Log:The Devil You Know, Scene 3

The Devil You Know 2012/06/25 	 Chen Eve Flyne Lightray Longbow Total Babe 3

Once again, Colonial Bay's heroes are victorious. Today's enemy was a man made of metal who claimed to be unstoppable. His claim proved to be less than accurate. The police are on hand to take him off to jail now, and the situation seems to have been handled.

The crow that Longbow just shot disappears over the horizon of the rooftops that separate this block and the next.

Chen looks around, "So... anyone going to tell me what that was all about?"

Eve looks about in dismay at the broken property - largely broken on her. "Short version or long version?"

Chen grins, "Start with the short version, and I can always go 'huh?' and ask for the long version later."

Eve says, "Metal guy got powers though with some unspecified catches. Wasn't happy about it. Decided to go all supervillain and rob an armoured car."

Joseph stands among the crowd of onlookers and gawkers who always gather whenever something happens. He idly taps his briefcase against one leg as he shifts slowly through the crowd as he slowly works his way to their front

"Perhaps you should do it as we move. That crow was a magical being... I hate crows, their such good familiars..." Longbow's eyes gleam as he begins attempting to follow some kind of unseen trail

Eve says, "Yeah. That crow is the demon who gave him his powers. And me mine."

Toby shows up after the fight, and looks upon the scene. Right now, her body is surrounded with green light as she's suspended in mid air. Toby flies down to the group, and goes to ask something, but Eve answers her question pre-emptively. As she lands, the glow as a whole disappears, but little green spheres still continue to be shown.

Joseph's thumbs prickle as something wicked that way went according to the hooded bowman.

Longbow seems genuinely thrilled. "I've not gotten to hunt demon in ages!"

Chen says, "A demon gave you your toughness, TB?"

Eve nods. "I didn't want to say before.... I feel - I was an idiot. It was a stupid mistake. But now it's relevant, I think I'd better."

Longbow taps his foot impatiently, clearly wanting to hunt a demon, but also wanting to drag eve along so she can get revenge or what ever.

Chen nods, "Kind of like the guy with the firework, Eve?"

Eve says, "Guy with tthe firework?"

Joseph wanders out of the crowd and over to a nearby alleyway. He takes a moment to make as certain as he can that no one is watching, then transform into Lightray.

Chen nods, "Yeah. This guy lit a firework. It said light blue touchpaper and retire. So he stood beside it filling out his resignation papers. BLAM!"

Longbow thinks. o 0 (Demons certainly are creative)

Evesighs. "Yeah, kind of like that. We were celebrating, we were drunk, and a friend of mine says, 'hey, let's try this spell' and none of us really thought it would be real....."

Lightray flies up out of the alleyway then arcs down to land not far from the assembled heroes. As he lands, he says in a basso profundo voice, "Hello friends. A bit of excitment today?"

Chen chuckles sympathetically, "As Master Chang would say, one should not drink and spell."

Eve says, "Tell me about it. I'll have to tell you more some time - but that gets to more awkwardness that I don't feel like facing right now. Anyway, I want to track that demon if we can!"

"Finally! Alright just follow teh path... wait... non-magical beings, right. Ah well follow me."

Eve glances at what's left of her clothes. "Though I'd better put my costume on before this falls off me completely....."

Eve ducks out of sight - not too hard given that most people have fled the battle - for a quick change.

Lightray follows aftr the other metas as they follow Longbow.

Eve hurries after Longbow too, now in costume.

The downtown district, and above all famed York Boulevard, is an area of skyscrapers old and new and the jewel of the city where most of the real money is made. From the lower, older buildings like that of the Colonial Bay Chronicle to the height of the Corporate Tower, the district is alive with bustle through the day; while at night it is well lit by the light of ads and news reporting across the sides of the buildings, and the action is focused on a few clubs and other hotspots.

Chen follows Longbow, curious enough to risk being late for her pizza delivery job.

