Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Xmen Revolution. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Back in Action; Tag: Avery
Topic Started: Jul 6 2014, 04:57 AM (612 Views)
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
Timeframe: June 21st, @ 4 pm

This was a day that Andover, Vermont would not soon forget, a day where some would claim that hell itself opened wide and unleashed it's contents upon the town.

Which was odd, as the Cerebro signal that the X-Men picked up on in conjunction to this threat was relatively minimal. A low-level mutant in distress, a simple recruitment mission that wouldn't require a large team response. Two could handle it just fine. Some minor psychic fluctuations.

So when the Dove - no... Kite? Was that what it was called? Yes, she was certain that this little aircraft had been called the Kite - when it landed just outside the town, in an open field and Rahne Russell stepped out of it, what she saw was not quite what she expected.

"That... that's a dragon..." she said to her partner in this endeavor, a frown on her face, her head tilted to the left. "And not a wee cute little dragon like Lockheed... Like, a great big fire breathin' dragon... I dinnae recall anything on the scan sayin' anythin' about a dragon."

Sure enough, the scene was as she described it - a massive green dragon, in the European tradition, soared over the town and breathed jets of flame over it, issuing forth piercingly loud roars of triumph as it laid waste to the town.

But nothing smelled of fire. No smoldering ash, no scorched air. Heck, with all the heat a fire breathing dragon would be letting out, the air was surprisingly cool and pleasant. The visuals weren't even matching up. A dragon laying waste to a town that refused to be laid waste to.

"Ye know..." Rahne said with a
shake of her head as she adjusted her X-Uniform, tugging on the front a bit. It was a new one, and hadn't quite been broken in yet. "I wasn't expectin' this f'r muh first mission back..."
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
Recruitment drives was becoming a norm for Avery and though they all had a hiccup or two (and some worse so) she found she liked being an active part of the team. All those years of being just a nurse and waiting for the X-Men to return wore on her nerves. She wanted to be out there, with them, doing the world a bit of good if she could. Or…just save a few mutants. She'd be happy with either.

This time around the mission seemed pretty straight forward, low level mutant and presumedly a two man job. Or in this case, two woman. Both she and Rahne volunteered for the job. Rahne going on her first outing since baby Greg and Avery happy to do a team up with her bestie. Plus, it was a great excuse for her take Kite on a real life mission and she was excited to test out her baby bird on something more than test runs.

Kite was the labour of love between Scott and herself, built from the ground up by their hands and many years in the making. Modelled after a Sikorsky MH-60 Black Hawk, it had been heavily tweaked and modified to suit the X-Man's needs. Beyond state of the art stealth technology, noise reduction blades and body as well as a ton of other bells and whistles that kept them virtually indictable. It was a good option to have for small teams to manoeuvre in the city and go places that the jet could not. Sooo, technically this wasn't really one of those scenarios but it was just the two of them and the trip wasn't far so she could warrant taking Kite out in her first mission.

Stepping out onto the field and smiled to herself at a perfect flight and touchdown. This was going to be a good-

"Holy crap on a cracker that's a dragon!" Avery spat at the same time as her companion, taken aback as the beast fly over the small town. This was the exact opposite of what she had expected for the so called low-level mutant. Perhaps Cerebro had been wrong, or maybe the situation had escalated after they had left. The elven nurse rubbed the back of her neck and let out a huff of air, knowing that they had a huge job ahead of them. Literialy huge.

"Ye know…" Rahne began. "I wasn't expectin' this f'r muh first mission back…"

"No shit, eh?" Avery agreed, language slipping again and laughed almost nervously. She poked at her cheek with her tongue half wondering if they weren't over their heads. It was such a tiny town, heck her home town was maybe as big as this, who knew how much time the town had if this thing was going on a rampage. Not enough time to wait for back up, that she was sure of. Still, how to approach it was the question.

Avery fastened on her utility belt and stood with her hands on her hips as she watched the dragon curiously. Was she wrong about these things but weren't they suppose to be able to breathe fire? Well it was, but nothing was actually catching fire. "Why…isn't it..Don't these things breathe fire?"

"Seems odd, doesn't it." Avery frowned, hunter eyebrows crumpled in though. It didn't add up. Low-level mutant is a frickin dragon. Had Cerebro screwed up, had the mutation accreted somehow or was there something more. "Is that our mutant, or…like something accidentally come through a porthole or…maybe a illusion? An illusion would probably still spit fire though." She voiced her thoughts out loud to Rahne next to her. Regardless to what it was, they had to get down to business.

