[HeroMux] The Well of Souls - Part 2 - Kilroy Was Here

Summary: Kilroy seeks aid against Mammon to destroy the well of souls.

Location: The Pits of Hell

Date: 2014.03.26

Emitter: Kilroy

Players: Kilroy Capital Conneticut,Zatanna Zatara, Lunair Weir,Brynnhildr

NPCs: Mammon

Groups: Team: Genesis Magic and Mysticism

Tone: Heroic

Rating: Public The Portal of Zentral Inal is one of those curiosities, like the 'why do we have that level' or 'why did we put traps in this well traveled corridor' in that it is a vulnerable portal to the outside, but what people rarely realize is that there is a need for such curiosities, with a small community in the isolated community in the Rockies that maintains it. Sometimes you want to go "elsewhere" and can't get there on your own. But what the portal specializes in that most others do not, is that it can get you in there entirely undetected...And so it is that Kilroy has found himself here, with a few other invitees. The price has been paid...and the portal opened. He stands on the threshold and explains while the portal master watches on the side. Kilroy takes a deep breath and puts a hand behind his head, "Mammon is a heavy hitter. His demons are strong, tough and extremely evil. They can also possess most folks without a strong enough will. I've bought one shot charms for most of the major hazards; the fire, the possession and the cursing...and the other good news is that because Mammon violated the contract, we can hurt him and his minions with regular weapons, but they can still hurt us. He's also expecting us, but he doesn't know we're already bypassing the City of Gold and going straight into the back door of his palace. I don't expect that to last very long. We're looking for the well of souls. It's a device my father created with Mammon that channels souls that arrive in this part of hell to various demon lords as currency. It requires other magic to work...My plan? Not sure, but potentially to destroy the thing and let them go back to whatever they used before it existed. What I do not plan to do is agree to Mammon's demand that I recharge the thing. Questions?" Lunair really doesn't get a lot of this. But se tries. And she places her trust in Kilroy. She seems fiercely protective of Kilroy, oddly enough. And today, she's wearing her body armor. Lunair listens intently, hazel eyes a little wide. She nods. Right. Charms. Possession and curses bad... And the scary part is, there's not much she can do about either besides shoot the mage or demon in the face before she gets cursed. Which tends to make people frown at Lunair. A lot. Nevertheless, she seems to get the gist of the plan and nods. She seems to understand. "Hm. Does this mean I should use blessed weapons?" Having brought basically an entire trunk of gear with her, Brynn is dressed for battle, armor plates and chainmail pieces all about her body. The trunk is open, with half a dozen swords, a couple axes, shields, and armor pieces that can be strapped on, fastened to legs, arms, shoulders and such.. all within said wooden container. "If he is such a heavy hitter, then by all means, those who desire it, feel free to select anything you wish from my supplies here." she states, gesturing to the trunk. "I have no skill with magic, but they are well forged, and very durable weapons and plates." She then turns to Kilroy and offers, "I can cloak myself from detection should you require someone to be stealthy." And yeah, she doesn't seem to have the subtle aspect to her personality. "But I am not an expert on your magical beings. However, I can heal the injured, though not quickly. Keep that in mind should the need arise. Aside from that, I will defer to the experts about where I should be put to use." "As for the charms. Save them for the others. I should have no need of such." adds Brynn. Zatanna Zatara - hat tilted at a jaunty angle, and painted lips pursing with thought, had listened to most of what was said. And the woman was left with a little smile tugging up the corners of her lips. A long pause, and she gives her head a shake. "I'm not sure I agree - wading into a demon stronghold and trying to cut our way through their host is... foolhardy at best. If we can do it, we can do it, but..." Zatanna flickers her eyes from person to person. "The souls that this machine attracts. Are they innocent, or are they already hellbound?" she asks. Kilroy answers the questions in the order that they were received. He winks affectionately at Lunair but nods to her. "Blessed is good. I've already got 4 gallons of Holy Water. Silver is good too. Holy symbols for anything you have faith in work too." He nods to Brynn, "If we go stealthy, cloaking your presence is good. And that healing will likely be necessary but I think if we stop we're dead." He turns to Zatanna, who knows to this point by reputation only, but her reputation is sufficient that his voice carries a tone of definite respect. He thinks a moment on her words and then says,"It's about 99.9 percent hellbound with .1 percent 'gray' so that they might be viewed as innocent by me but somehow managed to get down here in the first place. And I'm all for subtle. I've already given Mammon quite the black eye, but my primary objective is to get him off my back so he stops targeting me to get me to recharge this thing. Lunair seems surprised! But famous is famous. She listens. She smiles politely to Brynn and Zatanna. She beams at Kilroy's wink, and seems fond in turn. She nods. Blessed, holy or silver. She's not sure about the symbols. She never really got exposed to religion. Either way, Lunair knows what to bring this time. She looks to them, thoughtful. For her part, Lunair is more listening. This mystic stuff is over her head. Nodding, Brynn falls silent for now. She looks to Zatanna, and then to Kilroy, interested in the answer of the innocent vs hellbound. She doesn't really get into the whole... afterlife ideals, since her people don't do afterlife, they just... keep waking up after dying. Finally, she speaks. "I cannot cloak others. Only myself... should I do so and take point?" she asks. And then she nods to Kilroy. "You mentioned silver, so every one of the weapons in the trunk are forged with edges of silver. But which are as hard as diamond. Take anything you like.. any of you." That said, she turns and looks in the direction the plan dictates travelling in, and merely... waits. "If we're taking votes on what to do - sneaking in and disabling or destroying it would be my way to go. But as always - anything that messes with these demon guys, I'm more than happy to help with," says Zatanna, a showwoman's smile dancing up on her lips. "If we're talking invisibility? I may have a trick or two..." Zatanna flicks her hand, showing the queen of hearts card now caught in her fingertips. "Up my sleeve. I'm ready when you all are." Kilroy thinks hard. Long and hard. Finally he decides, since someone should and this is his mission after all, "Let's try stealth. I can't do invisible, but if we're spotted, let me distract Mammon. Lunair, you can have my back while Brynn and Zatanna, you two can find and deal with the well of Souls." He hands Brynn and Zatanna two coins, "These will grow cooler the closer you get to it..." He smiles at Brynn and, while there are some NICE looking weapons in there, he goes for what he knows and picks a slender but sturdy silver staff. "This is great. Thanks Brynn." And with that, Kilroy steps through the portal. It is hot, insanely hot but the charm he's put on his neck protects him for now. No demons have found them yet. He moves with the group towards a set of giant double doors on the far end of the room. There are some noises of conversation up ahead but not moving or coming closer. "I think I can make my own, I would feel bad taking yours," Although - Lunair's weapons may have less 'soul', they have the advantage of being around as needed. For now, she slings a super soaker full of holy water over her shoulder and keeps a silver shotgun in hand. It's probably loaded. But she doesn't point it at anyone. "I'll watch your back then," Lunair promises. She seems content to act as a guard, then. She is pretty protective, and all. With that, she will quietly follow Kilroy. And hope not to meet the Saint of Killers, get fried alive or anything like that. It's a good thing that Brynn doesn't take offense when folks don't want her toys. She loves making them whether they get used or not. It should be noted that she is also not carrying one and not selecting one herself. "Kilroy... if anyone should act as decoy if the need arises, it is me. Eternals do not stay dead even if they are killed.... so I am the logical choice." That said though, she steps through the portal, psionic illusions starting to flicker until she steps out the other side and fades out. For Zatanna Zatara's part? She did not choose any of the weapons offered, none of the holy water, none of the other things. "I'm quite strong enough on my own," she says with a wink, as she brings a hand up to wave off the weapons. "And I may have brought a trick or three of my own along, if I need it," she says, turning her eyes towards the valkyrie proper, holding up the coin that Kilroy provided. A wave of her hand - and the coin disappears, Zatanna's hands empty entirely, the woman giving her a cheeky grin. She did take the heat charm, however. And the one against possession. Tugging the brim of her hat down, she steps into the portal as well, her eyes flickering with only the slightest bit of hesitation. She had been to hell before. Not a place she was hoping to visit