Log:Rift Crisis II, Scene 3

Rift Crisis II 2019/02/01 Blok Jennifer Sentinel Wade

3

It's been a few days since the dwarves set up shop in the park and shook this dimension's relationship to others. Despite the best efforts of fae and human magicians, and likely not a few non-magicians, it doesn't look like this problem is going to be solved any time soon. The number of reported missing persons has rather worryingly gone up a bit, but there have so far been no more mass intrusions as with the porcupines.... 

Today it's cold. The sort of day on which idiots in the media wonder whether heroes of decades ago did the world a favour when they solved the global warming problem. But at least there's no snow or strong wind, and life continues, for the most part, as usual.

Wade comes out of the library, having just done a little personal research. He is currently bundled up in a warm jacket, a hat, and gloves, and he's wishing that the set of powers that he received from his father had included not needing to worry about the weather.

The last time Blok wandered through Old Town, he visited the museum. This time he had been wandering through the cemetary. As he left, he saw his friend Wade leaving the library, and approached him. "Hello, how is friend Wade today?"

Jennifer steps out of the old building and pauses for a moment. She looks down at the kids holding her hands, a boy and a girl aged about eleven or so. "We're family. Never forget that. I know you miss Anthony and Suzume but I'll be here for you as long as you need me."

Griffin Freeman, the Colonial Bay Sentinel makes another pass near the park where the dwarves set up shop. He's been doing his best to keep an eye on things, but his abilities are better suited towards space aliens and exotic energies. Not magic. So, really its just regular patrols in the hope of catching someone in the midst of something he can do something about.

Of course, the cold doesn't bother the SuperSoldier- he operates with the same efficiency any where on Earth and regularly 'freedives' in space for hours at a time.

He flares up- glowiong brihtly for a split second, as he passes overhead as he often does just to let people know he's there, protecting them as always.

He comes to a landing on a building in the heart of Old Town. His glowing eyes scan the area alertly.

Wade waves back to Blok, "I'm doing alright, aside from wishing the temperature would go back to Virginia-normal temperatures. How are you?"

There's often a mist over the old cemetery - it's low-lying and on what was marshy land before it was built over. But it occurs to you all that it's very odd today - it should be too cold. It wasn't misty like this when Blok was walking in it, either.

Blok says, "Blok is not bothered by cold, friend Wade. Blok is well."

Wade furrows his brow as he looks over toward the cemetery. "That's...odd. How are we getting fog with it this cold out?" He motions toward the mist.

The unnatural warmth coming from the cemetrary draws Griffin from his perch. His ability to fly has become well honed, and so he lifts off smoothly and glides slowly towards the center of the cemetary. He keeps his eyes peeled and head on a swivel as he comes to a landing just within the cemetary. He won't acually go to the center until he knows more about what's happening.

Griffin finds that the the mist is even thicker than he thought - it's really more fog. Visibility is terrible.

Jennifer shakes her head in amusement as the boy asks her a question. "You want ice-cream? In this weather? Okay, lets go to Past Times." It's then that she spots Wade. "Hang on a moment, Mark. I ought to go say hi to Victory."

Blok says, "There are many things about Earth Blok still does not know, friend Wade. Weather is one."

Where the fog meets the cold air the pile of snow is falling rapidly. A couple of children have noticed the potential for snowballs.

Wade walks slowly over toward the cemetery, getting to the edge of it where the snow is piling up. "This isn't natural, Blok. Did someone set up some kind of heater in the middle of the cemetery? That much fog makes me think of jungle, rather than Virginia."

Jennifer walks over to Wade, hildren still in hand. "Wade. Good to see you. It's been quite a while hasn't it?"

Blok follows Wade. "Blok did not see anyone in the cemetary earlier," he pauses to wipe a stray snowball from his face, "Blok did not see a heater, either."

The snowball fight is well underway now, the trio of children shout and occasionally shrieking happily as they play.

Griffin's energy senses only alert him to just how dead this area is- which on the surface wouldn't be strange, but he has no positive contact of any kind. Here in the future, even cemetaries are wired up with electricity for lights at the very least.

