CHAPTER FOUR ♔ does it run in your blood to betray the ones you love

[coldheritage]

♬ The Truth - Nonpoint

WHO || Failboat, Rafael, Isabella, Nadia  [Closed]
WHAT || After an exciting Grammy night, the Knights meet up with Nadia to hear what she has to say
WHERE || Staples Center, LA -->  Warehouse
WHEN || Feb 8th, 2015  [back dated]
HOW || Actionspam

[  The Knights' mission to stop the signal and prevent Draken's cult from spreading whatever subliminal message  was lurking beneath Keijen Blade's performance was a success.  It didn't come without its bumps in the road, however:  Alexander Anderson showed up, and the Knights ran afoul of the Mind Master.    Buffy nearly died fighting Anderson, but in the end, he was defeated, beheaded, and hopefully put to death forever.   Finnick, though, found himself thrust into a mental illusion that convinced him he might still be in the Hunger Games, and left him uncertain about whether any of his life here was real.  

Another surprise came in the form of an announcement by Nadia Reichenov, an artist working with Crombe and company, that she was changing her band name and taking things in a 'new direction'.   This direction was perhaps revealed when after her performance, she approached the Knights in Rafael's dressing room - and handed them the necklace that connects her to the Nightmare God Malaak'a, saying she was willing to tell them everything.  ]

Comments

[nothingsodivine]

[Feeling pretty satisfied with this, Des approaches the car he just shot up, throwing the unconscious driver out and taking cover behind the door.] How many more? I'm losing count over here.

1/3

[nepotism]

[ the sniper near fred drops with the rain of bullets, shocks of electricity still running across his body. fred gets to his feet and turns to look back in the car he's next to just as the driver raises an uzi and fires it back at him, breaking the window with the first shot and nat 20-ing fred immediately after (14 dmg). which pretty much answers the question since he's the last dude who isn't driving off... ]

[shootfirst]

[ kat draws her excalibur and takes one shot at the driver but a 12 is not... gonna get her anywhere. gurrrl. ]

[dragonsclaw]

[ with heroic surge, jack moves to the driver's side window, smashes it out with a 25 attack, and goes to put his sword to the driver's throat, maybe intending to question him ... but since he crit failed, the driver is gonna put his foot down and jerk the car forward, knocking jack's sword from his hand as he peels off ]

[slay]

[ With the last of them on the retreat, Buffy lowers her shiny new sniper rifle and jogs over to Fred, reaching one hand out to rest on his shoulder, looking him over. ]

You okay? [ Hold pls for Alainn concern. ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des is none too pleased with this asshole's HIT AND RUN attitude, but he resists the urge to jump in the car and floor it out of him, instead choosing to cross to the other side of the car and kick the other guy out of his seat.]

Where's Alainn? [He's got the Alainn concern.]

1/2

[nepotism]

[ fred puts a hand to one of his bloody wounds and grimaces as it comes away sticky but he waves off buffy's concern. ] I'm fine. [ he whips around, and looks visibly relieved to see kat there, but des' question causes him to look worried all over again ]

[shootfirst]

On the roof. It... it didn't look good.

[slay]

[ Buffy's head swivels towards the warehouse roof. ] Wait til we regroup with Myri not good or put her in a car and let's find one who's open at midnight on Grammys night not good? [ Either way, she's walking over so they can start looking at getting her down. ]

[dragonsclaw]

There might be something that I can do. [ jack's expression is grave as he goes towards the warehouse as well, and he got a nat 20 to climb the ladder so i guess he's not wasting any fucking time ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Meanwhile, Des watches them go and examines the car he's been throwing bodies out of.] I think This car's fine to drive, except for the giant hole in the windshield. [He hopes.] We've got that going for us. We need to get out of here sooner, rather than later, before they send the real big guns.

[slay]

Get it running.

