Log:ACE Returns, Scene 1

ACE Returns 2008/02/02 	 Amber Azure Brainchild Cliff Worth Decible Entropy Kagura Kiloton Lorelei Random Factor Skysabre Stinger 1

It's a miserable day in the city, with high winds driving cold rain sideways down for the sky. Outside of Starguard HQ, a squad of SG Delta soldiers stands on watch, wondering how they had the misfortune to draw guard duty on a day like today. The team's presence is part of the heightened security protocol that started when Starguard starting rooming a special guest: the Horde Queen.

Amber and Azure are coming off shift. Instead of hurrying home to the gym they visit the canteen and get a couple of tryas of hot coffees and chocolate drinks. They have stood guard in rotten weather often enough in their army days to remember what it's like. Loaded downwith the drink trays they step outside to cheer up the troopers.

Amber activate force fields, the ultra expensive substitute for an umbrella.

Lorelei makes her way in the direction of Starguard down York Boulevard. Typically, the one day it was really needed there was no parking anywhere closer. Cliff tries to shelter her from the driving rain with un umbrella, but not even his prescience of gusts is enough to stop the umbrella from being inverted as the winds are channelled between the tall buildings. The two are drenched long before they reach the corner.

"Thanks." One of the troopers says to the twins. "You two are life savers." He helps himself to some of the coffee. The other soldiers begin to gather around as well, taking drinks from the tray.

Amber looks around. Amber goes on watch to cover for the troopers taking coffees and chocolate. "Hey, soldiers," azure chides gently, "Man your posts. I'll bring the drinks around."

The umbrella is nearly wrenched right out of Cliff's hand as they reach the corner of StarDancer and the wind is suddenly whipping from a different direction, and is torn from half its spokes and flutters frenetically in the gale. Lorelei, for her part, takes cover on Cliff's lee side.

"You heard her, people," says a soldier with NCO stripes on his sleeve. He's manning his post, scanning the area through a pair of binoculars. "See something," he comments. "Looks like that movie star. Somebody's with her."

Lorelei says, "Only good thing is it's too foul for the paparazzi," Lorelei shouts against the wind for Cliff's benefit. Too bad for them - they'd probably get some money for some wet-look shots."

Amber slips a pair of binocs out of a pouch and checks on the sighting. "Yes. Lorelei and her bodyguard Cliff Worth. Oh, I bet she's furious right now. The wind and rain are ruining her hair styling."

Amber and Azure are taking coffees and other hot drinks out to the troopers on guard outside the SG building.

Lorelei and Cliff are across the street, just coming out from York Blvd, and getting drenched while struggling with the remains of an umbrella.

The Sergeant nods to Amber, agreeing with her assessment. He goes back to scanning the general area with his binoculars.

Kagura Sumegami struggles to walk thru the rain and wind. The bamboo umbrella she holds acts more as a windsail than any sort of protection from the elements. At times, it looks as if gusts of wind lift her right off the group for a few moments at a time. 1 step forward, 2 steps back...

Random Factor comes out right after the twins. He likes the troops to see he's willing to "grunt it out" with the resst of them. None of it bothers him of course, but it's the thought that counts.

Azure grins from inside her activated force armor. "Hi, Boss. Rotten day."

"Good afternoon, sir." one of the soldiers says, spotting Random, and snapping off a crisp salute.

Lorelei and Cliff turn north on StarDancer. "Looks like something's up at Starguard!" she comments.

Random Factor looks around and nods after a moment. "At ease, folks. Everything ok so far?"

Meanwhile, the Sergeant continues monitoring the foot traffic on the street. His gaze comes over Kagura and he watches her struggle forward in the rain. "Jenkins, front and center... I want you head over and give that poor kid a hand."

Amber hands Random a pair of binocs and points down the street. "Lorelei might not agree. She and Cliff are soaked. Her hair is a mess."

Lorelei spots the twins and Random - she thinks anyway, she could be wrong - through the rain and gives a wave.

The soldier relaxes and says to Random, "Nothing so far, sir."

Jenkins looks over and spots Kagura. He nods and says, "Got it." He heads over to Kagura.

Kagura Sumegami cries to herself, "mou... it just had to rain when I go out to shop for groceries... *Sigh*"

Random Factor says, "Good, good." He lifts into the air. "Oh, and watch yourself, soldier. That "poor kid" is carrying a weapon. Never underestimate, and... don't condescend." He then flies off in the direction of Lori. "Be right back.""

Cliff immediately says something to Lorelei, not audible to others over the rain, and positions himself directly between her and the perceived source of the danger, raising his force field.

