Manic Mondays

[angrydurf]

Ace grined quite pleased with remembering the gem "So you're related to Shang-hai Hank?" It was a largly rhetorical question. Ace glanced over at the young heroine, and reminisced "Always a good man to have at your side, and always very carefull of that Amulet of his I don't know why I didn't see it sooner."

Ace looked out the window for a moment lost in memory "So following in ol' Shang-hai's footsteps eh? Grand adventure and all that?"

As they spoke Ace glided easily in and out of traffic on the way to thier goal despite the distraction of thier common association.

[alderwitch]

"Not exactly," Phantom said dryly as she slouched back against the bucket seat once more. "When I translated the amulets inscription I inadvertantly made a vow to a very old power. Now I am in the important if unenviable position of enforcing the Pact and maintaining the barriers between our world and others."

Phantom glanced up at his profile, curious about the devil may care Danger scion, "Uncle went into archeology and anthropology. He's retired now. My family would have absolute kittens if they knew about my extracurricular activities."

[angrydurf]

"Its rare for any child to live up to their parents expectations." Ace replied. He glanced down at the young woman beside him "You might be surprised how proud they would be of you however sharp their concerns for your safety."

Ace paused then looking at the buildings gliding by "Retired huh? When I knew him I would have thought he'd never stop. Well time catches up with all of us one way or another I suppose." He said a little sadly.

Ace tucked the car against the curb and turned to Phantom. "The bar is just down the street, someone probably will know something but their willingness to talk will be in question."

[alderwitch]

"Proud, frightened, dissapointed. Unsettled. Take your pick." She said idly, watching the seedy bar for a moment, "Well, my usual tactic of fling them back and forth in the bar until they talk might take a while and is not the most effective way to gather information. I don't usually go after 'normal' crooks."

She tilted her head up at him questioningly as she reached up to the Eye once more, her amused expression back to slightly challenging. "I suppose you have an idea or two though?"

Going to live up to the rep, Ace Danger?

[angrydurf]

Ace smiled down at Phantom as he stepped out of the car. "Well certainly but I honestly have no idea where I would get a camel and gallon of yogurt at this hour. I think we'll just appeal to their sense of civic pride." He stepped lightly into an ally before they reached the bar in question. "Watch the back, anyone who knows anything will come out there." Ace indicates the back door of the bar. "I'll go stir the pot." Ace says as he slips back out onto the street.

As he reaches the front of the bar he conjures an illusory G-man standing at the door to complete the image and strides in. When he reaches the bar he smiles wide and orders a soda water tipping generously before tossing up an illusory set of photos of the would be robbers. Ensuring that the rest of the bar got a good look at the picture and the false FBI badge on his belt as he did so.

The entire bar was fixed on Aces performance and two rangy looking longshoremen slipped out the back while no one was looking emerging into the ally squinting and looking for an unwatched path of egress they didn't seem to notice Phantoms ephemeral form.

[alderwitch]

A bolt of crackling black energy caught the first man in the chest and sent him crashing back against the wall. Phantom's cloak flared open wide enough to reveal the heroine and the mystic energy that swirled around her as she thundered, "Stop right there!"

The mystic swooped in on him, the light behind her shining through her ghostly form.

[angrydurf]

Phantoms attack sends the first thug out flying through the air to land unceremoniously in the accumulated refuse of the allyway. His cohort turns and turns white as a sheet at the specteral figure floating towards him. He drops to his knees before Phantom and begs "Please, no, wait, I-I-I c-can help you."

Meanwhile inside Ace observes the other patrons shift uncomfortably as the bartender takes a cursory glance at the picture before shaking his head and saying "Never seen em before bub."

Ace grins and leaves a card on the bar, "Well let me know if you happen to remember anyone like that huh." and with that said turns and walks out the front door and heads around to the ally to see the thug cringing before Phantom.

[alderwitch]

"Then start talking," Phantom demanded coldly, "Who's dressing up in Sky Lord regalia and what are they after?"

Phantom flicked her attention to Ace briefly before she scowled down at the thug. Ace could tell that she was hovering in order to loom over the man, her cloak covering how short she actually was and billowing out to add bulk.

[angrydurf]

"I-I-I dunno." He replied obviously on the edge of losing it. "Few guys came in a week ago, said they had a job, no questions asked unload this ship."

He looked pleadingly to Phantom "P-Please I don't know anything more."

Ace glided up from behind almost silently and when he spoke the man nearly jumped out of his skin. "I don't think thats all you know," Ace said smoothly, "You know where the warehouse is, what ship it was," Ace leaned in close to the man, "And most importantly you know where you and your friend were going to tell someone about this."

