ic Me Like Hockey! (IC)

[quotemyname]

Jack and Valkyrie both heard the same voice, but from inside their heads instead of outside.

[bg=#BF0000]Jack.[/bg]

[bg=#BF0000]Warrior.[/bg]

"Norn?" Valkyrie responded telepathically "Nay, thou art another. Speak and Identifiy thyself, that I may hear thine request."

[bg=#BF0000]That portal is The Alamo. It is the only lifeline these hostages have. They need to get inside without killing each other. And if the Crime League makes it through, then we have lost. We defend that portal to our last breath. Understood?[/bg]

"Thine plan will suffice. Though there is another that I must first attend to, I will defend thine portal with mine life. I swear it."

Now that downtime is finally away from that sports fan, I can finally return his favor...

A flash of lightning struck Valkyrie, and she was gone. She reappeared for but a moment in the stands next to the sports fan that had had his face smashed in by Downtime. Collecting him in her arms, she traveled the path of the Gods once more, reappearing before the portal.

She knelt, laying him on the ice before the portal. Placing her left hand on his chest she spoke, "Thou hast fought bravely mortal. Many warriors with strength of character less then thine hath been honored in Valhalla. Though I fear it is not yet thine time. I pray that you receive the Blessing of Odin well, and continue to fight for him in this life and thine next."

I hope this works!

In its socket in her Armor, the Orb of Fate began to glow. A soft blue aura surrounded the man on the ground, slowly helping to mend his injuries.

Without taking the time to see that it worked, Valkyrie stood and addressed the crowd. "Hear me, mortals! Thou art now under Odin's protection. As his servant, I promise that no harm shall be done to you. But such gifts come at a price. Each of thine must show Odin that thou art deserving of his gifts. Use this portal to return to safety. But be aware, Odin demands peace and order of you. Do as is directed, and thou shalt come to no harm. Stray from Odin's path, and I cannot guarantee you his protection!"

[Gizmo]

Jack of all Blades grinned humourlessly as he rolled to one side, vaulting back up to his feet. Lady, he replied to Scarab's mental instructions, I think I like your style.

Even through the various pains wracking his body, the fencer could perceive a prickling sense of tactile deja vu, his metamagi awareness struggling to communicate to his natural senses just what strange energies Downtime powers were derived from. A more introspective man might have been fascinated, but Jack was the pragmatic type. "Just one question for you, idiota," he smirked, spitting a thick mouthful of blood directly into the criminal's revealed face before launching forward with a brutal strike of his icy blade. As Downtime collapsed across the bleachers with a grunt, the swashbuckler stood over him, red flecked lips turned up in a smug if unsteady expression. "The hell is a 'huckleberry'?"

[N/A]

Downtime flickered back into view as he crumpled before Jack's feet. "Haven't...ya ever seen...a Western?" he mumbled as he mercifully passed out from the pain of Jack's beating.

The drunken fratboy's bruises faded away under the light of the Orb. His nose cracked back into its rightful shape. He rubbed his eyes, accepting Valkyrie's hand pulling him to his feet. "Whoa...anybody get the number of that truck? Dayum."

The spectators closest to Valkyrie, and to the portal, queued up into a pair of relatively orderly lines and filed into the gate two-by-two. Many of them didn't quite understand Valkyrie's archaic proclamation, but they could at least grasp the idea that "This is the way out." However, the further removed from the portal, the more chaotic the scene, as those on the far edges of the arena surged forward, terrified that it would close and leave them trapped in a building wired to blow. The sudden crash against the upper outside wall didn't help matters, nor did the resulting earthquake that almost shook everyone off their feet.

Outside, Doctor Stratos summoned all the elements at his command and hurled them at The Scarab in a desperate bid to break free of her vise-like telekinetic grip. "All who dare to stand against DOCTOR STRATOS shall PERISH BEFORE HIS MIGHT!" Bolts of lightning and gale-force winds slammed into The Scarab's wall of telekinetic force again and again. She clenched her teeth and pushed against the air with her hands, focusing her power against the onslaught, but the barrage proved to be too much, and she finally lost her grip. The winds slammed her all the way back against the arena wall.

[N/A]

The Scarab, hovering with her back pressed against the outer wall of the Liberty Dome, winced as she felt blood trickle down the back of her neck the inside her mask. [bg=#BF0000]Ow.[/bg] She bristled at Doctor Stratos and his arrogant laughter, reveling in his victory as he bore down on her once more, carried aloft by the winds at his command.

[bg=#BF0000]I've indulged you far enough, Sebastian. You had your chance to stand down. Now the gloves come off.[/bg] The Scarab squinted out into the distance, glaring at Stratos with her mind instead of her eyes. She reached out toward him with her hand, her palm facing downward, snarled beneath her mask, and jerked her hand closed into a fist. Stratos, who a moment ago had been cutting through the night sky with all the deadly grace of a shark, suddenly stopped in mid-air, clutched the sides of his head, and tumbled head-over-feet. The Scarab wrenched her fist back toward her body in a half-circle, and Stratos screamed. Blood gushed freely from his eyes, ears, and nostrils, seeping through the cracks between his fingers. He couldn't talk. He couldn't think. All he could do was scream.