Longbow mumbles to himself as he tracks, reaching down and touching the ground every once in a while. "Flying targets are annoying, the path gets all 3rd dimentional..."

Flyne joins up with the group while they're following Longbow, in its natural alien state. "Where are we going?" The little alien asks. At the moment, it has its green claws and its bulky leg muscles.

Total Babe says, "Shapeshifter are hard to hold onto, too...."

"I've experienced that one before. They're generally soft ot the touch though." Longbow mutters still tracking the path.

The Monarch Opera House is a landmark from a previous age. In the downtown area, the jewel of Colonial Bay, the Monarch standouts out. It shut down along time ago. Mired in debt and red tape, no one has been able to refurbish it, or to tear it down and replace it with something else. According to Longbow's tracking instincts, the crow is inside.

Lightray looks down at Flyne smiling widely. "We are hunting down a demon, my friend. One powerful enough to empower metas."

"that's not too terribly powerful, glowing one." Longbow states. "Demons have been worshiped as gods before, and not because they portray themselves as such, but their actual power. One willing to meddle in afairs of the new age likely is not an old demon but far from a young one. It should be in here."

While not glowing in the visible light spectrum, Flyne's body certainly would look it to any that see magic. The little alien is coated in its signature 'morphic' magic.

Total Babe says, "Hm, why here, I wonder?"

Lightray shrugs slightly. "Still, no demon should be underestimated. Especially if seemingly cornerd." He looks at the rundown opera house and sighs softly. He thinks. o O (I remember how excited I was to come here once. Now its fading into the past as well."

Chen says, "I hate to be the possibly sensible one here. But at risk of ruining my reputation as an imppulsive fool, just what has the demon done that's justifies detaining it? I don't think giving meta powers out is a crime, is it?"

"Likely conspiracy to commit the crime. Demons have a knack of planning out how people react to their powers, in addition, demons tend to have to invalidate the concordance between teh dimensions of heaven and hell in order to be here." Longbow is looking around.

Lightray shrugs slightly. "Well, one could consider it a dangerous predator who feeds on humans, potentially both physically and metaphysically."

Total Babe says, "That's..... a point. But he made two of my friends disappear when he twisted our wishes - I assume he twisted theirs too, anyway. And I very much want to find ouut what he did with them. And what else he's been up to."

Chen nods when Total Babe speaks, "Okay. That's good enough for me. If I get charged, I'll claim I was misled by all the heroes standing around."

Lightray murmurs in a dry tone, "One of the advatanges of living in the Bible Belt is few prosecutors tend to, openly, side with demons..."

"Hmmm... this place is surrounded by more than red tape, magic is permiating the walls, best be careful as you approach." Longbow looks for an alternate route in, something more stealthy.

Total Babe says, "Must be handy to be able to see magic, or whatever it is you do.... any ideas how to go about this?"

Flyne nods to Longbow. "Yeah, demonic at that." Flyne then looks at TB, "I smell magic. And, I could teleport in, but my teleport only lets me teleport at the momemnt..." Flyne hmms...

The doors of the old Monarch Opera House open inward.

Lightray chuckles softly. "Well, it seems we are invited in."

Lightray adds. "The Monarch is an adjunct of Hell now. The demon will have, hmm, home court advantage. Be on your guard. Lies and deception are inside."

Nodding longbow replies. "When invited by a demon you should atleast be civil. They might not be the most pleasant lot, but are certainly the most civil of being I've encountered." He moves forward, his bow dispersing into mist.

Total Babe nods to Lightray. "yeah. Kind of figured that out, several months ago."

Total Babe says, "Well, let's not be rude enough to keep him waiting...."

Total Babe heads for the door.

Lightray bows slightly to Total Babe. "I imagine you did, yes. Shall we?" At that he heads inside after Total Babe and the others.

Chen follows.

Flyne nods to Lightray and Longbow. Flyne leaps foreward, heading to be the first to enter.

Longbow slides back towards Chen. "I'll cover the loss of any monitary value from failed deliveries if you want. Don't ask you've mentioned it in my presence before is all."

