Log:Blood Vines, Scene 1

Blood Vines 2008/04/06 	 Crater Halcyon Lightray Skysabre Yolanda 1

It was a dark and stormy night... A rare case of bad weather even after the winter seasons. The clear skies suddenly invaded by ominous clouds and then the heavy raining obscuring sight around the city. As the heavy drops of rain splatter against the cold ground, the Artist Quarters seem to be empty of people as they have fled indoors to shelter themselves from the bombardment of the peltering storm. There are some that still walk the streets under the cover of jackets, umbrellas etc. Every now and then a hover car comes too close to the ground slashing any unlucky pedestrian with water.

Skysabre descends from the MagLev station.

Joseph comes along the street wearing a trenchcoat and homburg hat. He otherwise seems to be ignoring the weather. His eyes are on the buildings in the quarter rather than the people.

"Damnit, George," Yolanda says to herself. "This is the last time I let you drag me to one parties in the Artist's Quarter... Now, which way was the maglev..." She pauses on the sidewalk trying to get her bearings. She's got a large umbrella with a neon lamp built into it's stalk and she tries to spot a street sign or some other landmark.

Crater, unable to sleep, shuffles along the streets. He's got his hood pulled up, but considering it's not waterproof, there's not much point in it, apart from keeping his hair from directly getting hit.

Out on patrol, bearing an umbrella and glad she has made a habit of carrying one around, Halcyon is invisible to most people. Her need for secrecy from the general public is twofold. One, her parents are still unaware of her activity. Two, she lacks any real means to prevent people from recognizing her on sight. Her spying of Yolanda delights her, and she floats over, visible in a haze when she gets near enough.

Skysabre stands on the roof of Lucky Finds, its optics blacked out so that it views the entire street below in nightvision. The mechanoid shows no signs of outward discomfort at the right that plinks noisily off of its armor.

For those who observe the buildings, there is not much in the darkness. A light here and there that shows the occupancy of some buildings. The continuous rain's erosive effects will probably be seen the next morning. The few hover cars that traverse the streets seem to carry its passengers from the city towards the red light district and back. The red light district, so tempting that people will brave the terrible weather to taste its fruit. (make per rolls if looking at the street -3 for the heavy rain. -0 if using infrared)

One such vehicle heading towards the red light district, is a dark black hover limo. As it approaches to where most of the heroes are, it veers out of control for some reason! If no one stops it it will surely careen into Crater who can't see the disaster about to happen...

Reacting quickly, Halcyon becomes visible as she sends tendrils of darkness to push the car's path out of Crater's, then slow it down before it makes crashy with anything.

Yolanda watches the limo as it swerves off the road. She hesistates for a moment, but then finds the will to shout: "Look out!"

Skysabre observes the impending disaster and leaps off the building, streaking through the darkness to try and grab Crater and remove him from danger.

Joseph looks over at the impending accident and beings to move that directoin.

Crater, thus far, oblivious to situation unfolding.

Skysabre hooks Crater under his armpits and pulls the hobo from the street. "You are in imminent danger."

Crater acks, flailing as he's grabbed. o.O "Wha? Whozzat? Gah!"

Thick tendrils wrap around the car, as Halcyon manages to catch the vehicle in her vicarious grasp. She veers it away, fighting the engines for mobility and slowing it to a halt. It noisily tries to keep going against her, but Halcyon seems to have the capacity to keep it in place for the time being.

THe limo engines do not stop. It seems like someone's keeping the vehicle going. THe limo probably has more fuel to outlast Halcyon's strength!

Joseph watches the thick tendrils envelop the car and Skysabre sweep the bum away. He stops for a moment, then continues on to the car.

Skysabre deposits Crater next to a building, well out of harm's way before streaking towards the hoverlimo. Its optics turn white as it scans the interior of the vehicle with x-ray vision.

The windows seem fogged up/dark so it's hard to tell what is inside by visible light.

Thinking, Halcyon focuses very hard as she allows the car to move toward a wall. She eases the car into a corner, where its engines pushing will do no harm other than to the car itself. She then gradually lets it go on its own.

Crater blinks dumbfoundedly, wondering, as one might, what just happened. He looks back to where he was.

Joseph tries to open the door to the limo when he gets next to it.

