World Tree MUSH

    Tokyo, 21XX.

    The tall skyscrapers light up the city as the sun sets, blues and yellows shining to create a lively, busy futuristic city allure. Screens on the tallest of the buildings suddenly light up, showing the weather, the news, and then a special announcement, a long-awaited concern by the virtual idol Lumen, broadcast across the entire city. People flood the streets to watch.

    As The Muse appears on the screen, the cheers of the citizens resonate loudly thorough Tokyo. And then she starts singing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GqXhjCSRIk

    Moments later, a call goes out by QUILL. It's an emergency! Sumeragi has tracked one of the Adepts in hiding and intends to kill or capture them.

    An explosion rocks the city.

    On one of the tall skyways, a car veers offcourse and crashes through the skyway's security ramps, down into the city below. On the skyway, a large red pursues an eighteen-wheeler.

http://azurestrikergunvolt.wikia.com/wiki/File:Red_Mantis.jpg

    Atop the RED MANTIS tank, Elise, the plucky one judging by her stance, is trying her best not to fall off. She's holding onto a large black and purple, sheathed techno-sword of some kind, her Glaive. But she isn't transformed yet. Despite wearing the Sumeragi uniform, she really doesn't want to be here right now, or to be harassing a poor kid.

    And atop the pursued truck, a young teen in ragged clothes stands. He's bloody, he's already taken a bullet or two. He extends his hands and fires a blast of green light towards the tank, but to no effect. Not on the tank, anyway.

    Elise recoils in pain, and two nearby cars veer offcourse and off the skyway again, their drivers suddenly scorched as though exposed to intense radiation. The teen immediatly lowers his hands in horror.

    QUILL has provided a transport helicopter for deployment, a bright blue aerial vehicle you're all free to be onboard, but the pilot warns it can't take heat from the Mantis tank for long.

    Merlin is here! Merlin was, either by intentional design or capricious fate, already here. He's not... you know... helping or anything, but he's nearby! 

    Specifically, he's at a ramen shop under the skyway when the first explosion rocks the city. He's eating at the ramen shop with his staff leaning up against the counter at a dog about the size of a german shepherd sitting next to him, wagging its tail. Occasionally, Merlin will toss it a piece of pork or some noodles, but he seems to be digging into it mostly on his own. 

    Next to him is a can of coffee from a vending machine, "Haaaaa. If only this had come to Europe in my time... The knights would have loved it." He muses to himself as he leans out of the stand and looks at the skyway over head, "My, my. Quite a ruckus up there!"

>> SUMMARY[Merlin] >> Did you think I would contribute? You fools! I'm Merlin.

    Getting word of something happening is way better than stumbling into it, but that doesn't help Aloy's current predicament of seeing a tank. She hates tanks. But she's mobile for now! Atop a Strider, she's able to gallop with the best of them! Yes, gallop, because she's riding an obviously robotic beast, moving at high speed with the endurance of a machine, and her bow is out. "Seems a little bit of overkill to bring something like this out! Let me see if I can try to weaken it!"

    Coming into the scene shooting is not something she does often, but Aloy has no problems doing it! Her Strider leaps, slamming into the hood of a car and dangerously sending it careening, making her wince at the possible innocent casualties there. Hopefully that won't cause a problem. It gives her a clearer shot though, and the bow sings as it sends a Tearblast arrow toward the Red Mantis, to try to blast off some armor plating. "Not a big fan of war machines," she admits.

>> SUMMARY[Aloy] >> Going to try to shear off some of the Mantis armor with a concussion arrow.

    Yahiko isn't a great rider, but he's trying his best to hold onto one of Aloy's Strider's. The mechanical, snorting 'horse' is really bizarre to him, and he's also on a FREEWAY in a city that is at least two centuries ahead of his time. Some things don't change though, like people in trouble. Aloy's shouting has the boy nodding, but he's mostly trying to just hold on tight!

    "Right, I'm going for the kid!" Kid? That radiation-firing boy is possibly older than he is? And obviously not in control of this strange power. He tries to spur the Strider on, with his limited riding skills, and attempt to get closer to the truck.

    It's not the first time Rydia of Mist has been to this version of Tokyo. Though the last time she had come there was a horrifying zombie-related adventure, that doesn't seem to be the case today.
    Today was SUPPOSED to be a simple trip for supplies and a little sightseeing.
    Supposed being the key word there, because when the music starts, and the city comes to life with a strange sense as soon as the singing begins, the Summoner gets... A pretty bad feeling. Especially when QUILL comes calling.
    And it's not the first time Rydia has done something for QUILL either, though the green haired girl is holding on rather tightly when she finds herself in the helicopter. Flying doesn't quite sit right with her, but it's faster than a chocobo. Even if it's kind of harrowing.

    Terra is a bit of a first-timer here. Sightseeing seemed like a nice diversion and keeping an eye on Rydia just seemed like the best course of action. Still, getting down from that chilly mountain for once is nice!

    Was nice.

    She tenses alongside Rydia when that pervasive magical background takes over, accompanied with music and massive displays of, presumably, the singer.

    Nevertheless, some group Rydia seems to trust has called for aid and it's only right to help! Just like it's only right to keep Rydia close in case something gets crazy again as it often seems to!

