ic Party Crashing (IC)

[Spacefurry]

Snap-maw & TKO

 

Snap-Maw let out a cry of surprise as the giant hand grabbed him and flung him across the room. He slammed into the other villain, sending them both into the wall with an audible ‘thud’. The telekinetic, though, was able to soften the blow and he shoved the shark-man off of him angrily.

“Get off me you water-logged idiot.”

TKO climbed to his feet and turned his attention to the heroes just in time to watch the new teens join Paper only to have the wall of wood cut them off from sight.

“What the-?”

“Da hell?”

Snap-Maw echoed then snarled and charged at the barrier. He slammed into the wooden barrier, his claws tearing long gouges in its surface.  TKO gloured at the display.

“Stop acting like an animal!”

He smeared as he thrust a hand out at the makeshift wall. Invisible force hammered into it like a cannonball, showering the teens, Paper and Artificer in splinters and leaving a hole through it large enough for a man to crawl through. The blood stained face of the shark-man appeared in the opening as vicious, razor sharp teeth spread into a grin. Snap-Maw taunted the youngsters.

“You’re gonna need a bigger wall.”

 

Fly-Boy

 

Fly-Boy watched as his cohorts were tossed and knocked down. He turned, arm raised to attack but was stopped by the newly formed wall. With a silent curse he looked back towards the office where their leader was attempting to fend off the other teens.

Picking one of the ones he could see he flung his arm out, sending another needle like barb sailing at Neko again. The toxin coated barbed needle striking its target.

“Yes”

He cried triumphantly.

“Two in a row.”

 

Bear-Knuckle

 

Vivid images bombarded the former wrestler, overwhelming him. He dropped the splintered remains of the desk as his hands swung wildly through the air at things only he could see.

“Blast you!”

He roared definitely as he raged on.

“When I get my hands on any of you little shits, I’m going to squeeze you until you pop!”

Just as suddenly the world seemed to vanish around him again as both sight and sound were stolen away from him. He stumbles back, away from where he remembered the teen heroes being when something he could only assume was the giant wolf bit his arm. With another cry of rage he yanks his arm away, leaving bloody trails dripping on the floor.

Almost instinctively, he raises his other arm to defend himself just in time for his massive claws to absorb the furious strikes of the young dragon hero. Blow after blow lands, forcing Bear-Knuckle to be driven back even further. His feet sinking into the sandy remains of the once office wall. And even though he can’t hear himself, the growing snarl reverberates through him, erupting into a sound more animal than anything human should be able to make.

 

Heavyweight

 

In the hall, lost amongst the yelling, smashing and other sounds of fighting, the subtle ding of one of the elevators chimes.

[Kaede Kimura]

Shooting Star

 

As another punch sailed into the man to little effect, Alice snarled behind the sign that formed her current mask. "What does it take to bring this guy down!? Does anyone have a good shot? Or maybe we could try to work together for one bigger hit?" She didn't know the other two, the wolf and the cat-girl as well as she did Luke, but perhaps they could find some clever tactic, or even just try to work together to apply more force as a group. She paused her thoughts as he started growling, something about the sound frightened the animal part of her brain, but she pushed it down, looking to the others again.

 

"Otherwise I think we might just have to try pushing him out the window or something. I don't see this fight going well if it drags out."

[Dr Archeville]

Artificer

 

"A combined assault likely would be more effective," the Atlantean teen called back to Shooting Star, running to the nearest edge of the wooden wall, "this man-shark has been one tough opponent!"

 

He reached out and touched the wall with his gauntleted hand, and once more worked his transmutation magic on the area.  The hole that the criminals had just made began to heal over, fresh shoots breaking out of the ragged ends and reaching towards each other, swelling and stiffening into sturdy wood... and threatening to trap Snap-Maw in the wall like a pillory!

 

"Paper!  Neko!  Owain!," he called out to his classmates, "how fare you?"

 

[Avenger Assembled]

"Poorly!" called Owain in a muffled voice as he retreated, trying to guide those he'd been protecting away from the scene. "The fight does not go well, but I think Neko, ahh..." 

 

Bear-Knuckle's torments abruptly ceased - he could hear again, see again, breath again without the animalistic screaming in his ears and scenes of fiery torment in his eyes. He was seemingly alone, faced with a striking image. 