Skysabre angles upward, observing the path of the limo. It seems to consider landing on it but then notes Halcyon's efforts to divert its path towards a dangerous end.

When Joseph open the passenger door a thick wad of hair or some substance similar to that drops from the limo and floats down the river caused by rain water on the road.

Yolanda checks traffic before heading over to where Skysabre's deposited Crater. "Are you alright...?" She recognizes Crater, and the realization is visible across her expression.

Crater blinks. "Oh. Hey. Crater okay. Crater guess Crater miss something again?"

Joseph notes the wad of hair, but reaches inside the limo trying to see if there are any controls he recognizes: like a key or ignition switch.

The controls to the car are in the front. Joseph can stretch across to reach it. He will notice a man slumped over in the front (the driver) and a man slumped over in the back of the car.

Joseph reaches over to the controls and tries to shut the hover limo down. He hits the wipers, the radio, and then finally shuts down the engine.

Halcyon now has a large black limo with Joseph, and two people inside in her grasp. The rain continues to beat down on the heroes.

Skysabre lands beside the limousine on Joseph's side. "Do you require assistance?" It asks him.

Crater heads over towards the scene, curious.

Yolanda nods to Crater. "More like something missed you." She turns her attention to the limo. "He just ran right off the road." She too heads over to the limousine.

Joseph looks over at Skysabre. "Hello Air Commander Skysabre. Can you tell by any chance if these men are alive?" He checks the pulse on the driver as he speaks.

People looking into the limo will find two people. One is the driver who is slumped over, foot on the pedal. The second is a man in about his 50's in a nice looking and expensive tuxedo slumped over in the back of the limo.

Skysabre's optics turn red as it performs an infrared scan, trying to judge the bodyheat coming off of the two men.

"The man in the back is dead, I believe." Skysabre calmly informs Joseph. "His core body temperature has plummeted below standard operating levels."

Joseph lets out a breath. "The driver has a pulse. Faint, but there." He looks around and then says in a quiet voice. "How in Hades do people drive with all these buttons? Its like a cockpit."

Yolanda recognizes the state of the driver and the passenger. "I'm a doctor," she says. She's climbs into the backseat to check on the passenger's condition. "Someone call an ambulance."

Joseph starts to say something, then looks at Skysabre. "May I assume you can do that?"

"At the moment my communications array has been deactivated pending activation by the Elders." Skysabre replies. "The potential for signal contamination has not yet been fully evaluated."

Crater blinks. He scratches his head curiously. "So... dead guy and unconscious driver almost hit Crater?"

Joseph looks at Skysabre for a moment, then smiles. "A No would have been sufficient, but thank you." He looks outside the car and then says, "Can someone call an ambulance?"

Yolanda draws away from the passenger in the back seat. "He's dead..." she says. She swallows and pauses a moment before moving to check on the driver.

"He has gone to join the One." Skysabre comments once Yolanda pronounces the backseat man dead. "His life force in the material extinguished. Let us hope that he finds some peace in the unity of all that has been."

The heavy rain is soaking the insides of the Limo.

Joseph murmurs wistfully. "Yes, let us hope he has..." He then turns his attention to Yolanda. "Doctor, how is the driver?"

"I... I know him..." Yolanda says. She seems a little in shock herself, as she pulls out her PDA and dials emergency services. She offers her PDA up to Joseph. "It's ringing..."

Joseph looks down at the PDA, then over at Skysabre. "Um, perhaps you should take this, Air Commander." He holds the PDA out to the robotic figure.

"I think the driver will make it," Yolanda adds. "He's knocked out but he should be alright. I don't think this was an accident -- there's some nasty bruising around his neck."

Crater hms. He sits and stays out of the way, since he has no clue how to help out around the limo. At least he didn't get hit, though.

"Perhaps these organics were poisoned." Skysabre muses. "There does not appear to be any damage to the vehicle or sign of violence and a mutual heart failure does not seem likely." It takes the PDA. "This is Air Commander Skysabre requesting medical services be dispatched to Pennyroyal Lane at these coordinates. One human is in need of medical attention the other believed dead."

Yolanda comments aloud. "The deceased -- I think he's a city councilor... Franklin Eagleton."

Halcyon sets the vehicle down as the heroes examine the scene.

Joseph looks back to Yolanda. "Oh, well." He shakes his head for a moment, then murmurs, "And the driver, doctor? Can you tell what is wrong with him?"

