The Danger Room 2

[Harbinger]

::Far beneath the ground floors of The Parthenon Hotel lay several basement levels, all dedicated to the efforts of The Six. Complete with Training Rooms, Holding Cells, Medical Labs and Panic Rooms, these truly were a testament to the expansive reach and connections that made them truly unique.::

::On Basement Level 2 laid the intimidating "Danger Room" which was one of the main training strongholds for the team. Complete with technology not seen even in GOVERNMENTS (thanks to the business efforts of Haleigh Davidoff and Nicolas King), the room boasted four high-capacity computers that generate room-filling, 32-bit color images at 300 gigabytes per second, creating hard-light laser constructs of anything imaginable that are virtually indistinguishable from reality. Mobile laser cluster heads are moved over the Room’s surface to facilitate the placement of gravity lenses and associated effects, allowing for the creation of solid surfaces by means of accurate surface texture modeling laid on polygonal surfaces formed by overlapping a series of lenses. Extensive modeling programs allow for a great variety of realistic environments, as well as atmospheric and dust effects, while realistic wind and exhaust effects are created using progressed waved tractor beams. Projected pinpoint gravity lenses allow simple laser beams to be redirected as other light sources, with acoustic engines providing accurate noise level and frequencies. Projectiles are composed of rapidly moving, tightly-focused pressor beams. The Room’s World View Model Library has digital models of over 50 million objects and their attributes, including weapons, vehicles, buildings, and EVERY character that The Six has encountered in their existence. It truly was a "Crown Jewel" of technology.::

:: Harbinger has experienced versions of this before, at Illustra, & also Black Widow's Danger HoloDome on the West Coast, not to mention her own version at Minerva's Aerie.::

:: But there was something about being back in NYC, where it all began, that made her want to try this one out.::

:: She took a few moments to familiarize herself with the control panel in the darkened enclosed space above the danger room. The soft hum of power & the glow/blinking of various lights was all around her.::

:: As she began to view the files compiled by the systems operating here, even she was impressed on the amount of information compiled on each member of the Six, his/her capabilities, ideal scenarios & weaknesses. This was all possible from input by Arsenal, Silver Swan & Black Widow.::

:: There were other files as well, on their support roster & allies. Among them, Simon Pratt.


Hmmm...

:: He made waves in the business world, and in Ava's bed, but could he SURVIVE the tidal wave of conflict and lethal level of danger that would come his way just by being associated with the SIX or even serving on the front line with team?::

:: It was time to find out.::

 

[Longshot]

< Simon Pratt had been an incredibly busy man lately. While The Six was busy facing a new and terrorizing new threat he was unknowingly keeping things together at The Zenith Group, ensuring that The Parisian Parthenon moved along as planned. So when Alison Marble, brother to her boss, Cameron King, had reached out and requested a meeting with him, he was all at once perplexed, annoyed, aroused and curious. He had barely met the woman and he assumed that this would be yet another test. Ever since he had becomed involved with Ava and been brought into the fold by Cameron, the man's friends had reveled in either attempting to ruffle his feathers in public, haze him relentlessly and give him an all around hard time. Simon didn't usually mind, in fact...he usually met them at their measure..but with the amount of work he was doing was taxing to say the least, and he couldn't fathom why Alison Marble would ever request to see him...it really didn't seem like her style. >

< His business stress was also enhaced by his growing concerns for Ava's well being. Something was definitely wrong with her and in recent days she had seemed lethargic...and scared, which was something Simon had been sure she WASN'T capable of. As he made his way from his exclusive penthouse overlooking Central Park to The Parthenon Hotel, in comfortable clothes as the woman requested, he followed her instructions by taking the Private Access Elevators off the side hall of Reception and promptly pressed B2. >

< For a moment he entertained idea's as to what the incredibly attractive sister of Cameron King might be wearing, and what she might want, but for now...he pushed those thoughts aside. He WAS trying to be a better man...at least sometimes. The elevator doors opened to reveal an incredibly sterile looking hallway with various doors. He walked slowly down the hall, taking a moment to peek into the windows in the middle of some of the doors. >

"What the fuck goes ON down here?"

< Simon didn't really understand the full story on The Six. He knew they were kind of superheroes. He knew they were incredibly powerful, but he DIDN'T know that the basement levels of The Six contained holding cells, medical labs and other amenities that seemed better suited for members of the ARMY! He was almost in awe of what he was seeing until he reached the door at the end of the hall marked "Danger Room." >

"Great...she's gonna kill me! Well...I've had a good run! I hope Hell serves a decent martini!"

< Shaking his head, Simon Pratt walked into the expansive and seemingly ENDLESS Danger Room. He didn't see Alison at first. He called out to her. >

"Miss MARBLE?! Where are you?! I'm here with your order! You DID order an incredibly handsome blonde blue blood didn't you?!"

 

[Harbinger]

The Danger Room

< Shaking his head, Simon Pratt walked into the expansive and seemingly ENDLESS Danger Room. He didn't see Alison at first. He called out to her. >

"Miss MARBLE?! Where are you?! I'm here with your order! You DID order an incredibly handsome blonde blue blood didn't you?!"

You're late. NOT a good idea to make the KEEPER OF TIME WAIT! You must PAY THE PENALTY!


:: she thought silently as she watched him from the now completely obscured control booth high above. data streams on his vital stats and other information were coming in on one screen while a crystal clear "night vision" visual of him was coming in on another screen::

 

[Seer]

And so it begins

<< His call goes unanswered, the very sound of his voice seems to be swallowed in the visually crippling darkness around him.>>

<<He soon began to lose his normal sense of spatial perception. He had already had a brief glimpse of the "seemingly ENDLESS expanse" that was the danger room before the dim lights had faded and now it seemed he was locked in. >>

<< Soon, he found that his visual and spatial perceptions were apparently correcting themselves, like anyone adjusting to being in a pitch black environment.>>

<< He was now...BACK in his offices at Zenith!?>>

<<But not on his executive floor. He was several floors down, on a floor with an office pool filled with employees serving in various capacities and going about their various duties. machines hummed with power, computers flashed and streamed data, paper rustled and the buzz of multiple conversations and discussions could be heard all around. it was a normal, routine day in the world of Zenith.>>

<<It might have done Simon proud to see things running so smoothly, everyone working so efficiently, in an comfortable, cutting edge, yet accomodating office environment, carrying out the purpose of Zenith.>>

<< But he wasn't there, not really. He was in the DANGER room and Harbinger brought him here to experience something The Six already knew. Life, no matter how good, or well running, can be SHATTERED by one seemingly small event, one unexpected variant. >>

<< Whether or not he SURVIVED what was coming would depend on if he could think fast and FIGHT as well as he charmed.>>

<< An office worker came lumbering out of the a break room on the floor. He looked rather pale and walked with a limp...a drag...everyone around him moved at normal pace and easily avoided colliding with him. Something was wrong.>>

<< The office worker looked up and his face was almost TERRIFYING to behold as he groaned.>>

<<Another office worker comes close to see if he's okay and that's when Simon begins his journey from Zenith...to HELL.>>

<< The man IMMEDIATELY lunges and BITES DOWN on the neck of the hapless coworker. blood splurts, screams erupt and a terrifying chain reaction of T VIRUS infection begins to occur as the wounded die and rise up as ZOMBIES attacking other workers and infecting them>>

<< HARBINGER'S voice can be heard over the intercom of the office!?>>

DEATH has come to your office, Simon and in less than MINUTES, you will become one of them, a BIO HAZARD, unless you do something!

<< Chaos, screams, BLOOD, shocking vicious violence, DEATH, REANIMATION, ZOMBIES!>>

<< Soon Simon was the only LIVING human mutant in the office...and his former employees? Well, they were BEYOND the petty trappings of 9 to 5. Now ...they were bio hazards, searching for their next bite of flesh and blood. HIS.>>

<< They began to CLOSE IN on him.>>

You're going to DIE, Simon, unless you do something. NOW.

 

[Longshot]

Nightmare at Zenith

< Simon received no response as his voice seemed to fade into the incredible blackness that surrounded him. He had always been a rather confidant man, but right now...he was a little on edge. >

"Alison? What's going on?"

< All at once his vision seemed to be playing tricks on him as things begin to come into view slowly but surely and all around him. He was completely encompassed and the feeling was VERY disorienting. Within several moments, he found himself standing on one of the main office floors of The Zenith Building. >

"What...the HELL just happened...?"

< Everything seemed so real around him. The workers, the buzz of the copy machines. The smell of the coffee machine from the breakroom. It seemed as if it was business as usual. Simon even touched one of the desks that was near him and his hand was met with the cool oak of the very REAL feeling desk. It was actually a little bit incredible. >

<< An office worker came lumbering out of the a break room on the floor. He looked rather pale and walked with a limp...a drag...everyone around him moved at normal pace and easily avoided colliding with him. Something was wrong.>>

<< The office worker looked up and his face was almost TERRIFYING to behold as he groaned.>>

<<Another office worker comes close to see if he's okay and that's when Simon begins his journey from Zenith...to HELL.>>

<< The man IMMEDIATELY lunges and BITES DOWN on the neck of the hapless coworker. blood splurts, screams erupt and a terrifying chain reaction of T VIRUS infection begins to occur as the wounded die and rise up as ZOMBIES attacking other workers and infecting them>>

"Oh my GOD!"

< His thoughts began to race at a million miles a second as he called out. >

"Okay...I've entertained this long enough! You wanted to scare me..You've succeeded!!"

DEATH has come to your office, Simon and in less than MINUTES, you will become one of them, a BIO HAZARD, unless you do something!

