Log:Syphon's Dark Side, Scene 1

Syphon's Dark Side 2008/10/14 	 Jennifer Kibin Sable Syphon 1

Two police cars are set up in a barricade outside of the bank. There are four police officers on the far side of their vehicles from the building. A couple of gunshots are fired from inside the bank, and there's a loud laugh. That's the point when Syphon comes striding out of the bank, his entire body glowing brightly. A bullet bounces off his back, and strikes the sidewalk. His body starts to glow a little more.

Built on a long ridge rising slowly to Colonial Heights to the south, this is the oldest part of town. Narrow, often cobbled streets with cast iron streetlights still in the shape of the ancient gas lamps predominate, some residential, some commercial - even down side alleys delightful old shops can be found. Main Street runs its cobbled shop-lined length straight as an arrow from Colonial Heights to City Center, and feels to this day the heart of the city, for all that it plays to the tourists. Many of the buildings are old as the streets but as well maintained; others, like the main library, stand in contrast. The Main Street MagLev line runs the whole length of the road and farther, but parallel a bit to the east, to avoid disrupting its historic beauty.

Sable leaps down into the street and races toward the scene, her legs a blur of motion as she closes in on the scene, her lips pursing as she looks at the glowing meta-villain.

Syphon looks around, his face looks like it might be smiling. Maybe. "Mmm...more cops. That'll help, I'm sure." He slowly turns his head and regards Sable. His eyes glow brightly for a moment. "Feh. Not even a real meta, as far as I can tell. Figures. Too bad Jack didn't show up. I owe him." Two guards appear in the doorway behind him, and then promptly get out of the way when the realize the cops might open fire. They head for cover.

Kibin runs along the rooftops until he gets to the cordoned off area, jumping off onto the ground near Sable and looking up at Syphon.

One of the cops shouts, "Freeze! You're under arrest!" They all are pointing their weapons at Syphon. One is frantically saying something into a radio. The radio squeltches, and kicks out feedback. "Sir, I can't get through!"

Jennifer hears the sound of gunfire and runs towards it. Hey, she never claimed to be smart.

Syphon rolls his shoulders a bit, and starts to walk toward Kibin and Sable. His steps seem purposeful, but unhurried. The cops open fire on him, and light up the area around him. The glass behind him shatters, and broken glass flies around the area. He ignores it all. And glows a little more.

This is the point where Jennifer gets to the edges of the cordoned area. Syphon is about 20 meters (10" from Sable and Kibin), and 26 meters (13") from Jennifer.

Jennifer slows a little as the scene outside the bank comes into view, "Hi. What's up? Robbers inside?"

Sable says, "Not a real meta? WHat, did I miss my club subscription?" She changes direction slightly to steer her course toward Syphon. "Allow me to introduce myself."

The cops stop firing as they realize the bullets are doing no good, and might get someone else hurt. Syphon tilts his head, looking at Sable, "Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm sure you're talented and all. For what that's worth."

Jennifer says, "Oh. Oh, dear." She sighs, "It's the dark side Syphon I guess."

Syphon chuckles, looking at Jennifer. "I know you. I've seen you. Where?" He pauses, "Oh yes. He's protective of you. This is turning out to be a most fortuitous day."

Kibin looks over to Jennifer and asks, "Dark side Syphon?"

Jennifer nods, "Yes. You should remember. You're ex-Starguard. Old glowering glow-hard over there is Bilbo's meddling made real. When Syphon died Bilbo tried to revive the spirit. Only he got the dark and twisted bits. That," She points, "is the result. It's father was a mother, its mother a machine, and what it is made of is the bits Spirit didn't want."

Jennifer thinks. o O (I wonder if that will p** him off?)

Syphon gets a bit closer, now about 12 meters away. "Now now...you can discuss where I came from after I'm gone." He looks amused. "The monkey will feel my wrath soon enough." He continues striding forward, still unhurried.

Syphon laughs, "But first...I need to make my counterpart suffer a bit. And what better way to do it than to strike at his friends and loved ones?" He continues walking forward, now about 6 meters away.

Kibin doesn't remember that himself... he looks back at Syphon, looking him over. He says to Syphon, "I can't let you do that," standing his ground.

