23:18   Trimangle   Alex drifts into the Wand; not working today, just here as a patron. She collects a glass of Coke from the waitress and sits at the bar, sipping at it.
23:20   Jar_Mimic   "You know, Lil, I feel like we haven't bothered meeting anyone new around here in a while," says a little girl.
23:20   Jar_Mimic   "Well, hey, what are you gonna do?  You're a full time mom, necromancer, and advisor to an indiginous people.  You're busy," says her ghost doll.
23:21   Jar_Mimic   "Hey, you're those things, too.  You have just as little of a life as I do."  "Yeah, but I'm a lot cuter."  "Good point."  "Who even cares?"
23:22   Trimangle   Alex glances over at the pair. "Ah...Natasha, Lil! It's been a while since I've seen you; how are you doing?"
23:24   Jar_Mimic   "Oh, hey, look."  "What were we even complaining about!"  After hearing Alex's voice, Nat and Lil look up from a Shirley Temple.  "Uh, hey.  You.  Um, what was your name again?"  "I know for a fact we made a doll for you once.  How's she, uh, he?  How're they holding up?"
23:25   Trimangle   Alex smiles, blushing a little and rubbing the back of her neck. "M'name's Alexandra. And...yes, you did make me a doll. Thank you again; he's holding up fantastically. Looks as good as the day you made him for me."
23:30   Jar_Mimic   "Well, of course he is!" the little girl brags, smiling, "No one makes dolls to last like I do."  "Have you been making much, uh, use?" her ghost doll follows up, putting a hand to her stitched on mouth, "Well, we didn't make you a doll that was alive, did we?"
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23:35   Trimangle   Alex shakes her head. "You didn't, no." Alex shakes her head. "But he's fine just the way he is!" Alex exclaims, nodding. "A-And yes. I sleep with him in my arms every night since you made him for me."
23:37   Jar_Mimic   They both giggle girlishly at her admission.  "Hehe.  You read my mind.  Well, ah, you read her mind."  "That's exactly what I was trying to ask."  "I thought so."  "Well, if you'd ever like any more, you know who to come to."  Still smiling, Natasha takes another long sip of her drink.
23:38   Hazard  The door bursts open, and a girl in a brown and orange school uniform jumps in. Her red pigtails bounce and swing behind her in flaming coils. Several green flames fly around her, as agitated as she. A seared slash across her cheek trickles blood. "ALEX! Oh, good! You're here!"
23:39   Trimangle   Alex looks over at the entrance. SHe gasps, and flies to the little girl. "Ea! Ea, what happened? You're hurt!"
23:40   Hazard  "The refugees, from Eden Arms..." Pant, pant, "They're under attack! So many..." Pant, pant, "soldiers!"
23:41   Trimangle   "What?!" Alex draws a sharp breath. "Attack?! Who would want to-- Is it PsiWolf?!?!"
23:41   Jar_Mimic   All this does is get Nat to raise her eyebrow.  Presumably, Lil does, too, but it can't be seen.  "Ah, barkeep?  Healer, please."  "We've got wounded."
23:41   Hazard  "I don't know. I..." she breathes heavily for a few more beats, "I haven't seen these before."
23:44   Trimangle   "We're wasting time here, then!" Alex says, putting her hand on Ea's shoulder. "How many?"
23:48   Hazard  "I don't know, it all happened so fast. There was a bunch." Ea's breath finally reaches an equilibrium. She stands to her full height, and her flames stop whipping around. Green eyes peer around Alex to the other girl at the bar. "Who's your friend?"
23:49   Jar_Mimic   Natasha and Lilac just look uncomfortably between the two, waiting for Alex to introduce them now that they've been noticed by someone they don't know who is known by someone they know.
23:49   Trimangle   "This is Natasha and her partner Lil. Natasha, Lil, this is my friend Ea."
23:51   Jar_Mimic   "Like the Summerian god?"  That sure is a weird thing to say when you go for a handshake to greet someone.  "I mean, uh, yeah, I'm Natasha."  "And I'm Lilac.  Pardon my size."  And she extends a mitten hand of her own.
23:52   Hazard  The little girl holds out her hand for a curt shake to each. "Uh, nah, not the Summerian god. It's complicated."
23:54   Hazard  "We could use all the help we could get. Are you a fighter?"
23:55   Jar_Mimic   "Guh.  I'm sure it is."  She takes back her hand with a little bit of a blush on her face.  Her doll is probably embarassed for her, too.  "Sorry.  We just, uh, really like the Epic of G-  Fighter?"  The two look between eachother.  "Yeah, I'm an okay fighter."  "Just okay."
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23:56   Trimangle   "Good. From the sounds of it, we might need it." Alex shakes her head. "Let's go, then. Time's wasting."
23:56   Hazard  Ea bolts out of the Wand, heading out into the night.
23:56   Hazard  (Overcity?)
23:56   Trimangle   Alex is off like a shot after her. (Sounds legit)
23:57   Jar_Mimic   "Uh, hey, wait!"  "We're not the fast kind of Magical Girl!"  The two scamper out after them.
The little girl continues running from street to street, turning corners almost by memory.
00:02   Trimangle   Alex is right behind her, making sure Natasha can see where she's meant to be going. "Ea, slow down a bit! We're starting to outpace Natasha!"
00:02   Jar_Mimic   "Oh my god, I can't do this."  "It's true!  She's totally out of shape!  Can't run to save her life!"  "D-don't worry about me!  I'll catch up."  "Yeah, but you sound like you're about to hack up a furball, you're panting so much."
00:03   Trimangle   "Here, climb on!" Alex motions for Natasha and Lil to climb on her back.
00:03   Hazard  The schoolgirl skids as her tiny shoes try to slow her down.
00:03   Hazard  "We're really close. Almost there!"
00:06   Jar_Mimic   "Oh, Alex, uh, thanks!"  "Good thinking.  She's pint size and easy to carry."  So, Nat scrambles right onto the wind mage's back.  She's as ungainly as she claims to be.  Lil hops right on without issue.
00:06       *** Fredward quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
00:07   Trimangle   Alex takes off again, only slightly unbalanced by the weight of her passenger. "Alright. Ea, let's get on the rooftops, do some recon before we charge in, what do you say?"
00:08   Hazard  She nods, jumping up to grab at a fire escape. The tiny body clambers along a ladder and up a series of stairs to the top of the building."
00:08   Trimangle   Alex simply leaps, from the street to the rooftop, as easy as she might hop up a foot-high ledge.
00:09   Jar_Mimic   Her passengers hold on tight, the organic one letting out a little squeak of surprise as they rocket up.  "Thanks for the lift, Alex."  "Yeah, no way she'd be able to get on top like this on her own."
00:11   Hazard  The little girl runs over to the edge of the building, jumping across to the next. She reaches her apex far too soon, and starts falling before even getting halfway. There is a burst of green flame, and she launches again, landing on the building.
00:11       *** BC-Phone quit (Remote host closed the connection)
00:11   Trimangle   Alex settles on the rooftop lightly, turning her head and grinning at her passengers. "No sweat, Natasha. Happy to help." Then, Alex runs after Ea, and she almost makes it look easy, floating through the air separating the two buildings.
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00:12   Jar_Mimic   The girl and doll just hang on, allowing their ride to do all the hard work for them.
00:12   Hazard  She skids to a stop at the edge of the building, pointing across the street to the next one. "There it is!"
00:13   Trimangle   Alex crouches, minimizing her silhouette against the sky as she looks over at the refugees' apartment building.
00:13   Hazard  https://postimg.org/image/6tiqg6v31/ The building is made of brick, weathered with streaks of soot-stained black and rain-bleached white. Rounded towers crown the corners, though they don't go much above the roof. Unnamed grunge clings to every window, and an eerie blue light glows from the open blinds of the first two floors. One side of the building has a
00:13   Hazard  a spray of red across it, with congealed lumps and streams of blackish maroon. Bits of bone are stuck in the thicker, crustier blobs. Indeterminate streamers of purple, red, and black biomatter hang from the fire escape. Down the other wall, next to the entrance, yellow spray paint across the walls and windows claims "Eden Arms: Refuge Here".
00:14   Hazard  The door has been smashed in, but there is no motion outside.
00:14   Trimangle   "Oh god," Alex utters, horrified. "Th...that's blood and bone and gore. I-I hope...I hope it's not....the refugees..." She sounds like she's about to be sick.
00:15   Hazard  "No, it's been there before we got here."
00:16   Trimangle   "Oh thank fuck," she says, relieved. "S-So...the soldiers are all inside, must be, cause they ain't out here. ...Frontal breach or in through the upper floors?"
00:16   Hazard  "It looked like they were going in through the front."
00:16   Jar_Mimic   Well, considering they're there, Nat and Lil jump off.  Now that they're at the site, the Magical Girl takes the time to transform.  In a hail of patches and cloth, she transforms from regular Natasha into a full Magical Girl, garbed in a green ballgown covered in patches.  "For the record, I'm as fast like this as I am untransformed."  "That the building?  Alright, how do we wanna do this?"
00:17   Trimangle   "Nah, I'm sayin' what should we do. Should we go through the front door or meet them on the upper floors by heading through the fire escape?"
00:19   Hazard  "If we go through the front, they'll be pinned when we come in. No escape." She chews on her nail. "But coming in from above will chase them out."
