Iron Station Savage Masks IC II

[HIDA]

Amity Market[/B]
Goldheart arrives on scene just after the rest of South Side and Menagerie do.

Mercury is speaking to one of the policemen just inside the barricade.

Zodiac has shifted into her wolf form. She snuffles around the scene, moving between blood stains, but careful not to disturb them. She spends a lot of time around a food truck with a large dent in the side.

Ryker, Menagerie, and Polaris are nowhere to be found.

Goldheart Looks at the scene.

"****. Bastion can you get a scent?"

He looks over to Yuki. ****

"Zodiac. Are you able to find a trail?"

[Roguewolf]

Team
"Look," Aeryn says. "Mimi told us Nightgaunt was in trouble. I got here and there's blood everywhere, but I don't see Nightgaunt. All I can find are broken pieces of his helmet."


Gardens
Grayson snorts, letting out a cloud of icy air from his nostrils that frosts the grass below him.

Emi looks over at Will and Keith. “He says he’ll take you there. Do you need us to come too?”

"I won't say no to the help. One of our teammates is missing and the scene is messy." William looks to Grayson "So how does this work do I just climb aboard and grab on to a spike?" With help, William climbs onto Grayson's back and situates himself between two spikes. "Ready to fly when you are."

Keith nods and speaks as his shadow moves the suit up his body. "Wouldn't say no to any help at all. Anything that can take down or subdue Nightgaunt is dangerous." He shakes his head, eyes returning slightly to normal. "Sorry to put you guys in this situation." Keith floats up onto Grayson's dragon form and helps everyone else get up as well. He turns to Kylie and forces a smile. "Guess the payment for me being late today will have to wait."

Keith taps his comm to speak to Aeryn and the team again. We're on our way, taking to the sky and we'll keep all eyes open! Oh, and don't freak out when you see us. Got some backup. Any clues as to what we should be on the look out for?"

[mmdeforrest]

A woman in armor.

John’s blood froze.

Vampire hunters.

“All points: We are looking for a woman with red hair in full armor, last seen ducking down an alleyway. Be on the lookout for Medieval weaponry — bows especially. My ETA is under five minutes. Dee out.

The pedestrian traffic was thickening as he got closer. He was tempted to begin to ask questions but knew he would be unlikely to capture anything definitive. Even with his enhanced vision, there was little chance of moving quickly through the crowd.

“Mimi: I need this reply on a secure channel. How closely do you monitor the gasses found in the base?”

John got out of the car. “Clea, head home. I’ll see you when I get there.”

“Acknowledged, 007, Mark 2,” she teased as he closed the door.

John chose not to reply. He was not in the mood to banter about two legends he did not think he could not live up to.

The Enochian Tablets flared beneath his fingers as he traced out his next spell.

Spoiler: Up, up, and away!

Show

Flight (4 — 2x Pace)
Spellcasting: 1d10o10 5

Launching himself into the air, he scanned the area, looking for an armored redhead or any vans. Based on the partial descriptions he was receiving, he suspected it was not a one-on-one fight that took down Nightgaunt. Their vehicle would be a van large enough for armored personnel to occupy. While she had a head start on them, she would have had to make her way through the crowd to any getaway vehicle.

“And delivery vans are so rare in major metropolitan areas,” he muttered to himself as he scanned the area.

Unless she had a safe house to duck into, John considered bitterly.

Spoiler: So many things to look for….

Show

Notice Roll: 1d10o10+4 8

He also watched for Miss Menagerie. She would be in more danger than most here — not because she was under direct threat but because her emotional reaction could result in actions that would draw attention from ISPD.

“And I’m sure none of her creatures have the ability to track by scent….”

Another thing to worry about.

[InTheMachine]

Amity Market
Zodiac glances up at Calvin before putting her nose back to the ground. "His scent just... disappears over here by the truck. A lot of the blood on the ground is his though."

John
"I only monitor gases within Louis' lab," Mimi replies in a separate channel to John.

Even with enhanced vision, John does not spot anything out of the ordinary for the situation. He does spot Menagerie and Ryker atop a large black dragon down one of the side streets not too far from the stage.

Keith and Will
Once Will and the girls are situated, Grayson opens his wings and leaps into the air. His wings work hard at first to heave his bulk up, but soon he's gained enough altitude to go to mostly gliding. It's about a ten minute flight to the Market. Grayson lands in the street, outside the police barrier.

[mmdeforrest]

Amity Market
Zodiac glances up at Calvin before putting her nose back to the ground. "His scent just... disappears over here by the truck. A lot of the blood on the ground is his though."

John
"I only monitor gases within Louis' lab," Mimi replies in a separate channel to John.

Even with enhanced vision, John does not spot anything out of the ordinary for the situation. He does spot Menagerie and Ryker atop a large black dragon down one of the side streets not too far from the stage.

Keith and Will
Once Will and the girls are situated, Grayson opens his wings and leaps into the air. His wings work hard at first to heave his bulk up, but soon he's gained enough altitude to go to mostly gliding. It's about a ten minute flight to the Market. Grayson lands in the street, outside the police barrier.

As John descends into the alleyway, he notes a white dragon approaching from the north. “All points: White Dragon incoming,” he reports. “It’s moving quickly but I cannot approximate the time it will take to get here.”

He makes certain to keep an eye on the black dragon below him. “Heads up, friends,” he says, hovering a few feet before the dragon. “I don’t believe I have had the honor of meeting your draconic associate, Miss Menagerie. I am called Dee and I am here to help.”

His eyes glance up, seeking Stella’s eyes. “What do you need me to do?”

[Roguewolf]

Keith and Will
Once Will and the girls are situated, Grayson opens his wings and leaps into the air. His wings work hard at first to heave his bulk up, but soon he's gained enough altitude to go to mostly gliding. It's about a ten minute flight to the Market. Grayson lands in the street, outside the police barrier.

Keith responds to John as best he can in the air. "Thanks John, we'll keep an eye open." Keith turns back to Kylie and Emi. "Sounds like a redhead with medieval gear got him." When John responds about the white dragon, Keith responds again. "Everyone, that's me and Will with some of my friends. White Dragon is friendly."