    The helicopter ride hardly bothers her like it probably should; military transports by land and sea are tedious, slow and rough. By air? This is nice, if rather loud. She hangs onto something solid in the helicopter and presses one of the in-flight comm units against her ear. "What's happening?" A tank is rampaging around chasing someone on a busy motorway, duh- though a little context might not hurt before she tries anything.

    Aloy's arrow crashes into the Mantis, tearing plating away as desired. It exposes some of the tank's inner workings, mostly a lot of wiring, electronic junk, piles of ammo for those guns and various coolants. It's not unusual in build in the slightest, besides being remote operated instead of piloted.

    "B-Back off!" Ernest yells at Yahiko, although he doesn't dare lift his hands. "I don't want to hurt you!" He really doesn't, but he's wounded, untrained in the use of his powers, and something about Lumen's song...

    Onboard the helicopter, the pilot explains the situation in a rush: "Long story short, Sumeragi wants to control the world's population of Adepts, or kill the ones that won't comply. They're using... something, we're not sure what yet, to track down Adepts in hiding with frightening accuracy. That there's one of their tanks, and it's going to bring the kid in dead or alive. That girl on the tank's one of their agents, judging by the uniform!" Elise wears it very poorly, let's be honest.

    Then the chopper rumbles. Red crosses blossom across the controls, bathing the cockpit in crimson light. The comm panels, too, bloom crimson crosses across the walls, blood-red templar flowers from every direction.

    "Damnit - we've got someone in the system! They're trying to make us fly away. Girls I'm gonna have to ask you to drop out!"

    And if that weren't enough, there's a thunderous gunshot.

    Before Elise can finish recoiling from the radiation blast, half of her head is missing. The red mist sprays the tank and the insides of the helicopter, which was flying far too close for its own good.

    Her Glaive clicks open, releasing a swarm of purple and black butterflies which fly off. The weapon cracks, and disappears, leaving a few shards behind on the tank.

    Elise's body tumbles off the tank and onto the road.

     The body slumps and falls, tumbling from atop the machine like a dropped note. Gunsmoke smolders in the dying embers of the evening light, catching the flickering glow of futuristic street lamps. Something falls to the ground with the corpse. The ground cracks where it lands. 

     Hellish red eyes full of deep, personal hate glint from under the white hood. 

     "Our Father." The body hits the floor as the white armor rises to its full height. 

     "Which art in Heaven." The gun, still smoking its executioner's prayer, swings upwards. 

     "Hallowed be thy name." 

     The shield is ripped free from the ground as red light spreads from heavy boots up the high-tech platemail, forming the shape of a red cross. 

     "Thy Kingdom come." 

     A mailed foot steps forward, crushing the chest of the body beneath it. It splatters blood across the trails of the white jacket, like splotches of red upon a knight's tabard. The wine-dark red mixes and mingles with the unforgiving crimson light. 

     "Thy will be done." 

     Above, the tank suddenly jerks to life. Its yellow visor slowly shifts to match that unforgiving crimson. It thrashes and jerks as a red cross spreads from the center of its chest, stretching out to touch its arms. 

     "On Earth, as it is in Heaven." 

     With an ominous, thunderous click that carries over the noise and confusion, the revolver's loader rotates. 

     "Give us this day our daily bread." 

     The tank slumps forward, its visor a brilliant red to match the light below. Then it rises, guns training, weapons powering up. 

     "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors." 

     There's a snap of armored fingers. The streetlights die, replaced by a deep, unnatural darkness - the darkness that civilization has been fighting since the first man learned to make flame, the deep, dark, primordial darkness home to that which preys on humankind. Only the two great red Templar crosses burn against it now, like neon gods in the deep black. 

     "And lead us not into temptation." 

     Then that selfsame flame bursts to life, illuminating that cold, hooded face in a wicked, crackling glow. The fire burns at the tip of the shield, dancing like a funeral pyre in the night. 

     "But deliver us from evil." 

     Adept Slayer Copen takes another step forward, his eyes filled with murder and menace, as the Red Mantis begins to move behind him. 

     "For thine is the kingdom." 

     Another step forward. 

     "The power." 

     In the distance, the music continues to thrum. 

     "And the glory." 

     A single shot rings out in the night as that hideously large revolver discharges with a roar like the trumpets of Heaven. It is punctuated by a single, quiet, cutting: 

     "Amen."

>> SUMMARY[Copen] >> HELLO MY NAME IS Copen AND I WILL BE YOUR tone shift FOR THE EVENING

>> SUMMARY[Elise] >> I'm not your boss tonight and I'm currently very shot. Also Ernest needs saved from a second shot.

    Oh, the tank isn't anything special. That means that Aloy can try something with it! Still racing along and leaping around cars, the Strider keeps her moving, while she taps her Focus to try to get a read on the Mantis, to scan it for any weak points or where its energy supply is. It isn't native to her world, so she isn't sure how much data she'll get, but the Focus is a pretty sophisticated scanner even by itself.

    She's mid-scan when Copen blasts Elise off and splatters blood everywhere. "Who...?!" She hasn't met Copen, even if she's heard stories, so she isn't prepared for what's going on now. Obviously someone dangerous... but there's a tank! Surely that is more dangerous! Dangerous enough that she fires a blaze arrow toward one of the exposed wiring patches, trying to set it on fire and keep it busy. It's obvious to her that this guy isn't an ally... he's shooting the objective, too!

