Sold Out!

[Jay Carpenter]

Jay laughed. He knew the description was absurd. But Vanders used it and the phrase stuck. Their anctics relaxed him. "What else do we call your kind then?"
Music rose, lights dimmed, and he had to raise his voice to get the question across.

They both noticed the red head again. Jay looked over his shoulder and checked him out. He didn't seem to be talking to people at his sides. Nor was he eating or drinking. He just sat there, looking at the stage, sometimes looking at people. But Methos attracted all kinds of crazies. Proof was in present company. That was for sure.

"I saw that guy outside too. Thought some teenie bopper was going to buy his ticket off him, but she's right over there."
He pointed at the pre-teen. Luckily for her oblivion, her body guard was closeby.

"I'm Jay."
He offered a handshake. If he was apprehensive about shaking the hand of a wizard god dude, he didn't show up. In fact, seemed about the most normal thing on the planet.

"And watch who you call squishy,"
he smirked. It took work to pull off hot.

The music intensified and Jay found himself rather content for once. Hard to remember the last time. But when the lights came down and the glow overhead was their only source of illumination, other images, of flashing lights on the horizon, filled his mind. He told himself it was dumb to think about far off danger at a time like this, but he found his eyes darting, checking their perimeter anyway.

[Methos]

Everything was going off without a hitch. Troy was busy with the lights, he'd set up the stage pyrotechnics and just had to trigger them. He was actively holding the lighting. It was a modern wonder looking at them from down below - how a young man could pull off such magic he wished he knew. But it was breathtaking - almost as beautiful as the real thing.

Bev was gearing up for the sound part. He had a mic and speakers set up but he didn't use them. It was all magic too. Perfect sound no distortion - epic.

The lights went out and the music started, Bev went into action and just as Methos stepped out on stage a random firework went off over the crowd. The fans loved it and Methos went with it. It wasn't his. But he'd take credit for it.

The lights came on and Methos started his show.... He felt glorious.

****

It wasn't long into the third song, the crowd was chanting his name while the techno chords played their solo and then they chanted the words of the chorus as he sang it. The lights went black and and there was a started scream echoing into the crowd. But the borealis remained and the sound continued. Methos continued acapella as if it was all part of the show. The crowd cheered and Methos continued without his normal accompaniment.

The lights above went out. What the fuck? Methos looked to the side stage but he could see nothing, then the sound died and the crowd roared. Methos didn't know if it was in frustration or cheering - it was loud and deafening without the sound of his own voice filtering through the air... What the fuck was happening.

There was a scream that pierced the air from the crowd - it rang in Methos head as he tried to figure out what he should do and what was going on...


Edited by Methos, Feb 1 2017, 06:44 AM.

[Nox]

Nox didn't really have a suggestion for him. As the music rose he shrugged and said, "I'm happy with human."
He wasn't anything special. Just a man with a gift. No different than people like Einstein, Lovelace, Bowie, Prince, hell even Methos - people who made a small difference. But he didn't say any of that as the music rose.

Jay offered his name and hand and Nox took it with a grin. "Nox."


He was glad he wasn't the only one that had seen the ginger man and his dead blue eyes. They weren't even nice blue eyes... Nox shook his head and listened to the music play.

Jay commented on being squishy and Nox took a quick look at his new friend and gave him an appraising glance, but in the dim lights he could really only make out a shilouette of him. His thoughts wandered and memories flood his mind making Nox blink. Strong hands. Close breathe on his neck and a pair of hazel eyes.

Nox shook himself out of the memory and hoped it hadn't been noticeable. "I didn't mean it like that."
Nox stammered apologetically. He nodded to the numskulls next to him - they were making him sound like an idiot. "The wizards in their games are easy to kill - low hit points, low armor - squishy. But I am the least squishy of the three of us in real life."
Nox leaned back in his chair and shot a single small fireball into the air and watched it dissipate into tiny little sparks. Nox didn't have time to wonder why he was being so reckless - maybe it was the beer.