He begins walking around the perimeter which puts Wade, Blok & Jennifer into his point of view.

He recognizes all three and knowing 2 of them are StarGuard he suspects they'll know what is going on.

He vanishes, only to reappear next to Blok a split second later. "Afternoon guys- is StarGuard already investigating this blanket of fog? Because its weirder than it looks." He advises as his glowing eyes flit to watch the snow fall. To the others it just looks like his eyes begin to glow brightly all over, but in truth his eyes just move so quickly it seems that way.

Wade smiles as he sees Jennifer. "Hey there. Mmm...Jennifer, right? I figure I have a fifty percent chance?" He motions to the cemetery. "We were just looking at the weird conditions here."

Jennifer releases the hands of the kids with her, "You can join in if you want. Remember to be gentle." The kids run over to join the snowball fight.

Jennifer says, "What's weird about it?"

Evidently, the other kids have a more-the-merrier attitude and welcome the newcomers. The snowball fight becomes rather a free-for-all.

Wade shakes his head at Griffin's comment, "Not officially. But I was thinking about walking in there to look around." He shrugs at Jennifer's comment, "That's like...greenhouse-level fog. Like if you were to go into a botanical garden. Not normal for a winter day outside."

"That cemetrary is noticibly warmer than everything around it. I'm assuming that's what is causing the fog. But what's more- all the wiring inside the cemetary is dead too." Griffin explains. "Yup- exactly like a greenhouse. And these wires aren't just cold because its daytime. I mean, there is nothing going through them at all." He adds.

Blok says, "Blok was in cemetary a short time ago. There was no fog then."

Jennifer listens, trying to heard any sound from within the fog.

One of the kids, faced with a barrage of snowballs, retreats a bit into the fog.

Wade sees the kid go in, and he steps forward to follow and herd the kid back out. "Hey, you should stay outside, for the moment, I think."

And then Jennifer does hear something. As does everyone else. A scream - and not the happy sort the children were making before!

Griffin heads straight for the cemetary after hearing that scream. He moves so quickly that he leaves a thunderous crash in his wake.

As he flies, the world seems to slow down to a crawl.

He tries to use this momentary lull to scan everything in front of him in hopes of spotting whoever made that scream with his eyes or their nervous system with his energy sense. He isn't picky with lives ont he line.

Jennifer immediately shouts, "Mark, Patrica, stay out of the fog." Only just in time as the kids were already starting to head toward the source of the scream. Just as she is.

Just as Blok turns toward the source of the scream, another stray snowball catches him in the face, obscuring his vision.

Griffin spots something very strange and moves to interpose himself between the shambling skeleton and the small child.

Wade breaks into a run, trying to get to where the kid and the shape is.

After wiping the snow from his eyes, Blok follows Wade.

Jennifer closes in of the source of the scream. Her wolfguard hearing acute enough to pinpoint the child's position by sound alone.

Sentinel zooms flat out to interpose himself - just in time to block the mace the skeleton was bringing to bear on the child.

"Hey kiddo- I'm pretty sure you need to get back to the other kids and have them move away from this fog, yeah? You get to be the hero today." Griffin says as he lifts his arm to meet the mace's blow head on. His arm doesn't give an inch.

Griffin's intervention lets the child recover his senses - and run!

The skeleton drops its jaw and emits a piercing cry. Somehow.

Wade continues forward, intending to strike the skeleton. He's pretty sure it isn't just 'misunderstood'. "Likely held together by magic, right? I mean, I don't see any connective tissue."

Wade doesn't have his shield easily accessible, so he just goes for the strongest attack he can pull off. He jumps into a leaping side kick, attempting to strike the skeleton in the center of mass.

Wade's kick cracks the skeleton's spine! It staggers a bit, but is still up, even though it's upper body is at an angle from its lower body (to its left).

Blok follows Wade until he can see the skeleton, then looks around for more.

Jennifer scoops up the fleeing child with a device that hasn'r been seen in Colonial Bay for several years, a wolfguard energy whip. "I've got this covered." she calls out to the other heroes as she moves to take the child back to the others. "Mark, Patrica, get these to safety. And no, you can't join the fight. Stay with the others."