When they land at the Market, Keith helps anyone that is getting off Grayson down. "I'm going to fly back up and see if I can spot anything. I owe ya big time Draconian, extra bacon next time on me." Keith smirks and flies up a bit and starts to look around the Market, trying to find someone that fits the description or anyone with some kind of medieval weaponry. It wouldn't be too easy to hide some of it he thought.

Spoiler: Rolls, Mechanics, OOC

Show

Notice: 1d6o6+2 7
Spend a Benny to reroll
2/3

[InTheMachine]

John
"Oh?" a deep baritone voice says, echoing through John's mind as the dragon fixes one red eye up at him. "Another sorcerer? I am Jaal. I assume you're here to assist in finding the vampire my foolish mistress has fallen in love with?"

Menagerie looks up at John. He can see the barely restrained despair in her eyes. "I don't know what to do," she says quietly. "Jaal tracked a scent here, but it looks like they got into a car of some kind and took off. They have to be long gone by now. My tracking spell only works with something I'm familiar with, and it's not activating for Raphael. They had to have taken him, right? There was no... body."

Ryker hops down off of Jaal's back. "I'm gonna go see if Mercury's found anything talking to the police out front. Lemme know if Jaal finds anything else, Menagerie," he says as he heads up the street toward the stage.

Keith and Will
Crowe sees nothing out of the ordinary that would make him think twice for the situation. No redheads in armor. No medieval weapons. Just the police line and some people that are interested in what happened across the street, though most of them are currently gaping at the giant white dragon in the street.

As his head turns to look at the scene, Draconian lets out a rumbling growl as he sees Ryker casually walk up to the edge of the police line to speak with Mercury.

[ImperialTM]

As they land William is already sliding off the dragon's back. "All right squad, what do we know so far? Full report starting with whoever arrived first." William asks everyone on comms. Hearing the growl from Grayson William will turn to the dragon. "What's the matter, did you catch wind of something?"

[Roguewolf]

Keith and Will
Crowe sees nothing out of the ordinary that would make him think twice for the situation. No redheads in armor. No medieval weapons. Just the police line and some people that are interested in what happened across the street, though most of them are currently gaping at the giant white dragon in the street.

As his head turns to look at the scene, Draconian lets out a rumbling growl as he sees Ryker casually walk up to the edge of the police line to speak with Mercury.

Crowe falls back down to where Draconian, Will, Kylie, and Emi were. "Nothin' in the sky, figure with Dee and Menagerie here they'd have picked him up already. Or at least a trail." Crowe puts a hand on Draconian's shoulder, at least as close he can get to the shoulder. "I know man, he's here tryin' to help with Nightgaunt."

Crowe descends back down to Will and whispers to him. "Had a rough fight with Ryker a long time ago when he first joined East Side. Didn't know about it until today."

Crowe takes a deep breath to calm himself. Patience yields focus. He starts to go through his mind of different groups that could just run out of nowhere and disappear with old school weapons like that. Possibly an occult group since, Raph did seem rather occult-like in his abilities.

Spoiler: Keith might know things?

Show

Knowledge Occult: 1d6o6 3 1d6o6 2
OOC: He does not!

Nothing comes to his mind on the groups, so instead he contacts Dee through the comms. "Hey Dee, what kinda group do you think would make use of this kinda weaponry? Figure you might know something more about Nightgaunt's abilities since they're semi-occult-like in a way."

[mmdeforrest]

John
"Oh?" a deep baritone voice says, echoing through John's mind as the dragon fixes one red eye up at him. "Another sorcerer? I am Jaal. I assume you're here to assist in finding the vampire my foolish mistress has fallen in love with?"

Menagerie looks up at John. He can see the barely restrained despair in her eyes. "I don't know what to do," she says quietly. "Jaal tracked a scent here, but it looks like they got into a car of some kind and took off. They have to be long gone by now. My tracking spell only works with something I'm familiar with, and it's not activating for Raphael. They had to have taken him, right? There was no... body."

“I am honored to meet you, Jaal,” Dee replies telepathically. “While I should be addressed as Dee here, my given name is John Kelley. And, yes: I am here to assist in finding the vampire your mistress has fallen for.

“Does she know? I suspect she does not, if she is looking for him here.”

Dee fixes Miss Menagerie with a look. “Their vehicle has blended in to the traffic and we are unlikely to be able to trace them — whether because of the distance or because they have taken precautions. Either way, the hunt has only just begun and it is far too soon for despair. We will find him.”

Ryker hops down off of Jaal's back. "I'm gonna go see if Mercury's found anything talking to the police out front. Lemme know if Jaal finds anything else, Menagerie," he says as he heads up the street toward the stage.

John floated to one side to give Ryker some room to pass after a moment’s hesitation — one he could not explain.

“I do want you to prepare yourself for this, Miss Menagerie — not because I fear we will not find him but because of what we may find. A brazen attack in a crowded market speaks of a ruthless set of enemies. We do not know who they are and what part of Nightgaunt’s life they come from. There may be some surprises for all of us along the way.”

As his head turns to look at the scene, Draconian lets out a rumbling growl as he sees Ryker casually walk up to the edge of the police line to speak with Mercury.

John’s head turned at the sound of a deep, draconic growl coming from behind him. “I don’t like the sound of that.” He turned back quickly. “It may be a silly thing to ask a sorceress astride a dragon, but will you be okay here?”

[mmdeforrest]

Nothing comes to his mind on the groups, so instead he contacts Dee through the comms. "Hey Dee, what kinda group do you think would make use of this kinda weaponry? Figure you might know something more about Nightgaunt's abilities since they're semi-occult-like in a way."

John studies Stella as he relies carefully to Keith.

“There are some police reports — unconfirmed — that describe the red-headed woman in Medieval-styled armor. That would be the kind of thing you would expect to be played out as a theme for her minions.

“What is the white dragon growling at?”

[Roguewolf]

John studies Stella as he relies carefully to Keith.

