Log:Luring the Tall Man

The Tall Man 2014/08/23 Annie Enforcer Matt Martin Raven Timewarp

4

St. Augustine's Cellar Situated beneath the church, the cellar is accessible by some stairs located in the rear of the church behind the altar. This place lacks the splendor and colors of the basilica. The walls and ceiling are made of drab gray stones, matching the floors of the church proper. The room is lit by three rows of ceiling fluorescent lights.

The far rear of the room is full of storage items extra chairs and pews, folding tables, and cleaning supplies. The uncluttered area is 8 meters wide by 12 meters long, with a ceiling 3 meters high.

Father Patrice finally notified Raven that he was as prepared as he could be for the exorcism she requested. While some of the priests at the Cathedral thought it was all rather dramatic as a request, Father Patrice took it with every measure of seriousness. The church cellar was cleared and the Father asked that Raven pick a time and gather her friends at a time when most church goers would be absent. For once, the Church doors will be locked for the safety of the public once Raven and her friends gather.

Matt finally had a good night sleep, and arrives at the designated place at the designated time to designate on Tallman's Face.

Raven sends messages to all her meta friends involved asking them to come to the cellar of St. Augustines at five in the morning. She's going to be there well before that time, explaining to Father Patrice what is planned and preparing the cellar. Many candles are lit and set all around the cellar. With apologies to Father Patrice she sets up a spirit ward in one corner and prepares a ritual casting circle inside the ward. Then it's a matter of waiting for the others to arrive.

Timewarp appears at 5 in the morning. Well, actually a millisecond late: she had a bit of trouble finding the cellar. "Sorry I'm late!"

Matt has been in the cellar with Amelia, having spent the night in her bed, he came with her to the Church. He looks refreshed and better than he has in days, though there is still a haunted look in his eyes, and he seems to shift uncomfortably in the cellar at times.

Enforcer arrives a little later than his usual MO of arriving well before hand. Due to having to wait for his day guard Annie to drop him off with his cousin, then run home, change, and run here. He has his hood drawn up to hide how tired and mentally frazzled he is from the visions. It was lucky he was able to manage to get there. Of course, there were a few scares and wrong turns on the way. Occasionally he found himself a few blocks in the wrong direction...towards the woods. And after repeat slaps in the face after each time, the finally makes it to St. Augustines, appearing out front in a dark cloud of smoke before walking in just after 5 AM. He doesn't hide his approach through stealth. He's scared enough people that way already. So he walks down the cellar stairs to enter the candle filled room.

Too bad they're not using Hunter as bait. Annie would approve of that plan. She shows up, anyhow, though. She was invited, and she's not one to miss a party. Even if it's scheduled for the butt-crack of AM dawn.

Raven smiles warmly to Timewarp, "I might have guessed you'd be the first to arrive. I've got hot coffee in a thermos over there. I'll wait for the others before going over the plan if you don't mind rather than repeat myself."

Martin arrives in the earlier hours of the morning, the enormous youth looking terribly out of place in the church. Unlike Tali and Raven he lacks a costume and so is here, in church, in his leather jacket, t-shirt and jeans, and bare feet (or perhaps it is bear feet).

Matt looks over at Martin, "How have you been Martin?" he also is unheroed up, not having a hero-id, he's in a pair of loose blue jeans, and a form fitting black shirt, and combat boots.

Timewarp nods, coffee in hand. "Ok!"

"Tired," Martin grunts to Matt. "Gettin' harder t' sleep with th' dreams an' everything."

Enforcer leans up against a wall near where Raven is setting up and folds his arms over his chest, waiting to hear her instructions on what she wants her bait to do. His head tilts up and all but the lower half of his face is concealed by the shadows of his hood as he looks around to examine the gathered heroes. o O (All my friends are here...and Annie. And...I didn't even have the guts to tell them.)

Raven calls for attention and waits as the chatting subsides. "Thank you all for coming. First, introductions. This, "she gestures to a man in clerical attire, "is Farther Patrice. He can kindly agreed to perform the exorcism."

Father Patrice offers a wave of his hand and a paternal smile to all the young heroes. He's dressed in black suit and white collar, carrying a bible clutched to his chest with his left hand. After the wave, he pushes his reading glasses up the bridge of his nose and lowers his hand again. He's one of the older priests at the Church, but still seems sharp as ever.

"Wow, gang's all here..." Annie yawns and gives an absent wave. Then fingerwaggles another one at Martin. "You're the one that signed up for the night-shift babysitting..." She hasn't lost any sleep. And she's not ro'd up. A costume really isn't necessary for her. When Raven speaks up, she turns her attention to the introduced preacher.

Timewarp nods to Father Patrice in greeting, not wanting to speak and interrupt Raven.

Matt nods to the priest as well, waiting to hear how their going to do this...

Raven continues, "Over in the corner there behind the chalked line on the floor is a warded area where the Tall Man cannot get too unless he becomes material and thus vulnerable. There's also a thermos full of coffee and cups for less spiritual substance. Before we start the exorcism I'll be casting some spells," she glances with unspoken apology at Father Patrice. "The plan, just to remind everyone..."

Father Patrice smiles and offers a nod. "Of course, my child," says the ever patient priest. He opens the Good Book and flips through its pages as Raven continues.

Matt listens quietly.

Annie eyes the chalk line tag. If that's where they need to get him, that's where they need to get him. Not that she knows much anything about the guy, except that he's tall.

