[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISM1z9BSED0][img]https://i.imgur.com/5B3hkEZ.png[/img][/url]

[sub][@Ponn][@Crusader Lord][@FamishedPants][@Izurich][@SilverPaw][/sub]

Vengeance-wrought incantations rang through the air as more than half of Valkyrie’s mana burned through her veins, expelling out into her grimoire before unleashing a singularly blinding bolt of lightning, one filled to the brim with a myriad of arcane effects.

But through the scope of her sniper rifle, within the sickening fumes of poison and petroleum, Valkyrie could only see the widening smile of the armored nun, her lips pulling back to reveal [i]human[/i] teeth.

Lightning roared.

She raised her sword, her [i]Instrument[/i].

Sparks scattered, the Piercing note unable to penetrate magical steel.

Blacklight pulsated, the Paralysis note consumed by Purity’s anti-debuff effects.

Tiles cracked, the Push note driving her back only six feet, pressed against the opposing statue.

Blood was let, a scorched dent in her armored habit the only sign that the Damage X note had left a mark. Whatever hurt Valkyrie had applied was hard to tell through the woman’s dark attire and her grinning countenance. Was it just a surface level wound? Did she manage to pierce through? Break a rib or two? The fatigue of magic consumption seeped into the sniper’s mind, reminding her that she had never been an accomplished mage to begin with. The wrong choice, to prioritize retaliation over safety, and to choose subpar magic over a reliable bullet.

[b]“Wanna try again? I’m sure you’ll get me on the second one, little birdie,”[/b] the nun drawled, her falchion resting on her shoulder. [b]“C’mon, let’s give it a g-”[/b]

Light flashed and she twitched her head. A bullet shot from Breacher pierced through the statue behind her, powerful enough to pierce the stone sculpture but unable to cause it to explode in the same way that the nun had. Petroleum leaked out all the same though, and that moment’s distraction was enough for both Breacher’s and Silhouette’s gambits to pay off. Though their clothing were saturated with gas, they were all pulled away before the ember fell, and great flames raged at their escape. Breacher’s work was not done yet though, as the debris from battle swirled, tearing into the floor to propagate even more. A Construction, a citadel of four grand towers, rose to slam against the ceiling, causing the skeletal steed to relinquish its position right as Wukong’s bolt of wind blasted off one of its middle legs. Bone splintered out, but five remained, more than enough for it to remain mobile.

[b]“Centrocius!”[/b] The nun had hopped off her own tower as well, her monstrous ally’s whip-like tail wrapping around her waist as the two retreated away from Breacher’s domain. Another explosion of flame lit up their own departure, fiery breath streaming out from the holes that the shieldbearing Esper had made in the statue. Her Construction must have knocked over the other firelamp while that storm of debris whipped around, and now brighter lights illuminated the room, causing stark, chaotic shadows to snake out.

This was good. Their fortifications had made their enemies retreat.

This was good? They were [i]just[/i] at the entrance and hadn’t made any headway at all.

This was bad. Jacqueline was now incredibly outnumbered!

And before the gaze of Breacher, Wukong, Silhouette, and Valkyrie, the nun smirked at them and wove another melody, threaded with false light.

But, as Jacqueline had previously surmised, she had no way of seeing it coming.

Her body readjusted to the new weight, legs bending down solidly as she maintained the straightness of her back as much as possible. As a weapon, Havoc had become unwieldy, but with proper form and the magical athleticism of her transformed state, she could lift it without injury, especially so as saw blades emerged within Havoc’s form, whirring with a vengeance as they ripped through the coagulated blood. It wasn’t enough to completely dispel the magical effect, but as chunks of blood slid off her axe, the weight decreased further and further. Her form was perfect. Her body was in alignment. Her mind had already visualized all the steps she would have to take.
Jacqueline executed.

Yet the pressurized beam of blood struck before she could deflect the wand.

