Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[Cynical Cat]

"Yes, Ghost is potentially very useful," said Blackheart. "His bosses will want to know what we are up to and he'll be willing to help to keep the communication lines open."

[LadyTevar]

"So it's a good thing I've not had time to break the link to him?" Li Na asked, giving David a sly grin before taking a drink of her Coke.

[Charon]

Legacies looked over at Colin and Mike. "We... I don't think that Cascade is of much importance right now. Either it will be dealt with, and not a concern, or Mike is right, in which case we'll have time before something needs be done."

Legacies grabbed a can of Pepsi and took a long drink from it, burping softly as he set the can down.

[SirNitram]

"The problem with Ghost is he's an unknown, a wildcard. We all basically understand each other here, understand why we do what we do. Ghost's working for someone in the government, but would rather let us vanish than reveal who." Mike pointed out between slices. He went through pizza like some people went through candy. "We're not in a situation where we can trust just anyone."

[LadyTevar]

"Does he not also have a family?" Li Na asked. "That might have also affected his choice." She looked around the table. "How many of us are really tied down to one place, hmm?"

Ok, so the truth is that she thought Ghost was useful, and he'd started to grow on her. There was also the fact that if things went south, she could defect to his particular alphabet soup and possibly come out better.

[Cynical Cat]

"Ghost's priorities make his actions predictable on a certain level," said Blackheart. "That's useful, if handled properly." He powered down another slice. "Anyone else got any urgent plans?"

[LadyTevar]

"Not at the moment," Li Na said, pushing away her plate. She only managed three large slices; her amusement at how Collin and David seemed to be in a race to eat the most was clear. "Although, there is the matter of how you're going to keep me grounded, David," she teased.

[Cynical Cat]

"I'm going to have Tachyon look in to your eyes and you'll be frozen in place gazing back," Blackheart quipped. He tossed some bills on the table. "For the zza. I have to go internet someone about some data and pick up some fake ideas. I shouldn't be too long."

[B4UTRUST]

"Lenox," came the voice through his commset.
"Yeah, what do you want?"
"Your team is being diverted from your destination. The targets have moved. You're going to Chicago."
"Fine. We'll get there shortly."
"Make it fast. Before they move again. Your flight plan has been updated accordingly."

The helicopter adjusted its the course and increased speed. Its nose dipped towards the ground as it accelerated. About an hour later it arrived at Chicago, landing on the rooftop of a building. The rotors slowed to a stop as the crew door slid open.

The team that stepped out of the helo was loaded with enough weapons and ammo to take over a couple of thirdworld nations. It was carefully arrayed around their bodies, strapped and secure. They moved with organized precision, indicating some sort of formal training.

A man awaited them on the rooftop, handing the lead man a single manila envelope. Inside was a set of photos taken through a telephoto lens. Most were high definition shots, on high speed film, professional work. Several at the back were grainier black and whites, a much lower resolution then the previous ones. The pictures were taken through a window. They also were much more recent. Their targets were here.

The leader passed the photos around. The team examined them, memorizing the faces. The photos were handed back and the folder returned.
"Where," was the only question asked by Lenox. The address of their last sighting was given. The information was only about ten minutes old. It was time to move.

"Abby must be really pissed to send this much after a group of mortals," muttered Wolf as she chambered a round into her sidearm, flicking the safety off before reholstering it.
"And I'm sure that Morningstar is just laughing," replied Webb.
"That sadist probably is. You know it too!"

-------------

A few minutes later then were in an elevator riding to the top of the building across the street from their targets. They had managed to get this far due to the power of their benefactors hiding them in plain sight, making them appear to be something that they weren't.

The elevator dinged as the doors opened on the top floor. They exited the elevator cab, and searched for a staircase with roof access. Once finding it, they moved to the roof and began setting up.

