Blizz

Avengers Academy: Junior Year 💥

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Location: Who the Fuck is Baldur
Skills:
WHAT. THE. FUCK.

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With the Bastard Babies gone, all they needed to do now was advance further into this “Nautiloid.” Madalyne had the right idea- Well. Leah was pretty sure the hot, horned chick was Madalyne- by saying Leah should be the tank. She had an axe, she had terrain-altering capabilities (probably) and enough strength to punch through walls. She could probably take a few more hits than the others.

Though it didn’t sound like toughness was going to help much against brains that ate brains. ”Okay. Everyone stay behind me. If there are traps, someone make damn sure we don’t fall into them,” Leah said, walking over the corpses of the Fallen Fetuses, and poking her head through the doors to the lab. She looked around carefully, for the sight of the Intellect Devourers that Mads seemed to expect.

Held roll

Perception check for in case anything is sneaking up on them in the lab? Something Leah can’t see just by looking around normally? Ain’t got skills for this lol

Sup, its ya boi POOHEAD189

I’m gonna keep it a stack of Denny’s with you I thought you were an Admin for like

Years

SPIRITUM

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"Yes, we are Wardens. And if you cooperate with us, you will not be harmed." Morden spoke in a tone that implied he wouldn't harm the princess. After all, he could not speak for Kali, and certainly not Silje. He was entirely unmoved in his seat next to the comparatively diminutive Vangar royal, as if he were affixed to the truck they were all thrashed about in. The resident tank of Barghest had a face etched in thunderous serenity, the eye of a raging storm that thought of the next move. Like a storm cloud blacker than obsidian, the flash of lightning could come at any moment. And yet, it did not.

One could easily come to the conclusion that there was only muscle in the thick skull of his, that he was just a bruiser. A junkyard dog that did little more than what its master told it to do. It was not a difficult assumption to make, he was a Vanguard. There was war in his blood, and he was a wall in human shape. What more did he need than to be a meat shield? But that assumption was dead wrong. Morden was a warrior, but any society that separated warrior from thinker produced soldiers without the ability to think. And thus, Morden elected to use a different strength. He held out both hands in front of himself, and let his mist pocket open wide. In one hand, he produced a small black container. In the other, he produced a semi-automatic shotgun. A firearm as old as modern combat itself.

From the container, Morden withdrew a handful of shells, loaded with hardened sabots; razor sharp, metal darts launched by propellants to sink deep into armor that blunt force couldn't handle. They were often ineffective against power armor unless aimed in ways a sniper rifle was often used for, but these machines had something to protect in their heads. Something that left only so much room for protective plating. He loaded the shells with ritualistic composure. Red lightning flickered between his fingers, caressing the galvanized steel of his weapon like an ominous christening of a vessel.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

And eight.

His last shell was dropped directly into the chamber. Safety off.

"Continue straight ahead, ignore the ones we cross. I have them" With that, Morden opened the nearest window and hauled himself out until the upper half of his body was fully hanging out the side. He aimed for robots crawling out of debris, and aimed for their "Weakpoints" as best he could, going off of his understanding of human anatomy; Their equivalents to throats, eyes, and anything else that would, at the very least, slow them down if they tried to take a swing at the truck while they fled.

Barghest's retreat was punctuated by the occasional BANG of Morden's shotgun discharging its ammunition.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Interactions:Anya, Lila, Vashti

Kari's House

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The Phantom assigned to Sloane merely nodded as its responsibility was taken by another construct. Silently, it turned and ran off into the dismal battlefield. Through its course, Amara, and the Army by extension, gained an understanding of the overall situation. One voice in an endless chorus, amplified into infinity and relayed unto itself. The movements of the fleshy abomination and the jacket with which it played, the zombies falling from the sky, the light in the dark that was Linqian’s burning body. This phantom saw it all as it searched for the one called Anya Baksh.

And it found her in due time.

It appeared through the rain like a guardian angel, and approached Anya calmly.

”Your companion has gone ahead, into the fray,” the phantom stated, plainly without a hint of emotion. ”I come to escort you away.”

Meanwhile, another phantom ran like the Hound was chasing it, through the soaked trees and dimly lit woods. Using the blaze of red as a lighthouse, the Legion squad knew where every piece was on its chessboard. And they were convening on one location, the place where their VIP was. Four phantoms came forth, one carrying a Beretta 1201, a semi-automatic shotgun. Across its chest was a belt loaded with extra shells. Amara caught the sight of Vashti on Lila’s back, and almost got distracted by the feathers.

Avert your eyes, it corrupts.

We want Lila alive and intact. Act accordingly.

Amara aimed her pistol at Vashti’s back, and fired two .45 hollow points into her midsection. The sound was completely unheard thanks to the rain, but she refused to be ignored.

”VASTHI FUCKING NOUR!!!”

The three unarmed phantoms squared up, inching closer to her and Lila while keeping their eyes low to the ground.

Meanwhile, the shotgunner kept the barrel aimed right at Vashti’s face. It knew not to fire, but who could say whether Vashti knew that?

”GET AWAY FROM HER, RIGHT NOW!!!”

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Interactions: The Flesh Monster

Kari's house

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Sully Ran.

Luca ran.

Someone had Linqian covered. He didn’t need to stop and wait to see if Drake was going to act. He quickly swiped his hand across Drake’s shoulder, resetting the 15 minute timer for his Phantombane and then, without any shields weighing him down, bolted.

Stormy ran faster than he had ran in a while, charging through the downpour and the mud like an unstoppable force. It was almost difficult to really see the target he had in mind in all the wet gloom, but the smell of death and ammoniating flesh was unmistakable. His hands radiated a green glow, unmistakable in the heat of battle. As a kid, Stormy was one of the go-to Adepts for combatting inhuman creatures. Apparitions that the Stygian Snake spawned simply through the act of existing were never short in numbers. They always took many forms, and some of them just happened to be a bit more on the Abberant side. Creatures made by creatures were a whole other class of entity of their own.

It made things complicated when working with the coven’s human Aberrants. He could recall a few times when members that uses artifacts of were Adjoined couldn’t tag along with him or they’d risk getting caught in the crossfire. But those skirmishes of pest control taught Stormy a valuable lesson: Intelligence was often a prerequisite to Emotional Fields.

Human beings that were paranormal usually had Emotional Fields evade they were, in fact, emotional. Apparitions that were powerful enough to have a sense of self took on personalities, and therefore became resistant to magic. But that monster moved and behaved stupidly. It just battered and played with Sloane’s hexed jacket like a toddler. So Stormy got close, took in a deep breath, slammed his hands into it. His assumption was confirmed when he felt the influence on his being. Like a rope was lashed end-to-end between himself and the creature, and it was pulled quite strongly in the direction of the monster.

Stormy leaned into the fleshy mass, uncaring of the putrid gunk he’d likely get on his clothes and hands. If he got infected by something, he could just find Sully. 8th Street’s alleged heavy hitter lit up like a green bonfire, as the Consecration spell took hold. Every square inch of its festering body rejected it. And with nowhere for it to go that could get it away from that magic, the only thing it could do was suffer. And 8th Street’s time traveler couldn’t get within 20 feet without feeling the same way.

