Log:Icelantic Holiday, Scene 8

Icelantic Holiday 2014/05/08 	 Ten|Eve Titan Anthony Quinn|Anthony Sasha Paragon Cecila Rift Sukeban

8

At the Lake
The group has only just arrived at the lake, which is set in a valley and because of the heating beneath the ground has a mist drifting across the entire surface, when another earth tremor is felt.

This time the group is close enough that Cecila can pin-point the location of the tremor effect and communicate that to Titan. It's a dozen miles to the west.

The children halt briefly when the earth shakes beneath their feet but they've gotten used to it happening on the holiday and all except Peter resume their activities immediately the tremor stops.

Titan lets the rest of the team know about it, including those not in the 'communicator loop'.

Peter concentrates for a couple of seconds and when he finds nobody hurt in his mental range he joins the other children in racing to the changing rooms.

Sasha murmurs, "Shall I Gate us there, Titan?"

Eve says, "That's a smaller target than we were searching last night - should we go and investigate?"

Leonid tightens his grip on Steven's hand. He remembers what Steven told him when the earth tremor hit during the Northern Lights expedition.

Mark runs over to Anthony, "Can I go scuba diving please?" He askes excitedly.

Titan nods to both Sasha and Eve. "Let's check it out. Cecila can stay to keep an eye on the kids."

Eve nods to Titan.

Sasha pats Leonid gently on the shoulder. "I need to go with my friends for a little while, Leonid. You stay here with Cecilia. I will be back soon."

Quinn nods. "Small enough and close enough we stand a pretty good chance of finding it this time," he says. "Give me a couple of minutes to slip away and get suited up and I can help with the search." As Mark comes running up he nods to him. "I have to go check on something," he says, "but as long as you stay with the instructor, sure."

Several other parties of tourists are already at the lake, one party containing the fae healer Lady Nienna of House Argoleus. She sees with Second Sight that several of the people around Titan are holo-disguised and starts making her way to him.

Patrica goes to a picnic table, sits on the bench and gets a sketchpad out of her backpack. She starts sketching the lake view with pen and ink.

Titan sees Nienna approaching and says to the others quietly, "I think I better talk to her first, before heading out."

Paragon trails at the tail end of the group in her holographic guise, dutifully watching the children while pondering why the Guardians never prepared her for how to take care of kids. Maybe it never occurred to them?

With the tremor and the activity surrounding it, she snaps out of her thoughts. She looks to the Titan and nods at his orders.

Sukeban sits down next to Patrica and keeps an eye out on the surroudnings, and on Patrica's drawing too.

Patrica has only just started on the lake view. But the previous opposing page in the sketchpad is a dual portrait of Anthony and Sukeban. It's of a quality that wouldn't look out of place hanging on the wall of a art gallery.

Partica looks up and smiles to Sukeban, "You don't mind if I sketch, do you, Anego?" she asks.

Lady Nienna's smile changes to a frown as she sees Leonid. Her pace quickens as she heads towards Titan.

Mark is racing off to the changing rooms after the other children.

Sasha watches Lady Nienna then looks down to Leonid. His gaze then returns to Lady Nienna.

Sukeban grins, "Do whatever ya like, Patti-chan, other than cause trouble."

Patrica nods and continues sketching, ink going on the paper to build the basis of the lake view sketch.

Sasha murmurs to Leonid, "Do you know how to swim, Leonid?"

Titan walks over toward Lady Nienna, "Is everything alright?"

Lady Nienna gets to Titan. "Ableman John. There are several here hiding their features in the same manner as you. And I see a boy here who is malnourished with one of those under such a glamour. This would cause me concern were I to see it on Undermoon. Have I cause for concern here?"

Leonid nods. "Yes, Steven. I can swim but I am not a fast swimmer."

Sasha smiles down at Leonid. "Why don't you do with the other children then? I think you will like it."

Titan shakes his head, and keeps his voice low, "Well...the boy was rescued from someone who was abusing him. He's in the midst of recovering from his ill treatment. And the others who are hidden as I am...are with me. We're...for the lack of a better term, superheroes. From Colonial Bay, the city where the Undermoon Embassy is."

Leonid looks unhappy, "Do I have to. Can't I stay with you, Steven?" he asks.

Sasha kneels down to look Leonid in the eye. "I am going to possibly be in danger. I value you too much to put you in unnecessary danger, my little wolf. And the other children probably want to get to know you as well."

