Log:Halcyon Daze, Part 3

2008/10/10 	 Dark Horse Halcyon Jade Mystique Sable New Zodiac 1

A portal from the coffee shop to the Shadow Realm has opened, courtesy of Halcyon.

Jade jumps up to go through the portal, pausing only to collect her backpack.

Dark Horse takes a deep breath, muttering something to himself, and steps in.

Regan moves into the cafe, letting the door swing shut behind her, before regarding the room with her lips curled into a soft smile.

Regan blinks, pulling up abruptly as she spots the rift, her footfalls coming to a sudden halt.

Halcyon does not step through yet. Spying Regan she sends a text message at her eyes (so that others cannot see it): 'We're going to stop the guy who takes me away - want to join us?'

Jade says, "Hey-we're-going-to-deal-with-a-scientist-who's-messing-with-Halcyon's-powers."

Fuzzt rolls on by, then skids to a halt cartoon style and he rolls back to the door, looking in. Oh cool, rifty looking thing. "Hello?" as he looks in through the doorway.

Mystique is concentrating on recollecting what she can of the past history of the suspected culprit. But the entry of an animated furry beachball draws her attention. She looks at Fuzzt, looks at her coffee, looks back at Fuzzt. "What do they put in the drinks these days?"

Inside the shadow realm, the denizens turn to look upon Dark Horse. It does not take them long to begin approaching, with obvious malice.

Jade says, "Huh-you've-never-seen-a-Dallian-before they're-pretty-common-as-aliens-go."

Dark Horse mutters, "Magic. It has to be. Otherwise they wouldn't be coming after me." He looks around for wherever the exit was supposed to appear.

Jade says, "A-lot-of-them-do-constuctuion-work-all-over-Guild-space."

These denizens are shadowy reflections of people. They are blackness in a world of shadow. Inside the shadow coffee shop there are not many such creatures. The door is in the same place as it is in Dark Horse's home realm.

Regan fishes out her PDA to read halcyon's message and types a reply as she changes direction for the bathroom

Halcyon replies to Regan's message with a 'hurry'

Dark Horse hasn't seen anyone else follow him in yet. So he waits. But he falls into a fighting stance, in case it's necessary.

Jade says, "Come-on-let's-go-if-he-can-access-Halcyon's-powers-he-may-be-able-to-detect-the-portal!"

Jade hurries through.

It turns out to be necessary. However, the shadowy denizens in total of two are no match for Dark Horse, nor Dark Horse and Jade together.

Regan disappears into the bathroom, mere moments later Sable appears from outisde, entering through the door Regan just used.

Fuzzt hmms.. and as curious as he can be, he rolls right on up to the rift and peeks in, a tentacle with an eye on it at first just to look around...

Jade is looking around too. Information on shadow dimensions isn't what it might be, so she's curious.

Mystique thinks briefly about the facts her memory has dredged up. Then she steps up to the portal. Finding her way blocked by the alien she simply pushes forward, stepping through if Fuzzt moves aside - pushing the alien in ahead of her if it doesn't. Politeness is not one of Mystique's strong points.

Unfamiliar with Fuzzt, Halcyon looks the Dallian over with a puzzled expression and offers a little wave. She looks at Sable, then at Fuzzt, and lets her do the talking. Inside the shadow realm, the denizens have attacked Dark Horse. The pair of them are by no means a threat to the hero, nor to Jade, but they are undeniably hostile. The coffee shop in there is remarkably like the one familiar to everyone.

Fuzzt meeps and gets stepped on, turned into a kooshy stairway for Halcyon to tred on. After he gets smushed he reforms and looks around, then into the portal. "Hey! that wasn't nice.." and rolls in to go chasing after her, to see what got her so determined to the point of turning him into a rug.

Jade dodges shadow denizens, unless more direct action is needed.

Sable inclines her head to Fuzzt. "We're on our way to attack the person who has been trying to kidnap Halcyon over the past little while. Is that right?"

