Log:Don't Fear The Reaper, Scene 3

Don't Fear The Reaper 2011/12/23 	 Electric Bill Ellbeth Flutter Invincible Lorelei Nightshade Pendragon Primal Reaper Speed Demon Sukeban Warhammer 3

"So, you did not sign a contract stipulating that tonight, he would come to take you. You simply agreed that when you died, your soul was his." clarifies Arthur via Pendragon's mouth. "I see, and you technically died long ago, but like another I knew long ago, you managed to cheat death. You know, if you had not gone about this in such a hideous manner... you and I might have actually gotten along. I like people who think outside the box like that." Pendragons eyes turn to the others and she says, "I shall remain and fight this demon. After all, demons deserve nothing from us but the points of our blades, so to speak. Who is with me?"

Lorelei says, "I can't say I like the sound of this Reaper. But it sounds like you need a long-term solution when it comes to your soul. Have you consulted a priest?"

Sukeban raises her hand, "Yo."

Lorelei looks at Sukeban. "Hm?"

Ellbeth says, "There may be another option. Although, honestly, Nightshade, I doubt if you're ready for it. Repentance and redemption. You're dead. That's not a stable situation and even if you survive tonight there's next year, and the year after that, ad infinitum. Your only hope for a long term win is the free yourself of the debt."

Sukeban nods, "Can ya, rike, give the powers back?"

Nightshade responds to Lorelei. "I like to take my afterlife one day at a time." She curiously regards Pendragon for a moment. "Just who are you, anyway," she asks, more curious than dismissive.

Nightshade says to Sukeban, "My power is all that I have left. I'm not going go of my last bit of leverage. You might have noticed that about me."

Primal has still been checking out the area and she looks at the shelving for the library as if trying to decide if they are load bearing structures... kitty bearing structures at least. She reaches up and taps her bottom lip with the claw of her right index finger and 'hmmmms' to herself. Her tail swishes this way and that as if trying to decide... "Do you have a more defensible place in this mansion? This room... is not suited for large scale conflict."

"Allow me to explain in deed rather than story." offers Pendragon, turning the blade of her sword downward and bowing her head, "I swear upon the blade of Excalibur in my very hand, that I shall fight this Reaper and win your freedom for another year. The lady Ellbeth has the right of it though. You should seek a more permanent solution." she remarks, heavy English accent and all. And she turns towards Primal with a nod, "Aye, we should fortify and make arrangements."

Sukeban nods, "I'm not the right person to recture anyone about bad rife choices."

Lorelei says, "So what can you tel;l us about this Reaper?"

Ellbeth is talking on her PDA, "So, Max, a quick scan through the collected works. Subject, the Reaper. Category, weaknesses. Give me a call back if you discover anything. Tonight would be good. This minute would be even better."

Nightshade says to Ellbeth, "Repentance? Not in my vocabulary."

Lorelei blinks at Pendragon. . o O ( For real? )

Nightshade explains to Lorelei. "I'm not sure what to expect. We've talked, but I've never seen him try to collect. There's... a chance we might run to other supervillains who've made the same deal with Reaper."

THOOOM! The ground rumbles with the force on a giant footfall in the distance.

Primal asks, again, "Do you have a more defensible position, or your soul may well not be yours come morning."

Sukeban grins, "Oh! One rast thought. He's not fireproof, I hope?"

Longbow leaves TransMat RRP1 and enters Universal TransMat.

Lorelei says, "Great. You think you'd do a bit of research if you have this problem every year..."

Nightshade says, "I'm heading to my sanctum. From there I can see what's going on outside."

"Where will he -appear-?" asks Pendragon of Nightshade. "We need to make sure he knows how to reach you, so that we can know the path he will take and intercept him along that path."

Nightshade says, "That noise you heard, that was him appearing."

Rolling her eyes, Pendragon remarks, "For someone who needs assistance, you are being -very- bad at sharing what we need. Where -is- he then? Without the proper knowledge, we cannot fight him effectively."

Sukeban's flames whip around her in anticipation, "Ret's go say herro!"

Ellbeth says, "Mmm... How far away would you say that was?"

