Femtite walks by wearing a very formal school uniform with the school’s name and emblem on the lapel of her white blazer. The plaid skirt is similar to her apparently-alien clothes, but the colors are red-black, rather than pink-purple (like her tiara), and she’s wearing a matching tie!
When she hears Max mention Conflux by name, she passes by wordlessly, exiting the cafeteria without stopping to get food.
“Skyler? May I sit with you?”
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"I didn't, but I'm not performing the big one, see normally if you want a long-lived summoning you have to perform a pseduo-equivalent exchange. If you want a larger permanent summoned creature more materials of higher quality, you get the idea. For this test I'm working with what I've calculated out to be just a toe over the line for minimalist stuff." He set himself at the edge of the circle, "I've got something in mind though, but you'll have to wait to see it. All I need now is a little fire and then I can start the incantation." He looks to her almost expectantly.
As the susurrus of voices throughout the school is filtered and interpreted, there are stikingly few comments specifically about Max. It appears that although there will always be crude comments, youth in Halcyon City have been desensitized to the weirdness of super powers, aliens, and unusual beings living amongst them. Some are openly fascinated, some are fascinated but trying to hide it, and some are truly accepting and blasé about the whole thing.
Skyler looks up from her phone, then her eyes bounce up and down as she takes in Femtite. "You know, the school uniforms were phased out. There was a big protest and everything," she comments. She scoots over a little to give Femtite room to sit down.
He stops his words as he overhears a group of guys talking about them, mostly disgusting stuff.
"Do you hear better than normal people now?" He asks, afraid of the answer.
Max frowns but doesn’t look in the direction of the guys. ”Yes, unfortunately. I hear the whispers. Usually I’m able to ignore them. Sometimes they get to me.”
Femtite side-sits close to Skyler. “I’m fortunate that they were. I assume the protests were so everyone could dress differently. I happen to adore this style, and I’m the only one who does. So I’m expressing myself.
“I’m different.”
She leans her head against the wall.
“It’s kind of you to let me join you in self-exile. I assume you were trying to have some quiet time, and yet, you invited the chattiest girl from outer space.
“You don’t have to tell me…”
“…but if you want to tell me why you socially distance yourself, I will listen.”
Femtite will pay attention to the social clues. Does Skyler just want a quiet listener? Does she want advice? Why did she let me join her when, clearly, she is avoiding everyone else?
Caio finishes his burger. "In our previous school, do you remember that many times you've asked me why I did not like some random person, and I've most of the time answered that they were jerks and you disagreed with me?" He motions towards the group. "Now you know why."
"It has its perks, though... you see that girl over there? Blond hair, red tiara?" He asks without pointing, of course. "She likes you. And that guy with the big glasses? Same." He says this all joking, trying to lighten the mood.
"Ah. Do they like me, or do they like me like me?" Max asks wryly, quirking an eyebrow.
"Like you for sure... perhaps even like like." He shrugs a bit. "There is so much we can learn only listening, and we are here just a couple days, but the girl defended you against a mean comment from one of her friends, while the boy got angry when his buddies talked about your boobies."
"Back in our old school, I think I could have made a chart containing everyone, with arrows about who was sleeping with who, or who had a crush on who, and so on." Knowing Max was smart and with Caio saying this he would connect the dots, he adds. "And I knew about Linda. And Annie." He says as he was counting fingers, but doesn't add a third name when raising a third finger, knowing Max certainly got the point.
Max laughs. "Really? They called them ‘boobies?’ What are they, seven?”
The demoness blushes when Caio starts counting fingers. ”Yeah, yeah, I get it! Man, that feels like a lifetime ago. I wonder what Linda or Annie would say if they could see us now..."
“Anyway, I try to conduct myself as a princess. It’s not an easy task. You’re the only level-headed one, which makes you fit to lead, and also, best fit to listen to another, more experienced leader. Of course, that would be the local heroes, but you may be interested in my mother’s perspective as well.
“I asked her to advise me on the in-fighting. She said: ’Many of our companions have come to the team from places of pain, and confusion, and uncertainty. Is it then, any wonder,’ she asked rhetorically, ’that they fight among themselves? They fight *within* themselves too. Heal them inside, and you heal the team.’
“…I hope you find that helpful.”
"I think that's a good way to view how to build up a team - but I would say that you need to be careful. When you address pain, you may end up harming those you expected to help, especially coming at it from a place of not knowing specifically what their issues are," Shin points out. "Your mother does sounds quite wise - it makes sense that she'd a governor of your world. And thank you for the compliment, but you seem just as level-headed. Only that you're learning how customs are different now."
