Leda didn't actually expect that Marysas would be able to beat Zeke easily, but that definitely seemed to be the case. Did Zeke even know how to breakdance? Maybe Apollo could sneakily come and possess his son or something just to make things a bit more fair and even in this match. At any rate though, that was Zeke's problem and not hers. Kristin had proposed a plan of action for them to take - while Marysas and Zeke were dancing, they'd free Calliope. There wasn't a situation that superspeed couldn't improve, especially when it came to stealth, so Leda moved as fast as she could over to the Stolen Muse and untied her.
Unfortunately, just as Leda darted back to resume her innocent pose, she realized Marysas had seen her. Not only could he bust a sick move, but he could also see people moving at superhuman speeds. Maybe he was a minor god or something at this point - or he just had really good eyesight. Maybe that was why he employed cyclopses - their eyes sucked, his were great, so it evened out. "You okay there, mate?" Leda asked Marysas, playing dumb.
Runa's mental illness manifested itself similar to a hurricane. Her self loathing acted as the warm, moist air from the surface of the sea and outside variables, such as the knowledge of Balder and the end of the world, acted as the cool air that would condense the warm air into water. This water vapor served as the fuel, kicking up a horrific storm - Runa's depression. When it happened, she was always just completely overwhelmed by it, at the mercy of her brain's unique chemistry. She hadn't found very many coping mechanisms and the ones she had, it always felt like clinging to a piece of rope tied to a door, as the hurricane threatened to swallow Runa whole.
The hurricane never lasted forever though - it always had to end and sometimes, a sufficient shock was all that was needed. The extreme video game like GoCart track was jarring, especially with the bloody tire that rolled near her. It was the man in the stands who Runa knew had smiled at her that sent a jolt down her spine. She had no idea who he was. Maybe he was the lost God of Love, here to explain that he wasn't actually missing and had just taken a wrong turn while on holiday in Peru? The man started to vanish into the stands and Runa went at a run, staff in hand, after him. He was getting further and further away, Runa falling behind as she tried to weave her way through the crowds and not get killed by angry Vikings. It felt like an impossible task for a moment, until she managed to catch up to him, panting hard.
Mild Symptoms: Headache, some splotchiness of the skin, fatigue and exhaustion Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing, dizziness, vomiting, blood shot eyes, prominent veins Severe Symptoms: Vomiting blood, trouble walking, bleeding from the ears, extreme skin discoloration, general looniness
George Washington University: Starbucks...
Watts stared at Andy warily - she reminded him of another young, haunted girl. Belladonna had betrayed them all for the Sisterhood, another organization of rich mutants trying to cling to power they did not deserve. He had been protective of her, thinking of her like another child of his. "If you betray anyone here - or even think of endangering my daughter, I'll use you as a glorified petri dish for studying M-Pox. And when I finish my experiments, I'll sterilize you with bleach and snap your fucking neck," Watts threatened.
Leda groaned. "Daaaad, why are you so embarrassing all the time..."
The young girl's mood rapidly turned though, her jaw dropping as Kristina went up to the door and popped on out, before nearly killing someone with her eyes! She hadn't really been paying much attention to the developments in the fight, so Leda assumed that whoever Kristina had almost killed must have been one of the guys attacking her earlier. "Bloody hell... She just nerfed that wanker..."
"Language," Watts warned.
"Sorry, she just nerfed that fucking wanker."
Veil
Location: George Washington University: the Street Skills: Leadership, Perception
Pyro snickered slightly at Echo's brief sing-a-long. "Quicksilver's obsessed with that song and I'm sorry babes, but he's got better pipes than you! Though I guess if you can't project, maybe you can succ." Unlike when Jinx had died, Pyro wasn't choked up in the slightest at the White Queen's demise. She was only sixteen years old or so and she acted like she was infinitely better than everyone else, just since Emma Frost had let her join senior leadership to slight the Three in One. Pyro and Sapphire traded a few preliminary blows, a duel between the forces of fire and ice.
Billy Joel's Uptown Girl faded out as the song rocked to its conclusion. The sweet, sweet tones of Take On Me by A-ha came blaring out of the radio next. Waverley must have adjusted it to an 80's station!
