ic Ink

[Amelia]

Quote

"Mierda. Is everything a sex thing to you people?"

 

Then the door flew open again, and Lady Horus shouted up at her. "Wadjet! Girl, thou wert supposed to guard the stronghold!"

 

When Wadjet spoke, the man in white's head jerked up toward her, and he hissed. When Lady Horus burst through the door into the back alley, he reflexively turned toward her, and hissed again. Both of them got a clear view of his face, at least the parts not obscure by his mask. Inside Doctor Thorne's office, his eyes appeared dark, but normal. Now, the whole of each eyeball was completely black. Twin obsidian orbs glared wildly back and forth at them, open so wide they threatened to pop out of his skull. The veins bulging down the underside of his jaw were also black. His mouth looked too big for his face, taking up the entire bottom half of his head, and it seemed to contain an impossible number of teeth, including canines that had grown to three times their normal length, as had the tongue that absent-mindedly licked a stray trickle of blood from his chin.

 

When the shock of their intrusion passed, he slumped back down, covering his face with hands that seemed too big, fingers that seemed too long, now that attention had been drawn to them. He whispered through his hands. "Don't...don't look. Please don't look."

 

His body dissolved into a plume of fog, which flew into the air and across the Bedlam skyline. Once the man in white and his massive cape were no longer present to obscure them, Lady Horus and Wadjet could see where his fingers had dug holes into the solid asphalt.

 

...

 

Later, near Snacktastic, he touched down and coalesced back into his solid human form beside the other assembled vigilantes.

 

Quote

"Cops shoot girls with guns!" she said as she took shelter behind a parked car before rioters or police alike could spot them. "You want me to shoot 'em?"

 

"No. Covering fire might make it easier for the rest of us to sneak in, but it could also exacerbate an already tenuous situation. You start shooting people, and they'll panic, even it's not with real bullets. Hard to tell the difference when you're on the front line and your blood's already up."

Edited December 13, 2018 by Grumblefloof

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Doctor Thorne

Lacking the powers of the local heroes Rosa had to rely on more mundane transport. The company car looked old and battered, most would assume that it would hardly run, but beneath the hood the mechanics were sound and well maintained. In Bedlam you either looked too tough or not worth the effort to take. They couldn’t hurry either, even in a wreck like this driving to fast could draw the attention of the cops, for obvious reasons, and whilst she didn’t fear them they really didn’t have the time to deal with them. It didn’t help that she had to make sure that the road sign weren’t being affected, luckily Liam knew the city well and acted like her own personal GPS.

 

Finally drawing near the the site she drew the car up and let it idle, she’d had a chance to consider the options about what they’d find and form a plan.

 

“I’m going to try and see if I can detect any magical energies in the area. If it’s a malicious entity it might draw some attention so I suggest you get ready for trouble!”

[Supercape]

Ronin

 

Ronin pulled up behind Doctor Thorne. He didn't know jack about spells and voodoo and...well, whatever Doctor Thorne knew. But he knew-ass kicking. And he was ready to do just that. If needed. 

 

He got out of the car, Trenchcoat flapping, his Street Special tucked in the holster, his body armour strapped on. 

 

"Sure thing" he said, studying the Factory whilst Doctor Thorne contemplated the "voodoo hoodoo shooby-dooby-doo" magic stuff that he honestly had no idea about. 

 

Meanwhile, the solider in him was studying the building carefully. He been bomb disposal and infintry. He didn't want some booby trap exploding in their faces. He had seen some real mess from that. 

 

On the other hand, he had a few home made explosives in the back of his truck and a timer. 

 

"Just tell me what to kick, shoot, or blow up, and I'm all there, baby" he said to Dr Thorne. 

 

Edited December 17, 2018 by Supercape

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Lady Horus

The man stared at Lady Horus briefly, not really believing his own eyes. "You're Lady Horus? Can you... can you stop this?" He was waving around some blank papers, quickly holding them out towards her. They were just that, blank papers. He was waving them wildly, seemingly not caring if he fell down on the way. "This is all the taxes! All the work! Everything, all the money trying to keep the city running! And its gone! Just gone!"