“There are some police reports — unconfirmed — that describe the red-headed woman in Medieval-styled armor. That would be the kind of thing you would expect to be played out as a theme for her minions.

“What is the white dragon growling at?”

Keith shakes his head and replies. "I was thinkin' maybe they were after him because they thought he was somethin' else. We need to learn more about Raph so we can figure out why they targeted him.
Should even narrow down who this was."

He let's out a nervous laugh at John's question of Draconian's growling. "At Ryker, long story that I'll relay later. Draconian's one of my best friends from East Side." He starts to go back through all the information again. There wasn't a lot that he knew about Raph except that..... Wait a second, didn't I see him just yank blood from somethin' once? And the swarm of bats....... OH **** THEY THOUGHT HE WAS A VAMPIRE! His eyes went wide thinking about how Raph had fought before that it would make some sense.

He started going through again at different groups typing in specifically 'vampire hunters' into the search engine on his phone.

Spoiler: Rolls, Mechanics, OOC

Show

Investigation: 1d4o4+2 4 1d6o6+2 7

[InTheMachine]

Team
“I was first on scene,” Aeryn says on the open channel. “When I arrived, there were still a few people around, but nothing suspicious. There was a lot of blood around near the stage. Big gouges in the street below and more blood near those. Looks like something got thrown into a food truck, ‘cause the side has a huge dent in it. More blood over there, and that’s where I found what’s left of Nightgaunt’s helmet. The police started setting up a line not too long after I got here, but then Seraph told me to get back in the air and look around, so I did.”

John
“I don’t believe she does,” Jaal replies to John. “I haven’t informed her of his heritage. As long as he didn’t harm her, I saw no need.”

Menagerie looks down at Jaal’s back before she glances back at John, warring with herself. “Raphael told me once that his entire family was killed. Do you think these are the same people?” She sighs. “I’ll be fine. I promise that I won’t leave the scene unless one of the team is with me. I know better than to go off alone, since I’m in AEGIS custody.”

Keith and Will
At the sound of the growl, Ryker looks up and a ****-eating grin slowly spreads across his face as he sees a familiar white dragon. “Oh heeeey, I remember you,” he calls out, crossing through the police line.

“Ryker,” Mercury says in a low tone. “Don’t start anything. That’s an order.”

Draconian’s tail thumps against the street, hard enough to crack the asphalt.

Emi and Kylie get in between the dragon and Ryker.

“It’s not gonna be just him fighting you today,” Kylie says. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“I don’t wanna fight. Much,” Ryker replies. “I just didn’t expect to see half of East Side here.”

Spoiler: Keith’s Google-fu

Show

Keith’s search doesn’t come up with much. Most sites are full of bogus information, as far as he can tell.

[mmdeforrest]

John floated to the ground and released his spells. While maintaining flight presented options, he was beginning to feel edgy and wanted those options to be fully open.

“Let’s keep this between ourselves for a little while longer, Jaal. I may need your assistance once we return to the base, though. I will be checking his coffin to confirm he is there and I am weighing whether it will be better for her to know and not fear for him or know and have to process his state of being while he is not there to explain himself. It is something I will need to consult Seraph about.”

John nodded. “The way things are going, Miss Menagerie, it may be best if you come along with me. I don’t want any further misunderstandings between the two provisional teams. Whatever happens, know that you are under my protection here.” He looked at Jaal and winked, suspecting the dragon could see into the darkness his hood provided. “Which the two of you oh so clearly need.”

“Mimi, please patch me through to the East Side Comms as well as ours.

“All points: This is Dee. Everyone please stay calm. We do not want our teams to come to blows. To that end, please be aware that Miss Menagerie, her dragon, and myself will be entering the square. Like Ryker, she is in AEGIS custody and assisting our team and, indirectly, yours. An attack on either of our teams is something that should be met with unity, not animosity.”

John walked out of the alleyway at an even pace, listening for the dragon pacing behind him. He did not doubt they would be there but he worried that the tension he was hearing over the comms.

He also wanted to see the side of the food truck for himself. He could see the general layout of the battlefield from above but knew that the clues that could make a difference would be subtle and a…closer…look…was…wara…

Warranted.

Focus, John, he reminded himself. You’ve seen beautiful women before. Stay cool.

John kept his gaze as level as he could while he swept the square to get an initial impression of events.

Spoiler: First close look at the scene of the crime

Show

Notice Roll: 1d10o10+4 9

“I don’t believe we have all met. Would you be so good as to introduce us, Crowe.”

[Roguewolf]

“Mimi, please patch me through to the East Side Comms as well as ours.

“All points: This is Dee. Everyone please stay calm. We do not want our teams to come to blows. To that end, please be aware that Miss Menagerie, her dragon, and myself will be entering the square. Like Ryker, she is in AEGIS custody and assisting our team and, indirectly, yours. An attack on either of our teams is something that should be met with unity, not animosity.”

John walked out of the alleyway at an even pace, listening for the dragon pacing behind him. He did not doubt they would be there but he worried that the tension he was hearing over the comms.

He also wanted to see the side of the food truck for himself. He could see the general layout of the battlefield from above but knew that the clues that could make a difference would be subtle and a…closer…look…was…wara…

Warranted.

Focus, John, he reminded himself. You’ve seen beautiful women before. Stay cool.

John kept his gaze as level as he could while he swept the square to get an initial impression of events.

“I don’t believe we have all met. Would you be so good as to introduce us, Crowe.”

Team
“I was first on scene,” Aeryn says on the open channel. “When I arrived, there were still a few people around, but nothing suspicious. There was a lot of blood around near the stage. Big gouges in the street below and more blood near those. Looks like something got thrown into a food truck, ‘cause the side has a huge dent in it. More blood over there, and that’s where I found what’s left of Nightgaunt’s helmet. The police started setting up a line not too long after I got here, but then Seraph told me to get back in the air and look around, so I did.”

Keith and Will
At the sound of the growl, Ryker looks up and a ****-eating grin slowly spreads across his face as he sees a familiar white dragon. “Oh heeeey, I remember you,” he calls out, crossing through the police line.