A switch went off in Polaris' mind as a robotic head bit her. She had bipolar depression, causing her move to ebb and flow between intense manic highs and somber mercurial lows. Most likely, her powers of magnetism only made the symptoms worse. Her eyes gleamed with malice as she grabbed Mr. Jaws with her hand and yanked him off of her. There were large indentations in the metal where she gripped him and Polaris flung Mr. Jaws across the street, the robotic head slamming into the outer wall of the auditorium Dr. Hansen's talk had been in. "Only humans get societies then? Mutants just have to settle for being hunted and feared?" Polaris asked the purple haired girl, pity in her voice. "Mutants are never going to get a chance at life unless we have our own place. Can you imagine a mutant culture? Mutant authors, poets, writers? Sure, we have Dazzler, but can you seriously name any others? What about mutant philosophers and scientists? Would you have told African Americans to remain enslaved to their captors to avoid war and violence? I bet not. So why the fuck should mutants do that? Why shouldn't we evolve?"
The hypocrisy of the purple haired girl was astonishing, as she ran Pyro over with a car. A car. "You know what cars are made out of, right?" Polaris asked. She extended her hand and the car floated up ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, no, one hundred feet in the air before hovering. Unnatural green waves of energy surrounded it, showing the magnetism Polaris was manipulated. The green haired mutant then focused on the metal she wore on her body and used it to boost herself up into the air, until Polaris was hovering inches away from the trapped Waverley. "Not everyone in the Hellfire Club is good. But we're the only ones that are going to give mutantkind a chance. The only ones who give a shit. All those mutants the Underground 'saves', they end up dead or killed. You just buy them time. I know... because I was one of the first leaders of the Underground. It's broken. And there's no sense in fixing it."
Polaris held out a hand to Waverley. "You belong with your fellow mutants on Genosha."
Back down on the ground, Veil's heart was thundering furiously in her chest. She couldn't see what was going on up there between Feedback and Polaris. If Polaris stopped manipulating the car, then Feedback would plummet and die. She was at the mercy of a madwoman. Tears filled in Veil's eyes. They had just lost Cayden and now, now it looked like Feedback was going to perish too... and it was all her fault. Pyro was unconscious, thanks to Sapphire hitting him and then Waverley running him over.
"Pl-plan," Veil whispered. "We need a plan." Her mind was blanking though, like a computer asked to do too many procedures and crashing in defiance. None of the buildings nearby were tall enough for them to reach Polaris and Feedback. She didn't think any of them would be able to get that high up and even if they did, Polaris could easily fling Feedback and kill her. "Does someone have an idea on how to get to Feedback and extract her?"
"What? It's Polaris, she's fine!" Havok insisted, clearly in denial. "Lorna wouldn't hurt her. She's good. Veil - you know this, you know her, she's probably a double agent or something for Xavier, he loves spy films way too much... Feedback isn't in any danger." Havok's words didn't sound convincing even to himself. It was a shame no one there could fly.
Magik was regretting throwing the otoscope at Spark Plug, as she was now left without a weapon. Her mind had cleared slightly with Spark Plug's tampering, enough to get Magik to realize Spark Plug wasn't Catherine the Great. She was muttering choice words under her breath in Russian, no doubt plotting to sneak into Spark Plug's room in the middle of the night and cut her throat for her country.
Had Sunshine been a bit more conscious and aware, she likely would have told Jack to just hand the gun to her. Aiming wasn't hard - she never missed her mark, as long as it was close enough. That was the only real situation where her aim wasn't enough - if her arrow could only go 200 yards, she couldn't hit something 400 yards away for instance. But unfortunately with the massive blow to her head she had taken, even Max's shoddy healing job wasn't enough for Sunshine to be able to insult Jack over his pathetic skills with a gun. It was only with the second round of healing that he did that the grogginess faded and she was finally aware of an intense pounding pain in her head. "Touch me again and I'll cut off your fingers and feed them to Fred," Sunshine mumbled. Dead rats had a unique diet.
Casper's mind snapped back to reality - well, as much as could have been expected for him. Between the ghosts and his rather eccentric personality, Casper was a star in a world of squares with round holes. He wasn't even odd in the socially accepted and expected way - an outcast amongst outcasts. "Did I miss something?" Casper asked, seeing a lot of battle weary and injured people. "Guuuys we talked about this, I want to go to the fights, especially since Ben can do his Murder Octopus trick now."