00:20   Jar_Mimic   "Yeah, but if we go in the front, they'll retreat to the upper floors."  "So that doesn't seem like a particularly good idea if there's civilians around."  The two kneel to look over the edge.
00:20   Trimangle   "...Counterpoint: they may be expecting a relief effort from the front."
00:20   Trimangle   "If we fall on them from the rear, we can get the advantage."
00:21   Jar_Mimic   "But what if they're expecting us?"  "We're not gonna have a good time if they're already waiting for someone to come from behind."
00:23   Hazard  "Yeah. Patrice agrees with you Alex. Shut UP, Leon, we are not saying that!"
00:23   Trimangle   "We could go back and forth on that for ages, and without a psychic we'll never know for sure until we breach.
00:23   Trimangle   (hold on, not done
00:24   Jar_Mimic   Upong hearing unfamiliar names thrown around, the two have a single, simultaneous response.  "Wut?"
00:24   Hazard  "It's complicated."
00:25   Bar_Keep    (Guys, learn to read.  Tri said he wasn't done.)
00:25   Trimangle   (it's okay, there's no rigid posting order)
00:26   Trimangle   "We could go back and forth on that for ages, and without a psychic we'll never know for sure until we breach." Alex looks over at Ea. "Mm. Patrice has a head for this. Here's what I'm thinking: these guys, if they've got two brain cells to rub together between the lot of them, have to figure someone's going to hear about this and come calling, and the obvious point of ingress is the front door. I'd put my men there to watch for
00:26   Trimangle   reinforcements." Alex glances at Natasha, then nods her head at Ea. "Complicated. Anyway, the upper floor breach is probably our best bet. In through the fire escape, quietly, then figure out where the opposition is."
00:29   Hazard  The flame-haired tyke nods, "Yeah. Let's give it a go."
00:29   Trimangle   "No battle plan survives first contact with the enemy, so I won't bother planning beyond entry." She kneels, motioning Natasha to climb back up. "Alright. We're headed for the fire escape."
00:31   Jar_Mimic   Naturally, the two climb up.  After all, there's not much to argue about when your plan is the one others go with.  Of course, that means something bad is going to happen.  Something bad always happens to Natasha and Lilac's plans.
00:32   Hazard  The green flames gather up into the palm of her hands, and she jumps into the air, balancing on them like a bar as they float through the air.
00:32       *** Raincoat_ is now known as Raincoat
00:32   Trimangle   Alex kicks herself off the roof and floats beside Ea, as they head towards the fire escape.
00:33   Jar_Mimic   Once again, the little girl lets out a squeak as they do their little flyover.
00:34   Hazard  As the group lands on the fire escape, Ea opens up the filthy window a crack and looks inside. She shakes crackling, dry blood and gore off her hand.
00:35   Trimangle   Alex maneuvers herself down, feeling the ambient airflow, letting the wind speak to her.
00:37   Hazard  She holds her hand vertically, waving it in front of her in silence as her other hand pulls up the window the rest of the way.
00:38   Jar_Mimic   Naturally, before Alex goes in, Nat and Lil hop off.  Once they're inside, they get to work making a small platoon of little warriors to fight for them.  Well, one of them does that.  They other just rallies the troops for combat.
00:38   Trimangle   Alex points to her eyes, then inside, making a negating gesture; she then makes a door-opening gesture, holding up one finger.
00:39   Hazard  The hall is empty, with one door down the way still sitting open. Bits of wood sit around the ground in front of it.
00:40   Jar_Mimic   "Oh, damnit, they're signalling to eachother."  "We are definitely going to screw this up for them."  Of course, they whisper this, but the two are still clearly exasperated by the revelation.
00:41   Trimangle   Alex points to herself, then inside. [I'm the vanguard,] she seems to be saying. She slips into the hallway, muffling her footsteps with a cushion of air, the telltale green glow of her magic surrounding her boots.
00:41   Hazard  One of the flames surrounding Ea flits into a lighter hanging around her neck, and another pops out. She nods.
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00:44   Jar_Mimic   Not wanting to actually screw it up for them, Nat, Lil, and all of their dolls tip-toe behind the two, giving them a bit of space.
00:45   Hazard  As they get closer to the door, it is more apparent that this is a door to an apartment. Several more doors down, another leads to a set of stairs.
00:45   Trimangle   The wind mage draws her sword from the nothingness surrounding her as she advances down the hallway, stopping about halfway to the door. She concentrates, summoning a rather large, oddly-shaped conglomeration of aether in her hand. She sends it forward, down the hallway so it passes in front of the door. Its odd shape, and the careful speed of its passage kicks the air around, drawing in new informatioin for her clairvoyance.
00:48   Trimangle   Alex holds her hand up, the aether losing cohesion and dissolving as the mage stops focusing on it. She edges towards the door, indicating inside, and then making a
00:49   Trimangle   'stirring' motion in the air. [Something's moving.]
00:49   Jar_Mimic   At this point, the little girl opens a Third Eye in her forehead.  It blinks a few times before she looks at her feet with it.  The dolls behind her cling to the back of her dress.  They begin to whisper loudly, but the ghost doll shooshes them.
00:50   Hazard  Ea slips past the door, pressing her back against the wall on the other side.
00:52   Trimangle   Alex sucks in a breath, her body glowing faintly, then subsiding. She motions for the other two to wait, then slips inside, her sword held ready as she advances into the room, towards the opening door.
00:52   Hazard  The door opens to an open floor plan. Everything is in disarray, though from the looks of the garbage and half-eaten meals on plates, it isn't due to struggle. From a doorway near the back, a man pops out, harried and breathless.
00:53   Hazard  The man before you is willowy and sallow. His strawberry hair hangs around his head in grimy clumps, and his coke-bottle glasses perch on his nose like an owl ready to swoop silently on its prey. He wears a Hawaiian floral shirt made of silk, stained around the collar with sweat. His black slacks have been weather-worn to gray, and he still has pink, fuzzy bu
00:53   Hazard  bunny slippers on. As he paces, fumes of his body odor flow like a physical force around him, smelling of onions and bad life decisions. His lab coat bears similar stains to the armpit that his shirt does to the collar, and an edge-worn name tag that says "Dr. Thom Goethe, Researcher". A block on the tag is green, with a thin white stripe dividing it in half
00:54   Hazard  A block on the tag is green, with a thin white stripe dividing it in half diagonally, saying "Level 3/C Class".
00:54   Hazard  "Hey," he says, somehow incredulant and monotone at the same time. "Who are you all? What are you doing in my apartment? JOY? Joy are you bringing patients home again? What have I said about that? Joy? JOY! Where are you, woman?"
00:55   Trimangle   Alex lowers her sword and advances into the room. "Thom! Thom, hey, tha--....Thom? T-Thom, it's me. It's Alex." She seems suddenly worried, trying to calm the man.
00:56   Hazard  "Alex? And... Gi-No, you're Ea. What's happening?"
00:59   Jar_Mimic   "And us."  "Ignore us."  Natasha and Lilac wait patiently behind the people that got them there.  They don't even know what's going on.
01:00   Trimangle   "I was hoping you could help clear that up," Alex responds, her sword dropping to pin by her leg. "Ea came and grabbed me, said soldiers came and attacked! There's a weird blue glow, but we didn't see anyone when we came in...are--is everybody okay? ...Oh, these are my friends Natasha and Lil."
01:01   Hazard  "The blue glow? Oh, that's the lights on the lower level. They look weird. Soldiers? Is that all the running I heard? I dunno, I was in my room." He shrugs. "Napping."
01:01   Jar_Mimic   "Yo," they mutter together, both giving the same kind of half-hearted wave.  Once again, the dolls following them clamber up around her dress, pushing it up to her legs just to get a better view of what's going on in front of them.
01:02   Trimangle   "That might be it," Alex agrees. "Did you hear which way they went? Up or down?"
01:03   Hazard  "I dunno, same stairs. I didn't hear anything above me. Have you seen Joy or Ginny, is she alright?
01:03   Hazard  "
01:04   Trimangle   "You're the first person we've seen. But...you didn't seem to recognize us, and you asked Joy if she was bringing patients home. Are you okay, Thom?"
01:06   Jar_Mimic   "Uh, am I supposed to be getting a bad feeling about this?"  "Oh, you, too?  Yeah, I'm getting that feeling, too."  For whatever reason, Nat holds Lil close to her chest, giving her a little hug.
01:07   Hazard  "Yeah, just..." Sweat rolls off his brow, and he strains to control his breathing. "Y'know. When you wake up rather suddenly, disoriented."
01:08   Trimangle   Alex tilts her head. "You don't sound like you just woke up...or if you did, you were having a nightmare."
01:09   Hazard  "Thom, you coward." Ea says, a nasty tone in her voice. "You weren't sleeping. You never sleep."
01:10   Trimangle   Alex glances at Ea, then back to Thom. "I'm trying to help. Be straight with me, Thom, please."
01:11   Hazard  The man backs up, closing the door and leaning against it. "Okay... I was hiding. I set up some security on the building. It went off when those jackboots came in. I hid."
01:12   Trimangle   Alex nods. "That's understandable. And yelling about Joy when we came in? Pretending not to know who I was?"
01:14   Hazard  "I've seen you all of, what, once? Forgive my memory being foggy. I've got a lot of stuff in there that's a lot more important than girl's names. I'm a scientist." He breathes for a bit. "But I really don't know where Joy or Ginny are. They aren't on any of my feeds."