“Ryker,” Mercury says in a low tone. “Don’t start anything. That’s an order.”

Draconian’s tail thumps against the street, hard enough to crack the asphalt.

Emi and Kylie get in between the dragon and Ryker.

“It’s not gonna be just him fighting you today,” Kylie says. “Don’t get any ideas.”

“I don’t wanna fight. Much,” Ryker replies. “I just didn’t expect to see half of East Side here.”

Spoiler: Keith’s Google-fu

Show

Keith’s search doesn’t come up with much. Most sites are full of bogus information, as far as he can tell.

Keith gets mildly aggravated at his phone and the lack of information. He puts his phone away and sees the exchange and groans. He puts himself between the groups looking back and forth at them. "Ryker, please, not right now." He looks over at his East Side friends. "I'm not askin' anyone to forgive, but we have somethin' we're all workin' towards right now." Keith looks up at Grayson. "Trust me, I know how you feel. You know I want to rip apart the guy that about killed me." Keith sighs, before telling them. "I didn't know about the fight dude, and that's on me." Keith looks at his friends. on East Side and then back to Ryker. "Seriously, we got other things to worry about now. You're on the heroes' side now, gonna be a bit weird sometimes."

He turns his gaze back to East Side and smiles. "I know y'all don't trust him, so trust me. I'll always be at y'all's side." He figures Emi is reading his mind and transmitting to everyone else on East Side. Emi, since I figure everyone else on the team can hear if he tries anything I'll beat his *** myself. He's mostly bein' a smart*** right now. At least I'm pretty sure. He does that to about everyone. He has a sudden realization about Emi and her powers and that John just mentioned Menagerie. Oh right, Emi don't read Menagerie's mind, there's a curse there it's all a giant mess but it hurts both her and the mind reader.

Keith looks over at John and just laughs. "These are my best friends from East Side. This is Draconian." He points to the dragon. "And these are Burnout and Siren." He motions to Kylie and Emi respectively. "Me and Will were hangin' with them at Bastion before all this went down."

[InTheMachine]

John
Coming out from the side street next to the stage, John can see the destroyed speaker up on stage, and five great bloody gouges in the asphalt that are angled in such a way that it looks like they came from the stage. Upon closer inspection, John finds a broken crossbow bolt about twenty feet from the stage, before the gouges in the street. There’s no head on the bolt; it’s just sharpened wood. If he picks it up, he can feel the faint echo of holy magic on it.

The food truck is dented in such a way that it looks like a body was thrown at great speed into it. There’s also a good amount of blood around. Seeing John, Yuki comes trotting over. Her voice is sharp in his mind and he can tell that she’s speaking directly to him rather than broadcasting. “The blood around the truck is Raphael’s along with a few spots in front of the stage. The bolts have his blood on them too. I think I know who did this. They’re called the Darkwatch, a group of monster hunters that operate all over the world. I can see why they might be after Raphael; his powers do closely resemble that which they hunt.”

Team
“I was just comin’ over to say hi,” Ryker says, holding that smile on his face.

“Why do you guys have Miss Menagerie with you?” Emi asks Keith telepathically. “If she’s in custody, why is she not back at your HQ?”

Kylie glares at Ryker. “Look. You stay away from Draconian, and we don’t have a problem, okay?”

Draconian snorts, creating a plane of ice on the street below his head.

Mercury comes up behind Ryker and stands next to him. He says a few words to the former villain, quiet enough not to be heard by anyone close by.

At John and Drake’s words, Ryker relents. “Whatever,” he scoffs as he walks away back toward the scene.

[PK-Leon]

Drawing Board

Sidney smiles at Louis as she's welcomed into the lab. Her grin widens as she takes in the equipment and the schematics that project onto the whiteboard. She walks up to the board, taking in what Louis has been working on. "Did you design this yourself? It looks good."

She picks up a dry erase marker from the bottom of the whiteboard and makes a few notes underneath the schematics, mostly mechanical jargon, before she comes over to the table and looks at the scattered pieces of metal and nuts and bolts. "So what are you having the most trouble with?" she asks as she sits.

"Myself? Not really. I came up with the initial concept and what components would be needed, Mimi filled in the gaps."

Louis whistles a bit as Sidney jots several notes down on the whiteboard only seconds after studying their design. "You really know your stuff huh?" He leans against the counter as he begins to explain the situation. "So far assembling the frame hasn't posed much of an issue however it's proven to be much more time consuming than I anticipated. What I'm struggling with is how to fit all of these components in such a compact space. Despite is size it feels that space is at a premium. Mimi's already explained how each component works in concert and walked me through assembly but I just don't have enough experience working on something like this in order to finish it as fast as I'd like. Cybernetic creatures and cars are proving to be very different beasts." He laughs.

[HIDA]

Amity Market
Zodiac glances up at Calvin before putting her nose back to the ground. "His scent just... disappears over here by the truck. A lot of the blood on the ground is his though."

"Well unless his body evaporated he's probably been captured." Goldheart says, Looking at the damage.

Team
“I was just comin’ over to say hi,” Ryker says, holding that smile on his face.

“Why do you guys have Miss Menagerie with you?” Emi asks Keith telepathically. “If she’s in custody, why is she not back at your HQ?”

Kylie glares at Ryker. “Look. You stay away from Draconian, and we don’t have a problem, okay?”

Draconian snorts, creating a plane of ice on the street below his head.

Mercury comes up behind Ryker and stands next to him. He says a few words to the former villain, quiet enough not to be heard by anyone close by.

At John and Drake’s words, Ryker relents. “Whatever,” he scoffs as he walks away back toward the scene.

"Dee, Do you know who could've done this?" Raph isn't a pushover and should've been more than a match for... crossbows and ****. Since Yuki can't find a trail he was probably magiced away." Goldheart says, waving his hand for emphasis. "I don't know how your magic works but can you see what happened to him? If there's a trail, I can meet whoever is at the end of it."

[Roguewolf]

Team
“I was just comin’ over to say hi,” Ryker says, holding that smile on his face.