"You were a delirious mess," Ben commented, shaking his head. "And I doubt you could channel a fly at the moment."
Casper's jaw dropped. "My boyfriend is going to defend my honor for that, Ben. I bet James knows how to smack a ghost. Or maybe he'll just glare at you for me, since you know, I'm the damsel in distress here. Except Disney wishes that Elsa could pull off looks like me. Though I do wish I had the power to make clothes from ice which I project from my friends... Do you think Sapphire could do that? Maybe I should ask her to make me a cape so I can go swoosh dramatically with it?"
"And my symptoms have not gotten worse Jackie!" Casper complained.
"So I take it you're keeping that gun then, Marshmallow Brain?" Sunshine commented, not strong enough to fight her father as he dragged her along. The car was parked out by the front entrance of the clinic in the parking lot - they were in the back, meaning they'd basically just need to walk around outside to the front. Hopefully there weren't any other Purifiers around, since they were all in sorry shape. "You'll shoot your stupid eyes out."
Vinnie's gut was screaming at her to not trust Cal. She didn't like the Straw Man argument Cal was making and she knew that Cal had done something to spook Zarina. Zarina was weird and crazy, she loved blood and cutting herself open, so why would she be afraid of needles? And did pharmacists even use needles? Vinnie found Cal's story weirder and weirder. Didn't pharmacists just dispense medication? She couldn't remember if there ever really were a situation where they'd have to give someone a shot, maybe if a diabetic person collapsed and needed insulin? "Careful you don't break something sliding down that slippery slope!" Vinnie exclaimed. "And Greenie is weird and loves blood and fluids, so unless you tried to put a needle through her eye, I don't think your story makes sense."
She was clearly outvoted though and Vinnie reluctantly decided to let it go for the moment. She wasn't going to sleep around Cal. She made mental plans to see if she could barricade the door as a means to protect herself. She didn't know anyone here, except for Sophia who was seeming a bit more familiar by the moment, to the extent that Vinnie actually believed she was familia. She huffed, letting herself switch subjects. "I don't think I really have any skills, besides talking - and that isn't really a skill, so I'm stumped, but we know that Cal has the skill of traumatizing children and seeming untrustworthy soooo there is that. Oh and I look hot af in hats." Raynor didn't make a comment about the robot Zarina decided to cuddle like a baby. He had seen her do stranger things so far today. He didn't feel like he was a good source of emotional advice, but something prompted him to stay with Zarina, a self appointed guardian. "Don't apologize," he said, crossing his arms. "Whatever Cal did, fuck her. You don't have to play nice with everyone. In fact, things are easier if you don't. Look out for yourself. That's what counts at the end of the day."
Megan couldn't help but be in awe of Maleficent's powers. Green fire had surrounded them, an act that looked as natural as breathing to the villain. She wasn't tempted to take Maleficent's hand - she was beyond curious as to her birth parents. If anything, Megan looked at Maleficent with pity. It was fine to walk in the darkness, as long as it did not consume your soul. Maleficent didn't seem to have a soul left. "I already have my family, but thanks for the offer - I'd be more interested in black magic lessons, particularly necromancy. So many murders could be solved..." she trailed off, though it was clear when she said she already had her family that she meant her adoptive brother.
She reached into her pocket and handed something to Jack. "You point and spray. It isn't hard," she instructed him, having given him her pepper spray. She carried it since she was a young, tiny female working in a morgue. She walked alone at night often and she didn't trust other people. She also usually didn't have access to a rapier, but she did today, so her brother could use the pepper spray if Maleficent came too close.
Location: Xavier's Institute - the Garden Skills: N/A
Guin couldn't help but be slightly impressed - and annoyed - at how little Elizabeth cared about her dramatic entrance, falling from the roof of the school and tumbling near the flower beds. If she had done this every day in the Iron Star suit, then sure, she guessed that she could understand Elizabeth not caring at all... but this had been the debut flight test! Couldn't Elizabeth have screamed? Come to think of it, Mary's reaction was a bit lackluster too and Guin frowned. She didn't need a lecture on safety. She wanted some praise and applause. She wanted her name on a building in the sky.... Oh wait, she already had that.
Never mind.