"More importantly…" She said, looking over to Rahne as she strode forward. "What's the biggest thing you've taken down?"
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
"Aye - somethin's nae right here," Rahne narrowed her eyes, transforming into her half-wolf form on the spot, crouching and leaning forward as she did, sniffing at the air.

"Whatever's goin' on over there, I'm nae smellin' any of it. Nae the heat of the beastie's fire breath, nae the beastie itself - plenty of human fear an' panic, though. Lingerin' after scents - the people are inside, takin' shelter," it didn't add up. The sights, the sounds, were mostly incongruent with the scents. She could see the dragon, she could hear its roars, the jets of flame from its mouth - but smelled none of it.

"Illusions, aye? I wonder," Rahne whispered, glancing back to Avery as the green-hued mutant advanced on the scene. Rahne stood as Avery got to her position, and kept pace with her. "Guess we'll find out what it really is soon enough, aye?"

Rahne smirked at Avery's question, the slightest hint of razor-sharp fang showing through.

"Well, I've killed a few dinosaurs in muh time - an' I climbed Onslaught's arm an' clawed him in the face, if that counts," Rahne's ears twitched as they got closer - grunting sounds, from numerous creatures, coming from the main street through town, but none were visible yet.

Wolfsbane paused at a bike rack in front of the convenience store, knees bent, fingers splayed wide. There was more than just the dragon there.

Suddenly, a large bipedal creature stepped forward, and then another, and another. Greenish gray skin, craggy and pitted. Thick musculature and leather armor. One bore a bone club, the other a stone axe with a wooden handle. The third carried no weapons at all.

"Orcs?!" Rahne asked with eyes wide. "What the devil is goin' on here?!"

Dragons. Orcs. Like a Tolkien fantasy opened up wide upon this small town and decided to attack in broad daylight. The creatures stood, the unarmed one pounding his chest with a roar. Intimidation. More emerged from the spaces between buildings. Four, then five - soon the women were surrounded by eight orcs.

The first one to rush them lifted his club high above his head, running forward with a loud, bellowing roar. Wolfsbane wasted no time in responding, running toward him and leaping high into the air, swinging the claws on her right hand into the meat of his shoulder - only to experience no physical resistance to her attack, no substance to it.

The creature screeched its agony anyway, its pace stumbling as its free arm swung wildly, slipping right through Rahne's midsection, as if entirely insubstantial.

Still hurt, and quite a bit at that. Rahne yelped, fumbling her landing a bit, and rolling to a crouched position. No injury, no wound - she wasn't bleeding, so why did it hurt like she had her guts torn out?

"Gaghhh - son of a-" she snarled, tensing herself as the others began their assault.
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
"Onslaught…Uuuugh." She wrinkled her nose at the memory. At the time she was still very new at the X-Man game but nothing had really prepared her for that whole topsy-turvy experience. "Feels so long ago…I've almost had forgotten that memory altogether."

Her fluted ears flickered, picking up the strange sounds and after a recent binge watching of Walking Dead, her mind immediately went towards zombies. The thought gave her the creeps but she didn't let distract her. She tread carefully, switching positions, while allowing Rahne to take the lead since her senses went beyond keen hearing. Plus she was pretty certain that Rahne had a sixth sense like animals did for danger.

Cautiously she was slightly dipped behind Rahne, ugly suddenly reared it's head. And boy were they ugly. Three of them which Wolfsbane was quick to discern what they were. Orcs! Avery couldn't believe it and for a moment felt a surge of fear flood through her. She somewhat aware of the world of Dungeons and Dragons and had even flicked through a monster manual before, but these things were far bigger and more hideous in real life. And then their stench hit her. What absolutely offensive creatures.

"Gah…They're uglier than Skrulls!" She replied with disgust. "Where the heck did they come from? What's next? An owlbear..a beholder?"

She complained, though there was hardly time for it. It just seemed so unbelievable, but there they were, close enough to smell their wrank and getting closer. First there was just a handful that surly the two could handle and then suddenly they were surrounded by eight. Not another soul could be seen on the street, not human anyway. Obviously they were the reason. Avery hissed another curse as she turned her back quickly to Rahne as they began to bum rush the two X-Women.

Rahne flew into action, not waiting for them to get to her first and Avery followed in suit. She had done a bit of training since back in March with some of Knights of Wundagore and never did she think that she'd come to a point where she would feel the need to have her armour and short sword. Oh if Sir Ram was here, how much fun he would have.

With a light cry of her own she ran towards one and flicked out her vinewhips, striking one orc across it's hulking chest. It flew back almost ten feet onto it's back, surprisingly further than she expected but hey, she'd take it. She had heard Rahne's slash had hit home but the following growl of pain from her friend caused her to look over her shoulder.

