I remembered black skies, the lightning all around me [ Open! ]

[secondcity_npc]

Characters: Anyone interested in putting the Denarians into their place once and for all
Time: April 16th-April 17th
Location: Outside St. Mary of the Angels church
Content: This has been a long time coming.
Format: Poster's choice
Warnings: None. No tag order.

Comments

[becauseimboring]

Clare hated she slept well, this wasn't a night she felt she should sleep well. They were at the edge of everything collapsing in on itself. Everything hung on the outcomes of the next few days. Given that three out of four Chinese Gods were out and playing around town, it wasn't going to be getting any easier.

Hopefully she got something out of the lift on everyone's powers, she hoped her sword would be stronger, the magic quicker. Empty hope, but it was what she had. She headed where her feet lead her, which was surprisingly away from all three of the Gods. And toward a Church, and the remaining Fal- Nickleheads. Mr. Dresden said they were Nickleheads, that was the name for them.

Frost formed on the wall nearest to Clare as she felt her sword want... something. The sword was a part of the Winter Court, apparently it held a grudge. It was weird, there was a bit more clarity in the moods now. It was scary, given the moods of the sword were also a part of the winter court. It was frightening... more so as Clare realized it was needed. She waited outside the church, a little bit away to figure out the best way to take care of fallen angels.

Maybe the dragon would be easier to fight.

[chosenfreedom]

Dean didn't sleep well, but his sleeping habits had been screwed for some years now. Just another typical night. The lifting of powers didn't affect him of course. It just meant any enemies would be stronger now.

Awesome.

It was tempting to go god hunting, no love lost on the pagan gods back home that Lucifer shredded after all. But some involved flying, and like hell he was bothering with anything suggesting it. Especially after fighting the phages.

Plus fallen angels were familiar territory for him as he readied his weapons. He had guns and the angel sword from the Impala. If nothing else, it did still work like a typical sword. Cut something and make it bleed. Easy.

[secondcity_npc]

As the motley group approached from all corners, conversation stopped in front of St. Mary of the Angels as Nicodemus glanced over his shoulder and gave them a curious look, as if it were a common occurrence to find them collecting outside a church beneath a magically stormy sky. The look in his eyes was dark though as he regarded them silently, his shadow bubbling beneath his feet.

The doe-eyed girl next to him licked her lips impatiently, staring the group down with malevolent intent in her eyes. "Father, they've come. May I kill them this time?"

Nicodemus's gaze fell on Karrin, and Deidre's comment went ignored momentarily. "I see they have found someone to replace the old man." He smiled almost pleasantly. "Certainly a way to test your skills - a trial by fire, as it were." But even with those words, he seemed distracted, perhaps nearly as impatient as his daughter. The other girl to his right, large green eyes sparkling maliciously, took a step forward, a feral smile on her face.

"So you know the truth now, do you?" Tessa purred even as she changed, body rapidly shifting into a glowing eyed insect-type demon, her words somehow not getting mangled in the process. "You want to play hero, like so many others? Save the world from a mere human sorceress?" A girlish laugh bubbled in her throat. "Oh, how quaint. How terribly quaint."

Nicodemus's eyes narrowed. "Tessa-"

Then with a murderous shriek that wasn't entirely sane, she threw herself at the group despite Nicodemus's furious "no!" and the rest of the angels followed suit.

[tinybutfierce]

To her credit she didn't run away. She wanted to, it would be safer, but she didn't because she had come here for a reason. This town was hers, dammit, and she was tired of things like this waltzing all over her and the people she cared about. Karrin lifted the sword up a bit, letting the light reflect off its blade, "I've already been tested with this and I have nothing to prove...just a duty to perform."

She wasn't sure what she expected to happen here but Tessa's attack wasn't it. At least, she expected more of a build up than this. She didn't have time to think about it, however, as a large Fallen was coming on her in a matter of seconds. It wasn't as fully warped as some of the others but parts of its body looked to be hairier than the average human and he was twice her height and three times her weight. It reminded her of a gorilla but that was about all she was able to process before going on the defense and dodging it's blow as it brought to large fists down to strike Karrin. She rolled out of the way, springing back on her feet, "I take it your not going to peacefully surrender that coin of yours, are you?"

The gorilla man roared.

"I didn't think so," Karrin replied before slashing at him with the blade.

