capeandcowllogs | beneath the black, the sky looks dead

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beneath the black, the sky looks dead

WHO: THE VOID and YOU?
WHERE: Around the City and the Brooklyn Bridge
WHEN: Sunday, 8/2
WARNINGS: Violence, death, chaos
SUMMARY: The Sentry loses control.
FORMAT: Quick.

[ There was no abrupt revelation, no struggle; when Robert Reynolds had opened his eyes that day, the Sentry was simply nowhere to be found. He'd flown from the mansion into the sky, a poisonous oily creature wearing Bob's skin and the Sentry's clothes until even that began to shed. Red eyes and an aura like fire and toxic ash, sharp tendrils coiling out behind and around him like sentient shadows.

Years. Years here, trapped, ignored, denied. Bob was done fighting, and hurting; his mind went blank so that someone else could use his body to fight back. But it was his body, too -- the Void celebrated his freedom by flying into the sky, raising his arms and calling upon the sky to darken in deep reds and purples. Clouds collected and rain started pouring; he raised his face to the rain and smiled, before he dropped from the sky and flew cleanly through the Brooklyn Bridge. ]

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[ You can't have a friend who goes completely out of her mind and sprouts dark tentacles and makes literal pieces of darkness rain out of the sky without knowing that something bad went down when you see the sky mess up like it has.

Of course, you don't really need to have a friend like that in the first place to realize that something bad has happened. You don't even need to have lived in the City where things go wrong often to realize that ominous color and rain is probably a dangerous thing.

Then there was the whole attack on the bridge itself as well as the other victims, so really, it didn't take a genius to realize that someone here needed to be stopped.

Unfortunately, it looked like John wasn't the first person on the scene, judging from the lady in the white outfit and weaponry who was whistling to get the attention of a man who's appearance sort of screamed out 'culprit behind it all' in John's opinion.

So he zooms through the air towards her, hoping that if he doesn't get there first, at least she really is as capable of handling herself as she looks. ]

[Laura has never trusted Bob. From the moment Jessica told her the Sentry was in the city, she was wary of him. Even if he is 'the Sentry' by all appearances, she remembers what she has seen of the battle between Asgard and the Avengers. Just no.]

[But even then, he has been here so long she's still a bit surprised when he breaks like this. Surprised, but not inactive. There aren't many people in the City capable of fighting him...a handful, really, and she wasn't even entirely certain she was one of them. But she was more likely to survive the conflict, and more likely to do what had to be done in the end.]

[So she was following him, not difficult given the trail he was leaving, and she drops off the edge of a roof and hit the bridge a few moments behind Scathach, recognizing her from the school...she had never smelled entirely right but Laura has no idea what she actually is. So when she stops and whistles for the sentry, the dark haired girl is honestly surprised.]

You shouldn't be here. He is more dangerous than anyone else in this city.

[Not that she was leaving, of course. She'd rather have been climbing the suspensions to bring him out of the air, but she wasn't going to leave the woman standing there alone. Instead there's a soft 'snikt' as her claws pop out, and she braces herself for his approach.]

[ He heard the whistling, of course, but remained where he was, watching the little people gather beneath him. They would not be all, either, he knew; there would be more, because that was simply not enough. Who, he wondered, thought themselves great enough to try to kill him?

His eyes slowly watch them, his mouth turned up in a patient smile. His tendrils and cape fan out around him and thunder booms around them, but he remains in the sky watching them disdainfully. Fools and children is what he considers them, and he hopes Bob can hear him call them that. I should kill them all just to hurt you, the Void tells him. The Sentry, of course, is silent. ]

Listen to the girl. This won't end the way you think it will.

[She can smell the fear in the air, from those who had been touched by the tendrils extending from him. She doesn't know what they do, but it doesn't seem as if they've killed anyone yet, so she lets herself ignore them for the moment. Scathach wanted the source, to destroy what was causing it all.

The Warrior grinned, showing her elongated incisors. It was generally a sight that would make a mortal man shake with fear, but she doubted it would have the same effect on him. It was mostly for herself.

Thousands of years of training have heightened her senses and skills, and she knows that she's being followed, that she'll have others there to help if necessary. She doesn't plan on letting them get in the way, of course, but imports (which they no doubt were) could be a stubborn lot. She should know. The redhead pauses on the bridge, her response to Laura is just a murmur.]

Not me.

[Then she raises her voice so he can hear her, basically grinning:]

You're underestimating us. ["Me" was the word she wanted to use, but she... might need the help.]