"So are you guys doing the Great Florist Bake Off? Or is this going to be more of a Nailed It type of situation?" Guin asked the Flower Girls. She never was into botany. It took a lot of patience that she just didn't have. "I've just been working on the Mark 1 y'know, arguing with FRIDAY, fighting a craving for a German chocolate cake, just a typical July day, refusing to leave the suit since it has AC while I'm outside as it's fucking boiling out here... What about you two?" She had to wonder how Mary was doing. She seemed to have her good days and her bad days. If this was one of Mary's bad days, then Elizabeth and Guin needed to run. Mary was surrounded by plants - a recipe for a flowery version of the Hulk to emerge.
"Oh! I've been playing some old Pokémon games. I'm trying to get a team of just shiny eevees. It's gonna be so cute - and fucking deadly. I'm naming them all exclusively after Bad Popes - like the one who ordered the corpse of the old pope to be dug up and put on trial. Wild."
Neil Spellman
Location: Xavier's Institute - Neil's Room Skills: N/A
Neil jumped slightly, hearing a knock on the door. While he didn't have any sort of magical talent, his cousin Rebecca did. His aunties taught her everything they knew and Neil inevitably picked up a thing or two. Hearing a knock after attempting a spell was never good - it usually meant that some sort of wayward spirit wanted to come in. He braced himself for a fight with a demon or something monstrous as he opened the door, only to find the exact opposite - it was Carolina, arguably his best friend in the entire world. "You're not a demon," Neil blurted, a bit stunned. He really had been expecting something to come and maul him to death.
His eyes flickered briefly over towards the candles he had carved, the flames still burning. Maybe the ritual had worked. He knew that a lot of witchcraft ultimately came down to intentions - or asking the universe to play nice for once. After his pleas for closure and to move on from Sara, Carolina had appeared outside of his room, asking to spend time with him. Were the forces that be trying to tell him something? He imagined an Uncle Iroh like figure urging him to focus on the present and to not dwell on the past - that while Sara was not going to be a part of his life anymore, he still had good friends like Carolina. "Erm, I mean yeah, that'd be fun."
The Triskelion - Washington D.C.: May 17th, 2021 - 1:10 P.M.
FROM THE DESK OF DIRECTOR HILL
THE FOLLOWING IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:
1. ALL SUPERHEROES MUST REGISTER WITH SHIELD AND REVEAL THEIR SECRET IDENTITY
2. SUPERHEROES MUST BE AT LEAST 18 YEARS OLD
3. SUPERHEROES MUST PASS SHIELD TRAINING - EXCEPTIONS INCLUDE TRAINING FROM THE X-MEN, FANTASTIC FOUR, AND AVENGERS
4. ALL SUPERHEROES ARE SUBJECTED TO THE SUPERVISION OF SHIELD
VIOLATION OF THESE WILL RESULT IN IMMEDIATE EXTRACTION TO THE RAFT. MINIMUM SENTENCING IS THREE YEARS HOUSE ARREST. JUVENILE OFFENDERS WILL BE TRIED AS ADULTS. REPEAT OFFENDERS HAVE A RECOMMENDED SENTENCE OF TEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT.
ALL VIGILANTE ACTIVITY KNOWN TO SHIELD PERSONNEL MUST BE REPORTED TO THEIR SUPERVISOR OR LEAD IMMEDIATELY.
IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING!
Bonnie Chase & Amelia Baptiste
Location: the Triskelion - Conference Room Skills: Intuition
Amelia wasn't really sure what to think - going after Captain America? She stared at Hill, wondering if the woman was off her rocker, if the stress of the job had finally gotten to her. She was from Australia and even she loved Captain America. His name was synonymous with punching Nazis and defending liberty. Being asked to bring him in... it was like being asked to bring the embodiment of good in the world to justice. He was up there with Obama in her list of favorite people.
She gave a smile to Sparks and Niah. "Nice to meet ya. You can call me Amelia." Even if Hill was giving crazy orders, Amelia wasn't about to start off on the wrong foot with her teammates. "And that's s'alright, lotta cunts back home act like this to be tough and all, but I bet he's got a point."
