Divine Theft (IC)

[Ari]

GM

 

The Branson Plaza had glass scattered all over it, shattered desks with trashed computers and monitors nearby, crumpled chairs, and filing cabinets strewn about with paper. A police line had been set up just a few meters from the Branson Building, the police cruisers and SWAT vans a discreet distance from the main doors, and the officers in knots carefully watching the skyscraper while the blare of STAR trucks resounded in the distance.

 

The officers nearest the alleyway started at Glow's voice and whipped around, pistols beginning to raise when they caught sight of the two young heroines. "Oh" one of them said sheepishly "Sorry! We're really on edge here." Quickly meeting the pair, they set to work at once to handcuff the two villains, one policewoman taking a moment to stop and talk while the rest began to carry Rapids and Marduk back to the cruisers. "Thanks for that. We started to go in, these two crazies jumped out of nowhere and started smashing the SWAT team into the floor, we only just dragged them out." She paused and looked up suddenly, eyes widening and beginning to grab at her carbine when something slammed into the asphalt nearby, sending a wave of dust and shattered tar flying through the air! The woman was sent crashing out of the cloud and into a car with a metallic THUD.

 

Standing calmly in the small crater of shattered concrete, clearing the dust with casual waves of his arms, stood a towering, muscular and almost unbelievably handsome twenty-something man with long, thick and curling black hair. He had somehow gotten into a spotless and flattering white spandex costume that left his upper arms, neck and thighs mostly exposed, long white gloves that ran from his elbows to his fingers, leggings that went just past his knees and a gold and gothic letter 'N' on his chest. His beautiful and ageless gray eyes smiled down at Glow Warp, and in a gentle, inviting voice he said "Hey. I'm Nephilim, what do you lovely ladies go by?" Glancing at the two in Glow's telekinetic hold he added with a fond smile "Ah, Maria, Darius, you guys never fail to disappoint. Our first job even, our grande debut, and we screw it up because of you two." he shook his head witha  gentle, chiding look.

 

Suddenly the smile vanished and he turned to the officers frozen in terror carrying the two villains "So, how about you goons just put these sorry pieces of **** down and run before I crush these welps to pieces?" The police were by now galvanized into action, the apparent captain with a massive mustache yelling "We'll take this guy! Get outta here!" as he fired a shotgun blast straight at the magnificent creature, the shot bouncing off his costume without leaving a mark, or making him so much as blink or flinch.

[Curious Key]

"Oh," Warp said staring at Nephilem, running a hand over her mouth, keeping her eyes comically huge. "That's a good point! Let me think for a bit." She sauntered over to big N's two flunkies and laid a hand on each. It was a terrible holding cell; with just an effort of will they could tear open their prison and walk right back into broad daylight. But N's flunkies were asleep right now, and they wouldn't be waking up before their boss got trashed. Her eyes glowed red. "No."

Darkness spread from her hands and across their bodies, and when there was nothing but black to be seen they lost all sign of solidity, flowing into her hands. "We're gonna kick your ass," she said, riding a high on the powers of the end of the world. "And we're gonna put you in a cell right next to your flukies." The stuff of entropy danced between her fingers. "Just try not to go down too fast."

[Ari]

GM

 

The man shrugged, "If you say so" he said, floating a few feet into the air where he began lazily drifting and circling above the two girls, his passing seeming to cause faint murmurs and dart-like whispers at the backs of their minds. "You know," he went on conversationally to Warp, watching the skinny entropy-wielder with care "your negotiation skills are, shall we say, pretty lacking. I can understand why you'd be so quick to get on the offensive though." he rested his coal-and-copper head on his powerful arms as he looped slowly above her. Smiling kindly he said "Being made such fools of, and with robot doubles of all things! I remember you now, you were at that guy's rally in Bayview. That trick with the mass teleport was impressive. Tell me:" his clean-shaven face was suddenly a few inches away from Kat's, gentle gray eyes fired with curiosity "what was it like to fail in your self-appointed mission so utterly, people look up now with fearful eyes as one of you soars above them? Does it keep you awake at nights? The smell of fresh blood, pierced guts, the shrieks and weak, failing gasps, the sound of a bow snuffing out life all around you, the despairing eyes. Are these easy for you to bear?" He stroked her cheek as he asked sadly "Did their lives matter so little you could not even try to stop that bowbot?" The whispers grew even stronger as his eyes bored into her like iron nails.

