Session Start: Sat Jul 31 15:29:32 2004 Last time, on Hunters: Leena got chewed out (again) for jumping ahead of orders (again). But that was nothing new. Neither was the mission Sakura handed off. Lady Octane, a 19-year-old hotshot-mechanic-in-training named Megumi Horiuchi, was the protectee du jour. On the other hand, the news that the Queen "had a bad feeling" about this one was something the team hadn't seen before. They rode out to start their coverage, just in time to track the Lady from her trade school to a race track built at a former air force base. Megumi was not just a mechanic, she also raced motorcycles. ...transformed. Maya was not happy to see this, but the race track just STANK of dramatic Ningyo attack potential, so at least the team has a good idea how things are going to go down. On the way out, Darkmoon got recruited to be Meg's umbrella boy for the start. Will Leena tolerate this? I guess we'll find out. The next afternoon, the team sets out for Tachikawa, and the race. [Wednesday, January 21, 2004 - 1330 local time] [Outside the front gates of Tachikawa Interim Racing Complex] [session start] * LadyNightshade sighs and trails along at the back of the group. She has her longcoat on, with black baggy pants and a black tank top on. * Lord_Darkmoon is dressed much how he saw others dressed at the track yesterday, complete with a generic race-car jacket. Despite this not being his usual style, somehow he manages to look great in it. His expression is somewhere between bemused and amused. * LadyMallet is there! Bouncing in place, in full Racing Fan Gear. she's got her hair in a loooong ponytail that's strung through the back of her baseball cap, that fluffs out massively and has a red ribbon, similar to the one on her transformed outfit, on near the base of the ponytail. Taki's not the only goth on the site - most of the small crowd is from several local colleges, and dress their age. * LadyMysteria is in as casual an outfit as her unusual MG outfit will allow; black overalls, a bright yellow shirt with a "DANGER DO NOT ENTER" motif and a sunvisor. Oh, and snacks, stuffed in her carryon. So. As I'm likely to be closest to her when all hell breaks loose, I'll play bodyguard and try to get her out to safety, if that sounds good to everyone else. I'm going to be as close to the pool as I can be, to finish it off all the quicker. ...we're not here for the Ningyo, Mallet. We're all rigged; just let us know if you see anything. That, we can safely leave to our ward. We're getting it out of the way as quick as we can! The vicinity of the track is relatively quiet - no bike engines screaming yet, not any engines firing yet. Knowing what's to come, the team finds it almost eerie. Taki would be best suited to making sure the entrances are sealed, once the races start. * LadyMysteria brushes her hair aside, adjusting her earpiece for a second. There's still about an hour before the first race starts - two hours before Megumi's race begins. If we get the fish out of they way really quickly, and make the entrances locked for them to get in through, we'll have plenty of time to get them. * Lord_Darkmoon does something between a laugh and a sigh - maybe he's a touch nervous about this after all? - and shakes his head. "That is, I suppose, up to you Ladies. Mysteria, in particular. Any final orders, my Lady, or should I head off to my post?" * LadyNightshade looks up, distracted. "Yeah. I'll do that." There's the three walk-in entrances... I'm not sure what you can do about the bike entrance, though. Alright... just keep your eyes opened. And do *not* engage any Ningyo unless she's absolutely in deep water. ... pardon the pun. Pardoned. *chuckle* * LadyMysteria gives Leena a 'yes, that means you' look. * LadyMallet eyes Mysteria for a moment, with an annoyed-that-goes-to-reluctant acceptance expression. And rolls her eyes. They'll probably already be in the stand though... Otherwise, we'll have to make sure to watch the entrances, and any service entrances. Also, pay attention to the crowd if you can. ... that's what I was considering. There are only so many of us, and if a Ningyo strikes, it would be tough to track people trying to slip in or out. If one shows, keep Meg in sight. That's it. * Lord_Darkmoon nods. "Yes, ma'am." ... yeah, she's flashy enough they might be here beforehand. If not, though, they're gonna get their asses handed to them. Well, let's take our seats and do what we came here to do. * LadyMysteria fixes her visor, then crams a chocolate candy into her mouth and chews. The Ladies go on into the grandstands - so far they're about as full as they got yesterday... but then fans are really starting to stream in now. * Lord_Darkmoon takes a deep breath, unconsciously straightens his jacket, and sets off. * LadyMallet heads in with Darkmoon. Jealous, no, of course not! The loudspeakers crackle, and the pre-pre-race entertainment is introduced - it's a bicycle relay race. * LadyNightshade wanders off on her own, looking through the crowd and looking for potential threats. * Lord_Darkmoon pauses when he notices Leena following, and arches an eyebrow. * LadyMysteria quickly finds a seat, close to the field, and proceeds to settle in. Taki quickly gets twitchy - there are a lot of students here, and students do like their trenchcoats. * LadyMallet notices the questioning arch, and 'hmms.' "Yeah?" You'd best find your seat, Mal. You'll be needed to watch the perimeter. Lots of folks could be hiding weapons, and Taki would have to assault and search each one to figure out which ones. * LadyMallet glances <---- that way, not meeting his eyes. "... I don't wanna." How're things so far, guys? * Lord_Darkmoon snickers. "If you don't hurry, you'll be relegated to the nose- bleed seats," he says as he turns and walks hastily off, attempting to merge with the crowd. .... * LadyMallet frowns, clenching a fist. "Jerk." And goes off to find a good seat. * Lord_Darkmoon mutters for the headset's benefit, "Sorry, Leena. But you weren't invited, and we need eyes spread out." He does sound genuinely sorry for the dirty