ic Dreamweaver (IC)

[Blarghy]

"There'll be no executions of prisoners while I'm around."  Warne pointed this out mildly; he understood Sam's meaning.  Although, the things he heard over the phone...

 

"Whatever drives these people is a puzzle, but I'm not in the business of puzzles.  We'll find them and bring them in; the rest is up to the courts.  If you want to unravel the mystery, then you're free to think it through, so long as you don't get in the way of the job.  Personally, I'll be happy as long as starlight and its creators are off the streets."

 

He exhaled most of his smoke out the cracked window, but a thin fog clung to his head, making him appear a wizard in his own right, this grim and grizzled detective.  He rubbed his Zippo lighter with his thumb; on its surface was a gold-engraved A. 

 

"...Mind control would be a matter for consideration, but I don't think the evidence points to such.  If this gangster could do that, why bother coming after you with guns at all?  Your magic might worry them, but those thugs would've still been vulnerable.  They talked all the same.  I don't think we have to worry about that.  Whatever may or may not be possible in dreams, we should be safe while we're awake."

[Sophistemon]

Sam snuggled further into the seat, his eyes growing heavy. He raised leaden lids just long enough to glance at agent Warne. "I was joking, for God's sake. I'm not going to kill anyone -- even if I'd be justified Besides, I want answers to my questions, and it's harder to talk to the dead than the living. Not impossible, but harder." There was a moment of silence before Adept spoke again, and then Presto twitched in his seat and began fumbling around. "That's brilliant," he said. "That's brilliant, Warne!" He popped the glove compartment and dug through it for something to write on, eventually settling for two old and crumpled napkins from a Beefy Burger restaurant. He took a pen from its hiding place in his mystic pocket and began to scribble matching arcane symbols on both napkins. Said symbols looped and curved, shot through here and there with sudden, violent strokes of the pen. "Give me your lighter," he said at last, and held out his hand.

[Blarghy]

GM

 

Warne watched Sam's work suspiciously, on the verge of ordering him to stop on pain of being flung bodily from the moving vehicle, but he only truly turned grim at the wizard's request.  He made no move to hand over his Zippo, curling his fingers tighter around it.

 

"Here," the agent in the seat next to Warne said, passing a smaller plastic lighter up to Sam.  He looked back down to his tablet.  "We're about fifteen minutes out, by the way."  The car jostled a bit as it transitioned onto the Lindroos Bridge. 

 

"...What're you doing, Steiner?" Warne demanded. 

[Sophistemon]

Samuel gave Agent Warne a look, raised eyebrow and all, before accepting the plastic substitute from the helpful subordinate. "Thank you," he said, and then flicked the Bic. He then uttered a short, barking incantation before lighting both napkins on fire and stuffing them into one of the cup-holders to burn. They did so, producing no smoke, until they were gone. Sam leaned back into his seat and smiled, feeling oddly refreshed. "Well then," he said. "That takes care of that. We don't have quite so much to worry about now, Agent." He dusted his hands. "That little spell just made it so that we won't need to sleep again for, ah, a day or so. More importantly, we're also incapable of being mystically coerced into falling asleep. Our enemy has one fewer weapon!"

[Blarghy]

"...Well thank you, magical barista," Warne said with skepticism.  He frowned to himself, considering that maybe he shouldn't be so dismissive.  He only had Sam's word to go on that someone in this drug organization dealt in sleep and dreams, but what's the point of having a consultant if you won't listen to them?  Besides, he could appreciate restfulness on its own.  Heaven knew he got little enough sleep as it was. 

 

"I don't suppose you have a spell for protection against bullets."

[Sophistemon]

Sam gave Warne another look. It was slightly hurt, but also tinged with a bit of irritation. "Actually," he said. "Yes, Warne, I do have a spell for protection against bullets. I'm wearing it." He motioned to his clothing, the impeccable suit that he wore. "I've sewn symbols of protection into the lining of my clothes -- symbols of protection and other things." He shook his head. "What I've done for us is more than magical coffee. I don't think you understand: if properly maintained, this spell would ensure that you never need to sleep again. A little appreciation for my genius, if you please." He crossed his arms over his chest and stared out the windshield with narrowed eyes. "Honestly, I fought off three gunmen and a big lizard thing. You'd think I'd get a little appreciation."

