[Kinkerbell]

As Al's moment of inspiration strikes and he puts his plan into motion, Goodnight feels a frission of fear that wasn't her own, followed by a spike of pure terror. Her head whips around to face toward the still-raging battle and the back of her neck prickles as she realizes that her extremely powerful demonic fire spirit is the source of the sudden terror, and when she takes lets the spirit's senses slide over her own she screams along with the spirit as water begins to spray.

Go! She cries astrally. I release you from all your services! Astral communication is a strange thing at the best of times, carrying its own versions of body language, tone, and inflection, and with Goodnight's incredible emotive capacity and how deep her feelings run, she knows that the spirit understands that it is being released because she wants to spare it the agony of being caught in the spray. She knows that exposure won't kill the spirit, but her time with Flower and her own understanding of magic causes her to think of spirits as people, and so she gives up what aid it might render to save it from excruciating pain.

In the garage, the fire spirit's otherworldly shriek cuts off in a roar and swirl of flames, leaving only a few wisps of steam to mark her passing as she vanishes, the spray only just missing her as she flees back to the metaplanes from whence she came. As she goes, there is a flash of surprise and gratitude in Goodnight's mind, gone as quickly as it arrived, and when her lips curl up again as her breathing steadies, the smile is a little more natural.

[adamu]

It was a bit of a trick, keeping the beast of a boat at just the right vertical angle. He had to ease the throttle back and forth slightly, like riding a bike, only up and down. But mostly he just kept it near the floor, and watched with satisfaction (and a little disappointment) as his move immediately killed the she-demon.

He was trying to decide which point to congratulate himself on first, when he realized that his beloved shop was going up in flames all around them. And the remaining he-devil was really putting the pressure on Solo now. He couldn't make out much, between the smoke from the fire and the steam from his spray pummeling the fire monster, but he kept up the pressure as Isaint continued to shoot the thing.

[gilga]

The water demon kept striking not letting M to get up on her feat, she rolled over missing the invisible enemy and jumped back to her feat in a move that Solo could only see in trids, he never imagined he could do that.  The invisible enemy kept dodging tough, while Isaint fired another round at the fire spirit. Solo could hear its roar of anger and agony, it was angry now.

[adamu]

Angry enough to launch itself straight through the wall of water after poor ol' Al. Son of a bitch, the thing could fly!

Al pushed Spike overboard as it came, and then did a desperate dance around the boat trying not to be burned alive. The thing could see that he was trying to get into the water, and was having none of it - every time Al moved for one gunwale, the thing zipped over his head and got in his way. Back and forth - this was like exercising or something. 

"Do this all day, bitch," was what Al said to the demon.

But what he was thinking was: "Dammit Isaint, shoot this thing!"

[obidancer]

The Sport cars dashed out of the shop, The Frenchman's Hyunday close behind Nitro's BMW, when the eccentric rigger quickly changed direction and headed for where the family was running.
Good, he was glad to see that the new arrival was taking his protection job seriously. The Frenchman had something else in mind. For him, Spirits meant a Summoner was nearby, and by the amount of killers they saw a few hours ago, he knew the summoner was not going to be alone. With the shop so close to the Thames, the entrance points to the docks where limited. He and Hallucination will have to cover the opposite side to where the Family was headed.

Hal, if your name is synonym to your skills, can you make the illusion of the Doc being in the back seat? If we cross path with what I expect to arrive at us, we can probably catch the attention to a few and keep them away from the main target.

[gilga]

The fire spirit, furious from being wet burned its way outside of the dock. It was hovering over the port,  trapping Al and the boat inside the burning dock. "Burn!" it cried as it unleashed its fiery energy on the boat. Trying to burn Al, the dog and pretty much everything he could get his hands on.


By this time now, I imagine that  Al feels pretty much trapped fire spirit on one side and a burning building on the other.

Frenchman and smiley - I will let you have a swing at the fire spirit if you want as it now hover over the building to make sure Al burns.
Everyone else we need more initiative.

[Jack_Spade]

"Haha, yes Al give the bastard a shower." With wholly inapropriate glee Isaint watched as the fire spirit got hosed. A positive side effect was that now the fire spirit was severely limping and a lot less mobile.
Isaint pumped again a series of shots into the creature. It was not enough to take it out, but at least it ripped a good chunk of essence from its body.