Once everyone is through, Halcyon herself goes in and the portal dissipates. Feeling there is little time to explain, she first crafts a single written message: 'take hold of me and stay hidden if you can - the people here are very unfriendly' before offering out her hands to the group.

Fuzzt doesn't get in anyone's way, even turning flat so that he can be tread on without fear. when Halcyon gives the message he ohs a bit and looks around, then slips a tentavle around Halcyon's waist like a leash. He doesn't think his visa allowed for cross dimensional travel, now that he thinks about it.

Some shadowy creature flits through the area very quickly. It probably passed by too quickly to take notice of the heroes. It's unclear though; it didn't really have any eyes to see with from the glance it afforded people.

Jade takes hold but lightly, the better to remain able to dodge.

Contact with Halcyon is a curious experience. First thing one might notice is the world of sound shuts out. Second thing one might notice is that those touching her turn as dark as she is.

A second and a third shadowy figures slip past, heading in the same direction as the first.

The sight of the flitting past worries Halcyon a little, though she concentrates, once everyone is in contact with her, and she vanishes with the group. They reappear some distance away, in a southwestern directio from the coffee shop, familiar landmarks clearly visible to those who know the city already. After three such jumps, the group arrives upon the roof of the wax museum in the Artisan's quarter.

Mystique thinks. o O (Couldn't we have walked or taken a taxi. Did we have to go via the low rent district?)

Fuzzt blinks and looks around, a little startled. "Uhm... okie?" and stays really close to the party. Clingy really.. like he was when he first arrived on earth, it's that all over again.

Jade thinks. o O (I hope that really was more efficent - and doesn't tip off the good doctor.)

Voila! Another gate opens, leading into the world of light and Colonial Bay.

Jade says, "I-wonder-what-those-giant-shadows-are-that-are-scaring-the-smaller-ones."

Halcyon makes mental notes about them, hoping that when she's finished in the wax museum she won't see those things again. The portal stands ready, and she begins ushering people back through. Mostly by waving motions.

Fuzzt slinks on through and pools on the floor, relaxing in the very literal sense after that ride.

Mystique glances around before stepping through the new portal. o O(Huh, there's a plane that make the Earth plane seem pleasant. I wouldn't have credited it.)

It's evening time in the Artist's Quarter, and given how the sun has begun to set earlier, one would expect it's streets to be lit, and they are -- with the exception of the few blocks surrounding the museum. It looks to be some kind of blackout, local to this area.

Dark Horse takes a look around the rooftop, looking for evidence of security systems.

Jade says, "Darn-I-wish-I'd-brought-a-torch!"

Jade heads straight in the direction of the wax museum while keeping an eye out for trouble, and keeping to the shadows enough to make her approach inobvious.

Halcyon landed on the wax museum in the shadow realm. In the real realm she opened a portal to the roof of the wax museum.

Jade looks about, recognises where she is in a moment and looks for a way down into the museum - while keeping an eye out for trouble.

Mystique sends a tendril of mist trailing across the roof seeking an entry point into the museum.

Halcyon heads to the door, checking for its lockedness.

Fuzzt follows along... "so when do we get to catch some bad guys?" he asks someone, whomever's closest to him right now.

Halcyon then steps through shadow to the other side of the door, checking for its inner-lockedness.

Halcyon is successful in carving a path! The door opens, turning black by Halcyon's touch and making no sound when she moves it.

Jade follows through the door, staying alert to her surroundings.

Mystique sighs and follows casting a mage shield spell. She mutters quietly to herself, "Trap finding the hero way. Way into it blind and foolish. Why did I bother to learn a scrying spell if these fools don't wait for me to use it?"

Halcyon then turns herself unseen to all, crafting words on the wall out of shadows: 'I can make people invisible if they touch me too'. A shadowy replica of Halcyon appears where she vanished, offering its hand out.

Jade isn't going to pass that up, and takes hold of Halcyon.

Mystique reaches out to Halcyon, invisibility seems a good idea to her.

Dark Horse shrugs a bit, and does likewise.

