Of Two Worlds, Part 4
Outside The Time in A Bottle, London...
As Dr. Green, Sakura Fubuki and the Golem of the Golders Green Guardians helped the ponies get into a grey Mercedes minibus, Dr. Green said "Griffin, I need you to fly above us. This headset I'm lending you is tuned to our radio. Push that button to transmit, use it if you see anything unusual."
Griffin went "Push to talk, got it. Need to get my sword out of my holdall first, I might need it." While he did so, he turned to Princess Twilight, saying "Your Highness, you asked me why I called myself the Griffin."
Princess Twilight said "Yeah, I still wonder why."
Griffin then revealed his wings, saying "Because if it flies or walks, I can protect it or fight it as the situation requires. Don't worry, I'll be in the air, keeping an eye on the minibus at all times. Doctor, I'm going airborne now!"
As Griffin took to the air, Dr. Green said over the radio "Griffin, do you still have visual, over?"
He replied "I have visual, Doctor. Just remember to tell me when you turn, over."
"Understood. Officer Benbow will be with us for this, over."
"Understood, Doctor. When you're ready, roll out!"
25 minutes later...
As the minibus was on the final stretch towards the Guardhouse, Griffin noticed something unusual. He radioed it in... "Doctor, this is Griffin. Noticed possible tail behind you, it's the white van! Got a plan. Once I land on it,
burn rubber and don't look back, I mean it! Tell the Guardhouse you're arriving under fire, out!"
Griffin knew a thing or two about tactics. His telling them to do an arrival under fire meant that they had to signal whoever was at the Guardhouse to open the gate right now, close it once the minibus made it into the courtyard and to prepare the girls for a quick exit.
"Got it! Good luck!"
Griffin makes a Tactics check and gets 20.
Griffin landed on top of the the van when someone shot him from underneath. Whatever their loadout was, it wasn't doing them any good. It was like shooting him with a pellet gun. It stung, but he wouldn't need medical attention.
That was when Griffin had an idea. He unsheathed his sword, shoved it into the van's bullethole and shouted
"LET THERE BE LIGHT!"
The massive flash of light inside the van caused it to stop. Hard. Luckily, Griffin's grip on his sword was tight enough for him to stay on. He quickly removed the sheath from his belt and reattached it to the blade before jumping off.
Griffin spends a HP on the following stunt with Justice: Burst Area Affliction 10, Impaired, Disabled, Unaware, Resisted by Will, Limited (To Visual). Using the bullethole instead of making another hole keeps Griffin out of the blast radius. The Militant minions get 20, 9, 11, 8, 14 and 5. The one who resisted was driving. Griffin does a DC 10 Strength check and gets 10 to avoid being thrown off.
As Griffin landed, he saw the driver's door open. He did a blow from above, knowing that a horizontal strike would give the driver time to close the door on him. It stunned the driver, allowing Griffin to press his advantage. He then proceeded to strike the driver with multiple blows to the head. The driver fell on to his seat. Griffin engaged the van's handbrake and took the key out of the ignition.
Roll Initiative! Griffin got 19 and the driver got 8. Griffin's going non-lethal. Griffin Charges with the Flurry of Steel, getting 27, hitting the driver and getting +5 DC for Multiattack. The driver (who was wearing a Bulletproof Vest) gets 23 and is Incapacitated. Fight's Over!
After Griffin quickly knocked out the other passengers, he reached for the headset, going "
Doctor, this is Griffin, please respond, over!"
Griffin does a DC 15 Philosophy & Theology check and gets 23. He realises that he has a major problem on his hands!
"I'm here, over!"
"Tell Officer Benbow that I've just knocked out five gunmen. The white Iveco Daily van holding them is at Finchley Road, turning to Golders Green Road, near the station. You can't miss it! The gunmen belong to the Order of St. Henricus. Hexenhammer's after us! I repeat, Hexenhammer is after us! Heading straight to Guardhouse now! If you have any ideas for stopping him, now's the time, over!"
"There's one thing you need to know. If you have to kill Hexenhammer - without a non-lethal alternative - don't touch the hammer afterwards! The last idiot who did
that got themselves killed and their body possessed. We learnt from that incident that Spindle's webbing - or a good length of rope - will let you carry it without risk of possession."
"Thanks for the intel, out!"
That was when Griffin got a telepathic message from Officer Benbow: "
Griffin, it's Benbow. Are you sure they're with the Order? Just think your reply back to me."
Griffin thought back "
They all have the Iron Cross branded on them, officer. Not even Neo-Nazis go that far, because concealing a tattoo is easier than hiding a brand. Tell whoever you're sending to pick them up that they're all unconscious and carrying handguns."
"Given how publicly you fought, armed response is already going to be en-route. You know where the Guardhouse is?"
"Flown there before, officer. See you soon."