Ini Round 2: 15+4d6 31
Yes! Sweet, sweet fourth ini phase

Ini 31
Free Action: Eject Clip
Simple Action: Reload
Simple Action: Agility boost Agility Boost: 7d6t5 3
Drain from last boost: 1
Drain resist: 10d6t5 3
no drain

Ini 21
Bulls Eye Burst
Agi 8 + Skill 8 +1 Smartlink -4 Called Shot
Bulls Eye Burst: 13d6t5 5 [13d6t5=2, 6, 4, 1, 3, 6, 3, 6, 1, 6, 1, 6, 4]
11 Dmg AP 13 + 5 Successes

Spirit Dodge (I'll ammend that role depending on how many others attack the spirit in the meantime)
19 -4 (Allergy) -2 (Wounds) - X (Number of attacks in the first combat round against the spirit)
Fire Spirit dodge: 13d6t5 3 [13d6t5=2, 4, 3, 5, 6, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 4, 1, 6]

Damage 13P AP 13 (one more attack before mine and it's Dmg 14

Spirit Soak: 2 auto success + 12 dice
Fire Spirit soak: 12d6t5 2

9 dmg => Spirit disrupted

Obsolete after Kinkerbells mana beatdown 



His ammo counter alerted him to the fact, that he had only one bullet left. Considering how strong this things defenses were, a single bullet wouldn't do much. With a mental command he ejected the magazine and with a long practiced, fluid movement inserted the next. A short prayer to the saints filled him again with power, steadying his hands.
 
All the while he followed what happened and how the spirit tried to burn down the building.
Time to end this

"Hey Zippo, hier spielt die Musik!"

[Kinkerbell]

Goodnight's smile disappears again as the fire spirit rises up and roars in rage and pain. It hangs in the air like a small, enraged false sun, and Goodnight's world seems to slow down. She doesn't like harming spirits, tries to treat them as equals or at least people as often as she could and spare them what pain she might, and to fire upon it with her talent in anger is something she does not relish.

But this one and its companions are bound to a mage that obviously has no such reservations. This spirit is in agony, it had to be after getting showered by that maniac with his boat, and Goodnight's resolve firms as she realizes that a transitory pain followed by blissful freedom is the best thing she can offer the enchained being.

Goodnight's hand lightnings down to her hip, where she keeps several mesh pouches full of the tools of her grim and arcane trade, parceled out just for moments like this. It comes up again, and her fingers flick the little bag into the air, the silver mesh glinting in the light as it leaves her hand. A whispered word and a surge of will start the spell, and an red-purple spark jumps from her fingertips, a twisting ribbon of power hardly wider than a needle that the spirit would barely notice were it thrown directly.

But it isn't direct. The filament of energy passes through the bag first and the mesh disintegrates, burned away by the power of her spell and freeing the drams within. Twelve small, bright bits of metal, silver needles she'd pried from a torture victim in Widow's Way and worked into small, hollow spheres tumble out, falling into a pattern dictated by her mana. The spell dances from one to the next, sketching a circle in the air amongst six points before rushing inward, creating a flowing, hexagrammatic construct in the air for an eyeblink before the spell rushes free, blowing the little spheres of metal into molten droplets that spatter the pavement at her feet.

The manabolt, now tinged an eye-searing fuschia nearly as bright as the spirit itself lashes out like the whip of a vengeful god and Goodnight can feel the backlash in her bones as the magical attack blasts the fire spirit. Totally unprepared, wounded, and unfocused, the blast overwhelms it completely, shredding its physical form and scattering the mana that composed it like leaves in a storm.

[Jack_Spade]

Before Isaint could unleash his barrage, he saw from the corner of his eyes how a storm of glowing objects hurtled over him and into the form of the fire spirit.

That left Solo and his martial arts dance with the water spirit. It was frustrating to be only able to watch, if only...

<<Solo, feint left and jump backwards to the burning barrel, the water spirit will hesitate to follow.>>

But before he could execute the send command, Solo already finished the small water sprite with a swift and very impressive manouvre.


