Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero

[Asbjørn]

\"She's not a 'blimp', she's a rigid airship, & yes, she's pretty tough. She also has a certain amount of magnetic shielding, since her own engines are plasma based, but I'm not sure if that'll help or not. In either case, I'd rather not have to find out if we have any alternatives - if Nefertiti doesn't destroy the Skymaster easily, she may decide to 'turn up the juice', which wouldn't be a good thing.\"

- \"Well, anyway, she's kind of a big target... and more than a bit slower than Miss Egypt out there, I bet. But if I'm gonna draw her fire i won't be here anyway, so...\" He shrugs. \"By the way: If she can take as good as she gives the only ways i can think of to even get her attention, much less distract her, are to get up real close and personal and fly around like a wasp or hit her with everything I've got from a distance. I don't really believe much in the first alternative. I'm not that fast...\"

Taking in the preparations going on around him, he seems relaxed and ready to go.

...I'll need either Terry or William her to get me out there and close enough to her.

- "I can do that. And get you away pretty fast too... I don't know how these other guys would do it, though. Maybe they're a better bet. But if we're gonna be flying around out there it would be nice to have some form of communication. I don't think my cellphone is gonna do it, if it even works."

With the last comment, he starts checking the pockets of his jacket to see if the contents survived the blast while he waits for the man with the plan, whoever that might be.

[ezekiel]

Sighing slightly, he turns to Terry and shakes his head, \"Forget it. Maybe we could try that if I was running close to full, but even then it'd only be after I shut down her offensive powers. I'm not risking getting instantly turned to ash just to steal some juice. After I get her shut down, if I still have enough power left, we can try it though. I need to actually touch her to do it, I think. Let's try with Alex and see, shall we?\"

Terry Nods

\"If you don't think you can squeeze her juice out quick enough then I think you're right...but understand that its not just to steal some juice, its to weaken her to exhaustion. It doesn't really matter if we do that by making her shoot flares at us or by your directly sapping her strength, as long as it gets done. I also like the idea of letting Alex have a go at her if you can make her fall...I just hope Alex can handle her\"

Terry gives Alex a worried look

\"If you don't have to touch her to knock her powers out, it might be better to go with Nathan, I'll keep a lookout and catch you if something goes wrong. Glad to have you with us by the way...\"

Terry leans over and shakes Nathan's hand

\"Call me Terry.\"

\"Yes & no. I'm afriad it's not quite like Star Trek: the holograms in the club, so I'm led to believe, are projected onto the spray from the waterfall, not just 'into space'. The Skymaster has a holographic outer skin, but it's really little more than a high-tech video screen.\", he points to a computer panel & screen to one side of the control car, \"The controls are over there, if it'll help.\"

"Well, I'm not much of a programmer and without a screen we might as well forget about it...unless one of you wants to fiddle with it. I was just thinking out loud. So! Are we agreed? Nathan and Nullifier try to make her flaring stop and hopefully makes her drop down. If she does, Alex jumps down to meet her (if necessary I could slow your fall but you look like you could handle it) I'll watch and try to keep an eye on Nullifier should he fall. I just wish we could have a distraction of some sort for your approach...and that Gerry were here to try out his hypno-stuff."

[Nullifier]

Terry Nods

\"If you don't think you can squeeze her juice out quick enough then I think you're right...but understand that its not just to steal some juice, its to weaken her to exhaustion. It doesn't really matter if we do that by making her shoot flares at us or by your directly sapping her strength, as long as it gets done. I also like the idea of letting Alex have a go at her if you can make her fall...I just hope Alex can handle her\"

Terry gives Alex a worried look

\"If you don't have to touch her to knock her powers out, it might be better to go with Nathan, I'll keep a lookout and catch you if something goes wrong. Glad to have you with us by the way...\"

\"Well, I'm not much of a programmer and without a screen we might as well forget about it...unless one of you wants to fiddle with it. I was just thinking out loud. So! Are we agreed? Nathan and Nullifier try to make her flaring stop and hopefully makes her drop down. If she does, Alex jumps down to meet her (if necessary I could slow your fall but you look like you could handle it) I'll watch and try to keep an eye on Nullifier should he fall. I just wish we could have a distraction of some sort for your approach...and that Gerry were here to try out his hypno-stuff.\"

Nodding, "Alright then, we'll do it that way. Nathan, you can call me Nullifier by the way, just get me within sixty meters or so of her, and try not to get us fried. I'll try to drain her energy once she's on the ground, provided I can get close enough to touch her, but shutting down her powers will probably take most if not all of the juice I got from Alex, and the energy draining thing currently takes a substantial initial investment on my part so it might not be possible. We'll see. Let's just see if I can shut down her flight and offensive powers first. If that works, and Nathan can drop me off close enough to her, I'll try to start draining her. Agreed?"

