looks to Edward, profoundly disturbed.
Edward Blackwell	Freedom. He hits the ground. Bounces once. Eyes shut. A hand goes up to touch his chest. A loud, sharp breath. "Fuck me." "I am a fucking god damned moron." The lungs are already healing. Closing. Sealing. Flesh is growing around them. Ribs are rebuilding. Edward sits up and grabs at his coat. Pulls out the cigarette the chauffeur had given him. Three flicks of the lighter. Sucking down nicotine. God. A first breath of cold, clean air. Edward stands, shakily, and waves his hand at the ambulance offer. "I'm fine," he says, cracking his neck again. Then he sits down and goes to work. On the chauffeur first. So he can put out the cigarette in her fucking throat. He is a spiteful motherfucker.
Gawain	Gawain leaps off the sliding demon. Edward has them now, and they're all down. Staren was being, in Gawain's eyes, really stupid and almost allowing 'crazy demon cultists who attacked them and cackled evilly and honestly, had no good intentions even if they were still people'. The knight moves over to Edward to make sure he'll live, and once he does, seeign his regeneration, the knight moves over to Staren. "Really?" And then, Gawain passes him by, frowning. He's going to go gather any injured mercenaries that were with Vergil to bring to the Edward pile. And then, he pauses to turn to Gulliver. "Ah...the limousine to get us all back. Do you mind if we take it back? We're quite a ways away from the warpgate. I can drive it!"
Staren	The demons, WHO ARE ALSO PEOPLE, DEMON-PEOPLE are too busy getting beat up to answer. Aww. Staren just drops the spent launch tube on what's left of the floor and makes his way outside to get a better look at things. Edward DEFINITELY had a hole through him, and now he doesn't. Good to know he can do that. Gawain is mad. Staren shrugs. "I don't get it. People become demons or ghosts and suddenly things get all weird. ...Thank you for reminding me they were people, though. I almost forgot it in the moment-to-moment trying not to die." The thanks is honest and earnest, too. True words but with a hint of smugness knowing they're probably not what Gawain wants to hear right now. He waits for his own turn to talk to Gulliver, then asks, "Mind if I stay here until I can arrange transport?" He jerks a thumb at the limo. "I kinda feel like my previous ride just got suuuuuuper awkward."
Mordred	As the demons are subdued through invasive surgery, sunlight stomping, shockwaves, scythes, and mimicry, Mordred can feel good about getting through the challenge mission relatively unscathed. Or alive, anyway. Her back's going to sting for a good while after that deep slash, but she's still feeling quite good about herself. She's even laughing raucously at Edward's string of expletives going every which way, and she's visibly paying attention as though she were committing them to memory like an overeager child watching the bad channels. ... Right until Gawain calls the driver's seat. "Oi! I wanted to drive it on the way here! And Tony's not stopping me this time!" There's a beat, and then she turns to Vergil abruptly. "... So what's with you and Tony, anyway? Are you the guy that put these idiots up to screwing with us?" She doesn't even sound mad about it despite cracking her knuckles. She sounds pleased, actually, and the smirk can practically be heard in her tone.
Xion	MEANWHILE Elizabeth shares a cup of espresso sitting across from a tiny batwinged doll person with a (normal sized) coffee cup nearly as big as its head, which it somehow manipulates with its tiny moogle arms. "So, kupo... Want to talk about crypto? I'm big into KupoCoin." A portal opens up next to Elizabeth. Xion hears the magic words, having spaced out hanging from the cieling having a battle data montage in her eyes. "This stuff is potent! Wow, Mister Redgrave, these moves are awesome! It's no wonder Vergil wants moves like these! His are more..." Xion flips from the cieling to the floor in barely a crouch, nimbly reaching backwards and over her shoulder into a dark purple portal. "Miss VIP, come on back!" Saved from TALK of FIAT CURRENCY, Elizabeth is tugged back through plus one tiny cup of espresso and no worse for wear. "Are you guys still arguing? It's fine, right? Demons don't eat people to get power, right Vergil? You just go after weird artifacts in woods, or trying to pull swords out of the Deeper Darkness."
Rean Schwarzer	And with that the demons are grounded. Staren's still being Staren, Granted the 'Three good demons' comment was a bit annoying given how Vergil was right there, ... ...He did help them, at least. And for that he deserved thanks. "...Thanks, you two." Rean says turning to the brothers. then addressing Vergil specifically, "Get what you wanted this time?"
Vergil	Edward's bedside manner is terrible, but his patients are worse. The other two guys bleed out the demonic essence easily, but the girl takes a bit more draining to get it all out. Not that Edward would probably mind doing that. Vergil watches the demonic power dissipate once outside a vessel and shakes his head. "A shame." He chuckles as Edward stubs out the cigarette on the witch of a woman though. Gawain asks if he can take the limo. Gulliver nods. "Elizabeth bought it with my money. Please take her back with you though. I do not think she was involved in this." He gestures at the statue, the masks, the weapons. "Gathering and safeguarding objects such as these... my father did it, and I inherited it. But I wished for her to do something else with her life. She spent her life in boarding schools and universities, away from this place. But she fell into it anyway, and was used by these people." He spits on one of the burly men as he recovers. Vergil looks to Staren and says, "I agree with you in spirit. However, these fools," He nudges one with his foot. "Were fanatics. Did you notice they were identical upon becoming demons? They were lesser demons. Stronger than most humans, but one of many, with no identifying characteristics. Among demons, it is strength that grants individuality. These fools believed that simply being a demon would give them the strength to overcome anything. No doubt had they fled, they would have merely been minor nuisances until someone else slew them." Gulliver also nods to Staren to let him hang out, but he seems a little disturbed by the catboy. Xion retrieves Elizabeth, sparing her from the true horror; crypto. She rushes into her father's arms, overcome with relief that he made it okay. "So, I guess this is what they call a heartwarming family reunion," Tony says to Vergil, who lets out a soft chuckle. "You got that right. And Dante wishes he had moves like me," he corrects Xion, as the man himself scoffs. Vergil then looks to Rean, then the statue. "These fools wasted it all. But I believe I found something better." He turns, and cuts a hole open in the world. "Oh wow, you got that working huh? You guys head back without me," Tony says. "Me and Vergil have a lot of catching up to do." Vergil only nods his head and steps through, followed closely by Tony who gives a cheeky wink and wave to everyone.
Edward Blackwell	Edward watches 'Tony' and Vergil go. He smokes for a few minutes. Then he goes to find the woman's clothes and steal her pack. No sense in wasting good quality. Besides, fuck her; she's a cultist.
Xion	Xion looks between Tony Redgrave and Vergil... And breaks out in a big, ear-to-ear goofy smile. "Heh - I think you're both pretty powerful. Mister Redgrave's definitely more stylish, but... Vergil just got this 'pop'. It'd be mesmerising if it wasn't so violent." She points at Yamato. "Also, his sword's cooler." As the pair turn to leave, Xion extends her hand again, towards Vergil, reaching for his smouldering soul of desire. "You really were right that demons desire power. I don't even have to try to feel it from you. Another tug, as a mote of light twinkles back from Vergil into Xion's palm, her fingers closing around a length of chain and a small charm. "Hey! Hey!" She starts calling, waggling her hands at Edward. "Smoke elsewhere! This is someone else's house!"