Fandom Soul Eater: F.A.T.E

[EmperorsChosen]

Daniella Ethalyn - North of JFK International Airport, New York
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"...I-It's still an odd juxtaposi--For real?" Dani remarked, turned her head mid-sentence from replying to Erin to commenting on what Adrian had said. Dani hadn't been to New York. Her family was from the south and when the infection hit, they tried to steer clear of major urban sites such as here before getting bogged down in central. Of course, she heard plenty about New York, but--Well, she'd have a hard time going on with business as usual knowing a giant monster was just on the other side of the city.

Her heads swiveled back to Erin as she began to speak again. Dani internally winced at the hint of spite as she watched the woman set the table with multiple servings of the food. Dani wasn't the most tactful, but she didn't have ill intentions--Most of the time, anyway. However, right now she had relief from the sickening feeling from before and no one she wanted to punch was in the room, so she certainly wasn't trying to be crude. "...Thanks..." She replied, taking her spot at one of the vacant seats with a bowl of food. "...For the record, I didn't mean it like that. Just don't know many Bloodsucker merc groups with humans mixed in," She stated as she picked up a utensil. It was an oddity. A Bloodsucker mercenary company was an oddity in and of itself, let alone one that had a woman with Super Soul Perception and an advanced spiritual healing technique and what Dani could only presume was a high level meister. The Demon Sword assumed the woman had to be capable in some fashion or another. "So you were pretty much-like, born into it?"

Sir Les Paul RedArmyShogun

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Aki Kiyoko - North of JFK International Airport

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"Ah, so they've been jerks to you too," Aki remarked simply as she followed along. Her eyes briefly turned to look at the young boy with similarly-colored hair to hers, as well as to Kenny's own partner when she transformed, however she didn't specifically comment on either. After Feng spoke, she gave a brief nod. "Yup, some scavengers ambushed us. We smacked them around a bit and they let us leave. They seemed like ordinary humans," She stated matter-of-factly, not clarifying that by 'smacked around' she meant crippled and killed.

The matter of a creature was another interesting point. What creature would be in the city at this point? They hadn't received any reports that the kaiju came with any lesser creatures. She hummed in curious thought. "Are we sure it's even a creature?" She pondered aloud as she grasped her own chin. Her eyes briefly turned toward the ceiling in thought, however her attention turned to Wes as he agreed to go out and search for Samuel.

Aki grinned and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. "Wow, I'm surprised Wes! Haha! We must be rubbing off on you," She said with an upbeat chuckle. Clearly Aki didn't realize that Wes had simply given up on arguing and gone with the option he believed Feng and herself would choose. Perhaps there was hope for him, yet. All they needed to do now was work on his squeamishness.

She brought her before she brought her hand back to clasp behind her back. "Yup! We'll go find'im. That sounds more interesting, anyway."

RedArmyShogun Shotgunpenguin RedArmyShogun

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar | Czech Republic

There was a lot to process with the little Witch providing some insight.

Outlining Dante a bit also reminded Zosar something important to keep in mind he had almost forgotten.

Dante was here for a reason. It was easy to forget that.

The guy wanted so desperately to do right and here he was shooting himself in the foot. In a way that spoke to Zosar. Not the stupidity part of it, where he was contradictory but the intent.

Everyone in the program was here for the core purpose of getting better. He hadn't started out seeing things that way. For him, nothing would ‘get better’. There was no walking back the inflicted sense of harm he had done to quite a number of people's trust. The plan was to simply get through everything, and on some level that hadn't totally changed- it's just his perspective had widened. To the rest of them it was a second chance, entering into the program was a gateway into getting out of the sticky situations they were in and going back to rejoin EAT; for him it had been his last shot at escaping being a full time prisoner or a permanent rogue having to start with nothing but what little he had, or, in the last case, being off-loaded like he would have been had he went back to the Enlighteners.

There were things he could relate to with Dante.

Granted, he already did on some level now. There were a mixture of emotions stewing in Dante like a boiling pot, that he easily recognized.

Losing a partner was hard to swallow, no matter how you lost them. The weight of that loss changed depending on how it went down. It changed a person. Despite being on decent terms when he was coming back, he had been deeply disappointed Adra had chosen to stay, deeply frustrated that he would be doing this again, cycling around for another partner after doing that for a while under survey had been irritating enough when the new match ups became less friendly and.more willingly demeaning. Perhaps if she had a clear view of how long she would have stayed, he would have opted to stay a bit longer with her as long as they came back and completed the Program.

That hadn't really been in the cards though. And meeting Wren had been, honestly for the best in the long run. As much as the guy disliked getting grilled this way, they had to. It seemed Dante learned better by headbutting. As much as he could understand, even in a way related to Dante- it didn't make the ex-merc feel inclined to stop Wren or say anything when she made her remark of frustration about Dante’s childness as a whole. Due respect to his partner, she knew when to back down at least.

It was Dante he was watching carefully for to see if he could too in regards to the actual verbal remark Wren had made.

Watching him though- Zosar saw himself.

He saw himself walking towards his last Weapon partner, not in FATE but of the EAT survey he had to go through as an evaluation for his entry into FATE.

Teammates all around, him on one side, statements being made but none of the comments in his case back then, had been for his benefit. It'd been prying. Digging in, trying to figure out just what he had done to catch Intelligence eyes. What rumors were true, what was real? What game he was playing, trying to suppress or ignore the rumors he knew were spreading. Dodging the questions only added to the suspicion and frustration until someone said something that couldn't be taken back.

Dante had felt angry, not with Sara but at her being forced to spill the details for their mutual benefit.

Zosar recalled feeling angry at the partner he had then, not trying to ease the tension but coordinating with that same team and feeding the fire. Pushing him to do something he didn't want to do.

Already, he had been told not to discuss the details of his deal with the DWMA with anyone. The prompting hadn't made that any easier. He had been shoved, had implications made that he could only deny vaguely given he wasn't supposed to even be discussing the topic of his deal, and then what finally bent the ever thinning patience he had held for two years into snapping, was when his own partner added to those implications with some of their own personal thoughts. He recalled letting his soul flare, how he had raised his fist and thought about striking that partner as hard as he could, immediately go after the others before their partners could transform back into Weapons and get into their hands to restrain him. A strike from him without Amplification, like Gauss had done in their brief match, was a one hit K.O. if it landed and when he had turned that strike away from the target of his ire at the last second before throwing a punch--

Every muscle in Zosar's body was tense, as he blinked away the reflection and leaned forward into the present, unconsciously shifting forward to move on Dante the second he raised his hand towards Wren, it would be over.

Either he would get to him first or Kisei would.

Luckily, Dante said three simple words, then stormed away. Distancing to cool off.

Good, thought he, at least things didn't have to escalate any further. He would give Dante respect for doing that on his own.

Already he had separated from Sara, but he didn't miss that glare she shot Wren.

Reprimanding Wren though was the last thing he was going to do. The topic hadn't been over, merely it had been interrupted. Probably at a perfect time considering Kisei's last remarks, and Dante's tipping mood as those were made. And though Wren’s final remarks about using Kisei’s image as a batting cushion was meant to alleviate the situation, he wasn't about to repeat what Sara had said, when it wasn't necessary in the first place in his mind. The glare had been good enough to get the message across- but tensions were high between Meister and Weapon- he wasn't going to comment on anything he didn't need to or have to.

Instead he let Sara be, and as he approached Wren clapped her lightly on the shoulder.

‘Let him be Wren.’ He told her through the link. ‘He just needs to cool off. And Sara needs a minute.’

Though he wasn't about to let what she said about Kisei go, without turning it over it's head on her. Arm coming around, faster than she could dodge, hooking her into a light headlock, Zosar lightly pulled Wren’s attention away, making certain her head movements wouldn't be as free to let her get a glance in at Sara or Dante.

“Did you seriously just admit you picture Kisei's face during combat?” Was the amused remark in spite of the moment that just passed. As awkward as that line sounded, he had somewhere he was going with this. “And here I thought I had you figured out when you were poking the bear with those remarks you were making to me earlier, Silver. I thought I felt a shake in the link when I replied but maybe that was my imagination.” That particular line said in a hush, scandalously soft tone not far from a canine ear, not helped by the raised brow she could see from where her head was facing. The amused snicker, adding to the prodding of the statement.

If she was quick to recall, it was when she had made those comments about his wandering eyes he was referring to. But given no one else would have heard that conversation, the ‘remarks’ that were ‘poking the bear', could have been to anything. It might have been unnecessary in the current situation given they would likely be moving out again soon with the new information provided, but Zosar didn't need his partner stewing in what she had, in fairness, said to Dante for his benefit, added by Sara's glare and statement.

While he doubted it would impact anything big, the last thing he wanted was this mission ending and the relationship between Sara and Wren being somewhat tense because of Dante’s behavior. It would put him in an odd place, and to be frank, it was the last thing he wanted with the past he now had in the pool of tense relations.

Mentions: RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic Pumpkid Haze-

Interactions: n/a

 

[RedArmyShogun]

The Missing of the Giant Mountains
Investigative Mission
Date: 09/27/67
Location: The Derelict Mansion - Liberec Region - Czech Republic

​

Before their worries could progress much further, the seer stone glowed in short order, perhaps very short order, and the hesitance that came with it was likely some bit of concern, while well spoken, she was still no master plotter, there was real danger here, though it begged the question of how she communicated with her two while around the others. Still, the hesitation was ultimately not a bad one, so much as difficulty in its contents.

"U-umm, I have your answers and information, they will agree but they had two demands, one, they wanted a pardon and err... they won't try killing any of you, but they want a battle that looks realistic enough to throw off the other two till you kill them. I'm also not sure how far out the response truck is, but that's the demands, they want a pardon or amnesty, safe passage at worse, and to well... they want to fight to a point, as I said." The unspoken word here was it depended on if they could defeat the Baroness and the still yet unknown bloodsucker. Which, information would be next to come about that situation.