trick. Job first, Leena... * LadyMallet growls under her breath, "Just shut up about it already." Lord Darkmoon winds his way back through the crowd and to the pit gates. His pass gets him waved through instantly - now he just needs to find the right pit... * LadyNightshade is pretty much completely disinterested in the racing, pretty much to the point where she wants the Ningyo to attack, just so she can go home. Okay, okay... no need to get cranky. * LadyMallet checks out the crowd, looking for older people in trenchies. Or people that act like Taki. The bicycles rolling around the track are not precisely impressive - corners meant for vehicles to dive through at 120 kph aren't much of a challenge for a bicycle going 40. * Lord_Darkmoon stands to full height, trying to see as far as possible and identify either Meg, her manager, her bike, or see something identifying her pit. More older folks are starting to come in - after a moment, Leena realizes that this is the real gearhead crowd - the ones that don't look like mechanics look like motorcycle freaks. * LadyNightshade yawns and stretches and continues looking through the crowd, trying to look casual. Man... this is gonna be difficult to get a jump on them with a crowd here. If they're here already. Everybody got one of the doors? We wanna keep them all in view. Darkmoon wanders about through the expansive, open pits for some time, before he finally spots the people he was looking for wheeling their equipment and the bike out of an underground garage. We'd look suspicious hanging by the doors... Just keep them in view. * Lord_Darkmoon waves and heads over to meet with the people in question. The man sees Darkmoon immediately, and waves back. ... which is what I'm doing, among other things. We'll be fine... just stay vigilant. ...you're definitely early! * LadyMallet glances around for the other's positions, and goes to sit near the one with the least/no one covering it. * Lord_Darkmoon smiles, somewhat nervously. "Well, didn't want to be late. Never certain with trains..." Meg already has her helmet on and the visor half-down as she walks onto the track. She glances at Darkmoon, and blinks. See, I told you he was a cutie. * Lord_Darkmoon manages not to look too embarrassed by the compliment, and executes a bow. "Pleasure to meet you, Miss." * LadyNightshade makes her way to one side of the stands and decides to go check behind them, and heads down to the bathroom/concession stand area. * LadyMysteria remains at her fieldside seat, scanning about in-between sneaking peeks at the races. Hey, it's something to pass the time with. * LadyOctane is scarcely visible under the helmet, but Rinada can see she is transformed. You really outdid yourself, Joe. He's everything you advertised. Maybe I should dump you...? * LadyOctane seems to be teasing. * LadyMallet keeps her gaze moving from here, to there, from the crowd to the bikes to the track to the pool to the service entrance to the main entrances... almost like someone with ADD. * Lord_Darkmoon smirks amusedly at Meg's teasing of her assistant. ...you just do that, Meg. *sticks out tongue* ... jeez, at least turn down your mic if you're gonna be mushy with her, will ya? Leena... * Lord_Darkmoon does not stick out his tongue in response to that, since Leena couldn't see it and it would be out of place to those who could. * LadyOctane shimmies her way over to Darkmoon. "So... what's your name?" Rinada. Yours? ^_^ You can call me Meg. Leena, stop being jealous. ... Taki said it, not me. * LadyMallet cracks her knuckles, purely by reflex. "I'm not being jealous!" Said just a tad too quickly. Of course you're not. * LadyOctane slides an arm around Rinada's shoulders. There's suddenly an awful lot of her touching him. "Do you like women who go... fast, Rinada?" Why would I be jealous of Dorkmoon, huh? I -wouldn't!- The fact that you're overreacting says much. But put that aside, we have a job to do. Hey, I agreed with you. You're the one that can't seem to let it go. .... * LadyNightshade continues checking out the crowd behind the stands as she makes her way back to the other side. * LadyMysteria takes a gander at the fate of Rinada, and it's all she can do to no make another comment. * Lord_Darkmoon does turn notably red at this development. "I haven't had the opportunity to be so very close to one before, Meg. Are you as fast as you seem?" He gestures to her posted time-trials. Oh, she's getting there. * Joe yanks his girl away from the pretty-boy and traps her in a hug from behind. Eeep! Yeah, yeah, I gotta get ready. You just remember to hold that umbrella real close now, Rinada-pu. * Lord_Darkmoon steps gracefully away, smiling at the pair. "Not fast enough yet, it seems," he teases, winking. "He caught up with you." * Lord_Darkmoon bows. "As you wish, my lady." Note the lack of a capital on "lady", right now. * LadyOctane sidles off. Half of the other racers look like they want to march in line behind her. So far, so good. See anything odd, Taki? * Joe hands Rinada a large umbrella. As she said, just hold it over the bike and look pretty. We have to go to the riders' meeting. * Joe dashes after her. * Lord_Darkmoon coughs and composes himself as he takes it. "You've got quite the racer, Joe. Take care of her." He goes over and does as instructed. Taki has seen nothing particularly odd all morning. ...but lots of things that could be, maybe, threatening. Too many to track. The bicycle race wraps up as the incoming crowd changes its character once more - now there are a few high school kids filtering in, and some businessmen as well. More people... suits, too. Hm. I see em... The next event on the track is a go-kart race. Motors chug into life, as three dozen locals drive their hand-built mini race-cars onto the starting grid. That looks so terribly unsafe... ... I've gotta try this stuff. * LadyMysteria stifles a snicker. Helmets are in place, and as they move off the spectators are once again struck by the fact that the racers are overmatched by the track. It's just too big for this sort of racing to look