Big Eyes, Small Mouth (BESM): In the Shadows of the City - Chapter 5 Session 1 Progress

[z-Skye]

"So you were just testing me!?" Jim's words didn't mollify the slim girl at all; in fact, they only seemed to enrage her. She lapsed into a long stream of curses; sadly for those interested in learning something new, they were in German. Glaring at Jim's back, she forced herself to not do anything violent to him. Regardless of how much he pissed her off, he was still human, and still fighting the demons.

Why was it that Kazuo was looking less like a jerk while Jim looked more and more like one? She glanced at him, remembering their little adventure from so long ago - another lifetime. He caught her looking, but she didn't blush and glance away as she would have. Instead, she gave him a nod - of thanks and understanding. They had more in common then she thought, and it didn't even bother her anymore.

Turning, she went in the same direction as Jim. She wasn't following him - just walking the same way. The distinction was clear to her teenaged brain.

[Rorx]

Out of Skye's sight as he walked away Jim winced at the stream of abuse and wondered whether she had remembered that he knew German. He sighed and carried on going. He hadn't intended to piss her off, but with his track record so far today anything he siad was bound to make things worse. Better to just get going and find some demons for them all to take out their anger and frustrations on.

[Kenichi]

"...So! What pissed her off that much?" Kenichi got up and stretched. "Kaori, Kazuo, Keiko. If they get out of their sight we might have another Ken on our hands, so lets go with them now. I don´t want to go losing another member, we are supposed to be 10 warriors and 2 priestesses, and so far the Warrior part has been lacking except for Kazuo and Kaori. Let´s go now and show those heads why we were picked."

[SalmonMax]

Keiko opened her mouth, but found she didn't have anything to add. Everything that needed to be said had been...and quite a lot that probably didn't need it too. Worst, she felt as though everything was starting to skid, like a car turning on an icy road. At first it seems like it's still okay...at first you don't panic, because it still feels like you're in control. By the time you realize the steering and brakes don't work, it's too late to slow down...and then you see the fence marking the edge of the road coming up, and you realize it's too late for anything at all...

She nodded. "We have to stick together," she managed to get out, and then she was running after Skye; one of the few pieces of the puzzle that hadn't entirely escaped her yet. When she caught up, she came up alongside the other girl and just walked, not sure what to say.

[Kazuo]

Kazuo smirked at Jim's departing back, smiled at Skye's tirade, and shrugged at Kenichi's question about what had upset Skye (Kazuo had an idea, but didn't pretend to fully understand what was going on inside her, and didn't really want to talk about it with the others anyway).

He pulled himself away from the wall he'd been leaning on as Kenichi finished speaking and followed behind the others, heading 'north and east'. Still thinking about the last thing Kenichi'd said, Kazuo muttered under his breath, "Sure, just as soon as I figure that one out myself."

[z-Skye]

"We are sticking together," Skye said angrily. "Just Jim is walking fast." To escape me. She glared holes in the back of his head as they walked, the group slowly caught up to no another. After a while, she cautiously took to the air, looking for signs of demonic activity.

[Justin OOC]

The team made their way north untouched. It was Sky who first noticed a problem. The shadows were moving, not just some, but all of them.

Something was watching them, marking their progress.

[z-Skye]

Skye cursed and banked back, dropping into the middle of the group. "They know we're here," she said, not bothering to hide what she said. They'd know anyway. "The shadows - all of them - are moving independently. We need to be ready."

[Kenichi]

"Well, there goes my idea of an ambush. Anybody know how many of them?" Kenichi moves besides Skye.

[Rorx]

"Not a clue,"says Jim as the familiar form of his anti-deomn grenade launcher forms in his left hand, "but I could try to clear a space around us if you want?"

Click to reveal..

You've all seen this weapon any number of times before, it's a ranged area effect weapon that only affects the demons rather than the normal humans and structures that are in it's area of effect.

[Kazuo]

"Baka", Kazuo muttered at Jim, "it's broad daylight out! The sun's clearing a space for us already. Jus' don't go standin' in the shade, yeah?"

He took a step as though he were going to keep right on going, but then stopped and turned back to face Jim. "Uh... but keep that thing handy anyway. You know, just in case..." And then he did keep right on walking.