Edited July 25, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

GM

 

"You get money," Warne pointed out.  His tone was dryly amused at Sam's indignation.  "Gratitude won't pay the bills.  ...And you let Bailey escape, as I recall.  If you want a medal for bringing in a few thugs, then you should've been a patrol cop." 

 

The other agent in the backseat glanced up and shook his head slightly.  He almost compared their bickering to an old married couple, but he knew a little too much about Warne, and a lot too much about their ex-supervillain. 

 

None of the AEGIS men offered further conversation until they passed through Kingston, and Sam could easily smell the sea.  They drove along the bay's coastline, passing empty piers and dark mansions with sparse lighting from a few windows.  Sam might not need the street address to tell him they'd reached the right one: the tall metal gate blocking the driveway was torn inward and hanging by one hinge. 

 

White gravel crunched under their tires as they slowed.  "I'll give you this, Steiner," Warne admitted.  "Looks like you really put the fear of God in this shapeshifter.  And I do believe that this is a sign of distress.  We should, as law enforcement, investigate this residence in case anyone is in need of assistance.  Waiting for an official warrant would simply be irresponsible."

 

The agent behind Sam got out of the car to push aside the gate.  He waited for the car to drive past, following along the stone wall that separated this property from its neighbor; they turned the curve of the driveway to see a sprawling two-story beachfront home, suspiciously well-lit for such an hour.  Its nice, lush lawn sported trees and flower-bushes that cast long shadows across the grass.  The driver paused for his partner to get back in.

 

He had time to shut the car door before the side-mirror in front of him blew away in a hail of metal and glass, followed by a line of automatic gunfire tearing across the hood. 

[Sophistemon]

The magician sunk deeper and deeper into his seat as Warne spoke, first about his financial compensation (insufficient, so far as he was concerned, compared to the things he'd had to do to earn it) and his failure to apprehend Bailey. Still, he couldn't help but chuckle when the AEGIS agent commented on the shapeshifter's fear. And then light and noise and danger destroyed whatever levity there had been. Sam threw up his hands as the bullets tore through the hood of the car, a rather filthy swear erupting from his mouth as he did so. "God!" he shouted after. "Why'd we think coming in from the front was a good idea?" He covered his head with both hands, though such a gesture was made useless by the magic sewn into his clothing. "Warne!" he shouted over the hail of gunfire. "You're the soldier -- what do we do!?"

Edited July 25, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

GM

 

"I would've used the back yard," the driver snapped, "but it's under water!"

 

He threw the gearshift into reverse as more shots clipped the windshield.  Based upon the lack of bloody mayhem inside the car, it was bulletproof, though the large spiderweb cracks didn't inspire a terrible level of confidence.  They also rendered that vantage point nearly useless; distant movement flickered through the fractured glass, probably at least one gunman darting across the lawn to new cover. 

 

They found refuge of their own when the sedan slid backward and around the driveway's curve, putting the stone wall between them and their assailants, for however long that might last.  Smoke began billowing up from the engine, and with a weak sputter, it died. 

 

"MP5s are in the trunk," the agent behind Sam said; the man justifiably felt that the pistol in his hand wasn't enough, under the circumstances.  He threw open the door, slid out, and shouted over his shoulder, "Stay in the car, wizard!"

 

"Somebody out there has armor-piercing rounds, or our engine wouldn't be on fire," Warne corrected, also rapidly exiting.

 

"Then get out of the car, wizard!"

[Sophistemon]

Sam looked over at the driver and shot him an apologetic glance. "Sorry," he muttered. "Stupid thing to say." He gripped the arm-rest as the car reversed, out of the hail of gunfire, to find temporary shelter behind the stone wall. The magician followed the second prompt and left the vehicle, his face set with grim determination. With an almost imperceptible gesture he conjured his wand from its mystic pocket and stood with one arm outstretched, fingers spread, to the agents. "Stay here," he told them. He looked up, over the wall, at the roof of the building. "I think that I can fly around without them seeing and maybe take them by surprise. I could clear the way for us to get inside the house." His mask appeared on his face as his eyes narrowed, and he hoped that he was striking a suitable heroic pose.

