Log:Shadow Gambit

2021/03/23 Night Marshal Natasha Porter Helen Starlight Zephyr The Void Queen Night Hound

1

This large area has markers of all shapes and sizes, including the modern now-a-day holographic headstones, lined up in rows across the green field of grass. Some headstones have seen their days as the wear and tear of age bites at them, whereas others newly placed markers sadly gleam like beacons into the sky. Some of the headstones date back over 250 years while others are mere days or hours old. Flowers are dispersed among the various headstones, giving respect to the memories of those who have long since passed, and to those recently departed. Off in the distance is a single small building which you can make out to be the funeral home where friends and relatives might say their final good-byes to the recently departed before they are buried within this courtyard. At night, the cemetery makes for an eerie place to be. The feeling of lost souls seems to linger nearby as if looking for a new victim to claim. A low fog appears to cling to the ground, making light wisping tendrils to curl around your legs as you walk between the grave markers that look like guardians of the graves.

It's after 6pm and with the spring and time change, it should still be sunny out. Within a matter of seconds, though, night blankets the city. Shortly after, reports of monsters amassing in the cemetery start filtering across Tweeter and soon Police bands.

Night Hound

This man seems almost cast out of shadows. He wears a dark grey trenchcoat over a black suit and tie combo. His features are cast in shadow by the edge of his fedora. His hands are covered in a pair of black gloves.

He seems to have a sturdy build and tops 6 feet by a few inches. To those who know how to look for it, he's armed with several guns in ankles and both shoulder holsters as well as a baton strapped to one leg.

He watches his surroundings both carefully and casually.

Starlight was on leave from the hospotal, and on holiday, which for her is studying low gravity medicine of the moon. Alerted to events in Colonial Bay by a call fro a friend she retuns immediarely anf lands on the top of a gravestone in the cemetery.

Natasha, the heroic dragon was out patrolling the city, even in daylight. Because sometimes, bad stuff happens even before her bedtime! Also, because flying around is always fun. She had just turned to start heading back for dinner when night came too quickly. This is bad! Does that means it's past dinner time now? In any case she heads to the nearby cemetery which may be at the heart of the matter....

Night Marshal had the day off, but since Grimm was still relaxing and recovering as far as he knows, he heads out in his other guise to go check out the odd darkness and the reports of monsters. It can't be a coincidence. He glides over to the general vicinity, and lands fairly close to the cemetery proper.

Porter is just on an evening grocery run. Well, more walk, really. Maybe that little family grocer (support local!) is used to Para picking them up. Everything is stuffed in one rather large bag, and Porter can barely see ahead of him to where he's going. Which is probably why he makes a left at Alberquerque and is walking into the cemetery. Which probanly isn't where meat to walk. Especially not with what smells like hot rotisserie chicken and freshly-fried jojos. And, of course, coffee.

Zephyr is flying over the city, as she is wont to do, when the sky goes dark and the stars come out. She happens to be over Old Town, and hears shouts and screams from the cemetary, so she swoops down for a closer look.

The Night Hound stands at the edge of the cemetery, kept at a distance by some power. A cigarette glows in his insubstantial hand as he watches the darkness with a glower.

Natasha glides down, following a familiar smell, looking about for Grimm.

Night Hound curses softly as he flicks the cigarette away from himself. It fades away as it leaves his hand. A tatterred remnant of a restless spirit moans into his ear for a moment before fading away into the Shadowlands.

The Night Hound shakes his head then begins to pace by the main cemetery gate. "Where the hell are they? Never took this long..." he trails off.

Night Marshal walks over toward the Night Hound, "Waht's going on in the cemetery? I see some shadows walking around. No heat signatures."

The man of mystery looks at Night Marshal then gestures at the cemetery. "The Void Queen is here. With her shadows and minions. The few of us left lingering were pushed aside by her power." He looks at Night Marshal then adds, "She brought a chief from her world. Someone named Carpenter. Only she and he are living in there. No others. The shadow creatures are hers."

"She brought night with her. It's not an illusion, it's real."

Natasha continues to try to follow her nose to find Grimm.

