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Grendyne groans and starts pulling on her boots when the alarm goes off. Again. She quick-marches to the broom hangar, sits on her machine and is handed a plethora of loaded weapons by attentive corporals.
"Two flyers in one day? They're getting way too common."
"It's worse," the commander informs them, "South Karlsland got hit with three at once. We're taking Lytee's express and sleeping there. You can sit out if you absolutely need to, but Freya's still recovering so we could use you as a comms relay."
"No, I'll come. I just reserve the right to complain about it."
The 42nd United Forces Witch Wing takes off and assembles into a perfect synchronized formation as Lytee charges her teleport power.
...This is not South Karlsland wilderness.
[note: halfway through this thread I created a unique account for Grendyne. Do not be alarmed by the change in account. -Rockeye]
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characterquarry
witchwatcher
That was a mistake. Gren follows them. Unless that... Thing... Is as fast as Eidolon, she can catch it between fast-flight and space-warping. She follows it through all the evasive maneuvers they pull, ready to stop them from falling to their deaths when it finally breaks down.
wormcan
As soon as it's out of line of sight, Vista can't tell where to shrink space and where to expand it. Browbeat is irrelevant even sooner. It's still slower than she is, and she can follow it close enough to catch them without too much trouble.
Leet wakes up Uber, and immediately tells him that they got the dramatic exit for the video. They give it as much speed as they can, just in case Gren happens to be at exactly her top speed already.
Leet wakes up Uber, and immediately tells him that they got the dramatic exit for the video. They give it as much speed as they can, just in case Gren happens to be at exactly her top speed already.
witchwatcher
She was not at her top speed already. A cloud forms in front and around them, and Gren tracks their position through another power.
wormcan
This fits surprisingly well with their next move. The spaceship suddenly slows and stops, reversing whatever it uses for propulsion. They, on top of it, keep going, hoping it can splatter against her Behemoth-proof shield as a distraction.
(It turns out it's hard to intentionally cry precisely one tear while in freefall, but Uber settles for saying "Goodbye, Arwing" and saluting it before taking care of the landing.)
(It turns out it's hard to intentionally cry precisely one tear while in freefall, but Uber settles for saying "Goodbye, Arwing" and saluting it before taking care of the landing.)
witchwatcher
She does a barrel roll. No sense wasting mana on a shield when you don't need it. Also, what landing? They're hovering in the air, trajectory disrupted by a copy of Vista's power. Then they're hit by half a dozen stunbolts each and gently set down via telekinesis.
"I got em," she reports, including the address.
"I got em," she reports, including the address.
wormcan
Unconscious and telekinetically captured while wearing leftover landing gear from a different theme. This is not a good day. (Behind her, the ship falls apart. The pieces didn't land gently, but probably didn't hit anything too important.)
Browbeat and Vista are there first, since the chase didn't get very far. A prisoner containment van isn't far behind.
Browbeat and Vista are there first, since the chase didn't get very far. A prisoner containment van isn't far behind.
witchwatcher
"These guys are annoying. Couldn't they have done, what, a video game show? Without stealing stuff and reflecting lethal ammo?"
wormcan
"They could have. But then they'd just be people with a video game show, instead of being the video game show capes. Still, they're off the streets now."
witchwatcher
"Back to patrol then, I guess. And there'll be paperwork for this later. Ah well."
wormcan
The rest of the patrol is uneventful. Back to where the Merchants were (a lot of them were committing non-cape-related crimes that are technically more of a job for the regular police, who are there by now) then around the city getting the occasional usually-false alarm and generally having a presence on behalf of the Brockton Bay Wards.
witchwatcher
She decides to post on that cape forum, after the patrol and paperwork is done, it's amusing in small doses.
Caught Uber and Leet today. Anybody know what an Arwing is?
Caught Uber and Leet today. Anybody know what an Arwing is?
wormcan
It is known. Obscure, but information on Earth Aleph video games exists and Uber and Leet fans are used to digging it up. It's from a series of games about a flying fox.
Relatedly, Uber and Leet have fans. Threads about them often devolve into arguments about whether they're Not That Bad or Just Like the Rest, and the former faction isn't happy with Gren and the Wards. But it's more in the sense of their favored sports team having suffered a loss than actually thinking she should have let them go. Usually.
Relatedly, Uber and Leet have fans. Threads about them often devolve into arguments about whether they're Not That Bad or Just Like the Rest, and the former faction isn't happy with Gren and the Wards. But it's more in the sense of their favored sports team having suffered a loss than actually thinking she should have let them go. Usually.
witchwatcher
She's used to the internet having a few... Extremists. She keeps her replies diplomatic and signs off before too long. After some other recreational uses of the internet and some homework, it's time to sleep, and then back to the usual schedule.
wormcan
A notable feature of the usual schedule is, inconveniently, school being weird. (There's less of it for Wards, but still.)