The forms of sniper rifles took shape as they assembled the guns. Ammo was jacked in, one round at a time. The scope was attached and sighted in. Wind velocities were taken into account, along with other factors. Lenox pulled the rifle against his shoulder, looking into the scope. He moved it over the windows, looking over the faces of the building's occupants. He found his targets.
"Targets found. Wolf, Webb, cover our retreat. Jobe, Baden, hold for suppressive fire."

The crimson-red tattoos circling the right side of Lenox's neck and face trailed down to his wrist. They began to faintly glow. The glow grew to encompass the gun, infusing the rounds with infernal energy. Now it was a matter of waiting for the targets to step outside. He'd take the last one out, leaving the others out in the open for Jobe and Baden to attack. That would give him enough time to line up the next shot and hopefully injure them.

[LadyTevar]

Something pulled at her...
What was it?

Li Na looked... out? Up? something...... it was there.... she could feel like, like a whisper from Between

What ... what is it?


"David?" Her voice was unsure, as she looked around, towards the front of the store, up towards the ceiling, frowning as she tried to place the feeling and where it came from. What was It? "... Something ... something's out there."

[SirNitram]

"I can't place it, but there's something... Odd." Mike murmured, a hand going to his neck. Glowing under the outfit, the mystical markings on his skin were pulsating quietly. "There any major centers of holy energy in this city?"

[Charon]

Legacies looked between Argent and Gravitas, his suit shifting and bending underneath the table, getting ready to move. He looked at Blackheart... David. Waiting for him to give any orders, though the suit began to search for anything it might be able to see.

[LadyTevar]

Argent frowned at Gravitas, shaking her head. "No.. it's not like that... it's...."

where had she felt this? What could it mean?

"... it's like Abaddon..." she finished, looking at Blackheart worriedly.

[Bloody Good]

"Up there."

Two very bizarre-looking men had just popped open the grating over a storm drain across the street from where the team was eating, and climbed out. They were carrying, of all things, spears, swords, and shields. One was pointing to the rooftop of the building they stood in front of. His left arm was covered by an Ace Bandage from knuckles to shoulder, and judging from the grime on the cloth, it wasn't a new bandage. The bandaged one was big, maybe 6'1". His blond hair was filthy, as was his scruffy beard. He looked as though he'd been crawling through the mud all day. His clothes stood in stark contrast to his choice of weapons. Despite the mud, they were very clearly modern. Denim.

His companion was equally dirty, but had a strange sort of dignified stance that almost negated it. He looked similar to his companion, large and muscular, along with lank, dirty hair and unkempt facial hair, though his hair was so black it almost looked blue "Hold that.." He waved his hand, trying to think of the word. "Fire escape. The ladder." As soon as his companion had a grip on the bottom end of it, he seized it as well, and the entire structure bent halfway up the building, whipping the duo upwards and depositing them on the rooftop.

As they left the team's line of sight, a ball of fire curled up from the roof, accompanied by suprised shouts and harsh laughter.

[LadyTevar]

Nothing like a fight to ramp up the emotional ambiance of an area, especially if it screamed Demonic. Now Argent had a better lock on the location, but so did the rest of the team as the shouts came from outside.

"Someone got ambushed ... and they're both demonic," Argent warned as she rose from the table, calling it as she 'felt' it. "Make the call, Blackheart. Join in, vanish away, or stop to get our armor first?"

Personally, she'd prefer armor. Saibot had proven how her shadow-dragon was still vulnerable to damage, and she did not want hurt again. All of them except Gravitas and Legacies were in street clothes, not the best to fight or hide identities.

[Haizu]

Mere seconds after the odd duo had vanished atop the roof, they reappeared using the same slingshot technique as before, only in reverse! The impromptu steel sling slowed down just before they landed. Not even taking a moment the check their surroundings, both of the mysterious men made a mad dash for the doors of the very restaraunt that the team was sitting in. Making it to the doors, they were closely followed by chunks of asphalt being kicked up by the large caliber rounds being fired at them from the rooftop. Diving for cover behind the counter, the black haired man bellowed "I FUCKING HATE GUNS!". After making it behind the counter, the bandaged man pops his head up over the counter, raises a fist in rage and shouts "You demonic motherfuckers, you're gonna die with my cock in your brains!" The seemingly more sensible man grabbed his irate partner and yanked him under the table just before a veritable hail of bullets peppered the wall where his head had just been moments before.