Zephyr spots a magical aura at the edge of the cemetary and lands nearby. Now that she's close enough, she can see two men in hats, and hears what one is saying. She adds, "There are lots of large moving things out there..."

Deeper in the cemetery is a large gate through which shadow hounds are walking through. A large shadow dragon about 8 meters tall is laying prone like a cat with its head up, watching around. It's curled near three humanoid figures. One is a shadowy shape of a woman in a dress. The other is a militant officer standing at rest with hands clasped behind his back. The third is Gabrielle Grimm in fancy dress. Someone's gone evil fairytale queen in a dark, elegant dress of shimmering darkness and a crown like black dragon horns twisting upwards. She smiles at her gathering forces and comments to the militant man with her, "Don't you just love the night, when the Stars are right?"

The Night Hound look over at Zephyr. "It's probably the shadow dragon. That definitely tipped the odds in her favor. Well, and the fact that there are so few of us lingering these days."

Zephyr says, "Dragon? I've only ever seen one dragon, and she's not nearly as large as what's out there."

Natasha wonders what is going on. But it looks like maybe Grimm knows. Is she herself? Is something weird going on? Either way, the way to find out seems to be to get Grimm's attention. So she swoops down, intent on landing on her shoulder.

Night Marshal takes a deep breath, and heads over toward the cemetery. He stretches his neck slowly, getting any of the stiffness out of the way now. "I've run into these two once before."

Porter can hear a few things around the bag, which he then lowers and blinks. Hey, he recognizes that magic. And the dark. And maybe even the silhouette(s). Somewhat. It's dark.

He shifts the bag to the side, now shuffling awkwardly towards Grimm, calling out, "Hi! What's u-" And then he reflexively waves. And there goes the bag, tipping over to spill out the groceries on the ground. "Oh. Err..."

Zephyr says, "Wanna clue us in? I'm called Zephyr, by the way."

Night Hound shakes his head. "This one's the size of a bus, miss. It's not a pocket dragon."

His attention gets arrested for a moment then he relaxes slightly. "Ah, well, someone's coming who might help." He looks in the direction that Helen is approaching from.

Natasha notices it smells like Grimm, and yet....whatever soap she uses is much more high end than Grimm does. It's not quite the same as the Grimm Natasha knows.

Starlight takes off and swoops around the cemetery looking for someone she knows. Which happens to be Porter. Flying backwards at a pace matching his movement just ahead and at head height she says, "Mr. Porter, do you know what is happening here?"

The Void Queen watches the dragon perch. "My, so that's how you look grown," she comments. Beyond, she hears Porter calling out and she gives a disgusted frown. "-That- idiot is still alive here?"

Zephyr looks that way and shivers, "Are you sure? I don't like that aura."

Porter looks back up from his spilled jojos (the horror!) to Starlight. "Oh! Hi! Um... I dropped my groceries. Sorry." Well, that is what happened?

Night Marshal calls out to the Void Queen as he gets closer. "I believe you've broken a treaty by being here. I reckon this won't end well for you."

Night Hound looks back to Zephyr. "The Void Queen is from another Waeth, much like this one. But one under the control of her, for the most part. Her name her is Miss, er, Ms Grimm." The Night Hound tries to follow Night Marshal but is stopped at the edge of the cemetery. "Damned witch!"

Zephyr says, "Is something wrong?"

Starlight starts to help Porter pick up the spilled shopping. "I meant, Mr Porter, what is happening with this early nighttime?"

The Void Queen turns to Night Marshal and smiles with brilliant white teeth. A wicked smile with dark red lipstick. "You...my Other's escort at the party." She makes a motion to gesture around. "Ohhh?" she laughs darkly. "I don't sense her essence anywhere. No need to keep treaty with the Dead."

"I cannot enter. Her power keep me at bay like a damned anti-magnet," grates the Night Hound through clenched teeth. His jaw relaxes as he takes a step back. "This is for the living it seems"

Zephyr adds, "Grimm? I recognize that name, but I thought she was local."

Zephyr says, "Could I carry you in? Wait...living?"

