2013.06.30 - LSH & YAL: Fatal Three

Not long ago, reports started to filter to the local news outlets about some form of explosion having happened on the campus of Metropolis University.

Not much in the way of details has gotten out.

/BUT/ some of the details definitely qualify as 'not good'.

One report says that there are three people attacking the place. or to be more specific, one building.

Another report indicates a giant with a head that you can see his brain though is behind the attack.

Another report says that there are a pair of women here, and one has red hair.

Yet another report indicates that a woman in what appears to be a hockey mask is attacking with an axe that appears to be able to cut through anything.

But who ever is attacking, and what they are attacking is probably enough to draw certain heroes. Especially considering some of the past foes that they have fought...

Thus as the heroes arrive, they will find the campus to be somewhere between a state of panic, and a state of lockdown, while a giant plum of smoke billows from one of the newer, high tech buildings that houses the campus laboratories.

"< You know, I attended this university >," Booster Gold remarks, just an idle bit of Interlac chit-chat over his Legion ring communicator. "< Looks different in the 25th century, though. I mean... for one thing, it usually wasn't in a state of explosions and fire with crazy people attacking it. Probably some other minor differences too but, oddly, they don't spring to mind easily right now. >" He is flying over the campus, and then he pauses in mid air so he can scan the area in a very literal sense. His goggles take in data as his gaze sweeps over the chaos, switching to an x-ray mode of vision when he examines the tech building that is billowing smoke.

"< That tends to happen in this era," > Valor answers as streaks alongside Booster. Even though he hadn't been present for the previous encounters, he read the files. The fact that Persuader is a womn initially surprises him, but then why should they be unaffected by the mix-and-match that's effecting the Legion?

Lar also scans the campus with X-ray and microscopic vision. "Let's see if we can take care of the immediate danger." he says in English, then swoops in, intending to blow out any fire, and inhale any dangerous gasses if need be.

"< Ironically Booster, so did I >," Kent says as he flies down along with his fellow Legionnaires, also speaking Interlac. "< Glad you're coming along Valor and that you're in your armor Booster, Validus is a nasty customer >." No x-ray vision or special senses here but he scans the area visually anyway. "< Valor, did you ever tussle with him >?"

Wiccan, mutant mage and member of the Young Allies, just happened to be on patrol in the area of the University when the explosions and the attack started. "I really hope that is not one of the science buildings on fire, had enough ofwack jobs stealing high tech gadgets." He says to himself before chanting the direction he was flying to aim for the school. "Showmewhoisindanger, Showmewhoisindanger, Showmewhoisindanger!" He chants conjuring up images in front of him of who needs saving in the area, and where the dangers are so he can pick exactly where he needs to go.

On patrol with his friend, Axiom's currently boosting and mimicking Wiccan so he can fly alongside him. "To b-be fair, it could be a whack job trying to destroy some kind of research...or go after a scientist," he remarks to Wiccan. He stays quiet as the spell is cast, trying to spot the danger from his spot in the sky. "Either way we'll help the p-people that need it."

Yes, it is one of the science labs!

And yet as Wiccan casts his spell, something happens. It's as if the people inside the building become more easily seen. Or at least to those who can either see them with the naked eye or can see through solid matter will see the people in danger as glowing. Glowing in a way that their silhouettes glow white and stand out against the dark smoke created by the attack. And yet as some of them wander clear on their own, the glow on the now safe individuals fades away.

Inside the building in question, the criminals are forcing their way ahead, with the woman with her axe slicing through what ever is in her way, with a second woman, one that is wearing black leather and has red hair following along after her. neither one though is speaking. not do they show and sign of concern for anyone else around them as they move about. heck, as a certain wall is slided through there's another, smaller explosion within the building. But for some reason that doesn't effect the women, despite it happening in the very section of the wall that was just cut through.

Otside though, there is that giant, Validus, standing, his form obscured by the smoke.

Thus as the heroes try to figure out what's going on, they get a lot of information. But they may want to move quickly. After all, odds are these villains are here for a reason.

