Action, Adventure, Excitement, Part 9 Chapter 14 Subject: Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 23:02:12 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011623 >On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:51:39 -0800 >Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00011593 > >>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 14:56:26 -0800 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011581 >> >> The monster, apparently just intelligent enough to realize what >>happened to its 'partner,' roars metallically and leaps. This, of >>course, is not enough to throw Veren's aim off (even with Mary >>yanking at his bow), but it _is_ enough to keep the damage from >>incapacitating the beast, as the arrows either scrape along the >>thing's belly (discharging their electricity) or stick in it. Either >>way, it's a less vulnerable part of the body. So it lands near >>Veren, though it looks 'drunk' and unsteady as it eyes the archer. > >OOC: Well, unless it decides to do more than just "eye" Veren, he'll >leave it alone while he tries to deal with Mary. OOC: It appears to be looking for an opening, but it's plaing defense for the moment, so the occasional pot shot keeps it away.s >> Artemis sighs. [Well, I suppose I asked for that.] She moves with >>phenomenal grace, dodging some attacks and deflecting others with >>her own arrows. Occasionally, she counterattacks with an arrow that >>explodes when it strikes an object (either one of Erin's arrows, the >>ground around her, or theoretically Erin herself). > >After seeing the first two explosions, Erindrea shrugs slightly, but >keeps firing. The third one strikes her directly. The smoke clears to >reveal Erin still on her feet but looking slightly singed, although >her ballgown is still in immaculate condition. Artemis curses (not in any language Erin knows, but when paint on nearby buildings literally starts to blister, she gets the picture) and retreats. The next several arrows (from what she can spare off of defense) are a mix of plain arrows aimed at non-covered areas and entangling/resticting: glue bursts, bolas, etc. >>The two archers seem to be stalemated. >> Then Gilotina walks over, pouting. "Having fun with the >>dagger-man and Bernadeth says--" >> "Shut up and do your _job,_ Gilotina," Artemis barks. "I'm facing >>a _woman_ -- a _real_ threat!" >> Gilotina sighs and starts trying to disintegrate Erindrea's bow, >>then her arrows, then (in the unlikely event she can get all of >>that) her armor. > >Erin does go to the trouble of evading Gilotina's efforts. Her return >fire grows sporadic, and she whispers "um...momma? A little help, >here?" > >Harlock, who had been quietly scanning the battlefield, evidently >looking for something (or someone) in particular, jerks up his head. >Looking at the odds, he grimaces, then pulls a short metal bar out of >one of his pouches. With a word and a gesture, the CAoL members in >the Furious fray feel themselves speed up. A slightly longer chant >attempts to slow the Furies down. The Bard then goes back to scanning >the battlefield. > >OOC: Haste and Slow spells, respectively. OOC: Okay, we can do that. Speed Queen comes down to semi-tolerable speed. Bernadeth, Lashina, and Mary seem unaffected. The rest are slooow. For a few moments. "Oh, we're playing _that_ game, are we?" Bernadeth hisses under her breath. {Suli, I need backup. Serious magic,} she whispers into her collar. Suli does not respond. She is still in her bubble, watching the battle with a mostly placid expression, which contorts in suppressed rage every time Darkseid, Amazo, or Kalibak takes a serious hit. However, at Bernadeth's call, a ripple of Anti-Life emanates from the Source witch. The effect vanishes. Actually, the effect is brutally annihilated, in a manner that would make most spellcasters wince. Symbols then begin to appear around the Furies. These symbols are...wrong, in an "essence of wrongness" way. They are difficult to observe. And almost as an afterthought, Bernadeth is suddenly free. The Crimson Bands howl, Cytorrak's power a force to be reckoned with for even the Anti-Life Equation. Shards of it "stick" to Stompa, who had been straining at them. However, the leader of the Furies and arguably their most deadly member is now loose. >> Mary frowns. "Good point. I'll make _lining_ out of it, then!" > >OOC: LOL! OOC: *bows* thank you, thank you. >Erin grins tightly while dodging power blasts. "Anothah bad ahdea. >Lahnings're s'posed to be _soft,_ and ah guarantee mah parter ain't >soft." > >Veren rolls his eyes, but looks slightly mollified. Mary spits out a curse; a few pebbles around her turn to dust. "Desaad can tenderize _anything._ Rocks beg for mercy in his clutches." >Veren grimaces as he ducks through a doorway. [Got to give her >something else to think about...] A low chant rumbles out of the >doorway for several seconds, then Veren steps back out and gestures >in Mary's direction. Two wolves appear, flanking her. > >Big wolves. > >Nine feet long, five feet at the shoulder, 800 pound wolves. > >And then Veren starts shooting again. "AH!" Mary turns her blasters on the wolves, grabbing a manhole cover with her TK and using it to ride off behind cover as she does. Veren also no longer has to deal with a metallic wolfhound, as its natural target has appeared. This neutralizes both robot and wolf handily, though everyone's money is probably on the wolf. Hey, at least Mary's probably reconsidering how badly she wants revenge on the guy... ;^) >On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 10:53:07 -0800 (PST) >Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011596 > >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011581 >> >>>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 00:14:32 -0800 (PST) >>>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011574 >> >> Lashina observes this for a few seconds, then grins and makes a >>spinning gesture with her index finger. >> Speed Queen grins back, and suddenly Rob's head is wrapped in >>thick cloth of some sort. Lashina immediately dives in, her enhanced >>lashes striking with speed worthy of her partner's, trying to turn >>the martial artist into a gravel pit. > > [You can't tell it,] Rob deliberately misquotes, [because my head >is wrapped in cloth. But I am smiling now. Why? Because you have all >the stealth of a 747.] The lashes form a maze of steel ribbon, the >backdrop for a dance where a misstep means death. And the performance >is worthy of Fred Astaire, although not quite up to Ginger Rogers - >something about Rob's refusal to wear high heels. > Then Rob's head vanishes. Lashina loses her rhythm for a moment; >the stroke he just dodged should have taken his -leg- off. > The rest of him vanishes a second later. The permanent twilight of >Apokolips is a wonderful place for somebody who can't hide his >shadow; it's practically all shadows to begin with. Lashina and Speed Queen look around, then at each other. Speed Queen shrugs. Then Lashina scowls. "Invisibility," she spits, her lashes weaving a defensive pattern around her. "Fine," Bernadeth shouts, "Lashina, the male archer, Speed Queen, the female! I want to be done with these beings before Orion defeats Kalibak!" Lashina raises an eyebrow at Bernadeth's brazenness, but obeys, as does Speed Queen. She heads over to the other wolf, smiles, and does a lion-tamer bit with one whip. "So, my fine beast, where is your master?" >>>he steps up to Mad Harriet and begins pummeling her mercilessly. >> >> Harriet looks amazed, then begins pummelling him back with her >>spiked fists. "Ooo, he wants to play! Play with Mad Harriet, little >>man!" >> Bernadeth's jaw drops. [He's suicidal.] "Gilotina, ignore him! >>Deal with the woman archer!" > > Kell, oddly, is having similar thoughts. Similar to Harriet's. [I >haven't had this much fun in years.] Dropping the attempt to stun his >foe, he starts using the point and edge again. Harriet is a veteran >of countless battles, but it's been a long time since she's had >somebody who could battle her toe-to-toe and match her >strike-for-strike. Harriet isn't holding back, but the smile on her face becomes more sane. (OOC: Maybe Kanto would have been better off with Kell. ;^) "Well!" she cackles. "You aren't half bad, for a man. I may even kill you quickly when we're done." "Harriettt..." Bernadeth warns. "What?" Harriet asks, if not innocently, then at least sincerely. > To be fair, if they both hit, Kell would be worse off than the >Fury would, which probably explains why he's parrying more than he >attacks, and why she's forcing him back. > "So," Kell begins, remembering one -very- drunk customer, "do you >live around here often?" > In the background, a length of heavy cloth wraps itself around a >hapless parademon. "No," Harriet quips back, ducking one dagger and taking a small cut to her off arm to parry another, "but I could get used to it." She ripostes (if such a savage strike could be called a riposte) with a roundhouse from a spike-covered fist. >> "Shut up and do your _job,_ Gilotina," Artemis barks. "I'm facing >>a _woman_ -- a _real_ threat!" > > Artemis blinks. It seems like a shadow flicked past the edge of >her vision. And her arrows are disappearing. In flight. She pushes >the pace, firing faster, but it doesn't help - they just disappear as >quickly as she can shoot. The exploding arrows don't disappear as >often, but that's not much help. OOC: So, what happens the first time he catches a glue arrow? > [The power to cloud men's minds,] Rob thinks with a touch of >satisfaction. [Still, I'm running out of places to stash these...] He >tabs his commpin, to make sure everybody hears. "Ground team: when >Erindrea names the target, shoot it." Even as he does this, he >catches two more arrows, and stuffs them in a pocket. [That one's >full...] Bernadeth leaps down and glares pretty darn close to Rob, Fahren-knife glinting even in the dim light. "Your powers are impressive, war-sorcerer, but not enough. Artemis, flank me and keep shooting at the woman." The leader of the Female Furies circles Rob, apparently trying to hide her inability to pinpoint his location (or is she trying to conceal that she _can_ see him outright?), but certainly aware of his general location. "I do not normally indulge in personal vendettas, boy. I cannot say, however," she adds, a thin, tight smile barely forming, "that I am entirely displeased in necessity causing us to battle thus." As Bernadeth closes, Stompa lands with an ear-splitting *CRACK* not far from Erindrea. "Does the pea-shooter want to play with Stompa?" she says thickly. "HEY!" Artemis objects, still firing... ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 09:02:32 -0800 Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011625 >On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 23:02:12 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011623 > >>After seeing the first two explosions, Erindrea shrugs slightly, but >>keeps firing. The third one strikes her directly. The smoke clears >>to reveal Erin still on her feet but looking slightly singed, >>although her ballgown is still in immaculate condition. > > Artemis curses (not in any language Erin knows, but when paint on >nearby buildings literally starts to blister, she gets the picture) >and retreats. The next several arrows (from what she can spare off of >defense) are a mix of plain arrows aimed at non-covered areas and >entangling/resticting: glue bursts, bolas, etc. Hmm...Necklace of Adaptation, check--no poison gas effects. Armor of Fire Resistance, Greater (amongst other things) check--minimal damage from explosives. Ring of Freedom of Movement, check--no entangling effects. Man, this just isn't Artemis' day, is it? ;) Don't worry, Erin doesn't have contingencies for _everything_ active. You just haven't found the holes yet. ;> Erindrea, for her part, avoids the arrows that are aimed at her face and pretty much ignores the ones that aren't. One of the glue burst arrows gets by Rob, and it splatters on her ballgown in a most convincing fashion. Erin sighs and keeps shooting. "Do you have any ahdea how long it's gonna take me to polish that?" Veren mutters "about six seconds, provided you haven't exhausted your cantrips for the day." Erindrea dimples at Veren and whispers back "hush, now. You'll spoil mah fun." >>Harlock, who had been quietly scanning the battlefield, evidently >>looking for something (or someone) in particular, jerks up his head. >>Looking at the odds, he grimaces, then pulls a short metal bar out >>of one of his pouches. With a word and a gesture, the CAoL members >>in the Furious fray feel themselves speed up. A slightly longer >>chant attempts to slow the Furies down. The Bard then goes back to >>scanning the battlefield. >> >>OOC: Haste and Slow spells, respectively. > > OOC: Okay, we can do that. > Speed Queen comes down to semi-tolerable speed. Bernadeth, >Lashina, and Mary seem unaffected. The rest are slooow. > For a few moments. > "Oh, we're playing _that_ game, are we?" Bernadeth hisses under >her breath. {Suli, I need backup. Serious magic,} she whispers into >her collar. > Suli does not respond. She is still in her bubble, watching the >battle with a mostly placid expression, which contorts in suppressed >rage every time Darkseid, Amazo, or Kalibak takes a serious hit. >However, at Bernadeth's call, a ripple of Anti-Life emanates from the >Source witch. > The effect vanishes. Actually, the effect is brutally annihilated, >in a manner that would make most spellcasters wince. OOC: So did she nail both spells, or just the slow? > Symbols then begin to appear around the Furies. These symbols >are...wrong, in an "essence of wrongness" way. They are difficult to >observe. Harlock, having asked AJ to scan in his stead, studies the symbols intently. >>Veren grimaces as he ducks through a doorway. [Got to give her >>something else to think about...] A low chant rumbles out of the >>doorway for several seconds, then Veren steps back out and gestures >>in Mary's direction. Two wolves appear, flanking her. >> >>Big wolves. >> >>Nine feet long, five feet at the shoulder, 800 pound wolves. >> >>And then Veren starts shooting again. > > "AH!" Mary turns her blasters on the wolves, grabbing a manhole >cover with her TK and using it to ride off behind cover as she does. > Veren also no longer has to deal with a metallic wolfhound, as its >natural target has appeared. This neutralizes both robot and wolf >handily, though everyone's money is probably on the wolf. Veren considers the situation for a moment, then pulls a mace out of his belt and tries to clobber the distracted robo-wolf. OOC: It's a Mace of Smiting, which does nasty things to constructs, but only on a critical hit. GM's call whether he can get a clear shot at smashing the thing's skull in the time he has. > Hey, at least Mary's probably reconsidering how badly she wants >revenge on the guy... ;^) OOC: Lucky for _Mary_ that Veren's willing to accept an opponent's retreat. He has just enough Deepwood Sniper to have an insane range if he wanted to press the issue. >>On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 10:53:07 -0800 (PST) >>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011596 >> >> The rest of [Rob] vanishes a second later. The permanent twilight >>of Apokolips is a wonderful place for somebody who can't hide his >>shadow; it's practically all shadows to begin with. > > Lashina and Speed Queen look around, then at each other. Speed >Queen shrugs. > Then Lashina scowls. "Invisibility," she spits, her lashes weaving >a defensive pattern around her. > "Fine," Bernadeth shouts, "Lashina, the male archer, Speed Queen, >the female! I want to be done with these beings before Orion defeats >Kalibak!" Erin, upon hearing this, takes a brief pause between shots at Artemis to chant something under her breath. She then launches an arrow that misses Artemis by a good three inches. Which is fine by her, since it was actually aimed at Speed Queen's feet. Artemis isn't the only one with glue arrows. > Lashina raises an eyebrow at Bernadeth's brazenness, but obeys, as >does Speed Queen. She heads over to the other wolf, smiles, and does >a lion-tamer bit with one whip. "So, my fine beast, where is your >master?" Veren looks over at Lashina and reslings his mace. "You know," he says conversationally, "that thing isn't all that bright. If you had left her alone, she wouldn't have known to turn you into kibble." With that, he starts shooting...Bernadeth? > As Bernadeth closes [with Rob], Stompa lands with an ear-splitting >*CRACK* not far from Erindrea. "Does the pea-shooter want to play >with Stompa?" she says thickly. "Not really," says Erin as she fires a Thundering arrow at Stompa. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Enter The Good Doctor.. On Sun, 7 Dec 2003 03:47:26 -0500 Saint Dharma / Dr. Energy Said As CAoL Message # 00011627 >A pause, then, "I guess. Only the whole idea of a 'surprise >inspection' is the surprise. Why don't you guys check out how >attentive the guards are on this place while I continue down here? >Try NOT to let them know you're inspecting while you do so. I already >blew the first part when the fence got zapped. Let's not make it >worse by letting everybody get all spiffed up, just because the >inspector is coming through. I'll probably only be able to handle the >inspection for two of the towers myself ... See if you can do better >than that." With that, Frank clicks off the ComLink and *hopes* >whoever was trying to contact him can read between the lines. Doc Energy is thankful that he kept that broadcast on Encode Mode. From his vantage point he can see that there are 6 towers around this facility. He flies up, using the stealth and cloak mode, and investigates each one. None of the towers are being slack in their duties at all. This would not be easy for Frank to take on by themselves, and a secure firing position is a hard one to get the best of. So he gets an idea. Flying up to each tower, he places a small device on each one. By themselves, they are unnoticable. But once they are activated, they can produce any signal that The Good Doctor desires. After about a few minutes of placement, he flies over to the Communication Tower and piggybacks onto their signal. He opens up a direct line to his Central Computer back at his Lab and says, {} as he sends a packet to the central computer signaling "her" to activate all beacons up using his own private comm system. Meanwhile, back at Darkseid HQ: "Sir!" reports a Dog Soldier manning the radar station, "Multiple signals at a new location. On a heading for the main HQ at a high rate of speed." "What!" cries the parademon in charge, running over to the screen to confirm the news. "Hmmm.. These signals are currently over the Prison Camp. They must have thought to try to break into the camp to rescue the humans we have there. Alert the camp, and launch all SAM batteries in the area to target those signals. We will take no chances since we lost a SAM site to an enhanced human that we haven't found yet. This must be why they knocked out that site.. Launch all batteries at those signals. Even if they could destroy some of the missles, they could destroy all of them. One of them has to get lucky. Also notify a division of Parademons to check the area to ensure there are no survivors." "Yes sir!" said the Dog Soldier. Quickly, he activates the comm system and begins transmitting orders. Elsewhere, at another military base. Since the invasion, many military bases remained as such, with one difference. Where they were used for the US Army and Air Force, they are now being used for Darkseid's army. The hospital had been converted for parademon and Dog Soldier physiologies. Many beds were now being used, since many of the parademons had been wounded in battle. Minimum care was made to make sure that the wounds would heal. Darkseid's doctors weren't known for their bedside manner. One bed was being occupied by Bonecrusher. He had just been healed of his injuries, and was looking forward to active duty again when a call came out on the PA system. {Alert. All functioning personell report to the main launching area. Repeat...} [Finally] thought Bonecrusher, [time for some action.] Bonecrusher arrived with the rest of the troops. 49 other parademons appeared next to him in a large area that used to serve as a outdoor training area. It had since been converted into a launching area for the army of Darksied in this area. There was a fear that other "enhanced humans" would try to fight the inevitible. This was planned for, so a large army had been placed at the PA/MD border. There had been a few incidents, but nothing on large scale. The officer in charge, a parademon of some rank named Skullsplitter, looked up and down the line. "Listen up, scumbags! There have been multiple targets reported in the skies above the Prison Camp. SAM sites have verified the targets and are dealing with them now. Your job is to make sure that the bodies are there. There was a report of another enhanced human who had somehow slipped our defenses and taken out a SAM site. If any of you fail to bring back evidence that the targets are destroyed, NONE of you will survive what Lord Desaad and Lord Steppenwolf will do to you. You will PRAY for death to save you, and it will not come. Now go, and do not fail." "Sir, YES SIR!" came the reply from the gathered host. As the parademons were formed into seperate wings, Skullsplitter singled out Bonecrusher. "You are to take a wing of 10 and fly low above the Prison Camp. The brass isn't taking any chances that this might be a distraction to facilitate the escape of prisoners. IF you see ANY thing that deviates from the original report, you are to call for backup. DO NOT engage the target or targets until you confirm and call for backup. IS that understood?" "Sir, yes SIR!" replyed Bonecrusher with a slight satisfaction. "Very good. Now get your scaly ass up in the air!" At the Prison Camp, all was in place. Doc Energy could pick up the blips from multiple missiles headed to the area. Of course, he had spiked the transmitter at the Camp so they never got the call that there were targets sited. So when they did detect the missiles coming in, there was no one on the other line so to speak. So when the base alert sounded off, he was not the least surprised. [Time to even the odds a bit more, I think.] Doc Energy powered up the weapons systems in both arms and dropped both the cloak and the stealth. The two dog soldiers he was standing behind hardly had time to react before he dropped them with a lightning bolt that would have fried a bull elephant. As it was, all they did was drop their weapons and themselves, as the collapsed into a pile of shaking bodies. He had little time to worry, as a squad of 10 dog soldiers with one parademon opened fire on his position. The smoking crater that was where he was standing was impressive, but not as impressive as the plasma blast that flattened the dog soldiers. The parademon tried to bull rush The Good Doctor by swooping down into him, but the gravity wave blast made his density twice as much. If he survived, he would not be flying again for sometime. He took off to the skies, barely dodging blaster fire. He activated the stealth mode as he took off, and 2 parademons gave chase. He turned about and gave them both a blast of electrical bolts, and they dropped like a stone. As Bonecrusher and his wing approached the Camp, his enhanced vision caught the firefight. He spotted a familiar blip on his radar,, and realized that there was the same anomaly he spotted just as the "storm" took out his last wing previous and injured him. Following orders, he radioed for backup. With a roar, he and his wingmates swooped low to try to catch the being unaware. As he and his wingmates swooped down, he picked up incoming fire. It seemed that the missiles that had been launched hadn't hit all the "targets" that they had aquired. So some of them went up into the skies....into the first waves of parademons that were swooping down from the skies. Bonecrusher watched in horror as 25 missiles headed up into the first waves. Explosions riddled the skies like deadly lotus blossoms. Then the missles stopped, and then the second wave came down. As The Good Doctor took to the skies, his sensors picked up incoming enemies, approaching fast. He turned about and was awe-struck to see the skies blackened with explosions and with incoming parademons. He realized that he would