Stormy grit his teeth, and hauled himself backward to put a few feet of distance between himself and the monster. Deep breath… This could work.

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

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Emily's raging fireball was met by a wall of green.

The shields orbiting Linqian, and Britney by extension, snapped out of existence to make room for a dome of damn near impenetrable yellow Lux that wrapped around him, Drake, Luca and Sully. The sound of rain battering against metal could be heard as it washed across the outer surface of the Iron Fortress, loud and hollow. Everyone on the inside was detached from everything on the outside. No one could see in or out, and the look on Stormy's face implied it wasn't easy to keep this thing up. He was tense, yet still, like he was focusing on the barrier and nothing else.

Deep breath in.

Deep breath out.

"When this barrier falls..." he began, slowly. "Be. Ready. To. Run. Emily may be waiting. They can not hear us. Leave. The monster. To me." His fists were clenched with the glow of individual auras yet to be cast. He held one out for Sully, the Witchveil aura. He only had to touch it, and it would be applied, and then Stormy would drop the Iron Fortress to let them all loose.

Meanwhile, that prick with the gun seemed to catch on quick. Not quick enough to avoid getting clocked, but at least he was distracted. As Aaron shot the shadow puppet, it cracked into dozens of pieces as if he had shot a porcelain cup, and then dissolved into black smoke. Vashti's storm was sure to bog them down, but it had an advantage that Jack could work with: The storm clouds made everything all the more dark. The light from the hellfire was bright, but the clouds were shading everything else, making it dim enough that Jack didn't have to worry about walking into the bright sun. It was a small advantage, but in these situations, everything mattered.

He decided to quickly teleport into another tree nearby, not bothering to stick around and risk getting shot. He heard the shouting in the distance, and he saw the flesh abomination moving to do... Something. If Jack had a guess it was Sloane's Hexmarking if they were all lucky. Jack looked up through the leaves of the new tree he had moved to, and saw the swirling portal that rained down undead. Far in the direction of the left, there was that camp surrounded by ice, and it didn't look like there was anything he missed. So Jack made a quick, educated guess that the portal was connected to that.

He held a hand out, and formed his usual weapon of choice out of the darkness. A scythe, with a blade sharp enough to cut through the bodies of many apparitions. He swiped his fingers through the air, and the weapon duplicated itself. He made a twisting motion with his hold hand, and Jack's pair of scythes began to spin rapidly, faster and faster until they were a black blur. Faster. Faster. Faster.

And then, using his the telekinetic control he had over the shadows, Jack sent them whirling upwards into the sky, through the portal that the undead were spilling out of. Bodies were chopped up like hands caught in a thresher, and whoever was on the opposite end would be treated to the equivalent of high speed, magic sawblades flying out to chop them up. Jack blinked a dark spot out of the corner of his vision, making a mental note to use that trick sparingly, if at all again.

Staying mobile was ideal in Jack's opinion. He wasn't equipped for being at the center of fights like this. When a fight got to this magnitude, Jack belonged in the shadows, sabotaging and making life easier on his allies.

He teleported again, onto the far side, of the battlefield, just in time to almost smack headfirst into Greyson fucking Devola.

"...Where have you been?"

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

Interactions: Luca @FernStone Sully @Atrophy and Drake @Punished GN

Kari's house

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Just as he said he would do, Stormy followed Drake into the fray, Guardian Barriers hanging off of his wrists. He was made magically slower by them, reducing him to a quick jog where Drake could move at a solid sprint. He flicked his wrists, and the shields flew off in the direction Linqian's limp body laying on the ground, Vashti had surely done a number on her, even with whatever spell that was. He didn't think Linqian would be so stupid as to go in without some sort of contingency, but still, the shields hovered over her body to shade her from the rain, and from whatever someone else might try to do in the short span.

Stormy's eyes flicked over to Lila... And there was something wrong about her. She had wings, claws. And those feathers... They tugged at his mind while she flew off behind the house. They were resplendent, radiant like something for which Stormy had no name, he- No, that wasn't right. Something in the back of his mind wasn't really saying that, so much as it was being tugged at. He blinked his eyes shut for a moment, and that oddity was the thing that solidified his plan. When Stormy finally closed the gap between himself and Drake, sully and Luca, green sparks were arching off of his hand. It was as if Drake had electrocuted his fist and made the lightning green, as Stormy's Witchveil aura was ready to be distributed

"You've got fifteen minutes before that wears off," he said to Drake, who was radiating the green smoke of the Phantombane aura. He looked up at the giant abomination that others were no doubt hiding behind. "Sully- You should be able to move Linqian with this. Take it, it'll boost your emotional field and make whatever spell that is affect you less, or not all." He held out a crackling ball of green energy. If Sully took it, he'd be granted a hefty dose of extra magical resistance. "Just be careful when it wears off."

”The person who created the undead creature isn’t there,” Luca said to the two of them, glancing over at Linqian’s prone body. Shit, was she even breathing? Drake could probably just run in there but… maybe if he shared a bit of what he knew it would help. ”She’s probably… behind that ice wall. And it won’t matter how much you hurt it, because Carol will just keep healing it. She,” Luca pointed to Maya, ”has sound manipulation and can shoot sand at people. She has range, so be careful. You know what Emily and George can do… I don’t know the other two, they joined after I left.”

Luca wasn't looking so good, but at least Sully had him. "Drake's faster, he can get in and out of that camp they've got... Drake- You'll be safe from Adjoined and Apparitions as long as you're only there for fifteen minutes. Fly out if you need a renew-" Stormy said, thinking quickly.

”But we need to…” he trailed off, grimacing. He didn’t want to suggest this, because of the six here, Carol was the only one he cared about. But he also cared about people on this side. ”Get Carol away from the creature.”

Stormy considered something... "What is she? Abberant?"

”Yup, Abberant, it's the,” Luca gestured to his own stomach, ”hourglass fused to her. No Apparition.”

"Agent, right. Okay- You and Sully need to get the hell out of here. Odds are good that this homunculus is an Abominable, an Abberant like her. Meaning you don't want to be near me when I use this-" In his free hand, Stormy conjured up a green mote of light that shone like a miniature sun. Just being in its presence, Sully and Luca might feel... Uneasy. As if they were overstaying their welcome in a place that didn't want them. That would be the Consecration aura. As for how he planned on using it ... "I won't use it until you're clear, but go. I'll try to cover you both while you get out, but I need to get in there and help Lila with Vashti."

This was Stormy's plan: Protect the others as best he could while he wasn't right over their shoulders. This was going to be complicated, but there were enough moving parts that this could go from checkers to chess if they just played it right.

