ic Shark Week: Ghost Sharks! (IC)

[Ari]

Giving a cheeky bow before leaping into the air, EL Heraldo soared elegantly through the crisp sea-smelling air over towards Lady Mamba. Landing with a neat(if heavy) thud of boots on concrete, he smiled at her, saying brightly while pulling back an arm "Now, madam, prepare yourself for a sensation like no other...a punch!" and he stepped forward, swinging his heavy fist directly at her sternum!

Alright, just need to land the hit, if I can do that I ca- Beware! Cottonmouth approaches! "What?!" blurted Subito aloud turning his head just in time to completely miss the witch, and found himself staring up at the fearsome bulk of the snake-man. "Oh no." was all he managed to say after that, as the monster's head whipped towards him, fangs tearing through his blue and gold jacket, piercing his skin under the white shirt, and sending their poison deep into his bloodstream.

Opening his mouth in a desperate attempt to call out, the young man found himself unable to move, his jaws frozen, his limbs stiff even as he felt the agonizing pain spread through his body, the poison of the Cottonmouth doing its fell work...

[Scuffles]

Glow blinked in surprise as Crow disappeared, presumably in pursuit of the escaping Dahlia. Damnit Morgan, we need to make sure of these two! she thought, and her frustrations were only compounded as she watched Cottonmouth sink his fangs deep into Heraldo. The paragon's reaction was even more troubling and she spat a quiet curse as she watched him practically freeze in place.

Poison? damnit!

She broke into a run towards her embattled teammate, the air around her blazing fluorescent green as she lashed out at Mamba. The attack missed but bought her enough time to reach the fight, and she skidded to a stop between Heraldo and his attackers. "Back off, or I swear I'ma throw the pair of you into orbit!" she growled, her fists clenched and her jaw set defiantly as she braced herself for the inevitable attack.

[Quinn]

Crow didn't say a word, merely perching atop a tall pile of crates. He noted with clinical detachment the 'offer' she was presenting, and resisted the urge to snerk. That would have been beneath the dignity of the role. A Hero, and more importantly, a dangerous cowled crusader, did not succumb to the wiles of femme fatales. Especially snake-cult ones.

That, and Wisp would have pummeled him to a fare-thee-well if he had.

He closed his eyes, running through several ideas in his head; the sounds from outside...weren't sounding good. Glow definitley had an intimidating voice, though - volume and tempo. Crow shook his head. Needed to move quick. Three actions in rapid succession - seizing the ends of the wires, he leapt; the ricochet having wound them around a beam high in the warehouse rafters. At the same time, two more knives materialized in his palm - he threw them straight forward as he was plummeting. The coat billowed outwards as he descended at a decidedly unsafe rate...and the third action kicked in. Raw elemental lightning, toned down to the level of a taser, arced up both sets of wires - illuminating the warehouse interior and himself.

Dahlia would have felt a sudden pull. A sudden reversal of balance. Then a black-clad bird of prey plummeting down towards her as she was hauled upwards.

If this doesn't work, I'm going to look terribly foolish right now...

[Raveled]

GM

Dahlia was hauled into the rafters, the sudden movement drawing a loud and undignified squeal from her. The woman ended up upside-down and completely wrapped up in Crow's metallic lines. The brief surge of electricity interrupted a long string of profanity, and for a moment silence reigned. Crow almost believed she was down for the count -- until she started cursing out both sides of his parentage at the same time. The woman might not have been much for solidarity, but she had an active imagination at least.

Outside on the pier, Lady Mamba was sucking in deep breaths. The blow from El Heraldo had knocked the wind out of her, her son was looking rather worse for wear after the cowled mage's spell, and now her daughter had fled! Again! Clearly, the loa were against her tonight, and fighting any longer only risked further embarrassment. The bokor's breath hissed through her teeth as she called upon her power. A deep and heavy fog precipitated out of the air; much like Dahlia's efforts, except this one also seemed to weigh heavy on the mind, clouding thoughts and intentions. "I would love to stay and spar with you some more, heroes," Mamba taunted, the pain in her voice giving lie to her words, "but my masters demand my presence! Farewell."

[Ari]

Everyone's doing so well, and I've just been a burden thought Heraldo dejectedly It sounds like Crow has that lady Whatever well in hand. I've got to..got to... unaware of what he was doing, his lips slowly pulled back as his paralyzed face assumed a look of desperate determination "I've got" he grated, the world still dark around him as Lady Mamba's cloud of darkness and despair weighted on him like a coat of lead "to do somthing!" he shouted, his body surging with a power that dissolved the paralytic toxin, freeing his still-stiff limbs and liberating him from the prison Cottonmouth had thrown him in with his fangs, freed to pursue Victory for the just! And you shall came the Blue Dame's deep, confident voice resounding in his mind.

