Log:Wrath and Despair, Scene 1

Wrath and Despair 2017/07/21 	 Wrath Physique Mechanic Amelia Eclair Timothy Volz Tommy Cangelosi

1

Tommy Cangelosi(#2701TOnp)

Your perhaps slightly stereotypical mobster. He clearly is of Italian ancestry, with dark slicked back hair. His suit is charcoal with black pinstripes, which contrasts sharply with his red necktie.

Here stand the grand buildings of the city constructed during the rapid 19th-Century expansion, on low land reclaimed from long-lost Harrisburg Creek. Main Street is broader here that to the south, though still paved with cobbles, and surrounded on all sides by grandiose edifices (though at any time at least one seems to be under renovation): the heart of this district. Around this are narrower residential streets with a flavor much like that of Old Town, all with faux-gaslamp street lighting.

The day is not a typical 'quiet day' in the city. Instead, it's the last day of a Grand Jury hearing in regards to Tommy Cangelosi, reputed mobster. The jury decided there's not enough evidence for a full trial, and he's walking out of the courthouse with his lawyer in tow. Camera flashbulbs go off as several reporters take photos and start to ask questions.

There are a few civilians nearby as well, mostly just rubbernecking since there's a crowd of media folks.

Physique is posing as a journalistic photographer and taking photos too! Partly because she's interesting in the Cangelosi business, but mostly because she figures it's a useful sort of role to be able to pretend to be, and she's getting in some practice.

Amelia is on hand. Mostly because her sister is on duty at the scene and given the high profile of the event, and the likely disquiet among many at the decision, whatever way it goes, she feels the need to be around just in case.

Here stand the grand buildings of the city constructed during the rapid 19th-Century expansion, on low land reclaimed from long-lost Harrisburg Creek. Main Street is broader here that to the south, though still paved with cobbles, and surrounded on all sides by grandiose edifices (though at any time at least one seems to be under renovation): the heart of this district. Around this are narrower residential streets with a flavor much like that of Old Town, all with faux-gaslamp street lighting.

The Mechanic sits among the crowd after its advanced systems calculated that there may be some historical signifigance to this event. He notes that this event is not in its database at all- and thus should be investigated and observed.

A new 'Heroic' subroutine has been activated, and so the simulation may have more than a little vested interest in what seems to be a news-worthy event.

He watches from the crowd of spectators after having just teleported from within the courthouse- observing and recording the final moments of the trial.

Physique is rather pleased with the results of her experiment so far. An advantage of the disguise is that everyone is focusing on the mobster and not on each other, which makes fitting in that much easier.

On the other hand Amelia stands out even in a crowd. Her punk style and techno-rock outfit is attracting attention of it's own.

One of the bystanders is a man in a suit. He looks a little haggard, and may have been drinking prior to this. He shouts, "You're not going to get away with this!" He tries to rush forward through the small crowd to get at Cangelosi, only to be intercepted by a policeman.

Eclair is keeping watch from a rooftop, because, why not?

The drunken bystander prompts the Mechanic simulation's new Heroic Subroutine to activate. This is an experience it finds curious, directly interfering in the timeline so brazenly- with no information to act on at all as to what the repercussions might be.

Nevertheless- the PostTransHuman Simulation shrinks to navigate the crowd to a black sphere just over an inch or two tall.

A hologram of its former self stands above the sphere as it navigates between legs and whatnot to be nearer the most likely site of action.

OR RAR using Spellcraft Skill -1 per 20pts, Variable Limitation II

Everyone hears a hollow voice that seems to drown out the others in the area, though it comes from nowhere in particular, "Timothy Volz...I grant you what you desire. Vengeance on those that have wronged you. Become the sword to cut out the disease of your society!"

Amelia blanches. "Oh... pifflepuff!" she said, mindful she's within earshot of her sister. Followed by calling out, "Meta alert. Vengeful spirit inbound. Get Mr Cangelosi back in the courthouse away from innocent bystanders."

The drunken businessman seems to...catch fire. Though the flames are blue, like those from alcohol burning. He screams and his skin contracts, pulling taut across his bones.