01:15   Trimangle   Alex bites her lip. "Right, right, sorry...you've got this place wired up good and proper, right? Who -do- you have on your feeds?"
01:15   Jar_Mimic   "This is, um..."  "Should we maybe, er..."  The two look about themselves absentmindedly.  "Do you have anything that can help us, sir?"  "Anthing we ought to know before going down a few floors?"
01:16       *** Tang quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
01:16   Hazard  "The lobby. The main halls. The stairway." He looks at the dolls. "As far as I saw on the feeds, the group of them have already left, but they took out the camera in the lobby."
01:18   Trimangle   "And you didn't see them traveling up the stairs or through the hall. You're blind to the lobby, and you think they've left. ...Smart money says that's where they are, and it's a good idea we came up this way. Thom, I promise you I will find Ginny and Joy. You have my word."
01:19   Hazard  He nods. "Yeah. Yeah. Do you think this is PsyWolf? They were wearing typical military fatigues. Didn't recognize the patches."
01:21   Trimangle   "Not sure. Ea said she's never seen these guys before...if they are PsiWolf, we have major problems, because that means they've found the Overcity portal and we'll have to go deal with them."
01:23   Hazard  Ea heads for the open door. "Then we'd better get moving."
01:24   Jar_Mimic   Naturally, the plush platoon and its leaders follow the two who actually know what's going on wherever it is they might move to.
01:25   Trimangle   "Mmm." Alex nods, then rests a hand on Thom's shoulder. "You're in good hands, okay? Stay here, stay safe. We'll be back before you know it." She offers the scientist a smile, and then moves out
01:25   Trimangle   .
01:26   Hazard  As Ea rounds the corner, she glares at Thom, then bolts off for the stairwell.
01:27   Trimangle   Alex hurries afterward, assisting Natasha down the hall.
01:29   Hazard  The little girl throws one of her flames out ahead of her, pushing the door to the stairwell open and holding it there.
01:30   Trimangle   The wind mage gets into the stairwall, scanning the ceiling for a camera. If she finds it, she touches two fingers to her brow and starts her descent.
01:31   Hazard  Suspended from the center of the ceiling, a small mechanical dome stares straight down the gap in the stairs.
01:32   Trimangle   "And away we go," Alex murmurs, muffling her footsteps as she heads down.
01:33   Jar_Mimic   Knowing that, if something happens, she'll be well aware of it, Nat and Lil take a second to wave to the camera.  The dolls, seeing this, wave as well.  One of them waves enthusiastically, but is stopped by the others.
01:35   Hazard  The little girl follows behind the air mage, tapping down the metal stairs until they reach the bottom. The lobby door is smashed into the stairwell floor, splintered and hanging in chunks off its hinges.
01:38   Trimangle   Alex pulls Ea and Natasha out of sight, sending another recon pulse of air into the main space, listening for what the air can tell her.
01:40   Trimangle   Alex cocks her head, then describes an arc with her hand, then making the door gesture. [Through the room, past a door.] Alex pokes her head out, getting a visual scan of the lobby.
01:41   Hazard  The lobby is in complete disarray. Victorian couches are toppled and soiled with dirty shoe-prints. The coffee table is shattered and sprayed all over the floor. Tiny fragments of broken glass lay as if someone dumped glitter across the rug, some of which is bloody red. One column is cracked in towards the scene. Plaster makes a powdered-white spray near that
01:41   Hazard   that column, and a single, thin beam of wood is cracked within. A doll lays discarded between you and the scene. It is very plush, and is is formed as a rabbit. Its long ears are held up by wire, then flop down lazily. Huge, cartoon eyes hide behind plastic lids with synthetic hair lashes. The jaw, which seems articulated, holds itself tightly shut. A blood
01:41   Hazard  A blood stain covers its left forepaw.
01:42   Hazard  There is a counter against one wall, with a door beside it reading "Staff Only".
01:44   Trimangle   "Place is a warzone," Alex says, pulling her head back. "There as a fight here. Couches turned over, tables busted, bloody glass...there's a rabbit doll out there, too. Odd. There's a staff door against the wall; that's our target. Let's move."
01:44   Hazard  Ea takes up a tactical position beside the staff door.
01:46   Jar_Mimic   "I can't awaken it from this distance.  It might have seen something."  "Do you think someone could get it?  Maybe one of us?"  The little ragdoll regiment stands at the ready.
01:47   Trimangle   Alex motions Natasha into the lobby. "We're clear to proceed up to the door," Alex responds, indicating Ea.
01:50   Jar_Mimic   Well, she doesn't need to be told twice.  Having heard that, Nat and Lil lead their little squad into the lobby.  They, of course, go straight for the rabbit doll.  Once it's in hand, Natasha uses her Magical Girl powers to awaken the little thing, bringing it to full life, as though it had always lived.
01:52   Hazard  The cartoony eyes pop open, and its mouth animates, with disturbingly large, square teeth. "OH! Oh, that's nice!" It says goofily, "That's very nice!"
01:53   Trimangle   Alex makes a 'quiet down' gesture, guiding Natasha and her little troupe a little further from the door, and she throws up a barrier to attenuate what sound remains.
01:55   Jar_Mimic   "Quiet," the little girl says to the thing, holding a finger over her mouth, "It's dangerous here.  You have to tell us what you saw.  What happened here.  If whoever did it is still on site.  Please."
01:55   Hazard  "Oh, Don't you worry! The bad men aren't here anymore! They left a bit ago." It lifts one of its arms. "But the mommies and daddies are in that room there!"
01:56   Trimangle   "...I don't like it," Alex says suspiciously. "Something isn't passing the smell test here."
01:56   Hazard  The doll sniffs its own armpit.
01:57   Jar_Mimic   So, Nat holds the thing up with one hand, shrugging her shoulders.  "Uhh, I guess they left?  I mean, um, let's check and see if we have wounded."  After she sees the thing acting weird, she stuffs it under her own armpit.  "Who do you belong to?"
01:57   Trimangle   "No, not you," Alex says, chuckling and patting it. "Why would they come here and then leave? Something isn't making sense."
02:00   Hazard  "I belong to Ginny, the one that she looks like." It points at Ea. "I don't know what they came for. They were really silent, and so many of them."
02:00   Trimangle   Alex's eyes narrow briefly, then widen. "Wait a second. Wa-a-a-ait a second." Her gaze swings back to the doll. "You said the mommies and daddies are in there, right? Is Ginny in there too?" she asks.
02:01   Trimangle   "Why did she drop you?"
02:01   Hazard  "Not that I saw. I didn't see where Maddy or Barry went after she dropped me in the scuffle."
02:04   Trimangle   "...Something isn't right. Why would a silent group of soldiers come, wreck the place, herd everyone save one person into a room, and then leave? Something's not adding up," she says again, shaking her head. "...And you're sure all the mommies and daddies went into that room? You said you didn't see where Maddy or Barry went; how do you know?"
02:04   Hazard  "A few of the bad men pushed the mommies and daddies in there, but I didn't see the kiddies.
02:04   Hazard  "
02:05   Jar_Mimic   "Ohh.  Oh no.  Oh, no, no, no.  Ooooh.  Okay."  "No kids.  No kids, right?  Look into that room, I bet we won't see any kids.  Damn it.  Damn it!"  "Did you see which way they went when you left the building, rabbit?"  "I don't think this is something we can overlook."
02:05   Trimangle   "Aw, man...you've gotta be shitting me," Alex moans.
02:05   Hazard  "They went out the front."
02:06   Trimangle   "And you lost sight of 'em after that?"
02:07   Hazard  lt nods its head.
02:07   Trimangle   "Hell..." Alex runs her hand through her hair, heading over to the door, her expression resigned. "Pop it," she says to Ea.
02:08   Hazard  The flame pushes the door open. Muffled moans can be heard from within.
02:09   Jar_Mimic   Gritting her teeth, Natasha gestures to her little legion.  "Go out front and investigate!  See if you can find any footprints or something!  Anything that might suggest a direction!"  Once they go and do that, she, Lilac, and the bunny all push into the room with the parents.
02:09   Hazard  The office door opens to reveal a cluster of people on their knees, all bound with rope and duct tape. An aged Asian woman, three middle aged women, a pair of middle aged men, and a man in his mid twenties look up at you pleadingly. The older men both have bruises and are bleeding from gashes in their heads and faces. The women are terrified... with the
02:09   Hazard  with the exception of the elderly one, who is completely blase about the whole thing.
02:11   Jar_Mimic   Naturally, these two do what they can to release the binds of those present.  Nat unties rope normally, while Lil cuts through them with her magic.
02:12       --- Fredward is away (Auto away)
02:12   Hazard  A middle aged woman with long, slender fingers cries out as soon as the duct tape comes off her mouth. "Please! These soldiers! They came in and took the children! You have to save them!"
02:12   Hazard  Another woman, platinum blonde with green eyes pleads, "Thom isn't with us! If he fought with those soldiers, he may be hurt or worse. Please, he's upstairs!"
02:13   Trimangle   Alex sighs. "God dammit, I knew it. I knew it!" She kicks at the ground. "Thom's safe. He secured himself in his room, Joy. He's worried about you...and about Ginny."
02:14   Trimangle   "Bill," Alex says, turning to the construction worker. "You're in the best position to know: was this PsiWolf?" Her expression turns deadly serious.