Syphon tilts his head as he continues walking more closely. "Feel free to try." His voice is condescending in tone, despite the muffled sound. He continues walking, now practically right next to Kibin and Jennifer. "In fact, I welcome the attempt." You can almost feel the energy field kicking off of Syphon's body. Some kind of combination of an electrical field and a magnetic one.

Syphon chuckles. "Let's see if you can actually stop me, moppets."

Jennifer says, "I'm not a flyer. I guess I can't stop you getting away. But I sure as hell can kick your scrawny butt.""

Syphon chuckles. "Oh...I don't fly. I never did."

Kibin shrugs at Syphon and replies, "If that's how you want to play it." He leaps forward and spins around, aiming to whack Syphon on his butt with a quick swing of his tail.

Syphon is knocked sideways, and lands on the ground, but not before some energy is leeched off of Kibin. He's also glowing much more strongly. "There we go...that's it." He starts to laugh.

Jennifer steps over to the closest police officer and reaches out, "Excuse me, I need to borrow this." She says while sliding his nightstick out of the loop on his belt. Then she spins back and steps up to swing several blows at Syphon's ribs.

The nightstick seems to basically bounce off his skin, like he doesn't even feel it.

Sable twists her hip to slash a vicious kick at the side of Syphon's knee, the flat of her boot smashing at the back of the joint.

Syphon grunts a little bit from getting hit, but it's clear that it's going to require a much stronger hit to hurt him seriously.

Syphon doesn't bother getting up. He just laughs, and brings his arms up in front of his face, his forearms parallel with his torso. "Jen...bet you never saw him do this..." He laughs again, and there's a bright burst of energy from his body, filling the environs...shattering the pavement underneath him, blowing out windows. A police car flips.

Jennifer purses her lips, "Mm... I'd remembered most of your abilities but I'd forgotten how tough you used to be."

The energy wave passing through you all is almost tangible, like an ocean wave...and it has similar destructive power.

Jennifer bounces off another of the police cars. "That kind of stung. I'll give you that. It's worth an 'ouch' in fact."

Syphon is still glowing, but perhaps a little more dimly now. "Oh yes. That will do nicely with you gnats." He laughs again.

Kibin skids a bit on the ground remaining standing, looking slightly dazed from the energy explosion.

Sable is hurled bodily backward by the blast, her torso twisting as she spins through the air, barely managing to flip her feet onto the pavement, bracing herself with one hand.

Sable straightens and races forward, her fist cocking as she speeds back toward Syphon. "Did you get all the trash-talking parts of the original or are we just lucky."

Syphon grunts a little bit, and is knocked along the ground, unworried about being down. HE then starts to laugh again. He glows more brightly as he's hit, and some visible energy is pulled out of Sable's body.

Jennifer springs back onto her feet and frowns, "Sable, Kibin, when you hit him you're feeding him energy. Try nerve strikes, and isolate your hands with something. She moves back and makes to sweep Syphon's feet out from beneath him with the nightstick.

Syphon lands on the ground again with a thump, and chuckles. "Holding back, are we?"

Syphon rolls to his feet, and tries to grab Jennifer in a wrestling hold. "Best hope I don't get my hands on you, sweetie."

Syphon grabs a hold of Jennifer, pinning both of her arms. "You can commence screaming or pleading whenever you like."

Syphon squeezes...

Jennifer grunts as the arms squeeze. "You never used to start this strong. Been working out?"

Syphon chuckles. "You have your friends to thank for that...and the cops who shot me. Repeatedly."

Kibin runs up to Syphon again after he recovers from the explosion, testing a swipe of his hands on him.

Syphon grins as Kibin's claw scrape along his side. "Case in point."

Kibin winces, mumbling, "So much for that idea..."

Sable's fingers tense into a rigid plate and she drives the tip of her middle finger into the crook of Syphon's neck aiming for a nerve cluster

Syphon actually yelps, "OW! I didn't know you could to that! Fine! That's it!"

Jennifer tries to escape from Syphon's grip, twisting her torso to maximize the leverage against his joints.

