2015.03.19 - 5 Nights at Hell No

Gotham is never a truly quiet or safe city. A certain vigilante would argue that something is always going on in Gotham. And tonight, he'd be right. Something is going on. It's not quiet so flashy as a criminally insane clown murderer or a whackjob cyclops overcompensating with guns and swords but on the edges of Gotham, there is an old children's restaurant and arcade. Like most buildings in the area, its run down and dirty. The windows are barred up for security reasons and the front doors are locked. The neon lights above the door buzz, a few letters dark. A faded sign hangs on the door 'Please use rear entrance'.

Around back isn't much better, garbage strewn about and the remains of a cardboard 'homeless hotel' propped against a dumpster currently housing a rather surly looking stray cat. The rear door's been boarded over but the employee entrance is slightly ajar. It leads to a small hallway, lit only by a flickering bulb. It's from this door that a terrified scream cuts through the Gotham night, followed quickly by someone begging for help.

Augustus had been called out to this area of town, someone had a car with a clean title that needed to be hauled away. Checking it out as one of about half a dozen different locations he was heading back to his motorcycle when he hears the scream and someone calling for help. Immediately Augustus starts to run heading towards the sound pulling out his cellphone to try and dial 911...

Gotham isn't a regular hunting ground for Moon Knight.. but a certain Steven Grant has some interests there, and when business takes him that way, a certain costumed vigilante sometimes appears as well.

This would seem to be one such night, for when the scream sounds at the run down restaurant, a white flash makes its way across rooftops, closing in on the sound. With the scream turning to cries for help, the cowled figure doesn't even stop to try to see through any barred windows that might be in the back, he just barrels on in.

The call starts to go through but when Augustus gets close to the restaurant, his phone cuts out entirely. No signal at all. Of course now is not the time to worry about that. Not when there's another yell and a cry of "Stay back!"

Inside that small hallway there's some strangeness. A large security gate makes it so that no one can pass farther than one door in, wood preventing the gate from even being seen through. The only door? Leads right to the security guard's office. And inside that office, its barely lit with the only light coming from glowing security monitors and a barely there neon light above a door leading to the rest of the restaurant. Cowering in the corner of the room is a plainly terrified guard. Pale, sweating, and clutching a flashlight for dear life, he screams in terror at the sight of Moon Knight.

Augustus doesn't have time to make the call someone could be hurt, or worse glancing around him Augustus makes his way into the restaurant himself going down the hallway Augustus comes upon Moonknight and the cowering guard "Cops have been called buddy, so what ever you're doing, just stop now.." the tall teenager says pulling out a flashlight from a small holster on his belt where various other multi-tools have their own holsters. Using the bright light he shines it on Moonknight and buddy

Moon Knight ducks into the room with the screaming guard, but comes up short when he sees no one else there. "What are you screaming at?" he demands, looking to the opposite end of the room from where the guard is cowering, and the monitors too if nothing is in the corner. He's about to ask another question when Augustus barges in after him. "It's not me, I came here to see what was wrong!" he declares, lest the teen (perhaps understandably) assume he's the one who terrified the guard.

Before anyone can answer, the door slams shut behind Augustus loudly. This prompts the guard to scream again and flail his flashlight in the general direction of Moon Knight and Augustus. It won't budge either. And eithout the 'fresh' night air coming in, the smell of the place really is noticable. Stale pizza, blood, urine, and garbage give the place a rather unpleasant stench. There's an odd green haze in the air too.

"Monsters, stay back! Monsters!" the guard babbles. Almost to answer, two more sounds come from the dark hallway leading into the the rest of the bulding. A child's laugh and some kind of deep, rumbling growl edged with static. Checking the security monitors wouldn't give much either. Several rooms are dark, shadows at best able to be made out. But on the main floor there is a humanoid figure standing by the skeeball machines. The poor lighting makes it hard to tell what it is but a pair of glowing eyes are staring right up at the camera.