< Alison's voice filled the intercom system of the office and he took a second to adjust himself to what he just heard. He watched as CARNAGE began to happen in front of him as all of the mild mannered, self motivated employees of The Zenith Group began to mutate, their faces matching the man who stumbled into the building. He was the only one left. Simon had been used to the members of The Six testing him...but this was on another level entirely. He tried to center himself as the zombies honed in on him, the scent of his blood leading them over to him. >

"If this is your idea of FOREPLAY, Alison...I'd HATE to be the man who actually gets you to BED!"

< She was testing his ability, which was both a good sign and a bad sign. It meant he had proved himself with her to at least make it to this point. From what he had seen from her, if she didn't seen some remants of promise, she wouldn't have bothered. He didn't have much time to figure anything ELSE out. >

Zombie: "AAAARRRRHHH!!!!!"

< Thinking on his feet, Simon went back to what he knew to be true about zombies and how to KILL them. Nearly all of these ways involved blunt force head trauma. Something that would be easy with a BASEBALL BAT or a GUN...but these items were not around. He looked to the giant leg of the oak desk next to him and with ALL of his force he began KICKING at an angle that caused the leg to SNAP out of place. Quickly, Simon grabbed the oversized leg and held it in his hand. The ornate top of the leg would prove to be useful. >

< The gap was closing between him and the HORDE of zombies clammering to essentially EAT him. >

"Here goes NOTHING..."

< Simon was not completely conscious as to how his ability worked. He knew that as long as he physically attempted to stay out of the way of danger he usually ended up okay. He also knew that in times of high stress that he was able to emit blasts of psionic energy that effected the probability fields around him. Sometimes it caused good things to happen for him, and sometimes it caused bad things to happen to others. He had undergone VERY minimal training with Cameron on the issue of focus and clarity of intention. He wished for the best. >

< The rushing sound of energy FILLED the room as Simon cast out his free hand and as a wave of electric green energy was cast out around him as he kicked an office chair at the HORDE. His psionic efforts had caused the horde of zombies to become tangled within themselves, tripping over each other as they tried to move forward, as what would happen with a horde of rats who's tails become intertwined. >

"An okay start...but I need something that get me through them faster..."

< While the zombies were tied up for the moment, Simon noticed a FIRE EXTINGUISHER on the wall several feet away from him to his left. >

"This will do just FINE!"

< Simon ran towards the Fire Extinguisher and grabbed it promptly as he grabbed one of the rolling chairs at the desks that surrounded him. The zombies were now merely two rows of desks away from him. Bracing his legs against the wall as he sat down in the chair, bent his legs and gave himself one HELL of a push off the wall, as he grabbed the hose of the extinguisher, pulled the CLIP and blasted it with all his might as his body was propelled with INCREDIBLE force towards the horde as if he were a bowling ball. >

"I won't be able to blast through all of them..I need to get UP and OVER..."

< The chair began to spin around in all different directions as Simon utilized his incredible balance and agility to STAND on the seat of the chair. He anticipated the IMPACT. Simon CRASHED into the jumbled horde of zombies as their hands began to paw at him furiously, the force of the extinguisher landing him RIGHT in the middle of the pack. He used the now empty fire extinguisher to beat away several of the hands as he managed to clear a space around him. Only four zombies stood in the way of HIM...and where he was trying to go...The Break Room. >

"Just four, Simon...JUST FOUR!"

< He cried out as he brought the weight of the desk leg he was still carrying into the SKULL of one of the zombies as the others grabbed at him. Using the inertia from the upswing on his initial hit, he swung HARD to the left, making the the jagged end of the leg lodged itself RIGHT into eye socket of the other zombie, one of the soft tissue trails that led to the brain. As the Zombie fell to the floor, Simon jumped over his body and lunged forward, stumbling forward, nearly tripping on his own legs as he did a forward roll. He was clear of the horde...for NOW. They were beginning to turn around and move as a pack once more to him, and this time with GREATER speed than before, almost a renewed spirit. >

"It's time to torch this popsicle stand, Pratt!"

< Simon BARRELED through the door of the Break Room which was complete with with plush couches, and a full kitchen for employees to prepare home made meals for themselves. Simon was interested in only one appliance in this kitchen...the GAS stove, which was on the wall opposite of the door. He RAN over to the stove and promptly attempted to YANK it from the wall with all of his might. >

"Okay..she's a HEAVY son of a bitch..."

< Once Simon had cast the oven aside, he PULLED the gas hose off of the oven and held it in his hand, ensuring that the gas was in FACT on HIGH. He knew that gas filled the volume of whatever container it was in...but he ALSO knew that if he could get to the full bathroom in the break room just before cracking the lid on the vintage gas lighter he had in his pocket...he just might make it out alive. >

<< CRASH! >>

< The Zombies had entered the space and were nearly upon him within seconds. Simon made a break for it, running his with all of his speed to the bathroom door, opening it and SHUTTING it behind him as the shadows of several ZOMBIE HANDS began to clamor against the door. The Break Room smelled HEAVILY of gas as Simon wiped sweat from his forehead. He grabbed he lighter in his pocket, did a Hail Mary and OPENED a CRACK of the door before QUICKLY turning the lighter on and THROWING it into the center of the room and SLAMMING the door shut once again. >

<< BOOM! >>

< The explosion was all that could be heard as Simon closed his eyes an prayed that the concussive blast and any residual gas that may have crept into the bathroom would not kill him. >

 

[Seer]

And then

<< He acquitted himself rather well in what would have been a horrifying, potentially FATAL situation for anyone else, even the Six in their earliest days. One thing was clear, he certain had adapted MUCH faster than many of the Six had the night "The Nightmare began.">>

So he's not all manicured looks and mouth...

<< Still, there was more to learn and more for HIM to proove.>>

<< A gloved hand in the dark, obscured control room simply presses a button as she watches Simon.>>

<< Simon eventually peeks through the bathroom door. The zombies are truly dead, save a few moving body parts here and there, but nothing that would pose a significant threat to him now.>>

<< As soon as he deems it safe enough to fully emerge, he finds himself in a different place.>>

<< Underground, a rocky cave that descends DEEPER to a place far below, a large hangar bay area. It's the loading area of the CITADLE, the place where the "Nightmare" TRULY began!>>

<< There is large industrial moving and haulting equipment throughout the large expansive hangar, a loading dock , a rail for a high speed underground express jet and a wall far ahead of him with double doors leading to the BioSystems Lab.>>

<< It's rather quiet at the moment. Only the faint sound of dripping liquid, an occassional groan of creaking metal or the whisper of something...or someone.>>

<< There seems to be no one about...until soon, he hears a gurgling and growling sound.>>

<< Behind him further back in the rocky cave leads to the hangar, two sets of 8 glowing red eyes can be seen. ANT LIONS! Two large, tall red rocky/armored spider creatures that can fire paralyzing neuro webs or corrosive acid. They can also attack with their powerful clawed legs, smashing through stone and easily impaling a human male.>>

<< Normally they prefer to move about in dark places, but when they are feeling rather hungry or aggressive? They are known to CHASE their prey out of the cave into the hangar area if they must.>>

 

[Longshot]

< Simon heard nothing for several moments as he slowly propped the door open to the bathroom to check on the scene. He was relieved to see that he was successful in his attempt. It had taken some quick thinking and some good timing, but that was really how Simon thrived. On his feet. He took a celebratory moment to himself as he opened the door to the bathroom, ready to bask in the gaze of pride from Alison Marble herself when he suddenly realized he was in another place altogether. >

"Looks I have more to prove. Great, just GREAT...Why couldn't have Cameron's friends and family been..I don't know...REAL ESTATE AGENTS...SOCIALITES? No, I had to get myself involved with the fuckin' SUPERFRIENDS."

< The scene before him was decidedly different from the comforts of The Zenith Group Building. The place seemed so deep underground, a mixture of rock an technology. It was fascinating. Everything seemed eerily quiet around him, which led him to believe that it would not stay that way for long. >

"Hisss!!!!"

< The hairs on Simon's neck stood still as he heard the hissing and gurgling of something that seemed incredibly large and foreboding. He turned around to see the glowing red eyes in the distance. >

"Fuck."

< He figured it better to approach them before waiting for THEM to attack, and besides...part of him was curious as to WHAT exactly they are. His hands began to glow with a crackling green energy as he walked. >

"Okay, Alison...you wanted to test me?! Bring it on!"

 

[Seer]

In the underground passage

< He figured it better to approach them before waiting for THEM to attack, and besides...part of him was curious as to WHAT exactly they are. His hands began to glow with a crackling green energy as he walked. >

"Okay, Alison...you wanted to test me?! Bring it on!"

<< a large rocky armored, clawed leg SLAMS DOWN alongside of Longshot, and seconds after that? He is painfully CLIPPED on his side by a deadly swipe from another clawed leg as two ant lions have now closed the distance between themselves and him with unexpected speed of approach>>

<< One of the ant lions fires some of it's paralyzing neuro-web at Longshot, BLANKETING him in the web which begins paralyze his motor functions>>

<< The First ant lion is immediately behind him, blocking any retreat back to the mouth of the cave while The 2nd ant lion now looms above him, growling as it's mandibles to begin to move with anxious HUNGER. Any moment, Simon will be painfully devoured by these massive creatures, unless snap out of his current state and regain his footing.>>

 

[Longshot]

< As soon as he spoke, his wish was granted as the force of one of the ant lion’s legs SLAMS into his body. While in the midst of the fall from that, he is painfully CLIPPED from the side by another jagged and rocky leg as he falls to the ground with a groan and a thud, the wind having been knocked out from him for a few seconds following his descent to the ground. >

Ugh!!