Blok says, "Blok see more things moving in fog."

Jennifer makes sure the kids are safely moving away and then returns to the fog, following her ears towards the action. "Sit-rep?" she calls out as she gets close.

Blok says, "Blok see one enemy that resemble the skeleton of a human, with melee weapon. Other figures moving in fog"

Wade lands on his feet and comes around with a second kick, trying to drive his foot through the skeleton he's fighting. "Not sure. Only seen this one so far."

The skeleton's spine snaps in two! Though the upper half of its body it still mobile....

Sentinel is happy for the assist from Wade, considering there things happening here he can't quite understand. What he can understand though is that these zombies are deadly serious and lethal to anyone in their path.

The SuperSoldier's eyes flash brightly as he releases two pencil thin beams of cosmic energy at the zombie's upper half that won't have the dignity to die. He'll help.

The beams of golden cosmic energy cross the gulf between the SuperCharged SuperSoldier and the zombie in the span of milliseconds. As soon as they hit, the energy torches the skull of the zombie, leaving its head little more than firm ash.

Three more skeletons coming walking out of the fog, brandishing a variety of weapons: one a spear, one a morningstar, one a glowing sword. The holder of the last is in the rusted remains of heavy armour.

Wade blinks as he sees the glowing sword. "Yeah. Magic. Must be. I think that's something we're a bit short on here."

Jennifer nods, "The one with the glowing sword is mine. Unless he takes me down, in which case anyone is welcome step in."

Blok steps up to the closest skeleton (excluding the one with the sword), and punches it in the face.

Blok knocks the skeleton's head clean off and back into the fog. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be slowing it down at all.

"I've got your six, Jenn." Griffin says with a knowing smirk. "No one's getting dropped today- not on my watch." He adds confidently, eyeing the one with the spear for himself.

Jennifer reaches out with the Colee whip. The tip strikes at the skeleton's weapon hand.

As the skeletons hand is struck the sword slips from its grip. But before the glowing sword even hits the ground the whip curls around the hilt and draws the sword back to Jenn. "Nice balance." Jenn says as she tries a practice swing with the liberated blade.

Jennifer chuckles, "I guess I ought to think about giving it back." she says as she advances of the now un-weaponed skeleton and goes for a disarming blow. As in cutting off an arm.//Use sword, martial strike, OCV 11, DCV 11

Jenn take the designated arm clean off; it lies immobile. Oddly, the sword struck the bone but seemed to pass right through the rusty armour as though it weren't there.

Wade moves forward to engage the skeleton with the morning star, trying to disarm it.

Wade manages to grab the wrist just long enough to wrench the weapon free and have it drop to the ground.

Sentinel blips out of sight for a split second as he moves faster than the average human eye can perceive. He comes to an instantaneous halt in front of the spear-welding zombie warrior.

His hands lash out, seeming not to have gotten the memo about Griffin's change in speed. He clenches his fists and presses them together to hit his target as one deadly fast strike.

Sentinel crushes the left arm left side of the ribcage of the skeleton.

The spear-wielding skeleton tries to skewer Sentinel, one-handed.

It misses, however. Maybe not having a head doesn't help.

The one that had the morningstar attempts to grab Wade.

The last tries to grab its sword back!

Wade easily manages to avoid the skeleton's attempt to grab him.

Jennifer easily evades the one-armed skeleton's effort to take the sword back. "I guess I'll have to make sure you're (h)armless." she says. It's been a long time since she was last in a real combat. Maybe she's getting over the burnout she suffered after the Shield War.

Blok grabs the headless skeleton, intending to hurl it at Wade's opponent.

Blok grabs the headless, spear-wielding skeleton by the shoulders (and neck stump) and lifts it off the ground.

From the fog, a mournful horn sounds. It seems to be very close!

Jennifer goes for a feint at the skeleton's other arm, reverses the direction of the sword and aims a slicing cut at the boney neck.

With horrible luck, Jenn seems to manage to find the space between vertebrae so cleanly she does no significant damage.

Wade realizes a choke hold isn't going to work against these things. A hard strike is the best option. He had just sidestepped to avoid a grab from a skeleton, and he continues the pivot, bringing his heel around in a wide arc at its body.