Interactions: Sloane @Atrophy

Kari's House

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They were all out, and the phantom on the window snapped out of existence to rest. One Amara was outside, she was going to follow up on what Sloane said, but Lynn took off running. "She's got that covered, it seems." Looking around, this day had gone to shit. It was raining like a biblical flood and the red hellfire wasn't feeling like getting extinguished. There was that camp 8th Street had established, and the fleshy monster. The phantoms around Amara began to speak aloud.

"A forward camp and a dreadnought on the field, chosen marks run while they prattle," they both said in unison, with haunting feminine voices. "The move is yours, Soldier."

"Full rank, on me. You get to the car and grab the Beretta from the trunk. Form Seven, GO!"

One of the phantoms nodded silently, turned and blitzed off into the trees in a dead sprint. Three more appeared in a cloud of distorted air, where the rain bent around the fabric of reality. One minute there was empty space, the next, those phantoms were simply there. They observed their environments with the body language of predators.

"We're finding Lila and we're making sure those fuckers don't get what they want. Sloane-" She quickly turned around to the woman who cast some spell to distract the Flesh Monster. "Unless you plan on sticking around for the glory of the fight," she started, with obvious sarcasm at the notion, "This phantom will help get you out. Stick with it, and you and me can communicate back and forth whatever choice you make. Delegate to it, and you follow her orders like mine-" She pointed a finger at the phantom, who simply nodded.

"Phantoms!" All three of them snapped around to their living counterpart, like cadets saluting an admiral, "Forward!"

With that, Amara and her squad of three ghostly warriors took off into the rain, looking for Lila. All the while, one of them remained with Sloane. Its hands folded behind its back with something like diplomatic bearing. "Make your choice, miss Faris."