Augustus takes all of this in jumping when the door slams shut behind him. When the guard mentions monsters the teen quirks a brow. "uhhh... ok.. Sorry for accusing you" he says as he goes to look over the monitors "that's...not right.." he says as he looks at the glowing eyes. Moving to look over the control panels he looks to see if there's a night vision mode or lights that can be turned on to see what mr. mcglowy eyes are. "ARe there lights we can turn on from in here?" he asks glancing over at the guard.

Moon Knight turns abruptly as the door slams, stepping over to it and turning the handle to little effect. Is it locked, or will the handle turn, despite the door remaining closed? In either case Moon Knight braces a foot against the wall to yank, stepping back in concern when it doesn't move one bit. The smell is unpleasant, but the haze and the sounds are more worrisome... "When did this start?" he questions the guard sternly again. "What happened?" though Augustus might have more luck communicating with his more open tone.

Moon Knight glances to Augustus at the 'that's not right' comment. It might have something to do with his own eyes being only glowing shapes in an otherwise shadowed face, but. Well, he can't deny it's unusual, anyhow. He can see in the dark, but it doesn't help him with the images on the screens..

The doorknob refuses to even turn at this point. And the door is surprisingly solid for a run down old kid's place. There won't be much luck for Augustus either. The night vision switch does nothing and most of the light switches don't do much either. A couple light up some of the rooms on the monitors but not a lot. The phone doesn't even get a dial tone if he checks that. But if he listens for too long he might just hear that same creepy child's laugh coming out of the ear piece too.

"Don't know. Days...or day...don't know. I want to go home..." he guard babbles more, crawling under the security desk to hide.

If they pay attention to the monitors, they'll find 'game floor 1'...the one displaying the glowing eyed figure...suddenly statics out. When it comes back, the figure's gone. But if they look up at the hallway in front of them...there are those eyes at the end. Along with the sound of faintly scraping metal and a dull tone like pipes hitting pipes. What's more, one of the ventilation ducts starts producing noises like something is banging around inside the ducts.

Augustus looks around the monitors checking the phone he doubletakes when he sees the glowing eyes of Moon Knight "ok.. You got some sort of night vision going on there or something?" he asks in the dim office glancing back at the monitors just in time to see the screen static out and then return without the figure. Then the eyes are at the end of the hall and the rattling is coming from the ventelation "There anyone here other than you employee wise?" he asks the guard as he goes to pull out a multi-tool. "There anything in here like a microwave? or an electric fan?" he asks

Moon Knight nods to Augustus and answers with a solemnity that suggests his face would be entirely straight if it were visible, "Yes, the justice of the moon reaches even the darkest places." To the guard he repeats, "Days?" but the door was open until just a moment ago why is he still here? ...He starts to ask something else when the monitor statics out. Not recognizing Augustus from the time they clashed before, he steps in between the other two and the figure in the hall when the lights and sounds draw everyone's attention there.. "Are you the one responsible for this?" he asks the figure challangeingly. And adds, to no one at all, "..Shh."

"Kitchen...in the kitchen...monsters in the kitchen," the guard babbles in reply, not even looking at Augustus. Of course the camera for the kitchen is obscured by something goopey and red. Who knows what it is. "Only me...just me. Stuck here. With those things!"

There's not much of a response to Moon Knight's question at first. The figure just produces a groan like from an old machine starting up. And it begins lurching forward. When it gets close enough, Moon Knight will be in for a surprise.

Moving jerkily, like its joints are stiff, is a familiar face to Moon Knight. Sort of. Its himself...but not as he is now. No, its more as he looked relatively recently when carrying Loki's power. And looking like he was rolled in dirt and blood. Glowing eyes settle on Moon Knight and the copy groans out a single word. "Unworthy," as it lumbers his way.

In the office, Augustus may want to pay more attention to that vent. Something has reached it and is rattling the cover in attempt to get in. Should he shine a light in...he'll get a shock as well. His own armor. At least a broken, dirty, dented version with what looks like blood oozing from a crack or two in the metal.