The skeleton's ribcage is scattered far and wide, leaving a peculiarly stick-figure-like opponent.

Sentinel doesn't even move a muscle besides turning his head a bit to center the spear-weilder into the center of his vision. He plans to show the zombie the stars in his eyes, pointblank.

He snickers at Jennifer's comment as Blok gets a hold of his original target.

Griffin nods to the young Blok and sets his attention to the horn announcing someone's presence he'd yet to account for. Sensing the others success & Blok with his original target in hand he takes the lead, moving towards the sound of the horn so he can be their shield since Wade left his at the office!

"We may want to wrap these guys up quickly folks..." Griffin says with icy-cool composure. "We've got a legion 15-20 deep rolling this way and I get the feeling they don't have the same problems seeing through this fog we do." He says before his eyes flash.

Sentinel 's eyes continue to flash as he says, "I'm going ot try to pick them off- but we've got glowy-weapons inbound."

Blok says, "How far away?"

"Horsemen are at most 10-14 meters out. Others shambling right behind." Griffin answers as he continues to try to draw as many of the oncoming zombie-storm as he can.

Jennifer says, "Think they'll wait while I go to the Gym to pick up my gear?"

The damage is slight. While one of the mounted skeletons was hit, its armour protects it. A cracking of bones is heard from one of the foot skeletons.

The skeleton held by Blok tries to escape.

The second skeleton make another grab for Wade.

The third tries once again to recover its sword.

"Some how I doubt it, Markham." Griffin says with a grin. "Don't tell me you let retirement make you soft." He teases in a friendly tone as he shifts tactics. Hearing that made it necessary. He's not going to have anyone downed on his watch- especially not a friend who just brought some kids to get some ice cream.

He begins charging up his eyebeams- focusing the energy as best he can for one monumental blast.

The sides of his temples seem to go translucent as the energy builds.

Meanwhile... the small army charges at Griffin.....

Jennifer says, "I always had a soft squishy center. Just the last few years I've stopped wearing my hard cruchy shell."

Griffin's used to being the front line on a daily basis- but magic is something he's got next to no experience with.

The swords glow with a menancing intent as the slice through the air and then bite into Griffin's bio-electric forcefield. It doesn't stand up to the blades for even an instant.

They both sink deep into Sentinel. Griffin's blood spills fromhim, equal parts crimson and some golden glowing ichor.

He falls to his knees, confused as to what just happened, holding his wounds.

Blok throws the skeleton he's holding at the one Wade is fighting.

Blok throws the headless skeleton at one of the others, but it goes sailing past to shatter against a headstone.

Jennifer switches the sword to her off hand and reaches for the Colee Whip. Seeing what just happened to Sentinel she's going to be a little more defensive in her style, employing Wraxling techniques of evasion. But even so, her energy whip lashes out at a horseman.

The whip takes the top off the horseman's skull! Somehow, it stay mounted, though.

Wade sees Sentinel get cut down and he mutters to himself. He whips off his coat, letting it drop to the ground and exposing his shield bracer, which he turns on.

The SuperSoldier has no choice but to shake off the shock and get back to his feet. He's no good to anyone bleeding like a stuck pig. He plans to focus his energies inward- to force his body to heal itself so he can get back to work, but there's no time for that right now. He knows with kids a stone's (or spear's) throw away he can't worry about himself. He holds the energy in his eyes and sets himself to destroying his (undead) enemies outright.

Sentinel lets the energy wash over his personal forcefield and it ignites with the charge. Arcs of plasma dance over his body even as he bleeds out.

He squares up with an opponent, bringing his tightly clenched fists in front of him and gets to the business.

He vanishes, reappearing at the side of one of the horsemen, hopping up to lash out with a viscious sidekick.

Griffin's strikes aren't diminished by his fatal wounds, but mostly because he's running on pure adrenaline right now- or whatever passes for it in his hyper-charged physiology.

When his kick lands, it crushes the rider's leg and unseats him bodily from his mount. He crashes with the sound expected of an armored bag of bones held together with magic.