Ra stood, apparantly alone in front of the huge throne. Behind him, two lions paced restlessly. The roome is of black stone, held up by pillars every 20 feet. Torches flicker on the walls. Behind the throne, a room opens off from the main throne room. An open sarcophagus dominates the small chamber, but surrounding the sarcophagus are lidded baskets, stoppered pots, and large covered vases. An altar hugs tight to one wall, and upon it are four jars, each with a different hyroglyph upon it.

On Titan Omega's entrance, Ra smiles broadly.

"Horus, my friend, welcome! I had thought to collect you later, how considerate of Seshat to save me the trouble. And your friends with you! Excellent, we have much to discuss, many plans to make. Welcome all of you!"

He spreads his arms wide in welcome. A faint glow comes off of his body, an inner illumination that seems to confirm his deification.

"Horus? I think you've mistaken me for someone else glowbug." Titan Omega flies up toward the ceiling both to allow the others entrance and to make himself a distinct target.

"And now you are going to answer for what you have done..."

Coming in behind Titan Omega, Jay focuses his mind in prepartion for the possibly battle. Well, seems like he was waiting for us, guess I'll make my move first.

Those around Jay see him stop for a sec, and a faint engery glow surrounds him. Then poof, he's gone.

(His intent is to sneak around Ra's flank)

Using FF and Invisiblity and Stealth
current NP 26
spent NP 4

Juno strolls in, looking around. It was kind of impressive in a National Geographic Meets Smithsonian sort of way. When Jay vanishes, she's not sure what's going on, but decides to hope he's up to something and that he might need a distraction.

"So," she says, sauntering forward. "You're Ra. Cool. I kind of thought you might be more careful showing your face...seeing as how you had it smashed in by Yahweh last I heard. One old guy with a staff kicked the almighty -shit- out of your whole miserable pantheon, huh? Still...you had the balls to come back. Points for trying."

Amunet feels confident in Lord Ra's words, she becomes visible, yet still staying intangible. She walks closer to him, and stands at his side.

As Amunet appears at his side, Ra turns his attention from the flying Horus to the young girl.

"Neith. You always have had a way with words. I'm afraid the Exodus of Moses and his ragged band was a bit after my active time, though I followed the events with disgust. Ramses was a fool. Jehovah? Pah! Moses and his brother were two-bit con men who pushed their con farther than they meant to."

He looks around at the rest of the group.

"But that's ancient history, as they say. This is now. Will you join me? Together we can rule a united Empire of Man!"

"I have brought them, as you predicted," Fang said, unlocking her grip from Nathan's arm and stepping forward. "Your friends return. But I, Seshat, am bothered by something. The texts speak of you having been mummified, of them removing your heart. Is this true? Has the Lord Ra lost his reason?"

It went without saying why she, the keeper of knowledge and wisdom, would worry about just this matter. Her hands were shaking and she thought she might throw up, but she hoped that this might hold the answer to a peaceful resolution. If it worked, she might even begin to believe that God existed.

Ra pins Seshat with his glare. He seems shaken by her words.

"You DARE?! It is true that the ceremony was performed wrongly. They were not of my culture, they knew not what they did. But I am not bound by the superstitions of peasants. I am in full command of my faculties, fear you not! Look you, on the altar! I have my heart, as well as my brain, lungs, and stomach! They are right there, if I were to need them, which I do not! I am RA!"

He trembled with anger, but made no offensive move.

So fat so good, looks like he hasn't noticed me. I just may be able to pull this off. As the other banter with Ra, King has made his way to Ra.

Juno and Fang's words are all the distraction he needs as he prepares for his daring plan. Let this work! He reaches out to touch Ra....

(Using poison Dice pool 1+ 5 stam + 3 auto success for quantum. using mega for auto success)

Quantum Pool 22 -2 for poison
Current QP 20

"Ra, what I want you to do is this. I want you to release the people you've controlled the minds of. And before you say that they're not being controlled, prove it: release the power you've invested in them, and see if they still follow you then. You do this and I'll think about parlay."

Hmmm, he calls us by the names of gods. I wonder what that makes me. Right now I feel... not invulnerable but close to it. But normally a bullet will put me down. I can change to any other nova's abilities... just like... like...

