Taking a quick step back, Bronwyn grabs for the next van herself, wrenching a tire from its wheelwell before sending it rocketing along the floor to take out Superbia's knees!
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Bronwyn's mouth thinned, unhappy with lethal force even against the duplicates where it was less, well, permanent. But before she could talk through how easy it was to tell what was a duplicate and what was an original, there was other lethal force she needed to take care of first. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a little countermeasure she'd been thinking of ever since Alexis had gone over Superbia's powers - a bag of loose scrap metal - nuts, bolts, and fragments that made for an extremely painful set of projectiles, but that should have to be disintegrated one piece at a time...
"Stairs are almost as bad as elevators for getting caught in. Wing, you score the gate, we'll peel it back."
One... two... now! The second a gap appeared where all eyes were turned away, Bronwyn sprinted, covering the ground in scant seconds before sliding to a safely hidden stop.
"...So right in front of the window?" Bronwyn sat down and grabbed a chip. "I assume that's them over there?" She pointed with her head.
"Was the Mayhem Legends raid not metaphorical? Sorry, don't have anything leveled up." "And I think if you count the number of people in this cafeteria who have at some point been employed or enslaved by a shadowy organization, it's not unreasonable to think you might need both hands. Speaking of large numbers of unknowns though - do we have any sense of what's waiting for us in there? If everyone's home I'm not sure the six of us are gonna be enough. She looked over to Alexis for confirmation. "And isn't this just one base. What do you think we're going to find in there that will help us dismantle the whole organization?" And why did He pick this moment to strike?
"I've reached out, but I don't know if K's gonna join. It'd be great if he did, but counting on him to save our bacon would definitely be a mistake." *** Bronwyn instinctively smiled when she saw Alexis approach, gratified, and and then slightly guilty at how she didn't tense up in the same way now that they looked like their old self. Well, one of their old selves... "So what's the plan re: the Tri? Or should we not talk about that here?"
Bathing in ancient spooky water to gain invulnerability... Well, it certainly rings a bell. "Yeah, I think there are definitely answers to find, as well as a question we should put Abacus on. If any of the previous faces you've had also belonged to other people first, we might be able to fill in some blanks." Especially if they've also spent a bit of time in the Underworld. ***
I swear, getting surprised by her outfits is taking years off my life. I should have her send me a selfie in the morning so I can brace myself. ...And be on a low simmering boil all morning. Maybe not my best move. "<Hey Shayera, you look really great! Hey gals. Who drew the short straw and had to wait on her wings?>" The idea of flying with Shayera using her own wings brought up a lot of confusing churning thoughts that Bronwyn really didn't want to get into over lunch so she gratefully clung to her revulsion at the wings' source and continued with small talk.
”Okay, first, I feel like I've been super clear that I don't want you getting hurt as a way to change what you look like, okay? NO GETTING YOURSELF HURT BECAUSE OTHER PEOPLE FEEL WEIRD! “Now food.” She spun quickly on her heel and went to get Alexis some food. Nothing really fancy, but plenty of protein and carbs. She wanted to deflect and avoid their question., to just overwhelm it with positivity – especially since there were other things she really wanted to address. But that wasn't what Alexis deserved. She handed over the food and gave Alexis a moment to nosh while she figured out what she wanted to say about The Team. ”I guess... I guess it's really up to you. I think this kind of thing is mostly good for you, and I want you here, but if we're not enough by ourselves, then I guess we're just not. I think your answers are here though. Triakosia's spending a lot of time around Halcyon, even when things get hot, and if you run into them while you're out wandering the lonesome byways or wherever, I'm worried it'll only be on their terms. I don't want you to be alone for that.”
"Of course we did." Bronwyn stood from her chair in the corner, quickly shoving her phone back in the pocket of her leggings. "You hungry? I know you had a lot of regrow and repair to do. I'm sure you can get all you need from a paste, but I figured dinner, like, food-dinner, might be more enjoyable. I can bring you a plate in here."
Bronwyn breathed heavily out her nose "Yeah, why didn't I just look those up myself? Mole men and magma pockets are totally all in the public domain. Silly of me, really." Without acknowledging the approaching AEGIS squad cars, Bronwyn started trucking towards one of the pins. Automatically dropping her voice she added. "Seriously. Alexis is losing signal and I don't have time to let AEGIS or mole people or anything slow me down. I'm heading down the sewer entrance without the lava. Whatever directions or AEGIS-stalling, or anything you can help with... I'm not leaving them down there."
Trapped by a steel beam... It would have been laughable if the angle she was trapped at didn't make it so serious. I just need, like, any leverage - I'm strong but not like, lift this with my fingers strong. The shaking and trembling of the building was working with her, mostly. There was just enough movement that she was able to keep inching her way towards getting free, when suddenly a shadow was standing over her, the beam was shifting, and she shoved hard even before she saw her own face looking back at her. "¡Dios! Mercy, I had it! Can't you ever stay in your lane?!" The beam practically flew off of her, catching Mercy hard in the chest. They vanished quickly down the tunnel, but not before Bronwyn saw the look of hurt on their face. Oh. Crap. The tank fell on top of the hole. "Oh come on!" She paused for a long second before sprinting out of the collapsing building. They'll be okay. They're tough. They'll be okay for a little bit at least. She felt Shayera grab her and grabbed right back, trying to spread as much of her weight out as she could to help with her balance. "We-- we gotta get Sidney to safety. Defender's HQ, there's a high-dollar hit on him. He's not safe yet." Bronwyn shook her head, discovering in the process that her left temple hurt, a lot. "You get him out of here. The Triakosia don't have much for air power, and you dodge better without carrying me anyways." And I'm not taking a jumpy speedster Elsewhere. "I'll get to Mercy. I have a- Well, I'll have a plan." Can't just dig them out. If it was just the tank, I could pull that free, but there's going to be all kinds of other shifty debris, and I don't have big backhoe scoops for hands to get it out of the way... Okay, can't go down after them. Come at it from the side. We're in a major city and that drill was huge. That tunnel has to intersect something somewhere... And I know who'll be able to figure out where. Reaching up to her comm, she crossed her fingers, just hoping he'd pick up. "Hey Machina? I need a 3rd act miracle."