As he passed by the larger teen, Kazuo smacked Kenichi's shoulder in a friendly fashion. With a wry grin he asked, "We were trying to ambush them?"

[Kenichi]

"A man can dream can´t I? Anything to make this thing easier on all of us, it´s not like with the 6th when we split in two groups of six and attacked from both sides." Kenichi stretched his neck.

"This time we will probably face them front to front, with them expecting us at any time. They will also focus on taking out the priestesses first and us second, so we have to use that. Somebody has to protect them, and when they do...we have to counter attack them to hit them the hardest. They are confident of their abilitite, so we have to use our head on his fight, so I hope to see some head buts here and there Kazuo!"

[SalmonMax]

Keiko put one hand over her solar medallion and lifted the other one out, palm facing forward.

"Great lady of the sky, show our enemies no rest or respite; burn the shadows out from under them!"

A golden ray of pure sunlight lanced out from her hand and painted a swath through the shade!

(Dunno if you need a roll or anything...just let me know. )

[Justin OOC]

Keiko's attack briefly illuminated a human shape in the shadow before it passed from existence. It had several weapons, and looked like a shinobi straight out of old period piece movies.

These were the Minions of Sayoko, the Fifth head.

[Kenichi]

"Ok, that's one down. About infinity to go if we don't move it. Stay clear of the shadows, and stick together, I don't want any of us being kidnapped in the middle of everything. Also, who had it in for the Ninja chick? I can't be damned to remember her name."

[Justin OOC]

Even though they had a grotesque numerical advantage the ninjas did not attack. Clearly something else was afoot here. As the chosen warriors pressed on, there were more and more shadows, and the sun sank deeper into the horizon.

[z-Skye]

"We're fools," Skye said softly, though her voice was empty of rancor. "We're walking into her trap. Otherwise, her minions would be attacking." White-blond hair tumbled around her shoulders prettily as she shook her head. "Something wicked this way comes, and it's not just some plain-faced bitch."

She couldn't resist the stab at the demon in a girl-suit.

[SalmonMax]

"What else can we do?" Keiko asked. "Besides, just because there's a trap doesn't mean it has the strength to catch us. We're not weak...we've shown that by now."

[Rorx]

"Well we could start thinning their numbers down now, or wait until the trap is sprung?" His left hand clenched and unclenched, waiting for the word to create the weapon. Jim turned to Keiko, "No they know we aren't weak, but neither are we strong enough to take out so many without losing at least a few ourselves. Can we really afford to walk into this trap?"

He looked around trying to estimate the number of ninjas already nearby, "But then again, do we really have a choice?"

[Kenichi]

"That's exactly the problem Jim, while I would truly appreciate a little space clearing right now, unless we get rid of the head, this kind of situation will just continue to present itself. We have NO choice on this, because the only other option is ending up dead."

"Look, I'm not saying this won't be hard, but I'm saying that we are the last line of defense we know of on this city, and well I'm not going home, and if this is a a lost cause I will fight for it!" Kenichi had sheer determination on his eyes as he spoke.

"We have gone too far, and TONIGHT is not when the courage of man's champions will falter, the line must be drawn here and no further! This is how winning is made, this is how this destruction is avoided and this is HOW WE WILL BREAK THIS ARMY HERE!"

Kenichi at this point literally ripped off a sign post from the street where he was standing, and threw it sharply like a lance towards the shadows, aiming at nothing and hoping to kill a shadow.

"Are you with me? Or will you let this shadows get the best out of you?"

[z-Skye]

Skye watched Kenichi with a mixture of weariness and amusement. "Well, I'm not actually worried about the shadows, Kenichi," she said softly. "In fact, I'd feel better if they were attacking. I think they're holding back for something worse to come and attack us." Her blue eyes flashed with anger as she added, "I want to kill them as much as you do. But I won't risk walking into a trap just because it's the obvious way into the fight. We need to be smarter."

She gave Kenichi a big smile. "But I agree - no turning back, no faltering."

[Justin OOC]

(OOC you all have a choice to make. As you continue on your current path the shadows increase in number and concentration. This path leads to the ampitheater.

If you decide to go off another way, then something else may happen.))