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

I redid character relations for Jack and Stormy

Amara can go fuck herself with a phantom for now

Jack’s Thoughts and Regrets

Britney.Williams
"You know what must be done." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Britney was something of a mentor figure for Jack. In the old coven, he learned countless things about the paranormal and the greater All-Verse from her. Britney was one of the first people he met after appearing in St. Portwell, and one of his oldest friends. He respected her beyond words. Jack couldn’t possibly imagine who he’d be without her guidance back in the day. On the day of his departure from Shimmer, Britney was there to see him go. He promised her that he would come back, and Jack kept his word. When her secret got out, Jack was terribly conflicted. What she did was appalling to him, but rather than defend her, he tried to be objective. Jack argued that, rather than throw her out, Britney should’ve looked for a way to undo her mistake. It didn’t work out, and he understood everyone’s anger enough to respect it. He hopes she’ll make amends now that everyone has come back. Reza deeply respected Britney. He did not live long enough to learn about her misdeeds, but he admired her for the knowledge she had. And any friend of Jack’s was a friend of his. Somewhere out there beyond the realm of the living, Reza’s soul is at peace knowing someone like her was trusted with the Noble Vow.
Alizée.Altieri
"You will be remembered, my friend." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack and Alizee were close friends as kids. Their abilities made them kindred spirits in a way, and even after the coven disbanded, she occasionally managed to contact Jack while he was outside the All-Verse. He deeply regrets not being there in her final moments, and has silently vowed to remove the Wolfpack from the face of the earth in revenge. In the old coven, he tried to do everything in his power to help her, and argue in her favor when people questioned her place in things. Reza was an empathetic shoulder for her to cry on. He knew that Alizee never truly wanted to hurt anyone, and stepped up to help reign her in as gently as possible when the Void Heart got the better of her.
Linqian.Han
"You were more than just his shadow." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Despite what Linqian thinks of herself and her contributions to the old coven, Jack respected what she did. He respected Jinhai as one of the coven’s more knowledgeable members, but never at Linqian’s expense. Her magic was more helpful than she realized, and he was always quick to point that out when she doubted herself. Jack feels remorse at the fact that Jinhai was killed, and hopes he can do something to make her life easier. Reza always appreciated Linqian’s energy. Even if she was always a sparky bitch in human form, he sympathized with that. Especially when they faced death every day. Reza saw in Jinhai the same things he thought were Jack’s better qualities, and was always glad to talk strategy with him. He always managed to keep up, making sure his efforts weren’t wasted.
Luca.Oliviera
"If she will not face you, then I will do it myself." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	They didn’t talk terribly often in the old coven, but Jack was sympathetic toward Luca. Not being able to touch people out of fear is a heavy burden to bear, even heavier after it was discovered that Britney caused it. He was exhibit A to Jack’s case that Britney should’ve fixed things back then, rather than simply leave in exile. Seeing the way he lives now, weak and frail as he is, Jack wants to do for Luca what Britney can’t bring herself to do. Reza didn’t give a damn about the Rot. Anytime Luca brought it up, Reza would tell him that the Rot wouldn’t stand a chance against his sword, and rightfully so. Even when it cost him precious days in a makeshift infirmary, Reza made sure Luca wasn’t lonely.
Sloane.Faris
"I disappointed you, and I cannot undo that." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack’s relationship with Sloane in the old coven was one of formality. He was an ally to her, even when it was discovered she was hoarding a veritable armory. But Jack liked to see her as a friend, as he did many people in the old coven. Barring the way she looked at Reza’s sword with a hint of avarice, he never had a problem with her obsession. After a drunken conversation with her recently, though, Jack fears the notion is nothing more than delusion on his part. He wants to make things right with her, and he cannot help but admire the lengths she went to in the name of protecting their home. He wanted to do that himself as a kid, before the coven disbanded, and the fact that he didn't hangs over Jack’s head when he thinks of Sloane. Reza understood why she hoarded artifacts. As someone who wielded a powerful sword against an army of monsters, Reza saw the value in that. He gave her a respectful amount of space when she asked for it, and gave Sloane warmth in return for even the slightest crumb of vulnerability she demonstrated.
Tayla.Choi
"Ask, and I’ll do what I can for you. But go home, this doesn’t need to be your fight." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack didn’t interact with Tayla very often. They were in different social circles. He fully understood why she distanced herself from the coven, and doesn’t blame her for it. Reza didn’t interact with her much, if at all in the old coven. But he almost never had a poor thing to say abo it anyone, and she wouldn’t have been any different.
"Edict".Devola
"You might be a criminal, but you are our criminal." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	There are battles fought on open ground, and there are those who work behind closed doors. Jack could never deny the contributions Grayson made to the coven, even if his methods were underhanded. They were fighting a monster that threatened to destroy Shimmer, what difference did it make if the guns they used were missing their serial numbers? Jack has always had a formal respect for him, insofar as one could when interacting with a criminal elite like him. But like a loaded gun, Jack is keeping an eye on him, hoping that open arms are enough to prevent him from causing problems. He remember the time Grayson and Drake beat the fuck out of each other, and watched with amusement. Reza and Grayson were in different social circles around the old coven. He was initially hesitant of working alongside Grayson thanks to his “connections,” but he warmed up to the guy after he saw what was behind that mask.
Drake.Blackmore
"You haven't changed in the slightest, have you?" _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack and Drake constantly poked fun at one another back in the old coven. One might think they couldn't get along, but deep down, there was nothing but mutual respect. Drake's humorous nature and hero complex reflected a lot of what he saw in Reza, which meant he gravitated towards him. They fought side by side on the battlefield occasionally, and Jack can recall getting his ass kicked a few times by Drake, who was always better in a fight than him. He still respects Drake, even after what he did to Sloane. Though, he strongly wishes he would apologize to her, watching him squirm at the thought of facing Sloane feels like pulling teeth. Reza liked Drake a lot, and even got into a few sword fights with him. He empathized with Drake's drive to always be the good guy, who saves the day and fucks up evil. Reza liked to believe he was no different, he even had his own magic sword. Drake was always high up on his list of friends, even if everyone was on it by default.
"Sully".McPherson
"Would it kill you to keep watch over the Chalice more carefully?" _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack didn’t talk to Sully much. He never partied with him, or Drake, or the other more aloof members of the old coven. He was too busy pouring over books and tracking the Stygian Snake to stop and enjoy such a thing. But he always understood Sully to be a respectable person, if a bit of a dumbass from time to time. Reza got along well with him. He always appreciated Sully’s aloof demeanor and the efforts he went to in the effort to liven things up back then. He often tried to drag Jack off to those parties, to no avail.
Leon.Richoux
"Just… Leave me be. For now." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	For reasons Jack can’t fully recall, he never liked being around Leon much. He was cordial to him, and to his family, but that was always a matter of necessity. The Temple had knowledge and resources that the Sycamore did not. But there was always something factoring into it that prevented Jack from really connecting with them. The memories of what that factor was have been lost to the Void. Even now, Jack feels apprehensive when around anyone affiliated with the Temple. Despite this, Jack can’t bring himself to actually be anything less than respectful towards Leon. In the decade that Jack was absent from Shimmer, Leon and the Temple gave Alizee a home. They filled a rift that he left behind, and he can never change that. Reza tried to support Leon during the severing of his Lux. He tried to convince Leon that they could’ve sealed Lady Lelou into something else, but he ultimately chose to back him up on principle. He was one of them, and it was his right to go through with it, so Reza was on his side for the sealing, and stayed in his corner when people got on his ass for it.
Stormy.Carson
"Forgive yourself, even if the dead would not." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack certainly owes his life to Stormy no less than many of the surviving members of the coven. The two never interacted very often, beyond the few times they were on the battlefield together. He remembers the occasional all-nighter where he, Stormy and some other members were gathered around, and Stormy admitted to feeling like he wasn’t good enough. He remembers Stormy blaming himself for many of the deaths that he couldn’t prevent. Jack wasn’t close enough to him to console him, but he hopes that Stormy managed to work through it all. Reza was right there at Stormy’s side, along with Drake and the other frontliners of the old coven. He always felt safer knowing Stormy was there, and though Stormy is unlikely to admit it, Reza saved his ass in return a few times back then.