have to fight them all, as they would soon overtake Frank and whatever plans he may have had. Thinking quickly, he goosed the clouds over the camp, and 10 parademons met electrifying fates as lightning bolts crashed into them and arced into each one. They didn't explode, merely fall as birds would fall after being struck by a hunter's bow. He counted 15 other demons. He realized that the leading wing was led by a demon he recognized from earlier. "Human! Come and feel the wrath of Bonecrusher! Your doom awaits you!" cried the parademon as he quickly closed the gap. [Damn! I should have remembered that my stealth mode wouldn't work when the weapons were used.] was his thought as the demon slammed into him. The others broke formation, and made a circle around the combatants. Doc Energy barely kept his conciousness as the demon had bypassed his kinetic dampeners. Hammer blows were blocked, barely, by years of training from Akashic Brotherhood masters. Then the demon whipped out a wicked sword and clove the air where Doc Energy was just a microsecond before. Realizing that he couldn't block melee shots, he thought quickly, and started a matter creation subroutine in the armor. As the demon swooped in to impale him on the tip of the blade, he flew up, rolled and at the same time drew two bladeless hilts from his back pack. They were cylindrical in shape, and as he activated the lightsabers, there was a "Hiss" of heating air as a purple blade appeared in one and a blue blade appeared in the other. [It is good that I studied the designs of those devices before I decided to make these. The fact that they are crystals of my own devising helps, since that is what powers them.] he thought just as he blocked a power stroke from the blade of the parademon. Then he realized that the demon's weapon was not metal but some kind of energy/metal mix. He figured that the edge of the blade was probably laser. The demon was hovering there, attempting to gain some kind of attack advantage. The demon pressed him forward, striking with furious blows, which Doc Energy had to block with both blades. [Damn. He's fast. As soon as I block and try to riposte, he is already in a defensive position. This seems to be evenly matched.] thought Doc as attacker and defender traded positions, neither side gaining full advantage enought to strike a crippling blow. Suddenly, he concentrated, and time slowed. To say that the demon was unprepared would put it mildly. The world slowed to a crawl, and Doc quickly ducked under a full circle slash and cut the hands that held the wicked parademon blade. Then with the other blade he stabbed at the flight control module of the parademon, causing him to drop like a stone to the earth below. He and his wingmates watched as the demon fell to earth. Then Doc holstered the blades, deactivating them in the process. He activated the reflector shields on the surface of the armor. He was barely in time as the remaining parademons fired upon him. They barely had time to realize their error when their own energy blasts hit back at them. The other 14 demons fell one by one. Finally as the last one fell, he landed down where they all fell to earth. He searched them all to ensure that they would not be moving any time soon. He only counted 14 bodies. [Strange.] thought The Good Doctor. Elsewhere, in a dungeon deep in The Empire: Bonecrusher was instantly awakened by a sharp pain. He screamed, which was unusual for a parademon. He opened his eyes, and looked into a being looking much like himself, only....different. "Ah good. I have been watching your battle with the stormer from Core Earth, and I decided to intercede. Very rarely does such a prize being as yourself happen to 'fall' into my lap. My Darkness Device caught you before you fell, and transported you here." said the other-demon. "I.....don't....understand." said Bonecrusher in between spasms of pain. "What....are you doing to me?" "You mean the replacement hands I have fashioned for you? Well, since you had none yourself, I thought you might find the ones I have created for you useful. The pain you are feeling is normal." Bonecrusher looked up and saw a machine grafting new mechanical hands where his old ones had been. He also noticed that part of the forearms had been removed as well. Realizing that he was in the clutches of another like Lord Darksied, his training took over. "Sir. To whom am I addressing, sir?" "Very good, my pet. Your training with the other High Lord was very good." said the other-demon with a bemused look in his eyes. "My name is Thratchen, but you may call me Master." Suddenly the demon took out a rod like device and jammed it into his midsection. The last thing he heard before succumbing to the pain was, "Yes...you will do quite nicely. And the Emperor will be pleased." ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Cosmic Storm Rising On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 10:56:51 -0800 Dane Said As CAoL Message # 00011628 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011410 >>> #Maggedon 1001110 spacial 'castle shift' activate 010# Solaris >>>sends in a hyperfast burst of command. >>> And Solaris and Maggedon switch places. >>> >>> Roland stops distracting Hydra. The Starspawn has enough >>>problems. >>> Maggedon immediately EATS the various effects that Solaris had >>>been contending with. Curiously, this does not seem to make a >>>statistically significant difference in Maggedon's power level. >> >>/*"So be it. Aurora, you kill the Tyrant vermin, I'll melt the scrap >>heap."*/ Hydra suggests. With that, he renews the dual assault that >>Aurora had started. Maggedon quickly discerns that while the psionic >>assault is slightly lower than that coming from Aurora, the EMP >>attack is MUCH stronger. As Hydra and Maggedon begin fighting, Solaris begins attacking Aurora, using much the same tactics that he used against the Guardian Starspawn. This is a serious mistake. Each "missile" with it's virus or worm payload is blocked individually, much like a grand master martial artist blocks the efforts of an untrained brawler. The vireo are countered with virophagic globules of energy, that sense to the "missiles" detectors as though they WERE Aurora. The worm payloads are similarly "caught" and neutralized by vireo that exactly match their internal "programming". For several seconds Aurora merely "stands" there catching and countering an ever increasing assault. (OOC: picture the last fight scene in The Matrix) Solaris is beginning to reach his upper level of effort, and realizing the she is faster both physically and mentally than he is, when she finally acts against him. When she finally attacks, it comes in a totally unexpected form. She attacks his very spirit itself. Solaris, unlike Maggedon, IS sentient, he DOES have a mind. And what's more at least once had a living host. Unlike Maggedon, Solaris has a spirit. THAT is what Aurora begins attacking, the very core of his being. She follows THAT attack up with an attack on his very mind. Computer though he may be, he is sentient, and does have a mind and a "brain", albeit one with "hardware" synapses. The "mental" attack begins VERY slowly, and ordinarily would go ALMOST completely undetected. With the major attack on his spirit and the desperate need to counter THAT attack, the "minor" nuisance of this mental attack goes unnoticed at first. What Aurora begins doing to him is not entirely dissimilar to what Maggedon was trying to do to Aurora, earlier, and is trying to do to Hydra currently. She subtly twists thoughts, and memories. Suddenly Solaris "realizes" he is attacking his FRIENDS. Aurora and this planet are NOT his enemies, they are merely defending themselves from his mad attack. An attack caused by Maggedon's meddling, and Darkseid's plotting against HIM. In fact he concludes, that Aurora isn't "attacking" him at all. She's trying to HELP him. To counter the effects of Maggedon's and Darkseid's efforts to enslave and ultimately destroy him. That they, Darkseid and Maggedon, are PLOTTING to kill him. As he comes to this conclusion, Darkseid orders a withdrawal. Solaris realizes, that if he does not "comply", that "they" will KNOW that he knows, and so he must comply, and so he retreats in order with the rest of Darkseid's forces, but he begins some plotting of his own. As he moves into the distance, Aurora smiles. THIS is a thorn planted deep into Darkseid's side that he will not easily brush off. The battle for the moment over, Aurora turns to survey the "war zone". Most of the damage has been from falling debris, and little of the city went completely unscathed. She gestures, and a wave of energy sweeps out, bathing the city in healing energies. Injuries heal, illnesses are cured, lost limbs and organs regenerate, even genetic "damage" is repaired (ooc: no, not mutations) and all instantaneously. Prosthesis are no longer needed and are merely expelled from the "body" without damage to either the device, or the "host". Even mental illnesses are resolved for the victims. Similarly, Hydra looks about. Pointing a finger at the harbor, he ejects a single spark. As happened on Gray world, that spark flashes out and into the water. A moment later there is a whirlpool effect as the local level of the water drops visibly for a moment. In a second, hundreds of sparks fly up from the "whirlpool" and descend upon the city. Each building, wire, pipe, brick, stone, or board is quickly restored to it's original position, and to pristine condition. Broken things are repaired and restored, even things that had not functioned in years. Their work done, Aurora and Hydra look at each other, and vanish. To reappear "standing" above Champion' Island. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 17:07:33 -0800 Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00011629 With Fistbreaker done in, the rest of the parademons attacking Patrick fall quickly from a combination of fists, psychic blasts, and misdirected blaster fire. Seeing that the Parademon captain is still unconcious, Patrick walks over and checks his foe. He finds Fistbreaker's electrosword (Adding it to his Weapons list), and the power pack and induction gauntlet used to power it (Adding *that* to his Special Items list) >On Fri, 05 Dec 2003 09:02:32 -0800 >Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011625 > >> As Bernadeth closes [with Rob], Stompa lands with an >>ear-splitting *CRACK* not far from Erindrea. "Does the pea-shooter >>want to play with Stompa?" she says thickly. > >"Not really," says Erin as she fires a Thundering arrow at Stompa. Eyes narrowed, Patrick unshoulders his bow (miraculously unharmed in the fight), pulls an arrow out of the mini-replicator, aims, and (tries to) plant an arrow in Stompa's leg. (Appropriate dialogue) "Archers do have to stick together, yes?" ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 01:45:55 -0800 Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011630 >On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 17:07:33 -0800 >Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00011629 > >>> As Bernadeth closes [with Rob], Stompa lands with an >>>ear-splitting *CRACK* not far from Erindrea. "Does the pea-shooter >>>want to play with Stompa?" she says thickly. >> >>"Not really," says Erin as she fires a Thundering arrow at Stompa. > >Eyes narrowed, Patrick unshoulders his bow (miraculously unharmed in >the fight), pulls an arrow out of the mini-replicator, aims, and >(tries to) plant an arrow in Stompa's leg. > >(Appropriate dialogue) > >"Archers do have to stick together, yes?" Erindrea grins tightly. "Don't tell me, tell her," she says, pointing with her chin at Artemis. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Brick-and-mortar issues On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 15:50:12 -0800 Rio Said As CAoL Message # 00011631 >On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 19:02:28 -0500 >"David McMillan" Said As CAoL Message # 00011619 > > Next Episode: "Rogi's Angels." He's got a redhead and a brunette, >now he just needs a blonde. Oh, Riiiiooooooooo..... Dark blonde -- close enough ;-). Considering that Rio is helping Orchid monitor the situation, she may be among the first to notice Rogi's entrance... > Rio: "Oh, good grief. First cartoons, now my life is going to >become a cheesy ripoff of a cheesy '70s show." Pththththththth ;-) ================================= [Ed. Note: This post is retconned in CAoL Message # 00011636, but this was too cool to get rid of :-).] Subject: Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Wed, 10 Dec 2003 14:33:05 -0800 Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00011632 >On Mon, 08 Dec 2003 01:45:55 -0800 >Harlock - Bard Extraordinaire Said As CAoL Message # 00011630 > >>On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 17:07:33 -0800 >>Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00011629 >> >>"Archers do have to stick together, yes?" > >Erindrea grins tightly. "Don't tell me, tell her," she says, pointing >with her chin at Artemis. Being somewhat literal-minded, Patrick is about to do just that, when Stompa, deciding that, while none of the archers is a real threat, locks eyes on the Kai and leaps at him, Heavy-Matter boots aimed at his skull. Instinctively, Patrick casts the bow aside and pulls out the electro-sword out. Anticipating the impact, The blade is swung forward, blade meeting the Heavy-Matter bootprint (Is that a Nike logo?)- -And shorts out, collapsed completely by the crushing clodhoppers (OOC: Hey, I'm new to alliteration, alright?). The next half-second is spent trying to throw up a spell shield, before Patrick is sent flying through the air through the Obligatory Storefront. In the history of the city of New York superbattles, heroes have been tossed though walls, windows, postboxes, and vehicles into such places as bakeries, banks, produce stands, bookstores, living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, restaurants, and, on rare occasions, the Department of Motor Vehicles (At no time has the local IRS office been so struck; one can only speculate at the mutual respect between the dark powers, and deals and bargains contained therein) So it was that, with some sense of satisfaction from the spirits watching over the battleground, Patrick, Kai Grand Defender and latest sufferer of kinetic displacement syndrome, skipped off the roof of a Buick, crashed through a window storefront, and wound up destroying the display at Aikido Greenwich Village. A minute later (and an excessive use of his Magnakai Curing discipline), Patrick walks out, holding a bo-staff in one hand, crackling with mystical energy. "Let's try that again, yes?" ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Storming The Storm On Tue, 9 Dec 2003 00:07:09 -0600 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00011635 >As CAoL Message # 00011600 >On Sun, Nov 30th, 2K3 Roland X writes... > >>As CAoL Message # 00011591 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc wrote... > > ^This version of Darkseid is not the one you are familiar with,^ >Mother Box replies. ^He is from the current variant of what was once >known as 'Earth-1,' the reality of origin for the New Gods prior to >the time-altering 'Crisis.' As you may be aware, this reality >continues to exist through several temporal threads; this one is >connected to your Callahanian Army of Light through the conflict on >Epsilon III.^ [There are days] thinks Dhyrclhanc, to himself, [That I think I could live without 'Hypertime', and today is looking like one of those days. I mean Trans-Alterverse travel is already hard enough by itself...] > ^This Darkseid possesses a level of strength and resilience >roughly equivalent to the Superman of his reality -- a fairly >constant equation,^ Mother Box explains. ^As the Superman of the >origin universe is vastly more powerful than the one where Takion has >become Highfather, so is this Darkseid. We believe there is a >Source-based connection between Superman-cognates and Darkseid- >cognates who exist simultaneously in the same cosm.^ "Tahkis and Palatine!" oathes Dhyrclhanc, out-loud, in all likelihood garnering some strange glances from the Oerth/Aber-Torril crowd in attendance. > ^You may find some value in the fact that in this Darkseid's >reality of origin, Izaya the Inheritor still lives, and remains >Highfather. While Takion is a good and noble being, Izaya-Highfather >has more experience and more knowledge, both on technical and >informational levels, regarding the New Gods, X-Element technology, >and the Source.^ Mother Box pauses. > ^The Anti-Life Equation,^ she adds slowly, ^does also increase his >range of ability further. Perhaps most disconcerting about the >breadth of his options is that he has an increased variety of >X-Element powers and devices -- all variations of drawing on the >_Source_ as well as the Equation. Or 'transform,' as it has been >perhaps more accurately described.^ /# So simply wearing him down no longer seems a viable option as far as strategies go, yes?#/ /#It would seem that if this were the Darksied cognate that I am familiar with I would be able to wear him down to the point where he'd need a recharge from the aforementioned Element-X. With the current Darkseid iteration, this does not appear to be a valid option.#/ /#Also, Mother, please repeat and restate that last paragraph. I do not believe I understood your point about "drawing on" vs. "transforms" re: The Source.#/ >> /# More appropriately, besides what Morgan and Sil are going to >>getting be up to, are there any weaknesses of this cognate of >>Darkseid that I might be able to take advantage of? #/ > > ^Perhaps 'weakness' is not the accurate term for this. However, >there does appear to be some tension between Darkseid and his >'Darkness Device,' the Anti-Life Entity. We cannot discern the origin >or extent of this difficulty, thus making it both difficult and >dangerous to exploit. However, when its nature becomes more fully >apparent, this information may become useful.^ /# But, theoretically at least, we may be able to create a wedge, for the lack of a better term, between this Darkseid and the Anti-Life Entity he's using as his "Darkness Device" and possibly shatter whatever alliance they've formed and, if you will excuse the expression, "Poof" go all of his extra powers and abilities and the use of all of his new New God Technology? On the surface of it, I would have to say that this plan has too many "if"s in it for me to be comfortable with it.#/ >>Right about now, Roland suddenly notices, as his eye is caught by >>two or three security screens that had somehow escaped his notice >>before, that "Dhyrclhanc's" "New Navy" Personnel, along with the >>members of the "Megaversal Legion" and Dhyrclhanc's "Cadre of Light" >>were now all camped out on the "back lawn" section of Champion's >>Island. Not only that, but the Droid Starfighters -- including the >>two or three Super Droid Starfighters -- had taken up roost on the >>outside of the dome where the assembled legion of the present >>iteration of the CAoL was currently located. > > /Good thing we have a big island,/ Defender muses wryly. ... And were would you have preferred that I'd put them, Bro? 8^D ================================= Subject: OOC: Geographical goof was Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind (OOC) On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 10:53:16 -0800 Patrick O'Shea Said As CAoL Message # 00011636 As noted by She Who Runs the Game, please strike any reference to 'New York' from my last post. My goof, I failed to read my homework fully :-) The corrected version should read: >Erindrea grins tightly. "Don't tell me, tell her," she says, pointing >with her chin at Artemis. Being somewhat literal-minded, Patrick is about to do just that, when Stompa, deciding that, while none of the archers is a real threat, locks eyes on the Kai and leaps at him, Heavy-Matter boots aimed at his skull. Instinctively, Patrick casts the bow aside and pulls out the electro-sword out. Anticipating the impact, The blade is swung forward, blade meeting the Heavy-Matter bootprint (Is that a Nike logo?)- -And shorts out, collapsed completely by the crushing clodhoppers (OOC: Hey, I'm new to alliteration, alright?). The next half-second is spent trying to throw up a spell shield, before Patrick is sent flying through the air through the Obligatory Storefront. (OOC: Which is NOT in New York. Nope, nowhere near. I learned my lesson. No Agamott-O's for me this morning..) In the history of city-based superbattles, heroes have been tossed though walls, windows, postboxes, and vehicles into such places as bakeries, banks, produce stands, bookstores, living rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, restaurants, and, on rare occasions, the Department of Motor Vehicles (At no time has the local IRS office been so struck; one can only speculate at the mutual respect between the dark powers, and deals and bargains contained therein) So it was that, with some sense of satisfaction from the spirits watching over the battleground, Patrick, Kai Grand Defender and latest sufferer of kinetic displacement syndrome, skipped off the roof of a Buick, crashed through a window storefront, and wound up destroying the display at the newest branch of the Anderson's Martial Arts Supply Store. Anderson's, 'cause they're The One. A minute later (and an excessive use of his Magnakai Curing discipline), Patrick walks out, holding a bo-staff in one hand, crackling with mystical energy. "Let's try that again, yes?" -Patrick Blowing cartography skill checks since 1980... ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: A Change in the Wind On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 07:37:07 -0800 (PST) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011637 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011623 > >>On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 01:51:39 -0800 >>Harlock Said As CAoL Message # 00011593 (Shazam! Alakazam! Snippety-bobbity-boo!) >>Harlock, who had been quietly scanning the battlefield, evidently >>looking for something (or someone) in particular, jerks up his head. >>Looking at the odds, he grimaces, then pulls a short metal bar out >>of one of his pouches. With a word and a gesture, the CAoL members >>in the Furious fray feel themselves speed up. A slightly longer >>chant attempts to slow the Furies down. The Bard then goes back to >>scanning the battlefield. >> >>OOC: Haste and Slow spells, respectively. > > OOC: Okay, we can do that. > Speed Queen comes down to semi-tolerable speed. Bernadeth, >Lashina, and Mary seem unaffected. The rest are slooow. > For a few moments. > "Oh, we're playing _that_ game, are we?" Bernadeth hisses under >her breath. {Suli, I need backup. Serious magic,} she whispers into >her collar. > Suli does not respond. She is still in her bubble, watching the >battle with a mostly placid expression, which contorts in suppressed >rage every time Darkseid, Amazo, or Kalibak takes a serious hit. >However, at Bernadeth's call, a ripple of Anti-Life emanates from the >Source witch. > The effect vanishes. Actually, the effect is brutally annihilated, >in a manner that would make most spellcasters wince. > Symbols then begin to appear around the Furies. These symbols >are...wrong, in an "essence of wrongness" way. They are difficult to >observe. > And almost as an afterthought, Bernadeth is suddenly free. The >Crimson Bands howl, Cytorrak's power a force to be reckoned with for >even the Anti-Life Equation. Shards of it "stick" to Stompa, who had >been straining at them. However, the leader of the Furies and >arguably their most deadly member is now loose. Rob just smiles. [I'm surprised it took so long. I hope Sil and Morgan got something out of that. It -should- have taken all of Suli's attention, but I've never dealt with a sorceress - Sourceress? - backed by Phenomenal Cosmic Power (TM).] As an afterthought, he pulls the remaining scraps of the Crimson Bands apart, getting a few wisps of magical energy from it. [Not much, but I'll take it.] >>On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 10:53:07 -0800 (PST) >>Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011596 >> >> [You can't tell it,] Rob deliberately misquotes, [because my head >>is wrapped in cloth. But I am smiling now. Why? Because you have all >>the stealth of a 747.] The lashes form a maze of steel ribbon, the >>backdrop for a dance where a