again. Kilroy peeks through the door. He considers what to do. He whispers, "There are two demons in there. Let me try something..." There is a brief bit of conversation and they move away. Kilroy chuckles, "They fell for it." As the group moves farther in to the compound, they take a set of stairs down and then end up in a long corridor. There are cells on either side with bars. There are moans from multiple people, and a large vaulted door with two HUGE demons in front. Sneaking past these two will be almost impossible. Lunair is watching over Kilroy, and minding any wayward demons since she's not any use at this magic stuff. She will have her charms handy, though, silver shotgun in hand. And then her eyes widen as she watches Kilroy charm the demons. Hmm. Those are huge demons. "I guess we'd have to bluff or -" She looks to the others. Well, there are times for stealth, and there are times for being obvious. Brynn floats forward since levitating is silent. She has an idea, and she gestures towards the vaulted doors while cloaked, and telekinetically pulls upon them to try to open them. Either way, the doors should either open or rattle if they are like... you know.. locked. She yanks on them with a solid ton of force, and is already moving towards the two guards... the plan? Make them look at the door and then dispatch them -quickly-. Her Asgardian blade is summoned to her hand, and she moves... not with supernatural speed, but the sort of speed of someone confident with her movements, and her skills... blade whistling towards the torso of one demon, lengthening so that the single arc stroke should... (if all goes according to plan) should be able to sweep across both targets. IF she can take them both down before anyone calls out a warning, that's her version of stealth! The magicienne follows the others through the damned halls of the fortress, and the others might pick up a hint of anxiety from her, forever hidden behind her showwoman's smile. For all the tricks she had, demons at heart were more difficult than most. It was harder to overcome them naturally, but what she could do? As Brynn kinda steps out like that, Zatanna's eyes widen quite a bit. Stepping forward - she was trying to keep her magic low-key so as to prevent being detected by the surge in very human magic that she had, Zatanna closes her eyes, and points a hand out - fore and middle fingers split to point at both demons. "Laets eht ria morf rieht sgnul dna dnuora rieht sdaeh!" If it worked the way she wanted it to, the demons would find their lungs - if they had any, and the area about their heads to be suddenly devoid of air. The magic ~shouldn't~ be touching the demons at all. But that meant - if they used similar ways of talking that humans did - that they would suddenly be unable to roar or cry for help. The good news is that the group is able to dispatch the demons rather quickly. Brynn is not noticed as she approaches and dispatches one, though it recovers quickly and is about to shout before Zatanna ...does that...squirky thing on their lungs with no problem. The demons technically do not need air...but they do need their insides to be inside and are still quite....'dead'...they'll be back eventually but for now they're writhing around in dispatched pain on the floor. Kilroy gives a thumbs up and walks forward, past the cell cages. "MERCY! LET US FREE!" There are, in the cages on either side of the wall (about eight cells between the far vault) about 9 humans, 4 demons, and 3 ...weirdly humanoid creatures probably from non terran worlds. They all clamor for release from the iron bars though there is no immediate lever to release them. Kilroy isn't immediately sure what to do but if the racket hasn't alerted the guards it certainly will soon. Kilroy asks one of the prisoners, "How do we free you?" He isn't sure this is a good idea, but he isn't going to leave someone innocent here either. "There is a key good sir, on the guard's belt...hurry! Please hurry!" There is indeed a key on the belt of the guards, but to those in the group with mystic senses about half these people radiate evil..and to those with...shall we say a good judge of character, all of these people are...questionable at best. Lunair is - on guard duty then. She listens, to the screams. And even Lunair seems a bit uneasy about letting these folks go. She frowns, shaking her head. She doesn't quite know what to do. She puts a fingertip to her lips, as the prisoners talk to them. "Hey ... hey ... for us to get the key... you have to be absolutely quiet, okay?" She says nothing of freedom or release, but then - it's not likely they're going to sneak past the guard, now are they? Nevertheless, she shifts the shotgun to rest over her shoulder and pulls the much quieter Holy Super Soaker. If someone else attacks, she'll follow up. Shaking her head, Brynn just says. "Do we really need a -key-?" She tries to cut through the bars with her supernatural strength and magic blade. "Perhaps they can take the portal back?" she asks as she steps towards the doors the two giants were guarding. Re-cloaking (and without turning left like a Romulan even!) she goes to peek out and see what's beyond. Zatanna wasn't quite trying to suffocate the demons - more trying to keep them from making noise. But of the three - possibly four right now, Zatanna looked a bit disgruntled with the plan of setting the prisoners free. Stopping by the bodies of one of the demons, she does fish out that key - "Lunair, catch!" only to toss it towards the other woman to make her decision with. But Zatanna had a sharp look in her eye - not on any of her companions at the moment. But there on the prisoners. Lips pursed, eyes watchful. "I feel we should leave them in there - and just hurry," says Zatanna. "Or throw them the key and let them free themselves," she says, kinda wincing as Brynn starts her cutting. Kilroy considers this. Which is more important, freeing these folks, or ending the suffering of many on Earth and a few in the confines of the machine. Reluctantly, he nods and moves on towards the door. In the doors beyond there is a large cauldron of the celtic variety in the center of the room. There are holes here, ones Zatanna recognizes as portals for souls...thousands of them to enter and leave here, now currently shut. There are also runes in a bright green ring here. The runes form an almost unbreakable force spell....but as her eye moves along the wall, ley lines lead out to the cells. A simple lever can open the gate, but it will cost the lives of those trapped in the cells. Also, in Kilroy's defense, most souls who end up here... are probably best left here. Lunair pauses, as Zatanna fishes out the key. She catches it neatly. Lunair looks thoughtful. "We probably should leave them be. The last thing I want to do is release a bunch of -" Pause. "Really bad dudes." Dudes being general gender, mind you. "And we would probably piss off a lot of judges," She points out quietly. "We can help some if we have time," She offers. Which is to say, it's probably better not to let a bunch of bad dudes out. Most 'decent' folks aren't in here. And Lunair wonders if she'll ever meet the Saint of Killers or end up here. Either way, she'd also rather not duke it out with someone like a judge or Ghost Rider or something. And also, they have a mission not to let these folks get used as mystic batteries. She pauses, looking to the others. "What does this thing do?" She asks quietly. Brynn takes point back through the portal making sure the way is clear. It's a good thing she did, because there appears to be a trap as more than a dozen demons are now guarding the entry room, though they do not notice her and are not looking directly at the entrance. She comes back and says, "There's a dozen of them between us and the gate but they could be in here rather quickly; I'm prepared to kill them either way." "There, you see the lines of runes?" Zatanna says - gesturing to those points along the walls. "It leads back to those cages. You pull the lever, the gate opens - but those in those cages die," says Zatanna, glancing back to those cages and frowning, tilting her head to one side. "But..." Zatanna gets that showwoman's smile again, and she gives Lunair a wink. "If they can't get out on their own... get ready to open the cages and pull the lever," she says, bringing her hands before herself and cracking her knuckles. "Derutpac sluos emoceb sevod!" she says, waggling her fingertips. If the spell works - and it may be enough of a blip of magic to get the attention of some Very Bad Things, the captured prisoners would (maybe painfully) become doves. Doves that could squeeze through the bars of the cages and be more or less harmless. Maybe. Poof. The force field is still up around the cauldron, which is now recognizable as the Well of Souls, but the doves immediately fly through the bars. They have slight features that their original selves did, such as the demons possessing red and gold feathers. They're all flying around the room, agitated but...happy? Hard to say since they're birds. Lunair pauses. Must. Resist. Urge. To shoot. BIRDS. Although, the Stevie Nicks song was pretty okay. She just has some reservations about freeing a bunch of bad dudes. Then again, she gets paid to hunt bad dudes. So it works out for her. She looks to Zatanna and smiles at the wink. "Okay," She nods. She will wait and watch, key and salvation soaker at the ready (oh ho). "I guess this is our well?" She peers at it. "Should I douse it with water or something?" And if given the okay, she will. But Lunair's watching over Kilroy and also not