“Why do you guys have Miss Menagerie with you?” Emi asks Keith telepathically. “If she’s in custody, why is she not back at your HQ?”

Kylie glares at Ryker. “Look. You stay away from Draconian, and we don’t have a problem, okay?”

Draconian snorts, creating a plane of ice on the street below his head.

Mercury comes up behind Ryker and stands next to him. He says a few words to the former villain, quiet enough not to be heard by anyone close by.

At John and Drake’s words, Ryker relents. “Whatever,” he scoffs as he walks away back toward the scene.

Keith breaths a sigh of relief as Drake convinces Ryker to not fight anyone. At least he thinks that's what happened.

He turns back to Emi. So that one is kinda weird because I'm not entirely sure. Guessing she came out to help everyone get here faster too, that and she's been near about inseparable from Nightgaunt. Did find out that she was basically held hostage by the River King though. He's holding her mom's soul to get her to do his dirty work. She's also the only one to know about a greater demon, but that's where the curse comes into play. I probably shouldn't even be saying all this.

He shakes his head. Everything was going so well today. He walks back over to the East Siders. "Have a feelin' that whoever this was is long gone by now." He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Not how I thought today would go down either. This throws tonight just completely sideways....." He blinks a few times and let's out the breath he didn't realize he was holding in. "Sorry about all this. What can I do for you guys?" Nothing had quite gone right since just before lunch. Was this the universe telling Keith he over stepped or just a massive coincidence?

[mmdeforrest]

Dee took out a pair of latex gloves from their pocket in his cape and puts on as he walks up to the bolt’s shaft. Excellent work, Yuki, he replies. It would have taken me quite a while to sort all of that out. The Darkwatch is my primary suspect as well. All of the signs are there — although I’m trying to keep an open mind.

He lightly touched the bolt, careful not to disturb its location and examining it for any makers marks or symbols.

Spoiler: Looking for things he does not expect to find

Show

Checking out the Bolt: 1d10o10+4 13

“Holy magic,” he observes quietly, standing up and looking around again. “Mimi,” he subvocalized, “place the base on lockdown and take it to whatever the equivalent of Yellow Alert is. Let me and Seraph know immediately if any unusual vehicles or pedestrians approach — especially ones wearing armor and carrying crossbows or suspiciously large briefcases.”

“Did the other blood match any of the bodies’ scents, Yuki?” John asked, looking around for the collateral damage he was expecting to find. It disturbed him to see so little of Nightgaunt’s foes’ bodies remaining.

Hearing Goldheart’s question, he approached the knight-in-shining-armor. He made sure his comms were open for his initial analysis. “There’s a list of people who could have done this kind of thing. That said, it’s a pretty short list — unless some people have started hiring out their services. I don’t think his body was removed by magic, though. The perpetrators left by car in the alley Miss Menagerie and I came out of.

“There are traces of sacred magic on the bolts, which argues for someone targeting Nightgaunt as a vampire. They would be just as lethal to anyone, of course, but whoever it was came loaded for bear.

“Yuki has suggested the Darkwatch as a possible suspect organization and they would certainly fit the bill. I’m withholding judgement until we can say for certain but my initial guess lines up with her’s. She and Miss Menagerie have traced some of the movements via the traces of blood and scent markings with impressive efficiently. Whoever did this struck fast and hard and got out fast. It was a very professional strike — as evidenced by the absence of civilians being hit in the crossfire and the absence of the casualties on their side being left behind.”

John crossed his arms, trying to reconstruct the scene in his head, knowing it would be hours to days before any security footage from nearby cameras or cell phone videos became available. “Mimi: Please let me know if any of the local news outlets start posting video of what happened.”

John rested his hand on Goldenheart’s armored shoulder briefly. “We’ll find them.”

He continued forward to where Crowe stood nearer his former teammates. “Thank you for coming,” he offered the East Siders sincerely. “I know this is outside your usual stomping grounds but, if I may presume to speak for the group, we appreciate your help.”

John took a deep breath and steadied himself before turning to Siren. “We may need some additional assistance from you, if you would be so kind. We can fill you in on the details when we are in a less public setting — one of our bases would be preferable.”

Your place or mine, John? Very smooth, he observed to himself, trying hard not to wince as his eyes rolled internally.

“I would also appreciate any observations the three of you have about what you see here. Our investigation will doubtless profit from your own expertise.”

[InTheMachine]

Louis
“This is kinda my thing,” Sidney says with a lopsided smirk. “I’ve been making mechanical birds for a couple of years now.”

She looks at the schematics again and back down at what she’s working with. “Yeah, cars are definitely a little different than bots. Just looking at it, I can assure you though, everything will fit. You just might have to finagle some pieces. I’m happy to start working on its guts for you. That’s the hardest and most time-consuming part. Once most of the insides are done we can mount them to the frame and you’ll be good to go.”

John
Yuki looks over at the giant claw-shaped slashes in the street and then back to John. "Each one of those gouges smells of a different person's blood. It also smells odd. Like... stars? Metallic. Acrid. I've never smelled anything like it before."

Looking at the bolt, John doesn't see any maker's marks or anything else identifying.

Keith
"What do you mean, 'inseparable'?" Emi asks Keith. "Do you mean that they're like together? Dating? What kind of hero dates a villain? No, don't answer that." The telepath sighs.

Team
Kylie and Emi look at each other before stepping away from Draconian toward the scene.

Emi smiles softly at John. "I would be happy to hear you out. Though it does pique my curiosity that you're unwilling to talk in a public space." John feels a faint touch on his mind which quickly withdrawals after gently testing his defenses.

There's a rush of wind from above, and Seraph lands next to John, accompanied by Aeryn. "I've heard most everything over comms," he says, folding his wings. "South Side and Menagerie, head back to base, with the exception of Zodiac."

Menagerie hops down off of Jaal's back, ready to try to persuade the older hero into letting her stay, but he silences her with a sharp look. "I'm not in any mood to argue. Go back to base with South Side."

The sorceress' gaze goes down to the ground and she stands there for a moment before she lets out a frustrated huff and climbs back onto Jaal. Ryker and Drake quickly follow and the dragon takes off in the direction of West Side HQ, lead by Aeryn.

