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]

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.

[big_bad_sheriff]

"Wind?" Bigby growls with a savage grin. "That's my job."

"Your job?" Harry demands, a bit skeptical. He was planning to do it.

Bigby doesn't answer in words, but he huffs and puffs... and blows a hell of a wind blast at April and Ember, straight from the strength of his father the North Wind.

[slayers_desire]

The wind is powerful enough to knock both Ember and April out of shadow-mode. Just in time, for one of Cipher Nine's blasters to hit Ember, and knock her stunned. April gets caught in the quicksand -- a very powerful trap against someone who is claustrophobic. As she is now sinking to her confinement.

Maloker makes her call out to Clark. The Old One is trying to get her soulmate to save her -- just so his key could open the portal.

"Clark!" April whimpers for him, reaching out for him.

Ember stands shakily to her feet. Trying to get her placing.

[nonvillainouscipher]

The quicksand isn't deep enough for her to be completely submerged... just enough to confine her up to her chin. Ed adds another set of stone walls for extra measure.

With April confined by the alchemical quicksand, Cipher Nine focuses on Ember, firing more stun blasts at her in a steady, measured rhythm, hoping to keep her disoriented long enough for them to cut April off from her voices. "They're occupied," he calls to the others. "How do we cut April off from her voices long enough to take care of Maloker?"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

It's so hard for Clark to resist any cry for help, even moreso when it comes from someone he loves so dearly. And though he hates what he has to do, he will do it. "Ed, Bigby, keep them busy. Cipher, Harry, you need to trust me."

"Why? What're you planning?" Harry asks, reinforcing the fire circle around them with more Hellfire.

"I have to use the bond against her," Clark says, feeling sick about it. "I need your help."

[slayers_desire]

Maloker uses his connection to April to call out to Clark again. They can feel the pain and terror in her voice when she speaks. "Please Clark! Think about our children!"

Ember goes into shadowmode again to get away from the stun blasts. She is trying to regenerate in this form.

[nonvillainouscipher]

Cipher Nine ceases the stun blasts, and tells Clark, "You've had my complete trust ever since I told you my real name. What do you need?"

Ed turns his attention to Ember, and calls to Bigby, "She's gone into shadow mode again! Need more huffing and puffing before I can hurt her!"