Take Me Out to the Ball Game

[alderwitch]

The cops were setting up a barricade outside and both Edge and Geckoman could see several squad cars outside. The teacher that had driven the kids was frantically arguing with a cop. When the Claremont teacher saw Geckoman walking out and Edge in the window she begain gesturing in desperation at them. It was hard to say what it could be interpreted as. It could have been 'Sneak out now and don't let anyone see you' or 'Headmaster Summers is going to lose it if you end up on tv'. Or possibly 'There's a crazy man in there with a gun'.

Breakdown was easily able to access between radio transmissions:

"-ty Stadium taken over by two young lunatics-"

"-holding the entire Liberty Stadium hostage-"

"-waiting for their purported telivised demands!"

Psyche dashed up next to Wander, sliding in next to her on her stomach. The two girls were peering out from under one of the benches in the stadium and into the field proper. Psyche projected her vision of the stadium to each of the Claremont kids.

In the field proper were two individuals, not too much older than the teens themselves. One was covered in thick robes that looked hot. They were decorated with mystic sigils that seemed to glow but were easily distiguished as reactive fabric paint. The other boy, slightly older, although there was a definate physical resemblance was wearing a red lab-coat with a thick belt with all manner of devices hanging from it. One looked suspiciously like a poke-ball.

Of greater concern was the odd device that appeared to be some sort of unholy amalgamation of technology and magic that sat on the field between them. It projected the sickly green field that kept the audience stunned and immoble in their seats. Also worrisome were the small clusters of robots or demons patrolling up and down the aisles. Near the boys were slightly larger demons and robots. Clearly the last line of defense. Just in case.

Alex's thought came through after the image: 'This is the part where we come up with a plan, right?'

[Ecalsneerg]

The Pitchoo cruised in at Geckoman's feet, just before the police line. The door fell open, with Geckoman throwing his stuff inside as he sat in the pilot's chair and brought it up again. Ok... hope she's still in my head and we're in my head. Right, we have a biiiig police cordon. The teachers seem to want us to sneak out again or something and let the police handle it. Meh, I wear spandex to help people, not to cower behind the big, tough boys in blue. I've got the Pitchoo down, and can fly in from above and give you air support while the rest of you execute your plan. Sound good?

[angrydurf]

Mike stood dumbstruck at Edges orders it tooke severla moments for him to even realize he was being spoken too. He turned and looked at the various other teens as they rapidly changed into their assorted 'hero' gear like they were out of their minds.

"What are you talking about?" He exclaimed "We're not superheroes were teenagers for crissake." He glanced desperately for some kind of support from one of the others as Alex rushed by.

"Where are you going? This is insane." he grumbled at her retreating back "The cops are already here, and the real heroes can't be far behind."

Seeing he was getting no support he began to follow Alex up the stairs hoping that once they knew what they were up against someone might see reason.

At the end of Alexes transmission he pleaded along their link 'I can't do this Alex, We can't do this, we need to get real heroes to deal with this kind of thing.'

[Electra]

"Somebody needs to take out that ball," Wander muttered to Erin. "I can work on that, it doesn't look that sturdy. But other people need to stop those groups of... whatever they are, from starting to kill people. I'm hoping that once we start inflicting damage on the thing down there, or on those guys, that they'll pull everything they've got to the middle of the field."

[quotemyname]

Alex! You stole my thunder! I was gonna tell the group that the stadium had been hijacked! Breakdown's thoughts sounded slightly miffed. You missed one thing though...

Reverting back to verbal communication, he called to Edge. "Stadium's been hijacked! What Psyche didn't pick up is that the two on the field have actually televised a set of demands!" Looking around quickly, he spotted an entrance to the field on ground level. "I can get to the field from here! Want me to rush them?"

[Cyroa]

James moved over to the door and swung it gently open. Inside were bodies in Stadium worker clothes tossed haphazardly in the closet. He peer a little closer and realized they weren’t people but robots.

“What the heck…†He bent to study them, curious when he heard Mark’s voice. He turned and blinked at the commotion. It seems a lot had happened when he was focusing on the ‘bots. “Sorry, right. First things first.†He summoned flames from his hands and sent it out, melting the ‘bots just in case. “I’m moving!†He concentrated and winked out, appearing just next Wander and Psyche, looking out over the field.