[Blarghy]

GM

 

"You can fly?" one of the agents asked as he slid the clip into his submachine gun, briefly leaned over the top of the wall, and fired off a flurry of shots.

 

Warne grunted wordlessly.  Tempted as he was to take Sam up on his offer, he felt that, unsupported, the magician would only be bait.  Tempting as that was, he couldn't bring himself to allow it.  The paperwork afterward would be horrendous. 

 

"No," he refused simply.

 

His other companion had his MP5 in one hand and a radio in the other, focusing on the latter.  "Headquarters, this is Agent Cobb; we have shots fired at 1797 Collins Road in North Bay.  Requesting assistance, I repeat, requesting immediate assistance." 

 

A voice crackled in response.  "Acknowledged.  What's your current situation, Agent Cobb?"

 

Rock chips sprayed across the side of his face as a bullet blasted through the wall.  Sam might not be an expert in such things, but between this and the state of the armored AEGIS vehicle, they seemed to be up against some serious weaponry.  He had made an impression on Bailey.

 

"Untenable!" Cobb shouted back into the radio.

 

"Warne!" the other agent called out after another round of suppressing fire.  "I think we're past the time for secrets!"

 

This grimly narrowed his eyes.  "They can't see us here, even if they do have--"

 

"Blind bullets still hurt, Warne!"

 

Another shot impacted just over his head, leaving bits of stone in his hair.  The man's demand turned frantic, and unusual: "Adept!"

 

And around Warne, the air began to shimmer like a desert heatwave.

 

He shifted to a low crouch and pointed toward the open trunk, laid heavy with gear.  "Hand me the binoculars," he said in an icy calm tone.  With that simple tool in hand, he stood and looked over the wall.  For a moment nothing happened, aside from lesser gunfire splattering across the other side of their cover, but then, in the distance toward the mansion, a high scream was heard.  It grew closer, closer, closer...until a man with a long-barreled, scoped rifle flew over the top of the wall, landed on the gravel driveway on his back, spun around as though gripped by ghostly hands, and slid back toward them, coming to a stop at Agent Warne's feet. 

 

"You're under arrest."

[Sophistemon]

Presto -- he was wearing his mask, after all -- smiled at the agent and nodded his head. "I can," he boasted. "Among other things. Don't worry, I'll have this handled in no time and then we can-" He stopped dead silent as Warne's simple, understated denial hit him like a punch to the stomach. He twitched, slightly, affronted. "What do you... what do you mean, 'no?' Warne, Agent, I can help! Stop underestimating me for a second and-" He was interrupted, again, when the bullet burst through the wall and showered them with chips of masonry. The conversation ended when Cobb started his call. Presto stood there a moment, arms crossed over his chest, a look of consternation on his face. That look changed to one of shock, and then amazement, as Warne demonstrated his powers for the very first time. That look of amazement then faded, returning to one of annoyance. "This... entire time?" he asked the other man. "This entire time you've had power like this and didn't think to tell me?"

[Blarghy]

"No, Steiner, I didn't think to tell a former criminal about the things I can do to criminals, current and otherwise," Warne said pointedly.  The sniper rifle barrel squeezed in on itself and slid away, and he gestured between Cobb and their new prisoner.  "Cuff him and wait here, both of you, until backup arrives.  Fly-boy and I are going in before these jokers accidentally shoot one of their neighbors.  On foot," he specified to Sam, "because while I can block some bullets too, failure has consequences, and I like my internal organs where they are."

 

He took a crouched step toward the dead sedan...which lifted up with a groan, rising and tilting alike, until the front bumper hovered just above the ground, standing almost on-end.  Warne walked behind it as the car flew gently forward, providing some nice--if not perfect, as preexisting bullet holes attested--mobile cover. 

 

"Come on, Steiner.  Impress me."

