Oblitus Magia: Verse 1 - Fateful Encounter in the City of Fools

[MrSandman]

“ Oh really?! Bitch you do not know me do you... I thought I was a hero, but I am so much... Less.”

The mana ball did not work, felt tendon damage and such from the shaking as his bio feed back told him. He uttered one last word.

“ Bang.”

He snaps his fingers right in her eyes, cue a hellish torrent of flames right into her as the nspalm fury erupted her. His scars are precious burns so was used to it.:

Before Owen can reply, with his Odin’s Eye he sees the napalm user’s intent before it explodes in Meryl’s face.

Desperately, Owen tries to reach out with part of psychokinesis and pull Meryl out of the way. There has to still be a chance to save her.

“Meryl! You can be a hero, but this isn’t the way! The Administration let you suffer before they saved you. They knew what was happening and let you be hurt. I have the evidence! Please, you can be so much more than their puppet! A true hero!”

He also makes sure his revolver floats back up to a hidden location while forming the rest of his power into a wedge before him in case she goes for his throat again.

Meryl was turning towards Levin, a smile playing on her lips and grip tightening on her sword....when Owen yanked with whatever TK he could muster. The witch was surprised, but none the less it pull her far enough out of position so that the fire only succeeded in catching her back. Meryl landed against Owen....and mometarily seemed surprised at the fact he even pulled her out of the way at all.

Then she pecked the surprised detective on the cheek, danced a step away from him and jerked her head towards Levin.

Time slowed to a crawl...not for Own or Levin, but for Meryl. Fast as lightning and light as a feather, she sprung....flying at the fire user, one hand closing on his throat and the other around the wrist of the hand he had snapped his fire from.....she felt something hard, metallic in her grip and she whispered in his ear. "Real heroes don't interrupt their elders or a lady...." Applying her crushing strength, the bones in his wrist were reduced to a powder and the part of his flame apperatus was crushed into his flesh.

Before he could react, cry in pain or otherwise...she lightly pushed him foward, raised her foot casually above her head and axe kicked him straight down through the glass.....sparing only a wave to the man before she turned her attach back to Owen.

"I am a true hero...." She danced back in front of him. "I suffered to be a true hero....Heroes suffer, that's the way of the world.....and I was born to be a great, greeat hero....." She chuckled, red eyes flashing beneath her hair. "....My parents made me the hero I am today.....but they were bad so I burned them. The adminisrtatum made me the hero I am today.......are you saying they're bad too?" She leaned forward, offered a puzzling smile. "Are you saying I should burn them too....do you want me to burn them too? If a hero like you asked me to burn them....would I? could I? should I?"

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Meryl was turning towards Levin, a smile playing on her lips and grip tightening on her sword....when Owen yanked with whatever TK he could muster. The witch was surprised, but none the less it pull her far enough out of position so that the fire only succeeded in catching her back. Meryl landed against Owen....and mometarily seemed surprised at the fact he even pulled her out of the way at all.

Then she pecked the surprised detective on the cheek, danced a step away from him and jerked her head towards Levin.

Time slowed to a crawl...not for Own or Levin, but for Meryl. Fast as lightning and light as a feather, she sprung....flying at the fire user, one hand closing on his throat and the other around the wrist of the hand he had snapped his fire from.....she felt something hard, metallic in her grip and she whispered in his ear. "Real heroes don't interrupt their elders or a lady...." Applying her crushing strength, the bones in his wrist were reduced to a powder and the part of his flame apperatus was crushed into his flesh.

Before he could react, cry in pain or otherwise...she lightly pushed him foward, raised her foot casually above her head and axe kicked him straight down through the glass.....sparing only a wave to the man before she turned her attach back to Owen.

"I am a true hero...." She danced back in front of him. "I suffered to be a true hero....Heroes suffer, that's the way of the world.....and I was born to be a great, greeat hero....." She chuckled, red eyes flashing beneath her hair. "....My parents made me the hero I am today.....but they were bad so I burned them. The adminisrtatum made me the hero I am today.......are you saying they're bad too?" She leaned forward, offered a puzzling smile. "Are you saying I should burn them too....do you want me to burn them too? If a hero like you asked me to burn them....would I? could I? should I?"

Owen tries to slow Levin’s fall as much as possible, but keeps his eyes on Meryl.

