The knight's helmet inclines in a nod, and then the Red Raven reaches up to remove it. "Hold this please."
With Shayera holding her helmet she steps forward to Xaiara and slowly bends down to give her a long hug. "I know this is hard. I know that it's hard, and that it's going to hurt no matter what you choose. But I think Shayera's right, she usually is. It's your choice to make, but I think that staying here will help you to grow. The demons of your past will still be there no matter what, but it's here that you'll be able to face them, and maybe free others who have been hurt like you. Nothing will help you more than that. I know that you'll be strong enough, but don't forget the strength that can be found in your friends. Look to who sacrificed to see you again and save you. Don't be swayed by anyone who offers you a gilded cage. It may always be available to someone with your gifts, but very little is more pernicious."
Bronwyn squeezes Xaiara once more, looking into her eyes to see her heart. Then with a nod, she reaches into a small pouch at her waist. "Okay, so I was already going to give you this even before the rift opened, but I guess now's the moment." It's a small silver medal on a short chain. A single inset stone sits above a portrait of a bearded man protectively holding a child. "This is St. Jerome well, a St. Jerome. He was an orphan, and then a soldier, and then a provider for the sick and the hungry, and especially to those orphaned children who had suffered as he suffered. I'll keep praying for him to watch over you, and if you wear this," she puts one thumb on the stone, "it will help me to watch over you too."
She straightens and gives Xaiara a cool kiss on her forehead. "I'm proud of you."
With her farewell to Xaiara complete, she pauses on the way back to the rift to whisper something in Chroknight's ear, then takes Shayera's hand again. "Okay, give us about 2/3 of a period outside of time and thought to get through before you finish closing this," she grins and turns to enter the rift between worlds.
"Oh, and before you say anything: No that was not your confirmation medal. Yours is gonna be St. Anthony of Padua, obviously, and yes you too will be getting magically lojacked six ways from Sunday..."
Chroknight:
"I've got a hunch that you're a good person trying to do good things, and I'm gonna follow that. I know you're the hero who can squeeze a week into a single minute, but you have to start thinking about what's gonna come next instead of trying to solve everything at the same time. And you should also look into your heart about why you told me, the woman with a magic spear, that Andromeda was holding someone captive when I would absolutely fight to make her free. You and your friends have done amazing things to bring each other back together. Don't be the one to try and tear people apart."
Bron's helmet tilts sideways in a gesture more canine than chivalric. "I thought we were going to talk Andromeda into letting Xaiara go? Xaiara? Are you being kept here against your will?
"Cariño," Bronwyn sighs, "Tienes un hogar, amigas y un propósito en la vida. Vives rodeada de amor. Ella no se refiere a las incertidumbres cotidianas. El hecho de que aún nos esperen pruebas no significa que ella no pudiera ver lo que ya has superado."
"Okay," the faceless helm turns back towards Chloe. "Chloe, I'm sorry that I don't have more time to get to know you or talk you through this. But what you'd cobbled together wasn't stable, because I was always going to come bring Shayera home if you all hadn't found me first. Restoring someone to life may not be simple, but it is a miracle to be cherished that you and she are receiving a second chance. If you have experience in the trials that lie ahead, or if you are needed to guard her path, then a purpose like that can be a blessing as well.
"You're afraid. That's okay, we're all dealing with a lot right now, but you've chosen to be a hero before, and I know that you'll do so again. Let's explain to the others how to get started on closing this rift, and then we have to go back to your world. Xaiara and your friends need help, and if you really are without a home, it's your friends who are going to be your shelter. Don't run from them when you need each other most."
The knight hefts her blood-red spear. "We should go quickly before anything else changes. I know Andromeda is strong and-" a frown is audible in Bronwyn's voice "-psychic. Will she listen to reason?"
The helmet nods. "I should be able to lock Cortex down if I stay close and focus on him. Not great that he's already taken down Andromeda though. She's Xaiara's roommate you must have met her, and from what she said that wouldn't be easy to do from outside her head. Or I guess the punching reality hard enough to leave a hole."
She turns to look at Shayera and her smile is plain to hear in her voice. "Aquarelle says Xaiara wants to come back. You ready to save the day?"
She barely pauses for Shayera's answer before she's back to Gui. "I think we can keep you safe from the monsters in the Nothing, can you help us get the drop on Cortex?"