Edited July 28, 2016 by Blarghy

[Sophistemon]

"Former criminal," Presto said, pointedly. "Former should be the operative word there." He grunted and shrugged his shoulders, then gaped open-mouthed as Warne telekinetically lifted a truck. His powers of levitation, it seemed, were at least as strong as Presto's magic, and it looked as though he possessed even greater control. "That's... that's incredible," he breathed. "Where did you learn to do that, Warne?" He followed after the other man, then moved forward to walk beside him, matching step for step. If the AEGIS agent wanted to be impressed, so be it. Let no one say that Presto the Preposterous stood down from a challenge. "What's the plan, then? Take the car through the front door, or get within striking range and take them out from a distance?" There was a moment of consideration. "What is your range, Warne?"

[Blarghy]

GM

 

That last question received only a sideways look of incredulous distaste, as though asking if Sam really expected him to give insights into his limits and capabilities.  But to the rest, Warne said, "I very much doubt that every gangster on the property is standing out on the lawn, even if they have some bushes to cower behind.  I'm also not inclined to drop a mansion on myself, or even criminals who probably deserve it; we won't be knocking down walls by pushing a car through them.  We'll keep the car as long as it's useful, fight our way to whatever entrance looks most promising, and then search for Bailey and his starlight lab, putting down anyone who's too dumb to surrender."

 

He stewed bitterly before admitting a weakness, but the agent saw no hope for it, as they rounded the stone wall and came into view of two thugs, one kneeling in the shadow of a tree and the other opposite to him, using a rosebush to support his submachine gun.  "The car is also occupying my attention at the moment, so you'll be taking care of the welcoming party, if--"

 

Rapid gunfire cut him off, splattering against the side of the car just ahead of Presto and missing Adept's side entirely.  Neither hero had to even test their force field or protective garments. 

 

"--That's not too much to handle," Warne finished. 

Edited July 28, 2016 by Blarghy

[Sophistemon]

Presto gave Warne a glare and then scoffed at the ineffective assault. "Maybe they sent their best men to kill me earlier?" he suggested. "If that's the case, we've got nothing to worry about!" His wand, already drawn and primed for battled, twirled effortlessly between his fingers. He took aim at the thug on his side with an intentionally insulting nonchalance and fired off a sizzling bolt of electricity. The resulting thunderclap was nearly deafening, but one could still make out the chattering sound of pain emitted by the gunman as his nervous system was seized and shaken by the shock. The man slumped forward, his weapon dropped from paralyzed fingers as he collapsed to the ground. "That was only fifty-thousand volts," chirped the magician, a slightly eerie grin spread wide across his face. "It took me a while to learn, but I can restrain my lightning to be no more dangerous than a taser." He moved, then, behind Warne and around to the other side of the floating car, and pointed his silver-tipped wand at the remaining thug. "It's all about restraint, I've learned. Being a good person, I mean. Don't rob banks. Don't  electrocute the guys that are trying to kill you. Don't-" his wand released a gust of gale-force wind that caught up the mercenary, spun him about in mid-air, and dropped him unconscious to the ground. "-use your fire magic when throwing out a miniature tornado is just as effective." He brought the wand to his lips and blew across it as though it were an old revolver in a western. "We've been through a lot together, agent Warne. Do you think that you might start trusting me, soon?" He looked at the other man, eyes slightly narrowed. "I'm telling you, I've changed. Are you ever going to believe me?"

Edited July 28, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

The car paused briefly, rotating around to keep Sam shielded as he took on the second thug.  Warne's expression was stoic and determined, half-shadowed like the rest of the lawn.

 

"I trust you enough that I'm not making you go out in front with a gun at your back.  That's more than some would do, I think.  Maybe I'm just not the hugs-and-love Doctor Phil type, Steiner.  And we all carry our past with us.  If you pile on better layers from the present, then you might cover up the rotten bits, but you still can't just set them down and walk away."

 

But then the agent rubbed his ear with one finger, on the side Sam had stood when he unleashed his lightning.  That thunder had been particularly loud, especially after previous gunfire.  "...Hrrmm.  I knew I should've work earplugs tonight."