Seraph watches them go before glancing back at Yuki. "I want a full report, Zodiac. Walk me through everything. Also, thanks for lending your assistance," the angel says, nodding to the East Side team.

Kylie inclines her head slightly. "It's no trouble. Though it looks like we were too late to help."

[Roguewolf]

Keith
"What do you mean, 'inseparable'?" Emi asks Keith. "Do you mean that they're like together? Dating? What kind of hero dates a villain? No, don't answer that." The telepath sighs.

Team
Kylie and Emi look at each other before stepping away from Draconian toward the scene.

Emi smiles softly at John. "I would be happy to hear you out. Though it does pique my curiosity that you're unwilling to talk in a public space." John feels a faint touch on his mind which quickly withdrawals after gently testing his defenses.

There's a rush of wind from above, and Seraph lands next to John, accompanied by Aeryn. "I've heard most everything over comms," he says, folding his wings. "South Side and Menagerie, head back to base, with the exception of Zodiac."

Menagerie hops down off of Jaal's back, ready to try to persuade the older hero into letting her stay, but he silences her with a sharp look. "I'm not in any mood to argue. Go back to base with South Side."

The sorceress' gaze goes down to the ground and she stands there for a moment before she lets out a frustrated huff and climbs back onto Jaal. Ryker and Drake quickly follow and the dragon takes off in the direction of West Side HQ, lead by Aeryn.

Seraph watches them go before glancing back at Yuki. "I want a full report, Zodiac. Walk me through everything. Also, thanks for lending your assistance," the angel says, nodding to the East Side team.

Kylie inclines her head slightly. "It's no trouble. Though it looks like we were too late to help."

Keith sighs as Emi does. I honestly have no idea, just always see them together. Sorry, I know it's a huge mess. And..... I'm sorry about the screaming match inside my head earlier. A whole lot going on. HE runs his hands up his face and through his hair under the hood in exasperation. Doesn't help that somebody over there can't remember we're supposed to talk about Seraph asking for your help. He thinks for a moment. Does, Grayson want me to put up a dark curtain so he can change back?

Keith walks up with Kylie and Emi, stopping about the time he gets to John. "Still gotta talk with Seraph about all that. Oh, and probably don't." Keith whispers the last bit to John and tilts his head back to Draconian.

Spoiler: Rolls, Mechanics, OOC

Show

Provoke PC: 2d6+1+1 9
Keith is trying to get John to not divulge the mission secrets about Songbird, since these are his people.

If you do, add a Benny to the Team Pool.

Keith nods at Seraph thanking them. "Maybe, but wouldn't have been able to think of gettin' here in time without y'all."

Spoiler: Rolls, Mechanics, OOC

Show

Keith tries to support Kylie in that they wouldn't have made it at all without her and East Side's help.
Support: 2d6 8

[mmdeforrest]

John
Yuki looks over at the giant claw-shaped slashes in the street and then back to John. "Each one of those gouges smells of a different person's blood. It also smells odd. Like... stars? Metallic. Acrid. I've never smelled anything like it before."

Stars? Dee asks as he walks towards Goldheart with Yuki. That is a very specific and unusual connection. Meteoric Iron might scent differently than the iron found in blood but that doesn’t seem the obvious leap to make. Unless, of course, you are scenting some kind of otherworldly being. I’ll see if I sense anything there once I check in with everyone else and try and decrease tensions.

Spoiler: Keith whispers to John.

Show

Keith walks up with Kylie and Emi, stopping about the time he gets to John. "Still gotta talk with Seraph about all that. Oh, and probably don't." Keith whispers the last bit to John and tilts his head back to Draconian.

Spoiler: Rolls, Mechanics, OOC
Hide

Provoke PC: 2d6+1+1 9
Keith is trying to get John to not divulge the mission secrets about Songbird, since these are his people.

If you do, add a Benny to the Team Pool.

“Direct message to Crowe,” John subvocalizes over the comm. “Don’t worry: I have no intention of moving on this before clearing it with Seraph.”

John had to admit that part of him had asked Siren for assistance as an excuse to speak to her and set up an excuse for a future meeting with her. Crowe was right to warn him not to get out ahead of Seraph on this.

Spoiler: Results

Show

Add a Bennie to the pool.

Kylie and Emi look at each other before stepping away from Draconian toward the scene.

Emi smiles softly at John. "I would be happy to hear you out. Though it does pique my curiosity that you're unwilling to talk in a public space." John feels a faint touch on his mind which quickly withdrawals after gently testing his defenses.

John simultaneously felt his heart thump at the touch of Siren’s mind and the Amulet of the Hieroglyphic Monad warm up as it amplified his mental defenses. He cocked and eyebrow and offered an amused but friendly smile before he remembered she would not be able to see the cocked eyebrow. Perhaps some other time, he projected as her mind withdrew. It would be interesting to know how a psychic link differs from a magical one.

How would they differ? It was an interesting question, now that he considered it, and worth knowing about before they attempted any encounter with Vibrato. That alone might be worth a later discussion.

Focus John, he reminded himself. This was a crime scene — even if he suspected he knew where his teammate’s body rested.

He opened his mouth, about to ask another question when he heard Seraph descending from on high.

There's a rush of wind from above, and Seraph lands next to John, accompanied by Aeryn. "I've heard most everything over comms," he says, folding his wings. "South Side and Menagerie, head back to base, with the exception of Zodiac."

Menagerie hops down off of Jaal's back, ready to try to persuade the older hero into letting her stay, but he silences her with a sharp look. "I'm not in any mood to argue. Go back to base with South Side."

The sorceress' gaze goes down to the ground and she stands there for a moment before she lets out a frustrated huff and climbs back onto Jaal.

“I’d like to stay long enough to investigate one more item — with your permission, Seraph. It’s something I promised Zodiac I would follow up on.”

Ryker and Drake quickly follow and the dragon takes off in the direction of West Side HQ, lead by Aeryn.

Dee glances up at the departing dragon and looks over at Sharpshooter. “We are going to have a talk about team transport later.”

