Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 9
Chapter 4
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Darkseid Rising
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 00:25:56 -0500
Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00011277
>On Thurs,Oct 9th, 2K3, "Mike Knight" writes...
>
>>Dhyrclhanc wrote...
>>
>>>Roland X writes..
>>>
>>> Roland paused. ^Lack of precision. Hm. Excuse me. One final
>>>burst, as much as you can all at once, then stop. Please.^
>>>
>>>The Druidess considered her options. She hoped that David's
>>>innocent faith in her was justified. ^All right, m'eudail, brace
>>>yourself.^
>>
>>"This one agrees with the lady but patient(sp?) is obviously
>>uncoperative. This one will aid as best as it can."
Sikorski will aid in anyway he is able, but, at this point he's
awaiting Morgan's orders. He's defering to her for a number of
reasons, all of which I won't go into here for brevity's sake.
However, if he's told that he {won't/can't} be of ny help, he won't
press the matter. he'll just move a polite distance away and await the
inevitable return to the battle- field. "First do no harm" and all
that.
>>/Coordinator?!/ sends back Dhyrclhanc, with a sound of dark humor in
>>his "voice". /Define "Coordinate". I am currently up to >of tactical info>
>
>"/Oh good, just the voice I'd been hoping to hear,/" Tink sends and
>says with a small chuckle, "/Now I can stop trying to fill those
>size-fifty shoes of yours./"
/No comment. 'Side's I have other ideas about some temporarily changes
I want to make in the CAoL's command structure while my
"Brother-by-Accord" is convalescing./
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 21:51:08 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011278
>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 20:33:25 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011269
>
>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 19:15:29 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011265
>>
>> "I gained the notice of Those In High Places," Eric quipped,
>>dropping the lens link for _that_ comment.
>
>"You'll _have_ to tell me the whole story. Later." She says, with a
>delighted chuckle. "Though you drawing notice seems rather more
>expected than not."
"I try to avoid that kind of notice. It's gotten a bit trickier,"
he notes dryly, shrug-gesturing at the shining Essence flame around
him.
>> "Never argue with a woman," he quips, sounding somewhat like
>>Pierce Brosnan but more like one of her husbands, "they're always
>>right."
>> /Though considering how hard of a time he gave me _last_ time, I
>>am open to suggestions,/ Eric notes calmly, still blazing with
>>yellow-white light as he advances...
>
>/First, we make him really _mad_./ Zia explains. She watches him
>punch a parademon, and she sniffs in disdain as he calls her a mere
>fate-witch. Hah! /Good start on that part./
/You _do_ like to live dangerously, don't you?/ Eric replies. He
fires off a dozen shuriken, which multiply into literally hundreds of
faintly glowing replicas. Steppenwolf is covered in the things, and
though even the entire attack is minor to the General of Apokolips,
that's _gotta_ hurt.
>/Second, we engage him, but I play the heavy. Third, you'll see some
>sort of opening while we're in the thickest part of the fight. Not
>sure what; my power isn't specific most times. Take it. Fourth, I
>smack him real well while he tries to retaliate on your first blow./
/...Okay, but watch yourself. I know you're good, but I'm not too
bad myself, and he was about to hand me my head when that archer
rescued me,/ Eric sends.
>/Fifth, you _laugh_ at him for being knocked down/stunned/whatever by
>a _woman_. Sixth, while he is attempting to flatten me over that
>insult, I fight a running retreat while you get Tink and Nemo to mess
>up his communications./
Eric nods. /Cut off the head...very nice./
>/Sixth, you and some others pull me out from under him, or I run for
>it and lure him off Earth-9, though I don't think we can make him
>angry enough to fall for the 'Let's Get REEEALLY Lost' ploy, but I'll
>do it if he does./
>
>/Good 'nuff?/
/Certainly. Better than anything _I've_ got, that much is certain./
Eric goes into a 'ready' stance, hand out, then gives Steppenwolf a
little 'come to me' gesture a la Matrix.
Steppenwolf grunts, readying his Electro-Axe with a snap of his
arm. "Little man," he barks (Note: Eric is not a short guy), "I am
going to enjoy delivering your broken form to Desaad." With a gesture,
he sends parademons descending on Eric like a wave. Steppenwolf
follows, keeping a close eye on the petite woman who sent him flying.
Fool him once...
>The petite Amberite closes on her chosen foe. This space is not
>behaving as the Shadow she knows as Earth-9 did before. When James
>was here, the Pattern was never visible in effect. Now, the power of
>the Pattern in her Blood suddenly blooms like tame lightning, etching
>her armored form into the background with an achingly sharp realness.
>Her swords gain terribly blue lambent fire, as well, fierce enough to
>keep the color and burn the lingering gaze, even within the
>brightness of Eric's own light.
Steppenwolf stops advancing on Eric, realizing that the woman wants
to engage him. Eric, meanwhile, is neck-deep in parademons. He turns
to face Zia...and his face darkens. Just watching her move is enough
to tell him that she is formidable. That she can _conceal_ just how
formidable she is from _him_ is telling.
>"You can't even fly? You think I'm a mere witch? This is a New God?"
>Ziactrice taunts Steppenwolf, her voice a mixture of a cruel,
>terribly casual confidence and absolute _boredom_. Though her
>thoughts to Eric on the link show her knowledge of the enemy's hazard
>to them both, no trace of that shows in her outward bearing.
Steppenwolf's eyes go wide, then narrow in fury. "When I am done
with you, little slip of a girl," he snarls, sounding every bit the
dog of war that he is, "you'll wish I'd left you to Suli."
>She slices the remaining parademon in two. It doesn't even cry out;
>it is simply _gone_.
Steppenwolf is impressed, though simple body language wouldn't show
it. He uncoils the cable like a second weapon, and it crackles with
the power of the X-Element. He salutes with the gigantic axe, then
without a shift or cry to betray his intentions, he lashes out, using
the cable the way Eric uses his chain, to allow him to strike with the
axe at range. The enormous weapon flits out and back as if it were
feather-light, clashing against her blade. The first parry was easy.
It isn't going to stay that way.
Suli, meanwhile, watched the two battles. [If Steppenwolf needs
assistance, he can call for it,] she decided. [The male warrior,
however, will not be overwhelmed by mere foot soldiers -- not even
parademons.] With raw force, she reaches out, magical might snaking
forth to snatch the Hunter in her power.
Finally, Brimstone tears free from his asphalt trap, roaring to the
heavens and drawing a two-handed sword of fire (sized to this
behemoth) from his own back...
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Dark Reflections
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 22:56:42 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011279
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:12:26 -0700
>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011271
>
>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 21:06:27 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011270
>>
>> As a fifth-dimensional being, this fascinates him to no end. He
>>reaches out cautiously, tremulously -- then snatches them out of the
>>air and, well, rolls the dice. 8^)
>> OOC: So, does anything odd happen to him?
>
>Not yet.
>
>If Qwsp accepts the offer to "play a game" Nemo will create an
>N-dimensional maze/"dungeon"(in the D&D sense) and a game will ensue.
"So, what do you _do_ with them?" Qwsp asks.
You got him.
>> The moment the thing appeared, Nemo knew two things immediately.
>>One, it does not exist below the quantum level, in a manner almost
>>but not quite identical to the same Nemo-ish anomaly. Two, it is
>>WRONG. It is a wrongness like very, very few wrongnesses that have
>>ever been.
>
>
OOC: No. You're about to find out, though.
>Nemo observes the being cautiously, but make no hostile moves for
>now. He'd rather like to avoid having to report "to save the planet
>it was necessary to destroy the planet" (reference to an infamous
>statement about a village in Vietnam)
The thing smiles faintly and thinly. "At a loss for words, Nemo?
_You?_ Perhaps you are enjoying your games with Desaad and Granny
Goodness overmuch. A rather pedestrian vice, don't you think?" His
voice is as supercilious and Victorian-British as his attire and
manner.
"At any rate. Perhaps this will help, as even your lesser
manifestation will certainly deduce my true nature within minutes if
not seconds." The creature shifts, distends, and becomes exactly
identical in physical shape to the Nemo in front of him, albeit still
dressed in the Victorian garb (which, of course, reshapes to fit him
with the same severe perfection).
The coloration, however, is different. Imagine taking a picture of
Nemo (in the aforementioned suit) with film rather than a digital
camera. Now take the negative and animate the figure -- lighter
sections become dark and vice-versa, blues become red, and so on. The
effect is extremely unnatural.
"I am Omen. I am a manifestation of OMEN."
By the time the words leave Omen's mouth, NEMO has already become
aware of its counterpart. Created by the Gaunt Man from shattered and
drained cosms, OMEN is a massive chain of universes -- of realities --
that have been turned into one tremendous undead super-entity. Like
NEMO, it sends its avatars throughout the multiverse. Unlike NEMO, who
(apparently) operates on parameters based on vast knowledge of truth
and science, and faith in even higher Truths, OMEN is a blasphemy.
Created and sustained by occult forces that Should Not Be, it is a
violation of Existence Itself.
Fortunately for all that is, OMEN has spent effectively all of its
processing power to date in eluding NEMO's awareness. While it has
done so successfully, the statistically insignificant portion of its
other efforts have been thwarted, primarily by NEMO (who must have
calculated the possibility of something like OMEN eventually arising)
but also by other Great Powers.
Now, however, OMEN is free. It is at the height of its power. It is
_ready_ for you. This entire war, from OMEN's perspective, is one
gigantic tar-baby trap for NEMO, you realize.
And the Gaunt Man _created_ this monster.
Omen gazes placidly at Nemo, then glances down at the battle. "You
have been manipulated, of course. All of you." His eyes flicker with
pointed obviousness to the vicious Darkseid/Dhyrclhanc battle; to Zia
and Eric facing Suli, Steppenwolf, and Brimstone; to Rob and Kell
against the Female Furies; to Erin working on parademons while Harlock
works to disrupt communications; to Marivale and Geoffery fighting
Kanto; to Patrick, Crystal Jade and Avery fighting parademons and dog
soldiers; to Fuzzy and the Starspawn battling the Cosmic Weapons; and
finally to Champions Island, where the wounded leader of the CAoL
confers with Morgan, Moonstone and Karma. (OOC: If I forgot anyone,
gomen nasai [please forgive me] and please let me know. 8^)
"Darkseid is manipulating you, the Gaunt Man is manipulating you,
and I have manipulated you. Successfully. You cannot retreat, you
cannot engage me fully without giving my ally what he desires, and you
cannot choose another battlefield." His smile becomes insufferably
smug. "I do not believe that you are willing to discuss terms of
surrender, but I feel that I must make the offer, Entity to Entity."
He is, of course, merely taunting you with the last comment.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing & such
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 23:04:15 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011280
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 10:52:35 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011272
>
>Ziactrice, mid-sword battle with her hands quite full, mutters 'oh,
>shit' with _much_ feeling under her breath in a tone previously
>demonstrated to make _Roger_ go pale on hearing it.
