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Interactions With: Kirsty:[@Lugubrious] [color=FF5400]The Raven[/color]: [@LetMeDoStuff] 
In the Vicinity of :[color=Blue]Alina[/color]:[@BCTheEntity]
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Seconds which felt like hours passed as the five remained in a standoff of sorts, frustrated Liam grit his teeth and sighed as the armed one outright denying him any sort of useful information as they seemed to deliberate over which one of their number was "them", whatever that meant. The masked one seemed to be paying particular attention to Kirsty and her well dressed doppelganger, not unlike a hawk watching their prey. He was going to speak up, say something, anything; but that thought was washed well away as the doppelganger's demeanor shifted to denounce the recently arrived "Vagabond" and strange beings Liam had not noticed until recently formed up behind the shouting clone. He looked on, utterly dumbstruck as mid tirade a wave of dark force rocketed past and quite literally swatted the "Vagabond" away like a bothersome gnat. What kind of madness had he found himself in now? A declaration from the clone rang out across the gathering, as her so-called peons rushed the armed figure, transforming into monochromatic, crescent headed guards as they gave chase. Liam couldn't help but notice the similarity between the guards and the hounds from earlier. Both hunted with single-minded focus, and held forms that defied reality, yet these trident brandishing warriors weren't simple beasts hunting and killing on instincts. No they seemed to take orders from the doppelganger. Turning his back upon  the developing battle for now, he begun listening in on Kirsty and her clone. 

They spoke of her order to kill the Vagabond, how only a demon would dare strike at an angel. Observing the pair it was plain for Liam to see that the real Kirsty was not pleased with this turn of events, though the other her was growing more manic by the second. Claims of supremacy and being worthy of worship abounded until she dropped the boldest and strangest claim yet. The two were one and the same, and that her outwardly kind nature was but a means to an end. Mentally, Liam was sent reeling by this declaration. It was completely illogical, though logic had been long thrown out the window since that miasma rolled in outside Thames' Edge. Could that [i]really[/i] be true? Although the "real" her had denied her doppelganger quite vehemently, was she perhaps just doing this since the truth was revealed? So many more maddening questions added themselves to the whirling maelstrom in his mind, none of which he could even begin to answer. The two had turned upon one another the manic clone declaring that she'd rather eat than be eaten, before a blinding golden glow enveloped them all.

When at last the light had faded he found himself looking up at a massive silken clad golden-skinned creature with cow legs as wings floating above the trio of students, Liam couldn't help but feel infinitesimal next to it. [color=f26522][i]Oh what the hell is THAT?[/i][/color] His mind screamed as the creature before him once again defied all logic, seemingly the normal for [i]wherever[/i] they were now. He hardly had time to react as a bullet landed mere centimeters away from him, there was no time to be wasted on thinking and like a spurred horse he took off towards the nearest alley he could find. Rounding a corner, he placed his back against a marble pillar and looked skyward trying desperately to calm down and slow his own breathing lest [i]someone[/i] or [i]something[/i] find him. Alone, if only for a moment his thoughts steered themselves back to the recent revelation from the doppelganger prior to her transformation into that cow-winged angel. Was Kirsty really so two-faced? Granted he'd only known the girl for a day, yet still she seemed so genuine when she spoke and in the ways she acted. Could that really all have been a simple act? Only being there for others so that she could "ride their coattails to Heaven's door" at a later date? [color=f26522][i]There's no way to know for certain...[/i][/color] he thought as his gaze drifted back towards the direction of the carnage [color=f26522][i]...Unless.[/i][/color] Curiosity welled up within him, did the others make it out of there as well? What of the erratic Vagabond? These and more questions like them swam through his psyche as he cautiously approached the corner and peeked back at the nascent battlefield.

The once pristine thoroughfare had erupted into chaos, broken and scattered tables and glassware littered the area. The False Idol and the Vagabond seemed to be locked in combat with several guards backing up their master. Much more interesting and shocking though was Kirsty standing alone against four of the monsters, whirling a flaming banner overhead. Not simply keeping them at bay but actually defeating two of her assailants! [i][color=f26522]Not only did she stay, but she's FIGHTING them too?![/color][/i] If what the clone said was true, why would the real her stay back and fight? Such declarations of feigned benevolence for the sake of selfish gain were severely undermined by the selfless stand he was bearing witness to. Such thoughts were cut short however as he watched one of the aggressors get the upper hand and deliver a telling blow. Without thinking, his legs were moving on their own as he began to run back towards the scene of combat, as he came around the corner he grabbed a broken table leg, in case worst came to worst. Racing down the thoroughfare, he watched the guards turn upon one another and fade into ash. Strange, yes but ultimately irrelevant as he began to search the nearby area for Kirsty, the growling flames a reminder that time was short and he needed to be swift. 

