@Patches
@Ember Storm
@Blizzardofoz123
Things that they don't understand...
The sheer nerve of this cloaky cowardly bitch! Like Johnny couldn't understand forcibly turning people into horrid abominations against their will. What did she think he was? Some kind of braindead idiot?
Oh no. Johnny didn't want to listen to another word of this bullshit. Johnny drew his six shooter and...

No, wait. That was acting a little too quickly. Johnny kept his six shooter trained on her head, but didn't fire right away.

"You'd better chose yer next words damn well. Cuz ah only just stopped myself from puttin' a bullet through your brain where you stand."

@Patches
Duff fired his tenth round as his colleagues disappeared into the back of Gustrag's mansion and the flow of children ceased, at least for a moment. He took the time to reload his rifle before hurrying after the rest of the team.

The old soldier took a moment to find a good line over the area his teammates were in as they stood just inside the room. Through the windows, Duff could see their adversary, some suited fellow. Though he couldn't hear what was being said, if anything, this fellow positively radiated bad news.

---

@Patches
@Nashie
Astrid scowled. She was supposed to be the stealthy one, so how'd this stupid vittu get the drop on them? Mist curled around her as she prepared to act, but Johnny had asked a question; it wouldn't be fair to him to interrupt a possible answer. Once the shooting started, however, she would have her chance. Putting away her wicked blades, the scout surreptitiously readied her throwing knives. "I am listening," she said softly, waiting for the moment.

@Jensoman@Patches

---

Mike stared intently at Gossick as he spoke about the possibilities of magic. Phooey, he said! Nothing was impossible in the mind of a true scientist! Such words were privy only to the ignorant and close minded! Even so, delving into fields that posed fatal risks and sat littered with dead ends might've been enough to consume several lifetimes. Surely, branching too far from modern science was a fool's errand. It became less a question of possibility, morphing into philosophical dilemma that required heed. Mikey shrugged the thought off, and handed Jenso his papers reluctantly, carefully letting go of his precious blueprints.

"If you're coming along with me, I reckon I'd better show you where I'm holed up," Mikey moaned quietly, still somewhat taken aback by Jenso's odd nature.


@Yomojo@Afro Samurai@patches

---

"I shall," Nino conceded, lapping up a mouthful of his milk not a moment later. He licked his whisker's clean and scanned the establishment again. 'although animages does sound rather reductive' he thought. Nino rose his head and closed his eyes in thought. "It's worth a try. If you know of any casters that share my ability to commune, I would be glad to make their acquaintance. Though.." Nino paused and his ears lowered slightly, "I do not get along with dogs very well."

@tex @Patches

Jenso respectfully and carefully took Mikey's blueprints despite his energetic nature. "Alright! I'll be right behind you!" He said to Mikey, ready to follow him back to his house. Or wherever it was that he lived. Surely he'd see something fancy now! He was taking his role surprisingly seriously, though. There were plenty of shifty people within Kokotha, especially in small alleys like these. If he wasn't careful, some of them might try to rob or steal Mikey's blueprints from him.

@Patches

With the group having forced their way to their next target, Mercury's lightning ceases. Just when she starts to think that maybe they were starting to make progress, her eyes fall on the strange man at the other end of the room.

"Oh... This can only be good, right?"

Sarcasm dripping from her words, she starts to let her body magic course, readying herself for whatever altercation may be about to rear its ugly head. She's confident in her abilities, but something tells her that this particular adversary is going to be a serious issue. Just looking at him makes her feel...off...

@tex@Jensoman

"Be sure to stop by again." Gossick said, adjusting his glasses. It gets boring here with no customers. Plus, it is nice to meet someone with a like mind in the realms of magic science. He was glad that Jenso went along with it as well, despite not being a scientist, he still had a will to help. I'll bring along a few of my creations... As long as you don't steal any of the blueprints.

All of this waiting grew tiresome. There was only so much galavanting one could do before he felt the need to excrete his brains from his skull by some means of violence. He went to find some consenting lady with which to dance--none sufficed. So he figured he'd ask Lucy.

"I think it's time for me to show you how impeccable I am at the Waltz."