Ini 21
Leadership: Direct check
Leadership: Direct: 5d6t5 0
Spending Edge to add dice
Leadership: Direct Edge: 5d6t5 [5d6t5=6, 6, 5, 2, 2]
Leadership: Direct Edge Explosion: 2d6t5 1

Solo gains +1 Limit and +4 dice to his next attack

Just saw in the OOC that Solo has taken out the water spirit. No need for directions anymore



Isaint slowly turned around his own axis to scan for any other threats. None were visible if you didn't count the powerful aura of that one very beautiful woman that was still connected to that fire spirit toasting mana barrage. Solo seemed to have two souls inside his body - that at least explained why he had fought like possessed - but it seemed to be symbiotic.

With a small effort of will he closed his third eye again, so he could perceive the mundane world more clearly.
While he walked over to Al to give the fellow adept a hand getting back on dry land, he called out to the new-comer:

"Oy, your timely interference is appreciated, but I hope you are the promised reinforcement from Torrent."
When he had Al back on the ground he offered him a High Five: "You really know how to turn a hot party into a steamy affair."


#78

[adamu]

Al had to stand on his tiptoes, but his burn-scarred hand slapped Isaint's with gusto.

His shop was burning down all around them. A fiery rafter dropped to the floor not three meters away. But the little man was grinning. "Heh, that were one hell of a scrap. amigo. Now, if'n you'll pardon me, lots ta do, an' gittin' mighty hot in here.

Where to start? After the spirit gave up trying to catch the nimble Al in its grasp, it had burned an hole in the wall to take up a position away from the water spray and started shooting fire bolts at him. That had been the last straw, and Al had hit the drink, joining his dog in the water. He had just been switching to internal air when, looking up through the water's surface, he'd seen the spirit break apart like a Fourth of July firework.

No idea how that had happened, but he'd realized a while ago that if you tried understanding everything that happened in this business, you'd drive yourself crazy. And of course Al wasn't crazy.

Isaint's hand had reached down for him, and he'd gladly accepted it, since climbing out on his own would have been tricky with his huge damned dog clinging like a soaked baby to his back, and whining about as loudly. At least the stinky beast has finally had a bath. Once they were back on the dock, the way that animal shook the water off, Al thought maybe he'd put the damned fire out.

First thing, he checked the seals on the satchels for his medkit and bomb bag. No problem, and his commlink was rated for a lot deeper than he'd just been. But his cigarettes - now he was angry.

The smoke was thick in the burning building, so he stayed on internal air. Hell, he'd have hightailed it out right then, but he knew if he overstayed and got trapped he could always go back into the water.

He activated the jacks holding his Bulldog aloft, but they were jammed somehow. Shit. He climbed up, and spent thirty seconds removing his morph plates and spoof chip, then tossed down a couple of bags of tools. It was getting real hot now, but the lining in his jacket made all the difference, and it didn't hurt that he was soaking wet.  Loaded it all into the trunk of the Elite and told its autopilot to make its way over to Horace's place.

He cast off the moorings on his boat, then took the fire extinguisher to a couple of small fires that had started on the deck and in the seating. Thanks to the spirit, no need to open the water door. He called out to Isaint and Solo, "By land or by sea, compadres, your call," and started nudging the boat out through the debris, headed for the storm drain they were supposed to be meeting at.

[gilga]

Thanks... Said M to Isaint in her beautiful soft feminine voice.  I am M... I am around until morning. she helped Al out from the water and helped save some of his possessions. "I am sorry for your shop... you seemed to care for it great much."

"I totally saved you soft parts... you owe me one", she thought at Solo.

"Indeed you did... feel free to stay in charge for a while I am still overwhelmed by what just happened."

The building was in flames beyond savings, the fire just picked up but perhaps there was an upside...   it felt like a good time to disappear from the grid again. Going underground never seemed like a better idea. 

Solo used his DNI to contact Isaint  >> Thanks buddy... I am taking the back seat for a little bit. Be kind to my ahm... my special friend. She really shown a lot more commitment to our safety than you would expect from spirits.

When M met Goodnight she introduced herself "I am M... I'll be around for the next hour or so, before I go with quite usual experiences back home.  You are a good person for preventing unnecessary pain form your spirit. It is an honor to meet you... Also you are quite stunning I must add... Perhaps when I am in a more appropriate form I could show you some gratitude... " She said.
 
"So my form is inappropriate for you?" teased Solo.

Lets say that I am the attractive one in this relationship... she sort of mentally giggled at him.