[ off in the distance, a bright light cuts through the city against the black skies, skipping at intervals as she zooms nearer through her portals.

kanaya had been preoccupied most of the day. such a visible expression of grimdarkness doesn't occur without consequences to those who have suffered through the festerthroes before, and she wasn't about to let rose experience that alone. but with the news of davesprite having fallen victim to it, which only led to the discovery of aradia and jenny and terry have similarly fallen prey, kanaya knew she had duties elsewhere.

her friends were dropping like flies and she hadn't made any move to prevent it. she should have been protecting them. at the least, she would avenge them.

the closest portal deposits her against a wall, perching against its surface as she tries to survey the scene. much as she's inclined to run in chainsaw-first, that hadn't only ended unsuccessfully for those that had already. aside from the looming dark figure suspended in the air above, she recognized the others gathering to challenge him so far. laura was there, and...one of her teachers from the school, for some reason. but was that... ]

John! [ that boy is going to get himself killed. ]

[Bobbi had made a promise to end this herself. She'd promised Clint. She'd promised Carol. She'd promised Tony and Thor and Natasha and Pietro and even Bob himself. If the Void ever showed up in the City, she'd be the one to take him down. Whatever she lacks in brute strength she knows she can make up for in tactical experience against him. And maybe, just maybe she can use her nullification powers to edge out a victory. She could be optimistic in the face of these terrible odds, in the face of danger and destruction so familiar.

The inclusion of children in this fight is enough to set her on edge, however. She isn't nearly as cool or collected as she'd like to be. Prone to rash decisions in the heat of the moment, and well aware of it, she bursts away from the rest of the group, screaming at the void to draw him away from John and the others.]

Bob! [A beat.] Come on over, hon. Let's talk this out.

[There will be no talking to him, but she's got to do something. Without any superhuman abilities of her own, she's got to be brave or go home. Standing firm, her fingers toy with the spring-lever that will release her staves, waiting for a moment to strike.]

[ He hadn't expected this many people to show up when he first flew towards Scathach and Void, and he isn't sure if he should be relieved this many people are here to help out or concerned himself. He doesn't exactly want to see people get hurt either! And the only person he sees here that he knows the abilities of are Kanaya.

Speaking of Kanaya, he hadn't expected her to appear out of nowhere like that. Dumb, considering she can create portals to anywhere she wants to be, but still true. He zips closer towards Kanaya, joining the group proper, but holding his place while Bobbi yells out to the guy (Bob?) to talk to her.

... Somehow he doesn't feel that's going to work out all that well, but she sounds like she knows him, so maybe there's a chance?

He only takes a few seconds to look over at Kanaya and make sure she looks okay, before his focus is back on Bobbi and the Void. He raises up into the air a few feet, on the ready for when this attempt to talk inevitably goes south. ]

[ The Void turns his eyes on them again, smirking and letting his tendrils still in the air. They point in the direction of the voices as if listening themselves. Underestimating us, one of the girls says. It makes him want to laugh, but he only begins to hover closer to them, before he drops out of the sky and flies fast at them, like a bullet. His tentacles follow him, sharp and ready to stab, to coil and grab anyone who gets near enough. ]

All right, but only because you asked nicely.

[Keen ears catch the voices of children. No, they shouldn't be here. Kids had no place on the battlefield, especially if they hadn't been properly trained for it. But he's already moving towards them, too fast for any human to see and Scatty knows she has to act fast.

The redhead digs her fingers into the nearest building, scales it in a second. She isn't at the top before he's too close, and her plan changes. Instead of dropping on to him from above, Scatty launches herself off the building, making a grab for his middle. If she can just drag him down, killing him will be easy enough. She was meant for close-quarters combat, after all.]

[Laura generally didn't fight the Power Players in the universe. She has before, of course. She had blinded the Hulk once...twice...but in general she'd wound up on the sidelines for the bigger battles.]

[It made most of her basic strategies a bit dry, but she could adapt. Although with the Sentry flying like that...and the woman standing next to her suddenly gone...Laura wasn't certain precisely how to help. after a second she slashed through a car sitting by the edge of the bridge, probably abandoned by its owner in the wake of the Void attacking the city, and slashed through the hinges.]

[Two quick cuts left with with a set of very jagged edges, and she twisted around and hurled it up into the approaching flyer's path. Partially to see what would happen, and partially to get his attention.]

[ she tries not to think about it. thinking about it will only be a distraction. all she knows is the enemy is swooping in to strike and all of these people are only going to get hurt. john was going to get hurt. she couldn't allow that. if anyone else was getting hurt, it would be her, as she tore the thing's throat out.

she casts john a quick glance as he flies nearer, hoping he'll stay where he is. there will be no such idleness from her, of course, and she launches off the wall with her arms outstretched and her fangs bared to catch the descending void. ]

What are you--!?

[Mockingbird is genuinely surprised when the other women begin taking action on their own, such a display could only lead to certain destruction at the hands of the Void. But it's too late to stop them, too late and now this humanoid torpedo is coming straight at her, with Scathach and Kanaya along for the ride, and a huge hunk of metal too.

This is going to hurt.

But this is what she wanted, to keep his attention long enough so the others could act. And if this is the action they've chosen, she'll commit to it 100%. Bobbi braces herself for the impact, teeth grinding together as she prays for her nullification to work, if only temporarily. A few seconds might suffice and give them the upper hand. The Void just has to come closer and her powers just have to work when she wants them to, for once.]

[ Well those negotiations sure went south fast! Also people are kind of reacting to things without thinking! He sort of expected that from Kanaya, sadly, he doesn't know the other women well enough to know if this is typical behavior from them or not.

What he doesn't get is why the woman trying to talk to him before is standing there ready to let the bad guy smash head first into her. He wants to think she's got some sort of plan at this point, but he's not really sure at this point.