 

It certainly wasn't an apology or an offer of friendship.  It wasn't really even a compliment, but something in his tone had the barest hint of respect.

 

On they strode, occasionally seeing a few shapes flicker past the lit windows of the mansion, but at least for the moment, no one attempted to stop them.  The car planted nose-down about ten feet from the front door, a huge polished slab of red oak.  Warne looked around their cover, up and down at the large home, and turned to his civilian partner.

 

"Well, you've got the supervillain experience," he returned to cruel half-jests.  "Where would you put your illegal drug lab?  Up high, on the ground floor, or in the basement this place surely has?  The sooner we find it, the fewer people you have to twirl around with your ballerina-whirlwind." 

Edited July 28, 2016 by Blarghy

[Sophistemon]

The ex-con huffed. "This thing that you're doing? The constant putdowns? They're not helpful." He then stroked his fingers through his goatee and thought. "I've never... I mean, you know that I've never run a drug-lab, right? You seem to know everything and you judge me for it, so you'd know that. But every drug-lab that I've ever seen, real or not, has been in a basement." Then, he looked skywards. "Of course, if they're dealing with fumes, it might make sense to have it in an upper level. Do we have time to look for ventilation pipes?" Suddenly, he smirked. "Of course, since you're so sure that I'm going to go back to my Big Bad Wolf days, maybe I should just huff, and puff, and blow the house in. That'd solve the problem pretty neatly, huh? Bury the whole operation beneath tons of brick and rubble." The smirk vanished. "Or we could split up. You could go high, I could go low. That's about what you'd expect, anyway."

[Blarghy]

Whereas Sam's previous attempt earned a thin, flimsy "moment" between them, this just made Warne chuckle.  "You know, Steiner, I'm just not sure why you care so much what I think.  I twisted your arm to get you on board in the first place.  Just write me down as a mean old bastard who doesn't understand your reformed, full-of-sunshine soul, and try not to take it so personally.  I'm told I can be a bit abrasive.  Besides, I haven't tried to pepper-spray you yet, so that already makes me nicer than most of the cops you know."

 

The sedan pressed hard into the grass with a screech of metal, burying up to the front wheels, leaving it stable but still available for cover.  "High and low it is, then.  I'll work my way down, try to make a lot of noise, see if I can draw most of the gangsters up to me while you look for the lab.  Starlight is the whole reason you're here anyway; I wouldn't know what to make of the stuff even if I did find it.  I'll meet you at the bottom.  Don't kill anybody, and don't get killed."

 

He then rose gently into the air.  Darkly amused words drifted down before he vanished into the dark, referencing Sam's earlier boast to the other AEGIS agent: "Among other things, Steiner.  Among other things."

Edited July 28, 2016 by Blarghy

[Sophistemon]

Presto remained silent throughout the course of Warne's speech and remained so as the agent rose up into the air, demonstrating yet another 'new' abilitiy that had been previously unknown to the magician. Samuel wondered if Warne's powers were learned or innate, and then shook the jealousy from his mind. It doesn't matter, he told himself, and took a breath. Inspired by the AEGIS agent's example, he crouched down and kept close the wall, so that he might circle around the property and find another means of entry. He would look for a window, maybe, or another door -- almost any option would be preferable to making his presence known in the traditional way, through the front door, where any number of thugs might be waiting with enough guns to challenge even his magic. Stealth came unnaturally to the former criminal. Not because he was clumsy or uncoordinated -- far from it! Instead, it was his flashy nature, his self-assured flamboyance, that worked against him. To mute that instinct and go about unnoticed -- purposefully unnoticed, was a bitter pill to swallow. For a moment he considered allowing Warne to make first contact with the enemy and then enter during the confusion. He could lie and say that he'd just been in another room and there'd be no evidence against it. But he shook that thought, too, out of his head. He was better than that; he had to be. And so, he crept around the house, to the rear of the property, where he saw a small pier and boathouse, connected to the larger building by a short path that lead to a backdoor. He looked this way and that before approaching; there were no thugs in sight. "Shoddy operation," he mused, and inspected the way in. The door was locked, of course. Two spells -- one to freeze the steel to a state of brittle fragility and another to twist and break it -- got him inside.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

GM

 

Nice as it was for Sam to overcome his impulse to use Warne as bait, the agent had no such misgivings; gunfire sounded from the upper floor by the time Presto reached the back door, and once he made it inside, he could even hear muffled shouts of alarm.  Perhaps he should only be concerned if the battle-noises stopped.