"Wolfsbane?!" Avery's voice was high, only to turn back to see a massive stone hammer hurdling towards her head. With a scream she twisted just enough that only her shoulder got clipped, sending her spinning. The hammer crashed somewhere by a trash bin and her shoulder smarted like a son of a bitch. She hadn't noticed that it had actually passed through or the fact that there was no damage, not even a scuff mark on her shoulder.

Rotating her shoulder, she regained her stance and brought now shimmering hands up onto the air. God this'd be so much easier if she was pyrokinetic or had some sort of concussive blasts. But no, instead she used the nearest tree to grab up one nearby orc and hold it in a increasingly tightening grip instead. That was two injured and one trapped out of eight. And lets not forget that the dragon was still flying around somewhere. The odds were defiantly not in their favour.

"Two man job my arse," the minty nurse growled as had to pivot and did a quick handspring just to avoid the upwards slash from another orc.
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
The storyteller could see, with his mind's eye, all the chaos he was creating, the panic and confusion, and he reveled in it. If he was honest with himself, though, he didn't hate this town. Or the people in it. They were nice enough, if not a little bland. A little too set in their ways to ever truly accept someone like him, someone a little different. To even notice them.

Well, they'd notice him after today. After he rode in and-

"Wait," he said, opening his eyes for but a moment, and immediately shutting them again. "A female wood elf - and a female worgen? And they're working together? They're... they're ruining everything, they're not part of my-"

No, no, no. He wasn't going to have anyone ruin his story. There was only supposed to be the helpless townspeople, the monsters, and the valiant hero who saves them all. These interlopers would have to be dealt with.


"I'm fine!" Wolfsbane called out to her companion as she quickly got to her feet and swung her claws across the ugly maw of an advancing orc, avoiding any personal injury this time around. Sure enough, the creature reacted as though it was hit, but she felt no contact.

"I think someone's playin' us f'r fools, Loosestrife!" Wolfsbane snarled in some irritation. "I should be pretty well gored after that hit, an' nary a drop of blood t' be seen!"

She sought to test a theory, jumping towards an orc and grabbing him in the shoulders. On a physical opponent, her grip would hold as she came to the ground on the other side of him, allowing her to plant her feet and fling him to the pavement.

But there was nothing to grab, and instead her target merely crumbled, bellowing in pain as she passed through him.

"There's nothin' here! I knew it!"
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
It hadn't felt right. Not even from the start. What appeared to be so unbelievably real became less real. Confused? They certainly were.

Just barely dodging a blow that would've rattled every tooth in her skull, she was simultaneously pumped with adrenaline and relieved that her dear friend was okay. It was around this point that they two began to clue in that something fishy was going on here. Rahne voiced her thoughts on it and silently Avery agreed.

"Somethings not right. Something is definitely off in this town." She called back, yet unable to discern was it was. Rahne had a theory however.

What seemed so real, monstrous creatures of flesh and bone, were hardly as fleshy and living as they thought. Demonstrated by Rahne as she used a maneuver that should have tossed him harshly to the ground resulted in her passing through it and the beast almost unmoving, screeching it's pain. They weren't real, like some sort of hologram. Yet still they reacted to their 'injuries' and they could inflict a bit of harm. Her puzzled expression grew deep on her features. Well she could cross mutant dimension gatekeeper off their list or just as unlikely a mutant that could create or summon monstrous beings. There was a puppet master out there somewhere, she thought. But where were they and what was the purpose of causing terror in this quaint little town?

"What….what about a hard light holographic projection? Like Artie does only…well, far more advanced or complex." She suggested, throwing out her arms causing other small trees to reach out and pierce another set of orcs. Again, just like Rahne's attacks, the branches slipped through through them with little resistance but still causing them to roar in pain. At this point she was also caused to notice that the other orc she had ensnared and attempted to squeeze had also ghosted through it's restrains, gripping it's chest in agony.

"This is no good," She said, shaking her head as she rushed back to Rahne's side. She flicked out her vinewhips again incase any got too close, even if there was no real damage done the pain if 'felt' could at least buy them time. "It's a losing battle if they're not affected by our attacks and we can't keep dodging forever. We've gotta ditch them and try to get down to the root of the problem. Whatever…whoever is causing all this." And so she began forward with really no aim as to direction.

Sadly, this wasn't like in the city were the hero could just rooftop their way to wherever they needed to go. On the other hand, if that dragon was anything like the orcs, it was probably better they stay lower to the ground and clear of it's claws and snapping jaws. But which way to go. She honestly didn't know. Oddly an idea popped in her head.