[Kazuo]

"Oi!", called Kazuo from almost a dozen meters ahead of them. He'd kept walking after pointing out to Jim that the bazooka-thing wasn't needed, and hadn't stopped when the others had begun to discuss options. As a result, he'd pulled some ways out away from the rest of the group without realizing it.

"Hurry it up, willya?", he hollared angrily, "If we're gonna spring a trap, I'd rather do it while the sun's still in the fuckin' sky, yeah?"

[Kenichi]

Kenichi goes ahead towards Kazuo "Why are you so desperate? Do you have a crush on Jo or something to want so badly to rush in blindly? I just said we need to do this, but I did not say we need to go in guns blazing and legs kicking." Kenichi went ahead to stand besides Kazuo.

"Then again, I think being this close to it, my blood is boiling for a fight too." pushing his fist against the palm of the other hand, it could be loudly heard as Kenichi´s hands popper as to relax the muscles sligthly. "Kazuo you and Kaori are on the offensive, Jim and I will cover the priestesses as best as we can, don´t feel bad about asking for help if we end up biting more than we can chew on."

[Rorx]

Jim nods as he moves up to Keiko, "I'll get the grenade launcher out when we get closer, or when the fight starts."

[z-Skye]

"How about we see if we can figure out where they're herding us, and then find a way to not walk into their trap?" Skye said, her voice cold. "I mean, if you want to go blowing in and getting yourselves killed, then maybe we should do that."

[Kenichi]

"If you have a better plan, I'm all ears. But we have no way of identifying their positions except by sheer guess, and they do have the ability to do that apparently." Kenichi looked at Skye.

"If you have some crazy ability that lets us go undetected, or a way to know exactly where they are so we can use actual tactics instead of just bumping in the night to see what bumps back, I would very much like to hear it." Kenichi was a little exasperated at this point, it's not like he didn't give it some thought, even a dumb person like him knows that a bum rush is a horrible strategic choice, but they are fighting blind against this huge enemy and the only thing that can pull them through is sheer determination and good luck.

[z-Skye]

"I can take another look around," Skye said pointedly. "Who spotted the damned shadows in the first place? It wasn't the six o'clock traffic chopper, that's for sure."

As she spoke, she unfurled her fans and snapped them downward, lifting into the air. "Can you guys manage to wait for me?" She didn't bother to get an answer; if they didn't wait, they didn't wait. Angry at the recklessness and lack of forethought displayed by her fellows, she drove herself high into the air faster than she normally managed. Twisting around, she flew in the direction they had been moving, seeking the area the shadows had been herding them towards.

It didn't take her long to find out and she stopped in mid-air, cursing in German. It was a trap, and one that was sure to set Kenichi off on to a fool's death.

Turning back, she went back to the group, landing softly before them. "It is a trap. They are in the ampilitheatre a few blocks up. They have students from the school there, several dozen, and there are two heads, the black haired one... oh, what's her name? Himeko. The other one, I don't know, but Sayoko is there, too. She's got the shadow minions.

"If we go in, we should take Himeko first. She's got this monster she can summon... and if we fight that, we're ficken."

[Rorx]

Jim nodded at Skye's assessment and started planning what weapon to use. It was a bit of a toss up, did he go for a powerful single target one to hit Himeko with, or an area effect to try to keep all the ancilliaries off them for a while. In the end he decided to go for the former.

"Ok, so we hit her hard and fast. Do we just go along with things until then or should we try to break this ring around us and approach the place from a different direction?"

[Kenichi]

"Thank you Skye, this really cements it tho, we can't fight them on their terms, we have to surprise them, now they are in an open area with hostages, and there are at least 2 of them, but I'm sure they are laying back waiting too, our first strike has to be decisive, if we can take out one of the heads this fight will go that much more smoother."

"Skye, you had the birds eye, what's a good secondary route we can take to break free of this ring and surprise them?"

[SalmonMax]

"Don't worry about the demons in the shadows right away," Keiko suggests. "I can block them away from us, as long as we're all close together. They might be able to fight their way through if they're strong, but they won't be able to surprise us."

She cleared her throat.

"The light of my sun rays can sometimes blind, too. That could keep them from attacking the hostages until we can get close enough to protect them."