"Tickets! Tickets, please..." There's in an old fashioned usher's uniform. Red, with fancy buttons and a matching hat. He calls over to the heroes. "Right this way.. the show is about to start."

Total Babe glances at the other heroes, especially the more mystical ones.

Flyne tilts its head, and focuses on trying to detect magic from the man.

Longbow makes a face, "Magic traps, so tedious." He looks to the usher, but says nothing more.

Total Babe says, "What sort of traps?"

Chen laughs, and forms a bunch of generic admittance tickets in her fingers from her own flesh. "Here's our tickets." she tells the old man. Which way to the show?"

Lightray smiles slightly at the usher. "Just what one would have once expected here." He glances at the others then back to the usher. "Center seats, a few rows back from the orchestra?"

Longbow looks at chen's hand. "go to many concerts?"

Total Babe seems more nervous than she's been in months. "Less joking, more information, please. What are we dealing with here? What should we look out for?"

Chen shakes her head, "No. Definitely not. I can hear a cricket in tall grass at a hundred paces. Just think of the headaches a concert would give me."

The usher does a mild double take at Chen. He does look at the tickets and opens the door for them into the theatre. "Right this way, then... And keep an eye on your pet," he says, glancing at Flyne.

Flyne seems unnerved. Flyne tilts its head at the usher-man, then simply shakes its head. Flyne mutters something in its native language, then heads toward the aforementioned open door.

Total Babe follows Chen, since that seems to have worked.

The usher says, "My, they certainly have some odd breeds of dogs in the Orient..."

Flyne makes sure to walk on all four limbs while heading to the door.

"Yes... because all people who look like that come from the orient..." Longbow mutters walking in. "Not like a man in a mouthless cloak is anyhting odder.

The usher clears his throat as Longbow passes him. "Sir.. your hat?"

Lightray looks over at the usher then down to Flyne. "Spirit from the past? Or illusion?"

Longbow looks at the usher. "Do you have any piercings, sir?"

"Piercings?" The usher looks utterly baffled.

"Unless you wish to aquire one, then I'd advise you don't ask for my hat again." Longbow moes through the doors.

Flyne responds, "I can't tell. All I know is that there's a /lot/ of magic."

Total Babe thinks. o O (So much for politeness.)

The usher grumbles and gives up on trying to correct Longbow's manners...

The house is packed, with the exception of a row of seats down in front, center... just enough for the heroes. The people in here, men and women are dressed in the clothes of the 1940 or 50s. On stage, the act appears to be a stage magician, 'C.A. Ballatine the Great' as the curtain proclaims. Ballantine is a man in tuxedo and top hat, with a well maintained handlebar moustache.

Total Babe goes to take a seat. . o O (Guess we have to play along with this if we're to find out what it's about.)

Longbow sits next to total babe being the second one to take a seat. who will sit next to him?

Flyne is the third one to take a seat, next to Longbow.

Chen morphs into a replica of James Randi, and stares sternly and disapprovingly at the stage act.

Lightray stops for a moment at the door then reaches up and rubs his eyes. He takes a seat next to Flyne.

"And for my next trick," Ballantine says, "I'll need a volunteer from the audience. How about you, young lady..." Ballantine gestures towards Total Babe.

Lightray sits back and waits.

Total Babe frowns, looking still more nervous. "What should I do?" she whispers.

"don't get naked, for starters. Best bet if you're concerned is refuse." Longbow states.

Total Babe says, "Oh, thanks a heap," to Longbow.

Total Babe steels up her courage and stands, figuring, once again, that playing along is the way to work out what this is about.

Longbow has his bow in his lap now, as if waiting for something horrible to occure.

Flyne follows Total Babe, mostly out of curiousity, and the rest out of figuring she shouldn't go alone.

Ballantine has an attractive assistant wheel over a six foot tall cabinet. "And now ladies and gentlemen, I shall make the lovely lady disappear!" Ballantine points a finger at Flyne. "Heel, Fido. This trick is for one person at a time!" The crowd chuckles.