keen on bein melted Nazis at the Ark style. Over the comm, Lunair and Kilroy will hear Brynn's voice. "They were expecting us. They have inserted a force behind us at the portal to keep us from escaping. Do what you can there with your plan. I will.... open the back door." she states, rolling her neck as she adjusts the shield on her left arm. Then she just steps out of her illusion, appearing to fade in visually. "T'was a good plan." she tells the demons. "With one exception... me." And then she's among them. Cutting, ripping. It's a full on one woman against the world charge. And it's ugly. Zatanna Zatara wasn't quite sure it was the best move she had ever made in her life, but. As doves - they had a chance of escaping until the spell wore off. Or being caught again. Or eaten outright. And they were probably in hell for a reason, but... Zatanna shakes her head, turning her mind back to the task at hand. With a heady sigh, she moves to pull the lever. At least they wouldn't be the ones to kill them. "We have to destroy it... or... break it somehow. Do you... have any idea how?" she asks, mostly of Kilroy. Despite this being a 'trap' the demons are NOT prepared for the full on assault and a full three of them are badly wounded by the sword, cut nigh in two though not dead. But they are trained, and well trained at that, and after their instinctive burst of flame which did naught, they begin to work as a team, slowly working back the Eternal's defenses. Singularly they weren't much of a match but together? Far more skilled than one might suspect. He smiles at Lunair, "couldn't hurt." As Zatana asks Kilroy how to destroy the thing...he suddenly stops her from pulling the lever. As it does, a giant sucking sound is heard as the cells attempt to suck the life out of those inside...except there are no souls...so the vortex continues...the doves fly out into the room with the demons. Two are zorted by flame, but the rest are quite agail but they do somewhat distract the demons leaving a small opening for Brynn. Kilroy thinks, "You know, if there were demons in the cells...could we put Mammon's soldiers in there? I could also try Rai stoning the thing to crack...maybe if we combined our powers you could make the rai stone heavier or the like...." Lunair smiles back to Kilroy. She nods. "We could potentially." She pauses. The sucking sound makes her a bit confused. "We could use them." experimentally, she will try squirting the well of souls with her salvation soaker. It will hiss, even crack a tiny but but it is far from done. "I'd offer to help Miss Brynn but she might be unhappy and think -" Think Lunair thinks she can't do it and Lunair has no inclination to upset the valkyrie. Although, she is also watching Kilroy's back. Training as a team -is- important, but there are ways to mitigate the threat of overwhelming numbers. It helps to be able to fly, but demons likely can do that too but then... the ability to change the weapon, and to focus her power cosmic through the blade itself. That can even the odds. So the sword becomes a spear without warning, trying to skewer one or two of them demons, before Brynn catches an attack on her shield, trusting her back and breast to protect her from a shot which gets through her defenses. In fact.. by now, she has several wounds on her body after only the first minute or so of battle. A minute of battle can feel like years though. But then she grins and from her eyes... beams of pure force lash out at her enemies. Honestly? She's not trying to beat them all. She is trying to keep them focused so that when the time comes for her friends to make their escape, these demons can be simply overrun. "Apparently," says Zatanna to Lunair and Kilroy both. "We need to get some souls in this machine, to break it. Maybe we shoulda just kept the old ones in there," she says, furrowing her brow in a look of thought. "Maybe - maybe we can get one of those warriors from outside?" she asks the others, pursing her lips at the sound of battle. Kilroy has no difficulty whatsoever in using the ones outside. He contacts Brynn on his comm, "Guide them to the hallway! We need them to go into the hallway!" Kilroy seems quite pleased with himself until one of the portals in the main room opens up and demons begin to drop out. The nine remaining demons attacking Brynn are quite frustrated, grunting but working over time to hurt her...and hurt her they do but they don't understand why she isn't running. Mammon, however has begun to suspect his trap isn't working...and a bellow of rage is heard far above the group. Something is descending."The birds are gone - or mostly gone, without a quick spell or something to yank then into the cages... when Brynn provides such things. "Hurry hurry - close the doors!" she coos, her eyes going towards the ceiling as that presence of the demon lord draws nearer. Zatanna would throw the switch, however, if the demons manage to get encaged. "We could use the birds or the demons," Lunair agrees. She is not leaving Kilroy's back open. She nods at Zatanna. "I think we are about to make a friend. One whose words we should not listen to," She admits. Lunair seems concerned about Brynn, peering around, frowning and trying to see. And now that they have demons pouring in, she'll pull out the silver shot gun. DUAL WIELDING! Any who get too close to Kilroy are going to get maimed at best. Well, battle and strategy is all about deception. Wiping at blood on her forehead before it can get into her eyes. Brynn psionically sends through the comm: "Very well. Incoming. Be ready." and she lets fear show on her face finally, her right arm appearing to weaken a bit. Perhaps she is tiring... She swings at one more enemy and then turns to flee on foot, allowing her foes to keep up. Her plan? To skid to a stop just past the cages. To turn, and then a Telekinetic slam to place demons... 'where they belong'. Granted, others likely have the caging of them planned their own ways. "The birds are gone - or mostly gone, without a quick spell or something to yank then into the cages... when Brynn provides such things. "Hurry hurry - close the doors!" she coos, her eyes going towards the ceiling as that presence of the demon lord draws nearer. Zatanna would throw the switch, however, if the demons manage to get encaged. Normally nine souls wouldn't be enough, but it is enough to start the effect. The pull of the lever slowly begins to crack the shield around the dome, and Kilroy begins to hammer at it with an invisible Rai stone...more cracks appear. As Lunair engages the silver shot gun, the choke point of the hole makes it such that she is able to oblitterate them almost as fast as they enter, but then Kilroy gets an idea. "Go for the legs and wings!" Limbless, they are easily conveyed via floating Rai stone into the other end of the portal. The twelve souls are obtained. Not easily, but with a bit of luck and pernicious telekinetic manipulation from Brynn. Once Zatanna throws the lever all the way again, the dome cracks and the well falls to the ground. The room begins to shake as Mammon descends through the ceiling, quite irate. 20 foot tall here, it roars with rage and tries to attack the three before him...but can't. He is bound by the contract violation and so the three heroes are protected. Not to be deterred, Mammon begins to shake the ground...which begins to crack and crumble. Taking a breath, Brynn seems to be healing her wounds already. She looks back over one shoulders, sees the well there and nods. "We should finish this and go." she remarks. The sword in her hand shifts and remolds until it looks like a javelin. With a turn, two steps and a grunted, "Errrrr!", Brynn hurls the javeling right at the well. She's a good shot with such a weapon. Her plan is simple, she maintains a connection to the Asgardian relic, forged by the same dwarves who made Mjolnir. Once her throw strikes the well, she closes her eyes and channels her raw power through the weapon. In essence she is turning it into a javelin-grenade. Pushing until she expends more of her energy than normal, and verily, is weakened by it... but the power released from the javelin's tip is immense. "Alright, alright - this is going from bad to worse...!" Zatanna calls out. "Kilroy - everyone...!" Throwing her hat up into the air, she gives Mammon a wink as lavender smoke starts to billow out of it, starting to blanket and area and conceal most everyone from view. And in the smoke, there were added shapes flickering and cascading through it. Hopefully, it would be enough to block demon vision just for a moment, a moment for her to think of home and... "Ekat su emoh. Nnyrb, Yorlik, Rianul, dnnnnnna ~iom~," she says, kinda closing her eyes... and when the smoke clears... hopefully there wouldn't be demons. Just... the front lawn of Zatanna's manor. Shadowcrest. Lunair's efforts with the choke point give Brynn and Zatanna enough room to take their respective efforts. Kilroy holds Mammon in check with a series of striking staff blows to the wings and face, as the Demon's strength is considerably weakened due to the contract violation, but weakened...he is still stronger than Kilroy and the staff is knocked lose....only to hear Mammon's horror as the Well is destroyed, a destructive wave that collapses the cavern and disperses Mammon for quite some time. As the travel spell takes them all at the last moment, the last thing the demon sees is Kilroy, writing in 30 pieces of silver that burn on the Demon, "Kilroy was here!" And when everyone arrives on the front lawn, the sword is once again in Brynn's hand. Magic is awesome.