Raven says, "Reliable information from two independent sources suggests very strongly that an exorcism will break the hold the Tall Man has on a victim, and also that the Tall Man will react to the potential loss of a victim by arriving in person to disrupt the proceedings. We are going to use that against him, to draw him away from his place of power in the woods and bring him here, onto Holy Ground, into a cellar with thick stone walls and only one exit. The Tall Man is invisible to normal vision and intangible. He will have to become material if he is to affect the proceedings, and in any event holy water can force him into becoming material..."

Raven points to a couple of packed bags, "We have a pair of super-soakers with holy water in them and a number of balloons also with holy water in there. I'd like to thank Father Patrice and the church for their invaluable contribution to our efforts. Timewarp, I think you are one of the most accurate aiming of us. Could you take one of the super-soakers? Decide among yourselves who has the other one. When the Tall Man arrives, you will be able to see him after I cast my spells. Soak him with holy water and pound him into the ground."

Martin listens as Raven speaks. He understands what she's saying even if he doesn't really understand the whys and wherefors of how these things work. "Got a question," he rumbles as Raven finishes her instructions.

Raven smiles, "Hopefully I have an answer. Let's hear it, Martin.

Timewarp has a supersoaker already, as she asks, "How long before when he appears and we can see him?"

Enforcer doesn't move for any of the super soakers or the water balloons. He waits and watches.

Father Patrice bobs his head. "The Church does not turn its back on those in need. I only hope some of you may consider attending our Sunday service."

"He gonna be bringin' the other people he took?" Martin asks.

Raven says, "Sometime after the start of the exorcism, Timewarp. You'll be able to see him as soon as he arrives."

Timewarp nods.

"I like the pounding into the ground part," Annie chimes in. "Yeah, what about the other people he's out anx on? The beat down going to get rid of that, too? Or do we have to find everybody else?"

Raven's face drops, "I don't expect so, Martin. I believe it is almost certain those he's already taken are dead. However when we have dealt with him here, or if he escapes in a weakened state, we'll be going to him place of power in the woods. If there is any hope at all for those he has taken it will be to find them there."

Matt nods, "I will come Father...now tell me..." his arms become covered by water, "How exactly does one create holy water?"

"He goes to th' woods, though," Martin says, "We won't have any way to catch him there, right?"

Raven says, "Gather around me please. You too, Father Patrice."

Raven answers Martin, "The Tall Man has a place of power in the woods. I discovered where it is when looking for Matt. If he escapes us here that is where he will return to and that is where we will go to finish the job."

Martin moves closer to Raven and gives a nod, apparently satisfied with her answer.

"My son, Holy water is Sacrament blessed by a member of our clergy," the Father says to Matt as he gathers around Raven.

Enforcer pushes off of the wall and lowers his arms from their folded position as he approaches Raven.

Matt's arms return to normal, he gathers in next to Martin, "If I have to go to where ever he's taken the others, I will."

Matt nods to the Priest, "could you bless me?"

Annie makes a sour face at that new. Strife. But knowing where He hides out? Mega. "So we get him here or hunt him down. Snag ya." She steps in closer to Raven and Martin. Possibly more Martin than Raven, but it's still closer than she was.

Timewarp gets in close too.

The Father adjusts his glasses. "I don't think that has ever been done. To make you a Sacrament could be considered sacrilege." But the Father looks at the gathered teenagers about to face some unknown evil. "But...perhaps this once. Do not speak of it."

Raven hands out candles, "Hold these please." she says. When everyone has a candle she casts a Raven's Vision Candles spell, a ritual take takes about a minute to complete. "You will now be able to see the Tall Man when he arrives. To check the ritual has worked, if it has you'll be able to see the dark aura of the Tall Man's mark on those affected. The ritual will last for six hours or until the candle is put out."

Matt nods, "I solemnly swear..."

The Father takes hold of the candle, but seems uncomfortable. Perhaps because Raven is a witch. But he does it for the children.

Enforcer holds onto one of the candles, tilting it slightly to let the gathering wax drip on the floor rather than his gloved fingers.

Timewarp checks that she can see the aura.

Raven starts going to each individual, and asking what form of attack they have that is physical in nature. Then casting a spell that makes that attack able to affect intangible creatures.

Shadowy clouds of darkness with thin, waving tendrils seem to hover around Matt, Martin, and Enforcer. Just behind them, following them. Occasionally the tendrils reach out as if to caress or lick their chosen victims.

Enforcer offers his staff and sword to Raven for casting. Plus a handful of his flash pellets if possible.

Father Patrice turns to Matt and speaks a benediction over him and makes a sign of the cross. It doesn't take long to do. "There. It is done. But I've never used this blessing in this way. I pray that it works."

Raven enchants the staff and sword. She looks at the flash pellets, "I don't know if the spell will work on these but I'll cast it anyway, Enforcer.

Matt shudders as he sees the tendrils, he closes his eyes to try to flush the memory away but it won't go away, he begins to sweat nervously, an he opens husband eyes and says "Faith..." quietly.

Enforcer smirks lightly. "Worth a shot. The thing doesn't have a face, but who knows?"

"Ain't got no weapons," Martin says to Raven. "Was just plannin' on hittin' him until he asked me t' stop."

Annie blinks as she spies aura around the candle. "We need to carry these around?" A tentacle extrudes from her back to take her candle out of her hands. Then she eyes Martin and his shadowy wispy tendrils. "Crash..." When Raven makes the rounds to her, she agrees with Martin. "All I've got is me," she grins, "but that's way more than enough."

Enforcer stares at his candle. "Am I suppose to fight while holding this?"

Raven grins, "I assumed that was the case, Martin. I'll enchant your hands if that's acceptable to you?"

Matt turns to Raven. he raises his arms, "I only have this unless someone has another weapon."

Martin nods to Raven and holds out his hands, palms down, like he expects to get his knuckles rapped or something.