Augustus has already found what he was wanting grabbing the near by fan he uses his multi-tool to quickly cut the wires and yank, the process one of someone use to working with electronics the wires come loose without shocking the teenager "stand back from the wall." he tells everyone as he goes to jab the still plugged in cord against the metal vent the electical arc giving the light needed to see the armor "Was Solls?" (What the hell? in german) he says confusedly..

Moon Knight squints across the distance as figure draws near-- and then comes an unusual sound for the usually tunnel-visioned knight; he gasps. "How is--" "The mask. it must be--" but when his double grates out it's reply, he falls back as if burned, glowing eyes wide in shock.. he only passingly notices Augustus electrocute the grate to illuminate the familiar armor..

The fake Moon Knight continues to lurch at the original. "Unworthy of the --aaaazzzzhhh---moon," the creature groans out, head jerking back and forth a few times. "Replace!" its louder this time, slowly drawing a cresent shaped sword from behind its back. The blade looks rusty as it ends up dragged along the floor.

Back in the office, the armor only shakes the vent harder as Augustus shocks it. "Failure! Garbage man!" it says in a raspy, metallic version of his own voice. There's a sudden shove, the vent cover and Augustus pushed hard and the lights go out entirely. The sound of the guard's scream and the vent cover clattering to the floor are heard but seconds later when the lights come back on...both the armor and fake knight are gone entirely. The guard has passed out but if the cameras are checked...well, that's where the figures went. They're back on the arcade floor. One is staring at at token machine and the other can barely be seen peeking out from behind a whack-a-bunny game.

Augustus goes down hard as the armor slides out and tackles him his shoulder blade catching the edge of the table there's a ripping sound and a grunt of pain as he's hurt the corner ripping shirt and skin alike then the lights come back on and Augustus is scrambling for several confused moments before he realises he's alone again "What in the hell was that?!?!" he exclaims out scrambling back to his feet as he looks around, adrenaline pumping not letting him feel the pain in his shoulder that'll need a few stitches.

Moon Knightmeanwhile, is breathing hard with his back to the wall, the almost reckless bravery that is his usual not evident just now. "It's too late.." he murmurs, just as the lights go out. But a moment later when they flare back to life he only says direly, "It's over." though then he growls, "For god's sake, use your damn head! if that thing had any relation to Khonshu, we'd feel it, pull yourself together!" though he continues uncertainly, "I can't.. I can't sense anything.." still more or less oblivious to Augustus.

There's no answer for any of the questions. No, just another few laughs from deeper into the place. Of course the cameras go staticy again. When they come back, the first two figures are still there but there are two more. One lingering by the bathroom hallways and another behind the prize counter.

Standing up blood running down his shoulder and soaking into his t-shirt, Augustus looks around.. "ok... I think we had better just get out of here... what ever those things are, they're feeding into us somehow and I don't like it.." he announces looking around the room he grabs the office chair and starts to undo some screws "I can make a pry bar with this we can then pry the door off it's hinges and get out." he says simply as he starts to undo screws on the office chair..

Moon Knight shakes his head.. "It's too late.. we're being judg--oh for!" he suddenly interrupts himself. "If you're going to give up, then get out of the way." impatiently. He looks to Augustus. "I think you've got the right idea, kid. You got another one of those? --Or how about you just unscrew the hinge plates directly?" though he adds thoughtfully, "It may be too stuck weather the hinges are off or not; a pry bar does sound the most sensible." he nods, keeping a tense eye on the monitors while Augustus works.

The office chair is rather cheap but there's screws. Only about half are metal though, others plastic.

The cameras stay normal for a bit. But as the guard begins to wake and screams at whatever he was dreaming of, they static out again. They take longer to come back this time, banging noises from the vents again and two figures in the hallway. And the camera fixed on the front door shows that fake Moon Knight. He's staring right at the camera almost like he knows the real one is watching.