A tall woman armored as a knight in crimson and chrome articulated plate sizes Gui up from behind her mask. "Aquarelle: Accent, tattoos... Illusions. Before we get to you going back, why did you come here?" Concern fills her voice. "There's a telepath manipulating things, and they washed Xaiara back Did something happen to her?"
Immediately Bronwyn scoops Shayera up, one gauntlet off so her fiancee can smell, she can feel that it's Bronwyn who has her. "Bienvenida, mi ciela. Recuerda: ya que esta vez fuiste tú quien encontró el camino de regreso, tú eliges lo que cocine para la cena.[/smaller] But as soon as you can, I think you should talk to your... I think you should talk to Xaiara."
"Shayera? It's Bronwyn. There's a delay so I'm going to talk over you, but please know I wish it made sense to just wait here and hear your voice. I love you. You are coming home. But I, I don't know... I don't know if Xaiara can help you do that.
"Xaiara!" Bronwyn's voice is firm, and maybe a little exasperated. "I told you that this would probably be true, that the simplest way to get her back would be if you went. I will not send you where you don't want to go. We've talked about choices and paths forward, and I want you to think, really think about this choice. I want you to think if maybe the way this works is a message for you, if you should be thinking about something you're supposed to do back in your world.
"You don't have to run, and you don't have to fight. I just want you to stop and think and... I want you to do what you think is right. Okay? Don't give me an answer yet. Breathe, think."
She turns aside while Xaiara thinks. "Matrix? Can I talk to her through that?"
Before Xaiara can reply, Matrix's voice comes through the penthouse apartment's speakers. "Pardon my interruption, but I have detected a signal of extradimensional origin that appears to have originated from the Abacus device that we presumed traveled with Shayera. It is requesting a response from us that, if my calculations are correct, would form a link between our two dimensions. Doing so is not without risk, however. If this signal is in fact hostile, we would be proverbially 'rolling out the welcome mat.'"
"Then I've gotta be there. Can you round up Mercy, Tectonic, Skuld..." Bronwyn beams, barely able to contain her excitement. "Xaiara, if this is a connection from your world I'd love to have your nose on things, help keep everyone honest. Your call though."
Xaiara's wings twitch, but she nods. "Yeah, I'll come with you."
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!
Directly Engage:2d6 ⇒ (6, 3) = 9Continuing to avoid blows.
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...
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.
"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?"
Shee-it. I didn't get notifications for the previous two posts - sorry! Alexis's thing needs an earlier response, but I can fold what she would have said to Shayera into the current scene.
Earlier
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.
***
In the cafeteria That suit! Daaaaang.
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."
End of Session, Bron's going to grow into herself, shifting Freak to Mundane and she's getting a bit more balance and comfort in her role.
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."
Saw it, liked it, just deep in a January pit.
I'll try to weave what I'd been thinking into what's been described - and I'll inflict the condition :-)
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.
Wingblade wrote:
"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.
Defend:2d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 1) + 2 = 7Exposing herself to danger while she gets Chimera to safety, but I'll take Influence over her in the process
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. Unleash:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 2) + 3 = 10
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?" Provoke:2d6 + 1 ⇒ (1, 4) + 1 = 6
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...
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...
Assess the Situation:2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 2) + 1 = 7What here is in the most danger
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.
Unleash:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 3) + 3 = 11I figured this is Unleash since the Drone was described as unarmed and is thus unlikely to Trade Blows with Bron, but if it should be, then she'll Avoid Blows
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.
Well, still one leg at a time for now...
***
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:
Traveling the Paths isn't intended to cause substantial problems/diversions this time, but there will definitely be predators trying to tempt them. Their tools are passion and heightened emotion, but that can be anger, sorrow, fear, love, shame - whatever. It also can and should be multi-sensory, but shouldn't be heavier on touch than a blown kiss.
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?"
The scene feels like it was plenty revelatory, so I was going to clear Angry
"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?!"
Pierce the Mask:2d6 - 2 ⇒ (5, 4) - 2 = 7"How could I get Kaoru to move back towards friendship?"
***
Much later
Taking advantage of Shayera's typically-well stocked kitchen, Bronwyn headed up to the penthouse. While she was still in the elevator she asked Abacus, "Hey keep it quiet that I'm here for now? If she's all jet-lagged or portal-lagged or whatever, then I want her to get her sleep."
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...
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 :-)
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!"