 

The little girl that stood before him was wearing a dark blue Japanese sailor suit, a schoolgirl's uniform like something pulled from the pages of deep time., but was clearly inhuman. A long white and brown tail twitched behind her and two long ears stood atop her head. Atop her head was a fiery, demonic crown that glowed with a spectral red energy like the flames of Hell itself, reflected in the catgirl's staring yellow inhuman eyes. 

 

"Surrender now," she told him, in a sinous voice that whispered from every corner of the darkened room, "or it takes you again a hundred-fold." Safely out of reach behind the veil of her illusory self, Neko listened with half an ear as Owain and perhaps the others in the room fled for cover. The illusory catgirl put her hand on Bear-Claw's chest and rose silently until she seemed to be gazing hypnotically into his eyes. 

 

Thinking of her friend, hurt defending these people, she called on a voice she'd hoped to never use again and whispered in a voice that rang with the screams of dead men - "I am Neko No Akuma, and I am hungry for you." 

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

 

Teens & Paper - Central Office Hall

 

All three teens looked back at Bear-Knuckle’s cry of rage.

“This is no time for stupid heroics.”

The red-head said hotly, leveling a stern glare at Paper with a familiarity that was unmistakable.

“These guys are serious bad news.”

Paper flinched visibly, but to his credit he stood his ground.

“I said I can’t leave them.”

He managed a less stern glare. That is, until a hole burst through the makeshift wall causing all three teens to step back.

“Crap!”

The other boy cried out, bringing the pistol-like weapon level with Snap-Maw’s face. The weapon’s obvious plastic box design identifying it as a taser dart gun, only to have fresh growth force the villain back and cover the hole. All three teens glance in Artifcer’s direction as the Atlantean calls out to his classmates.

“I’ll be okay.”

Paper called back as he and the red-head glared at each other again. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. Not noticing the others as they pull back from engaging the bear of a man.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

The brown-haired boy stepped up between the two, looking from Paper to the girl.

“Work.”

He answered shortly.

“But that’s gonna have to wait. We need to get outta here, before the cops show up.”

She shifted her glare to him.

“We can’t just leave him here to these psychos.”

The red-head shot back, waving an arm in the direction of the wall and the villains beyond.

[Nerdzul]

What the...?

 

Well the wall seemed to be effective right? Not sure if it was gonna last forever, but at least it cut off the small army of supervillains. "Good job" He grinned. Now, it only left Bear-Knuckle who seemingly capable of shrugging off his claws like nothing. Perhaps, though, Neko had a good ide to try to trick his mind instead.

 

So Luke focused his will and tried to project a sense of primordial fear into the villain, the terror of being stalked in the dark, by an unseen  predator, a beast of legends from time immemorial, hungry... 

 

He threw a glance toward Artificer, but the other boy didn't seem to have anything specific planned for him, so whatever, his attention shifted to the conversation between Leon and the two strangers. Although, given what he knew of his rommate, those two weren't exactly strangers weren't they?

 

"So you know these guys?" Luke smiled at Leon. "Let me guess... you guys must be Lon's sis and bro's right?" He nodded at them. "I wish we had more time to for introductions, but..." He chuckled as he pointed toward the crack in the wall.

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

On the other side of the wall the teenage heroes could hear one of the villains clawing furiously away at it. Muffled cries of rage punctuating the sounds. It was anyone’s guess how long the makeshift barrier would last against the onslaught.

 

Several of the heroic teens had withdrawn from the office into the main office hall. The wolf-shaped Owain carrying the scared man out with him while Neko readied to doubled down on her mental assault.

Bear-Knuckle was patting through snarling teeth whe the world suddenly erupted back into existence. He blinked against the sudden brightness of the interior lighting and looked around for someone to tear into. His razor sharp talons flexing in anticipation.

As his vision adjusted his attention fell on the confusing image of Neko. He focused on her with feral intensity but his body language gave way his hesitation. Conflicting emotions warred and he snarled.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? I could tear the little head of yours right off your shoulders.”

But again he made no actual move to attack.