Anya.Baksh
"Iron sharpens iron. " _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Anya was one of the few people Jack considered to be magically on par with him, in terms of skill with adept magic. In sharing his insights with countless covenmates, Anya was no different. They would often bristle against one another’s egos in a way that pushed them both to improve their spell books. He didn’t mind her cold demeanor towards anyone, so long as she didn’t point that attitude at Reza. Even if the feeling isn’t entirely mutual, Jack considers her a friend, and holds Anya in high regard. Reza interacted with Anya regularly, as a sort of third wheel when she was up to magical antics with Jack. Given her similarities to Jack, Reza was openly friendly to her, and kept her boundaries in mind. He valued her opinion on matters of the paranormal, due to her competency.
Evelynn.Serenelight
"Even a broken clock is correct twice a day." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack and Lynn weren’t very close, but he always kept her predictions in mind when she gave them. Even if she turned out to be wrong, he thought it was better to be aware of other possibilities than to be caught off guard by them. He did think it was crazy of her to get in fights without a more offensive form of magic, but he didn’t scold her for it. Reza valued Lynn’s predictions heavily, always asking for her input in things when he had the chance. He knew she wasn’t always accurate, but her insight helped enough times to matter.
Lila.Blackwood
"The greatest war is the one within, and you remain. Be proud of that." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack and “Michael” didn’t see much of one another, but he always appreciated the support, both magically and emotionally. Seeing Lila now, he feels that he can relate to her in a sense; Grappling with alienation, feeling unwelcome in this world, and not leaving in spite of it. He chooses to look out for Lila, because she is family. He believes she’ll appreciate something that he’s been thinking about lately, after he talks about it with Kenshiro first. To Reza, those birds were a damn lifesaver. Having a whole flock of warning sirens when the coast seemed clear was a godsend, and he always like “Michael’s” personality. If he lived to see Lila discover herself, he would’ve been so damn proud of her.
Jasper.Wilde
"I am glad that you returned as well." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Though their time together was brief compared to other members of the coven, Jack got along well with Jasper. His paint-based constructs were fascinating to him, and he once tried to take inspiration from them for his own magic. It didn’t work, but Jack still managed to relate to Jasper mostly through their magical abilities. He was understanding when Jasper left early on, before a lot of the worse things happened. Reza didn’t get many opportunities to talk with Jasper. He left early, and by the time the snake was dead, Reza had been killed.
Adora.Phoenix-Prescott
I remember who you were before we found that ring, and who you were despite its power. It does not define you. _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Adora’s constant nagging towards the other members of the coven did very little to affect him. Jack wasn’t prone to getting worked up about someone telling him off for sleeping late after a night of study. They didn’t interact much, since they were in different fields of the coven’s operations. But he respected how she gave the snake hell long enough for him to slip into the shadows and follow the bastard. Despite what she thinks of him now, Jack feels a sense of kinship with Adora. They both lost someone very important to them, on the same day, to the Stygian Snake. Reza was a frontliner like Adora, and jumped into the fray with her alongside Clementine and Vanessa regularly. Her stern attitude didn’t do much to deter him from liking her.
Layla.Hyacinthus
"One day, you will understand." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	As much as the coven was home for Jack, he wasn’t a big fan of it being a home for someone her age. Yes, they were all kids, but she was the youngest of them all. It was just cruel to get her involved in all of that. Ten years later, he sees a figment of Alizee in the girl, and that troubled Jack deeply. Even after the Void Heart was done away with, Jack worries that she isn’t truly past it, and wants to steer Layla away from that as best he can. Reza didn’t talk to her much, and for good reason. He was a front line fighter, so he didn’t have many chances to interact with Layla at such a young age.
Luna.Inoue
"Be grateful I left before I changed my mind." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Before Inoue’s secret got out Jack didn’t have much of an opinion of her, one way or another. She always seemed nice in a forced kind of way, but he assumed that was just how Inoue was. After he found out that she was trying to poach members for her little mafia, Jack heavily considered stalking Inoue until he found her conspirators, and dealing with them before they became a problem. He decided against that, expecting her to “fall off,” as it were. How wrong he was. Reza did not live long enough to discover Inoue true intentions, so he always knew her as a considerate, sweet girl who tried a bit too hard to get on his good side.
Aislin.Rose
"Still waters run deep, when one looks beneath the surface." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Where others saw little more than a naive idealist in Austin, Jack saw a survivor. It was a rare thing to survive an attack from Alizee, rarer still to put it aside for the greater good. Jack appreciated her demeanor, even when it could have gotten her in trouble. Though he worried for her, he could never deny that Aislin was good for the soul of the coven. Reza and Aislin were like the sun and the stars. They gravitated to one another due to the things they had in common. Most notably of them was their bright personalities.
Kenshiro.Murakin
"I find it poetic that the two of us stumbled upon one another. You’ll always be welcome to join my in my travels, friend." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack and Kenshiro were close. Even after he had left Shimmer behind for the mysteries of the Void, Jack would occasionally return home and pay Kenshiro a visit at his home in Japan. Ken’s family may have been nosy about his Voidwalk spell, but he managed to keep it a secret. The two kept contact for quite some time, swapping stories about the things they had seen from their interdimensional travels. Jack has had a few things on his mind lately that he thinks Ken will be especially receptive of. Reza and Ken learned from one another in the same way Jack and Anya did. Reza was a master of the sword thanks to the Noble Vow, and Ken was a master of combat thanks to his upbringing. They sparred back and forth, sharpening one another’s skills enough that Reza jokingly called him the “ninja master” a time or two.
Ayrin/Aaron.Thorne
"I have not the faintest idea what this “Kamehameha” is that you speak of… Unless you are referring to the first king of Hawaii." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack got along well with them, and often called them by their last name out consideration for their identity. Aaron/Ayrin saved Jack’s life a time or two, and as a fellow member of the Rainbow Mafia (no one called it that), they were good friends. Even if Jack never could get into the whole anime thing. Jack owes his life to Ayrin, who found him when he was on death’s door and unable to teleport away to safety. Reza was utterly fascinated by their magic, and hung out with both Aaron and Ayrin whenever possible. They gave the Stygian Snake hell together on the battlefield.
Amara.King
"Welcome home." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack and Amara weren’t particularly close, but they worked together in a practical sense to keep an eye on the Stygian Snake. She was one of the coven’s masterminds, and he contributed to the information she had for planning around its minions. Beyond that, they didn’t talk very often. Reza and Amara often stuck around one another to plot strategies. They worked together well, and occasionally saw each other at one of the parties that Sully put together.
The.Void.Heart
"Wretched monster... It is a miracle and a tragedy you survived as long as you did." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jack never had a nice thing to say about the Void Heart. At least, nothing nice to say that wasn’t a bold-faced lie. He’s glad they finally got rid of that thing. The Void Heart was one of the few “members” that actually tested Reza’s patience. Nevertheless, he never mouthed off to him, and remained cordial.
Saskia.Otten
"In these halls of longing night, under stars long gone from our sight; Here we find our hallowed peace, and find tomorrow's eternal light... You are missed, old friend." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Saskia meant much to Jack. They were equally gloomy and edgy dramatic in a similar way. He got on well with her, and they were good friends. On some evenings when he wasn't expecting to track the Stygian Snake through the All-Verse, the two of them could be found tucked away in the coven's lair, making dark music together. Reza would be there, and they'd invite Ella and Lisa when they had the chance. If the future turned out differently, they might've made a longer running habit out of that... But then she got herself killed. Her death was like Reza's, in a way. It made a rift in Jack that couldn't be filled by anything, and it shaped who he became after the war was over.