Shin wasn't a terrible athlete, though he eschewed actually being on the teams at the moment. Dealing with his team leader duties had priority after all, along with school. That's why he always brought his notebook from the morning classes with him to the table to review as they ate. He did smile at Grace and sit next to her.
"So, what's new today? Probably not the lunches," He suggests as he takes out his packed bento box, full of rolled omelet, roasted veggies and brown rice.
Connie doesn't get back till very late that night. Tiptoeing around to keep from waking Femtite, she gave the loaned outfit a thorough exam.
She wasn't doing crazy nano-tech stuff to it like with the hand-dryer healing ray. It's fine. Why were you even worried? She's not gonna hurt **you**
Gotta get her a better bed...
***
A little heat bloomed uncomfortably in Connie's chest when Percy asked her for fire, which he could do super easily, and which if I do it with something other than his gift I look ungrateful. Eeeuuuurrrrgggghhhhwhatever he's trying to be nice!
"Sure thing." She quickly sussed out the wand's intended triggers (intent, motion, and vocalization), as well as where something similar to those triggers could get close enough to set it off anyways. Good practice of him to add intent though.
"Flickum Bicus"
***
"Grrbl. Rrfrt. Murngrt-Hneftafl" was Connie's only initial response to Shin's message. Often she would've been up by then anyways, but it had been a late night. And even without her glasses, she could see that Femtite was already getting up too...
She rolled over and pulled her pillow over her face.
***
Connie did her usual lunch thing - ruthlessly optimizing her meal plan. Ask for extra of that, grab a non-perishable this, grab two of those for her mini-fridge... She'd just finished stuffing everything into her bag, and was semi-furtively looking around to see who she should sit with when she saw Femms and Skyler.
Oh God **damn** it! After sleeping in longer than she'd planned, Connie had been in a rush and in the mood for comfort, so she'd just grabbed a black hoodie and some kinda punky sweats, which of course perfectly matched the red and black tartan of Femtite's skirt.
Yeah no.
With a quick about-face she set off in search of a different table.
Skyler stares for a moment at Femtite. It's impossible to know if she's just looking at the Outsider, or is somehow reading her. Just after it becomes uncomfortable, she says, "Look. People, humans, they can be different. Some of us just prefer to be... off to the side. Out of the way. It doesn't have to be a big thing, okay?"
Shin's question gets a series of collective shrugs. Sophie gives Grace and Ne'veah a challenging look, then says, "We're going to crush the Ravens Thursday. Right?"
”Uh, yeah!” Grace responds confidently. Ne'veah and Yasmine fist-bump and nod while giving Sophie a knowing smirk. The table talk quickly shifts to the football team's chances of going on the road and beating the upstate school Greenview Ocelots.
While that debate rages, Grace leans in close so most of the crew can't overhear. "Mom was pissed. Luckily I was able to calm her down,” she replies as she takes a bite of the prepared lunch the cafeteria was offering that day.
"Did you ever see about trying out for baseball, Shin?" Jaden suddenly asks. "You seemed so interested a few weeks ago."
Shin leans back to whisper to Grace. "Yeah, I figured she would be, so to apologize," He said as he brought out a second bento box, this one with steamed veggies, rice, and omelet cut into bit sized pieces. "I made you some apology lunch. It's fairly simple, but probably tastes better than what you got from the cafeteria."
At the comment from Jaden, Shin looks a little sheepish. "I think I got caught up with the fact that I'm doing terribly in history class. My last exam grade was a C minus," He winced. "I really have to focus on my studies...though, if I had a decent history tutor, maybe I'd be able to squeeze in for tryouts. I've never played on a team before."
Femtite replies, “Thank you for explaining this. It is helpful.” She rises. “Enjoy your lunch. If I need to be silent and off to the side, I hope I may join you.”
What she does not tell Skyler is that her own need is to talk. This would contradict Skyler’s need. Femtite doesn’t want to do that.
And Connie saw her and turned the other way. She wants to be off to the side too.
Femtite heads to the girls’ room.
"Of course they did not say boobies... I translated." He shrugs again. "I have the purest of souls, Max, unlike you. Think about five different words you'd use for them. You'll probably hit 4 out of 5." He laughs.