“You could. Should you? I...I can’t answer that, Meryl. A Hero isn’t just a weapon, which is exactly what that Witch down there thinks of you. A powerful idiot that she can point at a problem to make it go away. Those were her own words. You are so much more.”

He smiles sadly.

“I can offer the one thing denied you your entire life: the truth. I want you to be the very best you can be, the greatest hero. Come with me, Meryl. Come to my office and see my evidence. Judge from there if the Administration, if you’re partner there is in the wrong. What’s the worst that can happen? I’m right and we work together to strike down the evil that took your choice away? Or you think I’m wrong and easily defeat or kill me. Either way you can’t lose.”

He holds his hand out to her.

“It’s your call, Meryl.”

[MrSandman]

'Now I kind of want to shoot her just because she's being a bitch.' Selma thought irritably.

Clearing her throat, Selma spoke up "I don't know who EN is and I've certainly never talked to him... or her. Don't want to make any assumptions in that regard. Now, I don't know if the people you're after are terrorists, and I don't care. I know I should, but today is on the short list of worst days of my life, so at the moment I'm in no mood to care about you or your Government bullshit. What I am in the mood to care about is the scared, hurt, innocent people whose lives have been ripped asunder by the Ruin and not wanting them to needlessly die at the hands of an Administratum witch."

"Now, I don't really want to deal with you and your 'condescending with a splash of bitch' attitude right now, so if you could move along and leave the innocent people alone, I'd be happy."

"Don't know who EN is.....They're the men with guns, the entire reason the scared, hurt, innocent people are standing there huddled in fear. My god are you oblivious or mentally handicapped." Vivianne rubbed her temple with her index finger. "Its....absolutely adorable. Your like a dumb puppy in a den of wolves." She smiled. "But it won't save you if you don't throw that weapon down and surrender.....or better....shoot the rebel next to you, then I'll be sure to keep you safe."

The Dragon grinned, despite the situation she now found herself in. "More of a blowhard than the last one..."

Unseen hands gripping her tail, the Dragon didn't bother to struggle. She simply uncoiled it, allowing the elderly woman to slump to the floor. "Clearly can't read, either. Ah well, the Orphanage never did you lot any favors." Just seasoned the meat. "Ah..." the Dragon backed up a step. Then two. "Though it seems you've got me by the tail. Clearly a step above the norm."

There she is.

In one smooth motion, the elderly woman was booted at Vivienne.

Moving to a lower position, preferably between the ground and Vivianne but not inbetween those firing and her, Lucifer waited for the thrown woman to clear the danger zone.

Vivianne gestured with her two fingers.

The old ladys momentum immediately shifted vertically........vaulting her screaming into the air, and not in a random direction.

Mid flight the elderly grandmother impacted with something invisible.....in this case, Lucifer, with a brutal crack.

"So what does it do.....explode? Blow toxic gas?" Vivianne tightened a psychic grip around the the old woman and lucifer, simultaneously crushing the two together before pulling them down slowly. "Fragrant old lady smell? Did you honestly not think I can't see through a base creature like you....." The grip on Arx tightened and started twisting her arms and legs back. The witch smiled, then looked up at the invisible lucifer. "...and you.....your body may be invisible, but you intent is as clear to me as the daylight on a sunny afternoon......."

She learned a long time ago never to assume anything about an enemy, especially a Witch. Time to start with the can-opener. A pair of golden-tinged fingers appeared near Vivienne's face, and promptly proceed to jam themselves directly into her eyes as far as they could go.

Lion Ambushes the Wildebeest

3

She landed, rolling with the drop and skidding to a stop some distance away. Time to give them an opening. She wanted to avoid whatever fate was about to befall the old woman - which undoubtedly was going to be messy - before going ahead with the next step of the plan. Whatever it was, she hoped it happened soon. In the meantime, she darted from cover to cover, gradually getting into hand-to-hand range. Her spirit and body were unified. She was about as ready as she would ever be.

An amused smile cross her lips as she prepared to toss yet another approaching insect out of the picture....

....and yet, for the first time tonight she was caught off guard when the attack appeared inside her field.....

She threw up a barrier as unconciously as one would blind....but the fingers barely managed to stab enough in to force a surprised scream.....

Suddenly the force holding everyone in place pushed them all, hard, away from her.....Arx, Lucifer, Xia and the old Lady were catapulted in different directions while the witch floated ackwardly in the air and rubbed her pained eyes.

The book floated by her side turned around in the air, eye now wide open.