Amber suddenly looks up and around. "Yes." she says seemingly to thin air.

Random Factor comes to a sudden halt in mid-air and turns back to the guards. "Heads up! Incoming unseen intruder!"

Random Factor switches to infrared.

Amber shouts, "Heads up. Incoming. Invisible intruder suspected. Look for rain bouncing off something you can't see. You should see an empty spot in the rain."

Suddenly all of the Starguard Troopers on guard duty by the entrance start to yell out in pain, some of them doubling over, others clutching their heads. Jenkins, the trooper who went over to Kagura, is the only one not affected.

"STARGUARD TROOPERS!" A booming voice cuts clearly through the wind and rain. "I AM DECIBEL..." A flying figure appears from around a street corner, a man in a caped costume hovering a story off the ground. He's carrying a second man by the arms. "I'LL GIVE YOU ONE CHANCE TO THROW DOWN YOUR WEAPONS..."

Decibel is a wiry looking man, dressed in a dark body suit. The suit bears an icon on his chest in white: a small circle that radiates larger circles. His costume in outfitted with a blue cape, with matching boots, gauntletted gloves and a domino mask. The mask does reveal some of his features: he appears to be a caucasian male in his fifties, with a greying moustache.

Kiloton is a costumed thug with a penchant for property damage. He's dressed in a red body suit, cut to leave his arms bare. He wears an atom insignia on his chest. His eyes are masked by the protective goggles that he wears, but his mask is cut to leave the mouth uncovered.

Random Factor mumbles "Aw shit. Why'd it have to be HIM?" under his breath.

Amber shouts over to Kiloton and Decibel, "What do you want here?" completely unfazed by their presence.

Cliff shouts more details to Lorelei.

The Starguard Trooper seem to be buoyed by the twins presence, ready for a fight, even though weakened by an unseen attacker.

Cliff points at a building a fair way off.

Random Factor says, ""BAAAD timing, Decibel. I'm back, I'm tired, and I'm PISSED! Now pack your bags and haul your sorry asses back outta town NOW beforee I HAUL you out!" To reinforce his statement, he rips up the nearest lightpole to knock the slobber outta Kiloton!"

Decibel turns towards Random and seems to hesitate a moment. Kiloton is not phases at all. He smirks at Random and says, "I'm gonna make you wish you stayed outta town, Random. They'll need a spatula to haul you off."

Cliff, beside shouting advice and pointing out the fourth man, stands ready to defend Lorelei.

Kiloton lets go of Decibel, but by the time he starts to drop he's already growth so that his feet are touching the ground. He charges towards Random Factor growing as he moves. He tops out at eight stories tall and he tries to trample Random Factor.

Kiloton flattens a parked char next to Random, crushing it and leaving a foot print in it, as if the car were nothing more than discarded bubblegum.

Skysabre activates following the disturbances at Starguard. It transforms almost upon waking into its humanoid battle configuration.

Cliff dashes across the street and attempts to tackle a seemingly empty space.

Cliff misjudges and trips, throwing himeself off-balance, and losing the invisible target in his confusion.

From this close, Cliff can see that the mysterious being isn't invisible, merely very close to transparent. It looks like it's mostly water, held together by membrane that's vaguely female in form. The figure reaches for Cliff...

Cliff manage to block the creature's attack, and manages to grasp it for a moment, but it's squishy and slippery and slides out of hand.

Cliff says, "She's really slippery and made of water or something! I'm trying to avoid 'watery tart' references."

Skysabre surveys the battle. "This is not good." The Air Commander observes, rain drops plinking noisily against its armor.

Kagura Sumegami releases her bamboo umbrella, letting it be carried off by the wind. She pulls out an ofuda from within her Shinto robes and begins to gesture and chant in Japanese. The paper talisman proceeds to combust and fall to ash as she points towards Kiloton.

Kiloton scoffs. "Was I supposed to feel something from that?"

The Starguard troopers continue to writhe in agony.

Azure tells the troopers who are able to act effectively, "Target is Kiloton. All weapons open fire."

Amber scoops up a trooper's weapon and using the magnification on the sight starts searching the building that Lorelei gestured to for a hidden villain. . o O(First law of Psionic combat. If they can see you then you can see them. First law of armed combat, if you can see it you can hit it.)

Skysabre turns to Decibel, lifting off from its position over Starguard and bringing up its wrist mounted plasma launchers. The business end is aimed at the large man. "Desist immediately or you will be fired upon."

Decibel speaks in his booming voice: "WE ARE HERE TO DELIVER A MESSAGE... That those people who would put the interests of other world ahead of the interests of Earth will suffer the consequences. We are the Allied Champions of Earth and we won't be denied!"