Raven looks to Enforcer, "No. I put out a couple of dozen lit candles around the cellar. Conceal your candle among them. The candle must remain lit but you don't have to be holding it."

Timewarp places her candle with the others.

Martin likewise goes and puts his candles with the other candles.

Matt does the same, after he says to Raven, "My attacks come from...me."

Enforcer walks over to a spot and sets his candle down with a gathering of others before turning to the other heroes.

Raven enchants every possible person or weapon, Annie's hands/tentacles/etc. Matt's hands. "Once the Tall Man has become material he'll be affected by anything and everything you normally use. The enchantment is only to allow you to affect him while he remains intangible."

Raven takes in a deep breath when she completes her preparations. "Any questions?" she asks.

Enforcer shrugs once. "Where do you want me for this?" he asks quietly. He rolls his neck and shoulders a bit to get ready, and the stretch wakes him up a little.

Timewarp goes to where she can get the best overview of the room, so she can see the Tall Man the moment he arrives.

Raven looks to Father Patrice, "That's in your hands, Father." she says. "Let's do this. The Tall Man has taken dozens of victims over the years and decades he's been active. It stops today!"

Annie looks at the array of candles and just reaches the tentacle over to put her candle in a spot not favored by anybody else. "This Tall Guy is going to get shortened real quick. So let's get to the strife? Can't wait for the victory party."

Matt readies himself, his arms and body take on a watery aspect.

Raven says to Enforcer, "You'll be closest to Father Patrice when he is performing the exorcism. Protect him please."

Enforcer nods once and looks to the Father. "Wherever you want me."

"Hm, yes, please," Father Patrice motions to Enforcer to stand before him. Enforcer walks a few paces over to stand with the Father, his back maybe a few meters from the side wall of the cellar. The Father flips to a particular page in the Bible and runs his finger down along the paragraphs to find his place and clears his throat.

Matt begins to sweat profusely, gulping involuntarily, he tries to shake out the nervousness like an athlete does before a competition...

Father Patrice takes a breath and begins the exorcism, reading from the bible in Latin. Few can probably understand it except maybe Matt. He pulls a flash of holy water and splashes Enforcer with it occasionally. Enforcer does not seem amused. But to his credit, he sits through it with very little reaction, his expression neutral and unmoved. It's like the priest isn't even there. Or maybe mentally, Enforcer isn't. He cocks his head slightly to raise an ear. He's...listening for something.

Father Patrice intones "In nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti. Amen!" He signs the cross and starts to read from another passage.

And then...the part of the room behind Enforcer grows dark. The basement fills with the sound of crickets, and the scent of rotten wood, moss, and decaying mushrooms. There's a sound of creaking wood, like the branches of trees bending to the wind, and a terrible sense of dread befalls Matt, Martin, and Enforcer. They've all experienced this before at some point in their nightmares or waking dreams.

Raven moves over to stand by Matt, "You'll be fine when things start happening, Matt. The waiting always is the nervous time."

Timewarp watches the darkened part of the room especially closely.

Martin actually seems to relax as the Father begins the exorcism. Whereas Matt and Enforce both start to stretch out and prep themselves Martin becomes very still, almost to the point of being a statue as the darkness falls and the sense of dread begins to come over him.

Raven freezes for a moment as the presence makes its appearance. Then she convulsively throws the water ballon she's holding at it.

Annie's flesh ripples with anticipation. She expects Martin to be moving or anx or something, too... When she sees he's stock still, she smiles at him. "Don't worry, big guy. I won't let anything break you too bad." Creepy darkness? So what? "Come on out, Tall Guy..."

The sound creeking wood grows louder, like a branch starting to break. Something moves in the shadows. Starts to appear as it draws forward. There's patterns on the floor and ceiling, like waving tendrils. A pale, featureless face emerges from the darkness. Just. Behind. Enforcer.

The Tall Man

A tall thin demon shaped like a man with no face or hair. The faceless man-like thing stands at nine feet tall. It's flesh is a combination of organic and smooth tree bark, twisted with groove lines. The Tall Man's limbs are elongated beyond normal human proportions. His hands have long, spindly, claw like fingers, almost like tree branches.Shadow tendrils wave behind him and stretch across the walls and ceiling. From a distance, it looks like it's wearing a suit, but up close, it's just the colorations of its skin. When he moves, he makes the sound of creaking wood.

Matt grits his teeth, the memory of the other night invades his thoughts, and a low moan escapes his throat. The fields of water that envelope his arms dance, nervous in anticipation, and fear.

Timewarp aims at the Tall man with the super-soaker and fires!

Timewarp watches the water heading toward the Tall Man. . o O (Ugh, its globally slow! Maybe I should have just ran up to him and splashed him!) But at length it hits.

The super soaker splashes a stream of holy water against the Tall Man's chest, running down its body with a light sizzle, but there's no reaction from the Tall man. But...the water did physically hit.

Some of the shadows recede from the Tall Man, and he seems more flesh than shadow. Two large Tendrils snake out from his shadow, whipping about threateningly.

As fast as he is Martin is still no match for Tali's time warping abilities. Still, the upside of that is that he doesn't need to worry about trying to turn the Tall Man solid. He simply lunges forward with one of those ear splitting roars, lashing out at the shadowy figure with his fists.

Martin lashes out at the figure but it ends up being difficult for him to find his target among the writhing black tentacles. He roars in frustration.

Matts focus is complete right now, he only wants to destroy the Tallman, nothing else right now, he shuts his fear away, A blast of water that becomes icicles as they fire out, holy frozen water...aimed at the Tallman. He shouts in rage as well, nothing like Martin, more a frenzied angry shout...

