ngserpentsoc (ngserpentsoc) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2013-07-09 21:16:00

Entry tags:

adrienne batroc, armadillo jr., guardian, martin baum, plot-"underworld war", team - thunderbolts

The Serpent Strikes
Vadoma gave the members of the Serpent Society instructions on what they were to do. They were being paid quite handsomely to do a small job. The job was to destroy a factory in the Boston area.

It was a simple plan. Get in and do as much damage as possible. Then get out before being captured.

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	magic_hands 2013-07-16 07:19 pm UTC (link)
	Martin considers this. "Dunno. Can you do anything interesting? And what are the other options?" Because if it wouldn't be interesting or help the others much then he figured he could wrap her up and teleport her away or something in the meantime and then get back to the weird snake people. But weird snake people looked dull too, still, he wanted to be helpful. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ngserpentsoc
2013-07-16 07:23 pm UTC (link)

Han is considering her options carefully at this point. Its possible she might be fast enough to move before his spells go off - snap his neck, or any number of other things. She's taken on people who should have greatly outclassed her before. On the other hand, its possible she's just too slow, and he uses any number of spells - which she has only the resistance of a focused martial artist's mind against. She'd prefer not to test it if it doesn't come to that if there's another way to do her job. Unlike most of the society, she considers herself much more than a common thug.

"Do you play chess? Checkers? Go?"

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magic_hands
2013-07-16 07:32 pm UTC (link)

It's probably for the best. After all, his best spell is teleportation, and he's already on the disc which he needs to do it with.

He gives her a polite smile. "I play magic checkers, and I know a bit of chess. I'd like to play with you, but I'm supposed to be helping deal with this factory issue so I can't right now." He takes of his hat and tilts his head at her again, considering the options. She'd been polite too so far, so he'd offer her some options in return.

He didn't want to leave only to have her come inside and bother the others. But then again she probably wasn't allowed to just let him go like that. "Well, since you're on a job and all, and probably not allowed to let me just go, we can fight if you want. Or I can teleport you somewhere else, maybe zap you so it looks like we fought. That way it's easier to explain. I'm sure the boss will understand if he knows I can teleport very well and was trained by Dr. Strange." Sure this would be like giving her a free getaway, but it saved time and he should get back inside to help his team.

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ngserpentsoc
2013-07-16 07:41 pm UTC (link)

Han nods. "We could. But here is what I propose - we play chess, or checkers, if you prefer. Since that is what you would like to do. While we play, I will not hurt anyone, blow anything up, or contact my teammates to warn them, if you will agree likewise. Therefore, you are stopping me from committing any crimes.

When the game is over, if you win, I will leave without further problems or complaint and let you aid your team as you will. If I win, you permit me to carry on with my job."

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magic_hands
2013-07-16 07:55 pm UTC (link)

Martin seems to consider this too, then tilt his head again at an odd angle as if listening for something. But what he was of course doing was another telepathic scan, this time to do a head count.

"I would...if we had even numbers." But the Thunderbolts were only 7 while the opponents had 10 including this girl. "Because then everyone needs to take only one, and if we play if properly our game should last the whole fight and it'd be fine. But it's not the case so..." He shrugged apologetically. "I can't spend the whole fight playing you. Sorry."

Under one of her feet, on the ground there's a disc just like his that appears now. Only one foot covers it, it's him giving her the choice. "So would you like the teleport and zap or not, Miss?"

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ngserpentsoc
2013-07-16 08:03 pm UTC (link)

Han smiles, tensing just slightly.

"Do not be so certain it will go that easily. I have fought mystics before." At the moment, she's not moved yet, but is clearly more ready to do so.

"Your spells are powerful - teleports and zaps and explosions, no doubt. But that also is a risk. Yes, we have more people. But we also have nothing to match your girl of iron. We have numbers, you have the edge in power. I put it to you one more time - if we fight, you may win. But it will not be easy, and it may cost you. Likewise, I may win, but I acknowledge it will cost me if I do.

So instead, I suggest you take a moment... feel free to confirm that most of the men below are thugs, morons in it for a paycheck. Your team should be sufficient to deal with the problem as it stands... not easily, but what comes easy in your business?