Random Factor thinks. o O (Idiots! Whatta they thhink? That we cartered the invasion, taking the boxed lunches?)

Skysabre opens fire on Kiloton. It doesn't seem to be holding back, given the gravity of what's in the building behind it.

Lorelei thinks. o O (Yeah. Because everyone here puts the interests of Tau Ceti 6 above Earth interests.)

Azure is outraged. "YOU WHAT! Those Starguard Troopers you're hurting put their lives on the line fighting to free Earth from an alien threat and you do this to them and then make THAT CLAIM!"

Kiloton winces, drawing up a giant arm to help shield himself from the blasts. "Decibel... gimme a hand here."

Random Factor grins and steps to one side as the giant slams past him demolishing the car. "Maybe te lady didn't make ya feel much, ya Big Cry-Baby, but it DID distract ya enough for me to do THIS!" He drops the lightpole and steps into a martial arts stance and punches upward, right into the fold of the titan's knee, hoping to collapse him.

"Oof!" Kiloton's knee trembles but he takes a step back and steadies himself.

Decible says, "The invasion isn't over yet! The Horde Queen is still here on Earth. We're here for the the final step that Starguard seems unwilling to take. We are going to finish the Queen, once and for all." He levels his hand at Skysabre, and fires a beam of sonic energy.

Lorelei figures with the adverse weather it's not time for subtlety, since she needs to be seen. She runs to what must be between the man at the window and where his Starguard victims were, to be sure she in her sight, and throws aside her coat so the rain is plastering her clothes to her figure. And then she strikes her very best pose.

Skysabre is struck in the air, the water droplets clinging to its armor shaking off as its frame is vibrated. The most damage seems to be to the Air Commander's harmonics, which in turn overwhelm some of is systems.

Azure continues shouting, "I didn't see YOU in the Hive when we were fighting her. If you care so much why weren't you on hand? You chicken-livered big talking screwballs have NO right to turn up afterwards and fight the ones who SAVED you from the threat in the first place."

Brainchild You see an African American male, standing only four feet tall. His dimensions are a little weird. His build is like that of a child, but his head is larger than it ought to be. Despite the apparent youth of his stature, his features make him to be at least in his thirties. He's dressed in a tweed coat and wears a bow tie.

Brainchild catches sight of Lorelei and gasps. He catches himself and refocuses on the task at hand.

Kiloton takes a moment to steady himself. He looks over at Random and for a moment, he seems a little unsure. That moment passes quickly as a sneer comes to his face. He looks right at Random, and then sweeps his hand out to swat at Kagura and Lorelei.

Random Factor winces

Kiloton looks back at Random. "Oops." he says. "Sometimes I don't know my own strength."

Stinger leaves Cliff for the moment. Instead, she runs up behind Azure and tries to surprise her with an attack from behind.

Kagura Sumegami is sent flying thru the window of an Apple(tm) store, her body knocking over various iPod Quantums on display. She hits the back wall with a thud, and crashes down onto the group, falling on top of an Apple Geekbar employee.

Cliff throws himself between Stinger and Azure an instant before the attack.

The Starguard Troopers train their weapons on Kiloton and open fire.

Cliff says, "Ow... she's like a jellyfish.... don't suppose anyone has a flamethrower?"

The well aimed barrage of laser fire causes Kiloton to retreat a couple of steps.

Collective, the Starguard Trooper shout in agony and collapse, unconscious.

Lorelei thinks. o O (That mentalist is far too good....)

Azure steps back a paces as if reacting to Kiloton's swinging hand. Then a ranger staff springs as if by magic from a hand. The staff whips out behind Azure at Stinger's lower legs and swings on to press down hard onto the spot where her invisibly chest will be if the leg sweep works.

The twin's whip strikes Stinger, but Stinger slips free before Azure can take advantage.

Azure says, "What...?"

Amber kneels on one knee supporting the laser carbine with a hand and fires on the target finally spoted.

Brainchild jumps, startled as a laser blast almost nails him from the street level.

Decibel lands on the ground and points towards Random Factor. "We just want the Queen. If you give up now, we'll let you walk away." He fires a blast of concentrated sonic energy at Random Factor.

Random Factor starts to respond but goes flying instead, slumping in front od SGQ doors.

"I believe that we can negotiate." Skysabre calls out to Decibel. "I can remove the Queen."

Stinger tries again for her intended target: Azure

From the doors of Starguard, a man pushes his way through the gawking crowd and those who might be trying to keep bystanders out of the way. "It's okay, I just need to..." Xander stops short as he makes it clear, finding a certain spandex clad Greek God sliding to a hald at his feet. The grey field that trails around him seems to intensify, and his well-tailored suit fast seems to wear thin and ragged, as if aging years in the space of mere seconds. "...late for class again, I guess..."