>> SUMMARY[Aloy] >> Mistakenly trying to set the Mantis on fire thinking it's the bigger threat.

    "Oh dear. That does seem as if it is getting all the more intense." Merlin remarks to himself as he sets down the empty bowl from his ramen after a few moments, "It has been a while since I heard a ruckus quite that spirited." Merlin stands up and drops a couple bills on the counter, "I suppose it's time you and I get to work, then." 

    Merlin steps out of the stand and then immediately stops, pressing his hands and face up against the display case of a canned coffee vending machine in astoundment, "Still. It seems such a shame to leave such a splended machine behind. Do you think we could find a way to bring it back to the Tower with us?" He asks, looking at the dog. It barks several times. 

    "Well. You're right." 

--- 

    A few moments later, Merlin appears on the bridge. More specifically, he hops up over the edge of the skyway and lands, dusting off his robes and adjusting his grip on the staff in his hands, "Oi! Hello! I was down below and I heard the commotion. It seems you lot are having quite the disagreement. I'm hoping I can come and fulfill my role as an advisor to resolve this peacefully!" 

    A few moments after Merlin says this, he's joined on the skyway by a large animal about the size of a garbage truck that lands behind him and sits down. 

    It looks like this: https://i.imgur.com/1MF2P9I.png 

    Clutched gingerly in its mouth is a coffee can vending machine. 

    "Come now. This city is full of wonders. Surely there is no need to stain its streets with blood."

>> SUMMARY[Merlin] >> Merlin appears on the bridge. Along with him is Cath Balwg carrying a vending machine in its mouth like a dog carrying a newspaper.

    Chaos breaks loose as Yahiko approaches Ernest! "I know, don't worry! We're here to get you out of here and we can worry about control late-" Later, he's trying to say, when everything goes sideways from the arrival of a third side to the ongoing fight. And even if this is more advanced than his world, Yahiko knows what a gun is. "DOWN!"

    He's fast, but not faster than a bullet. His reactions are based wholly on the pistol pointing toward Ernest. With one last urging leap, the Strider hurls itself up and Yahiko tackles Ernest down, to let the Strider tank the bullet.

    This doesn't work as well as expected, as a blossom of red spreads from Yahiko's shoulder. It isn't more than a flesh wound only because the Strider did get hit first, and the explosion of the back of the neck getting torn right through and sending the machine, a 'horse' of metal and fiberglass, tumbling down and crashing inert to the freeway, is the only thing that soaked up enough of the velocity to save the two... at the cost of the mount. Great, now there are TWO stuck atop the truck.

    This is kind of a bad idea. Maybe Rydia and Terra should have just stuck to sightseeing and listening to the music- even if it sets off everything they know about magic in a strange way. Because when the sigil of the Templar flares across the helicopter's screens d she's told to bail, the girl fumbles with the hatch and gets it open-... As she's about to hop out the riotous sound of that familiarly terrible heavy caliber pistol rings out. She flinches.
    Only to get splattered in the face with something warm and sticky.
    "Ack-guh!" The Summoner sputters, eyes scrunched. It's in her hair... It's in her eyes.
    It smells coppery.
    Wheny Rydia does open her eyes, one hand immediately goes to her face, wiping it away and looking into her palm.
    It's red.
    That's... That's blood.
    The child is left staring mutely at her hand.
    Things only get so much worse when the street lights die. And she hears that *prayer*. When she sees the blazing red templar cross, the white armor, those eyes filled with hate.
    Rydia's body begins to quake as she's stricken with hesitation. And for good reason.
    Death is waiting down there.

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Status: Paralyzed

    Though she didn't see so much of the crazy iconography when she exploded Copen's last disruptive bit of hacking, Terra has this Terrible Feeling that getting off the helicopter is a bad idea. Rydia's the first to the door which she doesn't approve of, naturally-

    So when the door slides open she's right there, poised to snatch up the younger girl in case something terrible springs toward the aircraft. Instead, she looks on as a spray of blood covers Rydia. Some gets on her too, of course - blood splatter is really amazing like that.

    She makes a small sound but something in her steels her nerves. Death may await below but it's almost a certainty if we don't move. Poor Rydia. She reaches down and scoops the stricken girl against herself and jumps from the helicopter, "Go!" Then she's off, dashing with everything she's got for cover. Likely somewhat foolhardy on a busy roadway that's suddenly gone much darker than motorists might be expecting. She'll worry about the truck and the two wounded atop it soon but something tells her and it's only a hunch, mind, that the herself and her greenhair armfull are probably too good of a target to pass up. So- Hard cover now!

    Ernest is saved by Yahiko, which makes him strongly reconsider keeping him at arm's length, even though he's scared of his powers. The teen - around thirteen or fourteen - really has seen better days though.

    "T-Thank you, I have no idea why they're after me or how they found me, I thought... if I didn't use my powers I'd be safe!" He really did. And if not for a song, he'd be right.

