In the Shadow of Sin (Gold) (IC)

[Quinn]

"Right. Blod, go silent - two right, one left, it's the straight-on passageway with the steam pipe running down the left side. I'll be in midair, invisible - wait at the entrance and send a message over the rock when you get there. Be careful, watch for security - even odds he's got the sewers rigged."

 

He'd gotten to talk to the Raven. Sweet Mary in a D-cup, he'd gotten to talk to the Raven. Crow was on such an adrenaline rush right now he practically /fell/ off that roof, biting back a whoop of joy as he vanished into thin air.

 

Underground, only the keenest eyes would have picked out what occurred - those able to break the best of runic illusions and pierce Crow's concealment - and it was a sight to make even a professional athlete turn green. Superhero training, Mr. Archer 101, was good for a lot of things; including unique tactics. Crow appeared in midair, still falling as he had off the roof - and his arms shot out to either side. Razor-sharp and matte-black, the twin knives arced (briefly) through the air on wires that just shimmered into being under his coat - running up the arms, across the shoulders, and down around his belt.

 

A silent snap of both arms, and he hung suspended in midair; hanging onto the wires - letting out a quiet rush of breath.

 

The urge to hum the Mission: Impossible theme was overwhelming.

[Thevshi]

Warden was still trying to see some sort of sign where Raven might have gone when he noted her entrance into the main lobby of the building. He did not need to glance at the screen showing him what was going on in the elevator shaft to have an idea what had happened there.

"Clever girl." He commented as he saw the teenager with the bow hanging from a ledge, having cut the elevator’s cable and sending it crashing down below. His voice echoed in the elevator shaft, carried by some intercom system he had set up. "But you leave yourself a bit vulnerable."

Pressing a couple of buttons, he then focused on another screen as a view of one of the nearby sewer tunnels popped into view, the thermal cameras having picked up the appearance of a young man who was currently keeping himself suspended in air on wires. Apparently wanting to avoid any pressure plates. But the trap master did not need to do anything about this new target, the automated systems there already springing into action. But he did key his microphone to broadcast down into the sewer tunnel.

"Well hello there. Are you the one who sprung free Raven? I guess we will have to see just how good you are."

Even as the echo of his voice began to fade, a thick metallic cable shoot forth from one of the walls, twisting and coiling as it came at Crow. The teen was unable to dodge the attack, as the mechanical arm wrapped around him, sending an electrical jolt through his body.

Crow was able to take the shock, but then the cable constricted around him, pulling him off his wires and pinning his arms to his side with tremendous force.

In the elevator shaft, Blue Jay heard a door open up above her. Glancing up, she saw a pair of small drones fly into the elevator shaft, an arch of electricity extending between them. The two drones dove down towards the archer, who was unable to avoid the electricity crackling between them given her precarious position.

Blue Jay felt her muscles seize up as the electricity shocked her. Her vision went black for a moment, but she fought for consciousness, even as black spots formed before her eyes. Although she remained conscious, she was stunned, and her grip on the ledge slipped and she began to fall…

[Tiffany Korta]

“You know our comm frequency Raven? Even with your skills you probably won’t be able to follow me.†it wasn’t a boast more a statement of fact

Expecting trouble she made sure that Dyrnwyn was concealed beneath her cloak, but still available when trouble started. Then she activated the ring that gave her invisibility and made her way down to the underground tunnels.

Arriving on the scene she could only roll her eye at how quickly Crow got himself into trouble.

“I’m here and apparently not a moment too soon. Try not to move about to much.â€

 

Leaping into the air she swept Dyrnwyn in a wide arc aiming for one of the cables restraining Crow.

[Thevshi]

Inside the elevator shaft, Blue Jay was only partially aware that she was falling, but still unable to try to do anything to stop her fall.  Then, someone's arms wrapped around her and she caught sight of a cape flapping around her and whomever had caught her.  There was the echo of a grappling gun firing, and the pairs' fall began to slow, until they touched down almost lightly onto the wreckage of the elevator, which was no longer crackling with electricity.

 

"Are you alright?"  Blue Jay heard Raven ask her as the Freedom League member considered the hovering remotes that were a little further up the shaft.

[Quinn]

Entrapment. Light. And pain.

 

Crow was used to inflicting this on ne'er-do-wells, and had to admit it was fairly refreshing to have it applied to himself - even if it meant his cover was completely blown and his plans were once again shot to nine shades of hell. Granted, a great deal of training came from adapting to circumstances, but the speed with which his plans kept going sideways was getting to be a common theme whenever he was tasked with cooking up an idea.