 

Mister Strix, Doctor Thorne, Ronin and Wadjet

The situation at Snacktastic were rapidly deteriorating. Another car was on fire by the time Doctor Thorne and Ronin arrived, and Snacktastic's security had begun to advance. As far as they could see, the building itself was all but empty. They could occasionally spot a guard looking out of a window, but it was a rare sight. 

 

The security forces seemed completely focused on the building riot outside the gates. Going through the front would most likely get them noticed, but any other locations might work better. So far, they were unnoticed, free to plan and act.

[Avenger Assembled]

Wadjet looked at the budding riot for a moment, then gestured with a gloved finger towards the loading docks at the rear of the building. With that, she raised her gun and fired a single shot from the cover of the engine block she was hiding behind. The ball flew a few hundred feet and landed in the midst of the rioters with a faint pop and sudden splurtch of material across a space some five feet wide. The impact spot, a bit of half-painted, half-faded curb, immediately began to smoke with an impressive effect, thick plumes of white smoke rising with an increasingly loud hissing sound as chemical reactions bubbled and burst across the surface of the concrete. She didn't take the time to explain her reasoning to people who weren't her mentor - shooting the cops probably would get the bullets flying, even if it was just a loud smoke bomb, but shooting at the rioters would give them cover from the cops, and a chance to take stock of themselves. Without another word, she broke cover and began dashing around the side of the complex towards an open side entrance. 

 

-

 

"Aye. You are not alone." Lady Horus put her hand on the man's shoulder, wishing she knew one of those kung fu pinches the kids were always talking about. He couldn't see her eyes, but he could feel her touch, anyway. "We will slay this foe. Be here when I return, man, and you shall be rewarded." She glowed as she spoke, trying to think of what exactly she was gonna do. Cash? Yeah, probably whoever did this had to be loaded. "Remember that the sun shines on the good and the bad!" Cheez, layin' it on a little thick there! But if it did the job, it did the job.

[Amelia]

Mister Strix remained kneeling for a few moments as Wadjet stood up and took off running.

 

A distraction. Good. Getting myself inside was always going to be child's play. But somehow infiltrating a whole group, that was going to be a headache. First item crossed off the "to-do" list. One down, everything else to go.

 

He closed his eyes and focused, broadcasting his subliminal psychic command which forced every mind in the vicinity to ignore his presence. Then he took off running too, only much faster. If it weren't for his powers of hypnosis, Wadjet and the other mortals might have consciously noticed that they felt a breeze as he rushed past them. However, instead of creeping into the side door on the ground floor, he jumped straight up, clinging to the outer wall and skittering up to the factory roof like a spider.

 

Not everyone can enjoy the bird's-eye view. They have to start at the bottom, and work their way up. So I'll meet them halfway. Now, let's see what there is to see...

 

[Tiffany Korta]

Doctor Thorne

In her more poetic moments, which were to be fair quite rare, she described magic as like the music of the universe little notes and moments that describes everything. Concentrating she pushed out past the random moments of magic from everyday people, here an angry buzz of the rioters, and the general background of Bedlam that sometimes she swore sounded like the breathing of an ancient presence in the city. Somewhere she picked out the strains of undead magic of Strix, like an Italian dirge though she didn’t push to see where they were right now she trusted he knew what he was doing. She could even hear the magic that bound her and Liam, like a complicated interlinked tune of two differing styles that somehow worked.

 

Finally she could hear what she was searching for an old tune that she couldn’t quite identify, like an tune heard muffled through a wall. She couldn’t tell for sure if someone was doing it deliberately or it was something about the building itself, though she suspected the former.

 

 

“There something important on the upper floors of the building, we need to get there as quickly and safely as possible!”

 

Her eyes snapped open and she jumped out of the car ready to do into action.

[Supercape]

Ronin

 

"The upper floors?"

 

"Not so great. They have the higher ground. Err...whoever the hell they are" he said, realising - and not for the first time - that voodoo really wasn't something he knew a whole hilll of beans about. 

 

He hoped it wasn't literally hell. You never could tell. He couldn't remember any passage in any religious text referring to ink flowing. But he didn't have a Bible or Qu'ran to hand either.

 

"We need to be safe, we need to be quiet. Get the drop on them" he suggested. He supposed the same principles of war applied whatever you were fighting, more or less. 

 

"So lets go in real quiet..."