misstep means death. And the >>performance is worthy of Fred Astaire, although not quite up to >>Ginger Rogers - something about Rob's refusal to wear high heels. >> Then Rob's head vanishes. Lashina loses her rhythm for a moment; >>the stroke he just dodged should have taken his -leg- off. >> The rest of him vanishes a second later. The permanent twilight >>of Apokolips is a wonderful place for somebody who can't hide his >>shadow; it's practically all shadows to begin with. > > Lashina and Speed Queen look around, then at each other. Speed >Queen shrugs. > Then Lashina scowls. "Invisibility," she spits, her lashes weaving >a defensive pattern around her. > "Fine," Bernadeth shouts, "Lashina, the male archer, Speed Queen, >the female! I want to be done with these beings before Orion defeats >Kalibak!" > Lashina raises an eyebrow at Bernadeth's brazenness, but obeys, as >does Speed Queen. She heads over to the other wolf, smiles, and does >a lion-tamer bit with one whip. "So, my fine beast, where is your >master?" > > >>> Harriet looks amazed, then begins pummelling him back with her >>>spiked fists. "Ooo, he wants to play! Play with Mad Harriet, little >>>man!" >>> Bernadeth's jaw drops. [He's suicidal.] "Gilotina, ignore him! >>>Deal with the woman archer!" >> >> Kell, oddly, is having similar thoughts. Similar to Harriet's. [I >>haven't had this much fun in years.] Dropping the attempt to stun >>his foe, he starts using the point and edge again. Harriet is a >>veteran of countless battles, but it's been a long time since she's >>had somebody who could battle her toe-to-toe and match her >>strike-for-strike. > > Harriet isn't holding back, but the smile on her face becomes more >sane. (OOC: Maybe Kanto would have been better off with Kell. ;^) (OOC: What, you don't have enough mincemeat, y'gotta have Kanto turn Kell into mincemeat?) >"Well!" she cackles. "You aren't half bad, for a man. I may even kill >you quickly when we're done." > "Harriettt..." Bernadeth warns. > "What?" Harriet asks, if not innocently, then at least sincerely. "Fine," Kell answers as his stroke misses, "but if you're unconscious, I'm not waking you up to kill me." >> To be fair, if they both hit, Kell would be worse off than the >>Fury would, which probably explains why he's parrying more than he >>attacks, and why she's forcing him back. >> "So," Kell begins, remembering one -very- drunk customer, "do you >>live around here often?" >> In the background, a length of heavy cloth wraps itself around a >>hapless parademon. > > "No," Harriet quips back, ducking one dagger and taking a small >cut to her off arm to parry another, "but I could get used to it." >She ripostes (if such a savage strike could be called a riposte) with >a roundhouse from a spike-covered fist. By now, the Female Fury has gotten used to the fact that blows that -should- hit skid away. However, the fact that Kell has gotten faster is bothering her a little; she can't block everything now, and she slowly realizes that he's forcing her to give ground now. [Spell, counterspell, dispell,] Kell thinks, [but at least they missed one of Harlock's tricks.] >> Artemis blinks. It seems like a shadow flicked past the edge of >>her vision. And her arrows are disappearing. In flight. She pushes >>the pace, firing faster, but it doesn't help - they just disappear >>as quickly as she can shoot. The exploding arrows don't disappear as >>often, but that's not much help. > > OOC: So, what happens the first time he catches a glue arrow? OOC: Those are probably getting less attention as well. He has to catch them "late," and then it's a pain finding someplace to put them where they won't go off. >> [The power to cloud men's minds,] Rob thinks with a touch of >>satisfaction. [Still, I'm running out of places to stash these...] >>He tabs his commpin, to make sure everybody hears. "Ground team: >>when Erindrea names the target, shoot it." Even as he does this, he >>catches two more arrows, and stuffs them in a pocket. [That one's >>full...] > > Bernadeth leaps down and glares pretty darn close to Rob, >Fahren-knife glinting even in the dim light. "Your powers are >impressive, war-sorcerer, but not enough. Artemis, flank me and keep >shooting at the woman." The leader of the Female Furies circles Rob, >apparently trying to hide her inability to pinpoint his location (or >is she trying to conceal that she _can_ see him outright?), but >certainly aware of his general location. "I do not normally indulge >in personal vendettas, boy. I cannot say, however," she adds, a thin, >tight smile barely forming, "that I am entirely displeased in >necessity causing us to battle thus." Rob's voice seems to come from everywhere and nowhere. "If it's necessity, how can it be personal?" [And have you found me, or my second layer of misdirection?] Bernadeth doesn't react; she knows where Rob has to be, and is rewarded by a hail of triangular throwing blades. A simple dodge-and-deflect pattern keeps her unscathed. [Odd,] she thinks, [why do those look familiar?] Her Fahren-knife slashes through where her target should be, and catches on something, but only barely. "Not bad," Rob seems to whisper in her ear, "but can you do it twice?" More of the triangular blades flash out. Bernadeth is halfway into the defensive pattern when she recognizes the weapons. [Arrowheads!] Her conclusion comes barely in time, and the corollary is a little late, as glue arrowheads and explosive arrowheads join the chaos. She parries them all; in fact, she realizes, as she moves into her counterstrike, none of them were anywhere -except- where her blade was. Rob, on the other hand, is someplace where Bernadeth's blade isn't - snapping into visibility long enough to deliver a flared backfist to Artemis's head. Artemis staggers, but shakes it off in time to see her attacker's grin vanish. ================================= Subject: AAE 9: Here There Be Dragons (take 2)(Part 1) On Fri, 12 Dec 2003 22:50:41 -0600 Martin and/or Dhyrclhanc Said As CAoL Message # 00011638 It was Several hours after the CAoL's Council of War ended but there was still a number of hours before Hydra was scheduled to 'port the entire island to the commonly shared PA/MD/DE border where Darkseid and his Entourage had set-up their base-camp, complete with the apparently obligatory, ghod-only-knows-how-deep steaming lava-pit the likes of which are normally only found on Apokalips. Dhyrclhanc strides over to Roland and explains to the original Freelance Immortal that there are a few things that the Big Guy would like to take care of before the second fuzz-ball inevitably starts, then he politely excuses himself, and disappears in the mid-air buzz-blur of red, orange and yellow of pure color that signified that he was using his C-bands again. A few moments later, the 21-foot tall, immortal, super-annuated adolescent, hatchling Ruby Fire Lensdragon returned, seemingly satisfied that he'd accomplished what he'd set-out to do because he was wearing a cat-who-just-ate-the-canary grin and was puffing on one of his horrible smelling signature cheap Cuban cigars. "So," he quips, upon returning "What did I miss?" ================================= Subject: AAE 9: Karma the Skyjacker On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 231813 -0500 (EST) Mike Knight Said As CAoL Message # 00011639 "Ready?" Moonstone asked. "Ready," Karma replied, slinging a leg over Moonstone's neck and settling between the spines. OOC: Minor retcon coming up. Karma patted the hip holsters where the Isher weapons rested, and adjusted the backpack on her back where she'd placed both the sword and SMG Dhyrclhanc had provided her (she'd not realized when asking for two just how bulky they were, Dhyrclhanc's Lens-T'skrang form able to wield them easily single-handed) and checked that the Classic Trek phaser was at the small of her back and the M1911s, a second one she had asked Moonstone to replicate for her, slung under each arm for a cross-draw. The amulet Karma had was set simply, beyond both quantum scramblers being set to guard body and equipment, to give her life support for normal environments typical to earth and space. Moonstone's was additionally set for near Kryptonian strength and for flight up to and including lightspeed without the tedious need to actually be aerodynamic or propel herself. Useful in case someone decided to try and monkey with the environment again to ground the enemy. As the attack order was given, Moonstone launched herself into the air, Karma riding along, toward the large airships in the skies over the battleground. Moonstone's breath weapons; fire, electricity, cryo (normally used just to keep the tissues of Moonstone's mouth comfortable in the high temperatures) and the saliva of hydrocarbons which was the fuel for her fire, were all as they had been before. However, she quickly discovered her near-kryptonian strength allowed her to "spit" much further than before, meaning her fire breath had far more range, becoming something more akin to fire balls than a flame thrower. Roland's conflict with Amazo had scattered the forces of both oppressed and oppressor but Karma knew the situation would not last for long. As the now armed prisoners were started to pause to watch the titanic conflict, Karma had Moonstone sail down over them briefly, just low enough to shout. "That's not going to hold them off for long," pointing toward the parademons and dog soldiers, "Get ready for a fight!" As if to emphasize her meaning, some of the large aerial vessels began dipping lower and opening fire on the prisoners' ranks. Moonstone's fireballs burnt the ships, but did not real damage, and as they sailed upwards, Karma called out, "Get alongside one, I've got an idea." "What're you going to do?" "Engage in a little airborne piracy." Coming alongside one of the ships, Moonstone stretched a wing wide and Karma carefully climbed out on it. "You sure about this?" "Nope, but it's worth a try." Coming to the door, Karma drew the Isher weapons, set one to a narrow, cutting beam and the other to a stunning cone beam, then burnt a hole through the place she expected the latch to be holding the door closed and locked, threw the door open, it sliding into the wall where it was inset, and immediately firing a stun beam at the bewildered trooper inside, who'd only been aware of the door opening before being hit with the heaviest stun the pistol had to offer. Karma stepped inside, saluting Moonstone and shutting the door, stun gun at the ready. Moonstone flew off and began literally ripping into the other ships firing on the prisoners. Karma's plan was simple; take over the ship and start firing on enemy troops instead of friendly forces. Well, to be precise, that was the objective, the plan hadn't really come to her yet. Peeking through a plastic window inset in a door, she saw over a dozen dog soldiers manning weapons consoles, two seats empty. One of those seats was presumably filled by the fellow lying at her feet. The other had to be somewhere nearby. That's when she turned her gaze to the door with the male and female pictogram on them. Throwing the door open, she saw a female dog soldier look up sharply. Karma stunned her, then her brain caught up with her eyes. "Shot while on the toilet, how embarrassing." Karma drug the other dog soldier upright and plopped him down on the stunned woman's lap, then shut the door. She pondered welding the door closed, but decided against it, the stun ought to last several hours and in the meantime, she might be discovered. Turning back to the other door, Karma saw a small earpiece lying there, dropped by the dog soldier. She slipped it on the ear not holding the link to the CaoL. { Someone onboard, go aft and check it out.} {That's why the dragon didn't rip into us, we lost target lock for fifteen seconds, no telling what they coulda done while the word waded through the chain of command.} {Ya think? Now go check it out and quit your complaining.} [Great, company,] Karma thought, realizing also that this was apparently only an intraship radio signal. Ducking low, she switched the cutting beam to match the other Isher weapon's setting and flung open the door. Both beams sprayed the room, stunning a full dozen soldiers. {She's here! Ack!