{A collaborative post by Haizu and Bloody Good}

[Charon]

"Well that settles that." The suit he'd been wearing disappeared as the silver suit wrapped itself around the scarred man. The silver figure turned and stalked over to the two men that had found cover.

"Fools. You're bringing your fight to innocent civilians." Legacies turned to Blackheart. "Permission to run distraction and get the fire away from civilians?" Bullets struck the ground all around Legacies as he seemed to stand calmly.

[Marcao]

He ate quietly, his eyes sliding from speaker to speaker as Team Mirage discussed various aspects that would affect their present and future. The idea of seeking Ghost’s assistance was a logical one, it was something that he grudgingly admitted but the risks involved with dealing with such an agent were well known. As such, he did not see the need to point them out. He had made clear where he stood when it came to Ghost. In the end, he was growing more accustomed to the particular internal dynamics of the team.

He finished his second slice and began to work on a third, his left hand reaching for his sprite glass before he took a sip. It was at that moment that Blackheart decided to make his quip and it took a great deal of self control not to spit the whole mess right out. He swallowed, his eyes avoiding those of anyone at that particular moment as he became fascinated with his glass and its clear contents. It was shortly there after that Li Na was speaking and there was something about her tone of voice that drew his attention.

A moment later Gravitas was commenting about some oddity, his head turned and Legacies as well seemed to be responding to something. His senses strained and found nothing that he could immediately identify as a threat. Still, that by no stretch of the imagination meant that there was no threat present. Inwardly, he made preparations actively reaching for his power and holding on to it. The process was an invisible one and something that he had grown very used to doing. Some of his abilities were reflexive, some were literally always on, but there were others that had to be mentally turned on. He did so now.

There were a handful of moments where he was distinctly aware of the passage of time. It was frustrating to not feel what the others felt, to not have that insight but he trusted the rest of the team. Eventually, that irritation and doubt was dispelled beneath the sound of an explosion.

“Not very subtle.â€

[SirNitram]

"You know, this shit happens whenever I try to eat out." Gravitas commented, looking to the two sudden appearances. "Definately demonic, though."

[Cynical Cat]

"Kickass and take names," growled Blackheart. "Keep the civvies safe!" The meta headed out, into the incoming gunfire.

[LadyTevar]

Argent nodded, elongating into her draconic form. Keep civvies safe? She could do that, as she slid away from the table and began herding the other patrons towards the back of the building. "Everyone gather in a group," the dragon ordered, projecting a calming confidence towards the guests and staff. "I can take you to safety, just remain calm and gather in the back."

Crowd control was easier with Empathy. Once she got the civvies in a group, she would teleport them ... where? Ahh... the little park beside the Macy's building. Nearly a mile away, in case the fight spreads out.

[B4UTRUST]

Lenox was lining up his shot when the fireball hit. He felt the concussive impact press him hard against the ledge he was leaning on. The heat beat against his back, burning his skin.

The heat lasted but a moment as Webb used her patron's powers to draw the flames under control. She just had the misfortune of underestimating the power of the Word, not having expected to deal with demonic powers here on this plane. The end result was that she managed to bring it under control, but got herself burned in the process. Her skin took on a melted appearance, her clothes blackened and chared in some places. She felt, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

Behind Lenox erratic firing took place as someone shot at something. He half turned, watching the retreating figures leaving. He thought maybe it had been Wolf shooting at them. He was mistaken however, when Wolf continued to fire erratically at something that only she could apparently see. Her eyes were wide with terror of something, her breathing coming fast as she discharged her weapon wildly.
"Shit," he muttered, dropping his sniper rifle to the rooftop, the red glow fading from it.