exciting. * Lord_Darkmoon mutters, "I'll just 'stand here and look pretty', and leave the racing to the professionals, I think." ^_^; Well, what can you say? You're quite good at looking pretty. ^^ Man, that looks fun. * LadyMysteria lets a sly little grin play along her lips for some reason or another. In the pits, Rin finds himself the subject of close scrutiny by the two dozen or so other "umbrella girls" All of them have big smiles on their faces as they stand at attention and sneak admiring glances at the newcomer. Watch out, Mysty, you're going to make Mallet jealous again. ... shove it, Pinky. * LadyMysteria finally snickers a little. "You're way too sensitive, my friend..." * Lord_Darkmoon does his best to stand at attention as they are, indeed holding his umbrella and looking pretty. * LadyMallet 'hmphs', crossing her arms. "Whatever." And pouts cutely where she's at. The karts take a while to finish up. The influx of spectators tails off, too - the stands are maybe a bit more than half full now. Maya makes a raw guesstimate of maybe ten thousand people in the stands. There's just too many people here. I'm worried. * LadyMysteria scopes out the crowd, chewing on her bottom lip a little. ... hopefully they're coming in through the doors. We knew there would be. Our best bet is to relax until it begins. We know they won't attack until it's over. ... dammit, now I'm worried, too. Go-karts buzz across the finish line one last time as the motorcycle teams come out from under the stands in a large group. * Joe sprints out to the motorcycle and begins a last-second final checklist. * LadyOctane takes a bit longer to saunter up. It's obvious she's playing to the crowd a little, but she still has her helmet on so it's not like she's posing. * LadyNightshade makes her way back to the other side of the stands, and heads back up to the seats, to look around up there again. So... Rinada. How many of the girls proposed marriage while we were gone? Only four. I fear I'm not so pretty as you thought. *mock sigh* * LadyMysteria rolls her eyes. "Such a ham..." The crowd is just too big - nothing stands out to Taki. I think our only hope is going to be next to her before anything goes down. There's just too many people to watch out for. * LadyOctane stays silent. Through the tinted visor Rinada can barely see her eyes, but they are as intense as anyone's he's ever met. ... I'm really worried, now. The Queen did say this was going to be bad.... Well, that'll have to happen during the attack, if it happens. There are just too many people here for it *not* to. The fish couldn't pass up a venue like this. You're not the only one, Leena. * Lord_Darkmoon hides his own concerns behind a pleasant smile, his dark eyes hopefully not betraying anything that couldn't be explained as nerves or excitement. I hate just waiting around. There's gotta be something we can do now to stack the odds in our favor... Well we could kill everyone in the crowd. * Joe rolls the bike out onto the starting grid. It slots in on the inside of the second row. * LadyNightshade looks disgustedly over at a couple guys who've ingested a few too many beers. Heh. It's never simple, gang... ... I'm going to get my hands on one of them, and figure out where to take the offensive eventually. It's only a matter of time... * LadyOctane stays in the shade of the umbrella as she walks out to the grid. Where she was playful and teasing before, now she doesn't acknowledge Darkmoon at all except to move with him. * Lord_Darkmoon holds the umbrella in the best position to shade her without being in her way. You'd almost think he'd practiced something like this before, he does it so naturally. The announcer runs through the starting order. Meg gets a fair amount of cheering as she is announced, though a lot of it is just hooting at the well- built girl in skintight racing leathers. Well, at least we know some people are here just for a show... * Joe tinkers with one last valve, then stands up, satisfied. * LadyOctane straddles the bike as he steps back. She settles herself into the seat, then pushes back the stand. Good luck. Here goes. * LadyOctane barely nods appreciatively. C'mon, kid. Time to go. And this is where we wait and hope... All of the extras move out of the way as the riders start to fire their engines. * Lord_Darkmoon nods, and follows Joe. He does endeavor to be as close to the track, particularly Octane's starting portion thereof, as he can. Red lights come on over the finish line and the bike engines all start to scream. The crowd roars, but they can barely hear themselves over the cacophony. * Lord_Darkmoon watches with silent intensity. The lights go out - and twenty-seven racing bikes explode into motion down the front stretch. Rinada, standing right next to them, thinks he's never seen anything accelerate that fast. ...he also thinks he's never going to be able to hear again. Mmmn... * LadyMallet keeps her eyes on the bikes and the pool. * LadyNightshade keeps watching the crowd, still not really caring about the race as she walks through the stands. * LadyNightshade thinks she sees something and heads in that direction. I spotted a suspicious person, I'm moving in to investigate. * LadyNightshade isn't quite sure if she can be heard... Alright. Keep us posted... Where the bicycles and the go-karts before did not seem to fill up the track, these motorcycles seem to nearly overmatch it. The spectators watch in awe as the riders bank deep into turns that they shouldn't be able to corner through. * Lord_Darkmoon only hears his earpiece buzzing. @_@ The bikes tilt over almost sixty degrees, and the riders' knees skitter against the pavement as they string out through the twists of the back half of the course. * LadyNightshade checks around the guy to see if it looks like anyone else is with him. * LadyNightshade doesn't let him out of her sight though. The man Taki is looking at seems to be very much alone. There is a small pack of schoolgirls in matching uniforms a few seats down but mostly this portion of the stands is empty. As they come by to finish the first lap, the