He couldn't see, but with his arms at least able to move under their own power he snatched up the Banner, holding it aloft and channeling the lent power of his patron through it into a mural of triumph over the enemies of freedom! In a voice that echoed around the warehouses and into the ears of his allies he declared "My friends, hear me! We stand at the threshold of success! In but a few instants, the efforts of these minions of evil shall be torn asunder, and their schemes turned to their ruin! We shall not be defeated, not while such as you, Glow, or you, Crow, still live and fight!" The last word was accompanied by a chorus of shouts in a thousand tongues, soldiers hailing the victory that stood just inches from them, while their feet rumbled across a spectral plain to meet their foes in the last struggle!

[Raveled]

GM

The fog kept the heroes from seeing what happened, but they could hear well enough. Cottonmouth sounded like pouring sand or the surf rushing in as he moved across the wooden boards, moving perhaps a bit more slowly than otherwise because of his injuries. The snake-man gathered his mother in his arms and slithered to the edge of the pier; there he paused and turned back to the heroes. "Another time, nusssiancesss," he hissed. "Next time, I ssshall eat you whole!" Then there was a splash, and nothing. A few moments later the fog lifted, and neither Cottonmouth nor Dahlia could be seen.

[Scuffles]

"I said back off, not run away like cowards!" Glow yelled after the escaping Serpent people as the fog lifted, although in truth she was a little relieved - facing down the pair of them with Heraldo briefly incapacitated had been a very nerve-wracking moment.

The young heroine turned to her friend and was pleased to see that he had shaken off the effects of Cottonmouth's bite. "You okay?" she asked in a concerned tone, but waited only a moment for an answer. "Come on, I think Crow went after the other one! We better see if he needs help!"

She dashed off towards the warehouse, glancing over her shoulder to see if Heraldo was following.

[Ari]

Glaring around the yard and warehouses, Subito grumbled under his breath, hurrying after Glow with his heavy tread, the boots thudding rapidly along the concrete. "At least I think we stopped..whatever it was they were doing" he offered dubiously "I'm fine" he added by way of assurance, his voice holding a slight edge of irritation that he didn't notice "whatever foul toxin that wretch dosed me with, it's gone now, and good riddance to it!"

He suddenly looked very puzzled as they raced to where Crow had chased Dahlia "Hey, I wonder what they were doing here in the first place? Stealing stuff, maybe?" he said as the two entered the warehouse, where his attention was immediately drawn to the sight of Crow dangling Dahlia from the rafters. Floating over to the black-coated teen he looked from Morgan to the hanging Dahlia, saying "Any chance the lady could give us a revelation or three, Crow?"

[Raveled]

GM

Inside the warehouse, the villain was held up in the air by a complex web of crisscrossing lines, nearly invisible except where they shined in the overhead lights. Dahlia herself was bound hand and foot, totally immobilized and spinning slowly in the air. When she came around far enough to see El Heraldo and Glow, she spat at them. "Idiotic heroes," she snarled. "If you think this fight actually meant something, you're dumber than that hat the big guy's wearing."

[Scuffles]

Glow covered her mouth and coughed as she tried to contain a chuckle.

Well it sure isn't the greatest fashion statement in the world

The young heroine recovered her composure and folded her arms across her chest. "I can think of one thing it means," she assured the captured sorceress. "You and your little goon-squad outside are going to jail! For a really long time!"

She turned to Heraldo. "We should check out the warehouse, find out what they were doing here." Her eyes flicked up towards the ensnared villainess. "Unless you'd like to save us the effort and just tell us?"

[Ari]

El Heraldo turned a blazing eye towards Glow, biting back a rejoinder as he switched his attention to the captured villain. "Glow makes a good point. You've lost this fight, and we've most likely thrown your leader's plans into disarray, meaning if she moves now she won't be as prepared for whatever she's doing, and if so.." his gaze had wandered up to Crow, then back to Dahlia "...not only will you not have been ready to hide fully whatever it was you were doing here, but in her haste to act your leader will make even further mistakes than she already has."