Eve nods in confirmation of what Titan said.

Lady Nienna looks into Titan's face. She is still frowning but nods. "I will take you at your word, Ableman John. Will you allow me to tend to the boy? His ordeal may have affected his health."

Titan nods to Lady Nienna, "I'm fine with that. But I don't think it's up to me." He looks over to Sasha, "Are you okay with that? You're effectively his guardian."

Paragon folds her arms over her chest and waits, smiling to herself and gazing over the lake's misty surface. . o O (I wonder what it must be like to have children. I will have to ask Captain Amazing and Mentra, if they ever realize they each have feelings for each other.) She chuckles to herself, thinking of the irony that she noticed it when a mentalist could not. The pace doesn't seem urgent to investigate the tremor. The children are safe. May as well enjoy the view. It's not often she gets to travel out of the country.

Leonid shakes as he hugs Steven and then releases his grip and nods, "Like Rasputin? You go to help another? I will stay with the other children." Then he hugs again, "Don't get hurt!" he pleads.

Sasha returns Leonid's hug then stands and looks over at Lady Nieena. After a moment, he says in archaic sounding Fae, "Do I have your word as a noblewoman Lady Nienna that you will not harm the child?"

Lady Nienna looks highly affronted. "I am a Healer. We are sworn to never harm another person. If you need my word before you will allow me to tend to the child you have it." She tells Sasha in an icy tone of voice.

Eve frowns as the fae lady takes affront.

Sasha smiles slightly then bows to Lady Nienna as he murmurs in archaic Fae, "My apologies for any offense, but I am very protective of my new ward." He then looks down at Leonid and says in Russian, "This pretty lady is going to check you over. She is, hmm, a magical healer."

Paragon notices the confrontation happening in a language she can't understand, but the facial expressions are clear to read. She walks over and asks the group in English with a charming smile and a warm tone, "Is everything okay?"

Lady Nienna's tone softens, "He will come to no harm from me. Your concern for the child does you honor."

Leonid moves over to Lady Nienna, casting glances back at Steven.

Titan bows his head to Lady Nienna, "Thank you for your assistance. We need to check out a disturbance a short distance away. We'll be back shortly."

Eve relaxes as whatever the problem was seems resolved. . o O (Wish I knew what they were saying...)

The children are mostly in the lake swimming. Leonid is with Lady Nienna. Patrica is sketching. Cecila is keeping watch over the kids, leaving the heroes free to investigate the source of the earth tremors.

Sasha says into the comm when Lady Nienna is far enough way not to hear. "Cecila, if you could please make certain Lady Nieena does not abduct Leonid, I would appreciate it" There is mild humor in his tone.

There's a lot of interest in Mark's gear when he joins the other scuba divers. He explains his mother is in the army and the Royal Engineers at the base made him a child sized version of the latest military scuba system.

Titan lets out a long breath. "Okay...let's get going."

Eve nods. "We don't want to let whoever or whatever get away!"

Sasha walks to a spot out of sight of the normals and opens a Gate.

During Titan and Sasha's conversation with the Lady Nienna, Quinn has taken the time to head outside to where a large van is waiting for him. Looking around he ducks inside where the machinery quickly assembles his armor onto him.

Paragon is left thoroughly confused by the exchanges happening, but it all seems to be resolved. What she does understand is the order to move out from Titan. She groups up with the other heroes, casting a glance back at the kids before looking forward again.

Sukeban pats Patricia on the head, "Yo, Patti-chan, I'm going to head off for a little bit to look into those tremors. Try not to give Cecila too much trouble, OK?"

Eve thinks. o O (With any luck we'll be quick enough we're barely missed...)

There's someone who's been overlooked the entire holiday. Mr Kirk. The children's teacher. He's been in the background the whole time but somehow nobody ever seems to notice him. Now he makes his way over to Titan, "A word?"

Titan nods to Mr. Kirk. "Of course. What is it?"

Rift knows the general location of the team. She had another assignment which she has finished and it was suggested that she join the rest of the team in Iceland. She teleports into a bathroom that luckily is empty. She stays there for a moment as she uses her PDA to contact Titan.

Mr Kirk says, "You're getting ready to go on a mission. The signs are unmistakable to someone like me." He looks at 'Steven' and Leonid. "Those two would not be separated unless that was the case. The earth tremors? If you need all the escort I'm not supposed to know about I can watch over the children for a while." He turns so only Titan can see and briefly opens his jacket. Nestled in a shoulder holster is a compact machine pistol.