"Oh boy," Booster says, in English. "I recognize the ones in the building, too. That chick who kept dogging me and that one with the axe. And then there's -this- guy." He points at Validus. "He's probably there to keep us out. I'll try to keep him busy!" With that, his flight speed increases as he heads for the enormous form of Validus, arms stretched before him so that he is leading with his fists. His force field glows about him with golden light, as he essentially turns himself into a human missile. "Hey, buddy!" he exclaims, in a bid to get Validus to look his way before Booster attempts to crash right into him.

At Kent's question, Valor snorts. "Would be upset if I said 'yes and no'?" ha asks dryly referring to the the fact to him the Legion's temporal displacemrnt is a loop. Since Booster callds dibs on Valadius he continues flying through the lab. "Let me know ifd you need a hand," he says over the ring-net. "Ultra Boy and I liked to gibve him a double haymaker." Liked? Like? Will like? Someone really needs to develop a verb tense for time travel.

He replaces falling beams here and there to save the oddle clowing people as Lar streakds after the villians.

"Hey, put that axe down before you hurt yourself!" he yells at the woman swinging it. He aims heat-vision at the handle.

"Upset?" Kent asks in response to Valor's question, "Absolustely not. Our time lines are royally tangled after all."

As Valor heads into the school he notices the flyiing teens and waves at them as he approaches. "Hi, I'm Kent. You probably know of Booster and my other companion is Valor. We're Legionnaires. If you need help call out. Will have to chat later."

Kent then flies down towards where Booster is aproaching Valadius and says, "Want to double team him or should I head into the school with Valor?"

Wiccan only takes a second to look through what he is getting while looking for those in danger and then turns to Axiom. "It is the science building." He says with just a little bit of despair in his voice. "There are two inside, one with an axe and the other in black leather, and a number of other people. I am going to try for the bystanders first..." He says the last with a grin knowing that Axiom will know exactly what he is about to do, and that the fact that he is being boosted is why there is a good chance it will work.

As he starts to chant Wiccan spots the other heroes on scene and grins glad it won't be just him and Axiom against the three. "Iwantthebystanderssafe, Iwantthebystanderssafe, Iwantthebystanderssafe!" A faint bluish white glow comes from his eyes, one that matches the glow starting to come from inside the runes on his staff. Even as Lar starts to shore up the beams those oddly glowing people have the glow go from white to blue and then vanish, only to reappear in a quad on the other side of the campus.

The teen dressed like a cosplayer that decided to liberally mix Thor with Vincent Valentine nods at Kent. "Wiccan, with the Young Allies and this is Axiom." He says the last pointing to his friend.

Axiom gives his friend a sympathetic look at that despair. "An axe? You d-don't think it's the same girl from the whole thing with Granny Goodness, do you?" he asks. He nods as Wiccan mentions bystanders. "I've got your back," he says, moving to float with Wiccan. He takes a breath and begins chanting the same spell. "Iwantthebystanderssafe, Iwantthebystanderssafe, Iwantthebystanderssafe!" he glows the same way as Wiccan as he tries to make sure that spell works. Save people first, fight bad guys later.

"Hey," Axiom greets. He knows of the Legion of course, both through fanboyism and teammates.

Crashing right into Validus might not exactly be the best plan out there. Especially considering how close to that building he is. Because as he's slammed into, he not only lashes out with lightning, firing blasts in every direction, potentially striking the building and causing debris to fall, he also falls into the building proper, knocking in the outer wall.

Thus even as Lar does what he can to save some of the glowing people, and Billy teleports others to safety, there instantly is a /lot/ more glowing people inside the building as they're put into danger. Worse, a chunk of them are buried in debris from the giant monsters fall.

In fact inside the building, as Lar comes up on the redhead and the axe girl, a pair of odd things happen.

First is The Persuader spins her axe, and actually /splits/ the heat vision somehow, causing the beam to go wide and cause the walls to catch on fire.

Then though, the axe weilding woman is suddenly yanked backwards as a chunk of the floor above, and ceiling collapse in-between Valor and the pair of women, buying them a few moments more to get deeper into the building.

Or at least the redhead does. Because as Axiom adds his spell to the rescue efforts, the woman with the axe is teleported away, just like the bystanders?!? Yeap. Well... Not exactly. She appears not on the quad, but slightly above, and beside Axiom and Wiccan, and as she 'falls' she tries to slash at them with her axe.