< He was surrounded, and these things moved faster than he would have liked. Even still, he was going to have to get out of the situation he was in now. As the Ant Lion hissed and clicked in front of him, ready to eat he KNEW he didn’t have much time, as he shot up, moving with the grace and speed of the world class fencer that he was and bashed his fist right into the center of the many glowing red eyes in front of him, before dropping down into a split and with good time as the one behind him shot a giant web of an unknown substance that caught the back end of his neck on the way down, the majority of the web being plastered across the Ant Lion in FRONT of him. >

”And NOW we go UNDER…”

<Lunging the top half of his body forward, his small frame and extremely dexterous body allowed him to weave in between the legs of the Ant Lion in front of him and with good speed. >

”Remind me to get an ANT farm after this…and destroy it UTTERLY…”

< Simon Pratt was not a fan of bugs. Spending most of his weekends in The Hamptons or The Berkshires as a child, he often that no amount of bug spray seemed to be enough. It may not have been the most masculine trait to posses, but Simon didn’t really give a shit. He left bugs alone and he expected the same from them. >

< Once he had made his way behind the Ant Lion, he realized his only option was to go deeper in the cave. He didn’t know if the two ant lions were partners in crime or if they had an extended family just around the corner ready to eat him. He spun on his feet, as The Ant Lions were beginning to make their approach once more with great speed. Running back a few feet to create space, he once again grabbed the lighter in his pocket, unbuttoned and took off his white long sleeve Calvin Klein t-shirt, said a silent prayer to the fashion gods for what he was about to do and promptly LIT the shirt on FIRE, throwing it once again dead center on the eyes of the Ant Lion he had just wounded seconds ago. Aside from hopefully blinding and incapacitating the spider, he was using the flames as a way to light his way through the tunnel. >

”I love that shirt…”

< Once his path was lit…he began to run. >

 

[Harbinger]

Object lesson

::Alison smirked a bit as she watched Simon scramble but make good use of his fast foot work.::

He has a light hearted approach to life, BUT he's not easily boxed in, even when things are terrifying and not so easily figured out. That's good...for HIM.

<<The ant lion SQUEALS with pain as it lurches backward, hitting a low hanging stalactite, snapping it from its initial position and causing a chain reaction of other jagged rocks to come crashing down upon it. it falls to the ground, twitching before finally dying>>

:: Alison cuts Simon a small break as she does NOT allow the current simulation to run all the way through, resulting in the remaining ant lion retreating, scuttling back into the darkness of the cave::

<< Simon had managed to make his way out into the Hangar area. He was surrounded by MASSIVE machinery, clearly designed for burrowing and excavating, along with transporting heavy, bulky objects. There was also a track for an underground express jet. And straight ahead, he saw the double doors leading to a passage way that would itself lead to the underground labs and offices of the Citadle>>

<<There was silence, save for the occassional groaning and creaking of metal and the the far off, faint "dripping" sound of water...or perhaps blood?>>

<< Either way, Simon was now quite alone. But that would last long.>>

<<FLASH!>>

<< the hangar's silence was SHATTERED by a terrifying SIREN/ALARM that blared with a dreadful rhythm. Ther were red lights that flashed in synch with the siren as well. Machines were shuddering, steam was erupting from strains in the walls of the structure itself. The Citadle was under GREAT STRAIN, now that Black Widow had taken control of most of it's components in her vengeful campaign against MALICE.>>

<< But before Simon could really adjust to what he was seeing/hearing...the double doors BURST open and in rushes SHADOW WEAVER (Dr. Karen Victoria), but not as the woman he knows today. This is a holographic phantom being generated by the danger room and it shows Karen, in an earlier incarnation of herself , before she became Shadow Weaver. The doctor was RUNNING FOR HER LIFE and it could be seen in her eyes as she dashed behind a large piece of equipment. Simon would watch her, as she hurridly cast a cloaking spell! Seconds later, he'd lose sight of her...but soon saw something else...something MONSTROUS.>>

<<BOOM!>>

with her scent in his nose, and hunger in his blood red eyes, the lumbering creature continued to stalk his prey. His steady pace echoing through the now silent hall, until the sound systems warped, courtesy of Black Widow, as they began their battle with Blackout further down the hall he was leaving. His pace slowly picked up, and soon he was racing down the halls, following Karen’s scent as the Citadel continued to feel the affects of all of the Six’s battles.

Sound systems blared and screeched, lights flickered and sparked, all creating an even more terrifying vision of the Super Soldier as he finally crashed through the entrance into the hanger area. He was bathed in an array of thickening shadows and electric blue shimmers as the lights continued to flicker. Within the hanger everything was silent, and yet the Super Soldier KNEW Karen was there. Although her cloaking spell had hid her well, even against his super-human senses.

Nevertheless, the silence within the hanger finally shattered as the Super Soldier began randomly tearing at machinery and wiring. His fists uncurling and gripping anonymous bars and levers and ripping them out of the ground, slashing and pulverizing everything he could get his hands on. Alarms screeched and illuminated the hanger in a red hue, dancing off crimson lights flashing warnings as he ripped through the Hanger. He WOULD find her, even if he had to tear down the entire Citadel to get his hands on her.

:: As he struggled to make sense of what was happening, and if it was going to encompass him, Simon would find now that his task...was to WATCH. Clearly this battle had happened BEFORE. LONG before he had come to know Shadow Weaver.::

<< Karen had continued to hide...hearing the distance sounds of chaos and violence that seemed to stop just short of the hangar/dock. she remained quiet, finally setting her breathing and surprisingly REFLECTING on other things like her daughter, Morgan, her ex husband Christopher....and finally seeing a glimpse (even if it was sort of dated) of what MysTech's inner workings were like. that entity was so insidious, so far reaching....she knew that other lives besides hers had been blighted by MysTech.>>

<< suddenly she gasped and jumped with a start as the Super Soldier CRASHED into the hangar/dock. his heavy breathing, massive presence...and unrelenting, emotionless EVIL now flooded the immense and spacious area and even though the SPACE around him would dwarf him, him REMAINED "massive" in Karen's mind>>

he's here

<< Peering from the space between the two massive freight crates she hid behind, she could see the giant creature....Karen covered her mouth with her hand as she felt the uncertainty and FEAR rising up within herself.>>

What am i going to do now!?



<< She looked up to the HIGH reaching ceiling of the hangar.....industrial fans...covered with dust and cobwebs hung high on the ceiling and there was a upper level that formed a perimeter around the higher end of the hangar/dock. Karen spotted the STAIRS leading to it!>>

there!!! if i can just reach the stairs, while i'm cloaked by my magicks. I can keep him at bay with my spells!

<< as the super soldier ripped up hydraulic pumps and hurled away massive freight crates as if they were nothing, Karen couldnt bELIEVE the raw physical power he possesed...and that he was once...a MAN!>>

he'll find me...one way or the other, i cant hide in this spot forever...i've got to make a RUN for it!

<< breathing in deeply as she stood up, the doctor, still cloaked, DASHED for the stairs. She knew that he would most likely sense or perhaps hear her foot falls , no matter how faint they were...but she went anyway and made her way up, ever the woman of grace, she slightly hiked up the hem of her flying suit as any lady would so as not to trip while running. FINALLY making her way to the second level that overlooked the hangar/dock, Karen now what she hoped was a comfortable vantage point.>>

it's now , or NEVER


<< raising her hands...a rushing windy sound is heard as she de cloaks and shouts down from the upper level>>

I'm HERE you monster! and i WONT admit defeat until the last breath is crushed from my breast!

By Atheia and Percese
Open skies and do your worst!


<<the rushing harp sound played a chaotic melody as swirling shards of golden energy flowed around Karen's uplifted hands....thunder began to rumble faintly in the air...growing louder and stronger in its intensity before black, billowing cumulonimbus clouds burst into the air all around the super soldier...and fierce jagged bolts of lightning along with pelting rains and hail began to slam and bombard the super soldier relentlessly. the cloud burst grew in intensity until the sounds of mother nature unleashed completely drowned out whatever was happening within the citadle>>

<< Simon was getting a first hand view of why Dr. Victoria was respected among the members of the Six. He might have seen her drunk and not at her finest moment at the Club the night he first met her, but this woman was a powerful sorceress! And now she faced down a deadly monster with immense physical power. There was MORE to this than just a view of what Karen could do though, as he would hopefully discern as he continued to watch.>>

Amongst the screeching sound of metal being twisted, turned, and crunched under the Super Soldiers limitless strength and physical brawn, he sensed, more than heard Karen leave her hiding place, and make for the higher ground. Pausing in his assault on the hanger machinery, the Super Soldier’s gaze seemed to rip right through Karen’s cloaking spell as he locked onto the sound of her footfalls, and the small clouds of dust they kicked up as they crashed down on the ground. He dropped a large metal fan that most likely had powered some sort of machine before he had eviscerated it, and LEAPED towards the sound of his prey’s footsteps just as she jumped onto the stairs leading up to the higher level of the hanger.

He came down upon nothingness as Karen narrowly escaped his clutches yet again, infuriating the dark beast even more. The sound of her feet against the metal staircase rang within his ears, even with the rest of the Citadel’s chaos whirling outside the hanger. And he angrily ripped out a large portion of the staircase just as Karen ascended the last step and made herself visible, tearing through the metal like nothing more than tin foil.


“I'm HERE you monster! and i WONT admit defeat until the last breath is crushed from my breast!”

Karen’s voice was lost to the Super Soldier as he prepared to attempt to leap onto the higher deck of the hanger, but just as he bent his knees and tightened his muscles; the familiar chimes sounding off one of her spells rang loud and clear through the air, echoing through the large open space that the hanger offered. Soon thunder accompanied the harp, until her Magick reached an unnatural crescendo and BLASTED the Super Soldier with a powerful mixture of rain, lightning, ice, and cloud.