OOC: Well, _Zia_ certainly has a grasp of the situation! ;^)
>^And you are going to _pay_ for calling me a sadist! The grotesque
>mental images you just evoked! Even though it was a compliment. You
>have some truth on your side, but ... Granny naked is enough that I'm
>asking you take it back OUT of my head, later.^ The theatrical shiver
>of horror that comes with this is _not_ feigned in the slightest.
OOC: EWWWW! I did _not_ need that image in _my_ head, either! Be
glad I didn't decide to up the ante...
Eric sees the shiver and is _not_ amused. Whatever just happened to
Zia, a bad guy is going to pay for it big time... (OOC: Ignore this if
the shudder was purely mental.)
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Cosmic Slight of Mind...
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 23:17:06 -0700
Fuzzy and/or Nemisis Said As CAoL Message # 00011281
>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 00:02:41 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011256
>
>>On Thu, 9 Oct 2003 21:17:18 -0700
>>Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00011248
>>
>>Roland Let me Know,
>> If I can See any Wepon which is Clearly AntiLife Based...
>
> Only what Darkseid is wielding, though Brimstone has a touch of
>the ALE suffusing him/it. Darkseid is currently busy doing his
>damndest to turn Dhyrclhanc into dragon chow, and Brimstone is busy
>doing his Godzilla impression...
Lord Fuzzy still standing there 100 Feet in the Air,
Mumbles for a Few Minutes,
Releasing Dozens of Sub-Sentient Air Sprites,
They Should Leave Our Side Alone,
As Well As Nemo's Toys...
Zipping Around Invisibly,
They are only Air after all,
They Start Whispering in Various Ears,
Sometimes an Insult,
Sometimes an Impropriety... ;)
"That should distract them,
A Bit... "
[Now for something More Overt.]
Targeting Groups of Apokolips Troupers,
Fuzzy throws Handfuls of Sparks At them,
Each Spark being a Bit of Elemental Fire,
Which Seeks Its Target and Detonates on Impact...
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Indecision and Intervention
On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 23:46:32 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011282
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 20:23:20 -0400 (EDT)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011273
>
> "Hey, guys," Moonstone said, then caught a good look at Roland,
>winced, but moved on, "Came to lend a hand, where can you use a
>featherweight dragon and a human who's impressive with gun and
>sword?"
> Moonstone had brought her pack, and started digging around in it,
>pulling out a roman short sword and an old handgun, circa World War
>I, plus clips, and a bullet-proof vest. She passed all this to Karma.
> "What about... oh, right," Karma started to ask, then grinned,
>"Bullets aren't as big a deal with you."
> "You got it."
Roland paused. He was grateful for the lack of emotion, being
fairly certain that he would be very upset by his reduced capacities.
"I...am not sure. I suspect that you would do well to start with dog
soldiers and work your way 'up' from there."
He thought briefly, then continued. "If you want some more advanced
equipment, we can provide it. However, I understand that you may be
more comfortable with your own gear, for various reasons."
Roland's brain cavity begins to bulge again, quavering slightly
before settling down.
Morgan added, "We also have a telepathic team-link, which would help
you coordinate if it's not a problem for some reason. We have several
means by which you could be patched in, some technological, or we
could just have Seeker there," she indicates Defender's CO on a
monitor, "can add you to the link he maintains." She thinks for a
moment. "Oh, and none of the natives on this world outside of the
Champions know who Defender and Solitaire are in their off time, so if
you think two sets of names might be confusing, we'd prefer you use
those. Maintaining the secret identities, you know." She smiles. "And
welcome to the party."
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Dark Storm Rising (V.2.5)
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 00:24:37 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011283
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 00:06:12 -0500
>Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00011276
>
>However, if you're saying that the subs were never able to surface to
>begin with, then several wings of the flying subs will be able to be
>launched from the smaller sub while it's still submerged. So almost
>20 of the "Manta-Ray" air-subs will join the battle a little later
>than originally planned.
OOC: Yeah, the "flying subs" are able to launch. The forces of
Apokolips aren't _that_ good. 8^) Man, I loved the Voyage to the
Bottom of the Sea series as a kid...
>Either way the initial moments of the battle went something like
>this...
>
>Several Minutes
^^^^^^^^^^^^
OOC: WTF? I take it you mean seconds...
>Then, at the last seconds before the energy beams struck, the
>immortal, Exalted, super-annuated adolescent hatchling lensdragon
>teleported away.
>
>Replacing his bulk, in less than a split second, with a huge mass of
>stone roughly the same size as he was in his armor, that was
>previously minding it's own business somewhere on the bottom of the
>Pacific Ocean.
Darkseid does not move, save to elegantly raise a single eyebrow.
>The beams from the oversized staff-like Kirby-tech weapons
>immediately impacted upon the rock, easily vaporizing at least half
>of the stone's mass. What makes the Omega Beams so insidious is the
>fact that they actively search out their targets and are, at least in
>part, consciously guided by Darkseid to do so. However, for the
>moment at least, Dhyrclhanc was nowhere to be seen, so the Omega
>Beams also were spent on the stone reducing whatever had been left of
>it to a cloud of so much atom-sized ash.
The High Lord sighs. "So. You wish to play games, do you?"
>Dhyrclhanc's mental voice could be heard.
>
>*THAT was your first mistake, "Prince Uxas", not realizing that the
>turtle moves!*
The eyebrow goes up a fraction. "Eh?"
>Dhyrclhanc's Green Lantern Ring blazed to life once more and, off
>several miles to the right of were both Darkseid and Dhyrclhanc a
>life-sized ring-construct of Gamera (the 1996 version, thank you
>*very* much) appeared in an explosion of green flame, which then sent
>several giant-sized green plasma fire-balls at Darksied in a
>rapid-fire series of pulses. Dhyrclhanc's hope was that he could at
>least knock the New God off of his aero-disc but if he actually does
>damage, he figured he could be happy with that, too.
>
>The fire-balls, BTW, do about three times the damage as if Darkseid
>had been trapped in an exploding warehouse full of chemical
>explosives.
Darkseid merely smiles, and simply allows the blasts to strike him
-- just to prove that he couldn't care less.
When the explosion abates, the only evidence that Darkseid was even
attacked is the single wisp of smoke rising from him.
"The teleportation stratagem was ingenious. However, if that is
your mightiest counter-stroke, this battle will require even less of
my time than did my victory over your commander."
And Darkseid vanishes with a loud BOOM.
He reappears directly over Dhyrclhanc's head, aero-disc nowhere to
be seen, and silently comes down with both clubs to perform an
overhead smash on the Big Guy's forehead (the lens being the bullseye)
that could turn a mountain into powder.
(OOC: You may want to move. ;^)
--
Darkseid
"I like you, Glorious Godfrey. You're a shallow, precious child -- the
revelationist -- happy with the sweeping sound of words. But I AM THE
REVELATION! The tiger-force at the core of all things! When you cry
out in your dreams -- it is DARKSEID that you see!"
=================================
Subject: AAE 9: Back in the Saddle
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:14:30 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011284
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 00:25:56 -0500
>Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00011277
>
>/No comment. 'Side's I have other ideas about some temporarily
>changes I want to make in the CAoL's command structure while my
>"Brother-by-Accord" is convalescing./
"Command structure?" Morgan says in a rather good impression of Mark
Hamill's Joker*, turning to look at Roland in mock exaggerated
confusion. "We have a command structure?"
(* Batman:TAS, "Trial"
http://wf.toonzone.net/WF/batman/episodes/Trial/)
It seems that the Batman paraphrase (mangling is more like it 8^)
was too much for Roland, because his eyes bulge, he clutches his head
-- and with a *pop* not unlike a fender being repaired, the combined
healing powers of Morgan and Aurora are enough to overcome the deep
primal damage, and Defender's forehead returns to its proper shape and
substance, as does his helmet.
"Whoa. I've gotta remember that one," Morgan says softly (and not
entirely joking).
Roland rubs his head with his remaining hand, wincing slightly as
he does so. "Oof." Then he tosses Morgan (and Moonstone and Karma, if
they're still there at this point) a lopsided grin. "/Sorry, sib, I
guess your reorganization is going to have to wait a bit./"
(OOC: There will be a pause, while we collect "oh good, now _you_
can take over" comments. 8^)
After dealing with the initial flood of requests and statements of
happiness at his partial recovery, Roland turns to the screens again.
[This doesn't look good. We're getting our butts kicked, and I don't
see any acceptable way of turning this fight around.]
Defender concentrates, and the entire island hums with the power of
mighty cosmic engines. Champions Island quivers for a moment, then
floats into the air, powerful energy cannon emplacements sliding out
of ports all along the fortress' perimeter. Sliding it far enough out
of the city to avoid most collateral damage, the two Champions do
their part to thin the ranks of parademons and flying warships (most
of the latter of which are headed into orbit to deal with the Galactic
Patrol).
At that point, proximity alarms go off. "Now what?" Roland sighs.
He doesn't have long to wait. The entire island shudders with the
impact of Kalibak's arrival, as the Scourge of Apokolips throws
Obsidian's unconscious form into the central dome. "Ah-HA!" Kalibak
roars. "I know you are in there, hero! Come out and face Kalibak the
Cruel! Come out to be crushed by the Ultimate Warrior!"
Morgan just _looks_ at him. Roland acts as if he doesn't notice the
stare, but does mutter "just how stupid does he think I am" in the
hopes of mollifying his beloved. The Champion concentrates.
In moments, a vaguely Defender-shaped figure of rock and sand takes
form, towering over Kalibak. "{Were you looking for me?}" Roland
broadcasts through the island's loudspeakers.
Kalibak laughs. "Bah! This is the best you can manage? A toy of
stone?" The son of Darkseid winds up and swings, smashing half the
figure to pebble.
This construct, however, is not one of flesh, and its material is
largely irrelevant. It is held together with skill and will, and
Roland twists the force around to spin the "body" and hammer Kalibak
with one huge fist. A fraction of a second later, the body is shaped
back into its original form (albeit with smaller particles 8^).
"{It'll do.}"
=================================
Subject: AAE 9: Light Tide Rising?
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:29:31 -0700
Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011285
Harlock finally finds his tesseract and punches in the access code
with fingers that tremble just a bit in his haste. After a quick
rummage through the contents, he comes up with something that looks
more than a bit like a 20+ channel mixer. He flips a few switches,
adjusts a few dials, then highjacks the broadcast of every radio in
the city. "{Ladies and Gentlemen of New York, you know the lyrics.
Feel free to sing along.
Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you don't let show
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
If there is a load you have to bear
That you can't carry
I'm right up the road
I'll share your load
If you just call me
So just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'd understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
Till I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Lean on me…}"*
Much like Roger's stunt in Toon York, the Bard soon has an entire city
vibrating with energy. Of course, being Harlock, the effect is more
subtle, if no less profound. New York is the greatest city in the
world: just ask any New Yorker. So when 8-10 million people pull
together to defend the greatest city in the world, the vibes are
_powerful._ Any being that's even a marginal empath gets flooded with
the determination to resist this invasion, the resistors no less than
the invaders.
