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

[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!"

[kalel_ofkrypton]

"Screw this," Bigby mutters, ripping off his tie and shirt as he bounds up towards Ed. By the time his pants hit the floor, there's a massive wolf standing there, towering over Ed. He howls and blows, his breath strong enough to topple trees and flatten forests, never mind straw houses.

Clark closes his eyes, and wishes he could do the same for his hearing. April, I'm so sorry. "We have to go back into her mind and bind the Fates."

[slayers_desire]

The massive wind is definitely enough to literally blow Ember away, so she is no longer a threat.

April in the meanwhile claws and tries to get out of the quicksand.

Maloker starts to hum, in a low growling sound. Ed's Guardian hisses in warning. More Oscuridad will soon come. Answering his call.

[nonvillainouscipher]

"Incoming!" Ed warns the group as his Guardian hisses at him. That quicksand is going to hold her for awhile; her arms would be pinned to her sides, and even as she tries to dig them out, more quicksand will quickly fill the gaps back in.

Cipher Nine nods, and goes to stand beside Clark. "Alright. Ready when you are."

[kalel_ofkrypton]

The Big Bad Wolf growls back at Maloker, the fur rising on the back of his neck. He howls again in challenge, drawing the attention of any enemies within shouting distance.

Harry doesn't like this plan. "Can you even do that?"

"That's why I need you," Clark says. "Just in case I can't get the two of you to come along on my own."

Harry absolutely hates this plan now. But he nods with a grimace. "Fine, let's do this."

[slayers_desire]

Since April is in panic mode -- she really can't think clear enough to know she is not getting closer to escaping. She is crying and sobbing, and just clawing to try to free herself from the quicksand.

A storm of shadows start to fill the cavern, swarming around Maloker in a twisting force of power and energy.

Once Clark, Cipher Nine and Harry enter the mindscape, they find themselves in the mushroom valley again. There is a darkness ahead, where the bats are surrounding the oak tree. Clotho is waiting there.

She stands, and holds out an amulet. Harry will recognize it as a Demontrap. "We know why you are here. This will serve you well. The others... won't go easy."

[fmalchemist160]

"I'm sorry, April," Ed breathes. The shadows are a problem, though he's dealt with them before. Out comes his flashlight, which he uses to keep the shadows at bay while he works. Once again, he finds himself wishing his former CO were here. The Flame Alchemist's talents would come in handy against shadows.

As it is, the best he can do is an idea he picked up from that time he and Clark fought Eyghon. He transmutes trough in a wide circle, which surrounds all of his allies, filled with a flammable liquid, and ignites it using a lighter from one of the pouches on his utility belt. The fire is in no danger of harming April (he kept the trough well away from her), but hopefully it'll keep the shadows at bay.

Cipher Nine kneels down in front of Clotho, leaving either Clark or Harry to take the trap. He doesn't know how to activate it. "I'm sorry we have to do this to you," he tells her quietly.

[kalel_ofkrypton]

Bigby can't do anything to create light, but he didn't become the Big Bad Wolf by being cute and cuddly. He snaps at the shadows, and any who are vulnerable to the wind also will find themselves having trouble getting anywhere close to the group.

Clark takes the Demontrap from Clotho. "You're going to come quietly? Why?" Not that he's complaining, mind you.