Sage was giggling next to him as he whispered to Cruz about him. Nox rolled his eyes. They were even more childish than he was - and that was saying a lot.

Nox rested his arm on the arm rest with Sage's arm and he could have sworn the other man sighed. But it was impossible to know exactly what he'd heard. His other arm was annoyed. He hated sharing with strangers - not that Jay was really that big of a stranger I mean he knew the guys name. But Nox didn't get to contemplate his dilemma any further as the lights dropped and the sound systems crackled out. Nox leaned over to Sage and whispered. "No matter what happens you stay with Cruz."
Nox grabbed Cruz's arm. "Defense only. You both stay together."
Nox felt Cruz take the power in him and nodded. They'd stay safe together even if he got separated from them.

The aurora borealis and Methos were still going strong, but Nox knew the sound of the electricity going out abruptly. This was all the power. Nox could feel the menacing presence just beyond the stage, and a chill had run down his spine but he'd attributed it to the creepy guy.... And then the lights went out completely and the menacing presence died. The chill vanished with the sound and Nox stood up and was looking around in the darkness. Sage grabbed his hand and squeezed before he let go. The hacker knew that Nox was going to wade into danger - whatever it was - it was just who he was.

Nox pulled on the power and he could see shapes in the darkness. It wasn't infrared, what he wouldn't give for night vision goggles right now.

There was an ear piercing scream - one that would curdle your blood... Nox wanted to make an orb of light but that would be a dead give away - and Nox was certain he didn't want to be seen doing anything out of the ordinary right now... Nox started past Jay towards the direction of the scream.

Edited by Nox, Feb 1 2017, 07:21 AM.

[Jay Carpenter]

Jay found his foot tapping along with the music. He mouthed the words along with Methos. They hadn't played his favorite song yet, but Jay had all night. He longed for a refill of the beer but was content to wait till the show was over. Maybe go to some bar afterward and sample the kinds of lagers he'd only ever heard about. Definitely ditch creepy red haired guy. Hell, maybe he'd ask Nox and his two buddies if they knew a good place. Maybe go out together. The last time Jay hung out with civvies was the first weekend back in Iowa after leaving the marines. Course, he didn't remember most of that weekend, but point was, it'd been a while.

Human. He found himself thinking about the word Nox used during one of the songs. Yeah they were human. It was totally normal. But these men, men like Vanders, like Nox, like Ascendancy, they weren't the same. Some child chess prodigy was human, but only a fool would say the average guy was in the same league with one. They were different. Dangerous, definitely. Jay understood the hesitancy and fear that the news sources were all discussing. He'd seen the videos on the internet. If Nox had a shred of the Ascendancy's powers, what was stopping him from melting down the auditorium? From melting down a man?

Shake it off. He was being paranoid for no reason. Nothing was going on. Maybe the noise was getting to him. It was loud in there. Dark. Crowded. Maybe a concert was a bad idea. Maybe.

Then the lights died. They were left with an eerie green glow casting poisonous color over the crowd. The sound crackled like lightning and thousands of people held their breath. Jay tensed to attention, waiting for something to happen. Nox moved, Methos stopped playing, and then there was the scream.

His neck snapped toward the noise, and along with Nox, and others, he began to push his way out of the row toward the aisle. But everyone else seemed to have the same idea. That one lone scream sparked panic and any subsequent ones were lost in the noise of a panicked mob.

Bodies bumped into him. Although bigger and stronger, he navigated the sea by hopping rows, climbing over the backs of chairs and reaching the aisle where he knew the teenie bopper girl had been sitting.

His foot hit something, wedged. He fell forward, bracing himself on the seats for impact, but his hands found something besides cement and cushions. It was squishy. That was for sure.

A body. The body guard.

He looked around. By the light of panicked Wallet screens jostling as everyone stumbled over each other, he searched for the girl.