Nightshade gestures towards a bookshelf. It swings open and reveals a set of stairs going down.

"Are you not planning to help us help you Nightshade?" asks Pendragon. She sheathes her sword and folds her arms over her head. "Seriously, do you have any idea where he is right now?" She turns towards the entrance to the library, "Though I think he will be coming here, to us."

Lorelei says, "We'd best get ready...."

"It's about a hundred meters off that way," She points, "But, doesn't matter where he /is/ we know where he's going to /go/." Primal says while looking over at Nightshade. "If I were hunting her, would try to draw us away to get her alone. Best bet, stay with her." She shrugs, moving over towards the dead woman, "Not sure /why/ we're staying, she made deal with devil, deserves what she gets." She mutters softly to herself.

Flutter explores the area that is chosen as the battleground, and says, "We are doing what is right. If you feel that it is not, then you may leave and allow us to complete this task. I would not think less of you for it."

Ellbeth nods, "Flutter has the truth of it. We stand here not for Nightshade but to oppose the Reaper.

"I say you remain right here Nightshade. The moment he sees you, then you withdraw into your bookcase. We -want- him to try to follow so that we can flank him. Those who can help at a distance, find cover and arrange crossfires. Thos like myself, who must be up close... prepare to defend yourselves." And with that, Pendragon stretches her arms and neck, makes sure her chain coif is up and ready, and then draws her blade and strides forward towards the room's entrance to be a roadblock.

Primal shrugs, "The Queen here," she jerks a thumb at Pendragon, "Made an Oath. Not leaving her so... I'm staying along for the ride."

Nightshade says to Pendragon, "I'm powerless against the Reaper. And it's me he's after. The last thing I'm going to do is go out and confront him." Still she stays by the entrance to the staircase down.

Lorelei picks a location where she can be seen from the door, but not too close.

Sukeban grins, "And if we win, an evir bastard gets what's comin' to them. And if we lose, and evir bastard gets what's comin' to them."

Flutter smiles. "Wonderful! Then you know why we are remaining!"

Ellbeth says, "Mind your eyes." and casts in rapid succession a shield spell for personal protecion, and then a mental images spell that fills the library with the radient glow of a sunny day.

"I did not ask you to confront him, merely to give him a target... briefly. So that we can gain a tactical advantage. Primal, I advise you hide and attack from a flank, but I don't need to tell you how to do your predatory best, do I?" asks Pendragon with a grin. "The rest of you... take positions and make ready."

The heavy footfalls edge closer and closer to the mansion.

Flutter casts the sigil of deception, creating a large area of illusions. Three enormous versions of herself standing around, looking ready!

Flutter fails to create said illusions on the first try.

Concentrating, Flutter begins the spell again, more focused now and in tune with the location.

The footsteps pause for a moment in the front drive at the entrance of the mansion. Through the windows, Pendragon can make out the skeletal shin of a giant creature.

Primal shields her eyes when the daylight thing goes off and her tail snaps angrily behind her back and forth. She tracks the sound of the steps and flexes her hands as she says, "If that were me out there, that'd just be a distraction and not important. Designed to get us away from the prize."

Nodding, Pendragon remarks, "Ah, there he be. Come.. let battle be joined." she mutters as her hand adjusts her grip like becoming reacquainted with an old friend thought lost forever. An odd grin comes over her face as she reaches up and lowers the hood of her cloak just a bit to shield her eyes as the daylight begins. "We are going nowhere. It is to our advantage to make him come to us."

Lorelei keeps her eyes peeled for any sign things are not as they seem, following Primal's remark.

Flames swirl around Sukeban's arms as she begins to charge up.

A pair of hands dig into the roof of the foyer and tear it open. It's the Reaper.

No entry for 'Reaper is a fearsome mass of flesh and bone. It's about forty feet tall with an animal sku'.

The Reaper is a fearsome mass of flesh and bone. It's about forty feet tall with an animal skull with two curling ram horns for a head. It's skeleton is fully exposed in some sections, like the ribcage of its right chest, it's left arm, and both of its shins.