Lightray looks up at Ballantine as he murmurs, "Ballantine was a real stage magician of thie era. He headlined here a few times." He glacnesa rund at the audience. "I think he is real while the rest are memories."

"This is not good, this is an attempt to seperate us. Come back here Eve."

Flyne shakes its head, and puts itself between Eve in the box.

Total Babe was starting to walk toward the dtage but she stops at the mention of her being made to disappear. She swalllows and glances back at Lighray in particular for advice. She might look a bit like an ordinary nervous audience member if not for her outlandish clothes!

Lightray murmurs, "I wonder what you traded to the crow, Ballantine."

"If I wanted to separate you," Ballantine says, "I would have simply done this!" The house lights go out, leaving the entire room in pitch blackness.

Total Babe draws her weapons in the dark - she was spooked enough as it was!

Flyne growls once the lights go. It thinks o O (I could still see if it wasn't for all of this magic...grah)

Longbow slowly rises to his feet sighing. His eyes glow looking for his marker in the dark to see if it is still there."

Chen listens for the breathing of her companions to make sure they are still all there. Her eyes quickly adapt, although is there is absolutely no light he'll still be be able to see.

Lines of light appear, marking the out line of a door to a room with the lights on.

Total Babe heads toward the door. She has no doubt this magician has the upper hand, but since we seem to be inside the trap already, she doesn't see much choice but to go forward.

Lightray remains seated for a moment, then looks over at the outline of the door. He slowly stands murmuring as he does, "Is eveyone alright?"

Total Babe thinks. o O (Damn... this is worse.... maybe I should have played along with the magic trick....)

For most of the heroes, they find themselves alone, in the darkened theatre. The only source of light is from underneath a door, a handful of meters away.

Longbow
Longbow moves to the door. He kicks in the door but hangs off to the side of the frame expecting something to be shot out of it, hiding even.

Longbow kicks in the door to find Total Babe alone in what appears to be a back office at the Monarch. She's blindfolded and tied to chair. She turns at the sound of someone busting it in. "Hello? Who is that?"

Remaining silent longbow removes the blindfold from TB but remains behind her and as best he can out of sight. a demon is near by he doesn't want anyhting knowing where his presence is.

In Longbow's room, Total Babe says: "Thanks. Now get me out of these ropes..."

Longbow remains sitting hiding behind the being he believes is TB but is silent, hands ready to have the bow in them but no bow at the moment

Total Babe says to Longbow, "Longbow, the ropes. Please."

"Forgive my paranoia, when seperated by demonic actions, trust no one." Longbow states. "Because there is a high probability the demon will assume a familiar form to deceive.

Total Babe, the one that's tied up, rolls her eyes and says to Longbow. "Here I am, just begging for you to be the hero and come to my rescue, and you can't! Should I have gone with someone different...?" And with that, her form changes. Now it's Star Girl tied up in the chair.

Longbow grins. "Well, see, now I know you're faking. Ballantine was it? A pleasure to make your aquantence. What is your offer so I may politely tell you no, then you attempt to persuade me Is till refuse and we go back in forth for a while till one of us tries to leave?"

Star Girl says to Longbow, "Just because I can change forms doesn't mean I can't offer you anything. Let's examine what just happened... Given the chance to rescue and win the respect of one of your frankly attractive teammates, and your paranoia gets in the way. Your father has done a real number on you... It's no wonder that you're distant from the others."

"You assume it is my father who has chosen my distance for me." Longbow replies. "I understand you're able to read certain thoughts, which I am not surprised that you can. However I do not seek their recognition."

"You're not the least bit jealous?" Star Girl asks. "Look at Wade -- he's got it all. He's a crimefighter too, but yet, he also has a certain.. something that you're missing... Well, besides me." Star Girl giggles.

Bits of plaster fall down from the ceiling over Longbow and Star Girl. Star Girl curses: "$@!&ing aliens."