"Linda would probably freak out. Wasn't her family very religious?" He wasn't sure enough. "Annie would not care I think... she was that kind of person that you could make any statement about she doing something, and I'd believe. Like 'have you heard Annie beat a guy with a live turkey?', and I'd be like 'no, tell me more'." He jokes again, before becoming more serious. "She got involved with some hard stuff I was told, drugs and shit."
Caio sees Connie and gestures a discreet "hi" from a distance, leaving it to her if she wants to join them.
While you're finishing up your last period and waiting for the final bell, your link with the computer Clocktower at Unity base gives you an alert. One of the modules that Inquiry had tinkered that you had installed to provide the archaic computer with increased processing power and additional data is providing you with an analysis of something going on right now.
Apparently Isaiah had been keeping tabs on a low-level team of powered individuals calling themselves the Slipknots. While not rated particularly high in terms of dangerous powers, they've been able to operate under the radar by hitting low-value targets and avoiding conflicts with authorities whenever possible. The Sentinel known as Frostbite apprehended the group several months ago, though the entire team managed to escape custody a week later.
The Slipknots consist of Bazinga, who is considered technopathic and inventor; Chumpchange, who can throw small objects -- usually coins -- with unerring accuracy; Timestamp, who can slow down time in localized fields; and Symphony, who can manipulate sound waves for a variety of disorienting effects.
According to the police scanner traffic that just occurred, the Slipknots broke into a research lab just a few blocks away from Halcyon Prep and managed to evade the police response. However, some of Isaiah's data predict a 87.32 percent probability that the villains will be trying to get away in an abandoned subway section that runs just north of the school!
What do you do??
The comm devices that Horizon has doled out to the team hum briefly. When they grab onto them, Horizon's voice is clear in their ears as if he's standing right next to them - this was the unique aspect of the comms to allow subvocal communication.
"All right, soon as you all can make it, we're heading into the abandoned subways north of the school. I just got an alert from Clocktower that a team of powered individuals called the Slipknots have raided a research lab and are on the run - and their likely course will take them through there. We're going to intercept them, and at nearly two to one, we'll get through this easy as pie. Note that the powers they have on hand are slowing time in small areas, sound manipulation, unerring accuracy with coin sized objects, and their head is a technopath and inventor. We'll be prepared to meet them head on."
Shin is saying this on the sly, quietly as he got up and stepped close to the door - and once the bell rang, he was out of there, slipping into a bathroom for a quick change before flying out to the rendezvous point.
Max looks to Caio when Horizon sounds the call. "Time to put our powers to good use. Let's go!"
The teenage succubus seems more confident then just a few days ago. She stashes her sweats and backpack before racing to the rendezvous beside Caio in her battle bodysuit, ready for a fight!
“On our way!”
When Femtite sees DD stuffing sweats into her bag, she says, “Got room for more in your pack?”
She shrinks out of her clothes, and as soon as her blazer falls past (and into Max’s bag), her smurfette-sized body flares up like an engulfed marshmallow!
She expands to human size suddenly—and the belt around her fiery waist shatters! Shards of amethyst expand around Femtite, then converge onto her—armoring her in thigh-high boots, an armor skirt, a breastplate, bracers, and an amazonian half-helm!
She remains a creature of fire.
Caio nods to Max and goes to the bathroom, where he removes his shirt from beneath his ever-present jacket, before putting on the jacket again. He then stashes his stuff in his locker as he waits for Max. He knows that just being seeing constantly with her, people would eventually connect the dots, but he would not rush the revelation on his own.
As they arrive at the abandoned subway tunnels, Caio allows a small shift to appease the Wolf, growing a bit, but in return turning his eyes yellow and allowing him to better see in the dark.
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The material slurry inside the colander caught easily enough as a flame was produced by the yew wand before flicking to where Conflux had pointed it. "B̸͈̏̚e̸̡̩̾̽ḷ̸̃͐͂ ̶̘͗̅̊G̵̭̔r̷̹͚̘̈́̈́á̴̹̯͍̓̚h̵͓̃͆-̶̩͙͌Z̷͚̑̾ě̵̬̔y̴͇̳̽́̏m̵̙͇̗̒̃a̸̯͝h̵̨̥͌͗̽z̶̧̏̌͑ ĩ̴̡̲̙ṇ̵̱͑̊ He chanted several times and started a series of intricate hand motions closing his eyes. The flames within the makeshift Brazier flared, roiling at the brim of the vessel, twisting into sickly shapes and several different hues. After a minute of solid chanting it sputtered for a moment before a large glob of flame was belched upwards and streaked around the edges of the summoning circle as if searching for a way out. Finding none it settled back into place above the colander which had died down and began to take the shape of a fuzzy green bat-like creature. The flames around it burned into nothing leaving the critter fully summoned and bound.
