#"F***ing well done guys!"#

After glancing back and forth between the advancing goo and the stationary gray wolves, Shitsumon shrugs and backs towards the crowd a bit before turning and calling out to the people to "evacuate this area in a smooth, but orderly fashion. If any foreign substance has landed on your clothes, leave them behind!"
Looking for either a power line or a convenient fire hydrant, Shitsumon plans to use his blade to convert the former into a ground hazard or the latter into a cleansing spray. Anything that slows the ooze may allow these people to escape.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:05, Thu 20 May 2021.

Anton grins inward at Doc's comments. His confirmation is all he needed...Though a shadowy silhouette, he couldn't help but turn towards the supposed Wolf and growl, “MINE!” With that out of the way, he and his twin begin to interweave and criss cross as they dash forward. As they do, Shadowbourne feels a slight tingle of something...something like him, Supernatural. Barely perceptible at first, once he feels it, it becomes easy to trace. Even so, his primary target had been determined, with another leap across each other, Shadowbourne and his twin leap at opposite legs, targeting the mass of of cables and hoses that make up their hydraulic legs power.

19:34, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 74 using 1d100.  Sense Supernatural 80%.
19:35, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 6 using 1d100.  Track Supernatural 45%.

OK...Shadesword should still be up. Has long duration. Shadow Twin should still be up for a few more attacks.

19:47, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 14 using 1d20+12.  Shadow Twin Attack with Additional +1.
19:47, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 29 using 1d20+12.  Shadowbourne Attack with Additional +1.

19:50, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 20 using 5d6.  Shadow Twin Slash.
19:50, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 11 using 5d6.  Shadowbourne Slash.

If Both hit, then Mech will suffer -4 to Strike and Parry(from the two shots)

Over the radio, Dr Roller hears Gecko call to him.  Hey, Doc.  Ssorry about the explossion.  Didn't know the blasst radiuss of those missssiless.  Are tthhere any wounded where you landed?

#"They are taken care of. The rest can wait until our after action meeting."#

Gecko does not even take time to think about it, as he speeds off to put away the Carl Gustav and locate the building where the armored man had crashed.

IN MOTION
Shitsumon sees a nearby fire hydrant and, in a lighting flash of steel, cuts it cleanly in two. The high pressure torrent of water cuts through the thick substance and turns the puddle to the side.

Some of the people in the café listen to him and they start making their way up the sidewalk. They're all very freaked, and only one more scare from complete panic.

Gecko nimbly and quickly scales the building, using his tail and his ability to stick to whatever he touches, and manages to take all three people out with little trouble and in no time at all.

The building is now clear.

Shadowbourne double-strikes the legs of the fleeing mech. It turns at the last moment and tries to dodge out of the way, but the slippery shadowy sorceror is too fast and in two strikes of his shadow blade one leg is severed and the whole giant metal beast careens to the ground.

Looking at the fallen Lead Mech, with the two Grey Wolves on it, Shadowbourne can feel mystic emanations coming from the lockbox.

There's an artifact of some kind in there. Something old and powerful and dark.

And that second Grey Wolf is still standing between him and the Mech, looking tense and ready for action.

AND THEN
Doc Roller sees the Wolf take two steps to the right as she talks. It's a casual move, but Doc has been around the block a time or two and knows when someone is circling to intercept. She's trying to make sure she can prevent him from leaving the building, should she need to.

"Aleph told you how you can help. Crowd control. Help those people. But he said to disengage. I have orders, Doc," she says, "You of all people must understand that."

Another circling, intercepting step. Several low red lights bloom on her gloves and up the sleeves of her suit.

"I need you to order your team away from those unfriendlies," she says, "Please don't make me ask again. Please."

Gecko arrives in the narrow laneway and sees the fallen Lead Mech, with the two men on its back. One is trying to get the heavy lockbox open and the other is scanning the street for threats. He seems to be mostly looking for street-level threats, though, as he never looks up.

The skinny Wolf, having drawn the creature from the mech into the cube device, blinks again so he's on the street near the black puddle, opposite Shitsumon.

