Log:Pong Fulcritchit's Bad Day, Scene 2

Pong Fulcritchit's Bad Day 2020/06/19 	 Abigail Artemis Big Top Ellbeth Imaginary Girl Quiet Riptide Starshine Pong Fulcrichit a shapeshifting alien 2

Temperatures are high - not only in that it's a warm and muggy day, but in terms of public attitude. The interview with Mr Fulcrichit has gone viral, upsetting people on both the pro-join and anti-join sides. There have been a couple of cases of assaults on aliens already today.

There are certain places known to be popular with the aliens - the Seven Stars restaurant for example - where crowds of protesters and/or troublemakers have gathered. Reporters can be seen with each of these crowds, and police are keeping an eye on things. Most of the protesters are along Stardancer, though there are a few less visible hotspots. Most notable, that based around reporters in a steet leading off Stardancer near York Blvd, along which there are a number of professional businesses. Among these is a respectable bank, important to many who do business with the Guild - the sort of bank that announces itself with nothing more than a brass plate. It reads "Joshfibble and Spawn - Bankers". Reporters and protestors are there in increasing numbers, hoping to catch employees coming out....

The gathering crowd, both reporters and protestors, burst into shouting as Mr Fulcrichit leaves work for the day.

The heroes were beginning to calm the angry mob in front of the bank when an alien, all shiny black and sharp edges, burst out of its human skin. It attacked one of the crowd, but intercepted by Abigail, who then pretty much challenged the alien to a duel, though terms didn't get as far as being agreed. An explosion near Fucrichit was mostly suppressed by Ellbeth's sphere. An area of darkness has been put above everyone's heads y Riptide. Four alien bank guards teleported in front of the door. Someone in the crowd shouted, calling alarmed attention to the presence of four more aliens. Someone threw a brick at the nearest guard - Sentinel failed to stop it. The guard fired back, seemingly disintergrating brick and thrower. At this point, all hell breaks loose. 

Across town, Imaginary Girl's just finished helping get someone safely out of a car that's part of a wreck, laying the injured person on an EMS gurney. After checking to make sure she's no longer needed on that scene, she lifts up into the air... turning to head to where she's heard, thanks to her super-senses, more trouble already in the offing. It takes but a second or two, at the flight speed Imaginary Girl is able to achieve (once she's high enough for such speed to not create problems for the surrounding area of the city), for her to arrive in the Alien District, hovering above a mass of... darkness... for a moment, before she flies down and around to the side of the cloud, until she can see what's going on beneath it.

The sharp and shiny black alien, identified by Victory as a Bachal, sneers at Abigail, or something very like it. "That is hardly a stake for a duel. Had you wagered Earth's entrance into the Guild - that would be another matter. But I see you are just worthless prey..." She takes a swing at Abigail with a scythelike claw.

Sighing almost casually, Abigail shakes her head, "Wow. And here I thought you had more courage than you are showing. Thank you for demonstrating just how much of a coward you really are. No sense of honor either. I will be sure to tell your superiors all about that." she states as she leans back from the strike and bats the clawed arm away with far more strength than her frame might indicate she has.

Big Top arrives and quickly takes in the scene. With a massive jump he interposes himself between the aliens and the protestors throwing rocks.

Big Top manages to press through into the midst of things - of course, the crowd are pressing from all directions...

Quiet watches as a brick-throwing gets... disintegrated. This is what usually happens when people without guns stand against people with them. The fault is all on the shooter, though; either he didn't follow proper ROE, or they don't have much of one. Looks like she'll have to help explain the concept. She steps from the alley/cover across the street that she'd used to change into something more comfortable for battle and takes aim at the alien bank guard shooter-disintegrator. She then looses a stun round in his direction.

The rather porcine alien squeals, and turns its small eyes toward his shooter.

Seeing one of them seemingly vapourised sends the crowd into a frenzy. Some start attacking the aliens with whatever weapons they have. Others begin a frantic retreat....

A number of missiles get thrown at the bank guards, though their atmour seems to be holding up.

Big Top looks to the crowd seeing that it's going to get uglier backs a bit towards the guards and bats a rock intended for them out of the air. He looks over his shoulder to the guards and states "You may want to head back inside to avoid unnecessary casualties, we'll try to hold them here."

The crowd manages to push its way up the step on the side away from Big Top, to be met by the biggest of the alien guards - a good 9' tall - who holds them off.

One person in the crowd draws a gun!

One of the guards - the other piglike one - nods to Big Top.

Imaginary Girl zooms in, arching upwards in her flight until she's nearly in the 'cloud' overhead, then back down to come to a hovering stop with the gun about a foot away from her chest when it goes off. The bullet flattens on her, and falls to the street. "You might want to think twice before you try and use that gun again, mister", she says, as her hands fall to her hips.

Some people get trampled by those fleeing the scene, one taking minor injuries.

Victory moves to get over toward hte bank guards, "Back inside the building. Get to cover. That will help calm things down. Please...do not open fire. Just retreat."