02:15   Hazard  "No. Not their patches." He rubs his wrists to ease the roughness from the ropes. "But, I do remember seeing their insignia before."
02:16   Trimangle   Alex nods. "Can you remember from where?"
02:16   Hazard  "I think...I think I saw Tesla wearing it. You don't think she's involved in this, do you?"
02:16   Trimangle   "Not a chance in hell," Alex says flatly and immediately.
02:17   Trimangle   "Tesla works for the Beacon. There's no way they'd be involved in kidnapping children. It's a false flag."
02:18   Hazard  He nods. "Doesn't seem like the type she'd fall in with. You got a plan?"
02:19   Trimangle   "Nope," Alex says, shaking her head. "We're trying to dig up a lead on where they might have gone after leaving here...Karl, I hate to ask this of you," she says, turning to an older-looking gentleman, "but your skills might come in handy. And, I swear on my parents' graves we'll track down the people responsible and punish them."
02:21   Jar_Mimic   "I have my dolls working on it right now.  I can gather them back up as we leave."  "As soon as you guys are ready."  The two tap their feet anxiously.  One on the floor and the other on her wielder's shoulder.
02:22   Trimangle   "Mm...I just thought maybe we shouldn't, yeah." Alex nods. "Don't worry about it, Karl. We're on the case, okay?" She smiles.
02:23   Hazard  "I'm good, but I have no sources in this world. I don't have the first clue how to track them down here." The grayed out man with a slight beer belly responds. "Especially since it shifts so much."
02:25   Trimangle   Alex nods. "Yeah. Thought about that, too. Okay...Thom's upstairs, he's safe. All of you are safe..." Alex's eyes flick over to Mako, "safe enough. We're going to go see if we can track these soldiers, okay? I promise, we'll find them and rescue your children." She smiles. "I'm so sorry you have to go through this, Joy, Karl, Lenora."
02:27   Hazard  Ea steps over and picks up the rabbit doll, checking the audio cassette in its back. "Should we bring Bunny Tailspin?"
02:27   Trimangle   "I recommend we leave it here, but I'll defer to the doll expert."
02:32   Hazard  Ea and Tailspin look at Natasha.
02:32   Jar_Mimic   "I'd like if we could bring him," Nat replies, allowing the doll to be taken without protest, "If we eventually find whoever he belongs to, I think that she'd like to see him."  "A doll can go a long way to making a scared child feel safe."
02:32   Jar_Mimic   (Sorry about the wait.)
02:32       *** Raincoat quit (Quit: If your not living on the edge, you're taking up too much space)
02:33   Trimangle   (No worries!)
02:34   Trimangle   "Done, then." Alex looks at the doll kindly. "Stay close to Natasha, okay, Tailspin? Attend to her and her other dolls, and do as they say."
02:35   Hazard  Ea tosses the grungy bunny to Natasha's side. It lands and rolls, ending on its feet with a "Dum-dah-dum-dum!"
02:36   Trimangle   "And be just as quiet as they are, okay?"
02:37   Hazard  It covers its mouth.
02:37   Hazard  (Oh, and this is him, only he's purple. https://postimg.org/image/crbz58czv/ )
02:38   Trimangle   Alex smiles and nods. "Very well. I hate to leave you all like this, but the trail's getting colder the longer we wait. "I'll find your children and bring them back."
02:39   Hazard  "Natasha? Lead the way." Ea says, gathering her flames up close to her.
02:41   Jar_Mimic   The little girl and her ghost doll click their heels at once.  "Understood!" they say simultaneously.  Finally, they feel like they know a little more about what's happening.  So, they scramble out of the room and then out of the building.  Once out front, Natasha raises her voice.  "TROOPS!  Fall in!"  No sooner, and her dolls come scampering out of wherever they had gotten to.
02:42   Trimangle   Alex laces her hands behind her back, waiting to hear the good news from the little recon squad.
02:46   Jar_Mimic   "Report."  Courageously, a little lion doll steps forward.  "Signs of a struggle to the north, ma'am!" it roars, trying to sound as big and important as it thinks the situation is, "Standing water with wet tracks.  And this."  It holds up a little pink scrunchie.  Lilac takes it and puts it around her neck.  "Good job.  We have a trail leading north, everyone."
02:47   Hazard  "North it is!"
02:47   Trimangle   "Well done," Alex praises. "If we get to the rooftops again, we can move more quickly, and I can act as advance recon, ranging ahead of you."
02:49   Hazard  "Okay! Can we bring all these dolls with us?"
02:50   Trimangle   "Don't see why not," Alex says. "Natasha, you might have a slightly harder time making it from roof to roof, but do what you can. I'll press out ahead of you, scout them, and keep an eye on them as you catch up."
02:51   Jar_Mimic   "Yeah, but if we go high, we might lose the trail."  "These guys work better on the ground."  "We'll stick to the roads and see if our guys can find anything else."  "You guys do what you need to."  So, the fuzzy forces are gathered up around them, and they start off toward the north.
02:51       *** Eprlide quit (Quit: Nettalk6 - www.ntalk.de)
02:52   Hazard  Ea jumps up to the roof, rocket propelled, and heads north along them.
02:53   Trimangle   "Stay safe. Shout out if you see something we need to see." Alex leaps into the air, takes up a station well above the rooftops, and flies north, describing an arc, east and west, along a generally northerly route.
02:55   Jar_Mimic   As much as they might be in a hurry, Natasha and Lilac walk.  Briskly, of course, but, if they ran, their dolls wouldn't be able to scout around them as they go.  So, once they get to where the scrunchy was found, the troops are ordered to spread out and search for clues as they go.  The two commanders just keep an eye out for threats.
03:00   Jar_Mimic   Nat finds herself quite proud of her little guys and gals and genderless things tonight.  Why?  They're performing superbly!  After getting a good distance ahead of where they started their search, the lion comes back to them.  "I found a shoe!  Still to the north!"  That gets Lil to call the whole group back together as the run up to where they found the shoe.  Yep.  Kids' shoe alright.  "Good work, guys, good work!"  "Keep it up.  
03:00   Jar_Mimic   We may not be hot on their trail, but we're on their trail."  So, she orders them to spread out again, going forward at the same pace as before.
03:02   Trimangle   Alex rises, taking a higher altitude flight path, surging ahead a little, trying to catch a sign from her elevated vantage point.
03:02   Hazard  It seems the trail has lead you onto the wrong side of town. Many of these buildings are in ruins, with a good number of them little more than single, crumbling walls.
03:04   Trimangle   And then, Alex drops back down to the roof, to Ea. "Footsteps and a child's scream, further north, pick up the pace!" She swoops down and delivers the same message to the doll commanders. Having done so, she returns to her original height and presses forward, establishing her lead farther ahead.
03:05   Jar_Mimic   "Troops!  Fall in!"  "Charge!  Full tilt!"  As soon as all of the currently active dolls gather around them, that's exactly what they do.  As fast as these rather slow individuals can go, they dash straight ahead.
03:07       *** Fredward quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
03:07   Trimangle   !ex 4+2 [Senses sharp! FP 6->5]
03:07   Puchuu  Trimangle, [7, 2, 1, 5] Successes: 1+2=3
03:07   Hazard  !ex 4
03:07   Puchuu  Hazard, [3, 2, 9, 5] Successes: 1
03:10   Jar_Mimic   !ex 4+2 (Third Eye)
03:10   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [1, 3, 8, 5] Successes: 1+2=3
03:11   Trimangle   Alex abruptly changes course, angling down, down into the ruins, moving in for a scouting pass.
03:12   Hazard  !ex 4 (Armor Piercing Ranged attack) A gunshot rings out against the silence.
03:12   Puchuu  Hazard, [1, 5, 3, 6] Botch!
03:12   Hazard  The shot goes wide of Alex, zipping through the air.
03:14   Jar_Mimic   Natasha's Third Eye looks to the side.  Her normal eyes do so after a second.  She suddenly screeches to a halt.  Peering at the magical disturbance she sensed, she conjures something.  "Mystic Artifact!  Magic Mirror!"  Like she said, a hand mirror suddenly appears in her hand.  "Show me the past.  Show me who's been here!"
03:14   Trimangle   Range to target?
03:15   Jar_Mimic   As close to the magical disturbance as she can get without setting foot into the ruins.
03:16   Trimangle   (Nah, I was asking Hazard what Range Alex was at relative to her attacker)
03:16   Hazard  (Far)
03:19   Jar_Mimic   After looking into her mirror, she conjures it away.  "Beacons!  I should have known.  Troops!  Flush out the sniper!"  Thus ordered, the dolls scramble off into the ruins.  Natasha even makes two more, who rush in right afterwards.
03:20   Trimangle   Alex doesn't even need to dodge, really, but she does, artfully dodging the bullet, then reading the bruised air to trace the bullet back to its source. "Contact!" she shouts. "West, low, in the ruins! Engaging!" She draws her blade, the steel gleaming in the Overcity's light. Mana swirls around her, the wind joyously rallying to her cause. [Air Rush II, 12->9MP. Instant-speed; action forthcoming.]
03:21   Trimangle   The aether swirling around her sends the wind mage hurtling towards her unseen opponent, sword drawn back as she looses a fierce cry.