[bg=#BF0000]You may control the elements, Sebastian, but I control the mind. And the body cannot exist without the mind.[/bg]

[quotemyname]

"Go, now, Courageous one." She told the battered fan. "Thine battle is finished this day," She passed him off to the aid of another passing hockey fan, "Seek safety on the other side of this portal." She watched the two limp through.

"This way! This way!" She called to the other assembled fans. "Make haste! Be safe!" She tried to simplify her commands so the crowd could understand her better.

She stayed alert, Hammer in hand, she made ready to attack any of her enemies that came within striking distance of the portal, and her striking distance was great!

[Gizmo]

As the panicking crowd pushed and shoved their way toward the portal, Jack of all Blades appeared in an empty spot higher up in the bleachers, leaning heavily on a helpful bystander with a ponytail and Freedom City Blades jersey. Though looking unusually pale beneath his crimson bandanna mask and holding his sash to the spot where Orion's bullet had passed through his chest with white knuckles, the swashbuckler continued to exude larger than life confidence, unlike his unconscious opponents. When he spoke, his voice rang out over the din of the mob, smooth and wry. "You heard the lady, folks! Quick jaunt through portal and back home in time for dinner, eh? Keep calm or you won't get a signed headshot from this guy, amirite?" With a clarion laugh, he pointed to himself with the hand draped over the shoulders on the concerned looking teenage girl and winked broadly at the crowd. A few of the civilians chuckled in spite of themselves and a weight seemed to lift from their collective shoulders. Good had triumphed once more, and all was well.

"I need to look at the gunshot wound, hermano," Ellie whispered insistently. "If that belt wasn't already red, it would be from the blood you've lost."

Erik's jaunty grin didn't waver and he continued to nod and wave to the passing bystanders on their way to the gateway. "Once everyone's through and safe, hermanita," he replied just as softly. "No lying down on the job."

[N/A]

The combined efforts of Jack and Valkyrie to pacify and organize the crowd were the only things preventing a stampede or a riot as the arena shook again a few seconds later, as if being shelled from cannons outside. The upper wall burst open, littering the stands with metal and masonry as Doctor Stratos punched another two-meter wide hole in the Liberty Dome. He'd been launched like a bullet with his back to the Dome, and his limb, battered form slammed into the ice at the center of the rink, leaving cracks that snaked halfway across what was left of the rink. He was drenched in his own blood, and his left arm and right leg both bent in directions they were never designed for. He lay completely still, but a faint cloud of mist slipped out from between his lips periodically, confirming his continued claim to membership among the living.

The Scarab hovered through the hole a couple seconds later, her crimson & gold armor gleaming under the arena lights as her massive cape fluttered and billowed behind her. She floated down to the ice, and waved her hands toward the fallen members of the Crime League. Seemingly of their own accord, their limp bodies rose into the air one at a time, floating across the arena and coming to rest in a heap upon the ice.

Jack and Valkyrie both felt her "voice" resonate inside their heads. [bg=#BF0000]Thank you. None of us could have done this alone. People would have died.[/bg]

[quotemyname]

Thine thanks is unnecessary, but welcome, Mystic. Valkyrie responded within her own thoughts. I will ever bring the might of Odin and the other Gods to bear in battle, whenever foes such as this provide such challenge. She gestured to the heap of bodies. "Dost thou hath a place thou plans on keeping them?" She said, out loud this time. "Methinks the authorities would be hard pressed to lock up this foul assortment of warriors."

[Gizmo]

"Woo, go team," Jack responded, too tired to make the effort of mental communication. Jeez, she messed Statos up. Kinda thought the Scarab was a Dark Star type; not so much, apparently. The swordsman nodded to the booth high above the rink. "Don't forget about Shooty McGunGun up there; not sure long he'll stay out for."

[N/A]

"Hm?" The Scarab glanced up at Jack. "Oh, yes, of course." She raised an open hand toward the commentator booth above them. The thick cloud of black smoke swirled into a miniature tornado as it blew out through the hole in the glass, tracing a dark smear across the air above them until it flew out through the holes The Scarab had punched through the roof with Doctor Stratos' body.

With the smoke gone, the heroes could see a shock of flaming orange-red hair resting in front of a sniper rifle. The rifle had been mounted on a tripod, but after being knocked around by Jack's energy sword, it lay upon its side. The assassin's limp body then floated out through the hole in the glass wall, following the smoke but diverging from its path to come to rest down upon the ice next to his fellow Leaguers. The Irishman's gas mask had been torn halfway off of his face, hanging by a single strap. His goggles remained in place, but the lense over his right eye had been shattered by Jack's blows. The eye beneath it was obscured by a purple swelling.