Looking around at the gathered novas, he grins visibly underneath his eufiber, "I'm ready whenever you guys are."

[Alex Green]

"If she falls to the street, I'll leap out after her. Perhaps even on top of her."

OOC: Is she hovering over a building or flying around or still 50 stories up or what?

OOC: Before he makes his move I'll transform...

[Ayre el KaBeer]

"I'm not realy sure what I can do to help up here... well short of throwing coins and control panels ::bigsmile at her, but if she hits the ground I should be able to help... Ah excuse me, Mr. Masters but do you have a 50 story long rope on board? maybe some base jumping gear?" He says trying to break the tension but his request is serious because he can't get down otherwise.

[Asbjørn]

...but understand that its not just to steal some juice, its to weaken her to exhaustion. It doesn't really matter if we do that by making her shoot flares at us or by your directly sapping her strength, as long as it gets done.

- \"So there's no holds barred here? Do we think she's so tough we'll have to try to kill her to even weaken her? Or do we hold back? I bet she's not going to...\"

\"Let's just see if I can shut down her flight and offensive powers first. If that works, and Nathan can drop me off close enough to her, I'll try to start draining her. Agreed?\"

Even though his expression is hard to read due to his eyes being a constant white glow, Nathan looks a bit worried about this plan.

- "When you 'shut her down', is it all or nothing or do you pick her powers off one by one? Cause I still think that the worst possible situation is having her angry on the ground with her offensive powers intact. Better if we could throw her in the ocean or something. How much time do you need, by the way? Is a short flyby enough, or do you need more time within range?" After a short pause, he adds "And what if she hits us? You wanna be on your own on the way down, or should we find some sort of harness in case her blast makes me lose my grip on you?"

As he speaks, Nathan looks around for an exit and checks to see what Miss Egypt is doing. He also takes a brief look at the control screen Masters indicated earlier.

[ProfPotts]

But if we're gonna be flying around out there it would be nice to have some form of communication. I don't think my cellphone is gonna do it, if it even works

Masters takes a box from the locker he got his gun from, opens it, & passes around what look like tiny earpiece receivers,

\"These send & receive, are all set to the same scrambled channel, & are 'hands free' operation. They won't stand up to Nova powers though - I have no idea what a force field or other energy would do to them, & one probably wouldn't even fit in the ear of Alex's giant form...\"

OOC: Is she hovering over a building or flying around or still 50 stories up or what?

[she hovering pretty high right now, & the Skymaster is making it's way towards her (cautiously). She's probably around 2,000 feet above the ground (give or take a bit).]

OOC: Before he makes his move I'll transform...

[i'd suggest going to one of the airship's top hatches & going outside before you do that, otherwise you'll have to smash your way out to leave the airship!]

Ah excuse me, Mr. Masters but do you have a 50 story long rope on board? maybe some base jumping gear?

Masters checks his pockets,

\"I seem to have left mine in my other tuxedo.\", he smiles ::smile , \"Maybe Terry there could help you out?\"

As he speaks, Nathan looks around for an exit and checks to see what Miss Egypt is doing. He also takes a brief look at the control screen Masters indicated earlier.

The airship has several hatches at the very top, the 'nose' entrance, & steps that descend from the main lounge. But, in the control car, where the characters are, there's a sliding door on either side (not meant to be opened during flight, but each has an emergency release).

The holographic-controls appear to be a pretty user-friendly computer set-up, with built-in art & design programs, image files, & OpNet link.

Nefertiti is no longer looking at the approaching airship, but up into the sky. She stretches her arms upwards, the white-hot flames around her flare-up for a moment, & a huge pillar of flame shoots upwards from her outstretched hands. High above it starts to spread out in all directions, like an umbrella opening over the city, then falls further downwards, forming a dome of flame over the entire metropolis ::blink ! A few moments later the pillar ceases, but the gigantic dome remains, sealing the city within (although the temperature only rises a little). The golden goddess looks pleased with her efforts, & returns to look at the city (although, this time, it appears that she may be searching for something specific).

Meanwhile...