Large rounded eyes filled with an intelligence, tall pointed ears, and proportionally large webbed wings stretched out to the side of the dark furred puffball of a bat. There was a very clear non-natural nature to the bat-like being namely the intellect in the eyes and the strange green coloration to it's skin showing that it clearly isn't a standard cave bat.
"Haha! Look at that Connie, no blow up, nothing." He smiled at her and the little creation, "I knew you were a good luck charm, that's why you're like the only person I can just do this stuff around without worrying."
The abandoned subway line is actually a fairly popular exploration spot for students of Halcyon Prep. The lock to the oversized grate leading into the underground is constantly broken or easily bypassed.
The team gathers in the dimly-lit corridors underneath the streets of Halcyon City. They move deeper into the dark tunnels beneath the city, the signs of the most courageous students disappearing as they progress.
Echoes of people moving and speaking reach the ears of the team members with enhanced senses. They sense prey up ahead, even though the darkness of the underground tunnels grows deeper and more absolute.
What do you do??
Wow. A lucky charm. I feel so valued.
"Y'know, if you'd asked me to consult, we could have probably gotten you something specific from somewhere specific too. And it still wouldn't have blown up."
***
Any port in a storm?
Connie hesitated, but had started heading over towards Caio and Max's table when Shin sounded the alarm. She followed after her teammates, but just scarfed down a taco while keeping watch against intrusive eyes. Not like I need to change.
When she saw her teammates emerge though, she briefly wondered if she'd borrowed Femtite's powers and become six inches tall. Holy crap. Maybe I **should** get a costume... She glanced at Caio. Or teenwolf abs. Nobody's gonna be looking at his face with all of that going on...
***
"If we're not careful echoes and things will let them know we're coming." My best stealth charm is all about not seeming out of place, but in the sewers where they don't expect anyone, that will be a very hostile environment for that...
Better to befriend the echoes.
Conflux had prepared a charm of attraction, but it needed a focus and it needs to be quiet... Ah! Narcissus! She found a pocket mirror and quickly affixed the other charm to it.
"Okay, as long as someone pretty keeps looking in this mirror, sound will be drawn to it. We'll hear them better, our sounds won't travel to them."
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Percy looked a bit crestfallen, "Yeah but then it wouldn't be quite as, exciting ya know? You're probably right, but still I think it turned out alright. I figured after the whole thing the other day this would be a good way to start unscrewing all the things going on in the group by starting with the most common ground, but i guess that was a bust." His voice carried a bit more spite at the once again failure than he intended, but he was making an attempt and yet here Connie was just sort of saying she'd be right again.
He looks at the little bat creature, "At the very least it needs a name. Any ideas Connie?" Percy relented, figuring this might appease his friend.
Percy sees the text from Horizon about meeting at the park, decides he's not quite tired enough to ignore it however he still needed to work with his new companion on some things so he sent a text to shin. Percy: Hey was out late the other night, gonna have to pass on it today but maybe tonight. Also got a new thing to deal with, you'll see next time we meet up.
Percy grabs a tray with a ham sandwich and a cup of fruits, heading over to Skyler's table and pulling out a fresh sleeve of MtG cards, flicking through them while he nibbled at the sandwich for ideas. He kept mostly to himself though even after Femtite tried to make buddy-buddy with her and started to leave. "Hey Fem you okay?" he asked but wasn't sure if she heard him, maybe she has to do... alien stuff?
Showing up a bit behind the group comes Percy in his Magely attire with a strange almost neon green and black furred bat on his shoulder. "Might be able to send my new friend ahead to scout but, not really confident in our abilities as a pair yet. What's the plan if things go south Horizon?"
Steel Guardian was the last to arrive, and landed with a metallic thud at the sewer entrance. ”Well, this is just gross.” they say.
As the group travels further in, SG comments ”There’s no way I will be sneaking up on anyone down here…” as they take great care to avoid heavy footfalls. Even so, a metallic thud echoes out with every step.