For the defenders, of course, this is a good thing; but the invaders
find it...less than comfortable.
While he's pouring his heart into the music, the Bard pulls a scroll
out and hands it to Erindrea, gesturing at Steppenwolf and his yo-yo
axe routine. Erin glances at the scroll, then in the direction her
father is pointing. She grins and nods. Once more, an adamantine arrow
comes out of the quiver. Erin reads the scroll of True Strike and lets
fly, timing it so that the arrow clips the cable just before the axe
reaches its furthest extension.
*"Lean on Me" is by Bill Withers and is used without permission.
(PS, OOC: Of course, saying Harlock is more subtle than Roger is a bit
like saying a virus is more subtle than Gojira. )
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 04:07:17 -0700 (PDT)
Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011286
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 21:51:08 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011278
>
>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 20:33:25 -0700 (PDT)
>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011269
>
> "I try to avoid that kind of notice. It's gotten a bit trickier,"
>he notes dryly, shrug-gesturing at the shining Essence flame around
>him.
Ziactrice gives the quip the light laughter it deserves, but even for
her it takes an effort at the moment.
> /You _do_ like to live dangerously, don't you?/ Eric replies.
/Live, love, and opening nights. Yep./ Zia adds up her favorite things
and agrees.
>>/Second, we engage him, but I play the heavy. Third, you'll see some
>>sort of opening while we're in the thickest part of the fight. Not
>>sure what; my power isn't specific most times. Take it. Fourth, I
>>smack him real well while he tries to retaliate on your first blow./
>
> /...Okay, but watch yourself. I know you're good, but I'm not too
>bad myself, and he was about to hand me my head when that archer
>rescued me,/ Eric sends.
Zia's mouth twitches. /I'm a hell of a lot better than good. Oh, wait,
you mean with a sword?/ She says in mock surprise, unable to resist
the straight line.
>>/Fifth, you _laugh_ at him for being knocked down/stunned/whatever
>>by a _woman_. Sixth, while he is attempting to flatten me over that
>>insult, I fight a running retreat while you get Tink and Nemo to
>>mess up his communications./
This is where Zia shivers, and yes, it is a physical shiver. She might
be the greatest actress in all Reality, but between OMEN and naked
Granny, even Zia's sang froid takes a beating.
/Correction. No one left to mess up his communications. I'll have to
call in more reinforcements. Fortunately, I'm still an incalculable./
> Steppenwolf grunts, readying his Electro-Axe with a snap of his
>arm. "Little man," he barks (Note: Eric is not a short guy), "I am
>going to enjoy delivering your broken form to Desaad." With a
>gesture, he sends parademons descending on Eric like a wave.
Zia stops messing around with the minor bad luck, takes the kind of
hold on Shadow only an Amberite can. Barometers all over the world
start dropping, and will continue to drop over the next three minutes
until atmospheric pressure is at the lowest point normal humans can
survive.
Hopefully that will ground even parademons, as it is hard to fly
without enough air pressure to put wings against. She gives it a good
shove by her will, and then she can focus her attention again.
> Steppenwolf's eyes go wide, then narrow in fury. "When I am done
>with you, little slip of a girl," he snarls, sounding every bit the
>dog of war that he is, "you'll wish I'd left you to Suli."
"Heh. You're sorta cute when you're angry. Maybe I need a new puppy."
> Steppenwolf is impressed, though simple body language wouldn't
>show it. He uncoils the cable like a second weapon, and it crackles
>with the power of the X-Element. He salutes with the gigantic axe,
>then without a shift or cry to betray his intentions, he lashes out,
>using the cable the way Eric uses his chain, to allow him to strike
>with the axe at range. The enormous weapon flits out and back as if
>it were feather-light, clashing against her blade. The first parry
>was easy. It isn't going to stay that way.
Ziactrice learned the sword from Prince Benedict, who is a
mulit-millenia master of all arts of war. Even she has her first
thousand years under her belt, now. She practices regularly against
Princess Deirdre, who wields an axe as well. She might not be the
toughest warrior of the younger Knights of Amber, but she is far from
an easy opponent. Also, the Pattern shows her exactly what Steppenwolf
might do, at any given exchange of blows.
Steppenwolf, for all his tactical brillance, has _no_ clue what he is
fighting. Surprise is best served piping hot. The petite woman in the
full black and silver plate moves with such speed as to be
corps-a-corps with her opponent before his fingers close on it again.
She feints a stop-cut at his throat with the katana, as the shorter
blade makes every effort to gut him like a fish. The feint slides left
as she executes a perfect moulinet, sliding the cable onto her blade.
She levels a bolt of pure Pattern energy through the cable, relatively
sure that no matter how technically advanced, nothing made of Shadow
can long endure the power of the Pattern.
> Suli, meanwhile, watched the two battles. [If Steppenwolf needs
>assistance, he can call for it,] she decided. [The male warrior,
>however, will not be overwhelmed by mere foot soldiers -- not even
>parademons.] With raw force, she reaches out, magical might snaking
>forth to snatch the Hunter in her power.
^He's mine. Touch him and I'll embarrass you so badly even Darkseid
will be ashamed to know you.^ Ziactrice warns her, so matter of fact
and unthreatening in tone Suli knows this is the most perfect, solid
promise and truth she has ever heard in her entire life. It's good to
be a Knight of Order.
> Finally, Brimstone tears free from his asphalt trap, roaring to
>the heavens and drawing a two-handed sword of fire (sized to this
>behemoth) from his own back...
The next part of Zia's trap springs. The twelve foot water main, and
the eight foot _sewer_ main are both ruptured as the giant rips free.
The methane gas hits the burning demon with the predictable incredibly
noisy blast of fire and flame erupting upward, along with, er, noisome
bits of nightsoil, of course.
Suli is near enough to be somewhat distracted by the huge explosions
of: fire, raw sewage (the smell alone is enough to stun), and finally,
a geyser of water to mix with the sewage that rises three hundred feet
in the air.
None of which, somehow, lands on the woman in still-shiny black and
silver, or the man engaging the parademons. Everything else grows a
thick coating of, well, shit. Eric has time to wonder if Zia's remark
earlier was really cussing or simple planning.
[The tunnel rats are gonna _hate_ me.] Zia reflects. [And Roger isn't
even around for me to blame it on, this time...]
^I _tried_ to warn you.^ She informs Suli in a sisterly tone of
utterly false conmfort, with a background snicker at Suli's besmirched
state of not-very-dressed.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:24:14 -0700 (PDT)
Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011287
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011286
>
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011278
>>
>>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 20:33:25 -0700 (PDT)
>>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011269
(snip of A Cunning Plan)
>>>/Fifth, you _laugh_ at him for being knocked down/stunned/whatever
>>>by a _woman_. Sixth, while he is attempting to flatten me over that
>>>insult, I fight a running retreat while you get Tink and Nemo to
>>>mess up his communications./
>
>/Correction. No one left to mess up his communications. I'll have to
>call in more reinforcements. Fortunately, I'm still an incalculable./
/Roland,/ Rob asks over the link, /Champions Island comm gear help
Zia?/ The feel of the message is of somebody too busy to waste time
with proper sentences, but the essence comes through.
>Zia stops messing around with the minor bad luck, takes the kind of
>hold on Shadow only an Amberite can. Barometers all over the world
>start dropping, and will continue to drop over the next three minutes
>until atmospheric pressure is at the lowest point normal humans can
>survive.
Even after blocking his space-time awareness, this level of reality
alteration slips through, like a searchlight through a pair of
Ray-Bans. Although he can't tell who's causing the change or what it
is, Rob knows the likely source. Shifting styles just as Mad Harriet
tries to counter what she expects him to do, he flows around the
Female Fury, applying a kick to keep her moving. /Zia? Is this() your
doing, and if so, what is it?/
Reaching into his jacket, he pulls out a black box and locks it to
his wrist. [Biannual maintenance may have to wait - I'm running out of
other ideas.]
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:47:53 -0700 (PDT)
Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011288
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:24:14 -0700 (PDT)
>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011287
>> Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011286
>
> /Roland,/ Rob asks over the link, /Champions Island comm gear help
>Zia?/ The feel of the message is of somebody too busy to waste time
>with proper sentences, but the essence comes through.
/Jamming, preferable. Thanks, Rob. I'm not used to having backup at
HQ./ Zia's amusement at herself not even expecting Rob to chime in and
help is clear.
>>Zia stops messing around with the minor bad luck, takes the kind of
>>hold on Shadow only an Amberite can. Barometers all over the world
>>start dropping, and will continue to drop over the next three
>>minutes until atmospheric pressure is at the lowest point normal
>>humans can survive.
>
> Even after blocking his space-time awareness, this level of
>reality alteration slips through, like a searchlight through a pair
>of Ray-Bans. Although he can't tell who's causing the change or what
>it is, Rob knows the likely source. Shifting styles just as Mad
>Harriet tries to counter what she expects him to do, he flows around
>the Female Fury, applying a kick to keep her moving. /Zia? Is this()
>your doing, and if so, what is it?/
/Yes./ Zia pauses a moment while the general storm of you-know-what
erupts over her entire scene of combat, and she deals with one
exchange with Steppenwolf.
/The parademons have been naughty. I'm grouding them a while.
Decreased atmospheric pres -/ She cuts off to deal with another attack
from her own opponent.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Back in the Saddle
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 15:37:27 -0400 (EDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011289
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:14:30 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011284
>
> Roland rubs his head with his remaining hand, wincing slightly as
>he does so. "Oof." Then he tosses Morgan (and Moonstone and Karma, if
>they're still there at this point) a lopsided grin. "/Sorry, sib, I
>guess your reorganization is going to have to wait a bit./"
Moonstone grinned, "Looking much better."
Karma looked up, having just strapped the bullet-proof vest over her
black t-shirt. "Must be a handy trick," she quipped as she started
fussing with where to holster the WWI-era gun.
> After dealing with the initial flood of requests and statements of
>happiness at his partial recovery, Roland turns to the screens again.
>[This doesn't look good. We're getting our butts kicked, and I don't
>see any acceptable way of turning this fight around.]
Karma finished her fussing and looked over the various reports, trying
to get a feel for the situation. As she did, she grew a shade or two
paler, making her look rather goth with her black hair and black
clothing.
"Uh, I hate to say this, but I think we're screwed. Can we retreat and
stop them from spreading further?"
> He doesn't have long to wait. The entire island shudders with the
>impact of Kalibak's arrival, as the Scourge of Apokolips throws
>Obsidian's unconscious form into the central dome. "Ah-HA!" Kalibak
>roars. "I know you are in there, hero! Come out and face Kalibak the
>Cruel! Come out to be crushed by the Ultimate Warrior!"
