bravenewworld | Event - Confrontation with the Enhanced

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Event - Confrontation with the Enhanced

With the revelation of the presence of the Enhanced, Union was able to quickly mobilize. As the strange conditions continued to worsen, the Trainers of Union once again set out to bring order to the chaos.

This time however, they do not walk entirely alone. A small, dedicated team remains behind in Union, sorting through the dossiers and information that Crystal and Rory have collected. Connected to those in the field via Warp Band network, hopefully they can identify the Enhanced and find a way to calm them before a tragedy occurs.

[OOC: There will be a thread for each active team based on the sign-ups. Any areas that did not have any sign-ups will not be present and will be addressed later. As per our usual standards, moderators and NPC helpers will progress the log at least once every 24 hours. The Union log will work somewhat differently from the battle logs in that the participants will be collecting information concerning the Enhanced; when enough information has been accumulated, they will be asked to tag into the battle threads to provide guidance and support to those out in the field.

Characters participating in the Union log will function as support staff for this event. They will have their own log interacting with Rory and Crystal and as characters in other logs encounter the Enhanced, they can use the observations made to try to find out more about the Enhanced in the field and help the people in the field determine an appropriate situation. Because of this, players in the Union thread may threadjack any ongoing log to relay information as needed.

The outcome of this event will depend very much on player decisions and the ability of the characters to respond to the threats at hand, so we would highly encourage you all to tag as regularly as possible. Thanks!]

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[It took everything Matthias had to remain standing when the wave of energy passed by him, the sheer force of it, while not harmful, was absolutely staggering. Thankfully though, nothing came after it; no more attacks, no ill intent...just a calm, tentative though it was, it was something. With Basil helping him along at a relatively slow gait, Matthias hobbled back towards the young woman and even managed to find his thermos, miraculously unscathed against a rock which Basil picked up and handed to him; he was grateful for that...leaning down right now would have been a bad idea.

It took him about a minute, but he eventually got within arms length of the young woman and stopped. Her Pokemon were making a clear show that they weren't allowed any closer, and he was alright with that. With a great sigh, Matthias sank down and took a seat, motioning Basil towards his pack; the Buneary gave a nod and shot off towards it, coming back a moment later with three cups which he filled with the soup.

It was even still warm enough to have steam rise from it as it hit the cold, Old City air and despite having been tossed around, still smelled rather inviting. Each cup was set down as far from him as he could managed and he gestured to the Lucario of the group slowly before he spoke, both to the Pokemon and to the young woman.]

Indeed, we do apologize for the misunderstanding. Please, here's that soup I promised. Eat, you all look hungry and exhausted; you can tell us your story at your leisure if you so choose but from here on out, no harm will come to you.

[And just for emphasis, to make sure they knew his intentions were pure, he took a sip of his soup straight from thermos and swallowed in plain sight. He didn't want to have come so far for them to assume he was trying to offer poison. That and nothing gets the appetite going quite like getting punted a few feet, the soup was really hitting the spot and the warmth was starting to ebb away the pain in his ribs.

A little at any rate. Still felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to his side though.]

[As the others close in, Gordon hangs back, feeling that crowding the young woman is the last thing they need right now. He rises to his feet, brushing himself off, apparently no worse for wear.]

Young Lady, most of us, we are Swords of the Savior. Earlier, I asked if you knew what that meant. What it means is we protect those that need protecting. From what we've heard, sounds like you need some protecting.

[His tone is fatherly, calm and kind. He looks to the younger members of his party as they all move to comfort the girl.]

Let's not crowd her. I know she looks like she could use a hug but, for now, let's let her tell us what she needs, what we can do to help.

... Yes, let's keep our distance for now.

[Toriumi takes a seat where she is and Minato follows suit. Minato doesn't feel the immediate need to share the information he got over the Warp Band--mostly because things seem to be peaceful for now. If the situation changes, he will, but for now...]

[ The Lucario narrowed his eyes as Piper addressed him. He could take this human. He could take her easily. Just one precise strike and--

The Chandelure looked at him, shaking her head briefly. That would do more harm than good. The Lucario made an indignant noise before slowly backing down. He was close enough that he could strike if needed, and continued to size up the group warily.

They weren't the only ones surrounding her. The specters, slowly beginning to calm--or, those who were still more aggressive, fading back into the earth for the time being--grouped around the girl, protecting her. A few even appeared to be whispering something to her, their voices silent. It was very obvious from her expression that, while scared, she was in a state of deep concentration. She had to keep them at bay.

She wasn't in danger.

She wasn't hurt.

