The end of the Conrad [forward timed to 12pm]

[disastering]

[OOC: Party/disaster thread! Make threads for pre-destruction leading into destruction, during the destruction, and post destruction. Timey wimey, etc. Obviously, if you're under the rubble, you're only going to be near a limited number of people]

The city of Chicago had no idea that the Rift preshock that occurred earlier in the week was only an

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[sinsofskin]

Leona whoops, tossing aside the pistol once she's expended the last bullet and laying into the monsters coming for them with claws and rebar. There's a bit of a dance, now; they've got to follow a few of the beasts, intercept them, even as several come to them attracted by the noise and struggle and more tumble out of the Rift every minute. A few are falling from the higher parts of the Rift, tumbling down and breaking limbs on the broken concrete; they can dispatch those easily enough and move on.

"One more for Adam," Leona snarls, as she smashes in a previously-uninjured one's skull. And then, quite suddenly, there's a lull.

She looks around. The Rift above them is still fluctuating, spitting angrily as though it'll toss something out, and fighting is still going on across the area. But for these few seconds, nothing's coming at them, and even her bodyman is standing off at a distance, looking from side to side to find a monster that hasn't been claimed by anyone else.

Leona is breathing heavily, skin flushed, fingers curling around the rebar. "Seems a bit early for an intermission," she growls.

[yourwonderings]

She gets an advantage when it involves broken limbs and disoriented furries. Jo charges at them, stepping back to regroup, and then lunges back. When she returns to her default stance against Leona, blood drips from her hands. Not all of it is hers, and Jo's used to battle scars.

She's also used to the lull that usually invites something greater. Intermission her ass. "I don't trust it," Jo tells her, grip tightening on the hilt of the sword. The quiet is never really quiet. Not for this.

She grows very still once the ground starts to shake. Thunderous steps cause the upheaval.

Shoulders stiffened, Jo waits for whatever is to come.

[sinsofskin]

"Shortest intermission ever," Leona mutters, looking around. "Right, what's the next act?"

The next act turns out to be something rather large and rather metal marching its way up from underneath the rubble, casting concrete and rebar and bodies away with sweeps of its knife.

Leona stares at it for a moment, teeth bared. Guns, knives and claws? She's kinda doubting their efficacy at this point.

"...well, shit and hellfire," she mutters.

Enjoy your tactical problem, kids.

[yourwonderings]

They are so fucked. They are so. Fucked. Jo's kind of thinking running could be their best bet, but then, hell if they'll get very far with that thing. "My sentiments exactly."

Swallowing thickly, she takes in what's meant to be a steadying breath.

"Got anywhere real hot so we can melt this son of a bitch?"

Jo... might have watched Terminator one too many times.

Either way, she figures if she dies, she'll go down fighting with her very last breath.

[sinsofskin]

"Find me an afreet and we can unearth a few cars," Leona says. "Someone's got to have a full gas tank around here." She glances around, up the massive pile of rubble. "Or we can get him to the top of the Hotel and drop him off, maybe," she says. "Or get to the top, get him to the bottom and drop the hotel on him."

It's a good thing that monster is opting for slow and terrifying rather than quick and deadly. And at least other fighters are beginning to take notice - a few bullets are ricocheting harmlessly off its armor. Of all the things to come through the Rift-

The Rift.

"You know what happens when something tries to go the wrong way down the Rift, love?" she asks, breaking away and starting to circle in. "If we can drive it back, might be our best bet."

Yeah. Now to just work out how to do ANY OF THAT.

...it's that or lure it onto an interstate.

[yourwonderings]

Jo swallows thickly again. The answers she's feebly come up with stick to her throat like tape and bandages. She's brave in her fear, Jo. It isn't that she doesn't feel it. She's just really good at moving past it to do what she feels she has to do.

"Think I could piss it off enough it'd chase after me and make it trip? Don't know how we could drive it back to the Rift considerin' the Rift itself is high up now. I could try to distract long enough for you to find the full gas tank and an afreet."

Whatever an afreet is.

It might not be the brightest idea but hell's bells.

What other choice do they have at this point?