[z-Skye]

"I did see a path," Skye said, barely hiding her excitement. "It'll come up right behind them, and they'll never know what hit them. But I'm the only person who can do it, because I fly, and I can only take one of you. I suggest that the rest of you do a frontal, and I'll sneak up behind them with Kazuo."

The tall, scarred boy didn't look phased by this plan, despite her volunteering him. "Don't worry," she told him. "It'll totally be fun." And you have an excuse to cling to me tightly, you perv. Enjoy it while you can.

[Kenichi]

"Sounds good, Jim, Kaori, Keiko and I will take the front door, we will focus on the heads an bringing them down as soon as possible, if we kill the head, their minions go with them right? Every head we incapacitate means that many less minions to worry about." Kenichi looked around to the assembled.

"Anybody has any last words before we start this? I don´t think we will have a lot of time for words once this starts."

[Kazuo]

"Yeah, I'm sure it'll be loads of fun", Kazuo drawled, sounding utterly unconvinced.

He wanted to ask why they all had to be out here truckin' around like idiots just so they could "stick together" if Skye was just gonna go flyin' off to do an aerial scouting job all by herself anyway. But he didn't.

Instead he just stepped closer to Skye and waited until they were ready to get started.

[Justin OOC]

The troop continued on and The shadows followed them. Skye took flight with Kazuo holding to her and went around the long way.

Finally they came to the large Ampitheater, sunken into the ground and on stage were several dozen people all gagged and bound. From the looks of the clothing, they really were all students from Their school.

The older white haired Lord and Himeko stood there just as Skye had said.

It was the man that greeted the group on Foot. Kaori recognized hiss deep voice and imposing build, it was the Demon that claimed Onimaru had once been his, the one she had dueld to a draw. "It's so nice for the children to finally show up to the party. I imagine you all can guess the game, Rescue the students, seal the heads."

A large broadsword appeared in his hands The tip of Himeko's Naginata began to Separate. The Shadows all around them sprang to Life, and suddenly the group found themselves against a dozen humanoid shadows and two cast Huge ones cast by neighboring skyscrapers. The large ones were almost twenty feet tall and looked like huge shadow samurai. Each one weiled a large Katana and wore shadowplate armor. Of the Mistress of Serpent's children there was no sight.

(OOC Initiative Check Time (2d6+ACV)) Let's get those posted and we shall continue on. There is a grand total of 17 enemies around you all.)

[z-Skye]

Kazuo ended up behind her, more or less draping his arms over her shoulders when she was upright and lying on her back when she was horizontal. It wasn't the best position, but she had to have her arms free, and it kept him from interfering with her vision. It was also suggestive as could be, but Skye was ignoring that.

As soon as they were out of earshot of their team and the shadows, Skye said, "I'm not coming up behind that bitch. I'm going to drop you on her head." There was a pause, and Skye looked over her shoulder at him. "If that's ok with you, that is."

"Sure, what the hell," Kazuo replied with a shrug.

"Glad to know you have some input into your own fate," Skye said drily, banking high into the air. When she saw the shadows, she said, "I don't see the shadow summoner. Still want the bitch?"

"Sure." His reply was infuriating. Skye decided she was going to drop him from a really high spot. It wasn't like the fall would kill him for more than a few moments.

Click to reveal..

Skye Craptacular Init: 10

2d6=2

[Rorx]

Jim created his anti-demon grenade launcher, although with a shorter, wider barrel than usual, and drew his sword.

Click to reveal..

Init = 2d6 +ACV =

(00:03:26) ChatBot: (Jim) rolls 2d6 and gets 5,3.+7 = 15

[Kazuo]

Click to reveal..

Don't blame me, blame the dice. :shrugs:
(08:40:40) ChatBot: (Centimane) rolls 2d6 and gets 4,1.
Kazuo's initiative: 5 + 5 = 10

[Kenichi]

Click to reveal..

(12:52:13) ChatBot: (DrKultra) rolls 2d6 and gets 6,5. +11 Init, 22 total.

How come I never get this rolls on attack rolls?

Kenichi prepared for his first lunge by calling on the Ogre, hoping he was quick enough to unleash it.

[SalmonMax]

Keiko Init: 17

(Natural 12! Dang, I coulda used that on an attack ))

http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/2454370/