"For Granny!"

"Crap! I forgot he does the lightning thing!" Booster Gold picks himself up after the impact, notices the state of the building and raises one hand. "My bad. I did that. Sorry!" He leaps forward, then, grabbing onto Validus. More accurately, he kind of climbs onto Validus, because Validus is huge. Booster is crackling with energy now, electricity wrapping around him, gritting his teeth as he absorbs the blasts that grounded upon him. He attempts to actively channel and absorb the energy Validus is outputting, to hopefully mitigate some of those dangerous bolts arcing out. "Help evacuate, Kent, I can deal with this until more people are out of danger."

"Grife." Valor says to himself as the heat-vision is split, the place starts to burn, and Persuader disappears. And then Validus' heel bashes through the wall.

"What the sproc are you doing out there?" Lar shouts over the comm. "Valadius fell on the place! And Persuder - if it's her - just vanished."

Valor claps his hands to blow out the flames with the shockwave and then turns to the redhead. "I don't know what your schtick is, lady. You don't look like the Emerald Empress, but I don't much care. Give up now and save us both any more comical errors."

Kent Shakespeare dashes into the building and sprints down the hallways looking in rooms as he passes them. When he finds a pair of girls hiding beneath a desk because of the 'earthquake' he says "Come with me and I'll get you out."

The girls let Kent pick them up, which he does by wrapping his arms around their waists, and they hold on to him with arms reaching across his back and chest. Kent then flies out of the building and settles the girls on the ground near the gathering crowd of spectators and then, as they call out their thanks to the Legionnaire, he zooms back into the building to continue his search.

Wiccan nods at Axiom, "I hope..." And then the axe weilding girl appears. "...not." Nope, that only rates a 3 on his weird things scale, maybe even a 2.5 given both him and Axiom were in the middle of warping reality when it happened. "Catchher, Catchher, Catchher!" He chants extending his magic to make sure that the axe weilding woman does not go splat.

Watching the fight with Validus, or more the fights consequences, Wiccan winces. "Axiom, go for anyone trapped." He says while raising his staff up. "Lightningrod.!" As he casts the spell he holds on tight pulling all the lgihtning being shot off by the giant towards the staff, and then straight down grounding it so that it won't do any more damage.

Axiom lets out a little squeak as Persuader appears above them. He dodges backwards, loosing his cape to the axe in the process. "That was close," he murmurs, glancing at the frayed edges of the fabric. He looks up at Validus and Booster's fight and winces as well. "Oh it!" he calls, staying close so he doesn't lose the mimicry. "Freethetrappedbystanders, Freethetrappedbystanders, Freethetrappedbystanders!" he starts casting the spell to teleport those trapped to safety.

Considering all of that stuff that fell /in between/ you and the women Valor (including a large chunk of the floor above, and maybe even the floor above that), odds are Empress may not have heard you Valor as you made your threats. But hey, as chaos continues to unfold around everyone, the redhead does turn and starts to /run/ down the hallway. only as she reaches a certain room and opens the door, she says into her com unit, "It isn't here! But something... Someone else we need is!"

What is it? Well, what.... Who it is is lying on a table in that room. And as the sound of lightning can be heard due to Billys spell, it even starts to stir.

As Booster climbs onto Validus, the giant himself climbs back up, onto his feet, while cutting loose with all the lightning he can muster. At the same time, he swings his arms at the golden and force field protected hero to try and knock him off!

As those girls are rescued by Kent though, one does shout something at him, "Please! Rescue the Cyborg Man! He just appeared out of nowhere the other night and hasn't woken up at all since he got here!" even as that Legionnaire heads off.

And as The Persuader is 'caught' so that she doesn't fall, she up and tries to 'leap' at Billy, slashing her axe as she does. All while a large chunk of the lightning that gets away from Validus and Booster is redirected.

More and more bystanders are teleported away as Eddie does another rescue spell. Heck, this time some that are trapped find what ever is holding them in place shifts just enough so they can get free on their own as well.