"They offered to clean up the mess in regard to the reinforcements, but they won't head to the Baron's castle.... now as to abilities, there isn't much I know here as I've not seen them fight but in brief instances, or what powers I've observed. First would be my own bodyguards, Sam, or Samantha and Alina, Sam is the Meister of the pair and Alina is the weapon. They tend to fight separately unless a problem is too much for them, Sam is able to enhance her body a great degree with her bloodsucker abilities, speed, strength, general fare, she is also a veteran of many years as best as I can tell and has a few mechanical prosthetics, the arm of note concerns the scientist, Alina is an assassin, she turns into mist or bats and has sensory tricking abilities, her weapon form is a longsword, but she tends to fight with knives in her normal form.


The Baroness, well, she is a very strong...hmm... I'm not sure what Vampiric magic users call themselves, she has a few totems, is obviously great at enthralling large numbers of people, sewing confusion with illusions, and using trinket totems to cast various techniques related to her powers or use of blood. I am unsure how many totems she has however, I will say you being here has spooked her enough to put on some armor from the Middle Ages and armed herself with a spear, the other...."

She paused a bit at that, her thoughts shuddering briefly as she did so; "They call him Brother Lee. He is a ji-ang-shi? Ancient and physically stronger and more durable than anyone else in here, he wears a fully armored mask, robes with death iconography, walks on the tips of his toes, or more of hops? He's a hmm... a demon weapon, or an Autonomous Weapon, he's tasked with...well, watching all of us, but the Baroness of note, he has instruction to kill her if she runs or risks defeat, I..." a pause "...don't know if he has orders like that for the rest of us, but he smells like a corpse, has infernal red eyes and wears a robe. He seems to be almost always in some form of weapon form, I'm not exactly sure what kind he is, but they are claws on both hands, a trio, that contract and spread out in forms much larger than his body would allow. Ah, he also wears robes and some armor... His head is also caged, I don't know enough about his species with how he feeds. Is that good enough? I could try projecting images, but ah, yes there are also two Chimeric beasts, I don't know what they can do, but they were sent with Brother Lee under command of the Duke, they are well trained, but ultimately still just beasts."

As before, touching the stone would allow for communication back to the young witch.

What was to follow would be answering more questions from Elly, asking the Witch to visualize the targets and to explain the layout of the house, which irked the child somewhat, but she nonetheless did so.

On the right side of the house was a sunroom, with its arched roof and windows dimly visible from the fence, the center was a foyer with a set of curved steps that led to the 2nd floor in a classical European design with plenty over overhead room, this was where the Chimerical beasts were and the gathered Bloodsuckers from earlier, till they spread out between the first and second floors, on the right-side was the kitchen, dining room and primary heating fireplace of the house, as well as a bathroom tucked in a corner beyond it, on the second floor was a living room, and a number of bedrooms, a couple balconies and a single stairway, leading up the third floor, which contained a study, master bedroom and an observation tower. Of additional note was each bedroom had its own washroom and there was a laundry at the bathroom on the first floor, which was of little use to the agents, as well as the various closets and what have you.

Currently the Baroness and her keeper were on the second floor in the living room overlooking the dual stairs to the first floor, the Bodyguards were in the kitchen area, and the two Chimera's were in the Foyer. The Witch was on the third floor in the master bedroom. Soon the seer orb would show the other four, in various styles or scenery, rather than what they were now, the mental images would have to do;

Spoiler: Images

OOC note from Left to right, top to bottom, Baroness Calinescu, Brother Lee, "Sam", Alina, Chimera one, Chimera 2
Interactions/Mentions: EmperorsChosen (Elly) Sir Les Paul (Kisei) Merciless Medic (Sara) Pumpkid (Dante) The Regal Rper (Zosar) Haze- (Wren)[/scroll]

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Eloise Keegan - Zelezny Brod, Czech Republic
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"Oh, I believe we are plenty, dear," Elly replied to Wren, flashing her a confident grin. This was Elly when she felt as if she had a proper hand dealt. She was indeed a coward, but when she could stack the deck against her enemy, she could become far more aggressive.

"You should tell me that. However much your sense of smell is impeded is a better gauge of how much theirs is as well... unless you mean we should take an oil bath. Though I don't think the stealth is worth any flammability," Elly replied to Sara, skipping past the potential physical outburst of Dante. So long as he could control himself, that was all she cared about. Besides, he would need a minute to calm and the witch could give them the information they needed in the meantime.

It seemed as though the Jiangshi would be the largest threat. He seemed to be a powerhouse Autonomous Weapon. Then there was the baroness with her illusions. The bright side was that she wouldn't be running so long as the Jiangshi was around. The two bodyguards would take a dive, and Kisei--Or Midori--had experience hunting monsters, so ideally that meant they could take care of most of the threats quickly and focus on the Jiangshi and Baroness.

Breach the kitchen through a window and take out the bodyguards, then eliminate the beasts before focusing on the major two. A smile curled at the Meister's lips. When she had the opportunity to gather information and conduct an actual plan, she felt significantly more confident than going in blind. Of course, it wasn't all roses. The team was still bickering, though she believed she could get Sara and Dante to focus on preservation of each other long enough to get through this.

"This is what I propose we do: Breach hard and fast into the manor through the kitchen, give the bodyguards their defeat in the guise of a surprise attack. Then we move into the foyer and dispatch the creatures before tackling the AW and Baroness." An aggressive course of action to be one of Elly's, but they had the intel and their enemies had nowhere to go. Her head tilted toward Kisei next. "Kisei, dear. Anything we should note regarding the chimeric beasts?" She inquired given he probably had the most experience and knowledge about such creatures.

Only then, did she look toward Sara and Dante, enough time having passed that she presumed some tensions would have calmed. "I understand if both of you have reservations, but this is a golden opportunity. There are people here we can save, and we can also prevent something like what happened in Romania occurring again," She said, appealing to the empathy and desire to render aid both appeared to have in spades. "Plus, we do need the both of you. Aside from being a powerhouse, your senses will help with any illusions we run into, and Dante's anti-magic wavelength will also be a life-saver," She added, buttering them up a bit more with a soft smile. "So, we can count on you, can't we?"

Elly wasn't all that worried about Wren or Zosar. She had seen them pull themselves together even through a madness spike, so she had some confidence in the both of them. Elly was all too aware of the mental and emotional fatigue that plagued Sara and Dante, though. That, she needed some assurance that their minds could focus on the task at hand.

RedArmyShogun Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic Pumpkid Haze- The Regal Rper

 

[Sir Les Paul]

North of JFK Airport, New York City, New York
GM Post​

The Coffee Shoppe Basement...​

"We have a handful of contingencies based on if we hit it, how deep, and where," Steel responded, just plainly addressing the last point Nadia had brought up. The weapon is more of a harpoon than a cartridge. The point isn't just to pierce it, but to leave in a line and do internal damage," he went on, reiterating points he had made earlier. He took a few steps off to the side to lower his hand to one of the nearby laptops. If Nadia wanted to review the blueprints, this was her invitation.

"The tactic Prey wants to use involves ripping one of these harpoons out to get a sample, then creating a hemolyzing agent that thing can't defend against. If our plan goes well, it'll just bleed out. If not, you're more than free to try your corrosive... thing Steel explained, providing more substantial detail about their primarily method of taking out the kaiju. It wasn't considerably different than what he had said before, just more details. In truth, he wasn't sure what Nadia meant by her question; they had a plan and a few ways to execute it, but they didn't exactly have entirely new ones.

He hoped what he told her would suffice.

"Now, as for who I'm conversing with at the DWMA..." Steel mentioned, returning back over to the Sat Phone.

He then nodded over to what looked like a standard HAM radio, though these were outfitted with satellite uplinks and various additional frequency ranges, including magitech ones. Nadia had likely seen these before. They were bulkier, more durable versions of the equipment each agent was outkit with, plus a satellite-based communicator. Most of its bulk was to keep it protected. Waterproof, vent heat, never rust. Communications were important in the field and these things virtually never died.

"They have us use band 289.95 and report in. I imagine it's all pencil pushers, but they're the ones relaying instructions en masse. There's also a phone line you can call, but it's entirely fucked by sheer volume. The transmitter works better," Steel told her, showing Nadia the simplistic means the DWMA had been using to work with other groups. Generally, anything in the 240 - 270 range was for military use or aviation. That frequency was likely an emergency assignment.

Meanwhile, back with the food.

"No, actually... my father didn't want me to have anything to do with it," Erin answered, her eyes glazing over slightly as she thought back to old memories for a moment.

She tilted her head over, contemplating just what the pink-haired girl might think. Adrian was tearing into the food, so this moment of deeper consideration was mostly shared between the two women. Granted, it made sense, the man had basically had his life force sucked out of him to use as a buffer for Dani and Sybil.

"It's a... long story," she finally admitted, her voice raspy and near the end, almost tinny. She mostly struggling with where to start. Her harsh father, her dead brother, her love affair, or just the fact that Bloodsuckers had it shitty all the way around. It wasn't easy.

"Fox Hunt has been around a few hundred years. Most of it really is a long story," Erin went on, "sometimes, it's just really complicated. Try to chew on the idea that we were once betrayed by a group, much like our own, that was trying to root out an unsavory group of human-hunting bloodsuckers in Sweden... only to turn on us, claiming their only chance at survival was if no one knew they were alive."

She hummed slightly.

"That whole situation was a mess, but it highlights the struggle. And, the DWMA is slow to help. The Witchhunters and Bloodhunters aren't the same. You have a man named Magebane married to a Witch, starting a whole family. You can't do that with a Bloodsucker. No matter their intentions, most Bloodhunters would be quicker to cut out their heart and call it a mercy than ever love one," Erin said, exaptation clear in her voice. If one thought there was some lost element of romance there, they would be wrong. This wasn't Twilight. It wasn't a romance novel. The truth was, most of the world would genuinely rather annihilate the Bloodsucker population.

---

Airtrain Operations Facility...​

"Of course you will..." Kenny replied, his tone carrying perhaps a touch of jealousy.

More than a touch. He was genuinely quite frustrated with the fact he and his team were stuck in their location. Of course, that was only because they ran into Samuel earlier.