Great, now **everyone** wants to fight instead of getting out of here... "Look, I really-" Bronwyn vaulted over Chimera's tail, leaving Gae-Dearg shrunken and out of the way. "-think we should both get out of here before you get hurt or- Eeuugh!" Green, viscous spittle sprayed at the front of her armor as she caught the shapeshifter's jaws. "Oh forget it!" Hoping that Chimera didn't take advantage of the drop in her guard, Bronwyn snagged her tail and with a quick spin hurled the scaly merc through a newly minted exit.
Bronwyn gave a quiet cough to clear her throat as she sized up the situation. Gotta add filters to the mask for wall dust if I'm going to keep breaking through these... Okay, Shayera's got that guy, but I don't know what Goat Girl's power set is. Even Alexis probably doesn't want to be in the middle of whatever that fight will be like, especially while their hurt so... Take her escape-tank away. The tank was big, bigger than her car-bells, or the old school bus, or any of the other junk she used to train, but she didn't have to lift all of it at once. All those tracks make it easier to angle, but they won't let it run upside down. "You! Wiseguy! Stay here where they can't see you." Leaving Sydney near the new hole in the wall, Bronwyn shot towards the side of the tank, taking the barest moment to center herself, before bringing all the strength in her body to bear, using every scrap of technique to get every ounce of muscle and bone and leverage and magic all oriented towards one goal. The tank shuddered, tilted, and with a final surge of strength, flipped like a tortoise.
Wait really? They're not even trying to retreat like the plan? What happened to 'abort abort abort'?!"Fine, but you're coming with me. They're sneaky and if you can't run, you definitely aren't going off on your lonesome to get bagged by the B-team." Triggering her comm as she headed towards whatever part of the building was shaking most, she griped, "The way out's clear by the way, not that that's still the plan anymore?? Whatever. Give me a target and I'll make my own door."
"Hey everyone, I need you to stay back. This place is not safe, but you'll all be okay as long as you stay calm and give us some space. And maybe give me that drone?"
Ugh, could I have sounded less convincing? I should have just kept doing a Bran Voice. I felt stupid but everyone treated me like an Authority... Maybe until my costume is less scary looking? No, that's even stupider...
"Alexis!" Dangit - didn't they hear? She didn't follow, snapping another javelin to full extension. Shayera'll be out of there soon. I just need to make sure the path is clear and no one gets hurt while she makes her escape...
Bronwyn grabbed a telescoping javelin from her back, readying it at full extension with a quick flick of her arm, before sending it rocketing straight at the drone with a window-rattling rumble of her own.
She ran towards the old factory, calling into her comms, "I'll see what's going on there, but if he's hiding, make sure Sidney doesn't rabbit!"
"They're predators. Call them wisps, or vampires or whatever. Maybe in the real world they'd fit human classifications better, but over here they're just whatever will help them feed. "Don't worry though. Whatever you're hearing isn't real. And we're just about... there!" The whispers cut off with a pop not dissimilar from repressurization, and the sounds of Halcyon fill Alexis's ears. "Ha! See! 3rd and Simon." She reaches up and triggers her comm, "Wing? We're two blocks out. What do you have?"
Since it's about time for Bronwyn's official Janus -> Legacy change and normally the 'what do you keep, what do you drop' thing is a conversation between player and GM, I figured I'd toss up my thoughts on what stays and see if anyone disagrees :-) The Mask (aka, swapping Mundane for Freak). This one's gone. Even though Bron's gonna keep fighting incognito, the split between her goals isn't the center of her story anymore. Mild-Mannered (slip past people using Mundane). More debatable, but gone. It's not her story any more, and she's a lot less concerned about never being seen caping in her civvies. Dangerous Web (trap people). Gone. it was hard to use in PbP and didn't sync with her powerset as much as I'd envisioned. I Am Not My Body. Gone. Being downgraded from bodyswapping to enhanced healing means she can't take a mortal wound and walk away in the same way as before. Game Face. Sticking around. Bronwyn's sheer determination and focus are still very present. There When It Matters. Sticking around. Bronwyn's still got her protective instincts backed up by her Guardian's Vigil.
It'd be easier if we could just get a ride in the Machina-Mobile. Or if that phasing spell had worked so I could really get up to top speed without all the debris... "But there might be something a bit faster than a cab." "Go ahead and suit up. I know a shortcut." Bronwyn pulled her helm out of her duffle, the metal gleaming more than the ambient light demanded, at least to her eyes. It's almost ready. Cassie was right, it already feels more like a suit of armor and less like a 'helmet-and-breastplate-and-sabatons-and-greaves-and-battle-onesie' etc.
*** Her helm was nearly finished, not a boxy greathelm like Bran had worn, but a smooth sloping, nearly featureless facemask that would angle and deflect blows away from its few weakpoints; a crest rising from the back of her head served as both decoration and a doubled layer of steel where protection was key and mobility was not. She hadn't finished all of the joints and overlapping fiddly bits, so the bullet-resistant weave of her crimson undersuit showed through between thick silver plates and behind snug fastenings. The overall effect was still more sinister than she wanted. The contrast between her undersheath and her armor made her limbs seem almost too articulated. And unless you got close enough to see her eyes, it was all too easy to imagine that her faceless mask was hiding something inhuman. Whatever. Function first. Plenty of time to work on the other stuff. "Okay, follow me." ** A couple short blocks from the penthouse was an alley where the shadows were heavier than they should have been. "Okay, I never figured out what exactly came through over here, but it's one of a bunch of weakspots in Halcyon that have popped up since the whole thing with Balor and Efnysien. I haven't mapped them all out yet, but I should be able to get us pretty close to 3rd, and a lot faster than a cab. The Paths are safe when you're Elsewhere, but we have to follow them. So when we go through there, you need to be holding my hand. Noise-cancelling or beeswax would probably be a good idea, but you should definitely keep your eyes Closed. They can't hurt you if you follow the rules, but they'll try just about anything to make you break them. "That sound okay?" Alexis:
Now they've got a cooler haircut too... "I guess maybe not such a dead end after all, huh?"
