It's the Final Countdown

[wearingthestars]

WHO: Billy, The Remembers, OTA
WHERE: Billy's City
WHAT: Kidnapping, and Final Showdown
WHEN: Event End
WARNINGS: TBD


Billynapping

It was nice to have a routine, and in a city like this, it could be hard to keep one, the ever changing landscape of hero vs. villain could make things difficult to predict. But this one was still going strong. Billy rode his bike through the streets, making sure to stop for his usual offering of donuts, before continuing on to the comic stand.

He offered a wave towards Peter, busy with a small group of kids, and went to lock up his bike so he could browse, holding the bag in his teeth so he could stoop on the pavement and struggle with the finicky key.


Shadow Monster

This was not good. This was a serious threat to this world where the Shadow had come to enjoy it's free reign.

The Darkness swooped in oozing and spreading like mist, its shape ill defined and ever changing, shielding Billy and attempting to drive away anyone who would try to get near. It spread up through the sky, spreading it's reach and calling out to those it had infected to come protect this world, whatever the cost.

Billy appeared to have no sway over the creature, looking just as surprised as frightened as the rest of them, though the Shadow clearly was determined to isolate him him, whether he wanted it or not.

Comments

[thesepreciousthings]

"No, no it didn't", she said, "we're not meant to be here--"

And then Eddie hit the deck, and Cayde shifted his attention. "Oh, no you don't, friend," she snapped, bringing the gun up again and aiming for his wrist. She might not be able to harm him, but she could sure ruin his aim with a well-placed shot, and keep him from bringing Tony down.

[in_extremis]

One down, not so bad. Iron Man was already casually asking, "Hey, what do you think about lunch after this...?" before he realized this had earned the robot's attention. Just as unprepared for what artillery Cayde was packing, Iron Man only braced his arms in front of his chest to deflect the glint that was thrown at him, not expecting the groan and chatter of frosty tension crackling across the metal. He should have known better than to expect simple blades. He had to pressure release to send a rain of broken ice to the ground from his gauntlets, then broke up the frost threatening to seize his hips with his fists as a shot rang out and more went shooting by his shoulder in a glacial wave.

"We have no plans to market Iron Man popsicles at this time," he announced as he went veering away from the ice, then launched himself toward Cayde before he could consider retaliating against Clarice. The armor could handle some chill, but she might lose a limb to it, if she was lucky. "But we'll keep in touch," was Iron Man's warning as he aimed to bowl the robot over, bringing them close enough to set off the EMP that he hoped would work well enough on the construct as it was going to work on his own suit.

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

"Booogie man? Seriously?"

Eddie made a face as he pushed himself to his feet. This was not how this was supposed to go! He was supposed to just break down the door and find what was calling him there. Not get into a fight with Iron Man and whoever this woman was.

He saw her raising her gun at Cayde and he frowned. He could help the robot... then again, the guy looked like he could take whatever they were throwing at him. Maybe at least long enough for him to get through the door. "You're doing great, man!" He called out before turning his attention back to melting those hinges.

[deal_me_in]

"Ow!" The icy sickle vanished as his hand jerked aside with Clarice's shot, which at least saved Tony the continuous freeze. Cayde shook his arm out, glaring back in her direction, and then over at Eddie- bailing on him?! Not tha the had stopped to help him out much himself. The shattering sound of ice caused him to look back just in time to see Iron Man coming right at him.

He grabbed onto the armored wonder, frost crawling across the red and gold upon contact, his feet skidding along the ground in a trade of icy shards. The grin on his face was by no means a warm one, until it froze itself once the EMP went off and he realized what Tony's intent really was.

By then it was too late to ghost-step or evade, the burst hitting him without effort, and for a moment it felt like the breath had been knocked out of him, if he still had the lungs to breathe. His limbs tingled and went numb, the light in his optics and throat flickering wildly. He vaguely had the sensation of hitting the ground.

[thesepreciousthings]

Starling had seen the EMP before, and knew exactly what it meant: that Tony was stuck there in that suit until he had the chance to reboot. Cayde wasn't so lucky, and she winced, turning her head away fast so she wouldn't have to watch her friend hit the ground. All things considered, it was the best solution, but she didn't have to like it. She didn't let her mind linger too long on the thought that an EMP might effectively mean death for a robot, trusting that the Agrii had their backs and wouldn't let Cayde's body die, wherever they really were.

Instead, she approached Eddie, her gun at the ready but her finger solidly away from the trigger.

"Eddie, you don't wanna make me do this. Richie'd never let me hear the end of it if I had to shoot you. Breaking up the only two Losers in Temba? Capital offense..."

[in_extremis]

Hopefully, Clarice knew exactly what she was doing by calling the angry acid-spitting man a loser, because by then the two metal men had slid to a stop as both of their systems flickered and dimmed, and the best Tony could manage was a cautioning wheeze, "Director..." Behind her, the grappling pair wavered and collapsed, Iron Man's gloves locked around Cayde's shoulders and the frost crackling in the air between them.

Tony was left staring at the robot's strangely emotive face, gasping for shallow, ineffective breaths as he pleaded with the Iron Man to reboot before his heart gave out, or Cayde enchanted him once again by recovering faster before putting Tony out of his misery. Between his sharp gasps and in a small voice, Tony mumbled, "If this is-because-we didn't do lunch-my evening's-free."

[beepbeepmotherfucker]

That crash behind him couldn't be good. Shit, maybe he should've helped the robot, after all. Too late, now.

Eddie turned, looking skeptically at the redheaded woman. "Who the hell are you, lady?" He shook his head, trying to knock free the odd thoughts flitting through them. "No. Screw this." No one was shooting anyone today. He hoped his aim was true as he spat at that gun. He didn't want to hurt her, but if he could put that gun out of commission it would be enough for him.