 

With a warm smile and a chuckle he zipped away, hovering above Glow with a few miles of his legs crossed and arms folded comfortably on his well-defined chest. Looking down at her he said brightly "Well then! I think we should start the regulation fight now Don't worry, I will do my utmost to be a worthy opponent! I'll come at you with all my body and soul!" he added with an eager fistpump. Glancing closer at the sprightly Australian his smile dimmed "Sweet &@#%, a god fighting teenaged girls over a piece of paper, what has my life become?" he sighed and looked up at the cold winter sky "I'm sorry, Susan. These Mob guys pay well, but they are $)#@!&%, I'll get back home as soon as I can." He looked back down sharply, then smiled. "When you're ready."

[Scuffles]

Glow smiled in amusement when Warp disappeared the unconscious henchmen, though her expression quickly gave way to a wince as the imposing man hit the mark rather squarely with his barb. Warp was likely still battling the demons of that day much like herself, and the last thing she needed was the other girl coming unhinged. What she did need was a clear space to fight in, so she glanced at Warp and then nodded pointedly towards the injured policewoman. The rest of the cops would likely be more hindrance than help as well, so she called out to them too. "You guys might want to back away for now. You can't deal with this guy, leave it to us."

 

Her attention turned back to the hovering villain, and she fixed him with a quizzical stare. He was a talkative one, and there might be something useful she could get out of him before things turned to violence. "A god?" â€‹she asked sceptically. "Have a slightly high opinion of ourself do we? If you're a god why are you hanging out with lowlifes like those two? And who's Susan?"

[Curious Key]

Warp stood stock still, her lips twisted into an awful rictus. How dare he?! Entropy sang a shrill song, her eyes shining like floodlights at midnight. "I could peel you away from the world, asshole!" She hissed, raised her hands and unleashed lines of jagged darkness that'd make a Sith proud. But Warp's vision had gone all red, and she'd waited too long gathering power. He got out of its way easy and the lines of blackness coiled through the air and struck the side of a nearby building, eroding away at the outside like no acid could.

[Scuffles]

Glow winced again as Warp reacted violently to the imposing villain's barb, and let loose a vicious but ill-aimed blast. Her friend's power could cause no end of damage to the area if she lost control, and Nephilim certainly had the younger girl wound up. The battle was joined however and she had no choice but to support Warp and hopefully end the fight quickly to minimize the collateral damage. With her feet still firmly planted she fixed her eyes on the great gold "N" in the middle of the villain's impossibly broad chest and lashed out with her telekinesis.
 
The powerful glowing punch thundered into Nephilim's chest with an enormous boom, and Glow's eyes widened as he seemed completely and utterly un-phased by the impact. "Oh jams!" she hissed as she rolled athletically to her right to keep his attention and to place herself between the still unconscious policewoman and danger. Defensive barriers squarely in place she sprang to her feet and set herself for the inevitable attack, a hint of concern already growing in her thoughts after her ineffective attack.

[Ari]

GM

 

"A god?" â€‹she asked sceptically. "Have a slightly high opinion of ourself do we? If you're a god why are you hanging out with lowlifes like those two? And who's Susan?"

"I'm well within my rights there, girl. I'm a god of life and death for several thousand people" The man said coolly "And a deity can choose their companions as they wish. You're probably low on things to be sarcastic about, so I forgive you, as will my elder sister Susan." for the first time he smiled with something approaching a positive human expression "She's the god of earth and star, spread through everything, the strongest of the Holy Mother's children. The likes of you are not fit to lick her feet." he sneered.

 

Nephilim chuckled as the green energy smashed impressively but harmlessly against him, scarcely budged from his perch in the air by the attack. "Not bad at all! I almost felt that one, kid!" he told Glow cheerfully, tensing slightly as she made her agile moves to get between him and the police, but quickly seeing the trap being laid there and refocusing on both of the young heroines.

 

The police didn't need to be told twice. "Retreat! Get out of the plaza!" the captain barked, quickly locking his useless shotgun and tossing it into the car, following it inside. The other officers promptly grabbed the fallen woman and got her into a cruiser, the SWAT team waiting, all of them clearly scared stiff, until the last car was in motion before jumping back into the vans and disappearing around the normally busy corner of the street, which was now almost empty besides the police presence.

