ic Moonshine Madness

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Ah.. the little lady calms you?" said Sunshade, slinking along the floor. 

 

"Hell! What's that!" screamed the youth, hopping into the air to avoid the animated shadow.

 

"Ooooh... so much emotion," hissed Sunshade. "Have you ever noticed how close anger and anxiety are? Physiologically almost identical. The same spark in the brain, except one makes you fight, one makes you flee. Hmmm...."

 

"The Shadow started forming, becoming a full figure standing on the wet tarmac. "You, Slipstream, is it? You keep your anger bottled up, I think. And this whippersnapper!" he pointed at the youth. "Something very angry in you, isn't there? What is it? No friends? FML?"

 

"Screw you!" said the Teenager, as the ice wall materialised around him. 

 

"I'm like a donkey with three carrots! A lot to feed on! And that Ice wall might save him from the wolves, teddy bear, but not me. mmm.. Teddy bear. Yes, I will call you Teddy from now on."

 

Even as he spoke, the spirit started becoming more solid. 

 

"Now, the more I feast the stronger I get. And my appetite is infinite. The bottled anger is the sweetest meat!"

 

And on the subject of meat, the six wolves stopped sniffing and started walking to the heroes and the teenager, growling and slobbering. 

 

"Looks like these beasts are angry, but not bottled. Shame..." said Sunshade. 

Edited December 20, 2024 by Supercape

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

The redness of Lynn's cheeks deepened slightly at Jack’s continued compliments. But the young speedster tried to focus past that, her mind starting to race on how to possibly react to rapidly escalating situation. Jack reacted rather quickly, throwing up an icy barrier between the wolves and teenage boy. 

 

She was just coming up with a idea for a course of action when the shadow creature that Jack seemed to know went from just being a very unnerving shadow to a full-fledged humanoid shaped shadow. The shadowy demon brought back terrifying memories of watching her brother’s transformation back in her original timeline, and all the terrible events that followed.

 

As all those memories came rushing back to the front of her mind, Lynn tensed up, taking a couple of steps back from the shadow figure. "No….no….no." she muttered in a terrified tone as behind her goggles her eyes began to tear up.
 

[Jack]

Jack allowed himself a brief smile at Lynn's deepening blush, warmth blooming in his chest at the sight. But the moment of tenderness evaporated as Sunshade's nonsensical ramblings filled the air. Jack could barely follow the shadow demon's twisted logic - something about anger and anxiety being similar? The bear spirit rumbled in confusion, equally baffled by the entity's words.

 

He opened his mouth to demand clarification when Lynn's voice cut through everything else. The terror in those soft "no's" hit him like a physical blow. His enhanced senses picked up the sharp spike of fear rolling off her in waves, the subtle trembling in her limbs as she backed away from Sunshade.

 

"Lynn?" Jack kept his voice gentle, reaching toward her with concern. He'd never seen the confident speedster like this before. She radiated pure prey instinct now - something had triggered a deep, primal fear in her.

The bear spirit's protective rage exploded through Jack's consciousness like an arctic storm. His muscles tensed as fury crystallized in his veins, turning his blood to liquid nitrogen. This was Sunshade's doing somehow, hurting Lynn with its mere presence.

 

Jack's control shattered at the sight of Lynn's terror. The bear spirit's protective fury merged with his own rage, ice crackling across his skin as his transformation began. His muscles swelled and shifted, bones cracking and reforming as his body grew even larger. Frost erupted from every pore, coating him in a crystalline armor that grew and changed with his metamorphosis.

 

His face elongated into a massive bear's muzzle, teeth lengthening into razor-sharp icicles. White fur sprouted through the layer of frost, giving him an ethereal appearance in the dim light. His hands became massive paws tipped with claws of pure ice, each one capable of rending steel. The temperature around him plunged further as his transformation completed, vapor rising from his massive form.

 

Where Jack had stood moments before, there now loomed a titanic werebear of ice and fury. Standing nearly twelve feet tall on his hind legs, his white fur rippled with patterns of frost that caught what little light remained. Each breath released a cloud of frozen mist into the air, the very ground beneath his paws crackling with spreading ice.