The clouds whisked around him until nothing but the unnerving glow of his red eyes were visible, until they too, were masked by the storm clouds rolling in around him. Raising a hand and swatting around his face, as if attacked by a swarm of flies or mosquito’s, the Super Soldier attempted to wave away the lighting bolts as they jolted into him, shocking his body and electrocuting muscles.

Yet he did not fall, and slowly bent down and reached for the fan he had dropped earlier, clenching his fingers around one of the blades so forcefully that it drew blood, a factor the Super Soldier didn’t seem to be worried about. Pulling the remainder of the fan close to his body, his body shook with spasms as the storm raged around him, sealing him away from Karen’s eyes due to the thickness of the clouds.

Cringing, the Super Soldier heaved the fan to his chest, nearly dropping it as the lightning bolts ran through the metal and intensified the conductivity of the electrical currents. Although he tightened his grip around it instead, before spinning, and speedily HURLING the fan away from him, and STRAIGHT towards where he saw Karen stand moments before the clouds drew in around him.

The clouds fortunately provided enough cover to allow him to pull off the move without being seen, even though he sustained much physical damage from the lightning and the hail that still beat down upon him. Pain was nothing new to the Super Soldier, and it seemed to only push him further towards his goal. For as the fan burst through the clouds unexpectedly and spun directly towards Karen and the section of the upper deck she stood on, he pushed forward.

A massive bulk of black storm clouds littered with the flashes of lightning and the horrendous booms of thunder that shook the hanger, until the Super Soldier was ALMOST visible through the inky blackness. A mighty silhouette whose flashing pupils occasionally became visible, illuminated by the bursts of lightning the growing culmination of the clouds provided.

It was clear that although Karen’s spell was strong, the Super Soldier was a mere MOMENTS away from breaking through its grip, and then the Witch would have a lot more than flying machinery to worry about.

shaken by his immense speed and power, as she narrowly escapes his next reach for her, the doctor scrambled up the last step as he RIPPED away most of the metal stair case she had ran up. she wouldnt be getting down the same way she came up, thats for sure>>

<<as she ignites Hecate's storm spell...Karen unintentionally allowed a sort of smile to creep across her elegant face as her hair and the remnants of her cape began to blow back in the gusting winds. the roar of the thunder storm almost comforted her but as the rolling, swirling, billowing black clouds flowed around the Super Soldier, he gradually became obscure from her view>>

<< craning her neck a bit...and brushing her hair back from her face as it whipped in the violent winds...the doctor struggled to keep an eye on him, amazed that he had remained UPRIGHT in the face of the storm to begin with>>

it's not stopping him!....but WHERE IS HE!?!

<< thunder crashes back to back and lightning flares from the black clouds herald the arrival of the MONSTROUS, fast spinning fan blade that is now flying UP AT HER with alarming accuracy in iin its path. ..the blades cut through the air and make a frightening whizzing/whipping sound>>

GODDESS!!! NO!!!!

<< Karen back pedals against the wall and and covers her head with her hands as she immediately crouches as far down as she can.>>

UGH!!


<< the immense fan blade SLAMS into the thick wall above her..and would have DECAPITATED HER...even dodging it, she still fills the FORCE of it as she is unbalanced by the shock and startle of the giant blade shooting out of the storm at her>>

<< The storm spell runs it course and the cloud burst begins to disipate and the doctor, still crouched down with her head down and her hands up covering her head, slowly dares to look up...seeing the fan blade wedged into the thick stoned wall...still shaking...and still faintly glowing>>

<< her breathing slows as her wide opal blue eyes taken in the sight of what would have been her violent and quick death>>

he...he resisted the power of the storm.....

<< she looks down and sees him standing there, unmoved, and not severely damaged, glaring at her with those red , evil eyes. slowly standing up, she shakes herself loose and shimmers in a golden swirl of orbs and reappears down on the ground of the dock...several feet away from him. Squaring her shoulders and preparing to try a different tactic. >>


since you wanted me to lose MY head.....allow ME to return the favor!


<< immediately raising her hands and assuming an offensive posture, the rushing harp sound is heard as five LARGER orbs swirl into view around the doctor...spinning fast as the transform into mystic daggers. the Doctor glares at the Super Soldier, trying to focus on FIGHTING HIM rather than FEARING HIM as she throws her hands forward and the five sparkling mystic daggers composed of powerfull mystical energy rush forward, charging madly for the creature. they pack enough concussive power to punch holes through stone and marble, dent carbonium steel and to SLICE THROUGH most solid substances. one charges for his neck, one for each of his arms, another for his heart (or the area where his heart should be) and the final one...for his PRIVATE PARTS area>>

<< For Simon, this terrifying battle was beyond what he'd expect in even the wildest horror/fantasy movie. This was someone he KNEW. Maybe he wasn't fond of her and how no read BOND with her. But he knew her, largerly through his association with Cameron King. ASSOCIATION. Cameron had WARNED HIM of what it truly meant to be a mutant and what it meant to be involved with HIM in anyway...he was seeing that now in this battle that Karen was involved in, one that looked like it could be her LAST.>>

Already recovering from the storm Karen had summoned, which dissipated almost as quickly as it had appeared, the Super Soldier watched as she dodged the spinning fan blade, which now protruded from the wall behind her, still singing quietly with vibration. Stepping forward, he watched as Karen teleported from her high perch, an unexpected change of tactic as she reappeared on the ground level of the hanger, only a mere few long strides away, squaring her shoulders and actually attempting to face him head on. It was impressive, but tremendously stupid.

Quickly leaping into action just as the spinning orbs transformed into dazzling mystic daggers, the Super Soldier used his incredibly strong legs to DIVE away from the fast moving daggers, narrowly missing their magickal blades and sliding to a halt to the left of where he previously stood, bent down in a three point position, much like a football player. Although he didn’t stay immobile for long, for just as the mystic daggers whizzed past, they connected with a massive amount of rubble and remnants of machinery that had previously been ravaged by both the Super Soldier and the storm. Creating an explosion of Magick and fire as the daggers obliterated what was left of the machines engines.

Shaken by the growing explosion behind him, the Super Soldier used the concussive force of the blast to barrel directly into Karen moments before he would’ve been swept into its clutches, leaping from his position and allowing the force of the blast to propel him faster than ever before. However, he hadn’t anticipated the daggers colliding with the machines, and flames leapt across his back in what looked like a demented cape of fire and smoke, searing his skin just as he neared Karen, and hoped to force her to the ground.

Aiming to escalate the damage he had done to her abdomen when he had first grabbed her in Horror Hall, the Super Soldier reached out and moved to SNATCH Karen up by her stomach in his humongous grip, forcefully pulling her along into the middle of the hanger area where he landed after the bulk of the explosion ended. Squeezing her as he did so and hoping to at least break a rib or two during their scuffle.

Karen hoped the mystic daggers would slice or even DECAPITATE her foe, but alas, he prooved to be fast on his feet and far from an oaf. >>

<< the daggers charge past him and destroy machinery behind him, causing a violent ballistic explosion that shoots flames, smoke and magickal backlash outward the super soldier himself lunges for Karen. The doctor's opal blue eyes widen with disbelief as he is instantly upon her and takes her forefully....grabbing her in his grip as he carries her in his jump>>


OH!!!

<< Karen screams as she is snatched up. For a moment its almost like being on a roller coaster as he jumps with "hulk" like width and precision. the impact JARS the doctor as she shuts her eyes..her face contorting with pain as they slammed to the ground.>>

<< as the super soldier began to squeeze her in his grip...the doctor cried out with pain as her head fell back and she shut her eyes again...gritting her teeth. she felt a spasm in her chest area...her RIBS...>>

I ...can't take much more of this. The others....I hope they..

<< for a moment, the doctor felt like giving up, LETTING GO and just embracing the comfort of oblivion but again, she thought of MORGAN and how she regretted not having been there to protect her at the hour of her death. Karen had suffered much through the years but she also SURVIVED and FOUGHT BACK. she taught her DAUGHTER to do the same and she would not fall back on that now.>>

<< finally reaching a sense of "calm"..she realized that she had to fight until she COULDNT fight anymore!>>

...i never thought..i could hurt this much. his grip...like a VISE....no relenting ...no give....but i've still got a few tricks up my sleeve!!

<< the doctor went limp. she seemed to stop breathing. giving the appearence that she had blacked out or was dead! but suddenly she escapes his grip again in a swirl of golden orbs. appearing now a few feet away to the Super Soldier's LEFT>>

Hey, tall dark and REPUPLSIVE!

<< Karen shouted...ignoring the sharp pains in her chest and stomach area...knowing she would have to heal herself soon and that she couldnt keep up this pace much longer. she needed to deal with the super soldier DEFINITAVELY.>>

:: Simon would see a glint in her battle worn, open blue eyes. It was NOT unlike the one she cast upon HIM when she was apparently about to ZAP him with a magick spell at the club, before Michael stayed her hand.::

<< the doctor held up her hands, being carefull to take shallowed breaths so as not to aggrevate the pain in her chest area....feeling so tired, and so achey, she knew that this battle was at its climax and it was time for her to do ALL that she could to destroy this creature...or die trying.>>

Power of shadow, take shape!
look like a vicious dark star!
seek out, this wretched creature
and DESTROY HIM in all ways!


<< save the soft sounds of battle from horror hall inthe distance, the dark hangar remained silent for a moment...as thunder began to rumble and crack. a ray of black light beamed down between Karen and the Super Soldier....it glowed ominously as the shape of the Demon Storm, began to form...this MASSIVE , muscular, horned demon with wings, glowing white eyes and fangs roard into view, surrounded by the wide black ray of light. The area around the demon began to warp and bend the light...highlighting its EXTREME height (easily dwarfing the super soldier) as the winds began to howl and blow.. Karen's hair and the remainder of her cape began to blow back in the wind as she stretched her arms forward>>

power of shadow....DESTROY HIM!!