... Glacier makes his way through the building he clawed his way into (a deserted office building apparantly), alarms blaring thanks to his forced entry. As he reaches the ground floor, & heads for the front doors (large glass double-doors), he notices three police cars pulled-up out front, with six policemen in light body armour (vests & helmets basically), all with shotguns pointed in his direction. One cop speaks into his car's public address system,

"Unidentified Nova. This is the police. Power down & come out slowly with your hands raised."

A crowd is standing a bit further back, watching both the scene with the police & Glacier, & the Sun-bright Nova above. A few moments later & there are further gasps of amazement, fear, & confusion, as the entire sky turns to fire (as Nefertiti forms her dome) ::nervous !

Elsewhere...

... In the Masters Building infirmary Derek is met with the sight of many wounded, mostly security personel, but some civillians, & several of the gunmen (under heavy guard) are also being treated. Most wounds seem to be from stray gunfire or shrapnel, & many are being treated for the effects of breathing tear gas. Ash is here, working to organise things, & heads over when one of the guards with Derek informs her of their arrival,

"Derek", she says, a look of concern on her face, "are you all right?", she steers the Nova towards a vacant bed, "Here, lie down, you look exhausted."

[ezekiel]

::nervous

Terry stares out the window gaping at the dome...

"Whoah...uhmmm, Alex do you feel confident jumping through that? If so, I suggest to keep going as planned but you'll be on your own down there. Sorry William, I'd love to set you down but we're a little high up and I'm in no condition to go down...besides, you're newly erupted, try getting used to that before trying to save the world. You'd be likely to get yourself killed...well, as much as any of us at this point I guess... ::unsure "

Terry squints at Alex

"Hey Alex...how heavy are you once transformed, do you know? I could try lifting you up to Nerfi...I could easily lift a ton, maybe a bit more. Maybe you could manage to clinch on with those spikes of yours just as Nullifier knocks out (hopefully) some of her offensive capabilities..."

[brilyn]

\"Derek\", she says, a look of concern on her face, \"are you all right?\", she steers the Nova towards a vacant bed, \"Here, lie down, you look exhausted.\"

"Thanks..... I'm absolutely shattered, and in a fair bit of pain, but I think that was self-inflicted.... I'm not too sure." ::confused

"I think someone needs to have a word with Nullifier. If that... Nova.... hadn't prevented me from acting, I reckon I could have that woman sealed up for a good while yet. Don't know for how long....." ::angry

At this point, many gasps, and 'oohs' and 'aahs' go up around the room. People point and stare, and Derek's attention is drawn to the window, to the dome of fire surrounding the city.

::crazy

"........."

"........."

"F**KING Nullifier!!!!!" ::angry ::angry ::angry

Derek flops down on the bed, dejected and annoyed.

"There's gotta be a solution to this...... I mean, it's all a case of energy in and energy out, right? She can only sustain it for so long? To do *that* has got to require SERIOUS amounts of energy."

"......."

::smokin

Derek visibly perks up while thinking.

"Question: What are the odds of this building having liquid Hydrogen/Helium/Nitrogen on the premises? Or are there any universities nearby? They should have some......"

[Asbjørn]

Looking at the firedome, Nathan sighs "Well, so much for going easy on her. If we do get her down, or at least reduced, I say we all hit her with everything we've got. Schizo or not. Oh yeah... And those video-controls look pretty straight forward, if anyone has any good ideas what to do with it. Just say the word."

Getting the earpiece in place and testing it, Nathan takes off his jacket, rolls his shoulders, cracks a few knuckles and is ready to go. Nodding to Nullifier and gesturing at the nearest exit, he says "Shall we..? There are some parachute-harnesses over there that we can use for extra safety if you want to, but otherwise I'm ready."

He walks over to the nearest emergency exit, puts his hand on the handle and opens the door. "Any last minute changes? If not, let's rock and roll..."

[Alex Green]

\"Hey Alex...how heavy are you once transformed, do you know?

Oh, 5 and a half, maybe 6 tons.

OOC: Are we inside or outside the dome?

[Asbjørn]

OOC: Since we're heading up towards Nefertiti, she placed the dome over herself and we still can see her it seems pretty clear to me that we're inside.

[phoenix]

\"Unidentified Nova. This is the police. Power down & come out slowly with your hands raised.\"

####! How'd they get here so fast?