The man melted under the presure "They kept some guys on to watch the goods, I-I thought if I warned em they might give a little kick back. Its warhouse 16 on northshore, The ship was Kobayashi Maru I think, I-I swear thats all I know." He devolved into sobs babbeling about how he just needed a little extra cash he didn't know what it was about.

Ace looked impasively to Phantom clearly leaving it to her to decide what to do about these two.

[alderwitch]

"In the future, if these sorts of offers come your way, I suggest you contact Danger, Inc and sell your information instead. Ask for Ace." Phantom turned her head, clearly dismissing the man and leaving it up to Ace to pay them for the information or not as he saw fit.

Her eyes glowed brighter under the cowl of her cloak as she cast her senses outward, already checking out the warehouse and the docks with her scrying.

[angrydurf]

Ace stood once more and passed the man a card with one of his numbers on it though no name, wouldn't do to have anyone riffling the guys pockets knowing he was a snitch.

"Get your friend out of here and stay clear of those guys for awhile, eh?" Ace said plainly.

As the thug pulled his buddy out of the ally and helped him down the street Ace looked up at Phantom and quirked an eyebrow, Ace was no expert but he knew a bit of magic and glowy eyes usually meant something

"Something I missed?" He inquired with a cocky half grin.

Her senses cast outwards Phantom had little difficulty finding warehouse 16. There looked to be about 3 groups of 4 patrolling though haphazzardly with weaponry under their longcoats not that well hidden.

Inside the warehouse was dark but what light did make it in exposed neatly stacked unmarked shipping crates.

[alderwitch]

"Nothing you missed, Ace, but I thought I'd take a look at this warehouse while you finished up with those men," She turned her face back to him, her eyes going back to their 'normal' lambent glow. Quickly and concisely she filled her companion in on the details of the building's layout and the goons within. "Frankly, I don't see a point to waiting. I don't think that they'll be overly difficult to deal with and I imagine they'll have more men at night anyways."

Not to mention she still had to get her tuition payed somewhere in the midst of being a hero.

[angrydurf]

"Hmmmm," Ace tapped his fingers across his leg as he waxed pensive.

"I don't like it." He said eventually, "This whole thing just doesn't add up."

Ace bagan paceing the ally as he spoke "First the bank, even if some one stepped up to fill Sky Lords shoes they could do better than knocking over a bank."

The ageless hero looked up at Phantom "Second whats in those crates? Weapons, Sky Lord has those, and selling is just another money scheme."

"If they were for some reason selling why draw attention with a clumsy robbery attempt?" He finally asked.

He started towards the street once more and said over his shoulder "We need to find out whats in those crates."

[alderwitch]

"Yes, that was my thought," Phantom said amusedly, "Your ride or or mine?"

[angrydurf]

Ace smiled up at the hovering heroine, "I think yours woudl be a bit more subtle." he said with a smile.

He wasn't sure how exactly Phantom conveyed herself about but he figured it would be at least a little less flashy than his car. He was reluctant to leave the vehical in the area but everyone had to make sacrafices occasionally.

"So how do we do this?" He asked earnestly, Ace in his long years had managed quite a few various methods of magical conveance the only unifying pricipal he had found was no two were exactly alike.

[alderwitch]

Phantom had to say it was the first time someone was eager to travel with her. Of course, Ace's reputation as a thrill seeker was not unearned if her uncle's stories were any indication.

"Don't worry, I can take the car too.," The porsche dissapeared into the folds of the cloak before Phantom held a hand out to Ace. "Count from ten down. And you may want to close your eyes."

Phantom doubted he would take the advice. When Ace vanished into the folds of her cloak he found himself wieghtless in a black void where soundless explosions of energy crackled and shot across the sky. Before ten seconds were even up, he was yanked back into Earth Prime, behind a stack of dusty crates in the corner of the warehouse. Phantom held one hand out to steady him if he needed it.

[angrydurf]

"Well that certainly was different." Ace whispered as he reoriented himself in his new surroundings glancing quickly around and crouching down just in case there was a patrol inside Phantoms earlier scan hadn't revealed.

The warehouse was only dimmly lit by light filtering in through filthy skylights high above and the stocked crates and containers left deep shadows sprawling across even that limited light.

Ace looked up to Phantom and gesturing to the crates whispered "We need to find some kind of pry bar to get these open I think."

[alderwitch]

Phantom glanced at him then glanced at the crates before disagreeing, "We don't need a pry bar."