 

"Aw, no hostages to take there" the young villain grumbled, crossing his arms and looking momentarily disappointed, only to suddenly dart at Glow with a roar that made the ground shake, the whispers turning to a fearsome shriek...that Glow's powerful mind batted aside with ease. Halted in his attempted intimidation pose, Nephilim looked for a moment almost silly.

Edited March 5, 2013 by Arichamus

[Curious Key]

The caustic thing in Warp's heart quivered at her violence. She felt its touch spread through her body, the stuff of the end of the world pushing through her till she almost choked on it. The little spark of the end of the world sensed her hate, her desire to unmake. Warp's eyes did not glow; they glared warning like a lighthouse in fog, the power running through her, leaking away through dark sparks across her skin. Potent enough to consume her if she lost control, even for a moment.

She did not.

"Neat trick," Warp said, her mouth glowing like the inside of furnace. She raised a single hand. "My turn." Her arm flared, incandescent and hungry enough to make Warp wince back; she felt it coil inside her like a living thing, wanting only to eat, anything, everything. She obliged it.

The little piece of the Doom Coil sprung from her arm, screaming with desire, falling on the little god like a starving predator.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Freely Seek

[Ari]

GM

Warp's savage attack rocketed through the air, a hideous blast of raw entropy that annihilated all in its path!

Nephilim realized just in time what was headed at him, and suddenly he was a pillar of immobility hanging in the air, tore off a glove and reaching out his left hand, he caught the lance of entropy!

There was an explosion of black-red light that bathed the Branson Plaza and burned after-images into the eyes of the two teens, the light concealing the form of something that Glow and Warp sensed beyond their senses, the presence of something as bloated as Warp knew the Coil was hungry, something huge, pitiless, and satisfied. Whatever it was, it was there and gone it moments, as the consuming power had been itself devoured when it hit the young god, leaving the towering man spotless, unhurt, and clam.

Looking briefly at his smoking hand, Nephilim's gray eyes glittered. He suddenly turned to Warp, saying quietly "I am surprised you failed. Your mutant powers are truly considerable. But is that all you can do? My power is divine, I am a god of life and death, and such is my might I can even raise the dead. This?" he held up his hand at her as he donned his glove "is magnificent, but needs a certain something to complete it. Lightning won't strike twice, but please! Try again."

Edited March 7, 2013 by Arichamus

[Scuffles]

We're in trouble was the thought that raced through Glow's head as Nephilim absorbed the enormously powerful blast of entropic energy with no ill effects. With direct attacks proving ineffective she changed tactics and gestured at a nearby truck, which disintegrated noisily, torn into pieces by a whirlwind of telekinetic energy. 

 

"Warp! Get help.. now!" she shouted to her enraged friend in a commanding tone as sheets of metal and smaller components from the destroyed vehicle swept towards the self-proclaimed god of life and death. "I'll try to keep him busy!"

 

Metal squealed and twisted under the effects of her power as it plastered against Nephilim's muscular body and wrapped around him tightly, rapidly building into a metallic cocoon that pinned his arms tightly to his sides as more and more layers were added. With a wince that betrayed how much effort the impromptu technique had cost her, Glow set about reinforcing the binding with her telekinesis. "If you have that much power," she asked through gritted teeth. "Why are you fighting on the wrong side? Think of the good you could do?"

[Ari]

GM

 

"By all means, do it!" Nephilim told Warp cheerfully. As the metal sheaves began to tear and crumble under the dual strains of Glow's mighty mind and his muscles, he seemed to relax, hooding his gentle gray eyes. "Your friend knows when she's beaten, kid. She's giving you a chance to live at the cost of her own life! So don't just stand there, go get some other pals, bring them back here so they can mourn a fallen soldier." He smirked "Maybe if you put up a good fight I'll put her back together for you..."

 

"If you have that much power," she asked through gritted teeth. "Why are you fighting on the wrong side? Think of the good you could do?"

Nephilim swung his head around at the Australian telekinetic, face contorted into a picture of pure rage. Opening and shutting his mouth a few times he managed only "You...insipid brat. I..." for a moment it looked like he was on the verge of tears, but it quickly vanished under a smooth and composed look of fury.