"Yikes--" Booster Gold is glowing like a small, second sun, due to the extra power he is soaking in. When Validus clobbers him, he gets knocked into the air, a tendril of electricity still connecting him with the giant, crackling like a spark gap. This remnant gets soaked into Booster's power suit as he flies at Validus once more, like a wasp that refuses to go away. Rather than stinging, he starts firing golden hardlight blasts, partly to use up the excess power he has absorbed, partly to keep Validus focused on him for now. When he speaks through his Legion communication channel, his voice sounds crackly as if he were affected by static. "Status update?"

Valor flies after his opponent, ignoring missing floors and walls. "They found someone they want. I'm engaging now." He swopps up behind the woman to throw her in a bear hug. looking over her shoulder, he sees the figure on the table. "Ah," Lar says, "Probably should have expected that."

Kent catches himself when he hears about the cyborg and asks for directions to where to find him. As soon as the girls provide him with some he flies though the school to the indicated room and bursts into it to find...

Wiccan lets out a totally manly compleatly not girly at all battle cry that is in no way a high pitched yell as he gets attacked by the woman with the axe. "Fine! Next time I let you drop!" He yells out as he dodges sideways just avoiding the axe. Holding onto his staff with both hands he keeps the spell in place that is intercepting as much of the lightning the giant is shooting off as he can, but he does shift his grip a little so that as the electricity comes out of the bottom of the staff he has it pointed at the Persuader. That should teach her for attacking a guy that was trying to help her.

After that spell, Axiom sags slightly in the air. He needs a moment to catch his breath after two spells like that. "Man, m-magic is tiring," he murmurs. He looks around to make sure nothing is coming at him and jumps when he sees Persuarder heading for Wiccan. "Look out!" he calls. Eyes flick to Booster and Axiom gets an idea. A crazy idea but an idea. As quickly as possible, he stops boosting and mimicking Wiccan. Falling as he acts, his powers reach out to boost and mimic Booster Gold! There's a flash of light as Axiom's uniform becomes a fusion of his own and Booster's and Axiom flies to stop himself from crashing. As he increases Booster's abilities, Axiom fires off some energy blasts at Persuader to join in with Wiccan's attack.

There's an actual howl from Validus as one of those hard light blasts hits. Which is odd, since he hasn't really reacted that much to things that should hurt him until now. As that happens, the giant up and starts to rush right at Booster directly, firing everything he can at The Golden Legionnaire!

You can try to grab The Empress Valor. Emphasis on the word /TRY/. But even the Valor in the reality that /THIS/ Empress is from she isn't grabbed that easily. Thus she sort of ducks and weaves in a way that shows that she's on par with Karate Kid. Heck, she lashed out with a kick, one that may even be able to cause pain even in a Daxemite, before rushing forward to that figure in the room.

Of course at the same time Kent rushes into the room via another doorway, as the figure starts to stand up and glances around.

"My circuits indicate that the memories of my electronics being merged with Batman have been purged." is said before the cyborg stands up, and actually /glares at Kent, then Lar, and then finally Empress. "An ally is in danger though, and I, Tharok, will help her!"

And as that's said, a light on his cybernetics left arm starts to blink.

Outside, The Persuader doesn't know that she now has /another/ ally. Instead, she gets jolted by a lightning bolt from Wiccan, as well as Axioms blast as she misses.

That is before she slams into the ground below.

But even then, somehow The woman with the axe manages to land on her feet.

Booster Gold is about at his limit with regards to the energy he has absorbed; another surge is going to cause him a lot of trouble. Although it is difficult to see due to the ambient golden glow around him, his eyes are lit up with a pale blue light. He braces himself for the incoming volley of electricity from Validus, and then suddenly--he actually has more latitude than he'd thought. Although he does not know, yet, that this is due to Axiom's sudden boosting of Booster's abilities, he does know he has some leeway with channelling that incoming blast. He bites down on a groan of pain as electricity splashes against him and arcs around him, coursing through the nanocircuitry of his suit and the biotechnic link he has with it.

With his arms shaking as he extends them, Booster points his fists at Validus and starts to unload a continuous blast of golden energy, returning the overload of power to the giant.

Lar is taken by surprise as the woman slips his grasp and then snaps a kick at him. The Daxamite is actually knocked back a gfew steps, and bends over cradling his side. Now he recognizes the signature sting of emerald energy behing that kick, Eye or no Eye.