The icicles fly past the Tallman as his spindly limbs and tentacles move, belyingly quickly avoiding the spikes that go flying his way...

The Tall Man lurches forward. It's movements are anything but smooth or organic. And then it stretches up to its full height, spreading out its arms and long, thin fingers, like some gnarled tree, creating a canopy of shadows towering nine feet over its victims.

Father Patrice startles and makes another sign of the cross. His voice rises up as he shouts in Latin.

The Tall Man's fingers twitch, and it's right arm bends and twists at the elbow before shooting forward towards the priest to stop his exorcism.

The tendrils, one on each side of the Tall Man that come out of the ground from the darkness, stretch and writhe sickeningly. One snakes towards Martin, while the other lashes out towards Matt in a strike.

Timewarp freezes in terror.

The Tall Man's claws rake towards Father Patrice, but Enforcer manages to shake off the mind-numbing dread and terror enough to dive towards the priest to protect him. The claws rake over his back lightly, tearing into the cloak but scrapping along armor. One tendril starts to wrap around Martin, while the other strikes the ground near Matt and misses.

Annie snorts. Oooh. Scary. Tentacles? Pfft. Annie has bigger tendrils than this guy. And more of them. She sprouts more and even elongates her arms to send all reaching out for Tall Guy's arms. Two tentacles grab for his legs. The other two reach for the tentacles.

Something in Matt breaks when the Tallman comes to take him, the darkness wells up in him, engulfs him, and drives spikes of fear into his minds eye, his psyche breaks, the pieces though reform..strengthen in their resolve as if from glass to steel, the word Faith resounds in his mind.

Annie gets a little overzealous in her overconfidence. So many limbs, still only one set of eyes to track them all. They flail past Tall Guy.

Raven Freezes for a instant as the full presence of the Tall Man manifests in the cellar, the water balloon dropping from her hands. For a moment her heart seems to stop, her breath catches in her throat and her legs seem almost too weak to support her. Then a calmness settles over her mind, almost as if from an outside source. and she lifts adverted eyes to gaze fully on the horror confronting them. A thought is all it takes for a tiger spirit to appear at her side. The translucent blue glowing tiger snarls and leaps across to rend and claw and bite at the Tall Man.

The tiger leaps and claws at the Tall Man, scratching along its flesh. The Tall Man twitches and cranes its head lower, but does not look at the tiger. Its head cranes towards Martin with an awkward, sudden twist.

Martin roars in frustration. He was able to shake off the fear of the Tall Man but it was still enough to slow him just for a moment, allowing the tentacle to grab him. He struggles in an attempt to break free of the shadowy limb.

Martin breaks free from the tentacle with a surge of effort.

Father Patrice is reciting Latin passages from the Bible as he backs far away from the horror. His eyes are wide, but the latin continues to usher forth from his lips as he trembles with fear.

Matt sees that the others are effective so he gives up on the idea of holy water, and thinks..this spindly schickhead is like a tree himself. Trees burn...His arms become engulfed in a fire so hot it is white, like a gun, he points a finger at the Tall man's main body, "Burn..." he says in an angry hiss, a jet of fire as focused as he has become shoots out at the Tall man

Once more, the spindly body of the Tallman twists just a minute bit and the superhot flame hits the wall behind it, a hissing steam is created as the flames hit the ice spikes that pierce the stone walls.

Enforcer shudders after the feel of the Tall Man's claw-like fingers along his back. He turns around and looks at the extended creature and almost hesitates. But his friends are in danger. He frowns and grips his staff tightly before disappearing in a dark cloud of smoke, reappearing in another cloud behind and to the side of the Tall Man, Enforcer swings his staff up overhead to try and bring it down on the Tall Man's back.

Metal staff versus thick, wooden fleshy skin makes an odd thuddy sound with a ring to it. The strike jerks the Tall Man's body forward slightly, but he is firmly rooted to the ground and shadows.

Annie growls as Scrawny Guy keeps squirming. "Stop squirming!" Maybe she just divided her attention too much. She sends four limbs at him again and ignores his buddy tendrils for the moment.

The Tall Man's body creaks and groans. He feels a bit...slimy for a tree though.

Annie doesn't think the Tall Guy is tall enough. Since she has his limbs, she racks him. By pulling, not by kicking him in the groin. While that might give her some satisfaction, she doesn't have a foot stretched over there.

Annie is quite pleased. "Pound him!" He ought to be less squirmy, now!

Limbs stretch and groan and making cracking noises as they're forced to move outwards. The Tall Man's fingers twitch in what may be irritation, since that face is unreadable. The shadows around it deepen and the sounds of the woods grow louder as a pervasive fear fills the room.

Martin's tendril lashes out at him again in a whipping motion. The second tendril lashes at Annie to try and swat her away.

Dread pervades the minds of the teens and Father Patrice. A tendril slaps across Martin and Annie's bodies in whip-like motions.

Raven watches, mentally urging the tiger spirit to rip and rake and rend.

The tiger spirit leaps in at the grabbed Tall Man and bites down tearing and twisting with its teeth.

Nothing gets rent or torn. Merely crushed. The Tall Man's fingers jerk about as its stretched out by Annie's tentacles. It cannot move yet. But it doesn't need to.

Timewarp finally gets her head together. . o O (Ok, he's scary - really scary. But you managed the icky zombies...) She slips into quick-time, runs up to the Tall Man, studies him carefuly, and then carefully lines up a kick to his most vulnerable apparent spot. After a couple of trial aims she delivers the kick with all her might - then retreats to the far side of the room to avoid any retaliation.