“Oh, you’ve gotta be kidding me…†he mumbled to himself. He eyed the two kids and the ‘minions’. “Freakin idiot kids. Don’t know what they’re playing with...â€Â

He turned to the others. “Given the robots below and that those are demons, I’d guess one of these idiot plays with tech toys. The other is a sorcerer or mystic of some kind. Those are minor demons. Pretty dumb. Like really nasty dogs kept on leashes. They thrive on carnage and are probably under limited control at best. Need to be controlled or would have eaten those hostages by now. Control is probably from that mystic and likely his ‘toy’. So don’t break it. Also, I’d bet control is sketchy at best. Uncontrolled they'd be savaging the hostages in an instant.†He shrugged one shoulder. “The bigger demons? They’re basically nastier versions.â€Â

He pulled out some stylish sunglasses and slid them on. He let the flames in his surface, lining his hands for a moment. “Call me Hellion. I can fry a decent sized area and not hit the hostages. Otherwise I need to get close to rip things apart. We got a plan?â€Â

[Avenger Assembled]

Edge gave a big thumbs-up to their teacher, signalling that they were more than ready to deal with the bad guys, then lowered himself back down to ground level. He ran quickly up the stairs after Phalanx, Psyche, and Wander, getting a look for himself at the threat they were facing. When he heard Mike's fears, he did his best to assuage them, clapping him on the shoulder as he crouched beside him. He kept his voice quiet, speaking just to him rather than broadcasting it over their link. "Phalanx, I know you wish the Freedom League was here. I wish that too." He looked the other boy in the eye. "But they're not here. We are. It's our responsibility to stand up and help these people. A hero is a person who stands up when they're needed. Are you going to be a hero today?" Edge closed his eyes for a brief moment and saw his grandfather in battle against the Ubermensch, remembered his father's stories about standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the Centurion the day the world fell in that last great battle.

Turning back to the psychic link they all shared, he did his best to come up with something coherent. OK, people, here's the plan. He did his best to sound brave and certain, for all that he was winging it desperately. Gecko, you go in from the air, try and distract them. Be really showy with the Pitchoo. If they're focused on you, they won't be focused on us. It sounds like the rest of us had better go in, take out those demons, then get in and hit the machine. He did his best to visualize things the way Psyche was. Wander, you're the best fighter we've got. Hit those groups right in front of us and clear us a path as you make your way down to that machine making that paralysis field. We'll rendezvous with you there when we hit the field. Breakdown and Phalanx, I want you guys in the air together taking out the demons and robots on my left from above. Give Geckoman backup in the sky if he needs it. Hellion, you and I will swing around from the right and hit the bad guys there. Psyche, you hang back. You're our coordinator, we can't have you get knocked out. Do what you can to probe the bad guys mentally or drop a hammer on any demons near you. Remember, hit the bad guys in the stands first. We need to make sure they can't hurt any innocent people before we hit them directly. Above all, make sure they're focused on us, not on the civilians. Are we all ready? He looked around, then said out loud, "1...2...3...GO FREEDOM!""

[quotemyname]

Currently playing on his iPod was "Superman" by Goldfinger

"So here I am

doing everything I can

holding on to what I am

pretending I'm a superman

I'm trying to keep

the ground on my feet

it seems the world's

falling down around me

the nights are all long

I'm singing this song

to try and make the answers

more than maybe"

Breakdown leaped up to the second level of the stadium to join his friends. "Ready, ready, boss!"

Breakdown got ready to take off towards left field as it were. "I'll do my best to provide air support. But I may need to drop to the ground at some point."

I'm just not sure how much good I can do up there...

[alderwitch]

Psyche nodded, her eyes wide and frightened but she relayed his commands steadily, I'll head up to someplace I can see everything. My powers all function as long as I can detect the person. I'll keep you informed! I might be able to get up to where all the cameras n' control stuff is.

She didn't respond verbally to Mike but she did send him a steady pulse of that affection and rock-solid faith in him that had always defined their friendship.

The groups were spread out equidistant around the stadium, at odd places up and down the aisles but the teams remained together although they weren't mixed. All in all, they could count six clumps of demons and the same number of robots. These robots were not human looking like the one James found. Instead they looked suspiciously like the robots from Star Wars: Clone Wars. The demons were all hideous, bristling with fangs and claws and warty looking hides.