Edited March 13, 2013 by Arichamus

[Curious Key]

Warp swayed in place, blinking, shaking off a profound sense of loss. The red stuttered out of her eyes. Whatever concentrated entropy she'd plumbed in her soul had slipped through her fingers, leaving what Warp could still feel pulsing through her body feeble by comparison.

And the bastard was still standing, cocky as ever. Warp knew with dead certainty that if she had taken the power that she had thrown at Nephilim, there would have been nothing left. Warp's eyes went wide as she backpedaled away from the god.

His words shook her more than they ought to. Again she saw dead heroes strewn out on a stage, covered in arrows. Only each had Kristin's face. "W . . ." She shook her head and turned toward Kristin. "Who?!" She held up her palms. "Get who?"

[Scuffles]

Glow cursed under her breath as Warp started to come unglued at the worst possible time.

 

"Get Wraith and Ghost girl! Wisp! Just get someone!" she yelled at her rattled teammate. "I'll be fine! now go!"

 

The telekinetic turned her attention back to the immobilized villain. Her bonds were clearly weakening quickly and it didn't look like she was going to be able to hold him long. "Brat?" she asked him as she gathered her powers around her and pointed at the ruins of the truck she had destroyed with one hand. "What are you, some kind of up-sized schoolyard bully? Your mother must be so proud!"

 

Tortured metal squealed as Glow tore the entire engine block of the ruined vehicle loose and lifted it to chest height. A moment later she swept her hand towards Nephilim and the massive piece of machinery followed the gesture, whipping through the air to smash into the mighty man's side with an enormous crunch that sent engine parts flying in all directions.

[Ari]

GM

 

The metal shell around Nephilim withstood the impact incredibly well, hitting the pinned man at head height with force enough to smash off part of the prison and reveal his face.

 

In the shreds of Glow's telekinetic grip, Nephilim casually rubbed his cheek against one wavering band of green, lifting it to reveal a long cut. In a strained voice he said  "That's not entirely fair. I mean, you're the one holding me still and pummeling me. And the Holy Mother won't stand such insults to her favorite son!" he snapped, eyes glowing as a wave of sheer unreality warped around him, tearing the prison to pieces in moments! As the shattered metal clattered to the ground and disintegrated into nothing, he fell with it, crouched for a second, and then stood, the air rippling around him noiselessly..

 

As he got up, his eyes flared, the ripples lashed out at the young heroines, and all of a sudden it was like something shared their heads, driving long blades into their very souls! "I trust this will make us even" Nephilim said with discordant cheer, blazing like a god of the Sun in the midst of chaos and mad pain.

Edited March 17, 2013 by Arichamus

[Curious Key]

Warp leapt backwards out of instinct, sprung off her hand and skidded back, the waves of Nephilim's madness lapping so lightly on her mind it gave the girl nothing more than a shudder. She bit down on her lip, harder, her eyes shining with uncertainty, one hand hovering as she considered throwing Glow's advice to the wind and fighting. Instead she thought of Freedom Hall, turned and cut reality open with the blade of her hand, leaving a red rip that hurt the eyes to look at. "I'll be back," she said, and there was fear in her voice. "Don't die." She pleaded, vaulting through the hole in the air. It wavered in the air for a moment before reality knitted itself back together.

Edited March 19, 2013 by Freely Seek

[Scuffles]

Glow stumbled backwards a few steps under the almost physical impact of Nephilim's psychic attack, but quickly regained her balance and shook her head clear with a snarl. 

 

"Attagirl," she whispered as Warp disappeared into her rift, "Hurry back..."

 

With her friend out of danger and backup on the way the she fixed her attention squarely on the villain, then grinned as she pointed in the direction Warp had disappeared from. "You know, she took Marduk and Rapids with her when she left," she told him. "And you can bet she's coming back with enough heavies to chase you off, so how about we just call it a draw now so you can go off and think about your direction in life?"

 

As she spoke the telekinetic teenager lifted lightly off the ground in a swirl of green light, ready to dodge at a moment's notice. With nobody but herself in harms way it wasn't a fight on her mind any more, it was a game of keep-away. Playing for time she continued to talk. "After all, there's nothing left to fight for."

