"Oh, guys!" Meri yelps when she sees what Cody and Ulric are doing. "Careful! Those things are rigged to erase all their data if they're tampered with unless you have the right passwords and things. I couldn't figure out how to do it safely...and believe me, I had plenty of time."

Morgan looked worried when Andrew appeared. He'd watched the man's decline over the years and this was by far the worse he'd been. Speaking to the air he asked, "Lorean, can you do something with the bed please?"

After a second the bed began to reform gaining a small wall around the bed area that would contain Andrew's liquid state. Morgan spoke comfortingly to his friend, "Relax and recover. Take your time, we've got the folks down on the planet covered, we can teleport them out if things get dangerous."

********

Lorean response over the link *Cody, there is no way to transport up fixed objects like those servers. They would have to be disconnected and possibly even disassembled in order to transport.*

*The other novas seem to be searching the ground floor for the way down to your location. Michael says the one in charge that detected you, has mental shields and he can't breach them without drawing the mans attention. From what he gleans from the others their intentions are extremely hostile. They seem to have resorted to cannibalism and are thinking of you all as their next meal. Michael was nearly sick on reading their thoughts. I was afraid I was going to have to clean the floor of the bridge... Wait, he says, they are moving now. One of them has spotted the elevator shaft. I will teleport you all out if I detect any injury.*

From above you here an echoing series of BOOMs. After a moment chunks of concrete come raining down the elevator shaft.

*Morgan, Lo, anyway one of you could open a quick warp and lend me some juice? If I had access to my abilities it could really make a difference here.*

Cody takes up position in a concealed shadow behind some of the concrete statues and takes aim toward the elevator shaft.

Lorean's reply was short *I think it is too late for that, they are on the way down the shaft now. Two of them are floating down and should be at the bottom in under 30 seconds.*

Joani braced herself for the fight positioning herself on the other side staying behind the field. She was clearly visible for the intruders and hoped that her short distraction would buy the others enough time to land a solid attack.

Steve waves his hands to signal (to Meri) that trouble is coming, and walks to his position. His eufiber shifts to match the stone men as he does so.


Steve intends to wait until Meri says it's on, then he'll open with throwing both his knives (split action) on which ever two are closest to him. Steve is hiding behind a statue.

Ulric gives Cody a thumbs-up and then hurries back out of the vault to his firing postion. He studies the various angles of attack, notes how Joani has put herself in Harm's Way once again and sighs quietly. He heffs up the rifle and aims.

Andrew could feel the fuzz covering his brain. Fuzz covering it, red hot rage surrounding that, and then there were the physical issues, a pervading hunger that was preventing his body from recovering quantum, and the simple basic fact that even if he had the power he couldn't force his body to form anything more complex than a cube or a sphere.

*Morgan ... need to ... feed ... please ...* Andrew breifly considered the alternative, all Lorean would need to do is create a null field it would seem and he would be returned to his human self. But the cost is too great, my intellect, my stamina, the clones, the shapeshifting. It's too much a part of me. I could sooner remove my own brain than live that way. But, oh, it had felt so good. To have been free of it all, not even a drop of taint and real lungs and a beating heart again. It was like a miracle, like he had found the cure at last ...

Omar hefted a large desk with one hand, and a computer monitor with the other. "I hope I am behind the null field when you activate it. Otherwise, I might pull a muscle."

As he moves towards the rear of the room, he say to Meri. "When they enter the field, I will throw these at them" He tosses the monitor in the air and catches it again like it was a baseball. I will then charge and engage. It might be helpful to have it turned off at that time."

*More than enough time. It would take at most 3-6 seconds for Morgan to open a Warp and lend me a bit.*

((In a single 3 second turn, Morgan could open a warp and Cody could leech some juice. This way I could use disorient and dominate to help in this fight...2 abilities I have never been able to use "on screen."))

"With six coming, they'll send a few in first to test the situation," Meri decides. She reaches out to touch a statue, and a ripple seems to travel up her flesh and clothes, leaving cold hardened concrete in its wake. In seconds the transformation is complete, and she stands as she was before; an animate statue.

"Hide wherever you can. They'll probably smell us or have powers to see us, and signal the attack. When they all come rushing in, I'll trigger the field. If they're too careful, I'll play some conversation files at them."

Less than a minute later two men came floating down into the empty elevator. One was large and yellowish in color and completely naked, with bulging muscles looking a lot like a small jaundiced version of Geryon. His partner looked as well groomed as it was possible to be given the dust and ash still in the air outside, he had grey hair combed back into a haircut an evangelist would be proud of and was wearing his Sunday best, with only small lights on around the room it must have been an eriee sight for the men to behold. Much like you experienced it when you first came down. The smaller man scanned the room and focused on Joani, and said in a voice that ought to belong to a creepy uncle to a small child, "I see you." Then he smiled and added, "Tell you little friends to come out of hiding, we just want to talk, and I don't really feel like playing hide and seek right now."

