The Challenge

[knight_green]

Ian filled his allies in on the legend of the Green Knight during the plane trip.

"The Green Knight came to Camelot one Christmas," he had explained, "to challenge Arthur's knights to exchange blows. Gawain accepts the challenge and strikes off the Knight's head. The Green Knight retrieves his head and asks Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel

Comments

[victor_sage]

Vic's expression can be just about seen under the mask. It's not one of amusement.

[l33t_winged_bat]

She's tapped into the security camera and then calls her girls in her normal voice. "Well, I know where I'm kidnapping Hunk Wonder at some point. Some of the details are off, but you'd have to really love the stuff to know."

[avengingkestrel]

"I hate this place," Helena said, her face in her hand. "What are we looking for here again?"

Sure, she might have been out of place here, but that didn't mean she wasn't all business.

[knight_green]

"The axe of the Green Knight," he explains. "If the two items were to be separated, the axe would be kept here, and the armor would be at the chapel. The girdle was given to Gawain, so it could be anywhere, but there'd likely be clues as to its location somewhere around here." He reaches absently for his torn jacket pocket. "I have a picture... uh... I had a picture of it. But it's got... it looks like there's ivy wrapped around the handle and growing onto the blade, and..." He sighs. "I'll recognize it if I see it."

[nation_citizens]

Screams begin to emanate from within the castle, and people begin to run out.

Pursued by shambling corpses.

There are zombies inside this bed and breakfast, apparently.

[knight_green]

Ian stares for a moment. "...zombies?"

[flash_canary]

Peregrine caught herself automatically looking to Black Canary for input...only it wasn't her mother. She really needed to get used to that. "I can run him in to find the ax if you ladies want to have fun with the Zombies?"

[victor_sage]

Vic launches at his first target, planting his boot firmly in the... zombie's face, "Because I'm having such a good day, I'm going to let the ladies comment slide."

[nation_citizens]

Several figures, all wearing identical green leather masks, shaped to look like they are carved from ivy, move out from the castle with pistols in their hands. They begin shooting the zombies through the head.

"There's the scientist," one of the masked gunmen declares, pointing at Ian. "Get him!" He raises his gun.

[knight_green]

Ian freezes in place. "Why do people keep trying to shoot me?!"

[siu_jerk_jai]

"You're getting popular. Guns are just the beginning. You know, like fan mail? Before the fan sites and the weird homoerotic fanfic starts up?"

Oh, look, a Black Canary. She lashes out with her leg, her arm lashing out in another direction. A metallic sphere, no bigger than a golf ball - leaves her gloved hand and lands a few feet away, in the midst of a few gunmen. That sphere is a relic from when she hadn't had her Canary Cry, but she kept it anyway. She could use them up close in battle without killing anyone.

Electronic canary cry. Thank you, Barbara.

The sphere hit the ground and a scream rang out, taking down the gun men around it while Dinah concentrated on the two on hand and foot.

[flash_canary]

"Or they're just uncreative," Peregrine suggested, extending her leg in a kick, and being careful not to use her speed. What hte heck was with Dinah using a ball instead of screaming at them herself? "Don't freeze when folks are shooting it gives them a tasty target, should we go in?"

[knight_green]

Ian blinks as he takes in the new surroundings that Peregrine zipped him to. "Woah!"

They're inside a grand hall, with long wooden tables set in four rows down the room, and medieval food in various stages of consumption all down the length of the tables. Columns help provide structure, while banners hang from the archways. Ivy wraps around the columns and up the walls, giving the entire castle a verdant appearance. At the front of the room is a throne, and set above the throne, into the wall itself, is an axe.

For a moment, Ian seems like he might complain to Peregrine about the method of transport, but then he notices the room, and all other thoughts are forgotten. He begins to take in the details of the room, not noticing the men in green masks coming out of the hallway on the other side of the room, aiming their guns at his back...

"..Yes! This is definitely the Castle DeHautdesert!"

[flash_canary]

"Great! Find your toy. And you guys! If you shoot him you're going to make me very cranky," Peregrine glanced at the gunmen and spoke quickly, almost too quickly for normals to understand tensing to start attacking. She was going to take those guns and beat their heads in with them. "I'll give you a chance to put the guns down before I get really cranky. You won't like me when I'm really cranky."

She was really getting sick of the guys with guns. "I am not going to speed him up to heal him just to let you shoot him again so put down the guns and talk to me like a normal person."

[nation_citizens]

Without a word, the gunmen open fire on Peregrine.

[flash_canary]

"Well, that's better than firing at him," Peregrine muttered catching bullets in a blur. Whee, the one good thing Wally drilled into her head.

[knight_green]

While Peregrine dealt with the gunmen, Ian moves forward towards the axe set into the wall above the throne.

...no. That's not the real axe. He's sure of it.

As he glances around, he notices other carvings in the wall which appear to be axes of various designs.

It's one of these... if he can just find it...

[nation_citizens]

One gunman, avoiding the fight with Peregrine, watches Ian duck down a side hall, and follows. This one is the real threat here...

[knight_green]

Ian rushes down the hallways, now abandoned as all the staff fled during the zombie onslaught. He checks in the room labeled, "Office."

Here. This room used to be the master bedroom. He's sure of it. The bed would be... there...

And above it? Seemingly carved into the wood paneling of the room...

The axe he's been looking for.

He reaches for it...

[nation_citizens]

The gunman pushes open the door, takes aim... and just as Ian's fingers close around the axe on the wall, the gunman fires.