Fuzzt blinks.. "Uhm.. ok?" and reaches out a tentacle to touch her as well, then follows.

The replica of Halcyon turns out to be pretty accurate as far as where the girl is. It vanishes once those who are taking up her offer take up her offer. Which is apparently everyone. That is, until she isn't touched anymore. The words adjust: 'Someone needs to lead on and watch for bad things'

Jade pays especially attention to what she can see, but is annoyed at the loss of hearing, given the darkness.

Halcyon helps the darkness by crafting a real-time enhancement over the area that she views. A subtle shift of shadows to make everything more easily seen.

Halcyon is however not the one directing where people go. She is merely helping by also making subtle indicators above peoples' heads that are visible from short range due to size.

Suddenly, the power switches on in the museum and with it come the lights and hum of some high powered machinery else where in the building. With the powering on of the equipment, Halcyon fades away again, in and effect not unlike what happened earlier today.

At about the same time, three figures appear at the base of the stairs, looking up at the non-visible heroes: a commando and two werewolves.

Jade says, "I'm-going-to-try-to-find-Halcyon-but-call-me-if-you-need-help!" She runs off to the room to the left.

Orion says, "Wait for it..." He pulls a grenade from his belt and tosses it up the stairs.

Dark Horse leaps forward, head first down the stairs, handspringing on the stairs once. He ends up landing behind the three defenders, and rolls to his feet, facing them.

Poonf! The flash bang grenade explodes. Orion has goggles to protect himself. The smaller of the two werewolves is prepared and shields her eyes. The larger one is blinded somewhat.

Mystique holds her mental image of the scene in front of her in her mind, and despite the purple blobs floating in her eyes she tries to transform some of the air around the trio into a acidic stinging shampoo mist.

The smaller wolf-woman isn't prepared for this attack. She's blinded.

Halcyon finds herself in the cylinder again, and still invisible. This gives her an idea: She forms a shadow copy of herself, presently over herself, and bangs on the glass with her fists to make a spectacle.

Dark Horse blinks, his vision now clear. He spins low, bringing his leg around in a legsweep, trying to knock Orion on his butt.

By now, Jade has reached the room to the immediate left of the center of the museum. In the center room, there is Dr. Furmano, Halcyon, and the equipment being used to contain her. But standing in the doorway between Jade and the lab, there's...

The Halcyon in the chamber looks... off.

Jade dashes toward the central chamber, not without giving Ursa Minor a kick on the way...

Ursa Minor doesn't budge. A female voice comes from inside the costume. "I hope that wasn't your best shot, because this might end kinda quick..."

Jade shrugs. "So-I'm-just-a-student-I-never-claimed-to-be-a-fighter."

Orion swings his club at Dark Horse. He keeps his weight back, not fully committing his stance to the attack.

Dark Horse plants his hand back on the floor as he arches back, the club swinging over his head. "And here I thought you were an able fighter. What was that?"

Canis Minor blinks here eyes clear. She rushes up the stairs for Mystique and lashes out with her claws.

Mystique is knocked over by the clawing.

Fuzzt says, "Oh, can I try?" to answer Ursa Minor's complaint. He rolls up in behind Ursa Minor and rears on up high, easily towering over her before coming down with what would best be called a double fisted punch, pure power and straight down on top of her."

Fuzzt misses, (dunno by how much) and ends up hitting the floor, rolling back up into a ball and looking around for where she went.

Canis Major chases after Fuzzt. She growls, "Over here," before trying to rake Fuzzt with her claws.

Mystique sits on the floor nursing bruised ribs and trying to blink away the remaining purple blotches in her vision.

Halcyon notices Jade enter, and clasps her hands together. Or at least, her duplicate does. The real one is focused on Ursa.

Canis Minor glances to Canis Major. "I could've handled him." she complains. She stalks up the stairs after Fuzzt to take her own turn at sinking claws in him.

Ursa tries to grab Jade in a bear hug.

Ursa is to slow for the smaller, speedier Jade.

Mystique gets back to her feet as her eyes finally clear.