Bronwyn couldn't help but give a small grin, raising her eyes to the ceiling with a couple quick blinks. "You are such a cheater." Reaching down she picked Shayera up to her eye level with a broadening smile. "I mean, how am I supposed to keep being upset when you go and say something like that?"
"Sorry I blew up like that I just... Oh, I should tell Alexis too, so I'll wait til they're- Oh! Burning!" With a quick peck she put Shayera back down and darted back into the kitchen to get the skillet off the burners before breakfast was ruined. "So... K struck out, and your mystery vacation didn't give us a lead. What's step next?"
"Well yeah! But not just like, at random, or because you walked in on me while I was changing or something. It's just... I know it doesn't mean the same thing to you, but especially because you're my girlfriend, I want my body to be something private and special. I just... So many of our firsts got swallowed up by the whole Bran-thing, and I just - I hate to lose even more of them." The heat in her eyes had ebbed before her quiet sorrow, but a spark suddenly flared back to life. "It doesn't help that they're prettier than I am," she added with a teasing poke of her tongue.
"Look, yeah, I get that you have a different tolerance for this kind of thing, but this isn't your first week out of the barracks anymore! I know you're more observant than this, Alexis, and I know you know that we don't all walk around naked! I mean Shayera's never even seen..." She trailed off, but luckily had quite enough frustration to find something else to latch onto nearly immediately. "And no it's not like having a twin! Aside from Gabby and Gabe having very different parts that they do not show one another, if I had a twin sister than it would be her body, not one that she was just borrowing until the next time she threw it away! And I would hope that she wouldn't like, send naked selfies of herself to my girlfriend either! And no, Alexis, I'm not blaming you for being put in a stolen body, and I'm absolutely not asking you to do what makes you change bodies. But while you're in that particular body could you at least be a better guest?! And not flash the neighbors?!¡Madre de Dios! ¡¿Cómo seguimos hablando de esto?!" *** "Maybe if you didn't drive off incommunicado all the time, we would have been able to tell that that time it was a failsafe and helped you faster!" Fishing out her phone for proof, Bronwyn added with a jab, "Oh, and not that you're the arbiter of who I am and am not friends with, but Chloe and I text all the time since I saved her in the train station. We're gonna hang out next time she's in Halcyon too; I was hoping you'd be a part of that like before all this, but since that is up to you, I guess we'll have to see if you're too busy being a hypocritical misanthrope. Oh, speaking of those, your girlfriend's invited too."
Bronwyn clenched her jaw hard for a couple seconds, but her anger boiled over before she made it to ten. "Psst! Hey Alexis! Cover up! It's- it's good that you're... comfortable, but you can't- Look, just 'cause it's some airbrushed, photoshopped, insta-model version doesn't mean it's not still my body! You can't just walk around like this in front of people, it's like you're passing around naked pictures of me to whoever shows up for breakfast!" *** Bronwyn's eyes widened as she smiled in "Irrelevant. Wow. Well screw you too. A little. You're really going to pretend we weren't even friends? "Well no matter what you're pretending, I know you. And I know Alexandra. Team or no Team, favor or no favor, you're not done putting yourself in harm's way. Let's face it, that's why you haven't gotten rid of the super car, right? "So fine. Me hurting your feelings is still 'irrelevant.' But I just showed that I'd come running when the chips were down, even if I didn't have all the intel. You know if things had gone bad I would have helped you just like I helped Chloe. Oh, and if whatever weird magic-stuff you got up to right after the Balor showdown turns out not to be 'irrelevant' too, well... I'm an asset, dummy. Use me!"
"...Really?! I mean- Good, glad you figured out some good stuff, but seriously? Este zángano, you're just gonna pretend I just didn't say **anything** else?!"
***
Slipping into the kitchen she piled up some fruit in the blender and quietly prepped just a few more low-aroma items, not actually cooking anything that would make it completely impossible for Shayera's nose to miss. Padding into the bedroom, she smiled to see Shayera still curled up, wings pulled in tight. She stood there a moment, letting her scent gradually get picked up by her girlfriend's sleeping nose before she got any closer. Can't just pop back Elsewhere to heal up anymore if she has a nightmare...
"...Fine." Bronwyn walked around and hopped in the passenger seat with a muffled clank. "Okay first, You really are okay? Mr. Jumps-To-Conclusions didn't take a swing or anything?" She gave him a quick once-over, but barreled forward before he could answer. " 'Cause doing this without any backup was crazy. We've gotta work together a lot better and-" She cut herself off with a quick scowl. "Sorry. I wasn't going to start off with- Okay. Things suck right now between us and that's my fault. I'm sorry. I had reasons to keep my secrets, but that doesn't mean doing it didn't hurt you and make it harder to lead the team and keep us all safe."
Bronwyn was still sprinting towards Sidney's when she saw the K-Mobile rolling to a very responsible halt near a stop sign, clearly heading the opposite direction. What the heck?! Slowing down to a more human speed, she angled over to the driver's side window, rapping on it a touch more fiercely than she'd meant. She peeled off her still-in-progress helm so that she looked like she was just wearing track shorts and a bulky hoodie. "Hey Mach, how'd it go with The Target? You forget to tell anyone that you- oh I don't know -weren't in immediate danger anymore?!"
Come on Bronwyn, pour it on. Kaoru's alone with the target. Who knows where Alexis is, but whatever fight Shayera's getting lightly stabbed in is **far**. I don't know why he didn't wait until I was closer, or bring his girlfriend or something, but I'm Not going to let him get hurt...
Since K's using this conversation to try to get a sense of what kind of person Sid is, perhaps a Pierce the Mask? With a success meaning that he's able to appropriately respond to Sid's intentions without being surprised?
Bronwyn raised her hand in feigned politeness. "Just a quick question. Is this the version of the wings with or without all the scanners and spyware?" She turned towards the Daughter who was Shu Zi. "Anything getting plugged into your central nervous system is worth kicking the tires on first, right? And before you sign off on it too quickly, give it a think. How would you hide something from someone with your abilities. Even if he's on the level, he'll have thought about it. You should to."