Natasha hops of the Void Queen's shoulder, and promptly makes an image for the other heores she can smell: A metallic orange arrow pointing down at the Void Queen, above which are the bold letters 'NOT GRIMM'.

The militant man accompanying the Void Queen, is behind her. This Chief Carpenter looks Night Marshal dead in the eye in silent communication, but keeps his stance as-is for the moment.

Night Marshal shakes his head slowly, "She's alive and well. Just recovering." He says to the others. "Those are...other dimensoinal versions of Grimm and..." He pause, catching himself before he says 'me'. "...Detective Carpenter."

"Miss Grimm is. The Void Queen is another version of her from another Earth. One where the darkness in her soul won and killed off the good in her," she says to Zephyr.

Natasha circles, watching Night Marshal for a cue, since he seems to have most idea what's going on.

Night Marshal adds by way of an exlanation. "The Void Queen here made a deal with Grimm to stick to her own realm. No incursions here."

"-Chief- Carpenter," the Alter Carpenter stresses.

The Void Queen tilts her head and purses her lips in a grin. "Injured and powerless. Are you sure she'll recover? It would be a shame if something...happened to her." She senses the gathered heroes and motions broadly with her hands. "If you were a smart man, I'd recommend you bend the knee. I'm coming for this dimension. And for her for making me wait so long." She looks past Night Marshal to the Night Hound. "And for all the restless Dead who interfered with my scrying, you'll wish you could return to the Deadlands once I'm done with your souls."

Having helped Porter with the dropped shopping, Starlight flies to where the Natasha generated ligthed sign appeared.

There's a shift, and a flicker of possibilities, and then there's Helen Glick across from the cemetary, shaking her wand into its crutch form, and clumping her way across the street and in through the gates, drawn by the darkness and the presence of ... well, Another. The message and big orange arrow definitely assist in her directing herself closer, and she looks with quick flicks of her eyes at the various individuals present, but at the mention of the Dead and souls, she gives a brief laugh. "That last may prove rather more difficult than you've capacity with which to cope," she says.

Natasha lands by Night Marshal, to make it clear she's backing him up. And then drop the sight in favour of an 8m radius of sunlight, about herself, Night Marshal and the intruders.

The Night Hound barks out a laugh. "Bring it on, Queenie! My soul's protected by a real God, not some bimbo with delusions of grandeur!" He reaches into his trenchcoat and takes out a matching pair of black .45s.

Natasha guessed it was too much to hope for that the bad guys shrink from the light, but it's the sort of thing that might work on TV, so she thought she'd give it a shot.

Night Marshal glances toward Chief Carpenter, and then focuses on the Void Queen. "Yes, I'm sure she'll recover. You on the other hand..." His hand twitches a little bit, before he goes to draw his weapon as fast as he can and shoot her.

Zephyr repeats, "Is there any way I can bring you inside?"

Having found the gathering Starlight lands on Night Marshal's shoulder if he allows.

Chief Carpenter's hand goes for his sidearm, but is much too slow for Night Marshal.

Night Hound shakes his head as he says quietly to Zephyr. "Not unless you can break her ward versus the Dead, Zephyr." He smiles grimly. "I'll keep her attnetion as much as I can. And deal with anything that gets out of the cemetery. Have at her!"

The Void Queen is too egotistical to think Night Marshal crazy enough to attack her. Or that he could move so fast. His shot catches her and causes her to scream out in pain. She crosses her arms over herself and doubles over from the sting. "How....DARE you!" she rages.

"Thanks for the-Oh. Oh!" Porter now catches on that this isn't Grimm (or Carpenter). Right about the time Night Marshal shoots The Void Queen.

Starlight beams a flare of bioenergy at Night Marshal. So ideally he survives then next second or two.

"Flaran Cha'menthi -- If I do not dare, then who will dare for me?" quotes Helen from a favorite series of science fiction (okay, and kind of romance) books.

Zephyr flies toward the glowing arrow, looking around as she goes to keep track of the moving creatures she'd detected.

Natasha exhales a big mass of bright pink bubblegum at the Void Queen, while she's still raging about Night Marshal!