@Yomojo @tex @Patches

@Afro Samurai @Patches @tex
With one wink at Quinn, Lucille stands up and offers her hand to Mazone. "Well, let's see if your dancin's any better than your singin'. Just a warinin', Waltz ain't my specialty, so I'll let you take the lead. But with that bein' said, I'd say it's time to put your feet where you mouth is, unless you intend to put your feet in your mouth." Lucy says to Mazone with a chuckle, giving him a sly grin.

She had already had a bit of alcahol, why not do a bit of dancing? She had come to the Grapevine in the hopes of having a good time anyways. Besides, she might even get a better idea of who exactly this mysterious foreigner was from the way he danced. Or not, who cares. She has the whole night ahead of her, after all. Plenty of time for seriousness later.

@Nashie@Ember Storm

Kordan, bringing up the back of the group, was closest to this shadowy intruder, and as such, felt the most panic. Swallowing the fear that crept up on him, he took a deep breath and nodded, thinking about what was to happen next. They were, obviously, going to try to kill this woman. There was no doubt about this. So, he raised his gauntlet, a pilot flame igniting his whole arm in ghostly blue fire... but then he tried to be sneaky. Underneath the platform he was on, he attempted to sear the same rune on the bombs they'd found onto the bottom of the balcony. He used all of his knowledge of runlaying and soon, a small, smoldering copy was underneath her feet, seared in by his pyromancy... and he was ready to detonate that rune, should she act up.
"I suggest you answer my compatriots questions, else you'll face the same fate as your guards."

@Patches
@Ember Storm
@MercuryNH

Daud entered the room, as confident as haughty as before. He was expecting a group of fat sycophants like Gustrag to be cowering in fear before him, but the truth that he encountered was far, far more sinister. At first he didn't recognize the man, coming to a silent stop in front of the group... But that quickly changed. Behind his visor, his eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. He took a step back. And most disturbingly of all... He looked like he was actually scared.

"Wh-... Huh? No, I killed you. I killed you... !" He mumbled out, extremely confused. He'd never encountered something like this, and it was becoming clear he had no idea what to think about the current situation.

Placing a hand over the spot that still lightly ached, the spot where Xenan almost managed to kill him. Gulping, he attempted to straighten himself out and gain back his confidence.

"X-..." He stopped, clearing his throat. "Xenan. Back from the dead... The Children seem to have some tricks up their sleeves."

@Nashie@Ember Storm@Blizzardofoz123
Simple fools. They want questions, so they point weapons and knives. Like a bunch of barbarians and animals looking to get blood from a stone. Leaning over the railing, another voice was heard, standing on top of one of the crates was an identical woman, The mind of a human, the will and learning of a caster, the power and strength of an amalgamate... Another voice was heard, another copy of the woman stood at the far side of the room at ground level, If you're looking for our subject, you missed him. A rift in Yim, set to go off in case of a forced intrusion. Your friends caused a lot of ruckus upstairs, but Xenan will take care of them.

Yoshimi clenched her fist, no longer able to stand the woman's attitude. Are they all separate? Is this an illusion of light magic? She thought to herself. She wasn't going to let this information slip by, she wasn't going to come this far only to come back empty handed and be taunted by the likes of her. I'll take care of you! Yoshimi shouted, rushing at the woman at ground level. But, as she ran towards here, a loud, screeching sound rang throughout the room, a piercing, noise, enough to make the Xiao woman stop in her tracks in pain. A storm mage?! She isn't using light magic?

Not too fast. I have all the time in the world to spend with you. But this won't take too long. The room around the group began to twist and turn, melting away, to reveal a large sandy desert, all in a wave of the woman's hands. Serve the Queen, Follow the King, We are the Children of Kodo'Yim.

---

@hefewy@Ember Storm@MercuryNH

Gregor frowned, looking between his allies, then back to the man at the table. Keeping his gun fixed on him, he listened to what Daud had to say. As he spoke, he had a degree of fear in his voice. Xenan sat and listened, almost too casual for the situation. I've... Heard rumors of a certain member of the Children... A sorta boogeyman talked about in scary stories. The undying knight of the queen. A sorta hunter she uses to track people down that she wants dead... No matter how many times he'd be killed or how badly he was injured, he'd come back better than ever. Xenan.