Glacier decides that the police aren't likely to be very understanding about the fact that he cannot safely dorm' down, and breaks into whatever passes, in his injured state, for a run. He makes haste to the back of the building and leaves it, trying to put both the sizable skyscraper and as much distance as possible between himself and the police while circling around to get nearer to Aten (not that he can do a lot from the ground).

[ezekiel]

OOC: Since we're heading up towards Nefertiti, she placed the dome over herself and we still can see her it seems pretty clear to me that we're inside.

OOC: Ah! Makes sense...then slash the bit about falling through the fire and lets do it!

Oh, 5 and a half, maybe 6 tons.

\"Mmm, well if I was in my prime I'd try it but I'd be asking for trouble if I had a go at that weight now...\"

\"Shall we..? There are some parachute-harnesses over there that we can use for extra safety if you want to, but otherwise I'm ready.\"

"If you wait 'til the ship is about 100 meters from Nerfi I should be able to catch Nullifier should something happen. If you try to remain halfway between her an us it'll give me a little leeway to catch him...of 'course, a chute is always a good idea. In case the headsets burn out or something, if you want me to bring you in towards her for a drain if and after you fall, Nullifier, give me a handsignal"

[Nullifier]

- \"When you 'shut her down', is it all or nothing or do you pick her powers off one by one? Cause I still think that the worst possible situation is having her angry on the ground with her offensive powers intact. Better if we could throw her in the ocean or something. How much time do you need, by the way? Is a short flyby enough, or do you need more time within range?\"

Grinning wistfully, \" Actually, there are several options for shutting her down. First, could just go after one power with everthing I have. It's a risk, but if her powers are mostly limited to just the mastery over Solar Fire, then it'd have the best chance of taking her doown and keeping her that way. Second, I could throw everything I have at two powers at once. I'd probably be almost as successful, but it'd affect two of her powers. Third, I could as you say go after one power at a time. The upside to that is that it'll last just as long as the first two options, and it won't place nearly as much strain on me. The downside is that it gets harder each time, and it probably won't be as successful as the first two options.The fourth option is to try to take down as many of her powers as I can mange, which could actually be quite significant if I don't screw up. The advantage to this approach is that I'll probably get a chunck out of both her offensive and defensive powers at once, making her vulnerable, the disadvantage is that it won't last very long for most of 'em. So if I did it that way you'd all have to be prepared to hit her with everything you had immediately. As to the time factor, the first two options I only need to be in range for a few seconds, the third option is the longest, maybe ten seconds, and the fourth option is in between. \"

Getting the earpiece in place and testing it, Nathan takes off his jacket, rolls his shoulders, cracks a few knuckles and is ready to go. Nodding to Nullifier and gesturing at the nearest exit, he says \"Shall we..? There are some parachute-harnesses over there that we can use for extra safety if you want to, but otherwise I'm ready.\"

After putting an earpiece in his ear, he walks over and puts on a parachute, \"Let's get our plan straight. Which of the options do you think I should use? I'm inclined towards the second and fourth myself, but if we use the fourth option we're gonna need to hit her hard immediately after I hit her, and I'm not sure we have the capability to do that. \"

\"If you wait 'til the ship is about 100 meters from Nerfi I should be able to catch Nullifier should something happen. If you try to remain halfway between her an us it'll give me a little leeway to catch him...of 'course, a chute is always a good idea. In case the headsets burn out or something, if you want me to bring you in towards her for a drain if and after you fall, Nullifier, give me a handsignal\"

Nodding, he shows Terry the signal he'll give if he wants to get closer in to drain her.

[Asbjørn]

\"Mmm, well if I was in my prime I'd try it but I'd be asking for trouble if I had a go at that weight now...\"

- \"Well, 6 tons isn't exactly featherweight... but I can carry you if I put my back into it. Is it important? You're not gonna be much use in an aerial fight if you can't fly anyway, and I'm pretty sure you can manage getting down on your own... Of course, if Nullifier can't affect her, an airborne wrestling match might be our best bet.\"

\"Let's get our plan straight. Which of the options do you think I should use? I'm inclined towards the second and fourth myself, but if we use the fourth option we're gonna need to hit her hard immediately after I hit her, and I'm not sure we have the capability to do that. \"

- "Then we'll go with the second. If the only heavy offensive option we have is the part time giant over there and he can't fly, we have to get her down. So: I bring Nullifier close enough to do his thing, and hopefully it works. If it doesn't work, Terry stands by to catch him if i drop him and we all kiss our asses goodbye. If she does fall, Alex goes in after her and beats the crap out of her. If the rest of you want to get closer and join in then, I can get you down. Sound like a plan?