The Void Queen is gummed up in bubblegum. UGH! Pink! But she does recover from the stunning gut shot from Night Marshal. The Dragon rises up on all fours and roars as its Mistress is harmed and attacked. It takes a breath and breathes out a ball of shadowfire at Natasha.

Natasha gives a cry of surprise that that hurt and turns her attention on the other dragon. Perhaps it should always have been dragon vs dragon....

Seeing the large Dragon attack Natasha, Zephyr responds with an Air Lance.

The wind catches the dragons wings and sends it flying back six meters, but it quickly lands on all fours and digs its claws into the earth, cracking some tombstones in the process.

The shadow of the Void Queen starts to take on color and more form, looking like a copy of the original. This second Void Queen twists her black-tipped fingers toward Night Marshal, palm turned up and fingers gnarled. From his own shadow, a large spike of solid darkness shoots up toward his midsection.

Night Marshal sees his shadow reaching up for him...and he sidesteps the attack. Barely. "Sneaky, sneaky. I'm surprised that shot didn't put you down more seriously. 'Yer Highness'."

So it's not Grimm, and not even a nicer version of Grimm (not that our Grimm isn't nice!). And dragons, and Carpenters, oh my! "Ah!" When the other-other Void Queen becomes more solid and flings icky black stuff at night Marshall, Porter flails. Unfortunately, this tosses his precious jojos. Fortunately(?), this sends a salvo of salty spud slivers soaring at at the Voidette's visage!

Salty stinging chips hits the shadows eyes and causes it to close them, rubbing at them with long fingernails.

Chief Carpenter finishes drawing his side arm. "My Queen, perhaps we should return later with a different approach," he suggests.

"Rahh! Shut up and shoot him!" the Void Queen demands. Chief Carpenter sets his jaw and levels his gun at Night Marshal before squeezing the trigger.

Night Marshal barely manages to avoid getting shot by the Chief, as the bullet whistles past. He glances over at his counterpart.

The irony of Shadow Hound versus Night Hound. The hounds streak across the cemetery, closing in on Night Hound.

Chief Carpenter gives Night Marshal a hard look, but doesn't look frustrated by the miss. He knows what he's doing.

Night Hound smiles thinly under the shadow of his fedora. "Come and get it, boys!" he growls at the shadow hounds as he levels the twin .45s on them. Multiple shots ring out, the muzzle flashes oddly muted as the bullets dance along the ground to the hounds.

The ghostly bullets go through the shadow hounds. They're more solid than they look, but are unaffected by the bullets at the moment.

Watching the incoming shadow hounds, Helen considers her options, then flicks her preferred (right side) crutch into its wand form. << Defense, >> she first states in Old Norse, twirling the wand as if winding something around it, then makes a classic 'swirling' gesture towards the hounds. << Bound in cording, >> she says in Old Norse, casting her spell at the closer of the two.

The Hounds are spry and at a full run, are hard to hit.

Helen really isn't ready for the clobberyness of raw combat, and doesn't quite manage to properly target the hound's spirit.

There's a sonic boom as Starlight breaks the sound barrier. A number of Old Town businesses and cars near the cemetery have their windows blown out. Car alarms start blaring in discordance.

The dragon is struck three times by the tiny but sense heroine. The last elbow across the jawbone causes the dragon to collapse in slow motion with a heavy flop and a rumble across the ground. It starts to slowly dematerialize and dissolve into shadowy energy.

The Void Queen 2 is blinded, but can still sense things around it despite the potato chips in its eyes. It swipes its hands at Night Marshal and tries to use his own shadows to impale him.

The Void Queen turns into pure shadow and takes a step back from the bubble gum encasement. She solidifies again. "You gnats! What have you done to my dragon!?" she demands, eyes fixing on Starlight but nothing visibly happens.

Night Marshal manages to avoid the second strike by the shadow reasonably easily. He makes a note that the Void Queen seems to be solid again. Good.

Starlight falls to the ground, stunned by the fearful memories flooding through her mind.