It wasn't her. This pain wasn't hers.

Please, calm down, restless spirits.

It was when she heard a spirit's voice that she didn't know--Martin's--that she broke from her trance, quickly looking up. The man from earlier... ]

You...

[ She could tell he wasn't dead, but... had been at one point in time? Slowly, tentatively, she reached out a hand, trying to touch him. Her hand seemed like it should have gone through, but it didn't; it felt warm, comforting, a strange feeling.

She quickly jerked it back as she felt something touch her shoulder, looking in another direction. Who was this red-haired man? It didn't quite register until she heard him speak, startled surprise filling her face. ...The Aegislash? But how?

Looking in yet another direction, she watched Gordon with rapt interest. Her expression was hard to read, but it looked almost... familiar. This man, the way he spoke, the way he stood, he was so much like her grandfather. It was uncanny. ]

You want to... protect me?

[ ...Were there always so many people, or was her mind playing tricks on her? Watching the young man who Carl had let out his aggression out on walk toward her, she watched him closely, not sure how he was still moving. She saw him take a hit, and he was still moving.

She blinked in surprise at the cup, then looked back up at him in disbelief. They hurt him. Why was he being so nice? Why were they all being so nice? Staring down at the cup again, she slowly reached out and took it, holding it in her hands. It was warm. So warm. Bringing it to her lips, she took a sip, stopped, then went at it with a little more gusto; it was obvious the woman hadn't eaten well in a long time.

Despite herself, the tears flowed down her face, her shoulders shaking. It was too much. It was way too much. ]

[[OOC Note: The bulk of this encounter is now COMPLETE. Players may continue the thread at their leisure without worrying about tag order, and, if there are tags, it will still adhere to the 24 hour rule. For purposes of this thread, the danger meter has been reset to 0 and will stay as such unless there are any additional player-added threats.]]

[Gordon watches, and doesn't move forward until things look like they're calming down. He pats Matthias on the shoulder, giving him an approving nod. Ichigo's shoulder gets a squeeze.]

Good to have you back, son.

[He turns to Martin, both of him.]

Are you going to have any problems getting back?

[And then the tears are coming, and Gordon freezes. He stands, awkward, a glance to the others, then back to the young woman.]

[Martin shrugs. Faintly:]

This hasn't happened to me before. Usually it's only while I'm asleep.

[ Food does wonders and, making sure to ration herself, she leaves a bit for her pokemon, which both make quick work of the remaining soup. Careful, Matthias, Chandelure is giving you Deerling eyes. You have more, right?

Wiping her eyes, she takes a few clear breaths before speaking again. Her voice is a bit less delicate. ]

You've died before. But you're alive.

[ She looks at Martin, perplexed, then to the rest of the group. ]

Who are you people?

[Again, he nods. Really what else can he do?]

It's a...long story. I'm not even sure how it happened. But I'm Martin. I used to be a Sword of the Savior, part of the group that protects Union. And, ah, then I died. I guess I'm sort of retired now.

[Of course he does. He's still adverse to breaching any personal space lines here, so instead he'll just simply set out the Thermos itself at as far as he could from himself so the woman or her Pokemon could retrieve it and divide it amongst themselves. It was still about half full, and could likely do two more cups each between the three of them.]

Please, have all you'd like. As for who we are...I am Matthias of Union, affiliated with the Swords of the Savior...a group dedicated to maintaining peace and order here. I'm sure...if you have any other questions of us...we can adequately answer them as well.

[A problem was slowly becoming apparent with Matthias, though it was not readily obvious to anyone who wasn't looking or paying attention to him directly. The adrenaline of the situation had worn off, removing any dulling effect it had had on his rib injury; he'd rolled directly into a full force kick that had been hard enough to send him skidding feet instead of inches and while nothing was broken or punctured, the difficulty he was having in catching his breath was indicative of very bad bruising of the ribs.

As well, even unbeknownst to him, he'd landed hard and smacked his head against the floor when he'd come to a stop, hard enough to leave a small gash on the side of his head which, while not bleeding profusely, was still bloody to say the least. The lack of adrenaline was also giving way to small bouts of dizziness, making it harder to focus than it was normally.

Not that he gave any of this real thought. He didn't have double vision and he attributed his symptoms to the flush of relief replacing his fear. He didn't even seem to notice the wound on his head in lieu of focusing on this poor girl. He could endure a few blows, he was a Sword of the Savior after all!

Basil noticed however, and was desperately trying to point others in the direction of the problems; it wasn't like Matthias had been responding to his rapid fire poking after all.]