Griffin proceeded to slash the van's tyres and stab its radiator. Even if the gunmen somehow recovered before the armed police arrived, they couldn't go very far. Then he took to the air again.
One minute later at the Guardhouse...
As Griffin landed, a red van turned the corner and stopped just across the road from the Guardhouse entrance. As the passengers came out, Griffin drew his sword. He saw that they were carrying the MP5K, the shortened MP5 model that's meant for close quarters. Which was also
seriously illegal for British civilians to possess.
Whoever they were, they came prepared. Then their boss came out...
Hexenhammer pointed his hammer at Griffin, saying "
Who are you to stand in the way of dealing the wrath of the Almighty to the abominations inside that so-called Guardhouse?!"
Griffin pointed his sword back, saying "I am the Griffin of London, who protects the innocent however he can, regardless of their origins!
This is your only warning, Hexenhammer! You can leave now, in peace, or you can take the consequences!"
"
Those abominations in there must die! And if we both have to die as well, so be it!"
That was when Griffin knew. He would actually have to kill Hexenhammer if he was getting out of this alive.
Roll Initative! Hexenhammer gets 26, Griffin gets 20, and the five Militant Minions get 18, 14, 13, 10 and 6. Griffin gets 4 HP for entering combat, calming Fluttershy down, his Motivation (he has a chance to stop a religious extremist whose actions are an insult to his Lady), his Honour (innocents are in danger and he can help) and Temper (a religious extremist seeking to harm innocents just because of their supernatural background is something Griffin cannot allow to stand). Hexenhammer gets 3 HP for entering combat, his motivation and Hatred (he knows that supernatural beings are behind the gate that Griffin's in front of and he wants them all DEAD!). The Militants have Bulletproof Vests and SMGs.
Everyone's using lethal force. Hexenhammer's Stats are in Threat Report.
Hexenhammer swings and hits Griffin in the ribs. Griffin gets slightly winded as he barely manages to turn with the blow.
Hexenhammer All-Out Power Attacks Griffin, getting a Natural 1! He spends a HP and gets 25, hitting Griffin. Griffin rolls to resist, gets 23 and is hit. Griffin attacks Hexenhammer with the Flurry of Steel and gets 31, crit scored! He raises the DC by +10 (including crit and Multiattack bonuses). Hexenhammer gets a Natural 20 to resist!
Griffin: 1 Injury. Hexenhammer: 2 HP. The Militants are ready to fire, but they can't shoot for fear of hitting their master.
Griffin saw an opening and did a pommel blow to the back of Hexenhammer's ear.
Hexenhammer attacks and gets 15, spends a HP, gets 29 and hits. Griffin gets 18, spends a HP, getting 26 and resisting.
Griffin attacks with the Flurry of Steel and gets a Natural 20, crit scored! Hexenhammer rolls 18, spends a HP and gets 27, leaving him hit and Dazed.
Griffin: 3 HP. Hexenhammer: 1 Injury, Dazed, 0 HP.
That was when Dr. Green started shooting from the balcony. The distraction gave Griffin the chance he needed to slay Hexenhammer by stabbing him in the gut, then the heart and finally beheading him!
Dr. Green enters the battle, getting 15 on Initiative.
Hexenhammer attacks and gets 25, hitting Griffin. Griffin gets 13, spends a HP, getting 28 and resisting. Griffin attacks Hexenhammer and gets 31, crit scored! (+10 DC with Multiattack). Hexenhammer gets a Natural 1 and is Dead! A Militant fires at Dr. Green, getting 20 and missing. Dr. Green returned fire with the Ecto-Lance and got 29, crit scored (+5 DC)! The Militant got 20 and is Incapacitated. The remaining Militants fired at Dr. Green, getting 24, 8, Natural 1, 19. Dr. Green gets 28, resisting the one burst that did hit her.
Griffin: 2 HP.
As Hexenhammer's bloody and lifeless body fell to the floor, Griffin realised what he'd just done.
He had just killed a sentient being for the first time.
Everything he was taught about committing such an act said that he was supposed to regret it... but he didn't. All he could feel... was that he did what needed to be done. He gave Hexenhammer a chance to leave peacefully, so it wasn't really his fault if Hexenhammer was too far gone for peace or reason to work any more.
Griffin is hit with a DC 25 Will check to keep from breaking down due to killing a sentient being for the first time. He gets 19... but his Second Chance kicks in, getting 28, allowing him to keep it together.
His reverie was disturbed when one of the gunmen said "What- what in the name of God are you?!"
Griffin said "What am I? I know that now." He spread his wings wide open, going "
Listen to me, all of you! I am the Griffin, angel of the Heavenly Host! Surrender now and you live! Fight me and you die in vain like your false master!"
The gunmen fell to their knees in prayer. They knew they've messed up badly. Their leader was dead at the hands of one who
really was serving their God and there was no way they could get close enough to the hammer without themselves dying in vain.