top six or so riders have begun to separate themselves from the rest of the pack. Meg has slotted in in fifth, and is hounding the fourth-place rider's rear wheel. * LadyNightshade heads up the rows casually, trying not to get his attention. * Lord_Darkmoon smiles darkly for a moment before the expression is wiped from his face by intent watching. His eyes keep flicking towards the pool, and back to Meg's bike. The man Taki is stalking is watching the track, not the stands. He wouldn't notice an elephant climbing up to him. The riders zoom past once more. They jockey like fighter jets down the front stretch, ducking into and out of the drafts in a tactical chess match at 200 kph. * LadyNightshade slips into the row behind the guy, and watches for anyone else that might be a threat. This is just... mmmn. Taki, status? * LadyNightshade tries to be as quiet as she can so the guy doesn't hear her. "I'm watching him now. Hopefully I'm not wasting my time." The race winds itself around the track, bikes spreading out as the differences in speed and talent make themselves apparent. As the field drifts apart, though, the racing at the front just gets more spectacular. Meg is running third in the front pack of four bikes - she's having problems closing that last five meters of separation to the wheel of the second rider, but the guy behind her is hounding her through every corner, looking for a way to cut inside her. * Joe nudges Darkmoon. Isn't she great? hm? She's quite good. * Lord_Darkmoon is watching carefully, so responds half-distractedly. She'd have a real chance if I could just get that last few percent out of the engine. She loses a few meters on the front straight each time, but that's my fault, not hers. Perhaps it's the engine, and not you? Eh, it's my responsibility. Mm... I'm sure you'll figure it out. * Joe cheers notably. "But she's the top privateer here - sure it's her home track, but if she finishes like this she's going to get noticed. With help from a manufacturer... she could go to the global series in a few years." * Lord_Darkmoon 's eyes narrow, and he looks sharply at Joe for a moment before jerking his attention back to the track, and the race. "Wouldn't that be...exciting..." The lead group screams by once more, and Joe screams right back at them as second, third, and fourth are all even at the start/finish line. The man Taki is watching seems to get more and more nervous as the race zooms along. He gets out a pack of cigarettes and begins smoking. * LadyNightshade quietly watches him, ready to leap into action if he even tries anything funny. The laps count down quickly - it's traditional not to have pit stops in motorcycle races, so the race can not last more than fifty minutes or so. The team feels mostly deaf - those engines are incredible. Mmmn... thankfully we recover... ow, my ears. * Lord_Darkmoon does not comment, gripping the umbrella tightly...almost as if it were a sword. What? I didn't hear you over all that, what'd you say? The leader has managed to pull away by a dozen bikelengths as they come down the front stretch for the white flag. Second through fourth is still a race, though, and with time running out and no chance to catch the leader, they dart and dice even more insanely than ever. Nothing, nothing! It's coming...I'm sure of it. Wait for it.... GO MEG, GO! GET THOSE BASTARDS! * LadyMallet keeps an eye on the pool. The race is almost over, the Ningyo should be here any moment now. * LadyMysteria is focused on the pool as well, although she turns her attention to the crowd (rather helplessly) from time to time. This time, there's essentially no warning. Just a momentary bubbling of the surface of the decorative infield pool, then the massive wave of water rushing out from the little depression it sits in. ... like clockwork. * LadyNightshade looks to see how the man reacts to the attack. * LadyMallet frowns, then immediately starts looking everywhere else- especially at the crowds and the facility entrance, glancing back at the Ningyo every second or three. * Lord_Darkmoon suddenly relaxes, settling into a ready pose so he can move as needed. The leaders, on the back straight and fighting for position barely notice it - even Lady Octane is so wrapped up in the race that she doesn't even look - and the water is channeled towards the front straight anyway, since the back section of the track is at a slightly higher elevation. * Lord_Darkmoon watches Meg, ready to rush to her defense should she come under attack. He thinks it won't happen until she beats the Ningyo, though. The Ningyo emerges from the pool as if shot from a circus cannon, then lands in the leading edge of the wave of water and floats over it as it washes up against the safety barriers along the front straight. They're going to crash! Taki's mark stiffens - he reaches for something under his coat, then forces himself to calm down a little. The lapped traffic on the front straight has no time to prepare, riders and bikes go hydroplaning at impossible speeds. The luck ones wash up at the far end of the straight - the unlucky ones go careening into or over safety barriers. Meg... MEG! Oh, fuck. * Joe grabs the umbrella from Darkmoon and jams it open. He ducks behind it for an instant, and when he reappears... * Lord_Darkmoon 's attention snaps to Joe, as if he'd forgotten he was there. "Get down, get back! Get everyone OUT of here! I'll watch for Meg, you GO!" ... ... of course. ...the man is wearing subtly different protective gear, and looks a lot beefier. * Lord_Darkmoon steps aside. "Be careful. Do it, and retreat." Damn NINGYO! ... a Lord?! O_O *for the mic's benefit* It would seem so. Makes sense, doesn't it. * LadyMysteria stays where she is, but she's focused on the goings-on. "... heh, it kinda does." Was wondering how well she'd do alone... Most of the rest of the pit crews are running in terror from the sudden flood and mermaid, and nobody seems to notice. * Lord_Darkmoon pulls out his Tessen, and turns his attention a bit wider, watching for more human threats. And for Meg. He still has to get her...