Skysabre adds, "The deceased human is believed to be City Councilor Franklin Eagleton."

Yolanda shakes her head. "I'm not sure exactly about the driver, I'm afraid. I'm a psychiatrist, actually... the passenger... Does he look pale to you? Perhaps a bit anemic?"

The authorities reply to the call the is on the PDA. Help will be coming shortly.

Yolanda looks back at the road. "The driver couldn't have made it very far down the road, driving unconscious. It must've happened just before he swerved off the street."

Skysabre closes the PDA. "Indeed. Something in the environment must have triggered their collapse or had a delayed effect."

Joseph frowns for a moment. "A large wad of what looked like hair fell out when I opened the limo door. It was swept down that way." He then looks at the body. "Yes, he does look pale. And, there is fist sized hole there behind him. It looks like it leads into the trunk."

Joseph mutters. "He looks like he bled out. But where's the blood?"

If the body is rolled over the heroes will see that there is an um large bloody opening in his back.. But the blood is all gone as if someone or something took the blood away..

"A parasite, perhaps?" Skysabre ventures.

Crater shrugs. "Pop trunk, see if something in there?"

Yolanda nods to Joseph. "I think you're right... Oh..." She winces, seeing the hole in the man. "I - I think I'm..." She steps out of the car quickly and stands in the rain, facing away from the limo.

Joseph gets out the limo and looks down the length of the gutter. He looks as if he is trying to find something.

Skysabre nods to Crater and looks for a button on the console that would open the trunk. "Press this button when I tell you to. I do not have any blood to remove."

Yolanda bends over slightly, hands on her knees, looking as if she's trying to catch her breath. o O ( Think I'm going to be sick... )

Joseph mutters to himself. "I cannot see a thing in this gloom." There is a flash of sunlight(?) and the man in the suit is gone replaced by another figure.

The flash of light draws Yolanda's attention and she looks back to see what's happening. She looks a little ill from the expression that she wears. She turns away from the limo again, taking slow, deep breaths to try to settle herself.

Crater heads to the door. He looks for the universal trunk release symbol somewhere in the car. If it's only words, he's in trouble?

Lightray heads back to the doctor. "Doctor, are you alright?"

Skysabre tries to point out the button to Crater before position itself at the trunk. "Open it."

Yolanda nods. "Just... give me a moment..."

Crater operates trunk release mechanism.

Crater finds the trunk release. When the trunk of the limo is popped open, whoever is looking into the trunk sees a horrid sight. A large bloated dark green vine is writhing in the back. The squirms to and fro. One can see dark red stains at the tips of its tentrals. With the trunk opened heavy rain falls on this cursed thing as it tries to slither out of the now open trunk...

Lightray nods as he stands next to Yolanda. "Do you think the driver could have passed out from blood loss as well?"

Skysabre snaps out its hand, trying to catch the vine.

Skysabre looks up towards the others as its fingers close around the vine. "I have one." It calls.

The vine seeks the ground as it tries to wriggle itself free. Skysabre can tell its a very strong thing.

Yolanda straightens as she responds to Lightray. "My intuition tells me no. It looks more like strangulation of some sort."

Lightray nods, then moves quickly around to the back of the limo when Skysabre calls out.

Crater blinks. He heads over, curious. He tries staying where he hopes is out of it's reach, though.

Yolanda turns back towards Skysabre and takes a look at the apparent culprit.

As the creatures with blood, Crater and Lightray make their way towards Skysabre, the vine like creature tries to lunge at the the living beings with blood.. Does it sense it? If Skysabre is not careful, the wet, slithering yet bloated vine may feast on more blood.

Skysabre tries to hold the vine with both hands, mechanical brows knitting. "Stand back. It is not secure." It tells the others.

Lightray nods and moves back as a field of sunlight forming around him. He then smiles grimly. "Anyone have any dioxin?"

Crater blinks. He takes a big step backward, just in case. >.>

Yolanda reaches for the device she wears on her belt. She clicks a button on the device and a force field appears around her. She too takes a step back.

[To Lightray] Yolanda says, "I'd be worried by anyone who would answer yes to that question."

The vile creature stays in Skysabre's grasp. The heroe's also hear the sirens of the police and ambulance coming. The driver starts to wake up. You hear groans from the front of the car.