Griffin reveals his wings and Intimidates the Militants, getting +5 for targeting religious extremists who'd be likely to believe him, which is mitigated to +2 by them outnumbering him. He gets 23. The Militant minions get 16 and are Coerced into surrendering! Fight's Over!
He went on the headset, saying "Doctor, I need you to get someone out here! And I need something to move this hammer!"
Officer Benbow got into Griffin's mind, asking "
And what about the body, Griffin?"
"
His hammer's the true threat, officer! It contains his soul! Anyone touching it gets possessed by Hexenhammer and it kills them! As for the corpse, the surviving Order members can haul it off for all I care, because I have the one thing they need for their master's resurrection to be any good!"
Griffin then said on the headset "Doctor, can you get some of the guys out here?! I can't move the hammer myself without getting possessed and I want these guys to stay still until the police arrive!"
Dr. Green replied "They'll be there in a second, Griffin! The Infirmary is empty if you need to be alone."
"Thanks, Doctor."
Fifteen seconds later, Red Mage arrived, saying "We've got it from here, Griffin. And you'll need this," tossing him a length of rope.
Griffin said "Thanks, Red," and got the rope around the hammer's head. As he dragged the hammer into the Guardhouse, he said "Now if you excuse me, I'm about to perform the most dangerous and most likely suicidal act of my entire life. I'm going to directly get my Lady's attention!"
Officer Benbow stood in front of the entrance, saying "Listen to yourself, Griffin. You're going to summon a being who you have every reason to believe to be a goddess after you just killed someone! For the first time! Are you absolutely sure this is a good idea?"
"It's the only one I've got, officer. The Lady is the only being I can contact who could both take out Hexenhammer and have it legitimately be in her best interest. And the bastard isn't really dead yet! His spirit is stuck in that hammer until someone's stupid enough to touch it. That's why I need this rope to move the thing and made sure the girls were safely inside before the fight broke out. The fact that I fought him to protect an innocent and complete an assignment should keep me from getting into too much trouble."
"An assignment?"
"The Lady assigned me to get those little ponies back home, preferably unharmed. Stopping Hexenhammer, the most immediate threat to that objective, certainly advances it. I have one thing to ask, officer, before I do this."
"What would that be?"
"Was my fight with Hexenhammer... self-defence? Legally, I mean."
"I saw the CCTV, which was wired for sound. You did give him fair warning. And if what the Guardians told me about him was true, they wouldn't last too long either. It would have been murder if you then killed his gunmen without them threatening someone else. I know that they can't kill you with their MP5s, meaning that you'd breach the Invulnerability Rule. In short... yes, what you did was self-defence. I might have to summon you to court for this, but there's no way a jury with all the facts and evidence is going to find you guilty of murder, and that's assuming the matter goes to trial."
"Thank you, officer."
"Your Lady may or may not have a different mind about it, but that's between you and her."
"You think I haven't noticed?"
When Griffin dragged the hammer into the Infirmary - the most secure room in the Guardhouse - he knelt in prayer, clutching the Dogtag, saying "My Lady, I've never had the tongue for prayer, but I need to speak to you. This spirit before me, known to men as the Hexenhammer, has acted in a manner that has slurred and blackened your name before the world! He has acted in a manner which has killed many innocents and left the supernatural world speaking nothing but ill of you! I am aware of how he has evaded your judgement for centuries in a way that has driven him mad! I ask of you,
let him know your mercy! I beseech you, let your peace finally be upon him. I beg of you... Let your judgement fall upon him at last!"
Then there was a great wind from nowhere, and a blinding flash of light. When the light faded at last, Griffin saw a motherly-looking woman next to him, someone he was familiar with. She said "It's good to see you again, Simon."
"Likewise, my Lady. I wish it could've been in better circumstances, but..."
"I know. Don't worry, you're not in any trouble with me over that fight you had. Hexenhammer has been giving me a bad name for the past six centuries. No-one is as glad as I am that you finally brought him before me. You obeyed the Sixth Commandment and Article Five of our Agreement. I need you to stand up now, as you are to
bear witness!"
The Lady lifted the hammer and said in an old German dialect "<I'm sure you know who I am by now, Erich Adler. And I am disappointed. You're going to stand before me and
explain yourself. It's sad enough, Erich, that your actions and your
choices besmirched your own character. But someone falsely claiming to serve me while killing innocents... I'll give you a fair hearing, but it's not looking too good for you.>" She then looked at Griffin, saying "Simon, I want you to call everyone into the Library at once."
"Of course, my Lady."
In another flash of light, the Lady was gone and the Infirmary door was unlocked.
Griffin went to the security room where the ponies were and said "Doctor, my Lady wants a word with the lot of us, and I know that listening to her is always a good idea. I need everyone to come to the Library
at once!"