Bonnie glanced at Flynn. It didn't take a great sense of intuition to tell what was wrong. He struggled with his past as an agent of O.M.E.N. - much like Bonnie was certain those in the Phase Three experiments grappled with the truth that they were children of HYDRA and not S.H.I.E.L.D. She bit her lip as he lashed out at Hill. She didn't want to see him fired for something like this - or worse. Yet at the same time, she did agree with him to an extent. Going after Captain America was problematic to say the least... He was an adored national icon.
What had he done to merit this?
"I was hoping that Agent Asokho would have joined us before I explained more specifics - but it seems he is running late," Hill stressed. "Rogers declared himself an enemy of SHIELD. He refused to abide by the new mandate, saying that he trusted his hands more than anyone else. I understand that this is hard and Agent Flynn, you can walk out the door now and I won't punish you for it... One of our operatives, Agent 13, believes that Rogers' objections tie back to a war criminal he's harboring called the Winter Soldier." Those in Operations would be familiar with the name - the Winter Soldier was a ghost in the intelligence community, the deadliest assassin in the world.
"I'm heading to New York as soon as this finishes to speak with the Avengers - and god help me, talking to Stark won't be pleasant. But it needs to be done. We need compliance. No more vigilantes." Hill paused, before eyeing Oliver. "I would say harboring the Winter Soldier, assaulting the Director of SHIELD, those would qualify. But respectfully this isn't your call, Agent. And if I were you, I'd keep my head down. The council isn't exactly thrilled to have the son of Thanos on Earth."
"Who is Thanos? Some sort of criminal mastermind?" Amelia whispered. She didn't know much of what had happened back in February. Her main focus had been suddenly developing amazing powers after waking up inside of a cocoon like a human butterfly. There was a lot more lore that came with this new assignment than she had realized. Still though, it was blowing her mind to know that apparently Steve Rogers was best friends with assassins. Could they even take on Captain America? She had seen stories about him defeating entire Nazi armies by himself. He and the other Avengers had stopped the Chitauri in New York single handedly.
"An intergalactic warlord," Bonnie told Amelia. If Amelia was going to be on their team, things would have come to light eventually. Maybe she should've let Oliver answer the question, but Bonnie's mind was so focused on the moral dilemma Hill had presented them with that she didn't think about it. If they went after Captain America, then they were going against arguably the moral pillar of the country and one of Earth's mightiest heroes. If they didn't, then they were giving him special treatment because he was Captain America.
"I'll go on the mission," Bonnie decided. If it hadn't been Captain America, they wouldn't have questioned it. They had gone to Latveria for far less, just with rumors of illegal arms dealing. She trusted Director Hill. She trusted SHIELD.
Location: Xavier's Institute - the Roof -> the Garden Skills: Engineering Design, Problem Solving
Guin had missed a lot while off on her honeymoon. A superhero civil war had broken out - aliens invaded and tried to topple world governments - and Magneto apparently purchased billboard ads for the mutant only nation of Genosha. When she learned all of this, she expected Professor X to send them off on countless missions, but the opposite had happened. They just stayed at the X-Mansion, training in the Danger Room and finding ways to waste time. It had given her the chance to finalize work on the Mark 1 Iron Star Armor and ensure that the F.R.I.D.A.Y. operating system was functional. She hadn't gotten the chance to test the armor in combat yet, but she supposed that flight tests would be in order first.
To that end, she was currently standing on the roof of the mansion, doing a final system's check. "Lay it on me, F.R.I.D.A.Y. - we ready for this or what?"
"Do a flip, lass," the AI replied, her voice filled with snark.
"I'm not going to yeet myself off the building, you're way too morbid - maybe I need to go mess with your settings," Guin rolled her eyes. "Okay, just a simple lift off, in three... two... one..." The repulsors and thrusters fired up, as Guin effortlessly flew up about five feet into the air and maintained a near perfect hover. It helped that she had experience with Iron Man suits and running with Pietro, as she managed to keep her balance without wobbling too much. "And descend," she said, before touching down gently onto the roof of the school.
"You don't need to say everything - I ken figure out for meself what needs to happen," F.R.I.D.A.Y. complained.
"Yeah, but it's way cooler if I say things during these tests," Guin pointed out. "Let's try some horizontal movement next. Just going to the left, not off of the roof. In three... two... one..." Her repulsors and thrusters fired up again, sending Guin rapidly over towards the edge of the roof. She tried to course correct in order to avoid the edge, but something went wrong and she ended up being flung over the side, heading towards the ground face first. "Fuck fuck fuck!" Guin exclaimed. Her repulsors and thrusters were off, leaving her in a free fall.