Yolanda moves over to check on the driver again. "Don't try to move, sir. An ambulance is on the way."

[To Yolanda] Lightray nods. "I would as well. Ms Carson was quite convincing."

He holds out his hand and a sword fromed of light appears in it. "I think we need to stop this thing before the police get here, no?"

"It should be contained for further study." Skysabre tells Lightray. "I cannot hold it forever."

Yolanda says, "Does anyone have any means of containing it?"

Yolanda says, "We should call Starguard as well. They'll have a way to contain it. Who has my phone?"

THe driver nods to Yolanda and remains seated.

Lightray murmurs, "I think it can be studied in pieces as well as whole, Air Commander Skysabre. Does anyone have any objections?"

"Your PDA is inside the car." Skysabre informs Yolanda. "I also believe that the creature should be contained alive. We do not know what information we lose by studying a dead specimen."

Crater shrugs. "Crater not object, actually. But then, Crater almost hit by limo."

Yolanda says, "Yes. I agree -- it should be captured alive."

Yolanda calls Starguard and tries to get them to send some sort of alien containment vehicle.

Lightray shakes his head and lets the sword fade away. "As you wish." He looks over at Crater. "Sir, do you happen to have any knowledge of the sewer systems around here? An odd question, but I think something that may help was washed down there."

Starguard will comply with Yolanda's request they will arrive after the police/ambulance etc.

"Starguard should have extensive sewer records in response to the Horde invasion." Skysabre replies. "I wonder if this creature is of extraterrestrial origin."

A couple of hover police vehicles and paramedics arrive..

Yolanda waves to the police and paramedics, trying to get their attention before they come over. "Wait..." She'll try to explain the situation to them, before they head over to the scene.

One of the detectives comes over to talk to Yolanda as the others work to secure the area in the heavy rain. THe detective looks miserable. "What happened here?"

The vine like creature moves and writhes with more energy as it senses more beings with blood nearby...

Crater shrugs. "Crater not make habit of going into sewer. Out of rain, yes. Also prone to flooding, though."

Yolanda says, "There was some sort of strange plant hiding in the trunk of the car. It attacked the Councilman and the driver as well. It's sensitive to flesh and blood things, so your men should keep distance. Starguard is on the way with a containment vehicle."

Lightray moves over to stand by Crater. "Thank you." He then shakes his head as he murmurs, "A vampiric vine killing a city councilor? Seems more like an assassination to me."

The detective nods to Yolanda's explaination and cautions the police and paramedics as they try to secure the situation.

Crater thinks. "Get people out of limo, shut plant-thing in limo?"

The detective tells Crater, "Councilman Franklin Eagleton.. crap. It's going to all over the news tomorrow morning.." He glances over to Lightray, "You think it's murder?"

Skysabre starts to float skyward, moving a few feet in the air to get the thing away from organic life forms.

The viney creature seems to become more lethargic as Skysabre moves it away from organic life forms.

Skysabre begins to perform scans, eyeing the creature in x-ray and infrared to try and gain any insight on how it works.

Lightray watches the vine grow lethargic as it is lifted away from people. "Based on how it reacts to blood, yes. I think it was put in his trunk to awai soeone getting in, burrowed through the seat cushion, and killed him." He looks over at the limo. "But why was the driver only strangled unconscious."

Yolanda says to the detective. "We also think that something... hairy... escaped from the limousine. It's probably washed into sewers by now."

Crater blinks. He checks to see if any of the occupants are bald, just in case. >.>

Yolanda nods to Lightray. "I'd agree with that hunch. Maybe once the scene is clear, I can try a psychic reading."

The detective nods to Yolanda and Lightray. "Alright.. what a miserable night for a murder.. " He jots some things down in his PDA as he glances up towards the creature in Skysabres hold. He tells the group that he is Detective Sloan. "It might be useful.. if you guys can help us out.. THe media is going to have a field day with this one.."

Crater nods. "Not hairpiece. ... At least, nobody in there's, at least."

"It is a plant." Skysabre calls down. "And it is engorged with blood...It is strang, I did not know that plants had need for this kind of sustenance."

says, "It's rare, that's for sure."