 

He held the Street Special in his hand, his senses screaming in alert, and crept forward, silent as a mouse (he hoped).

 

 

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Lady Horus
The man looked up at Lady Horus, with wide eyes. Her words seemed to help him, even as he was hesitating. "I just don't know. This is all so crazy." He turned away from her, to an old typewriter that stood on the table behind him. "Just look at this! It has fresh ink and everything! I've tested it!" he held up his hangs, smudged in ink. Then he turned to the typewriter and wrote. Everything came on the page, then, moments later, faded away. "What is this?"

 

Doctor Thorne, Ronin and Wadjet
Wadjet's distraction worked. The rioters shouted and screamed, believing that the guards had attacked. The guards approached carefully, believing that the rioters had set off some kind of weapon or gas attack. Neither side knew that it was all thanks to Wadjet.

If the trio worked fast, they could enter the building while the guards were distracted. One of the doors had been left conveniently open by a surprised guard.

 

Mister Strix
It didn't take long for Mr. Strix to make his way up the building, or to find an open window, about halfway to the roof. There was a single guard inside, but at the moment, he seemed more interested in playing with his phone than actually keeping a watch out the window. The room was set up much like a standard office, with a desk with an old computer, a chair occupied by the guard. Some shelves with books. Record keeping, perhaps?

[Supercape]

Ronin

 

Ronin crept through the door, his Street Special gripped in hands. Not too tightly, but not to limply either. He had built it, and he knew how to use it, and how to handle it. And he had had his ass kicked by Yoshie so many times as a kid, he wasn't going to let any two bit thug disarm him. 

 

Although he rather feared that it wasn't going to be a two-bit thug in the factory. 

 

"Easy...easy...." he whispered in the factory. The thing was, they couldn't take too long. DIstractions had a time limit. Sooner or later the guards would come back. It felt like a balancing act - the need for speed vs the need for caution. One could only hope to take a middle line and hope for the best. He was no stranger to serious danger. He was no stranger to his life being in the hands of cosmic dice. But still, the adrenaline kicked in and the sweat flowed. Even if it did, he remained as frosty as snow....

[Amelia]

Quote

It didn't take long for Mister Strix to make his way up the building, or to find an open window, about halfway to the roof. There was a single guard inside, but at the moment, he seemed more interested in playing with his phone than actually keeping a watch out the window. The room was set up much like a standard office, with a desk with an old computer, a chair occupied by the guard. Some shelves with books. Record keeping, perhaps?

 

If I were coming in here alone, I could probably just stick to the ceiling, pull those books off the shelf one at a time, and figure out what's going on with this place right under the guard's nose. But I have company coming over, so I need to clean up first.

 

Mister Strix silently dropped down from the ceiling, landing just behind the guard's chair.

 

Tempting to just bite down and have a drink. He'd be out of the way, and it would be so...No. I don't know yet if he's done anything wrong. Just take a drink, and I'll know everything he's done wrong...No. There's a better way.

 

Strix reached out, grasped the left arm rest of the guard's chair, and yanked it around to face him. As the guard's face become visible, Strix's hands shot out and clamped down on his face like a mechanical vise. One hand held the guard's eyes open, while the other one held his mouth closed. Strix glared into the man's eyes, and the blackness at the center of each of Strix's eyes quickly expanded to flood the entire eyeball. He whispered harshly. "Be quiet. Be still. I'm going to take a look around here. I have...'friends' coming, who are going to help. And that's fine. You aren't going to get in our way. You're going to answer any questions we ask. And you're not going to tell anyone else that we're here. In fact, after we leave, you're not going to remember we were here. You don't want to remember me, do you? No, you're just going to keep sitting here and playing your game."

 

Edited December 24, 2018 by Grumblefloof

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Mister Strix

The guard struggled, but he had little chance against Mr. Strix's grip. His hands on Mr. Strix's wrists, he tried in vain to make the strange man that had suddenly appeared let go. He opened his mouth to scream, and then fell completely silent, as Mr. Strix issued his command. He enthusiastically shook his head when Mr. Strix asked if he wanted to remember him. He would answer any question, he would do anything that the stranger and his friends asked him. He was fine with that. He would do whatever they asked.