A Powerful melody was a slow melody, and even as Havoc swung upwards on the inertia of the heavy weapon, knocking the wand upwards and causing the beam to slice rather than blast, Jacqueline could feel a sharp, hot pain run up her left shoulder. Her armor was rent where the blood beam had gone through, a deep but not mortal laceration scarring her pale skin. If it was a true [i]spell[/i], perhaps it would have been worse, but she was an Esper, naturally resistant to the effects that chaos wrought in the world, and besides, it was much easier to swing a weapon down than up.

[b]“Oh, my apologies,”[/b] Arzendale laughed, even as his path to retreat was blocked by his own grandiose organ. [b]“My lady friend is beckoning.”[/b]

Blacklight shone, near-blinding, and the vampire was gone, replaced by the nun. Her dark hair flowed, her carmine eye shone, and her own falchion was already in position, a swifter weapon than Jacqueline’s.

A Transplace melody, spawning upon a non-resisting target.

Havoc dropped, smashing the organ.

The Falchion sang, gliding through her side.

And as her intestines began to roll out of the gash, the lonesome knight turned around just in time to see Centrocius, the Harbinger of Mayhem, barreling down towards her with the speed of a possessed beast, frontal limbs raised in anticipation of goring her. What could she do to escape? What could she do to survive?

Where were her allies?

Her allies were stuck on a tower, watching the Sanguine Sovereign as he materialized past the center of the room, his expression a curated mixture of pity and bemusement. The nun had joined him again, her sword freshly stained with the blood of their ally, her eyes set, as always, upon Valkyrie. [b]“Well, well, well,[/b]” Arzendale spoke, stretching his arms out to the side once more, four fingers extended on his free hand, [b]“I would like, once more, to remind you all.”[/b]

Two heads fell on each pillar, bags rolling off to reveal the heads of the four slain humans. A construction worker, bearing the countenance of the ragged but determined mien of a high school drop out. A programmer, complete with curly hair and square-framed glasses. A cheerleader, her mascara running black streaks down her face. A [i]child[/i], so young as to not even have acne scarring her skin. Their paths in life were disparate, but their deaths wove them together, sanguine essence tying a cruel end and fashioning their existence into fuel for a monster’s magic.

[b]“The blood would not be upon your hands, if you had simply stayed your hands.”[/b]

Crimson spheres the size of bowling balls orbited around Arzendale, and with a flick of his wand, he sent them flying towards the clustered GEMINI agents at curving trajectories.

No, not the agents.

Just Valkyrie.

After all, against fortifications, one used siege weaponry, and against a group, one targeted the most vulnerable link.

.

..

…

The emerald glow washed over the disposal room, coating everything in the sickly green pallor that night vision goggles would have. Unlike the ostentatious décor of the main entrance, this was a place that appeared almost entirely designed to be as miserable and disgusting as possible. Bumpy granite made up the floor and the walls, while the cramped corners had made the air itself suffused with the humidity of human odors. There was still no discernible doorway, but even through all the humidity, there had to be ventilation [i]somewhere[/i].

Orion had been studious before the mission. Had the opportunity to study not only vampires, but the thralls they could create as well. These thralls fell under the category of those granted Dark Blessings, and though they may be somewhat tougher than the normal human being, ones that remained humans were, by definition, [i]still[/i] human. They still needed to breathe then. So there may still be a place for her to escape to.

But human will, faced against monstrous craving, could not hold back for long.

Orion’s shield caught the hands of the first thrall that lunged for her, their fingers cracking against the hardened light structure. Two more found themselves repelled her protective melody, their fanged faces mashing against the dome she had encapsulated herself within, and she smacked away the fourth after her barrier dropped. Then the fifth snatched at her ankles. The sixth caught her arm. Seventh. Eighth. Ninth. Tenth. A swarm, each individual weaker than her, collapsed upon Orion, forcing her to the ground with the sheer mass of their flesh. Her bolstered physical defenses helped prevent any immediately terrible injuries, but her bodysuit was designed to shield against the savagery of monsters, not humans. Broken fingernails tore her skin off her flesh. Chipped teeth too round to be called fangs left bloodied bruises that were lapped up to sate the frenzied hunger of the mob. Her bones and joints creaked with the effort of her struggle, but Espers were not titans of superhuman strength, and in the job she worked, there was a saying.