Lightray nods to Detective Sloan. "The media? I imagine so, detective. Newshounds love this sort of story." He then moves back so he can talk up to Skysabre. "Most Earth plants do not. Some like the Venus flytrap and pitcher plant do though. That is something more like a mad scientist's creaton from the Saturday matinee."

The detective nods in agreement. He asks Yolanda, "Did you get a chance to talk to the Driver?" He watches as the driver is put in the ambulance..

"Certainly it could not survive in space...It has no means to adjust to vaccuum that I can see." Skysabre replies.

Yolanda shakes her head. "No, I didn't. He was unconscious almost until the point when you showed up detective. Actually..."

The detective nods and sighs. "Anything else that may be helpful?"

Yolanda reaches into her handbag. "Let me give you my card. With a high profile victim like this one, I'm sure that there will be pressure to find results quickly. I might be able to help." She offers her business card to the detective.

Sloan nods and tells Yolanda, "Yes, I think it would be good if we all work together on this. I'll share any info we get as long as the chief is ok with it."

The detective nods in agreement with Lightray. The starguard vehicle approaches scene.

"It is fortunate that I was here." Skysabre comments. "This creature is capable of great misery, I believe."

Detective Sloan looks up with a smirk. "Yeah, now it would be really fortunate if you can figure out why this happened to Franklin Eagleton and who the heck is behind all this.."

Sloan takes Yolanda's card and puts it in his pocket.

Skysabre glances down at Detective Sloan. "I am not here to replace your functions, human. Only to augment them in specific circumstances towards unique ends. That is the doctrine of non-interference, already stretched painfully thin by my presence."

Lightray looks up at Skysabre and smiles "Well, can you aid me in satisfying my personal curiosity as to what has happened here, Air Commander Skysabre? Your skills and insights would be of great help to me."

Crater idly looks over the limo. ... Totally not to see if there's anything he might be able to hawk at a pawn shop or on a street corner. >.> <.< Really!

"I will descend when the Starguard operatives are ready to receive the creature." Skysabre replies to Lightray.

Finally returning from her adventure with trying to catch the hair, Halcyon seems to have a mass of it in her shadowy grasp.

Lightray looks over to the darkling figure of Halcyon. "And thank you for stopping the car. Your quick reaction proably saved the driver's life."

The detective glances over at the silent one and blinks as the water drips from his hat down to his PDA. "Whatcha got there?"

Yolanda nods to the returning Halycon. She waves in greeting. If she catches the girls vision, she says, "Welcome back."

The starguard people come out with some glass like cage for Skysabre to set the vine creature in.

Skysabre drifts away from the limo so that when it descends the thing doesn't go into a lood frenzy. The SG operatives follow, and soon the thing is in a cage. The Air Commander walks back over to the others.

Crater sees fine crystal wine glasses, fine champaigne and other expensive goodies of that sort. THere are expensive magazines and silk cloths that are smooth to the touch but drenched with rain water.

Halcyon uses her PDA to tell the detective, aiming to give him the information she has about it without letting the mass get too close to anyone.

Crater hmmms. He peers around, then sets about trying to pilfer a few of the items. <.< >.>

The detective frowns. "A hair thing that moves on its own and a blood sucking vine. Great."

The police see Crater and caution him. "Sir, Please do not disturb the evidence.."

Lightray looks over at the detective. "Detective? Can you tell me what you mean?

Sloan tells Lightray, "This is not an everyday murder mystery. This might take months to figure out.. Argh. The chief is not going to like this."

Crater erks. "Awww..." He puts stuff back, then sits on a curb and pouts a bit.

says, "Maybe it's fortunate for you then, Detective. Maybe it's a job for Meta Crimes."

The detective nods. "Probably, but they have to deal with beauracracy too.."

"It certainly is a tidy assasinaton, however." Skysabre replies. "However it does not at the moment seem prudent to attempt to figure out the killer through their murder weapons. Rather we should investigate the Councilman and trace his influence. Why would someone want to kill him?"

Sloan shrugs, "I don't know.. Don't know the guy that well.. Where the heck was he going at this godawful hour and in this storm anyways?"

SG asks if the heroes have other things for them to contain.

Skysabre points towards the red light district. "Perhaps he was going to meet someone."