Adjusting his feathered cap he saluted Glow smartly and set off to hunt around the spacious warehouse, humming cheerfully as he searched for clues as to what the bizarre woman and her giant snake-person had been setting up. He left the interrogation to Crow and Glow, seeing as both of them were likelier to find what was needed from her than he was. 'Stupid hat', yeah, and Crow's cloak is just the best and most stylish apparel ever! he thought angrily.

[Raveled]

Dahlia laughed aloud, the sound echoing in the enclosed warehouse. "Foolish, foolish heroes," she taunted. "Don't you get it? The plan's already starting! You missed it entirely, and by the time you figure it out, the Deep Ones will have what they want! And then they'll come back to stand by the Mayombe, and we will have all the assistance we need to squash you heroes like the bugs you are." She shook her head, which only set up more oscillations in the web she was hanging from. "You were standing right over it, and you were too blind to know what it was you were seeing!"

[Scuffles]

We're standing on it? The plan's already started? Come on, keep talking, give me something useful...

"The deep ones? What could you possibly have to offer them?" Glow asked in as derisive a tone as she could muster. "You're hanging from the ceiling, your goons are scattered all over the floor outside and your cohorts have fled!"

She folded her hands across her chest and smirked at Dahlia. "Oh right, that was probably part of the plan, right?"

[Raveled]

"You heroes think you're so high and mighty," Dahlia said. "Standing up on your pedestal, looking down at everyone else and telling them how to live their lives. But when it comes down to the nitty gritty, you heroes will do anything you think you need to in order to 'win'! Well, mark my words. The Serpent People will get those eggs back, and the Deep Ones will be able to raise their kids! And when they grow up, that'll be a whole generation who thinks of Freedom City as the place that kidn--" She stopped suddenly, as if she was only now hearing her words. "Oh, damn. Did I say too much again?"

[Ari]

Wait...Deep One eggs? Of course! "A lot too much, yeah" Subito said bluntly. To Glow he said "Alright, hop on. I'll get us to the Freedom Aquarium in no time flat! You" he swung around and pointed a heavy finger at Dahlia "you can stay here and wait for the cops to show up, which I'll make sure to ask a friend of ours to do. Don't hurt yourself trying to escape Crow's bonds, you'll just make them harder to get you out of" he added, offering an arm to Glow.

[Scuffles]

"Pretty sure you're just going to get zapped again if you try to get away!" Glow warned Dahlia. "But then, prison's probably best for you now anyway, after all, I'm sure your snake-y mates are going to be really pleased with you when they realize you spilled the plan!"

Kristin nodded at Heraldo as she moved over to stand next to him. "Let's go then, hopefully we can get there before anything goes wrong!"

[Raveled]

All the running around and investigating had taken close to an hour for the young heroes, but when they returned to the Aquarium there didn't seem to be much activity there. In fact there seemed to be even less than when the Claremont kids had taken their tour, but presumably news of a giant skeletal shark attack had driven off most people.

In fact, everything was so quiet and peaceful that the heroes were almost convinced they had arrived in plenty of time to avert the villains' plans -- then a door in the rear of the building opened up and two Ernests walked out, in deep conversation. They were dressed in loose jumpsuits more suitable for hauling crates than butlering, but the slightly off-color skin and identical features were impossible to mistake

[Ari]

With a crashing thud that ruined the otherwise smooth and graceful flight, the two young heroes borne aloft by a swirling golden fog from which the soft sound of hearty marching songs emitted, El Heraldo landed with a stagger and nearly fell to the ground before stopping himself with the Banner. Looking around at the Aquarium he said to Glow uncertainly as he regained his composure"Hey, where is everyone? Sure, there was a killer flying shark replica and stuff, but come on! You'd think-" he stopped abruptly, whipping the Banner into a battle stance as the two Ernest's strolled into view. "Hold, villains!" he shouted "Glow and El Heraldo will make you answer for your crimes! Surrender, and we will not send you back into the abyss you came from!" As he spoke the gilded mist that hung about him swirled into the form of a waving flag.

He whispered to Glow "So, you take the guy on the right, me on the left, or what?"

[Scuffles]

The appearance of the Ernests shattered any illusions Glow might have had that they had beaten the Serpent people to the aquarium, and Heraldo's shouted challenge certainly didn't help with getting the drop on the villains.

"You know," Glow said to Heraldo in a slightly exasperated tone. "One of these days we're going to have to have a chat about how not yelling out to the bad guys helps you take them by surprise!"

She took a couple of steps to the right and set her feet, the energies of her telekinetic barrier wrapping around her as she prepared for the inevitable rush. "I'm pretty sure that against these guys it's hit whoever you can catch!"

