Dinner with Maloker ((group thread))

[slayers_desire]

Some may consider that all the 'Big Guns' that April has called together is overkill … but not really, not when it comes to the fact that many great minds are needed to find a way to prevent The Three (Discord, Disharmony and Cacophony) from their evil plans.

And the Big Guns are needed... when they have no idea where to start looking for The Three.

When other Keys (such as Dawn Summers) are being drained of their existence.

When the clock is still ticking on Lorne... and his battle with his disease.

Invitations were extended to Clark Kent/Superman; Harry Dresden; Sheriff Bigby Wolf; Edward Elric; Cipher Nine; and of course Spike, Angel, Buffy, Willow and Wes.

April is waiting in the planning room, for each person to arrive, going through some books as she does. For many... this will be a familiar encounter, as they had to come to fight together before. But there will be some new faces. And new ideas.

((forgot a posting order. Since multiple characters, Kat/Ael/ me))

Comments

[fmalchemist160]

"Scheiße!" Ed's eyes go wide, and he reacts by clapping his hands together and transmuting a big stone wall to deflect the blast of force away from them (and not reflect it back at April). He knows they're at the moment Dru's hallucination warned him about... But the only interpretation he can think of is to cut April off from her voices. He saw that happen once before, and he doesn't want to inflict that on her again.

Cipher Nine knows that going invisible isn't going to do him much good against April's powers. He draws one knife and hunkers down behind Ed's transmuted stone wall to avoid the blast of force. "We need a plan!"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark is horrified. If April's mind was being controlled, he could reach out over the bond and try to talk her down. But she's still in there completely, it's her body that's being controlled. And he can't do a thing about it.

Harry readies his staff, the runes smoking as he gathers his will, taking cover behind Ed's wall as well. "You're kidding, right?"

Bigby growls, now-yellow eyes flashing dangerously. "We should just kill Maloker. That'd stop her."

[slayers_desire]

In truth, it is a combination of both her mind and body being controlled, hence why Maloker can use her powers to attack them. And the part of April that is still aware is desperately trying to connect to Clark through the bond -- but she can't get to the mental tree, as there is a swarm of bats surrounding it. She is being prevented by the very thing that give her special abilities -- her voices have been triggered to fight against her and her friends.

"No. You can't kill..." Maloker prevents her from saying any further. From warning them to exactly why they shouldn't kill Maloker. He doesn't want them to know that he could possibly possess and claim April's body as his own, if they do destroy his current mortal shell.

April directs another psychic blast at them, this time hitting above where the stalactites are hanging, trying to break them off and fall onto her friends. Meanwhile, in the back of his mind, Ed can hear the insistent hum of his spirit guardian. The shadow spirit is trying to tell him something.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed's Oscuridad guardian will have to wait a few moments as Ed hears the rocky crunching of the stalactites being separated from the ceiling. He pales, and transmutes another, thick, rocky barrier. Several, actually, to protect them from attack on all sides. Only once they're shielded will he turn his attention to her. "What?" he asks her under his breath.

Ed has definitely told Clark and April that one of the Oscuridad sisters he thought he'd killed during the Order of Aurelius thing (he assumes she's the elder of the two) had stuck with him in her new spiritual form, and that the other had managed to find Al and bond with him. Cipher Nine has figured out that Ed's got some input from something that no-one else can perceive, even if he hasn't discerned what. Ed also probably told Harry, given that they were both there when Ed ostensibly killed them, and Harry had witnessed how distraught Ed was when he thought he'd ended their lives. He wouldn't be at all surprised if Bigby were a bit confused right about now, though.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark tries to reach her too, trying to force his way through the swarm of bats to reach their mental refuge. But Maloker's blocks are strong.

Harry adds to Ed's defenses by adding a bit of offense, swinging his staff in a wide arc. "Pyrofuego!" he says, casting Hellfire in a circle around them, the flames roaring above their heads.

Bigby isn't paying much attention to anything but April, Maloker, and Ember. He growls, sounding more wolf than man, and he bares sharp teeth at them.

[slayers_desire]

The Hellfire definitely helped, since now the Oscuridad guardian can take form. Ed's own shadow changes, into something more feminine. The Osuridad guardian can't speak. But will try to communicate through -- yes, you guess it, shadow puppets. Using the shadows, she reminds Ed of the time he and Harry fought her and her sister. How a bond between two people is so strong, that harming one could be a way to bring harm to another.

Ed's rocky barrier is suitable to protect them. However, it can also be used against them. As now, April is channeling her psychic energy to close in the rock walls that surround them.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed hastily tries to use his alchemy to counteract the force April is exerting on at least one of the walls. They'll definitely still need an immovable object for the rest, though. He watches the shadow play, then says, "Guys... There might be another way to cut Maloker off from April, using the Soulmate's Bond between her and Clark."

Cipher Nine, who doesn't feel particularly useful right at the moment, glances over at Clark and frowns. "Hurting him to distract her?" he guesses, sounding like this idea does not sit well with him at all. (Hell, for that matter, Ed doesn't sound particularly enthused about it either.)

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Fortunately, they have an immovable object, although he can only be in one place at once. Clark leans on the rock wall, trying to help hold it back. He's still listening to the conversation, though, and nods once.

Bigby's eyebrows go up. "Excuse me?"

[slayers_desire]

The Oscuridad guardian is using her own experience to be helpful. There is still the advice that Dru had given too. They won't have much time to make a decision on what to do.