(now both of them)... out of there. Orders stand. Stay BACK unless they absolutely need our help. Of course. * LadyMallet keeps her attention on seeking out human threats, as well. "Fine..." Mallet? You still watching the entrances? Yeah. The Ningyo has been making a speech, but it was essentially drowned out by the engine noise. As more of them are flooded or crashed into silence, you hear the last bit, "...destroy your petty diversion!" Once the assassins show, we do our thing and pray. Good. *focussed on the protectee(s)* They're already inside. Don't worry about the entrances. Watch the crowd. ... great. Understood. I'll try to make our Lord and Lady harder targets and get them out of here. * LadyMysteria sighs, looking back behind her to see who's left. The leaders finally get to the front straight, and with just seconds of visual warning, all four decide they're just going to go for it. They keep their bikes as straight as they can and barrel for the finish line. The Ningyo is just coming onto the track as they pass, and she reacts poorly to being buzzed. * LadyMallet stands up, making her way to the front row, forcefully, if need be. "Outta my way, lemme see!" * Lord_Darkmoon gets ready to leap the barrier and get to the Lady--and, if possible, her Lord--as soon as the fight's over. Don't ignore me!!! TIDAL BLAST! We need to get them to safety as quickly as possible. That's my plan...kill the bastard assassins for me, okay? Will do, Rin. The sudden pillar of water blasts down the front straight after the four riders - by the time it catches them, the speed differential is minimal, but it thoroughly wipes all four out as they cross the finish line. MEEEEEG! * LadyMallet drops her voice to something that won't be overheard over the crowd, but hopefully still heard on the mics. "Making my way to the front. They'll make a beeline for her in all likelihood, so I'm gonna try and get in their way." * Lord_Darkmoon moves along the barrier, getting closer without jumping into the fight. This needs to be done carefully, and fast. * LordSomething vaults the wall onto the track, and charges the Ningyo. Racing slicks appear in both hands, and he whirls, throwing both at the mermaid at ungodly speeds. * LadyMysteria grits her teeth and stands, keeping somewhat calm. "Eyes forward... god, I hate this part..." Taki's guy finally has seen enough, and decides basic self-preservation means pulling the gun out of his coat. It's a military rifle, with a large clip attached. * LadyNightshade immediately lunges at the guy, getting him in a strangle hold. The stands begin to empty as well - this is still Tokyo, and people know the drill. * LadyMallet opens up the MalletPortal once she gets to the front, and just lets the Mallet drop out, pretending to ignore it. How dare you interfere with the purity of sporting competition! I, Lord Traction, will not allow this indignity to go unchallenged! Die, sea scum. The tires catch the Ningyo unawares, and she is slammed backwards into the safety barrier. * LadyMysteria remains in place, watching for whoever stays behind aside from the twitchy gunman. Taki easily gets her arms around the man, and maneuvers to render him helpless. * LadyNightshade holds the man tightly. "Not so fast! Who are you working for?" Taki, knock him out, or something! We need to make sure he doesn't suicide! And there's gonna be more to worry about! The Ningyo wobbles back to its feet and ducks under another tire. "Puny Ningen. Those didn't even hurt." She gestures, and suddenly the Lord is enveloped in a sphere of water and levitating off the ground. Mysteria! Gunman in the water! *points to him* On the side of the track! * LordTraction thrashes around, tires flailing at the outside of the water sphere, unable to get free. Should I move to him, or do you want him, Mysteria? ... *in* the water? No, no, I got him! * LadyMysteria hops from her position and heads towards the location Darkmoon noted. * LadyMallet hrmphs. "Find one for me to pound, will ya?" There's a sudden dart of flame from down the track, and the sphere of water pops as the Ningyo has to dodge. Will do if I can, Lady Mallet. * LadyOctane comes charging up the track at high speed. Liquid fire drips from her hands. Not him, you don't. * LadyOctane skids to a stop next to her Lord. * Lord_Darkmoon semi-hides behind the barricades, waiting. Taki's target thrashes in her arms, but only manages to drop the rifle on his foot. He screams. * LadyNightshade drags him up to the top of the stands as best she can. * LadyMysteria stops when she thinks she's close enough, pulling her wand out of her pocket and trying to home in on the hidden gunman. "Where are you..." Tell me who you're working for! The Ningyo pulses out another massive water blast, but this time both of the defenders manage to dodge it. The pits, however, get seriously messed up by the blast. Taki! Just knock him out already! We don't have time to interrogate him now! I have to agree with Leena. Save him for later! What about your friends? Where are they? Who else is here? * LordTraction nods at Lady Octane, and they both gesture to attack. He whirls, and a tire flies. * LadyOctane concentrates and whips a gout of jellied flame after it. * LadyMallet picks up the Mallet, since it's obvious the Ningyo's about to bite it, still frantically searching the crowd. The tire ignites in flight, and seems to expand into a gooey, white-hot ring of fire. It loops and twists itself about the mermaid, who promptly burns to death. The screaming is mercifully short-lived. ... *now*. * Lord_Darkmoon leaps the barricade, heading straight towards the pair. "Get DOWN!" (Not -quite- an Order) * Lord_Darkmoon runs, staying low and trying to keep his feet in the (hopefully) receding water. * LadyNightshade tightens her grip on the man. "TALK!" The instant the mermaid seems to be dead, the guy Darkmoon saw moments ago pops back up from behind the wall and points his gun at the pair. The weapon goes *BLLT*, and an object flies across the track, almost visible in its unexpected slowness. It goes between the defenders, and lands