[ Buffy says breezily as she heads off after Jack. She rolls ONE SHY OF A NAT 20 for her climb check but that's still a 32 for Buffy so she's monkeying up after him and pretty easily keeping up. She follows him to Alainn's side, crouching. ]

Ah, geez.

[ It's a good thing she's mostly desensitized to body horror and gore at this point, but she's not desensitized to seeing her friends mostly dead. She lowers her head, covering her mouth with one hand, then shoots Jack a look. ] Can you help her?

[dragonsclaw]

[ jack crouches at her other side, examining her with his mouth set in a thin line ] She's still alive. Stable. [ grim relief ] I can at least get her on her feet. [ he places one hand on her forehead and a light burns through his palm, restoring 13 hp ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des climbs into THE BLOOD COVERED car and gestures for Kat and Fred to get in, while he starts it.]

[slay]

Alainn?

[ Buffy's voice is light and soft, brimming with concern. ]

[shootfirst]

[ fred goes to get in, since he would like to sit down now kthanx, but kat hesitates, keeping one hand on the door as she stands watching the roof for any sign of alainn ]

[attollores]

[Thank god for Jack Chessing. That gets her to a total of 8hp now >.<

Her breathing becomes much steadier with Jack's spell, and at Buffy's voice her eyes snap open, shock and fear warring in her gaze as she tries to look around for the helicopter that just tried to blow her up. It takes all her strength to prop herself up to one elbow, eyes finally seeing Jack there as well.]

Where's the helicopter? Kat? [She says it with a grimace, her voice rough, but the last thing she saw was her friend almost getting blown up as well. And she is definitely going to need help standing up :/. ]

[slay]

She took it down.

[ Buffy says it quickly, reaching out to steady a hand on the back of Alainn's shoulder, ready to support her. She moves another hand to Alainn's hand, looping her arm around Buffy's shoulders. ]

It's all over. We took 'em out. Now come on; let's get you down before they call in back-up.

[nothingsodivine]

[Des peers at Kat from the open door as the engine hums expectantly.] Do you see 'em?

[attollores]

That's me girl [it's said breathlessly as she gratefully accepts her help to stand. Despite being taller than Buffy by a few inches, she feels light enough that a stiff wind could knock her over, and with the condition she's in right now that would probably actually be true. She uses Buffy's added strength to walk in a straight line, but after a few steps she seems to be supporting her own weight much better, though she doesn't let her go completely (Str 18)]

Ach, I'll be fine darlin'. I'm strong as a bull! [no, no she's not. don't believe her, Buffy.]

[dragonsclaw]

Just be careful climbing down. [ jack watches her carefully to monitor her going down the ladder, heading after her ]

[shootfirst]

There they are! [ kat's smile broadcasts huge relief as she sees alainn make it to the ladder ]

[nothingsodivine]

[Des breathes his own sigh of relief.] Then let's get out of here.

[slay]

[ Buffy makes her way down first quickly (climb 25) so she can ready herself to help Alainn where she needs it (15 to assist). ]

[attollores]

[Alainn makes her way down the ladder after Buffy, and actually seems to be doing okay with it on her own (Climb 19). She's out of breath when they reach the bottom, her steps a little halting but she is able to manage a pained half-smile at Buffy and Jack, gratitude shining through.]

Thank ye, both of ye. I have just one thing ter do before we leave, won't take but a minute. [She walks a few more steps before she focuses on a clear part of the parking lot, her vault slamming down to the pavement in front of her. She waves a hand to open it, reaching in and closing her eyes in concentration just totally ignoring Anderson's mauled and decapitated body. No more than a heartbeat passes before she pulls out this staff, and with another wave of her hand the vault disappears. The staff is a single piece of mithral carved with lines and small dots and encrusted with blue and violet gemstones at either end. The runes marking it are a mixture of Auran and Infernal terms, intertwined down it's length. Using it to help her walk to the car, her burned and bloody face is set in a grim and angry line, saying in a raspy voice-] Shall we?