 

Outside

Ronin and Wadjet made their way inside unnoticed. The guards seemed completely occupied with what was going on up front, and it would be easy to avoid being spotted.

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Doctor Thorne

Whilst the others were sneaking around there was a moment as Rosa and Thorne had an argument about who was going to be sneaking around. Liam was better at stealth, but this was a situation where her knowledge was to an advantage. Eventually, she won out and made her way to catch up with Ronin, one advantage of living in the same brain was that it only took a moment to work things out.

 

She wasn’t the most stealthy, and it didn’t help that she kept looking around to take in as much information as she could, but luckily with everything going on, she could get away with her less than stealthy approach.

[Avenger Assembled]

Wadjet

 

Wadjet headed inside the factory, moving with the slow freneticism of a soldier dodging from cover to cover. As well she might, the outline of her weapon making her a natural target for every trigger-happy cop in Bedlam - which was most cops in Bedlam. Once inside the building, she studied Strix's 'interrogation' of the security guard with a tense air - inside her featureless mask, though, she was fascinated by what she saw. Can Nicci do that? That was definitely a handy trick to keep in mind, especially as she was now reasonably certain it was not what she'd used to get into Anna's pants. When the instructions had been given, she took a chance. "Tell us who else is here and what they're doing." 

 

Lady Horus

 

"Aye. Tis a strange time, but twill be solved. Be strong, and stand for what you believe. Be here when I return!" she said, embracing the man powerfully before she turned and disappeared out the window, making a beeline for the nearby Snacktastic factory. 

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Doctor Thorne, Mr. Strix, Ronin & Wadjet

The man stared slackjawed at Wadjet. For a brief second, it seemed like he was resisting, then he stopped, and answered. His voice was somewhat slow, though whether it was an affect of Mr. Strix's control or his usual manner of speaking was anyone's guess. "I'm not sure how many people are in here. We got at least thirty guards around. Got pulled in by the Snacktastic big bosses, they didn't want the workers ruining anything. I think most are outside. Just me and three others are still in here, just to keep an eye on things. I think Mike is down at the security booth. Keeping an eye on the cameras. Gotta keep an eye on the top floor. There's someone up there that we gotta guard, but I don't know what they are doing." 

 

Lady Horus

It did not take Lady Horus long to get to Snacktastic, but she would not be able to see any of the others, as they had all entered the building by now. She would have to find her own way inside.

[Supercape]

Ronin

 

"Security booth. Camera's" said Ronin softly, mulling it over. "We gotta keep those eyes off us. But it also gives us a chance to see exactly what is in the top floor"

 

"I'm going down there. I think I can handle one security guard" he said with a humble little laugh. "And I'll make sure no alarm is going to get raised"

 

It would have to be done silently and the Street Special, for all its elegance and power, was anything but silent. He tucked it into his Trenchcoat in its holster. Instead, he would have to do it old school, with his bare hands. Nothing problematic about that, unless the security guard had some serious moves. No, the only trick would be to do it quietly, before he could raise an alarm...

[Amelia]

Quote

"I'm not sure how many people are in here. We got at least thirty guards around. Got pulled in by the Snacktastic big bosses, they didn't want the workers ruining anything. I think most are outside. Just me and three others are still in here, just to keep an eye on things. I think Mike is down at the security booth. Keeping an eye on the cameras. Gotta keep an eye on the top floor. There's someone up there that we gotta guard, but I don't know what they are doing."

 

The man in white had been running his fingers along the spines of the books on the shelves lining the office walls, but when the guard mentioned the top floor, he snapped back around, moving so fast he seemed to vanish and re-appear in front of the guard, his black eyes so close to the man's face they took up his entire field of view. "Who? Who are you guarding up there? What did you see? What did you hear?"

 

He probably doesn't know anything else, but even a rumor could be useful.

 

Quote

"Security booth. Cameras. We gotta keep those eyes off us. But it also gives us a chance to see exactly what is in the top floor. I'm going down there. I think I can handle one security guard. And I'll make sure no alarm is going to get raised."

 

"Cameras don't see me. I'll take a peek upstairs." Mister Strix pointed at the guard. "You." Then he pointed at the woman in the blue and yellow armor. "Do whatever she tells you." Then he evaporated into a cloud of mist, floated up to the ceiling, and seeped through the cracks in the office door.

