It took a focused attempt but Mistral managed to crush the man's ward. However, unlike last time, this mage was aware of what you were trying to do, making it far more difficult to add bans.


 The group could hear shouting from above and the few drew their weapons and began to descend the stairs.

 Meanwhile, more of the men began to pour out of the building above.

Promethus begins to hear the noise coming from above as he puts on his own Gas Mask. Pressing his ear bud he whispers, "Mistral... it sounds like things are getting fairly hot up there."

Let alone the fact that the children would be gone instantly.

It however also concerned him how quickly they had figured things out. The MIB should have cut communication between the 3 locations and these people were about as tech savvy as someone from the Medieval era, based off his past interactions with them.

How did they know.


Prometheus froze. Was  that his though or hers? It did matter how they knew. Still, they are a job to do and getting distracted helped no one. What would help is finding out just how many people were about to come down the stairs AND to see if they were already portaling the children out.

And that he could do.

OOC: Prometheus is casting 'Sense Life' specifically trying to spot all humans in the building.


18:51, Today: Promethius rolled 3 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 9,5,4,10(+4),8.  Sense Life (Gnosis + Life).

With 3 Successes, he knows the location of all humans within 4 yards for the remainder of the scene.

I also rolled for crafting the Shunt that I discribed earlier this scene, because while its simply a bent wire, the challenge is doing so in such a way that when used I won't be electrocuted when used

18:54, Today: Promethius rolled 2 successes using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 7,6,6,1,8,10(+5).  Craft Shunt (Craft + Int + SS).

Mistral’s eyes were shut tight and she had a strained look as she reported through gritted teeth, “The ward de l’ennemi is down, but there is... resistance!”  She had been silent before, but now that the battle of wills was joined she chanted cryptic words of arcane power emphasized with quick, sharp gesticulations.  The sound may well attract unwanted attention from the gunmen making their way down the stairs, but she could not allow the child hostages to be whisked away into the wind.  As she worked she snarled quietly, “The gas... Where is it?”

 The sounds of people continued down the stairs. In a few more seconds, they would be at Mistral's position. Mistral could see the gas coming out of the ventilation, but it had not yet filled the entire building.

 Mistral could hear the sound of cursing from upstairs, followed by the sounds of frightened children.

Mistral’s active struggle of wills against the enemy mage carried on for a time until reaching a crescendo, at which point she took a breath and reported, “I’ve overtaken the wards on the upper floor.  There will be no Portes that I do not allow.”  Only now that her focus returned to the present did Mistral realize how close the descending enemies were.  She performed a quick series of gestures toward the stairwell accompanied by cryptic words of power.  She released the spell and sent out a subtle ripple through the fabric of spacetime.  Nothing seemed to happen until the first of those descending the stairwell arrived at the landing and then... appeared to run in place.  The space surrounding them was now dilated, putting an effectively infinite distance between them and even the nearby walls and stairs.  They were ensnared in a spatial anomaly that would let things in, but would allow nothing to leave.

Mistral said urgently over the earpiece, “They are trapped in a suspension field, but it will not last long.  Nothing can escape, but anything can enter, including bullets.  Use what ordnance you have now, for you’ll get no better shot than this.  I will get the children.”

---

The Suspension zone over the stairs will trap the guys for 3 rounds, so lay into them, boys :D

Prometheus presses his ear bud instantly, "Not to over-rule your authority, but are you sure its wise to portal alone up to a Space Mage who, by the sounds of it, is close to your equal, alone, after they have had a solid few minutes to prepare for you to arrive?"

While the gas may, MAY get the minions, he had no doubt the Mage was still ready and waiting. With Hostages.

"Give me a second and I'll make you see in the Dark, then blow the Lights as you jump up. Its not much...but the momentary distraction may give you the first spell.

Frankly it was clear he still wasn't entirely comfortable with even how fair this fight was going to be, but the time to cast a single spell was likely all she would give him.

Should she allow it, Prometheus moves over to Mistral and touches her shoulder, casting a very brief spell. He frowns, and tries again, before sighing, "It seems you will have to go without that help If you still want me to cook the lights, let me know."


OOC:
God damn it. Seems I don't get to grant nightsight today.
02:12, Today: Promethius failed (no successes) using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,6,3,3.  Nightsight (Forces+ Gnosis).

02:12, Today: Promethius failed (no successes) using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,2,5,5.  Nightsight (Forces+ Gnosis).
This message was last edited by the player at 15:19, Thu 28 Nov 2019.

 The gas continues to pour in from the vents, thicker now, as the MIB agent comes around the bend, waving Promethius forward as he took out his gun and began firing darts into the suspension field.

 The way up was now clear.

Protheus curses, then presses his earbud, "Mistral, the Mage and one of the children aren't on the next room. Repeat, we are missing a child."

Regardless of his earlier objections,  they needed to hurry. The world depended on them securing all the children and if the mage was trying to flee the Warded area with a hostage...

Or worse if he was already gone...
This message was last edited by the player at 04:01, Fri 29 Nov 2019.