He turns back to Seraph, switching to Angelical. “I would also like to speak with you as soon as possible about where Nightgaunt’s body may currently be at repose. I’m uncertain how fully you know about his past but I do know the first place we should look.”

[InTheMachine]

Team
Seraph nods to John, answering him also in the language of angels. "That's fine. I sent South Side back because you moved the base to Condition Yellow. That, and Stella doesn't need to be here."

Emi's eyes focus on John as he projects his thoughts to her after her gentle mental probe and her smile to him grows a little wider.

The two East Siders follow behind Seraph, John, and Yuki, taking in the scene. As they pass Keith, Emi tells him, "He says he's fine. Thank you for the offer though."

Kylie gently touches Keith's shoulder as she passes with a quiet laugh. "You don't have to defend us. Now we're just interested in what went on."

"You mean his coffin?" Seraph asks John in Angelical as they get closer to the gouges. "I know what he is."

[Roguewolf]

Team
Seraph nods to John, answering him also in the language of angels. "That's fine. I sent South Side back because you moved the base to Condition Yellow. That, and Stella doesn't need to be here."

Emi's eyes focus on John as he projects his thoughts to her after her gentle mental probe and her smile to him grows a little wider.

The two East Siders follow behind Seraph, John, and Yuki, taking in the scene. As they pass Keith, Emi tells him, "He says he's fine. Thank you for the offer though."

Kylie gently touches Keith's shoulder as she passes with a quiet laugh. "You don't have to defend us. Now we're just interested in what went on."

"You mean his coffin?" Seraph asks John in Angelical as they get closer to the gouges. "I know what he is."

Keith nods at Emi and glances back at Grayson and smiles at the pair. "Anytime!"

Keith's face starts to flush when Kylie passes him and touches his shoulder, and he lets out a nervous laugh. "R-right just wanted to make sure you knew I appreciated everything." He has a small smile on his face and turns to follow Kylie and Co. Just like I never left...... Kylie's words from earlier echo in his mind. Just wish I could see everyone more often. And you..... He catches himself thinking actively remembering that Emi is right there.

Taking in the scene, he can't help but marvel at it. At the claw marks, Keith's eyes widen. "He at least put up a hell of a fight." He looks over at Yuki. "John mentioned that you thought of Darkwatch?" The name sounded vaguely familiar but he couldn't quite place it. "Can go ahead and look into them as soon as we get back. Hopefully, find somethin'."

Keith watched John and Seraph's exchange in the other language. Times like this I wish I knew languages like Uncle.....

[mmdeforrest]

Team
Seraph nods to John, answering him also in the language of angels. "That's fine. I sent South Side back because you moved the base to Condition Yellow. That, and Stella doesn't need to be here."

Emi's eyes focus on John as he projects his thoughts to her after her gentle mental probe and her smile to him grows a little wider.

John feels his heart thump again. Was there some requirement that mentalists in this town had to be this good looking? While part of him wondered if it was a side effect of their abilities, causing viewers to see them in the best possible light, he quickly rejected the thought. That would not impact cameras and other purely mechanical capture devices.

He would have to spend some extra time in meditation this evening. If this was what it would be like encountering Vibrato, he needed to learn how to center himself better than this.

"You mean his coffin?" Seraph asks John in Angelical as they get closer to the gouges. "I know what he is."

“Thank you for letting me continue helping with the investigation.

“I was almost certain that you did,” John continued in Angelical after muting his comm. “His condition didn’t seem like the kind of thing AEGIS would miss and I can’t imagine you or Mimi would have missed him moving a coffin into the base. I can look into what might be done to speed his recovery once we return to the base.

John took a breath to steady his voice before continuing, trying not to glance at the other team. “Keith didn’t want me to go further before we spoke to you, but I was considering asking Siren to assist with Songbird’s condition.”

Dee looked at the gouged as they arrived. The force of the blows was evident in the scars to the pavement — as well as the blood and what few remains there were that were within them. It did not leave much to go on, but he reached out with all of his senses to see if he could pick up anything that would explain Zodiac’s use of the word stars.

Spoiler: Studying the scars of battle

Show

Gouges in the pavement: 1d10o10+4 13

[InTheMachine]

Team
"The Darkwatch is a group of monster hunters that operate all over the world," Yuki broadcasts toward Keith. "I'm sure they were after Nightgaunt because his powers closely resemble what they hunt. They seem like more of the ask questions later type."

"I've heard of them," Kylie says as she kneels at the edge of one of the gouges. "Your teammate did this?" she asks as she looks closer at the bits of blood and meat left of what used to be people. "Does he always fight like this?"

Seraph lets out a low whistle. "I think he learned a new trick."

John
Hearing John take a steadying breath, Seraph looks up at the sorcerer. He smiles slightly at John, but chooses to stay silent in his observation. "She was who I was assuming Keith was talking about earlier today. Other than her father, she's one of the most powerful psychics in Iron Station," he says, continuing the conversation in Angelical. "That's if she'll help at all, though. It's not like Songbird did herself any favors by working for the Rooks. And Ryker hasn't helped matters today either."

Getting closer to the rends in the street, John feels a slight warping, like the fabric of reality was torn. Being so magically sensitive, he can see just a slight wavering in the air where four giant claw marks still hang, lining up with the gouges.

"You see that?" the angel asks John. "That woman saw him do this to her people and still managed to take him down. She has a very strong will, whoever she is. Then again, she is a monster hunter."

Keith
"What language are they speaking in?" Emi asks Keith telepathically. "I can't place it."

[Roguewolf]

Team
"The Darkwatch is a group of monster hunters that operate all over the world," Yuki broadcasts toward Keith. "I'm sure they were after Raphael because his powers closely resemble what they hunt. They seem like more of the ask questions later type."

"I've heard of them," Kylie says as she kneels at the edge of one of the gouges. "Your teammate did this?" she asks as she looks closer at the bits of blood and meat left of what used to be people. "Does he always fight like this?"

Seraph lets out a low whistle. "I think he learned a new trick."