Titan raises a brow and nods to Mr. Kirk, "Thank you. I'll take you up on that."

Mr Kirk offers Titan a hand. "Good luck."

Cecila discretely breaks off from the main tourist group filled with the civilians as she starts moving away towards the west where she detected the tremors coming from, no doubt others of the chaparone team will be likely doing the same and joining her in short order as well since she let those with communicators know the whereabouts of where it was coming from.

Sukeban heads off after Cecila, dropping her holo-disguise once she's out of sight, and letting her flames fill her hair and eyes.

Titan answers his PDA, and gives Rift the short version of what's going on. "Checking out some tremors nearby. They're not natural. That's all we know."

Eve says, "we ready to go through?"

Rift nods her head, "Do you have coordinates to meet at?" she asks, to get the location she can join them without having to hide her armor.

Cecila drops the holo disguise much further away from the group than the others probably would and draws up some rocks to surround her body as this time she causes the earth to move and propel her forward towards their destination... well assuming everyone is with her that is.

Titan gives Rift the coordinates where they're headed. "See you there."

Rift shifts to the new location to meet up with the others once they get there.

Sasha drops the holo disguise after he crosses through the Gate. He waits until the last hero is through then lets the Gate fade away.

Paragon steps through the gate, observing it curiously as she walks through. "That's a really neat ability," she compliments.

Abandoned USAF Base
With her earth affinity and special senses, Cecila detects extensive underground chambers. Some as small as a bedroom, some as large as a refectory or gym. With hallways connecting them. And one huge area at least half the size of a football field. There's a strange seismic 'sensation' coming from the huge area, a kind of bluriness to her senses. She also senses movement in the huge underground chamber.'

Eve looks about as she exits the portal.

Harlequin nods to Paragon. "Thank you," he murmurs in a mixed European/RP accent. "I seldom lose anyone in the spaces between worlds."

Rather than use Harlequin's gate Quinn takes to the air so that he can do aerial surveillance of the location.

Titan smiles slightly, not really knowing if Harlequin is joking about that or not.

Flames lick out from Sukeban's skin and swirl around her as she takes off, rocketing after Cecila, a long trail of flame and smoke behind her.

The area is slightly unusual in its flatness. A rare occurance in Iceland. But there seems nothing untoward that is immediately visible.

Rift approaches the others having shifted herself here and dips her head, "Good to see you all again." she says. She is in her armor, the crystals on her chest glowing slightly. She looks around, "This is the source?" she asks as she looks around at the others.

Paragon blinks, looking a little startled. "Ah, that's...good to know," she gulps and nods. But then she wonders, what an adventure that would be! A smile creeps on her face, and as the Gate closes, she switches off her hologram, replacing the rugged Icelandic chaperone with a tall armored figure with a featureless helm, save for a few seam lines and two eyeslots. Within, two white lights serve as eyes.

Cecila stomps her foot into the ground to get a better feel for what she's sensing at the moment "...can any of you tell me if there's supposed to be anything underground here? Because I'm sensing some chambers and rooms and such underground here and it might even be moving... hard to say some of it seems all blurry... like you know how sand and beaches sorta feel to me"

Sukeban says, "Somethin' big burrowin' maybe?"

Harlequin looks around, his porcelain face turning in a slow arc. "Nothing unusual magically or spiritually here." He looks at Cecila. "Well, it is very flat, but does not look sandy to me."

Eve says, "Underground hm? Makes sense."

Titan shakes his head, "I have no idea what's theoretically around here."

Paragon's eyes flicker to red as she looks around for any unusual or additional heat signatures. She glances down as Cecila mentions underground chambers.

Harlequin twists his left hand in fluid gesture as his gaze turns to the ground. The mage becomes rather still as he seems to concentrate.

The local terrain seems to be rock with a scattering of dirt on top. Volcanic rocks but no sign of active volcanic eruptions etc.

Eve examines the ground to look for evidence of artificial levelling: if not, she assumes some lava just hardened this way.

Rift looks around at the others. Her helmet turning this way and that as she does. she isn't that good at looking underground.

As Sasha directs his mystic sight underground after a little searching his mystic vision comes into a long abandoned USAF base. The writing on hallway walls and signs on doors tells him that. Following along the hallways he 'sees' a underground aircraft hanger. In the hanger is a strange device, and four people. Only one seemingly human.