Sukeban mutters to herself, "At reast I won't have a probrem hittin' that."

Primal looks up and up and up at the Reaper, "Well, now we know where it keeps it's lunch. Things, probably souls, in it's ribcage." And her tail lashes back and forth behind her before she springs into the fray, literally. She leaps straight up at the reaper trying to sink her claws into it's ribcage close to it's back and scramble towards the nape of it's neck!

Giant ribs are akin to a jungle gym, at least for Primal. The fact that her claws are part spirit stuff and can grip onto practically everything helps as she flips through and around the giant demons ribcage and makes it to the center of it's back up between it's shoulder blades with a grin.

Nightshade gestures and casts a spell. She teleports away.

Lorelei's reaction is pretty well instinctive by now - she attempts a stunning pose. While examining the monster with her second sight and hoping it's not more horrifying to that.

Sukeban digs in her heels and grits her teeth as the flames around her arms swirl faster and faster, going from red to yellow to white hot.

From the Reaper's eyeless sockets it's hard to judge how much of an effort Lorelei's pose has on the creature.

From within the darkness inside The Reaper's chest cavity, a pair of shining eyes open and peer at Primal between a pair of the Reaper's ribs.

Flutter makes the images different, the enormous copies of herself exploding into a dozen copies of herself that are all the correct size, all buzzing around the Reaper's general area.

Ellbeth moves the sphere of sunlight to envelop the Reaper's torso, including it's ribs.

The Reapers flesh begins to sizzle under the light of day.

Primal 'ewwws', "Guys!" She shouts down, "There's four baddies in there just waiting to play too! Expect reinforcements!"

A huge bellowing voice erupts from the Reaper. 'FLEE NOW OR PERISH AND JOIN MY RANKS' It's head does not move, and it doesn't have lips to speak of, but the sound can be heard with bone rattling intensity.

Flutter hesitates, then steels her resolve. Giant demonic creatures are certainly scary, but she's designed to withstand them.

The Reaper pulls open it's right rib cage and four figures emerge, each one a decaying husk that hints at a once more vibrant form: a heavy muscled flying man in a cape, an athletic man wielding a giant mace, a man crackling with electrical energy, and a woman who moved with super human speed.

Eyes widening a bit, Bethany almost loses her focus, her nerve. But she has something beyond nerve... she has a friend and a blade that will not fail her. She looks down at Excalibur, and when her eyes come back up, they're steely once more, "You shall have to do better than simply using a deep voice... and I see you are so cowardly that you would have others fight your battles."

Primal however hesitates only for the barest moment, almost non-existent hesitation really. When the four deadites are released she humms to herself and murmurs, "Well, now I don't have to worry about dodging grabby hands through rib cages."

Having steeled herself, Pendragon shakes her head and points her blade at Invincible. "Alright, let's start this rolling." she remarks without her accent. "Excalibur, I call upon your power.." she remarks as the gleaming blade glows golden and fires a bolt of pure energy at Invincible.

Pendragon's blast strikes Invincible right in the I emblazoned on his wide chest. He covers up in response to the attack, bringing his arms up to protect his wounded body.

Sukeban glares as her concentration falters, her flames wavering and flaring off randomly.

The departed speedster zips up the Reaper's leg and tries to dislodge Primal with speed-powered punch.

Primal continues to flip and scramble up the demons back, climbing higher and higher until she comes up over the top of it's head. Perched up there she bends down over the front of the demons face and she grins toothily, "Hi. I'm here to make you have a very bad day!" She announces cheerfully and then Speed Demon is zipping up and towards her. She grabs on tight with clawed fingers before she swings down, holdong onto it's eyebrow ridge with one hand she uses the force to try and plunge her free hand, claws first, into the demons eye!

The massive creature doesn't flinch, even though Primal's claws cut deep furrows into it's skull.

Electric Bill stretches an arc of electricity between his hands. He bends and twists the arc, trying to hurl it into three of the Flutter illusions.

The electricity passes harmlessly through the three Flutters, revealing them to be simply illusions.

Flutter's ruse is revealed! The three illusionary Flutters do not seem to be affected by the electric attack. Three down, nine to go in the illusion!