PM

The suspension field had worked better than Mistral had hoped, and the man in black made quick work of the ensnared gunmen.  Prometheus was not wrong that it would be unwise to go after the children alone, but things were moving quickly and she wanted to get the children to safety as quickly as possible.  Prometheus reported that the mage and one child were missing, to which she replied with a twitch of frustration on her normally placid expression, and said, “Connard...  Do any other hostiles remain, or are these all?”  Mistral referred to the mound of unconscious gunmen she was presently stepping over on her way up the staircase, after dismissing the suspension field.  As she led the way upstairs two steps at a time she said, “Let us get the rest of the children to safety, then we hunt down le sorcier and the last child.”

Mistral sent her eyes ahead of her as she ascended, viewing around each corner before turning it herself.  As they neared the top floor she rechecked the integrity of the wards and paused a moment to quickly descry the rooms ahead.  If all seemed clear she would begin the search for the children, following any sounds first.

Promethus follows Mistral up the stairs, "I only see the Children's lifesigns. I think they are all...." He trails off upon seeing the door that separates them from the children, then immediately rushes to the door, "Bomb...Timer and trap. Don't know if its remote detonated as well yet."

He concentrates on the door, not looking at it but rather through it to what he sees behind it. First scanning the room for anything that could be a security system, then looking at the bomb itself. He could potentially disarm it, but if their was nothing in the room, it maybe in their best interest to let it go off and trick the enemy mage into thinking he had got them.

Not good, not good, fuck, fuck, fuck... who bombs a room full children.


"Can you confirm for me that their is nothing in the room that will trigger should you teleport past the door? Any Space Magic at all in that room you don't control?"

((OOC:
Crap, crap, crap. Hopefully the Mage is bad at hiding things. Fortunately my roll to analyse the Bomb was better,

02:31, Today: Promethius rolled 3 successes using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4,10(+10,6),9,4,5.  Analysis Bomb and how to disarm (Wits + Craft + SS).

02:30, Today: Promethius rolled 1 success using 4d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 1,8,2,7.  Awareness (Wits + Composure) And the rest of the dice pool.

02:29, Today: Promethius failed (no successes) using 1d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 4.  Awareness (Wits + Composure) Spotting anything electronic in the room.))

Mistral’s eyes focused into a fierce glare upon being informed that the scoundrel had rigged a bomb to the door.  As she analyzed the supernal signatures in the space for anything suspicious she asked Prometheus, “It will trigger on the opening of the door, or something else?  If so, I can enter via other means.”  Mistral will heed any warning Prometheus might give regarding the bomb, and will await his go-ahead to proceed.

When cleared, Mistral calls through the door to the children whimpering inside, “Do not be alarmed, children.  Monsieur Talion has sent us to get you out and to safety.  I am coming in now.”  With pale eyes fixed on the wall Mistral uttered a single syllable in the high speech and then vanished into a cloud of supernal vapors that blew away on an invisible wind.  She reappeared on the other side in a back corner of the room, then stepped out and addressed any children still awake, “Bonsoir.  I will now open a special door that will bring you far from here, to a safe place.  Close your eyes for a moment, if you would?”

Touching the earpiece, she called back to whoever manned the receiving area on the S.S. Grey, “Incoming, blue mark.”  Facing the back wall, Mistral began to weave broad circular patterns with her hands as she willed a connection across the distance, opening a portal in a swirl of glowing supernal vapor.  Mistral turned back to the children and extended a hand to the smallest of them and invited, “One at a time, please, and mind the edges.”  She led the child through the portal, then turned back and extended a hand to the next.  If the children were all unconscious from the sleeping gas, she would carry or drag them through.

 The bomb proved to be one that would only detonate upon opening, but the children were held in three separate groups (3,3,3). However, they were all unconscious from the gas, making their retrieval a simple matter... if a touch time consuming.

 There was perhaps only 5 minutes left on the timer by the time Mistral was done.

As soon as Mistral discovered the children were all unconscious in separate rooms she reported back over the earpiece and then opened a portal back to the corridor to allow the others to join her inside.  As she lifted the second youngest child toward the portal back to the S.S. Grey she asked Prometheus, “Can la bombe be disabled?”  Mistral thought it went without saying that the children would all need to be safely away before any such attempts were made, but that timer was not comforting.

By the time the nine children were secured Mistral turned a wary eye back to the timer and said to Team Subtle, “If le sorcier has left via Porte I may be able to trace it.  We must confirm first that he hasn’t left by mundane means.”  She then set to searching the floor and the roof for signs of where the mage went with the last child.

---

Wits + Composure to search for signs of escape via open windows, etc.:

• 21:13, Today: Mistral failed (no successes) using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 3,7,2,3,3,4.  Wits + Composure

Concurrently, Wits + Space to look residue of any teleportation magic that might be traced:

•   21:13, Today: Mistral rolled 1 success using 7d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 5,3,10(+6),7,6,4,4.  Wits + Space.

Well, crap ;P

 Mistral found the roof door ajar.

OOC: I am not sure how many bombs their are total, as most of these posts implied one but the last PM implied otherwise, so I am assuming their are to many to disarm.