"Of course, it's probably not the hero thing for me to wish I could accompany you on the hunt," Kenny added, not only voicing his concerns, but acknowledging the comment Feng had made. Not that he knew the full details or could even be bothered to ask.

Kenny considered the question Wes asked. It had some merit, but it came with a few problems. What few vehicles they had were meant for hauling resources large distances. Large trucks and one JEEP-type vehicle. Even if Kenny knew where the keys were stashed, and honestly he could find them, he wasn't sure if he had clearance to offer them. Beyond that, though, Kenny considered the logistics. Surely Feng was fast enough to make a car moot - especially in this short of a distance. If it were longer, he would have been more understanding. Amplifying or resonating for speed was a drain even on his ample supply.

In the end, Kenny instead elected to pull out his phone. Every DWMA Agent phone was connected via their secured app to provide information. In this way, he didn't even have to provide Feng his actual number. He could start a whole direct message thread to her. Which is what he did, and in doing so, shared the last few pings from Sam and his partner. They didn't have active tracking, but they could also actively request a new one with the click of a button. All Sam would have to do is accept. More important, this showed the trio just how close Sam and his hunt actually were. The man was and alleged creature were in an area no more than forty minutes away, but seemingly even closer as the last location drop was just just a few miles East.

"I don't really think you'll need a car," Kenny explained, offering Wes a cursory glance at the screen before showing it more closely to Feng.

"If you've never met Sam before, you're in for a real, uh... treat.," he added, allowing his somewhat snide remark fill the gap where his normal flirtatious or fun commentary might have normally been.




RedArmyShogun Shotgunpenguin EmperorsChosen

 

[Haze-]

Wren
Železný Brod; Czech Republic​

Walking up with an unfocused glare, dead quiet, stiff shoulders— thinking too much.

It didn’t take a genius to read the intent.

She’d been checked on the nose one too many times by grown men twice as big as her back when she was still just a street urchin, running errands for her uncle. It was instinctual at this point. Wren knew when someone was about to swing at her blind, knew well when it had to be settled with someone’s face clawed into cherry red strips— and her own with purple knots dotting it all over.

In another time, another place, this too would’ve ended in that same instinct kicking her into raising her hand along with Dante’s, finding his throat.

But then there was that long, harsh silence permeating the empty space between them, ringing in her ears. The emptiness of the lack of her impulsive voice in the wind, and the self-realization that came with that silence. Wren would’ve wanted to beat herself senseless too after hearing herself speak.

What in Death’s name was she expecting from him with that approach, really? A low-five? A hug and a fist-bump? Make up and become friends for life?

She didn’t flinch when Dante loomed over her; too focused on avoiding his eyes right as he stopped in front of her. Her face froze to a muted hiss, biting her tongue, knowing full well she’d come at him in the worst angle possible.

She would’ve been unbothered if the animosity came from Dante alone, but then came Sara, cutting eyes at her. From her, it was almost unbearable.

Beating on a dead horse? — Her jaw clenched

“That’s not what I was…” — She started, indignant. Of how things turned out, of how she came off— Wren had no clue by then. Words dragged out, her voice fading mid-sentence. Her teeth churned together; ears pinned down. Wren cleared her throat,

“I don’t know what I was trying.” — She had given up entirely — “Sorry.”

Wren stood there defeated, simmering with a lump in her throat, the heat of her collar growing on her neck— tapping a claw on her thigh like it were a compulsive tic. Feeling, dreading that anxious, stress-induced ache in the pit of her stomach. That cackle from that little annoying demon in her ear burnt into her conscious. Both growing louder and louder.

The tension only snapped when Zosar brought her out of reverie, drawing a long sigh out of her, as if she’d just remembered how to breathe. Something in the link stuttered, eyes snapping at him when she came fully awake — ‘Y…Yeah. Just…wrong approach, I guess.’

The little remark that came after, the icing on the cake, earned him a wholly unamused look from her. She simply stood there with her arms crossed, hip thrown out, glaring at him with a frown for what seemed like an eternity.

‘Very funny.’ — Her face said otherwise. It was a relief to know she wasn’t the only one without tact, at least — ‘I’m laughing my ass off right now, y’ just can’t hear it.’

For a spare moment, she rolled her eyes and turned to throw a glance at the Hoshi, extending out her arms to frame him, narrowing an eye— getting the picture-perfect angle. She went back to Belgium, recalling Ao and her runway model physique, trailing up her figure as her mind buffered up the details, snapping abruptly up to her face— picturing Kisei’s trademark resting bitch face plastered in place of her flawless features, as if it’d been poorly photoshopped over them.

Immediately, Wren’s face broke down into a muffled chuckle, held back between clenched teeth, cheeks puffed up — “That’s some disgusting imagery, actually…” — Her head leaned on a shoulder, getting a different angle, picturing him as the bloodsucker from prior now. Imagination truly was a powerful tool — “Disturbing, even.”

Sara was right. Topic’s been over.

She had cared too much already; she’d leave it alone.

Wren slipped from under Zosar’s chokehold, sly as a fox, the gloom on her face completely gone. In its place, there was a shit eating grin. Tired, more than cheery, but it was there nonetheless — “I’ll have ya’ know, Kisei and I have a very professional workplace relationship and I would never picture him in such a way.” — Her hand went up to her chest, exaggeratedly indignant like a silver-spooned princess in a fairy tale.

Either Zosar had a talent for shutting his Weapon’s brain off, or she was just that good at managing her emotions. The violent stirring deep within her soul would’ve given her away if Elly cared to look further in. Wren wanted to move on, only if it meant she could let out all her bundled-up tension on the Baroness, the Duke and his goons.

She was unreasonably hungry.

“Cool house tour, I guess…” — Wren hummed, sponging up all the information the little witch had provided. Getting imagined textures and smells just off of the imagery coming from the stone. The moment Elly laid out her plans, Wren sighed, damn near keeling over at how rushed things sounded.

Things had gone wrong with this team twice already, in a mere span of two missions. And she did not believe in ‘third times the charm’. Begrudging, her teeth clamped down on her tongue none the same. Waiting on input from the others, turning away once Elly addressed Dante and Sara.

She had already spoken out of impulse enough.

RedArmyShogun The Regal Rper Merciless Medic Pumpkid Sir Les Paul

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Nadia Semyonov
New York City - Coffee Shoppe Basement
September 26th​

Listening to all of what Blue Steel had to say, her jaw twitched briefly at his plan, and the reason the DWMA had not approved it in the first place. A reasoning she had to point out, given the mess with the Paladin earlier, one the DWMA needed. Though one she would not normally care about, if not for this situation at least. It wouldn't do to just roll over for him and his plan.

Gazing over at the blueprints, Nadia has a general idea of what she was looking at. Nadia however, was no scientist or weapons expert.

"Hmm... There is one problem and likely why the DWMA will not help you. I understand the needs of you and your people in wanting to do this, but you must remember we too have our own politics. With that damnable church, they have a more favorable view with the public than we do, should you or they take the monster out, then there is nothing we can from this. It is well and good to do things to save people, but both our reputations need more light.

So, what is your plan minus shooting it and hoping it bleeds and just why do you need DWMA help and resources? And towards what ends?"

Playing with the Radio, Nadia would wait for answers before she would do more than that. "We both must gain something from here, or that Paladin and his band will gain more of a hold over us, and I do not thing I should explain their theories on what a Human is. So, if you wish for my cooperation then I must have more information, we have our own reasons to be the ones that kill the beast after all, though who knows, maybe things will go to the worst-case scenario and we can make use of our Venom, but if this is to be a join effort, I would like to know what I asked. Minus approval, what do you need the DWMA for?"

Half wondering what Dani was up to, Nadia knew she had to take care of this first, she was not against helping the man, but she had questions of her own that needed answering. The DWMA and herself needed some of the spotlight as well after all, knowing the prick from before their interactions were likely sitting on a smart phone.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Dani) Sir Les Paul (Adrian/NPC's)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Feng Long
New York City - Eastward of Coffee Shoppe - DWMA Field camp
September 26th​

Narrowing her gaze as she focused directly on Wes, she had a feeling he was putting up this front for fear of rocking the boat, even Aki noticed and remarked openly on it, she would have told him there was no need to pretend to be so brave or agreeable, if not for the fact it would kick an important ladder right from underneath him. As Aki confirmed her own words and made her own observations, the situation continued to flow beyond with the mention of a car and her own questions coming to light;

"No, not taking a car, I'll just take you two in tow and amp up. I'm not as fast as some, but I'm, still a Meister, and even on days not filled with a mass exodus and a bit of destruction, the streets of New York are jam packed with people and cars, can't get any speed in one minus between lights. Plus, I don't think Kenny here can let us take one."

"We'll be fine. This time I know some people are out to kill us. No need to hold back." Punching her left fist into her right open hand, she then breaks the stance to peer at the phone he offered, showing where Agent Sam was, and judging by the warning, he was likely one hell of a character. "Troublesome... Might could just open communications here and get you out of this guard duty, and get our communications tied to Nadia, but eh, he might need the help. Still, you three will be alright here? Not the most exciting of posts, but who knows, maybe you'll be moving soon..." A pause as she eyed her own partners;

"Speaking of moving soon, we should do the same, either of you need a break? You both were in weapon form for awhile and you'll be going right back into it." She asked of Wes and Aki.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Aki/Dani) Sir Les Paul (NPC's) Shotgunpenguin (Wes)

 

[Pumpkid]

Dante Holiday​

Location: Village of the Mountain Gnomes-Liberec Region, Czech Republic

Interactions: Elly EmperorsChosen
/ Mentions: Sara Merciless Medic Sir Les Paul The Regal Rper Haze- RedArmyShogun​

There was a moment of silence between the team until the child came back relaying more information that could help them get an upper hand if they were to proceed with the invasion. A detailed description of the house as well as the enemies. It sounded heavily guarded especially with there being two chimeras. Dante is certain he will be dealing more with the magic users. The kid was cooperating asking for help. That was enough for Dante to get up and face the stone and the others. Sara, of course, stood nearby.