Lightray smiles slightly. "A vampiric plant and mobile mass of strangling hair. SOunds like a mad scientist to me." His tone is grimly humorous. He then goes to look inside the limo. He then shakes his head and murmurs, "By the contents of the back of the car, I would guess the councillor was going to meet someone. One doesn't usually bring fine champagne and gifts to a political fundraiser, does one?"

Sloan shrugs again. "Do I look like a politician to you?"

Yolanda says, "Hmm..."

SG go over to Halcyon. "Do you want us to contain the hair ball?"

Lightray smiles slightly and looks over at the doctor. "Yes, doctor?"

Yolanda goes to sit inside the limousine in the front seat. She closes her eyes.

Crater shrugs. "Does if one is boozer. >.> Or maybe just keep minibar in limo?"

Halcyon seems quite happy to have the opportunity to be rid of the hairball, nodding and waits for some kind of hair container to be available.

A small glass like container is offered to contain the hairball.

Eagerly the dark girl stuffs the hairball in, dispersing her shadow tendrils. She has a look inside the limo, at both people there.

Skysabre watches Yolanda intently.

SG tells the heroes that they will have the creatures under observation and study at their facilities and the heroes can come by anytime to check up on the creatures.

Lightray strains the water from his hair as he waits outside the limo. Other then being wet, he does not seem to affected by the chill in the air.

Detective Sloan waits patiently as he rubs his hands and breathes into them. The other officers work diligently at the crime scene while avoiding disturbing Yolanda. The driver is at the hospital and will be available for questioning later.

Lightray looks over at Halcyon. "Did you see the hairball scuttling away and capture it?"

Halcyon nods, putting her umbrella back up over her head. She looks a bit dismayed for some reason, though the display is brief.

Yolanda slides her hands up onto the steering wheel. Her brow tightens as does her grip on the wheel. Her breathing quickens.

Lightray smiles at the darkling figure. "Thank you. As I said eralier, your quick reactions have been spot on in all this."

Sloan looks inquistive and asks no on in particular, "Any thing

Yolanda shudders and opens her eyes. She folds her arms around herself, as if cold. "The... the hair thing... it got the driver. And the plant, it killed the Councilor."

Sloan asks, "They did this on their own?"

The detective takes off his hat to squeeze water out of it before putting it on again.

Tap. Tick. Tap tap. That's the sound of the rain on Skysabre's armor. No discomfort here.

Crater makes no motion to wring out his soaked clothing. It'd just get wet again anyways, in this downpour.

Yolanda nods. "As far as I can tell... This scene, the events are so recent it's particularly... intense. I can't see much beyond images of hair and vines..." She sighs. "I can probably learn more from the hair or the plant, but I think I'd like to wait until tomorrow before that."

The detective nods and tells the heroes. "We are going to have to tow this vehicle back to the station for better combing of clues and analysis."

Yolanda frowns slightly. o O ( I could use a drink. ) She climbs out of the limo.

Lightray nods to the detective. "Yes, Detective Sloan." He looks up at the sky. "Perhaps tomorrow will be a better day."

Sloan nods and tips his soaked hat towards the heroes. "Keep in touch ok?" He signals his officers and they get to work hauling the limo away and doing other police work.

"I will report to my superiors soon." Skysabre replies. "Given that this crisis is not explicitly extraterrestrial in nature I will need further clearance to engage it."

Crater nods. "'kay."

Lightray looks around at the other heroes and then smiles slightly. "I am afraid I do not have a phone. Shall we decide whre and when to meet up again tomorrow?"

Crater thinks. "So... Anything Crater should do?" he asks to the others around.

Yolanda says, "I'd say at Starguard HQ."

Yolanda adds. "Tomorrow afternon to evening, perhaps."

Skysabre nods. "I will be present at Starguard for most of the day."

Lightray looks over at Crater. "Do you think you might be able to discover if the councillor was going to see anyone down here, sir? If anyone remembers him from the neighborhood?"

Crater shrugs. "Maybe. Fraggle-rock Eagletoes. What doing around here?"

Yolanda waves. "I'm going to head home. I will see you all tomorrow..."

Lightray nods. "Franklin Eagleton and what he was doing around here, right." He looks over at Yolanda. "Good night, doctor. I hope you feel better after a rest."

Yolanda nods. "Thank you."

Crater nods. "Freewill weighs a ton, doing eagles around here."

Skysabre nods to Yolanda. "Rest well."