Yeah, I've just been buried in 60+ hour weeks for most of the last month. But my part-timers are done with classes and my seasonal hires are gaining competency, so I should be able to get back to a better pace. That said, I don't think I have more business in that scene, so go right ahead and post Alexis :-) I'll defer to Wing as to the MitWC scene
Bronwyn didn't bother to fake a smile. "It's far from mutual." Okay. He didn't know I was coming, which is good. He wanted to make sure the Daughters had shadows nearby. Did they demand that? Did he really know that I'd be coming and want to make sure they had good terrain in a fight? No... he thought I summoned Bran. He doesn't know what I can do. Probably. Ambush doesn't fit anyways. He doesn't like me, but I don't think he hates me enough to make Shayera kill me. Not when it makes it less likely to work at least. So if it's not betrayal, it's temptation. "Well don't let me stop you from this whole unveiling thing you've got going on. If you'd told me your plan earlier I could have even seen about some novelty-sized scissors, but this is good too."
"Didn't quit practicing either," Bronwyn grunted, whipping the long haft of her spear up in a two-handed staff block. "I practice all the time. But there's no point in pretending that I belong at a track meet with the Hornets. I'm not sure what my PB is with a javelin anymore; right now I'm focusing on breaking 3 in the 100-meter." "So it's 'cause you're enhanced," Shayera huffed, launching a flurry of jabs with the batons. She used them to compensate for her much shorter reach as she kicks off a weighty table to vault over the point of Bronwyn's spear and get in close where the weapon won't be as useful. Bronwyn dropped the spear without fretting, trying to stop Shayera's blows, but accepting that a bunch would get through. "Track is a sport about beating yourself, not just collecting medals against people who aren't at your level. I competed against Halcyon as an Unaffiliated while I was still in junior high, and I went straight to Varsity once I got here. Before the Spear, Coach and I had been talking about what the training ramp up was gonna have to be if I wanted to add an extra Olympic to my career. And when the plan was still to put Gae-Dearg on the shelf for a while in a couple-few years, it made sense not to blow everything up." "Okay pause?" One of her hands was grabbing onto Shayera's waist in a little c-shape just above the curve of her hip. "I know this is a crappy croissant of a hold, but can you break my grip quickly? 'Cause I don't want to actually, like, smash you into the ground to score the point. Or however we're keeping score." Shayera grinned fiercely. "You could try." "Shayera, this is practice and I'd be slamming you into the ground by your spleen. Is a spleen a fun thing to grow back?" Shayera arched an eyebrow. "Give me some credit." Bronwyn's grip tightened, and she and Shayera dropped to the floor like a stone. She felt batons hooking behind her neck, but before Shayera could finish her counter, they both slammed to the ground with an almost infrasonic thud. Bronwyn whipped her other arm up, but she was already... falling? She twisted in mid-air as her momentum sent her careening over her ashen-faced girlfriend, just tucking her head as she realized there was no way she was getting control of this fall. She bounced twice before rolling up against the wall, but she came up with a smile. As Shayera sucked in great lungfuls of breath Bronwyn demanded, "Show me how you did that!"
"Ever think of making use of your track skills? Carry a few regular javelins so you're not always throwing away your magic one?" Bronwyn made a face. "There's a reason you don't carry those around during all the other running and jumping. A few extra eight-and-a-half foot poles do tend to get in the way." "Get something smaller then." Shayera picked up a throwing knife, flipped it in her hand, and threw it at one of the armor pieces where it bounced off with a clang. "The bad guys aren't going to blow a whistle if it's not regulation-sized." "Hmm. Fair. Maybe I could get something telescoping? They wouldn't be as good for up close and personal, but hopefully that wouldn't be needed?" Bronwyn tied on her armor as she mused. There were still plenty of weakpoints in her suit, places where being able to quickly don it without a partner meant flexibility had to take the lead over protection. "Still haven't finished the helmet, but things are getting close." Shayera nodded, and gestured to the weapon racks. "There should be something that'll work." She picked up and tested a few extendable bo staffs with her back to Bronwyn. She spun one around with a flourish, then set it back in its cradle. She picked up another that extended long enough to be used for pole vaulting but frowned at the balance. "So when we spar are you a person or a monster?"
"Oh. Either. Both. One, then the other, probably. It's not like I haven't had Gae-Dearg through my midsection." "Well I promise not to do that without good reason." Shayera smiled at Bron and stuck out her tongue. Her grin faded as she looked at her. "When were you going to tell me?" "...That I don't plan to impale you?" Shayera shook her head and pulled another collapsible pole off the wall, this one extending out to a point. She tossed it lengthwise to Bronwyn. "No, about you quitting track." Bronwyn snatched it out of the air, sliding her hands down the haft and snapping it up in a guard position. "When I was ready to talk about it. So later."
"So umm... I noticed Gabby and Tom's invitation's on the table." What Bronwyn was wearing couldn't honestly be called her Sunday best. It was a long, simple maxi dress in charcoal. It wasn't a bad dress, but she had a lot more success buying off the rack when it was something that didn't have to keep her shoulders and arms in check. "Yes?" her mother replied without stopping, "Don't worry. It's the week before State so you should be relaxing that weekend anyways." State. Right. "Bronwyn?" "Mm?" "If you're worried about your hurdles, don't be. They'd let you in for your shotput, let a lone your javelin. They'll put out their decision soon." "Yeah. Yeah good point. But umm..." She nearly let it drop. Sunday morning's pre-church flurry was probably the wrong time to work through something like this, but "You RSVP'd that I wasn't going to bring a plus-one. By then Shayera and I will have been together for a while and... I want to bring her to stuff like this. Family stuff." "I suppose if you wanted her to come over for dinner once we're back in the house that would be fine, but I'm not sure about bringing your friend to Gabriela's wedding, Bronwyn. It is awfully soon." "It's not that soon. We'll have been together almost a year by then!" "Is that counting when she, well, left?" "Wow Mom." "When she left you Bronwyn. When you two broke up?" "That- That wasn't even- Look can she come to Gabby's wedding or not?" "Well, it's her wedding, not mine thank God, but, well, Bronwyn this wedding isn't about you and your friend. And I know you care about her, but she does seem to bring a lot of drama with her wherever she goes. This is going to be a blessed day that we'll all want to look back on fondly for the rest of our lives, and I don't want to be looking through the photo albums in twenty years with this phase flapping her wings across the page!" They were both silent for a long moment before Bronwyn barely more than whispered, "Shayera is my girlfriend. She's not a phase." "Bronwyn, I love you. You're bright; you've got a good heart; you know what you want out of life, and you're determined enough to run right through any barriers that get put in front of you. I don't approve, and I think you're making a mistake. But we all make mistakes. Especially when we're young." "It's not a mistake, Mom." Her mom smiled back, her head shaking so faintly Bronwyn might have imagined it, her shoulders rising in a nearly imperceptible shrug. "You might have kept this from me, but you're still my baby girl, and I know there are a few things you want more than anything. You want to help people, you want to do right by God, you want to win a gold medal one day, and you want to be a mother. Even if you think you want this girl now, sooner or later you'll realize you want other things more. Let's go to church. We'll talk about this later."
