To the ROOF!

[Seer]

Meanwhile, back at Illustra…

Malice has taken her nearly invulnerable DIAMOND form and with her super strength throws a SOFA at Karen, who falls to the floor. With a smirk of self-satisfaction, Malice saunters to where Shadow Weaver has fallen, ready to finish her off…

Bishop and Alicia, and Mike and Cass both have arrived on the ground floor and make it to the front lobby – just in time to see the end but too late to turn the tide of the battle between Malice and Shadow Weaver.

 

[Shadow Weaver]

Illustra - Crystalline Lobby

Diana was really starting to piss her off. This rodent, no, PARASITE of a creature was trying her patience. Just as she saw Malice change into her diamond form, she happened to see Michael and Cassandra out of the corner of her eye.

No!

She could NOT let Malice harm these ones. And though Karen was sure she was MORE than a match for Diana, she needed to protect her new friends. Malice threw a sofa at her, and she threw herself to the ground. She could hear Malice’s footsteps growing closer and closer, until the woman was standing over her. The bitch was stupid enough to think she had won.

In this time and in this place, I call upon powers so dark.
Harness a portal to take me through time and space!

Karen’s eyes flew open and her hand shot out and grabbed Malice’s ankle, teleporting them BOTH to the roof.

 

[Ruby]

Illustra - Crystalline Lobby

:: Cass took off running as soon as she spotted Karen lying on the ground with "Diamond Lady" towering over her. But it would be all in vain. She pounced and...landed on the ground. She was a split second too late. She yowled indignantly and HISSED, voicing her displeasure. She was still in vamp-mode and that did not change as she stalked back to the other three. ::

*pissed*: "What do we do NOW?"

 

[Arsenal]

Mike made his way with Cass around the corer and saw Karen down with some shiny lady standing over her. The closest thing he had quickly available was a small firearm he took from some poor sap after he killed him. He aimed a fired, scoring a head shot...THAT RICOCHETED OFF!!

Fucking REALLY?!

He went for a heavier weapon as Cass made her way quickly over only to have them VANISH as she approached. She was not impressed as she came back over. Pissed in fact.

"What do we do NOW?"

Mike had no idea at first. He was hoping like hell that Connor had a plan for this.

 

[Bishop]

Illustra - Crystalline Lobby

Connor burst out of the back stairwell, guns blazing, Alycia right behind. She was holding her own and covering his back – he was surprised to realize she made a good partner. They ran to the Crystalline Lobby, arriving just in time to see Karen grab Malice and teleport them both away.

“Damnit, Karen!”

"What do we do NOW?"

Connor ran over to the now vacant reception desk and slammed his gun down onto the counter.

“I can remote into the security cameras.”

He typed the override codes into the computer, then started to flip through the feeds. After several long seconds, he pointed.

“There! The roof. They’re on the roof.”

He turned to the others.

“Shit – we have to go back up. I’m going to kill that old witch.”

He picked his gun back up and checked the clip.

“Mike, Cass, you’re with me. Alycia – get yourself out of here and call Clandestine HQ for backup.”

 

[Arsenal]

Well damn. The man DID have a plan. +1 respect to Connor.

“I can remote into the security cameras.”

He typed the override codes into the computer, then started to flip through the feeds. After several long seconds, he pointed.

“There! The roof. They’re on the roof.”

He turned to the others.

“Shit – we have to go back up. I’m going to kill that old witch.”

Get in line. I'll be sure to save you some.

He picked his gun back up and checked the clip.

“Mike, Cass, you’re with me. Alycia – get yourself out of here and call Clandestine HQ for backup.”

Every broom closet has a stash of guns going up. And we are gonna need Sabo or tungsten carbide rounds. I saw them in the Armory so we need to go back there as well. I could be wrong, but that prostitute standing over Karen was made of DIAMOND.

Mike shook his head and checked his weapons as he got ready to go BACK up...

 

[Ruby]

Illustra - Crystalline Lobby

:: Cass quickly drew her pistol and headed for the stairs. ::

"Let's move."

:: She was all business. Karen was on the roof with "Diamond Lady" and from the looks of things before they transported to the roof, Karen was going to need help...whether she liked it or not. ::

 

[Bishop]

Illustra - Crystalline Lobby

Connor moved quickly out of the Crystalline Lobby into the area where the private elevator and stairway to the residential floors was located. Finding a section of the wall, he opened a switchplate and pressed his thumb to the touchpad, opening another cubby like there was on the 99th floor.

“Ammo up.”

Every broom closet has a stash of guns going up. And we are gonna need Sabo or tungsten carbide rounds. I saw them in the Armory so we need to go back there as well. I could be wrong, but that prostitute standing over Karen was made of DIAMOND.

Connor nodded, ignoring the obvious problem with having weapons in closets in a public building – they were likely to need them. He started re-loading his weapons.

“You’re not wrong. Her name is Diana. She and Karen have a…history. Delilah and I have fought her before.”

He paused, then added:

“She would have killed us if not for Karen.”

He finished loading up, then looked at Mike.

“Armory it is.”

Alycia was checking the clip in her Desert Eagle. He shook his head and pointed at her.

“No, no no – I can see the wheels in that brain of yours turning. You are not coming with us. End of discussion.”

 

[Artemis]

Illustra - Crystalline Lobby

“KAREN!”

Alycia ran past Connor, trying to get to a fallen Shadow Weaver but she was too late – they two had already disappeared.

We have to go back up…Mike, Cass, you’re with me. Alycia – get yourself out of here and call Clandestine HQ for backup…Her name is Diana. She and Karen have a…history.”

Alycia had heard of Malice before, and knew what she could do. They could NOT leave Karen to deal with her alone, as proficient in magick as she was. Alycia grabbed the receiver from the phone on the reception desk. She silently thanked Alison for doing such a good job on security measures that she had an emergency line installed and that it was still working.

She followed the others back into the “residents only” part of the building. Connor had opened another ammunitions dump so she reloaded her weapon, readying to go.

”No, no no – I can see the wheels in that brain of yours turning. You are not coming with us. End of discussion.”

“End of discussion, my ass. If you think I’m going to go home while Karen is in danger from that HAG, you have another thing coming. HELL no. Besides, you need the numbers.”

She checked the clip in the Desert Eagle.

“And you KNOW I can use this thing, so let’s get to getting before I use it on YOU.”

 

[Ruby]

:: Cass stood there, tapping her foot impatiently. She was back to her humanistic self...ALMOST. If you didn't know it, you would think that she just your average young woman. But on closer examination, you would find that her eyes were a glowing YELLOW. She was revved up again, ready to take on whatever was to come their way. ::

*impatiently*: "If you people are ready, we can go now. Who knows what that...Diana has planned?"

:: She made certain the safety was on before she cradled her pistol. She knew the value of getting weapons, but for heaven's sake, the men could discuss the various 'toys' as they trekked back upstairs, couldn't they? All SHE needed to know was the location of her 'prey' and that Karen was okay. ::

 

[Arsenal]

Mike watched the pretty lawyer stand her ground. He backed her, but for a different reason.

Too late to send her back Connor. It is a killing field outside until we retake the building. She is, as crazy as this sounds, safer with us in here for now.

Mike nods to Alycia.

Welcome to the party.

*impatiently*: "If you people are ready, we can go now. Who knows what that...Diana has planned?"

Mike grew silent, it was indeed time to move. And quickly.