Summary:When a rip occurs between dimensions, someone has to close them and find out why Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Early saturday evening at the Botanical Gardens is generally quiet, even as the weather turns warmer. There's still a number of people out and about as the sun slowly starts to dip below the horizon. It's a lovely place to just wander or even picnic.
About twenty minutes ago, magical senses and sensors all over New York just went off. It centered here, at the Gardens. WAND has notified its agents - with all who can respond being told to do so. It's *another* dimensional rift.
At the Gardens, it's chaos. There's horseman mounted on huge glowing beasts which blow smoke from their nostrils as they charge through the sheltered lanes and the riders are heedless of those in their path.
Of course, the public are panicking and it's hard to say what's worse - the 'cavalry charge' or the stampede of those trying to escape.
Zatanna Zatara can be seen arriving out of nowhere, perching atop a hedge wall. Not in her stage costume but leather trousers and jacket, the blue eyed magician speaks unintelligible words that form arcane symbols around a pair of children. Those children just disappear - only to appear on the hedge next to her.
Having been out and about enjoying that quiet, Martin is very nearly one of those run over. Coffee in hand, the red-head looks up at the mayhem sounds headed his way, and his eyes go huge. All he can do is throw himself into the foliage here in an effort to keep out from under feet and hooves. "Fuck!" Exclaims the man as he gives into the plants and dirt, rolling and coming to a stop with flowers in his hair, arms protecting his head, as well as dirt across his back and shoulders. Doesn't really care about that though. Just getting out of the way!
Dylan rides through the portal he created in his usual way of arriving somewhere. Also, as usual, he's riding Hengroen the horse instead of the motorcycle. It seems the elemental has become fond of a living body. "Go through the portal!" he calls to the bystanders, using his sword to point to the whole in space. They can see the courtyard of the Triskelion on the other side which is where he opened it from.
Priscilla Kitaen looks up from the clawfoot tub full of hot water and suds with a glaring protest. "Seriously? Now?" she asks of her girlfriend. With a put-upon sigh, the mocha-skinned dancer and vigilante clambers out, steps out on the towel and ripples; it's a bit disturbing to watch, but amazingly efficient at shedding the water. Another warp and she's now seemingly clad in her gold-accented purple Voodoo costume. A quick stop by the closet to fetch her sword, gear belts and blaster, and then she joins Sarah in the living room. "Be good, Jonesey. We'll be back soon. I hope."
Through the portal they go, and thus appear together one after the other in the Botanical Gardens. "Rift management is on you, gorgeous. I will try to save the innocent and disrupt the asshats on horseback. Have fun!" And with that, the sword-and-blaster-wielding figure of Voodoo charges out into the fray …
After a quick touch of hands with Pris before she heads away, Sarah is on comms. "Control, Black, on-scene. We have an open breach, Svarts on horseback, and crowd control getting underway. More intel as I have it. Over."
The young British agent then gestures, speaking an arcane phrase, and a portal much like the one she and Pris just emerged from — an oval opening in the air itself, edged with glowing, shifting mystical symbols and geometries, but this one large enough to admit a horse and rider — irises open in front of one of the mounted Dark Elves, with the hope of catching them by surprise and funneling them back into the rift from which they came.
Martin manages to roll out of the way just as a horse thunders by. He can see two women go down under its hooves. Not dead but not doing to well - Martin might be able to tell the extent of their injuries. He can certainly tell they're scared - that's like a bright, white, beacon. Another horse charges at them and hits an invisible barrier - causing it to rear and flail.
Which is when the sword and blaster wielding maniac in purple arrives, slicing the legs of the horse from under it. The horse comes down top her. Martin has opening to get to the wounded and it looks like there might be some coverage.
Near Dylan, four people dive through his portal, though one stands dumbfounded by Hengroen. There's three horseman circling and they turn their attention to the Welsh Knight. "Ahhhh, another for our hunt one moonless night." One of them says. "Do you feel helpless?" That's asked as a sword swings towards the neck of the frozen bystander.
Sarah can see the rift that Loki (in the form of a mutt) and Ford are at, funnelling one horseman back towards it - but not through, though. That would be because there's a horde of flying …. 'monkeys' coming out of it. Things are going to get a whole lot worse at the moment. What Sarah finds as well, is another source magic that seems to be holding it open. From her experience, she knows that the tear can't be mended while it's being help open from this side. She needs to find and stop that.
The pale-faced girl the sword is coming at mostly is thinking. <Ah, fuck, not AGAIN…> as the crazy knight people come through the portal. Luckily, immediate thought is met with rapid action as a sharp metal object coming at her face trips ingrained training this time as she blurs, the sword swishes through empty air, before she reappears, grabbing the arm.
"No." Carin says quietly, her voice trembling slightly.