He holds out another device, a spherical one, and the air ripples like heat haze and the black puddle freezes in place. Just stopped.

He looks up, smiling. "That'll hold that. You're good to go. It's amazing to watch you work. I'm a big fan."

Initiative Order
Mechs - 20*
Altruist - 24
Shitsumon - 19*
Grey Wolves - 19
Shadowbourne - 15
Doc Roller - 1
Gecko - 1

The Altruist let a slow breath out, as he steadily allowed the building to undergo a controlled fall. Or at least as controlled of a fall as one person can make it. He anticipated dust going everywhere, and once the building was down, he intended to get to a high point.

He needed perspective. Who were the new people, and more importantly, what were they doing right now? They seemed bent on controlling the situation.

Shitsumon gives the thin wolf a smile, and a small bow. "Sun Tzu would call this 'ground of intersecting highways' and would advise the generals to make alliances. Of course, he would also say not to enter into alliance with neighboring princes until acquainted with their designs."
"Of course, Musashi also says 'the true science of martial arts means practicing them in such a way that they will be useful at any time, and to teach them in such a way that they will be useful in all things.'"
"Please tell me why the wolves are here."
This message was last edited by the player at 05:56, Sat 22 May 2021.

Gecko does.notnhave time to worry about the Grey Wolves.  Despite Dr Roller's assurances, he knows he can do more to help those that had been injured by the Doc's crash.  A crash that had been caused by his use of the Gustav.  No, he needs to get to those who have been hurt by his actions....

The jets on the MACE fired raising a cloud of dust in the debris of the wrecked room as it made ready to take off and then just as quickly shut off as the Grey Wolf stepped in the way and began to display her powers.

"Your not paying attention young lady. I asked how you could help. I'm well aware of what my team can do."

The MACE shifted a half step to the right.

"Speaking of which, you should be careful. This will be our only encounter where I know nothing about you. Once you show me what you are capable of your chance of prevailing in a future encounter becomes essentially nil."

Setting it's feet a bit wider than shoulder width and crossing it's big armored forearms.

"In any case I begin to wonder what "The Grey Wolves" and your corporate employers have to do with this situation? Are you responsible for these armored assailants?"'

Meanwhile, a relatively short distance away on the roof, a big man dressed in semi-patriotic, semi-tactical body armor emerged and ran toward the Mark 3 hovering overhead. A cable fired from his forearm and rapidly pulled him up to the hovering VTOL.

The man quickly climbed up and stood atop the CRISP transport as it began to change position and approach the hovering commander of the Grey Wolves.

As he rode on the big jet Doc decided it was a good time to check in with the appropriate authorities. He radioed back to HQ.


Once he was close by he cranked up his helmet's external audio.

"Well hello. Aleph is it? Perhaps we should talk?"

The dark emanations that Anton could feel were seeping from the downed mech triggered a growl from the beats within him. It both hungered and coveted whatever was hidden with the mech. With a firm resolve, Anton leashed the beast...at least for now. For how long he could manage it?  Reaching up, he activated his comms and tries to subvocalize...# Doc...Mechs are operating off of a  Dark Artifact. The pooches are trying to dig it out of them. Time to teach these curs who is Alpha.#

Looking up from a crouch over the mech he downed, Anton once again growls out a string of harsh inhuman sounds, their hurtful tone resonates from both of the shadowy forms, first from one then another. As they hiss downward into an uncomfortable silence, Shadowbourne's shadow begins to shift and grow, reaching out from both his and the other silhouette. The form grows more monsterous as it reaches the Grey Wolf moving to intercept him. As the shadow reaches its targets, Anton growls, “ Step Off! These kills are not yours to claim, their spoils not yours to take!”