“I am not fine. Thank you for asking.” Not wanting to force this drama on Skyler, she says, “If you want to know, we may chat by the bubbler. Or water fountain. I’m not sure which is the preferred nomenclature, and not helping the matter is that the device neither emits bubbles nor has the impressive aquatic display of the larger fountains not meant for drinking.
“But it doesn’t matter. I don’t intend to drink from it. Water has no nutritional value to me. I’m different. And confused. So what better place to chat than by a device that confuses me and is just another reminder of how different I am?”
Femtite does not wait for Percy to agree to talk to her. She simply heads to the bubbler as promised. If a chat by this sometimes-called fountain makes me bubbly again, I will settle on the name ‘bubbler.’
Conflux had prepared a charm of attraction, but it needed a focus and it needs to be quiet... Ah! Narcissus! She found a pocket mirror and quickly affixed the other charm to it.
"Okay, as long as someone pretty keeps looking in this mirror, sound will be drawn to it. We'll hear them better, our sounds won't travel to them."
Max looks up to see the eyes of her teammates on her. She grimaces. ”Ugh. Fine. Give me that.”
The pretty demoness begrudgingly stares at her reflection to activate the charm as the group advances.
So Connie meant for that mirror to go to an attractive girl. She finds Max attractive. She didn’t offer the mirror to me…
So, logically…
"Conflux's charm should take care of that, Steel Guardian." Caio chimes in, happy that Max offered herself to pick the mirror. She see herself as pretty was already a step forward her happiness, he thinks.
As long as Max wanted to shift back, Caio would be there for her, but since it was possible that the change would be permanent, it was nice for accept her new self.
Caio has no trouble moving in silence, so he moves a bit ahead of the others. "Will scout ahead... try to see what they are up to. I'll signal you if I'm in trouble." Once ahead, he shifts some more, to further extend his senses (darkvision, scent, hearing).
Caio can sense the Wolf eager to surface, the wolf's bloodlust turning into angry. At least so far, however, he feels he'll be able to keep him at bay this time.
“Wait.”
Femtite removes her circlet.
“I can travel with Caio. Connie, if you wear this, you will see everything I see. I hoped this gift would be joyful for you.
“Now it is useful. If Caio and I are discovered, you will see what we see. You need only close your eyes. When your eyes are open, you will see normally.”
If Connie accepts the gift (this time), Femtite will shrink to subatomic size to trigger.
Connie begrudgingly hands the again-refused gift to Horizon. “No time. Wear it, or I sacrificed this for nothing!”
When Femtite shrinks out of sight, the gem in the center of the circlet glows as if there is fire inside. The circlet is active now. Only the wearer can close her/his eyes to see what Femtite sees.
The team gathers in the old subway tunnel and slips past the heavy grate bearing NO TRESPASSING signs that Hal-Prep students always ignore.
It's not a sewer, but the amount of trash left by generations of students gives it that feel until farther in. Then the tunnel becomes truly dark and ominous. Caio's senses tell him that the Slipknots haven't been through this section of tunnel, so they need to try another part of the labyrinthine subway system that lies beneath Halcyon City.
With Devil Diva staring into Conflux's charm, the ambient sounds of the subway tunnels are amplified, creating a spooky effect as the distant rumbling of far-off active subway cars is brought to everyone's ears.
For Caio venturing ahead, the subway tunnels are an unnatural hunting ground. Unable to use anything but the darkness as cover to stalk his prey, the wolf inside is frustrated.
The team make their way into another section, and then another, trying to head off the Slipknots based on the best guess of the Clocktower computer.
Caio gets his first scent of something fresh, wafting from an ancient junction of subway tunnels. Dim light is filtering in from high above, allowing him to easily see the four villains entering from an adjacent tunnel. The female shrieks, and suddenly dampened sound comes blasting from everywhere in a rush!
"--The hell is that!!" cries the woman, pointing at the werewolf.
The three men with her react, one grabbing a device at his hip and another reaching into a heavy pouch.
What do you do??
It is as if the air molecules make up an entire universe. Countless ‘planets’ are orbited by electron ‘stars.’ How Femtite senses these in her subatomic form may not be through an eye, but the thought she transmits to the circlet is presented as vision. There is also sound, should a wearer close her/his eyes at this moment.
I am the only pixite who can become a single particle. My tiara was created to share this vision with others. I hope you’re seeing this, Connie.
The universe zips by at an unfathomable speed! If the wearer has ever seen Star Wars, Star Trek or Spaceballs, s/he might be reminded of one of those warp speed scenes. (Including the part where a first-time viewer might wonder how they manage to not accidentally collide with a star or planet.)