[legallygreen]

She saw others coming towards the church. She recognized Karrin and Dean, and she felt better about what she was up against, and then the girl who probably had no place in a fight but had a weapon. But Jennifer knew the feeling of needing to be useful in a place like this. Her body contorted and grew as she walked, her hair lengthening and deepening to forest green as she saw the fallen angels swarm to attack them.

There were no pulled punches this time. She knew this was going to be a test, and there was a true chance that she would die. Fists clenched, she cocked one back easily as one of the Denarians came for her. It looked like a huge dog, but had a second head, both of which were angrily full of vicious teeth. But her eyes were on the prize to so speak. The noose around Nicodemus' neck.

She-Hulk heard Karrin ask the fallen if he was going to give up his coin. She was not nearly so chatty as one of them came at her and she slammed her fist into its face, unable to tell if it were male or female. She felt bone crush beneath her knuckles, not her own thankfully, and the creature stumbled backward on its dog-legs, shaking its head, teeth flying.

Sad that it did not break the dog creature's neck, she propelled herself forward, not waiting for it to attack again. It struggled and bit as she began pounding it heartlessly into the ground. She was aware she was making the asphalt shake while she did so.

[becauseimboring]

Clare's eyes closed as she focused on her sword, it wailed in her mind as the Fallen moved down toward them. She could feel the sword, it knew battles long over lifetimes ago. It knew far more about what could be done here than she would ever know. A knowledge that was sadly just out of reach. Fortunately, on the other hand, even during the day the sword's magic was stronger than in the false Chicago.

Unfortunately, the Denarian to come at her first was the one that was talking to Nicodemus. The one to call him father, and carried a hair made out of several dozens of steel tendrils.

Joy.

Clare hopped around avoiding the deadly hair. Parrying with her sword and ice with a fluidity one wouldn't expect from her. Temperatures plummeting around her like the seasons were changing. Clare couldn't feel the cold, but could see it as she breathed, hard breaths from constant motion. Deidre almost missed the the small gesture of Clare's left hand. A porcupine's back of ice spikes shooting toward her from just behind her, clipping some of that hair and her leg as she escaped most... Aimed for her spine.

Clare's eyes held an icy detatchment, unbecoming of a girl like her. Chips of frost adorned Clare's hair as she smiled slightly. If Deidre thought she choose the weakest off the group... she was right. She just didn't pick someone helpless.

[chosenfreedom]

Dean readied himself as another of the Denarians roared and charged to him. A little like a Black Dog had an one night stand with a Wendigo, and the mental image of that idea alone made him want to throw up. He steeled his nerve, and gathered his focus. He shot rock salt bullets at it to at least hurt it before he brought the angel blade down on an arm to slice a limb. He then sidestepped back before it could claw his side.

[sonof3lions]

As much as he hadn't liked the idea of splitting away from Merlin right now, this was something that needed to be done. And after seeing what these creatures could do, Galahad was happy to fight them.

He glanced to the ladies as he loosed his sword, bringing up the rear as the Denarians charged. Then he murmured a soft, fervent prayer before he advanced, deflecting the blow of one Denarian against his shield before swinging his sword at him.

[tinybutfierce]

It was an all out war at this point. Karrin dodged the blows from the gorilla man and could not spare the attention to the other people fighting. She just had to hope everyone could handle themselves otherwise...well...a battle wasn't the time to think about it. Karrin brought the sword up, slashing open a huge gaping wound across the gorilla man's stomach. He fell back, organs spilling out.

Karrin pressed forward. Much like She-Hulk her eyes were set on the man with the neck-tie. Partly because she knew he was the leader and partly because he had seemed hesitant to attack, compared to his lady friends. This struck Karrin as odd and she wanted to know why. Another fallen angel was on her though, a disturbing combination of human and blades. It raked its hand across her back before she could do anything. Karrin screamed in pain even as she spun on her heel to drive the katana into the bladed fallen's body.

The bladed fallen moved too quick and nimbly, avoiding the katana completely and even knocking it aside with its own blades. Karrin kept a death grip on it though so the sword stayed in her hand. She knew instantly that if she was disarmed she was dead.