Wrath(#2855TOn)

Where this mundane person has stood moments prior, now stands someone who is most decidedly not 'mundane'. His body is alight with blue flames coursing over his body. His features have morphed to become more sunken, like his skin is now stretched over his bones.

Physique deliberately gets herself lost in the confused commotion that follows these events - because she's shapeshifting to Physique form and would prefer not to be noticed till the change is complete.

Amelia thinks, .oO(I am GOING to HAVE to make time to research that barrier spell. I REALLY MUST.)

Eclair stares. "Eh? Eh!? EHHHH!?" Not particularly coherent, but at least she has a charming French accent.

Eclair grumbles. "Meh. Too many people nearby, I will have to get up close and personal. Which is probably not the best thing to do with a burning wrath-spirit." Grumbles aside, she flies down to Wrath and tries to touch him with her electrified hand.

Wrath screams as Eclair hits him with electricity...but it's hard to say if the scream is due to that or the transformation itself, which looks like it hurts. A lot. The flames sear Eclair's hand as she touches him. Though they feel odd. It's hot and cold at the same time, causing Eclair to shiver.

Eclair says, "Ow! Be careful touching the burning man! Which in retrospect should be obvious."

Amelia steps up onto the bonnet and then roof of the parked CBPD patrol car near her to get a clear view across the heads of the crowd. Casting a witch spell she gathers in mana and converts it to pur physical force, a blue glowing cloud shaped vaguely like a giant hand, and attempts to grab Wrath with the mystical force.

The vaguely hand shaped cloud of bluish mystical force envelops the transformed man.

Amelia calls out as she feels a measure of Wrath's strength, "I won't be able to hold him for long."

The Mechanic flies the Torus on an intercept course to prevent this burning man from making ground.

Tactical systems analyze that its best course of action is to spring a trap as he nears. Its movements stop- before vanishing and reappearing about the circumference of a manhole cover far closer than he was before, appearantly unconcerned with the man's flaming-ethonol aura.

Torus slides up and out of the sphere with his arms closed. The sphere continues on its course as the Mechanic prepares to speak.

"The People have made their decision sir. This is the system of governance you and your people have all agreed upon. Please halt your aggressive movements immediately or forceful action will be taken." His tone is full of warning.

Despite his warning, as he gets within about 2m from the Burning Man O'Vengence the Mechanic prepares its trap. There is no other choice but to attempt to contain the BurningMan if touching him can cause innocent bystanders harm.

The Torus is still analyzing as Amelia leaps into the fray and does exactly as it was planning.

"Correction. Force is in use." The Simulation says.

The crowd starts to disperse, trying to get away from both the heroes and the burning guy. Cangelosi, for his part, scrambles back up the steps of the court house. The cop in front of Wrath backs up a few steps and draws his service weapon.

Wrath tries to break out of Amelia's grip and he/it turns to look at her. Wrath's voice is hollow and almost sounds like it's not coming from that body. "He will have vengeance! His brood were casualties to that mobster's greed, and Cangelosi will suffer for it! Who are YOU to declare otherwise?!"

Physique, transformed into her heroic ID, leaps over the heads of the crowd to land by the transformed man, making sure she is between him and Cangelosi. She tries to get a sense of what is up with his body before she strikes.

Amelia answers the chaos spirit speaking through Wrath, "I do not oppose your intent. In the middle of a crowd is not the time or place however." she says, sparing a quick glance to see how her sister reacts to her words.

The Mechanic sees that things are in fact quite well 'in hand'. This pleases the PostTransHuman greatly though it is annoyed by the fact that it jumped into this so quickly in fact. Of course no matter how intelligent it may be there was no way for it to know other, such capable metahumans would be on hand.

Mechanic flips the sphere over- now standing on the sphere upside down. He slides back 'down' into the perfectly black sphere as he sets the Torus to observation mode, setting new mission parameters to preserve innocent bystanders- not necessarily containing BurningMan.