 

On 12/6/2022 at 9:52 PM, Avenger Assembled said:

"Surrender now," she told him, in a sinous voice that whispered from every corner of the darkened room, "or it takes you again a hundred-fold." …

 

… whispered in a voice that rang with the screams of dead men - "I am Neko No Akuma, and I am hungry for you." 

 

On 1/3/2023 at 6:35 PM, Nerdzul said:

So Luke focused his will and tried to project a sense of primordial fear into the villain, the terror of being stalked in the dark, by an unseen  predator, a beast of legends from time immemorial, hungry... 

 

Bear-Knuckles jumped back several paces from the terrifying visage, his eyes darted back and forth, searching for nonexistent things that crawled at the corners of his vision. The mountain of a villain shakily drew himself up before the the huanting sight of the demon cat-girl, even as the primordial fear from Luke continued to settle over him like a tightening net.

Fear wormed its way in the man’s rage seemed to drain from him and he licked drying lips.

“You-you think you have me down.”

His forced bravo unable to hide the tremble in his words.

“The bell hasn’t rung yet. I ain’t down for the count.”

Anger laced the fear in his tone even as he took another step away from Neko’s image. His hand dug into a pouch on his belt.

 

On 1/3/2023 at 6:35 PM, Nerdzul said:

"So you know these guys?" Luke smiled at Leon. "Let me guess... you guys must be Lon's sis and bro's right?" He nodded at them. "I wish we had more time to for introductions, but..." He chuckled as he pointed toward the crack in the wall.

 

The trio of arguing teens all stop to look at Nightscale. The red-haired girl looked at Paper, who can only shrug.

“Come on.”

The other boy says.

“If anyone was going to recognize us, it would be his roommate.”

The red hair girl only sighs as Paper smirks.

 

Almost at the same moment, the assault on the wall stops and yelling erupts, followed by a terrifying cry of pain. All three teens step back from the wall, staring at it.

Edited January 8, 2023 by Spacefurry

[Kaede Kimura]

Shooting Star

 

Alice backed away as Neko and Luke performed their horror show for the villain. She couldn't call herself an expert on mental attacks, but it seemed like it was working well, and she didn't want to ruin it by getting her fists in the way.

 

"So what's the plan? I can probably airlift most of the people off this floor, but that doesn't solve the villain problem." She simultaneously kept her head on a swivel, searching for any new threats to the impromptu team. "Assuming you can keep the big guy pinned with whatever you're doing I can probably KO the other guys assuming I can tag them. Or we could try grabbing and restraining them, but that'd depend on powers I suppose."

[Dr Archeville]

Artificer

 

The barrier between the villains and the teens continued to grow, debris transmuting into interlocking branches of rough coral.  "I can keep this up a bit longer," he called to his classmates, "but there is only so much I can do with these materials.  If we're going to evacuate these civilians, and and call for more... experienced champions, then we should do so quickly!"

 

Asking adults for help?  What a nerd!

 

'Come out to the party,' he thought, replaying a discussion from earlier that evening, 'we'll get together, have a few laughs'.... it is always something with these Surfacers!  Ah, well, at least I have been able to provide some assistance here.

[Avenger Assembled]

Neko maintained the illusion even as she felt herself sweat, yellow eyes staring with terror and rage at the man she'd imprisoned behind his own fears. "Only one way out." She pointed to the broken-open window like a portent and spoke in a voice like the grave. "You know what to do." she added as she moved, stepping away from her target while taking slow, deliberate steps to rejoin the other teen heroes. 

"Ho friends!" said Owain as he joined the others, shooting a worried look back in Neko's direction. "I have a spell that will give freedom to all those caged here, though it may - cost me dear. Bring everyone together here and we can escape together..." Sweating and visibly battered, the now-man-shaped magic knight was beginning to chant "pob un ohonom, siâp aderyn..." over and over again, magic beginning to crackle around his hands . 

[Spacefurry]

GM

The two teens looked only a little uncomfortable as more of the teenage heroes regrouped around them. They looked to Paper, who could only give a small shrug.

The red-haired girl gave a shake of her head and regarded Shooting Star.

“I don’t think that’s gonna be fast enough.”

She said grimly as the wall beside them shook from a heavy impact. The boy eyed the coral and wood wall even as it seemed to continue to reinforce itself. 