"Back inside!" burbles the fourth guard, a greenish blob holding itself in humanoid form to be able to wear the body armour.

A grenade is suddenly seen rolling through the crowd, billowing smoke - or something worse?

Riptide, seeing the grenade, dives that way to grab it. Smothering it with both hands as best as he can. Once the pepper and fumes hits his eyes, however, he has to close them quickly as they start to water. And all the classic effects of a pepper grenade as he tries hard to not have to deal with it. He calls out, "Pepper grenade! Need some assistance!"

Artemis is now scanning he crowd for more instigators as the guards begin to retreat.

The Bachal decides throws itself into nearby humans, trying to slice up three at once!

Victory eyes the Bachal as he gets a response back from SGG about what the species is, and where they're from. "Hmm."

Starshine vanishes, only to reappear near the person that was trampled - on the upstream side. For once, her feet actually touch the ground as she braces herself against the pushing of the crowd. "Can we get a medic over here?"

Imaginary Girl looks into the crowd, locking eyes (if he looks at her, too) with someone who's in the crowd... then one of the aliens is going after civilians. She's a blur of motion as she gets herself in the way of THAT, as well. The Bachal's bit, scythe-like claw hits her and, though she's driven to the ground, the heroine seems to have taken no harm whatsoever. Looking up at the alien, she says, "You might wanna back off, too, mister!"

The bank guards teleport away again - the Glbl not until after it reached out a pseudopod and grabbed Mr Fulcrichit.

Starshine causes the flow of people fleeing the scene to split and flow around her - and the injured person on the ground.

Ellbeth uses illusions to grow to 20m tall, with a voice to match, "Go home. The heroes of YOUR city will deal with this. Trust them. Go home now."

The crowds evidently take Ellbeth's advice to heart - at least most of them. It helps that they've just lost five of the targets of their anger.

With the crowd clearing, Artemis moves towards the Bachal. "Me thinks you do underestimate the hoomans greatly. This was not perhaps their best showing, but they will surprise you and rise to the occasion. If you still think them your lesser, what does that make you for attacking them honorlessly?" she condemns the Bachal as she reaches out to restrain him.

Artemis grabs the Bachal by one wrist, then twists him around into a bear hug, pinning his arms to his sides.

Victory furrows his brow, and calls out to Artemis, "That's not what we think it is! Bachals aren't that strong!"

The Bachal suddenly exerts much more strength than it's shown before - easily getting free. It stabs at Artemis with its huge claw!

Artemis's arms are wrenched out of the hold. She looks to Victory. "An imposter, then?" she asks. She brings her shield up as she sees that huge claw coming in. It hits hard enough to slide off and past her shield and rakes across and through her armor, digging deep. She grunts in pain as blood seeps out and runs down her front. "Heh...now we have a true battle on our hands!" she claims eagerly with a broad smile of battlelust.

The faux Bachal grins. "A battle? Hardly. You have no idea what you're facing."

Victory moves over to engage the Bachal as well, trying to wave off any remaining crowd members nearby, "Go...Go!" He spins and tries to drive his boot into the Bachal's midsection.

Little of the blow seems to get through the chitinous shell.

Victory strikes pretty solidly, "You're not a Bachal, at least...based on what I know about them. So the question is...why are you hiding as one?"

"I wanna know why he didn't back off with the other aliens, myself. It's like he WANTS to make things worse than they already are", Imaginary Girl says, as she starts to sit up now that the Bachal's been pulled off of her by the other's attacks.

Quiet doesn't like the called out warning. That doesn't sound good. As well, she knows Artemis is no lightweight, so it bursting loose to attack just adds to the concern. Neither does Victory's strike make for an assuring result. So it's tough. Fortunately, there is a solution for that. It lies between 'shoot it' and 'hold down the trigger until it stops wriggling.' Her weapon alters according to Hicks' law: short, controlled bursts are recommended against xenopmorphs.

Quiet's trio of shots connect with it, center of mass. Unfortunately, that mass remains both intact and unmoved. Noted. Next time shall be quality over quantity.

Big Top seeing that this thing can take it reaches inside for reserves of strength and charges the beast, a large mallet appearing in his hands along the way, flips to the far side of it and strikes out attempting to knock it back towards the bank and away from the feeling crowd.

As Big Top soars overhead the Bachal sees the strike and ducks right at the last second. Big Top silently turns to face the creature hammer in hand.

Another grenade rolls along the ground, beginning to billow something again....

Victory's eyesight is blocked a little by the smoke, but doesn't seem affected by the pepper canister.

Starshine's vision is likewise obscured, but the pepper doesn't affect her.

The crowd cries out like they've been set on fire, which is pretty much what it feels like.

Artemis winces and closes her eyes against the sting of the hot pepper. "What I wouldn't sacrifice for Matariel's cooling rains," she curses. "You must not be as superior as you claim if you rely on such tricks," she calls to the Bachal imposter. She tracks him by sound and charges forth, spinning backwards and aiming to slam the pommel of her blade into is throat.

Artemis's blade whooshes short of her target.