<< her voice echoed and seemed to roll like thunder as she directed the Demon Storm to attack the Super Soldier. This spell summons a most ancient evil. a demon that will consume its foe on ALL levels (mental, physical and spiritual) leaving NO trace...and as the power of the spell began to close in on the super soldier..the very GROUND that the magick traved across began to crack and cave in...>>


<< Karen's face betrays an expression of almost blank focus..her opal blue eyes fastened on her foe ...as she begins to act as a puppet master, manipulating the GIGANTIC demon storm with her slow, carefull gestures.>>

<< the demon reaches across the dock toward the Super Soldier and with that, he is SWEPT UP in a powerfull violent vortex of wind, being PULLED towards the demon. as this happens, the Super soldier is assaulted on ALL levels of his being. his "shape" begins to warp as his body is taxed beyond all levels of endurance he has demonstrated so far>>


<< Karen remains standing, as the winds flow back ..she looks for all the area like some bird of prey. the mad symphony of power plays wildly throughout the area and the dark light show is haunting as the demon ROARS with the winds. it is the most POWERFULL attempt that has been made so far to destroy a creature that has prooven INDESTRUCTIBLE....and even now, as the doctor does her best to rend him assunder with this dark and deadly spell, it is beginning to cause unforseen problems in the evironment around them as the ceiling high above begins to tremble violently and the area encompassed by the black beam of light is now imploded, sending MASSIVE debris crashing down all around the doctor and causing the pressure of the entire hangar to SHIFT. She may destroy him, but she HERSELF may not LIVE to tell about it. >>

:: This magick was as powerful and as BLACK as any Simon may have seen in his travels around the world. NOW he was getting a glimpse of what SHADOW WEAVER was capable of and it was NO LESS than what was required to have a chance of STOPPING the monster that KEPT coming for her! Simon didn't know the OTHER part of this story...not YET...but he had no chance but to watch. CLEARLY there was a reason Alison was making him experience this REAL AS LIFE recreation of the terrible confrontation. He watches Dr. Victoria all but seals the fate of the super soldier...but then...::

<< the view of the battle shifted....and as Karen seemed to seal the fate of the super soldier, from the eye of the demon storm, a TERRIFYING sight is beheld as MASSIVE piece of metal debris is hurled by the super soldier in one last attempt to strike down the doctor. the massive piece of hagged metal....>>

:: Seems to fly RIGHT FOR SIMON himself! Even if the mutant reflexively flinched, he was in no physical danger::

::FLASH!::

<<...SLAMS into the doctor full on and she is smacked down to the ground so fast..and so hard. the sound is SICKENING. >>

<<the super soldier is erradicated...destroyed from within and without on a physical, mental and spiritual level by the power of shadow spell and the ceiling of the hangar begins to collapse from the forces from the spell.....huge chunks crashing down all around the now unconscious and BADLY HURT doctor who is now laying on her back, her head turned to the side...not moving...blood dripping from a large rip in her flying suit about her chest area...and blood on her face as well....>>

:: Simon was no doubt transfixed by what he'd just seen. Karen had stopped her deadly foe but her own life seemed to be the cost of that hard fought and won victory.::

:: But THEN, the images and scene before Simon STOP. All movement, all nose STOPS.::

:: Harbinger BLINKS into view, standing before Simon, with her Time Staff in her hand::

Karen survived. Otherwise you wouldn't have met her a couple months back in the Parthenon.

:: The Danger Room returns to its normal, default state::

You can relax now. The test is over.

:: She looks coldly at him for a moment, before softening her facial expression.::

It was a test of your physicality, ability to think fast on your feet and also a psychological test that included an important history lesson.


What you YOURSELF were able to survive was only a TASTE of what any one of us in the Six have had to endure. Whether it was an ambush, or even something I could "SEE" coming. Having powers means nothing if you lack the knowledge or the WILL to use them effectively and CREATIVELY in even the tightest, most IMPOSSIBLE situations.

Some of the others in my group would probably...gasp...if they heard me say this to you, Simon, BUT, I like you. I think you have MORE than just potential. Not many people, super powered or not, could have survived what you had to get through in the first part of this test. Some founding members of the six nearly PERISHED the night we first came together, even WITH their powers available to them. You handled yourself far better than one would think you could.

:: She steps forward a bit::

That last battle you were made to witness, it occurred several YEARS ago in one of the first Mystech strongholds we took down, the underground laboratory known as the Citadle.

Karen had come to RESCUE myself, Haleigh and Blaze from the clutches of Malice and Blackout. What you saw just now was the end result of her efforts. She faced down and defeated the Super Soldier, one of the most fearsome bio hazards Mystech unleashed against the Six. FEW have survived an encounter with him. Karen, despite her power AND her skill, nearly lost her life.

At that time, Karen was not NEARLY as closely involved with the Six as she is now. Her daughter, Morgan Victoria, had been presumed DEAD at the time of that battle and she was aiding us due to the bonds of friendship we had with her daughter, our team mate. Because she chose to stand by us...her support...her association with us nearly cost her her LIFE.

Simon, I COULD tell you what I see coming your way in any number of time threads leading to/from your being...but I won't. I recently learned a valuable....PAINFUL lesson in....

:: shutting her eyes TIGHTLY for a moment as she thought of DELILAH TRELEVAN::...

OVERREACHING, even if it IS in the name of helping/protecting someone I hold dear. I dare not make anywhere NEAR that level of a mistake with a casual acquaintance.

:: it was a shape demonstration of just how MUCH she'd learned from that awful saga involving Delilah, Bishop and the events of the Blue Moon.::

What I WILL say...is that WHATEVER you do, whatever time thread you end up choosing to lead you through the tapestry the sister fates have weaved for you...your connection to Cameron and thus the Six...no matter how remote it is or you wish it to be...have forever altered the course of your life. You must be aware...you must be READY to face danger, to have ALL your hopes, dreams placed on hold...or even SMASHED TO DUST...

::FLASH!::

<< Rapid fire images of: The Six, OUTED BY BISHOP. Sentinels smashing and toppling Illustra. The Six and their allies battling to survive and escape a massive sentinel. The Six FINALLY ending up on the Isle of Aerie.>>

...because the world that you live in is blighted by vast, terrible powers that either want to exploit you for more than your business savvy...or DESTROY YOU for who and what you are. Now that you know who...what Cameron is...who his friends, his family, his TEAM MATES are? You are for ever changed. Whether you survive and even manage to flurish...depends on how you respond to what comes your way.

:: She paused, giving Simon a moment to process and respond.::

 

[Longshot]

Lesson Learned...

< Simon heard the harping insect like screams from the ant lion as he heard the rumble of stalagmites falling around him. The lion had been crushed, but Simon did NOT wait around to assess the damage. He continue to run further in the cave, using the flames of the charred ant lion to guide his way. Soon, he found himself at the Hangar area of The Citadle, a place like nothing else he had ever seen. >

"What the hell did they DO in this place?"

< It looked like some high tech coal mine or something. a coal mine that harvested things that Simon wasn't necessarily sure that he wanted to see. Everything was painfully silent save for a dripping sound here and there amongst the towering machinery. He stood poised, amost as if he were waiting for the other shoe to drop...and then. >

<< the hangar's silence was SHATTERED by a terrifying SIREN/ALARM that blared with a dreadful rhythm. Ther were red lights that flashed in synch with the siren as well. Machines were shuddering, steam was erupting from strains in the walls of the structure itself. The Citadle was under GREAT STRAIN, now that Black Widow had taken control of most of it's components in her vengeful campaign against MALICE.>>

<< But before Simon could really adjust to what he was seeing/hearing...the double doors BURST open and in rushes SHADOW WEAVER (Dr. Karen Victoria), but not as the woman he knows today. This is a holographic phantom being generated by the danger room and it shows Karen, in an earlier incarnation of herself , before she became Shadow Weaver. The doctor was RUNNING FOR HER LIFE and it could be seen in her eyes as she dashed behind a large piece of equipment. Simon would watch her, as she hurridly cast a cloaking spell! Seconds later, he'd lose sight of her...but soon saw something else...something MONSTROUS.>>

"UGH!"

< Simon grabbed his hears in both of his hands, trying to shield his hearing from the booming sound of the alarms all around him as his face became illuminated by the accompanying red flashing lights. He had no clue what was going on, but he figured that Alison had found his next test...and that she was most certainly upping the anty. He thought this of course until he saw HER burst through the double doors of the hangar, running in a panic and all out dead HEAT. >

"Dr. Victoria?! The old LUSH from The Parthenon? Is this some kind of joke? I mean, she was a bitch for sure...but I'm not about to FIGHT her for some SCENARIO?!"

< In a flurry of magick, she dissappeared from right in front of him, her visage replaced by something ABSOLUTELY terrifying. >

with her scent in his nose, and hunger in his blood red eyes, the lumbering creature continued to stalk his prey. His steady pace echoing through the now silent hall, until the sound systems warped, courtesy of Black Widow, as they began their battle with Blackout further down the hall he was leaving. His pace slowly picked up, and soon he was racing down the halls, following Karen’s scent as the Citadel continued to feel the affects of all of the Six’s battles.

Sound systems blared and screeched, lights flickered and sparked, all creating an even more terrifying vision of the Super Soldier as he finally crashed through the entrance into the hanger area. He was bathed in an array of thickening shadows and electric blue shimmers as the lights continued to flicker. Within the hanger everything was silent, and yet the Super Soldier KNEW Karen was there. Although her cloaking spell had hid her well, even against his super-human senses.

Nevertheless, the silence within the hanger finally shattered as the Super Soldier began randomly tearing at machinery and wiring. His fists uncurling and gripping anonymous bars and levers and ripping them out of the ground, slashing and pulverizing everything he could get his hands on. Alarms screeched and illuminated the hanger in a red hue, dancing off crimson lights flashing warnings as he ripped through the Hanger. He WOULD find her, even if he had to tear down the entire Citadel to get his hands on her.