[Tiffany Korta]

 

Doctor Thorne

“Actually I can do something about that!” Rosa actually gave a little smile as she said that, which was actually a little unnerving in some ways.

 

Rewriting a spell on the fly wasn’t something that just anyone could do, but Rosa wasn’t just anyone she was one of the most knowledgeable experts on the Occult science on the continent. Just a few minor alterations here and there and she put in a few exceptions to the spell, it took a little longer to cast but it was worth it in the end.

 

Supernatural darkness descended about here hiding her from anyone that she’d excluded from the spell, they could see through the darkness with no difficulty what so ever.

[Avenger Assembled]

Lady Horus did a quick pass around the building from the air and didn't see anything - oh well, she was confident her associate and the other kids had successfully made their way into the building. Considering her options between stealthy infiltration (where they might never actually see each other), she made a choice that would make it easier for her teammates to make it inside and would keep their enemies guessing. Picking a vulnerable-looking spot on the roof, she zipped up high into the icy-cold air over Bedlam and then rushed downward at super-speed. She smashed against the roof hard enough to shake the building, a hero's warning to make sure she wasn't about to land on anyone killable below - then suddenly turned around and smashed her way through one of the upper story windows with a fantastic noise and flash of solar light that told everyone in the building she was there.

 

"LO! THE SUNHAWK COMETH!" Ah, jeez, I sound like I don't know any dirty jokes! 

 

-

 

Wadjet heard the noise from above and said a bad word in Spanish, then said, "That's the old lady for you!" She focused in on the guard and said "Hey, vete a la mierda, cabron!" Well, that's what she'd have said if she  if she was back on the block by Hardwick Park - everyone around her got her meaning. With that, she turned to Doctor Thorne and pointed to the nearest wall, flattening herself against it before they began making their way upstairs too. She didn't bother explaining that it was better to stay out of the center of traffic when Lady Horus was around, both for the Lady herself, and for the people who usually came running.

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Doctor Thorne, Ronin & Wadjet
The man stared blankly up at Mr. Strix. "I don't know. Haven't seen them. Nobody has. There's someone up there, and we gotta keep everyone else out." Not even a rumor, it seemed.

With the supernatural darkness filling the floor, it was easy for them to make their way towards the security booth. Even more as they heard the noise made by Lady Horus, an apt distraction for anyone keeping watch in the building.

As Wadjet left, the guard stared blankly after her. He had no idea what she said, and so he just sat there.

 

Mr. Strix

On his way to the top of the building, as he sought to reach the door, Mr. Strix would happen upon the guards heading towards Lady Horus. Would he try to stop them, or continue on his own?

 

Lady Horus
Lady Horus found herself standing in an empty room. It was large, with plenty of room to move about. Some kind of storage room, with shelves filled with books everywhere. From the smell in the room, she got the distinct impression that it was usually used for storing candy, and not books, but not this day. There were a few doors to choose from up ahead. There would probably be someone to check on the noise she had made in moments.

Edited January 10, 2019 by RocketLord

[Avenger Assembled]

Lady Horus watched the inky stuff come pouring out of the books and declared, "By Thoth's pizzle!" Her first, and maybe second, impulse was to set the books on fire with solar power and see how they liked the taste of that sausage, but she quickly decided that could potentially go wrong in several highly dramatic ways. Normally I'd just hide it out here but I'm the bull in the freakin' china shop! Going too fast for the eye to see would just make people go looking for her, which meant they might find Wadjet and the others first. Well only one solution! She raised her ankh and plunged it into the floor,  flipping the instrument around so it hit like a hammer's head rather than a sword, the impact shaking the room before she hit it again. "Lo! Who will challenge the Sunhawk's power?" she demanded.  

[Amelia]

Quote

“Actually I can do something about that!”

Supernatural darkness descended about here hiding her from anyone that she’d excluded from the spell, they could see through the darkness with no difficulty what so ever.

 

The milky wisp that was Mister Strix briefly glimpsed the field of darkness before flying past its edge. That is going to attract attention.

 

Quote

Lady Horus zipped up high into the icy-cold air over Bedlam and then rushed downward at super-speed. She smashed against the roof hard enough to shake the building, then suddenly turned around and smashed her way through one of the upper story windows with a fantastic noise and flash of solar light that told everyone in the building she was there.