The crowd are no longer a problem, as such. The more distant ones keep running - those within the cloud do different things, some escaping, some rolling on the ground to put out imagined fires, many just standing or curling up while howling in pain.

Having been dealing with the crowd, Abigail glances over just as the pepper grenade goes off. She coughs and shakes her head before she launches into the air. The odd thing is that she looks more like some Chinese Wire-Fu flight than just a carrier wave. She steps up and off of some random shoulder of the combatants... we'll say Artemis because she can. Why not right? "Pardon me." she says calmly as she lifts into the air, spins about and aims her hands straight down from above the alien. "I did mention that this thing was not what it appeared to be." she mutters as golden plasma builds up about both of her hands, leaking energy off (as well as Kirby-dots because that's cool).

Starshine flies over to the Bachal. "We know exactly what we're facing. A phony. A coward who doesn't dare show his own face." She gives his a juicy raspberry.

Riptide holds on to the grenade, then decides that getting rid of it is probably a very good idea. So, he grabs the thing one handed, then lobs it straight upwards and across towards the bank's roof. Or what he thinks is that direction, anyways. It might be getting rid of evidence, but the thing's going to be out of there quite quickly.

The smoking grenade goes flying up, up, up, and arches as smoke, pepper, and whatever else is blown away in the wind before the grenade's remains land on the rooftop.

Ellbeth has been hearing the questioning of just what/who the presumed alien is. Time to find out. She attempts to probe its mind.

Ellbeth has a look of satisfaction as she relates, "Anti-Guild terrorist. So alien but not Guild."

Imaginary Girl asks, "... that mean we're free to kick his a-... butt? ... Do giant bugs -have- butts?"

Ellbeth says, "Her butt. But for me, yes."

Clearly it felt the blow. But it remains unstunned.

Quiet sees that the not-human, not-what-it-appeared-as-after ...thing has drawn full attention. She also spies someone who hasn't drawn any.. until now. Namely, the man recently holding an exploding microphone, who also seems to be tossing grenades. Her weapon alters as it traverses towards him. Impostor? Instigator? Who knows? In any case, someone will want to talk to him, and she doesn't want him chuckling explosives or peppers anymore. The now-large bore ejects a ball of wire mesh that unfurls on its way to him.

The expanded mesh impacts and ensnares the alleged reporter, weighted and tendrilled circumference causing it to collapse and tangled around him.

The faux Bachal breaks the telepathic link, and says, "You are right about one thing - there is no point in continuing this current charade. Goodbye." Even as it says so, it disappears into the ground, almost as if unraveling at blinding speed into a sort of burrowing snake. In a moment, it is gone....

Starshine looks around. "Looks like someone caught a conspirator."

When the thing withdraws, Abigail drops to the ground with light feet and bounces a bit just in case this is a reposition for a surprise maneuver. "I did say that he was a coward." But then she grimaces and looks to Artemis. "MEDIC!" She calls out. Not for herself, but for the other person who has taken serious damage.

Imaginary Girl floats up off the ground, swooping over to the most recently tossed pepper grenade. Scooping it up in both hands, she flies up into the air with it... and simply holds it way up high while it disperses its payload up there, where it won't affect anyone else but her -- and she's unaffected by it, of course.

Ellbeth turns her attention, and mental probing, to the 'fake' reporter.

Artemis sheathes her sword stiffly. "Fleeing already after trying to attack powerless hoomans? Such cowardice," she complains as the fight is ended before she even got a few good licks in. She doesn't realize the medic is being called for her sake.

Big Top moves over to help the citizens.

Riptide, meanwhile, is moving around carefully. Not quite seeing as his eyes are still closed, but does move carefully with his still mostly blinded. "... so what was that thing, and who... oh." He looks over at the guy with the exploded microphone. And moves over towards him. He looks around carefully, "Hey, why's this guy netted?" He asks the other heroic types.

Looking around to others, Abigail moves to offer aid to those who are needed. She is sadly not trained if first aid, but she can at least assist those who are.

The "reporter" gives the story that he's pro-Join and was here to target the anti-Join rioters.

Imaginary Girl comes down with the now-spent gas grenade in her hand. She sets it down next to the bound-up 'reporter'. "Nobody else touch this... cops'll want it for evidence. It might have his prints on it", she says. "He's the guy who threw the grenades", she says to Riptide, as she floats back up off the ground. "I'll go find the nearest ambulance and fly it over here...", she then says for everyone else, even as she lifting up into the air to go do what she just said.

Big Top says, "Then the pro join story doesn't pass the smell test, wanna try again?"

Starshine says, "Is that why you started with Mr. Fulcrichit?"

"What are you talking about?"

Starshine says, "The explosion targeting him and the other reporters. You were right there, weren't you?"

"That was nothing to do with me! I was just doing the pepper mist!"

Artemis leans back against a light pole as she listens, a bit uncomfortable from her wounds and the pepper spray.

Ellbeth remains quiet. While digging deeper and deeper in the 'reporter's' mind and memories.