[i]What killed Espers most were other human beings.[/i]

A weight squeezed down against her ribs. A green-lit form arced back. Rounded canines and cracked lips exposed themselves. Reddened eyes traced the pulsations of her throat.

And then traced her face.

A glimmer of recognition, an instance of self-loathing. The young boy froze, tears welling even as his body spasmed, rebelling against his hesitation.

[b]“Save me.”[/b]

But the other thralls did not stop.

This was no respite, only opportunity.

For Pax Septimus was a city of blood, built upon the bones of the destitute and the labour of the oppressed. And in the reluctance of the weak-willed, the cold-blooded could begin their retaliation, could grasp at a viscera-stained victory.

For, above the head of the weeping, struggling teenager, stood the opening of a garbage chute.

This truly was a waste disposal room.

Now, did Orion have what it took to win?

[hider=Map]
[url=https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rIkMeqN0k9T6nbsSVNhOE_Ck95jw9t5KnCIfnjUpDn0/edit#slide=id.p]Floor 1[/url]
[/hider]

[hr]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oMNwI4Gyq0][img]https://i.imgur.com/rtlB6LL.png[/img][/url]

[sub][@OwO][@mantou][@ERode][@Majoras End][/sub]

Finn was a swift esper. A single melody could let him run along walls and bypass the moat of burning kegs. That speed would carry him past Bob, who didn’t even pass him a glance. The pyromancers were unable to land a shot on him as they only caught a glimpse of his after image. Grandma sniper finished cutting the mana bindings off of her rifle when Finn breezed past her shoulder. By his swift actions, the enemy’s positioning, and dumb luck, he had cut all the way to the back of their lines. 

Betty tipped her head up to meet Finn’s gaze. If there was any doubt she had been bitten, it could be put to rest. There were two black holes where fangs had met flesh. A blemish on what was otherwise perfect skin. Upon seeing Finn, her lips rolled back into a snarl before casting aside her bow. His first thought might have been that Betty was angry with him. Perhaps for leaving her when she needed him most. But there was no way she could recognize him now. He was running towards her as the Time Keeper, not Finn. Not even Fable. She lunged for the incoming boy. Her undead strength was on clear display as she glided through the air. 

But the first thing to hit him wouldn’t be Betty, but a firebolt.

In his haste to get to Betty, he had neglected the entire pyromancer firing line. It was true that the two men had been unable to land a hit on such a swift target, but the red-head backed out of her cubby hole and fired from around the center wall, where she was able to score a direct hit. It wasn’t serious, it felt more like a stomach punch than a serious threat to his life. But it left him unable to defend himself from Betty’s follow up attack. She took hold of his head and dragged his body down to earth. He fell flat on his back, and suffered a concussion for his troubles. Betty screamed like a lunatic in an insane asylum before lifting his head and slamming him into the ground, over and over again.

Behind Finn, Bob was all revved up and ready to sprint. Klava held back her melody and waited for the right time to throw it down. 

[b]”IMITATION_IS_THE_GREATEST_FORM_OF_FLATTERY!”[/b]

Despite Bob’s size, there was virtually no acceleration time. He just started at max speed and charged through burning debris and whatever else impeded his path. Bob had almost reached her when Klava enacted her melody. Bob disappeared behind a ramp of ice. She could hear a crash, followed by the entire ice ramp cracking. It seemed that when Bob sprinted for Klava, it had slipped on the ramp and fell into it. More cracks were appearing as Bob pounded on the obstacle.