Once all is said and done, Elly devised a plan to breach the manor as quickly as possible. Not sure how that would work as Dante hasn't fought alongside anyone in a long time. What if he messes this up and causes trouble for Sara? It would prove he is incapable of change that he was doomed to stay where he is. It's only the first day, but it felt as if everything was on the line for him after what he did. Damn ninja.

It was then that Elly approached both of them and tried to lighten the mood by encouraging them and remembering their situation. People’s lives are at stake asking to be saved. He recalled what Sara said back on the train. The reason why they were hired is because they were the last resort, right? They had people under the government missing and this is why. Their investigation led them here. Despite being a little betrayed and sour over everyone ganging up on him, Dante did want to offer his assistance. It would be hard keeping his emotions in check, but he will try.

Dante took a deep breath. He wasn't going to nod, or say sure as half-assed as that sounds. Not after the reprimand given. “Yes, you can.” Is all he said then held his necklace like a religious charm. No, this was Rory's trinket and it was another way of telling Rory, wish me good luck.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Sara Middleton​

Date: September 27, 2067
Location: Derelict Mansion, Liberec Region, Czech Republic
Interactions: Dante, Wren, Zosar, Elly, Midori
Mentions: N/A
Pumpkid Haze- The Regal Rper EmperorsChosen Sir Les Paul RedArmyShogun

Zosar’s comment towards Wren was pretty funny, it even got the werewolf-weapon to completely change her emotional state from irritated to generally herself. Sara didn’t have a word, but it was Wren’s “normal”, seemingly.

The answers from the Witchling came, and Sara had some difficulty in remembering the layout, but what she got instead were the who to be careful of. Chimera creatures? Awesome!

Sara got her answer from Elly, humming in acknowledgement as her immediate thought was to get some sort of container to hold the oil but allowed the fumes to leave. Honestly, the fumes were just as flammable as the liquid itself, so it likely wasn’t a good idea. But hey, nice molotov idea.

Too bad she had nothing to carry the oil in.

As Elly said the plan, Sara felt even more pumped up. Sounded like a good idea, in all honesty. When Elly returned to them, her ears perked up, and her tail slowly started to wag. She gave a determined toothy smirk, brows furrowed. She gave a definite nod. “Hell yeah.” What she didn’t expect was hearing Dante’s voice and word choice was a lot different than what she had expected of him.

She felt so proud, strangely. She looked up at him with some surprise. It was like her amber eyes were twinkling with glittery stars, her tail wagged a bit faster now, her cheeks rosy. “That’s the spirit. Come on, let's ready ourselves!” She held out her hand, waiting for him to transform so they could bust into the kitchen when ready.

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Wes Kraven
DWMA Field Camp, New York
September 26th
Mentions: EmperorsChosen Sir Les Paul RedArmyShogun ​

---

Wes let out a small grumble as Aki slapped his shoulder, less from the impact and more of her belief that he was agreeing to the plan because he wanted to. It was less of them rubbing off on him, and more of him knowing when to just nod and go along with their plan. Of course, when Kenny spoke, Wes had to give the man a quick glance to make sure he was hearing him right.

‘Shit, did I just screw myself out of a free pass?’ He thought to himself, clicking his tongue in annoyance. From Kenny’s tone it was clear he wasn’t a fan of having to stay behind, and Wes could have sworn he heard a spike of jealousy in his soul before it was quickly subdued. Taking a look at the screen Kenny offered him, he mentally groaned as it showed that this Samuel wasn’t that far away from their location.

Feng was also quick to shoot down his idea of taking a vehicle, and alongside Kenny’s assurance that they wouldn’t need a vehicle, that put the final nail in the coffin for that route. Instead, he and Aki would hop back into their weapon forms while Feng proceeded towards Samuel on foot.

It was true that, on foot, the trio could make their way to Samuel much faster than in a car, and without having to worry about being restricted by roads or any debris they might come across. Realistically, there was no reason now for them to take a car. But that was ignoring a very important fact that Wes found trumped the benefits of proceeding on foot.

He wanted the chance to take a nap in the backseat of the car.

He felt mentally drained after the ordeal with the church, or he guessed that paladin specifically, since apparently Adrian and Kenny both had better interactions with the group than they had. Add onto that their encounter with Crimson and Fang, the scavs, and watching something straight out of a horror movie, Wes felt like taking a quick power nap was just what he needed.

Unfortunately, the nature of their mission meant that they were constantly on the move, and trying to nap in his weapon form was an ultimately futile endeavor. He had tried before, the idea of being able to catch a quick nap anywhere at any time was awfully appealing to the weapon. Unfortunately, beyond the obvious discomfort that came with being in his weapon form for too long, there were certain factors that just made it a bad experience all around.

“I’m fine.” Wes sighed and rubbed the back of his head, resigning himself to the task at hand. There was a slight stiffness in his shoulders from being in his weapon form during their escape, but it wasn’t anything major. He probably stayed in his weapon form for longer than necessary during their retreat from the scavs, but in his defense he still felt on edge being so close to people who could have used him like a walking blood bag if they wanted to. Their conversation about the quality of blood demon weapons, especially his own, was enough to send shivers down his spine.

“Let's just get this over with.” Judging by the look Feng had given him before, it was clear that she could tell that he wasn’t going along with her suggestions out of a genuine want. But then again, where was the problem with that? It would be annoying to have to try and explain and defend himself, and at worst he’d make himself out to be a lazy asshole. If the only way he’d get a break was to finish up their task as quickly as possible, then that’s what he’d do. Anything after that, and it could be someone else's problem for all he cared.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Shoreline south of the Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Trio Post into GM Post​

1237 | September 26th, 2067​

The moment the trio were truly airborne, perhaps seconds after the metallic saucer Gauss stood on was no longer supported, became a short eternity for Gauss. Serenity was more like it. It might have been in part due to the exhaustion from using such a large scale feat of Resonance, it might also have just been the wave of relief that came from knowing he had at least done something right. In either case, the weightlessness that followed was felt both physically and mentally. In fact, even spiritually. Noah and Arkayis could have easily felt the temporary shift in the soul of their Meister. His heart went from heavy as a stone to light as a feather.

He thought over the situation. In what felt like a lifetime transpiring in a single second, he reflected on all of his faults. He saw himself lashing out at Arkayis. As if a ghost seeing the scene from the outside, he saw his frustration and temper get the best of him in that moment. Sure, Arkayis was absolutely unreasonable at times, but that didn't mean Gauss had to be. He felt sad. Shameful. Remorse for how he treated his partner. He wasn't especially close to Arkayis, but he was trying.

This airborne epiphany was more than that sudden realization, though. Gauss reflected back on his other insecurities and frustrations. Leading an entire group of spellcasters was something he found daunting, but it was now occurring to him that he was likely doing worse solely because of the anxiety of doing it at all. He realized, like so many things in life, that his honest effort would have probably been better than the one he was giving now; if anything, he was doing his teammates a disservice with his concerns over whether he, a Meister, could make judgement calls for spell casters. He wasn't sure what each one of them had went through, but the vast majority of his training would remain the same. He could do this.

That became the entire thought racing through his mind, through his soul, and invigorating his body. He could do this. It didn't matter how well, it didn't have to be perfect, it just had to be done. It was a radiant feeling that passed all through him and into those he touched.

A deep inhale as he plummeted. An energized smile with an exhale.

"We don't need to kill it," Gauss shouted mid-fall, answering Maria first amongst his peers.

He poured his wavelength into Arkayis and through his partner created a burst of flames below them. True it was that Arkayis was not at his peak, but the flames he could exert were still with such force it could slow down his descent. At least enough for the flaming arms from his backside to cushion the rest. Their long reach, immunity to the flames of Arkayis, and ability to absorb his momentum proved highly synergistic with his fighting style.

"Mission objective is the preservation of life," Gauss shouted emphatically, his tone carrying a more positive weight to it. Instead of a teacher correcting a student, it was more blunt than that: Gauss just announcing how it was. "If Ark is right and other agents need help, securing them is our priority," he added, though his words were about to come second to his actions.

Out from the smoke created by the burst from Arkayis shot out Gauss in blinding speed. It was easy to forget that he also possessed these superhuman capabilities when he so often used more flashy ones, but sometimes a sprint is all the situation called for. He was headed in the direction directly South of them as indicated by Ark; it was the most nearby group. If they could help even just one, that was worth it. Or, at least, a start.

In the midst of this, Gauss hurled Noah like a javelin in the general direction of Raphael. Not quite close enough to be considered an attack, but enough to cover most of the ground for Noah. 'Work your magic on him,' Gauss instructed, not really leaving much room for debate. He wanted his entire team clear-headed.

"Chanterelle, cede ground to them, but stall as much as you can. We can forfeit the beach if need be and perch ourselves on the concrete retaining wall," Gauss instructed, dolling out his orders on the go. Of course, he had to. He was moving quick.

That arguable was a fairly big task, but he his expectations were reserved. These creatures had elected to stay mostly within the waters of the beach so far. He also expected that massive fungal growth on the entirely-forsaken fish was immobile, which would force them out of their protective barrier and away from their element of the water. If they pursued, he surmised turning on them would be easier than fighting in their current position.

'Arky, I am sorry for earlier,' Gauss shared, riding his high but admitting his shame. 'That was cruel of me. I do want you to understand that your hatred of Witches is making an already difficult situation more difficult, but... it does not mean you deserve my frustrations," Gauss continued, not forfeiting ground that Arkayis' perspective on the Witches was still wrong, just that this reaction was unfair.

He inhaled again, coming to a stop just shy of the cloud that had been dispersed. He could sense magic in it, as Maria had said, but also wavelengths. Souls that were suffering. He didn't dare entire as-is, but he had to get in there somehow.

'Please, Arkayis... strengthen me as best you can so that I can save them,' Gauss asked, pleaded really, hoping Arkayis could find some forgiveness in his heart.

Meanwhile, he began to finally instruct the others. He placed his rarely-free left hand to his ear, covering his communicator.

"Raphael, Noah is on his way to help with your Pull. Clear that up, then go help Chanterelle," he said first, making sure Raph was on the same page as he believed that might be the most volatile situation.