[MrSandman]

Turning about face, Kinu's muffled volume somehow seemed to compete with the firefight before them, giving the civilians a raging, frothing reminder.

"ORRrrrRRAAA! YARRRrrrRROO-KA?!!?!??!!"

That as many parties seemed to rampage and converge around Vivianne, and the magically tempered grasp of her mind under the authority of a witch, there was a cadre that was going to fight for them. And don't they forget it. For the moment, it seemed Xia had the same idea, although she seemed a bit reserved about it. Heh, butterflies.

"What?!" Mercer shouted amiss the gunfire. He wasn't sure, but Kinu seemed to be saying something important in some dead language."

Her turned to the side to give a quick look at their progress.....since the dragon come up they loaded and unloaded two groups of civs.....even with the odd feeling of nervous fear closing in, they were halfway done now.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

An amused smile cross her lips as she prepared to toss yet another approaching insect out of the picture....

....and yet, for the first time tonight she was caught off guard when the attack appeared inside her field.....

She threw up a barrier as unconciously as one would blind....but the fingers barely managed to stab enough in to force a surprised scream.....

Suddenly the force holding everyone in place pushed them all, hard, away from her.....Arx, Lucifer, Xia and the old Lady were catapulted in different directions while the witch floated ackwardly in the air and rubbed her pained eyes.

The book floated by her side turned around in the air, eye now wide open.

Xia backflipped on her hands until her momentum was under control, then landed crouched down on one knee. It had worked, but she was in no position to do anything with her advantage. "Tch." The Witch was blinded for the time being, so she felt she could advance without trouble, but she feared that by the time she got there, that advantage would be gone. Only one way to find out.

She broke into a sprint, wanting to save her last bit of flight for when she really needed it. Her eyes, every so often, shifted from the Witch to the book at her side. It was floating in midair. It made her skin crawl, and nervous. She hated books, but something about this one was especially worrisome. "Someone do something about that book!" she shouted at the people who had proven to be on her side.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

Xia backflipped on her hands until her momentum was under control, then landed crouched down on one knee. It had worked, but she was in no position to do anything with her advantage. "Tch." The Witch was blinded for the time being, so she felt she could advance without trouble, but she feared that by the time she got there, that advantage would be gone. Only one way to find out.

She broke into a sprint, wanting to save her last bit of flight for when she really needed it. Her eyes, every so often, shifted from the Witch to the book at her side. It was floating in midair. It made her skin crawl, and nervous. She hated books, but something about this one was especially worrisome. "Someone do something about that book!" she shouted at the people who had proven to be on her side.

A floating, hidden revolver barked thrice more.

All towards the open eye on the book. The revolver floats back and away towards Owen, empty now.

[MrSandman]

Owen tries to slow Levin’s fall as much as possible, but keeps his eyes on Meryl.

“You could. Should you? I...I can’t answer that, Meryl. A Hero isn’t just a weapon, which is exactly what that Witch down there thinks of you. A powerful idiot that she can point at a problem to make it go away. Those were her own words. You are so much more.”

He smiles sadly.

“I can offer the one thing denied you your entire life: the truth. I want you to be the very best you can be, the greatest hero. Come with me, Meryl. Come to my office and see my evidence. Judge from there if the Administration, if you’re partner there is in the wrong. What’s the worst that can happen? I’m right and we work together to strike down the evil that took your choice away? Or you think I’m wrong and easily defeat or kill me. Either way you can’t lose.”

He holds his hand out to her.

“It’s your call, Meryl.”

"............Ok....that makes sense." Meryl answered with a smile, and then reached out...yanking her sword and bringing the point around to face Owen. "But.......hurt me first......"

There was a moment of awkwardness, Meryl heavy breathing the only thing cutting the silence. "....If a hero like you....can hurt me........that will make me an even better hero.......So come on.....Hurt me, even a little....and I'll agree to anything you want." Her smile grew unsettingly large. "....and If you don't.....I'll make you an even greater hero, deteeective......."

She gripped her sword, and suddenly flung it vertically into the air.....then leap forward, flipping forward off the roof with her hands and flying towards Owen with her hands extended.

[MrSandman]

Xia backflipped on her hands until her momentum was under control, then landed crouched down on one knee. It had worked, but she was in no position to do anything with her advantage. "Tch." The Witch was blinded for the time being, so she felt she could advance without trouble, but she feared that by the time she got there, that advantage would be gone. Only one way to find out.