[Jack_Spade]

"We make all kinds of new friends today." Isaint grinned and coughed. Quickly he dug out the mask with the respirator. The fire was only a mild concern: His coat had a heat and fire resistant lining - standard equipment for everybody following a dragon slayer like St. George. He replied to the possessing spirit: "Pleasure to meet you. Always nice to have a guardian angel with you on a run."

As Al began gathering his things, he remembered that his bike was also still here. Consequently he answered Al's question with a shrug and a: "This baby doesn't swim well, so land it is."

He drove the bike just outside where the unearthly beautiful sorcerers stood. Isaint wasn't an especially skilled reader of people, but he had the distinct impression, that she was not terribly well disposed towards him.
What could he have done...
Well, she definitely wasn't an ex-girl friend - that at least he would remember... probably.
Had he met her before? Nope - at least not face to face and anyway: He changed his face pretty regularly. So it had to be something that he had done during the short time they had contact.
He drew a blank.
He always had had a weakness for beautiful women, but he had never ever understood their motives or thought processes.

So instead he lifted the mask again and extended his hand to her:
"Hi, I am called Isaint. Am I correct in assuming, that that second fire spirit was your doing?"

#79

[gilga]

M answers Isaint...
Angles are boring they follow their stupid rules. I have no rules... just looking for a fun ride.  Where are we running? I can't wait to spank that mage that ambushed you.
He is a real jerk to use his spirits like that...  cannon fodder for mortal whims, I wish I could give him a taste of his own medicine.  You meta-humans are short sighted... you never understand the consequences of your actions... no offense tough, this is what I love about you guys.
 

[Kinkerbell]

Goodnight watched her comrades-of-the-moment approach, turning her form and face away from the family just exiting on shaky legs from the sleek german sports car to do it. Her astral senses twigged for a moment as the one, the fast one with the unusual success against spirits approached and spoke in a voice that seemed unusually soft and feminine. Her perception slid into the astral for a brief second, and she kept her eyebrows from twitching only because she was already on guard against showing these people any part of herself that was not entirely necessary.

Dipping a brief curtsy with invisible skirts, her don't-hurt-me smile became more of a come-hither smirk and she replied to M, "A pleasure, milady. As for my spirits, I only seek to do as right by them as I can, in return for the many favors they have granted me. One of your kind taught me that." She inclined her head. "You may call me Goodnight." She was about to ask what her relationship was with the man whose body she was possessing when Isaint drew up on his bike, his expression as guarded as her own. Isaint reached out a hand...

...and Goodnight flinched. It was a quick thing and not terribly obvious, but her instincts all cried out for her to twist as far away from the ork's hand as she could. Her pretty, vaguely vapid smile came back, unthreatening and meaningless and it settled over her features like a suit of armor as she turned the flinch into a raising of her hand, brushing back a stray lock of hair before letting him encase her fingers in his own for a half second.

He looked so much like Grigori...

To Isaint she replied in her throaty, perfectly-pitched voice, "Oui, m'sieur. The burning lady was mine." She glanced him up and down and managed to keep any irony out of her voice- though it was a struggle- as she said, "My compliments on your own skill against spirits." She paused for a second and then glanced at his motorcycle. "Tell me, does that have a programmable autopilot?"

Turning back to look at the spirit riding her summoner once more, Goodnight commented, "Perhaps something can be worked to satisfy your debt of gratitude and my sense of curiosity. But before anything else, I would ask your name, or at least your name amongst the mortals."

[Jack_Spade]

Isaint nodded to Solo: "Maybe. This time they didn't risk loosing irreplaceable assets. I don't enjoy hurting sentient beings, but as long as I breath I'll do my damned best to keep those under my protection safe. And it seems we'll have to deal with the root of this problem sooner than later or the threat will never end. So if you could find those responsible, I'd appreciate it very much and will do what I can to make your wish come true."

Goodnights flinch was unexpected. Until he remembered that he had grown a pretty wild beard over night. He probably looked like St. Nicolaus' younger brother.
The compliment he took in stride with a smile: "Thanks, I try to keep up", while he nodded toward Solo and Al.
At the question regarding his ride he quizzically rose his eyebrows: "I sure hope so, otherwise I must have been really lucky so far.
But before we go on, we should regroup with the rest of the team and get underground. God knows how big this ritual summoner circle is and how many more spirit servants they can send to us."

#80