Physique winces at what she senses. But she still tries her original plan - her usual first effort at rendering opponents helpless. She reaches out to touch the flaming man, hoping it won't hurt too much....

The soul fire surrounding Wrath burns Physique, just like Eclair had been, though the flames are a little stronger now.

Wrath doesn't seem affected by Physique's attempt to blind him, though he does seem to be getting angrier.

Physique winces. "I don't know what I can do. This guy is already physically dead... or nearly....."

Eclair shrugs. "We do what we always do as heroes, n'est pas? Beat him up until he gives up." She floats back a couple meters and fires a bolt of electricity at the grappled Wrath.

Wrath shrieks as he's hit...the sound of his/its voice seems to be a combination of both voices overlaid on top of each other. First the man...and then whatever has inhabited his body.

Amelia asks Physique, "You seem to have an idea what's happened to him. If he is nearly dead... so if I heal him will that change him back?"

Physique shakes her head. "I can't figure out how hw's even moving.... got to be magic. Your field, not mine."

The Torus floats nearby impassively.

Amelia nods, "I can try to dispel the spirit's effect. But I'll have to release him to try. I'll warn you, I won't be able to hold on more than a few more seconds anyway."

The Torus' makes a crackling sound and then the Mechanic speaks. "I can attempt to encase him. Hold him a minute longer."

Amelia thinks for a moment and then speaks, "It might work. Can anyone restrain him while I try?"

The Torus' makes a crackling sound and then the Mechanic Speaks. "I can attempt to encase him. Hold him a moment longer."

Amelia waits to see if there's a reply to her question.

Amelia and then says, "Okay. That sounds like a plan."

Amelia grunts with the foort of handling so much mana, "He's getting stronger."

The Mechanic begins seeing a number of issues with its operating parameters, but is called to assist so it shelves these issues to review later.

Wrath burns hotter and stronger...and it's only a matter of time before he breaks free of Amelia's grip. The dome over him nearly encases him, but not quite...leaving a hole in place for Amelia's magic to get in. Or something to get out.

Eclair waits to see what happens next, bereft as she is of a target.

Amelia drops the mystical hand spell and uses her witch sight to see the threads of magic and spiritual energy affecting the man. Reaching out with her own magic she starts to unravel the threads step by step, thread by thread.

Finding getting sight on the possessed man difficult due to the barrier around him, Amelia transforms to her Chosen One form, Raven, and flies up on slowly beating wings to get a better angle.

Wrath reaches out and grabs the surrounding barrier, trying to burn his way through it with his bare hands.

Wrath's hands tear through the barrier like tissue paper and he looks up the steps at the still-fleeing Cangelosi.

Physique frowns. "I don't think I can do anything to this guy, short of trying to cut him to ribbons. Which is a bad idea if we're trying to save him." And with that she leaps back toward Cangelosi, to act as bodyguard.

Mechanic shifts tactics fluidly, teleporting to Cangelosi. This time instead of the perfectly black sphere appearing it is the Mechanic sans sphere. "Mister Cangelosi- come with me if you want to live!" he says with his hand stretched out. if its taken he will teleport them to the roof of the Court House.

Tommy shakes his head, not taking Mechanic's hand, "Oh hell no...stay away from me!" He slips inside the court house, continuing to run.

Eclair turns and flies after Cangelosi at full speed.

Physique runs after Cangelosi - and, once in the building, starts shapeshifting into him!

Wrath starts to stalk forward...finally starting to break into a run as he gets near the door.

Eclair plants her feet and squares up on Wrath. "I certainly hope you're protecting your host very well." Her arms shake as a massive charge builds up and erupts towards Wrath.

Wrath has the look of an implacable force as he's struck by the lightning, dead center in his chest. At least initially. He screams again, the sound echoing in the halls of justice.

Amelia flies after Wrath and continues unraveling the mystic threads binding chaos spirit and mortal.

The Mechanic is not easily, proven by the the being teleporting in front of Wrath once more and teleporting in a perfectly fitting gateway leading right back outside the way Wrath came.

Mechanic crosses his arms in front of Wrath patiently.