"Maria, disperse that cloud with whatever magic you can, then have your dolls assist with evacuation if possible, he told her, "Ark, start creating solid stone barriers around anyone you can sense alive in that cloud. Give me cover before Maria gives me sight. Get back the retaining wall after and reinforce it. Maria may appreciate help lifting her dolls to high ground or shielding them."

With that, he waited. The instructions were set. He was pouring wavelength into Arkayis. Noah was probably half-spent, so sending him to help Raph was probably for the best. Maria had ample utility and eyes in the sky. Ark could control the battlefield from below. Chanterelle could kite these guys back. They might not be able to fight them in a war of attrition, but stalling them out to evacuate others seemed much more feasible. Everyone had a role. Now was time to see if they could execute it.

RedArmyShogun Merciless Medic Meredith The Regal Rper Peckinou

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Kisei☆Hoshi​

Deadsoul​

Species Death Golem
Partner Eloise Keegan
Rank Two-Star

Location The derelict Mansion, Liberec Region, Czech Republic
Mission The Missing of the Giant Mountains
Status Composed

​

Tags: EmperorsChosen The Regal Rper Haze- Merciless Medic Pumpkid

Kisei could have answered Elly immediately, but he had other plans. Or, more accurately, his priorities did not align with her line of questioning. He would get to her in due time.

Instead, he wanted to focus on Wren and Zosar for a moment.

He approached.

Being that he was, unless enraged like earlier, such a stoic and often statuesque person, not only was it hard to read him, it also meant that he often had what many - like Wren - would call resting bitch face. That was, unless someone liked his face. Then it was just an ever-present, picture-perfect reminder of his handsome, Asian lineage. In common, day to day activity, it rarely shifted unless Elly had used her wiles to make it so. Those that were around him often, like Zosar, Zari, and Adrian when they were his pupils, just had to get used to it.

It also meant that in moments where he did have some uncharacteristic expression, it had an even greater impact.

Once near Wren and Zosar, his face softened. Even just this slight shift from someone that rarely did so changed his appearance quite significantly. Sure, he looked more friendly, but seeing this type of reaction which was so uncommon truly loaded up whatever he said or did next. Even Zosar could not quite compete with him. The two both had dual-colored eyes, were beautiful men in their own right, and had exotic features. The thing was, Zosar was expressive almost every minute. When Kisei did it, it did demand just a bit more attention.

Those eyes of his, kind and warm now, focused in on both of the two. First, Zosar, his pupil that he had saved from the brink of betrayal, then over to Wren, the scrappy werewolf that never let him live down a snide comment said in jest. He smiled, smirked even, then, let out a jovial scoff.

Both of his hands lifted with a his middle fingers held back by his thumbs. "You shouldn't horseplay, guys," he told them both audibly, then flicked each of their foreheads.

That was the key, though. He could play the same game Elly could with silent communication, arguably even better given he was splitting his attention and wavelength between the two of them. More importantly, he wanted to share some words with each of them that, in fact, would just be privy to them.

To Zosar, his pupil and daresay friend, he warned him: 'It is likely you will need to carry more weight than normal. If Elly and I need to split to setup a kill, you may need to take charge while we're in the shadows."

An important message. That which he sent to Wren was far less impactful, but was more personal: 'You did great. Communication is hard and uncomfortable, but it's better to say the things and have a moment of discomfort than hold back and suffer the regret of not. I'm proud of you.'

Kisei only gave a side-eye to Dante and Sara before he turned back to Elly. He decided they weren't ready for more confrontation yet. Dante had only just became bearable and Sara hadn't even dried her eyes. There was a time and place for everything.

"Chimeras are nasty things, but they do have a trend. They're normally not as elegant as... natural creatures," Kisei explained, offering his advice from his time as a Monster Hunter.

"They may be large, but they're normally slower, less coordinated, and weaker than a comparable beast. Their danger comes from their tricks. Nearly impossible to predict because every creator is different. I've never dealt with those made by Bloodsuckers, but they probably have some weird gimmick or two. To give you an idea of what I mean, Eros essentially made Royal Pain into a human chimera. Her scales, blood, that fog... those are just some of the things we could end up seeing. Poisons, venoms, , fire, and breath attacks are pretty common, but it's really only limited to the skill and imagination of their makers," Kisei went on, monotonously reciting facts about the species - if it could be called that - in such a way that he returned to his normal self.

Wren and Zosar only saw that side of him briefly. It was but a fleeting fancy.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Noah & Raphael​

Date: September 26, 2067
Location: Shoreline south of the Steel Pier, Atlantic City, New Jersey
Interactions: Gauss, Arkayis, Chanterelle, Maria, Ark
Mentions: N/A
Sir Les Paul Peckinou Meredith RedArmyShogun The Regal Rper

As Gauss and his weapons fell, Noah felt a pit in his stomach but knew Gauss well enough that he would find a way to save himself. What sucked was that Raphael didn’t get hit and seemed to still struggle from the pull, but the others at least had some clarity.

He had thought Maria would have fallen, but guess she didn’t. He listened to Maria saying her concerns about whatever was in the ocean after the giant sunfish, his lip curling in disdain at the fact that their mages’ magic were taken and converted, and even more so when this weird spore stuff began to gas the agents up and down the shoreline.

Raphael sounded quite angry that they were pulling away like cowards, but he still looked to Gauss for direction, so that was good. Ark spoke about recovering their allies, which was a good idea. Ark and Chanterelle chimed in, and Noah watched as they used some of their spells defensively - or what he thought were defensive in nature. They did have good ideas though.

What was interesting to Noah was the sudden change in Gauss. Remorse? Guilt? But, before he could dwell on it anymore, they had landed and he was thrown towards Raphael.

Meanwhile, Raphael clicked his tongue in mild irritation when Ark spoke up. “Eugh, but you’re not the leader, are ya, Ifechi-boy?” His madness still stirred within him, spitting into the sand as he backed away, frustrated he couldn't do anything here. Raphael was about to use a spell when Noah landed next to him and shocked him. It was a harmless volt of electricity that still reset Raphael’s brain and had him blinking in mild surprise. His mind was blank.

Noah transformed back and panted, shaking his head. “We need to go back, listen to Gauss.”

Nodding and trying to mutter a half-assed "thanks", Raphael let Noah get behind him while the mage listened to his commands. Go back to Chanterelle? Sure thing. He helped push Noah along, running back up to Chanterelle and meeting her, trying to keep away from her spores and caustic mushrooms.

Raphael called out to her. “Alright, Chant, we’re here. I can help with creating walls and structure for your things, just tell me what you want me to create. Noah needs a breather-”

Noah quickly spoke up and over Raphael, silencing him. “I can help wit’ the lightnin’, if ya need it. Might not be a lot, but I can do it.” Noah still had no idea what the lightning could be used for, as he sort of forgot when it was explained to him.

For now, Raphael and Noah were safe beside her creations, they just needed direction.

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Daniella Ethalyn - North of JFK International Airport, New York
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Dani hummed as she began to eat, listening in on Erin's response. It was perhaps a topic better left alone given it seemed somewhat difficult to speak on. Bloodsuckers stopped aging when they were turned from what she gathered, so in reality, she didn't know how old any of them were. Apparently Fox Hunt had existed for a long time. Most of the FATE program had baggage and they were young adults by human standards. What was it like to have burdens from a century or more of life?

"Hundreds of years..." She mused aloud as the thought sat in her head.

Then there was the Bloodsucker sentiment, though Dani by this point had had more reliable experiences with them than without. There was that Bloodsucker Adrian was friends with and who dipped, but he didn't seem all that bad--just kind of boring. They sure as hell were less of a pain in her ass than the priests.

"That's... pretty shit," Dani replied with a quiet, almost regretful tone as she took another spoonful and brought it to her lips.

She was curious, but she also didn't know what to say about something like this. Should she apologize? Express sympathy? Would that even help or would that be taken as some shallow sentiment? "Well... Less Bloodsuckers have fucked me over than priests, so..." She commented off-handedly. It was a weak attempt at humor, but nonetheless was how she felt. She felt more comfortable here than dealing with the latter--Hell, she felt more comfortable than with some at the DWMA. "Didn't make me do a bullshit pit fight either... Still... uh... sorry."

Sir Les Paul RedArmyShogun

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Aki Kiyoko - North of JFK International Airport

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Aki ignored Wes's grumbling, wrongly interpreting the man as just being a bit shy, before she zipped over to Feng's side and looked around her at the phone's screen. "Oh! He's not too far!" She declared excitedly. That meant less waiting and more doing. Also, she was curious to see what kind of vague creature was prowling the city at a time like this, her soul beating with anticipation as if she were going on a trip to the zoo.

However, she then tilted her head a bit from around Feng to peer up at Kenny. "Whaddaya mean? Is he funny or something?" She asked, ignorant to what he was referring to. From the man's tone of voice, it seemed like this Sam would be interesting one way or the other.

When questioned by Feng, Aki circled her partners with a bounce in her step, making her way over to Wes again. "That's almost the spirit, Wes!" She cheered with a grin, placing her hands upon the others shoulders from behind and applying a bit of pressure and friendly back-and-forth shaking. Though, it was unclear if she noticed his stiffness and wanted to help or just wanted to tease him a bit.

Regardless, afterward she released him and looked to Feng. "Nope, I'm good to go!" She then replied, no less animatedly. Being so active, being constricted in weapon form all the time wasn't optimal, however Aki did perhaps have a longer tolerance to it given her background--the same reason she didn't need to be comfortable to sleep. If need be, she could pass out on a rock as easily as she could a bed, though the bed was much preferred. Just the same, she could sit in weapon form without too much complaint. Though, it also helped that she would be dong so in order to more quickly discover this mystery creature.

RedArmyShogun Sir Les Paul Shotgunpenguin

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - Atlantic City - New Jersey​

Listening to the outburst of Raph, Maria knew he was still lost to his pull. Sadly, it was no simple thing to break, though she did wonder why, how it had happened. That was more important than the other problems.

Or so the doll maker thought for a bit, before orders came down. Shooting back briefly, "Raphael! We can do but so much! Open your eyes!" Though it seemed her words were for little and less as the staff was sent to shock him directly. She was unsure if giving a weapon up to do this was wise, but she did not understand the innerworkings of a weapon and meister team, any more than they did that of a caster. Gauss was taking risks and like many of her leaders before now, asking of her something unreasonable that she would have to deliver on.