Lightray
Lightray shrugs in the darkness then walks over towards the door.

Lightray knocks on the door a moment before opening it.

Ballantine answers Lightray's knocking. "Come in, it's open."

Lightray enters and looks around before bowing slightly to Ballantine. "Hello Mr Ballantine." He smiles slightly. "Do you have any Fatime cigarettes? I miss them in this modern era."

Ballantine says to Lightray: "Sorry. I'm a Lucky Strikes man, myself." He offers Lightray a smoke from an opened pack.

Lightray takes the cigarette and rolls it between his fingers. "So, are you C.A. Ballantine? Or the demon?" He contnues to smile. "I only ask I saw you perfrom here at the Monarch back 1949. I quite enjoyed the performance."

Ballantine smiles to Lightray, "For you, is there a difference between the man and his magic? If I were an imposter, would it make a difference to you?"

Lightray nods his head. "Yes, becasue redemption is possible for a mortal soul. NOt so for a demon." He gestures about himself. "This, hmm, illusion I am in well crafted, very well crafted."

Ballantine says to Lightray. "Why thank you. I try." He ignores Lightray's other question for now. "I don't understand you as well as the others, Lightray. What is it that you want?"

Lightray looks at Ballantine for a moment, then laughs softly, "What I want is beyond your power or reach. It is alien and antitheis to your nature and power. And depending upon my choices I may return to it in the fullness of time." He looks at Ballantine. "YOu have nothing I desire."

Total Babe
Total Babe enters the office to find the little blonde girl that she rescued from traffic. She's sitting in an office chair that's adorably oversized, and she has her feet up on the desk. "Hello, Babe."

Total Babe says "Hello" to the girl, rather coolly.

Total Babe walks over toward the girl. "Ok, I get it. Your home ground, I'm pretty much at your mercy. Now what's this all about?"

The little girl says to Total Babe. "You probably think that there's nothing left that I can offer you. But I think that there's always something to trade. Let's make a deal."

Total Babe says, "Not that I trust you for a minuute - but what sort of deal?"

The little girl says to Total Babe: "You still care about your friends. I know where they are. I'm a proud individual, and I like to watch my handiwork."

Total Babe says to the girl. "Right. And I know you know I'm concerned for them. But I expect you're not about to tell me where or how they are for free."

The blonde girl says to Total Babe with a smile: "Wonderful. You're learning. I don't think that I'll be able to fool you twice. So I'll make you a straight offer..."

Total Babe thinks. o O (...says the demon, trying to fool me twice.....)

Total Babe says, "Go on."

"Well," the little girl says to Total Babe. "This is a little embarrassing, but in my accounting books, you're a bit of a mistake. You see, you were supposed to take your newfound looks and powers and abuse them. You're... a net loss. I have a terrible boss who's mindful of these things, and would probably inflict untold horrors upon me... But tallied with the activities of your friends, I'm actually running a profit..."

Total Babe doesn't rise to the bair of the implications her friends are in a bad state. Instead, she replies, "Oh, I'm devastated you're in trouble with your boss over me." It seems, perhaps, a slight bargaining chip. Though she doubts any deal the demon might offer would be worth it.

The little blonde girl says, "I get your powers back. I get to erase this little... accounting error from my books. And I tell you where and how to find your friends."

Total Babe says, "That's the deal? I'd see the holes in that if I were as drunk as I was last time! You want my powers back, but you say nothing about the other.... physical particulars. You tell me how and where to find my friends, but I've no idea whether (with or wothout powers), I'd be in any position to help them. Assuming they want help, which I can't even know for certain.""

The little blonde girl groans. "This was so much easier when you were drunk..." He sighs, and then says, "Look - we have history together. And for that reason only, I'll make this an open offer. You can choose to accept it at any time. Your powers, for your friends whereabouts."

Total Babe says, "Hm. You really seem to want the powers back... which of itself suggests it's a deal I shouldn't take. And when it comes to it my powers are the one good thing to come out of this....""