The hits just keep on coming! These giants aren't interested in covertly finding new lairs, they aren't making alliances across pantheons and mythoi, they're just trampling across Halcyon! Do you: Hold Back Their Inhuman Might?:
Roll + Freak and Get Hurt On a Hit choose one, on a 10+ choose two: *Stay Safe: Don't get Hurt *Make a Good Impression: Gain Influence over an Adult Hero *Put on a Good Show: Hold 1 PR Coax them back to their own world: Roll + Mundane On a Miss describe a building you couldn't stop them from destroying. On a Hit Pick One: They Warn You of What's Still To Come: Hold 1 Monster Hunter. They Grant a Hero Mercy: Prevent or help heal a single character's Hurt this round. You're Broadcast to Millions: Hold 1 PR On a 10+ a Giant tells you about the beacon they're following. (At least one hero getting this will change future moves)
My question about double influence/label shifts stands, but it has been pointed out to me that being saved and giving influence is, in fact, on the Get Hurt list that **someone** wrote ::facepalm::
Chloe didn't seem cheered that her masked protector was Bronwyn, the fear she'd been keeping under control while the danger was imminent rose in her eyes, threatening to drown her in it. "Hey, hey. It'll be okay, I promise. I'm pretty good at this stuff." Chloe nodded, but there was more than a hint of uncertainty in it, and she asked, "Can't I just come now? What if he's just waiting for you to leave?" Okay, yeah, maybe. "Okay, we'll go together." The halls weren't any brighter, but the sense of menace that had made them press close was gone - that and the sound of a one-wheeled roller suitcase was a surefire way to puncture tension. Probably he just ran for it. Ugh, I really don't need another nemesis. "Hey, why don't you just go ahead and hop on," she offered Chloe, squatting down and reshrinking Gae-Dearg. "He's not just gonna jump at us out of the shadows and that ankle looks pretty bad." Chloe nodded in relief, and climbed onto Bronwyn's back, circling her arms a little too close to her windpipe to really be comfortable, but nothing Bronwyn couldn't handle. With Chloe secure, Bronwyn made much better time, not jostling her by running or jogging, but still devouring the distance with long smooth strides. And then someone screamed. Bronwyn broke into a full-out sprint, tucking one arm behind her back to keep Chloe as steady as she could as she burst back into the main hall. The churn and crush of the crowd was still here, but more jagged, panicked. The kishi hadn't remasked himself, drinking deep of the fear around him, and trying to pick out the juiciest prey to feed upon from amidst the stampeding humans. Gently but quickly, Bronwyn pulled Chloe off her back and set her down one-handed behind her. If everyone runs that'll kill more people on those stairs than Carrion-breath ever could. She bunched her legs and leapt atop one of the lion statues that adorned the main chamber, planning to stem the tide of fear, but for a moment, her voice failed her. She knew what to say as Bran. She'd practiced her Bran-voice and speeches for hours and hours with Mary-Beth so that even in moments like this she could be a Hero without letting everyone see the high-schooler beneath the helmet. And all I've got now is this stupid mask. No. No time to stop and freak out. If you can talk, talk, if you can't, keep moving. Her throat unstuck. The crowd still wasn't what she'd call orderly, but no one was being trampled, so she decided to take that as a win. The kishi was at the center of a widening circle as his prey fled, and she was determined to keep him there. He was faster, so she had to keep him penned in. Every time he made a break for someone already hurt, someone he could separate from the herd, she threw a bench at him. Well, a bench, a chair, a hot dog cart. He was too fast for even her throws to tag him, but she could force him to keep moving, keep blocking his path, keep pissing him off. Finally he'd had enough, and when she hucked a trash can at him he bounded over it, leaping in a high arc to flee her target zone, all four eyes alight with cruel frustration as he dropped out of the sky towards Chloe once more - and was met by Gae-Dearg's hungry blade. The spear hadn't quite cracked the sound barrier when she'd thrown it, but the enchanted blade had still hit him full in the chest, hurtling him off course and pinning him to the marble wall behind him. Nothing to push off of in mid-air. His body was already dissolving into moldering sand as Bronwyn went back to Chloe, whose face was paler than normal with fear and pain. She could hear the murmur of the crowd returning as spectacle overcame fear, and the artificial clicks of phone cameras made it abundantly clear that it was time to go. "Was she with the wolf guy?" "That's Bran's spear!" "Wait, is Bran a girl now?" "Did she have to kill him?" "Why is she wearing a tablecloth as a cape?" "Is that Acolyte?" "Who's Acolyte? There are too many heroes these days. It used to be just the Freedom Five - or the Freedom Four before..." "Who's that girl she's with?" Crap. "Hey Chloe, do you wanna get out of here?" "Please." She scooped the other girl and her luggage up in a slightly off-center princess carry and began to hustle up the stairs. Why am I so much worse at talking to crowds?! Should I go back to the 'medieval' voice? *** Her plan to simply disappear again had been thwarted as she realized that her hoodie really was just slashed to ribbons. Even if I take my armor off and carry it where?? then I'm just flashing my abs through a slashed up tank top and sweatshirt - not really a lot more subtle. Luckily, she knew that Shayera had a cache of emergency supplies not too far from here.