Zephyr lets loose with an air blast aimed at the Shadow Queen (VQ2)

The shadow of the void queen feels the air and manages to side step the wind. It may not be able to see, but it has some other way of sensing.

Natasha is annoyed that there's no longer a shadow dragon to attack. She takes her frustration out of the Void Queen shadow itself, with a burst of flame

Night Marshal goes ahead and fires on the Void Queen again, since she's the main target. And seems to be solid now.

The Void Queen hisses in pain and is staggered by that shot. "You insignificant worm, I'll--!"

"You're hurt, my Queen," Chief Carpenter gently touches her by the elbow. "We should choose another strategy."

The Void Queen's temper remains simmering. "Yes, We should. Another time, then." Chief Carpenter aids her through her the dimensional gate.

The shadow hounds lift their heads and whine at the Shadow Queen's disappearance. They go at a full run toward the gate and go through.

Night Hound grins and shoots ineffectively at the retreating hounds.

The night begins to fade and give way to the remainder of the day once Chief Carpenter gets the Void Queen through the gate.

Helen lets them go, but her gaze turns towards the shadow. She holds her wand firmly, ready to try (at least) to dispel the entity's magic should it throw a parting shot.

Only recovers from stun after a few moments, but just curls up into a tiny ball and screams hysterically.

Starlight recovers from stun after a few moments, but just curls up into a tiny ball and screams hysterically.

The shadow of the Void Queen scowls and retreats through the gate. The gate shrinks down and closes.

Night Marshal holsters his pistol...and then looks over to Starlight. "Did anyone see what hit her?"

Helen frowns at Starlight's continued distress, then flicks wand back into crutch and, crippled Amish girl once again, clumps forward towards the hysterical screaming.

Natasha hmphs! at the closing gate, then goes to nose comfortingly at Starlight.

Zephyr shakes her head, "No, she just fell."

Between screams Starlight is making futile shaking motions with her arms and crying in terror, "mummy, daddy, wake up. please, wake up...."

Helen manages herself closer, then stops a bit away, frowning down at the Lilliputian heroine. "That sounds like fear. And memories." She hesitates, then admits, "I ... may be able to assist her. It'll take a minute, though."

Night Marshal nods slowly to Helen, "I reckon that's beyond me. Do waht you can." He looks over toward Night Hound, "Can you enter the cemetery now?"

Night Hound holsters his pistols and takes a step forward. "Back to normal again. Maybe soon, the other lingerers will make their way back."

Natasha keeps nosing at Starlight, hoping to shake her from whatever's gripped her, not having any better way to help.

Helen nods in acknowledgement to Night Marshal. "Can someone pick her up for me, please?" she asks, polite but with a tone that hints that it isn't exactly a request; she herself is occupied in getting herself from standing to sitting position, the braces under her clothing going clickety-clack as she pushes against them to get them into a new position. Soon enough (but not quickly) she is sitting with her back against a tombstone, her dress-covered legs sticking straight out in front of her. "Here in my lap, please. She's so small ..."

Starlight's voice has the tonal features of a young child.

Night Marshal nods and helps Helen, by going to pick up Starlight. "It's okay. You'll be okay." Tries to place Starlight where Helen wants her.

Natasha looks on with concern.

Helen nods her thanks to Night Marshal, looking at him for a long moment or two, then turns her gaze down to the three-inch heroine in her lap. << Be at rest and healed, >> she murmurs in Old Norse, again and again, both of her crutches-turned-wands drifting back and forth in concert, like drawing a blanket up onto a child's sleeping-but-disturbed form. << Be at rest and healed ... be at rest and healed ... >>

It does take her most of a minute until she can manage to quiet the stress in Starlight's mind and spirit.

Starlight's screaming tapers away into sobbing. But without the hysterical edge of the screaming that preceeded it. "I..." she speaks between sobs, "I'll get over this. Like I did the first time. Eventually."

When Starlight speaks, Helen stops, pairing her wands into both hands and settling them close by her belly as she looks down at the other. "Some trauma, I'm told, must be lessened before it can be truly healed. Like rot festering in a wound, needing to be scraped out." Her tone is entirely observational.