Sukeban lands nearby, her flames still swirling around her. Being the proactive sort, she kneels down, places her palm on the ground, and fires a full power flamebolt to see if she can smash into a hollow below her.

While Sasha continues to watch with his mystic eyes and ears he sees and hears a brief conversation.

Dr Quake (human in white lab coat: "The calibration is complete. I can create a quake anywhere on Iceland of whatever magnitude you desire. The government will have no option but to pay what you demand now you can now level any settlement to the ground." 

Terminax (large bulky power armor): "Good. However although that was what I told you was the purpose of creating the device, Dr Quake, it is not actually my intent. I simply have to turn this dial to maximum... and fire the device right here to achieve the aims of those who hired me."

''Dr Quake: "You can't do that! You don't understand. An earthquake of that magnitude would make Iceland detonate like a super volcano. There would be nothing left of it. It would cause huge tidal waves devastating the East coast of the United States and the West coast of Europe. And the ash and smoke would cause a nuclear winter for years to come. It might even cause an ice age." ''

''Terminax lashes out with a backhand and hits Dr Quake. "That is precisely what my client wants. Dr Quake. And you'll be here to see it, you pitiful human dupe. Quel'Stal, check the ship is ready to lift. Reaver, make sure none of Dr Quake's assistants are still alive. This device needs ten earth minutes to charge up. Then I'll set it for a one minute delay and we'll finally be able to leave this backward little planet."''

The other two in the hanger are a Reptilian alien with thick scales, and a gaunt gray skinned humaniod in hi-tec body armor.

Harlequin starts to speak then pauses as Sukeban blasts at the ground. "Well, I hope that does not alert the four individuals down in, well, it seems like it is an abandoned US air force. Only one of them looks human. And there is some sort of, device...OK, Dr Quake is down there. I am opening a Gate before the others set off the earthquake device at full power. The nonhumans are hoping to destroy Iceland."

The use of Sukeban's flame power blasts away some of the rock and forms a small crater in the ground.

The mage seems remarkably calm for someone relaying such information.

Eve goes down into the still-hot crater to see if there's anything interesting to be seen.

Sukeban looks at Harelquin blankly. "Huh? How do ya know that?"

All Eve sees is hot rock. The base is many metres further down.

Eve swings back out again.

Titan looks surprised at Harlquin's report. "Seriously? Let's get down there, then." . o O (More aliens? Three times that the kids ran across aliens can't be a coincidence. There's more to this)

Paragon's eyes flutter on and off as she tenses for action. "Why would anyone want to destroy Iceland?" she asks in confused shock, preparing to leap through the Gate when it appears.

Harlequin murmurs as he continues to gaze at the ground. "Because I can see through the ether to distant places. And hear what happens there." He shakes his head. "I am opening the gate behind them. There is one in power armor, one Grey, and one Reptiloid. Oh, because they are being paid to do so. Opening the Gate now."

"Practice?" Quinn offers as he comes dropping down out of the sky. "They take out Iceland and then move on to things like California and Japan. Maybe."

Titan smacks his fist against his palm. "We can ask them after they've been subdued."

Harlequin murmurs something in a strange language as the Gate begins to form.

Cecila smirks a bit at Sukeban's attempt to you know try to tunnel by brute force "You should leave the digging to the expert" and with that she starts to make motions with her hands and the ground itself seems to move according to her will and command. While it may not be faster than some methods at least she knows exactly where they're going.

Eve says, "Iceland's easy to destroy right? No, wait. Other way round. Iceland's getting bigger because of all the volcanos...."

Rift considers for a moment and then nods her head. His gate is much easier to use then for her to try shifting herself.

Eve stands ready to be first through. Because, you know, invulnerable.

[To Harlequin] Sukeban says, "Hey Clown, since yer so good at findin' out stuff, which target's the toughest one?"

[To Sukeban] Harlequin says, "I woud guess the armored one, my dear."

Sukeban grins, "Cool. No need for me to hold back then."

As the tunnel breaks through to the hanger area and the gate opens, a loud alarm begins to ring in there.

Harlequin murmurs to the others as he slowly builds the Gate. "The power armor has a large shoulder mounted autocannon. The Reptiloid has a pair of weapons, type unknown. The Grey has a two handed rifle of some sort. The Reptiloid has thick scales and the Grey wears some sort of body fitting armor."