Shayera's proclivity for halters meant that the difference in their respective breadth wasn't a non-starter, even if it was pretty clearly just not her size, even if you assumed she did want to show that much of her belly. I'll just come back with a backpack for the armor. Or maybe Shayera can pick it up. Should be easy. "So umm, you're here alone right?" Chloe was still very quiet. "Yeah." "Visiting Kaoru again?" The faintest smile and relief returned to her face. "Yeah. Do you think I should tell him about this?" Bronwyn's face cycled through confusion and panic What does she mean "this"? before she simply said, "I'm sure he'd rather know. And it would probably just be weirder to hide anything from him, right?" Chloe nodded, already coming back to herself. She shivered again, but this time Bronwyn was pretty sure it was just the windchill. She looked over the ledge to the street far below. "If you're up for another fire escape journey, I see a Starbucks down there. Might be a warmer place to wait for Kaoru. I'll give him a call." The phone rang for quite a while before cutting over to voicemail. "Hey, Kaoru it's Bronwyn, and you'll never guess who I'm here with. Y'see..." Her eyes narrowed and she hung up. "Hey Chloe, can I borrow your phone?" A quick redial and her suspicion was confirmed when he picked up immediately. "Hi Kaoru. Must not have remembered my phone number huh? Well, this is Bronwyn on Chloe's phone. She's here in town, but she had a close call with one of those new mythic nasties. She's okay, but it'd be great if you could come pick her up. We're at the Starbucks down town." "No, the other one." "The other one" "The other- I'll just text you the address!" She hung up, eyes raised to the heavens, and her fingers twitched along the charms on Gae-Dearg's bracelet. "Are you two okay?" "I don't know... It's kind of a long story." "Is it about why you have Bran's spear and powers? And a terrible costume? At least until I improved it with the tablecloth-cape?" "...Yeah. Tell you what. Why don't you talk to him about it, and if you want my side, you can have that too. But let's get you out of the cold for now." "That seems fair. Oh, but Bronwyn? Coffee's on me. Least I can do."
Bronwyn didn't wait for the crowd in the train station's main hall to listen to her bellows, but they were packed in to thickly for her to push through - at least without running them down like a speeding car! So instead her pacing fell into something very familiar, a lengthening of her stride here, a shortening there to bring her center of gravity as low to the ground as she could manage at top speed, and then an explosion of strength drawn from her toes up, even bringing both arms to bear as she used them to fling herself higher as she bounded up and over the crowd, practically doubling herself over as she brought both arms and legs together to sail as far as she could before landing in a bone jarring (and somewhat illegal) front somersault. She stood, relieved that the cracking sound she'd heard on landing had been the marble flooring, **Much** worse to land in than a sandpit, and resumed her headlong rush. This part of the station wasn't out of order; it was well lit and welcoming, in a rich, exclusive kind of way. But there was almost no one here, as though the greater herd had been driven away while the predator she was hunting stalked its own prey. A cackle that she more felt than heard drew her closer, and the edges of whispers not meant for her stoked her fury to new heights. She tugged at her ski mask to re-center it as she expanded Gae-Dearg to its full breadth, slashing at the air around her in frustration. The whispers and cackles stopped and the air felt stiller, less oppressive, and then the silence was shattered by a scream. Without a second's thought Bronwyn smashed through the wall to her left, crunching through wood veneer, drywall, copper pipes and tiling to arrive at the end of a long chase. He was smiling. That was the first thing she'd seen, a broad heated smile that spoke of all dreams fulfilled and all hungers sated. His skin was gleaming nearly as much as his teeth, dark and beautiful and shining like it'd just been polished. His charcoal grey suit was modern and expertly tailored, seeming not to impede him in the slightest as he smoothly slid away from Bronwyn's irruption. She was at the end of her strength. Her whole body was seized with gulping breaths as she tried to get enough oxygen to her lungs to keep screaming for help; sweat plastered her waves of red hair to her face. She was on the floor next to a suitcase that had lost a wheel somewhere in her flight, one leg hooked protectively behind her, her ankle red and swollen enough to see from across the room. Cold water sprayed at Bronwyn's back from the pipes she'd shattered, seeping towards the predator and his prey in a flood made jagged by the lines of grout that nearly diverted it. She raised her spear, and he turned his head, almost as if he thought there was someone behind him, but his head kept twisting and snapping until he was facing entirely the other direction, but instead of merely the back of his head, a new horror awaited. Another face pushed out from the back of his skull, broad snouted and muscular with short spotted fur and lethally powerful jaws. She lunged for the hyena-faced demon, but water-slicked tiles made for bad footing, and he was fast enough to take advantage, twisting aside from her unbalanced charge, and giving her momentum an extra boost with a cruel shove and a savage kick to her legs that sent her headlong into the opposing wall in a crash that left her seeing stars and spitting blood. She pushed off the wall, driving him back from her flank with a broad sweep of Gae-Dearg's haft. "I've got you. It's gonna be fine just-" Crawl? "-get out of here and I'll take care of this thing." "Thing?" the demon's voice oozed with confidence, "A Warden should be better educated. I am the Kishi of the Crossroads. A Father of Orphans, a Home to the Lonely, a Spreader of Mirth and Joy, and-" "Unless the next one's the Letter-Go of Hostages I don't think I care." Or if it's the Invincible. That would suck. She lunged again, flashing towards him with furious speed and firmer footing, but he was faster still. He slashed at Gae-Dearg with a broad dagger that seemed to come out of nowhere and caught the spear's shaft in the long curl of his sickle-like blade. "No, but I am a Tutor to Fools." He yanked Gae-Dearg from her grasp with a flick of his blade, hurling it behind him with casual strength, but she didn't stop. "Y'know," she slammed into him with bonecrushing strength, "I almost never use that thing for fighting anyways." She slammed him against the wall again, bruising his beautiful face while his bestial one yowled and snapped. He drove