Ulric steps half way out of his cover, looking angry.

"Fine. This is your last chance. Turn away and leave this place and we will spare your lives. We really don't want to be executioners here. Don't make us be. Now, be gone, you monsters."

He is dominating in his command to these invaders, these cannibals. There is a tinge of sadness for these aberrated monsters. They probably have little choice, but for their sakes and Joani's he makes the ernest offer.

Kyria stays hidden, crouched behind a statue somewhere near the elevator. Moving very slowly she is taking aim on the larger one, hoping for a shot to the legs to disable. She knew killing them might be necessary, and was more prepared for it than it seemed like Joani was, but she still abhorred the idea. The creepy voice and menacingly rehearsed sound of his 'offer' made her certain this wasn't going to end without violence, and probably deaths.

Meredith stays still, playing statue, but her thumb is on the button to activate the nullifier. At the first sign of trouble, she pushes it. Otherwise she waits to see if more will come in.

Steve holds his breath and concentrates on remaining motionless, but after a moment he finds he has to breath and lets himself exhale.

With nothing to do but think and listen he slightly alters his plan. He'll hold back just a hair and see who the others target, then do his knife trick on whoever acts or is standing.

Steve eyes the gun lying out of sight at his feet under an old newspaper and wonders if he'll regret not using it as a first move. Two worlds, one century, and one lifetime ago he was really good at throwing darts in the local bar.

The first two step out of the elevator slowly and the smaller man has his hands out in a 'I'm not a threat' manner. As soon as they step out, two more appear in the elevator. One man holding the others shoulder. The two new arrivals look like brothers, both ashy blond hair and almost identical leather trench coats. One of them has a shotgun in hand and the other is holding his right hand in an odd way. (Those with Intuition feel it triggering, violence is imminent. I will roll init once I get home and post it.)

Steve yells,

"MERI, NOW!"

Meredith's thumb presses the control for the nullifier, and she raises the weapon encasing her right hand, ready to shoot.

Omar will first throw the large desk and the computer monitor at the one furthest in the room. He will hold his action until Meri hits the field.

(OOC: Multiple action)

Joani kept her position expecting the others to attack any second. If things worked out the fight would be over before it even started. She was making sure that the Aberrants wouldn't pass into the safe zone and her muscles tensed with anticipation.

(Init order: Omar, Cody, Joani, Kyria, Bad guy 1, Steve, Meri, BG2, Ulric, BG3, BG4, BG5, BG6.)

AS the seconds draw out in the tension of waiting, Cody digs deep. He grimaces but makes no sound as he drains the very life force from his cells that will give him a fighting chance in case things get ugly. Six Novas, even drained of quantum could be very dangerous, especially when desperate, as Cody felt now. He wipes abit of blood trickling from his nostrils and tastes the coppery fluid as it drains down his throat.

((Sacrifice Bruised HL for 2 QPs. Before Meri hits the Button, Cody goes for 2 drains, not multiple action as one should be considered Ambush. If for some reason this is not okay let me know and I can edit.))

Steve waits till he hears the click of Meri's switch then pivots and throws one knife at the man with the Shotgun, and prepares to throw the other at someone else.


Split action: 1st to throw, 2nd to throw but will delay init till after he sees if anyone is going to launch an attack at him. If someone does he'll spend a point of willpower to change that action to a dodge, if not then he'll throw the second as well.

Kyria waits, unwilling to instigate the the violence, but taking a careful aim on the legs of the man in front.

The tension built for a few seconds and then Cody held out his hands in a look of intense concentration. There was no visible light show or anything to see, but the large muscled man on the other side of the room grunted and staggered back a pace almost knocking into the brother holding the shotgun. Cody did look a bit more refreshed afterwords. The next thing that happened was a frown from the evil evangelist looking nova in the front. "Use not you evil powers against my people lest they be taken away from thee!!!" He raised his hand like a preacher casting out the evil spirits of the sinner and each of you feels as if you have been somehow touched but without effect. All that is except Meri. She returns to the flesh and blood feeling as if she can't hold onto her power. She does hold onto the remote however and pushes the button.

In an instant the big Geryon wannabe collapses to his knees and becomes a normal man, who is a bit skinny and covered with acne scars on his face. The preacher man looses his 'shininess', and the two brothers in the back look a little less healthy.