Annie is knocked across the cellar floor. After the bit of dread. Though she's down, she's definitely not out. Not only do her limbs extend to stay attached to her and the Tall Guy, but the deformations in her flesh are already repairing themselves before she even stops skidding.

Matt is tired of this bullshick..tired of being useless, the fire still writhes around his arms like a thing alive, and he fires it out in a wider spray at the Tallman, he hopes the shapechanger is as tough as she talks...

The flames lick and burn, but the damage seems minimal...still something is better than nothing..Matt seems stymied..

The Tall Man strains against a set of tentacles not its own. Some of its skin blackens from the flame. Between Timewarp's well placed kick in a thinner part of its almost carapace-like flesh and the fire, it shudders a bit. Annie's tentacles get more traction and bend its limbs to her will. Its head cranes to Matt for hurting it, sensing one of its prey. Fingers crack. It lurches forward, its neck extending with an eerie towards Matt while still restrained.

The tendrils whip around again. One stabs towards Enforcer, while the other rises up and sweeps down towards Raven. It's just lashing out at everyone. So much fear to feed on.

Matt seems to have some how bolstered his mind...his fear receded..Faith...he feels the intrusion but it bounces off..harmlessly.

Enforcer gets struck in the stomach by a speedy tendril. It sends him flying back into a wall, but when he bounces off it, he lands on his feet.

Raven tries to avoid the tentacle but it strikes her. She mentally braces for pain... but it rebounds without injuring or even hitting her. . o O(Wow. I really am a tough as the Coven said I would be.)

Annie gets back up with the pushing help of one free tentacle. The other available one alters. Its tip changes from wiggly to a jagged, pointed spike of chitin, keratin, or bone. If he creaks like wood, maybe he chisels and chops like it! The biological spear jabs out at him. "Leav 'em alone, skinny boy!"

The jagged spear plunges through the Tall Man, splitting part of its body like wood. There's a large crack running vertically through two feet of its body, making a splintering cracking sound. Inside, its body is sticky like sap. It shudders and jerks. The crack stretches out further.

Enforcer pushes off the wall and spins around to build momentum, swinging his staff around to slam on the crack appearing along the Tall Man's back.

Enforcer's staff swats the Tall Man, but bounces off, vibrating slightly. He taps it with a rap of his fist to stop the vibrations and frowns at his apparent ineffectiveness.

Raven eyes the crack with hope. But her aim is to defeat and contain, not kill. Not even the Tall Man. So she directs the tiger spirit against the torso of the Tall Man rather than at the crack. Once again, responding to Raven's desire the tiger leaps in with extended claws.

The tiger spirit slams into the Tall Man with claws raking at the woody flesh.

The flesh rakes away. It flakes, like broken fleshy bark. More of the Tall Man splinters. His body starts to twist around and stretch thin with a horrible cracking noise. His flesh grows dark and shadowy as more of its body flakes away and turns black. Pale white skin turns gray, then black, and suddenly the Tall Man crumbles away into black dust and drops to the floor along with the tendrils, causing a buffet of a black cloud to spread out and settle on the ground before disappearing. The darkness in the room fades, as does the sound and smells of the decaying woods.

The dark marks over the victims disappear as well in the same fashion.

Timewarp watches the Tall Man's reaction to attack in pained slow motion, till it becomes clear that was the winning blow. "Arid! But... uh - what happened to him?"

Raven glances at Matt and Martin and Enforcer checking if their aura have gone as well. A smile illuminates her face when she sees they have.

Father Patrice's latin mumblings can be heard in the corner of the room as the crosses himself. "Amen," he breathes a sigh of relief.

Matt does not seem happy, the white hot flames on his arms do not fade away, "We need to get to his lair...we need to see if he has simply retreated or if he is gone!"

Timewarp says, "Is he dead? I mean, if we has ever alive - or what?"

"Crash..." Since Annie is now holding nothing, she retracts her tentacles back into herself. "So that's it...?" She looks around, noticing that the other dark shadowy stuff is gone from Martin and Enforcer and Matt. Who has a point. "We sure he didn't just run away?"

Enforcer looks around and collapses his staff with a click of a button and holsters it before mirroring the Father's sigh of relief. "Good work, everyone," he says with respect.

Raven says, "He may have been driven off this plane back to his native one. Or he may have returned to the woods to try and regain his power and form. We should go there now. Straight away. If there is any hope for his previous victims that is where we will find them." She turns to Father Patrice, "Thank you. Thank you, Father. I'd come to your services except I think my Rabbi might object. I, we, are in your debt. If we can ever repay you in some manner call me."

The Father stares at Raven. "You're a witch...-and- your Jewish? Why did you not do this at your Temple?"

Raven smiles and goes over to Father Patrice, "Because you were recommended to me. And I had more faith in that recommendation than in my family Rabbi."

Matt goes over to the Priest, "Father, you will see me next sunday, you have my word." the flames retreat from his arms and he says, "I can take one, lets go now!"

Timewarp says, "I *think* I can get you to the woods in a few seconds. But I'd have to carry you one at a time.... and it won't be easy - so if there's another way that would be good!"

"Don't know why he caused so much anx," Annie shrugs. "Seemed meta impaired to me... but we should totes makes sure he's gone for good."

Father Patrice's head bobs a little. "Well, if you ever wish to convert..." he says to Raven and leaves it at that, nodding to Matt. "We'd be happy to have you in attendance."

Matt looks at Annie, "You yanks..." he looks around, "What did she just say?"

Annie says, "I can get there pretty rapid if somebody can navigate," Annie offers, "Take a couple with me if they need it."

Matt nods, "That I understood, I can navigate."

Enforcer looks to Matt. "She said she didn't understand what the big deal was with the Tall Man," he translates dryly.