"Remember the dragon? Was it attacking or…was it trying to protect something? Dragons do that don't they? Protect treasure or kinda act like a guard dog…or I think." She stumbled through what she was trying to explain because it sounded not only frightening but a bit crazy to her. Her thought process might be way off of what was going on. "Maybe we should head for it. It might lead to some clues or.." She gave a half smirk of helplessness. "It might be a very stupid, stupid idea."
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
Wolfsbane didn't know whether to feel confused, annoyed, or downright angry. She felt like the butt of a joke, like somebody somewhere was having a jolly good laugh of a time siccing harmless illusions on them. Images that tricked the mind into thinking they were dangerous, but physically weren't. And for what? Was this all a lark?

Another of the orcs she and Avery had been battling charged at her, and this time, Rahne simply steeled herself, eyes narrowed, fists clenched. The creature bellowed as it charged, and then passed harmlessly through. Rahne knew it wasn't real and applied that knowledge to the encounter. She hardly felt a thing.

"The dragon," Rahne nodded her head. She hadn't thought of it like that, but Avery had a point. This all reeked of fantasy story telling, and in fantasy, dragons usually guarded over something. A treasure horde, usually, but what if...

"I'm up for a stupid, stupid idea right about now," Rahne said, returning the smirk. "Wish I could catch a bloody scent off o' that dragon, but I've got nothin'. Damnable thing's just as false as everything else we've encountered."

Rahne stalked ahead, eyes narrowed, keeping her senses peeled for any sign of, well, anything. The local grocery chain was to their right, lights off and doors locked. Either people skipped town, or...

The doors rattled, and Rahne jumped on reflex, turning towards them, hunched low. What was next at this rate? Zombies? Goblins? Witches? What other silly thing was going to jump out and -

"Kevin, don't!" she heard a woman call out as the door opened. A kid, maybe ten years old at the most, stepped out, dirty blonde hair unkempt and in need of a haircut, but he didn't show any signs of prolonged refuge. Whatever was going on, this was pretty much recent.

"They're superheroes, mom, look! They're here to save us!"
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
They had to move forward, there was little other option in the matter. The more that they confirmed that the monsters weren't real the more of a magic trick they seemed to be. It seemed the less they believed in them the less of a threat they became. One orc had even fully passed through Rahne and she had hardly flinched. Playing with the small group now just a waste of time and they both agreed to proceed. As they left, Avery threw her hands behind her and created a barrier across the street from the roots of parallel trees. She had a feeling that the orcs were stuck playing a role, believing they were real, rather than realizing that they could pass through it. It was a physical 4th wall they could not break through.

With a suggestion of locating the dragon in hopes it would lead them to the mutant behind all this, Rahne agreed with her own smirk. Good. Maybe Avery was growing as an X-Man and didn't need guidance all the time. Unfortunately her suggestion fell a little flat as tracking the dragon would be harder than it should've been. It had no scent, nor the fire it was breathing leave any trail of smouldering fires Rahne grumbled as she pointed out. That must have been frustrating for her, being one of their top trackers. But like the orcs, it would have to make some noise now and again, they both would have to keep their ears perked and they eyes sharp and with any luck they'd find it.

Moving through the town they both flinched as a door suddenly rattled. The streets had been deserted since their arrival and all she had met so far was the sight of a dragon at the beginning and the band of orcs. It was discerning and she just hoped that the people were hiding safely in their homes or left town instead of missing…or worse. With Rahne prepared to pounce, Avery tensed a little as she tried to ready for whatever showed it's ugly face. She was expecting things to get progressively worse as they went. The monsters (though they knew they were little harm now) becoming fiercer and fighting. However, when a older child burst out from the grocery store she let out her held breath.

"They're superheroes, mom, look! They're here to save us!" The boy cried back to his mother's protests from within. Avery was caused to smile despite never really calling herself a hero. Violet eyes flickered over to her friend and she gave her a little smile. It was nice to hear such positive things now and again. Still, she reminded herself that there was no time to chit chat as they did have 'heroing' to do.

"We're X-Men, actually." Avery told him, tapping on the silver X on the belt buckle. Chances are he knew who they were as they were often in the news over the years and since the invention of youtube their heroics were even more accessible to the public. "We came to find out what was going on here, so just stay inside where it's safe until we take care of the problem." Avery smiled, as she pointed him back inside of the store.