"LO! THE SUNHAWK COMETH!"

 

She raised her ankh and plunged it into the floor,  flipping the instrument around so it hit like a hammer's head rather than a sword, the impact shaking the room before she hit it again. "Lo! Who will challenge the Sunhawk's power?" she demanded.

 

But not as much attention as that. Even though he was currently just a cloud, and as such, he felt the vibration from the impact only as a distant, almost abstract sensation, Strix still flinched when Lady Horus hit. He continued to hug the ceiling, where he was least likely to be seen, but he doubled his flight speed.

 

Quote

On his way to the top of the building, as he sought to reach the door, Mr. Strix would happen upon the guards heading towards Lady Horus.

 

Strix floated just above and behind the guards, continuing to hug the ceiling as they ran down the hall. When they reached the storage room and saw Lady Horus, the cloud drifted down to the ground and coalesced back into the form of a dead man. She provided the distraction. Would be a shame to waste it. Besides, I don't know if she's bullet-proof or not, and I don't want to learn the hard way. Strix grabbed two of the guards by the sides of their heads and smashed their skulls together. The third turned around just in time to see Strix kick him hard enough in his ribs to send him flying into one of the bookshelves lining the walls.

 

Once the guards were slumped unconscious on the floor, Strix got a full view of the giant glowing ankh that was the full manifestation of Lady Horus's power. He cringed, pulled his cape up to shield his face, and squeezed his eyes shut. They felt like they were on fire. He roared from behind his cape, the same tiger's roar Lady Horus had heard in the alley behind Doctor Thorne's office. Run No It burns Stay calm Run No RUN RUN R-NO...No. I'm not an animal. No, you're a monster. Maybe, but I'm their monster.

 

Slowly, he lowered his cape, though he still very obviously kept his eyes on everything in the room except Lady Horus.

 

[Supercape]

Ronin

 

Darkness...useful. And Ronin was no stranger to darkness. He carefully picked his way through the darkness and up the single guard. 

 

Slowly, slowly...but not too slowly. Who knew what the guard might do?

 

With feather feet, almost silent, he crept upbehind the guard, and unhurriedly reached out. In another silent moment, he snatched the guard back with a crushing rear naked choke, and held it in his iron grip for a few seconds as the guard silently scrabbled around and sunk into unconsciousness. 

 

Gently he lay the guard down and patted him on his cheek. "Sorry sunshine, you need to sleep this one out...."

 

He turned his attention to the security camera readouts, seeing if any useful information could be gleaned. But only for a moment - he had every intention of disabling them...

[Tiffany Korta]

Doctor Thorne

Rosa understood why they needed to do these things, she had an expert on such things in her head after all, but it didn’t mean she was wasn’t impatient to look into the heart of this mystery. Especially when she could see the books behind Lady Horus on the monitor screen, it said something that when presented with a glowing hero her first instinct was a few books in the background.

 

She wanted to say a few words to “encourage” things along, but she knew he’d need silence to work so she just glared at the guard

 

[RocketLord]

GM

 

Lady Horus, Mr. Strix

The guards were all but stunned at the display of power, making them easy prey for Mr. Strix. They were left in a heap. As far as they knew, that was the vast majority of the guards still inside the building. According to the man that Strix had controlled, only the last guard at the guard station was left.

Still, there had been an unforeseen consequence of Lady Horus' strike. All the books had fallen to the floor around them, and the black liquid was now flowing out on the floor, far faster than one would thinking. It would be moments before it covered the entire floor.

 

Ronin, Doctor Thorne, Wadjet(?)
The guard fell. No guards left in the building, as far as the mind-controlled guard had known. The cameras showed him the other guards falling, even if they could not see Strix. Many of the screens were completely black, especially on the upper floors, as they were placed nearer to the room that were supposed to house their target. It was not solid black, however. It seemed to be moving around. Once he was finished, Ronin could quickly scrub the drives, hiding the group's actions, while a loop started playing.

If Doctor Thorne continued to watch the books, she would see the black liquid, perhaps even earlier than her companions. From her different angle, she could see that it was not simply flowing out to cover the floor, but seemed to be moving with purpose.