Natasha looks on sadly, unable to think of a way to make Starlight feel better.

Zephyr says, "Maybe you should find someone to help you with it."

"And some," Starlight is calming slowly, "can only be lived with." She looks to where Grimm2 was. "She made me relive the night my parents were murdered in front of me. I was eight years old."

Night Marshal remains where he is until Starlight seems to be recovering. He then stands and backs away to give a little more room. "I'm...sorry to hear it." He has his own set of memories he wouldn't want dragged up. He finds himself thinking about what the Void Queen's power would cause him to see.

Helen nods in companionable acceptance. "My father left when I was four, my mother died when I was nine. I've since come to know them both better, but I'm widely considered to be odd, even amongst ..." She looks up and around at the various Powers, then gestures vaguely to include them, all the others in Colonial Bay, and even the bad guys. "I did not, however, witness her death as you have yours. But forgive me if I, from my lofty age of sixteen, disagree that some can only be lived with. Is it not the heroic way to fight against the impossible, to refuse to accept the inevitable, if these things be bad?"

Natasha doesn't offer advice. Just one more gentle nosing, before leaving for her dinner.

Night Hound listens and produces a cigarette from inside his coat. He strikes a match and lights it, then shakes out the match and tosses it. The match disappears before it hits the ground. "You don't talk like any sixteen year olds from back in my day," the specter notes of Helen.

Starlight says, "I can live with those memories or have them expunged. The latter is not an option. No matter how painful the memories there are the last moments I had with my parents. I will not lose them."

Starlight takes to the air to hover in front of Helen, "Thank you."

Natasha gives Starlight a friendly wave as she flies off.

Helen's face remains turned down towards her lap, i.e. Starlight, but her eyes turn towards Night Hound. "Smarter than the average bear," she says to him, and then, "No," she disagrees again, face lifting as Starlight rises. "This is not a choice between 'have them' or 'do not have them'. I am certain someone with greater skill at such could gentle the trauma without erasing the memory."

Starlight forces a half smile, "These are the gentler memories. They used to be a lot worse."

Zephyr says, "They still have the power to incapacitate you. I would seek to gentle them further."

Helen tilts her head to the side in equitability. "I understand," she says, but does not speak further on the situation. She's said her piece, and she's learned that being relentlessly forceful about being right -- especially when you /are/ right -- tends to screw up what you're trying to do.

Night Marshal nods and listens quietly, not interrupting.

Starlight flies a little higher, so Helen can stand when she wants to. "Where are those villians? And who were they?"

Night Marshal repeats what he said earlier. "Versions of Grimm and Detective Carpenter, from another dimension. They retreated to their own realm, I believe."

Starlight scowls,"If we ever meet again the Dark Queen has earned a spot as target number 1."

Night Marshal nods slowly. "That's why I shot first. I've had a run-in with them one time previously." He pauses and adds, "I suspect that if the Void Queen was taken down, her right hand mand there would back down. But he's protective of her."

"Not here," agrees Helen, and then a flicker of her wands -- and here and there are faint after-images of her, suggestive of different choices made, sitting on a gravestone here, or a crypt there, leaning against that tall obelisk-type marker -- and suddenly she is standing stiffly next to the gravestone against which she was leaning. A snapping shake to both wands turn them into her crutches once more, and she squints up at the sun above. "Well. This was a day. I suppose I should get back to class."

Night Marshal does know for sure that the Chief was aiming to miss. But he doesn't say it outright.

Starlight asks Helen, "Have you had treatment for your legs?" She lands and grows to normal size, "Dr. Jackie DelQuist. Resident at the State University Hospital."

Helen smiles a little. "Of a sort," she replies in the affirmative.

Starlight says, "Anytime you want to, come to the Xenobiology department and ask for me. No cost. Professional courtesy."

Helen blinks a little. "All right. For what?"

Starlight says, "To see if we can give you normal use of your legs."

A small smile plays across Helen's lips. "Ah. Well, thank you for the offer; should I ever find the need outweighs the benefit, I will absolutely take you up on it."