 

He was immediately assaulted by the smell of insecticide, unpleasant but likely not harmful.  The hallway beyond the door was wide, uncluttered, and currently unlit.  Artificial glows crept from beneath doors to either side, however, and merely a few steps in, the wizard could detect an odd sound from the room to his left.

 

Beeeep...beeeep...beeeep...beeeep...

[Sophistemon]

Ah, the smell. He'd been warned about the odor but had forgotten, what with everything else going on. He raised his left hand to his face to cover his nose and continued on, the wand gripped tightly and ready for action in the other. The beeping, slow and steady, drew his attention. He moved silently, all but pressing his back to the wall, and approached the source of the sound. He stood at the door-frame for moment, took a deep breath, and glanced inside.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

GM

 

His glance went unnoticed, but it would be inaccurate to call the room empty.

 

Six hospital beds and their equipment--now that Sam was closer, he could hear multiple sets of heart monitors--filled the space.  In each laid an unconscious person handcuffed to the bed railing, IV needles in their opposite arms.  Some of the patients appeared to have been there for a while; one man had a beard that would've taken a good month to grow if he didn't bring it in with him.  A stack of adult diapers sat on a table by the wall, next to two cabinets that probably held medical supplies.

 

And Presto knew them.

 

Jimmy Bolds, magician of telekinesis.  Jenny Diego, necromancer.  Waylon Wotts, seer.  Courtney Labriette, scholar of runes.  Joel Manske, mind-controller.  Gordon Elder, wielder of the elements.

 

All were minor practitioners, well beneath his own stature, but they would've surely been valued by any criminal group for their talents.  Especially all combined--these men and women could've been a modest superhero group, if they chose.  Well, "hero" might've stretched their natures.  These six weren't masterminds, but some of them had spent time in Blackstone with Presto, and they all had criminal records, however slight.  Jenny Diego, for example, was arrested for raising animals from a pet cemetery near her house, but nothing else, as far as Sam could remember. 

 

Speaking of Jenny, her sleeping face was scrunched in something like discomfort or fear.  She twisted lightly on the bed, moaned, and rattled her handcuff.  The rest looked very peaceful.  Pleased, even, with soft smiles and sighs. 

[Sophistemon]

Presto paused, uncertain for a moment before he was. He took a look back into the hallway, made sure that he was still alone, and then stepped into the room. He closed the door behind him and, seeing that it had a lock, engaged it. If this was what he thought it was, it was grotesque. He walked towards Jenny, looking about the room as he went, taking in every detail that he could. When he reached the sleeping necromancer he raised a hand to her shoulder and give it a slight shake. "Jenny?" he whispered, and the repeated himself with greater volume. "Jenny... Diego?" Her surname came to him in a flash. "Jenny, wake up." Whether or not she responded, he looked down at her cuffed hand and started searching around the room for a key, or any clue as to what was really going on in this building.

Edited July 28, 2016 by Sophistemon

[Blarghy]

GM

 

The necromancer showed no reaction, neither of alarm nor comfort to this outside presence.  Sam had somewhat better luck with his search.

 

He found a ring of keys hanging on the wall, with more sets of handcuffs on the peg beside it.  On the same wall was a clipboard with, far as he could tell, a medication schedule.  All six had been sedated earlier that evening, probably about the same time his uninvited guests kicked down his door.  The used needles were in the garbage; judging by the amount, their caretakers at least used different syringes for each prisoner (or perhaps were just terribly lazy about taking out the trash).  Also in the garbage were crumpled plastic shot glasses...the same he remembered from Fortune Favors, when he bought the starlight shipment for Warne.