[The shoulder squeeze and comment from Gordon doesn't go amiss, and he smiles at the older man, nodding. It was good to be back.

But what she says - and what Martin says in return - gets Ichigo's attention, even as he withdraws his hair 'hand' from her shoulder.]

Wait, you died before too?

[Sure, he was ghost type...but a lot of people were, and they didn't die before.

But she asked a question, and he should answer it, shouldn't he? returning his attention back to Prisca, he replies:]

Oh, uh....I'm Ichigo. Kurosaki Ichigo, and I'm also a Sword of the Savior from Union. Although...I guess you could say I'm really from here.

[He looks around, slightly gesturing at the ruins of the old city. It's...becoming less painful, and just more...a fact of life, now. His past, and he'd just have to move on.]

[It takes a bit, but Minato eventually speaks up. His first words are directed at the girl.] My name's Minato. I'm not part of any group, I mostly came down here because I was worried. [His attention afterwards is directed to Basil and then Matthias.]

... Matthias, you're pretty injured there. [He's already motioning for Toriumi to get his bag, the Zoroark reluctantly getting to her feet to grab it and bring it over.]

[He blinked at Minato's words, noting that his breathing was off and that the side of his head felt...sticky. He gratefully accepted the bandages that were handed to him and quickly wrapped his head, as well, he leveled out his breaths as not to agitate his symptoms. He was still a touch dizzy, but his pain had become more of a slow, uncomfortably stinging ache rather than anything serious. He'd be able to get out of here on his own feet, though if Ichigo hadn't insulated against the attack, he'd probably have been in much worse shape.]

Ah...thank you Minato, looks like I wasn't quite as...careful as I thought. Still...all things considered...I'm not unhappy with how this turned out. I'll have to bother Methuselah for more soup though it seems.

[His laugh was a bit sparse, but it was warm all the same. He'd probably need a few dedicated days for rest, but it was all in the line of duty.]

[ You don't have to tell Chanda twice, the Chandelure grabbing one of the cups somehow with her ghostly candle-hands and taking a drink. Carl the Lucario, who is a bit more hesitant and judgmental, gives Matthias a long look before finally taking the other cup.

While most of the specters are gone, a few do stay, keeping close to Prisca. Their features are much clearer now, their dress somewhat similar to the agricultural workers in the towers. A few watch, while another--a young boy from the looks of it--keeps particularly close to the young woman, occasionally whispering something in her ear, then shyly looking at the rest of the group. He seems to be trying to distract her from something.

The thing that Minato points out plainly. She winces very noticeably, averting her eyes downward, trying not to look. Even still, she ached, and the few spirits left near her watched them cautiously.

Prisca directs her attention to the specters. ]

It's all right. I can control it.

[ Then to the group. ]

Union? The city to the southeast? [ She made it that far? Leaning forward, she stood up. She really was quite small. She smiles, very vaguely, almost fondly. ] Sakina's told me stories about Union.

[ The redhead pauses, turning her attention to Ichigo. ]

You live in this place?

Edited 2015-02-03 06:27 (UTC)

Yeah, Union.

[He'll let the others explain more about Union, since he's still sort of new to the city.

Besides, he's gotten a question lobbied at him again - and this time, he shakes his head.]

No, I didn't mean it like that. I live in Union, but...

[There's a pause, and then he points at one of the specters still around, his gaze softening a bit.]

...I was one of them not too long ago. One of the people who lived in this place before Union was built on top of it, I mean.

[/casually admits he's 500 years old yep]

Edited 2015-02-03 06:33 (UTC)

[Gordon isn't the oldest! Yay! He looks around the group, then back to the girl.]

I'm Jim Gordon. Also one of the Swords. Haven't died and come back, just old.

[He gives a small smile at that.]

What's your name?

[His attention on the human members of the party, and the cagey Lucario, he doesn't notice Mike the Squirtle taking Martin's problem into his own hands. Well, mouth really. He splashes the unconscious body with water. Not a damaging stream, but enough to start anyone asleep wide awake.]

Wakey Wakey!

[Rex feels the presence, and starts sniffing around, letting out confused wuffing sounds.]

Anyone else smell something?

Edited 2015-02-03 06:59 (UTC)

[ She looked at Ichigo with surprise and awe. Many of the spirits hadn't directly spoken to her in her time, but the children were quite chatty, and very happy to tell her just how old they were, to the day. ]

You were? But how?

[ You must be so old, Ichigo! She slowly walks over to him, looking up as she does. She was easily a head shorter than him. Analyzing him closely, circling him even, she curls a hand near her lips. ]

You don't look older than I am.