After a few panicked moments of fruitless searching, he caught a hint of white hair amongst the growing blaze and billowing smoke clouds. Liam had found her though she was surrounded by flames and likely didn't have long before they encompassed her. [color=f26522]"Shit..."[/color] he muttered under his breath as he searched for anything to help before his eyes fixed upon a nearby beverage cart. Tossing aside his makeshift club for the time being, he grabbed the two pitchers of water atop the cart, one in each hand before emptying their contents upon one side of the blaze. Drowning enough of the flames to make a small path. Pushing into the broken ring of flame he crouched down and offered his hand to the girl. [color=f26522]"Kirsty! We have to go, quick!"[/color] Looking down at her as he spoke, he noticed the leg wound she'd taken earlier. [color=f26522]"Damnit your leg... hang on."[/color] he said as he slung her arm over his shoulder so as to help her walk before helping her to her feet. [color=f26522]"We have to get out of here and quick!"[/color]

Relief washed over Kirsty's face as Liam pulled her out of the grasp of the approaching flames, though her head continued to swim. Her heart felt like it could explode at any second, but at the same time her spirit held firm. She still couldn't really feel the full extent of her wound yet, only the warm creep of blood and the dull lancing throb, so she felt sure she could see her resolution through. "Thank you, thank you," she rasped. "But we can't go. At least, I can't. That thing...we can't...can't coexist. One of us has to go. So I'm going back." She grit her teeth and propped herself up on her good leg, lessening the load on her helper. "Drop me away from the fire if you need to, but I'm fighting."

As the two made their way away from the towering inferno, Liam let out a disapproving sigh at Kirsty's proclamation. Though even just by listening he could feel the conviction behind her words, she was right. The self-idolizing demon and her were as anathema to one another, and he'd be damned if he let her do something this crazy alone. [color=f26522]"Normally, I'd call you crazy for wanting to fight something like... that [i]thing[/i]"[/color] he said as he pointed to the abomination before them. [color=f26522]"...But you're right. That [i]thing[/i] isn't you, and if you're going to try to fight it, then I'm along for the ride."[/color] he declared with a half-confident smirk. As he spoke the air itself all throughout the plaza began to blacken and bubble unnaturally, something very bad was about to happen, that much was plain. The alleys between buildings showed no such signs of bubbling however, and so he quickened their pace towards one, quite close to the Idol and the Vagabond hoping to find some shelter from [i]whatever[/i] was about to happen. Not moments after the two had ducked in an ocean of blackened force consumed the plaza, only to dissipate mere seconds thereafter. [color=f26522]"Okay, will you be alright here? If so I'll go make some noise then. Hopefully I can give you an opening for whatever you plan on doing."[/color]

Kirsty exhaled deeply, relieved that Liam didn't plan on dumping her and running. All that remained, then, was to actually go and fight the monstrosity. With Liam's help she hobbled close enough to the plaza to get a full view of the shadow's immense attack, covering almost the entire area in roiling darkness. "Good g-grief," she sputtered. "I guess we better hope that doesn't happen again." She slid into a sitting position against the a street wall, wondering exactly what Liam meant by 'noise'. He didn't miss what just happened, did he? Only someone as quick-witting and agile as the Raven could reach that safe spot in the middle of that accursed storm. That meant he knew he risked his life to help her, a girl he barely new without any kind of plan, against his abomination. She felt horribly guilty about involving him, however that might have left her otherwise. How could she ever repay him? Her eyes fell on the golden idol, and she clenched her jaw. By figuring out what to do, for a start. But she couldn't do anything from down here. With a groan she twisted to pick herself up using the wall. If she could just get to one of the fire pits, she could make another torch. Maybe even find a poker. Anything to help her fight--to help her quit being a liability.

With Kirsty now in a much safer position then in the center of a ring of flames, Liam snuck a glance outside of the alley they had hidden in. It seemed that all the peons had been dealt with, only the False Idol remained and with her back to the street no less. Quick as a flash Liam ran to one of the few carts left mostly unscathed from the chaos and took note of the tools available to him. He had to find some way to hurt this monstrosity and quickly, luckily for him, Kirsty's earlier brawl served as quite an inspiration. He took pieces of the once immaculate silken banners and stuffed them into the necks of several still intact bottles of spirits. Was this incredibly dangerous? Absolutely, but what other chance did he have against this powerful being? Pushing down what apprehension he still felt, he knelt down next to one of the more tame ongoing fires and carefully lit the cloths on each of the bottles, silently praying to whatever deity that would hear him that he and his plot wouldn't go up in flames. With one last deep breath he took a few steps forward and begun throwing his makeshift arsenal at the as of yet unaware False Icon.