Eve says, "How spread out are they?"

Titan rubs his chin, "I'd suggest grabbing or entangling the Grey and the Reptile. The power armor guy...just hit hard."

The mage does not have time to answer Eve's queston before the Gate opens. But one can see through it after all.

The opposition are split up. The reptile is heading to the north end of the hanger. The gray humanoid towards a door on the south wall.

Eve rushes through the gate and charges the nearest opponent with a loud yell - hoping to draw fire as well as attacking whoever it is!

The power armored opponent avoids Eve's attack with ease. Surprisingly agile for such heavy armor.

Eve frowns on seeing the reptile-person. "Don't engage with the reptile hand-to-hand. Unless you're me."

Sukeban says, "Can anyone give me a reason why we shouldn't destroy that device?"

Harlequin stands rather still on the surface side of the Gate. He says, "Because it might explode?" He adds after a beat, "Oh and the man in the lab coat who is unconscious is the famous Dr Quake."

"Destroying it as a last resort would be a good choice, but yeah," Quinn replies, "it's like the funny man says, we don't want to set it off. If you've got to blow up something try the power supply."

Rift just gets inside the portal and takes stock of the situation, right now the guy next to the device might be the issue, so she decides to start there. She shimmers a bit in a glow of red and appears right behind the guy in power armor, and throws a punch at the armored guy, her fist is glowing red. Then she appears back where she started. "Yeah, will removing the machine stop it?" she calls out as she gets back to where she started.

The power armored enemy guesses Rift's intent to appear behind him and manages to avoid her attack.

 Bulldozer Cecila says, "I wish someone would disable or destroy it... it's making everything fuzzy and blurry to me..."

Terminax's attention is drawn to Eve just as she planned. The shoulder mounted autocannon swings in her direction and fires three balls of glowing plasma at her. One of the balls hits her.

Eve smiles benignly as the plasma strikes her. "That all you've got?"

Sukeban flies forward and lands between the Armorsuit and the Gray, "Hey Ten, sorry about this." She snaps her fingers and a spark drops at her feet, blossoming into a ball of white hot flame that swallows up everything within 8m of her before fading.

The power armor and the gray humanion are knocked off their feet by the expanding ball of flame. It's not clear what effect it had on the power armor guy but the gray humaniod cries out in pain.

Ten rides the fireball and lands on her feet.

The reptile runs back towards the device and the power armor guy travelling 12m which leaves him 8m from the device.

Harlequin thinks. o O (Why do I feel that with names like Terminax, Quel'stal which probably means Blood Drinker or something, and Reaver these are not humanitarian souls? Well, unless they eat humans that is.)

"Sorry about this, guys," Quinn says. The ring in the center of his chest glows brightly from a moment before firing off a brilliant beam that streaks toward the running reptile.

The beam erupts in a cacophonous explosion of light and sound, temporarily blinding and deafening anyone too close without some form of protection.

The reptile screechs loudly as the Thunderclap detonates just behind him. He calls out in the common Guild trade tongue, recognisable from TV broadcasts even if none of the heroes can understand it. Interestingly, there's a area of the hanger floor not illuminated some distance behind the reptile at the fringe of the effect. On the extreme fringe of the Thunderclap effect Cecila and Ten are slightly affected.

Titan charges forward, directly toward Terminax. As he gets to the armored individual, he takes a hefty swing. "Surrender now!"

The power armor guy is hurled 18m back and screams almost supersonically as he is hit.

The gray alien fires his rifle from waist level at Sukeban.

The power armor guy seems to hesitate for a few moments. (Loses half an action.)

The rifle fires a micro-rocket. The projectile misses Sukeban. But starts to curve around to try again.

Cecila cant really see anything with her seismic sense at the moment and lets just say getting blasted with loud sound is just painful. Well since she's firing completely blind as it were she decides to just go with it and hit anything and everything by stomping her foot into the ground and sending a shockwave out in front of her.

Sukeban laughs and sneers as she easily evades the shot. Her flames swirl around her, and embers drift from her hair. "Looks like ya picked the wrong day to try invadin' the Earth, punk."

The device flares with energy release as the shockwave interacts with it. Then it explodes, or more accurately implodes, causing a powerful earthquake. Not the Iceland Buster the aliens intended but of significant magnitude. The base is shaken, rocks fall, and only the fact the hanger was designed to take a near miss from a nuclear missile keeps it intact.