Prometheus shook his head, "If I tried really hard, I could POSSIBLY effectively disable them with a Control Electricity spell, effectively cutting the wire without actually doing it, but otherwise it will take to long." He would leave it up to her if he made that attempt, as it was a risk.

Now in the room, his eyes go to the roof, "Our Mage is still here...just. Hurry to the roof, and we maybe able to save them all yet."

Still, he helps Mistral move all the children through the Ring, leaving her as much freedom as possible to peruse the Mage and the 10th Child.

Mistral shook her head and said, “Best leave them be, then.  No matter.  We will simply need to conclude this operation in the next... four minutes and twenty-two seconds.”

Upon discovering the roof door to be ajar, Mistral paused to take cover on the doorframe, eyelids fluttering as she remotely observed the roof before taking the door.

 The other 9 children through, it was now time to deal with the mage and rescue the 10th child... now on a time limit. Promethius was able to set up the timer on his overlay to keep up with how much time was passing.

 The timer now read 3:52.

Mistral reported quietly over the earpiece, “Le sorcier is armed on the rooftop, with the child.  Attempting to make for a corner beyond my ward.  Moving to intercept.”  She strode up the stairs to the rooftop, drawing her blackened blade of meteoric iron, and then vanished.  Mistral reappeared between the fleeing mage and the corner of the roof the mage was headed toward, but she also appeared on the other side of him at the same distance.  At the same moment she appeared, both of her mirror images twirled their blades in deadly arcs, cutting edge gleaming with pale supernal mist as it sliced at the mage’s gun hand at range.  With her hood up and face covered by both gas-mask and smart-cloth facemask the two Mistrals stood guard, silent and implacable.

---

Ranged Blow attack with Défaiseur, -4 penalty to target the gun hand, spending that bonus Willpower!:

• 11:45, Today: Secret Roll: Mistral rolled 1 success using 6d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling on 8 or more with rolls of 3,2,9(+5),2,5,5.  Ranged Blow Attack! (-4 called shot, +3 WILLPOWER).

I believe I got Argie’s rage-storm weapon enchantment, so maybe the roof is about to blow up too, I dunno ;P

 Mistrals's strike, though it hit true, lacked the power to fully slice though flesh and bone, instead carving through his armored vest and into his forearm. He raised a large pistol which resembled a flare gun more than an actual pistol and fired.

 The gun shot true and hit Mistral square in the chest with a soft *thump*. There was no impact, no pain... for, looking down at the ammunition he had fired was not a bullet at all. It was a muffin... the man had a gun that fired muffins.

 He looked down at the gun in disbelief and fired again, with the exact same result.

 The timer now read 3:40.

Prometheus followed Mistral up the stairs a little more slowly. He had a plan, one that would at the very least freak the Mage out, even if outright death was unlikely. If ONLY due to him being a Space Mage.

It in theory should work. He had done something similar in the past...but...

As he climbed the stairs he began to cast his first spell. After the Mage fired his gun for the second time, reached the top of the stairs and after a moment, cast his second.

 The mage with the muffin gun yelps in pain before grabbing his shirt and shaking it, only to have a large black spider fall out of his shirt.

 He glances back toward the entrance to the door with a glare of hatred.

OOC: he has been distracted for the round (essentially giving Mistral 2 rounds to act now).

"You should know," Prometheus said loudly to be heard over the ongoing battle, "That Spider's bite is fatal to humans without treatment in about 30 minutes. Less if your heart rate is up."

It didn't need to be said that given the situation, it probably was.

As he spoke he took out his medical kit, "Its also not native, so your chance of getting any Antivenom at a Hospital is zero. I however do have it. Thus, you have three options. Fight and Die, Flee and Die, or Surrender and Live."

OOC:

03:29, Today: Promethius rolled 1 success using 5d10 with the World of Darkness nWoD system with a target of 8, rerolling 10s with rolls of 9,1,4,6,7.  Being a convincing Liar (Subterfuge + Manipulation).

Mistral did not flinch when the man took aimed at her insubstantial doppelgänger, but she soon discovered she had even less reason to be frightened of the weapon.  She looked on with bemusement as the hostile muffin popped out of the gun barrel and sailed right through her insubstantial chest, then looked back up to see him jumping and squirming toward the unwarded corner of the roof.  As much as she wanted to destroy this disgrace of a will-worker, she had other priorities.

As he danced, Mistral began to weave circular patterns with her hands but forgoing the words of supernal power to avoid drawing attention from her foe's distraction.  A circular portal limned in bright mist opened beneath the child's feet, causing the child to fall through.  In her haste Mistral failed a crucial security component to the spell, however, leaving the gate open to any who might wish to pass through it.  Her foe should have no way to know this, but who could say whether he might make a lunge for it in his moment of desperation?

The instant the child had fallen all the way through the portal Mistral made to snap it shut, but... was she quick enough?

 The moment Mistral portaled the kid away, seeing that there was no longer a hostage or a threatening weapon within reach, the muffin mage took a flying leap off the side of the railing into the alley below!

The timer now read 3:20.