[Heromux] Well of Souls Part 1 - Cutscene - Too Long Didn't Read

The acolyte walked around in circles round the ancient chamber. He sounded the gong that had been sounded a thousand times before. Everyone in the Hall knew what it meant....a petitioner was coming. Someone sought to enter the doorway between worlds, through the back channels known only to those informed of the hall's purpose; to realms beyond the world....

*******

 Kilroy sat in his study, meditating, adding notes to the files as he found them. He had learned of Mammon's little ring of children, and human or demon, he was determined to bring it down. The demon would suffer. There was a smell of brimstone in the air.

"Learning about some of my exploits I see?"

Kilroy looked up and saw the demon Mammon, compound eyes set in golden flesh. His appearance seemed to change every time he looked, but this one was relatively neutral with bat wings and a muscled nine foot tall appearance. The only thing that set him aside from the stereotype was the way the gold dripped from his flesh.

"We have nothing to talk about Mammon, go away."

*******

 The subway was empty except for the three individuals who couldn't get out of this shift. It was the hour of vampires and ghosts, but right now they just sipped their coffee and wanted to go home. As the car sped out of the city, the lights flickered on, then off, and then on again.

Suddenly, the car was not empty. The place smelled of human sweat and fear, and row upon row of human cattle, all dressed in a bright orange, a blood orange jump suit, male and female with numbers placed on their forehead and wrist in as many different languages as there were people sat, and wept and pounded against the glass...

*******
  "You are causing suffering." Mammon leaned its body against Kilroy's wall, leaving golden slime. He moved himself up and down like a bear scratching his body against a large tree. "Untold amounts of suffering."

"I want nothing to do with you." Kilroy kept writing and entering numbers into his computer.

"Your father found our arrangement quite beneficial. There are things your powers can't give you. Things your father found quite...handy."

Kilroy took a large document out from underneath the table, papyrus, musty and bound with twine, "Yes. I know. I read the contract. I'm still not interested."

"I do not understand you?!" The Demon's eyes glared red as it stopped scratching and moved across the room in the blink of an eye, shaking Kilroy on the couch, "You call yourself a hero and yet you let-"

"I call myself nothing of the kind. I do what my grandfather would have done, and he wanted nothing to do with you either."

"Mammon balled his fists in frustration, "Six seconds. Six seconds of blessing and millions of souls would work right again. Another sorcerer just won't do! Not after seeing what your family can do..."

"No."

"You know your grandfather was not as pure as-"

Now Kilroy looked up. "Shut your mouth about my Grandfather. Leave. Now."

*******

The lights flicker again and just like that the dead souls are gone. The three human's hair has turned stark white, and all check themselves in to a facility for mental health within the next 24 hours...Across town, a woman who hasn't seen her father's murderer for twenty years screams when she checks the noise in the attic. "I was there! I was there when they put you in the chair! You're dead! You're dead you bas-Where did you go? Where are you?" There was only silence in the attic but the woman did not leave it until dawn. She put the house for sale up that day.

*******

"Do you think I don't know what you're doing Kilroy Capital Conneticut? I can see into your mind. You seek to destroy my minion's assets...foolish mortal? Do you think you can beat the demon of money and wealth with MONEY AND WEALTH? Are you a fool?"

The demon waved a hand, and in another monitor in the room, a prominent stock market index fluctuated up and down several times, shaping out a malevolent face with a smile. "I *AM* money mortal. I was there when the first city was built, when the first coins changed hands. I will be here when you are dead and long after you are dust. What do you have to say to that?"

Kilroy ignored the demon and kept scribbling on the sheets of paper.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" The demon's rage shoot the room, "Why can't you be reasonable? The Angel Providence understands. We've had an accord for centuries. Gods understand. We work together just fine. The territories are well marked. Your father understood. Even your grandfather, even though we fought during your 'great war', even he accorded me more re-" Kilroy put his pen down and looked at the demon, "Again, I tell thee leave my demesne."

Mammon shut up. Something was wrong here. Maybe the mortal had read the contract after all...

******* The child wandered the alley's singing forlornly. Just old enough to be accountable, not taken care of in time for theological reset, the eery nursery rhyme kept the orphans quite awake for quite some time, for they knew the child in question, and knew how she had died. No one talked about it, no one wanted to talk about it.

No one slept either. It was hard to tell when the singing stopped and when it was only the echoes of the music ringing inside their head again and again.

Candles were lit for the dead that should have been lit a long time ago. No one was sure if it did any good. The singing still rang in their ears...

*******

What was in the contract again? Damn. The boy's father had been so thorough. No boiler point contract on that one. A thousand pages long with the best lawyers from both sides spending weeks on it...wasn't there something about-

"You're going to lose, you know."

Mammon stopped thinking and glared at Kilroy, "Lose what Mortal?"

"A great deal of what you care about. Quite possibly everything."

Mammon roared, his snout flaring out, hyena like as it threw Kilroy's couch through a wall. He grabbed Kilroy by the throat and snarled, "We shall see what we shall see Mortal."

Claws at the ready, Kilroy coughed and tried to say something.

Mammon almost didn't care. Only his greed kept the youngling alive as he set him down and said, "You are lucky I need something from you."

"You have made three mistakes Mammon." Kilroy smiled and pointed to the contract.

 Mammon felt his temper rise, almost ready to shred Kilroy despite himself. "Silence Mortal. Now let us be done with this. You tire me!"

"The first mistake...is that this is a set of quarters above the New York Stock Exchange...my powers are enhanced here."

Mammon...stopped. He looked around. He'd just teleported to Kilroy's location. Almost no barriers could stop him so he hadn't been worried. It had been too long since a mortal had seriously challenged him. They all wanted his services...this was bad. This was very bad.

"The second mistake you made was attacking me in my home. Legally, this is my home right now. That means I get to exercise a penalty under the contract. And third...don't think I don't know about your threats on my loved ones and businesses...that violates your little 'protocol' agreed among the other powers...which lets me do THIS..."

 Like dominoes, falling one by one, a set of well hidden and extremely complicated transactions began taking place in dark money markets around the world. Assets bought, assets traded, and in the process of a few seconds, a green light lit on Kilroy's terminal. "I wasn't able to destroy all of your assets Mammon...but that ring you had? The one you set up 150 years ago? Your favorite? It's mine now."

He pushed a button and Mammon only had a look of horror as the count of billions ran down to zero.
"I'm coming for you Mammon. I'm coming and you can't stop me. Fear the mortal Mammon. Fear what the mortal can do. You may be money incarnate, but money without an Economy...is NOTHING.

" And with that Mammon found himself thrust by the power of his own contract down to his own demesne...."FETCH ME THE COLD HARD CASH CONTRACT!" He had to prepare....he had to prepare...what had he wrought? WHAT HAD HE DONE?!

*******

The gong was run a second time and the portal was readied. The stones were set, and the stars were in alignment. The petitioner would soon come forth.

[Hero Mux] The Genosha Memorandum

This innocuous document is delivered on a thumbnail drive in person by Kilroy. It comes in three layers of confidentiality, the first being "White Paper" that he works with Magneto's staff quietly and other experts, consulting elements, using his powers and which could be obtained by a skilled spy network or is generally known by Embassy Staff. Blue Papers would be shown only to Magneto's trusted inner circle, and the Black Papers would only be made if Magneto is capable of creating what Kilroy calls "The Memento Room" with a technological device that generates a field that automatically prevents short term memory from entering long term memory when in the field. Magneto of course, can easily shield himself from this but Kilroy can't. The computer will not be networked and be encrypted to 2500 bit encryption with a 200 character password known only to Kilroy, designed to allow Kilroy to enter data and Magneto to read it. In essence, this allows Kilroy to think and research items in seclusion but keeps the data out of his head where a telepath could get it. Ultimately, only the 'case file' will be known to Kilroy and that will take a telepath level 9 or 10 to find.

 White Papers

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The Economy of Genosha -

Summary: Kilroy's analysis of the current economy of Genosha. Uses basic modifications of the existing system taking from real world examples that work in the real world.
What Genosha Gets: If implemented improves economy by 20 per year (40 with blessing), Vastly increased protection against economic warfare natural or supernatural
What Magneto Gets: Mathematical proof that his economy works and works well.
If Memento Room Available: A list of names of any agents who have undeclared bank accounts receiving funds from a foreign government. It won't root out all spies but it will take out professionals. Scan performed on all inner circle, as well as all officers in business office to remove corruption. Magneto is not analyzed. Potential For RP: Scenes involving rooting out corruption, Headlines involving how awesome the economy is doing.