Jade darts her small body past Ursa Minor and runs up to the transformer. "You'll have to be quicker than that, fur-brain! If you can't even hit me you'll never make it in the villain business!"

Mystique can see again although her eyes still ache from the flare of light. Seeing Ursa Major engaged with Fuzzt she unleashes a gust of wing at her back.

The gust of wind knocks Canis Major flat, but it doesn't do much other than grab her attention.

Fuzzt gets raked and his response? "that tickles!" and reaches out to grab Canis Minor's paw. "C'mere girl!" imitating some cheezy superhero fight series on the holo as he tries to yank her into his body, and if he does he will start rolling back down the stairs...

Halcyon waves

Canis Major grunts as all of Fuzzt's weight bounces down on her on the way down the staircase.

She tries to dig her claws into Fuzzt, to convince it to let her go.

Jade "realises" she's got herself cornered. While in reality she knows her reaction time gives her a way out... "Uh-oh!" she says, wide-eyed, as Ursa Minor nears.

Canis Minor turns her attentions back towards Mystique. She hops down the stairs, landing in front of the witch, and she lashes out with her claws.

Mystique feels relief that the claws failed to connect fully, but that slows her down not at all as she tries to turn the air in Ursa Minor's lungs into a noxious vapour.

Canis Minor collapses to her knees gagging on the vapors.

Halcyon tests out her powers, seeing if she can move herself out of the thing since the people aren't properly manning the controls.

Mystique has a cold smile on her face, although she is still rubbing on her sore ribs, as she watches Ursa Minor gagging and choking.

Meanwhile, Ursa Minor tries to scoop up Jade again.

Ursa Minor misses Jade and stumbles into the power transformer. She tries to reach out for something to grab onto to steady herself, and she crumples another section of the device. All in all, the power transformer ends up with an Ursa sized dent in it. "Oops!"

The transformer is ruined. Is sparks off, and the field containing Halcyon fails.

Furmano blinks, surprised. "Ursa, you big oaf!" He frowns, looking at the cylinder containing Halcyon. "This is not good."

Jade grins. "Let me guess. Your powers are you have the strength and intelligence of a bear?"

Feeling herself freed, Halcyon focuses her attention on Ursa for a moment, but realizes the doctor is liable to do something horrible if she permits him to. So it's he who ends up with shadowy bindings flung toward him. The image of Halcyon vanishes from the tube.

"Stronger'n smarter." She beckons Jade towards her with a paw. "Come 'ere and I'll show you."

Jade says, "What's your problem? I'm not blonde and I didn't touch your porridge."

Furmano, from within his shadowy encasement, says, "Zodiac! Prepare to retreat!" The sounds of some kind of energy discharge can be heard from inside.

Jade says to Furmano "You-do-know-that-there-aren't-any-bears-or-wolves-or-dogs-in-the-zodiac-right? What-are-you-throwing-at-us-next? A-southern-fish? A-triangle?"

"Feh. You like I like walking around in a friggin bear suit?" Ursa Minor says. "It's the Doc's idea. He pays the bills, he makes the calls."

Jade figures stopping Furmano getting away is important, given he can attack people remotely. So she darts past Ursa Minor again to give the good doctor a good kick.

Jade says, "Smarter than the average bear still isn't that smart." She gives Ursa Minor a good spinning kick.

"I get it," Ursa Minor says, "You're going to bore me into giving up?"

Jade says, "Hey, not a bad plan for a bear. But how are you planning to hurt me?" She moves to the main equipment.

Mystique keeps smiling, and keeps the air around Canis Minor transforming into foul rancid vapours

Halcyon punches some information into her PDA, heading for the computers to figure out where the doctor went. Since this place blocks transmissions, there has to be something here that will tell her details...

Ursa rips up what's left of the transformer and tries to throw it at Jade.

One by one, Dr. Furmano teleports his Zodiac members out of the wax museum, starting with the commando guy and finishing with Ursa Minor.

Editor's Note: Jade fails to dive out of the way, and gets clocked.