Because as they are dealing with the collapsing stone around them... April is is being forced to channel her powers to open the portals between worlds. If the portal gets too big -- Maloker will be able to escape.

[fmalchemist160]

"It's either that, or we temporarily cut her off from her Voices," Ed says. "I'm pretty sure that's what the hallucination of Drusilla meant. We gotta do something, though. Cipher?"

"I'm reluctant to cause harm to Clark, even if it's in a good cause," Cipher Nine says. "And her Voices come from Maloker. Temporarily silencing them seems the best course of action to me."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark doesn't like the idea of cutting April off from her voices, such an important part of who she is. And he also knows that his decision will carry a great deal of weight in this situation. "Can they be restored after?"

"Who the hell knows, but we have to act, now," Harry says, keeping up the Hellfire.

[slayers_desire]

They do have to act quickly. April is near tears, being forced to open the portal. And unable to stop herself. She can't even tell them how to stop her either.

But luckily, Ed, Cipher Nine and Clark know her well enough to make a plan of action to stop her.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed shakes his head a little, trying to decide between their two options. He isn't fond of either of them. Finally, he says, "I think her Bond with Clark may be the best way to cut her off from Maloker. It's a powerful thing." He looks at Clark. "But she's your wife. Your Soulmate. Your opinion matters most."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

It's a terrible decision to have to make. "We distract her. Then... we cut off the voices," Clark says reluctantly. He doesn't fear for what happens to him, but only what this means for her.

[slayers_desire]

The best way to distract her is going to be attacking her. At least, fighting her would prevent the portal from being opened further.

There is also the case -- that they have all learned that April is claustrophobic.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed has the perfect solution for that. First, he transmutes his way out of the stone box he protected them with, so he can see where she is. Next, he transmutes a similar stone box around April, with the walls very close to her. "Sorry about this," he murmurs under his breath, wishing he didn't have to exploit her phobia to distract her.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Clark focuses on the bond between them, a sense of apology sent to her... and then he concentrates on images of confinement, restriction of movement, the sort of fear that comes with the inability to move or escape.

[slayers_desire]

Being surrounded by the stone box, and then receiving the images of confinement, sends April to her knees. She tries to project out a psychic blast to force her way out -- but the mental images are enough to break her concentration.

Seeing trouble to the plan -- Ember comes out of shadow form to attack Harry from behind. Ed's Oscuridad guardian hisses moments before hand.

[nonvillainouscipher]

At the hiss from his guardian, Ed whips around, spots Ember, and calls out, "Dresden! Look out!" Hopefully in time.

The moment Cipher Nine spots her, he draws his rifle, takes aim, and fires several steadily timed shots at Ember, kneeling behind the remnants of one of Ed's stone walls for cover. Not a typical strategy for him, but as quick as he is, he can't get over to her with his knives quick enough to intercept her.

[thepizzalord]

Harry reacts, throwing up his shield as he turns, staff smoking and glowing with power ready to be unleashed.

Bigby skips all the caution, his nails growing out into claws, and he leaps over everyone, hoping to rip Ember apart with his bare hands.

[slayers_desire]

Of course, since Ember is an Oscuridad herself, she disappears into her shadow form before anyone of them an attack her. Through the shadows, she appears beside Cipher Nine, aiming a low blow to his back, trying to neutralize him.

Maloker growls in anger, since his portal is closing again. April is clawing at the stone around her, trying desperately to free herself.

[nonvillainouscipher]

The moment Ember vanishes, Cipher Nine knows to expect a backstab. After all, he frequently employs these tactics himself. His favourite knife comes out, soaked in acid, and he immediately spins to block her blow before swiping one edge of his knife across her belly. A shallow graze (for now), but with the acid on the blade, it's going to hurt.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Bigby growls in anger at his prey eluding him, and roars at Maloker, the most visible target of his annoyance.

Clark's stomach twists at what he's doing to April, and although he apologizes over and over through the bond, he can't stop. The portal is closing, and he can't give Maloker a second chance to open it again.

"However we're going to cut off the voices, we need to do it, soon," Harry says, aiming a fire blast at Ember as she reappears.

[slayers_desire]

Ember is quick to disappear again, avoiding the knife attack and the fire blast at the same time. This time, she appears beside April, bending down to help her to the feet behind the stone wall around the vampire.

"You are Oscuridad. Use your magic." Ember reminds her. April cries out as Maloker forces her to go into shadow-form, moving with Ember to get out of the claustrophobic situation.

[fmalchemist160]

Ed lets out another German curse and calls, "I don't think Ember's going to let us keep her confined enough to cut off her voices. She needs to be taken down!" Then he adds, "The Oscuridad are vulnerable to wind."

And unfortunately, Ed hasn't managed to figure out how to transmute wind the way his brother has. The most he can do at the moment is to try to keep April confined and distracted. If she has to keep dodging transmutations, she won't be able to focus enough to open the portal. So for his next trick... quicksand. Right beneath April and Ember.

Cipher Nine is kind of wishing he'd convinced his friend Indere'ree to get herself a PINpoint right about now. The bounty hunter is very good at keeping the Empire's Finest's opponents occupied while the rest of her comrades wail on them. As it is, the best tool he has to keep April and Ember occupied are the flash-bangs he has on his belt. And those can distract his allies as well as they could distract his opponents. So for now, he switches his blaster rifle into Stun mode and fires a pair of stun blasts at April and Ember.