    He tries to rise, along with Yahiko, but makes sure to stay behind the swordsman. One hand rises, and fires a green burst of light towards Copen. It's poorly controlled - Yahiko's close enough he'll feel the heat of the rads burn away at him, too. And Ernest devolves into apologies almost immediatly.

    He's trying to help though!

>> SUMMARY[Elise] >> The Adept is using Yahiko as cover (mostly) and shooting radiation at Copen! It'll probably suck a bit for Yahiko too.

     The Focus starts screaming as the red cross blossoms across the Red Mantis. It's like it's screaming in warning. The word INFECTION leaps into Aloy's holographic vision, splattering across it in flashing red letters as she looses the blaze arrow. The arrow hits the tank in the damaged spot; it stutters as circuits burn and sizzle. There's a violent twitching motion as its machine gun spray suddenly just empties into the street harmlessly. It vomits bullets into the ground. It discharges its entire clip harmlessly, arm hanging uselessly at its side. 

     The Strider's eruption draws Copen's gaze for a brief instant. Red eyes flick to the left of Merlin as Yahiko dives onto the truck. Copen swings his gun around to shoot, but Yahiko in the way makes him hesitant. He doesn't know that person, nor Aloy. He doesn't know Merlin, either- 

     -but the appearance of the giant hound seals any confusion he has. Too big to be natural and under unnatural command, with a fearsome glow in its eyes. Not an ordinary human. With the same stone-eyed glare, Copen's gun swings around to fire at Merlin, discharging a ridiculously massive bullet. At the same time, the Red Mantis's head-visor parts. There's a glint in the darkness, a twinkle of starlight, followed by a massive beam of energy pouring out of its eyes at the dog. That is probably all the answer Merlin needs to 'how about we resolve this peacefully.' 

     Rydia and Terra land. Rydia and Terra get a glimpse of Copen's gaze, of his subvocalizations. Neither of them can read lips but he's probably saying something like: 

     Two additional targets. 

     The truck is moving, and Merlin and the dog are distractions. Copen leaves the tank to distract them (and Aloy) in turn. Red light flows from his body to his legs as he takes off at a superhuman run, shooting after the truck at speeds at least comparable to it. 

     No. He's gaining. 

     It's easy to tell that he's gaining, because as the truck heads for the lighted parts of the roadway, Copen's shield, surrounded by fire, illuminates him in that horrifying glow. In fact Copen is the only thing not bathed in some degree of darkness thanks to his bonfire. 

     Whether this makes him an easy target or not is up for debate. 

     The Adept boy, Ernest, throws out his hands. The green light splatters across the blazing shield, sizzling against the hypertech Aixgear as it jerks in front of Copen as if it had a mind of its own. When it lowers... 

     When it lowers, Ernest can see those eyes full of hate pointed right at him. Monomaniacal. Personal. Obsessive. Hatred for all that he is and all that he could be. 

     And he probably doesn't even understand it.

>> SUMMARY[Copen] >> ALOY: The Focus does not like that virus Copen just threw out and is perfectly aware of it. If you want to figure out what it does in more detail (for a countermeasure) you can dedicate time and rounds to that. Otherwise the tank seems to be...leaving her alone? MERLIN: Copen shoots at Merlin and the Red Mantis shoots at Clifford. Then Copen breaks around at superhuman speed and goes running after the pickup truck. RYDIA, TERRA, YAHIKO, ERNEST: Copen is heading right for you and his shield is literally on fire.

    Aloy is a genius and gets a lot of info from her Focus, but she is NOT a hacker by trade. Silens? Maybe he could do something about that virus. But Aloy can only override machines in certain ways, and she can't drive out an existing override. So she's not going to try that. Which um... means she's going to have to keep fighting this darn tank, doesn't it? She curses, "Yahiko, you have incoming!" The swordsman is strong, she knows, but she has no idea how strong Copen is. Hopefully Rydia and Terra can provide backup?

    If only she knew.

    "Over here!" Aloy shouts to the mechanical monstrosity. She spurs her Strider to the side, trying to kite the Mantis and bring her more toward Elise's... corpse? Dunno. Either way, it gives her a chance to fire another arrow, pecking it down with flame bursts. It isn't fighting back, and she doesn't know why, but she can tell that it'll be trouble if she lets it join the battle.

    The beam of energy hits Cath Balwg clear in the side and causes it to drop the vending machine with a yelp. The creature retreats off the bridge after grabbing the vending machine. 

    "Oi! That's very impolite to attack a poor innocent animal. He's the last of his kind, you know. And if I hadn't taken him in, a very catty woman with a very generic sister would have." Merlin comments as he leans against his staff, tapping his temple, "I saw that possible future. It's for the best that he's here. And if that wonderous magical machine is damaged, I will take reparations from your wallet for it!" 

    Still, that's a large bullet coming his way. Merlin can't afford to play childish much longer as he puts up his hand in front of himself, "Invisible Air!" The air around him swirls and hardens, forming an invisible barrier in front of himself that is unmistakably magecraft. 

    Still, Copen takes off after the truck and leaves the tank in his place. Merlin lifts the staff up and spins it in the air a few times before slamming it down. The top of his staff glows before discharging a large blue laser at the 'head' of the tank.

>> SUMMARY[Merlin] >> Cath Balwg eats a laser to the side and retreats. Merlin idly chatters for a while. Uses a spell to stop Copen's bullet. Fires a laser at the tank.