"FRIDAY, activate thrusters now!!!" Guin screamed. The AI must have been taking her sweet time, as Guin's fall was broken when she was just a foot above the ground. It looked like she was lounging or lying down in the air, all of the repulsors going off at full power just a few feet away from the flower beds. "Kill thrusters," Guin then said and the power went off, causing her to fall the final few feet and hit the ground.
"I give that a 6/10."
"Shut up or I'll make you into a toaster," Guin grumbled, popping the helmet up. "Hey Mare - how's it going?"
Neil Spellman
Location: Neil's Room Skills: N/A
Neil had brought Sara to meet his family that solstice, hoping that they would love her as much as he did. He knew that his upbringing had been unorthodox and strange, but Sara's aunt was the Dark Phoenix. If anyone could understand that not all dark magic was really evil and wicked, he thought it would be her. Instead, she had dumped him and then left the X-Men entirely, as if he were a stain on her soul that needed to be blotted out. The first day he had cried almost nonstop, leaving her texts and calls begging for her to give him a chance to understand - she never answered. The second day he had burned all of the things she had left behind in his room. He destroyed the pictures of her he had drawn.
But it wasn't enough. On July 2nd, his heart was still aching for her and Neil couldn't take it anymore. His aunties had sent him instructions for a spell that even someone like him, without innate magical talent, could attempt. He had gotten two candles - one a soft blue, the other pink. The blue candle he had carved his own name into and the pink candle, he had carved Sara. He tied a long piece of string to the middle of the two candles, sitting in his room at the X-Mansion in absolute darkness and silence. "This is what blocks me from moving forward on my path. his is what keeps me from receiving all that I have been asking for," Neil recited.
He thought about his favorite things about Sara - how vibrant and alive she was, the way her smile made her look like a dizzying radiant goddess, her courageous bravery. He meditated on dates they had gone on together, the sessions of D&D they would play. Tears fell down his face as his thoughts turned to her violent explosion at his aunties' place - her accusations that his family were wicked, evil, and vile. Her anger that his aunties drew power from Satanism.
"I release the ties that bind. I claim that which is mine. I move forward in light and freedom. So be it," Neil whispered, picking up a knife and severing the cord. The flames of the candles flickered brightly. He didn't know if the ritual had worked or not. Unlike the rest of his family, he didn't have any magical skills or talent. And he felt the same after it was done. He sighed. He just wanted to feel whole.
Location: Argo III - Upper Deck -> the Ground Skills: Ancient Greek, Mystiokinesis, Twin Daggers
Rebecca gave Mary a cordial smile, happy that she would be paired with the daughter of Demeter. She wondered if Mary's powers would increase in strength when touching the ground, as Demeter was the goddess of earth. She had a brief image of vines sprouting from the grounds, ensnaring all of the Anemoi Thuellai with ease. It would have been a magical occurrence. Of course, Rebecca felt close to the children of Demeter - their mothers were best friends more or less, as Hecate lit Demeter's way when searching for Persephone.
Rebecca procured one of the packs that had been set aside for them, before heading down the rope ladder after Kiera and Leda. She waited for a moment so that way Mary could climb down, before surveying the terrain. There were plenty of storm spirits running amuck - she wondered briefly how many they would need to capture in order to properly fuel the Argo III. "I'll be invisible briefly," she warned Mary.
"Γίνομαι αόρατος," Rebecca whispered in Ancient Greek. She manipulated the Mist and became unseen, invisible. The Anemoi Thuellai could not see her as Rebecca drew her twin daggers. She snuck up on one and stabbed it with her daggers with ease, before sucking it up into the pack as desired. Rebecca then flickered back into view. "Blessed be, I've got one."
🌈 Leda Storm 🌈
Location: Argo III - Upper Deck -> the Ground Skills: Agility, Sword Fighting
Leda snickered slightly at Jason and Demetri pairing up together. She wished that she had a subscription to Hephaestus TV, as that was definitely the sort of prime time content that the gods up in Olympus would want to see. She wouldn't have been surprised if Hephaestus actually was filming this somehow, given that Jason was the son of his wife's boyfriend. But then again, some of his kids were on the Argo III at the moment - would he blur their faces out to protect their identities?