03:22   Trimangle   !ex 10+2 [Dash attack; boosted by Air Rush II; 1 Soak penetration, 1 w/s, deals one wound bypassing Soak on hit]
03:22   Puchuu  Trimangle, [5, 7, 10, 2, 4, 5, 10, 2, 1, 9] Successes: 6+2=8
03:22   Trimangle   [FP 5->4, oops]
03:24   Hazard  !ex 7 (Parry) The soldier turns to the side, firing his gun straight at Alex's sword.
03:24   Puchuu  Hazard, [9, 2, 9, 10, 1, 4, 1] Successes: 4
03:26   Hazard  (10->8 HP)
03:26   Hazard  (Actually, 7 HP)
03:27   Trimangle   Alex slashes at the man as she draws close to him, taking his measure.
03:27   Jar_Mimic   Well, hearing that little clash certainly gives the dolls something to head toward.  So, they converge upon that point.  Guess who're gonna be close enough to flush out the sniper in a few seconds~
03:29       *** Rally joined #Overcity
03:30   Hazard  !ex 12 (Fireball I, 24->22 MP, 1 w/s, penetrates 1 soak) From her aerial vantage, Ea launches one of her green flames at him. It bursts to life on the way, doubling in size!
03:30   Puchuu  Hazard, [8, 4, 7, 4, 2, 1, 4, 2, 6, 1, 2, 3] Successes: 2
03:31   Hazard  !ex 7 (Sunder) The soldier attempts to slap the fireball away with his rifle.
03:31   Puchuu  Hazard, [8, 2, 3, 1, 10, 2, 4] Successes: 3
03:32   Hazard  The fireball dissapates, and its many sparks return to Ea, coalescing into a flame again.
03:35   Jar_Mimic   Ah, looks like they've found our unfortunate sniper.  Let's see how they enjoy having a platoon of dolls nip at their feet.
03:36   Jar_Mimic   !ex 9 (Spec Spell:  Doll Lance, 1w/s, 1 pen)
03:36   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [7, 1, 7, 3, 8, 3, 4, 2, 8] Successes: 4
03:37   Jar_Mimic   (Which is a melee attack.)
03:38   Hazard  !ex 7 (Parry) Taking the gun by it's barrel, he swings the gun to bash at the dolls.
03:38   Puchuu  Hazard, [6, 8, 3, 7, 3, 5, 7] Successes: 3
03:38   Hazard  (6 HP)
03:39   Jar_Mimic   "You're the worst!"  "Kidnapping children!"  "Just give up now."  "No one likes you!"  "You suck!"  Biting words from the little legion.
03:40   Hazard  !ex 4 (AP) With a toss and a snatch, the soldier takes hold of the trigger again, jumping back as he draws a bead on Alex again.
03:40   Puchuu  Hazard, [5, 7, 1, 6] Successes: 1
03:41   Trimangle   !ex 7 [Dodge] The girl, taking advantage of her preternatural speed, moves to jink away from the round as it travels towards her.
03:41   Puchuu  Trimangle, [3, 1, 8, 1, 9, 1, 5] Successes: 2
03:42   Trimangle   Which she succeeds in doing, as the bullet sails harmlessly past.
03:42   Hazard  The bullet ricochets against the ruins, tossing rubble through the air.
03:44   Trimangle   Alex's body glows, and her expression settles into a snarl. The glow channels itself into her blade and arm, granting her heightened celerity.
03:44   Trimangle   !ex 2#7 [Focused Assault, Melee [Cutting], both attacks at same combatant, resolve defenses in order I suppose? MP 9->6]
03:44   Puchuu  Trimangle, Roll 1: [3, 10, 4, 3, 2, 9, 4] Successes: 3, Roll 2: [6, 9, 6, 1, 2, 9, 8] Successes: 3
03:46   Hazard  !ex 2#7 (Parry) Holding on to the pump, he flips the rifle around again, attempting to put the butt between himself and the blade.
03:46   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [6, 2, 7, 3, 8, 10, 1] Successes: 4, Roll 2: [7, 6, 9, 7, 1, 8, 1] Successes: 4
03:48   Trimangle   Alex cries out as she's struck by the rifle's butt, the girl recoiling from the dual ripostes. [HP 12->10]
03:49   Hazard  !ex 12 (Fireball I 22->20 MP) The flame releases another bolt of flame.
03:49   Puchuu  Hazard, [5, 2, 5, 3, 6, 4, 2, 6, 10, 5, 4, 9] Successes: 3
03:49   Hazard  !ex 7 (Sunder) The soldier attempts to slap the fireball away with his rifle.
03:49   Puchuu  Hazard, [9, 10, 1, 4, 3, 2, 5] Successes: 3
03:50   Hazard  (I think that just removes his single regenerated soak)
03:50   Jar_Mimic   "Ooh, sounds heated in there.  Come on, guys, you've got this!"  Thinking that they might need a few reinforcements, Nat creates a couple more little dolls, which Lil then directs to the battlefield.  After reaching their comrades, they all play the game of ganging up on someone.
03:51   Jar_Mimic   !ex 10 (Doll Lance)
03:51   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [7, 5, 2, 5, 4, 7, 4, 2, 9, 6] Successes: 3
03:52   Hazard  !ex 7 (Parry) Swinging away again with the butt of the gun.
03:52   Puchuu  Hazard, [4, 8, 4, 9, 1, 3, 5] Successes: 2
03:52   Hazard  (5 HP)
03:52   Jar_Mimic   The rifle swing is deflected by the lion as its friends all beat up on the sniper's legs.
03:54   Hazard  With a determined glare, the soldier jumps backwards. With a woosh and a slurp, he vanishes out of existence.
03:55       *** CensorshipChan quit (Quit: KVIrc 4.2.0 Equilibrium http://www.kvirc.net/)
03:55   Jar_Mimic   "C-contact lost!"  "The sniper vanished."  "I can't see her anywhere!"  "It was like she just disappeared!"  "Natasha!  She gave up and ran away."  All very accurate reporting from the dolls on the ground.
03:55   Trimangle   "Shit. We've been made," Alex says, nursing her sword arm. "No sense being stealthy now, we gotta prepare for an all out assault. Let's go."
03:58   Jar_Mimic   "Aaaargh!  Damn it, where did she go?"  As her third eye opens wide, the doll maker looks all about, trying to spot anything that might catch her attention.  "They all went in here!  I saw them do it!  There has to be an underground passage!"
03:59   Hazard  Ea lands to the ground, gathering bits of flame from the fireball she threw, and recovering her strength. (Mana regen, 23 MP) "It looks like he can teleport. Great, he could be anywhere."
04:00   Trimangle   Alex Regenerates as well, [6->FULL]. "An underground passage? We still have further to go to find the kids."
04:02   Jar_Mimic   "Well, ah..."  The little girl scratches her head as her dolls return to her, congregating around her feet.  "The sniper could have just been a distraction.  There's nothing magical here except backround stuff from the Overcity.  They must be able to move pretty fast, even with the kids."
04:03   Trimangle   "A pretty good one. We need to move." Alex kicks off back into the air, moving back to the street.
04:04   Hazard  Another burst of flame, and Ea is airborne again.
04:06   Trimangle   Instead of staying in the street, Alex begins roof-following flight, spidering her way north.
04:06   Jar_Mimic   This time, Natasha makes no effort to take this slowly.  She rushes down the street, continuing to move north.  "Magic Mirror!"  Once again, her mystic artifact appears in her hand.  "Show me the past!  Where did the other six go?"  This gets Lilac to speak up.  "Hey, did you two hear that?  It's seven in total!  Six, minus the sniper!"
04:07       *** Aristocat quit (Quit: *vanishes in a puff of memes*)
04:11   Jar_Mimic   Seeing the hindsight in the mirror, Lil yells up, "There's a building up ahead!  They should be there!  Keep going!"  Again, Nat conjures the thing away.  At this point, she's practically wheezing from the exertion of running, but she doesn't particularly care.  At least she has the endurance for it, if not the lungs.
04:12   Trimangle   Alex nods to herself, scooting forward across the buildings, listening to the air around her.
04:13   Hazard  In the distance the road curves off to the left. A structure is in the way.
04:14   Trimangle   Alex notes the structure, then drops to the ground and hovers next to Natasha. "Building in sight, climb on."
04:14   Hazard   The building before you was once an apartment building, but some monster attack sheared off half the building. Another apartment complex was built in the gap that was formed. The old building stands, gutted and raw. There doesn't seem to be any stairs or elevators leading u
04:14   Hazard  leading up to the higher floors, as if you would trust them anyways. One red brick hallway looks relatively free of the dust and decay of the rest of the building.
04:15   Trimangle   "I heard a door slamming from that building up ahead. Dollars to donuts it's the hallway that looks cleaner."
04:16   Jar_Mimic   "Yep.  This is it."  "Thanks, Alex."  The two naturally scramble right on.  And so do all of the other dolls, who cling to their maker's dress for dear life, knowing that this girl is probably gonna fly.
04:18   Trimangle   "No sweat." Fly she does, regrouping with Ea. "Okay. We could try to recon the building, but I think we should assume they know we're here. I can teleport two of the girls home, but there's no guarantee I could find this place afterward. "If there are seven people there, I don't think we'll have a great time trying to fight them."
04:19   Jar_Mimic   "And they're Magical Girls!"  "Beacons!  At least, they were wearing Beacon uniforms."  "I mean, I'm all for rushing in, but I don't think we can beat seven fully powered Magical Girls with the three of us."  "Even if one is already injured."