> Morgan just _looks_ at him. Roland acts as if he doesn't notice
>the stare, but does mutter "just how stupid does he think I am" in
>the hopes of mollifying his beloved. The Champion concentrates.
Moonstone glanced at Karma. "We should stay here?"
Karma nodded, "Stay here. Unless you think you can take him."
"Oh sure, maybe with a dozen planet-sized mass drivers, from behind,
when he was asleep, at the age of two."
> In moments, a vaguely Defender-shaped figure of rock and sand
>takes form, towering over Kalibak. "{Were you looking for me?}"
>Roland broadcasts through the island's loudspeakers.
> Kalibak laughs. "Bah! This is the best you can manage? A toy of
>stone?" The son of Darkseid winds up and swings, smashing half the
>figure to pebble.
> This construct, however, is not one of flesh, and its material is
>largely irrelevant. It is held together with skill and will, and
>Roland twists the force around to spin the "body" and hammer Kalibak
>with one huge fist. A fraction of a second later, the body is shaped
>back into its original form (albeit with smaller particles 8^).
>"{It'll do.}"
Karma cheered, "Smiegal to the rescue."
Moonstone blinked at her, "What?"
Karma smirked and said, deep from her throat, "Golem, golem."
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Indecision and Intervention
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 15:49:53 -0400 (EDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011290
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 23:46:32 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011282
>
> Roland paused. He was grateful for the lack of emotion, being
>fairly certain that he would be very upset by his reduced capacities.
>"I...am not sure. I suspect that you would do well to start with dog
>soldiers and work your way 'up' from there."
"Sounds good," Moonstone said.
> He thought briefly, then continued. "If you want some more
>advanced equipment, we can provide it. However, I understand that you
>may be more comfortable with your own gear, for various reasons."
Karma nodded, "Normally, I think I'd be interested, but yes, I do have
a certain amount of experience with what I've got here. Though if
we're not getting anywhere with these, upgrading sounds good."
>Morgan added, "We also have a telepathic team-link, which would help
>you coordinate if it's not a problem for some reason. We have several
>means by which you could be patched in, some technological, or we
>could just have Seeker there," she indicates Defender's CO on a
>monitor, "can add you to the link he maintains." She thinks for a
>moment. "Oh, and none of the natives on this world outside of the
>Champions know who Defender and Solitaire are in their off time, so
>if you think two sets of names might be confusing, we'd prefer you
>use those. Maintaining the secret identities, you know." She smiles.
>"And welcome to the party."
Moonstone said, "Right now, whatever's most convenient, later we'll
give it some thought."
Karma nodded in agreement.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Dark Storm Rising (VLong!)
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 16:40:38 -0700
Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011291
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 21:18:03 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011275
>
>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 20:09:17 -0700
>>Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00011268
>>
>>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 10:29:27 -0700
>>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011259
>>
>>Unfortunately for Kanto, invisibility is a tactic that is
>>appallingly common on Oerth. As such, Marivale usually goes into
>>battle wearing a custom-made Robe of Eyes (jacket, really, and
>>nowhere near so hideous as the standard model) As soon as he sees
>>what Kanto is attempting, he sighs, then steps backward with an
>>elbow to the solar plexus just as Kanto gets into position. "How
>>banal." (OOC: did I forget to mention that Marivale has monk levels?
>>Silly me. )
>
> Kanto grunts, falls back, and become visible again. Once again, he
>smiles sardonically and salutes. "True enough. Of course, your trick
>deserved little better." With that, he becomes a dozen Kantos. "Not
>that this particular bit of deception is any more original." The
>Kanto Twelve quickly circle Kell, swords pointed directly at Kell.
>"Perhaps if you survive _this_ machination, I will favor you with a
>genuinely clever demise," they say in echoing unison.
Marivale turns to face the real Kanto squarely, hands on his hips
(well, hilts on his hips, actually...) "Honestly! I defeat your first
illusion so you throw another illusion at me and expect _that_ one to
work? Now who's engaging in petty tricks? Truly, Sir, while you may be
an excellent swordsman, I'm beginning to wonder about your intellect."
>>> Meanwhile, three spheres with Kirby dot-and-line decoration fly
>>>from the spot where Kanto turned invisible (presumably leaving his
>>>person just before he tries to flank Marivale) and careen toward
>>>Geoffrey, crackling with Kirby-dot cosmic energy...
>>
>>Geoffery *eeps* and Dimension Doors out of the way, ending up on the
>>other side of the building.
>
> The spheres are somewhat confused and delayed by both Geoffery's
>invisibility and his teleportation, but neither is particularly
>unheard of on Apokolips _either._ They continue to follow, clumsily
>but relentlessly...
Geoffery watches them round the corner of the building and yanks a
scroll out of his belt. [Must time this properly...] He reads the
scroll, finishing just as the spheres come within ten feet of him.
Then, with but a single word, he Dimension Doors another 20' down the
street, leaving the spheres trapped within the hemispherical Wall of
Force he just created. [Whew! Now then, where did that scroll of
Permanency go?]
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 19:00:02 -0700 (PDT)
Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011292
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011288
>
>>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011287
>>
>> /Roland,/ Rob asks over the link, /Champions Island comm gear
>>help Zia?/ The feel of the message is of somebody too busy to waste
>>time with proper sentences, but the essence comes through.
>
>/Jamming, preferable. Thanks, Rob. I'm not used to having backup at
>HQ./ Zia's amusement at herself not even expecting Rob to chime in
>and help is clear.
/You're welcome,/ Rob replies, still keeping it short. [Actually,
it nice to -have- an HQ.]
>/Yes./ Zia pauses a moment while the general storm of you-know-what
>erupts over her entire scene of combat, and she deals with one
>exchange with Steppenwolf.
>
>/The parademons have been naughty. I'm grouding them a while.
>Decreased atmospheric pres -/ She cuts off to deal with another
>attack from her own opponent.
/Thank you./
>> Reaching into his jacket, he pulls out a black box and locks it
>>to his wrist. [Biannual maintenance may have to wait - I'm running
>>out of other ideas.]
(OOC: I'll deal with this later.)
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Heavy Weather
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 20:02:18 -0700 (PDT)
Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011293
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011274
>
>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 19:59:25 -0700 (PDT)
>>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011266
>
> Lashina smiled. It was somewhere between darkly satisfied...and
>inviting. Which made it creepier than Granny's (though she couldn't
>match Darkseid for sheer menace, mercifully). "What's the matter,
>handsome, don't you want to play any more?" She redoubled her
>attacks.
"You break your toys," Rob countered, mentally adding, [and I
-don't- want to be your toy!]
> Harriet hissed in fury, filling her hands with half a dozen power
>spikes.
> "Lashina! Harriet! Switch with me!"
> Harriet howled in fury. "BUT--"
> "NOW!" Bernadeth roared, leaping at Rob.
> Lashina paused for a moment, then decided now was not the time for
>a power grab and lashed at Kell's sword the same time four power
>spikes flew out at the dagger. (OOC: No, I don't expect to destroy
>Kell's weapons, nor would I want to. But this is how those two
>characters operate -- and given the destruction of the jitte, it
>makes sense tactically.)
Lashina laid into Kell, delivering sixty blows in about five
seconds. [I was going to save this as a surprise for Bernadeth, but
this man seems to be her equal. I'll see how he handles it.]
Rob would later describe this as, "sounding like somebody poured a
bucket of ball bearings on a tin roof."
When the rush ended, both daggers were intact, Kell was apparently
unharmed (actually, he'd had an unexpected haircut, but it somehow
managed to be even enough that nobody noticed), and there was a moment
of silence.
It was broken by the *ping* of a piece of metal landing on the
ground. Lashina realized by its color that this was from one of -her-
weapons.
> Unfortunately, Quantum hadn't gotten up, and Jaguar was still
>dealing with a stubbornly resilient Stompa, when:
> "HEEEELP!" An exquisitely beautiful blonde woman hung from the
>edge of a rooftop, a dark figure with a burning lance hovering over
>her. He smiled as he raised his weapon for the killing blow...
> "Wyrm spit," Jaguar cursed, leaping onto Stompa's face to slam her
>one more time as he launched himself up at the Pursuer.
> *EXCELLENT,* the woman sent, as Jaguar's eyes went blank. He
>landed on the rooptop and pulled her up. She smiled down at the
>Furies and their targets, clearly calculating what to do next.
[Wh?! Great. The only people in this area who know each other's
moves, and one goes solo.]
>> Next, he shifted the power around his hands to yellow, and used
>>what he hoped would be the best choice. "Howling Fury!" A storm of
>>white noise averaging over one hundred twenty decibels washed over
>>Stompa. [She's tough, but that ought to slow anybody down.]
>
> Good timing for _Rob._ Stompa isn't used to being vulnerable to
>much of anything, but she gets an earful, and falls back with her
>hands covering her head. She performs a pro forma foot stomp to throw
>Rob off balance, but it does little more than shake up the
>battlefield for everyone.
Rob just grins. [If that hadn't worked, I'd have looked for a way
to blind her.]
> Bernadeth glared at Harriet, who had left Lashina to face Kell
>alone. "Fine," she hissed. "Your funeral." And with that, she leapt
>to Lashina's side, sparing the whip-wielding warrior a suspicious
>glance before engaging fully. Lashina worked to restrict Kell -- and
>destroy his weapons -- while Bernadeth looked for her chance to land
>the killing blow before Harriet and Stompa screwed up...
Suddenly, Bernadeth realized her mistake. Not a fatal one, but she
should have seen it before; the knife-figher was just a warrior,
little more than a dog soldier. But the other lowly appeared to be
more. A subtle hand signal primed Lashina, she waited, watched...
>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011287
>
> Shifting styles just as Mad Harriet tries to counter what she
>expected him to do, Rob flowed around the Female Fury, applying a
>kick to keep her moving.
> Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a black box and locked it
>to his wrist. [Biannual maintenance may have to wait - I'm running
>out of other ideas.]
...and gave the order. Lashina tripped Kell with her left lash, and
slashed at Rob with her right, Bernadeth launched her Fahren-knife at
the street fighter, and Bernadeth showered him with Power Spikes.
Time seemed to slow as Rob faced oncoming doom. [I can't throw
another Barrage yet, there's no room to dodge, I can't parry it,] he
thought as he threw himself into a series of backflips, [time for
desperation moves.] "SENTAI RENJA ROKU!" His bracer snapped open, and
he was covered in white-and-gold armor, just before everything hit.
The explosion sent him flying across the street, through a panel
truck, and onto the car parked behind it. As he dragged himself to his
feet, there was a soft "tweep," and the armor dissolved. The timer on
the bracer lit up, but not with the usual countdown which would show
when it would be ready. Instead, it simply said, "Error."
[Reinforcements would be good now...Roger, for example...or Rio...I'll
even take Al Bizarro, if he shows up...]
Bernadeth hissed, "Harriet. Finish him," then turned her attention
to Kell, who had come back to his feet, and was proving that Lashina
was not fit to lead the Furies because he was nearly equal to
Bernadeth in single combat, and Lashina was not his equal.