Her giggling only got worse as Demetri offered to turn into a gryphon to fly him and Jason up into the sky. "Wait, hold on... You're seriously asking Jason to ride you?" Leda said, unable to contain her laughter. Her face and chest ached from it at this point. She had to wipe some tears forming in her eyes. "Damn it I wish I had a camera..." She just couldn't unsee the image of Jason straddling Demetri as they flew into the air.
She tilted her head upwards as Kiera made a water umbrella for them. Leda poked at it, grinning like mad. That was so cool. Having the kids of the Big Three around was definitely making things more than interesting. It was easy to get used to seeing the things that kids of the Olympians could do, but the Big Three were so rare that it just made her stop in awe for a moment. She grabbed one of the packs and slung it over her shoulder, following Kiera down the ladder once there was enough clearance.
"If you get in over your head, don't hesitate to shout and I'll dash right on over," Leda promised. She yanked down on her necklace and her Celestial Bronze sword Ultraviolet appeared, glowing a faint pink. She spotted one of the storm horses and she charged forward, trying to slash at it but the horse dove to the side. It went in to zap her and Leda ducked just in time, letting the bolt soar harmlessly over her head.
☀️ Nancy Parker ☀️
Location: New Rome - Coffee Shop Skills: Strategy
Nancy grimaced slightly at the thought of relying on the Greeks - it impacted her Roman pride and honor - but she nodded. The world was about to plunge into chaos and despair, they couldn't afford to be choosy when it came to their allies. "Their flying ship should make good time. Let's do that then." The Greeks were better when it came to naval combat, she had to admit begrudgingly. Rome always fared better when it came to land battles. Of course, they also had a stronger military, able to fight as a unit whereas the Greeks tended to favor more solo fighting styles.
She breathed out heavily as Madalyne mentioned going to pay a visit to Atlas. The thought of climbing up the mountain to visit the titan carrying the sky sent a shiver down her spine, even if Atlas was harmless when underneath his burden. He was still an ancient and powerful force. It scared her even more to think of the chance that maybe Atlas wouldn't be there holding up the sky - that someone else might be in his place, allowing the titan to run free. "Fuck. I've got bad vibes at the thought of visiting Atlas but... You're right. We could go up there, ask him what his damage is, see if he knows anything. We'd need at least three demigods on the mission, probably more..."
They'd need someone skilled with diplomacy, someone persuasive. Her eyes darted over towards Marco the barista. He was a son of Venus. They were some of the most persuasive and convincing demigods she knew. Niah ought to go as well, if they could press Atlas into some sort of an oath to be truthful, she'd be helpful. Nancy needed to be there, the powerhouse player. Madalyne was their magical expertise. But that left them with four demigods. They'd need at least two more to get a number divisible by three. Waverley was a probatio, but she was being trained in magic, she could be good... And as much as Emily terrified her, Nancy felt she had to be the last one in this mission. Maybe she could threaten Atlas with madness.
"The three of us should go - as well as Marco, Emily, and Waverley," Nancy decided. She looked at Niah and Madalyne for any objection.
Location: Hotel Valhalla - Floor Thirty Nine -> Floor 472 Skills: Norwegian
Alarm bells went off in Runa's mind, seeing people about twice her age staring at her. She was never a huge fan of strangers to begin with, but the older men in particular caused her already high anxiety levels to rise even more. People didn't have any qualms about murder in this hotel. She didn't want to find out what other grotesque behaviors were allowed. She felt like she couldn't breathe, the walls closing in around her. Her Valkyrie coming up to her and placing a hand on her shoulder caused Runa to flinch. She white knuckled the staff in her hands, her eyes darting around wildly as she tried to figure out an escape route.
"J-j-jeg har det bra," Runa stammered in her native Norwegian. She couldn't stop the tears from pouring out of her eyes, gushing more like, no matter how terrified the new situation she had ended up in made her. The only way out that she could see was the elevator. She ducked under the Valkyrie's outstretched arm and dashed back in the way she had gone, pressing frantically on the elevator buttons for dear life. Once it opened up and she stepped inside, she hit one of the highest floors - floor 472. The doors opened to reveal a race track.... for GoCarts? Runa had seen them before in American TV shows, but never in real life.
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