In the cape context, the current usual schedule involves the ABB attacking another gang every few days. During the last time Lung was involved, Armsmaster arrived in time to fail to capture Lung. The dragon apparently knew about the tinker's tranquilizers in advance, and was able to avoid being captured.
The Director asks some of the Wards with useful powers if, this being strictly optional and with other choices available, they'd be willing to join the next effort.
In the cape context, the current usual schedule involves the ABB attacking another gang every few days. During the last time Lung was involved, Armsmaster arrived in time to fail to capture Lung. The dragon apparently knew about the tinker's tranquilizers in advance, and was able to avoid being captured.
The Director asks some of the Wards with useful powers if, this being strictly optional and with other choices available, they'd be willing to join the next effort.
witchwatcher
Gren would be more than willing to help. As long as she's allowed to flee if things go too far south.
wormcan
The Wards are strongly advised to do exactly that. They're backed up by the PRT, Armsmaster, Dauntless, and Battery—most of Brockton Bay's speedsters were killed pulling people away from Behemoth's kill aura, but Armsmaster should be able to stall Lung for an evacuation if necessary. Gren and Clockblocker are the main chance for actually succeeding, with Vista supporting Clockblocker.
witchwatcher
Gren still can't reliably copy Clockblocker if he leaves her line of sight. And this fight is going to cost a solid chunk of her stored mana.
As long as that's understood, she's perfectly happy to go over plans of attack and discuss tactics and wait for the best opportunity to swoop in.
As long as that's understood, she's perfectly happy to go over plans of attack and discuss tactics and wait for the best opportunity to swoop in.
wormcan
The ideal case is that Clockblocker freezes Lung and the target gets buried in containment foam without having a chance to ramp up. Everyone else is redundant. But this is unlikely. Lung's position is most obvious when he's fighting, which means he'll already be partially transformed. (Whoever he's fighting, likely the Empire Eighty-Eight or Merchants, maybe the Travelers or Undersiders, is not the current priority unless they attack.)
The two ways to end the fight are to freeze Lung and have everyone appear to leave, so that his power wears off, or hit him with enough stun bolts that he goes down. If neither works, they should evacuate.
The two ways to end the fight are to freeze Lung and have everyone appear to leave, so that his power wears off, or hit him with enough stun bolts that he goes down. If neither works, they should evacuate.
witchwatcher
Gren is unsure if the stunbolts can beat him once he's keyed up, but it's definitely worth a try.
Can she have a containment foam sprayer integrated into the spare compartments of her Steelwing?
Can she have a containment foam sprayer integrated into the spare compartments of her Steelwing?
wormcan
Most of the containment foam will be coming from vehicle-mounted launchers. Anything portable enough for a Steelwing isn't likely to do much against Lung, but it's not like it'll hurt.
witchwatcher
And it gives her another nonlethal option other than stunbolts and elemental manipulation.
She's ready to go whenever Lung is located next.
She's ready to go whenever Lung is located next.
wormcan
Later that evening, Lung is spotted in Empire territory. The PRT got called early, when he was just barely starting to ramp up. The sooner the first responders get there, the less outgunned they'll be. The relevant capes get notified as soon as possible and the vehicles head off right away.
witchwatcher
Gren flies high above the city and locates the exact area with enhanced vision. She mutters information about who's fighting and exactly where while waiting for the rest of the capes to arrive.
wormcan
She doesn't have long to wait. Armsmaster's motorcycle is fast, especially when Vista is one of the passengers.
Lung, still humanoid but two feet taller than usual, is fighting a group of Empire capes. Stormtiger is on the ground injured, Cricket is dodging Lung's blasts of fire, and Hookwolf is matching him blow for blow. Cricket and Lung notice Gren just before the other capes arrive on the scene.
Lung, still humanoid but two feet taller than usual, is fighting a group of Empire capes. Stormtiger is on the ground injured, Cricket is dodging Lung's blasts of fire, and Hookwolf is matching him blow for blow. Cricket and Lung notice Gren just before the other capes arrive on the scene.
witchwatcher
She descends enough for most of her powers to be in range and hits him with everything she can, all at once.
The area where Lung is, is now extremely difficult to move in. Everything slows to a stop - bullets, debris flying through the air, people. It won't immobilize Lung, but it should at least slow him down since he can no longer put momentum behind a punch or run. At the same time she starts sending down a steady stream of stunbolts. Not a huge burst of them, but a pace she can keep up for a while. And she tries to disorient or blind him with flashes of light.
The area where Lung is, is now extremely difficult to move in. Everything slows to a stop - bullets, debris flying through the air, people. It won't immobilize Lung, but it should at least slow him down since he can no longer put momentum behind a punch or run. At the same time she starts sending down a steady stream of stunbolts. Not a huge burst of them, but a pace she can keep up for a while. And she tries to disorient or blind him with flashes of light.