Edited March 19, 2013 by Scuffles

[Ari]

GM

 

Nephilim stared at where Warp had vanished, jaw dropping. As Glow spoke he turned to glower at her, only for the unearthly lovely man's to slowly and visibly turn from furious to crushed at her words. His voice trembled as he spoke "I..I've lost. Completely. Beaten by two teenagers who shrug off my strongest attack, whatever the Hell I was sent to find probably lost for good..." he very quietly began to cry. Up above, the distant and familiar sound of a helicopter became audible, obviously the attack on the Branson Building had gotten some attention from the press!

 

Nephilim covered his face in a powerful gloved hand, sobbing "This is what I'm doing? This is what I'm using my power for? Dragging my friends and family into a stupid and worthless life? Oh Susan, I'm sorry!" he wailed, the hand falling limply at his side as he looked sorrowfully at Glow. Brushing tears from his eyes, Nephilim's grey eyes implored Glow's as he added bleakly "Please, forgive me, I was...oh God I was stupid. Is there a chance? For me to change? To really be a better man and fight beside valiant young ladies like you, instead of swaggering around and beating people up, for no reason other than they're weaker? Please," he knelt before her, head bowed as his long raven hair swished beside his head like two wings. So quietly he could barely be heard across the Plaza he said "I am sane now, help me Glow. You have shown me the light."

 

Through his hair, his steel eyes glittered with malice.

[Scuffles]

Glow's eyes narrowed at the rapid change in Nephilim's demeanour. As convincing as the man's act was, the change from murderous intent to blubbering for forgiveness was simply to abrupt for her liking. She wasn't in a hurry to provoke him further however, because every moment that passed brought Warp's return with backup closer.

 

She floated slightly lower in her halo of green light and folded her arms across her chest as she regarded him coldly. "Well you'll still have to answer for what you've done obviously," she said carefully. "But if you truly want to reform then I'm sure the Freedom league have people who can help you. You have to start down that path yourself though, when Warp returns with more heroes you have to allow us to take you in without resisting."

 

Even as the helicopter arrived overhead Glow's eyes never left the powerful villain, and she watched carefully for any signs of treachery.

[Curious Key]

Warp barreled through a hole in the sky five feet above the ground, just inside the Freedom Hall gate, landing gracefully enough that not coming out ground level wasn't really a problem for her in any case. The whole thing was like a rectactle with windows on all sides, pinched inward toward the top. She was sure that jumping this close to Freedom Hall with her powers was setting off some kind of alarms but hell if she cared. Warp looked from side to side for heroes she could recruit against the little god and, not seeing any, took off at a dead run toward the Hall to find one she could.

[Ari]

GM

 

Warp quickly found a surprising number of League members at the Hall, chatting, carefree and apparently just returned from a mission to Bolivia. Horrified at the news the young mutant, they immediately sent a call to the FCPD letting them know they were inbound, and alerting the Freedom Medical Center that they would need to prepare for patients.

 

That done, they set off with all speed for nearby Wading Way, taking Warp with them because "You'll want to see this man brought down, no reason to leave you on the sidelines".

 

 

---

 

Nephilim shrugged "Eh, it's worth a shot. Tell me, Glow," he added looking up with a look of deep and strange curiosity "How would you like to help me send a message?"

Edited March 21, 2013 by Arichamus

[Scuffles]

This guy is completely bipolar! Kristin thought as Nephilim abruptly went from tearful to threatening once more.

 

"I'm thinking I'm not too keen on helping you do anything," she answered as she lifted herself a little higher and prepared to dodge away from any aggression. "Unless it's helping you find the inside of a nice comfy power-nullifying jail cell. But hey, seems like you're well on the way to getting yourself one of those, so I don't think you really need my help."

 

It seemed like a good idea to try keeping the man talking however. "I guess I'll humour you though," she offered and folded her arms across her chest. "What kind of message?"