Proteus.

Jedi glanced sideways at Fang when she made her comment. Was she under his spell too and really brought us for enslavement, or was she playing Ra? With a woman like that who could tell. Jedi pushed the power buttons on his two lightsabers and held them down at his sides prepared to either rush Ra or strike down Fang should she prove faithless.

"So are we all gods then? And if so are we all of your pantheon? There are likely to be more of us than there were ancient Egyptian gods, what happens when we outnumber your original group of dieties?"

"You underestimate Ra's power, you are fools to challenge him." Amunet says to them.
She steps closer to Ra's side, ready for battle, if needed.

Michael steps forward, the golden glow intensifying slightly as he feels the adrenaline rush through his veins. His liquid silver armor spreads over his skin in response to his anticipation, the black slits in his cruciform mask glowing as if some furnace burns within. His mind attempts to form a coherant plan, but with Titan Omega ready to throwdown, Jay vanished, and the unknown element of everyone's powers, he quickly gives up trying to predict how this will unfold.

This is going to get nasty if it comes down to a slug-fest.

Uncharacteristically silent, he moves forward to stand beside Juno.

"Ra lost his mind!" Juno accuses delightedly, abandoning her previous tack to jump on Fang's, far more effective, bandwagon. "Seriously, think about it, Caryn. Before the space station blew up and people started getting powers, he was one of those old guys shuffling down the street in stained corduroy pants, pushing a shopping cart full of trash, and mumbling to himself about really being a god if only people knew!"

She puts her hands out in front of her, pantomiming pushing a cart, and walks forward towards Ra, making crazed faces and muttering, "Look at me...I'm rah rah rah, cheerleader GOD...rah..."

As she goes though, she keeps her eyes on the parts that Ra indicated. Maybe he wouldn't be so quick to dismiss her if she held his heart in her hands!

Amunet watches Neith as she makes a fool of herself, and tries to make a fool of Lord Ra. She throws the wind up at Juno, trying to knock her back with her foolish friends...

And whatever happened to the soldier boy? He was here too, wasn't he?

Katalyst- [(Titan) rolls 6d10 and gets 3,7,5,2,3,6. Mega does not give auto successes. We'll use it to lower the target number, which gives you 2 successes, + your 3 for quantum = 5 successes... Ra resists... netting you 0 successes. Sorry keed. ]

Wraith- [(Titan) rolls 8d10 and gets 5,4,6,9,3,7,2,5. Not the most spectacular attack ever made. Juno tells me that she will abort her next action and dodge, so... (Titan) rolls 7d10 and gets 5,6,10,4,10,10,1. yep, that's a dodge.]


Ra chuckled at Jedi's sally about the Pantheon.

"You obviously don't know much about my children. They were as limitless as the stars. It only proves how long you have slept, Min. Still grasping the phallus, though, I see. Why you-"

He breaks off, and sweeps his arm to his right. Jay appears, and is flung back, cracking his head against the stone wall, and slumping to the ground, dazed.

"Get your disease-ridden hands off of me, Resheph. I have not been touched in five millenia, and your tender ministrations are not welcome."

Wraith shoots a focused gust of wind at Juno at the same instant. Leaping, Juno dodges the blast quite effectively, rolling and standing in the doorway to the burial room. Wraith growls in frustration.

Ra turns his attention back to the group, sneering at Juno but replying to Nathan.

"As for letting my children go, how can they UN-become. They have become what they once were, Khnum, as will you. They are my-"

Max Mercer finally made it to the end of the tunnel. He pants with exertion, and looks on the Novus with dismay.

For a moment, Ra's face is a mask of shock. He quickly recovers.

"Ah, the first worshipper. Welcome, human, to the hall of the gods!" His voice holds a note of irony.

Michael steps forward, incensed by the attack on Jay, his fists clenched in rage.

"ENOUGH!" He roars "Your blasphemy and hatred died out centuries ago! The world has no place for the psychopathic ramblings of a delusional god!"

He streches out his hand, his thumb, pointer and index fingers extended. For a moment, light builds between Michael and Ra, before it flashes into a blinding burst of heat.

(Q-Bolt - 5 dice to hit, 14 lethal damage.)