< It was hard to tell if the frightening thing before him was man or monster...but Simon had deduced that he was both. He had heard rumors his entire life about the people his father associated with. Many of these people seemed in someway connected to the friends of Cameron King. Stavros Cassadine, members of The Hellfire Club, etc. Perhaps these horrific, almost too terrifying to be true stories...were in fact....TRUE? He realized that he was no longer going to fight for his life. Whatever Alison was doing right now...it was to prove a point...to show him something. He watched on intently. >

<< Karen had continued to hide...hearing the distance sounds of chaos and violence that seemed to stop just short of the hangar/dock. she remained quiet, finally setting her breathing and surprisingly REFLECTING on other things like her daughter, Morgan, her ex husband Christopher....and finally seeing a glimpse (even if it was sort of dated) of what MysTech's inner workings were like. that entity was so insidious, so far reaching....she knew that other lives besides hers had been blighted by MysTech.>>

<< suddenly she gasped and jumped with a start as the Super Soldier CRASHED into the hangar/dock. his heavy breathing, massive presence...and unrelenting, emotionless EVIL now flooded the immense and spacious area and even though the SPACE around him would dwarf him, him REMAINED "massive" in Karen's mind>>

he's here

<< Peering from the space between the two massive freight crates she hid behind, she could see the giant creature....Karen covered her mouth with her hand as she felt the uncertainty and FEAR rising up within herself.>>

What am i going to do now!?

<< She looked up to the HIGH reaching ceiling of the hangar.....industrial fans...covered with dust and cobwebs hung high on the ceiling and there was a upper level that formed a perimeter around the higher end of the hangar/dock. Karen spotted the STAIRS leading to it!>>

there!!! if i can just reach the stairs, while i'm cloaked by my magicks. I can keep him at bay with my spells!

<< as the super soldier ripped up hydraulic pumps and hurled away massive freight crates as if they were nothing, Karen couldnt bELIEVE the raw physical power he possesed...and that he was once...a MAN!>>

he'll find me...one way or the other, i cant hide in this spot forever...i've got to make a RUN for it!

<< breathing in deeply as she stood up, the doctor, still cloaked, DASHED for the stairs. She knew that he would most likely sense or perhaps hear her foot falls , no matter how faint they were...but she went anyway and made her way up, ever the woman of grace, she slightly hiked up the hem of her flying suit as any lady would so as not to trip while running. FINALLY making her way to the second level that overlooked the hangar/dock, Karen now what she hoped was a comfortable vantage point.>>

it's now , or NEVER


<< raising her hands...a rushing windy sound is heard as she de cloaks and shouts down from the upper level>>

I'm HERE you monster! and i WONT admit defeat until the last breath is crushed from my breast!

By Atheia and Percese
Open skies and do your worst!

<<the rushing harp sound played a chaotic melody as swirling shards of golden energy flowed around Karen's uplifted hands....thunder began to rumble faintly in the air...growing louder and stronger in its intensity before black, billowing cumulonimbus clouds burst into the air all around the super soldier...and fierce jagged bolts of lightning along with pelting rains and hail began to slam and bombard the super soldier relentlessly. the cloud burst grew in intensity until the sounds of mother nature unleashed completely drowned out whatever was happening within the citadle>>

< Simon's eyes were directed UPWARDS as Karen made her reappearance. He had been threatened by her magicks months before, but she had merely wanted to transfigure him. He hadn't really seen what she was capable of. That changed INSTANTLY as she ignited what appeared to be one HELL of a spell as gold energy enveloped her and the rolling thunder could be heard. The...."creature" she had been running from began to be ASSAULTED by bolts of LIGHTNING and rain and HAIL. It was absolutely incredible....Simon had never seen anything like it in his life. He was in awe of her. He knew of witches. He had been to tarot card readers, he had always had an interest in things of the occult, extending from his interest in mythological artifacts, specifically weapons. He loved to learn the lore and the legend behind things and to finally see somebody in front of him manifest the things that he had read about....was incredible and humbling to say the least...which actually was saying a lot for Simon Pratt. >

< The fire fight ensued as the creature began to advance upon Karen. He was going to break through her magicks...and kill her. Simon felt instinctually like he needed to help! >

"Dr. Victoria!!!!"

< The irony of his words were not lost. He had gone from largely writing off the doctor to being on her side...to wanting her to win if only because creatures like the one she was facing shouldn't be allowed to exist in this world. >

<< the doctor held up her hands, being carefull to take shallowed breaths so as not to aggrevate the pain in her chest area....feeling so tired, and so achey, she knew that this battle was at its climax and it was time for her to do ALL that she could to destroy this creature...or die trying.>>

Power of shadow, take shape!
look like a vicious dark star!
seek out, this wretched creature
and DESTROY HIM in all ways!


<< save the soft sounds of battle from horror hall inthe distance, the dark hangar remained silent for a moment...as thunder began to rumble and crack. a ray of black light beamed down between Karen and the Super Soldier....it glowed ominously as the shape of the Demon Storm, began to form...this MASSIVE , muscular, horned demon with wings, glowing white eyes and fangs roard into view, surrounded by the wide black ray of light. The area around the demon began to warp and bend the light...highlighting its EXTREME height (easily dwarfing the super soldier) as the winds began to howl and blow.. Karen's hair and the remainder of her cape began to blow back in the wind as she stretched her arms forward>>

power of shadow....DESTROY HIM!!

<< her voice echoed and seemed to roll like thunder as she directed the Demon Storm to attack the Super Soldier. This spell summons a most ancient evil. a demon that will consume its foe on ALL levels (mental, physical and spiritual) leaving NO trace...and as the power of the spell began to close in on the super soldier..the very GROUND that the magick traved across began to crack and cave in...>>


<< Karen's face betrays an expression of almost blank focus..her opal blue eyes fastened on her foe ...as she begins to act as a puppet master, manipulating the GIGANTIC demon storm with her slow, carefull gestures.>>

<< the demon reaches across the dock toward the Super Soldier and with that, he is SWEPT UP in a powerfull violent vortex of wind, being PULLED towards the demon. as this happens, the Super soldier is assaulted on ALL levels of his being. his "shape" begins to warp as his body is taxed beyond all levels of endurance he has demonstrated so far>>


<< Karen remains standing, as the winds flow back ..she looks for all the area like some bird of prey. the mad symphony of power plays wildly throughout the area and the dark light show is haunting as the demon ROARS with the winds. it is the most POWERFULL attempt that has been made so far to destroy a creature that has prooven INDESTRUCTIBLE....and even now, as the doctor does her best to rend him assunder with this dark and deadly spell, it is beginning to cause unforseen problems in the evironment around them as the ceiling high above begins to tremble violently and the area encompassed by the black beam of light is now imploded, sending MASSIVE debris crashing down all around the doctor and causing the pressure of the entire hangar to SHIFT. She may destroy him, but she HERSELF may not LIVE to tell about it. >>

< The entire structure around them began to RUMBLE and shake as a brilliant display of DARK MAGICK began to swirl through the air! The hangar area began to fall apart as debris began to fall all around Karen, nearly hitting her as she continued. As the pieces fell around them, Simon began to flinch as pieces appeared to be coming straight for HIM as well. He was completely lost in the moment. >

<< the view of the battle shifted....and as Karen seemed to seal the fate of the super soldier, from the eye of the demon storm, a TERRIFYING sight is beheld as MASSIVE piece of metal debris is hurled by the super soldier in one last attempt to strike down the doctor. the massive piece of hagged metal....>>

<<...SLAMS into the doctor full on and she is smacked down to the ground so fast..and so hard. the sound is SICKENING. >>

<<the super soldier is erradicated...destroyed from within and without on a physical, mental and spiritual level by the power of shadow spell and the ceiling of the hangar begins to collapse from the forces from the spell.....huge chunks crashing down all around the now unconscious and BADLY HURT doctor who is now laying on her back, her head turned to the side...not moving...blood dripping from a large rip in her flying suit about her chest area...and blood on her face as well....>>

"SHIT! NO!"

< Simon sprung into action as he began to run towards Karen. He didn't know what he would do when he got there, he just felt compelled to go to her. He KNEW this was a simulation...that none of this was real but at the same time, the technological marvel that was The Danger Room seemed to have a psychological effect on him...he was beginning to believe it all to be real. >

< As he ran forward....everything faded. >

Alison: "Karen survived. Otherwise you wouldn't have met her a couple months back in the Parthenon. You can relax now. The test is over."

< Simon's chest was heaving up and down as Harbinger appeared in front of him. Her icy and hypnotic glare cast upon him, he was still almost relieved to see her...to know that Karen had in fact had survived the ordeal. >

:: She looks coldly at him for a moment, before softening her facial expression.::

"It was a test of your physicality, ability to think fast on your feet and also a psychological test that included an important history lesson."

"What you YOURSELF were able to survive was only a TASTE of what any one of us in the Six have had to endure. Whether it was an ambush, or even something I could "SEE" coming. Having powers means nothing if you lack the knowledge or the WILL to use them effectively and CREATIVELY in even the tightest, most IMPOSSIBLE situations."

"Some of the others in my group would probably...gasp...if they heard me say this to you, Simon, BUT, I like you. I think you have MORE than just potential. Not many people, super powered or not, could have survived what you had to get through in the first part of this test. Some founding members of the six nearly PERISHED the night we first came together, even WITH their powers available to them. You handled yourself far better than one would think you could."