However another thought struck her mind. "No wait!" She blurted, looking to Rahne and then back to the kid. Neither of them knew what went down at ground zero, but maybe he did or at the very least give them some insight.

"You wouldn't happen to know what caused all this? Where it started? Or if you knew where that nasty dragon is. Any information you can give us-" The elf like mutant leaned to the left to look beyond and behind the child to the store. Her voice was sweet and honest as she encouraged. "-or If anyone knows anything they think might be helpful, it'll help us get to the bottom of this quicker. Please."
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
"Well," Rahne said with eyes opening wider. That was not what she expected. She had become accustomed to more hostile reactions from frightened citizens, to people reacting to them with fear and hesitation rather than... well, this.

"Kevin! Get away from them!" the boy's mother, presumably, or perhaps grandmother, scolded as she made herself visible through the door, hands on the boy's shoulders in a protective posturing. That was more along the lines of what Rahne expected, but she supposed she couldn't blame a mom to behave protectively over her child.

The boy, however, was undaunted, and smiled. He seemed to like the idea of being helpful to a superhero.
"There was... there was um... there was just monsters everywhere! Me an' gramma went to the store for milk and chips and... um... and then a monster came an' punched Officer Jones in the head and he's knocked out now, so we're hiding in here."

Rahne folded her arms at her chest. Not all too helpful, but he was just a boy, just a kid, who really probably didn't know much anything about what was going on. It was surely all a blur to him, exciting and terrifying all at once. She glanced over to 'gramma', who would hopefully provide a bit more information.

"There's a club of boys - they like to meet up at the library on third avenue to play the dungeons and the dragons. It's not much, but you might find something there," 'Gramma' relented, and Kevin looked up to her with a smile.

***

Right about now, the storyteller found himself annoyed that he couldn't hear what was going on out there. He could see that the two women were talking to some citizens, but he couldn't hear what they were talking about at all. Either way, it didn't look good.

They were ruining everything, taking his chance to be the hero in this story. He couldn't stride out there in his armor to be the hero, not with them around. They were the real deal, and they'd see through him in a moment, and with their skill level, they'd take him apart easy.

No, what he needed... oh. That might do it. Yes, that might do it quite well. He smirked, a dark little smirk. Yes, that could take care of the problem.


***

"Third avenue library... well, it's as good a place as any t'..." Rahne said, looking around to catch a bearing. First avenue was where they were - just a few blocks down, and they should-

"Halt, vile creatures!" a heroic, powerful voice boomed out over the street, echoing between the buildings.

A group of five knights stood, each striking a different pose but all looking rather typically heroic, with gleaming armor, ornate swords, and colorful capes that billowed slightly in the soft breeze.

"We'll not allow you to harm the innocents under our protection! Flee now if you value your pitiful, villainous lives."

Rahne glanced over to Avery, and let loose a soft sigh.
"I'm nae gettin' any scents off o' these lot," she said.
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
Avery smirked back to Rahne and gave a little quirk of her eyebrows, in a pleasantly surprised 'well what'd ya know' fashion. It really was nice to be looked at as a hero and not because they were famous like Iron Man or Captain America, but because they had come in their time of need, like firefighters. It was a good feeling that you rarely got a chance to feel in the midst of a mission and she'd probably remember this kid when people were assholes to her.

It was a little unfortunate however that he was unable to yield more information than he did. She didn't know what she was expecting. He was just a kid and at that age there was much you miss in the world around you until you became a bit older and wiser. Regardless his intentions were good and her spoke up against unpopular opinion and his elders…well, his nay-sayer Gramma.

"Thanks sweetie," Avery smiled down at Kevin. She was disappointed but she didn't let it show. Exchanging looks with Rahne she was about suggest they head off when 'Gramma' spoke up giving them a lead. And while the tip might sound a little 'out there' or strange at first, the more it was considered in context to all they had seen today it made good sense.

Avery nodded to her words and gave her a short thanks. "Please stay inside until we sort this out." Now they just had to figure out where the library was. She'd feel pretty dumb to have to turn to the lady and ask for directions. The awkwardness would really take away from their knights in shining armour moment. Next time she would have to remember to take a gps with her.

So as they took in the town around them, Rahne was first to catch a nearby street sign. Thank god it wasn't a far track across town. It was the best lead they had at the moment since the dragon wasn't rearing it's ugly head and it'd be a bitch if they had to run all across town only to find a dead end.

"Halt, vile creatures!" A proud, confident male voice broke her thoughts and startled her. "We'll not allow you to harm the innocents under our protection! Flee now if you value your pitiful, villainous lives."