Meanwhile, Rob was down to a point in a fight that he had only
reached a few times before.
The point where he started praying.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: This time for sure!
On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 22:26:08 -0700
Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011294
>On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 20:48:47 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011223
>
> *Ah! Greetings, mate!* Seeker sent back to AJ47 as he ran triage
>on Jaguar. *This is Seeker, acting leader of the Champions, an'
>unless I miss my guess, fellow Traditionalist.
*Your aim is true.*
>These (Callahanians, Champions, & such) are friendlies. These (things
>from Apokolips) are hostiles. Best stick with these (dog soldiers) at
>first, then work your way up to your power level.*
*And stay there, I hope. Then again, from the looks of things,
avoiding the Peter Principle might not be an option...*
> RH AJ47 'felt' a wink. *An' welcome to the party, bruce!*
*Oh, my name's not Bruce-- but you can call me New-Bruce for short.*
Avery 'winked' back, then put the connection on standby. After a quick
look around, he ducked into a nearby office building, speed-walking
down the hallway leading to Reception.
"Hi there," he said, flashing a blank white laminated card. "I need a
conference room for the rest of the day-- is there one still
available?"
The receptionist, seeing the card as a standard executive ID, ran her
finger down the schedule book. "Room 114, down that way and turn
left."
"Thanks. Owe you one." A minute later, he locked the door and perused
his new temporary HQ. "Lots of whiteboards, lots of markers. Good."
Mr. Book chose that moment to pipe up again. #Not that you need them.#
"I know, but they're convenient. Unless you actually *like* doing
those Gatchaman-type split screens?"
#...not really, no.#
"Then let's get to work. First of all, transfer the Somebody Else's
Problem field from reception to this room."
Within Avery's vision, one of the whiteboards took on the appearance
of a giant computer screen, projecting a building schematic. A
distinctive blue outline moved as requested, then #Done# and the image
winked out of sight.
"Lots going on out there. Multitask."
#Done. Five background processes available.#
"Rez up the nearest unit of those dog soldiers."
The whiteboard displayed an overhead view of the unit, currently
engaged in a shootout with New York's finest.
"That's going to be an ugly case of attrition. Can't pick up the dog
soldiers themselves and drop 'em. Can't carve chunks out of the ground
underneath 'em, either-- too tightly integrated. Let's take the edge
off their ability to aim... and give it to the Good Guys instead. Put
that in the background; switch it to the next-closest group once this
one is taken care of, and so on."
#Implementation in progress. Four background processes remaining.#
"What were those other grunt troops?" Another whiteboard displays the
nearest point of conflict between parademons and UNTIL forces. "Hmm,
that's more complicated... Message to their commanding officer:
Willing to put differences aside - for now." The differences weren't
as wide as they once had been, but they were still there. "Offering to
dump a surprise on their heads, dependent on our capabilities and your
tactical judgment as to what would do the most good."
#Analyzing protocols...# An annoyingly long pause. #Message sent.#
"Probably take them a while to answer back. Meanwhile, what else is
going on out there?"
*Way* too general a question. Beset by information overload, it was
all he could do to wave a hand and cancel the request. "Ow! All right,
let's *not* try to cover the entire global situation at once, never
mind further out. Focus on individuals, or groups of less than
sixteen, and start putting them up. Split screen if necessary."
The rest of the whiteboards began to light up with distant views of
the other battles in progress: the Furies, Marivale and Kanto...
Avery's attention was directed to Solaris. #That thing dwarfs It-X!
Stay off its radar at all costs.# Next to it was Mageddon. #That one,
too.#
Another whiteboard displayed a map of the entire city, overlaid with
three large colored blobs: one indigo, one dark red and blue, and one
light blue. #Exhibit A is Entropy, and lots of it... shall I modulate
it out of the scan? It'll overwhelm you within the hour, otherwise.#
[OOC: This refers to Zia's little-bits-of-chaos effect.]
"Go for it."
#Implementation in progress. Bear in mind that we are still subject to
individual spikes, which are by nature unpredictable. Three background
processes remaining. Exhibit B appears to be a gaseous bio-compound;
whatever it is, the office's air filters should handle most of it.#
[OOC: This refers to the Paranoia Pills.]
"Put up a shield against the rest, if it gets this far at all."
#Trigger request noted. Exhibit C is a morale booster. Good-- we could
all use one.#
[OOC: This refers to "Lean On Me".]
Avery's attention then turned back to Kanto, now glowing orange. #An
invisibility effect. Project interference?#
"Hmm... no, that other fellow seems to have been trained in blind
fighting. It doesn't seem to really be an issue for him."
The glow faded out, only to return in a different shape. #Invisibility
dropped. Multiplicity invoked. Project interference?#
"No, he already sees through it. I don't think he needs us... at least
not so far. Continue monitoring--" Avery trailed off, whirling around
in a circle, as all the displays fuzzed orange at once. "What the
*hell* is *that*?"
#Extremely macroscopic reduction of atmospheric pressure. This will
overwhelm the air filters within ten minutes.#
[OOC: This also refers to Zia.]
"Shield the building at minimum level to keep the filters intact, and
this room to block out 95 percent of the effect. In case of resource
crisis, first choice is to drop the outer part of this shield."
#Priority request noted. Implementation in progress. Two background
processes remaining.#
[OOC: Avery is taking a supporting role, and the longer he stays
protected and off the radar of the Big Baddies, the more support he
can offer. I can kill the background processes and have him burn
himself out (at least to the point of being incapacitated) if an
interesting opportunity to do so arises.]
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: This time for sure!
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 04:56:04 -0700 (PDT)
Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011295
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 22:26:08 -0700
>Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011294
>"Let's take the edge off their ability to aim... and give it to the
>Good Guys instead. Put that in the background; switch it to the
>next-closest group once this one is taken care of, and so on."
>
>#Implementation in progress. Four background processes remaining.#
"What the -?" Being in close hand-to-hand with Steppenwolf, Zia
doesn't have the leisure to track who else has entered the Possibility
side, but once it becomes clear they're on her side, she doesn't worry
about it. This fellow is fairly good with this axe, and she isn't sure
which of them is stronger yet.
>Another whiteboard displayed a map of the entire city, overlaid with
>three large colored blobs: one indigo, one dark red and blue, and one
>light blue. #Exhibit A is Entropy, and lots of it... shall I modulate
>it out of the scan? It'll overwhelm you within the hour, otherwise.#
>
>[OOC: This refers to Zia's little-bits-of-chaos effect.]
[OOC: Hey! Zia's a Lord of Order; one of the Blood of Amber (Roger
Zelzany's books). She controls Shadow-reality and Possibility using
something called the Pattern. She's using the Murphy's Law effect
because it's easier to do on a massive scale. It's not Entropic,
because it is _selectively_ ignoring the Good Guys. Besides, Chaos is
an entirely different guy, and not one Zia'd like being mistaken for,
too. :)]
>#Extremely macroscopic reduction of atmospheric pressure. This will
>overwhelm the air filters within ten minutes.#
>
>[OOC: This also refers to Zia.]
[OOC: Um, yep. But the reduction's curve should be plottable, and Mr.
Book should be able to figure out it will stop long before any truly
dangerous level of low pressure is reached. Zia's just looking to
ground parademons, not turn an Earth planet into a place with as scant
an atmosphere as Mars.]
>[OOC: Avery is taking a supporting role, and the longer he stays
>protected and off the radar of the Big Baddies, the more support he
>can offer. I can kill the background processes and have him burn
>himself out (at least to the point of being incapacitated) if an
>interesting opportunity to do so arises.]
[OOC: Um, off the scope? Didn't you just send their commander (e.g.
Steppenwolf, the bad doggy Zia is fighting) a message?)
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: This time for sure!
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 11:04:16 -0700
Morgan and/or Roland Said As CAoL Message # 00011296
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 22:26:08 -0700
>Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011294
>
>>On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 20:48:47 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011223
>
>> *Ah! Greetings, mate!* Seeker sent back to AJ47 as he ran triage
>>on Jaguar. *This is Seeker, acting leader of the Champions, an'
>>unless I miss my guess, fellow Traditionalist.
>
>*Your aim is true.*
And of course, Seeker informs his teammates of their new comrade.
>"Shield the building at minimum level to keep the filters intact, and
>this room to block out 95 percent of the effect. In case of resource
>crisis, first choice is to drop the outer part of this shield."
>
>#Priority request noted. Implementation in progress. Two background
>processes remaining.#
As Zia noted, AJ47 should realize quickly that the pressure isn't
going to drop to dangerous levels. Also, he'll notice that the
developing low pressure system isn't causing the expected weather
phenomena. Partly, of course, because the Amberite isn't sloppy ;-),
and also in part because the Champions'/CAoL's resident weather mage
is putting her $.02 in.
That's not to say that there's no interesting meteorological events
going on, just that they seem, well, targeted. Places where there are
groups on baddies get hit by sudden downpours. Unexpected updrafts
catch parademons, and just as suddenly drop them as the air pressure
falls.
>[OOC: Avery is taking a supporting role, and the longer he stays
>protected and off the radar of the Big Baddies, the more support he
>can offer. I can kill the background processes and have him burn
>himself out (at least to the point of being incapacitated) if an
>interesting opportunity to do so arises.]
*Greetings, Reality Hacker AJ47,* he hears a pleasant feminine "voice"
initiate contact. *I'm Solitaire, currently providing a bit of
coordination from Champions Island. Seeker already let us know you're
here to help, and it's appreciated. If you need any information, let
us know.*
Depending on what he can sense, he might realize that, while Solitaire
is very similar to a tradition mage, she's...not.
OOC: Hopefully you've read the Earth-9 project so you know the
differences between this world and the, um, standard reality of
Tradition mages ;-). If not, feel free to ask.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: This time for sure!
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 14:23:02 -0400 (EDT)
Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011297
>On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 04:56:04 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011295
>
>[OOC: Um, off the scope? Didn't you just send their commander (e.g.
>Steppenwolf, the bad doggy Zia is fighting) a message?)
If you're thinking of what I think you're thinking, that message went
to UNTIL. Reason it sounded like it was going to an enemy is that our
Reality Hacker here is a Virtual Adept and UNTIL is backed by the
Technocracy. In the Mage: the Ascention game, these two were once
allies, the VAs were part of the Technocracy (along with the Sons of
Ether (SoE)). The VAs were the second group to split from the
Technocracy, prefering to free the world instead of enslave it. (SoE
was the first.) For the SoE and Vas, technology and science and reason
are the tools of Magic, while for the Technocracy, they are the tools
to combat Magic, as embodied in the Traditions. The SoE and the VAs
aren't exactly trusted in the Mage game, because they are using the
'tools of the enemy' but when it comes to goals, they're out to better
the world rather than keep it under control.