Karrin engaged in a heated duel. Both fighters leaping, ducking, and dodging nimbly. Karrin's jacket was ripped and bloody, sweat causing her hair to cling to her face. It was starting to look like she might be outmatched here. Karrin gritted her teeth. She was NOT going down this way, dammit. Karrin gripped the sword tight and rushed forward suddenly, feigned a dodge and then plunged the sword into the fallen's shoulder. The fallen screamed at her in an ungodly sound.

[legallygreen]

"Don't bother getting up."

She-Hulk left the Denarian in the impression that her fists had made in the concrete, her hands bleeding at the knuckles as she straightened up and looked for the next contorted example of former humanity that wanted to come for her. It was difficult not to go directly for Nicodemus, who had not made a move to come after any of them yet. But there were others to take care of first.

There was also the irritating voice of Jennifer in the back of her mind. Jennifer wanted to take a moment and tell Nicodemus that she was sorry about what had happened to Belias. That nobody deserved to die that way. The urge was strong enough that even She-Hulk felt the sadness, which only served to drive her anger and adreneline a little harder.

One of the Denarians came for her, and she felt a barbed claw drive into her side. It missed major organs, just leaving a hole in her torso, and that just was not enough to stop her that day. She-Hulk grabed the creature, that looked oddly like goat walking on its back legs, with longer limbs than necessary, the hands three fingered and clawed, one dripping with her blood.

She-Hulk managed to get a hold of the goat demon's horn, snapping it off in her hand as it shrieked and clawed at her again. Cuts opened on her skin, but she ignored them as she lifted it up and dropped it spine first over her knee. The crack of bone was sickening and satisfying all at the same time, taking the time to bend the Denarian further in half the wrong way before letting it drop to the ground.

Blood tickled as it slipped down her skin, but she headed towards Nicodemus again. She pushed some hair out of her face, leaving a smear of blood there, not knowing whether it was her own or not as she stopped, another demon meeting her head on. This one she held against the ground while it struggled, glancing up again. She wondered if he were close enough to hear her. Too close and she would be tempted to fight him without talking.

"Nicodemus...I'm sorry for what happened to Belias."

Nicodemus

[secondcity_npc]

He had been completely removed from the fight, shadow tumultuously bubbling beneath his feet as he watched the battle with a cool, nonchalant gaze. He neither encouraged the others nor stopped them, apparently uncaring as to the outcome of the battle. Emotionless dark eyes turned towards She-Hulk as she approached and he raised one eyebrow at her in what may have been polite acquiescence.

"I was under the impression that you disliked him," he said casually as if a battle of life and death weren't raging around them.

Re: Nicodemus

[legallygreen]

She-Hulk felt bone crack beneath her knuckles as her fist broke the ribcage of the Denarian beneath her, collapsing over lungs and heart, leaving it there for the ones who could actually kill the creatures. She stood up and wiped blood off her arm, frowning as Nicodemus spoke to her. But he was not wrong.

Nodding, she crossed her arms, pushing some hair from her eyes. "You're not wrong. But nobody deserves to die like that. And I didn't hate him."

[secondcity_npc]

The aloof look he gave the pair was disturbing - despite the fact that it was one of his comrades that was being so thoroughly beaten by She-Hulk, he seemed to not care a wit. Instead, he looked back at the towering green woman, a faint smile dancing across his face.

"Let me guess - the goodness in your heart is too strong for you to hate the being that essentially led the man you cared about to his death." He shook his head as if amused. "I suppose you don't need me to tell you how pathetic that sounds."

[legallygreen]

"Neal made his own choices. I might not agree with them, but I won't hate someone involved only because he decided to let Belias in. Granted, it made dating interesting. But I mourned him, and I'm done feeling bad about it. Hate would only mar what I felt for him."

She-Hulk rolled her eyes as the Denarian on the ground tried to claw at her leg. She stomped down on the claw, effectively breaking it. "I don't know if that's goodness in my heart, or just a desire to move on, but no, I'll never hate Belias for what he did. I don't need to."

[secondcity_npc]

Nicodemus chuckled before looking back at the fight, unimpressed. "Interesting. And what do you plan on doing with me since your heart seems to be free of all hatred?"

[legallygreen]

"That depends on you," She-Hulk replied, shrugging her shoulders a bit.

"I'll defend myself and my friends. And we're going into that church. If you try to harm them or stop them, we can have it out right now. If you want to stand aside and leave them alone, there can be less bloodshed here today. If I need to blame anyone for what happened to Neal, it would be you. But hurting you won't change anything."