So, we may fight a costly battle, likely injuring us both and possibly taking the time of the fight - or you may be absolutely certain that one of the enemy's better fighters, and more importantly, strategists, is out of the fight, with neither of us getting hurt.

I put forth, it is the better option for both of us."

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magic_hands
2013-07-16 08:15 pm UTC (link)

With another sort of person that would've been quite good, likely have even worked. But with Martin there was the fact that he just plain did not fear the way others did. He feared himself and what he could do but everything else? It was an adventure. Injury, death, danger, he didn't consider these things in relation to himself, or as things to be cautious about. So instead of causing him to pause, her speech has a boyish smile slowly spread on his face.

"Oh. Well if you've fought mystics before...then I do want to fight you.

And if my team can deal with yours, power-wise, then...it doesn't matter too much if I spend the time fighting you."

He stands up on his disc, which floats a bit higher and away from her, puts his hat back on, then takes it off to her with a sweeping low bow. "I'm glad I got the best fighter and strategist, Miss."

He straightens back up and with a snap of his fingers conjures up a handful of floating discs to surround her. The one under her foot is gone now, he wants this to be interesting after all.

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ngserpentsoc
2013-07-16 08:43 pm UTC (link)

That gets the same smile. She was prepared to move off of the disc she was on. Martin is clearly confident - and she's not at all certain she can win this one. But with proper will and reflexes, it could be overcome. At least temporarily.

She rolls and shifts between discs with the agility of the small, lithe and double jointed, reaching for his wrist to try and dislocate it to slow his conjuring before he can get too far away.

He's far more powerful, in all - but she'd wager she's quicker.

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magic_hands
2013-07-16 09:17 pm UTC (link)

He tries moving his discs to smash into her or at least nick her, but she's fast, much more agile than he expected even, and not one manages to hit her. Well that was interesting.

He was just in a moment of consideration about which spell to do now, when she's right in front of him and reaching for his wrist. It's times like this that make it obvious just why he always went places sitting on his disc. Conjuring a disc was the teleportation prep, sitting on one meant it took only the slightest thought to flash away. But in that moment, right before her fingers look like they're going to catch his wrist, the confidence of youth that believes themselves invincible disappears, and there's sheer panic in his eyes.

All at once he's gone in a rush of blue flame, but the panic had stray magic spurt from his gloves. Whether it hit her or did anything he couldn't tell from here. But soon it's apparent that his panic isn't from what one would expect in that situation, as his brow furrows and he shoots her a telepathic message.

You shouldn't touch my gloves. In most cases this sort of warning from most people would be a thinly veiled threat. But from Martin there seemed to be something more to it, as if he was more concerned at what might happen to the other person than to him if she did.

Martin works to catch his breath as his disc floats up, higher and making it harder for her to reach, as the other discs reorganize and prepare to try and attack her again. First thing was first, he was fighting a brawler and needed to take precautions. She moved too quickly to time freeze her, but he was going to have to do something else to combat her attacks. Instead of creating an area where time stopped within a metre or so of him, Martin does the longer lasting version that he's been working on these past few months, and even showed off to Adrienne.

He starts on the words, slowly creating an invisible bubble of sorts around him where, should anything enter it, would slow down to the point where time crawled for it. He may not be the best dodger, but when the fist coming at you the next time was moving at centimetres per second...well even the inexperienced could handle that.

Of course once the spell was up it'd only last the next couple minutes before needing to be renewed. And while he was doing the spell he couldn't exactly precisely control the attacking discs. So when they come swooping at her, it's noticeable enough that the movements are sloppier and wilder, more to get in her way than manage to hit her this time.

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ngserpentsoc
2013-07-16 09:30 pm UTC (link)

The discs are doing all the attacking for him. He's teleported out of reach. As this happens, Han's brain races... and comes to a conclusion.

She can't fly. Sure, she could find something to throw, but that's not her forte. She can sort of evade the discs - but eventually, one will get lucky, or she'll tire. She's an Olympic caliber athlete... but still entirely human in that regard.

Worst of all, she was foolish, and gave a wizard time to prepare. She should have gone right for the throat - but she didn't. Thinking she could use that good nature to delay him - her real goal. They were hired to cause massive destruction, they've done so - and now she has the means to contribute to it.