"AHAHAHAhahahaha!" Ra simply laughs as the beam of light strikes him in the chest.

"Monthu, you fool, what harm did you think your light can do..."

He grows four feet in heighth, and turns to solid light.

"TO THE SUN!"

Jedi looks sideways at Fang and says quietly, "Now would be a good time lady..."

Looking back to Ra, "Why should we follow you?"

Shivering, Fang reached out and tried to removed Ra's light, pulling at his chaos and forcing her order onto it.

[OOC: 9 dice for her pool; spending a WP for an auto success]

[(Titan) rolls 9d10 and gets 6,1,1,4,9,10,5,9,1. with the WP thats 4 successes. Ra resists, for a net 0 successes]

Fang reached for Ra's chaos, and... found order. Like a crystalline structure, his chaos is a patterned order that sends shock through her. Ra, the light being of power, looked down on her beatifically, as though he knew what she had discovered.

"How can you hope to turn off the sun? Do none of you realize that I CANNOT be defeated? You demean yourselves as gods. I offer for one last time... Join me!"

As his flash of anger drained out of him, Michael was at a loss. This was amongst the 'worst case' scenario's that he had imagined: that they faced something that was imbued with the power of an actual god... or something so close to it, as to be indistinguishable.

Christ, what the hell do we do now?

He was still poised, ready. Facing this... thing. He'd give it all for his team. He'd have to provide some support. He steels himself and waits for what is to come.

((Activating Awe-Inspiring))

For a precious handful of seconds, Juno just looked at herself in stunned awe. Had she just like...flipped away from those tornados Wraith shot? Hell yeah!

Her moment of exultation quickly dies as she sees the rest of the team rendered moot by the power of Ra. No time for more bullshitting around. She probably shouldn't have wasted time in the first place.

Juno scans the area near Ra until she sees his preserved organs...the things he'd indicated to Fang.

Man, I hope he still needs those... she thinks grimly as she sets herself...then makes a headlong dash for the jars on the altar!

It's all or nothing time, then. I have a chance. If he's the most powerful of us and I copy him then...

Then I might go as crazy.

It's a risk I have to take.

Nathan zooms towards Ra, intending to make contact and engage Quantum Imprint.

Quantum Pool (Full): 26
Quantum Pool (Current): 29 (-3 for Imprinting Titan Omega and presumably 3 for using Bodymorph)

Ah crap. There goes the neighborhood.

Jedi was having some serious second thoughts as people started running in different directions, toward Ra, toward his organs, slamming into the wall like rag dolls. This was not good. Not good at all, and no one had yet to make even the slightest dent in Ra's confidence.

Time to make a decison... Was he going to be a Jedi or a Sith?

With a wordless growl he rushed at Ra ready to strike him down the way Vader struck down Obe Wan.

Adam watches awestruck as things go from bad to worse, Ra shrugging off each of their efforts. Jay unconscious, Fang and Michael ignored. They needed to act united or he would simply pick them off one by one.

There! Juno going for the mythic source of his power...a possibility although Ra himself seemed unconcerned. Being in plain sight could easily make them no more than a red herring. At the same the Jedi and his doppleganger sped into action. If Nathan could absorb Ra's light, it might level their playing field just enough.

If this doesn't work, I don't know what will. The thought was present but his body acted oblivious to his half-formed doubts.

In a flash of movement so fast as to be imperceptible to all but the keenest of senses, Titan is behind Ra's glowing form.

Let's hope his light body is as solid as it looks...

Adam reaches out with his impossibly yoked arms and attempts to bear-hug Ra from behind, going for a hold long enough that Jedi and Nathan might get in two solid hits.

((Attacking from the rear for a clinch, + 2 dice to accuracy. total 11 dice. Oh yeah and down 4 QP for the Hypermove and Bodymorph. 22 points remaining.))

Oh shit wall! he manages to say before crashing into the wall. Dazed and shocked by the power of Ra he watches as the other's commence their attack and fail while he clears the cobwebs from his head.