back in the pits. There's an unexpectedly large explosion, then another, bigger one as the grenade touches off one of the pit fuel tanks. That explosion mangles the front edge of that section of stands, and the much of the pit area catches on fire. ...the pit was pretty much evacuated, but the stands were taking a little longer to clear. There are casualties. * LadyMallet stays where she is, instinctively covering herself with The Mallet from the blast. "OH, just GREAT!" No... ... how in the world could he... * LadyMysteria trembles in place, perhaps with quickly-building anger. Taki gets her hands around the would-be assassin's throat, and he's quickly on his knees, gasping for air. (and not finding any) .... nnnnnnnnnnnn! HOW DARE YOU?! * LadyNightshade growls at the guy. "I don't have time for this shit!" THEN she puts him in a sleeper hold. * LadyMysteria sights the guy with the grenade launcher, and the oh-so-familiar burst of light leaps from her wand, Maya looking quite pissed. The Star Gun blasts the man backwards away from the wall, and his weapon goes flying. He falls backwards into the waist-deep water. Get them out of here and get his weapon! And keep an eye out for more! YOU BASTARDS! WHEN I'M THROUGH WITH YOU YOU'LL WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BORN! *she doesn't shout at anyone in particular, she just glares around angrily, the Mallet held in an offensive stance.* Mallet, get Octane out of here! * LadyMysteria looks around, chest heaving as the adrenaline starts to kick in bigtime. Mmph... Thought Darkmoon was doing that. *secures her grip on her namesake, and takes a jump in Octane direction, moving to cover her.* I am! The man in Taki's arms twists this way and that, but she overpowers him. From the distant other end of the stands comes the distinctive *crackcrackcrack* of a military rifle. Bullets spang off the tarmac around Lord Traction and Lady Octane. You two, get your buts out of here! Now! Don't worry about us, just GO! Fuck! If I thought they gave a shit about you I'd ask you to call off your friends... *strangle, strangle* * LadyOctane looks around bemusedly, somewhat confused by the unexpected violence. DON'T THINK JUST RUN! * Lord_Darkmoon rushes towards the Lord and Lady. "Get low and RUN! You're their targets! My Lady! My Lord! RUN!" * Lord_Darkmoon gets to them, gesturing with his Tessen. His racing jacket transforms into a large, flowing cape that he flips off his back and swirls into the air in the general direction of the gunmen, hopefully distracting them and providing cover. Lady Octane, Lord Traction, please, come with me. Now. Fast and low. *he ducks and runs, gesturing for them to follow as the cape flutters and expands* * LadyOctane moves to follow, her reactions still slow. * LordTraction turns around just as two more very wet men vault over the infield wall, carrying pump-action shotguns. My Lord! GET DOWN! *makes ready to knock him out of way of gunfire, if needs be* We've got to RUN. ... mmmmn. Both of them fire on the run in a direct charge. One's blast goes right by Lady Octane, the other takes Lord Traction in the chest. The large shot looks like it nearly caves in his entire chest, and he pitches over backwards and doesn't move. No... JOE! ... ohgod... ohgod... * LadyOctane pulls away from Lord Darkmoon and wings flame at one the oncoming attacker. He shoulder-rolls under it, but one shoe does ignite. He ignores it and continues forward. She's not running! The guys close to them take top priority! Taki, just finish the guy you have and help! Shit! What the hell is wrong with you people? I've got em! On my way! You can't help him, my Lady. RUN. NOW. With me. I will protect you. No way! I'm not scared of these goons! And I'm NOT leaving him behind! My friends will help him after they kill these guys. We can't let you die. I don't need any help with these guys, they're DEAD MEAT! Taki's man thrashes about in one last attempt to escape, but she easily contains him and he collapses over the bench behind him. The pits continue to burn, and another fuel tank detonates behind everyone. More of the stands catch on fire, but all the civilians have moved WELL AWAY from the firefight by now. * LadyMysteria simply turns, unconsciously twirling the wand a few times as she sights on the gunner who hit Traction. "... I can't let you get away with that!" A second Mystery Star Gun burst howls out towards the man, even as Maya's hands tremble. The man is blasted to his knees by the Star Gun, and blood gushes from all of his orifices, but somehow he keeps hold of his weapon and continues to track his targets. ... what? H-how... * LadyMysteria starts, taken aback by his resilience. * LadyMallet jets towards him. "Just leaves more for me!" * LadyMallet runs half a foot past the one barely standing, skidding to a halt- and bringing the Mallet down as she does so. * LadyMallet misses- cratering the ground right next to him, then stops, almost dropping it as she hastily jerks it out of the ground form the miss- and misses again, cratering on the other side of him. There's more rifle fire from the far end of the stands - it's focussed on Lady Octane, and it's getting closer. Taki, do something about that gunner in the stands! We should be able to h-handle things here... Will do... * Lord_Darkmoon moves to stand between Lady Octane and the shotgunmen, and plants the blade of his Katana in the ground, where it stands. "Lady Octane, you must run, or you will die. Run low, run fast, but just RUN!" He turns to face the shotgunmen. "I'll handle them. Eclipse the mind..." his eyes are obscured by purple moons, which are slowly eclipsed... "FERAL RAGE!" * Lord_Darkmoon 's purple glow is totally eclipsed by black...and stays that way. He blinks, surprised. "What...?" ... No, that's too risky---eh? * LadyOctane snarls. "Lord Traction is the only man that gives me orders, boy, and most of those don't take either." At least move from here; the riflemen are getting too accurate! Please! The shotgunner still on his feet snaps off another blast at Lady Octane. * Lord_Darkmoon tries to