 

Gods, boy, it's like a comedy routine - right before Bres unleashed the hounds. How we laughed so very much after that. Just...shut up.

 

Ruminating later. Action now. Blod hit the scene fast, and her swipes at them were damn appreciated - but they were already lacking time. Focus, focus - hone in on that rune, don't let the shocks disturb...

 

Blod saw the Crow-shaped hole in the air the cables were wrapped around just collapse, like they'd suddenly squashed him into a tiny ball; and for a moment it seemed very likely their crew had just been shortened by one member. That is, until the whirring of even more wires, that promptly took advantage of that unique position the cables found themselves in - tied, roped, and electricity flooding into them hard enough to nearly short-out the damn system. Crow shimmered into being beside her, and murmured rather calmly.

 

"...nice trap."

[Thevshi]

In his dark room, Warden watched as Crow escaped from the cable that was holding him and then proceeding to pinned against the wall with cables and knives. Though damaged, the cable was far from finished, but the trap master keyed another button before shifting his attention to another screen.

"Ah, there you are. Back for more Raven?" He said over the loudspeakers, his voice echoing in the sewer tunnels and in the elevator shaft.

In the elevator shaft, the hovering drones that had stunned Blue Jay flew down towards Raven. But the Freedom Leaguer was ready, and dodged the electrical arc that extended between the pair as the drones flew past and gained altitude once more to hover a short ways up the shaft.

Down in the sewer tunnels, the trapped cable strained against the wires holding it, snapping them and pulling free. Just then a second cable snaked out, wrapping tightly around Crow again and delivering another electric shock. Once again the young cowl managed to maintain consciousness, but he was tightly held once more by the new cable, and the first one was now free to assist…

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd almost rushed past Crow, they were under a time constraint after all, but she couldn’t leave the boy behind. Beside hopefully the other two were making better progress.  

So for the second time today she set out to free someone from a trap. So readying Dyrnwyn she bounded up the wall and sliced out towards one of the tentacles.

“I really hope that you don’t make a habit of this Crow, after all I won’t always be around to help you.†she spoke in her normal dry tone.

 

On hitting the ground she made sure to shift her position there enemy might now know that she was here, but not exactly where she was right now. That should give some protection against the tentacles.

[Thevshi]

With a quick motion, Raven pulled a Ravenrang from her utility belt and sent it spinning through the air towards one of the remotes hovering above her and Blue Jay.  The small remotes were fast and agile, but the experienced cowl was right on target, the metal projectile striking one of the remote dead center and slicing through the casing to the vulnerable systems inside. 

 

The remote sparked violently, the arc of electricity between it and the other remote fluttering once or twice before disappearing altogether.  The damaged remote then spun erratically out of control, bounding off the wall of the elevator shaft before falling harmless to the ground.

 

"Let's get going."  Raven said quietly to the still stunned Blue Jay, pulling the teenage archer with her over the wreckage of the elevator and into a hallway beyond.

[Quinn]

"Get ready." was Crow's only response - still remarkably calm despite hitting the ground in a tuck and roll after Blod cut him loose. No time to worry about those tentacles; from what Raven had said they were already on the clock, and time was ticking down. 

 

And, despite himself...he wanted to show that Warden precisely why you didn't try and cage these birds. Personally. Oh, Archer would be irked at him...

 

Probably not. He'd likely approve! I know I do - vengeance! Righteous fury! Now you turn your power to something worthwhile! Your approval fills me with shame. Oh, you know you love it.

 

From within his coat, he produced a small folded paper and a spray-paint can; quickly unfolding it and slapping it to the wall. A quick shake of the can, the young hero working fast, and a quartet of fast sprays along predetermined lines. It was an odd shape, squiggly lines and a twisting whorl that carried a sense of energy erupting, rather than containing - with a magic circle surrounding it, but with spokes pointing inwards.

 

Rune magic. Go figure. He made...a strange shape with his hands. Impossible to follow, a twisty gesture with fingers, and SLAMMED his fist into the rune - sparks flying where his backplate impacted the paint.

 

It started to glow.

 

And hum.

 

Very loudly.

 

Uh oh.

 

He stepped just a hair sideways of the rune, and breathed out. "...fire in the hole."

[Thevshi]

Then the rune exploded, filling the sewer with a loud *BOOM* as the power of the explosion blew a large hole in the wall. Dust filled the section of the sewer where Crow and Blodeuwedd were standing. Peering through the haze, Crow could see another room beyond, the wall on the opposite side damaged, but not demolished by the shaped charge’s explosion.