"It _is_ Empress," he tells his teammates, and somehow Tharok is here. We gonna need more Legionnaires." Now free of his stricture not to hit a lady, he lanches himnself with a burst of speed at Empress to swing a super-backhand at her. Yeah, he still isn't comfortable with using a fist.

Wiccan sags a little as the energy increase from being boosted leaves him but grins as his friend becomes Axiom Gold. He is going to have to make a joke about him being a Booster booster later. His eyes glow for just a second as Wiccan yells at Axiom, "Go help!" Nodding his head at Booster and the giant. That said he slides sideways in air a bit to a slightly safer spot before letting go of his staff and moving his hands sideways. The staff, as well as Wiccan's hands, still glow with blue light as he holds onto the spell cast to make his staff a lightning magnet while casting a new one. "Electricityisenergy energyispower, Electricityisenergy energyispower, Electricityisenergy energyispower!" As he chants the electricity that was arcing to the ground from the staff stops, and as more of it is drawn in the staff and Wiccan start to glow brighter while he converts electricity into magic power, magic power he throws directly into his next spell. "Holdhimbindhim, Holdhimbindhim, Holdhimbindhim!" He chants getting louder and louder as he suddenly sends out chains of crimson red magic energy whipping from the blue glow of him and his staff to try and wrap around the giant and not only hold him fast but keep him from landing on any other buildings.

"On it!" Booster-Axiom calls to Wiccan, having faith in his friend's ability to deal with Persuader. Flying as fast as his mimicked powers allow, he tries to get close enough to help absorb that energy to lighten Booster's load. "Here to help!" he chimes in to the older hero. When he sees Booster blasting, Axiom follows suit and starts unleashing a force blast at Validus as well.

"I see..." is muttered as that light on Tharoks arm stops blinks and stays a steady red light. That is before he reaches and presses it like it's a button...

And before Lars hand can connect with the /NON EMERALD EYE POWERED/ Empress...

Before Validus can be overloaded by Boosters return blast...

Before Validus can be fully bound by Wiccan...

Before Axiom can help KO Validus...

Before The Persauder can even attack anyone again...

The four villains are enveloped in a white light...

And are /GONE/.

There was a lot of power going into and then out of Booster Gold; when Validus vanishes, the energy that Booster unleashed hits the ground instead, and smashes out a sizeable crater. "Darn it!" First he breaks part of that building, and -then- he breaks the ground. Hopefully no one will fall into that before they do something about it. He looks at Axiom for a moment, then turns in the air, scanning the area with his goggles. Once this is done, he says to Axiom, "Nice look you've got goin' on," points a finger-gun at the young man, and gives him a wink. Then, he brings his hand up so he can say into his Legion ring, "Our bad guys out here just vanished... are they with you?"

The disappearing act takes Lar by surprise _again_. He had to pull up to swat the Empress anyway but still, histraget not being the makes him follow through to far and spin around like a dope.

"No, Tharok teleported them all away," he says after straightening his cape. Flying back out and up to Booster's bosition, he sweeps his head in an arc with telescopic vision. "And of course, I don't see them." He waves in Axiom and Wiccan's direction. "Hey." Mucdh more causual thasn what Superman's 'hello' would have been, but no less heroic.


 * KRAKOOOM!* The sound of thunder booms louder than it should over the school even if it was striking the center of the place. A rather annoyed looking Wiccan dismisses the crimson chains of energy (Admit it, you thought is was going to say Cyttorak). He is still glowing with the converted energy as he floats over to where the worst of the damage is. "Fixeverything, Fixeverything, Fixeverything!" Wiccan pours everything borrowed from that electricity he prevented from doing more damage around the area than it had been doing into the spell to make everything like new. Once the spell is done, blue energy cascades away from Wiccan fixing things as it passes over them. Wiccan nods at the arrival of Lar, his eyes glowing red for just a second, before grinning and trying to avoid having a fanboy moment at the Legionaries.