The planets and stars shrink away. Now there’s a giant wolf man, a giantess pointing, and three giants readying attacks.
Femtite soars toward a hand. Individual hairs on fingers are twisted trees! The nails are slate plateaus at the edge of a leathery mountain!
* * *
A spark of sunfire soars into the bag the man is reaching into!
Femtite grows inside the pouch! She is FIRE! The entire pouch becomes hot like the fires of hell!
Horizon is glad to see the group coming together and people coming up with a plan for trying to get the drop on the Slipknots. "Good thinking Conflux - Max, keep the charm up until we're discovered, then you can let loose," He tells her. "Remember, these people probably have some stolen goods from the lab they raided, which could be anything, including some weapon we have no intel on. So let's move to quickly disable them and put them behind bars," he tells the group.
"Indarius, no need for that right now, Caio's got the front," He tells him. "Be ready to use whatever magic you have to bind them. I'd prefer it if you could take the time-slower out of the fight first," He recommends.
As they walk forward, he takes out a couple of different pieces from his utility belt. They're bulky, retro style tech pieces that he clips together over one wrist like a bracer. He seems to be preparing it for something.
When they finally encountered the group, and they basically walked right into each other, he didn't hesitate to give orders. "Diva, let loose! Wolf, pen them in!" He gets out as he assesses the situation.
Max continues staring into the mirror until the sounds of shouting come from further up ahead. She snaps her eyes up and growls. "They've found them!"
She takes off running up the tunnel. Following Horizon's orders, she leaps into battle when the enemy team comes into sight. She tries to isolate the time-manipulator, lashing out with her claws and tail!
Link would've been even stronger if one of the pretty boys had taken it, but as long as it was taken instead of given, it should bring the whole Narcissus angle to life...
“Now it is useful. If Caio and I are discovered, you will see what we see. You need only close your eyes. When your eyes are open, you will see normally.”
"Well yeah of course I'll take it." Connie replied with all the nonchalance she could muster. "Go on ahead, I got your back. Uh, backs."
Once Caio got out of line of sight, she put her hand on Shin's shoulder and closed her eyes. "Okay, I've got eyes on Femms, just don't Fearless Lead me into a hole or anything."
Despite Shin's help, Connie was quite caught off guard by the Slipknots' sudden appearance. Quickly she scanned the fight, but when she closed her eyes for a moment to think through her next move she was surrounded by a world of atoms and ever growing fire!
Caio notices the delicious fear in the woman's voice and answers in kind, signalling the others as well. "OOWWOOOOOO!" As he howls, he starts to grow even more, his sigils flashing to keep the Wolf from controlling him.
He then quickly drops his jacket and charges, gaining speed as he changes to all fours. He pounces the girl, but more in an attempt to tackle her and separate her from her group, while also cutting their escape.
Horizon…for now.[/ooc]
Steel Guardian revs up their servos and dashed forward! They lunge at the group of baddies. They don’t lash out at any one in particular, instead seeming intent on just blitzing through their ranks and disrupting them!
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Indarius sighs slightly, "Right I'll try to keep them from running off."
Chanting as they made their way down the tunnels, the gem embedded in Indarius's staff began to glow taking in a draw of the ambient aether. High running emotions strengthening the flow of the localized currents. When they happen upon the Slipknots, Indarius sends out his companion to help appraise the situation. The small bat-creature flying newr the top of the tunnels as to help avoid notice.
Of course! Connie was not simply avoiding me. She sat with Max and Caio because they had to heal their broken friendship.
“Of course! I am just trying to understand how you all interact. I find it both painful and beautiful.
“Oh yes, and water does not exist where I am from. Pixites feast on what best translates to ‘sweet-spotted fungi,’ a growth made up of extracted subatomic particles. They sort of blob together from our world’s atomic structure. They are subatomic and unstructured.
“And delicious!
“Our plasma forms consume them. To consume as fire is to eat and to breathe.”
Femtite smiles at Percy.
“We also eat bacteria and viruses. I meant to tell Connie one of our guards impaled one of those covids on her spear.
“Maybe you think I’m bleh?” Femtite smiles when she says that.
“Thanks for noticing I was hurt, and for checking on me. I feel better even though I told you about my world and never addressed what actually hurt me. But it was surprisingly therapeutic.