knock her out of the way... It's just off-center, but the cone of shot distinctly blasts her left shoulder and chest. She is whipped around... ...but she almost turns that into a graceful spin. She lands on the balls of her feet, and while the shoulder of her racing gear/costume is blown away and the skin is oozing blood underneath, she doesn't look very impressed. On the other hand, the guy with two pistols that leaps over the pit wall manages to hit her twice. She sprawls forward, and writhes on the ground for a second before regaining control of her limbs. ... another one... The half-dead shotgunner sticks his weapon straight at the scary girl with the hammer, and pulls the trigger. * LadyMallet wrenches the Mallet out of the ground, whipping it in a quick arc in front of her as the shotgun it brought to bear- it's in front of her when the shotgun goes 'bang!', and the pellets don't even make a dent- they're deflected into the air, and the swinging arc ends with a twirl, and a recentering to centermass. * LordTraction begins to move a little - he tries to roll over, but can't quite do it. * LadyOctane flops over and gets to her feet, looking about much more seriously this time. "Who the fuck are these people? Joe... come on, we'd better get you under cover." * Lord_Darkmoon sighs relievedly, and moves to help her. * LadyNightshade drops the man to the ground, quickly searches him and then rips his shoes off. She yanks out his shoe laces and uses them to hog tie the man so his hands and feet are all bound together as tightly as she can make it. She takes his gun and prepares to chase down the other rifleman. * LadyMysteria turns her focus to the other guy with the shotgun, looking like she's on the verge of tears. "Can't... won't.... mmmn!" With a wave, a gout of ribbons streams his way. ...and past him, and into the water beyond the infield fence. He blinks at the sudden gust of psychedelia. ... no... nonononoNO! * LadyMallet narrows her eyes, hefting the Mallet above her head, holding it there solemnly for a moment, then bringing it down on the nearly-dead one. Die. Who is promptly all-dead. Say a prayer or something. * LadyMallet doesn't waste a second- she picks it back up, holding it over her head again, staring at the other shotgunner. "And you- join him!" She brings it down in the same fashion, eyes narrowed. The man throws himself backwards, and instead of his whole body being crushed, only his legs are below the knees. He promptly faints. Another burst of riflefire comes from the north end of the stands... and this time the shooter has Lady Octane perfectly bracketed. She takes two in the torso and sprawls over backwards. No! * LadyOctane struggles to get back up, but this time it's just too much. She pants heavily, trying to force the pain down. Dammit... T-Taki! You've got to get that guy! I'm going as fast as I can! I'll get Octane. Someone else help Traction, and we still need to kill that damned pistoleer! We'll get him between me and Mysty! You just run, and Taki needs to take care of the guy with the rifle! * Lord_Darkmoon suits action to words, lifting Octane in a bridal-carry and high-tailing it for cover and thence exit. The pistolero continues his mad charge, winging Darkmoon as he runs away. Somehow the swordsman keeps both his balance and the girl in his arms. * LordTraction has managed to get to his knees. He conjures a radial out of nowhere and hurls it at the guy with the pistols. * Lord_Darkmoon grunts, but doesn't even grit his teeth as he keeps semi- running. He's still not all-the-way together, though, and the tire goes bouncing down the damp front straightaway. * LadyOctane weakly paws at Darkmoon. It's clear she doesn't appreciate the evac but she's not strong enough to stop him. I'm sorry, my Lady. We will get your Lord out, too. It's our job; trust us. *he tries to smile reassuringly without taking his eyes off his running* Taki sprints towards the rifleman, raising the other rifle and shooting along the way. ...of course, she's never shot a rifle before, she's running with it, and the target is more than half a kilometer away. Gah, I hate guns! ...the bullets must have landed somewhere... probably in the next prefecture over. The man she was shooting at doesn't have a clue that anything just happened. * LadyNightshade cusses as the rifle bucks all over the place. I think I'd be better off just throwing the gun at him... * LadyMysteria fixes on the pistolero, and cuts loose with another Star Gun, her wand smoking a little for some reason. She looks beyond even anger or fear at this point. The poor victim, er, bad guy is blasted backwards. His guns go flying and the way his skull bounces off the pavement makes you think he won't be getting back up soon. * LadyMysteria lets out something approaching a snarl, then seems to calm, shoulders heaving. "... stay down. Please..." The ribbons she shot moments before come snaking back onto the track and wrap themselves around the man without shins. The lack of proper body shape confuses them, and they tighten around the man's face. * LadyMallet smiles cutely at the poor guy without shins, then delicately drops The Mallet on his head. She let's it audibly *thunk* before picking it back up, then making tracks to the stands. One left! Yeah... * LordTraction staggers to his feet. ...I can make it myself... The far rifleman's fire is cut short unexpectedly, and you can see him struggle with his gun for a moment. He tosses it away after a second, and bolts for the nearest stairwell out of the stands. Taki, can you catch him? * LordTraction starts at a trot after Darkmoon, and picks up speed. I'm sure as hell going to try! Mallet, help me check on the other guy I shot earlier... ... the grenade guy. Can you handle that? I was gonna make sure the guy Taki tied up stays that way. ...did we get them all? Alright, I can. * LadyNightshade goes all out trying to catch up with the rifleman before he gets too far away. As soon as she sees him move she tosses the rifle to the ground. Good hunting, Taki. The guy dashes into the stairwell, and out of Taki's