His attempt to poison the man-god a smashing failure, Jay picks himself up and tries to make sense of the situation. He see's Titan O go to grab Ra, and Juno going for the jars. Think man, they need you help! "Caryn," he shouts "Come to your senses, can't you see that this false god is evil. We're your friends. Look at your self, you've become an agent of evil, how can you live with your self knowing that!"

Amunet see's Jedi start to come towards Ra in an attack mode. She throws her hands up and puts a shield around Ra, as she does it, Titan is suddenly behind him so now both are inside of the shield.
Amunet closes her eyes and tries to focus on her Wraiths,Mafdet,Seker and Set. Come back to us now, our Lord Ra needs you.
She hears Jay in the background yelling at her, but dismisses his words.

Many things happened at once.

Nathan leaped forward, to touch Ra on the arm. He is the first to realize that Ra is not as solid as he appears. His fingers trail through the light of Ra's arm. He feels crushing disappointment, then a surge of power.

(Nathan, you may take four dots in any four powers you wish. Yes, any four. I said, ANY FOUR POWERS. What is it with you, you don't believe me?)

At the same time, Jedi sprung towards Ra, lightsabers flashing. His first strike passes through the Sun God just like Vader's strike passed through Obi Wan Kenobi. So surprised is he by this that he barely feels Wraith's Air Shield knock him back. He skids back on his feet, still ready to strike, lightsabers in hand wondering what to do now.

Titan Omega, simultaneously, speeds behind Ra, just as the shield of air comes up. He finds himself inside the shield, grasping... light. Ra is laughing now. He shines a brilliant light inside the throne room.

White hot light from Ra causes Max to throw an arm over his eyes. Thus hooded, he turns to Fang and shouts,

"This isn't working, we have to do something different!"

Fang looks around at the ineffective battle, and sees Juno. The sarcastic juvenile has grabbed all four jars off the altar. She stands with them in her arms, clearly wondering what to do. Ra isn't paying attention to either of them, he is heaping scorn on the others for their attacks.

"SO BE IT! If you won't join with me, then you must surely be destroyed! Pitiful fools! Did you truly think that I could be defeated by you. I tell you again, I AM RA!"

He grows again, filling the huge chamber. He gestures, and the top of the room flies upwards, along with about 5,000 tons of rock and sand. The Throne Room is open to the desert sky. The wind whips around the group, as Ra shoots up again, this time to a huge 200 feet high.

Amunet feels her Wraiths coming. Mafdet, too, breaks off battle and is on her way. Seker is dead or unconscious, she feels no response from him. Set ignores her, caught up in some sort of berserker rage.

Michael throws up his arms, shielding his eyes from the roaring sand.

Sweet Mary Mother of God!! What do we do now?!

"People!!" He yells "I'm open to ideas!!"

He squints into the storm, trying to see... that form... he moves towards the silhouette that he hopes is Wei Fang.

Fang staggered to Juno's side, helping the other woman hold onto the jars in her hands. "Amen-Ra," she screamed over the howling winds, hoping he can hear her, "these aren't the actions of a just and wise god! As powerful as you may be - as all of us gods could be, we are still bound by the rules of the universe.

"As angry as you are, as wrathful as you feel as you feel, you know the truth! The gods are subject to natural laws, and you are separate from your heart!"

"Amunet, sister," Fang turned to Wraith, still shouting. "Please, you know I'm right, and of us here, only you can put his heart back in place." She could become as intangible as the god; Fang hoped that it would work that way. "Please, help Lord Ra! Give him back his reason."

Nathan barely notices the chaos in the room, as he finds himself shot full of raw quantum energy, that seethes around him in a flickering corona.

God. Good God. There's so much of it! I could do just about... just about... my God. Holy shit. I can't focus. I can't contain it - there's got to be something in there -

The energy dissipates, and Nathan looks up at Ra's towering form. He grimaces. Did I choose right? I think if I concentrate I can draw this guy down...

He concentrates, and a shimmering bubble of energy surrounds his body. He then looks up at Ra and reaches out, trying to pull the quantum energy through the air...



Quantum Pool Base: 32
Current Quantum Pool: 23 (not counting actions taken this turn)

Finding himself to be ineffective, Adam watches in horror as Ra blasts through the Earth in a fury of stinging sand. Flying towards the two women, he covers them with his enourmous cape, protecting them from the abrasive wind.