Then she accelerates away from the horse, yanking the knight bodily into the air and sending him hurtling towards a nearby tree as she releases him.
Look ladies.. he's even bringing flowers in his hair! Ignoring the mess picked up in diving out of the way, especially since much of it is shed as he moves, Martin barely waits for the steeds to riot past before he's scrambling to his feet and heading to those women. The man feels of comfort and of calm, even if he really doesn't feel much of that thanks to that steed flailing at the invisible wall. A wall he's much grateful for. "Are you alright?" Never mind a touch tells him what's wrong. People like to be asked. Not going to admit that right now. "We have to move off the path." If they can do that. To that end Martin very much eases pain and will help the worst of the wounded to move. He's glancing back to that horse repeatedly, worried for that unseen protection going away.
Manhattan. Can't swing a dead svartalfar without hitting a metahuman. "So is it true that Malekith bends over for Liosalfar?" Dylan ask in a voice loud enough to carry the length of the battlefield. "I heard he actual pays them to force him to dress like a pixie and prance around sprinkling his err, 'pixie dust' all over the place." Hengroen seems to find this amusing and nickers, preparing to leap out of the way of anything coming at them.
Annnnd the horse goes down on top of Voodoo. CRUNCH! Damn, but the empathic wave of pain from that is disconcerting. Yet as soon as the horse stops thrashing - a slash to the throat ends that torture - he starts knitting back together, pulling herself out from under as her body reshapes itself. Not all of the damage is done by a long shot, but she can reshape what she must to get back up and moving. "Let's go, people! No more lollygagging, please!" shouts the altered voice of Voodoo.
Meanwhile, the telepathic links slide into place as her mind seeks out the others aiding in this encounter. « Hello. Mind if we coordinate? Oh, good. I'm the purple maniac over here. Good luck! » The same message is repeated in a myriad of variations across the battlefield; mo magical spells, nor radio communications required for team-like coordination. And translation helps!
« OK, folks. There's a magical someone with the bad guys keeping the rift open. Let's everyone find that jerk and end their day, alright? Keep up the good work! » One would almost think Voodoo doubled as a cheerleader, but it's just part of being an empath; she can feel the frustration, the pain, the fear, the confusion of them all - hero, civilian and agent alike - and she has to fight against it. It's in her nature.
Also, more maniacal charges with sword and blaster. Because Voodoo is never subtle, except when being sneaky. And there's not a lot of sneaky going on here right now.
Sarah's on the case already, with regard to finding whoever or whatever is keeping the rift open, especially as the situation appears to be escalating. With a moment of concentration and a blink of those big brown eyes, her point of focus seems to change, as she shifts from normal vision into the mystical Sight. And as her eyes sweep over the scene, she's able to perceive an indestinct someone at the edge of the mayhem, with stones set out on the ground in a circle around them. «There! I have them!» the WAND agent projects over her girlfriend's telepathic link, trying to convey the sense of the location along with it.
Oh, flowers in his hair. Isn't there a song about that? Either way, the women look at Martin as he approaches. "My … leg…" one of them groans in pain. He can see it's broken and blood is staining the womans jeans. The bone has punctured her skin. She can't be moved but that barrier about them seems to be holding - at least for the moment.
Whatever he does, he's going to have to be quick. The horseman try to run the barrier … THUD THUD. Nothing like working under pressure, right?
There's a laugh from Zatanna at Dylan's quip. "I heard, Agent Grey" she responds. "He pays people to break into his … where do dark elves live? … home … and threaten him with machetes and then stroke him with brooms." The riders snarl and turn on Dylan. "You will regret that …" He charges Hengroen again, swinging a sword that could slice a normal creature in half.
They're a distraction. Zee communicates. Agent Black is going to disable them but she'll need cover and they'll do all they can to stop her.
Sure enough, all but the horsemen attacking Martin and Dylan, turn and charge towards Sarah's location. One tries to ride Voodoo down on their way and NONE of them care about the people in the way.
Carin manages to take the knight from his saddle. He hits the tree trunk with a THUNK. As the group turns towards Sarah, Carin can see one of the monkeys descending on her - Sarah won't see it till it's too late and only someone quick will get there in time to stop the distraction and it hurting her.
Sarah has enough time to determine the caster has anchored her spell to the circle. It's going to require work and the MI-13 agent might need further assistance to disable the circle without blowing the area to kingdom come. As she starts to work, she feels a counter spell - slowly rooting her to the ground and trying drain her power.
It's like a switch has flipped in Carin's head as she stops from her blur for a moment to watch the knight smash into the tree, sees the monkey, then blurs asgain as the knight's sword disappears off the ground by him as she shoots towards Sarah, the sword swinging out in a flash aimed at the monkey's wings…and then continues as she zips back and forth down the line, the sword slashing out at the back of one of the knight's weapon arms attempting to ride down Martin and Dylan, then again across the others as she doubles back, before she zig zags back towards SArah, the blade slashing high at one of the other monkeys descending.