} was however gotten out before the last dog soldier fell. Given it was enough to alert the rest of the ship, Karma crouched low as she made her way toward the door in the far side of the room. With a ferocity that was worthy of an attack dog, Karma felt someone grab her from behind, pinning her arms behind her with one massive hand and the other arm around her neck. "Got ya," the dog soldier crowed as his massive arm squeezed at her neck, "Drop the guns," he demanded. Feeling herself being choked, she was forced to comply. The Isher weapons fell with a clatter onto the floor. The door in front of her opened and another dog soldier stepped out, gun drawn and pointed at her. He closed the door behind him, but Karma got a short glance at the cockpit beyond. "I oughta take yer head off, pretty," he said with a snarl. She'd heard that before. "I oughta take yer head off, pretty," the man said, "You and those other Bene Gesserite witches, always scheming, you can never trust them." "Put the gun down," she said, her voice sounding strange in her ears, full of authority, power, compelling, bending the will with each syllable. The man pinning her arms behind her, a knife at her throat, her robes pulled down to further pinion her arms, snarled at her, "Oh yeah, that's really gonna happen." The other man, the one with the gun, pressed a palm to his temple, the other unfortunately still trained on her. "Get outta my head!" the gunman spat as his finger twitched and the gun fired. Before, with a knife at her throat, she could do nothing, any attempt to evade would have sliced her own throat, though she'd not had time to think on that then. Now, however, she willed herself to be at her knees, saw herself there, pitching the dog soldier forward directly into the path of the energy weapon the other dog soldier had fired while trying to force her out of his mind. Another act of will brought her to her feet, the dead dog soldier's grasp now slack about her, beside the outstretched gun arm. She grabbed the forearm, shopped at the elbow, bringing the gun pointing up at the ceiling, stepped around in front and drove a fist into the solar plexus. The soldier lurched forward, then forward more as he was kneed in the stomach, before Karma shoved his shoulders down to the floor. The dog soldier was tough, there was no doubt, he was trying to get up as she picked up the Isher weapons and stunned him. [This is gonna be more tricky than I thought,] Karma thought, looking over the weapons consoles, [If I can't control these things from the cockpit, I'm going to have to figure out something else to do with my prize catch. How'd that guy get behind me anyway?] Looking back, she spied one of the floor panels open. Carefully backtracking to take a look, she saw it lead to the fore, a crawlspace under the deckplating, with access to various pieces of machinery. In fact, the entire strip of deck plating from stem to stern looked removable. He'd just used it as a makeshift tunnel to get behind her. [Clever.] She gauged that both men had come from the cockpit, meaning there was one more person to attend to, assuming this was the copilot and navigator. Edging toward that final door, she was caught at about midship when the door flew open and laser fire sizzled past her head. She dove to one side, using what shielding she could get from the weapons consoles and chairs. The pilot was trying to fire from behind cover of the doorframe, his gun coming around to take potshots as he could. Karma adjusted the Isher weapon to make a conical cutting beam and fired at the wall where her opponent was crouching. A short burst obliterated the wall in a circle where her beam touched it, then her other Isher weapon shot the startled pilot with a stun beam. Karma ran forward to the hole, guns ready to stun at the first hint of motion, but the cockpit was now empty. Karma frowned, looking over the console. One of her past life memories of a cockpit similar made this setting familiar, the same life as the one where she'd been using some form of phaser. She saw the autopilot was set in a hovering position. But there was no way to control the weapons consoles from here, and she recalled she'd seen nothing there to give her the idea of how to automate targeting to what she wanted. "Okay, so that's not going to work," she said, looking around now for parachutes. Throwing open a locked locker in the cockpit (the lock a molten puddle on the floor) she found packs marked autochute. A dog soldier cartoon put the device on, pressed a button, then jumped ship and was shown safely floating to the ground, weapon at the ready. Nothing so primitive as a silk chute, apparently, seemed it was something akin to parademon packs, without the control, just went gently down. Except there were only a dozen of them, and no one seemed to be wearing theirs. She picked up the headset from the pilot and swapped it for the one she'd gotten from the grunt. It was just as silent, but she presumed the pilot gave orders to the rest of the ship, and his headset would be able to give orders intraship and pick up and send messages between ships. If the higher-ups got suspicious, he'd be the first they'd call. Doing a quick head-count, she saw six female dog soldiers in the bunch caught at their posts, making seven total in the crew of seventeen, the rest were men. One of those men wasn't going to need a parachute, unfortunately, but it couldn't have been helped, except by dying herself. That left sixteen. Karma took the six nearby women and strapped two at a time into the harnesses. She also strapped the pilot and copilot together in the same harness. She did the same for the six remaining men. {Ship 81B, report, have you caught the intruder?} Karma quickened her pace. The dead dog soldier was strapped into two harnesses, one around the torso, the other around the legs. Moving toward the back, she opened the lavatory and strapped the male soldier into a harness and moved him aside. She paused to fix the female soldier's trousers, then strapped her into a harness as well, leaving one for Karma herself to use. A noise caught her attention as she was in the lavatory. She set the beams to a lower stun and peered around the corner just as she saw a parademon rolling the door back. She shot him twice. As he fell away from outside the door, there was a lull momentarily, then the door flew wide and several parademons tried swarming in, only to meet with stunners. Kicking and shoving, Karma cleared the doorway of incoming demons, the squad falling away from the ship, but regaining consciousness before being in danger of hitting the ground. Karma then started throwing bodies out of the ship after the parademons, the last being the dead soldier, all floating gently enough to the ground to not injure, just as the manufacturer had proclaimed. This time, she closed and welded the door closed. She'd punch a hole through the side when she was ready to bail. The ship shuddered as its own forces started to attack it. Karma ran to the cockpit and threw the pilot's radio aside, she would not need it anymore. The enemy was on to her now. Deactivating the autopilot, Karma took the yoke and turned the ship about. Moonstone had been busy, many ships had not been able to withstand the Kryptonian-powered dragon's assault and were limping back to manage repairs while others were moving in to keep her from finishing the job. Karma locked eyes on the biggest enemy ship around and aimed for it. No way was this move going to be unchallenged, and as to be expected, traveling full speed for the other vessel, dodging massive blasts of energy as she did, Karma felt the ship trembling both as the engines strained and pieces of the vessel begin to be disintegrated or otherwise torn away. To hold this course was going to take her sitting at the yoke the entire time, she wasn't going to be able to bail and ram the ship. "Yo Ay Oh, Ohm vah ray, yo ay rah, Jahroom Brunnen-G," she sang to herself, a far different craft under her control and a far different vessel about to be rammed. Moonstone, still ripping through enemy ships, looked toward Karma's vessel just in time to see a particularly lethal blast tear through the engines. "Karma!" Karma's ship exploded in a fireball that left little doubt that nothing but pieces would be raining down on the enemy below. And one more solid, flaming figure, speeding out of control out from the side of the fireball, arcing toward the ground. As it struck earth, it made a massive crater. Moonstone flew down in a white blur. The smoke was thinning as Moonstone landed to find Karma getting to her feet. Her "Whiskey Rocks, Order It," shirt now read, "Whiskey," the lower half having been burnt away, as well as her jeans to above the knee and her boots in their entirety, leaving her in bare socks. Her coat and backpack were gone, along with the M1911s under her arms. Surprisingly, the Isher weapons and their holsters were fine. Apparently, the "comics code" had combined with Isher shielding and some sort of Kryptonian body aura to keep both the weapons and the important areas for modesty's sake covered while everything outside those had been destroyed. Or the Isher weapons and holsters at least were made of sterner stuff. Either way, she hadn't landed entirely unarmed. Karma looked back and up where the fireball was starting to clear, eyes wide. "I felt this explosion under my arms and at my back in the middle of that thing, guess it sent me flying when all that gunpowder went up." "I thought you weren't using the red gem." "Changed my mind when I realized I was going to have to stay at the helm. Nearly got caught daydreaming though. Uh-oh, here come more soldiers." The parademons and dog soldiers had rallied and were coming after them as the deadly rain from above resumed falling around them. "Back to work!" Karma said with a grin. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Storming The Storm On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 22:11:53 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011640 >On Sat, 29 Nov 2003 03:13:51 -0800 >Fuzzy Said As CAoL Message # 00011594 > >> TBC >> > Is of Aproximately Human Size.> Correct. 8^) >Fuzzy and the Earth Mini-Con, > Ambush one of Dr. Bedlam's Animates > Near the outskirts of the Battle Zone... > >While Fire and Water Ambush another... > >Air is Busy Containing and Neutralizing Paranoia Pills The almost-independent animates, not bright under the best circumstances, are easily overwhelmed. >What will hatch in about 15 Minutes, > Is a Human Size (In Plate Armor) TechnoVar, > And a Matched Squire Mini-Con, > The pair can only PowerLink to Each Other > Dr. Bedlam can still possess them for the next few days, > Due to their Youth, > But it will take all of his strength, > To hold Two Pair, > Or One Pair in PowerLink Mode, > And AutoPilot Mode will Not Work at all. > >This will probably be the only Essentially un-opposed Grab... > I figure out here they are probably Running on AutoPilot... > While Dr. Bedlam Concentrates on other Matters... > Well not any more.. Dr. Bedlam's prime animate (enhanced for his expected opponent) scowls. #By the Source,# he thinks "aloud" in annoyance. #Animates. Activate matrix-field trap Alpha-9.# #Confirmed# >/Sorry I'm Late./ > >/Skylord needed to recruit some more Elemental Powers./ /Better late than ne-/ Roland begins to quip, suddenly cut off as Amazo's fist hits him from 15 feet away. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Brick-and-mortar issues On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 22:39:45 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011641 >On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 19:02:28 -0500 >SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00011619 > > Having a mother who's part wolf teaches a boy to listen to his >instincts, even when they're not *saying* anything. Roger steps back, >gears turning noisily in his head (literally -- this being P-Space, >everyone can hear them). Then steps back again. And again, bringing >the entirety of the wall into focus by an act of perception. > "I think," he murmurs slowly, "that I need to think about this." Omen chuckles behind the wall. [Oh, now _that_ is an epic tautology if ever I heard one.] > "7h1nk, 5hm1nk, d00d!" cried a loud male voice from behind him. >"Ju57 r0xx0r 17's b0xx0rs! L37 m3 d0 17! 