So after zipping up a few feet to avoid a tentacle slashing at him, he does his bit from far away. He can't bring something down on top of Kanaya or the teacher, what with a car already being flung there way for them to have to avoid, but he can manipulate the wind so it hits the charging Void full blast without enough force to hurt any of his hanger-ons. John's kind of hoping to create enough of a drag on the Void to slow him down and let the lady get away if she needs to, but it's definitely not gonna keep the Void from reaching her for long. ]

[ The Void watches them all keenly, launching at him as he descends. He swerves in the air and grabs at those closest, seeking to either stab them with a tendril or pry them apart with his own hands, but for a moment he is slowed down. It's hard to tell, maybe, but for a second he does frown as he feels his power ebb just slightly. The rain doesn't fall as hard, but then it bursts back explosively.

That, of course, makes him angrier. He lashes out, shooting forward and not caring who he strikes. Murderous energy fills the air, making it thick with smoke. ]

[Even in the haze of battle, she's still aware of everything going on around her. The skin is pulled tight over her skull and her pupils are mere slits. She sees a tentacle coming for her, twists her body so it just misses (something is so wrong with it, her mind is screaming, something is so wrong), and claws at him, trying to get a hand on him. Vampire teeth bared, she is no longer a teenage-looking girl. Scathach is a monster, the Warrior, the Daemon Slayer. She is something that should not exist in this or any other world, but does anyway by some cruel joke. She means to kill this man, or at least facilitate his death in any way she can.]

[Laura genuinely hates flyers. She frowns as the fight continues in the air, where she can accomplish nothing, and turns to hurry after it along the street, leaping up onto a car and then to a street lamp before flipping herself onto the roof of a building. Almost there...she just had to catch up...]

[ one of the offending tendrils catches kanaya in the stomach, throwing her against a wall with enough force to leave a splatter of green behind her.

she falls limp for a moment, but the images running through her head, the memories floating to the surface, are enough of a shock to her system to keep her losing coherence. a white hot burst through her friend's chest, an orb shattering, a throbbing pain just where the tentacle's pierced. but more, there's another in her right shoulder that makes it feel like her arm may fall off, a splitting pressure in her forehead, something snapping in her neck, her left lung wanting to collapse. a desperate, bittersweet moment with a friend as hellbeasts rise from the river, flirting with the ledge of a roof when she knows that same friend isn't coming back. she sees herself attacking friends without being able to stop.

kanaya doesn't even hear herself screaming as her shaking hands take hold of the tentacle holding her like an umbilical cable to a demon mother, twisting and tearing with all the strength she has. she doubles over to dig and rip her teeth into it, anything to separate her from the source of this pain. ]

Damn--!

[The heat becomes too intense for Bobbi to take and she collapses under the pressure of light and rain and blood that seems to be falling down on her. Then the impact comes, hitting her like a freight train, sure to leave bruises down to her very bones. He's hit her hard, tendrils and the women attached to him seemingly raining down on her too. She can't stand up, can barely manage to get a clean breath of air before the smoke fills her lungs again. There's no screaming or crying, not even a whimper to prove she's survived the impact. But she's alive and awake, and all she can do now is watch and hope the others can work together like a pack of wolves to tear him apart.]

[ That's two down and one trying to catch up to them. John isn't sure what to do, does he try to help Kanaya and the woman the Void took down, or does he go back to focusing on the fight? This isn't the time to sit around pondering decisions. Really kind of can't afford that right now!

It doesn't mean he doesn't waste a few seconds thinking on it before John finally decides to go for the offensive, launching himself forward through the air at the Void. He's hoping to tackle him, but lots of things could ruin that, like a wayward tentacle, or you know... the guy moving about ten feet to one side or the other. But no matter what happens at least he'll be closer! If he doesn't get smacked down by his weird squidly appendages? ]

[ The Void fans out his tentacles more as the people come at him, seeming to expand -- the energy seeming to steam off him grows thicker, more toxic, and each tentacle seems to hook like a scorpion's tail. More dangerous, more purposeful. The tentacles that have struck some of them hold tight, or as tight as he can manage while focusing on the offense; the one holding Kanaya down reels back, bleeding smoke and fire.

He narrows his eyes at Scathach and John, reeling backward as Scathach strikes him. It leaves no mark, but the effect it has is visible in his face, contorted with inhuman rage. He spins, focusing for the moment on just them, trying to smack them from the sky. ]

[She hears the screaming of the girl, feels it when they run into the young woman holding her ground. This is going badly. There are too many bodies around, too many distractions. And even though she knows she's hit him, felt the blow land, there is no blood, no skin tearing beneath her fingers.

This is bad.

She falls, a tentacle catching her with its broad side instead of its point. Having no emotions, she isn't really hurt, though she knows she should be. She knows that she should be experiencing something terrifying and mind-crushing. That's enough to make her shake. She has to banish it from her mind. But she looks to his face, trying to take all of his attention now. There's a small crater beneath her when she stands, concrete crushed beneath the force of her fall. She whistles again to aggravate him, annoy him, anything to take the brunt of the next attack.]

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beneath the black, the sky looks dead

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