To everyone around it, there's just a flashing blur, until Carin stops, backing up towards Sarah as she holds the sword shakily, the blade dripping with fluids…ichor…blood..whatever these creatures have.
This is why you don't give a speedster sharp objects.
The telepathy freaks Martin out, for he's never experience that before, to this degree. Sure he's lived in New York for decades and there have been visions spread out over the population, or shouts, but never quite this close. « What the fuck?! » Not that he's against cooperation.. would really love that now. « ..Can someone to something about this horse thing? » He turns his attention to the woman. "I know it hurts, but we have to get out of here. These things want us dead." Using his powers, he'll dim the pain, and stop any bleeding out. Setting her leg will have to wait. Asking the second woman, "Would you help me?" Shows her how to help carry the injured woman away from that horse wanting to attack them. Won't be pretty, nor graceful, but it can be done.
"I've regretted many things in my life but this is not one of them." Dylan tells the Svartalfar, blocking the sword with his own. "Actually, I lied. I haven't regretted much at all in my life. Your mother was a dvergar wasn't she? You seem a bit shorter and uglier than the others." Zatanna. he thinks. Teleport me between the rift and the one holding it open. I can sever the connection. No way is he going to be able to ride there any time soon.
« This is your somewhat friendly psychotic telepath, here. Anyone who can get in some distracting shots over yonder, much appreciated. Invisible bitch keeping the rift open making this all worse. K, thanks! Anyone else, need to keep these jerks off of the adorable Brit gal, please. Thanks! »
That offered, Voodoo welcomes the fool charging at her, blasting the legs out from under the horse and then dancing out of the way - quite literally - to spin around and take off his head as he and the horse fall. SHe then keeps moving right back to a point between Sarah and the on-rushing hordes. "Fire in the hole!" she shouts, and then starts laying about ferociously. Sure, she's hoping for help in protecting her girlfriend, but she's not just holding her breath on that. « Honey, look away. » she warns Sarah, right before the grenades come out, tumbling into the path of the onrushing hordes.
Shrapnel sucks. This is gonna hurt.
"Control, Black," Sarah says hurriedly over comms, before ducking for a moment as monkeybits come falling past her. "Rift sustained by unsub, will attempt counter with Agent Grey." And then, straining a bit against the magic attempting to hold her in place and drain her power, she opens a portal and steps through it, emerging directly behind the figure working to keep the rift open. "Hello. I don't suppose you'd stop doing that if I asked nicely?"
Immediately after she's spoken, Sarah adds another gutteral phrase in some ancient language, and with a gesture, her shields flare into being about her.
With Carin flitting around like, no one really sees anything. Except the monkey wing drop to the ground and then the monkey following it. As Martin asks for help with the horseman, the rider drops - seemingly - lifeless from the saddle - a slash across his back.
When the speedster comes to rest, it's not just the blade covered in ichor. She is as well. And there's more monkeys shrieking as they come through that rip - all focussed on Carin and Sarah. It shouldn't be long now, surely?
Well … there's less now as Voodoo uses grenades to clear a swathe in front of them. Still, there's more than enough flying monkeys to deal with and the oncoming remaining horseman.
The women with Martin tremble and can barely speak from fear. As he starts to move her, the womans heart starts to beat erratically. It's not just a broken leg - her heart is going to give out. He'll have to be quick as her friend helps with the carrying. At least there's no horseman to worry about?
On it. Incoming, Agent Black. You have assistance on the way. Zee communicates. Resolving to thank Voodoo again for this boon. Speaking her spell, the words pronounced backwards, arcane symbols form about Dylan - and where he was, he is no longer, he and Hengroen appearing right next to Sarah. The horseman who'd been attacking him? Runs into a tree.
CRUNCH
Sarahs response is a snarl from the caster though that's it. Her attention is fully on maintaining that spell. The british agent finds herself divebombed by monkey's that have got through - though they don't last with the others slicing and dicing to protect her. Dylan will be able to help dissolve the circle and the magic holding the tear open …. they just need to be quick because there's another force starting to come through.
Yay, adrenaline! Otherwise, Carin would be hyperventillating a bit as the wave of monkeys comes at her and Sarah, before she blurs again. She's no swordswoman..but when you're going as fast as she is, and you have a sharp object, baseball swings against comparatively slow moving targets work REALLY well.
She's just not going to think about what she's covered in, she can have a little panic attack and throw up after this is over.