Augustus pulls the hinge off as well as one of the leg arms "ok.. lets try and get that door open.." he says as he starts to use the metal screws and the leg as a hammer to try and undo the hinges of the security door.

Moon Knight takes up a position by the open door, drawing out a silver throwing crescent..dividing his attention between the hall and the monitors, he tries to piece together what he can of the restaraunt's layout if they have to try another way. Do those front doors his double is in front of look similarly reinforced? He knows the windows were barred...

Unfortunately for Augustus, it just isn't his night. Sure, he gets the pin he wants off... but then the door just falls in on him. Or rather, the cover does. Just a fake...and behind it...a thicker door that looks to have come up out of the floor. At least that explains why the guard couldn't leave. And it gets worse! There's a dull thud and if Augustus turns, he'll find what looks like a severed arm has dropped out of the vent. Its owner is following slowly. It looks a lot like that Adaptoid he fought alongside some Avengers. Only dried blood is around its mouth and nose and its eyes are just hollow sockets with tiny pin-pricks of light in them. Hanging half way out of the vent, it locks its gaze on Augustus. "Muuuuuuuurrrrr....deerrrrrrrr.....errrrrrr..." it groans out like a defective spin and speak toy.

The front doors look pretty normal save for some boards across them and a chain with a lock holding them shut. Luckily there's keys on the guard's belt. Of course there's also a door in another part of the building that leads to the basement. There's usually a way onto the street from those. In the hallway, one of the figures is coming forward faster than the other. Moving much like the others in a jerky way, this one looks to be an emaciated Loki. Almost skeletal...in fact the hand it reaches towards Moon Knight with is entirely boney. "Failed..." it gasps out. The other figure is Augustus' bloody armor but it seems to be ignoring Moon Knight, looking right past him.

"He effing lived" the teenager says to the burned body "You, are a lie, and one I'm not going to swallow, not in this murderhouse.." he says as he turns and charges the 'corpse' swinging his prybar like it was a club. "Either that, or a really creepy hallucination!" he adds..

Moon Knight turns. "Kid?? You alright?" he asks as the door falls-- but then he sees it's just a cover, not that heavy, thank goodness. But the door behind.. He sighs. "How bad is that gash in your arm?" he asks, thinking if they aren't getting a quick out it might need seen to-- but then the two figures approach from the hall, and Moon Knight is distracted before the adaptoid body starts to appear. Moon Knight hisses at the approaching copies, keeping his nerve, this time-- or possibly depending on someone else's. "What the hell -are- these things??" he exclaims. "They move like robots!" but some of them sure seem to like to bleed.. he throws the crescent dart right at the approaching Loki's head, and draws his truncheon, telescoping it into a staff to block both of them from getting into the room. "A hallucination?" he repeats.. the door damn well was real, but these creatures? He didn't sense anything, even when he first came in, and they're awfully customized and knowledgeable for robots..

Hallucination or not, there's a sickening CRACK when the bar hits the adaptoid. The head caves in and grey goo oozes out, the creature's head lolling to the side. It lays still, slipping out of the vent and onto the floor with a dull thud. Of course the eyes are still fixed on Augustus. He'll want to not focus on that since another arm is coming out of the vent to grab him by the throat. Metal, rusty, dirty...it looks a lot like Iron Man's arm...and that looks a lot like an equally junky Iron Man in the vent. "Cheap...worhless copy," it rasps. For a hallucination it sure has a strong grip!

The dart hits the fake Loki square between the eyes and the creature stumbles back. It stays for a moment before the lights flicker and both it and the fake armor in the hall just vanish leaving darkness and that green haze.

The hallway may be clear but Augustus still has that strangly problem.

Augustus hurks his arms moving to grasp at the armored arm that is choking him gripping he tries to bend down and drag the Ironman wannabe out of the vents. Struggling he reaches over to the still plugged in he grabs it reaching over his head to try and shock the armor giving himself a bit of a secondary shock as well..