 

The bear spirit's consciousness merged more fully with Jack's human mind in this form, their shared protective instinct focused entirely on Lynn. A deep growl rumbled from his chest, the sound carrying harmonics of cracking glaciers and winter storms. His eyes, now a brilliant arctic blue, fixed on Sunshade with predatory intensity.

 

Steam rose where his freezing fur met the warm night air, creating an otherworldly aura around his massive form. The transformation had taken mere seconds, but it felt like time itself had slowed to witness the emergence of this primal force of winter's fury.

 

A thunderous roar ripped from Jack's throat, echoing off the zoo walls with primitive force. The sound carried all his protective fury, but also served as a dominance display aimed at the approaching wolves. He drew himself up to his full height, ice armor gleaming as he broadcast his status as apex predator. Given their unnatural state, though, Jack wasn't certain the wolves would respond to normal pack dynamics. Still, he had to try - for Lynn's sake.

 

"Vat did you do?!" Jack asked the demon in a deep rumble. He put himself between Lynn, the wolves, and Sunshade. He didn't know how else to help Lynn at the moment. if he had to fight the demon and the wolves by himself, then so be it.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Darnation. Thats what you humans say these days, isn't it? Darnation? You change your style so quickly. Like, well, like style I suppose. Nylon one year, silk the next. Cotton, Polyester. Next you know, it will back to bearskins! Har har har!"

 

Sunset chuckled, but it was mirthless. He was frowning. 

 

"I hate it when you let all your anger out. Its like shoving a chocolate choc chip cake under your nose, then snatching it away. I think I may have goaded you too far. On the other hand, these wolves look pretty scary..."

 

They did indeed, six slobbering beasts. For all their ribs and skinny appearance, they drooled well. 

 

And when they charged, they were fast, strong - more ferocious and powerful than Jack (or Lynne for that matter) had ever seen!

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn was still gripped with fear as she recalled witnessing the beginning of her timelines destruction after her brother had turned into….some time/space horror. However, even as tears ran down her cheeks, she was still aware of what was unfolding around her as her goggles fed her images of everything around her, the system making the darkness as clear as day.

 

Although still unnerved and doing all she could to avoid looking at the images of the shadow creature that were provided by her goggles, the blonde speedster tried to stay focused on the wolves. Unfortunately, she had been too shocked when the shadow creature had taken a vaguely human form to try to shut the wolves in before they escaped, but at least for the moment Jack had put an ice barrier in their path.

 

With her limbs trembling slightly, Lynn was uncertain about how effective she could actually be if she tried to engage the wolves. Thankfully, there were other things she could do that did not exactly require her to be in top form. They were just a indiscriminately destructive, but thankfully the wolves were far enough away from Jack and the teen that she could avoid hurting them.

 

The blonde speedster was then gone in a blur and with a *WOOSH* of air, zipping around the ice wall and over behind the wolves in a fraction of a second. Once she was sure she was far enough away behind the wolves that no one else would be caught in the shockwave, she accelerated at just the right speed to break through the sound barrier with a loud *CRACK*

 

That was immediately followed by a very loud *BOOM* as Lynn set off a localized sonic boom. She was already gone as the shockwaves washed outward from where she had triggered it, smashing into the wolves and everything else within forty feet.

 

Then, almost as soon as she had left, she was back over next Jack, skidding to a halt to see if the shockwave dealt with any of the wolves. The sixteen-year-old felt a bit more confident after taking some action, her fear subsiding some, although she still tried to avoid looking directly at the shadow demon as much as she could.
 

[Supercape]

GM

 

The Wolves were caught in the blast, and taken off their feet. 

 

Jack had to dodge flying wolves, all of them blasted into unconsciousness. Whoosh! Whoosh Whoosh! Wolves flying past his ears. You don't see that every day, not even in Freedom City. 