[ Looking over her shoulder at Gordon, she turned, doing the smallest bit of a courtesy. Where were her manners? ]

My name is Prisca.

[ The young boy that was whispering to her reappeared at her side, tugging at the girl's sleeve. She blinked, bent down to listen, then looked at the rest of them. ]

Jochem wants to know if you are all heroes.

[Sadly, the Squirtle's efforts do little to rouse Martin's body. He stirs and the spectral image flickers for a moment but in the end it doesn't do anything.

It does rouse Sunflash's ire, however, so enjoy a wet Growlithe glaring at all and sundry.

Boar, from his spot on the ground (moving hurts a little too much, buy he's perfectly fine if he lies still) chuckles. Martin makes a face at his Honedge. He knows how Martin feels about being called a hero--and Martin knows that Boar finds it hilarious.]

We're just people who want to help.

Edited 2015-02-03 08:51 (UTC)

Indeed.

[With some effort on his part, and with Basil having fetched him his staff, he managed to rise to his feet. He had to lean on the staff a little for support, but he didn't look too much worse for the wear.]

We're here...to give aid to whoever needs it. If there's anything you, or your friends here need or want, feel free to ask.

[Piper almost laughs at being asked if she's a hero. While she's hardly a villain, she's never really thought she had the sort of skills to be anything more than a troublemaker. ]

I'm no hero. Just someone who wants to help. [Her smile wobbles a little. Compared to the rest of them, why'd she even bother coming? Picking up on his trainer's self-doubt, Amore shoves his head under her hand until she starts scratching him behind the ears.]

There's a lot of people who'd want to help you. And there's food and clothes and warm houses and all sorts of stuff in the city.

[Gordon pats Piper on the shoulder, looking for what's getting Rex riled up, turning abruptly as he swears he catches something out of the corner of his eye, but sees only an abandoned building when he turns.]

I wouldn't really say 'hero.'

[He looks to the specter.]

Jochem, was it? Do you mind if we take your new friend somewhere warmer?

[It's not the tone of someone humoring a child with an imaginary friend. Considering Martin and Ichigo's nature, he'd have to be pretty stubborn to deny the existence of ghosts.]

[Meanwhile, over by Martin's somewhat soggy body, Mike shakes him a little bit.]

Dude. Wake up dude. I'm not carrying ya!

[Martin turns away from Prisca and the boy to give Mike a Look before floating over]

I'm trying. This hasn't happened like this before.

[Boar confirms this, still perfectly content to doze on the ground there. Ow.]

[ Listening to their answers, the girl nods, bending down and saying something, like a mother might to a child. Much like the spirits around her, she is silent, casting a glance once out at the group, then speaking again to the boy. The spirit looks a little sad, pouting a little bit, before walking off and disappearing mid-step. She stands back up with a sigh, watching the spirit leave before addressing the group. ]

You can't help them, at least not anymore. Most of them are unable to speak directly to the living, others simply refuse.

[ Gordon's response gets a special kind of smile. It's all right, she understands, not everyone is willing to see them. Her friends. ]

My friends will follow me wherever I go, although I doubt they would benefit from somewhere warmer. I will have to tell them that you offered, they'll be amused.

[ She looks toward the ghostly Martin, then back at his body. You... should probably do something about that. ]

Your spirit struggles to stay in your body, because you have died once before. At least, that's what I can assume. Have you tried forcing your way back in?

[ She pauses, suddenly realizing what the rest of them must have meant by helping her "friends", and looks down sheepishly. There is guilt on her face. ]

If you mean the others like me, I'm not sure where they are. We all became separated while traveling together, after we began losing control. I'm afraid some of them may be beyond helping.

Something... something bad has happened, hasn't it?

[...he hadn't considered that. Normally he would simply wake up, though normally he hadn't passed out and had this happen. He leans down to touch his own hand--

and lets out a small cry when he returns to his cold, wet body with a jolt. Oh, he aches. Sunflash moves to help him sit up, supporting his back]

Yes, something bad has happened. There are mushroom circles in the Flower Grove, reports from Caldera of strange things happening to the metal, and the mountain is bleeding lava and ice.

[Piper nods at Martin's words, though she has to suppress a shudder as he sits up. That's just... not natural. But she pulls her attention back to the young woman, and adds quickly,]

But there are people going to help with all that. People like us. Who want to help.

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[ The more perceptive of the group might feel a pair of eyes on them. Someone--something--else is among them, although it is not making its presence immediately known. They might catch something out of the corner of their eye, but as soon as they look to see, it is already gone. ]

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