Adventures Assemble S3E3: The Great Brain Robbery!

[kenseido]

Amethyst

Michelle walks up the steps and enters the V-Tol. The two Shadow Clan members have their backs to the cockpit door. They are holding the two AEGIS personnel as human shields with shadow blades to their throats. Both of the flight crew are tied up in the same shadowy rope that Celeste was.

Their eyes dart back and forth.

Amethyst Insight check: 1d20+10 19
Michelle can tell these guys have no idea what they are doing. They are overwhelmed by the whole thing and have no clear plan for getting away.
Probably best to overwhelm them with a lot of different things at once, so they don't know what is going on, and don't have time to realize they have lost.

[Ysariel]

Amethyst
Condition: normal / HP: 2

Amethyst resisted the urge to bare fangs because whatever malevolent cosmic force had conspired to allow two no-name, low-level flunkies whom even their boss considered disposable to launch a flawless ambush, hold off an entire team of veteran heroes and take hostages from right under their noses was about to run out.

A moment of wordless communication passes between herself and Amy. The A.I. can read her thoughts by sensing the synapses firing in her brain.

If they make any move to hurt the hostages, fire the suit's thrusters and put me in the way, she thinks.

They have blade to their throats, Amy prints on her HUD. There's no way to interject yourself in the way.

Well, think of something drastic then. This is a last resort. I am trusting nothing to chance.

I will use every means to make sure it does not come to this.

Amethyst suddenly stops and looks up, as though sensing something untoward. "D-did you hear that?!"

She stops in the aisle, turns and looks at the tail end of the jet.

OOC

Deception to draw their attention to the rear of the jet

AA Amethyst Deception : 1D20+10 = [10]+10 = 20

[Psistrike]

Moonlight
HP: 1 LP: 0
Condition: Fine

Moonlight flies up alongside Gelert trying to keep out of view of any of the shadow warriors. Seeing the window between them and the cockpit, she focuses on creating a precise, thin, and intense flame to cut a large hole through the glass to make an entrance and avoid making any notice as they enter. Once the hole is complete she sets aside the glass and floats in on the whisper-quiet wind, landing and waiting for Gelert as she readies to blast one of the shadow warriors on the other side of the door with precision strikes of air the moment they can act. She trusts Gelert to strike as swiftly to take out the other foe.

[Gilliam]

Nightbird
HP: 2 LP: 1
Condition: Bruise x 1

As everyone moved into position, Imogen stayed within contact of Celeste just in case the mage returned or there was another threat to her. Once Imogen received confirmation that everybody was in place, she took a deep breath and tried something that she had never tried on this scale.

Instead of her normal spine tingling screech a sound started to build increasing in volume as though a number of helicopters were converging on the hanger.

[stavaros_the_arcane]

Gelert

Moonlight
HP: 1 LP: 0
Condition: Fine

Moonlight flies up alongside Gelert trying to keep out of view of any of the shadow warriors. Seeing the window between them and the cockpit, she focuses on creating a precise, thin, and intense flame to cut a large hole through the glass to make an entrance and avoid making any notice as they enter. Once the hole is complete she sets aside the glass and floats in on the whisper-quiet wind, landing and waiting for Gelert as she readies to blast one of the shadow warriors on the other side of the door with precision strikes of air the moment they can act. She trusts Gelert to strike as swiftly to take out the other foe.

Gelert flies in after in position ready to open the cockpit door and spring the ambush.

Gelert nods to Moonlight. "Right we blast em and if that doesn't put them out of commission, drag the hostages into the safety of the cockpit."

He comms the others "Ready to go. Just say the word."

[kenseido]

All

One of the Shadow Clan member passes his hostage over to the other and then approaches Michelle.

Before he gets too close, the area is filled with the sound of helicopters. They begin scrambling trying to look up through the windows.

With the distraction, Gelert and Moonlight enter the cockpit and Michelle warps in several drones. They all quickly dispatch the two Shadow Clan members and secure the hostages.

"Thanks," the AEGIS agents say, almost in unison. Before anyone can do anything else, shadows form under the two unconscious opponents and suck them in.

Meanwhile, outside the area where Jason was standing folds twice and Jason is back, holding a middle-aged man in stereotypical wizard garb - minus the pointy hat - by the shirt in his right hand. He drops him saying, "And that's why I've never heard of you."

He looks around, his eyes glowing, He settles on Nightbird.

"Oh, hey Genie. You beat up the Shadow Clan already?"

[Gilliam]

Nightbird
HP: 2 LP: 1
Condition: Bruise x 1


There was a small sigh of relief when Imogen heard from the rest of the team that the hostages were all safe and unharmed "The hostages are okay and the ninjas all gone." Imogen informed Celeste, she wasn't going to tell her that she was safe as well just in case she jinxed it.