 

One wolf gamely held on, claws scratching grooves in the zoo tarmac, shielded from the worst of the blast by the others. In turned around and growled. 

 

Fear? 

 

No. It was rage. No sensible animal would stick around after its pack was decimated. But this brazen animal did. It turned, and - with a ferocious burst of speed, leapt at Slipstream, sinking teeth into her shoulder. The jaws - nay, the whole thing - were of unholy strength, like a steam powered vice. 

[Jack]

Jack watched in awe as Lynn transformed from terrified to tactical in mere seconds. The sonic boom she created sent wolves flying through the air like furry projectiles. His massive bear form had to dance and weave to avoid getting hit by the unconscious bodies whizzing past his head.

 

"Vow! Maybe I should just go home, da? Seems like little speedster has everything under control!" He let out a rumbling chuckle that sent frost crystals dancing in the air around his muzzle. The bear spirit within him swelled with pride at Lynn's display of power, though it remained alert and ready. 

 

The sight of her taking charge despite her earlier fear made his chest warm despite his icy exterior. His massive form shifted slightly as he dodged another airborne wolf, ice armor crackling with the movement. The bear spirit particularly enjoyed watching the wolves - creatures that normally struck fear in their prey - getting launched like tennis balls by Lynn's speed-generated blast.

 

Jack's world narrowed to a single point of horror as the wolf's jaws clamped onto Lynn's shoulder. The bear spirit's protective fury merged with his own terror, creating a maelstrom of primal emotion that erupted from his throat in a thunderous roar. The sound shook the very air, crystals of ice forming and shattering in its wake.

 

Without conscious thought, his massive paws shot forward. Ice-covered claws wrapped around the wolf's jaws, one above and one below. With strength born of desperate rage, he wrenched the creature away from Lynn. His grip shifted to the wolf's throat, lifting it effortlessly into the air. The beast thrashed and clawed at his frozen fur, but might as well have been attacking a glacier for all the effect it had.

 

Jack stood motionless, watching through arctic-blue eyes as the wolf's struggles grew weaker. His grip remained firm, shutting off its air supply with methodical precision. The bear spirit within him growled in satisfaction as the creature's movements slowed, then ceased altogether as unconsciousness claimed it.

 

For a brief, dark moment, Jack considered ending the wolf's life. His claws tightened fractionally. But even through the haze of protective fury, he knew this wasn't the creature's fault. Something had driven it to this unnatural behavior. With a rumbling sigh, he carefully lowered the unconscious wolf to the ground.

 

Turning back to Lynn, he dropped to one knee beside her. His massive form seemed to shrink in on itself with concern as he focused his powers. Water molecules pulled from the humid air, swirling around his claws in an intricate dance before flowing toward Lynn's wounded shoulder. The liquid glowed with a soft blue light as he channeled healing energy through it, willing her injury to mend.

 

 

[Thevshi]

Slipstream

 

Lynn had been rather satisfied with the results of her sonic boom, although she felt a bit of regret at having to harm the wolves at all. Although no longer overwhelming, the teen still felt feelings of anxiety and fear swirling around inside as she tried to avoid focusing on the shadow creature.

 

That was when the only wolf that had avoided the worst of the sonic boom quickly closed on her and bit into her shoulder.

 

The blonde teen screamed in pain as its teeth sunk into her shoulder. Before she could react, Jack was there, pulling the wolf off her with apparent ease. As she was freed from the jaws, Lynn took a couple steps back, reaching out to her now tender shoulder as she watched Jack choking the wolf into submission.

 

For a brief moment she thought he might kill the animal, stepping back towards him as she raised her uninjured arm to touch one of Jack’s massive arms. "No…don't…permanently harm it." She said, hoping the words would get through.

 

Thankfully he either heard her or decided on his own not to kill the wolf, setting its unconscious form down gently on the ground. Lynn had started to focus on whether there was any other threat when Jack knelt next to her and reached up with one hand as what appeared to be magic caused water to circle around his claws before flowing to her shoulder as she felt a strange, cold tingling that seemed to numb the pain from the bite.