04:20   Trimangle   "There's no way they're Beacon," Alex says, shaking her head. "Beacon would never kidnap children. They're false-flagging."
04:21   Hazard  Ea lands on top of the building. "But why? Why are they pretending to be Beacon? What is it they want with the kids anyways?"
04:21   Jar_Mimic   "Eh, I honestly wouldn't put it past, 'em to go after little kids."  "But, of course, we'll go in assuming they're not."  If they weren't holding on to Alex, they'd shrug.
04:22   Trimangle   Alex's eyes dart from side to side. "...I couldn't say what they want with the kids. But...pretending to be Beacon gives them a great deal of leeway in operating within the Overcity. Nobody questions the Beacon."
04:22   Trimangle   "Do we go in under the white flag? You think they'd respect it?"
04:24   Hazard  "They set an ambush for us, even though they didn't know we would be coming. I doubt they're interested in a peaceful resolution."
04:25   Trimangle   Alex curses. "We're not leaving here without the kids," she declares. "What's the game plan?"
04:25   Jar_Mimic   "And I don't care if they're interested in negotiation."  "They kidnapped children."  "They can either surrender or lay down their lives."  "We have daughters of our own, you know."
04:26   Hazard  "Do you think we can stall them while you get the kids out? How many can you take?"
04:26   Trimangle   "Two at once," Alex says confidently. "No more. And I'd have to pray the city doesn't shift on me while I try to make my way back."
04:28   Jar_Mimic   "Me and my dolls would be happy to cover you so you can get out."  "We're at your disposal.  Since we're, uh, not really the best at coming up with plans.  Ourselves."
04:29   Hazard  "And I can try to blow up the other baddies with my best shots." She says reclaiming the last of her mana.
04:29   Trimangle   Alex nods. "Right...well, theorycrafting. They're holed up in that room. Obvious entrance here, and if we're lucky, a window in the back. Opening the door is a quick way to not have a head." She crosses her arms, tapping her finger.
04:30   Jar_Mimic   "Well, hey, my guys are short.  And they're more than strong enough to break down the door."  The dolls grumble a little bit.  They don't particularly like being bait.
04:31   Hazard  "They also would be a lot harder to target.
04:31   Hazard  "
04:31   Trimangle   "That's one option...I think I want to -- actually, Nat. Can your mirror show us what's inside the room?"
04:34   Jar_Mimic   "Uh...  Yeah, that's a little iffy.  It might show us the inside.  If we decide to go in that way.  Or it might just show us what's going on right where we are, without showing what's inside."  "But her eye can see through walls pretty well.  If they're inside, she'll at least be able to pick up their auras."
04:35   Trimangle   Alex nods at Nat. "If you please. We need that recon, too."
04:40   Jar_Mimic   "Well, ah, I need to get off."  So, she finally hops off of the air girl and takes a few looks around.  What does she find?  "Nothing!  Ffffucking nothing!"  The dolls detach from her dress and clamber around her, not wanting to fall off the building or get left behind.  "Just a little trail.  They definitely came through here, though.  Let's follow it."  So, taking the lead, that's exactly what she does.
04:41   Trimangle   "Wait, they're not in this building?!" Alex says, heading over towards it with Natasha. "Oh, I'm going to kill someone."
04:43   Jar_Mimic   "They're either really far away, or they have some way to mask their presence.  Either way, this is going to take a while."  Of course, with her eye, she's a bit of a magic truffle pig.  At least there's a scent to follow.
04:44   Trimangle   "Fuckmothering arsebaskets" is Alex's general response. She's mad, and she heads from door to door along the less fucked up hallway, listening and sensing.
04:44   Hazard  The hallway isn't all that long, but it shows evidence of being recently cleaned. A crumpled rug sits at the far end, just under the dust-obscured window. There are no doors in this hall.
04:46   Trimangle   Alex growls, briefly checking the other halls before returning to the rug, the last thing left to examine.
04:46   Jar_Mimic   A thought occurs.  "Huh.  Maybe there is a secret passage."  The little girl reaches down and tosses the rug to the side, completely prepared to find something significant under it!
04:47   Hazard  There is nothing significant under that rug.
04:47   Hazard   Except for a trap door.
04:47   Hazard  It's made of metal.
04:47   Hazard  If that matters.
04:48   Trimangle   "Ea! We got something!" Alex calls, tugging on it.
04:49   Hazard  A small girl drops to the ground, slowing only at the end with a burst of flame. The rusty hatch door lifts, revealing a deep shaft and a ladder. A small light shines from the base of the shaft. You can hear stifled cries below.
04:50   Trimangle   "Fuck plans. Fuck subtlety. I'm dropping down there first. and I'm going to shank the hell out of the first asshole I see." Alex is no longer having a fun time.
04:51   Jar_Mimic   "Lead the way, Alex."  "They shouldn't be too hard to follow once we walk straight into their secret undergound base."  "Maybe don't lead the way, actually."  "Troops.  If you would, please descend the ladder ahead of us."  Which they do.  But they still grumble about it.
04:51   Hazard  "Let's blow shit up."
04:52   Trimangle   Alex is second in the pipe, levitating herself down behind the troops.
04:53   Hazard  Ea, held aloft by her flames, descends just after Alex.
04:54   Jar_Mimic   "Well, here we go."  "Nat, keep that shield ready to throw up."  So, they follow everyone else down.
01:18   Jar_Mimic   Once they reach the bottom, the dolls begin to shout up at the others following them.  "The kids!"  "We found the kids!"  "There they are!"  "We just found the kids!"  "They're right there!"  Without waiting for the others, they run up into the tunnel before them.
01:19   Trimangle   "Fall back!" Alex shouts as she touches down, pulling her sword again.
01:20   Trimangle   "Something moved! The soldiers moved through something!" she says, advancing a lot slower than the dolls.
01:20   Hazard  Ea lands behind Alex, gathering her flames in front of her like a shield.
01:22   Hazard  One of the children, a young boy, looks down the hall, spotting Alex and Ea. His eyes take a note of panic, and he shakes his head. He looks wildly around himself.
01:23   Jar_Mimic   "Company!  Halt!"  "Don't go without us!  Wait!"  Dolls aren't very smart.  But they can at least understand when so many people tell them to stop to stop.  Whether it was a good place or not, they stop advancing.
01:23   Trimangle   "Barry!" Alex calls forward, advancing. "Barry, are you hurt?"
01:24   Hazard  He shakes his head, then looks pointedly to his left and right.
01:25       *** Carmine quit (Read error: Connection reset by peer)
01:25       *** Carmine joined #Overcity
01:25   Trimangle   Alex raises her sword in an interrogative gesture, then glances to the left and right as well.
01:26   Hazard  He nods.
01:27   Trimangle   Alex nods back. "Hold up," she whispers to Natasha and Ea. "I was right. Barry says they're waiting for us to rush in so they can jump us."'
01:28   Jar_Mimic   "Alex!"  "Nat's gonna fall down!  Catch her, please!"  Without waiting for confirmation, the little girl lets go of the ladder.  It would have taken too long to climb down with those tiny arms and legs.  She begins falling toward Alex.
01:28   Hazard  "So, what do we do? Can either of you shoot around corners?" Little Ea looks up to see Natasha falling, and moves to catch her, but is far smaller than Alex.
01:31   Trimangle   Alex rushes back towards the ladder, in time to catch the falling girl and her doll. "Easy now!" she shouts.
01:33   Jar_Mimic   "I knew you'd catch me."  "We REALLY aren't fast on our feet."  "Sorry for slowing you down."  "At least the trap hasn't sprung, yet."  At this point, the dolls have retreated back to the group, waiting for further orders.
01:34   Hazard  "We need a plan, and we need it before they just decide to jump us. Any thoughts?"
01:36   Trimangle   Alex grins, setting Natasha down. "Sorry we keep outpacing you." She glances at Ea. "I can't shoot around corners exactly, but I can scout around them. All I need to do is get air from in there to pass by me, and I can read it." Alex advances a little ways back towards the chamber, and builds another recon probe, which she shoves into the room.
01:40   Trimangle   "..." Alex releases her hold on her probe and steps back. "They're scattered along the wall. All but two have their weapons out, and they all have a line on us. We're dead as soon as we step in. I can probably move quickly enough past the killzone that I can be on top of one and clear a path for you, but you'll have to move quickly. Either of you have any ideas?"
01:41   Jar_Mimic   "I can go in with my dolls and my shield as a distraction."  "If all we need to do is get the kids out, I think we can give you enough time."  "As long as me and my dolls are by the kids, we can protect them."  "But we're not gonna be able to do any offense because we don't have any range."
01:42   Hazard  "I may be able to take out some of them if they're close enough together. I blow stuff up real good."
01:44   Trimangle   "I want to take at least one of them out of the fight so we can get some answers. Dunno if I'll be able to clump them up." Alex sighs. "Alternately, we stay here and try to get them to come to us. Though they might threaten to attack the kids if we lollygag."
01:46   Hazard  A small sphere rolls along the floor, bouncing off the wall and down the hallway. It comes to rest at Alex's feet. A light blue ring swivels, looking right up at her as the blackness within the ring shrinks and expands, focusing on her.
01:47   Trimangle   Alex kicks it back into the room.
01:47   Hazard  It flies out, landing among the children.
01:48   Hazard  You then see the small, black sphere roll out from between their feet, growing quicker as it returns to the left hand corner of the room.