Indeed. You've heard the stories. Xenan said with a grin, standing up. ...And Daud, my friend. You killed me. I didn't enjoy that. That aside you 4 have come far to get to here, ruining a ally of mine's party, all in search of what? ...No matter, this ends now. I won't let the fat pig's mistakes be all of ours-

Capping off Xenan's sentence, Gregor quickly fired off a shot, shooting the Children member in the face with a brilliant shot of light. Xenan collapsed backwards, like a ragdoll. If you're going to fight fight, don't talk!

While shot in the face, Xenan was already healing the hole in his face, annoyed more than ever.

@Patches
Bloody Casters, Duff thought, watching the man Gregor shot instantly begin healing. Bloody Children! The old soldier took aim and fired off a few rounds quick as a flash. "Let's see how yeh like the Void, yeh fuckin' nutjob. Try healin' through this, eh?" A trio of Voidtipped rounds shattered the window and would impact the man before he even heard the retort of Duff's old Cavalry Special.

@Patches

"...Fuckin' wonderful."

That's just what they need at this juncture. A boogeyman? Some sort of immortal? Gee, this just keeps getting better... The lightning around Mercury's hands was just starting to kick up again when Gregor's shot rings out, and it's then she understands what they mean by immortal. What the hell kind of magic lets someone do that?! Even Eiichiro-sensei's body magic couldn't manage something like this... Truth be told, she's at a bit of a loss for how to handle the situation. Hopefully those void tips had some effect...

@Patches
@Ember Storm
@Blizzardofoz123
Yup, Johnny had seen enough. It was mighty kind of this woman to rearrange the environment to make him feel at home, but a Child of Kodo'Yim was a child of Kodo'Yim.

So, Johnny just made good on that threat concerning a bullet to the head.

@Patches@Ember Storm@MercuryNH

Daud, quickly snapping out of his fearful paralysis thanks to Gregor popping Xenan in the head, immediately felt his horror boil over into a horrible, unquenchable rage. Gripping his halberd with two hands, he lets out an immense, mighty war-cry, lifting his halberd into the air.

"XENAAAAAAN! How DARE YOU?!" Daud screamed at the top of his lungs, its ferocity even causing the room to shake. "Betraying the sanctity of death, escaping the ultimate punishment..." He growls. "YOU WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS!"

Wasting no time, Daud leaps forward, attempting to get on top of Xenan and impale him against the floor, even if he was hit with the Void-Tipped bullets. Wanting to give him no time to react, he hoped to trap him while the others could finish him off.

@Patches
@Nashie
Astrid flung her throwing knives, more as a distraction than anything else, before drawing her bow and nocking a light arrow. As she fired the arrow, it would turn into a beam of light, unaffected by gravity.

Whatever skills this Child had, she was still susceptible to death.

@Ember Storm
@Nashie
The attacks hit the woman dead on, causing her to collapse to the ground. Quickly, her body fades away into sand. A gift, from the Queen. The remaining two said, one of them going for a strike on Johnny, the other going for Astrid. Soon, from the sand, rose up another copy of the woman, going for a strike on Yoshimi, her hands crackling with electricity.

What is this magic?! She said, as she delivered a backhand to the woman, causing it to explode into sand. Soon, she felt something hit her in the back, a strong electrified palm strike. But the source was no where in sight. Where is she?! Yoshimi shouted, nearly collapsing from the shock.



@MercuryNH
Well I'll be damned... Gregor said, lifting his hat as he saw him begin to heal. Gregor spoke in almost hushed whispers. He had dealt with all kinds of horrible people, yet he had never saw anything like this. In the name of Yim... What are you?

Alright, kid... I have an idea. This guy ain't gonna let us get to the master bedroom. What say you we keep going? Gregor said, looking to Mercury, Daud, Duff, keep him busy, Mercury and I will go forward! Gregor said, making sure to not mention their goal for Xenan to hear. Gregor only hoped the two could hold off the immortal.