[Raveled]

The two clones turned abruptly at El Heraldo's challenge, their movements just a little too quick and sinuous to be human. As one they slowly lowered into a crouch, hissing slowly at the heroes. They glanced at each other, and one backed off slowly before making a break for the open door. The other apparently decided the best defense was a good offense and charged at the heroes, claws swinging. He must have remembered the last fight, because the swung his claws for Glow!

[Scuffles]

Glow set herself to meet the blindingly fast rush of the Ernest, her telekinetic barriers flaring brightly as she stopped the clawed swings cold a few inches from her throat. She yelled "Get the other one!" at Heraldo as she met her assailants gaze and then gave a crooked smile. "I'll deal with this one!"

The young heroine burst into motion, diving athletically to her left and coming back to her feet in an eyecatching move that was part cartwheel and part tumble. At the same time a vicious telekinetic hammerblow lashed in at the Ernest from her right and smacked solidly into the distracted Serpent-person's jaw. Glow straightened as the creature fell, then shrugged.

"Uh.. I mean I've dealt with this one..."

[Ari]

The attack was on them before he could even blink, and Subito deeply regretted his annunciation, fumbling into an attempted block of the monster's swipes, only to see the attacks bounce ineffectually off of Glow's shield. As his schoolmate defeated the Ernest, he gave a(n inner) sigh of relief and nodded, saying mildly "Sneaking isn't really my thing, Glow, you ought to know that by now!" he added with a grin, jumping up into the air before hurtling off down the wavering halls of the Freedom City Aquarium after the fleeing servant of the Serpent People, his aura a billowing cloud of gold that swirled around him as he flew. Reaching the racing Ernest he spread out his arms while the distance closed, aimed for the critical second, and slammed his arms about the creature's midsection, seizing him in a powerful grip...until he wriggled clean out of it, leaving El Heraldo empty-handed and looking very silly as he stared furiously at his arms.

[Raveled]

El Heraldo missed his grab and got to watch the Ernest speed his way out of sight. Which didn't involve going very far; he had followed the fish-man into a large room filled with tanks of water. Apparently it was some kind of holding area for the animals not on display. He saw schools of fish flitting about, squids and octopi, a whole tank full of molluscs, sharks floating in pink-tinged water... Wait, what?

It was a smaller tank, set back away from the others, and it was filled with a half-dozen shark carcasses, shredded open and trailing guts and bits of skin. While he was looking inside her heard a dull thud behind him; spinning around he was confronted with the sight of a shapely woman in a dress of iridescent fish scales. Her hair was long and platinum blonde, and her eyes were blue-green; she might have been quite alluring, if not for the fact that the scaly texture of her dress stretched over her arms, legs, and neck. "Well. What is this?" Her too-pale skin was stained red around her mouth, and she ran her hand over her lips, gathering up the... is that blood? Whatever it was, she sucked it off her fingers with evident delight. "I finish one meal, and another appears! What a nice town." She smiled, showing too-sharp teeth. "Come here, little boy. Come close, and let's have a little dance, yes?"

[Scuffles]

Glow gave the fallen Ernest a poke (okay more like a kick) with her foot to make sure he was truly down for the count, then turned and dashed inside in pursuit of Heraldo and the other speedster, her eyes flicking from side to side as she watched for any signs of a Serpent-people ambush.

What she found wasn't so much an ambush - it seemed more like a scene from a horror film.

Skidding to a stop next to Heraldo the young heroine gulped as she looked at the shredded sharks, then turned her gaze on the woman (thing? creature?) who was apparently responsible for the carnage. "You don't want to dance with him," she joked with a good deal of false bravado. "He'll totally tread on your toes!"

Just what the hell have we gotten ourselves into here?

[Raveled]

"Mmm, two young things? How delicious!" The woman in the dress began to slowly walk around the pair of young heroes, her smile growing wider. "I'm always so hungry, you know, but this will be a tas--"

"Tethysss!" The cry came from deeper in the room and soon a new figure ran into view. This one was barely human-looking: roughly the same construction, but covered in fine green scales. His eye were yellow and slitted, and he wore heavy yellow and red robes with a tall headdress. The whole outfit appeared to be highly ceremonial. "Tethysss, the warriorsss have alerted me to intrudersss! Tethysss, where are you?" He scrambled to a halt and stared at the heroes, then raised one hand at them. A lambent green light glowed on one finger, apparently coming from a gold ring he wore. "Ah, more interlopersss ssseeking to ssstop our work? What isss your purpossse here, drythingsss?"