Keith
"What language are they speaking in?" Emi asks Keith telepathically. "I can't place it."

Keith's eyes narrow as he continues to look around. "All over the world huh? Ran into a ground like them before, similar M.O. just a different set of operations." Keith's eyes glow slightly red and then he relaxes.

At Kylie's question he nods. "Sorta, like Seraph said that's pretty new and unusual. He's super strong and those claws can be sharp but that's definitely insane."

Hearing Emi in his mind, Keith jumps slightly. I have no idea. Something definitely older than Latin that probably barely exists anymore.

[mmdeforrest]

"I've heard of them," Kylie says as she kneels at the edge of one of the gouges. "Your teammate did this?" she asks as she looks closer at the bits of blood and meat left of what used to be people. "Does he always fight like this?"

Seraph lets out a low whistle. "I think he learned a new trick."

“While I have not been in Iron Station long, Burnout, I have not seen Nightgaunt fight with this ferocity before. And if he was not willing to unleash this kind of power on a demon, I think it unlikely that this would be considered usual. Based on the position of these remains and the crossbow bolt that has Nightgaunt’s blood on it, I would posit that these are the individuals who provided covering fire for the main combatant.

“I suspect everyone involved recognized it as a kill or be killed encounter of a kind different from our usual encounters.”

Hearing John take a steadying breath, Seraph looks up at the sorcerer. He smiles slightly at John, but chooses to stay silent in his observation. "She was who I was assuming Keith was talking about earlier today. Other than her father, she's one of the most powerful psychics in Iron Station," he says, continuing the conversation in Angelical. "That's if she'll help at all, though. It's not like Songbird did herself any favors by working for the Rooks. And Ryker hasn't helped matters today either."

“I may have an angle or two I can play to try to convince her,” John said, feeling his face redden slightly at the angel’s smile. “I’ll see if I can get her alone and persuade her.”

John took another breath, glad he was speaking in a language whose known human speakers could be counted on two hands. “That didn’t come out…I mean….” He glanced at Seraph. “I’ll see what I can do.”

That, he recognized, did not sound any better than the rest of what he had said and decided to stop before he dug himself any deeper.

Getting closer to the rends in the street, John feels a slight warping, like the fabric of reality was torn. Being so magically sensitive, he can see just a slight wavering in the air where four giant claw marks still hang, lining up with the gouges.

"You see that?" the angel asks John. "That woman saw him do this to her people and still managed to take him down. She has a very strong will, whoever she is. Then again, she is a monster hunter."

“Yes,” Dee replied. While it would be incorrect to say he was grateful for the change in topic, the scene before him did help shift his focus. “The tear marks from whatever claws he conjured out of himself are still visible. Given from what I have seen of Nightgaunt, I would have expected them to fade by now.

“This is clearly something new,” he observed dropping to one knee. “The splatter patterns give a sense of where he was when it happened and the residual energy almost vibrates with his fury — and something akin to despair. I don’t think he wanted to do this — or to find this within himself: one of the two.”

He reached out with his senses and searched his memory, attempting to determine which of the many planes and powers Raphael had tapped into to do this.

Spoiler: Occult Expert trying to be an Expert

Show

Occult Wild Die: 1d6o6+2 7

John looked down at the congealing blood. “They likely wanted it less than he did,” John added quietly in Angelical before switching back to English, offered a brief prayer from the Mass. It wasn’t the Last Rights but he was not authorized to perform those and, given his practice, was at best in imperfect communion with the Mother Church. And while he did not want to impose his own views on anyone there, a silent prayer seemed out of place. Nevertheless, he hoped his prayers lifted these departed souls somewhat in their passage in Purgatory.

If their actions had not barred them from there. Whatever the case, they were now more certain if their approach was righteous in a way he was not, reminding himself not to place himself in the role of their judge. In that kind of certainty, anyone could become monstrous.

Serpah might know the answers to these questions but he doubted the angel was free to speak about such points. And as an article of Faith, he likely shouldn’t.

[InTheMachine]

John

“I may have an angle or two I can play to try to convince her,” John said, feeling his face redden slightly at the angel’s smile. “I’ll see if I can get her alone and persuade her.”

John took another breath, glad he was speaking in a language whose known human speakers could be counted on two hands. “That didn’t come out…I mean….” He glanced at Seraph. “I’ll see what I can do.”

That, he recognized, did not sound any better than the rest of what he had said and decided to stop before he dug himself any deeper.

Seraph’s grin grows wider before he says in Angelical, “I’m surprised the sight of a beautiful woman would get this flustered, John. Not that I blame you.”

Unfortunately, as he kneels before one of the gouges, John can’t call to mind what plane may have been rended open, or what power Raphael may have used.

“I think you’re right about both,” the angel says. “From what I know of his past, these are the people that killed his family. He’s been trying very hard to suppress his heritage, and this kill or be killed situation probably brought out something he never wanted to use. I hate that he had to face this alone.”

Team
Seraph inclines his head as John says a quick prayer before Kylie hops up on the stage, looking at the carnage below. She observes the destroyed speaker, then looks down at the blood splatter right below the stage and checks the angle to the dented food truck. “Hey, Zodiac, right? This blood down here is Nightgaunt’s?”

The wolf walks over and sniffs before she nods. “Yes. It is.”

“It looks like whoever attacked him probably has some kind of powers,” Kylie says as she jumps back down, using a small blurt of flame from her hands to slow her before she hits the ground. “If he got hit here, and then impacted that food truck hard enough to leave that big of a dent. That’s easily fifty feet he got thrown.”

Kylie shrugs. “Other than that, I’m not seeing much that you guys haven’t pointed out already. If they’re smart, which I’m assuming they are, they would have had the license plate on their car covered up, so even if someone managed to get video of it, we won’t be able to track it. Like Dee said, these guys were professionals.”

“Siren,” Seraph says to the blonde. “Before you leave, would you go speak to some of the officers that were here? You might be able to get a visual for the woman who attacked Nightgaunt.”

“Absolutely Seraph,” she replies with a slight nod. “Just give me a few minutes.” She saunters off back toward the police line.