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Tree branch: check. Assorted lightweight seed-bearing fruits and nuts: check. Other seeds: check. Water bottle, for when she has to veer away from the river: check.
Better not linger in her starting place too much longer. Yellow's faster than her and may have already come home to a wreck. Thorn might have a habit of checking up on the place, even, just in case. She's invisible, inaudible, unsmellable - that won't help if he sends someone thorough. Or comes in person.
She sets out.
She's been flying for about thirty minutes after her shopping trip when she falls through a tear and squeaks inaudibly and lands in the middle of -
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imeanforever
wormcan
People who aren't doubly accelerated haven't had much chance to do anything at all yet.
The water pouring off Leviathan increases. Instead of filling whatever space he vacates, it fountains off him in all directions, up, out, and down, before being splashing into the water everyone is already wading in. Leviathan maintains that output and keeps his prison full. Having created his own waterfall, he swims up it and stays in the center of the tetrahedron.
The defenders with ranged attacks start launching everything they have, to force Leviathan into one of the back walls. Even some of the front-line combatants join in, the ones with weapons long enough that they can stay safely on this side of the gates. Promise can see the lasers strike instantly, followed by energy beams and physical attacks and whatever else this world has to offer.
The water pouring off Leviathan increases. Instead of filling whatever space he vacates, it fountains off him in all directions, up, out, and down, before being splashing into the water everyone is already wading in. Leviathan maintains that output and keeps his prison full. Having created his own waterfall, he swims up it and stays in the center of the tetrahedron.
The defenders with ranged attacks start launching everything they have, to force Leviathan into one of the back walls. Even some of the front-line combatants join in, the ones with weapons long enough that they can stay safely on this side of the gates. Promise can see the lasers strike instantly, followed by energy beams and physical attacks and whatever else this world has to offer.
imeanforever
Promise is at the ready keeping track of as much as she can, ready to shut gates as soon as more than half of him is through any one. Somebody hit him harder -
wormcan
The water they're standing in turns against them. Knee-high at first, most of the water Leviathan creates has been shifted their direction. Not in a wave that would attract defensive measures, but a fast-moving current raising the water level behind their front lines. Now the accumulated water moves, starting right next to the nearest group of ranged attackers and moving fast enough that some capes who get struck directly are killed by the impact and some that get struck indirectly are ripped in two. Promise herself is halfway between the wave and a more literal wall.
Armbands start listing off casualties.
Impel down, CD-5. Pelter deceased, CD-5. Herald down, CD-5. Miss Militia deceased, CD-5. Allegro deceased, CD-5. Velocity deceased, CD-5.
Promise deceased, CD-5.
Armbands start listing off casualties.
Impel down, CD-5. Pelter deceased, CD-5. Herald down, CD-5. Miss Militia deceased, CD-5. Allegro deceased, CD-5. Velocity deceased, CD-5.
Promise deceased, CD-5.
wormcan
Promise's death does not remove the gates. The waves continue: currents flowing in toward a point and none leaving, then the newly formed hemisphere of water smashing into groups of capes. Some even fly upward, forcing fliers to keep their distance. Meanwhile, the trapped Leviathan is taking almost every hit the defenders throw at him and swimming the opposite direction exactly enough to compensate. Nothing forces him into the gates, not though Tinker or Shaker should forge the weapon or the hand of Lung or of Alexandria wield it. And the battlefield is only getting more watery.
His decreased ability to dodge means the outer layers of his hide are being hurt faster than he regenerates, but the same could be said of his opponents. Sometimes it seems like there are injured and dead capes being listed more often than not.
His decreased ability to dodge means the outer layers of his hide are being hurt faster than he regenerates, but the same could be said of his opponents. Sometimes it seems like there are injured and dead capes being listed more often than not.
wormcan
The defending capes keep firing on Leviathan. He usually doesn't sit still for this, and the survivors take advantage of it to cut deeper than before. In the barrage of powers and weapons—one of Myrddin's multidimensional attacks, maybe it was Flechette's darts or a line Clockblocker froze, or maybe one of Bakuda's captured bombs, no one can tell—one of the gates fails. Leviathan is out of the trap.
He tears through toward the nearest defenders, only to stop after ten feet of his tail are severed by a stroke from a black and white striped woman.
He tears through toward the nearest defenders, only to stop after ten feet of his tail are severed by a stroke from a black and white striped woman.
wormcan
The Siberian does more to hurt Leviathan than anyone ever has. She scythes into the monster, leaving trails of ichor instead of blood. But all the damage she deals is superficial, any attacks toward his center of mass miss. While heroes and villains back off, Jack signals and more members of his team join alongside Siberian. Most visibly, Crawler leaps toward Leviathan. Before he can reach the rare opponent he not only hopes but expects to be able to hurt him, another wave swats him into one of the three remaining gates.
Siberian excepted, none of the Nine can deal any serious direct damage. But some of them are very well suited for being obviously present and helping against Leviathan. Jack waves his knife like a conductor's baton, watching the battle and occasionally slashing uselessly but emphatically at the Endbringer.