“Maybe if you’re hurting, you can tell me about those cards you had at lunch. The artwork is fantastic! Is there a story behind the various creatures and worlds?”
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"That's really cool you all just eat bacteria and a sort of... proto-fungi? Plenty of that going around I'm sure so no worries about food resources for your people... are there different like.. flavors, do you cultivate it, or just whatever 'grows' naturally. And no, bleh us just a uh sound... it doesn't really mean anything specifically, I just mean it as an all this mess sort of thing."
Percy rubs at his pocket before taking the sleeve of cards from the pocket he had tucked them into. "Oh yeah magic the Gathering... it's a card game. Caio and Max reintroduced me to it the other night. Used to play when I was little but was never good, you'd have to ask them about the story. I just figure I might be able to.." He looks around before speaking low when he was sure noone was looking "as a focus for summonings."
The battle ensues!
Caio charges the woman, who shrieks in terror as the werewolf pounces! The fury of his sudden assault is too much for her to react, and he slams into her.
"Symphony!" shouts one of the males, who waves his hands at her. The woman, Symphony, suddenly speeds up allowing her to twist out of her jacket and free herself, leaving her garment in Caio's fangs and claws.
"Thanks, Timestamp," she calls out as she backs away from Caio.
"Is that a werewolf?!?!" the one with the heavy pouch shouts.
"Maybe? Got any silver coins, Chumpchange?" the one with the device responds.
Before Chumpchange can respond, Femtite blasts the large pouch, causing the bits of metal inside to become molten hot! The man had fortunately for him just managed to pull his hand out otherwise he likely would have lost it! He flings a handful of coins at the glowing fairy, but accelerated to shotgun-blast speeds!
Horizon reaches the tunnel junction and observes the battle. He watches the Slipknots work in tandem, reacting together and helping each other out. Individually, they're not much. But their group cohesion seems to make them much more effective and therefore dangerous.
Indarius also charges up, his arcane senses becoming sharper as he studies the upcoming battle. Like Horizon, he sees that the individual team members are not that threatening themselves. However, he senses something else, lurking nearby. Something very powerful. And it seems to be honed in on Horizon!
"We gotta get out of here! There's more coming! Timestamp, slow 'em down!" the one with the device shouts.
Devil Diva charges in, picking out the one who just threw up his hands in a warding motion. She dives at him, but all of a sudden she feels like she's moving through molasses as every movement is slowed to a crawl.
Steel Guardian barrels in and shoves Devil Diva out of the pocket of slow time created by Timestamp, but mech suit gets caught in it! The Transformed manages to catch the temporal manipulator with her tail, slamming him to the ground. "Get offa me!" he shouts. In his terror at being assaulted by a demoness, he Throws Up Blocks and Walls, again solidifying time around Devil Diva as he scrambles away from her!
"Big robot, Bazinga!" Symphony shouts from a side tunnel she'd retreated to.
"On it! There's a few more still coming! Bring the noise! We're leaving!" Bazinga darts forward and latches a device onto Steel Guardian's exosuit. He falls back as a massive jolt of electricity followed by a localized electromagnetic pulse courses through the Janus!
Symphony opens her mouth and unleashes a scream, though the sound is strangely muffled for everyone except for Horizon, Indarius and Conflux. For them, it's deafening!
Chumpchange, his large pouch of ammunition gone, still has other pockets. He digs out a shiny coin and flings it at Caio with the force of a bullet! And Caio realizes it's silver!
The Slipknots all start to fall back away from the fight, moving toward a side tunnel.
Femtite expands to human size, her amazonian armor deflecting the coins.
“Throwing money at the problem? That never works!”
“I melted the president-faces off of your coins. I’m capable of melting your face off too. So do you really want to challenge me to another coin toss? Don’t make me angry. You wouldn’t like me when I’m angry. You may not like me now, but if I were angry, you would like me even less.”
Devil Diva growls as the walls of solid time surround her. Her yellow eyes flare brightly as energy seems to gather around her. She reaches out and makes a rending motion with her claws, ripping through the walls to shatter them as she pounces on Timestamp. "Where do you think you're going?" she shouts as she grabs him!
"Divide and conquer - keep them apart from each other!" He announces to the team, as he looks for further ways to assist his allies - when they get assaulted by Symphony!
Horizon throws out a field ahead of him to try and protect the mages, funneling the energy of her sound attack to himself and taking on the brunt of the impact!
Connie gritted her teeth against the sonic blast, wishing she'd held onto her echo trap to simply hurl the attack straight back, but modulating the effects through her wards as best she could nonetheless.