She broke into a sprint, wanting to save her last bit of flight for when she really needed it. Her eyes, every so often, shifted from the Witch to the book at her side. It was floating in midair. It made her skin crawl, and nervous. She hated books, but something about this one was especially worrisome. "Someone do something about that book!" she shouted at the people who had proven to be on her side.

The Book Heard her.
The Book Looked At her.

In its eye she saw her reflection slowly growing in size as she shot towards them.....and her reflection was hidious....

And then it blinked, and Xia felt her body go limp....falling forward as if every puppet string that had been pulling her along had been cut simotanously.

She hit the ground face first, hard and fast.......and a moment past before feeling returned, including overwhelming pain.

[MrSandman]

A floating, hidden revolver barked thrice more.

All towards the open eye on the book. The revolver floats back and away towards Owen, empty now.

As distracted as Vivianne was, her barrier was still there....and keep her book safe from the shots. It's pupil twitched and glanced up at the retreating revolver....but did nothing.

Perhaps because it couldn't....who could say.

[The Dog]

"Don't know who EN is.....They're the men with guns, the entire reason the scared, hurt, innocent people are standing there huddled in fear. My god are you oblivious or mentally handicapped." Vivianne rubbed her temple with her index finger. "Its....absolutely adorable. Your like a dumb puppy in a den of wolves." She smiled. "But it won't save you if you don't throw that weapon down and surrender.....or better....shoot the rebel next to you, then I'll be sure to keep you safe."

"See, this is the "condescending with a splash of bitch" attitude I was just talking about." Selma responded.

"As for dropping my gun, not gonna happen, because I'm not going to stand here defenseless while 'surrounded by wolves' as you say. And I'm not going to shoot anyone unless they decide to attack me first, because like dealing with your attitude, I'm not in the mood to start a battle with a bunch of terrorists that will put the scared, hurt, innocent people in even more danger than they already are in. I'm certain that you..."

Vivianne gestured with her two fingers.

The old ladys momentum immediately shifted vertically........vaulting her screaming into the air, and not in a random direction.

Mid flight the elderly grandmother impacted with something invisible.....in this case, Lucifer, with a brutal crack.

"So what does it do.....explode? Blow toxic gas?" Vivianne tightened a psychic grip around the the old woman and lucifer, simultaneously crushing the two together before pulling them down slowly. "Fragrant old lady smell? Did you honestly not think I can't see through a base creature like you....." The grip on Arx tightened and started twisting her arms and legs back. The witch smiled, then looked up at the invisible lucifer. "...and you.....your body may be invisible, but you intent is as clear to me as the daylight on a sunny afternoon........

An amused smile cross her lips as she prepared to toss yet another approaching insect out of the picture....

....and yet, for the first time tonight she was caught off guard when the attack appeared inside her field.....

She threw up a barrier as unconciously as one would blind....but the fingers barely managed to stab enough in to force a surprised scream.....

Suddenly the force holding everyone in place pushed them all, hard, away from her.....Arx, Lucifer, Xia and the old Lady were catapulted in different directions while the witch floated ackwardly in the air and rubbed her pained eyes.

The book floated by her side turned around in the air, eye now wide open.

"Well... fuck me sideways. That looks bad. Very, very incredibly bad." Selma muttered to herself at the sight of the book with its wide open eye and what was no doubt an angry witch. She'd heard more than enough stories that angry witches were a serious danger to everyone around them, even more than normal. And considering that this witch's base personality was 'condescending smug bitch', then when she got angry...

Turning toward the scared, huddled people Selma yelled out "GET TO SOMEWHERE SAFE RIGHT NOW! MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE!"

[Tami]

From where he was positioned, Mathias could see most of what was going on and it was the same chaos as always. Perhaps this is why he has always preferred the solitude of the search over then hectic pace of the city and slums.

Looking and listening, his mind began putting pieces of this complex puzzle together. Simply stepping within would do no good, but there had to be a way to Solve this situation. Or at least minimize the potential death and destruction any further. Some way to get them to stop fighting and start talking again, assuming that the two Witches were willing to do so.

He looked for Ange within, he wondered where Mulvric was, he noticed the Detective's interaction with the Red Witch, the actions of the Blue Witch, the failed attempts to attack, and he heard the sounds of bodies being thrown around like rag dolls.