    The sizzling heat makes Yahiko flinch, but the boy isn't going to remain helpless! "Don't worry, just keep it under control. I'll protect you." Somehow. Sword against gun has never gone well, but he's on the back of a speeding truck and thus has the advantage of being a moving target... doesn't he?

    He's being chased down, though. Which is something he can't ignore. The boy actually goes for his Sakabato, drawing that in a defensive stance while trying to figure out how to fight a bullet slinger. He also has to worry about not KILLING Copen, but nobody knows that.

    He looks over his shoulder. "Can you get somewhere WITHOUT people?" He's also noticed something ELSE he can't do anything about, but since Copen is heading this way... he'll just need to stand his ground in front of Ernest. With a sword. This is not going to end well if he can't figure out a way to engage Copen without threatening civilians.

>> SUMMARY[Yahiko Myojin] >> Copen might be thwarted by Yahiko being human, but Yahiko's attempt to keep civilians safe is keeping him from doing anything crazy.

    Terra says go.
    Rydia says, "NO!"
    "Nononononono!"
    Scooped up as she is, though, there's little fight the Summoner can put up when she's yanked into the Half-Esper's arms and Terra makes the leap off the helicopter, and the two now have to contend with the chaos below. And as soon as Terra lands.
    He *sees* them.
    Jade eyes look up just long enough for a glimpse right into those baleful red eyes and Rydia's blood runs cold. She can only stare in rapt horror as the Demon of God comes blazing down the road, straight at them, with his hateful eyes and that blazing shield.
    Unfortunately, Aloy, Rydia will not be of much use in her current state, as the child clings to Terra, eyes wide and wild with utter terror.
    And refuses to let go.
    And probably hinders the Half-Esper's movement, on top of it.

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Hey guys, you don't have to be faster than Copen now. Just faster than me and Terra.

    The driver doesn't respond, but the truck shifts tracks and seemingly intends to leave the skyway through an exit ramp. In the driver's defense, he's probably panicking and thinks keeping his head inside is the safest thing to do right now. It kinda is!

    Ernest stops firing deadly radiation everywhere when he notices Copen has a shield. And it's stopping his waves. That's a baby Adept for you, not exactly a major combat presence. Deadly, assuredly, but not trained, and not focused.

    And definitely distracted by Copen's harsh glare.

    "I'm not... sure I can help," Ernest admits.
    It's not a great situation, but if they tough it out just a bit longer that truck might take them somewhere less populated. And less dangerous, not just to drivers but to the people on the streets under the skyway!

    Aloy won't find Elise's body, sadly, because it tumbled off the tank just about a mile back by now. It probably crashed in the streets below! It's very doubtful there's anything left but a fine red paste on a rooftop or sidewalk.

     The Red Mantis is fighting itself. The Focus can tell that, too; other people are trying to get control, purge the system of the override, clear it. And they are failing miserably. The Focus can see their signals and it is not going well for them against the bloody cross. Aloy shouts, and the tank jerks against its own senses, trying to follow her. It's not doing so well. It's like the red cross is actively preventing it from shooting her, too. The next arrow lodges in the same arm, digging in, and the arm just falls open and falls *off*, landing with a heavy metallic THUD in the roadway. 

     That leaves a great opening for Merlin to fire - a much better opening than Copen is giving him for banter. Copen doesn't seem like a banter-y kind of person. That probably won't stop Merlin, but hey, at least Copen is consistent. 

     Merlin's beam carves into the tank's head as it turns to look at him. The top portion of it sears off as the laser carves straight through. The Red Mantis fumbles a bit, helplessly, as it tries to retarget, then gives up and just releases a bunch of rockets in Merlin's general direction. Again, Aloy isn't being fired on *at all*. The tank, now mostly-headless and almost completely disarmed, just starts driving towards Merlin with its sheer bulk in the aftermath of its rocketry show. 

     Yahiko bravely stands his ground. Copen's eyes flick to the left at Rydia, to the right at Terra, to the left at Ernest. Troublesome. He can't shoot Voder without potentially killing Yahiko. Yahiko remains an unknown, with no demonstrated abilities. He could close to melee, but a sword is a dangerous weapon to try and pin down, even in his wargear. 

     However... 

     The Aixgear's blaze dies. Copen leaps forward, like lightning. 

     His gun snaps up to shoot Ernest right through Yahiko's stomach. 

     "In the name of the LORD, sickness, be cleansed, and find forgiveness in His house, for there is none in the house of Adam." 

     Voder discharges. No sooner is it free than the Aixgear bursts into a blue and shining light, which Terra and Rydia and Merlin can recognize almost instantly as some form of healing power. 

     Specifically, /Terra's/ form of healing power. 

     This means that, at the moment, Copen is completely and utterly unable to move or block with the Aixgear.

>> SUMMARY[Copen] >> ALOY: Aloy blows off its arm and distracts it long enough for MERLIN: to blow the Red Mantis's head clean off. The Red Mantis discharges rockets at, and then goes driving towards, MERLIN. It has at best one round left in it, and it might even just fall apart if you leave it alone. RYDIA & TERRA: You're spared the flames for just a moment. YAHIKO & ERNEST: Copen leaps up and makes himself very vulnerable to retaliation to try and literally shoot through Yahiko's body, then apply TERRA's healing magic from the Aixgear to keep Yahiko alive. Copen CANNOT MOVE FROM THIS SPOT and CANNOT USE THE SHIELD TO DEFEND.