Despite a few nasty hits, her crew seemed to be getting the best of things, so removing their exits seemed most needful. Wands were better suited to projection, but they weren't as fast, especially when she needed a barrier that would hold off physical and sonic assaults - in addition to whatever Bazinga pulled from up his sleeve.
That ward should hold them, I just need someone to delay them for one, extra, second....
Steel Guardian seized up, thrashing as electricity courses through the machine!
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Moving to throw up a protective barrier Indarius was covered by Horizon and his weird energy negation. So it was that he decided to stick to the plan while the others dealt with the slipknots proper, weaving a familiar incantation to seal off all the exits and entrances so that they were all stuck in the brawl.
"Ṃ̴̧̈u̶̩̘͒l̵͚͚͙͊̇̓a̸͉͇̒ͅả̶͔͈g̴̥̝͌ ̸̙̒Q̶̧͚̋a̷̧͍͚̓͑͠h̵̻͑͝ ̶͍͔͗Ṣ̸̲̉͆̎p̵͙̠͑ä̸̗̩́͋̾a̶̘͇̭̿͑n̵͉̯̜̈́̔͝" A semi-transparent barrier of runes and arcane force erupted around the room creating a veritable thunderdome. He reaches over and taps Conflux with his staff just before she takes off giving her a small extra charge of aetheric might, " I'll hold the line just get em Conflux."
He stepped forward behind Horizon holding one clenched fist to keep the spell focused. "Horizon, watch out there's something else here. I don't know how or why, but watch yourself especially."
Caio, and specially the Wolf, isn't used to get hurt and when the silver coin pierces his shoulder and he feels blood running and dripping on the floor, Caio can only think about tearing that guy apart, limb from limb...
Wolf charges, looking at Chumpchange's pulsing neck... as he does pounces, he sees Conflux, and by sheer luck Caio manages to gain control at the last second. He doesn't ravage his neck, and instead bites at his hand carrying the remaining coins. He can feel some bones being broken, but then the silver coins harm his mouth, preventing him from maiming Chumpchange.
His mouth dripping with Chumpchange's own blood, he manages to snarl an ultimatum, which starts somewhat controlled, but then turns into pure fury. "Do. Not. Move... OR WILL RIP YOU APART!"
Horizon steps up to defend Conflux and Indarius, sending out his own vantablack power to counteract Symphony's augmented harmonics. Though the two mages are protected, Shin takes the full brunt of the sonic attack! For him, all sound is muffled and punctuated by a high-pitched whine.
Devil Diva slips around the temporal bubble and blocks off the tunnel the Slipknots were headed towards. Bazinga falls back from the sudden appearance of the demoness.
Just then, the combined efforts of the mages falls into place as a barrier flares up around all the exits of this subway junction! Hopelessness shows up on Bazinga's face as he veers toward drastic and terrible action. He glances over at Timestamp. "Is your friend is around? We need backup!"
Meanwhile, Chumpchange is taunted by Femtite. At first he didn't seem interested in her banter as he was headed toward the exit after flinging the silver dollar at Caio. But when the barrier suddenly appeared and he was stuck, he turns to face her. "Fine, lady, looks like I don't have a choice!" He sends a fresh barrage of coins, finding the weak spot. The hypersonic projectiles avoid the protected areas and slam into her body!
Caio had to take a moment from the pain of the silvered attack, but Femtite kept the Slipknot focused on her. He clamps down on his hand as he was distracted, eliciting a scream.
"C! Back away!" Timestamp shouts as he targets Caio with his power. Chumpchange falls back, cradling his bleeding hand while Caio's voiced threat is slowed like a record winding down.
Bazinga pulls a blinking device which looks like a land mine off his belt and tosses it at the ceiling directly above Devil Diva. It attaches to the stone and immediately sends down ribbon-like tendrils that attach to the Transformed's limbs! It starts drawing her up off the floor, leaving her hanging.
The EM device on Steel Guardian burns out, and functionality is restored, though the suit of armor is acting twitchy as some of the secondary routines are still rebooting.
The Slipknots keep their backs to each other as they're surrounded and without a way to retreat. "Who are you psychos?!?" Symphony shouts in full distress. "Are you supposed to be heroes? You're horrible!" Something in her voice resonates in everyone's mind.
Steel Guardian continues to try and engage, but the suit continues to spasm uncontrollably.