Military Tradition -

Summary: Kilroy advocates the creation of a second time based currency as 'tax' with a special committee assigning defense positions, with the economy designed to create a martial and self defense tradition modeled after Israel, Finland and Switzerland.
What Genosha Gets: If implemented it would likely increase military skills of the population by 1.
What Magneto Gets: The economy is designed to enhance his already high reputation as 'war leader' and increase devotion to him without being 'blind'.
RP Potential: Training, Time Currency



The Ecology of the Idea-

Summary: Kilroy advocates deviation from the 'totalitarian regime template' to allow unlimited expression, innovation and freedom of speech and ideas; coupled with making Genosha an unlimited Data Haven, unternet and internet hub as well as free broadband in all households and creating a third currency that has an economy that creates this.
What Genosha Gets: Good will from hackers, information hub. Increase in R&D and education by 100 percent with unlimited information freedom, 50 percent if 'almost unlimited' but with limits on political and 'critical' research such as military tech
Synergy Bonus: Increase of 150 percent to military research if coupled with military and science currency encouraging competition in one economy and collusion in the other
What Magneto Gets: Access to more information for research, espionage and the like than almost anyone on the planet, Good will with academics and other highly useful agents
RP Potential: Science plots, Free Speech Plots, Technology Plots, Gadget of the week plots

Sovereign Wealth Funds-

Summary: Kilroy recommends a 'business approval office' for all three currencies (energy, time and innovation) and that Magneto allows all to be traded on the international open market. The three different approval offices specialize in base economy, military economy and innovation economy and compete with each other. These then go to a sovereign wealth fund used to advocate Genosha's interests at home and abroad.
What Genosha Gets: A powerful financial development tool ala Norway, China or Saudi Arabia
What Magneto Gets: Controlled competition in all facets of genosha's economy, Larger scale wealth that he controls but can use in the name of the state in stead of merely his own (opening more doors internationally)
RP Potential: Corporate Intrigue, International Diplomacy



Blue Papers

Gladiatorial Games

Summary: Using Kryptonian Math and Apokalyptic Economic Patterns, stripped of the darker more dangerous elements pitting teams and individuals against each other in sportsman like competition.
What Genosha Gets: Increase fight skills in population by 1 (2 with military tradition), Increased skill with powers...imagine a nation training in the Danger Room...
What Magneto Gets: A distracted population that is also sharpening its edge
RP Potential: Combat Training, Competition

Bounty Economy -

Summary: Annual Report by Nation on Compliance with International Declaration of Rights for Mutant Minority (see freedom house annual report as an example), those not complying with this have non lethal bounty placed to be brought alive to Hague or ICC (if they will take them) and/or Genosha if not
What Genosha Gets: "We are not to be fucked with."
What Magneto Gets: Privateers with powers to take out mutant haters legitimately
RP Potential: Speaks for itself

League of Micronations

Summary: Genosha is moving, so regional alliances are impossible. The whole world vs Genosha is a terrible strategic situation, so create an international alliance with tiny nations (Bealia, Latveria, Wonderwomanland, Atlantis, etc) for economic and diplomatic unity at first, potentially a defense treaty later
What Genosha Gets: Allies!
What Magneto Gets: International Reputation as a Major Statesman
RP: International Intrigue, Cross Nation Training and Resources etc.

Extra Solar Trade

Summary: Genosha expands to space via trade, phase 1 near earth orbital power, phase 2 interplanetary mining, phase 3 interstellar trade
What Genosha Gets: Rare minerals and materials and tech not found on earth
What Magneto Gets: Allies from Space
RP Potential: Aliens, Space Exploration

 Black Papers

Case Omega - List of 'plan of attack' for top 40 tech or strategic resource companies in the world (Stark, Kord, Fantastic, Wayne, Lex, etc) To be used only if the company goes rogue. These must be constantly updated by Kilroy to be useful, and each time used will be less successful (ie you can only use these 2-3 times and timing is critical. Not recommended to be used unless the leader goes rogue (villain) or someone ELSE buys out the company. Better to buy a sufficient stake to get a seat on the board...of each.

 Case Green: Economy ideally has three levels. Level 1 (addition) Mom and Pop Store Level 2 (Multiplication) Banks Level 3 (Exponential) Stock Markets, Hedge Funds, Commodities. Recommends allowing 1 and 2 in Genosha and keeping 3 in state control with the creation of a level 4 to level an economic devastation attack on 1-2 major world powers (like the us). With sovereign wealth fund: 35 percent success potential, With League of Micronations and Sov fund: 70 percent success. To be used in retaliation only to avoid blowback.

Case Utopia: Create a situation where Calculator is hired to create 20-30 'predictions' which are tied togetether with someone with more computer skill (like Oracle) with additional data points for alternate timelines, the future, magic and input from 2-3 hyperintelligences to create a histromathematical 'destiny wave' which favors Genosha's world dominance in the future. (This is complicated but I can explain as applicable)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Heromux] Attack of the Federal Reserve

Summary: Team Genesis helps Kilroy clean up the metamagic mess.

Location: Washington D.C.

Date: 2014.03.12

Emitter: Kilroy

Players: Doctor Umoja, Brynnhildr,Nico Minoru, Darix Tyner, The Economy

NPCs: Mammon, The Federal Reserve, 7 Mercenaries

Groups: Team: Genesis

Tone: Heroic

Rating: Public

The waiting has been meticulous, with Kilroy situating himself in access tunnels used by security patrols directly under the Federal Reserve for when the surge hits. He has taken his comm out of the faraday cage and is keeping in touch with the others as they have positioned themselves in the Smithsonian and at the Federal Reserve which is about two blocks south and one block west of the "Palace" or administrative building for the Smithsonian institute and where Kilroy suspects the theft will take place. He isn't sure who is doing the theft or what they are taking, only that it is likely to be monetary in nature.

After that, there is a lot of waiting, probably three hours of not much happening after the group arrives, but after that there is a LOUD groan as a surge of magic hits the area; easily felt to all but Doctor Umoja. There is a loud grown from the plates inside of the federal reserve used to mint money as they begin to rattle and join together; an arm, a leg, a head. One might think it a demented transformer but there are few if any visible mechanical parts, just a string of plates holding it together. The creature is well over thirty feet high as it begins hammering at the ceiling of the room the plates are stored in, causing dust to shake and settle. Capital police are immediately alerted and begin to close in on the area.

"IT'S HERE!" Kilroy shouts over his comm. "It's manifesting itself as...a giant golem! Be careful damaging the plates. They're hard to replace, and anything harming them could do severe damage to the US economy both magically and physically until they are replaced."

Since magic is not one of the skills he possess, he realizes that is always good to leave such matters to those that are train or at the very least experienced in handling such matters. He has sent Nico and Tyner to seek out and contained the manifestation, while he searches out for the person that is going to try to steal something from the museum. He speaks over his com to Nico, "Are you sure you are up to this? I don't want you playing hero again. Tyner, take cover, and I hope you some knowledge on how to contain golems."

Umoja begins to scan the building with his super sense for anyone that might be hidden.

Umoja's senses reveal that there are a lot of people inside of the "palace" but that they are being escorted out as soon as the alert is sounded. There is no one who immediately screams 'thief' though at least seven people have anomolous electronics on themselves. Four of those have weapons of an advanced nature and he hears from an ear bud on one, "Now!"

Waiting and waiting.. Darix was here because he got called on to assist. This is what he agreed he do. Help out when magic and weirdness comes up and this has been all sorts of weirdness. Then when Kilroy suddenly announces what is happening. Darix who has been leaning against a tree by this point just sorta glances over.

He was wearing a pair of jeans, a turtle neck sweater, hiking boots, and a pair of sunglasses. He just-- sorta watches for a moment as he then thunks his head back against the tree. "Golems.." he whispers out. "..perfect."

At least Rain a few days ago gave him some great soup and some comfort. He needed the comfort after the whole mess he nearly made. Actually being called out here kinda surprises him, but-- maybe that is giving him some faith.

The other issue is that its, well, a golem. Its kinda hard to deal with golems and /NOT/ damage something. They are dumb, not very bright, and will carry out whatever their objective is with extreme predigest-- if designed to do so. The best way to destroy a golem, was to just destroy one. Some golems also had hearts that could be yanked out. The center core and that could probably cause it to fall apart, but even getting to that, if this one even /had/ one, was-- hard to know and even harder to do.

Magic that could be used? Well-- the issue was Darix in human form could do some basic magic tricks, as a dragon, he could do far more. Given though he rather not go dragon and he rather not just-- give away he is a dragon in a far more public area was.. a bit more priority then, well, shifting and dealing with it on a higher magic bases and sheer flames-- besides-- flames could also /melt/ the stamps. Augh.

