[center][color=SteelBlue][h2]James Varrock[/h2]
Level: 2
Day/Time: Day One; Evening
Location: Erion-Abandoned Castle
Interacting: General Brigan[@Holy Soldier], Shadow Knight Oswald[@Holy Soldier]
Mention: Hapu[@ToadRopes], Luigi[@Bright_Ops], Samus Aran[@Lmpkio]
Seeds Planted:1
Word Count: 903[/color][/center]

As the Guardian prepared to move around the right side of the pillar and close with Oswald in an attempt to lock down the Shadow Knight's blade so that Samus and Hapu could make it up the stairs, Luigi called out for the team to shift targets, from the far more difficult to kill Oswald to the hopefully easier to kill Brigan. This brought James up short and had him remaining behind the pillar, drawing the Imago Loop after sheathing the knife. [color=SteelBlue][i]"So, you figure out what that interference is that's messing with your scans of Brigan yet?"[/i][/color] Charger growled in annoyance, hearing the smugness in his Guardian's voice and knowing that he had likely figured out the source before the Ghost could.

[color=LightCoral][i]"No, but I get the feeling you're about to tell me. How long have you know?"[/i][/color] James grinned behind his helmet and looked out around the left side of the pillar he was taking cover behind to see how things looked. What he found wasn't promising and any smugness he'd have felt disappeared. Taking aim on Brigan, he fired three shots in quick succession at the giant and, having missed everything else thrown at him not even phase the giant man, couldn't help but let his jaw drop a little when the bullets had no effect as he breathed fire onto the roof of the entry hall. Taking cover again, James spoke fast while already furiously trying to figure out a way around the giant's magical protection.

[color=SteelBlue][i]"I figure he's got some kind of magic armor, something that doesn't require a whole lot of coverage, but protects his whole body all the same. Likely those four metal plates that you identified earlier."[/i][/color] Charger was silent as the Nightstalker rolled away from a piece of falling flame, knowing full well that his cloak, a hard won reward from the Trials of Osiris, was flammable, though he'd never really had an issue with Solar Light setting it ablaze, so he questioned his own concern about it, but erred on the side of caution regardless. Finally, the Ghost spoke, a somewhat humbled tone to his voice.

[color=LightCoral][i]"You know, with as improvisation prone as you are, and how focused you get on keeping us alive, I forget that you can be pretty intuitive. Sometimes more so than I am."[/i][/color] James chuckled, firing a few more rounds at the General, even though he knew it was a fruitless endeavor, as he responded.

[color=SteelBlue][i]"It's not something I showcase often, so I can see why you forget. Don't worry, I won't do it often."[/i][/color] Charger didn't respond, instead shifting his focus to watch how effective Slayer's attack was while James approached Oswald and Luigi slowly, his hand cannon held in a non-threatening position, though that could quickly change if it came down to it. Of course, James was still trying to figure out exactly what had happened while he was behind the pillar that Luigi was pinned with a sword to his throat, and decided that he'd ask about it after they'd sorted everything out, also making a mental note to apologize for the bullet hole the Italian man now had in his shoulder. [color=SteelBlue]"You know, typically when someone offers to help you, you don't put a sword to their throat. How about, instead of making demands that don't really need to be made, we kill the big bastard who no one likes?"[/color] Charger groaned at his partner's approach and materialized in front of Oswald, though several feet back, with him still holding Luigi in a rather perilous position.

[color=LightCoral]"Excuse my Guardian, he is simply negotiating to the best of his abilities. We really are here to help Erion, but we need your trust first, if we can have it. Demon Lord Odin has been possessed by a virus that is attacking all of the System, something that makes him even stronger. If nothing else, allow one of our allies to get your wife out of here, in the event that Odin arrives before we can handle Brigan."[/color] James meanwhile, who had created another grenade and hurled it in Brigan's direction, was trying to work out a way to douse the flames that had now consumed the ceiling and most of the other flammable materials in the room. His own breathing would be unhampered thanks to both his helmet and armor, along with his shielding, which was all he wore when on the Moon after all, but he knew that Luigi and Hapu would need oxygen, and that meant the flames needed to be extinguished.

[color=SteelBlue][i]One of those times I wish we had a Sunbreaker or a Warlock with us...[/i][/color] Sunbreakers had an understanding of Solar Light that even Sunsinger Warlocks didn't have, so they'd have a good idea of how to put the fire out quickly, but then Warlocks were know-it-alls, so they'd be able to put it out with time to spare, or at least more efficiently than a Sunbreaker Titan could. But wishful thinking wasn't going to help any of them, so he instead looked around for something to use. Of course, for a building made of stone, the Nightstalker found himself surprised at how much of it was made from flammable objects and materials and decided he'd suggest using metal for their next castle, which usually was both not flammable and had an incredibly high melting point, when this was said and done.