Chen
Chen shrugs, says something quite unprintable in Mandarin, tries it in German for the more guttral sound, and heads to the door.

Chen enters the office to find Ballantine in what looks to be a back office of the Monarch. He's out of make up and he's in a robe, apparently relaxing after a show.

Ballantine says to Chen in Mandarin: "Can I help you dear?"

Chen looks at Ballantine, "Yeah. I seem to be missing some friends. Let's have them back. Right now. Otherwise I'm going to make your life heavenly. If it takes me the rest of my life. And since I'm immortal and so are you, is this stunt really worth having me hassle you for the next hundred million years?"

Ballantine says to Chen, holding up his hands defensively. "I will, I will. I just wanted a moment to talk, in private. If you knew anything about me, you'd know that I'm not about harming people. Well, at least not directly."

Chen shrugs, "I know absolutely nothing about you. Except you're supposed to be a demon. Which doesn't always make you bad, not in Chinese culture anyway, but it does make you untrustwothy."

Ballantine says to Chen: "You've made a good point. We're both immortal. We could fight, but it would be tedious and awful. I suppose that's a down side of immortality. Still it's a great thing to have. It's a shame that it can't be said for everyone in your life."

Chen looks at Ballantine, and then makes a show of slowly counting her fingers without taking her eyes off him.

Ballantine looks at Chen: "What are you doing?"

Chen grins, "Old Chinese proverb. When talking to trickster, remember to count fingers in case he steals one. If you think I'd make any kind of deal with you, you're crazy. I'd trust you even least than I'd trust myself, or my mother."

Ballantine says to Chen: "Thank you. I'll take that as a complement, if you don't mind... You've seen my work, Chen. Total Babe has the potential to become one of the city's best crime fighters. So you know I have the ability. Let me offer you something."

Chen laughs, "Okay, offer away. So... what do you have to offer to someone who really doesn't have anything they want badly?"

Ballantine says to Chen: "How's immortality?"

Chen says, "Ask me again in a thousand years. I'm seventeen. Immortal is a something I am, not something I've experienced much yet."

Ballantine says to Chen. "You misunderstand me. I'm /offering/ Immortality. But since you're already immortal, maybe I can offer it to someone who might truly benefit. Like your grandfather."

Chen freezes for a few seconds. Then she slowly shakes her head, "I've already said I know nothing about you. But I have met two people who you're 'helped' with deals. And, you know, neither seemed very happy about the outcome. So, congratulations, you did come up with something that tempted me. But no deal, because I simply don't trust you."

Ballantine says to Chen. "It's an open offer -- you may accept it at any time. We have all the time in the world to get to know one another, Chen. Don't take too long, though: although our time is unlimited, your grandfather's time is not."

Flyne shakes its head, then thinks... And shouts something in its native language while performing geastures, creating its spell 'Blasting Arm', and firing a blast of Purple/Red spinning energy straight up.

The building shakes and Flyne's blast pierces the ceiling of the room. Bits of dust and plaster fall down to the ground.

Ballantine's office shakes and bits of the ceiling fall down over Chen and Lightray. For them, it's Ballantine that curses about aliens.

The illusion ends for Chen, Lightray, and Longbow

Chen reacts in fairly typical Chen fashion. She fires off a punch at Ballantine.

Lightray shakes his head. "Well, it was beasutiful illusion."

Chen extends her arm to fire a fast strike at Ballantine.

Longbow sighs, "Well first thing first." He fires an arrow at Ballantine, attempting to deal some damage, however it is no ordinary arrow, but an arrow with a halo about it as it flies all the feathers transforming into glorious wings. . o 0 (Why is holy magic such a flamboyant form of magic)

Chen cracks Ballatine hard in the gut, launching him. He crashes onto the ground, in time to be hit by Longbow. "Arrrccck!" Ballantine cries out.

The little girl says, "Well why not consider -- Arrrcaaack!"

Total Babe takes her chance now whatever it is has broken the spell and the heroes perhaps have the upper hand. She leaps at Ballantine whirling her three-section staff in such a way as to Entangle him.