So, he walks toward the issue, he doesn't even jog or run. He just /walks/. Cause golems. Man.. Golems. Also walking was giving him some time to try and figure out if there was any spell he could conjure that could help in this situation and not screw something up. Unlike mages or wizards, he didn't have to really speak words or have a book. He just-- did it-- but it still means knowing what it is you wanted to do.

Since the incident, Nico's been learning how her new magical arm works, and how to release it. She's already released it now, though the Staff of One isn't out yet, as she calls over from her comm. "I'm good as ever. Hell, I'd say I was better than before.". A small grin on her face as she says, flexing her ornate fingers.

Nico's not far from Darix, sticking with her 'partner' for now. "Golems? Never fought a golem. Yet."

The Golem continues to pound at the ceiling of the reserve until a large crack appears. It howls with triumph as it breaks free out into the world at large, slowly climbing out. It has glowing red eyes and a small slit where its mouth would be, though no visible ears. It roars to the heavens in rage!

Doctor Umoja focuses on the group of seven people that have anomalous electronic on them. He looks around the "palace" for anything that might be considered to be valuable in this location that they are going after, and to make sure that they are not here as sub security form that museum"Neither have I, but I know some legends and lore around them." Darix admits as he just keeps walking. Though he does give her a puzzled look. Mostly his eyes, though they are hidden behind his shades just /stare/ at her arm for a moment, before his attention turns away from Nico to the situation. "They are big, stupid, and very one tracked mind.. normally. However the stronger the sorcerer that conjures the golem, the more powerful the golem.. also.. sometimes the more intelligent it is as well. Including to the point of speech."

Darix then looks over to her. "Think of it like.." Then the golem breaks out and roars. "..a computer.. program.." He stares up at it for a moment and hrms softly. Darix then breaks into a run and actually, tries to take a moment to guess where the golem is going. "We need to keep it in this area!" Somehow..

..well.. he thinks of one way. Really, really pissing it off. The thing was made of metal right? So Darix slides across the ground and his finger tips surge with electricity before he then throws his arms forward and bolts out electricity from his finger tips right at the golem itself. "Hey Stupid! Over here you piece of junk!" hired just in case this sort of weirdness takes place here.

The Palace has a gift shop which isn't that impressive; some works of art, and it also has a current event on 'souvenirs' from random knicknacks of all kinds and descriptions as gathered by historical figures throughout history. They are scattering out, looking for something.

The Capital Police are concerned, "Excuse me you lot! You need to go!"

The seven ignore the two cops, who immediately call for backup. But that backup is mainly focused on pointlessly shooting lead bullets at a golem made of metal.

"Thanks for the history lesson. Let's rock.". Nico's a fast learner, as Darix is using electricity on the golem, as she runs after him.

She's seeing what fire will do, igniting her hand aflame, as she runs forward, tossing a sphere. "Metalface! Time to burn!"

The Golem ROARS at the electricity that hits it and glares with rage at Darix. That has certainly gotten its attention. It steps all the way out of the building, and begins to head towards him, looming over three stories tall. The earth shakes as it walks. The heat blast also enrages the golem but not as much. The plates on its right shoulder heat up, fusing a few of the plates together but slightly (only slightly) damaging the intricate marks that are used to make currency.

Doctor Umoja flies pass the cops, "Clear out of this area. Umoja puts his hands by his holster and calmly states, "One chance, you surrender and lay down your weapons." Umoja verifies the location of the seven men, "And I promise you will not be harm."

Umoja's heightened senses can hear the sub vocal chatter back and forth.

"Who is he?"

"He's not the one CHC warned us about. But he can fly. He might be a brick."

"MAN! I hate those."

"Hey, it could be worse, he could have a giant 'S' on his chest."

"Touche. Condition Orange."

Meanwhile, the member of the capital police he spoke to said, "We've already cleared the area. Do you have clearance? We're not supposed to abandon this area unless-ARG!"

A series of flashbang grenades are tossed down, very bright as loud warbling noises shatter windows but leave the plastic casings protecting the artifacts intact.

"Don't use fire!" Darix states to her as he starts to jog backwards. "That will just heat the plates and /we/ need those." He then takes notice how much ground its covering compared to how much he is /NOT/.

"Melt the ground! See if we can sink this thing a bit and lower it down! Like a quicksand type spell or-- something along those lines." He gives the Golem an electrical ball to the face for good measure.

"Woops! Let's see what else I can do.". Nico clamps her hand back down and open again, a frosty mist appearing out of the glove, which she uses to try and freeze the ground to slip the golem. "Alright. Let's see if this helps!"

Doctor Umoja is caught by surprises by the first blast, but is able to use his heighten reflexes to shield his eyes from the proceeding blasts. After doing this act, he realizes that he probably could have switched to a different spectrum to compensate for the blast. The ensuring noise is enough to disorient him enough to land to the ground, but he recovers quickly, and pulls his modified Navy Colt Revolvers. He checks the location of each of the criminals and makes sure he has a clear shot for all of them.

The Golem is FAST, damn fast for something of its size and it starts to charge Darix, not as hurt by the fire from Nico. But the ground, already still fairly cold and a little icy from storms, causes the creature to sleep and fall as it roars onto the ground. It does not appear as if any of the plates are damaged. It tries to get up but keeps slipping. For now.

Kilroy works below, slowly weaving the magic back to a saner level. This is a huge surge though, bigger than anything he ran into in the Atlantic, and only the extra power offered him by the location at a center of finance gives him any chance of holding it together. He sweats bullets but keeps on.

Freezing the ground. Freezing the ground works too. Hell-- why didn't he think of ice.. oh right, cause using a spell to /freeze/ the golem could also damage the plates. Augh. If not for those damn plates. Thankfully when the Golem falls over, this gives Darix a chance!

"Can you try to like-- Pin it?" He asks her as he then actually runs over to where the Golem is and tries to actually climb up on it. If he can get a hold and actually get up on it where he can kinda keep one hand free. He tries to use his magical ability to actually /remove/ a plate or two. It wont be a fast process by any means, but maybe if you can take some of these plates off....

"That'll require an extra push.". Nico grins, flicking a knife out of her pocket and into her wrist.

"When blood is shed, let the Staff of One emerge!"

The Staff of One slides out of her chest, into her right arm. It's half the size it usually is, as she points it at the Golem. "Chain em up."

The efforts to remove the plates succeed. Two out of about 500 are removed but they ARE removed, delicately and carefully set on the ground. Of course, the golem doesn't like this AT ALL and roars in pain. As it slowly gets up, it is easily knocked back down as a set of chains wrap around its legs made of a solid steel and titanium alloy. It roars in anger and begins trying to remove the bindings.

Coming down to land beside Umoja silently, Brynn has her sword in hand, and a shield on her left arm. No other armor is worn as she didn't really have a lot of time to prepare for the fight. It is literally almost a good cop, bad cop situation. Like something out of a movie.. Tombstone to be exact, when Doc Holiday said, 'no, by all means, move'. She just grins at the guys that just got flashbanged and remarks. "I would be a lot happier if you did not surrender. But... it would be the wisest choice for all of you."

"Dammit! TWO Bricks!"

"They're not paying us enough for this."

"You're kidding right? This is CHC. Money is no object."

"(sigh) Fine. But if they hit you, fold. We're not a match for these people."

Two of them report to the others, "Objective found!"

"Condition Purple! Repeat, Condition Purple!"

In the room they are currently in, near the gift shop, the golem and reserve are two blocks south and one block east. The golem can be seen through the double set of double doors, towering over the pedestrian walk way from time to time as it struggles with chains. The seven are located primarily in the souvenir display to the left and east, with two in the room who threw the flash bang. There are four in the farthest chamber and one more in a middle chamber who seems to be coordinating the others.

The two nearest Brynn and Doctor Umoja take out small metal boxes and push a large red button on the side which unleashes a set of bronze rings which float through the air. In the middle of the flight they open up as if they could grapple on impact.

Darix almost loses his balance as the Golem tries to get back up. "Easy big guy-- we can't let you just.." He tries to remove another set. "..walk off with these.." And another. He is trying to move them off as quick as he can, while not getting knocked off and before it has a chance to just-- pull itself free.

Though every time it moves, he almost gets thrown off and has to recenter himself before he tries again. Its a very tedious and also troubling matter they are in, because he is pretty sure--

-- if this golem gets free, he is gonna try and squish them both!