Summing up for those whose eyes are glazing over, the Technocracy and
the Virtual Adepts are enemies. That said, the Technocracy on Earth-9
is now one of the Good Guys, so they're probably not going to be as
annoyed with AJ as he suspects. Well, possibly annoyed, but not out to
kill.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 11:58:50 -0700
Morgan Said As CAoL Message # 00011298
OOC-M: Duh! It's not like I don't read all these, but sometimes I miss
things until I'm cleaning posts up for the archives :-).
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:47:53 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011288
>
>>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:24:14 -0700 (PDT)
>>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011287
>>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011286
>>
>> /Roland,/ Rob asks over the link, /Champions Island comm gear
>>help Zia?/ The feel of the message is of somebody too busy to waste
>>time with proper sentences, but the essence comes through.
>
>/Jamming, preferable. Thanks, Rob. I'm not used to having backup at
>HQ./ Zia's amusement at herself not even expecting Rob to chime in
>and help is clear.
/I'll see what I can do,/ Morgan sends, and she attempts to make the
island's systems jam or otherwise interfere with the General of
Apokolips' comm systems.
>>>Zia stops messing around with the minor bad luck, takes the kind of
>>>hold on Shadow only an Amberite can. Barometers all over the world
>>>start dropping,
OOC-M: Duh again -- I didn't catch that this was worldwide, so my
response was based on it being local. So, extend Morgan's help with
mitigating anything that needs mitigating in terms of weather as
needed.
>> /Zia? Is this() your doing, and if so, what is it?/
>
>/Yes./ Zia pauses a moment while the general storm of you-know-what
>erupts over her entire scene of combat, and she deals with one
>exchange with Steppenwolf.
In addition to the storms over bad guys, intermittent gentle showers
rinse off any good guys who might have caught any shite ;-).
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Back in the Saddle
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 12:02:49 -0700
Morgan Said As CAoL Message # 00011299
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 15:37:27 -0400 (EDT)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011289
>
>>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:14:30 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011284
>>
>> This construct, however, is not one of flesh, and its material is
>>largely irrelevant. It is held together with skill and will, and
>>Roland twists the force around to spin the "body" and hammer Kalibak
>>with one huge fist. A fraction of a second later, the body is shaped
>>back into its original form (albeit with smaller particles 8^).
>>"{It'll do.}"
>
>Karma cheered, "Smiegal to the rescue."
>
>Moonstone blinked at her, "What?"
>
>Karma smirked and said, deep from her throat, "Golem, golem."
It takes Morgan a second to register that one. "Karma," she says in a
friendly voice, "Let me introduce you to another time-honored
tradition of Callahan's Place, the proper way to 'salute' a stinker of
a pun." She creates a handful of peanuts out of thin air and,
grinning, lobs them at the punster.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Dark Reflections
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 16:36:03 -0700
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011300
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 10:52:35 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011272
>
>^And you are going to _pay_ for calling me a sadist!
^You'd be a lot of fun if you were.^
>>Gonna try the tactic of giving a couple of sadists the masochist of
>>their dreams. Right up to the point where *they* start getting
>>bothered... which is what the subtle manipulations are for.
>
>The not-very-subtle manipulation of Zia so she doesn't lose a gasket
>and come to your rescue was so smooth! Has Nemo been taking lessons
>from James?! Or giving them?
Natural Talent. :-)
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Dark Reflections
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 16:36:45 -0700
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011301
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 22:56:42 -0700
>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011279
>
>>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 01:12:26 -0700
>>Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011271
>>
>>If Qwsp accepts the offer to "play a game" Nemo will create an
>>N-dimensional maze/"dungeon"(in the D&D sense) and a game will
>>ensue.
>
> "So, what do you _do_ with them?" Qwsp asks.
> You got him.
"You play games. Ones where you take on a role and act it out."
"Like this one."
A small cardboard box with wood grain paper covering it appears.
Inside are three beige booklets. (Yes, it's a first edition set of D&D
rules)
(OOC: if Qwsp isn't a *born* "munchkin" gamer, I'll be very surprised)
> Fortunately for all that is, OMEN has spent effectively all of its
>processing power to date in eluding NEMO's awareness. While it has
>done so successfully, the statistically insignificant portion of its
>other efforts have been thwarted, primarily by NEMO (who must have
>calculated the possibility of something like OMEN eventually arising)
>but also by other Great Powers.
OMEN is about to learn some unpleasant truths itself.
> Now, however, OMEN is free. It is at the height of its power. It
>is _ready_ for you. This entire war, from OMEN's perspective, is one
>gigantic tar-baby trap for NEMO, you realize.
> And the Gaunt Man _created_ this monster.
Well, he *thinks* he did, anyway. :-)
> "Darkseid is manipulating you, the Gaunt Man is manipulating you,
>and I have manipulated you. Successfully. You cannot retreat, you
>cannot engage me fully without giving my ally what he desires, and
>you cannot choose another battlefield." His smile becomes
>insufferably smug. "I do not believe that you are willing to discuss
>terms of surrender, but I feel that I must make the offer, Entity to
>Entity."
"Slight problem, old man."
An odd looking computer terminal appears next to Nemo, with the phrase
"There is another system" flashing on the display. (This should be
familiar to anyone who has seen the movie "Colossus: The Forbin
Project")
"There's another OMEN. And I wish to two of you the joys of getting to
know each other." Nemo's voice is dripping sarcasm...
He offers an "info packet" to Omen...
{}
... unless the "original" OMEN beats him to the punch.
Nemo links to the chief CAoL members briefly.
*Sorry folks, I was hoping that OMEN would never get involved with
"our" sheaf of Multiverses...*
He observes Omen with some curiosity, waiting to see what his reaction
to the news is.
Nemo is *not* happy to discover that there's another OMEN, but he's
known there was *one* for some time.
He's thinking that OMEN has not thought things thru, as many of the
disadavantages it listed for him apply equally well to *it*. After
all, you can't *really* destroy a multiverse. Just change the
probabilities of future branchings of the world lines.
Anything *too* drastic tends to be self-defeating as it sets up a
reaction that can be worse for your plans than leaving things alone.
Then again, this OMEN is "young" and inexperienced. Compared to NEMO
and OMEN-prime anyway.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: This time for sure!
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 17:09:37 -0700
Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011303
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 22:26:08 -0700
>Reality Hacker AJ47 Said As CAoL Message # 00011294
>
>[OOC: Avery is taking a supporting role, and the longer he stays
>protected and off the radar of the Big Baddies, the more support he
>can offer. I can kill the background processes and have him burn
>himself out (at least to the point of being incapacitated) if an
>interesting opportunity to do so arises.]
A data packet arrives in Avery's inbound queue. It took an extermely
miniscule bit of Nemo's attention. One he could spare.
The headers are *very* strange...
Among other things they seem to show the message being routed via
ports and addresses that didn't exist until the message traversed them
and don't exist now.
From: Nemo
To: Reality Hacker AJ47
Subject: Useful gizmo
See attached files for specs on something you
should be able to make good use of.
The attached files are the same "Maxwell's demon" field type gear that
Nemo had offered to the humans fighting the Grays during his first
venture with the CAoL.
Basicly, fields that can pass or block individual atoms or molecules.
But only *specific* ones. Or that can be used to teleport same from
one "field" to another (think of pushing a block or wood thru one
field and having all the carbon coming out of another, while
everything but the carbon passes thru the first).
(ooc: I'm sure you can have fun with these :-)
=================================
Subject: Bugging Stompa
On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 23:11:27 -0700
Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011305
Harlock looks up after weaving his spell over the airwaves. His face
is covered with sweat. [Oof. Methinks about the only thing I want to
do right now is a nice, simple illusion.] Surveying the various
battles, he sees Kell in the middle of the Female Furies. [He needs my
help, but...methinks my legs are trembling a bit o'ermuch to be of
use. Still, he does need my help...]
Then he spots Stompa, still clearing her ears out from Rob's sonic
assault. (OOC: has anybody else wondered why people invariably stick a
finger in their ear _after_ the loud noise is over? As if it were
going to help at that point...) The Bard grins. [One nice, simple
illusion coming right up. I wonder if they have mosquitos on her
homeworld?] The first thing Stompa hears after her ears stop ringing
is the rather annoying whine of a mosquito looking for just the right
place to land on one's person.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Sword Dancing (was Cosmic Power)
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 16:17:48 -0700
Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00011308
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 04:07:17 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011286
>
>Zia stops messing around with the minor bad luck, takes the kind of
>hold on Shadow only an Amberite can. Barometers all over the world
>start dropping, and will continue to drop over the next three minutes
>until atmospheric pressure is at the lowest point normal humans can
>survive.
>
>Hopefully that will ground even parademons, as it is hard to fly
>without enough air pressure to put wings against. She gives it a good
>shove by her will, and then she can focus her attention again.
Noticing the Pressure Drop,
Lord Fuzzy takes a few moments,
To Check...
If Zia did not take care of this in her Alterations,
Fuzzy will Invike the Court of Air,
And Redifine Natureal Air Pressure,
As a Function of Hieght Above Ground,
Instead of Distance from "G" Center.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Heavy Weather
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 18:47:09 -0700 (PDT)
Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011309
>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011293
>
> Bernadeth hissed, "Harriet. Finish him," then turned her attention
>to Kell, who had come back to his feet, and was proving that Lashina
>was not fit to lead the Furies because he was nearly equal to
>Bernadeth in single combat, and Lashina was not his equal.
> Meanwhile, Rob was down to a point in a fight that he had only
>reached a few times before.
> The point where he started praying.
"Ghidorah ohkaiju," Rob whispered.
And time stopped, as a voice the street fighter remembered well
came into his head. ^I told you that you would call my name
eventually.^ The voice became a chorus, as Ghidorah focused his full
power on Rob's situation. ^Although I expected you to call for
something less dire.^
^Lord Ghidrah, I call upon your debt to me,^ the wandering warrior
began.
^STOP.^ Rob went silent, wondering if he'd made an error in
protocol.
^I will not redeem my debt to you today. The situation is greater
than you know. Observe,^ the third head said. And images flowed past,
scenes of what would come:
Men and women in chains, being herded by parademons;
Children being given to Granny Goodness city by city;
Hedorah the Darkness, removed from the timestream with a single
glare from Darkseid;
Rodan, Lord of the Air, his wings torn away from his body;
Queen Gojira's sightless eyes staring at the sky as her son howled
his grief, before Steppenwolf struck him down as well;
Biollante reduced to a single wilting rose;
Gamera the Defender's shell shattered as he crushed Kalibak beneath
him before expiring himself;
The Lady of Change, Mothra, dying in flames;
And, most horrific of all, King Ghidorah the Omniscient, his
central head shorn from his body and replaced with a robotic copy, a
god reduced to an Apokoliptian war machine with Desaad at the
controls.
^This is my future if Darkseid conquers this "Earth-9." You are the
only means I have to influence this battle, and I dare not risk your
losing, for my people's sake. Take this() and go.^
^But when should I--^
^Anything I tell you will be wrong. You must use your own
judgement. Now GO!^
And with that, King Ghidorah vanished from Rob's mind, and time
resumed.