Then suddenly, the first cable wrapped around Crow, who had been distracted in setting the explosive rune. Once again the dark clad cowl felt the powerful electrical current ripple through his body…

---

Inside the dark control room not far from where Crow and Blodeuwedd were, the collection of monitors and other equipment shook as the explosion echoed nearby. A few of the monitors went out, as the cameras that had been providing the video feed were destroyed.

Warden braced himself as the room shook briefly, frowning underneath his mask. Not only did it appear that whoever was in the sewers had managed to breach the outer wall into the building’s basement, but Raven and the bow using teen were moving forward in the basement as well, even if the teen was currently somewhat incapacitated.

One monitor next to Warden still showed a countdown that was ticking off, some thirty six seconds left until the computer system began deleting its files.

Keying the last line of traps around the control room, Warden stood up from his chair and moved towards a door along one wall…

[Raveled]

Blue Jay was laying down on a bed of pins. She was tumbling down a hill of needles. She was trying to swim through a storm-wracked sea. Every time she attempted the tiniest twitch, her arms and legs flew wildly out of her control. She finally, grudgingly, settled for flying limp. It was her good fortune that Raven happened upon her and dispatched the robots before the Warden ended up with another hostage.

 

Now they were clear of the elevator, she tried moving again and succeeded this time. Her hands still felt tingly, but she clenched and unclenched them, working the nerves and blood vessels until that went away. The metal door at the far end was the obvious goal, and that was exactly why Jay shied way from it. Warden was way too fond of his traps. Instead, she moved towards one of the other doors. "Let's try them at the same time," she said to Raven. "Easiest way to see if these are just time-wasters."

[Thevshi]

Raven released her grip on Blue Jay as the teenager recovered from the electrical shock, focusing her attention on the hallway as Blue Jay moved forward towards one of the doors part way up the hallway. "You are right to want to avoid the steel door, though that is the most direct route to Warden. But the side ones are going to be trapped as well." The older heroine stated. "Opening both doors will just expose both of us to a trap at the same time and not leave anyone to help the other. Better to focus on one direction, deal with whatever Warden has waiting, and then create our own path to him."

"So your choice. You can open the door with me backing you up. Or I can spring the trap with you on standby." She then added.

[Thevshi]

With a small nod from the teen that she was willing to be the backup, Raven moved forward to the door as Blue Jay back a little way down the hallway.  The older heroine glanced at Blue Jay a moment, gave  a nod, then focused back on the door as she delivered a powerful kick that knocked the door open.

 

Immediately another autogun began opening fire from inside the room, sending a stream of the stun shells through the now open doorway.  But Raven had already dived forward and under the burst, rolling off to one side inside the room.  The autogun then fell silent, apparently leaving an opening that Blue Jay could exploit to try and disable the weapon...

[Raveled]

Blue Jay winced as the turret open up on Raven, but the black-clad cowl managed to roll out of the line of fire with more grace than the archer had managed that day. As the gun fell silent, she saw a chance to make her move and did so, rolling into view in the doorway just long enough to fire off one, two arrows.

And then disaster hit. She nocked and drew on the third, and her bowstring broke. Instant panic in her mind, but her body was already dropping the arrow and getting out of the line of fire. Jay swore under her breath in three languages as she pulled a new string and began the tedious task of running it through all the gears on the compound bow.

[Tiffany Korta]

Blodeuwedd was about to complement Crow on his rather explosive solution to getting down quickly when the defenses again struck. Without thinking she again struck a pose and stuck out at the device to try to again free her companion. Her blow was true again but it didn’t seem to affect the device as much as she had wished.

“I hope the others our doing better than we are with our luck. If the time runs shorts we might have to resort to extreme measures.â€

 

She didn’t want to leave Crow to the device but if it came to it they may have to part ways.

[Quinn]

Crow gritted his teeth and tried to force his way through, but the electric current was playing merry hell with his muscles. He struggled again, and spat - a spark striking up where loogie met stone. Mathair na trocaire, this was no time to be dealing with a stubborn deathtrap!

 

Faugh, extreme measures, she says. Damn that Warden, damn his hide, and damn his eyes - he'd have cursed him if he could draw more than short breaths! A voice in his head promised something, that if he found him before Blodeuwedd, Jay, or the Raven...

 

He'd wish he'd never been born.

 

One part of Crow didn't like that, though. Two parts did, but one part didn't. It was a quiet part in times like this. A very quiet part. It didn't speak very often when business was being done - that wasn't how it was meant to operate. But sometimes...it had to.

 

Through a clenched jaw, nearly forced shut by the current coursing through his jaw muscles, he managed to eke out a growled "GO."

 

And Blodeuwedd gained the distinct impression that now would be a very good time for extreme measures.

Edited March 7, 2014 by Quinn