[Alex Green]

"Well, 6 tons isn't exactly featherweight... but I can carry you if I put my back into it. Is it important? You're not gonna be much use in an aerial fight if you can't fly anyway, and I'm pretty sure you can manage getting down on your own... Of course, if Nullifier can't affect her, an airborne wrestling match might be our best bet."

"Then we'll go with the second. If the only heavy offensive option we have is the part time giant over there and he can't fly, we have to get her down. So: I bring Nullifier close enough to do his thing, and hopefully it works. If it doesn't work, Terry stands by to catch him if i drop him and we all kiss our asses goodbye. If she does fall, Alex goes in after her and beats the crap out of her. If the rest of you want to get closer and join in then, I can get you down. Sound like a plan?

"Sounds like a plan. I'll stay human and on the roof until we see if she will fall or not. If she doesn't, then maybe one of you can throw me on top of her. If she does fall then I'll shift and jump after her. A little fall shouldn't hurt."

Alex doesn't bother with a parachute, but he does put the mikes in. Little bits of darkness appear and hold them in place. Whether they will survive transformation is another question.

OOC: After I get on the roof, I'll grow some membranes between my arms & body to help direct my fall ::hehe . On a side note, terminal velocity should be much higher for me than a normal human. ::teleport

[Ayre el KaBeer]

\"Whoah...uhmmm, Alex do you feel confident jumping through that? If so, I suggest to keep going as planned but you'll be on your own down there. Sorry William, I'd love to set you down but we're a little high up and I'm in no condition to go down...besides, you're newly erupted, try getting used to that before trying to save the world. You'd be likely to get yourself killed...well, as much as any of us at this point I guess...  \"

"You're probably right, it'd just this rush I have... It's incredible!!! William is still a little hyperactive and can't help but fidget, he eventually reaches into his pants and pulls out some change and flashes Masters a grin " ::biggrin Coins it is then! Still I've never thrown anything that far." he says with a chuckle.

[ProfPotts]

[The Masters Building]

Ash offers Derek a glass of water, as a couple of medics start to give him a once-over.

"So", she begins, "you think some super-cold liquids might help to dampen her powers? It's possible I suppose. We'd have some at the Long Island facilities, but it'll take a few minutes to get it here. Is there any other equipment you need?"

She turns slightly away & talks softly, seemingly to herself, for a bit, then turns back to Derek & helps him to his feet,

"Give me a list of what you need. It'll be waiting for us when we get to the ground floor."

[Elsewhere in the illuminated metropolis...]

Glacier turns from the doors & starts to hobble towards the rear of the building as best he can, the polished floor icing-up & cracking beneath his feet as he goes. The police outside shout another warning, but seem reluctant to rush head-long into the building. Instead they move up cautiously, keeping the Nova in sight (they can easily match his current pace), & calling for more back-up. Glacier hears words like "SWAT", "choppers", & "the Gothic Knight" from the police behind him, as they make the call.

[High above the city streets]

Wind sweeps the control car as Nathan blows the emergency exit (the entire door falls away from the airship, spinning towards the city below). After steadying himself against the gust, & checking things over with his crew, Masters comments,

"Right people, it looks like we've got a plan. I'll take Alex & Will to the upper hatch, the rest of you give us a minute, then do what you have to do."

He turns to Will,

"Your father will have my hide for this, but it seems you are a Nova, & right now we need all the help we can get. I'd give you a gun, but without training you'd likely be more dangerous to us with it than to her. If you're out in the open with us, up top, then maybe Nathan can swing back & drop you street-side if the plan works & Nefertiti is grounded."

With that he climbs up out of the control car into the main body of the airship, quickly leads the others past the crew cabins to a ladder that runs the height of the vessel, & climbs to the upper gantry. There he indicates the forward upper hatch, & turns to his companions,

"Please, gentlemen, after you..."

[Alex Green]

\"Please, gentlemen, after you...\"

Mentally, Alex thought, "This is so stupid. There must be a better, calmer, way to do this... Murder is for the unimaginative... ::sigh::"

"Let's go.", Alex stated and took the lead.

[Nullifier]

\"Please, gentlemen, after you...\"

Moving over to Nathan, "Alright then, man, let's do this thing!"