---
Mad Harriet heard a *CRUMP**CRUMP* just before she rounded the
panel truck, to find - nothing. Hole in the panel truck, broken
windshield and dented hood on the car behind it, and nothing else.
"Oh, lowly," she caroled, "where are you? I have some power spikes for
you..."
Orders were orders, and she had been ordered to finish off that
cursed lowly who had the nerve to stand against her. She began tearing
apart the truck to see if he might be hiding in there.
---
"Tymora's diamond dice," Kell muttered as Lashina chipped away at
his armor. He'd been able to keep even with Bernadeth, or maybe a
little behind, but facing two foes of this caliber was slowly eating
away at his defenses, and it didn't look like anybody was going to
drop in and help--
*CRACK* *THWOK*
[I stand corrected,] he thought. His best reconstruction of the
scene was that the oddly-dressed Baklunish monk had stomped on
Bernadeth's shoulders, and bounced from there to punch Lashina in the
head. As they recovered, Kell moved to take a defensive position
beside the monk. "Thanks for the help. Kell Vanderlan, by the way."
The monk babbled something incomprehensible, causing Kell to groan.
"I've never even heard that language."
After looking puzzled for a moment, the monk tried, "Oerth language
Elven you speak?"
"Yes. I'm Kell."
"Liberate/steal/rob Nishikawa name is."
"And Harlock says my accent is bad," Kell grumbled.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Cosmic Slight of Mind...
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 22:29:52 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011310
>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 23:17:06 -0700
>Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00011281
>
>>On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 00:02:41 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011256
>>
>>>On Thu, 9 Oct 2003 21:17:18 -0700
>>>Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00011248
>>>
>>>Roland Let me Know,
>>> If I can See any Wepon which is Clearly AntiLife Based...
>>
>> Only what Darkseid is wielding, though Brimstone has a touch of
>>the ALE suffusing him/it. Darkseid is currently busy doing his
>>damndest to turn Dhyrclhanc into dragon chow, and Brimstone is busy
>>doing his Godzilla impression...
>
>Lord Fuzzy still standing there 100 Feet in the Air,
> Mumbles for a Few Minutes,
> Releasing Dozens of Sub-Sentient Air Sprites,
> They Should Leave Our Side Alone,
> As Well As Nemo's Toys...
Suli frowns deeply, but is too busy to do anything about the spell.
8^)
> Now and Then, Have Fun with it. ;) >
>
>Zipping Around Invisibly,
> They are only Air after all,
> They Start Whispering in Various Ears,
> Sometimes an Insult,
> Sometimes an Impropriety... ;)
Soldiers of Apokolips are very disciplined. They have to be, just
to survive basic training. On the other hand, they aren't exactly
known for controlling their tempers. Here and there, across the city,
dog soldiers and parademons get into arguments, which turn into
fistfights or even knife fights...
>"That should distract them,
> A Bit... "
>
>[Now for something More Overt.]
>
>Targeting Groups of Apokolips Troupers,
> Fuzzy throws Handfuls of Sparks At them,
> Each Spark being a Bit of Elemental Fire,
> Which Seeks Its Target and Detonates on Impact...
Aaaaand...that turns Fuzzy into a nice big target! 8^)
A small army's worth of firepower comes down on Fuzzy when the
soldiers of Apokolips realize what they're up against. In moments
(OOC: assuming their attacks are more or less irrelevant 8^), they
fall back quickly and desperately. {This is Captain Krag! We need
backup! We need backup NOW -- KRZZzzz...}
A few moments later, a Pursuer (super-assassins, second only to
Kanto himself in Darkseid's forces) dives out of the sky at Fuzzy.
Holding a lance that carries him, he fires a gout of Kirby-style
cosmic energy at Fuzzy...
(OOC: Pursuers are superhumanly strong and tough, especially dense,
quite agile, resistant to extremes of temperature, up to and including
fire and ice attacks, and can absorb energy in small quantities. Their
lances allow them to track targets with uncanny skill, fly, and fire
the aforementioned bolts. They can also be turned into flame/plasma
and be directed to wrap around a target. Have fun. 8^)
=================================
Subject: AAE 9: A Failure To Communicate
On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 23:49:24 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011311
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:29:31 -0700
>Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00011285
>
>Harlock finally finds his tesseract and punches in the access code
>with fingers that tremble just a bit in his haste. After a quick
>rummage through the contents, he comes up with something that looks
>more than a bit like a 20+ channel mixer. He flips a few switches,
>adjusts a few dials, then highjacks the broadcast of every radio in
>the city. "{Ladies and Gentlemen of New York, you know the lyrics.
>Feel free to sing along.
The foot (and wing ;^) soldiers of Apokolips are _not_ happy. The
very reality of Earth-9 seems bolstered by the song, and the native
forces begin to fight with greater ferocity and conviction.
>Much like Roger's stunt in Toon York, the Bard soon has an entire
>city vibrating with energy. Of course, being Harlock, the effect is
>more subtle, if no less profound. New York is the greatest city in
>the world: just ask any New Yorker. So when 8-10 million people pull
>together to defend the greatest city in the world, the vibes are
>_powerful._ Any being that's even a marginal empath gets flooded with
>the determination to resist this invasion, the resistors no less than
>the invaders.
>
>For the defenders, of course, this is a good thing; but the invaders
>find it...less than comfortable.
The very reality is against the heroes. The Apokolips cosm is one
of darkness and despair.
Earth-9's heroes, however, have long experience fighting negative
realities. The battle begins to find some equilibrium, though the city
itself is seriously wartorn.
>While he's pouring his heart into the music, the Bard pulls a scroll
>out and hands it to Erindrea, gesturing at Steppenwolf and his yo-yo
>axe routine. Erin glances at the scroll, then in the direction her
>father is pointing. She grins and nods. Once more, an adamantine
>arrow comes out of the quiver. Erin reads the scroll of True Strike
>and lets fly, timing it so that the arrow clips the cable just before
>the axe reaches its furthest extension.
"Fool me once," Steppenwolf snarls, and the arrow sticks firmly in
the cable, apparently doing no damage.
(Of course, it's still going to be in his way when he tries to
_use_ the bloody thing. But seriously damaging Steppenwolf's Axe,
while not _quite_ like denting Mjolnir, is going to be very hard
work.)
Then,
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 04:07:17 -0700 (PDT)
>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011286
>
>>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 21:51:08 -0700
>>The Hunter Said As CAoL Message # 00011278
>> /...Okay, but watch yourself. I know you're good, but I'm not too
>>bad myself, and he was about to hand me my head when that archer
>>rescued me,/ Eric sends.
>
>Zia's mouth twitches. /I'm a hell of a lot better than good. Oh,
>wait, you mean with a sword?/ She says in mock surprise, unable to
>resist the straight line.
Eric rolls his eyes, though Zia _does_ get a smile out of him, even
as he fights off half a dozen parademons.
>Zia stops messing around with the minor bad luck, takes the kind of
>hold on Shadow only an Amberite can. Barometers all over the world
>start dropping, and will continue to drop over the next three minutes
>until atmospheric pressure is at the lowest point normal humans can
>survive.
>
>Hopefully that will ground even parademons, as it is hard to fly
>without enough air pressure to put wings against. She gives it a good
>shove by her will, and then she can focus her attention again.
OOC: Their wings aren't what let them fly, but I'm going to rule
that their packs use jets or some equivalent effect, because Zia would
know what she's doing with this sort of effect.
Parademons and aero-cavalry troopers (think low-rent parademons)
begin to descend in wobbly, uncertain arcs. Both sides begin laboring
to breathe, which slows down combat (and the attendant mortality rate
8^).
>> Steppenwolf is impressed, though simple body language wouldn't
>>show it. He uncoils the cable like a second weapon, and it crackles
>>with the power of the X-Element. He salutes with the gigantic axe,
>>then without a shift or cry to betray his intentions, he lashes out,
>>using the cable the way Eric uses his chain, to allow him to strike
>>with the axe at range. The enormous weapon flits out and back as if
>>it were feather-light, clashing against her blade. The first parry
>>was easy. It isn't going to stay that way.
>
>Ziactrice learned the sword from Prince Benedict, who is a
>mulit-millenia master of all arts of war. Even she has her first
>thousand years under her belt, now. She practices regularly against
>Princess Deirdre, who wields an axe as well. She might not be the
>toughest warrior of the younger Knights of Amber, but she is far from
>an easy opponent. Also, the Pattern shows her exactly what
>Steppenwolf might do, at any given exchange of blows.
That's a _wide_ range of options. More to the point of the matter,
however, Steppenwolf is no Kanto -- he has no compunctions about
calling in reinforcements. (In fact, that's his most likely option
once Zia teaches him a few things about swordplay. ;^)
>Steppenwolf, for all his tactical brillance, has _no_ clue what he is
>fighting. Surprise is best served piping hot. The petite woman in the
>full black and silver plate moves with such speed as to be
>corps-a-corps with her opponent before his fingers close on it again.
Actually, he does have something of a clue. Steppenwolf is
battle-hardened, a few millennia old himself, and was waging war
against New Genesis before Darkseid was born. The old warhorse is
familiar with a wide array of tactics, including prescience.
All of which adds up to little more than being able to keep himself
alive against his opponent.
>She feints a stop-cut at his throat with the katana, as the shorter
>blade makes every effort to gut him like a fish. The feint slides
>left as she executes a perfect moulinet, sliding the cable onto her
>blade. She levels a bolt of pure Pattern energy through the cable,
>relatively sure that no matter how technically advanced, nothing made
>of Shadow can long endure the power of the Pattern.
The cable is a weapon in itself, and every bit as tough as the axe.
It is _meant_ for use in battle. And calling the New Gods "of Shadow"
is like calling a diamond a rock.
On the other hand, it _is_ damaged, and when he sends a devastating
shock through the system, Steppenwolf is deeply alarmed to find that
Zia is not only unaffected, but (presumably) untouched. He parries for
all he's worth, desperately trying to reel in the Electro-Axe before
his diminutive opponent guts him like a fish.
>> Suli, meanwhile, watched the two battles. [If Steppenwolf needs
>>assistance, he can call for it,] she decided. [The male warrior,
>>however, will not be overwhelmed by mere foot soldiers -- not even
>>parademons.] With raw force, she reaches out, magical might snaking
>>forth to snatch the Hunter in her power.
>
>^He's mine. Touch him and I'll embarrass you so badly even Darkseid
>will be ashamed to know you.^ Ziactrice warns her, so matter of fact
>and unthreatening in tone Suli knows this is the most perfect, solid
>promise and truth she has ever heard in her entire life. It's good to
>be a Knight of Order.
Suli looks at Zia with utter contempt. ^And why in the name of the
Source would you _want_ a man who needs to be coddled so?^ she sends
in a very familiar tone.