[To Matt] Timewarp says, "So in England does everyone talk 2D?"

Matt nods, then turns to Annie, "You weren't marked, you will never know the extent of it.." his resolve has been returned to him, he isn't sure himself what made him fear the Tallman, he wasn't as affected this time...perhaps it was because he was made solid, real, and the fear of the unknown was lessened, he's not sure, but inside he still feels the fear he did the other night, he simply can control it now..

Annie giggles and shrugs at Timewarp. "He does sound more like a nup than a pup. But at least he's scenic." Her back ripples and a pair of feathered wings grow from her back. "Who wants a ride?"

Matt chooses not to answer the question of Timewarp...

Into the woods...

It's dark and the woods are mostly quiet, save for the sounds of insects and nocturnal creatures. There's occasional rustling in the brush as animals move about. It doesn't take long from a birds eye view to track down the magical aura deep in the woods, beyond the camp grounds main creek.

As they draw closer, Raven leads them down to where the woods start to slope upwards into hills, until they find a narrow rocky opening leading into the hillside, like a narrow tunnel leading into a cave, enterable only if you were to crouch down. It'd be easily missed with the overgrowth of tree roots that criss cross and weave over the entrance, but Raven can feel the magical energies contained within.

Raven pauses, "In here." she says, grimacing. "Be ready... for anything."

Matt approaches, "Let me go first..I can take a hit.." his hands burn...ready to burn through the overgrowth..

Raven says, "Let's not enter crouched over."

Raven walks to the entrance and keeps going,. For the ground and surrounding trees and roots a swarm of beetles appears and eats away a tunnel into the cave.

The night breeze rustles the branches overhead, causing them to creak quietly.

Raven releases the spell and the beetles surry back out of sight as they disperse.

Timewarp says, "Or I could scout any get back without being seen.... probably."

"Eww... Ooh." Annie starts out skeptical of crawling through the muck, but that changes when Raven remodels the opening. "Arid trick, that."

Raven nods to Timewarp. "It would be good to know what we are going into to."

Matt nods.."True, perhaps that is the best plan..still need to enter crouching as he sees the stone behind the over growth."

A few meters in, the cave opens up to standing room. It's about three meters wide the path goes deeper into the hill and turns a corner.

Timewarp says, "Ok, be back sap."

While the sun is only now just rising, it's still mostly dark in the woods. The sky is slowly lightening up, providing some illumination to the front part of the tunnels.

Timewarp is back almost before she's gone. "THe missing kids are there - 3 alive I think and lots dead - but that's as far as I could see before it got too dark...."

Timewarp thinks. o O (And I got too sick.)

Timewarp says, "They're kind of stuck to the wall with roots like a tree is feeding off them."

Matt nods..."Anything else? Signs of the Tallman?" he asks...even as he starts towards the opening, "I can see in the dark..."

"Think she already fixed the crouching anx," Annie points out to Matt. She eyes him a little more, possibly about to say something else. Too bad she's distracted by Timewarp and news of kids, dead and alive. "Well, we totes need to get them out. Don't you snag that?" She walks in to the dark, since she's not afraid of it.

Raven says, "Alive!? Let's go get them, huh?"

Matt looks above the cave.."You go..I'm going to check something out."

Raven summons a ball of witchfire to hover above her hand. "It's not much light but it might help. I can see in the dark but not everyone can."

Timewarp nods. "It's possible there's more to be found in there too - I couldn't see everything!"

Raven heads into the cave looking primarily for the living teens.

Enforcer remains quiet in the back as the other heroes do their work. He's taking rear guard, watching the woods carefully to make sure nothing sneaks up from behind, since most attention is aimed forward.

Timewarp heads in with the other heroes. She doesn't really want to go back in alone.

Matt frowns, he follows everyone but Enforcer, his hands also glowing with light.

Annie could always extend a few tendrils and grope her way around inside. Hmm... Maybe she should have let Matt go in first, to lead the way. Too bad he went up somewhere? "You hiding in here, Tall Guy?"

Enforcer falls in behind Matt in the rear. He expected Matt to take point.

Raven moves forwards, her vision in the cave as good as if it were full daylight in there.

Enforcer moves to fall in step beside Matt. "Shouldn't you be up front?" he asks in a neutral tone.

There's a bend around the corner, and you find three kids held against the walls by roots. They seem to be alive, mostly starved. Some of the roots burrow into their skin and attach them to the walls. Like they're kept in a larder. Beyond the three living kids, you see rows more of similar victims trapped in such a way, but they're only skeletal remains that seem to be quite old, with dirtied, moth eaten clothing. There seems to be another bend in the skeleton-lined tunnels further along.

Matt shrugs, and says low, "I offered twice.."

Raven tries not to throw up when she sees the sight that Timewarp saw. "Oh, God. Can someone cut these poor kids down?" she asks, knowing her damaging spells lack the fine control needed.

Enforcer studies Matt for a few moments before looking ahead, remaining silent as he walks alongside his friend.

Annie can't see in the dark, but Raven's light helps a lot. When she gets up to the first one, she reaches out some muscled tendrils to try and break off the roots holding the pup in. "Where'd you find the scenic 2D guy, anyway? Totes snagged you were sex-zoning on Hunter..."

Matt's hands glow brighter trying to shed more light, when the sight greets him.."No Bueno.." he says softly..."I don't know if we can without hurting them, but if we are able to take them down, can you heal them?" he says to Raven.

Raven nods to Matt. "Yes. When they're down... I'm not going to risk healing the Tall Man by healing while they are still being fed on."

Timewarp says, "I think I'd need a saw or axe or something."