"Unfortunately, I do not have dolls to help with this, the DWMA was insistent that I go without my full complement. To fight on the battlefield is a matter of logistics... Nevertheless, I shall attempt to carry out your commands." She said in short reply to Gauss, she was not irritated in this case so much as exhausted in people thinking she could just replace her assets in a day or two of downtime, that no rest was deserved. Chant would likely understand, given she had to make her creations as well.

Still, that was thoughts for later, with her Aether being heavily depleted, Maria would attempt to deal with the current gas cloud. Pondering her options, the young witch, had no means of telling where the agents were beneath the gas unless she seen them, and randomly slinging spells at it would likely sweep them up in it as well. A tough position to be in as her eyes narrowed. "No. Better yet Ark, use the shields now, this one spell I have yet to use as I have my doubts to use it at full force or in heavy combat. I can perceive mana, but not life forces and souls."

Waiting for his consent or being in one hell of a bind if he refused it. Maria formed the foundations for Sonic Boom, more of a sonic rush as it ripped into the cloud or gas ball leaving a twirling and passing vortex in its wake, Maria was satisfied as the gas was pulled back towards the sea, trapped in a wake, no matter how temporary it may have been. Now focus would shit towards helping others escape, something she would let Ark take the lead on.

Interactions: Merciless Medic (Raph-Noah) Meredith (Chanterelle) Sir Les Paul (Gauss) Peckinou (Arkayis) The Regal Rper (Ark)

 

[Sir Les Paul]

North of JFK Airport, New York City, New York
GM Post​

The Coffee Shoppe Basement -> en route to Eastern front​

Given her experience thus far in the DWMA, Nadia might not have ever expected the type of turn-around her request would carry. Yet, lo and behold, once she finally phoned in via the SATCOM, she slid through farther and faster than Steel or his company ever could. She provided her name and Agent status to the other agent on the first like, did a two-factor authentication on her phone, and went right through to the intelligence division going over scene coordination. There was no need for demands or bravado, nor even to hide the fact she was working with mercenaries. They sent off for an approval request, likely to someone high up the ranks such as Cyrus, received it within minutes, and were given the greenlight to move in and make their attack after the next hour. Agreeable given it would take them some time to move all their equipment and that it would be set in stone, unlike the hollow promises made previously.

All it took, effectively, was someone from the DWMA endorsing them. A testament to their internal preferences.

Food and rest proved hugely beneficial to both Adrian and Dani. Despite the somewhat awkward conversation, calories did their bodies good and the exchange of perspectives helped to sharpen their minds. Besides that, their host wasn't exactly provoking them as much as she was attempting to inspire some thought about the Bloodsucker plight. After Dani apologized, the tone of the situation lightened up. Right until the hoo-ras and excitement from the other room exploded when Nadia called in her favor from the DWMA.

It turned out that the entirety of Fox Hunt was ready to move. Parts from their weapon were modular and in a dismantled state, ready to heave out. Nadia could have helped load some of them into the larger vehicles outside outside. They lacked military humvees or any large type of hauling vehicle, but New York had no shortage of easily jacked vehicles. Even in the Big Apple, there were some that insisted on vehicles far larger than necessary for the street. Be it large vans or SUV's, there was plenty to choose from. Years had been unkind to pick-up trucks, especially in such a large city, but almost everything was Magitech and thus easily hacked. Their push for EV's wasn't necessarily a push for car security.

The whole plan would have went down without much of a hitch. Given their use of vehicles, they didn't follow the same path as the first group with Feng, but they were on the lookout for scavs, snipers, and the sort after that first experience. Even mines or traps weren't off the table, all things considered. Their convoy had eleven total vehicles, in part because it turned out Fox Hunt was absolutely huge between ten and twenty members present, but also just in part due to the large modular components and spears they were transporting. There was a reality here sinking in that even if all of them weren't Bloodsuckers, the few that were and the general power levels amongst them made them a real threat. Nadia was being lauded as some type of hero for just calling in the request, but had it not been for the positivity of that, it would be fairly easy to see the danger here.

At least, if one didn't trust Bloodsuckers at all. The group hadn't given the trio any reason not to trust them specifically, but the stigma was undeniable. Beyond that, it was always unnerving when a group of considerable strength was around you in numbers. That had been the crux of the entire fiasco earlier with the Paladins. The difference here being that Steel and his lot seemed much more reasonable.

This all came to a grinding halt once their convoy hit an unexpected enemy. Perhaps one of the last things for them to have considered, given the context. A group of what could only be assumed as Rogue Witches bombarded the long line of vehicles traversing through the streets. No announcements, no introductions or discourse. Instead, it was four total Witches being held in the sky by a sphere of wind one of them had created. The first series of attacks was a reign of fireballs from the sky with explosive forces sufficient to jostle the moving vehicles and throw them off course. Some of the vehicles impacted immediately became effectively undrivable with the force of the impact throwing off their belts, losing power steering, causing overheating, so on and so forth. Her aim was impressively solid, hitting the front of most vehicles and the roofs of some others.

Not that her attack was the only one. Following the fireballs was a reign of blackened shards impaling the vehicles and surrounding area. This is where Fox Hunt actually had to react quickly. It was near impossible to track exactly what each one did. Many looked like cybernetic ninjas yet still used Spiritual Energy. Once they scattered to dodge the shards, it became difficult to tell who was who given they all masked their souls. Some specific ones such as Blue Steel and Crimson moved with blinding speed to protect the less combat inclined, like Sibyl. It was less of teamwork and more of showing their hand by a display of priorities. Only Mister Prey and one of the more heavily-suited individuals leapt out of their van to shield their equipment. Mister Prey creating a barrier of blood while the other conjured bat-like shadows that intercepted the shards.

Red Fang was the one in the SUV Nadia, Dani, and Adrian were in. His was one hit hard by a fireball in the front compartment. The windshield was cracked, but not smashed, and his driving had them veer off violently into the street, but at least not crash. Adrian rode shotgun to Red Fang. Despite the clear desire to sit by Dani, it was most logical for the partners to remain close. Such insistence proved valid in a moment like this. Besides, Adrian was also capable of transforming his arm into the door of the Iron Maiden, allowing him to deflect some of the incoming shards in front of them. It was a little action, but it allowed Red Fang to drive them to whatever safety one could find on the side of the road.

The street was now torn sunder with potholes from the explosions and imbed with odd, flaky shards that were once sharp as glass. They were under attack, and the final spell was about to be unleashed. As if paying homage to her former dance partner, the last Witch of the Quartet blasted lightning down from their perch. In a unique type of combination magic, it surged between all of the shards, likely some conductive mineral, causing it to jump and leap at rapid rates that did successfully hit the vast majority of the group. Even Adrian was not spared from this jolt as his arm was in close proximity to shards he had deflected earlier.

---

Between Bergen Basin and I-678...​

The last known location of Samuel Smith was a pin for a snow removal company to the immediate South. In all technicality, it was actually somewhat West of their current location, thus required some backtracking. That was the nature of the small basin of water in the area, though, and the reason the retreating Witches took it to begin with. It was more out of the way and thought to have less dangers. They were wrong.

Though the directions might have been annoying, they proved effective. Finding Samuel Smith proved to be fairly easy. He was still in the immediate location, but he was also in combat. More so, his soul was... well, the benchmark for what most souls were compared to. The man was a true Strong Soul. A Mighty Soul. A one in a billion soul. A single individual with the power of a hundred. Kenny paled in comparison. Zosar hardly measured up to Kenny, and despite the intensity of his soul, it was naught but a flickering candle to the roaring pyre that was a true Strong Soul in action. Given that Samuel was fighting, this was a rare chance to feel his soul unrepressed.

Even Aki could feel this pressure. It was strong enough from a distance of a few hundred feel that her Volatile soul almost evened out solely reacting to that pressure. Wes could hear it plain as day, and it was quite unique. It was loud. Absurdly loud, even more so than Aki. The difference was in how it sounded. If his soul was an amplifier for a guitar, it would sound perfectly clean. No overdrive, no distortion. Aki and Zosar had powerful souls, more like rock n' roll, and loud as Hell. Kenny was closer to this with his Healing Wavelength taming his Volatile Soul. Similar was all it was, though. If Kenny was something like a Fender Blues Junior - a respectable little fifteen watt amp - then Samuel was more like its cousin, a hundred-watt "the twin" made for being loud and pristine. His wavelength hit like a wall of sound, even if it was smoothed over.

Meanwhile, Feng got to feel all of that through a more regular lens. As a Meister, it really put into perspective how unfair the lottery was. His soul was bestial. A force of nature. She knew with her Berserker Soul how powerful and effective a regular Soul could get, but even her best was a fraction of his.

A soul like his was a testament to how unfair the world really was.

Upon actually getting into visual range of Samuel, he was standing atop a forklift, backing up to defend his partner. A katana sheathed at his side and doing his best to maintain his current stance. He was surrounded by what looked like a pack of beasts, though their souls were uniquely human. A disturbing fact matched only by how human their faces were. More so, as one lunged at Samuel, it did so with a feat of Wavelength Amplification and impressive speed. A fact that ended up mattering very little once it leapt into range of Sam.

Feng could barely process his speed with her eyes. The beast cloven in half before it even neared him. His release of spiritual energy in doing so proved he was using a regular sword with Wavelength Conduction despite his partner being literally right there, but more so, how it felt so wildly different for him to use a single technique. That slash from him was comparable to low-level Resonance from a one-star.

How this man was not in the top five was absurd. It put into perspective just how elite the others had to be to somehow beat this type of strength.

Thoughts for later.

Once the trio got in range of the creatures, a good half of them turned their attention from Sam. He was defending himself fine from atop his forklift, but now the ugly manbeast had a new target. Like hungry hounds, they rushed through the open field of crates directly at Feng, Aki, and Wes. Three of them led the pack. A disgusting site as their mostly-human faces contorted into snarling snouts more akin to dogs, slack jawed and radiating wavelength that soon bolstered their speed with amplification. Feats that mere beasts should not be capable of. Their pounces powerful enough to knock back snowplows that were lined up and rattle the steel containers found nearby.