Figures! These things can never be easy! Martin tries to radiate calm to keep the women so, but you bet he's picking up the pace! Even if he can get them just out of sight of the mayhem. Bearing most of her weight in the process. "Hurry!" Given as dark bags form up under his eyes, his powers desperate to keep the woman's heart from giving out. Will work on getting her to the nearest possible, modestly safe place, so that he can do some proper work on that heart. The leg he's so not worried about.
Dylan looks around where he ended up then throws a leg over Hengroen's back and slides off. He meant a bit close to the rift but this will work. "Guard." he tells the horse who nickers in agreement. Rearing, he uses his teeth and hooves to drive the monkeys back. Dylan pulls his phone out and uses it to exactly pinpoint the magical connection between the rift and the mage. "On the count of three." he says to Sarah, drawing his dagger and moving into position. "That is, one two three go and not one two go." He's seen that movie. "One. Two. Three." And then he slashes with his dagger, the magical blade working to sever the magic.
On cue, Sarah starts working her admittedly more traditional countermagic, picking apart the weave and the weft of the enemy caster's spellcraft, seeking to unravel and weaken its threads of power as quickly as possible. With Dylan's assistance, this is certainly going faster than it would were Sarah attempting it on her own…
Voodoo will be spitting out shrapnel for a while, but she kept the enemy off of Sarah long enough … for Sarah to go somewhere else. Figures! « C'mon, team! Keep it up! » Rah rah, and all that! Those horses still charging at or near Sarah's former position get all the lethal attention Voodoo has to give them. She would try to get to Sarah to give her a 'battery' of power to complete that spell, but they just don't have time! « Gonna have such a headache after this. »
And another sneeze!
Voodoo cycles the blaster and frowns. Great, out of charge. Wonderful timing! She hangs it up on her hip and takes the sword in two hands as she starts sprinting out into the midst of the oncoming fight. « Let's keep them off the adorable Brit, folks! »
Martin manages to … stabilise the womans heart though he'll have some work to do it when they reach safety. Her friend is far from calm and that might well be adding to Martins distraction. It won't be long too before the first responders actually respond. Paramedics have been called to aid with the injured.
As the connection between the caster and the rip is severed, there's some horrible backlash. All three of them - Sarah, Dylan and the caster are thrown backwards. Ouch. But it's gone and those with the senses can 'see' as Loki mends the tear that somehow had got larger during that fight … hmmm.
Voodoo finds herself surrounded by a magical shield that keeps some of the attacks away, as Zatanna appears with them all. Slowly, the attackers are portalled home. By Zee, and by others.
When it's finally quiet, Zee lets out a breath. "Good work… how badly are people hurt?" She asks the group. "Nice work, Loki. Can you secure that? We'll want to look at it, later of course."
Carin gets a grateful from the blue eyed magician "Thank you, Miss. That was very brave, what you did." There'll be time shortly for people to catch up … right now, Zee is going to check on the others.
Martin is bombarded with distractions! However, he's actually long experience with that. Reaching some first responders, he'll give her condition as he helps lay the woman down on the ground outside. Of course Martin fakes some of the support he's giving, helping the paramedics, even as he actually works to stabilize her heart properly. Poor thing is going to have to deal with more mundane means for repairing the leg, but at least she'll live.
CLimbing back to his feet, Dylan sheathes his dagger and pats Hengroen's flank once he rushes over. "Gods, I love magical backlashes when they're someone else's." Walking over to the caster, he kicks her in the head to make sure she stays unconscious. "No matter how bad my headache is, I know theirs is so much worse." Especially after a mailed foot connects with their skull.
The sword spills from Carin's hands as she sucks in air, her hands starting to shake as it thumps to the ground. "Y-yeah…." she manages to Zatana. "No…no problem…" Then she staggers over to a nearby bush and is noisily sick. She'll be fine folks.
Sarah has picked herself up, a bit painfully, from where she was flung by the force of the spell breaking. "Control, Black," she says over comms, "Situation neutralized. Requesting WAND Forensics and Cleanup detail to this location. Over." That formality handled, she loosk wryly to Dylan and says, "Wny can't they just rift in something harmless, you know? Like some bloody dire squirrels?" And with that, she's off to find Pris.
Crap! Voodoo is deeply concerned when she feels the explosion that throws Sarah around like a ragdoll, but she must admit to being grateful nontheless for Zatana's brief shield; she's going to be regenerating for a few hours tonight to fully recover.
With monkeys and dark elves and hellhorses gone, its' time to check on all of the fighters, and all of the innocents. And while the gold-accented purple-clad figure does so, she offers a hug here and there in support and solidarity with those who have been through this and feel, empathically, like they could use it: one for Zatana, so worn out from her magic; another for Carin, so overwrought by the fight; One for Sarah, just because; one for Martin because she can feel his pain in trying to help others, whilst no one supports him in turn. « Anybody need help, we're listening, and ready. »