Down in the center of the field, in addition to the two young men, were three larger and more spikey demons and two more droids. These looked like the battle droids from the same movies. If one had seen the Star Wars flicks it would not be a difficult leap to assume they would be capable of projecting forcefields. Of the boys, the one in the red labcoat was messing with a camera, and the other was offering less than helpful advice.

[Electra]

Wander leapt into action just a hair ahead of the others, her tennis shoes slapping softly against the concrete stairs as she raced down the first level, building up a head of steam as she charged headfirst into the first clump of demons. She knocked the first one over the rail and dashed it against the concrete without stopping, then delivered a quick and brutal punch to the throat on each of his two fellows, downing them as well. She paused momentarily then, zeroing in on her next target.

[Avenger Assembled]

"All right, people, let's move out!" declared Edge, running out behind his team as they sprung into action. "Let give them what they've got coming to them!" Oh God I have no idea what to say! He struck a dramatic pose, his voice ringing out through the stadium as he balanced on a railing, hands on his hips, so everyone on his team knew where he was and knew he was on their side. "Let's show them that they can't come to our city and hijack our baseball field! Not on our watch!" We need to think of a team name, he thought irrelevantly. Um... "Hit a home run for Freedom!"

[quotemyname]

"Up and up we go!"

Breakdown tapped a button his sleeve and let the Jazz flow through him. Seconds later, the light airy feeling the music gave him was propelling him into the air towards the next set of demons towards the left.

"They say music soothes the savage beast! I wonder if it works on demons too?"

As he neared the group of demons in the next row of stairs, he sailed in close, but hopefully just out of reach. He turned on his audio projection and focused a directed sound wave at one of the demons below him. The soft trilling of a flute sounded in the demon's ears. The music was very calming. It almost made the demon not want to fight anymore...

[angrydurf]

Mike gritted his teeth and nodded at Edges words. His face was grim as the others surged forth and he barely hesitated before launching full speed across the field into the midst of the furthest group of Demons shouting at the top of his lungs "THERES NO DEMONS IN BASEBALL!" as he slammed into the mass of demonic minions hovering over the frozen crowd.

[Ecalsneerg]

Geckoman spun into his chair, hands deftly flicking switches, pulling levers and hitting buttons. The Pitchoo rose straight up into the air at high speed, before dipping down into the stadium as two turrets dropped from its underside, long metal-barrelled guns unfurling from the conical metal. The faint sound of music could be heard blaring from the speakers inside.

"Hello, demon dudes! Bye-bye, demon dudes!" laughed Geckoman, pulling hard on a trigger on one of the control levers. Small circular globs of electrical energy started sparking from the weaponry on the airship towards one group of demons.

[Cyroa]

James took a couple steps and vaulted over the railing, landing on a long bench. Both his hands were rimmed with fire, a faint smell of brimstone in the air. "Time to go Home!" he yelled, unleashing fire from both hands. The fire lashed out, exploding around around the last two demon groups, burning them but leaving the grounds and the stadium itself unharmed.

"Say hi for me," he muttered quietly under his breath.

[alderwitch]

In light of her friend's much more showy explosions on the field, Psyche's glittering trail of energy wasn't very noticible as she floated up and into the control room. She paused breifly to squeeze around the stunned people then let out a sigh at the control panel. It, too, had been rigged with mystic sigils and tech devices and Psyche didn't know where to begin. She knew where to start as she looked through the glass at the labcoated boy and reached for his mind.

Unaware of the psychic presence rifling through his brain, the large screen flickered to life with the image of the two masterminds of this little plot.

"Citizens of Freedom, despite attempts by the pathetic excuse for heroes-" The voice of the labcoated boy started to boom out before being cut off by the younger boy.

"Seriously, Geckoman? And I don't even know the rest of these guys. What, is there some hero convention going on and this was all you had?"

The possessed camera panned the kids fighting demons before jumping back to the Labcoated boy who had yanked back the microphone and given his brother a dirty look.

"Unless our demands are met, all of Liberty Stadium will feel the wrath of Tech Kid and Mystic Force... the Technomancers!"

He paused for an evil laugh, which wasn't bad as evil laughs go. He'd clearly been working on it.