((Attunement+force field))

Jedi looks at Michael and shrugs at his question of what to do now. "Uh, Hail Ra?" He says it only half jokingly. This is way beyond where he is power-wise. "Seriously, I've got nothing."

Amunet let her shield down, watching in awe. She heard Fang's words... help him she thinks. Your right, I need to help him. She turns to Juno, who's standing there with the jars in her arms, she focuses on them, seeing through to the inside, she runs over to Juno and turns intangible, reaching her hand through the Jar and bringing out his heart in the palm of her hand, she looks up at RA and begins to propel herself up behind him. "For you Lord Ra!" she says as she puts her hand through his chest then places the heart where it belongs. Her Wraiths come through the ceiling, floating next to her, keeping their eyes on all of the others who are speechless and blinded by the light.

"Holy mother of...." is all Jay can say as the events unfold in front of him. His field of engery is keeping most of the storm from affecting him to much.

He tries yelling over the storm "Everyone close on Fang and Juno, we make our stand with them!"

Jedi rushes over to Fang's side and yells to King, "As good an idea as any. I don't suppose anyone has an exit strategy?" As he speaks he keeps a close eye on Ra and his follower.

As Amunet slides the petrified heart into Ra's chest, he screams in rage. His light becomes even brighter, blinding everyone momentarily. The wind whips more furiously, sand scouring the group's skin.

"BETRAYAL!"

The heart sends out red veins through the yellow light of his body. They trace their way to every extremity. His gathered power trembles on the verge of being unleashed. The red veins travel to his head, and detonate. There is a silent explosion, everything turns orange, and you are all buffeted back by the force.

Slowly the wind settles, the light fades.

You become aware that the giant form of Ra is gone. Instead, standing in the middle of the Throne Room, is the man you saw when you entered. Ra has his head bowed. Beside him, kneeling on the stone floor, is Caryn Sanders. She looks just as she did this morning, and little worse for wear. The cloak of Wraith is draped around her loosely, and she looks around uncomprehendingly.

Ra speaks, head still bowed.

"Thank you, my friends. I see now, I have been foolish."

He raises his head and faces the group.

"I found over a dozen like me, when I ruled the Upper Nile. They were from all over the world. Eneluki, from what you now call Norway. Zuus, from Greece. Ahur, from Babylon. Quetzl, from Mayzteca. From Japan, from China, from all over they came here. We were going to build a golden age on earth, for all mankind. But, I... I became arrogant, and overreaching. I believed I was truly a god. They had to... subdue me. Our battle caused a great flood in Europe and the Middle East, as well as catastrophic tectonic activity that almost destroyed the earth. I... I did not go down easily."

He looks piercingly at Wei Fang.

"You conclude correctly that when they removed my organs, it was not to do me honor, but to ensure that I never rose again. They were mistaken, but the loss left me much diminished. I have lost my reason before, I see no need to chance losing it again."

He turns to Caryn.

"I... apologize for using you so badly. I wanted... want... companions. But, I see now that I cannot fit in this world. I must take the Boat of a Million Years, and search out the Heavens for a new place. I must leave this world to you, and the rest. I will go."

He looks around pleadingly.

"Before I do, please... promise me that you will fix Egypt. That you will restore not only what I have taken from her, but that you will use your power to make her whole again. Green again. She deserves that much."

Max nods, and looks around at the group.

"We will do what we can. I can't speak for individuals, but the Æon Society will do right by Egypt, I can promise you that."

Ra looks at Max for a long moment, then nods.

"Thank you."

He looks around at the assembled Novus. He seems to approve of what he sees. He begins to fade out, you can see through him now.

"All of you."

Almost a whisper, as he disappears from sight. A faint light remains, then fades as well.

"Hoooookay," Juno says in a long, drawn out vowel, still shaking from reaction to the incredible events she'd just witnessed.

"What the -fuck- was that all about?"

"I... I dont know. We restored his sanity? His empathy perhaps?"

Michael pauses and spits out some sandy grit.

"All I can hope its over... and that the others he coerced are free from his influence."

He rests a hand on the young womans shoulder, a smile slowly spreading on his face.

"Great job, Juno."