Behind Klava, Apollo was having a hell of a time putting up with fire. Well, he was performing well. Instruments were indestructible by nature, and he had little issue batting the incoming fireballs away from himself. The mancatcher cleft through the fire bolts like they weren’t even there, and he was fast enough to keep up with his opponents' attacks. Though eventually his emotions soared, and he shouted at the two-toned pyromancer.

[b]”Wha-”[/b] two-tone was momentarily stunned by Apollo’s outburst. [b]”Setting things on fire is just what we do!”[/b] 

But Apollo was too furious to listen. In a sudden shift of focus, he managed to crack  the green-haired boy over the head. While Apollo's instrument wasn’t known for its high damage output, the blow was enough to draw blood. The boy clutched his head and sank to one knee. He was clearly in a state of vertigo.

Two-tone managed to get a shot on Apollo’s face. It burned and threw his head back, But some scorched skin wasn’t going to stop him from hitting his target. They only managed to get out a yelp before Apollo locked one of their arms right below their shoulder. Purple had stopped firing at Billy to deal with the new threat, but seemed unwilling to attack their partner. He too would be unable to escape before being pinned against the wall. Apollo moved to stand behind the wall of teenagers he had set up and, if his rage subsided enough, he might have realized two-tone was a girl. Though her face lacked certain feminine features, like a slender neckline, and long hair. The shape of the rest of her body made it clear what she was, if one could look past the male bartender’s outfit she was wearing.

Meanwhile, Luna was hoofin’ it to the ghost. Not that she knew what ghost Klava was talking about, but Luna figured she was referring to that “Handsome Gunther” fellow, who she had yet to see. But there were two pyromancers in the way that had to be dealt with.

Protector’s melody flew true. The sight of a soft, glowing white pellet was almost peaceful to behold. But the pyromancer it was aimed at knew better, and gasped as soon as she saw the white energy. She had just been shoved into a wall, and realized the spell was coming far too late to do anything about it. It slammed into her chest. She placed a hand over her wound, but it was just an empty cavity where her heart and part of her lung used to be. White sunk into a heap, her face frozen in terror. 

Before Luna could even exclaim at the grizzly sight, Protector rushed down the green haired pyromancer and dropped their shield on top of their head, slamming them into the concrete floor. Tetrad fought at range when she could, so she was not used to things like watching people’s skulls getting cracked open mere feet away from her. When it did happen it was often to a cultist or ape she felt little pity for. But this was someone even younger than she was, just a child! Was killing them like that the only way? She shook her head and pushed forth, choosing not to think about it right now.

But then white flames rose out of their bodies. It wouldn’t be until Luna looked around the corner that she’d notice that the ghost, Handsome Gunther, also had a white flame floating around him.

[b]”Mmmmm, [i]mmmm[/i]! Those rock hard abs are just stunning on you, sweet cheeks! ”[/b] Gunther kept his arms folded across his lap. [b]”But men who hide behind children aren’t too strong in spirit.”[/b] His eyes moved onto Protector. [b]”Maybe you’d like to see what those kids can do when freed from their mortal vessels?”[/b]

The white flames sunk back into the ground, and it happened.

One of the kegs jumped off of the rack and fell towards Protector, while another one was flung directly at Apollo and the two remaining pyromancers. None of the barrels were moving especially fast, but 60 gallon kegs weighed enough to crush a man. Six hundred pounds, or two-hundred-and-seventy-two kilograms, was enough to even crush an esper at moderate speeds. So while the barrels were moving just a bit slower than a standard stone toss, they were best to avoid.

Another keg by Klava slid out and smashed into her side, throwing her against the opposing wall with a solid thump.This one was moving slower as it had to drag itself across the floor, but it was still a surprise. This happened moments before Bob broke through the ice ramp. Once thoroughly shattered, the magical ice melted into the nether as Bob surged forward. The front half of his chassis was all scratched up; he likely had fallen forward all along. 