01:48   Trimangle   "...That, friends, was a camera."
01:49   Hazard  "We've been made. This won't end well."
01:49   Trimangle   "Rush in, then?"
01:49   Jar_Mimic   "Ah!"  "Aah!"  "DAMN IT!"  "SON OF A BITCH!"  "Oh, wait, a camera?  Should we act now?"  "Kids, forget your heard us say those things!"
01:50   Hazard  "Alex, Try and get the kids. Nat, give me a shield. I'll get us some cover fire."
01:51   Trimangle   "I'll try to get the kids and get them into the hallway," Alex agrees. "Probably have to grab one of them as a human shield. Ready?"
01:52   Hazard  The schoolgirl takes up a runner's pose, as her flames gather together into one giant fireball. "Ready."
01:53   Jar_Mimic   The platoon of dolls forms up around the fire user, as do Nat and Lil.  "I'll cover you from fire."  "Whatever gets through her shield, these guys will take care of."
01:54   Trimangle   "Let's get shit done," Alex says, rushing for the chamber. Alex's recon told her there was one soldier right next to the corner; she knows this, they don't know she knows, so Alex seeks to grab that soldier and use him as a human shield as she drives for the children.
01:56   Hazard  (Roll for the grapple, if you aren't already)
02:00   Trimangle   !ex 7 [Grapple, weapon type: AGI.] Alex plants her foot behind the soldier's leg and winds her arms around his torso, levering him into her grasp with a sharp cry.
02:00   Puchuu  Trimangle, [2, 8, 7, 4, 3, 8, 2] Successes: 3
02:01   Hazard  !ex 2 (Resist Grapple) The soldier pushes with all of his might to resist the girl's grab.
02:01   Puchuu  Hazard, [10, 2] Successes: 2
02:01   Hazard  But fails.
02:02   Hazard  The Soldier is now the human shield, and he doesn't like it.
02:07   Trimangle   "We're gonna walk over to the kids now," Alex says to her shield. "I'm just lookin' to get them out and figure out what you wanted with 'em, kay?"
02:07   Trimangle   [End]
02:09   Hazard  !ex 15 (Omega Fireball, targeting the center soldier on the left side. 24->12 MP.) Ea bounds out behind Alex, launching her fireball at those soldiers to the left.
02:09   Puchuu  Hazard, [3, 6, 8, 9, 7, 2, 4, 2, 10, 8, 3, 8, 1, 10, 4] Successes: 9
02:10   Hazard  !ex 3,3,5 Two of the soldiers throw up their arms to try to block the blast, while another throws up a shield of magic.
02:10   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [3, 9, 10] Successes: 3, Roll 2: [10, 8, 2] Successes: 3, Roll 3: [7, 1, 9, 7, 9] Successes: 4
02:11   Hazard  (Okay, time to calculate...)
02:13   Hazard  (Standard soldiers take 9 damage, bringing them to 9 HP each. Shielded one is down to 10 HP.)
02:13   Hazard  (End)
02:13   Hazard  (Any actions, Jar?)
02:16   Jar_Mimic   Natasha, just like she was instructed, keeps cover on the fire girl.  Her magical shield forms a bubble around them, but she'll stop anything coming at her any other way she can, if necessary.  Her dolls, on the other hand, get a different order.  They're ordered over to the kids, where they form up, creating a circle of dolls to protect them from anything that might come their way.
02:17   Hazard  "Good thinking, Nat!" Ea says, pulling her flames back.
02:17   Hazard  [Soldier's turns]
02:19   Hazard  !ex 2,3 (AP Ranged attack) Both soldiers on the right side open fire on Alex, completely ignoring the fact that she has their comrade.
02:19   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [7, 8] Successes: 2, Roll 2: [8, 5, 8] Successes: 2
02:21       *** Carmine quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
02:25   Trimangle   !ex 2#7 [Dodge] Alex had thought just grabbing him as a shield would be enough to deter attacks...she doesn't really want to hurt the guy, and she needs to keep moving, so she rushes towards the kids.
02:25   Puchuu  Trimangle, Roll 1: [6, 8, 9, 10, 8, 3, 10] Successes: 7, Roll 2: [3, 2, 9, 4, 5, 1, 8] Successes: 2
02:27   Hazard  The first shot goes wide by a mile, but the second barely flies through, grazing Alex's trailing leg.
02:28   Trimangle   [SOAK 6->4]
02:30   Hazard  !ex 3,3 The two soldiers on the left fire their guns at Ea.
02:30   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [4, 3, 2] Successes: 0, Roll 2: [7, 5, 8] Successes: 2
02:32   Jar_Mimic   !ex 11
02:32   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 1, 6, 2, 1, 7] Successes: 4
02:33   Jar_Mimic   !ex 11
02:33   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [7, 2, 7, 10, 1, 3, 5, 6, 4, 1, 5] Successes: 4
02:33   Jar_Mimic   Natasha's shield effortlessly protects the two from the gunfire.
02:33   Hazard  The shots ricochet off the shield. The other soldier, one holding a short rod, charges mana into the object.
02:34   Hazard  !ex 7 (Magical Missile, against Ea and the shield)
02:34   Puchuu  Hazard, [7, 1, 4, 10, 3, 9, 3] Successes: 4
02:36       --- Fredward is away (Auto away)
02:38   Jar_Mimic   !ex 11+2
02:38   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [3, 7, 3, 5, 6, 10, 9, 5, 1, 6, 5] Successes: 4+2=6
02:39   Hazard  The blast pings against the shield.
02:39   Jar_Mimic   Again, the little pellet is deflected.  "Pretty strong, right?"  "Although probably not as strong as yours."  Nat's Third Eye pulses while looking at Ea.
02:41   Hazard  (Update, the soldiers on the left are actually at 6, 6, and 7 HP. They should have taken a die penalty, but I missed that. Good thing they all missed anyways.)
02:42   Hazard  !ex 2 The captured soldier attempts to break Alex's grasp.
02:42   Puchuu  Hazard, [9, 10] Successes: 3
02:42   Hazard  (STR based this time)
02:43   Trimangle   !ex 4 [Maintaining grapple, STR]
02:43   Puchuu  Trimangle, [10, 8, 3, 4] Successes: 3
02:43   Trimangle   (er, wait, wait)
02:43   Trimangle   (Take a die off the end, Alex still makes it)
02:44   Hazard  (But he made the attempt, shouldn't that mean he is technically "attacker" here, and succeeds?)
02:44   Hazard  (Since you're equal)
02:44   Trimangle   (Iii, hm, what action would it be to break a grapple?)
02:46   Trimangle   (Reading the PDF doesn't suggest there is a discrete action to take to break a grapple, just that the grappling character must roll and take an action to maintain)
02:46   Jar_Mimic   (In which case, I think that would fall in Alex's favor)
02:47   Hazard  (That's a good question. It seems strange that you can't use an action to try and break free, but if we can't then yeah, he just can't do anything, since the -2 penalty makes him useless.)
02:47   Hazard  (Alex, your turn)
02:48   Trimangle   How far is Alex from the children at this point?
02:49   Hazard  (Close. They really were only far enough away from the hall to give the soldiers line of sight without hitting them.)
02:51   Trimangle   (Could Alex spend her action gathering the children, then Moving back into the hallway to extract them from combat?)
02:55   Hazard  (She could grab one at a time and move, Or take one action now to gather, and another to move them all the next turn. They are tied to chairs, after all. Unwieldy.)
02:56   Trimangle   (...Ah. That's a detail you never mentioned.)
02:57   Hazard  (Oh, It was in the stuff I sent to Jar for the dolls, and forgot to put it in your visual when you dropped)
02:58   Trimangle   Alex chooses not to Maintain her Grapple, turning the soldier loose and shoving him aside, then expending her Action severing the childrens' bonds. [End]
03:02   Hazard  !ex 14 (Fireball II versus caster in the corner) Ea launches two of her flames at the soldier with the rod. "Go get 'em, kids!"
03:02   Puchuu  Hazard, [10, 5, 2, 6, 5, 8, 4, 8, 7, 4, 2, 3, 2, 7] Successes: 6
03:02   Hazard  !ex 6 (shield)
03:02   Puchuu  Hazard, [10, 7, 4, 7, 6, 10] Successes: 6
03:03   Hazard  (Really? Ea is down to 10 MP, I think that just got rid of his regenerated soak, then.)
03:05   Hazard  !ex 2,3 (Soldiers gotta AP Ranged at Alex)
03:05   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [6, 7] Successes: 1, Roll 2: [6, 5, 7] Successes: 1
03:05   Jar_Mimic   (M-my turn?)
03:05   Hazard  (OH, Sorry. I thought you were still Covering)
03:06   Hazard  (go for it)
03:06   Trimangle   (Cover is Free)
03:07   Hazard  (Ah, yeah, free to maintain)
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03:08   Jar_Mimic   Well, despite the kids being untied, there are fifteen dolls surrounding them at the moment.  They're not weak things.  Consider the damage they can do.  So, each one takes a chair leg, hefts them up, and begin to run toward the hall leading back to the ladder.  Problem solved.  Nat and Lil nod to eachother.  "Alright, I think we can fall back."  "Whenever you're ready, Ea.  We've still got you covered."
03:08   Jar_Mimic   (Continuing cover, end turn.)