Primal pauses, pursing her lips as the demon doesn't even react to losing some bone and she hangs with one arm in front of it's face. "Anyone got any idea's where I can stick my claws to best effect on this thing?" She asks while glancing over at Speed Demon, assuming he's still on the (big) demon as well.

Sukeban glowers and mutters in Japanese, ""

FFFOOOOOSHT! The Reaper stagger back a step from the torrent of fire. In the front drive, it trips against the fountain and falls onto it back with a ground-shaking K-Thoom.

Sukeban runs her hand through her hair and flashes a "V for victory" at the others.

Primal is very glad she always lands on her feet right this moment, able to swing with the fall to land unharmed on the big demons face.

Lorelei doubts it will work, but she decides to see if she can break the mystic link between the reaver and the deceased villains. Choosing Invincible, she tries to shock him free of control by means of her decidedly non-dead body. "Hey, let's not fight, big boy...."

Invincible clutches his head and screams, "GraaaaAAAAHHH!" Spiritually, Lorelei can see the real Invincible pulling slowly away from his bonds, only to be violently snapped back. He looks straight at Lorelei with cold, dead, glowing eyes.

Lorelei thinks. o O (Right idea. But I'm not up to it....)

Invincible fires a pair of blue-black lasers from his eyes at Lorelei.

Flutter flits into the path of the blast, preventing Lorelei from becoming very harmed!

Flutter seems unharmed by the assault, completely intact.

Warhammer leaps behind Pendragon and tries to strike her from the rear.

A transparent projection for Nightshade appears next to Ellbeth.

As Warhammer leaps, Pendragon's eyes follow the motion. She turns and raises both brows. Lifting the blade, she shakes her head and deflects the incoming weapon with her own. "You should know. Excalibur protects me from all harm. You are doomed to fail."

Ellbeth maintains her spells, keeping the Reaper in the pool of sunlight radiance.

With it's body smouldering from the combination of Sukeban's fire and Ellbeth's sunlight, the creature lumbers up to its feet again. With a throwing motion, it flings its skeletal right hand towards Ellbeth in an attempt to grab the white magician.

Boom! The clawed hand strikes the ground kicking up a cloud of dirt and debris. When the dust settles, it's clear that the attack fell short of hitting Ellbeth.

Speed Demon zips over to a pile of debris. Her arms blur as she hurls bits of it at Primal with lethal velocity.

The barrage misses, and some of the debris glances off of the Reaper's skull.

Primal frowns as debris goes flying by and pings off the skeletal skull of the demon. "Nyah!" She sticks her tongue out at Speed demon and grins. Primal then looks at the furrows made by her claws in the bone eyesocket of the demon she had tried to 'blind' and then she shrugs, "Right then, guess I'll have to make it up as I go then." She drops down off the demons face, hand reaching out to sink claws into it's chest as she scrambles down it's chest over towards the bare bone side of it's ribcage. From there she tries to peer into it's ribcage to look for any source of power or central energy mass, anything resembling a heart or a weakness she can exploit.

"Oh look, that looks fun!" Primal announces and then the tigress sticks her arms through the empty space between the rib bones and she squirms and pulls her way through, dislocating some joints and popping them back into place instinctively as she almost decompresses to get through but she does it! Primal has disappeared into the demon... kay.

GLancing up in the middle of her sparring match, Pendragon sighs and shakes her head, "Well, that's not a surprise really. Primal went exploring..."

Lorelei thinks. o O (And I thought the sewers were bad....)

Invincible lands and the ground, standing over Flutter. He starts to throw down punches at her.

Flutter withstands the pounding, her small frame providing little room to work with and most of the blows landed simply deflect. She does not protest, actually pleased that she is able to take what would be aimed at a less sturdy companion.

Electric Bill stops eliminating the fake Flutters now that the real one is found. He turns towards Sukeban. The electricity arcs between his hands and leaps towards her.

Sukeban staggers and twitches from the shot, but her swirling barrier of flame absorbed most of the current, "Ow! Mother @#$^er!"

Lorelei says, "Ok, thanks!"