Granted, if they were any lesser, Samuel would have wiped them all out by now.

RedArmyShogun Shotgunpenguin EmperorsChosen

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar | Czech Republic

‘Just get it outta yer’ system already…’​

The initial reaction of unamused staring and silence did not disrupt the flow Zosar was trying to create here.

He simply thought: Had he pushed his luck too far?

Reeling back wasn't about to happen when he was this deep.

Might as well dig the grave in full if he was already in it. Wagging brows going up and down countered the long, hard unamused stare with a little nod and small grin.

If Kisei had someone ended up swiping Wren's heart, well, he’d have to take lessons. Rizzing up Elly was all dandy but Rizzing up his weapon partner from ‘enemies to lovers’ trope was a whole other form of swag he had never mastered.

Besides annoyance Wren felt with his current attempt at smoothing over things, he would make up to her later.

Her little turn and focus on Kisei for a moment was what actually had him pondering if she had taken what he said seriously though, only for a scant moment. Peering at her soul in this proximity was a cinch. He didn't need to look deep to see that she was lost somewhere else in thought than the implication he had made.

The good news at least was that she did seem better off for the distraction he had provided if only to let the topic as a whole go.

It was a relief that Wren was easier to sway. Even if she did slip from his grasp in an almost metaphorical symbol of how swaying her may not always go as anticipated or expected.

His attention shifted over to Kisei as he approached though and while he wasn't quite sure what to expect, the forehead flick was not what he had anticipated, even in the generally soft playful delivery that had been delivered to both of them.

That message said a lot to Zosar at the very least.

Being given the reins to ensure things stayed steady if their leads had to be away, was no small honor. It felt…nice, to have that kind of faith, knowing it was there at least.

He really could only nod, a pinch of resolution in understanding, and with the verbal reply being: “Of course, hehe, you got it.”

Listening to the feedback though on Elly's question, Zosar found there was little he had to add. All that remained was just moving out in his head. If the groups were slower they might have an advantage there for a chimeric sort of that kind but at the same time remaining careful was a certainty. Nothing would cure a venomous attack and if they did have anything like acidic properties in hand…well, he just really hopes the armor this time would last.

Stripping mid combat was not going to be easy. And the last thing he wanted to do was go back with more burn scars.

Unconsciously he scratched at the shoulder where his dotted healed burn scars were.

Mentions: RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic Pumpkid Haze-

Interactions: n/a

 

[RedArmyShogun]

The Missing of the Giant Mountains
Investigative Mission
Date: 09/27/67
Location: The Derelict Mansion - Liberec Region - Czech Republic
​

With the plan of attack laid out by Elly and tensions momentarily were defused as Kisei took a change of tact with Wren and Zosar, or Sara and her partner finding more of a bond, even if it was one sided for the time being. Things had really gone well for them, given that some of them were a hairs breadth from coming to blows with one another, and seeming the desperation to escape an uncertain fate that she only seen in her death, the timely call and information allowed Elly to form a plan. It was not a bad one all things considered, Zosar and Wren would take the front while Elly and Kisei would go for the flank, with Sara and Dante backing them up, just in case the witch was lying... Though it wasn't the soundest of plans in hindsight as they jumped through the windows of the very room that was occupied by the enemy.

Willing to go down ones aside, how the double pair would take down the weapon and meister bloodsuckers would be left to their sudden reflexes, depending on the means of incapacitation the two Vampires may not be in any position to help with the offer to stop the reinforcements. Nonetheless they did make to ready to defend themselves. How this would play out was up to the skills of those involved in the fighting.

However, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. A hard learned maxim. Though the plan still did allow them to outnumber the enemy, and it was good as it did, as the two Chimeric beasts immediately took notice of the battle just through the door, coupled with the broken glass, even up top were the other two already processing to jump down and fight while numbers were on their side to somewhat resist.

Already some within the group could feel the Jiangshi self-resonating, an echoing laugh as his claws grew a dim Shhhhnnnng over the clattering glass and the roars of the beasts just on the other side of the doorway. Actions would need to be taken and quickly.

Interactions/Mentions: EmperorsChosen (Elly) Sir Les Paul (Kisei) Merciless Medic (Sara) Pumpkid (Dante) The Regal Rper (Zosar) Haze- (Wren)[/scroll]

 

[The Regal Rper]

Ark | Atlanta | Rings: 0/1

Ark’s response was a simple two word “On it
.”

Stone sprouted from the sand like a plant might from the ground. Rising up and creating angles triangular barriers to stop the poisonous toxins from further invading the sensibilities of various agents. Feeling out for each one took focus and concentration, and at the same time, Maria’s remark did not go amiss by his ears.

He replied with a simple: “Can do.
” Longer responses weren't really necessary, all that was mainly required was he retake the support. Shields were formed as she prepared her spell and as she did, Ark continued the work of finding agents and raising barriers to protect them.

Mentions: Merciless Medic

Interactions: RedArmyShogun
Peckinou Sir Les Paul Meredith

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Nadia Semyonov - Daniella Ethalyn
New York City - North of JFK International - NYC
September 26th​

Having helped some with the loading, mostly as she had nothing better to do and wasn’t one to just leave others to handle everything, Nadia was soon left without much to muse over, other than the DWMA reacting to her requests so quickly. It was amusing, Feng still had not got up with her about locating the local command short of the status report.

It was a nice change however, being somewhat praised and not getting threats behind closed doors, if anything it scratched the right itch for Nadia. If not for her own beliefs, it might even be worthwhile to join the marry band of blood suckers. Almost.

While she did not have a fear or distrust of them, it was not one born of naivety so much as the recognition that a mutual need existed, and that the Mercs had plenty of skins of her own. Nadia was here to complete a mission. And as long as it was not a malicious evil, as long as it did not besmirch her good name, then it was worth considering.

Nadia was no fool to how the world worked as in quick order the mismatched Convoy was on the move, with Nadia wondering, but not asking how many of these cars were stolen. The roads were remarkably clear, point of fact they were making good time. And given all that had happened, this had Nadia’s nerves on edge. Good things in bad circumstances meant only more of the latter around the corner.

She just wasn’t ready for the scale of shit that was coming for them, some group of Witches had the nerve to ambush them, fire balling the convoy, firing black razor shards, did she see a fucking Cyborg Ninja? Did the witches have something to do with the monster attacks or just assholes looking to settle a score?

Bashing her face and head into the seat in front of her as the SUV shook with the Impact, Nadia was a bit pissed, stunned and fighting her way out of it. “Dani. Out, now, to me. Adrian, give us cover… See if the undead is still undead… we need to kill them, leave just one alive.” she didn’t know if the mercs heard her or would even agree, but at the same time she wasn’t exactly asking as some black shards managed to cut her. And the lightning zapped.

”Agh–FUCK! Wha-” Dani was taken aback, clearly, her head swinging forward and back as the car lurched from the impact. She hardly had time to process what was happening. She growled as the car came to a halt finally. ”...Gr… I am-AGH–” Her wavelength flared as anger soared with the pain from the shock. Her body tensed, but she nonetheless transformed into Nadia’s hand, ready to amplify her.. ’I am so fucking tired of random fucking witches appearing and screwing shit up!’

With Dani in her hand finally and the lightning hitting, Nadia grunted, burying her free hand into the frame of the car as her wavelength flared. Grounding herself via the frame of the car, Nadia was quick to jump out, her soul perception flaring, her ice blood had helped with fending off that attack, but now was the time for an offensive. Rushing out with their wavelength going full blast Nadia says simply ”Resonate.”

”Done.” Dani was all too eager, instantly taking in Nadia’s wavelength and matching it before sending the combination through Nadia’s flesh, muscle, and bones.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Dani) Sir Les Paul (Adrian/NPC's)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Feng Long - Aki Kiyoko - Wes Kraven
New York City - Between Bergen Basin and I-678
September 26th​

Having feared this would be not just a wild goose chase, but a wild weasel chase, doing some backtracking and heading west they eventually found him, or rather they found him well in advance, even their little group had no problem finding what more or less was a spotlight in the dark.

Samuel Smith, however, was in one hell of a fight for his life if she guessed right. There was also the issue of the Witches and whatever else Nadia had wanted. Feng had to remark he was strong, stronger than he should be for his position, that or there was some other reason he was not higher in the rankings. She would need this stupid collar, broach off if she were to last more than three minutes against him. Having more thoughts on what the best way would be to use her, she pondered just going the mercenary route and taking that retirement route.

Till she seen what he was fighting, it looked like a famous 20th Century American Boxer had some sort of Werewolf curse attached to them and had used it to bite dogs to infect them. It was honestly a little unsettling, all the more reason to kill them as she watched the Agent back up his partner, cutting one of the beasts in half with a swing. Standing atop a forklift of all things. And now the dogs seemed to want to play with her, using wavelength amplification of all things.

“Aki! Wes! Transform, Same as always! On the arm and in the hand!” Watching as some of the beasts seemingly knocked some cars out of the way and were gathered around steel cargo containers that totally, most definitely had not been where they came from, Feng wasn’t fast enough to escape, if worst came to worse she would power up her own unique wavelength and make use of w/e time till she passed out. This was all a bit annoying, but it explained a lot. Actually, no it explained nothing, but Feng wasn’t one to run from a fight.

Wes quickly found his ears assaulted by the deep and powerful thrum of Samuel’s soul, a deep and driving sound that easily dwarfed the red-headed chimera’s even from a distance. It was hard to believe that a man this powerful, with a sound so deep, wasn’t even considered to be in the top three of the academy. Equally hard to believe were the nightmarish creatures that the man was fending off, their face and body a twisted amalgamation of a human and a dog.

They were rather horrific, both in their appearance and in the sheer bloodthirst that their souls were producing, the sound like a rusty nail being dragged against an old blackboard. It was so bad that, despite the overwhelming noise of Samuel’s soul, he found himself taking a tentative step backward, a brief flash of fear running through his body as the beasts rapidly approached.