Presence: 15%

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

"............Ok....that makes sense." Meryl answered with a smile, and then reached out...yanking her sword and bringing the point around to face Owen. "But.......hurt me first......"

There was a moment of awkwardness, Meryl heavy breathing the only thing cutting the silence. "....If a hero like you....can hurt me........that will make me an even better hero.......So come on.....Hurt me, even a little....and I'll agree to anything you want." Her smile grew unsettingly large. "....and If you don't.....I'll make you an even greater hero, deteeective......."

She gripped her sword, and suddenly flung it vertically into the air.....then leap forward, flipping forward off the roof with her hands and flying towards Owen with her hands extended.

He twists the umbrella handle and, with his left hand, throws the top of the umbrella at Meryl as a distraction.

The right grips the handle, revealed as a hidden truncheon. With the umbrella top as a distraction, Owen swings the truncheon as hard as he can, more in defense than actual attack. The blow would be aimed at either her ribs or hand, to stun or block.

[Yun Lao]

"............Ok....that makes sense." Meryl answered with a smile, and then reached out...yanking her sword and bringing the point around to face Owen. "But.......hurt me first......"

There was a moment of awkwardness, Meryl heavy breathing the only thing cutting the silence. "....If a hero like you....can hurt me........that will make me an even better hero.......So come on.....Hurt me, even a little....and I'll agree to anything you want." Her smile grew unsettingly large. "....and If you don't.....I'll make you an even greater hero, deteeective......."

She gripped her sword, and suddenly flung it vertically into the air.....then leap forward, flipping forward off the roof with her hands and flying towards Owen with her hands extended.

There was no need to physically gesture or speak as Sigourney was fairly certain Tekeli-li acted on her thoughts, or so it had informed her, but there was a need to have some sense of control which prompted her to raise her hand up before pointing to Meryl in the distance. She was ignorant of Meryl and Owen's conversation, too far to properly hear, but she recognized an opportunity when she saw one.

"Tekeli-li...pulverize..."

The pillar-like construct vanished, only to shortly come down like the hammer of the devil himself atop of Meryl, seeking to splatter her across the earth.

[grampagen]

As distracted as Vivianne was, her barrier was still there....and keep her book safe from the shots. It's pupil twitched and glanced up at the retreating revolver....but did nothing.

Perhaps because it couldn't....who could say.

Suddenly a dark shadow flew through the air overhead towards Vivianne...and missed her by a mile, before slamming into something at the far side of the room. Fissure cracks spiderwebbed from the object that fell, and imbedded deep into the floor of the Skyport Terminal...

...a folded chair. Conspicuous, that.

Also conspicuous, under the glass-dome light, a long, thin shadow growing darker by the second.

A ladder had been dislodged from the rafters and began to lean, its course falling down straight upon the Witch.

[Sub-Zero MKA]

The Book Heard her.
The Book Looked At her.

In its eye she saw her reflection slowly growing in size as she shot towards them.....and her reflection was hidious....

And then it blinked, and Xia felt her body go limp....falling forward as if every puppet string that had been pulling her along had been cut simotanously.

She hit the ground face first, hard and fast.......and a moment past before feeling returned, including overwhelming pain.

Her eyes zeroed in on the book's eye, and what she saw was horrifying. It was her, but she was giant and grot...grotesk...ugly in appearance. Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open just a touch. "Wha-" she began to say just as the eye blinked. Then, everything went wrong.

It was like all the power in her body was cut off. Everything went limp, including the legs that were carrying her toward the Witch as fast as they could move. Her momentum was such that when she hit the ground face first, she kept going. Her forehead, nose, and the left side of her face were skinned badly to the point that blood was starting to pool under her when she finally came to a stop.

To anyone looking on, it appeared that Xia was dead from the hard impact. That assumption was quickly disproved when she started screaming in agony. All the bamboo strikes to the ribcage during her training didn't prepare her for the overwhelming pain that was besieging every corner of her body at that moment.

"Nnnnnnnhhhhhh," she groaned after she gritted her teeth to cut the screaming out. She managed to lift her head just enough to look at the Witch. So close, yet so far. All she needed was a moment. A set of sparks hit the air around her. Three, in the same location. She heard the bark of a handgun, yet the Witch didn't drop. Barrier? She had a barrier around her.

Shit. She wouldn't have been able to touch her even if she hadn't gotten dropped.

She breathed in and tried to struggle to her feet. The plan... the plan was still good to go. She needed to get up.

Get up!