"They found what they are looking for. They can't leave with it, if they are not conscious." Umoja points two the bands, "Smash those bands, and I will keep them distracted." Umoja already has the location of all the men in the room in his mind, when he starts to move at superspeed, firing his pistols at the different targets in the room. When his good sense of aim, and his superspeed, he tries to hit all the targets, multiple times to put them down for the count.

Darix almost loses his balance as the Golem tries to get back up. "Easy big guy-- we can't let you just.." He tries to remove another set. "..walk off with these.." And another. He is trying to move them off as quick as he can, while not getting knocked off and before it has a chance to just-- pull itself free.

Though every time it moves, he almost gets thrown off and has to recenter himself before he tries again. Its a very tedious and also troubling matter they are in, because he is pretty sure--

-- if this golem gets free, he is gonna try and squish them both!

"They found what they are looking for. They can't leave with it, if they are not conscious." Umoja points two the bands, "Smash those bands, and I will keep them distracted." Umoja already has the location of all the men in the room in his mind, when he starts to move at superspeed, firing his pistols at the different targets in the room. When his good sense of aim, and his superspeed, he tries to hit all the targets, multiple times to put them down for the count.

Nico's attempting to freeze it a bit more, as she casts another spell. "Slow down!"

The Golem is slowly taking off the chain link by link. Darix's comment about its intelligence seems to manifest as cunning. Meanwhile, BANG BANG BANG! Bullet after bullet bounces off harmlessly, while it has nearly gotten out of about half the chains as it suddenly...slows....down....a ...lot....and looks...very...unhappy...about it....Another set of tiles is now moved off, and another, until 20 have been removed. It seems much easier in this state.

Kilroy below speaks on the channel, "Five more minutes! Five more minutes and I can complete the spell!"

Darix watches as the chains break and grimaces a little, but thanks to the more cold. Well. It kind of helps. 20 out of 500? Yeah. This is.. is sorta working? Just slowly? Augh. "Five minutes he says.." He rumbles to himself as he tries to yank of a few more.

"We may not have five minutes." Yank!

He looks over his shoulder to Nico. "Keep it up! Just-- you know-- Don't freeze me to it!" Its a valid concern! Given that Darix has like.. zero magic defense beyond whatever spell he can conjure up. Also he hates cold, he /really/ hates cold, but.. hey. Having to play careful where you step and trying to keep moving, along with using magic to yank off plates was keeping him rather warm.

The look on Brynn's face is almost like a child who was just told, 'that toy you've been wanting to play with for a week now? Go play with it.' ... she smiles beatifically and swings her enchanted Uru plated sword in an arc, the blade growing in length as she does... slicing through the approaching bands while she simply -struts- forward. Not flying, not running, barely walking, it's that hero-strut. Confident... cocky almost.

The blur that is Umoja is enough to shoot five of the seven people, but two are concealed by yet more flash bangs, so the shots go wild. The cranial shots impact dead on, and cause a perfect lethal hit.Of the remaining two, they shoot plasma pistols, both of which would have hurt the old doctor...not so much the new one as they bounce off. They drop something to the floor that looks like ball bearings. They also seem to be raising their hands in surrender. But they also seem to be dodging bullets.

Brynn effortlessly cuts into the first circlet. It is quite agile but the sword is sharper. The second however almost manages to bind her legs together due to her overconfidence. Only her superior combat skills save her, as she also cuts it in two at the last minute.

Doctor Umoja grunts slightly as the plasma pistols burn through his costume. He peers down at the open spots and rolls his eyes, "I knew I should have gotten a tougher material for his costumes. Umoja is getting really angry over the continue use of the flash bangs, and decides to break out his own arsenal to the party. He superspeeds over, and throws some remaining knockout gas bombs at the remaining duo.

"Please, give me a challenge." mutters Brynn as she continues striding forward. She pauses and shakes her head. She waves her sword hand and the sword vanishes. "I will even put away my weapon. Come... bring battle unto me. I can use the entertainment." she remarks. Yep, she's cocky. It'll bite her in the ass someday. The first person to move, whether it be towards her, or trying to flee the scene, will suck heat vision... energy beams lancing out from her eyes. She -can- do heat, but this is actually not heat, it's pure concussive force.

The Golem is close now to Darix, within a few feet. Nico's use of the ice staff is forming crystals up and down the side of the thing, making it easier for Darix to take apart. The chain, the slowing, and the ice have largely helped to immobilize the thing and it finally groans and collapses.

The remaining two henchmen are dispatched rather easily by the concussive grenade, since equipped as they are, they are generally only capable of dealing with one or two threats at a time, not an array of attacks so variable as Doctor Umoja's.

And were that it...this would be the end of the problem until Kilroy finished the ritual.

Unfortunately....long and sordid were the contracts of Cold Hard Cash....

Kilroy works diligently, concentrating on disrupting the negative magic. He grunts and sweats and gestures invisibly, but he'd looked like a mentally deranged mime to anyone looking on; though in the spirit world arcane bolts of vermillion energy sling up into a swirling vortex slowly decreasing in size over the federal reserve.

And at precisely the wrong moment, a demon ten feet tall manifests in a puff of Brimstone and smoke. It is red, blood red, with insectoid eyes and gold rune etched veins all over its body. It caries a pair of gold whips made of intricate chains. "Kilroy Capital Conneticut, heir to 'Cold Hard Cash' I presume?"

"WHa...who are YOU?"

"The name is Mammon."

Kilroy pauses, "Yeah. I know who you are. What do you want?"

"Your father and I had an arrangement. I want you to renew it."

"Now is not a good time!"

"Now is the best time. I find negotiating under duress to be highly effective in these situations."

"Then the answer is no!"

"Really? Let's see if your friends might help convince you otherwise..."

The Golem's eyes suddenly glow red and it starts to rise....still slowed but stronger, MUCH stronger and angry.

The unconscious soldiers, all seven of them, are possessed. Red glows appears in their eyes as lacid grins spread over their faces, and brimstone auras surround them. They laugh, but two are instantly knocked back by concussive beams sent out by Brynn's eyes. They start to rise, but slower this time.

The grin becomes a positive -smile- on Brynn's face as the warriors stand back up, "Finally!" she announces as she launches herself at the, the shield used as a bludgeon in a manner that shows a mastery of the style. Interposing while at the same time striking with punishing force. "Give me your best!" she cries out as her leg lashes out towards the knee of another. Yep, she's not leaping in where angels fear to tread. She's diving in despite the 'no swimming' sign.

Darix would rather get /all/ those plates off, but it seems that even though the golem stops; Which should allow him to do just this; Then the damn thing gets right back up! "Well." He replies as he decides to use what magic he can to gather up the plates and move them away from this battle. "We would have had a nice number if this thing didn't decide to get back up like the living dead."

Darix grits his teeth. Three stories.. versus two stories.. but on all fours. He clenches his hands into a fist as he debates on it. He then taps his calm as he decides to jog back a bit. "Hey! Kilroy? How much longer you got to that spell because things just got really hairy and I don't think we are going to be able to save all those plates."

"Because remember the ship.. its kinda leaving me choice!"

Poor Nico. She has no idea just what she is teamed up with. Darix creates two more electrical balls in his hands before he throws one and then another one to see if he can get enough force behind the throws to knock the golem back over.

"Nico. Can you melt the ground? Like.. turn it into something like sinking sand? Or you still learning the finer arts of magic?" Darix asks her. It wasn't a mean question, the tone was pretty sincerer. He wasn't sure what she could do, but the fact she had the sense of being someone with a great deal of powerful potential-- he would think that wouldn't be an issue! ...it was just an issue if she knew how.

"I truly hate mystical beings." Umoja deduce from the glowing, he furrows his brows as he watches the beings begin to rise and is about to suggest a strategy to Brynn, when he sees her go charging into battle. Umoja moves over to a couple of them men and uppercuts one and jabs another one. He calls to Brynn, "Hhmm, can't you create a whip with your weapon. Why don't we just tie them down, and squeeze them together.

"I have another charge in me. Let's see what it can do..". Nico grits her teeth, pointing her staff at the golem. "Sink in.". She has no idea what it'll do, though.

The golem is all set to ignore the threat of the implied dragon it senses...but it doesn't like the electricity, which seems to damage it more in the holes provided, but it seems to slowly regenerate...until Nico says, "Sink In!" At which point about half the golem's plates...turn into animate sinks and begin to slam into the torso, head and arms of the golem. It roars and grabs at sinks...but moves so slowly that they dodge out of the way.