@Ember Storm
Strangely, the shots didn't halt the healing, yet Xenan's body looked to corrode on touch from the voidstone. While the wounds from the bullets began to heal, they looked to heal at a slower rate. Stupid! Toys! Xenan said, looking more annoyed at his injuries.

@hefewy
Quickly, Xenan rolled out of the way of the attack, not willing to get pinned this early in the fight. I don't think you lot get the situation here. Xenan said, tossing a ball of light in the air. You don't have second chances. I do.
As he finished his sentence, several beams of light rained down on the battle field, heavily damaging both the expensive furnishing and anyone caught by one of the beams. One beam struck Xenan in the chest, leaving a large blackened crater. But as with all his other injuries, he began to heal up from it. I can mess up as many times as I wish. I can make mistakes. I can die again and again, and I will come back. All I need to do is have patience... He formed a blade of light in his hand, with fury in his eyes, he shouted ...And serve the Queen!

Gregor, ducking for cover, only narrowing dodged one of the beams, resulting in a burn on his left arm. Grunting in pain, he got ready to make his choice. Run for the goal or stay and help the others against an immortal opponent.

@Patches
@Ember Storm
@Blizzardofoz123
With a grunt of surprise and pain, Johnny took a clawing to his upper right arm. Johnny had a feeling that that would have more consequences than it seemed initially, but he'd have to worry about that later. For now, Johnny fanned the remaining five shots into sandbitch's face.

If that was sufficient to drop her, Johnny would quickly scan his surroundings to see who might need his help. In this case, he'd try and respond to Yoshimi.

"Which one? Rrgh. Don't tell me this broad went invisible on us."

If not, he'd get his wakazashi involved a little more, using it to put enough space between him and sandbitch that he could reload.

@Patches
Kordan's own ears had screamed at the noise, the sonic barrage bringing him to his knees. Upon rousing himself from the assault, things had gone very wrong, very quickly. The words his companions spoke were silent, lips flapping and no noise other than a ringing in his head greeting him. Touching his ear, his fingertips came back red, and with a shock Kordan realized he was deaf... But that wouldn't stop him. He'd get healed at the clinic, he was sure some mist user could patch him up. Looking around, the woman had multiplied, and the illusory terrain had failed to disappear... This was light magic on a level he couldn't comprehend, this total illusion that fooled the senses rendering him speechless. He'd of loved to study it, but as it turned out he wouldn't have the time. Thinking fast, his arm ignited in a nova of ghostly blue flames, power surging as lightning spiked through his hair and ignited his eyes in eldritch power.
"COVER YOUR EYES, AND HOLD YOUR BREATH!"
He bellowed, much louder than he probably needed to. With a turn and a swirl, the rune of explosive power inscribed itself in fire at his feet, as his gauntlet sprayed out liquid yim. Icy shields rose up to block his allies from seeing the epicenter of his blast, as he let out a burst of magical fire sufficient to turn the desert of shifting sands into nothing but blast-glazed glass. A swirling pillar of fire rose from him into the sky before bursting out in every direction, the explosion of flaming force wrapping around their icy barriers to leave them with pockets of rapidly heating air, their eyes drying up and singing if they hadn't followed Kordan's directions. The mischeivous pillars of flame that radiated outwards from him receeded as soon as they were cast, his flames swallowed up and extinguished as the light receeded into his body. The smouldering hellscape around them that was left would glow slightyly, the rock emanating wisps of smoke and glowing fragments of char. Looking around, Kordan was still deaf, but his smile was gigantic.
"DID I GET HER?"

@Patches

Well, at least that's one recognizable type of magic. Mercury narrowly avoids taking a hit from the bolts of light, her arms blackened with her hardening ability, just in case. Stunned that the void tip rounds were less than effective, Mercury can't help but begin to worry.

"Where the hell did the Children find this guy?..."

The idea of a true immortal by known types of magic is simply baffling. There's no way this could be learned through one of the basic types of magic. Even Covenant body magic can't heal wounds like that. She ducks down behind whatever cover she can find closes to Gregor to avoid the remaining bolts of light raining down on them, and hopefully work something out.

"Got any ideas? If he's just gonna keep getting up, he's gonna be one hell of a problem if we can't at least get him to stop moving."