The next thing that occurs is that the computer monitor hits the preacher in the belly sending him slamming against the wall next to the elevator. Then the desk hits him ending that potential threat entirely and messily. Meanwhile Joani stands resolutely like a wall prepared to bar the enemy from passing out of the field. Seeing the one with a shotgun begin to raise his weapon Kyria takes a shot at his leg and fires sending him spinning back into the elevator. Despite the injury he does bring the shotgun up and fires at Omar. The pellets from the shotgun sting badly and even puncture the skin in a couple tender spots, but do little to actually harm the big man.

Steve seeing how the battle is falling out decides to take aim at the other brother and lets loose with two knives. One makes a glancing blow off the mans leather trench coat but the other sinks deep into the mans gut. He staggers back clutching at the knife with one hand and reaching for something under his coat with the other. Seeing the impending threat Ulric calmly takes aim with the rifle and sends a lightning bolt into the man's chest and he collapses to the ground his every muscle twitching violently for several seconds before going still.

Of the remaining two badguys one falls down the elevator shaft landing inside the elevator sprawled atop the still twitching corpse. It breaks his fall, but he takes one look at the carnage to the rest of his little cannibal pack and stands back up trying to leap for the top of the elevator to pull himself up. As he does he yells up the elevator shaft, "Run! It's a trap." This seems to snap the skinny kid out of his shock and he gets to his feet and runs for the elevator also trying to climb up the side of the elevator to get back to the ladder.

In only a few seconds the Battle of the Proteus Basement is over. Meri's handy defenses having made all the difference between what could have been a bloody conflict and a route.

(The one with the shotgun is still alive but injured. He will attempt to flee next round, as will the other cannibals. question is do you eliminate them or allow them to flee.)

Steve calmly picks up the "storm-trooper" rifle he'd left at his feet and attempts to shoot the already fleeing ex-Geryon nova in the back.

Joani sighed as she watched Steve aim for the helpless Nova and looked away in disgust. She knew the others wouldn't let them flee and she had to bite on her tongue to not call out to the others to let them go in peace. They had won, the fight was over. Going after them would be slaughter.

The kill was satisfying. More so, because of the selfrighteousness of the preacher-like aberrant. He could see the look of disgust on Joani's face, and he would sit down and talk to her later about it. For now, there were fleeing opponents to apprehend.

Omar sends to Lorien: * Send me to the surface. I want to greet the cannibals when they get to the top.

Omar found himself briefly in the transporter room then an instant later on the ground floor of the building at the opening of the elevator shaft. (You have one round before the first one arrives at the top.)

Downstairs the former bruiser fell to the floor with a small smoking hole in his back.

A little relived that she didn't have to pull the trigger, Meredith looks down at herself and plucks at the fabric of her shirt.

"Huh. He made me turn back. That would have been pretty bad..."

She eyes the others warily. "So...you're okay with me coming back with you? I swear, I'll be really useful."

Making sure his spikes are no longer out, Omar places himself 10 meters in front of the entrance. When he gets to the top, Omar will bellow. "Stop or be killed!" If attacked, Omar will attack and attempt a clinch.

(He will set up for a Smackdown on the next turn- his move is like Wan Fu from Samurai Showdown..he will pick him up and slam him on his head.)

*Omar don't kill him.* Cody sent. *I'd like to at least interrogate him first and see what he knows about this place. Maybe there are others here that could use our help in the passing.*

Cody burns some of his ill gotten gains to heal the wounds he sustained in order to steal them.

The first one out of the elevator takes one step and glares at Omar, and energy beams come out of his eyes and strike the big man in the chest staggering him backwards and leaving a nasty burn and a hole in his eufiber. The burn doesn't stop the massive Paragon from stalking forward and grabbing the other man binding him in his iron bearhug.

After a few seconds of struggle bye the smaller man, Omar flips him upside down and using not only his incredible strength but also their combined weight to drive the his opponents head into the ground. He succeeds but not without cost. As he wass being flipped the other man shot a second beam at point blank range into Omar's right knee. The temporary loss of balance only hastened his own demise however as his head was pulped when it made contact with the floor.

Omar was just recovering when the next one came blazing out of the elevator shaft and ran for the door with incredible speed. Only one remained in the shaft making slow progress up the ladder.

Cody reaches out with his mind telepathically and attempts to usurp control over the nervous system of the one climbing up the shaft. If he succeeds in the dominate he forces the man to come back down where Cody can interrogate him at leisure.

Kyria makes her way over to Cody, putting a hand on his shoulder and reaching out to him telepathically. *Are you alright?*

Kyria can tell both from his appearance and his mind that he is concetrating at the moment, attempting to psychicly lasso their fleeing foe. Some fast drying blood is smeared on his face, visible since his helmet had been retracted.

Omar blocks the entrance, ready to grab the other nova when he comes up the elevator shaft. When he does, he will clinch and attempt to choke the nova into unconsciousness. He will do his best to not kill this one.