As if appearing out of thin air, there blocking their path were honest to goodness real knights in shining armour. They glared down upon the two as if they truly were low and filthy creatures. Avery's expression turned sour at his words.

"Pardon me!" She snapped back, clearly insulted.

"I'm nae gettin' any scents off o' these lot," Rahne had sighed before saying.

Again, more apparitions or holograms or whatever. They were harmless for the most part but mostly becoming an annoyance. Plus it only confirmed what they already assumed.

"Oh we're defiantly being watched," Avery said bitterly as the scent of cinnamon flittered up around her. She almost yelled up at the sky to let the watcher know that they were coming to whoop their ass but as she had many times before, she took in a deep breath and pushed it back. They didn't want to rattle them more than they had to.

"Guess we'll just have to push out way through then, hmm?" Avery favoured her friend with a wicked smile. If they were like the orcs, this would be a snap. "I'll take the left two if you take the right."

She then broke into a run towards the knights, veering to the left as she did so. As she ran, her visible skin began to change. Her faced covered itself with a bark mask as did her left hand which now looked larger and clawed as she 'armoured' up. However her right hand, which was clenched into a fist, elongated where the knuckles should be, creating one large, flat spike. It would be soon met by the sword of a changing knight who broke into a gallop towards her the moment she began running. What should go been a clashing sound was met with silence as Avery's arm passed through his sword. The knight let out a yell of disbelief and she definitely heard him curse something about witchcraft but in the end Avery felt little resistance and even less pain. With her momentum still moving forward she flung her arm back into a backwards slash, 'cutting' his steed from hindquarter to shoulder, causing buck off it's rider.

"We know your watching," Avery's voice called out in a rare loud and serious tone. "You've had your fun. Give up this silliness already!"
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
"Agreed," Rahne said with narrowed eyes. It made sense. Whoever was making all this happen wasn't just sending things out at random. There was a purpose to all of it, a design. This wasn't just some panicked kid lashing out with powers he couldn't control and barely knew he had. This person knew what he was doing. And against her better judgement, that pissed Rahne off.

So when Avery concurred that the idea was to go through these knights, Rahne gave it barely enough time to register before she leaped at them, fangs bared wide as she tore into the first illusory hero she had gotten to. The power behind her arm as she mauled his midsection with a snarl would have flayed the guts of anyone else, would have sprayed his insides all over the street, but against this opponent, he merely reeled back and fell to the ground bloodlessly, as if naught but a highly detailed video game sprite. They couldn't harm her or Avery, now that they both knew they weren't real.

Maybe that was what got her so angry here. So many people cowering in fear, hiding in storefronts and office complexes and police departments for what - for a charade, for some smoke and mirrors? A whole town's day disrupted for one person's shits and giggles?

Wolfsbane was not amused, and she demonstrated that lack of amusement with a flying kick to an illusory head that could easily have knocked a real one off of its housing in the neck. But even in her rage, in her fit of violence against people that technically weren't there, she did remain focused enough to see past their foes towards the goal.

It was, like the rest of the town, a rustic older building, small and humble, not nearly like the big libraries of metropolitan centers. It may have even been refurbished from a house, or something else. The knights had been set up between the women and the library, and that could not be a coincidence.

"Loosestrife, go! I'm hardly in a conversational mood," Wolfsbane called out to her teammate. She'd have to calm herself down some before going in there. Or work out her anger on these illusory knights a while longer. Either way, she was not the right person at the moment to talk down whoever was in there. That would have to be Avery.

***

The Storyteller had his hands clenched in his hair, tugging at it enough to pain the scalp a bit. He knew he'd screwed this up, he knew that. He had a plan, an idea, a plot. He had his story, and they ruined it. Or had he ruined it? Had his rigidity to the plan caused the story to fail?

Either way, this was not what he wanted, and now those women, those whirling dervishes of power, grace, and violence were coming for him. He stood up from the table he had sat at, knocking his chair over with a clutter. Maybe he could hide. Maybe he could just get out of here and outrun them. No. Only one door, the front door. He didn't have the keys to unlock the back exit, and he certainly wasn't going to use the emergency exit and set the alarms off.

"Oh God, what am I gonna do?" he muttered to himself, not realizing that out there, in combat with the women, each of his surviving knights asked the exact same question, the exact same way, at the exact same time.
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
She had been fighting almost the moment she stepped off Kite and she had yet to break a sweat. Even as she was slashing through that Knight and had a smirk on her face. This had to be by far the easiest mission she had ever been on. Definitely one she'd immediately immortalize in her diary when she returned. However, as exciting as it was upon reflection, Avery was still pretty pissed that they were being toyed with. Not just them, but the whole town cowering in fear from what would be the most lifelike light show they'd ever seen. And to what end? The puppeteer of this show had yet to reveal themselves and shed some light as to what their motives were. Was it for revenge? Was it out of spite? Was there something they wanted, some demands that had yet to be met? So far, no one knew and their tormenter remained faceless.