The Scarab turned to address Valkyrie. [bg=#BF0000]"My Lair is equipped with holding cells which would prove more than adequate to contain these miscreants until the authorities can prepare proper lodgings for them. A matter which I will attend to shortly. In the meantime, it seems the two of you have other concerns."[/bg] She nodded over to the cameramen who were now breaking from the crowd and racing over to the assembled heroes. [bg=#BF0000]"Him, I recognize. The Jack of all Blades. One of Viktor's people. But I'm afraid I am not acquainted with you."[/bg]

[bg=#BF0000]Sofia, now that things are under control here, please open as many portals at my location as we have free doorways. We need to speed up this evacuation, so the police can disarm those bombs. Or blow the doors.[/bg]

[Gizmo]

"Hey, lookit that, I'm famous," Jack drawled, a but of thickness slipping into is speech as the adrenaline began to ebb from his system. "But hey, I'm not one of Doc's-- that is, it's not... We have an arrangement, is what it is." He pointed between Scarab and Valkyrie with an unfocused stern look, as though warning against argument. The trouble he was having focusing on either of the floating women attested to the amount of blood he'd already lost.

The teenager helping keep the wounded swashbuckler on his feet rolled her eyes. "Idiota..." She whispered insistently to Jack through clenched teeth. "Do you really want to be here when the cameramen show up for the post-brawl interviews?"

The fencer immediately regained a measure of lucidity. "Right, yeah. Listen, ah, Miss The Scarab, Blonde... Hammer... Lady, s'alright if I go have a sit-down while you handle the media? I kinda got a little bit shot there, and bullets are sorta my secret weakness and all, so... ouch."

[N/A]

[bg=#BF0000]"Yes, of course. How inconsiderate of me."[/bg] The Scarab held the first two fingers of her left hand to her forehead for a moment, angling her head slightly downward and to the side. She glanced back up at Jack a few seconds later, as another series of portals tore open along the length of the ice, including one directly behind The Scarab. She gestured toward it. [bg=#BF0000]"This will take you to my Lair. The woman operating the teleporter junction console has already opened another one adjacent to it. It will be on your right. That second portal will take you directly inside my infirmary. You will find it well-stocked."[/bg]

She turned to the mysterious Northern warrior-woman. [bg=#BF0000]"I intend to remain here until all of the civilians are safely evacuated. If you wish to avoid further scrutiny, feel free to follow the refugees through one of the portals. They will take you to the junction room, where a portal to Liberty Park is already open. Otherwise, feel free to stay and field their questions."[/bg]

[quotemyname]

Valkyrie nodded in understanding when The Scarab mentioned the capabilities of her Lair. Though she wondered at the word. In her experience, those that kept "lairs" tended to be less than trustworthy.

The fencer immediately regained a measure of lucidity. "Right, yeah. Listen, ah, Miss The Scarab, Blonde... Hammer... Lady, s'alright if I go have a sit-down while you handle the media? I kinda got a little bit shot there, and bullets are sorta my secret weakness and all, so... ouch."

"Thou may address me as Valkyrie, as is my given title." She addressed them both. Turning to Jack she continued, "Thou hast fought bravely, warrior. Though thy style in combat greatly differs from mine own, thou hast earned my respect and that of the Gods." She took a few steps closer to him, "Receive now Odin's blessing, as befits a warrior of thine mettle." Valkyrie lowered her hammer to the ice, letting it rest there momentarily. She placed her left hand over the Orb embedded in her armor, and her Right hand over the place in Jack's chest that had been pierced by the bullet. A soft blue glow surrounded both her hands as well as the wound itself. When she withdrew her hand, some of the bleeding had stopped, and the wound looked a good deal less severe. Though it was clear that the gesture had done a number on Valkyrie herself. She seemed short of breath, suddenly, as if being the channel for Odin's divine healing had taken a great toll on her. "Go now, and rest, Jack." She said the name slowly as if unsure, sparing a glance at the Scarab from whom she'd heard it. "The servants of Odin are well experienced in dealing with lesser folk that wish to offer their adoration and appreciation. Worry not about the media, Jack. I shall handle them." With a nod at the Scarab once more, she turned to face the gathering camera crew.

[Gizmo]

Jack gingerly prodded his wound experimentally. "Woah. Good orb." The various aches and pains he'd been recieved at the hands of Downtime and Medea's chair golem seemed lessened as well. "Hey, thanks, Smash Sister," he told Valkyrie, his expression making it clear he was touched by the heroine's exertion on his behalf.

Still propping her brother up, Ellie looked at the hammer wielding warrior woman with newfound interest. "Healing powers... Cool."

With a final sloppy salute, Jack and his aide hobbled their way to Scarab's portal, making their way to the infirmary just before the cameras arrived for a close-up. The swordsman grinned weakly as his sister as she set about disinfecting his assorted cuts and bandaging his wounds. "C'mon, three out of five Crime League members. Pretty freaking fantastic, amirite?"

The coltish teen sniffed, evidently not bothered by the red smears now staining her jersey. "Scarab and Valkyrie took care of the most powerful bad guys and didn't get their butts shot."

"'Midm't meyht meyhr meyhtts mot'," Jack imitated, rolling his eyes.