[Ari]

GM

 

"The message that I can be a merciful guy!" Nephilim said, his eyes lighting up as he slowly got back to his feet, standing with a gloved hand on his hip as he went on "It's going to be as follows: I will do my level best to beat anyone who interferes with my work into the pavement, yes." He wagged a finger "But then I'll fix them right back up again. I have the power to undo mistakes, to take away pain and harm I cause, to put back together this shattered world! A power that you supers" he pointed a muscular tentacle that was slowly wriggling out of his grotesquely distending shoulder at the young telekinetic "lack. I want everyone to know that. You can help send the message that I am truly a god!" as he spoke his voice had swelled to a roar, and ten mighty limbs as thick as his powerful arms swayed behind him like horrific wings, sprouting from his uncovered neck, shoulders and thighs.

 

Slamming a leg down with a crack that echoed through the Plaza, the limbs raced forward, twining and twisting!

 

"Clear your mind!" he added mockingly, stretching out a hand that sent a stream of something at the powerful mutant, something that tried to seize at her mind and tear it to shreds, while clamping like jaws around the throat of her power, trying to check it like a clammy dam in her heart...

Edited March 25, 2013 by Arichamus

[Scuffles]

Glow reeled back away from the tentacles but wasn't in time to avoid the mental assault, which sent her staggering. As she caught her balance she looked up with a strangely serene expression on her face and caught sight of the helicopter high above. "Pretty butterfly!" she said dreamily as she watched it for a few moments, clearly mesmerized. "Butterfly come and play...?"

 

Her telekinetic powers proved far harder for Nephilim to bind however, the light around her dimming just a little as his psychic grip clamped down, then exploding outwards in a massive unfocused swirl that sent debris flying in all directions. Distracted by the outburst Glow's gaze snapped back down towards the villain, and her expression turned intense as she tried to sort through the kaleidoscopic images assaulting her mind. "Part of me!" she yelled in bewildered defiance. "You can't make it dark!"

 

Despite her best efforts she couldn't shake free of the images she gave the man a quizzical look once more. "Not a butterfly?" she asked as she sank down until her feet touched the ground. "Where did all the butterflies go?"

[Ari]

GM

 

"Argh!"

Stumbling a few steps back under the sudden blast of raw telekinetic force, the man in white squinted at the blazing emerald beacon, shaking his head as the pain of the backlash slammed into his mind. "Smirky little kid, if I'd had powers like yours...'pretty little butterfly' my ass, what the hell kind of childhood did you have?" he snarled, looking up at the helicopter far above . Flicking his now contemptuous eyes at Glow he growled "I'll darken you, if I have to pour out my blood to do it!'" Nephilim's dark eyes widened as his gaze caught sight of the distant but very quickly approaching specks that could only be the Freedom League! Glancing back up at the Branson Building he was visibly torn for a second..then his powerful body relaxed and he laughed aloud. Smiling at some secret joke he said aloud "It's all right, we can come back another time"  turning to Glow he began sauntering over to her.

 

---

 

"There he is!" exclaimed the Russian man in the rust and white, pointing at the white speck in the middle of Branson Plaza "Formation, everybody!" he shouted to the others "We need to bring him down before he can try to escape! We'll get him, don't worry" he added with a comforting smile to Warp.

 

---

 

Pausing when he was a few feet from the young heroine, he looked carefully into her eyes for a moment. His beatific smile dimmed, just for a second "Yeah, I thought so. Hazel" he murmured, then brightened "Oh well!" and suddenly swept the writhing tendrils around her, wrapping her up until only her head and feet stuck out from the coils! His powerful arms were wrapped around her in a mighty hug, and the whispers were almost coherent now.

 

The unearthly handsome man pouted in mock sadness "I dunno where the butterflies went, Glow. Here, let's pretend you're one!" the suggested, with a smile that went far past his eyes. Drawing back an arm, he paused for the tentacles to clear a spot, then slammed his fist with a terrific thud into the telekinetically shielded girl!

Edited March 31, 2013 by Arichamus

[Scuffles]

Despite being tightly wrapped up, Glow didn't struggle much in Nephilim's powerful grip, too baffled by the disappearance of her butterflies to resist. That all changed when the wicked punch hammered through her defensive shields and cracked her in the jaw. Stars burst before the teenaged heroine's eyes, but the pain helped clear away the last of the mental assault.

 

Shaking her head to clear the telekinetic glared at her attacker and growled "Get. Out. Of. My. Head!" through gritted teeth as she gathered her powers around her, then pushed against the tentacles with a massive burst of mental energy, throwing every last bit of mental energy she could muster into the task of breaking Nephilim's grip.