And it felt cowardly to her, that they attacked the town but hid out plain sight. With the tip that they might be found in the library where D&D campaigns were held, she couldn't help but think he…or she (who knew) were some scrawny little nerd, with thick glasses, a bad completion and some sort of speech impediment. You could thank cartoon stereotypes for that. They were probably looking for a cheap thrill. The illusions were so real, so detailed that their owner must had a ton of practise to conjure up such images with flawless control. Avery was willing to bet that they had been planning this for a while.

But back to the task at hand, they had to find the little bugger first. In the midst of their knight fight, Rahne called out to her, urging her to go on without her. She looked back to her friend, a green brow raised questioningly. Go alone? But she didn't bother to ask if she was sure and nodded as they exchanged glances.

"Alright," She said, turning on her heel to head towards 3rd avenue and called behind her. "Catch up when you can."

With that she broke into a run towards the library. Avery had never struck out on her own. There had always been someone with her and she wondered for a moment in worry how she would handle it. Either way, she'd have to man up. She had been an X-Man for five years now and it was time to stop questioning her abilities. Keep moving forward. Keep growing. That was an important part of life that some people neglected to do.

Finally reaching her destination, she looked up at the small building that was this town's library. Wasn't much to it when you were used to the ones in the city but then, she remembered growing up in her own town and theirs was also the same building as the postoffice and a tiny clinic. That was small town living for you. Slowly she headed up the small set of steps and pulled on the handle. It was deadly quiet in there so much so that it made the hairs on her neck stand up. Her fingers reached up to the bark mask on her face, ripping it free and letting it drop to the floor. Without it she looked less menacing could hopefully talk sensible with the person….if they were there at all.

"I know you're in there." Her voice rang out confidently despite not being positive anyone was there at all. Her boots clicked on the floor as she kept a keen eye out for anyone. "I'm Loosestrife, an X-Man. This little charade of yours needs to stop, the people are terrified because of your illusions. Come out so we can talk this out like adults."
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
The false knights, the illusions, stood no chance against the two women, much like the monsters from before, once they were positively identified as illusions, fell like dead leaves in a stiff breeze.

And as Loosestrife moved on, Wolfsbane continued the assault, snarling her feral frustrations as she swiped claws into the helmeted face of a knight, whose sword flailed harmlessly at her shoulder. She didn't even feel it at this point, knowing it was all untrue, all a falsehood, helped in that.

And that was when a large, dark shadow loomed in the sky above Wolfsbane's head, covering the sun completely.

***

The lights were off inside the library, the light inside being supplied only by the sunlight streaming through the large windows. It was a humble library, small and with only so many books available.

One of those books, a copy of "Goodnight Moon" from the children's section, to be specific, haphazardly fluttered in Avery's direction, flung with the full force of panic and frustration, but none of the focus and style to make it hit anything.

"Go away! You're ruining everything!" came the screech, young pubescent male voice cracking in anger. "I had a plan and you ruined it!"

He was small, thin, gangly. A mess of dirty blond hair sat atop his head, an ill-fitting Super Mario t-shirt hanging from his frame. The mastermind of this whole adventure stood revealed, and his face was red from crying.

***

"Go away! You're ruining everything!" the dragon bellowed as it loomed over Rahne, its large, fanged maw open wide. It was an impressive display, she had to admit.

"Oh, so ye talk, do ye? I've got experience with talkin' dragons," Rahne had to admit she was thrown. The dragon, she expected, would attack, would breathe its illusory fire and make a big show at trying to hurt her. But to yell at her? She certainly wasn't expecting that.

"I had a plan and you ruined it!"

"Wonderful. I love ruining plans," Rahne said with a smirk before leaping at the dragon, swinging her claws for its face. It had worked with every other illusion thus far, so surely, this one would be no different.

But when she passed through the dragon, it seemed particularly unbothered with her attack. It simply turned its head and kept its gaze on her, flame-orange eyes locked onto her significantly smaller form.
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Avery
Member Avatar
Botanical Manipulation and Biology
Her eyes took a moment to adjust from the brightness outside to the dimness of the cozy little library. It was eerily quite within. Either empty or the person was in hiding she didn't know. Just the ticking of a cheap wall clock and the whirling fans of the two computers the library hosted. And then something else. Hurling through the air a book crashed into her shoulder as she turned her body to avoid the assault. Ouch! She thought, catching a glance at the book just to see what the heck it was. Goodnight Moon. A very old book. She still remembered most of it.