    "Oh I see! You'd like to handle it the old fashioned way! Well, I was quite the troublemaker in my day, my friend. I did not shy away from fisticuffs, oh no no no!" Merlin wags his finger several times before leaning his staff up against the side of the skyway. Merlin then grabs the front of his robes at about chest level. 

    With a suitable flourish, Merlin pulls off the robes. This leaves him in the sleeveless black shirt he wears underneath them and his poofy wizard pants that he wears underneath the robes. There's a crackle of energy around the wizard as he lunges towards the tank. Mana and energy crackle around him as he says, "Hraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" And strains what look to be highly noodly muscles. 

    And then the impossible happens. Merlin hoists the remnants of the disarmed tank over his head as missiles impact and explode around him, cutting up his body and causing blood to pour from several open wounds in his chest and in his arms. He is not able to put up a defense due to both his hands being occupied. 

    And then he just hurls the tank off the skyway and back over his head with a massive hoisting motion. Or he tries to anyway.

>> SUMMARY[Merlin] >> Merlin eats a lot of missiles, but reminds everyone he is a servant with Strength Rating 'B', as strong as 40 people 'At peak human condition'. I dunno why a Wizard has this, but hey.

    Well that... is one way to take care of the tank. Aloy spurs her strider around, still wondering at how the virus had orders not to shoot her. Even the Eclipse weren't that careful. It doesn't change the fact that she needs to give some support to rescue the kid, and the only people in the way are... actually a small army of people like Yahiko, Terra, and Rydia, though she isn't comfortable leaving Rydia to handle someone as dangerous and spouting nonsense as Copen.

    Yes, nonsense, because Aloy has no idea about the bible or the Lord's Prayer, but she knows religious fanaticism.

    "YAHIKO!" She shouts, seeing the shot fired. She can't just... shoot at them, but the truck is now heading somewhere safer, so... oh it's curving.

    This gives Aloy a chance to catch up. A dangerous chance of her own, by spurring the Strider to LEAP off the edge of the skyway. She lets herself detach from the back, hurling her grapple out to catch the lamp above and swing in to attempt to intercept the curve, and land atop the truck behind everyone. This is going to take some critical timing and when she lands she isn't going to be armed, but she doesn't have much choice in catching up. Also 'land' is a word that's interesting, because she skids to the edge and grabs hold, almost sliding right off. "Not your best idea, Aloy."

    This staredown isn't going well. Or is it? Yahiko is observant enough to realize that Copen is avoiding shooting him. That gives him some confidence, and steadies his stance, waiting for something to bring Copen closer and-

    The gunshot booms out.

    A shocked Yahiko mumbles, "W-what...?" He'd been so sure that the man was holding back shooting! It's been a long time since he was badly injured like that, too... and the young swordsman slumps, thumping his weapon hand to the top of the truck while the other clutches his stomach. What's going on? Aside from pain and blood and...

    Healing?

    "Why...?" Confusion is in his eyes as the boy looks up, startled when the soothing light begins to flow over him. Ernest is probably injured worse as well, but there's not much Yahiko can do about that for the time being. He's too confused by Copen, and it really doesn't feel right to lift his blade while being healed. Not if Copen isn't going to lift his gun again yet to shoot at Ernest. "Why heal me but kill them? He's just a kid."

    A lot is going on. And for all her clinging a moment ago, Rydia detaches from Terra to hide behind a stalled car. To hide from the flames, to hide from the gun toting maniac that is once again out for blood and death- a man who she would rather never cross paths with ever again, now right there.
    It is diffuclt for Rydia to calm down. That shield is still ablaze. The report of Copen's revolver makes her flinch again as she peeks out of her hiding place and watches in horror. A lot is going on, Merlin hoists that hateful machine and leaves Copen as the only source of terror left on the skyway. Then she sees where Copen is aiming.
    "N-" She starts to squeak, but a claw of white mist covers her mouth to silence her, Whyt doing his best to keep his Summoner from announcing her position now even if it pains her to watch Yahiko be shot.
    Only to look on in bald-face confusion when Terra's own magic is used- by Copen himself- to heal the injury he just caused.
    But fear can motivate the most logical of people to make the most rash of decisions. Rydia isn't exactly the most controlled girl, but she can see an opportunity when one presents itself.
    Copen's back is turned.
    Rydia's hand finds way to the dagger at the belt of her tunic and... She draws it.
    The girl is light footed, barely making a sound above the ambient chaos and city sounds as she approaches in a fugue state of 'fight' winning out over her nearly uncontrolled fight or flight reflex screaming at her to turn and flee.
    If he just stays focused on Yahiko and the boy... If he just doesn't turn around...
    Jade eyes quest for a weak point in that pristine white armor... And when she thinks she finds one...
    "/JUST DIE AND LEAVE US ALONE!/"
    It is a wild shriek as Rydia's terror motivates her in a horrifying turn. As she tries to jam her dagger into Copen's armor from behind, with full intent to kill.