"Lenox, what's happening," came the voice over his comm set again.
"You have lousy timing. Those reports of escapees from the Dulce complex are confirmed. They're here."
"They must have followed you somehow. Kill their mortal bodies, we'll take care of them once they're returned down here."
"Terrific."

Lenox turned to his team, dropping in a crouch behind the cover of the wall.
"Jobe, Baden, take care of the other two. Take it by pairs and get them patched and to the street. I'll cover you."
"Yes sir!"

Baden did that crouching run across the roof to where Webb was. When he got to her he did a quick check of her, making sure she was still breathing and her heart still beating. Then he dragged her to the stairwell and carried her down. A minute later Jobe followed Baden and went to Wolf. She was no longer firing, her gun clicking empty. She instead swung at him. He caught the brunt of the attack in his arm. He winced in pain as he backed off out of range.
"Ow, you Christ-sucking bitch," he screamed at her.

Jobe leaned in and backhanded her with his weighted gloves. That stunned her and he brought the butt of his gun around against her temple, knocking her out for the moment.
"Stupid bitch," he muttered as he drug her unconcious form to the stairwell, carrying her down.

Down in the top floors of the building power was sporatic, lights flickering. People were running around, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. Baden had already taken out a pair of individuals, their bodies laying slumped against a wall. Baden was helping Webb over to one of the bodies. There she lifted her arm, that red aura flaring to life. The aura enveloped the body she was over. A hiss of air escaped the dead man's lips as the body lifted, disintegrating. The aura flared and flowed into Webb's hand and the aura disappeared. The burns covering the front of her body also disappeared. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Damn that feels much better."

Jobe grunted as he dumped Wolf's body next to the other one. A couple of quick smacks across the face brought her around. He managed to get her to calm down enough to heal herself, which seemed to help her mindset.
"What happened to me," she asked.
"Some sort of attack. We're heading down to ground level. They're holed up across the street. Lenox is covering."

The two pairs moved down to the ground floor.

Lenox had pulled his assault rifle around on the sling and flicked off the safety and set it to single fire. With precision he started firing bursts into the front of the restraunt, spaced out far enough to keep people's heads down while his own people moved into place.

Reaching up to his vest he plucked a gernade off, chucking it across the street to the ground. As it left his hands he grabbed it with his mind and directed it so it bounced off the sidewalk and through a previously unbroken window. It exploded at chest level a second later, the HE gernade blowing fragments at deadly speed.

He resumed his cover fire when he got the signal from Jobe.
"We're down. Give us some cover."
"Head for the cars."
"What cars?"

A pair of cars were deposited rather recklessly in the middle of the street on their sides, wheels still spinning, their occupants struggling to free themselves from their sudden entrapment.
"Those cars."

The two pairs took cover behind the cars. Automatic weapons were aimed over the vehicles, bursts firing into the restraunt. When one was getting low the other would pick up the firing detail when the first reloaded. Lenox continued to firing from above and chucking gernades when he got an oppertunity.
"No survivors, Lennox."
"Absolutely none..."

[Charon]

Legacies saw the cars flip as Blackheart flew out, the others could easily handle that situation, the sniper on the roof was what was really pining them down now. "Black Hole! Get those people out of the cars so we can shoot back!"

Legacies turned and saw a grenade incoming, wincing as a bullet struck his shoulder, burrowing into his flesh. A silvery tendril lashed out and wrapped around the grenade, trying to shove it back above the cars before it could explode as another bullet struck him in the guy, again digging into his flesh. When the grenade blew up while still surrounded by the tendril, the explosion was considerably more muffled , instead of many sharp fragments of grenade, there were pieces of symbiote flying around the room. Legacies yelled out in pain as he fell back. The steaming tendril lashing back into the protective coating of the main body.

[SirNitram]

'Black Hole' did what he did best, generating the singularities that gave him his name. The weapons fire arced away from the group as the air filled with tiny points of gravitational instability, trying to buy himself time as he did something complicated.