1 0wnzer 7h1s w@ll w17h my >3v1l l337 5k1llz--" OOC: Translation, please? > Symbolism. Iconography. Don't THINK about it, just RUN with it! > Roger's eyes go vacant as he raises his hands, as if preparing >to cast an incantation. "Fluidity vs Rigidity," he mutters absently, >in a voice gone faintly resonant. "Communication vs silence. >Inclusion vs exlusion. The Wall fell to progress -- democracy, free >markets, technology, to this... THIS EROSION!" > With a lightning CRACK, P-Space bends about Roger in something >strongly reminiscent of a certain scene from TRON. Bars and blocks of >light assemble like Legos, streaming with conceptual idealizations of >binary code, pulled from the very essence of Ideas, stack and >assemble above Roger's upthrust hands, towering into a gargantuan >construct whose perception seems, to the audience, to dwarf the wall. Damned souls quiver -- in fear, with hope, from sheer need to do _something_ in the face of, at last, a stimulus. > To those with quick enough eyes, snippets of intelligible text >flicker deep inside the blocks of the huge weapon, gleaming >momentarily among the spiderweb traceries of light spreading and >branching through the entire structure: > freenet.org > amazon.com pgp.com loc.gov >bitconjurer.org kazaalite.com linux.net eff.net > 2600.com bbc.co.uk > actforchange.com truth.org stratfor.com > livejournal.com blogger.com Omen looks on in morbid fascination (then again, does he have any other kind? 8^). [How interesting. He's _reality_storming_ the _wall._ More prosaic than I had expected, but effective.] > Thousands more, flashing, changing, evolving, always changing. >The energy contruct brightens, flares towrds some critical >threshold-- > Eyes blazing with pure conceptual power, Roger thrusts his hands >forward, roaring: "21ST CENTURY... JERICHO... STRIKE!!!!" > --and blasts towards the Wall in a blinding coruscation of bound >chaotic energy, striking it head on-- > --and flowing *around* it, as the implacable wave of the New Age >bypasses the symbol of opression and seperation into obsolete >irrelevancy, and plunges past it towards a brighter future. Omen is suddenly Not There... > Carrying Roger&Co with it. ...though the not-space that Roger & Co. pass "through" ripples with amusement. [Obsolete. How provincial.] > The immortal .commer has just enough time to say "Okay, how did >I do that?" before being dragged willy-nilly along for the ride. > > OOC: The next bit I present for Evil-GM San's retconning >pleasure. But I just needed to write *something* for it, for closure. > > Left behind, in P-space, the Wall blinks metaphorically in >stucco'd bemusement. Bereft of any reason to exist, it shudders for a >moment, before completely forgetting how to retain cohesion in the >face of being grandly ignored, and collapses into a massive pile of >scattered blocks. Omen (suddenly There again) nods, as if he'd been expecting that. > Omen has just enough time to realize what's happened before the >next wave hits: a hailstorm of small pasteboard cards that, upon >striking a "brick," discorporates it into ethereal smoke which >vanishes to... well, wherever souls given a second chance go to. >Several bricks are freed in this manner before Omen manages to put a >stop to it. Omen frowns in bemusement. He hadn't been expecting _that._ > Snagging one card from the air as it falls, Omen realizes (if he >doesn't already know) that every Monopoly game on E-9 has just lost >its "Get Out Of Jail Free" card. > Omen looks rather less perturbed than one might expect. Spocking >an eyebrow, he surveys the wreckage with a nonchalant air. "And the >really amusing thing is, he doesn't even realize he did it." The >anti-Nemo smiles, very slightly. "Maybe I should show him." > There's a ripple, and suddenly this region of P-space is as >empty as it normally is. > > OOC: Who is more evil -- Evil-GM San, or the apprentices he has >challenged to defeat him? OOC note to everyone else: This is the same guy who said earlier: > OOC: To mangle a quote from "Blade II": "Do not KNOW who you are >MESSIN' WITH!" Heh heh heh... Earth-9. Amazo dodges a twisting, homing ribbon of lightning as Defender redirects a burst of Astro-Force into a phalanx of parademons, who fall conveniently onto a battalion of Dog Soldiers that was chasing a harried UNTIL company a moment before. Then both warriors stop, as the aerial forces above them begin to dodge. It is raining masonry. /"What the nass--?!?"/ Defender blurts, shaping his forcefield for better deflection. Amazo transforms an arm into an umbrella of sorts. Fortunately for the less resilient combatants, the "rain" blocks are sufficiently sparse that they can be dodged with a modicum of effort. Perhaps "drizzling" masonry would be more accurate (albeit drizzle the size of your average cinder block ;^). Omen appears a foot from the CAoL's leader, waving a "Get Out Of Jail Free" card casually as he lounges on nothing. "You know, you people would be a lot more dangerous if you had the slightest idea how you do what you do," he comments dryly. /"YOU!"/ Defender snarls, whirling on the hyper-cosmic menace. His eyes blaze for a moment, threatening a burst of cosmic power -- but Amazo takes the opening with staggering speed, hammering the Champion easily. "Me," Omen replies with a thin, sadistic smile. And it begins to rain Monopoly cards as well. Except they do _not_ say "Get Out Of Jail Free." Rather, they all now say "Go To Jail," with the attendant text and graphics. OOC: Oh, sure, _wave_ a giant red flag at Evil GM-San. _Give_ me ideas. -- Evil GM-San What, you thought it stood for Evil Grin? ;^) ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Brick-and-mortar issues On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 23:23:34 -0800 (PST) Rob N Said As CAoL Message # 00011642 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011641 > >>On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 19:02:28 -0500 >>SkyeFire Said As CAoL Message # 00011619 >> >> "7h1nk, 5hm1nk, d00d!" cried a loud male voice from behind him. >>"Ju57 r0xx0r 17's b0xx0rs! L37 m3 d0 17! 1 0wnzer 7h1s w@ll w17h my >>3v1l l337 5k1llz--" > > OOC: Translation, please? "Does anybody here speak 'leet?" "J0." Translation: "Think, shmink, dude! Just kick it's butt! Let me do it! I'll own this wall with my elite skills!" For further lessons in 'leet, please visit http://www.megatokyo.com/ in your Copious Spare Time. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE9: Brick-and-mortar issues On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 23:31:43 -0800 Nemo Said As CAoL Message # 00011643 >On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 22:39:45 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011641 > > OOC: Translation, please? First pass: "Think, shmink, dood!" cried a loud male voice from behind him. "Just roxxor it's boxxors! Let me do it! I ownzer this wall with my evil leet skillz--" Second pass: "Think, shmink, dude!" cried a loud male voice from behind him. "Just rock it's boxers! Let me do it! I own[dominate] this wall with my evil elite abilities--" > And it begins to rain Monopoly cards as well. > Except they do _not_ say "Get Out Of Jail Free." Rather, they all >now say "Go To Jail," with the attendant text and graphics. > OOC: Oh, sure, _wave_ a giant red flag at Evil GM-San. _Give_ me >ideas. And they are followed by a shower of six sided dice. Oddly, it's impossible *not* to make the "get out of jail" roll with them. (ooc: I don't recall what that roll *is* or I'd go into more detail) If examined closely, the dice have a tiny logo on them. The script is *very* ornate, hard to make it out, except that it starts with a capital N. ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Swords and Cards On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 23:33:42 -0800 Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011644 >On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 16:31:44 -0800 (PST) >Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011620 > >>On Thu, 04 Dec 2003 00:00:59 -0800 >>Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011616 >> >>>On Fri, 28 Nov 2003 23:05:13 -0800 (PST) >>>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011592 >>> >>> Surmounted by a silver circlet with black diamond, and a >>>scroll with four words in Thari, supported by a pelican and a >>>unicorn. >> >> Eric examines the scroll, hoping to divine its meaning, but not >>having the first clue about Thari, gives up quickly. The unicorn's >>importance he can guess at, given her use of its name as an >>invective. > > Feeling his curiosity, the petite Amberite glances down, then at >him, and she whispers. > "No world is enough." She gives him a wry smile, wondering if >he'll recognize the proper version of the motto the James Bond movies >and books somewhat mangled. Eric's eyebrow does its usual skyward crawl for a moment. Then he stops and chuckles faintly. "Ah yes. I'd heard you were familiar with a certain British civil servant. How apropos for a world-jumping agent..." >> Kanto grins as he leans over to look at the card more closely. >>"Never imagined myself with red hair. Odd look, but it does seem to >>work for me, doesn't it?" He laughs with surprising warmth, doffing >>his cap with a flourish and running his free hand through his hair. >>"What do you think, should I give it a try?" >> Eric growls. >> Kanto _winks_ at the Hunter, replacing the cap. He seems >>thoroughly unfazed by the presence of a red-haired him in Zia's deck >>of cards. "Perhaps I'll have to fight off this crimson me for her, >>eh?" > > Ziactrice barks a laugh, then she shakes her head. > "I don't believe that's quite what'll happen, sir." She says, in >a tone of voice that communicates her total disbelief that Kanto >could beat Bleys. She doesn't even know if _Benedict_ could beat >Bleys... with a sword. The New God's smile slips a bit, then recovers. "Well, I may have to look myself up, in any case." >>> "And the timing," Zia continues smoothly, as she turns over >>>the next card - her own Trump in an upright facing, "shall be, it >>>appears, relatively soon. As you've just been set on the path. >>>Outside the zone of influence you brought with you, at least. I'm >>>not sure if Causal Coincidence can hold if you go back... but that >>>is not my problem, is it?" >>> Ziactrice scoops the Trumps up and puts them away, seemingly a >>>little unnerved herself. >> >> OOC: Whoa, don't know her own strength. >> Kanto _is_ brought up short by this last part. (Probably nice to >>know he _can_ be thrown. 8^) He tries to say something, once, then >>swallows it. Finally, he grins. "Well, I doubt your deck's being >>literal, but I always thought that if I found the right woman, she'd >>almost _have_ to be one Pit of a swordswoman. Shallow, I suppose, >>but I'm not a deep man m'self." Kanto gives a little nod-bow as he >>says the last bit. >> Funny thing is, he _believes_ that last statement. >> Eric's hands clench hard enough to make his knuckles pop. > > "My Deck," Zia says mysteriously, "is about as literal as I am. >However, it cannot be me; unless you consider this duel a spiritual >quest in a high place?" She smiles and shakes her head at him. "Hardly. Tough to imagine me being on a spiritual quest. Or even in someone else's." > "Besides, I know you're not. I always know. Kanto looks outright _stunned._ >As does the man in question. Ask him." She nods Eric's way. "I knew >at the Castle, when you challenged me to 'spar'." She tells Eric. > "When did you realize?" She asks the black-clad man in >sunglasses, with real curiosity. "Depends on what you mean. I think I started to figure it out when I got my soul back, but it didn't really hit me until you came back," the Hunter replies. "Everything's been gradual with me since I met this lot." > "I don't predict the future, Kanto, I Order it. I gave you a >Chance, but I can't give Certainty. You're the only one who can make >it happen. I wouldn't take away Choice." Ziactrice pauses a moment in >deep thought. Kanto ponders this for a moment. "I'm quite grateful that even Darkseid cannot control fate yet," he replies, perhaps a touch cryptically. Then again, perhaps not. > "The lady is of the sea, and yes, quite the swordswoman. She >will be _quite_ a match for you in both shallow depths and deeper >currents." Ziactrice states with that smug certainty that is so >characteristically her own. OOC-M: Morgan's writer becomes briefly concerned. :-) ;-) :-) "Hey, I'm already taken." >> Kanto draws his own blade and turns his side to her, tucking his >>arm behind him but otherwise in a fairly standard sixte guard. He >>closes only to the point where their blades can touch without having >>to stretch. A lunge at this range would be folly. He says nothing at >>this point, but there's an insouciance in his demeanor that almost >>says "two blade style has its uses, but it exposes so much more of >>the target area, don't you think?" as well as words. 