Lorelei tries turning her considerable charms upward for the giant's benefit: maybe it will have more effect.

Kiloton finds himself looking at Lorelei and a lecherous grin spreads across his lips. And then his eyes roll back into his head and the giant comes crashing down!

Cliff gets to his feet and attempt to knock the jellyfish woman from hers!

The ground shakes as Kiloton hits the ground. Thankfully, no one is beneath him when he does.

Stinger walks over to Lorelei. "Run along, little girl. This isn't one of your movie sets..."

Brainchild scrambles under a desk for cover. He focuses his attention on Random Factor.

Random Factor says, "But I don't WANNA go to school today, Sister! I'm siiiiiick."

Azure runs for a hoverboard that some kid carelessly left in the street. Mounting the hover board she hovers in the same direction to maintain momentum, grabs Kiloton's earlobe to execute a tight turn and goes towards Decibel. Amber spreads the beam of the laser carbine and shoots Azure and Kiloton's head while they are in the same line of fire.

Since falling, Kiloton has returned to his normal size.

Decible spots Amber approaching. He takes aim and fires a blast of sound at her.

Decibel's blast misses.

Moments after Kiloton drops unconscious, a device on his belt flashes. Kiloton's unconscious body fades from view as he is teleported elsewhere.

Random Factor reaches up and rubs his temple, squinting. "Damn. Did anyone get the number of that... wait. I was supposed to do... something..."

Random Factor rises slowly to his feet and sneers. "Ok, we'll do this the HARD way. First, Brain-Boy, I think I'll break your kneecaps. After all. What you can't see, you can't hit? Huh? Too bad that doesn't work in reverse! Well, for YOU anyways!" He starts to sprint forward, laughing hysterically, as he fades into invisibility!

Lorelei acts the part of startled starlet and nods and swallows to Stinger as if terrified and hurries off as if running away - but not without 'stumbling' into a nice pose for Decibel on the way.

Cliff moves into position to shield Lorelei from Stinger if need be.

Decibel swoons and if suddenly feeling faint. "Gah!" he says, recovering. "Get her!" he orders of Lorelei.

Stinger starts to follow Lorelei, but finds Cliff in her path. "You again... Haven't you had enough already?"

Stinger reaches for Cliff with her poisonous touch.

Cliff says, "You won't lay a finger on her."

Entropy looks to the melee before him, then to his hand, an almost reluctant frown crossing his face. He then thrusts that hand outward toward the hole in the rain that seems to be fighting the others, his ashen aura coalescing before his palm, then streaking outward toward the hazy form.

Editor's Note: Cliff collapses from the cumulative effects of Stinger's poison.

Stinger looks over at Decibel. "His dedication was admirable."

Stinger chases Lorelei down and reaches for her, determined to make her suffer the same fact as her bodyguard.

Brainchild spots Azure advancing. Staring at her, he tries to reach out with his brain and fill the twin's mind with pure agony.

Lorelei says, "Ow, if that comes out in a rash I'm suing! I need my looks for my work! And you don't want to know what I get by the hour."

Amber runs forward a distance and throws a flash grenade at Decibel. Azure follows in and slices at him with a big sword.

Decibel is engulfed by a blinding explosing. Afterwards, he still seems aware of his surroundings and he prepares to defend himself from Azure's attack.

Decibel smiles slightly, relieved at having dodged the blade. "Sonar," he says. "I'm sure that you've heard of it."

Lorelei thinks. o O (Why always flash grenades?)

Amber says, "Oh. Thanks. I have a banger for that too."

Stinger leaves Lorelei for now, and tries to sting Amber.

Stinger, seeing Amber as being out of her reach, decides to focus on Lorelei.

Brainchild, seeing the affects of his previous mental attack on the twins, decides to try it again.

Amber and Azure drop on the spot.

Lorelei shouts outs, acting the part of outraged celebrity, "You can't do this to me! Do you know who I am? And anyway, if you lay a finger on me you *know* Random won't like it. He'll sneak up on you - you know he's around here somewhere...."

Stinger freezes for a moment, and begins looking around for Random.

Entropy watches as the twins hit the deck, swallowing hard. Taking a step or two toward Lorelei and Stinger, he reaches out his hand again. Instead of a beam though, the air around Stinger starts to shimmer and form a barrier.

''Editor's Note: At this point we were force to wrap up the scene. Stinger remained captured by the heroes, while the villains escaped with Lorelei as a hostage.''