So instead of continuing the fight, she exercises the better part of valor and flees - heading first for the stairs, then leaping through a hole in the ceiling opened up by explosions below. She does her best to remain something of a small, fast moving target, hoping she can get Martin to launch offensive spells after her while she focuses entirely on defense.

She can't beat him. That much is clear. Not now, possibly not ever. That doesn't mean she has to lose.

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magic_hands
2013-07-17 01:23 am UTC (link)

He can't say what he exactly expected, maybe a leaping attack of some sort, who knew. But running away...most certainly not. And just when he was finishing up the time spell that'd have him be able to handle her close range style better! Well that was no fun.

Seeing as he's in the middle of a spell, Martin can't exactly teleport off after her. He lets the discs go after her as he wraps up, and go after her they do. Though the farther they get from their master, especially now that he has no visual on them, the sloppier they get. The rush her and ram into parts of the stairwell then the hole in the ceiling, shattering soon after impact.

Well this was no good. Martin sighs and does another head scan, this time to lock onto her. Everyone else is still a peripheral blip on his radar, but he's focused on her, and teleports in without warning, but too late to get his chance to hit her mid-air where she can't dodge.

Oh well, he'll have to make another opportunity like that then. He conjures up some new disc once he has her in his sights, and sends them after her along with some mystic bolts. If she wanted destruction, she's getting it. Though he's aiming at things she lands on, or looks like she'll land on. It's an attempt to get her airborne again and rather defenseless.

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	ngserpentsoc 2013-07-17 01:31 am UTC (link)
	Han dodges and weaves. She's bleeding from a dozen scrapes and burns, and has bits of the stairwell embedded in her arms and shoulders from the race - but she stays low to the ground, uses cover to the best of her ability, and does what she can to cause Martin to help take this place apart. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

magic_hands
2013-07-17 02:23 am UTC (link)

Martin crouches low on his disc, weaving about and racing after her amidst all the other fighting and destruction. At least the time spell gives him some protection from debris and stray bullets too.

His disc turn so they're all laying flat, and begin ramming into the ground under her then thrusting up, trying to get her and some debris airborne. It's still destructive, but perhaps not as much as if he was accidentally taking out pillars or blasting ceilings.

Not that he's too concerned about destruction. 'Save the factory' was the order. He assumed that meant from the invaders, nobody had specified to stop them from destroying it. He'd assumed the priority was the get the bad guys out.

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ngserpentsoc
2013-07-17 02:55 am UTC (link)

Even with her increased strength and durability, this is starting to hurt. She keeps running, ending up airborne at one point, grabbing for a railing and hauling herself over, scraped and burned by another projectile.

She heads for the pillars as best she can, trying to make sure as much damage is dealt to the supports as possible. Even if she's caught, the Society can free her - but is much more likely to do so if they've met their objectives.

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magic_hands
2013-07-17 03:01 am UTC (link)

What sort of fight was this? After all that talk about injuring each other she was just going to keep running? No no, that wouldn't do. Racing like this was fun to an extent but it wasn't a real fight.

So he changes tactics, and instead of his discs ramming into the ground under her, they start trying to herd her into smaller spaces. Because if he got her there he could expand one of the discs and block off her runs. At least that's what he hoped.

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ngserpentsoc
2013-07-17 03:18 am UTC (link)

What it is is a fight between two people with entirely different objectives. He's trying to herd her, she's trying to make sure this place comes down behind her.

An actual fight... had she opened with it, she might have had a chance. Once the mage really gets going? No way she comes out of this ahead. But she scared him - she could see it back there. And now he's doing the destruction work of any four or five of the Society.

As she gets an idea what he's doing, she heads for their team teleporter.

"Time to call it." she insists.

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magic_hands
2013-07-17 04:02 am UTC (link)

She's scared him all right. But likely not in the way she thinks. Every time someone comes close to touching his gloves there's a moment of sheer panic because he knows what might happen. Well, more accurately, he knows he has no idea what could happen. He could've just as easily accidentally turned purple as he could've given her some gruesome death. Both unintentional but when it came to his hands he had less control than he'd like, and they were too unpredictable. That was the fear really, what his hands might do.

He's still trying to herd her but it's looking unsuccessful as she veers off to someone on their team. Hmm not good if they're teaming up. He still thinks he can take them both, but he doesn't like the idea of it. Entirely because he doesn't feel like he got a real fight out of this one.

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