sight. * LadyNightshade hops down the next stairwell she comes across, and runs up hoping to spot him coming out the other side. * LadyMysteria seems to be regaining herself, even as she carefully moves towards the wall where the grenadier had been using for cover, looking for a point to get around or above it. * LadyMallet heads to the guy Taki tied up, dragging the Mallet behind her, not caring about the trench it's making. * Lord_Darkmoon slows down a bit, letting Traction catch up. "I'm so relieved you're alive, my Lord." He looks to Lady Octane. "Can you stand yet, my Lady?" The man has disappeared into the remnants of the crowd, and Taki can't pick him out. Darkmoon, how are Octane and Beefy? Damn it! He's too far away... I lost him... They're alive, Mallet. So they'll be fine. Let him go, Nightshade... our job's done. ... is it? I can't shake the feeling that something else has yet to happen. * LordTraction coughs up some blood, and stops beside Darkmoon. ...who the hell are you people? But... what if he tries again? Protectors. * LadyOctane flaps at Darkmoon a little. Put me down, already. * Lord_Darkmoon complies, gently setting her on her feet, and stabilizing her until she's standing on her own. * LadyNightshade slows down and ignores the looks she probably got from her gymnastics down the stairs. Maya realizes that the infield is still flooded. If the grenadier is still there, he's underwater, and probably lacks scuba gear. Darkmoon... get them out of the track, will you? I've got this awful feeling that there's something left behind. I hope I'm just being paranoid... The man is just waking up when Leena reaches him, and hasn't even tried to get free yet. ... the guy with the grenade launcher's probably drowned by now. I don't think you are, Lady Mallet. *to Octane and Traction* Come, let's get out of here. There may be a final trap; let's make sure you're safe. * LadyNightshade continues to look through the crowd in the vain hope of finding the rifleman. Hoping to spot the pistol she suspects he's wearing. * Lord_Darkmoon gestures with his wounded arm, which is almost completely healed, for them to follow. ...I can't leave the bike! * LadyMysteria walks over to her other victim... and rather calmly puts a Star Gun right in his chest. Just to be sure. She's pretty sure. Ick. The Queen would be most upset if we let something happen to you -now-. We'll get it later, when we're sure you're okay, okay!? Please! ... * LadyMallet steps past the guy, and rips out the nearest thing that's nice and metal and strong to tie him up with even more. Insurance? Rinada - that bike is everything. It's all of our money, except her school tuition. *sigh* I'll retrieve it. Get out of here, please. ...have you ever ridden a race bike? Nightshade? Mallet? Mysteria? Can one of you take over escort duty, please? I'll walk it out. He couldn't handle it. No, I'll get it. * LadyMallet proceeds to take the metal wrappings and wrap them around the guy, and stuffs a smaller piece in his mouth, big enough so that he can't swallow it, or bite down. She's none too gentle about it *sigh* Someone, please come help Octane. Traction's with me. * LadyMysteria goes to join Darkmoon, catching that last bit. "... Darkmoon, watch Traction. And... as for you." She focuses on Octane, wiping her eyes. In a moment. * LordTraction stretches a little - he's not looking weak any more and Rinada realizes just how big the man is in his transformed form. If that guy who got away's calling for backup, we're going to have to hurry. Once you have your bike, find a place you know is safe and lay low for a while. * Lord_Darkmoon nods to Mysteria, and goggles at Traction for a moment before letting his weariness come over himself again. "Alright, let's go get it." He heads towards where the bike last was. I'll call you later, Meg. Remind them not to detransform. * LadyOctane nods - she still isn't up to full speed. Right. Lord Traction, this is important. Don't detransform for a couple hours. You need to completely heal and absorb the shot. ... yes. Above all else, don't detransform until you're fully patched up... and can I ask you something, Octane? Mysteria's probably telling Octane the same thing. ...we can park it in the suspension garage. Yes... Lady...? * LadyMallet tosses the Mallet into the MalletPortal, and watches the guy for a moment. "You're ours." Lady Mysteria. And I have to wonder why you race transformed... but I guess that's not my question to ask. If the Queen hasn't pinned you for it, then she must be fine with it. * LadyOctane looks away. "She's the one that insisted." * LadyMysteria looks at her smoking wand, then calmly puts it into her pocket after cleaning it off. "... hm? Did she give you a reason?" That was the deal. She let me go live my dream for a while, but I had to promise her it wouldn't kill me - wouldn't destroy me as a soldier in the war. ...and the only way to be sure, well. You know. ... heh. * LadyNightshade checks the payphones while she looks through the crowd to see if the rifleman might be reporting in. * LadyMysteria smiles a little. "That woman amazes me sometimes... anyway. Stay transformed for a few hours. Lay low. And if anything happens or seems out of the ordinary..." She reaches into her back pocket and produces a card from the agency. "Call." ... oh, and one more thing. Tell no one about us. * LadyMysteria holds out the card two-handed. "Tell that to your boyfriend, too." If you don't tell anyone about us, either, it's a deal. * LadyOctane takes the card and bows. "Thanks. It was... interesting." * LadyMallet picks up the guy, slinging him over the shoulder, and calmly walks out. * Lord_Darkmoon helps Traction find the bike and get it on its wheels. * LadyMysteria gives Octane a look, then shrugs. "Just stay safe and keep your eyes open." * LordTraction peels out of the stadium section, and out into the streets, barely acknowledging Darkmoon. No, he's not wearing a helmet. * Lord_Darkmoon trots back to the others, then. Hopefully, Traction'll be safe enough now. [end session] Session Close: Sat Jul 31 22:06:59 2004