:: She steps forward a bit::

< Simon was perplexed by Alison Marble...there was no question...but he had immediately connected with the woman. It was a combination of the fact that he wasn't necessarily intimidated by her so much as he respected her game. She had the same amount of confidence in herself that Simon did...and even if hers was far more justified...there WAS a kinship between them..and he couldn't help but feel a little proud that she seemed to approve of how he handled himself. >

"Alison...thank you..but I mea--"

< Alison continued. >

Alison: "That last battle you were made to witness, it occurred several YEARS ago in one of the first Mystech strongholds we took down, the underground laboratory known as the Citadle. Karen had come to RESCUE myself, Haleigh and Blaze from the clutches of Malice and Blackout. What you saw just now was the end result of her efforts. She faced down and defeated the Super Soldier, one of the most fearsome bio hazards Mystech unleashed against the Six. FEW have survived an encounter with him. Karen, despite her power AND her skill, nearly lost her life. At that time, Karen was not NEARLY as closely involved with the Six as she is now. Her daughter, Morgan Victoria, had been presumed DEAD at the time of that battle and she was aiding us due to the bonds of friendship we had with her daughter, our team mate. Because she chose to stand by us...her support...her association with us nearly cost her her LIFE. Simon, I COULD tell you what I see coming your way in any number of time threads leading to/from your being...but I won't. I recently learned a valuable....PAINFUL lesson in....OVERREACHING, even if it IS in the name of helping/protecting someone I hold dear. I dare not make anywhere NEAR that level of a mistake with a casual acquaintance."

< Simon listened intently. This is what Cameron had been talking to him about. Still...it was rough for Simon to hear the name MysTech and the associations his father had with many members of that organization. To know what they did...what they were capable of...well, it reaffirmed his choice to not reveal his status as a mutant to anyone...not even his family. His mother was a staunch supporter of anti-mutant groups and it appeared that his father chased money, no matter where it came from. To know that there was a group of people who had sacrificed so much of their lives to stop this...all the while living these incredibly successful lives, nobody ever knowing what they had done for their country and the world...was startling to say the least. How many of their friends and allies had been lost in the battle? For every Karen that survived...there had to be somebody that didn't...a chill went up the mutant's spine. >

Alison: "What I WILL say...is that WHATEVER you do, whatever time thread you end up choosing to lead you through the tapestry the sister fates have weaved for you...your connection to Cameron and thus the Six...no matter how remote it is or you wish it to be...have forever altered the course of your life. You must be aware...you must be READY to face danger, to have ALL your hopes, dreams placed on hold...or even SMASHED TO DUST....because the world that you live in is blighted by vast, terrible powers that either want to exploit you for more than your business savvy...or DESTROY YOU for who and what you are. Now that you know who...what Cameron is...who his friends, his family, his TEAM MATES are? You are for ever changed. Whether you survive and even manage to flurish...depends on how you respond to what comes your way..."

< Simon thought for a moment before speaking. >

"Alison...thank you for showing me this. Cameron, as helpful as he's been to me...has always been a little tight lipped on what exactly it is that you all do. I can see now it's because he has been trying to protect me...I didn't realize King was such a softy...but I appreciate it. This is a lot to take in...."

< He looked around up and down at different areas of the Danger Room...still marveled by what it was capable of. >

"And all of this is really new to me...I only REALIZED I was a mutant a few years ago..and since then..I've really only engaged in parlor tricks. It's been a bone of contention between me and my family. They aren't the most pro mutant people around...and my father, well...after seeing what I've just seen...it appears that his old business associates were HARDLY as harmless as they seemed when I was a kid...."

< Pacing for a moment back and forth. >

"I've never thought much about what I am capable of...and part of me, if i'm being really honest, which...because of your honesty just now, I feel obligated to return the favor...I'm really scared to. I'm scared to say I'm a mutant...and I'm scared...that i'm scared. I am one overconfident son of a bitch and it's suited me VERY well in life...I'm a PROUD man as well. Knowing what LITTLE I do about my own abilities has caused me to worry that every accomplishment i've had...every bit of success i've garnered has been BECAUSE of my ability and not any actual learned skill...It's a little world shattering...Of course...all of this in retrospect to what you've just shown me seems trivial and narcissistic...."

< Sighing >

"But i'm human and I can't apologize about it. I want you to know that the secrets of your group are safe with me. I know I come off as cocky and superficial...a perennial playboy, and? For the most part I am...but I'm a loyal and aware person. I respect your family. Cameron King and Vivica Lennox gave me my first job outside of college...a job that wasn't tied to my family. Something of my own...and even when Cameron King had his mental break...Vivica nurtured the hell out of me...they both taught me a lot...and still continue to do so...so maybe...it's time I return the favor for THEM. I mean, I'm in it...i'm already here. Any moment, something could swoop down from the sky and catch me...kill me, just because i've been seen around with the lot of you..I don't have very many options, here Alison and I don't shy away from confrontation or getting my hands dirty when I have to...but I need to know what I am capable of...I need to know how to USE what i've been given..."

< Simon walked closer to Alison and placed his hand on his shoulder. >

"I'm not saying send my membership card to the presses...but I AM saying that if you are willing to teach me, I am willing to learn...and I'm one HELL of a student..."

 

[Harbinger]

The danger room

"Alison...thank you for showing me this. Cameron, as helpful as he's been to me...has always been a little tight lipped on what exactly it is that you all do. I can see now it's because he has been trying to protect me...I didn't realize King was such a softy...but I appreciate it. This is a lot to take in...."

< He looked around up and down at different areas of the Danger Room...still marveled by what it was capable of. >

"And all of this is really new to me...I only REALIZED I was a mutant a few years ago..and since then..I've really only engaged in parlor tricks. It's been a bone of contention between me and my family. They aren't the most pro mutant people around...and my father, well...after seeing what I've just seen...it appears that his old business associates were HARDLY as harmless as they seemed when I was a kid...."

< Pacing for a moment back and forth. >

"I've never thought much about what I am capable of...and part of me, if i'm being really honest, which...because of your honesty just now, I feel obligated to return the favor...I'm really scared to. I'm scared to say I'm a mutant...and I'm scared...that i'm scared. I am one overconfident son of a bitch and it's suited me VERY well in life...I'm a PROUD man as well. Knowing what LITTLE I do about my own abilities has caused me to worry that every accomplishment i've had...every bit of success i've garnered has been BECAUSE of my ability and not any actual learned skill...It's a little world shattering...Of course...all of this in retrospect to what you've just shown me seems trivial and narcissistic...."

< Sighing >

:: Alison stood silent as Simon went through his adjustment reaction. Several years ago? She'd have chewed him up, spit him out and stepped on him with her high heeled stilletto.::

:: But Simon was not dealing with that woman. The woman before him now was still cold, possessed of incredible powere and burderened with tremendous responsibility, but that coldness, that almost ROBOTIC way of being...it had been tempered, warmed and changed. Experiences, tests, trails, losses and more had all done t heir part to help change and shape her into the woman she was today. How fortunate for BOTH of them now, with the dark clouds forming over them, and a storm brewing that would get far worse before it got better.::

:: He needed to know, understand...and LEARN. Just as she and the others had.::

"But i'm human and I can't apologize about it. I want you to know that the secrets of your group are safe with me. I know I come off as cocky and superficial...a perennial playboy, and? For the most part I am...but I'm a loyal and aware person. I respect your family. Cameron King and Vivica Lennox gave me my first job outside of college...a job that wasn't tied to my family. Something of my own...and even when Cameron King had his mental break...Vivica nurtured the hell out of me...they both taught me a lot...and still continue to do so...so maybe...it's time I return the favor for THEM. I mean, I'm in it...i'm already here. Any moment, something could swoop down from the sky and catch me...kill me, just because i've been seen around with the lot of you..I don't have very many options, here Alison and I don't shy away from confrontation or getting my hands dirty when I have to...but I need to know what I am capable of...I need to know how to USE what i've been given..."

< Simon walked closer to Alison and placed his hand on his shoulder. >

"I'm not saying send my membership card to the presses...but I AM saying that if you are willing to teach me, I am willing to learn...and I'm one HELL of a student..."

Believe me, if I had thought...If i had "SEEN" that you would BETRAY my brother...betray US...the way some OTHERS in our past have? I would have made you DISAPPEAR already. There are few others in this group who are willing...or ABLE to go to the lengths that *I* will to protect US from those who would DESTROY us in any number of ways. Some of my methods may be...HARSH...but no less necessary.

:: She said this with coldness, but without the biting edge she might have punctuated it with a long while ago. It was truth, she HAD taken the time to survey Simon across time threads. Whatever else he was...a security risk was NOT one of those things. For HIS sake, that was a good thing.::

Cameron, Vivica, myself...ALL of the Six and our allies, we have been to hell and back. We will likely have several MORE visits in this lifetime until the sisterfates decide to cut our strings once and for all. But while we are here...we have much to do. There will be times of uncertainty, loss, terror...there will be violence...there will be blood and the lines of "ethics" will be blurred if not completely crossed. You must be prepared and know that the choices you make hence forth will not only impact your life and but those of us you now know. Your time threads...they DO bring you closer to us than either you or Cameron might have suspected, but *I* see that you are prepared to face what is coming and ADAPT. That is what will save you from being crushed.


:: Alison turns Simon around as she steps forward to his side and gently urges him to walk toward the exit with her::

We'll see each other again soon enough and I WILL make sure that you are tested and TAUGHT. A person with power is only as formidable and effective as they are skilled. You have PLENTY of potential, but it is time to focus and hone that potential.

A storm is coming, one who's close will reach high and loom large across ALL our horizons. Only those with the strength, skill and WILL to survive will be of use in changing the outcome of that storm.

:: she looks over at Simon::

I can't change how OTHERS in this group perceive you. That's for you to handle, just as it was every other person who was the "newcomer" at one time or another. BUT I will put in a word with my brother for you.