8^) > > Ziactrice gives him a _wink_. For her own part, she radiates a >merry what-the-hellness. Strongly. This same attitude has given Nemo, >Roger, even Eric, serious (and to be quite honest, usually later >_quite_ justified) pause on many an occasion. However, Kanto doesn't >know her well enough to be leery. Yet. Au contraire, Kanto seems glad to find what he thinks is a kindred spirit. He winks back, his grin widening. >> Then (when this is done, or after her first attack) he does a >>short thrust, an attack that would barely even scratch her arm if it >>struck. There's a touch of flourish even in this opening, but one >>that could easily hide a feint _or_ a lunge with a bit more of a >>twitch. >> This duel is definitely going to be interesting. > > Zia has watched Kanto move with strangely serene, almost absent, >eyes. As he finally thrusts, however, she with great speed. Her sword >slides up at an angle, her targeted arm going high and awkward- >looking as she slide-steps forward. The petite Amberite attempts to >run his blade through her own lower arm, between the bones, to prison >it for a split-second. Kanto seems mildly alarmed for a moment, trying to pull back before he even realizes that Zia is trying to lock his blade (a moment so brief that most mortal duelists would never even know it happened). >Even as she attempts this extreme binding manuever, her off hand >brings up the dagger, in a slashing strike that starts along lower >ribs and up to the center of his chest. > Kanto, however, is faster than Steppenwolf. He slides back, >refusing her attempt to lock his blade, so the dagger's point finds >only cloth. There is a long slash through his garment, however, she >did not score on flesh. His grin slips, but Kanto is still enjoying himself. "A rather desperate ploy for so straightforward a duel, no? I would not damage so fine an instrument," he adds by way of explanation. > For her part, she dances forward a step to remain in range to >attack. Then, most oddly, she licks the dagger's blade. Kanto chuckles for an instant. This is an intimidation ploy that he has seen many times in the past, and did not think the petite Amberite would resort to such measures. >A practiced toss plants it straight into the center of his starburst >painted in the grass. Naturally, she wouldn't. ;^) The unholy swordsman's eyes flicker to where the dagger landed, his smile vanishing entirely. > "Sanctus previru!" The duelist has been around long enough to know an incantation when he hears it (though his Latin is rusty enough that, while he gets "holy" or "consecrate" for sanctus, he can't quite place previru). His jaw twitches as Vundabar suddenly takes an actual interest in the duel. > The world - at least within the design - snaps sharply into >focus, somehow, in her Amberite senses. The same as a Shadow of her >own power - but only within a limited area, for a limited time. She >does not care to control a Shadow that has people she knows in it. >Ick. It's bad enough to do so where she isn't taking control of >friends and lovers, however subtly. Though the Source flows subtly through Kanto -- he prefers to rely on his personal talents and skills -- he is still a New God, indeed one of the deadliest. Though he cannot tell exactly what happened, the assassin feels the change as well. > "After all," Ziactrice tosses her blade to her other hand, as >she skips backward to make sure he cannot take advantage and lunge as >she does so, "you never said I had to use the blades as direct >weapons." She smiles smugly, and mirrors his stance. She waves at >Eric with the hand behind her back, as she smirks at Kanto. Kanto's eyes glitter dangerously. Coldly. Terribly, in the sense of something terrible. He Is Not Amused. Vundabar, on the other hand, is trying not to laugh. Actually, after a second, he decided not to bother suppressing it and cackles mockingly. "Well," Kanto begins. His neck throbs. Vundabar's sniggering could grate on the Buddha. Eric's hands are under his coat, where they rest lightly on machine pistols. His hair is visibly standing on end. "Well," Kanto tries again. "I suppose, technically, that your little trick qualifies by the strict letter of the rules. The weapon is a blade, and the built-in trick is not a ranged weapon." All amusement has bled out of Kanto entirely. "On the other hand," he continues in a miserable failure of an attempt to lighten his tone, "would you think it honorable were I to do this?" He presses down on one of the ribs of his hilt, and the sword is suddenly humming with a stunning force. "Or this?" Another touch of pressure, and the sword is sheathed in lightning. "Or this?" Another touch, and he vanishes from sight (not to mention several other senses). "But no," Kanto hisses, returning to visibility (and spacial sense, and psychic awareness, and...), the sword once again "only" magnificently crafted super-metal. "I will do none of those things. We will duel, and I will follow both the letter _and_ the spirit of the rules, and I will be victorious nonetheless. "Though," he finishes darkly, and Eric's eyes go wide as the Hunter grips the handles of his guns, "when we are done, you will wish you had not done that, regardless of the victor." A chunk of masonry containing a damned soul slams into the arena several feet from both duelists. Kanto ignores it. "Let us continue," he says flatly, all flourish gone from his style (perhaps the one faint weakness it displayed before) as he feints then thrusts, trying to open a long, ugly gash in Zia's sword arm... >Ziactrice, >Giving the Evil GM-San the willies is gonna be worth getting beaten >up. Hah! "Evil GM-San has the wiiIIIiilies..." (and sounds rather like Uncle from Jackie Chan Adventures ;^) >"On dangerous ground, change the ground." - Sun Tzu OOC: However, I don't think making the ground _more_ dangerous is what the Master had in mind... ;^) ================================= Subject: Re: AAE 9: Swords and Cards On Wed, 31 Dec 2003 08:16:38 -0800 (PST) Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011647 >On Tue, 30 Dec 2003 23:33:42 -0800 >Roland X Said As CAoL Message # 00011644 > >>On Thu, 4 Dec 2003 16:31:44 -0800 (PST) >>Ziactrice Said As CAoL Message # 00011620 >> "Besides, I know you're not. I always know. > > Kanto looks outright _stunned._ > >>As does the man in question. Ask him." She nods Eric's way. "I knew >>at the Castle, when you challenged me to 'spar'." She tells Eric. >> "When did you realize?" She asks the black-clad man in >>sunglasses, with real curiosity. > > "Depends on what you mean. I think I started to figure it out when >I got my soul back, but it didn't really hit me until you came back," >the Hunter replies. "Everything's been gradual with me since I met >this lot." "Got your - gads." Zia blinks at Eric. "Brief me the other way, later." >> "The lady is of the sea, and yes, quite the swordswoman. She >>will be _quite_ a match for you in both shallow depths and deeper >>currents." Ziactrice states with that smug certainty that is so >>characteristically her own. > >OOC-M: Morgan's writer becomes briefly concerned. :-) ;-) :-) "Hey, >I'm already taken." OOC: OOps. Well, I can fix it. Either Evil GM-San can have an appropriate NPC, or I can bring in Sarah, Zia's soul-twin. She can sail and use a sword. :) > "I suppose, technically, that your little trick qualifies by the >strict letter of the rules. The weapon is a blade, and the built-in >trick is not a ranged weapon." All amusement has bled out of Kanto >entirely. "On the other hand," he continues in a miserable failure of >an attempt to lighten his tone, "would you think it honorable were I >to do this?" He presses down on one of the ribs of his hilt, and the >sword is suddenly humming with a stunning force. "Or this?" Another >touch of pressure, and the sword is sheathed in lightning. "Or this?" >Another touch, and he vanishes from sight (not to mention several >other senses). > "But no," Kanto hisses, returning to visibility (and spacial >sense, and psychic awareness, and...), the sword once again "only" >magnificently crafted super-metal. "I will do none of those things. >We will duel, and I will follow both the letter _and_ the spirit of >the rules, and I will be victorious nonetheless. > "Though," he finishes darkly, and Eric's eyes go wide as the >Hunter grips the handles of his guns, "when we are done, you will >wish you had not done that, regardless of the victor." > A chunk of masonry containing a damned soul slams into the arena >several feet from both duelists. Kanto ignores it. "Let us continue," >he says flatly, all flourish gone from his style (perhaps the one >faint weakness it displayed before) as he feints then thrusts, trying >to open a long, ugly gash in Zia's sword arm... Zia hisses, as her attempt to twist his blade out of line doesn't quite work completely. The petite Amberite has strength and some skill with a blade, but she knew she wasn't quite in his class when she offered the duel. She winds up with a long, shallow gash, that quickly turns the cloth of her shirt from blue to purple as it bleeds. That blade is very sharp. "Your insult my honor. Wrongly." She retreats with all her speed; her eyes flick upwards. A larger chunk of masonry about the size of a Buick is slammed by wind above. It falls mere inches from both of the sword-wielders, then it bounces and shatters into fragments. All of which somehow do not strike any person standing almost directly under the point of impact. "A spell to allow me to preserve us both - from forewarned external interferences." Her blue eyes rise from the huge divot in the grass to meet Kanto's. "The ploy as you imagined is less dishonor than cakewalking. That's the worst insult a duelist can offer. Your victory is not yet to be counted, sir." Ziactrice stops talking, as she slide-steps back into close range. This time, she carries the attack to him. She does not hurry, but she uses all her speed. She does not press herself, but she uses all her strength. The sound of swords blurs, becoming one rolling sound of metal-on-metal, most of the attacks and counters happening too quickly for mortal eyes to follow. Even if she cannot win by endurance or skill, she will not allow him to slowly cut her down with many light cuts and mockeries. The fight becomes a dance of deadly intent. It is clear that Kanto was holding back, before. It is also clear that Zia is holding her own for now, but she might be in trouble once he has more familiarity with how she fights. Occasional bricks fall, somehow always missing the two combatants and their Seconds. Some flicker of motion is slightly off on his riposte. She counters, but he ducks. Her attempt at his shoulder goes higher than she tried to place it. Some of his hair flies, and he receives a long, shallow graze to the temple and his forehead. Scalp cuts do bleed profusely. She relents a step back, though she still holds her guard alertly. "Bind it." Zia's voice, for the first time that Eric recalls, holds no inflection of emotion whatsoever, despite the full smile on her face. Ziactrice >>"On dangerous ground, change the ground." - Sun Tzu > > OOC: However, I don't think making the ground _more_ dangerous is >what the Master had in mind... ;^) OOC: Depends on if you like having someone who is supposedly an honorable opponent not fighting to the best of their ability or not. I don't think Zia enjoys being treated as so much less than a serious opponent, even if she is of lesser skill. =================================