Log:The Horde Finale, Part 4

2008/01/28 	 Amber and Azure|Amber Narosia Random Factor Variable 1

This place is a remnant of Colonial Bay's subway system, made obsolete by the Maglev. The city eventually failed to provide money to fix the station, and the space was never redeveloped it was simply covered up and forgotten.

The station sits roughly twenty meters underground. The air here is warm and heavy with moisture, with condensate dripping down from the ceiling in some parts. The area is lit dimly lit, with flickering light cast down from old emergency bulbs. The station has a inbound and an outbound platform, and set between them is a six foot drop down to the old subway tracks. In the middle of the tracks, there's a mound of rubble and debris, and this seems to be where the Horde Queen has made her nest.

Amber activates her force field

Random Factor smiles softly at Variable. "I'm Random Factor, by the way. Nice to have you with us.

Variable smiles, and says maybe a bit quickly, "I'm Variable and thanks! I just hope I can do my part!"

One step through the portal and the team is transported into the old Harrisburg station underground. They are not alone, however.

Variable thinks. o O (BIG....)

Amber steps through the TransMat portal. "Hi! Surprise!" she says unleashing her enery whip at a Warrior curling it around to strike in the rear after taking a step to the side to clear the portal for the others following.

Random Factor says, "Nice shot, kiddo!"

Amber grins as bits of warrior spray around the room. "Heroes 1, Bugs 0."

Random Factor grits his teeth a steps forward a nudge to clear the way, cursing himself EVER letting himself get THIS "rusty". He "bulks up", and moves menacingly towards the queen.

Variable swallows her fear and runs flat out straight up to the Queen, reaching out with the energy field which is part of her consciousness.

There's a crackling sound from the pile of Taker eggs. Two of them seem to be splitting open, and two wormlike Takers crawl out and onto the subway tracks.

Variable says, "The egg sac is really vulnerable, and she's immobile like this, but maybe she's got more than one form in her life cycle!"

Random Factor says, "Amber, get the takers! Variable, fry those eggs! I'll get the queen, and we'll worry about the warrior later!"

Variable says, "I can't fry stuff - I've just got claws!"

Random Factor says, "Then SCRAMBLE 'em!"

Amber runs over to where the Takers are crawling, not without a quick check that her force field is active. Her energy whip lashes out at both of the Takers at short extention.

Amber strikes one Taker and turns it into pate. The whip misses the other and strikes sparks from the old subway rails.

Random Factor says, ""You picked the WRONG place to piss, bitch! This is MY city, MY people, and I have TOO much paperwork to catch up with to waste time on the likes of YOU!!" He takes a step in towards her and punches up towards her (hopefully glass) "jaw". As it were."

Random's punch hits the Queen square on the mandible, but it seemed unaffected. It's large frame is unmoved by the force of the attack.

Random Factor says, "Ummmmmm.... ooops?"

The taker crawls across the crowd and tries to pierce Variable with its stinger. It succeeds.

Variable, ignoring the Taker, hurries to the egg sac and claws into it deeply and ferociously, at egg or queen, whatever she may hit. No kid gloves. Well, she'd ruin them with her claws. She just hopes the boss is right about leaving the warrior.

Variable rips open gashes into the Queen's soft underside. Viscous fluid rushes forth, some of it spattering onto Random and Variable. The Queen bellows in an agonized wail. It's body starts to shudder and heave as if trying to cough something up through it's mandibles...

More of the thick soupy fluid sprays from its mandibles as the Queen continues to heave and shake. Finally it manages to dislodge the obstruction from it's jaw, and it falls to the ground with a dull, wet plop. It's human in shape, and it rises to feet -- it looks like a human girl. She's be naked if not for the membrane that clings to her like a body suit.

The Queen's giant body slumps over, lifelessly.

The remaining Warrior spits at Variable.

Random Factor says, "Ummmm.... nobody briefed me on THIS!"

The Queen stands hunched before the heroes, glaring at them with eyes opened wider than would be comfortable for a normal person. She opens her mouth, baring her teeth and hisses with a voice that rings across audible tones and those just above human hearing. The hiss grows louder until she simply stops and utters a single word. "Die!"

The Queen spits a gob of something at Random's face.

Random Factor says, "Change in plans, folks! It's communicating! We take it alive!"

The Queens spit misses Random. It splashes onto the ground, sizzling and bubbling in a little puddle.

Amber watches the Queen's movements carefully, keeping an eye on the position of the warrior but ignoring the Taker.

Amber double takes. "Uh, Boss, I say we kill her now and discuss it afterwards. She's tough!"