[Nox]

Panic ensued. There was only a moments hesitation for Cruz's safety. If the Atharim were behind this - and Nox had a bad feeling they were - open use of an ability after the announcement Ascendancy made - this had all the heraldry of a message to the world. And the Regus missing - there was no reason to hide what they were right now. Punishments could be doled out later... Fuck!

Nox stopped and grabbed Sage's arm. "Stay here till it's clear. Don't let Cruz show himself."
Sage nodded and Nox followed behind Jay over the rows of seats. He almost fell on top of Jay if it weren't for the chairs in front of him. Nox pulled out his wallet and turned on the flashlight app - fucking Atharim he had to do this the hard way even though his power was sitting just the edge of his mind dancing - calling - saying use me.

The man's neck was broken twisted like a owls. He was the teenie boppers body guard from earlier. Nox raised his makeshift light and saw the hulking red head standing over something....

No, someone. The hem of the girls jacket stuck out from the frame of the red head. Shit! It couldn't just be some damned ginger it had to be a strzyga. Fuck! And the only weapon Nox had was his power. But there were potentially Atharim all around.

Nox climbed over the last few rows to stand in front of the creature... blood dripped from it's mouth as it looked up at Nox with dead cold blue eyes. Nox grinned at it, but it wasn't going to taunt easily. Nox was hardly easy prey when a limp girl hung from its hands. But it tossed the girl to the side and focused on him with a growl that sent shivers down his spine. At least if the girl was a live she was out of harms way... Nox could defend himself, if he could get it away from here that was.

(( feel free to do the honors ))

[Sage]

First the man called Nox a wizard that made Sage laugh, then Nox hit him which soured his mood until Nox used a geek term correctly. But the humor and the contact with Nox's arm didn't last long before the lights went out. Everything went dark and panic rushed through Sage. He'd come out, instead of staying in. He could have been home. ..

His thoughts were interrupted by Nox grabbing his arm. Giving instructions. Nox would take care of whatever the problem was. But the mob of people were pushing and pulling and everyone was trying to get away from the empty blackness - the screams and the shouts were deafening. Nox was already gone with the other man - doing what he did best most likely - protecting the innocent. Sage couldn't feel bad about it though he couldn't help the stabbing pain of abandonment that coursed through his body.

Cruz grabbed his shoulder and Sage looked up at him in confusion. Cruz tugged at him and said something but Sage was lost in his mind. Bad memories - panic filled his mind and it had nothing to do with the situation. The darkness. The bright pin point lights...

Blood gushing through gashes made by invisible creatures. A haunting picture of a girl being carried into the forest. Dead eyes of a man who'd done the deed. Sage remembered those pictures - those images - they weren't his memories but he saw them like they were lost in the storage of his own mind - things he'd accessed recently. Nox's nightmares...

Cruz dragged him along, but Sage wasn't sure they should move, but he knew he had to stay with Cruz. Cruz was like Nox. Cruz would get caught. Sage mumbled in Cruz's ear. "Let it go. Don't get caught. Nox isn't here."
Cruz rubbed Sage's arm but that was the only indication that his friend had heard him.

Outside the mob milled around - some running for their cars, others standing in large groups. Only the lights inside the arena had gone off, everything outside was fine. Sage frowned...He needed to go home.

[Jay Carpenter]

As Jay crawled over the body, he checked for a pulse, but the twisted neck was obviously lifeless, but it eased his conscious to know.

Motion automatic, he didn't notice the thump to his heartbeat or the piercing search of his eyes. What loomed before him was unreal. A shadow amongst shadows, a big, blocky form with a frail silhouette dangling from his arms. The gleam of neon-red hair flickered as Wallet screens passed them by, oblivious to the carnage at their feet. The front rows were quickly being abandoned, most scrambling toward the exits, but some took to climbing the stage for escape. Escape from whatever caused screams to puncture the night. Escape from this thing? Maybe?