Stormy's Memories and Nightmares

Britney.Williams
"Trusting you is my decision. Proving me wrong is yours." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	In the old coven, Stormy didn't talk to Britney often. Most of their conversations took place when Stormy was looking for resources on yellow Lux, to better protect those around him. She was helpful in that, but he was able to learn a lot on his own, so their interactions were limited. But once her secret got out, he was more furious than anyone had every seen to this day. Stormy was one of the loudest voices in favor of exiling Britney, and did what he could to try and undo her disasters by attempting to seal some of the Apparitions she adjoined to people. Most were simply too strong to be ripped away, and only a few were helped. But this only cemented the decision to never see her again in his mind. During the reunion, he damn near ground Britney into the dust. The moment he laid eyes on her, he saw red and had to force himself back into the present. Stormy has made the decision to give Britney a second chance, and to be the better person so she can redeem herself. There isn’t much connecting them emotionally at the moment, but the possibility is there.
Alizée.Altieri
"I was there. I should have done more." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy wasn't close to Alizee, but he did try to reign her in a few times in the old coven. He sees her dead body in his dreams, and blames himself for not being good enough to keep her alive. All those shields, all that magic, and still someone died on Stormy's watch. He will carry that with him for a long time.
Linqian.Han
"If I hadn't left, maybe he'd still be alive." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Like many people in the old coven, Stormy was around Jinhai a lot more than Linqian, but he never thought less of Jinhai's sister like some people. Stormy is silently a bit nervous that Linqian might be mad at him for leaving, since he was the one with all the protection spells that could've theoretically saved Jinhai's life.
Luca.Oliviera
"Try it again, Rot. I dare you." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy often stepped in to help Luca deal with his parasite. Even though it was too strong to remove, he managed to prevent the bastard from doing something stupid a time or two. He was also adamantly in Luca's corner when people started talking about Britney's actions. He considers Luca a dear friend, and will do anything it takes to get rid of the Rot for good.
Sloane.Faris
"It's not easy holding up the world, is it?" _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	When the coven disbanded, Stormy left with the hope that he could leave all the weights he carried behind. The coven was home to him, and without it, he was nothing. Not the protector who saved people, but the transient, sulking kid who didn't have anything. Coming back, he somewhat envies Sloane's ability to shrug everything off. He respects her actions in the interest of keeping St. Portwell safe, and it reminds him of who he was when they were all young. He chooses to be respectful towards Sloane, and won't hesitate to offer his help when she needs.
Tayla.Choi
"Get behind me." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Tayla's vulnerability worries Stormy. Even if he could protect her with magic just like everyone else, she's on the fringe. Tayla isn't in the throes of the new coven's planning, and that makes it harder to get to her. He thinks she needs to get in commit or get out for her own safety. But regardless, he'll do what he can for her on principle. She was and still is Sycamore to him.
"Edict".Devola
"I tried to develop an anti-pink Lux spell once. Maybe I'll test it on you sometime if I remember where I put it." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy always felt suspicious of Greyson. His smooth-move demeanor and shady background set off alarms in his head. Stormy always kept him at arm's length, but couldn't deny that he was important. Eventually, he learned to tolerate him, despite their differences. Seeming him now reminds him of the resources Greyson was able to provide to everyone, and is actually glad he's back.
Drake.Blackmore
"We'll find him. Trust me." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy and Drake were there together when Jade nearly got killed. He saved Drake's ass and cleared the path, then carried the wounded back to safety… The wounded who might not have been wounded if it weren’t for Drake. He is an old friend to Stormy, and one of the reasons he considered the Sycamore the only real family he could ever have. He understood Drake's reckless actions during the battle, even if they were still reckless. Stormy did a lot of reckless things for the sake of others as well.
"Sully".McPherson
"To the old days." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Sully is a true blood brother to Stormy. On the battlefield, the two of them dragged countless coven members from death's door with shields and gallons of healing elixir. But it wasn't always that simple. When Stormy first came to the coven, he couldn't even look Sully in the eye, the Chalice reminded him of the very reason he kindled in the first place. For months, he avoided Sully like the plague, averse to the alcohol-fueled parties he threw. But eventually, Stormy came around, and Sully showed him that there was more to reveling than addiction and violence. And for that, he's eternally grateful to him.
Leon.Richoux
"If she gives you trouble, you know where to find me." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy worked to stop Leon during the rampage he went on during the old days. He believed wholeheartedly that it wasn't Leon's fault, but still thought he was crazy to have Lelou sealed within himself. He got along well with Leon, and boxed with him when they had the chance. He got good at throwing hands with Apparitions by throwing hands with the biggest man around, who could clock anyone into a three hour nap if they weren't quick enough. Stormy respects him, both for being brave enough to be the cage for a monster like Lelou and for knocking him the fuck out when they were kids.
Stormy.Carson
"I’ve got a bad feeling about you. Like you left something in the Void when you came back." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	The only times Jack and Stormy interacted were when they incidentally crossed paths in a library, or when he needed a quick teleport to the front lines. He always seemed… Odd to Stormy. Especially after the disaster that was the Void Heart’s sealing. Being in that house weirded him out, and he wondered how someone could live like that for a decade.
Anya.Baksh
"I don't know how you can be that apathetic, but enjoy it while it lasts." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy and Anya had very little reasons to interact. She was virtually never on the battlefield, so they didn't see each other much. Occasionally, he bumped into her when he was studying yellow Lux, and they traded notes when they had a reason to. Aside from that, they're mostly strangers.
Evelynn.Serenelight
"Even with the knowledge you could give us, I still failed." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy considered Lynn's predictions to be incredibly important. It was the best they could do, short of sticking every white Lux user in a room and telling them to be on call 24/7. Sure, she might've been wrong a few times, but even the occasional accurate prediction saves lives that would have been lost otherwise. Stormy sometimes feels guilty about the fact that he couldn't always capitalize on that information.
Lila.Blackwood
"I'll break Emily in half if she comes near you again." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy went out of his way to stand in Emily’s way when she would harass Lila. As kids, Lila would always be safe around him, and Stormy even punched Babylon in the face once… He had to get a healer to regrow all the skin on his hand, but it was worth it. Stormy is a little worried that Lila might look at him differently after his talk with the PRA.
Jasper.Wilde
"I thought you were gone for good, but I’m glad to be wrong." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Jasper left early, and Stormy stayed until the very end. He always liked Jasper as a person, and made sure to keep up with him when they were all young. Though, it wasn’t easy to juggle that alongside preventing people from dying, so they inevitably fell out of contact well before the big battle happened. He’s happy to see that Jasper is alive and well.
Adora.Phoenix-Prescott
If you want to blame someone, then blame me. I wasn’t strong enough, and it wasn’t your fault. I couldn’t save her, and it was my responsibility to save everyone. _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy was there when Lisa was killed. Along with every other frontline fighter the coven could throw at the Stygian Snake. He tried to push back against the tide of monsters, but it wasn’t enough. Stormy always had a good opinion of Adora even though they weren’t the closest. To him, Lisa was just one more face in a huge list of deaths that Stormy holds himself personally responsible for, but her death wasn’t any less impactful.
Layla.Hyacinthus
"You’re really not making this easy on us." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Sure, they were all kids. But Layla was ten fucking years old. Stormy made it clear he didn’t think Layla should’ve been in the coven at all. There wasn’t much to say to her back then, so Stormy didn’t see her very often. But now that she’s back, he hopes she can look out for herself.
Luna.Inoue
"You were warned. Don’t come back." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy wants nothing to do with her. Period. When her secret got out in the old coven, he practically demanded she be exiled. They had enough problems already, and a gang of organized criminals wasn’t one of them. When Drake caught her stalking them during the incident at Kari’s home, he tried to be thoughtful and let her explain. But he didn’t buy anything Luna said, so Stormy doesn’t trust her.
Aislin.Rose
"I wish more people could be that carefree about the world." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Aislin worried Stormy with her idealistic attitude. He appreciated it, but he had to shield people from a demigod on a regular basis, so there was a point where it had to give way to realism. He had no problems with her, and is glad she’s still alive.
Kenshiro.Murakin
"Kari was a lucky woman, we’ll avenge her. I promise." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Stormy always appreciated Kenshiro’s contributions to the coven. As an adept with formal training, he knew things a bunch of kids never would, and it saved their asses. He’s glad Ken came home, maybe now they’ll be a few more level heads in the new coven… Maybe.
Ayrin/Aaron.Thorne
"You. Me. Leon. Adora. Like old times." _______________________________________________ ...................................................................	Similar to Leon, Ayrin kicked Stormy’s ass a lot early in on the days of the old coven. He always liked their vibe, and almost punched Babylon in the face a second time when Emily and George came around to bully them. They were good friends, and he’s relieved that there’s another defense-oriented adept around who can tank a hit or two.

SPIRITUM

---

An explosion seemed adequate in dealing with these machines. Silje's barrier contained it enough to make an interesting death for the one that Morden had tossed into the mist pocket. Sure enough, more of them were dying thanks to Val and Gerard, and of course Justice and Kalina ere already on the retreat. Morden was more than just a meat shield, he had a functioning brain in that impossibly thick skull of his. He knew when they were outmatched- One off-duty squad versus an unknown number of these things, all of which were in different conditions. The odds didn't favor them, so Morden started off to cover the retreat. As more of the machines rose from the wreckage, he swiftly moved to clobber them. Less to harm them, more to keep them on the backfoot as others ran off to grab the truck, especially since there was a hostage and-or diplomatic figure in tow with them now. The princess was on that airship...

Were they intent on a fake negotiation?

Morden quickly hopped in at the rear end of the truck, in case something caught up to them and he had to jump back out to beat something silly.

"Go!"

Parahumans: Earth Drega

Richter heeded Shattercrash's words with just the slightest pause.

Ironsides was tough, to be sure, but even the strongest metals had a breaking point. And with his power, finding what that point was and taking advantage of it would be a breeze. Briefly, he wondered what would happen to the person under all of that metal once he started destroying it—if there even was one. He never bothered to ask whether the transformation was just skin deep or more extensive, but it was too late for that. He had no intention of stopping now regardless. It still begged the question though—would he be able to take Ironsides down without killing or crippling him if it was the latter? Probably not; he didn't have that much confidence in his control. But even if he did fail, what would it matter? It wasn't like the guy didn't deserve it.

Sucks to suck.