[b]”CHICKEN,_FIGHT_LIKE_A_ROBOT!”[/b] 

Bob reached for Klava with his dented hand. His moves were swift, and the hydraulic pistons in his fingers hissed before they prepared to coil around the esper’s exposed skull.

Things were looking hairy, so Luna decided to cast an extra potent melody. Hopefully it will work out. Hopefully. 

Luna flicked a card through the air, and when it landed on the ground, a field of flying “suits” was created. Little hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades filled the zone and attempted to stop anything that soared through. Despite her luck earlier, it seemed that her fortune had changed, and her magic was working much better this time.

[color=75c159]”Jackpot!”[/color]

But even with Luna’s extra potent magic, the barrels were still moving through the zone she had created. Though when they came out the other side, they were only moving at half the speed they entered at. 

While her allies dealt with the first volley of barrels, she trained Pit Boss on Gunther and fired. But by this point his spirits had returned and he was able to use three more barrels to block incoming fire. It wouldn’t be long before Gunther fired another salvo of barrels. 

[hider=Tetrad]
[center] 21 | Female | Maverick | Fortune
Pit Boss | Staff | Arcane | High Roller
Croupier | Graceful 
Gambit | Gravity | Draw 4
[Weightless, Suspend], Stabilize, Damage, Push, Transplace, Extend, Heal, Zone, If: Friend, Else

DAMAGE: E  | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: D | 750

[Silver Touch][Zone][Extend][Suspend] = 240

Good spell! = Melody is a rank higher. 

PHYSICAL: E | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: D | 488
[/center]
[/hider]

[hr]

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4Pzx1NDTtI][img]https://i.imgur.com/OYSa6cT.png[/img][/url]

[sub][@The World][/sub]

The zombie’s ears perked up when Marrie spoke. [color=MediumAquamarine]”Well yes! We can convince them by punting them! I’m sure once they realize we can punt them further than they can punt us, they’ll be forced to let us by!”[/color] She stepped beside the sharken girl. [color=MediumAquamarine]”I’ve never tried to talk to goblins about punting them before punting them. I imagine it’ll be hard to get their consent for something like that, just because of the language barrier!”[/color] After taking a few steps she added. [color=MediumAquamarine]”I’m Stacy Stitches. If there’s a stunt to be done, I’m there!”[/color]


It was hard to tell when Marrie was further away, but the group of camping goblins were on alert. Not only were their weapons drawn, but they were looking in her direction. They hadn’t been tipped off by her light this time, as she had turned that off. Maybe their vision was so good they could spot the esper(s?) when they approached, Maybe they could pick up the sound of Stacy’s chainsaw idling in her chest. There was also the earth devouring snake thrashing behind them. They weren’t going to run off like the others had. They were prepared to defend the door, regardless of the approaching duo’s intent.

They assembled in a loose formation, putting plenty of space between each other. The front line was made up of three goblins armed with swords and shields. Only on closer inspection, one would soon discover they were wielding machetes and garbage can lids. Behind them were several goblins with slingshots, and one at the very back held a staff and barked out orders. They would be attacking shortly.

The scattered light from the campfire couldn’t fully illuminate the cave behind them, but the onyx eyes of Highway to Hell needed little light to properly shine. It twisted its body in the small space like a corkscrew working its way into a cork. The pacifist esper had a snake to her back, goblins to her front, and a punt-loving zombie at her side. Would any of them survive this encounter? 

[hr]

[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/9nRXMi2.png[/img]

[color=0099a6]”Paddle faster, I hear banjos."[/color]

[color=888888]— Sofron[/color][/center]

With the wine cellar and foyer erupting into chaos, Sofron scuffed his way into Justin’s office. It was the safest room in the entire place. None of the walls faced the outside, which meant that no one could just skip past security and enter through a window. There were also a number of security features. The building had been constructed during the red scare, and the office itself was just the top half of a fallout shelter. Its walls and roof were made extra durable so that they could provide a way out of the rubble in the event of nuclear disaster. While the room was rugged, it was also luxurious. The wallpaper was black with gold leaf lines, as were era appropriate for the art deco historic district. Several paintings and tapestries lined the room, with Justin’s desk located in the center. He didn’t “look” up from his paperwork when Sofron entered the room. 