Total Babe gets her staff round the magician and twists it to cause him some pain. "I'm not sure if you;'re the demon or his lackey but either way...."

"It's the demon." Flyne states, "That demon might be able to change shape, but they can't change their smell."

Beaten up, grabbed, and arrowed, Ballantine shouts: "Enough! Even though you might sate your misplaced appetite for violence by attacking me, it doesn't really change anything. Humans are weak and they will always look for shortcuts, even though they know it will be harmful in the long term. If you believe otherwise, then prove it by letting me go!"

Total Babe says, "That sounds like a shortcut that might be harmful in the long term. Better to beat you into submission now."

Lightray holds his action as Total Babe has Ballantine entangles in her three section staff. He murmurs, "I will leave thqt decision to the one who holds you. The one you wronged."

"Take a look at her and tell me she was wronged!" Ballantine says.

Flyne growls at the demon, "You sound like you're trying to talk your way out of this. You decieved and tricked here." Flyne moves to try to get a clear shot, then shouts and performs geastures for its Binding Arm.

Flyne's geastures create a ball of blue/purple energy, which then is hurled at Ballantine, and once it hits, it unwraps into a large solid blue sphere with a purple cage, all transparent and glowing.

Longbow stands there a more traditional looking arrow posed ready to attack. "What say you. Does the demon live, or does the demon be brought to it's knees?" There is a hint that Longbow is prepared to inflict more serious harm to the demon than knocking it out should the situation call for it.

Chen moves in and tries for a martial grab on Ballantine.

Lightray looks at the other heroes then back to Ballantine. "Surrender Ballantine. End your illusions. Mercy will be yours if you do." The sunlight figure seems quite sincere.

Total Babe says, "What he said. And telling me what you did with my friends would be to your advantage too."

Ballantine says, "Will you release me if I do?"

"We might be able to work out a deal." Longbow states.

"Give us a good reason we should even trust you. Even if you answer, you could just be misleading us." Flyne states, rather coldly.

Chen comments, "I'll go along with whatever TB decides."

Total Babe says, "For telling me what you did with my frineds and where to find them? I would. Though - hm, yes. Trust is an issue."

"Let me go first, and then I'll tell you!" Ballantine says.

Total Babe says, "That - seems unwise."

"Superheroes are some of the most untrustworthy types around!" Ballantine says.

Lightray looks over at Longbow then to Flyne. "The two of you have his scent? You can track him at need?"

Flyne giggles at the notion the demon made, "Not from what I've seen. Most of the time, it's the other way around." Flyne shakes its head at the notion. Flyne then looks to Lightray, "I have his scent, but I can't track him using it."

"This waiting... it's becoming unbearable!" Ballantine says. He shifts forms and grows into the shape of a circus bear, threatening to bust out of his binding at the same time.

Longbow fires an arrow at the escaping ballatine. "It's not polite to attempt to out run fate."

The Bear growls as it busts free of it's restraints!

Lightray shakes his head. "So much for trust." A blindingly bright beam of sunlight shoots from the gemstone on his chest at Bear-Ballantine.

Under the combined might of the heroes, Ballantine Bear gets beat down. His form begins to sizzle and melt as the demon gets pulled forcibly back to the netherrealms upon defeat. "I'll be back!" he hisses. "My boss is coming! The Reaper is coming, and he's pissed!" The bear dissolves away in brimstone and smoke.

Total Babe says, "Yeah. Pisssed with him, I hope. WIth any luck he'll think about offering a better deal next time...."

"I dislike being in demon magic effects." Longbow mutters. "Well, I must take leave." Longbow is rarely one to hang around for periods of time after the fighting is done. "You've all done well. Be safe."

Total Babe says, "Ugh, and I'm late for work - got to run!""

Total Babe hurries off too.

"I should probably go back to doing what I was doing." Flyne states, before leaping of itself.

Lightray watches the others leave with a bemsued smile.