The Darkseid cognate on Epsilon III (assuming it's not the same
one; Roland _could_ be wrong, after all 8^) was almost certainly wrong
to believe that this woman was a version of Zia, but at least he
didn't pull the concept out of the ether... ;^)
Then Suli turns her attention back to Eric. With a gesture, glowing
yellow-white claws of force fly out from around her to hunt Eric down.
"Wyrm spit," Eric curses, dodging like mad as the Sourcerous
weapons track him relentlessly...
>> Finally, Brimstone tears free from his asphalt trap, roaring to
>>the heavens and drawing a two-handed sword of fire (sized to this
>>behemoth) from his own back...
>
>The next part of Zia's trap springs. The twelve foot water main, and
>the eight foot _sewer_ main are both ruptured as the giant rips free.
>The methane gas hits the burning demon with the predictable
>incredibly noisy blast of fire and flame erupting upward, along with,
>er, noisome bits of nightsoil, of course.
Brimstone is bothered not at all by this attack. He begins to
stride toward the two heroes once more.
>Suli is near enough to be somewhat distracted by the huge explosions
>of: fire, raw sewage (the smell alone is enough to stun), and
>finally, a geyser of water to mix with the sewage that rises three
>hundred feet in the air.
Suli, on the other hand, is in fact stunned by the horrid smell.
She gestures and slides back through the air, clutching her mouth as
she traces another symbol.
>None of which, somehow, lands on the woman in still-shiny black and
>silver, or the man engaging the parademons. Everything else grows a
>thick coating of, well, shit. Eric has time to wonder if Zia's remark
>earlier was really cussing or simple planning.
Steppenwolf is not amused either. On the other hand, he's covered
in the stuff, and a woman who's damn near corps-a-corps with him is
untouched. Worse (for him), he's still on the defensive. He's in over
his head (pardon the pun) and he knows it.
"SULI!" Steppenwolf yells.
Eric laughs, even as he dodges desperately. "She's what, half your
weight? And with _swords,_ against that super-science toy of yours? Oh
yeah, we're all quaking in terror of you."
Steppenwolf roars in abject fury, and tries to loop Zia's katana
with the cable. He takes the wakizashi to the gut in the process (and
probably doesn't even get the katana -- your call), but he manages to
retrieve the Axe itself. He bites off his next bellow. [I'll be DAMNED
if I have to call in a strike to deal with a single _child_ of New
Genesis!]
>^I _tried_ to warn you.^ She informs Suli in a sisterly tone of
>utterly false conmfort, with a background snicker at Suli's
>besmirched state of not-very-dressed.
When the...er, sewage...clears, Suli is floating in a sphere of
light with a very similar consistency to that of the claws hunting
Eric. The power of the Source, after a strange fashion.
The sphere is still dripping of...well, crap, however, and it
doesn't seem to have affected the smell much. Suli's eyes _burn._ A
very surprised Steppenwolf vanishes with a sound of thunder.
"You are not a witch," Suli shoots back flatly. "I wouldn't insult
the least witch in creation by comparing her to you."
She's done fooling around.
With a gesture, a stylus of some sort appears in her hand. With a
flick of a wrist, she carves a sigil in the air in front of her.
A component of the Anti-Life Equation.
"Pit of Malfeas," Eric breathes.
The fire in her eyes becomes a little bit wilder, her expression
just a touch more insane, as a bolt of obliteration flies at Zia...
Finally...
>On Mon, 13 Oct 2003 11:58:50 -0700
>Morgan Said As CAoL Message # 00011298
>
>>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:47:53 -0700 (PDT)
>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011288
>>
>>>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 07:24:14 -0700 (PDT)
>>>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011287
>>>
>>> /Roland,/ Rob asks over the link, /Champions Island comm gear
>>>help Zia?/ The feel of the message is of somebody too busy to waste
>>>time with proper sentences, but the essence comes through.
>>
>>/Jamming, preferable. Thanks, Rob. I'm not used to having backup at
>>HQ./ Zia's amusement at herself not even expecting Rob to chime in
>>and help is clear.
>
>/I'll see what I can do,/ Morgan sends, and she attempts to make the
>island's systems jam or otherwise interfere with the General of
>Apokolips' comm systems.
Roland, still concentrating on Kalibak, realizes what Morgan's
trying to do. /By the Source,/ he sighs. /I can't...wait. Morgan, can
you teleport the other Champions back to the island? _Except_ Orchid,/
he adds emphatically. /I need Kalibak kept busy, but I don't want her
anywhere _near_ him./
/I don't think summoning Jaguar is a good idea right now, love,/
Solitaire replies evenly, sending the mental image of Jaguar standing
by a blonde woman and a super-warrior of Apokolips.
Defender breathes in with a hiss. /...Great. Amazing Grace. She's
one of the Ruling Elite, and a powerful telepath,/ he explains. /Just
heal and 'port the other three then, please. Then I'll jam their
communications, and see what I can do from there./
Solitaire sends a quick warning teep to the others, and transports
each to the island as soon as they're ready.
Quantum and Obsidian appear in the Champions' ready room in a heap,
semi-conscious, while Seeker lands from a previous leap on his feet,
looking rather the worse for wear himself.
"*Mercy! Soli, are _you_ a sight for very sore eyes.*" Seeker's
sense of humor, at least, is still intact (if a bit strained).
"Ye're eyes are gonna have tae wait while I take care 'a _them,_"
Solitaire replies, managing a twinkle in her eyes, and sets to work on
her teammates.
In moments, Quantum and Obsidian are standing (if a bit wobbly) and
groaning, each clutching variously bruised sections of body. "Uhn,"
Obsidian grunts. "That was exceedingly unpleasant."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Defender replies calmly. "I need your
help." With a twitch of his helmet, he gestures at the monitor, where
his "golem" (OOC: heh) is losing badly to Kalibak.
Obsidian sighs, but shakes his weariness off, as do the others.
"We're ready," Quantum says, more confidently than she feels. Then
all three vanish again, appearing outside, facing Kalibak from three
different (and tactically advantageous) directions.
"There. #Now then.#" Defender's power is usually best suited
towards straight-up super-combat. However, his phenomenal control
suits many more subtle tasks. He unites with the Champions Island
systems.
Then he begins jamming the communication systems of the invaders.
In real time. Constantly adjusting for their compensating effects.
Taking advantage of every weakness left in the system by both
Dhyrclhanc and Harlock...
(OOC: Yep, your Fearless Leader's in da HOUUUUSE! Just try to keep
him from getting dead, okay? ;^)
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Back in the Saddle
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 00:19:57 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011312
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 15:37:27 -0400 (EDT)
>Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011289
>
>>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:14:30 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011284
>>
>> After dealing with the initial flood of requests and statements
>>of happiness at his partial recovery, Roland turns to the screens
>>again. [This doesn't look good. We're getting our butts kicked, and
>>I don't see any acceptable way of turning this fight around.]
>
>Karma finished her fussing and looked over the various reports,
>trying to get a feel for the situation. As she did, she grew a shade
>or two paler, making her look rather goth with her black hair and
>black clothing.
>
>"Uh, I hate to say this, but I think we're screwed. Can we retreat
>and stop them from spreading further?"
Roland's jaw twitched. "I'm not ready to concede my city yet. I
failed them once. Not again."
Clenching his one hand into a fist, he adds reluctantly, "...but if
it comes to that, we can evac everyone on to the island."
>> "Ah-HA!" Kalibak roars. "I know you are in there, hero! Come out
>>and face Kalibak the Cruel! Come out to be crushed by the Ultimate
>>Warrior!"
>> Morgan just _looks_ at him. Roland acts as if he doesn't notice
>>the stare, but does mutter "just how stupid does he think I am" in
>>the hopes of mollifying his beloved. The Champion concentrates.
>
>Moonstone glanced at Karma. "We should stay here?"
>
>Karma nodded, "Stay here. Unless you think you can take him."
>
>"Oh sure, maybe with a dozen planet-sized mass drivers, from behind,
>when he was asleep, at the age of two."
Despite himself, the Eternal chuckles.
Defender's eyes are distant, as he assesses the situation through
the many input systems in the island's computers. #Moonstone, Karma,#
he says through the computer, as Solitaire begins to grimly run
through evacuation scenarios at one terminal. #This () is Virman
Vundabar.# (Kirby-esque parody of a 19th Century German military
commander. He's in a humanoid war machine.) #While something of a
scientist, Vundabar is neither as cruel nor as brilliant as Desaad,
nor as cunning as Steppenwolf, nor as deadly as Kanto. On the other
hand, he is a danger, and he appears to have regained consciousness.
If you feel up to it, please intercept him before he reaches main
combat. He appears to be headed for the Rob/Kell vs. Furies battle.#
Two headsets pop out of a nearby, crude replicator. #These are
serviceable telepathic tranceivers. They can be set to send and/or
receive via sound or thought. I will relay through the minilens link,
though it will not be as secure as the real thing. Yours should shift
to fit you in either form, Moonstone, though I must admit they are not
fully tested.#
OOC: In other words, Mike, if you want an excuse not to join the
fray, there ya go -- they burn out.
#Vundabar is not imaginative, but he is efficient. His war machine
will probably be straightforward, but he may have a trap or two built
in. Call me if you need backup, and good luck.# OOC: Roland only says
the last bit if they agree to go.
=================================
Subject: Re: AAE 9: Dark Storm Rising (VLong!)
On Wed, 15 Oct 2003 00:24:46 -0700
Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011313
>On Sun, 12 Oct 2003 16:40:38 -0700
>Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00011291
>
>>On Sat, 11 Oct 2003 21:18:03 -0700
>>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011275
>>
>> With that, he becomes a dozen Kantos. "Not that this particular
>>bit of deception is any more original." The Kanto Twelve quickly
>>circle Kell, swords pointed directly at Kell. "Perhaps if you
>>survive _this_ machination, I will favor you with a genuinely clever
>>demise," they say in echoing unison.
>
>Marivale turns to face the real Kanto squarely, hands on his hips
>(well, hilts on his hips, actually...) "Honestly! I defeat your first
>illusion so you throw another illusion at me and expect _that_ one to
>work? Now who's engaging in petty tricks? Truly, Sir, while you may
>be an excellent swordsman, I'm beginning to wonder about your
>intellect."
Kanto's mocking grin never wavers. "Then by all means, attack.
(OOC: Marivale's sure he's got the solid one -- the others are all
smoke and mirrors.)
>Geoffery watches them round the corner of the building and yanks a
>scroll out of his belt. [Must time this properly...] He reads the
>scroll, finishing just as the spheres come within ten feet of him.
>Then, with but a single word, he Dimension Doors another 20' down the
>street, leaving the spheres trapped within the hemispherical Wall of
>Force he just created. [Whew! Now then, where did that scroll of
>Permanency go?]
The spheres bounce around impotently within the invisible dome of
energy. Their teeny little processors know enough to realize they're
trapped in a force field, but lack any sort of creativity. Blaster
fire bounces harmlessly off the inside of the dome.
=================================