[phoenix]

Glacier sighs, observing the persistent efforts of the police. He decides to talk things over with them. He exits the building, trying to hide his injuries by standing straight and tall, and with his imposing anima. He walks over towards the officer speaking through the public-address system. If anyone says "Stop, or we shoot!", he stops, but anyone who says "Freeze!" is going to regret it. He stops regardless when the officer can feel his cold emission but will not ice over.

That won't be necessary, officer, gesturing at the speakers,

I can hear you just fine from here.

OOC: What kind of guns do they have?

[Ayre el KaBeer]

He turns to Will,

\"Your father will have my hide for this, but it seems you are a Nova, & right now we need all the help we can get. I'd give you a gun, but without training you'd likely be more dangerous to us with it than to her. If you're out in the open with us, up top, then maybe Nathan can swing back & drop you street-side if the plan works & Nefertiti is grounded.\"

With that he climbs up out of the control car into the main body of the airship, quickly leads the others past the crew cabins to a ladder that runs the height of the vessel, & climbs to the upper gantry. There he indicates the forward upper hatch, & turns to his companions,

\"Please, gentlemen, after you...\"

"Well, father never approved of guns anyway so I was never taught the art of pulling a trigger..." He says with a sneer, looking down at his shredded clothes, he obviously doesn't aprove of guns either... Hearing Masters little invitation " ::sly Thank you, sir!" And rushes to the ladder.

[Asbjørn]

Nathan looks outside while he waits for Masters and the others to be in place up on top. When about a minute has passed, he grabs Nullifier by the shoulder straps of his parachute harness, leans out of the opening and starts climbing towards Nefertiti.

The glow surrounding him is growing brighter again, as Nullifier can literally feel the forcefield growing in strength. Partly to check if the earpiece still works, he says "Ready, people? Let's go!"

A warm wind blows up around Nathan and Nullifier as he starts moving faster, and then accelerates to around 300 kmh, heading almost straight for the brightest point in the sky. Closing in on her he slows down a bit, veers slightly to the left, and moves to circle her clockwise at a distance of 50-60 meters.

[Nullifier]

Closing in on her he slows down a bit, veers slightly to the left, and moves to circle her clockwise at a distance of 50-60 meters.

Dark lightnings gather about his form as they come within range, stark black against the background of the dome of flame. Negative quantum energies build up, shooting off of him in a shower of jet black sparks as he prepares to unleash it... ::ninja ::excl ::devilangel

[Alex Green]

Alex walks over to the edge, ready to leap out...

[brilyn]

you think some super-cold liquids might help to dampen her powers?

"Heck, I'm not even gonna assume *that*. It's just if that kind of stuff is sprayed in her direction, she's going to have to protect herself. The more energy she burns doing that, the less she'll have to turn the city into a cinder.

"What I need...... hundreds of litres of some liquid that's REALLY cold. Nitrogen would be ideal as it's quite inert. And something to pump/carry the liquid. A firetruck (or 6 would be ideal), but I doubt very much that they'd be able to hold the liquid for long before they crap out.

"Failing that, strap whatever is currently holding the liquids to the back of a container truck and drive it to her. I'm sure we can hook up some sort of pumping system.

"Frankly, this would be a whole lot easier if she were on the ground. We could simply put a container near her, and crack it open, and flood the area she's in......"

[ProfPotts]

[Downtown]

As Glacier turns & heads towards the police they pull back behind their cars, shotguns all leveled at the Nova. He pushes the building's glass doors open & they freeze, & a moment later, shatter, causing a gasp from the crowd ::nervous .

The order is repeated,

"Power-down & put your hands in the air!"

But Glacier does neither, & instead keeps walking towards the police, trying to get close enough that they can feel his cold...

... "Let him have it!"

Six shotguns bark as the cops open fire on the dangerous rogue Nova. Glacier feels the urge to get out of the way...

... Still, as fast as he can be when he has to, even the teenaged Nova can't avoid the wall of lead shot that sprays towards him. Shot, frozen from his anima, peppers him, sending him sprawling to the ground in a bloody mess. Behind him the office building doesn't fair much better, as the stray shot sprays the walls & into the entrance. Glacier lies still on the sidewalk, cracks appearing around where he lays as his anima continues to freeze the pavement.

[The Masters Building]

Derek & Ash are met on the ground floor by a group of Masters' men in advanced body armour, moving several drums covered in frost & chemical hazard warning signs to the building's entrance. Another group has several crates of what appears to be a random jumble of plumbing & engine parts. All is being moved to a light blue armoured car (with "Masters Security" on the side in white) - the sort that transports cash to banks - parked outside.