"In the great green room there was a telephone, and red balloon and a picture of..A cow jumping over the moon. And there were three little bears sitting on chairs."

Make no wonder the damn thing hurt. It was a good for young children made with thick pages so they wouldn't tear. But Avery needn't look for her assailant as he came out to yell angry at her. He was sort of what she imagined only skinnier and more pitiful. With full intentions of yelling at him for throwing a book at her -Who throws a book? Honestly!- she stopped feeling a little sorry for the guy. He wasn't just angry. He was frustrated and upset. Almost like in this plan of his he had put all his eggs in one basket and all he was left with was eggshells and goo. It all shown in his bloodshot eyes and tearstained face.

She felt terrible for him now. For not only had she ruined his plans but once this was all over, the townsfolk would know him as a bigger loser and outcast than ever before. This was what it was about, wasn't it? About him being a hero for once? A defining moment where he could break away from the geek life he was stuck in and recreate a new, better one for himself. He had found a chance to be like the characters he role-played or read in his books…and she and Rahne had ruined that one and only chance.

Avery frowned sadly at him and when she spoke her voice was much softer and gentler than a few minutes prior. "We came because we thought there was a mutant that needed our help…not a town."

"This….This isn't how you do it." She said, shaking her head.

"You can't just scare everyone and ride in like you're the hero and save the day. That was the plan, wasn't it?" She tilted her head in question, walking towards the teen. "That's not how you become the hero. It's like lighting a house on fire and expecting people to praise you when you put it out. It just doesn't work that way."

She paused for a moment to let that sink in. Avery didn't believe herself to be much of an adviser, she was better suited as a listener, and so worried slightly that her words might upset the young man more. Yet they were the truth that needed to be said.

"This game needs to stop," She told him again. "You've terrorized the people enough. There are better ways to use your gifts than this."
[align=center]Posted Image[/align]
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Wolfsbane
Member Avatar
Wolf Form
"Yeah, well, well how else am I supposed to do it?" the boy asked, his voice sharp and curt, the kind of forced you get when you're particularly angry and just finished with crying.

His arms were folded at his chest and he looked away from her, whether it was from shame or anger or fear was unclear at this point.
"I can't play sports, I don't know music. All I'm good at is telling stories."

Granted, this was not the most original story to tell, nor was it really much of a story at all, if the kid was even capable of seeing that. If things were to go his way, he would have been the only character, the only important player.

"I... I'm just tired of being nobody, yeah? I thought... I thought if I could save the day, people would notice me, and..." he trailed off, sparing a split-second glance in Avery's direction before admonishing himself. "Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid."

***

Rahne's combat stance relaxed as the dragon hovering above her spoke every single word the boy inside did, with every single intonation, every single change of posture reflected in its own form.

"I uh..." Rahne frowned, placing her hands akimbo. "I get the impression ye're nae talkin' t' me in the slightest, are ye?"

And that was when Rahne heard the cocking of a rifle from behind her.

"No sudden moves," a tenor-pitched male voice called out. Scents of sweat and adrenaline practically poured off of this one. A real person. Rahne turned slowly, hands visible, palms faced forward. A local police officer held his rifle precisely aimed at her.

"'Tis just an illusion, officer. S'all smoke an' mirrors an' nothin' real," Rahne said with a tilt of her head in the dragon's direction.

"And what does that make you?" the officer asked, eyes narrowed.

"A superhero. One you all clearly needed, so I'd very much appreciate ye lowerin' yuir gun."

"Don't look like a superhero to me."

"Really - I kinda figured the bright yellow an' blue costume was a dead giveaway," Rahne said with a sigh. "Look - muh partner's inside with... I dunno, whoever's doin' this, an' by the sounds o' that dragon, she's doin' a damn good job, so Officer... Tomlinson... what do ye say we just relax an' let her do what she's doin'? Sound good?"
Posted Image

[size0]Say the dog and butterfly,
in the air they like to fly.
Dog and butterfly.
She knew she had to try,
and she float back down to the warm soft ground,
laughing - she don't know why,
but she had to try, she had to try.
Dog and Buttefly.


Avatar by Natalie, signature by Olga. My graphics set is complete again! Thank you so much!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Fully Featured & Customizable Free Forums
Learn More · Register Now
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · United States Archives · Next Topic »
Add Reply