Enforcer comes up to a sudden stop as he sees the victims, which also coincides with Annie's sex-zoning comment. o O (Uhhh....). His mouth can actually work on hero mode while his brain is stuck on something else. "I'll help cut down this one," he walks over to one of the teen boys as he draws his sword. At the same time, he pulls out a throwing knife and tosses it handle first over to Matt. "Think fast. Cut down the other one."

Matt nods, to Raven, "Got it.." he takes the knife and flips it and starts to use it expertly..quickly cutting down the last youth...once done, he looks down the cave putting the youth down, "we need to see whats down the bend."

Raven is so focused at the moment that she doesn't consciously hear Annie's comment. Which is just as well because she wouldn't know how to answer.

Enforcer carefully cuts down one of the teens and sheaths his sword. The unconscious teen falls forward and Enforcer catches him, then gently lowers him onto his back on the ground. "You said you could heal them?" he asks as he looks up at Raven, crouching by his victim.

Raven kneels and starts healing, using the full range of her healing magic to return the teens to health as they are released from their captivity.

"No anx," Annie seems pretty blase' about the situation as she cuts one loose. "Can fix them up, but they look mega hungry. What about the other ones?" She catches and sits down the one she releases. Just leaving her hands on him a moment, the wounds from the roots are repaired as her own immune and repair system is shared. There's enough of her to go around.

Raven says, "Yes. It's going to take me some time. They're pretty bad off, Enforcer. A couple of minutes for each. I'm doing a quick heal on each to stabilize them and then a full healing after that."

Raven nods to Annie, "Yes. My healing will sustain them for a while but they'll need food and water soon."

Enforcer nods. "Sounds like they're in good hands," he says as he rises to his feet, looking at Annie and Raven as he says it. There's not much else he can do, so he moves further ahead in the tunnel to give the other heroes room to treat the wounded, while standing guard up front.

Timewarp keeps a nervous watch whole Raven attends to the healing.

Raven then glances at the others on the walls of the cave, "I... I can do nothing for them." she says in a low saddened voice.

Once Annie's pretty sure hers will live, she's standing and heading for Matt, Enforcer, and The Bend. The ones Raven can help, it seems she'll help. "Yeah, let's go check it out sap while Raven does her thing."

"They've been gone a long time," Enforcer comments quietly as he looks at a skeleton on the wall beside him. He gets a real close look as he stares into the empty sockets of the skull. "Probably a few years, my guess."

Enforcer looks to Matt. "I'm with you if you want to go further in while Raven and her friend stay back?" he offers, looking back at the nervous Timewarp.

Matt nods, "Lets go.." he says softly as he heads down the bend. His hands burn with the fire again..

Timewarp says, "If there's trouble, just shout."

Raven reaches up with a hand to offer a vase to Matt. "If you find a pile of black dust in there, put it in the vase and put the stopper in the neck." she says.

Enforcer follows alongside Matt as he lights the way.

Matt nods and takes the vase.

"Come on, boys," Annie has no problem letting Matt lead the way, and with Enforcer tucked close alongside. She's not sure what they'll find around the corner, but hopes it will be something exciting, or at least interesting.

Around the bend, the tunnels go deeper at a gradual downward slope. The fashions of the clothing worn by victims seems to get more and more old looking the further they go in, until eventually opening up into a larger, chamber-like cave. At the center is a large, flat rock, maybe roughly a meter in diameter, encircled by roots. On the center of the table rock is a small wooden effigy tied together with dried sinew into the vague shape of an elongated stick figure. Skeletons also line this room. Five of them, straight ahead from the opening, wear the tattered remains of black cultist robes.

Matt frowns, "Stupid..stupid.." he says, "Frag..." sighs, "I hope this works..." he takes the stick figure in his hand, in an effort to put it in the jar..

The stick figure is infused with supernatural energy that all can see.

"This is meta askew..." Annie gives he professional opinion of the ritualistic scene. "So they were totes Tally Guy cultists or something? You should burn that." She points at the figure. "Fit in the jar better, and doze everybody."

Matt throws it in the vase, and caps it like Raven asked. "You got it...take the jar, get it back to Raven." he says handing the vase over

Enforcer nods in agreement with Annie. "Sounds like a pretty solid idea," he says as he looks over the bodies of the cultists.

Matt thinks of something, "I think, if you can find IDs on the bodies, grab them as you head back.."

"That's a lot of bodies to dig through," Enforcer comments as he looks to Matt. "Shouldn't you just report this to the police and let them tend to IDing the bodies?"

Matt shakes his head..."I'm going to burn this place down...all of it...this place this needs to end tonight."

Once sealed away, the supernatural aura is no longer visible. Whatever dark supernatural aura was here, it's gone now.

Matt goes looking for any kind of ID on the apparent cultists..

Based on the style of clothing beneath the robes, and ugh, those shoes? So out of fashion! Those bodies must be from somewhere around the 1960's or 70's.

"Yeah, we should leave this to the nups." Now that the exciting stuff seems over, Annie is good. Boring stuff is for the cops. "Totes time for a victory party." That's not something she wants the cops, or any other nup, around for.

Timewarp says, "Time to get home in time to get up before Mom misses me...."

Timewarp vanishes.

Enforcer heads out of the cavern tunnels slowly as Matt does his work. Between the fire lit by Matt and the light ahead, he finds his way to Raven and the kids to help carry them out of the cave.

Raven thanks Enforcer for the help in getting the teens out. "I smell burning..?" she half asks.

"That friend of yours from the heist. What's his name? He's burning everything down there," Enforcer comments as he carries the heaviest of the two male students over his shoulder and out to the open woods.