OOC: OK...casting Ominous Shadow

Ominous Shadow
Range: 10 feet (3 m) long, three feet (0.9 m) wide per level of the spell caster; line of sight.
Duration: One melee round (15 seconds) per level of experience. (Double for Shadow Mages and Shadow Lords.)
Saving Throw: Standard.
P.P.E.: Six
The spell caster is able to make his own shadow grow in any direction he desires, regardless of the light source, and look distorted and monstrous. This is done for dramatic effect and to inflict fear. Anyone caught in his oversized, ominous shadow must roll to save vs magic. Failure to save means they are temporarily frozen with fear for one melee round (15 seconds). Transfixed on the spell caster, watching and waiting for him to attack them and listening closely to anything he has to say (+20% for the mage to intimidate or impress).
After the first melee round (or if attacked during that first melee round), the victims are able to attack or take action. However, while still inside the Ominous Shadow, attacks leveled at the spell caster are done without benefit of the victims’ usual combat bonuses. Fighting anyone else while in the Ominous Shadow has a penalty of only -1 on all combat maneuvers to strike, parry, dodge, etc. The sense of fear and dread goes away immediately after the spell ends, or after a victim manages to step out, or is pulled outside of the Ominous Shadow. In most cases, the spell caster takes no action against his victims in favor of holding them in dread and a diminished state.

Pushing Intimidation: +20% from Spell, Making it 80% to Intimidate
15:19, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 57 using 1d100.  Intimidate 80%.

SHITSUMON AND ALTRUIST
The skinny Wolf smiles broadly at Shitsumon's speech. "Oh man, that's awesome! You sound just like your press clippings! But..." he looks confused, "We're here because it's our jobs. Why else would we... uh oh..."

He sees Altruist about to let the building tip all the way over and blinks over and hold up the device in his hand and immediately the building stops, freezes, dead, in mid collapse. The Wolf's eyes narrow and his hand grips the device very tightly.

"Hey! Altruist!..." he says, through gritted teeth. "Big... fan..."

From his vantage point, Altruist can see one of the Wolves, the leader still hanging in the air with the Mark 3 approaching. He can see one of them, the skinny one, about twenty feet away keeping the building from falling. Dimly, up and far away, he can see the female Wolf and the MACE looking like they're about to come to blows. The other two he can't see, but he knows they're up the street, around the corner, where the Lead Mech went, which is toward their evac.

And then Shadowbourne's voice comes though, and it's clear enough what they're up to.

Meanwhile, the moment the skinny Wolf leaves Shitsumon's area, the thick puddle of black substance resumes its rippling motion toward anything nearby. The water spray is still blocking it from approaching the café, but it is spreading along the street in every other direction. It's very soon going to be a very big problem.

GECKO
As far as Gecko can see, there aren't any other people in the building that somehow paused in mid-crumble. However, there are still lots of people in and around the coffee shop, some running, some staying. But the crowd is becoming quite unruly. And if the building collapses, they are in danger of being hurt.

SHADOWBOURNE
The infernalist's shadow grows large and distorted and monstrous and falls directly across the Wolf that moved to intercept him. His young face drains of smug confidence and fills with terror and his eyes widen in fear. He throws himself to the ground and starts scuttling backward (not out of any real tactical choice, just blindly fleeing).

The other Wolf, the one still working on the mech's lockbox, stops, looks over, and says something into his wrist.

DOC ROLLER
The female Wolf continues to be equal parts confused and determined. As though she'd been hoping for this meeting, but hoping for it to go very differently than it had.

At the suggestion that she (and/or her team) were responsible for this, she got angry. Angry and hurt and more angry. "How dare you?" she said, rising to the bait, her voice low and icy, "We're in the right here. You're the ones who..."

And then, from a communicator on her wrist, comes the voice of Aleph (the leader). "Halo, stop tap-dancing with Roller and get out here. Flint and Locke need support."

She looks at Doc (well, at the empty, remote controlled MACE actually, but she doesn't know that). Her face is grim. "Just remember, Doc, whatever happens now, this is all on you. We didn't want this."

And lights along her suit flare bright yellow and she leaps out of the broken window into the air.


Doc approaches the leader and speaks to him through the Mark 3's speakers.

Aleph spins in the air to face the Mark 3. "Doc Roller!" he calls out (just regular calling out, not whatever he was doing before), "This whole area is under corporate purview now! if you can help, then help! Otherwise, we need you to stay out of our way!"
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:15, Sat 29 May 2021.