Kilroy continues to try and deal with the toxic magic, now supercharged with demonic energy. Normally, he'd be out of his depth, but Kilroy is one to quit so easily. His willpower is calm, steady and relentless, not the kind that can resist telepaths, but the kind that never gives up. He reaches down into the ground, the depths of economic potential...of the United States of America...and suddenly red white and blue lightning sails up and into the sky, shattering the dark magic into a million pieces. He then turns around, staff at the ready and smiles, "My friends can take care of themselves Mammon...can you take care of yourself?"

Up above, the golem slowly starts to fall apart, and those sensitive to the mystic can feel the area is...cleaner...

Darix watches as-- sinks are summoned? Ok. That-- that isn't what he was hoping for. "Well," he looks over to Nico. "--That is different." Darix quickly avoids the strike from the Golem and just-- circles around it, using his quicker speed to the Golem's extremely slow movements.

"Not that I really want to do this, big guy, but.." He slams his foot on the ground, seeming to ground himself. "..your leaving me little choice!" No. Not dragon time yet, but it is indeed more time for lightning!

"Feel my ultimate power!! Mwhahaha!" And Darix strikes out electricity from his very finger tips and tries to sustain it on the Golem. He glances over to Nico as he just holds it there with a sheepish grin. "..Couldn't resist!"

Oh! More challenging fighters! "The time has come then!" yells Brynn. Totally gung ho as she takes a punch that knocks her a pace or two back. She summons her sword once more and says, "Beating them down will not make them stay down. Let us see if this power within them can repair them from -this-." And she is literally about to set into them with a vengeance... fighting like a true Valkyrie of old. That is, unless someone (*coughcough* Doctor Unpronounceable) stops her.

Doctor Umoja likes having a plan that is better than just rushing anyone, because the probability of success is always greater. Umoja picks one of them and tosses them into two others, before superspeeding toward to stop her attack the mercenaries. "Use you weapon to make a rope and we can just use our superspeed to tie them together." Umoja says, "If they are still struggling after that you can bat them around then.

"I can make a weapon.. not rope. And I have no such power of speed. I am a warrior..." remarks Brynn.

"Well, I am a soldier too, make a very long barbed whip then." Umoja says, "We can use the whip to wrap around them and to bind them. If we squeeze hard enough, they will have the added pleasure of having the whip bite into their flash as their struggle. Umoja smirks behind his masks, "These are not worthy opponents, and our allies might need help.

Sadly, Nico's staff is vanishing now. "Out of juice. Apologies.". The arm is still in effect, as she is generating more frost. "We need to hurry this up!"

"I have never tried to make a whip. Such a weapon is not one of those I have really utilized. I make staves, spears, swords, hammers..." Brynn shakes her head, "If you wish them restrained, then use your speed to go find something to restrain them with. I would not sully Sjarnbrandr with such treatment, and then be forced to leave it behind."

As the two heroes argue, the remaining seven of them dog pile Doctor Umjoa and Brynn, one ignoring the sword to nearly impale himself but get smooshed in at the last minute. Their combined might is enough to ring the two of them in a dog pile even though the heroes are likely strong enough to human toss them dwarf toss style but for now they SQUEEZE and its likely to hurt.

Nico and Darix have finished off the golem, which between the sinks, the frost, the slowing, the electricity and the lack of the fueling spell it just sighs and goes to sleep, plates scattering all over the place. The cops IMMEDIATELY begin gathering them up and moving them back inside. Helicopters are arriving, nearly over head.

Kilroy battles Mammon who unleashes the two whips and pulls the staff out of his hands. It is obvious Kilroy is no match skill wise in melee, which is just fine because that was a distraction as the invisible Rai stone smashing him in the face. The demon lord ROARS and shoots a jet of flame at Kilroy. "It doesn't have to be like this priest!"

"This is what happens when you try to talk rather than fight!" announces Brynn as she unleashes more force from her eyes, her sword transforming into a bladed and spiked gauntlet. That's better for close work after all. "Now, fight!" she commands, blasting where she can and bashing with her shield, kicking, punching. It's a disciplined, controlled flailing. She is injured but doesn't seem to care that she is.. that'll heal after all.

The golem at last crashes down and the plates just all come down off it as well. Darix has to do a few jumps back to make sure he doesn't get in the way and when the cops come in, he just steps out of the way.

He looks over to Nico and grins over to her. "Nice job." He then places his hand out to her to give her a handshake. "Also a pleasure to work with you."

Darix then frowns a bit in concern. "..Though.. I wonder what caused the power surge.."

"Likewise. On both accounts! I should get out of here though, don't know how long this arm will remain. My magic..isn't the best at cooperating.". Nico grins, before shaking Darix's hand with her gauntlet, and then running off, speaking into the comm. "Returning to base, I don't think I could be of much more assistance!"

Doctor Umoja glares at Brynn, "This is what happens, when you get too cocky. Umoja turns his gaze towards the group of the people as his healing factor immediately heals any damage and goes full power on the group. He unleashes all of his years of combat training at: boxing that begin in the early days of boxing with barred knuckles and 100 round fights, muy thai fighting, as he bring his knees up to make contact, and jiu jitsu to target joints.

The seven are sent out like Bowling Pins and knocked back. This time, with the two in full power mode, the healing factor begins to slow down and the possessing entities run out of power.

Kilroy remembers where he is...and sends Rai Stone after Rai Stone like a proverbial shot gun at the demon lord, who shrieks in pain and says, "This is not over Conneticut!"

"It's over for now." He sighs and collapses as the demon vanishes in a puff of smoke.

The soldiers are black and blue with bruises, a few broken bones...but not dead. And they stay down.

With the enemies lying defeated, Brynn just nods to herself, dismisses the sword, and then turns to face Doctor Umoja. "Seriously, when it is time to fight, do not hesitate. Do not stop. Defeat your opponent, or otherwise why are you -here-?" she asks... more like demands. She shakes her head and psionically activates her comm unit, not speaking.. but all the team comms hear, "Brynhildr here. Is anyone injured?"

"Kilroy asked us to help him on this mission. There is intelligence that could have been gain from them quicker rather than latter." Umoja says, "I did not need your help in stopping them, I could have broke each of their necks before they even drew their weapons, but I didn't do it. I could toss them outside without even trying, but I didn't do it" Umoja says, "We were here to keep them from robbing something, and now we still do not know what they want to rob, and we will have to wait to their able to talk" Umoja says, "Brynn, I trust you to have my back, but we were not effective today." Umoja says, "Perhaps, we need to do some training with my new powers together, and just count it as an off day.

"Perhaps if you would have actually -told- me your goal, I could have helped accomplish it. Do not blame me if you do not give me the information I need." says the Warrior Maiden before sending to her comm again, "I repeat, does anyone require assistance?"

Kilroy say, "I'm good...er...a little burnt...and I've got a creepy creepy new friend. A demon who calls himself Mammon. But I'm Good. Based on currency, Nico has fled the helicopters up above and Darix appears OK."

Doctor Umoja smirks, "Of you could have trusted me enough to follow my directions. Again, let us chalk up to a bad day."

And Brynn just -looks- at the Doctor as he says that. It's a priceless look... as if saying 'you see a choice other than telling me what we are doing?'

Umoja just shakes his head after Brynn makes his comment and says, "Again, we really need to work on your trust issues. He walks through the the Federal Reserve, scanning the area for damage and making sure there is not any structural damage to the place that can easy be fixed before Damage Inc makes their way here. Umoja makes his way to Tyne, but speaks to Kilroy, "Make out a report of this information, so Snake Eyes can analyze it. I will give him the camera footage of the fight, so we go over mistakes that were made in the fight, or opportunities that we missed.

Kilroy reports back via comm,"I absolutely can do that. Let me perform some research on my own first. This guy claimed to have known my father."

"It was no my mission. It was KilRoy. He told us that someone wanted to rob something, I just assume it would probably be easier for him if we found out what he wanted to rob." Umoja folds his arms across his chest, "I am not your commander. I am your teammate, Brynn. We haven't been in a lot of battles, but I think you know me that I let people in the group be who they are. This group doesn't work if people do not get to be who they are...I was just asking you for some little restrain. I hope you will do the same for me, when the time comes." Umoja says, "Now, can we put this behind us, because I need your help with a problem.