Axiom yelps when the villains vanish, his blast joining Booster's in making that crater. "Oh man, not good!" he's already feeling bad about that. He lets out a little sigh and looks around the area for any signs of the villains as Booster scans things. When the older hero looks to him, Axiom grins and puffs out his chest. "Thanks," he chimes, feeling that urge to show off. As Wiccan gets to fixing things, Axiom moves closer just in case his friend needs a shoulder to hold him up. Seeing Wiccan's eyes glowing red gets a concerned look from Axiom but no comment. He waves to Lar too and fights back the fanboy reaction too.

"Wow, that's super handy," Booster Gold remarks as Wiccan does his repair spell, pointing at the previously damaged areas with one hand, his other fist resting on his hip. "Especially if it'll keep me from getting yelled at. Thanks... awesome dude," he says to Wiccan, rather than calling him by name. To Lar, he wonders, "So, were they just here to grab that dude in the lab, then? It's kind of like the last time we tangled with them, they showed up... did stuff... vanished."

Yes, the villains are gone.

But the police aren't here yet. Sure The Campus Police are, but not The NYPD.

Neither are the fire department.

Or Damage Control for that matter.

Thus as Wiccan casts that spell, things shakes. And change. Repairs happen. The ground mends itself. Walls, ceilings, and floors are repaired both in, and around the building that was attacked. Not everything is perfect, for some reason the colors are off and almost all of it, but it at least is similar, and structurally sound.

But yeah, despite that... The villains are gone.

Where...?

Elsewhere.

Somewhere else, the four appear. Some like Validus appear worse for wear. Others, like Tharok appear to still be rested almost. And yet as they arrive where ever they are, they encounter a fifth form, one enveloped by shadow.

"It was not there I see. But one of our old allies was. Thus all is well. Supposedly the doctor that found what we need had another lap. Next time, we'll try there. After you all have rested and recovered of course."

And with that, the figure in the shadows turns and walks away. While Empress mutters under her breath, "Out of all the people I'd think would call the shots, I would of never expected it to be /him/."

Wiccan dips a little in air but not much as he feels just how much power he has used today, but oddly bounces back up and shows little signs of the weariness that Axiom would know that he normaly has after the big fix it spells. The new colors visable get a slgihtly surprised look from Wiccan though. "That...was new. The grass over there was not blue before hand was it?" He asks pointing to the big hole in the ground.

here's another quick change and almost falling as Axiom shifts from boosting and mimicing Booster Gold to Wiccan. Once his costume changes again, Axiom keeps that concerned look on Wiccan. "No, it w-wasn't..." he trails off. He then looks to Booster. "This s-sort of happened to us before too. Persauder attacked us and then...vanished."

There's another quick change and almost falling as Axiom shifts from boosting and mimicing Booster Gold to Wiccan. Once his costume changes again, Axiom keeps that concerned look on Wiccan. "No, it w-wasn't..." he trails off. He then looks to Booster. "This s-sort of happened to us before too. Persauder attacked us and then...vanished."

"Weird," opines Booster Gold, rubbing his chin as he looks thoughtful. "I've only run into these dudes once before... long time Legionnaires know a lot more about 'em though, we were looking them up and stuff, after our last encounter." He turns and says to Wiccan and Axiom, "If you guys have been tangling it with them before, you oughta stop by the Legion headquarters."

Looking down at the mishued grass and she hovers in place, Valor folds his arms and frowns. "And each time they came back with another member or weapon?" He counts on his fingers. "Persuader, Empress, thorak,. Validus...they're reconstructing the Five. Which barring a new member, next is Mano. But we still don't knowwhat they want or how they got here."

Shrugging Lar nods, "Booster's right, come to the HQ, talk to Cos and Brainy. Check out our records." Cocking his head like he heard something, Valor whiops his head around to the west. "Wildfire in Wyoming, I'll catch you later." and with that he streaks off, a reverse read and blue blur.

Axiom watches Lar go and blinks. The information is filed away and the power booster nods. He glances to Wiccan, still worried about how unusual things are with him today. "I c-could come by. I've been invited twice before already," he replies.

"Third time's the charm, right?" Booster Gold gives one of his bright smiles, then touches his fingertips to one ear. "Gotta go--but yeah, totally, come by. If Lightning Lad is there, don't let him hassle you too much. Because, he will." He gives the Young Allies a double thumbs-up, and then he's up and gone like a golden comet.