[color=662d91]”They are attacking.”[/color] The vampire used a fountain pen to sign his name on a document.

[color=0099a6]”G.E.M.I.N.I.’s espers are attacking the foyer as we speak. They have Dr. Binky with them."[/color]

Justin turned over a document in his hand. [color=662d91]”Did some of them slip by?”[/color]

[color=0099a6]”No."[/color] Sofron folded his arms. [color=0099a6]”Like we expected, Billy Black has rallied the freelancers. But they started an attack on the wine cellar just moments ago. "[/color]

The vampire “stared” at the document, frozen in place. He then swung his head towards Sofron. [color=662d91]”They’re attacking at the same time?”[/color]

The butler nodded. [color=0099a6]”I assumed it would be best if I remained by your side."[/color]

[color=662d91]”That is wise.”[/color] Justin set down the document and placed a finger on his chin. [color=662d91]”Something foul is afoot. G.e.M.I.N.I. and Maverick are unable to cooperate. Their ideas are fundamentally different. I would be surprised if they could decide on the color of their own refuse.”[/color]

[color=0099a6]”It is unusual to think that they have decided to work together now."[/color]

[color=662d91]”This had to have been mastermind by an outside force.”[/color] Justin’s gloved hand slid over his chin. [color=662d91]”It has to be Oros the mad. Penny disappeared weeks after her arrival. I would not be surprised if she is going after the rest of us now.”[/color]

[color=0099a6]”With all due respect, master, I think you are giving Oros far more credit than she is due."[/color] Sofron approached the desk. [color=0099a6]”She does know more than she should, but working with a cultist goes far beyond what G.E.M.I.N.I. and Maverick are willing to do. It would take them more than a week to accept assistance from their common enemy."[/color]

[color=662d91]”What do you think is going on?.”[/color]

[color=0099a6]”If we think about it logically, only one side needs to know when the other is attacking."[/color] Sofron began to pace in front of the desk. [color=0099a6]”G.E.M.I.N.I. made it quite evident they wanted to attack us themselves, which explains why they are attacking us so soon. If Maverick knew about the date of the assault, they could arrange for the freelancers to arrive in secret. Their chances of success are much higher if they attack us at the same time, and the attacks happened seconds apart."[/color]

Justin raised an eyebrow. [color=662d91]”Our own spies were unable to acquire the exact time of the G.E.M.I.N.I. assault. I doubt the freelancers or Maverick have the means to collect that kind of information. It seems far more likely that a freelancer was bought to relay Maverick’s arrival time to G.E.M.I.N.I..”[/color]

[color=0099a6]”But which freelancers would you buy out? "[/color] Sofron adjusted his tie. [color=0099a6]”To my knowledge, Maverick never hosted a job on Shimr openly. Nor do any of Pax Septimus’s espers have any history of working with or sympathizing with Maverick, ergo there are no clear freelance espers who would jump at the chance to take the operation. Moreover, government influence in Pax Septimus is quite weak. I doubt G.E.M.I.N.I. has the manpower to look into that many freelance espers. Not in such a short period of time."[/color]

[color=662d91]”We’re missing something, but it is of little concern.”[/color] The corners of Justin’s lips curled into a smile. [color=662d91]”Aristocrats come into power by spotting opportunities, and I am not about to squander the one that we have been provided.”[/color] He slammed the document onto his desk and hastily sketched his name across it. [color=662d91]”Finish preparations for our guests' arrival. I will join you shortly.”[/color]
[color=0099a6]””Of course, master Carnage."[/color]