ic The Valley of the Shadow of Death (IC)

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil offered Facsimile a ride, and then leaped up from ground level to where Corona had landed. She used the jets in her suit to slow her descent; otherwise, carrying the heavy Facsimile she might have fallen straight through the floor. "What is that-" She pointed to the floor in front of them a moment before a great paw ripped through the woodwork, followed shortly by another one. As the heroic trio watched in baffled wonderment, a gigantic cat the size of a city bus erupted from the building's basement at them giving a terrible MEEORAR that ran in their ears like close-by thunder. It was a black cat and yellow-eyed, but somehow fuzzy and undistinct, its colors seeming to run together and shift, even its very outline almost a blur as it climbed up towards the heroes with intent burning in its blue eyes. For the moment, amid all this madness, Aquaria was unable to respond.

[Exaccus]

"Thanks for the lift!" He began before sea devil interjected and enormous cats paw exploded out if the ground followed by another and eventually the whole huge honking cat.

 

"Huh. That's weird." He commented as he made his way towards the rapidly ascending cat and with an almost casual slamming of his palms unleashed an intense Shockwave right into its blurred face.

 

"Don't let it touch you! I found a really badly burned up cats corpse on the ground though it was burned from...." then it all clicked "oh...this is the momma cats ghost or something all jacked up on Terminus funk."

 

 

Edited August 4, 2019 by Exaccus

[Avenger Assembled]

The great cat-thing responded to the blow by snapping its head forward with a most unbiological motion and trying to bite Facsimile in half! The polymorphic paragon felt spectral teeth bite down on his metal hide hard enough to bend steel - but not quite enough to break it! The cat shook its head and spat him out, leaving him covered with a coating of unholy drool. 

 

Sea Devil was rather doubtful of Facsimile's words but she tried a trick she knew from her training in the castle - she struck her trident against the ground and bellowed a Lemurian syllable against all false gods. There was a distinct flash of greenish light around her in the vague shape of a star, but the oddly phosphorescent lightshow had no effect on the great roaring thing in front of them. 

 

"It is not like ghosts!" she bellowed. "It is not magic!" 

[Shofet]

Corona frowned, looking at the scene going on in front of her. It seemed like this was mama cat, somehow... Projecting. As far as it was concerned, it was probably just protecting her babies from strangers.

 

"Guys, try backing off," she said.

 

She looked down at the kittens resting on her jacket, and then whistled sharply to try and get the giant cat's attention. "Hey! Your babies are over here. See? They're not hurt. They're fine."

 

She moved slowly away from the kittens, making sure not to make eye contact with the big cat. Once she got a good distance from the kittens themselves, she crouched down, trying to make herself as small and non-threatening as possible. Still, she remained ready to launch herself at the cat, just in case it wanted to hurt the kittens instead of help them.

[Avenger Assembled]

The spectral mother cat, if it that is what it was, slumped down onto its forelegs as it watched Corona and the kittens with big, shimmering eyes. With almost imperceptible slowness it began to fade away, first its colors washing out, then what details existed, then finally its outline faded too. The three heroes were alone now in the deserted neighborhood with the three kittens and the ruins of the broken house. "I don't understand what is happening," croaked Sea Devil, "but...we need to take these small things where they will be safe." She was wondering if they should eat them at this point, but being the first person to suggest that would make everyone around her angry! 

[Shofet]

Serena breathed a sigh of relief, looking down at the kittens. It seemed as though her plan had worked, if one could call empathizing with a mommy cat "a plan".

 

"We need ASTRO Labs. They will probably know what to do. Power nullifying collars, or... Something.

 

She ran her fingers through her hair. "We also need to make sure they're fed. Need to get to a pet store. Kitten formula."

 

She paused, and looked at Aquaria.

 

"Oh, and... Uh... You have real pretty eyes, by the way."

 

Having seen the woman's face, she wanted to extend an olive branch. She imagined that she probably had to deal with enough prejudice in her life, and Serena really did appreciate the help.

[Exaccus]

Facsimile blinked a little as corona started hitting on sea devil, it was so sudden!

 

But it was really none of his business now was it?

 

"Uh I got a spare helmet on my bike if you want a lift to the pet store...I can make a phone call to a friend in ASTRO, book us in for an appointment but..." He began as he looked at the kittens.

 

He really didn't know if there was anything they could do about it really...and as potentially dangerous animals..

 

"Might wanna try and hit up an independent first though." He offered "less obligations to report to people and stuff."

[Avenger Assembled]

A rattling noise came from inside Sea Devil's armor. "And your hair is very interesting!" she croaked, figuring that was a safe enough compliment."But we need to take these small things somewhere safe. I can take things quickly but it might frighten them, because of the screaming mouths." Am I sharing too much? Maybe I am. "The motorcycle makes loud noises like the ones they make. Maybe that will help." Outside, exultant at what they'd found amid the wrecked neighborhood, she raised her trident to the city-dappled sky overhead and made a declaration. 

 

"IN STRANGE AEONS - EVEN DEATH MAY DIE!" She sounded very pleased with herself.