"To prove our might we will start by blowing up... the Airship!"

The screen went black dramatically as 'Tech Kid' pushed a button on his remote and ended the transmission.

During his speech, the kids in question had been swift in dealing with the demons who, when vanquished, exploded in sulfurous puffs of smokes. Except for the patrols of robots, only a few demons remained in the stand. Two cowered at Hellions feet, begging for mercy in their demonic tongue.

The only other group of demons was Breakdowns. There, one demon had started to make odd crooning noises back at Breakdown, a strange look on its ugly little face as it seemed entranced by the kid superhero. Its packmates, however, were staring at the entranced demon like it had lost its mind.

[Electra]

With the demons around her gone, Erin leapt agilely over an entire section of somnolent fans, landing in a cluster of robots patrolling another aisle. Still fighting without a word or an extraneous noise, she clocked the first one in what passed for a chin, knocking its head unit clean off. Erin caught the metal head in midair, then used it as a bludgeon to decapitate its two cohorts as well, with a noise that sounded a lot like a car crash. Dented metal head in her hand, she looked around again, assessing the progress of the fight.

[quotemyname]

"It worked!" Breakdown cried happily.

He quickly tapped his sleeve again, and dropped lightly the remaining few feet to the ground. As soon as his feet touched down, what appeared to be strobe lights began flashing all around his feet. There was no visible source for the lights, however. They just seemed to be there. One might even think that it was Breakdown himself that was flashing instead of having lights flashed upon him.

Amidst the flashing lights, Breakdown began dancing with a series of hypnotic movements. The two demons that had at once been ogling the strange action of their third counterpart turned their eyes on Breakdown. Due to his strange movements the seemed to become entirely engrossed momentarily. Breakdown half spoke half whispered in a strange voice with a low and ominous tone. "Dance for me!"

The demons became stiff for a moment, almost as if they were standing at attention. In the same ominous voice Breakdown called out, "Go get them!" and pointed towards the two figures in the center of the stadium. The two demons charged forth...

With one final flash of light Breakdown disappeared from his location next to the single crooning demon

*BAMF*

...And reappeared amidst a crowd of robots further around the stadium.

[Ecalsneerg]

Geckoman ignored their comments for now. He had some zingers prepped, but right now... he planned to do as Mark said and hit a home run for Freedom. And freedom too. Hell, Freedom of any capitalisation.

He swooped the Pitchoo down, quickly sizing up his options. Tech Kid, or Mystic Force? Let's shoot the second one, he sounds like a Power Rangers series. "Pew pew pew!" he shouted, squeezing the trigger and training the cannons on the kid in the robes.

[Avenger Assembled]

Time to join my team. Edge drew his grapple gun and fired into one of the big beams that held up the stadium's retractable roof, taking a flying leap off the railing where he was standing and swinging far down into the stadium. He landed perfectlyin the middle of a group of robots, where he stood up and grinned cockily. "Gentlemen, I'm afraid your luck's just changed!" Raising his hands to his lips as the robots closed in, he called out to the guys on the field, "Hey, Dumbledore and Bill Nye! Yeah, you! My name is EDGE! I'm gonna play Rock 'Em Sock 'Em with your FACES in about five minutes!"

[angrydurf]

Phalanx glanced around and saw that almost all the patrols were down or engaged flew up nearer the Pitchoo over the center of the field.

'Just like in the movies right?' He thought to himself and gathered all of his prodigious strength into one mighty blow slamming his hands together with incredible force and sending a crushing shockwave down centered on the pitchers mound.

[Cyroa]

James moved down the bleachers, knocking the two cowering demon aside. They were nothing, beneath his notice and he said as much as he brushed them aside. If they were still here in a moment, he'd fry them too. He moved to the edge of the field, the odor of Brimstone strong from his prodigious use of Hellfire and yelled across the grass, ignoring the robots and their master. Instead, he addressed the remaining demons, slipping easily into Hellspeak. The harsh and dark words rolled from his tongue, full of anger and menace.

"HOW DARE YOU ASSAULT ME AND MINE?!?! STAND WITH ME OR BEGONE! ELSE I SHALL REND YOUR SKINS AND RETURN YOU TO THE PITS! IMPALE YOU ON THE SPIKES OF DEKAGOTH FOR YOUR INSOLENCE!!" But to those who didn't understand Hellspeak, the dark and foreboding words were just gibberish though the anger and menace was clear...