her to her knees with a vicious blow to the back of her neck and kicked her back once more, slashing down with his dagger in a frenzy as she rose. His strikes were fast, and the blade was sharp, and in an instant his savage butchery would had laid bare her guts in a steaming delicious pile. Or would have if her hoodie had been all she was wearing. Razor-honed iron and bestial strength met nickel-alloyed steel, and the iron gave way, snapping beneath the force of his blows. A hard jab to his shortribs gave her distance, a fist to his throat stole his breath, and another headlong charge sent him crashing through another wall into the opulent and strangely deserted dining room beyond. Fingernails thickening into short, ugly claws he tore at her as she relentlessly hammered him with her tireless fists. His claws sparked off her armor wherever they struck, breastplate, vambraces, greaves, but scraped a bloody furrow along her bicep where she twisted away in pain. Eyes alight with savage glee, he struck, biting deep into the flesh and muscle of her arm. She screamed in pain and anger, raining blow after blow onto him, but he wouldn't budge. She hooked her fingers up under his lips, but couldn't lever his jaws open. She could feel her heart pounding, trying not to think about whether each thump was beating away another precious moment of life. She grasped for a weapon, a steak knife, anything, when she heard, felt something arcing through the air. She stretched up her good arm, and Gae-Dearg flared to life as she caught it in her grasp. Eyes shrinking back from the light, the Kishi released her, rolling away with sinuous speed before she could impale him to the floor, and then sprinting out of the restaurant, hungry, human eyes watching her over his shoulders. "Thanks." Bronwyn tried to stand, and was successful, narrowly. "I have to-" "You have to let me look at that before you bleed to death!" The Kishi's prey hobbled over from where she'd lobbed the spear. She snatched up a napkin, and pressed it against the puncture wounds in Bronwyn's arm, but dropped it in dismay. "It's not big enough to, umm, get around your whole arm." Bronwyn sat heavily, feeling very lightheaded for a moment, but felt welcome pressure begin to settle across her wounds. She blinked to clear her eyes, and to see what was being tied onto her. "Oh come on, a whole tablecloth?" A long swath of elegant red was tied to her arm, and slung up and over her back in a kind of half-cape. "Well, I figured you're not supposed to let a predator know how hurt you are." "Yeah," despite herself, Bronwyn's lips curved into a grin beneath her ski mask. "Okay, I've gotta go after him. You stay here and count to a hundred, then head back to the main station." Her rescuee still looked worried, so she broadened her grin as she stood, already feeling steadier. "Hey, don't worry. How could I be afraid of a Big Bad Wolf dressed like this?" She smiled a bit despite her fear, but suddenly her eyes sharpened and she peered up at Bronwyn's eye-holes. "Wait, Bronwyn? Is that you?"
She had a bad feeling about this. The sun had been up for hours, and the light gleaming off the marble walls of Halcyon Gran Central should have been cheering, or at least warming. But all she felt was a chill. But maybe that's like, a good thing? Bran was talking about how I should have been able to feel that something was wrong. Maybe that's supposed to feel like something hungry is watching you. Yeah that's it. Sure. A sweep with her spellwise eyes didn't uncover anything, but she slowed to a halt nonetheless, wincing as something gave a soft clank beneath her hoodie. This will not work long term... She was still blending in though. A much-needed budget-spending-spree at Target meant that she was back in basic clothes that actually fit her! So a single weird noise beneath a bulky sweatshirt wasn't enough to draw too many eyes. Trying to keep it that way, she jogged easily into the station. The staircases here weren't far from the grandeur of Union Station's, and it wasn't that uncommon for other runners to combine exercise with sightseeing. Lion, lion, mermaid, topless mermaid, pegasus... Okay, statues are all still the same, nothing hiding there. The sense of something hungry was still on her. It was a lean hunger, the hunger of a beast that thought she might be the runt of a herd. She shuddered, and as she did, noticed that she wasn't the only one doing so. The chill strengthened and she saw it ripple throughout the station, through the ones who were alone, or just lonely. "Bronwyn... Brroooonwwyyyynnnn..."
Not yet. I can cut the line once its reeled me in a bit, but not yet... The voice called to her, drawing her along, luring her far from the crowds. Past destination shopping and lockers, and all the things that showed this place was now far more for tourism than for transit, up and over some 'out of order' tape and into a room of quiet drips and hollow echoes. And then it stopped. The tether snapped, and she went from quiet lurking to full alertness. It's not here- It's not here! She ran back, sprinting now, moving far faster than was humanly plausible. No matter that that thing had tricked her, there was no hiding how hungry it was, and if it wasn't feeding on her... She ran harder, faster, trusting to instinct, or God that she was going the right direction, that she wouldn't be too late, and harder and faster still when the voice began to laugh and laugh and laugh...
If we're all good for it, let's go ahead and kick off Week One of Mythic Mayhem! Feel free to pepper in some other scenes too, but the moves are to show how you're reacting to Increasing Weirdness (and hopefully prompt some interesting vignettes too!)
Bronwyn exhaled, and her anger vented with it. "...Yeah, sorry. I just- Gatekeeping BS always makes me so mad! Even when it's stupid stuff like 'if you don't like the Princesses or play with Monster High Dolls, you're not a real girl,' then even if you do they just say you're faking it and- Yeah. Sorry." Shayera studied Bronwyn, brows furrowed as she tries to understand. "That's, um... What's Monster High?" Bronwyn gave a choked laugh that quickly dissolved into giggles. "Words cannot describe how much it doesn't matter. You're a total Clawdeen though." Shayera's own smile at Bronwyn's amusement faltered as she tried to figure out if she'd been insulted or complimented. "I still don't..." She summoned up the courage to trust that Bronwyn truly meant it when she said it didn't matter. She giggled as she visibly relaxed. Yin Ying pushed herself away from the table and collected a few plates. "Well, sorry we're not the big happy family Xiu Ying was trying to show off." Bronwyn reached up to touch Yin Ying on her arm. "I know how much you care about each other. That counts for a lot."