Gecko stares at the people in disbelief for a moment.  HEY!  HE CAN'T HOLD THAT BUILDING UP FOREVER!  DON'T BE SSTUPID!  GET OUT OF HERE!
He then begins to run back and forth between them and the danger, trying to herd them away from a potentially crushing death.  As he does so, he wonders how people could be so stupid.

Shitsumon looks from the grey wolves, to the ooze, to the people milling about at the cafe, then utters, again, a single word, "mikai".
Then, he says, "As Buddha says, 'one is not called noble who harms living beings. By not harming living beings one is called noble.'"
Zipping to hover above the crowd, he begins to shout. "People! You must do two things!"
"First, use your communication devices to tell your family, your friends, your co-workers, and your lawyers that the OBERRON CORPORATION has claimed this situation as their own, and is therefore responsible for your continued safety!"
"Second, you must calmly exit this area by moving in that direction. Please try not to get eaten by the oozing material as the OBERRON CORPORATION would be forced to recompense your relatives and employers for your loss!"

Altruist flew over to the skinny one holding up the building, trying to fly in a way that did not show just how much holding that building had hurt him. "Let the building fall, but do it slowly. Tell your team to get their medical on standby for both short and long term respiratory issues for civilians."

He didn't care if they had business here or not. If they could save lives, they were saving lives. "Excuse me."

He noted the ooze advancing. Not having any appropriate tools or weaponry himself for the task at hand, he improvised. #"Any available fire hoses not extinguishing a fire, focus blasts of water on that strange ooze."# Odds were good the city's aquatic infrastructure in this area was not going to hold out for long, though - especially once that building went down.

He flew to the Lead Mech's crash site. He knew he'd be wounded and potentially facing two or more hostiles who were fresh, but he had to speak to them personally. When he saw Shadowbourne engaging with one of them, Altruist decided to interrupt the other one with merely a firm hand on the arm, preventing further work on the lock. "No. Explain why this cannot wait, quickly, or go help, quickly."

Doc stands atop the Mark 3 and face to face with Aleph. The mic in his helmet transmitting through the external speakers on the VTOL so that it can be heard above the engines.

"Believe me no one can appreciate why you would want to control the situation more than I can but we both know there is literally no such thing as "corporate purview" in this sort of situation."

"Our jurisdiction here is clear. Yours is not as clear."

"I'm willing to work with you assuming you can agree to full cooperation...and your people cease stealing evidence and threatening my team."

"Otherwise I'll have to charge all of you, except your guy that's helping hold up that building, with obstruction of justice."

"So what do you say Al?"

The feral grin that plays across Anton's face calls into question of how much of him is still human. The low rumbling growl is more like a purr and the drool that slides down his chin show a side of him that might just be darker than the darkness within the mechs...might.

Turning, he faces the last Grey Wolf...still standing over the box they were trying to pry open. Shadow still roiling, Shadowbourne pulls every bit of menace he can manage, "Little Wolf, Little Wolf, time to run along...the Big Dogs are here and you are Playing. With. My. BONE!" The last bit is said with a growling bark, as he stalks towards the Grey Wolf.

Ominous Shadow
Range: 10 feet (3 m) long, three feet (0.9 m) wide per level of the spell caster; line of sight.
Duration: One melee round (15 seconds) per level of experience. (Double for Shadow Mages and Shadow Lords.)
Saving Throw: Standard.
P.P.E.: Six
The spell caster is able to make his own shadow grow in any direction he desires, regardless of the light source, and look distorted and monstrous. This is done for dramatic effect and to inflict fear. Anyone caught in his oversized, ominous shadow must roll to save vs magic. Failure to save means they are temporarily frozen with fear for one melee round (15 seconds). Transfixed on the spell caster, watching and waiting for him to attack them and listening closely to anything he has to say (+20% for the mage to intimidate or impress).
After the first melee round (or if attacked during that first melee round), the victims are able to attack or take action. However, while still inside the Ominous Shadow, attacks leveled at the spell caster are done without benefit of the victims’ usual combat bonuses. Fighting anyone else while in the Ominous Shadow has a penalty of only -1 on all combat maneuvers to strike, parry, dodge, etc. The sense of fear and dread goes away immediately after the spell ends, or after a victim manages to step out, or is pulled outside of the Ominous Shadow. In most cases, the spell caster takes no action against his victims in favor of holding them in dread and a diminished state.