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Good job Copen, frightening a seven year old enough to make her want to commit murder. Yours.

    All the chaos, fighting, lasers and flying robots and Terra's number one concern was getting Rydia away from it! So why was getting off the helicopter an option again? Oh right, the pilot asked nicely. Damn.

    So she runs until Rydia recovers, leading her from bad situation into worse situation as the fight goes mobile. So the footing is unsteady, full of bumps and lateral g forces as the truck takes a turn a bit on the fast side. This keeps her rooted to the spot and unsteady enough for Rydia to squirm loose and-

    Another massive chest-rattling gunshot rings out and she looks on at another innocent person being rent by that massive weapon - a weapon she's felt up close even if she wasn't actually /shot/ with it.

    Then Rydia's not only free but charging Copen. She bites back the fearful cry she worries will only get the girl seen and summarily shot, so she rises, draws her weapon and foolishly follows, moving to flank the opposite way. She says nothing, makes as little noise as possible but it's only so feasable to avoid sound from your footfalls when wearing heels. She swings, very nearly holding her breath as she attempts to knock that weapon from the terrifying young man's grip. Sure it has a lanyard but anything to buy precious seconds for everyone here!

    The truck leaves the skyway, curving down a side-path. As it reaches street level, it veers off into a large parking lot and stops, abruptly, possibly sending everyone on it flying at the sudden stop. This includes Aloy, because nothing stopped her from graciously hopping down onto it.

    Then the driver gets out.
    And runs.
    As fast as his legs can carry him.

    Ernest hits the ground in front of the truck, because nothing stopped him from being sent tumbling when it stopped abruptly. That's because he wasn't standing anymore. There's a gaping hole in his stomach, courtesy of Copen's overpowered revolver, and while he isn't dead, he is very much bleeding out and unconscious. And battered from the fall, as it were.

    It might not be too late to save him with proper medical care! It's a matter of minutes, though.

    And the situation becomes just a bit more complex. A few robotic drones, spherical robots with miniguns attached, starts patrolling the area overhead. Sumeragi's not happy! And neither is the agent they sent out. Elise, transformed into that purple, black and white battle armor of hers, is standing on one of the drones, carefully balanced. It seems to be the dominant of the two.

    "So I just want it on record that thanks to your little stunt, there's a very angry, berserk killbeast loose on the city somewhere. And guess what! It's because THIS idiot let us BOTH out instead of just me! I am LIVID right now," she rumbles, extending her arms forward.

    Energy surges.

    Life, return to life,
    Break the cycle and return
    This soul from nether coils.
    "RESURRECTION!"
    A violet flash of Septimal power.
    The submissive Elise reforms out of thin air, falling on the ground in front of Copen, just as Rydia and Terra team up to try and dualtech shank him - she's in her armor, this time. That might be her punishment.

    What does she do?

    "I-I'm sorry for getting r-revived!"
    She apologizes to Copen.
    The dominant Elise burries her face in her hand.

     Merlin suplexes the tank. 

     There is no resistance left. The machine was already on its last legs. It's missing an arm, it's lost most of its weapons systems, and it was already struggling with the virus. Merlin just finishes it off, hurling the tank off the side and sending it crashing to its fate. 

     Aloy lands. Copen looks up, but he doesn't have time to do anything about it. Especially not when Yahiko asks him why. Those red eyes look down at Yahiko momentarily devoid of the characteristic hate everyone else has seen, the burning rage. 

     "It isn't a child. It's a plague. It-" 

     Copen doesn't get a chance to say anything else. Rydia's dagger doesn't find a weak point - there are no weak points in that wargear, it's a /bodysuit/ - but it does find that the armor...doesn't hold? No, that can't be right - Rydia's seen it much stronger than her knife. But the knife sinks into the armor. It doesn't draw blood, but Copen visibly flinches. She lodged the knife deep in his shoulder. Deep, deep in. He won't be able to hold up the Aixgear like that. 

     "It is Witch." Copen hisses through gritted teeth as he rises, bringing Voder around to point at Rydia, "Deceiver. Plague. A creature that believes power brings it rights. That power allows it to do what it pleases. A scourge upon this and all worlds in the eyes of the LORD." 

     Terra's weapon comes swinging down to knock Voder from his hands as he pulls the trigger. 

     Elise is resurrected. The Sumeragi situation is back. The girl who just got revived apologizes to him. 

     This is a failure. Copen's lips twist in overwhelming spite. The hate in his eyes is *animal*. But the logic steering Copen is cold and brilliant, and not bestial at all. He's outnumbered by a substantial amount, and the odds of Sumeragi adding another normal to account for - nevermind Aloy and Yahiko - are too high. 

     Everybody gets a glimpse of Copen's armor at work, and Rydia suddenly understands all too well why her blade sank as deep as it did - why she managed to injure him at all. Because all of that power is being redirected. 

     Copen *leaps*. It's the kind of jump you see in a superhero comic, the kind of jump that *forces* the truck downwards into the ground and leaves Copen's footprints in it. He twists in mid-air, flicking his fingers. Several of the machine-gun drones spaz out momentarily as red crosses explode across them, and several streetlights go out around him - just long enough for him to already be gone, and just long enough for all the cameras that could've recorded him to have shorted out in the process. 