Raven says, "His name is Matt. And it's probably not a bad idea. This place has been tainted by evil for too long. Burning should cleanse it."

"Fire cleanses most things," Enforcer murmurs. "I suppose most of these people have been dead for so long, it doesn't matter who they were. This is as good a resting place as any."

Matt takes his shirt off, ties off the sleeves and the neck and starts to place ID's he can find into the shirt, if there seems to be anything of significance, heirlooms, rings, chains, pendants, lockets, he puts them with the wallets or id's the best he can, then his eyes blaze, as if purging himself of the fear that this stupid occult prank caused. This is something he has not shown to anyone yet, but his body begins to smoke, and now it is not just his arm, but his whole body that begins to burn, his anger drives him to heat it up higher and higher and he pours all of the fear, anger, and doubt from his heart and mind into the flames, and he begins to burn everything..the heat and the lack of air in the lower room does not bother him, he watches as all turns to white ash. He slowly makes his way up, the heat washing its way up the tunnel, he shouts, "Get out of here now!"

Raven nods to Enforcer. Then with the teens healed and out of the cave she can relax the tight control she was holding on herself. Turning to the side and bending over she throws up.

Enforcer turns his head to look at Raven. "Again?" he sighs softly, but actually sounds concerned.

Raven looks a bit ashamed but just nods. "When I saw the three hung up on the wall with the trees feeding on them. It was all I could do not to do it then. Maybe I'm not cut out for this business."

"You seemed to handle this just fine," Enforcer says with a thin smile. "You really rose to the occasion." He looks back into the tunnels to see of Matt is emerging yet.

Matt burns his way around the bend, and begins the task of finding more ids, and once done he comes out of the cave, tossing the shirt/bag into the dirt in front of the cave then goes back in, "Do not follow me." he says softly, and shortly thereafter the white light and immense heat comes like a blast furnace out of the cave's small mouth as he burns the rest of the bodies, roots..everything. If one were to enter, Matt sits on his knees in the middle of the first open area flames jetting out of his hands, his body once again firey, flames coming from even his eyes and mouth. When he is done, he says a quiet prayer, "May god have mercy on your souls, the night mare is over." as he walks out, he brushes the ashes from his pants, but the rest of his body is free of ash, "It is over..." he grabs his shirt, "I need to go turn somethings in to the police..."

Enforcer looks over to Matt and nods, leaning back a little to see the burning cave behind him. "Good work," he compliments.

Enforcer thinks. o O (I'm going to sleep for a week when I get home. Forget school.)

Raven nods to Matt and Enforcer. "We saved three. And all the future teens who won't be victims. Good work indeed."

Matt nods, "Yes, we saved these three.." he totes the shirt/bag, "These need a proper close as well.." he starts to float up, "Enforcer, thank you, you were pivotal in tonights mission." as he gets a little higher, he says to Raven, "Rave..great work tonight, you're going to make a great 'Ro." he smiles, "I will miss you, take care." and he turns holding the makeshift bag and flies for town.

Enforcer glances back at the cave. "Well, three from in there. And whoever else would've been victims before the Tall Man was finished."

Enforcer nods once to Matt. "You're welcome. And thanks for your part in this, too." After all, he was saved as well.

Raven looks up after Matt with concern on her face, "...will miss you..?" she quotes. . o O(We should all be ay school on Monday. Why did he say that?)

Matt flies for CBPD headquarters in downtown...

Enforcer watches Matt depart, then looks back down to Raven and shrugs slightly. "I think he likes you if he's going to be missing you already," he says quietly.

Matt lands lightly in front of CBPD, there are too many metas for the Police Force to be too surprised by a kid flying in the early morning, but many draw weapons as he approaches, just because he's a kid, and he's flying hardly means he's harmless, in fact, in their experience its usually the opposite.

"Freeze kid!" shouts a older Cop in a street beat uniform..his gun is drawn. He radios in, "Got a Meta out here, unknown, require MPD support Stat."

Matt puts his hands up and places the bag gently down, "Stand down officer, I am here to help you. These," he says pointing to the makeshift bag, "Are ID's and personal items of what I can only suspect is a long line of missing persons from this area, probably all kids, probably having gone missing in the woods outside of town." he points in the general direction. "I found them, we have taken care of the perpetrator who has been abducting the missing..and killing them. You will probably find missing kids from the last century." he keeps his hands up, "And I am here to turn myself in. I am sure you heard about that incident the other night...the one that those terrorists had killed all those people in the high rise lab and office building?...the one where all of the victims frozen in ice died? I killed 2 of them...and I am here to turn myself in."

The Older cop edges forward, never putting his gun away, "You're turning yourself in? We were told the terrorists killed everyone."

"Officer, I was there, arrest me." he says bluntly, "I killed 2 people, I need to face the consequences.."

The Meta Division doesn't take long to get there, and when Matt is identified as not being a threat, he is arrested.

One of the older Meta Division men say, "Did that Kid say he was Matthew Regent?"

The other M officer says, "Yeah I think so. Why?"

"I Remember Matthew Regent, that kid looks like him, but that ain't Matthew Regent. Matthew Regent was a meta around here a few years ago, a little older than that kid, and always had this golden glow around him..thats why I remember him, he helped us out a few times, with his girlfriends, the twins, you know them."

The Other officer nods, "You mean Amber and Azure?...yeah of course, but I thought they were in Undermoon?"

The Older M Division officer nods, "Yeah, I heard the same thing...wierd..this town has always been weird." he says shaking his head, "Lets go get some coffee, its too early for this crap..."

One of the Junior cops grab the makeshift bag, and take it in as evidence...there will be a lot of research to do before this is completed...