Pushing Intimidation: +20% from Spell, Making it 80% to Intimidate

19:22, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 80 using 1d100.  Intimidate 80%.

Though his eyes never leave the Wolf, a part of Anton reaches out and feels the box...slides across it, tasting it...trying to determine what it is.

OK...letting his Senses Supernatural and Demon/Magic Lore work with each other. Will roll Demon/Magic Lore to try and identify as much as possible.

19:32, Today: Shadowbourne rolled 66 using 1d100.  Demon/Magic Lore with Sense Supernatural 45%.

Between Gecko and Shitsumon, they get the crowd under control. The puddle of ooze continues to ripple and eddy toward any living thing in its vicinity, but the crowd of people starts filing down the street and away.

The skinny hero, using his device, face a stern mask of concentration, manages to shift the building such that it rests on its own weight and doesn't actually fall. Altruist is no expert, but it looks stable enough to be getting on with.

"Mom said all that Lego was a waste of time," the skinny hero said, clearly pleased with his work.

Up above, Aleph stares at Doc Roller for a full pregnant moment. Arrogant blowhard and corporate shill he might be, but he was clearly no dummy. He nods. "Halo, Rigger, render all necessary and requested aid to CRISP."


He turns to Doc. "The bean counters can sort this later, but I need you to tell your demon pokemon there to stand down and stop assaulting my guys."

---

Shadownbourne once again extends his shadow over the street. The final Wolf looks up, his eyes widen and his skin goes pale, but he doesn't freeze. Instead he finishes his work and the top pops off the lockbox and he reaches in and pulls out a large heavy-looking duffelbag. He holds it in one arm and the other quick-draws a very large handgun of some sort. It looks like an energy weapon of some kind.

Shadowbourne can hear from behind him the wavering voice of the other Wolf he frightened away and the sound of something electronic powering up. "Get your filthy magic off my brother, demon!"

---

Aleph looks at Doc. "Right now. Before it gets messy"

OOC: Attempt 2. Blaming the loss in flight speed. Also, "Exhaustion gives you -1 attack, -5 to strike, parry, dodge, half movement speed, for the rest of the melee." Assuming by "melee" you mean "as long as these clowns are threatening us."

He flew to the Lead Mech's crash site. He knew he'd be wounded and potentially facing two or more hostiles who were fresh, but he had to speak to them personally. When he saw Shadowbourne engaging with one of them, Altruist decided to interrupt the other one by flying into the path of his weapon. "No. Relocate your efforts elsewhere, or justify your continued presence specifically here."

OOC Part 2: Getting ready to dodge into an attack aimed at Shadowbourne.

Doc could piss for distance with anyone but he also knew when to take a win.

He spoke aloud so that Aleph could hear the next orders.

#"Shadowborne I need you to dial it back about 60%. Turn the Ominous Shadow off!"#

#"Repeat; Everyone Play Nice With the Wolves! They are currently assisting us and doing an excellent job of it."#

#"Contain this black ooze. Collect the fallen Mecha."#

He then radioed the local authorities.

#"Doc Roller here. I need a Tanker Fire Truck or a Fuel Truck with a pump."#

Doc activated the remote for the MACE and had it fly itself back to the Mark 3.

Shitsumon, again, says only "hai". But as he heads off towards the lead mech, he says, "if you can separate the pilot from the machine, they appear to be corrupted humans that I might be able to help."
In fact, when he arrives at the furthest mech the first thing he does is attempt to locate the pilot and attempt to remove the pilot from the machine.

Hearing Shitsumon over the radio, Gecko responds, What'ss your twenty?  I might be able to help.  Once given a location, he speeds over there.
Joining the Asian hero, he tries to look over the situation.  What do you mean by corrupted human?

"They've chi. It appears to have been human in the past. I can't be certain, but reversing the process may be possible."
Shitsumon approaches the mech, intending to open the cockpit and claim the creature inside.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:25, Sun 13 June 2021.