Ash turns again to Derek,

"Well", she says, indicating the equipment, "you're the genius, you'd better rig something up."

[in the skys above]

Alex, Will, & Masters wait on top of the airship, trying to resist the wind whipping past them, & attempting to not be put off by the fact that the sky above them is made of fire! As Alex moves towards the edge (well, as far as he can get before the curve of the hull is too great to stand on) Masters removes his gun's power pack from his back, kneels down next to it, & takes aim at the golden Nova above & in front of the Skymaster.

Nefertiti looks towards Nathan & Nullifier as the pair close on her. As Nullifier build's energies she frowns, & reaches out a hand towards them...

[Asbjørn]

Nefertiti looks towards Nathan & Nullifier as the pair close on her. As Nullifier build's energies she frowns, & reaches out a hand towards them...

Gritting his teeth against the pain he knows is coming, Nathan shouts to Nullifier "Hold on!!!, and as the inevitable flare of solar fire shoots towards them, Nathan rolls down and towards Nefertiti, breaking away from the flightpath he was in and shooting out of the way of the blast while still trying to keep them within Nullifier's range.

Knowing that she is fully capable of a solar blast far too wide for him to dodge, Nathan is counting on his speed to let him stay ahead of her, and circles as fast and erratically as he can to avoid getting hit while he waits for Nullifiers magic...

[Nullifier]

Nefertiti looks towards Nathan & Nullifier as the pair close on her. As Nullifier build's energies she frowns, & reaches out a hand towards them...

As the energy in him reaches a peak he unleashes it, focusing on Nefertiti's powerful form as he does so...

[brilyn]

\"Well\", she says, indicating the equipment, \"you're the genius, you'd better rig something up.\"

Gazing over the equipment, Derek's eyes glaze slightly as he starts to crunch numbers in his head.

"This is..... workable. Just let me see what we have here....." ::smiley10

Noting the barrels:

"Yes, this is near perfect. Frankly, I don't think what we're going to do will *seriously* impact Nefertiti, but I suspect it'll help. And it's better than doing nothing......." ::smile

Going over the equipment:

"Heh.... I think we can do this. Maybe next time we can arrange a little more notice? Get the cutting edge gear next time?" ::wink

People watching see that he's truely in his element, as he sorts through the equipment, asking for sealants, and various nik-naks, most of which are standard run of the mill industrial ventilation parts.

Soon, after just a minute or two, the pile has been sorted into 3 piles. Usuable, backup/spares, and unusable (for this, at least).

"ok, just gimme a couple more minutes, and I'll have something we can use!" ::cool

[ProfPotts]

Nefertiti is quicker than Nathan, but he tries his best to jink out of the way as an incredible gout of white flame blasts towards him & his passenger. At the last moment he realises that he hasn't moved fast enough, that the flames will hit... ::blink

... But he doesn't die! As they reach him the flames form into a gigantic firey hand, that grasps Nullifier & rips him from Nathan 's grip (the harness burning to dust). Both Novas feel the intense heat from the construct, but it appears to be somehow focused within the 'hand', leaving them relatively unscathed. Within moments the hand has drawn Nullfier to Nefertiti, where he is grasped still, no more than a meter from the golden Nova. She looks quizically at him - & he releases ever last ounce of negative quantum energy he can muster! Nothing happens, & those witness to the desperate ploy hold their collective breathes... ::nervous

... then, in an instant, the dome of flame around the city flicks out of existence, leaving only wisps of fire that rapidly fade away. The flaming hand grasping Nullifier vanishes, & the flames that cover Nefertiti's body & hair fade, though her golden body still glows bright enough to illuminate the city. The black & gold Novas facing each other start to fall, Nefertiti seeming quite calm, stretching out vertically, legs together & arms out to the side as gravity accelerates the pair downwards...

[Ayre el KaBeer]

::shocked "Oh No!" Will says in a whisper, then calls out to those around him hoping someone has the ability "Quick catch him!"

[ezekiel]

... But he doesn't die! As they reach him the flames form into a gigantic firey hand, that grasps Nullifier & rips him from Nathan 's grip (the harness burning to dust). Both Novas feel the intense heat from the construct, but it appears to be somehow focused within the 'hand', leaving them relatively unscathed. Within moments the hand has drawn Nullfier to Nefertiti, where he is grasped still, no more than a meter from the golden Nova. She looks quizically at him - & he releases ever last ounce of negative quantum energy he can muster! Nothing happens, & those witness to the desperate ploy hold their collective breathes...