More crackling dark energy gathered around her hands but this time, rather than blasting the crates to smithereens, she gestured and tendrils of energy gently reached out to pull the lid off. The energy was as deft as hands but clearly far stronger as it seperated the box lid with a small crack of the wood snapping. Unlike most of the magic-users that Ace had seen, Phantom made no incants to conjure the energy nor did she make expansive gestures although her hands formed specific shapes inside the crackling energy.

[angrydurf]

Lid lid lifted silently from the crate and Ace reached in to pull away the batting padding the cargo to reveal what looked to be a pair of rocket packs matching those used in robbery this morning.

Ace gingerly pulls one out to examine its design more closely clearly curious as its origins.

As he does so Phantom notes that she feels magic eminating from another of the crates this one at the bottom of a taller stack.

[alderwitch]

Phantom left Ace to examine the rocket packs as she drifted towards the crate with the magical things inside it. One would think being ephemeral, she could just stick her head inside the box. Unfortunately, the whole guarding the dimensions package did not come with the ability to see in the dark. Instead she began, as carefully as possible moving the crate out from under the stack with the same energy she'd used to open Ace's crate, "They've got something magical in here."

Phantom's tone had taken on that grim edge of determination again. Until now, she'd been more at ease as this was outside her usual responsibilities but the presence of magic here had brought the heroine to full, grim duty.

[angrydurf]

The dark tendrils of magic grasped the crate and pulled it free of its spot at the bottom of the stack. As she pulled the lid from the crate she slid a new one in its place stabalizing the stack and allowing her to concentrate on the contents of the large crate before her.

Ace was largly absorbed in the device in his hands but at her comment glanced up to see what Phantom was on about. "Magic you say, no record I've heard has mentioned any intrest or ablity with magic for Sky Lord." He set the jetpack back in its crate and headed over to see what Phantom had discovered.

As the lid came free and was laid to rest next to the crate the heroes were able to peer inside and see what was within. There had once been much more batting around the cargo but ship rats had carted away most of it. However not without a price as the Sarcophogus within was surrounded by the desicated husks of several hundred rats.

[alderwitch]

"Don't touch that," Phantom ordered, most likely unneccesarily but one could never be to careful. "I think this is where we call Freedom City's resident Egyptian themed super-hero. I'll leave that to you, Ace, I'm sure you have the number."

She pursed her lips under her mask, frowning at the sarcophogus. Could be a vampire but the flavor felt off. What ever it was, it was old and the bindings had been powerful. But it was time to put Taylor's skills to use rather than Phantom's and she quickly examined the sarcophogus for all of its distinctive markings. Egyptian wasn't one of the languages she read but the pictogram languages were always the easier ones to interpret.

[angrydurf]

Ace couldn't really argue that this seemed like precisely the kind of thing Scarab should be called in on. Now calling was a different matter entirely. Those who preffered to keep a low profile on their private life tended not to hand out phone numbers that could be traced back to a billing address. However he did have the old com frequencies the Scarab had used when lat they worked together he only hoped this Scarab had access to the same array of communication equipment.

Ace dialed in the old frequency and tried to raise Scarab as quietly as he could "Ace Danger calling Scarab Ace Danger Calling Scarab, Phantom and I have uncovered an egyptian artifact and would like a consult." He continued to leave info as to their location and hoped the message got through.

[N/A]

Ace Danger heard no response over the radio. He did, however, hear a response in his mind.

You have summoned The Scarab, and I have answered. Open your mind to me, and we can speak privately on the matter that currently vexes you.

An Egyptian artifact? Tell me your location, and I shall divert my senses there.

Once The Scarab had their location, Ace and Phantom could see a spectral image of her helm materialize in the air in front of them. The image turned to examine the sarcophagus, then spun around abruptly.

Her voice echoed in both their minds, like the howl of a lone wolf in the dead of night. Oh no. You have hostile forces incoming. DO NOT TOUCH IT. DO NOT MOVE IT. DO NOT LET ANYONE NEAR IT. I WILL BE THERE AS FAST AS I CAN.

[alderwitch]

Ace might have heard a murmered and very dry, "No, really?" from Phantom and then she started murmering something toungue-twisting under her breath. Eldritch light spread to her hands, forming between them with a sizzling crackle. With a twisting gesture, she flung her hands out and a shimmering wall of force surrounded them and the sarcophogus, spreading outward into a crackling field between them and anyone who might try and attack. Phantom intended to hold the wall as long as she could but doubted it would stand up against a full show of force.