Space bent itself, ripping the doors from the cars and hurling them like projectiles to the attackers. "Get clear! Get yourselves clear!" He yelled to the occupants, even as he had no choice but to rip their vehicles asunder, providing himself shields to protect them from the weapons fire.

[Marcao]

Blackheart gave his orders before moving into the incoming fire leaving it to his talents to keep him safe. His head turned as he looked over his shoulder towards Li Na, her body elongating into that familiar figure of a dragon. He couldn’t afford to waste time watching Argent, she was a big girl he had little doubt that she could handle herself. As Argent began to utter her orders he himself began to move. He could feel his force screen wrapped tightly around him, a sheath of energy invisible to normal human eyes. He began to walk towards the entrance of the establishment and where all the action was occurring. Unlike Argent or Gravitas, he had to see where he was going if he was going to utilize his talent effectively.

He made it close to the entrance before he stopped, the hail of fire which was erupting in the area worrying him little. In three separate occasions, individual rounds found their mark before being slowed to a dead stop before they quite managed to reach him. Each time, his force screen flared into existence pulsing with a ruby hue as the individual bullets impacted, lost their energy and fell harmlessly to the floor. He couldn’t quite see anything just yet and he could hardly nullify a threat he could not see. Less than a minute later, he saw what he was looking for as an individual wielding what seemed to be an assault rifle began to fire. Within seconds he understood that he was not trying so much to kill anyone just yet as to keep people’s heads down. The grenade moments later could be a problem. He gathered his power preparing to do something reckless when Legacies saved him the trouble.

The discomfort that Legacies action earned him brought with it a ripple of satisfaction from him. He did not allow the pleasure to linger however, aware that their situation was a potentially difficult one. The targets did not seem to care about endangering civilians, the grenade alone had testified to that. When the cars arrived on the middle of the street as if by the hand of God, their troubles multiplied; the incoming fire continued and it was growing more accurate. He was getting tired of this. His force screen flared as the occasional bullet found its mark, and he took a handful of steps to the side and kneeled in order to make himself a smaller target.

Gravitas acted or he assumed he did so because suddenly the incoming ordnance became far more erratic as if an invisible force was exerting its will upon them. The sound of groaning steel attracted his attention as the doors from the vehicles were pulled apart and used as weapons. Hmm, that was a nice touch. A millisecond later, Gravitas was yelling and it all but confirmed that he was the one behind the action. His eyes focused on the vehicles, watching as the occupants did indeed try to follow Gravitas advice. No one wanted to be used as a living shield, but not everyone could get out of their vehicles either.

It seemed that one man in particular was pinned to his car and was unable to move enough to exit. He hesitated for only a moment before his eyes focused on his desired destination. Hmm, this was going to be a little interesting. The car doors were still in the process of being used as impromptu projectiles when he acted

<Blink>

One moment, he had been leaning against a pillar within the restaurant using it for cover against the incoming traffic of ordnance that was being leveled against the pizzeria. A heartbeat later he was flickering into existence crouching atop of one of the vehicles. He could clearly see two of the floating car doors as they moved. At that moment, he could have individually counted how many scratches there were in the upholstery. The blinking process was more energy consuming than displacement for that very reason. His senses were amplified and his perception of time was enhanced. This effect did not last very long, typically fading away after ten seconds had elapsed between blinks.

He doubted that his sense of time was as fine as the one that Hotfoot needed in order to run at the speeds he did for prolonged periods of time. It was something that they would have to test down the line one way or another. It could wait. His left hand moved, darting into the vehicle proper and reaching for the driver he knew laid there. It was a man in his fifties, he would much have preferred a young woman but one did not always get what one wanted. He felt his hand make contact with the man, felt his fingers curl around the man’s arm. His head turned, a location sought and found before he acted again.

<Blink>

He appeared with the man roughly two blocks away from the pizzeria by the side of a mailbox. He kneeled next to the man and looked him over for a moment.

“Stay here if you can’t move and get the hell out if you can. This might take a little while.â€