Sable's head tilts slightly as her blow impacts. "Oh, I see, you're only interested in fights that aren't fair, that's really very ethical of you."

Jennifer feels a arm yielding and directs her strength against it, slipping away from Syphon's hold.

Jennifer manages to escape his grasp. Syphon growls a bit, "And here I thought my wrestling technique would be enough."

Jennifer says, "There's skilled and there's strength, Syphon. You're strong. I'm both."

Syphon chuckles, "Oh no...a fair fight wouldnt' be fun at all. Well, except with Yellow Jacket. She's next. Then Zeal. Then..Lorelei maybe. But first...give my regards to your sister, Jennifer." And yes, he got the name right. Coincidence? A good guess? His body starts to release energy in a wave again, since all of you are right next to him.

Jennifer is hurled back by the explosion without seeming to be otherwise effected.

Jennifer rolls back onto her feet using the momentum provided. "Losing your touch?"

Syphon furrows his brow. "That should have been much more devastating than it was. I'll have to try that again. Practice makes perfect. I need to be ready when the Zudares mansion beckons."

Kibin leaps back several meters just in time, barely getting phased by the energy blast.

Sable lands easily as the blast knocks her backward, boots skittering across the pavement as she steadies herself before launching forward to aim a strike at the centre of Syphon's sternum, aiming at the cluster of nerves there

Syphon is hit hard in his nerve cluster, and grunts again, "Ow..." More energy is drawn off of Sable, and she falls on the ground on her stomach at his feet. "She's tougher than I gave her credit for."

Sable's attack hits solidly but the surge of bio-energy leaving her leaves her limbs slack and she crumples like a rag doll to the ground

Kibin stands there taking deep breaths, getting his energy back after Syphon drained most of it. He thinks about how to hit Syphon without getting his energy drained...

Jennifer stands ready to react but holds her action. "You know, we're not touching him. All we're going is feeding him energy to make more explosions. So let's just stay back, watch, and see how long before he discharges."

Jennifer mutters "I'm definitely going to pick up one of the new stock batons the UK police are introducing."

Syphon smiles, "Such a smart, smart girl. Matt is a lucky man." He pauses, "Well, I have places to be. People to kill. It's been fun." His body starts to dissipate, like mist, turning into white energy, which then disappears entirely, leaving just the ringing of haunting laughter in the air.

Jennifer grabs a fine silvery net of spun metallic mesh from an inside jacket pocket and tosses it at the white mist before it completely disipates.

Jennifer sighs as the net passes through the mist, "Oh, well. He could have got out easily. But it would have been worth it just to see his face."

The cops all come out from under cover, and look around. Sable starts to come around about this point.

Jennifer says, "Any one hurt? Other than our egos. Officers, I have a meta-medikit if anyone is injured."

Kibin sighs, as Syphon leaves. "I'm fine, just a little sore."

One of the officers says, "Just minor injuries, I think. We have to check the local businesses to make sure, though. There was a lot of broken glass."

Jennifer nods. "Me too. I think we did as well as we could in taking him down, which is to say we had no chance to speak of. Sable was the only one who affected him in any real fashion." She goes to check on Sable.

Sable groans softly as she returns gradually to consciousness. She looks around for a moment or two before her bleary gaze settles on Jennifer. "He's gone huh?"

Jennifer nods, "Yes. Went misty and teleported out. I think it was a teleport anyway."

Jennifer looks around at the damage. "That energy wave trick was a nasty surprise. He never used to be able to do that."

Sable winces as she struggles to sit up. "I wish I had a way to hit people without touching them."

The officers manage to call in backup now that the radio appears to be working. Paramedics and more police start to turn up.

Kibin nods at Sable. "Same... I don't even have a nerve pinch like you seemed to."

Jennifer says, "You did better than either Kibin or I were able to. If we had been able to help out we might have had a decent chance to take him down."

Sable says, "I guess a Pyrrhic victory is a victory of sorts. Maybe I should have tried coordinating my attacks with the two of you."

Jennifer looks at Sable, "I thought you'd trained with staves? Couldn't you have borrowed another nightstick?"

Sable smiles and shakes her head slightly. "Actually, no, that would be jo sticks but it is worth thinking about."