     He clearly planned for getting in and getting out.

    Aloy clambers up to her feet, panting, and grasps at her spear to pull it out... then she almost falls off the truck as it screehes to a halt! The redhead grabs ahold again, but there's a nice respite in one way... Copen is taking off, even if it's because of the outnumbering. Worrying but less worrying now than when he was here.

    Aloy drops down, then. Elise she is not worried about, not because of the lack of danger, but because of all the blood all over. This is their target, and her Focus can't help her with bleeding out. She just has to go over to try to stop the bleeding. "Can anyone drive this thing? We need to get him to a healer. A hospital." She remembers the local term just in time.

    Whoa, the drones are going rogue!

    The dominant Elise hops off hers, and actually has no qualms about chucking kunais at the remaining ones to detonate them. The bill is so not her problem, and it's better than getting shot.

    She picks her submissive alter up by the back of the neck, setting her upright and bopping her on the forehead.

    "Idiot! You don't apologize to the guy who just killed you!"
    "S-Sorry, he seemed really a-angry..."
    "What is WRONG WITH YOU," the dominant Elise demands.
    The submissive one half-stammers an answer.

    It's okay not to be worried about Elise, Aloy, because she clearly doesn't seem in a mood to fight right now. She also doesn't seem especially interested in retrieving the target. Or helping him.

    Ernest continues bleeding out. Honestly, he probably wouldn't survive the trip to a hospital. It's a good thing you have two healers present!

    Rydia strikes true...
    So then why doesn't he BLEED?
    The fire of desperation and hate in Rydia's eyes extinguishes so quickly when she manages to bury her blade in Copen... Only for him to turn about and level that heinously large revolver at her. Jade eyes widen. Her jaw falls slack as Rydia collapses back on her ass and finds herself too gripped by fear once again to even scramble away as that hateful weapon is brought to bear agains her. The trigger is pulled- she flinches as it goes off so loud, so close. Only to peek an eye open and see that the bullet that would have killed her had been turned away by Terra's intervention at the last second.
    Copen leaps and takes his flight from the area... And Rydia is left panting, tremblings hands desperately clutching her bloodless dagger, tears welling in her eyes as she stares at a nice fixed point roughly a thousand yards into the distance.
    "Why don't you bleed...?"

>> SUMMARY[Rydia] >> Rydia.exe has stopped working.

    What IS up with Elise? Yahiko stares at the resurrection too, but he's still in shock about what happened. Why was he helped? A disease? People are crazy in these other worlds! It's really not... what he can cope with right now.

    Right, the boy. Painfully rolling off, he mumbles, "Looks like the car is busted." Car. He needs to learn the difference. "Rydia, you..." Now he's worried about her, but first to see if he can help Ernest from bleeding out. HE doesn't consider Copen a failure, just confusing. And Elise? Why is she talking to herself? It's a good chance to go do something else though.

    That's it, then. Terra braces for failure and death but when her blow strikes true, accompanied by Rydia's desperate, frantic and furious attack she's rather surprised at the result! Nobody else gets shot!

    The report of the weapon makes her flinch regardless, then the truck slams to a halt and she only just keeps her balance, though she slides some distance along the trailer's sheetmetal exterior. Copen departs so explosively that she falls to all fours, eye level with poor Rydia. Lip bite.

    She could stay and console the little summoner or... Her eyes go to where Ernest as fallen and she scrambles down. No time. She lands unsteadily, scraping her hands and knees in the process, then she wobbles close to the stricken boy.

    Her eyes close and she holds her hands out over the young man, magical power swelling from within her as she murmurs words she's not even sure she understands. A spell she's never used streams from her mouth, from her fingertips and begins knitting the young man back together, bringing him back from the brink of death and stabilizing him. Her eyes open and anyone looking could easily see the inhuman glow, the inner spark of something unearthly fueling her strange powers. She's never done this before, so there's always a chance it can fail.

>> SUMMARY[Terra Branford] >> Speaking of resurrections. <Raise>

>> GAME >> Copen spends an Edge for: When I kill a motherfucker I expect him to stay dead, this is Anime Marvel not Actual Marvel

>> GAME >> Terra Branford spends an Edge for: Save the kid! Screw the frames!

>> GAME >> Yahiko Myojin spends an Edge for: Let's save the kid.

>> GAME >> Aloy spends an Edge for: Saving Ernest.

>> GAME >> Rydia spends an Edge for: Save the boy.

    Ernest, through the miracle of TEAMWORK (and largely, Terra's healing), is saved from the crippling wound put into him by Copen's revolver. He's still unconscious, and he'll need new clothes, and a shover, and a lot of rest, but he's alive. And he could be moved! It might be a good idea, considering Sumeragi will probably go after him again.

    As might Copen.

    But for now, things are as good as they'll get. And it doesn't look like there are more Sumeragi troops on the way, though QUILL's VTOL still hasn't reappeared either.

    The dominant Elise yanks the submissive one aside, giving an idle handwave to the group. "Okay well, you kids have fun, I'm going to go find my third half and try to stop a bloody slaughter that'll leave me drained. I'd keep that kid away from here, but I don't have to tell you that, huh?"