Their looks were of course one part, looking as if they were just plucked out of a horror movie and plopped down right in front of them. However, it was the fact that these creatures were able to use amplification that irked him the most. Despite their rather horrific appearance, it meant that these creatures were not only aware of their own soul, but also knowledgeable enough on how to utilize it to enhance their own abilities.

“Uh, right.” Wes didn’t need to be told twice, one of his hands shooting out and wrapping around Feng's arm before assuming his weapon form. In an instant he was pressed tightly against the outside of the meisters arm, his cord looping around itself and pulling taught against her skin.

Even Aki could feel the imprint of Samuel’s soul despite her lesser developed soul perception. She had only come upon that feeling a handful of times, only knowing it to mean that the cause of the feeling was a mighty power. Albeit that was just in the sense of them being strong. This was the first time, though she didn’t know it, that she saw a Mighty Soul.

Her eyes then shifted to the creature with just as much interest. ”Oh! It’s a–! …What is it?” Aki cheered enthusiastically, however she quickly trailed off as her expression shifted to that of confusion while her head tilted in turn.

”Oh–Right!” Aki said, quickly perking up and refocusing. She shifted into her weapon form and shot into Feng’s hand, chambering a round. Though, now that she was mooching off Wes and Feng’s perception, the blinding nature of Samuel’s soul became even clearer. ”...Wow… that’s… bright…”

“Heh.” Feng said to Aki’s own response, it was interesting seeing this from their combined senses, empowering herself with the aid of her partners, Feng steeped off quickly to her right, drawing her magitech firearm as well, Feng fires upon the furthest of the chargers, sweeping her gunfire inwards. Readying the shield Feng grins and taunts. ”Ha! Come on!” Waiting to bait the monsters, provided they withstood her gunfire, the improvised shield stood at the ready. Pondering how best to make use of Wes besides using him as a shield the whole time, Feng watched the beasts to see what the immediate reaction would be.


Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Aki/Dani) Sir Les Paul (NPC's) Shotgunpenguin (Wes)

 

[Sir Les Paul]

North of JFK Airport, New York City, New York
GM Post​

en route to Eastern front​

Dani was not the only one enraged by the fact seemingly random Witches appeared to intercept the convoy. Nadia could soon feel the false souls of the Bloodsucker technique dropping, revealing not only the Bloodsucker Souls around her, but the anger and frustration within them. Reading deeper into it would have proven difficult given her focus on resonating and more so pointless in that there was little more than superficial feelings in her range, but it was enough to confirm they were all of the same opinion.

Not that the situation was at its peak.

Adrian did as told for the moment, getting out of the vehicle and using both of his door arms to act as a bulwark in front of the resonating duo. Unfortunately, the amount of shielding he could provide would soon prove inconsequential. More Witches appeared. Two more groups of four, to be specific. A total of twelve Witches was, quite frankly, an absurd amount. It was true that the agents had grown significantly stronger since their confrontation with three during the Fool's Festival, but those insect-based Witches truly only had one powerful threat. The magic radiating off of the eight new Witches, all on the ground, seemed somewhere between the noble Bee Witch and the Ant Witches, if Nadia could recall, but the flying ones were easily on another tier.

The fight didn't particularly look easy. More frustrating as a factor that the Bloodsuckers all but recognized, but Nadia did not yet have enough experience to identify. All twelve Witches were outfitted with combat robes or normal clothing that all had their left shoulder adorned with a coat of arms meant for Witches of the Wiccan Council. In short, it meant every one of these twelve Witches were, in theory, agents of the DWMA by some degree. The difference being that they were on loan as opposed to full-time Agents, such as Maria or Ark.

The new squadrons of Witches didn't allow a lot of down time to respond. Their magic surged and with it an array of techniques that all began affecting the battlefield in haphazard ways. Sharks made of solid earth broke through the pavement of the city streets and swam through cement as if it were water, rushing over at the convoy and individual agents. Even Adrian found himself attempting to fend one off with its rapid advance, allowing it to bite onto one of his door-arms as he transformed the other to impale it. Repeatedly. This tactic had little effect until he began pumping it full of his wavelength.

The cracks and crevices created by the land sharks became the perfect opening for another Witch to begin conjuring massive plants, having them grow out with tentacle vines and thorns. Her type of magic took some amount of time to grow and expand, so what would come of it yet was unclear. Luckily, it seemed Red Fang had already made himself useful with a mad dash at the Witches, forcing one of their spellcasters to create a sphere of stolen metal around the group of Witches that soon exploded into a fireball Red Fang was blindly firing into.

The other group of four were similarly disrupted by Crimson and Blue Steel, each making their own dash at them. Those four, once observed, were using a large scale Magic Circle to conjure what appeared to be a large Earth Golem, by far more advanced in both size and complexity than the one seen by the ant Witches previously. This was halted entirely when Blue Steel slashed through one of the Witches only for him and Crimson to be pushed back by two massive hands of stone.

As for the flying Witches, they had a different set of issues to deal with. At first, it seemed like none of the Bloodsuckers could truly fly to catch them, but it didn't seem they needed to. Some of the ones they had not yet met or at least exchanged words with notably were firing grappling hooks that embed themselves into buildings and running up them, kicking off, swinging, and gaining height at fairly impressive paces, all seemingly with the singular goal of bridging the gap between themselves and the Witches.

Their attacks didn't end up mattering. A single one of the harpoons that Mister Prey and the various Bloodsuckers spent hours preparing was not only bent, but bent over the runework that they had so intricately laid. Soon enough, all of it failed, causing an explosion of pure magical force much like feedback. With it, it took a good quarter of the harpoons they had created. Mister Prey was furious. And, one truly should fear the fury of an old man. A combination of Wavelength and Magic erupt from him and the trio now got to bare witness to true power of a Bloodsucker: their ability to revert their body to its previous glory while retaining all of their abilities.

Mister Prey was no longer a wizened old man. He was now young, lithe, and had a vibrancy about him that even outshone Blue Steel and Crimson. They didn't a chance to see much more as soon enough he burst through the air like a fighter jet at the quartet of flying witches, hitting their wind sphere with enough force to cause a shockwave that shattered nearby glass. A misty dome of blood now surrounded them and while all five of their souls still seemed intact, what precisely was going on was out of their visible range.

More sharks were en route to them, the plants continued to grow, but Red Fang was still dueling with those four while Blue Steel and Crimson handled the other three. Some stayed back with the cargo, some were now hanging off of buildings after Mister Prey, enraged, stole vision from their targets. Adrian looked back, expectantly, at Nadia. He needed orders. Her last set didn't really apply given the change in the battlefield. He didn't deem it wise to make a move without being told to.

---

Between Bergen Basin and I-678...​

Feng could not have known it, but her decision to wait and bait the beasts would prove to be a stroke of luck and an excellent decision. The beasts circled her, as a pack of wolves might their prey. Each had a distinctively human face, each as unique as any might find in a tribe. They did not seem clones or perfect replicants of each other, but instead, as different and various as any group of people would be.

Sam had noticed the trio after the last slash of his sword. He wasn't enthused nor did he believe he needed their help. It would have been a matter of time before he killed them all, annoying though it may be. He figured out their gimmick, and after that, they were of little threat to him.

"These creatures consume wavelength and magic alike," Sam informed them, his tone dry and crisp. He was a focused man and honestly didn't care much to communicate in combat, but his warning, he was sure, would be of great use to the Agents. "If it nears their maw, they will consume it and be more powerful for it. It affects even wavelength so do not think you will overpower it," he added, providing some level of explanation as to what he meant.

Though, it did explain the situation a little better. Sam was attacking in short bursts and cleaving them in half. Slow though it was, it gave them little to consume. It happened to be a situation where his own strength could very easily be used against him. It presented a different problem, though. Aki only fired projectiles made of wavelength. This dilemma outright made her a liability. It also made Feng didn't necessarily have any effective way of fighting these beasts aside from bashing them with the shield. And, to top it off, her magitech rounds would be a liability in the same way as Aki. She would need to use standard munitions or nothing.

Out from his belt transformed another weapon, the traditional bright, red light that came with it resulting in him standing behind Samuel and near the damsel he seemed to be defending. The dark-skinned man sighed, shaking his head while he looked down. He seemed to be playing on his phone, but that wasn't anywhere near the actual truth. He was actually figuring out precisely which agent he was dealing with.

Sam liked to do things the hard way. Korne knew better.

"You are agent Feng Long, correct? Utility Meister, Berserker Gene, paired with possibly the worst possible pair of partners for this particular encounter?" he asked, nonchalant in his question as if he were just a bureaucratic slave at the DMV, or worse, a para-legal. "No offense to them, of course, but weapons work best when kill the enemy," he added, acknowledging the slight predicament Feng was in.

Not that answering was easy. The first of the hounds was already lunging at her from head on, intent on trying to bite into the rim of Wes so that it could create a contest of strength. These creatures were in fact fairly intelligent. Meanwhile, two off to the sides waited for an opening, their grotesquely human eyes watching closely for any fault in the movement of the Meister. All the while, one of the original hounds that had been circling around now made a quick lunge and bite at the calf of Feng, attempting to pin her with a surprise. They were, without a doubt, capable of teamwork when up against an opponent that wasn't as absurd as Sam.

It was a unique situation. Now that Korne wasn't so close to the blinding light that was Sam, his soul made itself more clear. Or, at least, visible in general. That a neat trick, hiding in the shadow of the light cast by Sam. True to his familial namesake, his soul carried a familiar jitter of electricity, not unlike that of Noah when he was being spun by Gauss. It might not have been clear immediately to Feng, but the hearing Wes had could all but pick up the slight crackling of his soul. That, also combined with how bored the man was. Sitting in that scabbard during this whole fight because Sam didn't deem him 'necessary' always left a slightly sour taste in his mouth.

"If so - and you can make it to me alive - you could probably wield me long enough to fight," Korne suggested, though this suggested carried more the tone of a request. Any opportunity he had to actually do something was one he would leap at.

RedArmyShogun Shotgunpenguin EmperorsChosen