Moon Knight notices Augustus' plight fairly quickly when the green fog claims two more of the apparitions. He swings his staff over his head to bring id down forcefully on the middle of the Iron Man wanna-be's arm, hoping to knock it's grip from Augustus... he has a feeling it wouldn't do much against the real thing, but then the real Loki probably wouldn't allow himself to be knifed in the face either, so.. Moon Knight does this swiftly, but as the staff is metallic, if Augustus is quick with his shock as well, they may all three get hit.

And all three get shocked. It doesn't have nearly as much effect on the armor as it does the fleshy types though. Luckily, Moon Knight's strike is much more effective. There's a CRUNCH as the arm pops off the Iron-Double and falls to the ground. It leaks all manner of unpleasant looking fluid as the now one armed double retreats back into the vents. "Stupid little fanboy..." it hisses.

On the monitors there's no sign of Fake Loki but the front door's being guarded by the fake Moon Knight and Fake Augustus' armor now. They could make a break for the basement and hope for street access but they'd have to leave the office and enter the restaurant proper to do it...passing by their doubles.

Augustus drops halfway to the floor before he catches himself, singed a bit, tingly from the shock, he's a young man though and 210 volts for such a breif time through other conductors, he catches himself "You got another one of those?" he asks motioning to the Truncheon as he grabs his chair leg bar... sighing for a moment when he sees the unconcious guard he throws the bar to the side and moves to pick up the man slinging him over his broad shoulder "we're going to have to go out through the front, or maybe a subway exit down below..this buildings old and in gotham, alot of em had sewer exits.." he explains grunting as he adjusts his load..

Moon Knight shakes his head to the truncheon; he only has the one. "If you need a knife though, let me know." he nods about the alternate exits..with the door here soundly blocked, it's the only way forward. "Let's try the front door first; basement if that doesn't work. So far they're going down if we hit them hard enough.. let's hope that holds." he's wondering about all the armored suits clearly focused on the kid.. it reminds him distinctly of the ones he got a closer view of than he really cared to in the park one night.. but that's a conversation for another time. He leads the way out, taking in the new surroundings now that it's in person in stead of over monitors. Though he's sure to keep that silver staff ready in case those doubles by the door feel like closing the distance.

The guard may be semi-awake but he doesn't fight Augustus. He starts sobbing as he's carried though. There's no resistence as they go through the halls. Moon Knight might notice his thrown dart sticking in the wall at the end of the hall rather than any Loki though. When they enter the main arcade area, the lights come on and machines all turn on. Bells, chimes, automated laughter, it all rings out as the games start. Of course the green mist is thicker here and right in front of the doors to the street are the two doubles. They stare at Moon Knight and Augustus but don't move, a dull mechanical grone coming from them both.

Augustus takes short, shallow breaths, not wanting to breath in any more of the green mist than he has too.. "It's gotta be the gas" he whispers as he looks at the front doors "on Three?" he asks holding up two fingers and looking over at the 'guards' "One... Two.." And he's running as well as he can with a man in a firemans carry over his shoulder one heavily booted foot coming up to try and slam into the front door and get out of there..

Moon Knight pauses, wrenching his dart out of the wall and putting it back on his belt when they pass it. "Must be." he agrees. Augustus' wound was from a table, not a weapon.. and it's possible that he simply choked thinking he was strangled.. Marc tries to remember if he heard his staff hit the floor when he swung at the armor. Well, for now he's going to act as if the figments are real since there's little reason not to, and he nods to Augustus' count. He takes off, keeping in front of the burdened boy, engaging both doubles if he can to keep their attention. "The keys!" he says of the chain affixing the door, "They're on his belt!" as an afterthought he asks the guard, "Was this even really a restaraunt??" strange green fog, one guard here all alone, a place so run down the front door is barred..? Doesn't sound like the kind of place that stays in business through selling pizza and collecting the odd arcade quarter.