Bronwyn was quiet for a moment. "I know how that feels. When there's someone I've chosen to protect, to be the Guardian of, I can feel it when they get hurt, and the more I care for them, the stronger that link is. So I know whenever Shayera's in a fight. I feel every wound she decides to take. "And I've felt her die. "I know just how hard that is." Shayera looked down at her plate. Shu rolled one shoulder but still sat with her arms folded. Yin met Bronwyn's eyes steadily. After a moment of shared pain, a soft smile quirked on Yin's face. "I thought you were being selfish. "The Daughters of the Tiger have been used badly. After Empress Xiaomucheng's death, we were considered just another group of soldiers to fight an die for the emperor's whims. We broke free, and were hunted until we were thought exterminated." "She doesn't care, Yin Ying," Shu muttered. Yin sighed. "What I'm saying is that we're not going to let ourselves be used again. We set our own rules. We set the terms of our contracts. And we do this because we're not losing another sister." "I understand wanting to take control of your lives, but you've used that control to take contracts I can't approve of. " Shu Zi scoffed. "We're not asking for your approval." "No, but you're asking for my understanding. I'm just making it clear where that begins and ends." "We're not superheroes. But Xiu Ying is. That's not enough for you?" Shayera looked up. "No, it won't be, Yin." She turns to face Bronwyn. "It's not easy for me either. But it's family. You know?" "I'm not asking you to serve, that's not a calling we all have to share. If you want to use your gifts for money, that's your business. But if you're hurting people, if I find out you're hurting people, I'd have to stop it. Does that make sense?"
"Oh, uh, it depends a little. Like, a lot of my batch stuff I taught myself from Runners World and stuff like that, but I started out cooking with my papá. He's really great, but he likes to make a big production out of Every Meal, so I've been doing a lot of the everyday cooking for the last couple years." Yu smiled. "My mother taught me. So every time I cook, it feels like she's there with me, guiding my hands. Treasure those moments with your father." Yin Ying and Shu Zi exchanged a look. "她走了," Shu said. Shayera gives them a look. "听到这个消息我很抱歉" Bronwyn said carefully, her pronunciation good, but with the spacing between words too precise to sound truly fluent. "I don't know if your sister mentioned that I was learning the language." Her words weren't chosen quite as carefully once she was back in English, but she still spoke gingerly. Shayera gave Bronwyn a grin as the other three's eyes bulged. "不錯," Yin Ying said, sounding impressed. Yu nodded at Bron. "It's okay. She passed quite some time ago." "You want to tell her how long ago?" Shu Zi asks, a smirk growing on her face.
Yu looks at Bronwyn. "I was one of the original Daughters," she states matter-of-factly. "One of Empress Xiaomucheng's original honor guard." "Oh. You're 百倍" Bronwyn said, a look of comprehension on her face quickly turning again to slight confusion.
Bronwyn gave a big relieved smile and immediately went in for a kiss that she abruptly remembered to chasten. "Hey. I missed you..." Shayera returned the kiss and gave her a hug for good measure. "Me too. I think next time, you might want to join me at the photo shoot? I kept thinking how cool it'd be if you were posing with me." "Oh umm... maybe? Like, I didn't hate the gala or anything. But are you asking if I'd be there as Bronwyn or as..?" "Um, I'm not sure. However you'd want. I guess-" Yu cleared her throat loudly. "You made it barely on time for once, Xiu Ying. So how about seeing if you like my cooking hot?" Shayera moved over to the table and took a seat, pulling out a chair for Bronwyn next to her. Shu Zi stopped her game and headed to the table as the others gathered. Yu smiled warmly as she dished out the food. "I think it was nice that Xiu-- I mean Shayera -- invited you, Bronwyn. I'm glad you came." "Me too. I guess... I guess I so often see you when you're either in cover mode, or with your game faces on. This is nice... "...Do you all say grace or anything?" The three daughters gave Bronwyn a blank look. Shayera froze where she had started reaching for a dumpling. She then set her chopsticks down. "Uh, not usually. Would you like to?" "Oh, no we don't have to. I just- Before like, family meals, or when there's company..." When the silence stretched for a moment she quickly murmured, "Bless us Oh Lord and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ our Lord, Amen."
Great... I was kinda hoping to dip into my stash of clothes at her place... She looked down at her outfit, less paint-spattered, but still just as marshmallowy as yesterday's. I guess I'll see if Anna's got anything a bit less... This. Shayera: Photo shoots running over. :( can I meet u there?
*** She'd been able to 'borrow' some clothes from Anna, so her outfit was nicer well, mom-nicer, but the fit was clearly worse, and her **very** busy floral skirt and sweater combo didn't go with her running shoes at all. Whatever, they're not gonna notice. Or care. Oh God they're Definitely gonna care! And notice! Why'd I agree to do this when like everything I own was in a house fire?! *** The address Shayera had sent her was a high rise hotel in the middle of Halcyon. The classic art-deco style screamed old Hollywood glamour, but the hotel had obviously been renovated fairly recently because nothing seemed musty or worn down. Marble fountains bubbled in the lobby area, and attentive porters and concierge staff greeted Bronwyn with stiff formality. She answered it in kind, picking one of the Daughters at random and telling them that she was here to see a "Ms. Ying." "Very good, Miss. Thirtieth floor. First doors off the elevator." The elevator opened smoothly into a long hall with ornate double doors on the opposite wall. Bronwyn was doing her best not to fidget, but was still visibly uncomfortable right until she gave a knock and did her best to smooth the discomfort off her face.
Bronwyn still couldn't sleep. She wasn't tired exactly, but there was just too much racing through her mind, and that could be exhausting enough. She was lying on the couch, blanket and heavy pajamas stifling her, willing herself not to walk over her phone charger to check the time again, when she heard her phone buzz. Alexis (They/them): I still haven't found any help for my armor or a charm
Yeah. It's been like... 12 hours. I didn't think you'd gotten a crazy magic fix in 12 hours. At least not one without an ugly price. Bronwyn: Yeah, we'll find a fix for the armor thing, but if I'm going to do it, I'll need to find a good channeler and Her phone's alarm went off and she shot up off the couch, feet barely touching the ground as she ran to the half-bath to toss on a nondescript running outfit before bursting out the front door to the still dark streets. At least the security system shuts off at 6... I don't know what I'd do if I had to stay there till class started.
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