Despite his morbid thoughts, Richter didn't pause in his advance. He moved quickly, taking advantage of the fact that Ironsides was still off-balance from Shattercrash's attack and ignoring the ground shaking beneath his feet. It didn't affect him, after all. With his left arm outstretched, his fingertips almost made contact with the mercenary's costume.

He felt it disintegrate beneath his touch, falling apart into a billion minuscule pieces, and he grinned. That feeling was always a bit of a rush. It almost made it worth it. Almost.

Now, for the rest of him.

Ironsides was not alarmed by the sight of his Liquid Metal going up in fragments. Quite the opposite, in fact. Rather, he laughed at Richter, and swung his arms in the boy’s direction. Sure enough, there was a gaping hole in the liquid that was quickly being filled in as more was generated. Blobs of the stuff sloshed off of his arms into the air, threatening to rain down onto Richter.

Meanwhile, Shattercrash was running around the back to flank Ironsides.

Decree’s voice suddenly blared to life on the public address system the moment Ironsides was about to swing his arms.

"Throw a left hook to the boy’s left side!" Boomed the disembodied voice.

It would be rather easy for Richter to work out, through how Decree’s power worked, that this would cause Ironsides to subconsciously attack in the same manner as her words. In essence, she was giving them a running forecast of all of Ironsides’ attacks. Even if Ironsides tried to resist, he’d have to take time to think of a new attack, and those valuable few moments would give them a window.

Decree continued to watch the fight from the monitors in the teller’s office, taking note of Shattercrash’s change of position, and that Richter’s attacks were making metal rain down. That could be trouble.

Well, that was less than effective.
Ironsides might have been covered in metal, but its liquid nature made actually damaging him more difficult than expected. Richter had never quite gotten the hang of sending vibrations through liquids. It felt weird in a way he couldn’t quite describe. He made a note to rectify that after this. It was a failure on his part to have not done so before.
It was raining metal now. None of it would be able to touch him, but he wasn’t going to take hits he didn’t have to, especially when he wasn’t familiar with the properties of Ironsides power. Richter bobbed and weaved between the rain of liquid metal to avoid getting hit, a slight grimace of annoyance on his face. It seemed as if half-hearted attacks wouldn’t work here; he had to hit him harder. And that meant he needed to get closer again.
Easier said than done.
A sudden voice almost made him lose focus, but Ironsides wasn’t as lucky. For some reason, he was following what the voice said. It was as if–[i]oh[i]. So, that’s what it was like in action. Interesting.
Well, scratch that last thought, then. Decree intervened at the perfect time.
The mercenary’s swing went wide, missing Richter by a mile and giving him the chance to counter, which he took without hesitation. This time he made sure to aim higher.
He should’ve gone for the head in the first place.
Ironsides was smarter than that. As his fist went left, the back of his hand went right in a heavy, power-supported bitchslap. He took a wide step forward, and Richter’s strike ended up hitting Ironsides in the chest, right as his massive hand was closing in to smack him silly.

This was the point when a quick flare of violet light shone behind him, as Shattercrash leapt into the air to drive her foot into the villain’s temple. Rather than clock Richter into the ground, his strike went over the boy’s head.

Decree’s brow furrowed as she watched the monitor. He took her command in stride. Of course, they were dealing with pros, after all. She needed to think bigger. A choice that would give them a more tangible advantage if telegraphed. She pressed the intercom button again.

"Turn to face the girl behind you."

Sure enough, Ironsides stopped dead a hair before his hand made contact with Richter’s face. His body twisted around and his face met a neon-glowing knee to the face.

Bits of liquified metal splattered outwards, and Ironsides barely flinched.

Shattercrash, not fully balanced, was smacked like a balloon and hurtled into a wall. There was a flash of pink light that cushioned her impact slightly and allowed her to fall in one piece.

”You kids really think you’re something, don’t you?” He asked, taunting them.
Richter barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes at Ironsides’s words. These types were always fond of running their mouths, especially when someone like him was involved.
His hands snapped upwards, clutching the mercenary’s wrist. Solid or otherwise, everything had a breaking point. He hadn’t been able to find Ironsides’ before, but Decree’s most recent intervention gave him the chance. Now in direct contact with his “body“, Richter had an easier time with things, sending vibrations from palm to palm, bouncing them back and forth to intensify them by the moment. His mind ran through all the necessary calculations, adjusting his field all the while.
It didn’t usually take this long to find something’s resonance frequency, but then, he’d never fought someone made of liquid metal before either.
Decree felt her whole body tense as she watched the fight unfold. Had Richter got him? Was it over? Had she helped?
Metal splattered onto the walls and sprayed everywhere as it was ripped apart, leaving their surroundings defaced. Richter got him good with that one, but he would be able to realize quite quickly that Ironsides’ protection had an ablative element to it. In simpler terms, the more he destroyed, the more appeared, like the neck of a hydra. It was as if there was no end to the silvery substance that Ironsides’ power could produce, and all of it seemed to slither inwards and around Richter’s hands.
Even as it did so, it was being eaten away at an alarming rate, while more of it coalesced into a puddle at their feet.
One could hear the smile in his voice. ”Bad move, brat.”
In the blink of an eye, the two fell through the puddle of metal. To Richter, it would feel like being dragged deep underwater. There was nothing but a pale void around him, and not an atom of oxygen to breathe. Yet just as that became a problem, Richter would find himself flying back to reality again, dragged out by Ironsides. They had been teleported through one metal puddle to another, only a few feet away from their starting point. And they were falling.
Ironsides slammed Richter into the floor, propelled by the force of travelling through the puddles.
Shattercrashed charged to knock Ironsides off of him, but he flicked his wrist and tripped her over with a splash of metal.
Decree’s voice caught in her throat. What should she say? Nothing was going the way she imagined. Every command she’d tried so far, Ironsides had been able to take in stride. She needed to think. There must be something she could say right now that wouldn’t make things worse. She tried to rack her brain, but she was too panicked to hold a train of thought for more than a second.
”You heroes don’t get it. Do you?” Isonsides asked. ”You can’t beat people like me.”
Well, shit.
This was bad.
Richter knew this would be a pain. Fighting someone who wanted to kill him with no weapons and barely any intel was a plan doomed to fail from the start.
The metal coating Ironsides seemed to have no end to it. It flowed over his hands even as it was being ripped apart, and he tried not to think about what would have happened if his field wasn’t there. It kept the mercenary from actually touching him, but that didn’t stop his head from ringing when he was slammed into the floor from nearly a full storey up.
Cyka!
Despite everything, Richter wasn’t overly shaken. He wasn’t out for the count just yet either; he still had a few tricks up his sleeve, and while he was never one to rush results, he might not have a choice. He didn’t particularly fancy trying some of the options he was considering. Especially since one of them would probably–no, definitely kill most everyone in the building, so that was right out. For now.
Well.... if it came down to kill or be killed, all bets were off, though. What was a little pain if it meant walking out alive?
This whole hero thing didn’t suit him, anyway.
In spite of himself, Richter couldn’t help but clench his teeth and roll his eyes at Ironsides’s little tirade. Kids this, heroes that. He must have really liked the sound of his own voice. So annoying.
“Do you ever shut up?”
Anyway, it was time for him to do something about this situation he found himself in. Richter raised his left arm above his head, fingers extended and palm flat, and with barely a second of thought, a series of high-frequency vibrations started around the edge of his hand. At first glance, it appeared as if his hand was vibrating. Of course, that wasn’t exactly the case; such a thing was still a bit beyond him. All he was doing was using some applied physics he’d only ever seen once. In a videogame.
What was that game’s name again? Ah, whatever, he’d figure it out later.
He brought it down to sever the mercenary’s hand at the wrist with a speed that surprised even him.
Silver mixed with red, and bits of what was probably armor. Richter’s vibration chop did something. But unfortunately, the hand was still attached.
Ironsides howled, and it was like a bear roaring. With his other hand, he slugged Richter across the face, grabbed him by the throat, and flung him into the wall.
”If you’re going to fight in this city, then you better have something stronger than that!” He shouted, his damaged hand going limp. ”You’re weak! You’re just kids! Go home, run to your families and forget about this! What makes you think you have a chance against people like me?!”
”Because we said so.”
Ironsides almost didn’t register that voice. He almost didn’t turn around, but then he recognized it a split second later. And his blood ran cold all of a sudden. It couldn’t be.
The metallic giant turned around and laid eyes on a cape in solid steel armor evocative of knights. Gleaming gold crested his shoulders in the shape of palisades, trailing down to gauntlets that looked like they were sculpted from the scales of dragons. Spikes jutted out from his boots, which were wrapped up in a strange, warm glow.
He wore a helmet that had only darkness behind its visor, wreathed in a crown of swooping lines. Hanging off of his shoulders was a cape of royal blue, tattered and frayed at the ends with battle damage.
Hellstar.
Ironsides didn’t move.
”Hey- Hey now, what are you doing here? They benched you. They- Fuck-“ He took a step back, as Hellstar took a step forward. Then another, and another still.
”Let me make your situation perfectly clear, Ironsides.” He walked forward with ominous serenity, the air in the lobby sparked as his hands swept past it.
”You just tried to kill a Ward of the city, and you’re robbing a bank,” he explained, while Ironsides kept walking back. ”And you’ve seriously pissed me off.”
”Get- Back up, you son of a bitch!” Ironsides barked, and his voice was devoid of all the bravado he had ten seconds ago. ”This doesn’t involve you!”
”It does now.”
”Fuck-Fuck-Fuckfuckfuck-“