Random Factor says, ""As a VISITOR to our fair planet, I must point out that not ONLY is spitting at someone RUDE, per city ordenence 346.b, subsection II, it's ILLEGAL! And if my right JAB doesn't convince you to see things my way, maybe THIS will!" He stabs out with a hand as if in some sort of martial arts move, his hand approacing the girl palm out. It doesn't stop to make contact though. He slides out of phase and puts his hand inside her head, then rematerializes it slightly!"

Variable, entangled and threatend by the new Queen-girl, panics and does what seems natural in the instant, standing amid all this dead matter: she makes herself big and strong, the better to break free - it helps she can absorb the bonds themselves, not just the Queen's offcast body.

Amber is momentarily distracted by Variable. "You don't see that happen every day of the week." she says in an amused tone.

Variable looks a lot more human now: in growing she lost the claws and a lot of the armour.

Random Factor says, "I KNEW she was a SHIFTER, but. YEEESH! Who's queen NOW, huh punk?"

Variable lift up the remainder of the Queen's old body and throws it at her.

The Queen is knocked down by the husk of her former body, but seems mostly unphased by the attack.

The Warrior clicks it's feet across the tracks and tries to clamp Variable in its powerful jaws.

Variable happens to step sideways and doesn't even notice the attack.

The Queen climbs to her feet. Surveying the battle field, she focuses on Amber and tries to bullrush her.

Amber sees the new improved, certainly in appearance, Queen rushing towards her, and having gained an idea of the capability of the new form she dodges the rush.

The Taker gives up on stinging Variable. Instead it slithers towards Random Factor.

The worm's stinger passes through Random's insubstantial body.

Variable decides she can't do much about the Queen if even dropping half a bus-sized carcass on her won't do it. She decides to give the Warrior a good kick, like a soccer ball.

Variable's giant foot is well wide of the mark. Soccer's not really her game.

The Warrior retaliates by trying to grab in the offending foot.

The Warrior has Variable by the foot!

Variable winces as her foot is compressed.

The Queen reaches to grab Amber by the neck with both of her tiny hands.

Amber ducks and swerves away from the grasping hands. "Like I've told Silver, I'm strictly committed to Matt. Anyway you really aren't my type. Not even close to my species."

The Queen hisses and clicks at Amber. Meanwhile, the Taker holds back.

Amber takes a half step back drawing a English pattern Longsword from a pocket far too small to contain it. She shifts her feet slightly, standing in repose with sword lifted and held to the side and rear. "Ok. Stand-off. You move towards the others and I'll cut you apart. Attack me and I'll dodge you. Or we could talk, much as I'd regret having to converse with you personally.

Variable, still wincing in pain, raises her foot from the ground and tries to stamp the Warrior into the floor as hard as she can - if possible so it hits on the weak spot.

Variable is unbalanced by the weight of the creature and it strikes the ground with only a glancing blow.

Random resolidifies and steps over to the Queen. He tries to stay on the side opposite his teammate and reaches for her with his hand, hoping to grasp something vital inside the Queen's anatomy...

The Queen hisses at Random, staggering a few steps away from him, drawing herself away from the hand.

Amber moves her sword a little making it glint in the light drawing the Queen's attention back to another threat facing her. "You can't win."

The Taker tries to sting Random.

The Queen seizes up the opportunity to try and grab Amber again.

The Queen misses again.

The warrior bites hard on Variables foot and uses it to try and slam her into the side of the subway platform.

Two more Takers hatch from the stack of eggs.

The Queen turns. With an effortless step, she bounds away from Random and Amber, landing on the platform, next to Variable. She tries to strike Variable with a forearm chop.

Variable topples over slowly, like a tree being felled, and crashes to the ground, mushing some more eggs beneath her.

Amber shakes her head and flicks the sword irritatedly, "Why do people, demons, and bugs all act so unreasonably?" she asks retorically while bouncing forward and cutting at the Queen's ribcage.

Amber misses the nimble Queen, as almost expected, but keeping her busy until help arrives is the general idea.

The Warrior tries to rush to the defense of its Queen, but it too slow.

Random steps forward and tries to disrupt the Queen's body again.

The Queen steps back from the attack safely. The three takers climb on her back.

Narosia flings herself bodily through the portal, rather hazy on how and why she is here in the first place but the sight spurs her to take a running yell towards the fray.

The Queen turns and leaps onto the ceiling. She runs along the ceiling away from the heroes.

Amber starts running after the Queen.

Random flies alongside Amber.

The Queen continues down the tunnel, running along the ceiling.

Random stays back with Variable, to make sure nothing nasty crawls into her head.

Narosia transforms, blasting a crackle of dark energy towards the Queen who is fast leaving the girl behind.

Narosia teleports in a futile try to close the widening gap between her and the scurrying Queen-no hostile action yet, until she can be sure. Another moon style repeat is unfavourable.