[alderwitch]

Wander again was first into the fray, rapidly destroying one of of the battle-droid formations. Meanwhile, Breakdown's song and dance effectively sent two of the demons charging after their bigger counterpart on the field. The larger demon gave them the same look that they'd given their crooning compatriot earlier. That little demon seemed to be too focused on Breakdown as it flapped its way accross the field, still crooning softly after the teen.

While Edge focused the Technomancers on him, Phalanx took the chance to take to the skies, driving downward to create a concussive blast that roared through the stadium, churning up earth as it went by. The fighting demons were pulped as was the one that had raked at Phalanx with its flaming claws on his way up. Unfortunately, while the teen terrors had been preoccupied with their leader, one of the demons had charged Wander, raking at her with claws that flamed wickedly. The robots, meanwhile had set up glittering forcefields to protect their masters.

Just in time, too! As a strike from the Pitchoo rained down, aimed at Mystic Force (whose name did sound an awful lot like a Power Rangers series)! The forcefield took the brunt of the blast and the electricity from the Pitchoo arced through the field and into the droid. Some loop seemed to close as the power surged back up through the Pitchoo's controls, shorting out the switches that allowed Geckoman to control the airship!

The droids that were not engaged with Edge and Breakdown form up on the fields edge, awaiting orders while Hellion begins to order the demons about in his father's unspeakable tongue. Whatever Hellion says to them seems frighteningly effective as the demons break off from their targets to debase themselves at Hellion's feet before crawling into burning abysses that open beneath them. Mystic Force seems outraged by the abduction of 'his' demons. The Tech Kid might be slightly smug, as his droids are faring much better thus far in the battle, but only because they haven't been the heroes focus. Yet.

Sputtering with outrage, Mystic Force shrieks, "I call forth a Magic Missle!" and several colored bolts of light (eight, if you were counting) thump into Edge's chest.

Jarringly, Psyche projects to everyone on the field, her mental voice audible to heroes and would-be-villians alike. "I got it! They're powering it through the Freedom-tron. That's what's diffusing the array. If you destroy that, I think I can safely power everything down from the control room."

The Tech Kid freezes as he realize there's been a psychic picking out his precious secrets and orders his droids to, "Get the girl! Stop her!"

He fires up a lightsaber in one hand, red naturally, and begins fixing the smoking droid with some small handheld device with the other.

[quotemyname]

"What the hell is a...?" Breakdown swiveled his head toward where Psyche's mental directions directed him. "Oh right... The big screen thing. You guys are gonna have to take care of that for a sec. I've got these bots to take care of."

Breakdown tapped his sleeve and tried switching to the iPod that was playing Rock and Roll, but something went wrong...The Metallica hit him hard.

"GIVE ME FUEL

GIVE ME FIRE

GIVE ME THAT WHICH I DESIRE!

OH! YEA!"

"What the...?" Was all Breakdown could manage to say before a sound like shattering glass reverberated across the stadium. The next thing he knew, his entire body was covered in a sort of quicksilver metallic coating...and there was a wicked looking spike extending forward past his hand from the back of his right forearm. "That's cool! I can roll with this." he said excitedly.

Breakdown quickly charged the closest of the three droids in front of him - the one who had succeeded in shooting him. He attempted to ram the spike straight through the droid's body with an upwards motion.

[Avenger Assembled]

Edge dodged the multiple blasts coming his way with no particular grace or skill, just bobbing and weaving as magical energy and robotic laser blasts whizzed past his head and torso. Well, I sure as heck got _their_ attention! As the robots gathered around him, he grinned and declared, "Boys, I told your luck was about to change." A moment later his eyes glowed, and chaos exploded from his body. All around him, chaos tore through the robotic squadron, random chance overheating weapons and burning out coils, stadium steps collapsing under their feet, sending robots tumbling freely down the stadium steps or simply falling apart, the waves of chaos spreading wider and wider, encompassing a good fifty feet of stadium. Luckily, the innocents were entirely untouched.

"Phalanx!" Edge yelled, his eyes wide as he saw the Pitchoo begin to go down. Pull it up, pull it up... "Knock the Freedom-tron into the parking garage! Away from the stands!"