Well, chained, not barred, but-- well, that's the kind of name that might get some attention, anyhow!

The fake Moon Knight lumbers at the real one, still groaning. "Khonshu's...betrayer," it groans, swinging that sword awkwardly. Despite the clumsy swing, its got power behind it.

The other one ignores Moon Knight entirely. Its focused on Augustus, reaching for his wounded shoulder. "Junk," it hisses, voice becomming buzzing and clicks. "Inferior...flesh," it adds, reaching to grab onto the wound and dig fingers in. Luckily there's only three keys to try in that door lock. The carried guard meanwhile is a sobbing mess. No answers out of him.

Augustus grunts and grits his teeth, he's hurt himself, burned during welding and the like has helpped increase his tolerance for pain, "Should have thought of that.." he says as he grabs the key ring and tries the door the first one not working.. "Fuck" he grunts out as he drops down to one knee still working on getting the next key used...

Moon Knight laughs darkly this time at the jibe, catching the sword with his staff, though the heavy blow pushes him back a bit. "I don't know who you are, if you're Moon Knight's insecurities or what; but if you think I won't enjoy taking a few whacks at you--" he pushes the sword out at an angle and slides the staff quickly back along it's length to strike hard at the Loki-ified Moon Knight double, "Well, you've got another thing coming!!" the blow landing jolts him all the way up his arms-- what are these guys made of??

Unfortunately this does draw him out of position for a moment though, and the interference he was trying to run for Augustus' double slips.

Pain tolerance is a good thing. Especially when you've got a creepy undeadish copy of your super powered armor suit slowly working on pulling your wound open wider. Thankfully for Augustus, Moon Knight crashes into the armor and knocks it aside. Blood drips from the fingers and the robot stumbles. It stares at Moon Knight before starting back towards Augustus. Single minded thing. Thankfully the second key opens the lock. Time to escape!

Augustus uses his one leg that is still under him and launches himself shoulder (and guard) first into the opened door slamming it open and letting in 'fresh' gotham city air as he moves outside coming to a stop at the edge of the sidewalk..

Moon Knight surges after Augustus heading for the very welcome outside, though he turns to keep an eye on that armor apparition, staff ready-- though if it does strike at Augustus one last time, Moon Knight-- might just stick an arm in the way. Just to see what happens...

It's probably crazy and reckless, but then Moon Knight never really had the best case to make against either of those claims.

Outside, things slow. The sounds and smells of the city replace those of the nasty pizza place they just escaped from. The armor monster and the fake Moon Knight continue their chase...until the door. They both stop right there. Strangely enough...when the two look back...the armor and Moon Knight aren't there at all. In their place? Two simple animatronic animals. A cartoon bat and a bird-like one. Their dead-eyed smiles focus on the heroes before they reach out and pull the doors closed. There's sounds of the lock being reapplied from within. The neon sign above buzzes brighter...and then turns off entirely. Just a dark sign reading 'Crazy Crane's Pizza! Its SCARY Good'...

Augustus grabs his phone, now working and dials 911, once more contacting the police, this time the call going through as he lays the guard down and checks on the man to make sure he's still in good health, his shoulder and arm throbbing from the earlier wound blood flowing freely he looks around for Moon Knight. "You ok?" he asks curiously..

Moon Knight takes a deep breath of the cold clean(ish) air, and turns to Augustus... "Mostly." he says..technically true. "But you're not. Is that call going through? You need a doctor.." he waits to make sure Augustus is on the line with someone, waiting to say any more while the kid is on the phone.

The call goes through and a bored 911 operator assures them help is on the way. The guard is out cold and will likely be spending a lot of time with doctors.

Somewhere dark and hidden, a man in a costume sits before several more high tech monitors. He smiles to himself, taking notes on what his cameras recorded. It will require more data but his new toys worked quite well.