“I don’t think I have anything useful in reserves. I like the idea of getting out of here. Leave this to the pros like he suggests.”

The boy said thumbing at Artificer.

“Well at least someone else thinks we should fight back.”

The red- head countered waving a hand at Shooting Star. Paper rolled his eyes and stepped up between the two.

“Her first suggestion was to run, Circle.”

He said to his sister, using her alias, before turning to his brother, using his.

“And the pros might not get here in time, Satchel.”

 

Circle opened her mouth but she quickly closed it as all three looked towards the window. Sirens were closing in on the building. Police and first responders would be there soon. The three exchanged a wordless look even as Owain joined them, now in his human form.

The older man was not far behind. He stopped short and pointed an accusatory finger at the two that had been hiding in his office.

“What were you doing in there?”

He demanded before taking a better look at the gathered youths.

“Why, you’re just… just bunch of children.”

The red-haired Circle bristled.

“Listen here you old f-“

Both Paper and Satchel cut her off.

“Time and place.”

“Time and place.”

They said in unison. The look she flashed them gave the impression this was a something between the three.

 

The exchange was so brief, Owain was just turning his attention away from Neko and Luke’s confrontation. As he began to chant Paper piped up.

“Wait! What about Nightscale and Neko?”

Edited March 31, 2023 by Spacefurry

[Avenger Assembled]

Owain waved his hands wildly and began chanting louder, repeating the same words in medieval Welsh over and over again. There was no answer for the question about Nightscale, but Neko answered for herself a moment later. "It is done," she said shortly, padding on the carpeted floor of the office with bare feet. Her feet were human shaped, with pointed, sharp nails at the end of each toe, and covered in a faint, barely visible layer of fur that matched the white and brown-spotted color of her hair. "I do not need to fly," she said, and with that she simply leaped out of the open hole in the side of the building. Looking out, the teens could see her nimbly sliding her way down the panels, leaping from cornice to cornice, before making her way down. 

And with that, Owain spread his hands and called out a magic word - 

 

The voices everyone heard, whispering in their ears in warm, fatherly tones, were the voice of the Great Raven, father and mother of all of that line, promising that the bargain made between Owain and its line would be honored  by the loan of its shape. A song sounded in their ears as their bodies changed, not with any cracking of bone or skin, but as if they'd simply been redrawn and recast into the shape and size of black, glossy-feathered crows! Owain, well-used to this new form, declared "Follow me to safety!" before flapping his wings and disappearing smoothly out the window after Neko. 

 

Of course, to everyone else, what they heard was someone talking in medieval Welsh (not that most of them knew what that was, anyway) and then they were all two-foot long black birds, the world leaping into incredible focus even as it grew. It was so easy to flap their wings and fly... 

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Circle and Satchel looked at Paper as Owain began chanting. Their brother could only give them a small shrug. As if to tell them ‘it’s his thing’. They gave him matching skeptical looks.

Paper glanced at Neko as she called back to them. He watched as the cat girl ran towards the shattered window. His head snapped to Owain then back at Neko with a little concern.

When she leaped from the opening Paper ran over, with Satchel close behind. They watched as the  the furry figure moved easily down the ledges.

“Well that’s not something you see everyday.”

Satchel commented.

“No it’s not.”

Paper replied watching a moment longer. He looked up at his brother who gave him a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Satchel smirked and turned back to the others and Circle shook her head.

“Boys.”

She started to say something else when the magic Owain was gathering, snapped into place and settled over everyone.

 

The change was swift but painless. The world around them grew as they felt the lightness of their new forms. Bird-Circle and Bird-Satchel fluttered in surprise, while Bird-Paper seemed to take it better.

By the window the two brothers watched Bird-Owain fly out the window.

Bird-Circle hopped closer to the brothers when the room shook with the force of something massive slamming into the makeshift wall. Cracks spiderwebbed across the wood and coral as ceiling dust drifted down.

Bird-Older Man squawked in fear and flutter his wings before taking flight and flying out of the building. The trio of Bird-Teens quickly followed after their school friend.

[Nerdzul]

To be honest, Luke wasn't exactly enthusiastic at the idea of running away and letting the 'adults' take over. "Come on guys we can take them." He protested, as far as he was concerned they were good enough.