Recollections: Under The Sycamore Tree Part. 1

---

Jack saw the creature pop out out a portal and shake the ground with its presence. He saw 8th Street walk out from behind it, too many for most of the coven to realistically take on directly. Far off in the distance, to his left and somewhat behind him, he could see walls of ice rising up as a strange field of energy bisected it. If his memory served, that was Briana's anti-teleportation spell. Jack got fucked over by that a time or two on his tracking runs... Emily was there. Vashti was there, and was about to get slugged by a glowing hot Linqian. Was she fucking insane? Jack had half a mind to drop a Void portal under her feet just to save her from getting dogpiled by that many people.

Instead, he decided to play this smart. If she wanted to bang knuckles with the likes of Babylon and fucking George, then Jack could at least give her some quiet support.

Meanwhile, a roundshield formed over Stormy's wrist like an instinct. He eyed the hulking behemoth and assumed it was some form of Abominable or an Apparition. He didn't recognize some of them, but his attention was grabbed by Luca getting in between them and Britney. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-

"He can't get in there and fight in his-"

The house was on fire before he could even finish his sentence. Stormy flinched as it just started to spontaneously combust, only for Emily to shoot a flaming skull at it. More shields manifested to block any bits of debris or shrapnel that might've been thrown his and Drake's way.

Fuck.

"Drake- Let's go. I'm with you." Ignoring Drake's comment about Luna fighting them, His free hand began to glow the usual green shade of all his auras. "Take this, get in their faces and Emily can't burn you. Do it quick, before they can start throwing more magic out and make it less effective," he said, voice just low enough only he, Sully, Luna and Tayla could hear. "Luca's going to get himself killed and I do not trust Linqian to take on that many people alone, I'll be right behind you." All Drake had to do was tap his hand against Stormy's, and he would be given a Phantombane aura, to help him run into the fray with a bit more insurance.

In the aftermath of that miniature red sun produced by Emily, something appeared. The light emitted from it allowed for something to be manifest in the shadows cast. It was a vague humanoid shape made of darkness, like something from a nightmare. It appeared in a puff of black smoke with a zombie-like gait, and swung a solid fist aimed at Aaron's, a cheap shot at the guy who pulled out a gun. It was supposed to get his attention and distract him, even if only long enough for him to break the trick like glass with a bullet.

Meanwhile, in the upper floor of the house, Amara was in a frenzy. The explosion from Emily's abstraction means the front door and most of the lower floor itself weren't options. She kicked in the only remaining door she hadn't tried, and found Sloane and Lynn minding their own business.

In her hands was a .45 caliber pistol with a hefty suppressor on the end, pointed down to the floor. Red flames, broken pieces of the walls and smoke blazed around her, but she wasn't alone. As she stepped into the door, three ethereal figures in the shape of humanoids filled the room. They were featureless, except for different hairstyles and matching pairs of glowing yellow orbs for eyes. These were the ghostly fighters in the Army of One.

"Stairs are cut off!" she said, holstering her gun and tipping the dresser over. Now on its side, the three of them had an anchor. "Piece of the roof just caved in over them, we'll have to go through the windows! If we're fast, we can get out over the fire... The trees should be fine still!"

One of the phantoms ran over to a dresser, pulled a drawer out and swung it at the window to shatter it. Another swing knocked out extra glass, and a third seemed to satisfy the phantom. Another phantom came over and pulled the curtains off of the window, ripping them in half with the first to knot them into a long rope. The third picked up the now-empty drawer and tied it into weight.

"Give me that-" Amara took the makeshift grappling hook and hooked the hope around the weight in broad loops, knotting them so there were extra ways for it to catch. Amara leaned out the window with the air of a phantom, holding her breath for the smoke, and spun the contraption like a lasso. It caught around the chimney, and she gave the other end to a second phantom, who silently leapt out the window and hung right above the flames. The third phantom ran out, catching the second's hand and slid down to the ground where everyone could see.

"The phantoms are gonna catch you, that one will shield you from the fire for when you drop down, the second is gonna break your fall-" The remaining phantom demonstrated by jumping out, latching onto the hanging phantom. It was tossed further away from the reach of the fire before getting caught in a full body grapple by the one on the ground.

"Go! She can't stay like that for long!" The phantoms were technically undead, but demonic hellfire surely didn't discriminate. It would only be a matter of time before the phantom cooking over the fire, and the rope it hung from, would be burned away. With the stairs and most of the bottom floor going up in flames, they didn't have long.