As the \"hand\" reaches for Nullifier Terry braces himself for the world of pain coming...Whispering more to himself than to anyone who might be listening:

\"Don't worry Nulli, I've got you...\"

... then, in an instant, the dome of flame around the city flicks out of existence, leaving only wisps of fire that rapidly fade away. The flaming hand grasping Nullifier vanishes, & the flames that cover Nefertiti's body & hair fade, though her golden body still glows bright enough to illuminate the city. The black & gold Novas facing each other start to fall, Nefertiti seeming quite calm, stretching out vertically, legs together & arms out to the side as gravity accelerates the pair downwards...

Terry squeezes the railing near the bridge bay window and screams in anguish. His eyes follow Nullifiers short decent. Indeed the black body orbiting the golden Nova soon starts falling towards the open bridge door as Terry gasps into his microphone:

"Its now up to you Alex, knock her out!"

[Alex Green]

... then, in an instant, the dome of flame around the city flicks out of existence, leaving only wisps of fire that rapidly fade away. The flaming hand grasping Nullifier vanishes, & the flames that cover Nefertiti's body & hair fade, though her golden body still glows bright enough to illuminate the city. The black & gold Novas facing each other start to fall, Nefertiti seeming quite calm, stretching out vertically, legs together & arms out to the side as gravity accelerates the pair downwards...

Alex leaps out and dives head first over the edge and tries to angle his fall to intercept Nefertiti.

He thinks, "2000+ feet, that's 3-4 seconds, plenty of time to transform".

OOC: Hopefully I'm going to find out right about now that Alex's improved athletic ability covers falling ::hehe, otherwise this is going to lack a certain grace ::confused . After he gets a decent bead, or figures that isn't going to happen, he transforms.

[Nullifier]

The black & gold Novas facing each other start to fall, Nefertiti seeming quite calm, stretching out vertically, legs together & arms out to the side as gravity accelerates the pair downwards...

As the dark humanoid fell an inky black aura of dark energy covered him and distorted his form, making him look from afar like a falling drop of ink. Stretching his legs and arms out, the skintight jet black suit that covered him began changing... ::ninja ::ohmy

[Asbjørn]

Terry squeezes the railing near the bridge bay window and screams in anguish. His eyes follow Nullifiers short decent. Indeed the black body orbiting the golden Nova soon starts falling towards the open bridge door as Terry gasps into his microphone:

\"Its now up to you Alex, knock her out!\"

- "Way to go, guys!"

Seeing Nullifier's fall slowed and stopped by Terry's efforts, Nathan heads back to the Skymaster. Hovering next to those still standing on top of it he asks "Anyone going down? Alex might still need some help down there."

If none of the ones remaining up there wants a lift down, Nathan follows Nefertiti and Alex down on his own, preparing to do some damage wherever he can.

[Ayre el KaBeer]

Looking to Masters expectantly "May I?"

(OOC: assuming he gets aproval)

"Father always warned me about hitch hiking ::biggrin ... let's go!"

(OOC: Can't remember how long bioluminesence lasts for, is Will still glowing? )

[Nullifier]

Seeing Nullifier's fall slowed and stopped by Terry's efforts, Nathan heads back to the Skymaster. Hovering next to those still standing on top of it he asks \"Anyone going down? Alex might still need some help down there.\"

(OOC: If I start to slow down, I yell this:)

"I'll be fine, let me fall!"

[ProfPotts]

Looking to Masters expectantly \"May I?\"

Masters nods, a look of grim determination on his face,

\"Be my guest.\"

As Nullifier & Nefertiti fall, Alex leaps off the Skymaster, attempting to sky-dive on an intercept course with the pair as they fall past. His performace is masterful, those who don't know better would presume he's a professional sky-diver, even though he's never done this before. He soon realises, however, that he'll not have time to close the gap between him & Nefertiti before they both impact on the ground below, rushing up to meet them (in something closer to 10 seconds than the 3-4 he estimated, but still pretty quick!).

A few moments later & Nathan takes off from the airship again, this time with the glowing red form of Will as his cargo, a dim star against the shining glory of Nefertiti.

As Terry strains his powers, Nullifier starts to fall away from Nefertiti, & towards the airship. As the distance between the black & gold Novas increases, small sparks of fire start to re-kindle over Nefertiti's body & hair.

\"I'll be fine, let me fall!\"

... yells Nullifier, the ear-piece radios carrying his cry to all.