Siberian excepted, none of the Nine can deal any serious direct damage. But some of them are very well suited for being obviously present and helping against Leviathan. Jack waves his knife like a conductor's baton, watching the battle and occasionally slashing uselessly but emphatically at the Endbringer.
wormcan
The only defending capes remaining are the ones willing to fight next to the Slaughterhouse Nine. This includes the Triumvirate, apparently.
The defending side, in numbers at least, is getting more and more dominated by Nilbog's creations. One of the local villains has the completely convenient power to conjure flesh out of thin air. This is quickly repurposed into monsters more expendable than capes.
Leviathan has already sustained more injuries than it normally takes to drive him off, but he's still fighting. Alexandria flies up to where Eidolon is freezing the incoming tidal waves into glaciers. They exchange words. Both fly down. Alexandria resumes close combat, while Eidolon rushes to find one of the capes who isn't directly fighting.
The defending side, in numbers at least, is getting more and more dominated by Nilbog's creations. One of the local villains has the completely convenient power to conjure flesh out of thin air. This is quickly repurposed into monsters more expendable than capes.
Leviathan has already sustained more injuries than it normally takes to drive him off, but he's still fighting. Alexandria flies up to where Eidolon is freezing the incoming tidal waves into glaciers. They exchange words. Both fly down. Alexandria resumes close combat, while Eidolon rushes to find one of the capes who isn't directly fighting.
wormcan
During his flight, Eidolon replaces one of his abilities and starts charging a shrinking power. Not usually his first choice on an Endbringer battlefield. He finds the hero, flies her to where Promise was killed, and finds her hand-sized gate to Fairyland. According to Alexandria Promise intended to use this to close some gates that couldn't otherwise be reached from Earth Bet. Instead, Eidolon shrinks his passenger and her equipment, passes her through the mouse hole, and returns to freezing Leviathan's tidal waves.
In his absence, more water has gathered than he can freeze. At least they had warning there was going to be a wave he couldn't stop. Hopefully that would be enough.
In his absence, more water has gathered than he can freeze. At least they had warning there was going to be a wave he couldn't stop. Hopefully that would be enough.
imeanforever
This gate is above a sea of liquid salt, high enough to be low on air. And once she's through, most of her markers are invisible.
But another one has reappeared.
wormcan
Mouse Protector realizes three fundamental truths at the exact same time. First, she's alive. Good. Always nice not to find oneself in the immediate vicinity of a black hole. Second, she's falling. Supposedly the only thing people love more than a hero is to see a hero fall, luckily she's alone. Third, ow. She teleports to somewhere with air pressure.
"PROMISE! COME QUICKLY, HERO, THE WORLD NEEDS YOU!"
"PROMISE! COME QUICKLY, HERO, THE WORLD NEEDS YOU!"
wormcan
This might be a job for more yelling (easier now that Eidolon's shrinking effect has worn off), or she might be better off looking for an entrance to the inside of the tree where the tag is. Better try both. She does.
imeanforever
There are no entrances. But enough yelling will eventually get a small window to open at Promise's eye level in the wood.
"Mmmrrrrgh?"
"Mmmrrrrgh?"
wormcan
"PROMISE! The city is in peril! You must—
This is no time for that. You've got to get back to the Leviathan fight."
This is no time for that. You've got to get back to the Leviathan fight."
imeanforever
"I, uh, oh. What - what happened?" She rubs her eyes, looks around. Grabs something, puts on one of her trademark dresses made of leaves. "Do you have a, um, I can't instant settle a gate if it's not flat..."
wormcan
"One of these?" She holds up a device. Could be anything, but Eidolon said it was important.
wormcan
"Nowhere, but where you were last time will probably have line of sight to trap him again. Hopefully."
wormcan
"Again. Some attack or other broke a gate. What matters is we need to get you back there now."
imeanforever
"Okay, okay." Promise steps out of the tree and it closes behind her. "If I gate high can you teleport down okay?"
wormcan
"Yes." Unless Leviathan has killed everyone she has tagged at the moment, but how likely can that be.
imeanforever
"Okay. Follow me."
Gate. Step. Wait for Mouse Protector. Close.
Scope out the battlefield.
Gate. Step. Wait for Mouse Protector. Close.
Scope out the battlefield.
wormcan
It's a mess. There's a trail of destruction leading south and west, toward...most of the city. Could be anything, or nothing. A majority of the capes are working to rescue other capes, the only ones fighting Leviathan right this moment are the ones who could find him and also hit hard enough to matter. Alexandria is trading blows while the Siberian gouges out pieces of the other monster. The flying artillery capes blast down on the target while the grounded fighters converge. He moves fast enough that few can keep up, leaving a wake that is then itself used as a weapon in his wake.
Capes nowhere near the monster are also being targeted. There's enough water everywhere that nowhere is safe, now that his hydrokinesis is being used as a direct weapon.
Capes nowhere near the monster are also being targeted. There's enough water everywhere that nowhere is safe, now that his hydrokinesis is being used as a direct weapon.