Nox jumped in front of it and the frail body of their teenie bopper was dumped to the ground. The hulk of a man lunged toward Nox and Jay grabbed the girl's arms. He encircled her, thankful to find them moving and reaching for aide. She screeched with terror, even at the hands that helped remove her from the danger.

Jay put her behind him. She crawled away on all four's along the aisle, screaming anew when she found the dead body. But Jay blocked the noise out, and concentrated on the danger ahead.

"NOX!"
he yelled in warning, but it was too late. The red head hulk attacked and Jay rushed to their aid, expertly aiming blows to take him down.

[Nox]

There was nothing like the hunt, the danger, the risk. The power coursed through his body, the hunt only made everything else more enhanced. Everything happened so fast as it always does. Nox watched in slow motion as the strzyga lumbered at him. He was peripherally aware of Jay joining the fray.

The lore rolled through his mind as quickly as the lost memories before had. To kill this you had to decapitate it. Bury it separately. Nox was fairly certain there were other ways to insure it was dead, but head from body was important. The only problem was he didn't have a weapon except himself.

The creature grabbed him and his grip was strong almost crushing his arm. It was too strong. It pulled Nox towards its maw and tried to bite him. The hit from Jay landed perfectly but it only staggered the beast. Nox took a deep breath to clear his mind as he formed the sharp blade of an air sword at the tip of his hand. He was going to regret this if anyone was watching but he slammed his fist with the blade extending from it into the jaw and up to avoid Jay's location. The beast yowled in pain and his grip tightened wrenching Nox around and clenched to its chest before it toppled down on top of Nox.

[Jay Carpenter]

The hulk of a man fell, crushing Nox beneath it. Jay gripped its arms, heaving with all his might to wrench it aside. The man was heavy as a sack of lead. But where Jay expected resistance, he found none. The man was dead as well.

Jay finished rolling the guy off Nox, and dumped the dead weight aside. But he didn't assume it couldn't rise again. Never shoot a man once to kill him. Even a head shot wasn't sure enough. Always finish with three to the chest.

He never thought he'd live the day where he regretted leaving his firearms behind. He struck out an arm, offering to help Nox to his feet. If he was even alive. Just in case, he threw a look over his shoulder, seeking the girl. If she was even still there. The hell just happened?

[Nox]

The air was crushed from his lungs and Nox gasped for air. The power lay just at the edge of his mind, but if he couldn't breathe he had to fight more than necessary. The power formed, but the body shifted and Nox turned his focus back up praying that it didn't return to life so quickly. It would be a bitch to kill if it did. But the creature moved and Nox saw the shadow of a man above him.

The beast was flung as much as you could fling a man that size. In other words it lay dead next to him the wound oozing blood not only on Nox before but now on the floor where it now lay.

Nox sighed as he took Jay's hand and immediately regretted the move. His arm and shoulder hurt like a son of bitch. He was going to have a nice bruise come morning. He could hear Sage laughing at the returned treatment. He really hadn't meant to hurt him.

The arena was dark and Nox squatted down pulling his hoodie off. The short sleeve shirt left his skin exposed but he needed to hide the head. Nox looked around with the power to enhance his vision - it was still shadows but he could see the differences in them, it was better than one big blackness. "She alright?"
He cared but mostly he was distracting Jay from what he was about to do.

He created a red hot flaming sword. The flames flickered so close to the blade it almost looked like it was just glowing not made of the flames itself. Nox knew crouching above the monster like he was was not going to provide the leverage he needed. He let the sword hang in the air with another weave and then with the power of his gift he pushed it into the creatures neck. There was a soft slurp as the blade slipped in and then cauterized the wound as it went. No fuss no muss.

It took only a second but Nox was apprehensive with potential Atharim lying in wait. Nox grabbed the head by the red hair and closed the dead eyes so he didn't have to look at them anymore as he wrapped it in his hoodie and stood up. "We need to get out of here. She needs a hospital."
They couldn't go out the front like everyone else, he and the girl would both be covered in blood.


Edited by Nox, Feb 2 2017, 06:06 AM.