:: She winks at Simon as they exit the danger room and the door slides shut behind them.::

 

[Rampage]

I can't change how OTHERS in this group perceive you. That's for you to handle, just as it was every other person who was the "newcomer" at one time or another. BUT I will put in a word with my brother for you.

:: She winks at Simon as they exit the danger room and the door slides shut behind them.::

A word from Ali? Now THAT is a valuable resource. I was hoping that you two would not go so soon. I was hoping that the Harbinger would give me a dance and you are certainly welcome to watch.

Nicolas was standing in the hallway, a smile on his face. The only person who loved to drill as much as Mike and Haleigh was Nicolas, and it appears that he's had a peek of Alison giving Simon a lesson.

You see Simon...you can battle scenarios OR each other. And while we do not harm each other when we spar, we CAN make a terrible mess. What say you Alison? Wanna give the noob a show?

Nicolas teleported to Alison's flank, popping her hard on the bottom, before darting into another of his portals to the Astral Plane.

TAG! You're it!!

 

[Harbinger]

Round 3

A word from Ali?

:: Alison stops in her tracks, her colbalt blue eyes widen for a brief moment at the sight of....::

Nicolas.

:: Her face betrays a smirk. Nicolas ever present for an opportunity. Playful and even mischeivious at times. It turned out, this was part of his charm, but in the earlier days of his being "noob", he was a NEVER ENDING source of annoyance to Alison. Oh how FAR they had come in their dynamic!::

Now THAT is a valuable resource. I was hoping that you two would not go so soon. I was hoping that the Harbinger would give me a dance and you are certainly welcome to watch.

Nicolas was standing in the hallway, a smile on his face. The only person who loved to drill as much as Mike and Haleigh was Nicolas, and it appears that he's had a peek of Alison giving Simon a lesson.



You see Simon...you can battle scenarios OR each other. And while we do not harm each other when we spar, we CAN make a terrible mess. What say you Alison? Wanna give the noob a show?

::sighing, the precog knew what was coming. Nicolas almost couldn't help himself sometimes...::

Watch out, Simon. Things can get a bit wild when I ....SHAME one of these over eager boys on the team.

:: She could be heard laughing softly, in spite of herself.::

Nicolas teleported to Alison's flank, popping her hard on the bottom, before darting into another of his portals to the Astral Plane.

TAG! You're it!!

::Smirking and rolling her eyes, she TELEBLINKS herself and Simon back into the Danger Room.::

5....4....3....2...1...

:: Alison counts, while looking at Simon. She swings her Time Staff out and to her left with unwavering, perfect form, CATCHING Nicolas with a good shot to his solar plexus. Only a truly physically fit person could take THIS blow from Alison and her talisman. It was not meant to hurt, only to WIND him for a moment.::

How many times do I have to tell you, dear Nicolas. It's a WASTE OF TIME, trying to catch a precog unaware!

TAG BACK!

:: Smiling at Simon as she BLINKS OUT and BLINKS IN behind Nicolas, holding her Time Staff out in front of her. The Garnett Jewel of the staff shimmers and makes an odd sound as it seems to "come to life" with a flash. Harbinger actives a CHRONAL TYPHOON, a mix of magickal and temporal forces that creates a wind/typhoon effect, sweeping the momentarily winded Nicolas up into the air::


:: This attack was not designed to hurt, only to send him on his way FROM HER. She smiles sweetly and waves goodbye as he flounders in the air for a moment and SHE BLINKS out of site::

 

[Seer]

And a fun scenario activates

:: the trademark rushing chiming sound that is associated with the activation of Harbinger's telekinetic power is heard in the control room. switches and controls click on, power hums and a program is activated. Harbinger, Longshot and Nicolas now find themselves in a wild amusemenet park, one that has a rather DEMONIC slant in its themes and decorations. The "carnival" music even as a warped, scarey sound to it. Rides are rushing, screams of terror are heard, lights flashing and blinking everywhere. It's a wild and interesting place for a super powered game of tag::

:: Harbinger's voice can be heard in the air::

Harbinger: Come on Longshot. Now's your chance to REALLY show what you can do. Let's get Nicolas!


:: The game of tag was on now. Harbinger could be scene, sitting side saddle on a demonic looking horse on a high speed carousel, twirling her time staff as she passed by Simon once and then BLINKED OUT just as Nicolas came leaping back into the area.::

 

[Rampage]

::Smirking and rolling her eyes, she TELEBLINKS herself and Simon back into the Danger Room.::

5....4....3....2...1...

:: Alison counts, while looking at Simon. She swings her Time Staff out and to her left with unwavering, perfect form, CATCHING Nicolas with a good shot to his solar plexus. Only a truly physically fit person could take THIS blow from Alison and her talisman. It was not meant to hurt, only to WIND him for a moment.::

How many times do I have to tell you, dear Nicolas. It's a WASTE OF TIME, trying to catch a precog unaware!

TAG BACK!

:: Smiling at Simon as she BLINKS OUT and BLINKS IN behind Nicolas, holding her Time Staff out in front of her. The Garnett Jewel of the staff shimmers and makes an odd sound as it seems to "come to life" with a flash. Harbinger actives a CHRONAL TYPHOON, a mix of magickal and temporal forces that creates a wind/typhoon effect, sweeping the momentarily winded Nicolas up into the air::

Nicolas was already laughing as he was catching his wind. Nothing was more fun than going at Ali. She was ALWAYS ready and the nature of her power made fighting her almost unfair. She was perfect practice for whatever would eventually come.

Nicolas twisted and landed on his feet before leaping back into the fray. Alison had already teleblinked as he made his way to the center of what was now an amusement park straight out of a horror movie. He decided on a new tact.

I won't be running my dears. Come and get me.

Nicolas was overclocking his reflexes and physical attributes while LIGHTLY draining Simon of his psionic energy to buffer himself. He manifested his axe, dulling the blade so as not to harm anyone. A smirk was stuck on his face as he waited for what was to come.

 

[Harbinger]

More fun and games

:: The demonic carnival was in full swing::

:: The high speed carousel was close by Nicolas and Simon, and still spinning, with it's unusual, dark motif. As the wicked, twisted carnival music continued to play, Harbinger BLINKED back into view, laying back rather leisurely on her dark steed while riding around on the carousel. She still held her time staff.::

Now, now Nicolas!

:: She said as she pretended to chide him::

You stay in one place too long...

:: Some colorful clowns with demonic laughs came UNICYCLING into view::

You'll be tagged....

:: the clowns were juggling objects, which soon became clear to see as deep dish lemon meringue pies! the began to circle around Nicolas and Simon and soon, with the aim and skill that would put even the best major league baseball pitchers to shame, they began to HURL the pies at Nicolas.::

:: Harbinger LAUGHED at what was coming next::

TAG! AGAIN! You're IT!

:: Nicolas would no doubt be able to evade the first wave of pies, but he soon get a pie, right in the face!::

And Simon?

:: she said as she passed around a 2nd time on her demonic steed on the carousel::

For standing around too long, YOU'LL get some too if you don't get to moving!

:: This wasn't just a game of tag, this would also test skills like hand/eye coordination, reaction time and use of the environment to one's advantage.::

:: Alison would be far harder for Nicolas to catch than Simon. And now, with the introduction of pie-throwing clowns and no doubt other obstacles soon to come, the game was getting more challenging, but no less fun.::

::YAWN!::

I think I'll take a ride on THAT.

:: She pointed her time staff toward a LARGE, SPRAWLING, TERRIFYING rollercoaster, who's riding cart looked like a rocket ship. This rollercoaster was impossible tall, covering a level of the park that looked like a MILE and boasted SPEEDS that were not for the faint of heart.::

:: Demonic looking jesters, howling with laughter and dancing about, were waiting for the keeper of time at the entrance gate::

Hope you two have strong stomachs!

:: and with that, she BLINKS out. Reappearing in one of the seats of the roller coaster as it locks her in and begins to make its ascent before dropping down for a WILD RIDE.::

:: That's TWICE Nicolas had been tagged and Simon, if he wasn't fast on his feet, would be tagged multiple times by the pie throwing clowns as well::

 

[Rampage]

Now, now Nicolas!

:: She said as she pretended to chide him::

You stay in one place too long...

:: Some colorful clowns with demonic laughs came UNICYCLING into view::

You'll be tagged....

:: the clowns were juggling objects, which soon became clear to see as deep dish lemon meringue pies! the began to circle around Nicolas and Simon and soon, with the aim and skill that would put even the best major league baseball pitchers to shame, they began to HURL the pies at Nicolas.::

:: Harbinger LAUGHED at what was coming next::

TAG! AGAIN! You're IT!

:: Nicolas would no doubt be able to evade the first wave of pies, but he soon get a pie, right in the face!::

That made two, but it did two things. One, it game him some ammo of his own. Two, it caused the slightly cocky Keeper of the Time Staff to climb on a roller coaster.

Sitting. Duck.

Easily removing the pie from his face, Nicolas had the other pies held in Limbo, falling, waiting...

...until he fired half a dozen pies at Simon at varying angles and heights designed to box him in. But he held one for when Harbinger started to descend, opening a portal right in front of her face!!

As she took the brunt of the pie, he was suddenly seated beside her, laughing as he licked some meringue from her cheek before leaping from the coaster.

MMMM....That makes TWO my dear!! TAG!

As for Simon, his pies did not simply fly at him and fall harmlessly, they sped across the room at high speed and Nicolas now used portals to box him in, eventually tagging him with one as well.

And one for Proserpine's new toy!!

Nicolas invoked the Roman name for Ava, which he used as a nickname of sorts. As he descended, he disappeared into the shadows. He could be in any of them or all of them or NONE of them. Even Alison would have a challenge to find him as he moved.