A ripple in the air caught her attention and she tensed for action until recognising it was Jason she relaxed as much as she ever did.

Meanwhile, outside the area where Jason was standing folds twice and Jason is back, holding a middle-aged man in stereotypical wizard garb - minus the pointy hat - by the shirt in his right hand. He drops him saying, "And that's why I've never heard of you."

He looks around, his eyes glowing, He settles on Nightbird.

"Oh, hey Genie. You beat up the Shadow Clan already?"

"Shadow Clan? So that is who they were, yes they're all gone now but it was a harder battle than I think any of us expected. What do you know about them and more importantly whose your new friend?"

[kenseido]

Nightbird

Jason steps towards Nightbird as he continues to scan the area with his glowing eyes. "Shadow Clan are a ninja-like group of mercs with limited Shadow Magic capabilities."

"They hired Count Khabal there," he says pointing back to the man on the ground. "He's a mouthy one but doesn't know who hired them."

He looks back at the man on the ground. "He used a precog spell to find out exactly when and where we would land so they could ambush us, and then dropped that magical darkness on the area."

[Ysariel]

Amethyst
Condition: Fatigued / HP: 2

"Thanks," the AEGIS agents say, almost in unison. Before anyone can do anything else, shadows form under the two unconscious opponents and suck them in.

There's a faint hum as Amethyst deactivates the holographic field. "No problem. It's really our fault for not securing the jet," she says. Note to self: next time, lock the doors after getting out of the car, or hypersonic plane.

"They hired Count Khabal there," he says pointing back to the man on the ground. "He's a mouthy one but doesn't know who hired them."

He looks back at the man on the ground. "He used a precog spell to find out exactly when and where we would land so they could ambush us, and then dropped that magical darkness on the area."

Walking down the landing ramp, Amethyst raises a hand in greeting as Jason reappears. This was good news: she'd been thinking about how to launch a rescue operation but apparently Jason was more than capable of rescuing himself.

"Their boss is a ruthless one," she says. "They were sent here as suicide troops. The ones who were defeated were swallowed up by shadows and according to them, they're good as dead."

"Count Khabal," she points at the wizard on the floor. "Use your precognition spell and tell us when and where the next attempt to kidnap Celeste will occur. Actually, nevermind. It's not like anything you said could be trusted. And," she adds with a smirk, "you evidently didn't foresee the epic butt-kicking you've just been dealt, either."

[kenseido]

All

Count Khabal comes to and just glares at Michelle. His hands are securely bound behind his back and there is a gag in his mouth.

"He's not smart enough anyway," Jason comments. "He thought I was going to sit at a table opposite him, and we take turns casting spells at each other."

[Gilliam]

Nightbird
HP: 2 LP: 1
Condition: Bruise x 1


Imogen tried not to smile at Michelle's comments to the Count although she raised a good point

"I have to agree he isn't that smart, the Shadow Clan are gone burgers and since the good Count also failed miserably I suspect he is next on the no longer living list. So Amethyst, Jason do you think Count Khabel should ask for our protection?"

[kenseido]

All

Count Khabal chuckles softly.

"Fools. I don't need your protection."

[stavaros_the_arcane]

Gelert

Gelert gives the AEGIS agents a good look over, a little burst of healing energy before saying "Glad you're alright. Sorry about the window."

All

Count Khabal chuckles softly.

"Fools. I don't need your protection."

Gelert trots up to the wizard on the ground, deliberately walks onto his chest, sits and looks down at the wizard. "Are you sure? Are you really really sure? Because despite you apparently being able to see the future you don't seem to have a lot of foresight. So however you think all this is going to turn out... well I wouldn't count on it."

The puns were definitely intentional.

[kenseido]

All

"I will be just fine," Count Khabal says with a smirk.

""And don't you worry, Maxwell. Round 2 will be completely different." Then something behind his back glows and he vanishes.

Jason growls a bit.

[Ysariel]

Amethyst
Condition: Normal / HP: 2

"I think that's a fine idea, Nightbird," Amethyst says, watching Count Khabal teleport out from under Gelert. "Which means he won't take it." She is very familiar with this sort. How did the saying go again? 'Loudest are the boasts of those turning tail' or something like that?

Before anyone else can teleport in or out, she ensures the jet's landing ramp is securely shut.

"Let's check in on Freedom Hall and make sure everything is alright. Then, we should contact the Saito family and ask for their advice. As long as the dragon is bonded, there'll be no end of attacks on Celeste."

She turns and starts walking towards the building. "Seeing as we've had an entire battle on the front door without anyone so much as coming out to have a peek, I'm guessing they don't have any reserve members or staff on duty."