 

Then again the innocent hostages were the priority right? "Ok fine." He relented, plus, well, there was the matter of Leon's friends not needing to be there when the police actually arrived. "Just this one time." He teased his friend, throwing him a playful nudge. 

 

Now of course, Luke could fly with his own power, but Owain's way was subtler. Plus he felt he had showed off enough for the night. (Yeah that definitely was a lie, but still...) So he joined the rest of the team and felt the weave of magic wash over him.  

 

"Sqawk..." He 'commented' once the spell had taken hold and his form had been reshaped into one of Raven. Neat. He bowed his head to the young knight and followed suit into the night sky. Now flying as a small bird wasn't exactly the same as when he did so as a very overgrown lizard, but then again, at least he didn't need to bend the laws of physics to be able to stay afloat right? It took him a while to get the gist of it, but ultimately, the young man enjoyed the flight.

 

 

[Dr Archeville]

Artificer

 

While Heroditus did not understand the particular Surfacer dialect Owain used, he could clearly see the magic coming off the youth, and had a sense of what its effect would be.

 

And he dreaded it.

 

"Wait no surely there is another way-" he cried, but that's all he could get out before his body had changed.  What followed was a string of Atlantean (and some Surfacer) expletives -- though they came out as croaks and caws -- as he ranted against the use of form-changing sorceries, and if Owain was sure he could change them back.  I know he meant well, he reminded himself, trying to keep a positive attitude as he took flight, and three-dimensional movement is preferable to walking. 

 

"Good work," he (reluctantly) cawed out to Owain, unsure if the spell which altered their forms would translate his words, but wanting to say something positive all the same.

 

[Avenger Assembled]

"Fear not, my Atlantean friend!" called Owain cheerfully as they flew through the sky together, his voice clearly both an avian caw and his own speaking voice. "This is the old magic, nothing diabolical about it! I learned yon power after I saved the Father of Ravens from a most fiendish-ah, here we go," he added, leaving the dive down towards ground level. "I have but the shape of the raven and the shape of the wolf, but many beasts of field and stream alike will give their magic to one who is pure of heart and swears an oath of protection to them! This is a mighty spell but one worth the cost to body..." 

 

Down below, Neko watched, chattering, as the birds landed at ground level. Having seen this before, she was ready when the small flock landed and everyone who had touched ground transformed back into their usual selves. Except for Owain, who was still a very sleepy-looking black bird. She bent down and picked him up, letting his claws dig into her shoulder, then looked back wordlessly at the rest. 

[Kaede Kimura]

Shooting Star

 

Alice has to admit, flying as a bird and flying as a person? Completely different, especially when her muscle memory had led her to stop flapping. Still, she landed in one piece and was glad to be in her normal body again.

 

Immediately she peeled the street sign off of her face, shaking her hair free and flicking flakes of paint away. "The guys who wear metal masks are something else, that thing was uncomfortable as hell." Her complaining done, she settled back to survey the group. She had to admit,  impromptu as it was, they worked well together. "Everyone okay? Things got pretty dicey up there at points."

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Flashing lights were visible and approaching quickly. Multiple sirens announced them like heralds. Within moments police and emergency responders would be crawling all over the place. On the far side of the parking lot a large group of people were gathered. A large number obviously from the office party, the rest, passersby’s attracted to the noise. None had payed attention to the ordinary looking birds that had fled the ruckus above or the cat girl that preceded them.

Another cry of primal rage echoed from above, followed by the faint sound of crashing, drawing gasps from the crowd.

 

Two of the crows circled, coming in to land on the asphalt of the parking lot. The teens standing in the place a moment later. The young man shivered involuntarily.

“Okay, do not want to do that again.”

Nearby, a rather portly crow landed on a landscaping barrier. The older man from the offices stumbled and fell onto all four, wide eyed and panting.

“What was… that? I… will have you all held responsible… for this.”

He demanded as he sat back and looked up at the gathered teens. Circle rolled her eyes and looked back at Satchel.

“We need go, like now. Before the pros show up.”

The young man nodded.

 

On 3/31/2023 at 11:33 AM, Kaede Kimura said:

 

Shooting Star

 

Immediately she peeled the street sign off of her face, shaking her hair free and flicking flakes of paint away. "The guys who wear metal masks are something else, that thing was uncomfortable as hell." Her complaining done, she settled back to survey the group. She had to admit,  impromptu as it was, they worked well together. "Everyone okay? Things got pretty dicey up there at points."

 

 

As if on cue, a digitized female voice cut through the night.

“Actually, when properly designed and constructed they can be wear comfortably for quite some time.”

From the other side of the parking lot the onlookers pointed and murmured louder. Some were holding up camera phones to record the armored figure that landed beside the group. A metallic tail swayed as long ear-like features seemed to adjust themselves. The smooth faceplate had a single lens offset to one side. It’s smooth, polished surface turned, seeming to look at each teenager. It lingered on the Circle and Satchel perhaps a bit too long.

“None of you are injured are you?”

The figure asked as another crash drifted down from above and the she tilted her head up to look.

“You there! I’ve seen you on the news!”

The older man yelled, pushing past Luke.

“I demand you take these delinquents into custody!”

He yelled, his finger sweeping around to point at the two new teens. The armored helmet tilted back down to regard the man. There was a pause before the figure spoke.

“Sir, your pulse is elevated, your breathing is labored and you’re sweating excessively. I have alerted the first responders that will be arriving shortly.” 

The figure turned away from the man dismissively to address the group.

“I can’t imagine a group of teenagers would have been involved in this incident I would suggest you move along, if there are no injuries. Other heroes in the area are already rounding up suspicious individuals.”

The older man looked ready burst.

“Do you have any idea who I am? Who I know?”

The polished helmet snapped around to him, the ear-like features on the sides swiveling back in an almost predatory fashion silencing the man without a word.

Edited April 4, 2023 by Spacefurry

[Spacefurry]

Leon

 

The feeling of flight was both alien and exhilarating. Leon could feel the air currents and some strange instincts not his own told him how to navigate them as he circled down to the street below. Sharp talons clicked on a car hood as crow-Leon landed lightly, only to be replaced by a crouching regular-Leon.

“Wow.”

He exhaled.

“Just when I thought going to Claremont couldn’t surprise me. That… was weird. Cool. But, weird.”

Leon hopped down from the car hood and looked over at Shooting Star.

“See, that’s why I can’t understand how people wear those things. Everyone okay?”

He asked as he looked around at the others, but he was obviously looking for ones in particular when the armored figure seemed to drop out of the sky.

 

He remember see this hero on the TV, she had become something of a celebrity at first. He looked nervously at his brother and sister as the armored helmet regarded them a bit longer than he liked. But when she silenced the older man and seemed to dismiss him, Leon was relieved.

[Avenger Assembled]

Neko sniffed suspiciously at the armored heroine, scenting something beneath steel that was never human. Is that a - fox? From her shoulder, the crow-d Owain proved more voluble. 

 

"Say, tis the Protector!" he crowed from Neko's shoulder, his deep voice strange to hear from a bird's mouth. "I know her, tis the vulpine heroine of other realms. Hail and well met, friend!-" His words were abruptly broke off when Neko clapped her hand over his mouth and hissed at him. 

 

She stared at the lying American and thought of lessons learned of the bloated American capitalist, fat with his greed while other lands starved, and wanted to hurt him. It would be easy, she thought, staring at him unblinkingly, tail twitching behind her. Maybe a spider in his mouth would stop his tongue! 

 

Instead she turned and ran away, heedless of whatever guilty look it might have given her, vanishing into the chaos of the moment and the city streets. 

 

 

[Kaede Kimura]

Shooting Star 

 

Alice winced and interposed her hand between her newly uncovered face and the cameras directed their way, a slight huff escaping her as she grinned mirthlessly. She was glad that the armoured heroine she'd seen on the news was drawing most of the attention, including from the idiot who demanded they get arrested. She didn't blame Neko for ditching in response. 

 

"Man I forgot he was there. Tonight's doing a real number on the whole secret identity thing." With that said, she quickly reapplied the stop sign to her face. "I get the whole designing thing, but I literally got this off the side of the road. My usual getup is out of this world."

 

She grinned at her own bad joke, her costume safely stored on the moon,  before turning to the rest of the group. "I think the nice lady has a point, it might be best if we clear out."