03:09   Hazard  "Music to my ears!" Ea says. (Now run the soldiers shooting at alex)
03:09       *** Fredward quit (Quit: http://www.mibbit.com ajax IRC Client)
03:09   Trimangle   "We're leavin'?" Alex calls as the dolls take the kids away. "We don't know why--" And then Alex senses the bullets coming at her!
03:10   Trimangle   !ex 7 [Dodge] Alex attempts to gracefully dodge the attacks.
03:10   Puchuu  Trimangle, [9, 6, 1, 2, 8, 9, 8] Successes: 4
03:10   Trimangle   !ex 7 [whoops]
03:10   Puchuu  Trimangle, [1, 6, 1, 7, 4, 7, 9] Successes: 3
03:10   Trimangle   Alex flows like water around the two volleys sent her way. "--why they took them!"
03:11   Hazard  !ex 2,2 (AP Ranged against Ea/Nat)
03:11   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [4, 7] Successes: 1, Roll 2: [9, 7] Successes: 2
03:11   Hazard  (WRONG)
03:12   Hazard  !ex 1,1
03:12   Puchuu  Hazard, Roll 1: [4] Successes: 0, Roll 2: [8] Successes: 1
03:16   Jar_Mimic   !ex 11
03:16   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [6, 4, 6, 3, 10, 9, 6, 3, 6, 7, 10] Successes: 6
03:16   Jar_Mimic   !ex 11
03:16   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [4, 9, 1, 9, 5, 2, 10, 3, 10, 8, 5] Successes: 7
03:16   Jar_Mimic   Natasha and Lilac together raise their hands to make a shield that glows with a crystaline power.  Nothing penetrates.
03:17   Hazard  !ex 6 (Magical Missile) The soldier lights up his rod, to see if... sorry, no. I can't say it. I just can't.
03:17   Puchuu  Hazard, [8, 2, 7, 6, 10, 6] Successes: 4
03:17   Hazard  (Targeting Ea, thus Nat)
03:22   Jar_Mimic   !ex 11
03:22   Puchuu  Jar_Mimic, [4, 3, 6, 6, 9, 5, 3, 4, 7, 3, 9] Successes: 3
03:23   Hazard  (Deals 2 damage, ignoring soak)
03:23   Jar_Mimic   Well, it looks like they got cocky and let it down too early.  The little girl gets a little shock.  "How very dare you!"  "Like we even care, LOL."
03:25   Hazard  !ex 2 (Piercing vs Alex) The previous human shield spins on his heels, lashing out at Alex with a combat knife.
03:25   Puchuu  Hazard, [1, 8] Successes: 1
03:26   Trimangle   !ex 7 [Parry] In a flash, Alex's blade comes up to block and parry the man's strike, the girl's expression twisting.
03:26   Puchuu  Trimangle, [8, 9, 2, 9, 1, 3, 5] Successes: 3
03:28   Hazard  The blade rings out against his, and the edge bites into his off-shoulder. (-1 SP)
03:28   Hazard  (Or HP)
03:28   Hazard  (So he's at 13 HP)
03:29   Hazard  (I believe that's Alex's turn.)
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03:32   Trimangle   (What's Alex's range to the people on the left side of the wall?)
03:33   Hazard  (On Ea's side: Far. On the other side, one is close, the other is far.)
03:34   Hazard  (And the human shield is quite close)
03:36       *** Wander|away quit ()
03:41   Trimangle   Alex glances at the combatants arrayed against them. They don't look the strongest, and Alex would dearly love to get one of them to interrogate, but there's too many unknown factors. She retreats back to the hallway. "Clear!"
03:43   Hazard  "Go on, Nat! I'll cover our retreat. Get out of here!" She starts heading for the hall.
03:44   Hazard  (Can I do that and overwatch to cast Flaming wall once we are all in the hall?)
03:44   Jar_Mimic   "Gotcha, man!"  "Understood!  Don't keep us waiting!"  Just like that, the two retreat, giving the room the middle finger before slipping back into the hallway to meet up with the kids and her dolls.
03:48   Hazard  (okay, figured it out. As the hall was still in close range for us two.)
03:49   Hazard  !ex 12 (Flaming Wall 7MP) As soon as Ea scoots just inside the hall, she swipes her hand. Her flames drag across the opening, just behind Natasha, igniting the ground in green inferno.
03:49   Puchuu  Hazard, [4, 10, 2, 3, 6, 10, 8, 9, 8, 10, 7, 6] Successes: 10
03:51   Hazard  The soldiers rush up, but come short of the flames, brandishing their weapons. "Alright everyone! Let's go-go-go!"
03:53   Trimangle   "We're gone!" Alex responds, covering the retreat.
03:53       *** Tang quit (Ping timeout: 240 seconds)
03:53   Jar_Mimic   "Alex, our guys can't carry them up the ladder!"  "You can jump the highest without lighting things on fire.  Carry them up!  One by one!"  The two pump their arms in anticipation of getting the hell out of there.
03:55   Trimangle   "You got it! Ginny, you first; climb on my back."
03:56   Hazard  Bunny Tailspin jumps up, grabbing hold of Ginny's back as she climbs on Alex's.
03:57   Trimangle   Alex looks up, crouches, then leaps skyward. Natasha would be able to see, with her Third Eye, the wind joyously bearing the wind mage aloft as she catches the top rungs and hauls herself out.
03:59   Hazard  !ex 2 (Hollow Point Ranged versus Alex) Suddenly Sniper..... Standing beside you. No time to react.... No time to defeeeeeeeeeend!
03:59   Puchuu  Hazard, [8, 5] Successes: 1
04:02   Hazard  (As per Jar's suggestion)
04:03   Hazard  Bunny tailspin Twists around, launching off of Ginny's back. The bullet sprays stuffing and cassette tape everywhere.
04:05   Trimangle   Alex would have shielded herself, but the stuffed rabbit takes the shot for her. Alex turns and glares at the sniper, drawing her blade once again. "Contact!" she screams as she readies herself to take him apart.
04:05   Jar_Mimic   "Gaaah!  Not with the kid on your back!"  "Drop her off first!"  The two gesticulate wildly at what's going on above them.
04:07   Hazard  Ea pushes on the kids, urging Maddie and Barry to the ladder. "Go On, Go! That wall won't stay forever!"
04:10       *** AgathasDiary joined #Overcity
04:12   Hazard  (Jar, your turn)
04:13   Jar_Mimic   "Hey, we're the slowest climbers!"  "Everyone, get up!  You, too, Ea."  "We'll be right behind you."  "Don't worry.  We've got our dolls with us."  Indeed, the little legion and it's commanders stand ready.
04:13       *** Eprlide quit (Quit: Nettalk6 - www.ntalk.de)
04:15   Hazard  "I have to stay behind to keep them back. I can make new walls when this falls."
04:15   Hazard  (Tri, Your go)
04:17   Trimangle   Alex sets Ginny down and regards the sniper, her blade glinting in the light. "You wanna dance, asshole? Let's dance." Streamers of green energy flow upwards around her body, and her blade seems to glow. [Invoke Focused Assault, 9->6 MP] [cont]
04:17   Jar_Mimic   "Alright, if you say so."  "Don't take too long."  So, all of her dolls cling to her dress again, and she begins the climb up behind the children.
04:18       *** Aristocat quit (Quit: *vanishes in a puff of memes*)
04:20   Trimangle   !ex 2#7+2 [Focused Assault double attack, Melee(Cutting), attacks Ignore one additional point of Soak, FP 4->2] Alex lets out a sharp cry, closing with the sniper, slashing him from shoulder to hip twice, once from each side, carving an X in his body.
04:20   Puchuu  Trimangle, Roll 1: [8, 1, 7, 1, 2, 6, 2] Successes: 2+2=4, Roll 2: [9, 5, 6, 7, 9, 3, 8] Successes: 4+2=6
04:23   Hazard  The soldier attempts to hold his Rifle up to block the incoming blows, but the first cracks the rifle in half, and the other knifes clean into his sternum. A spark lights from the rifle, and it explodes in a wave of pinkish mana, launching him backwards. He groans, but doesn't get up.
04:23   Hazard  (Because of his wounds from before, none of his defenses would block that stuff.)
04:24   Hazard  (Cutting deals 2 damage per, He's at 1 HP.)
04:25   Trimangle   "Target down!" Alex calls, moving to stand over her downed foe. "Let's grab him and get gone while the getting's good!"
04:26   Hazard  Ginny clutches the shattered husk of Bunny Tailspin, falling into step behind Alex as the others bound out of the chute.
04:28   Hazard  !ex 12 (Another flaming wall, just inside the hall) Ea jumps for the ladder, the flames igniting another wall behind her. "Go, Go, Go, Nat!"
04:28   Puchuu  Hazard, [9, 6, 7, 2, 7, 2, 6, 4, 9, 3, 10, 6] Successes: 6
04:28   Hazard  (done)
04:28   Jar_Mimic   Natasha, Lilac, and their dolls are close behind.  They climb up and out of the trapdoor.  Once they're on solid ground, the dolls all let go of her dress and scamper down the hall to give them all space.  But the doll maker has something she needs to do.  With a touch of her hand, and a little bit of mana, Bunny Tailspin is remade as good as new.  "There you go.  All better."
04:33   Hazard  The Doll's circuits, tape, and stuffing weaves back together. It begins its goofy laugh..."HeuuuHuHUh! Thank's a bullion!" (Back to Alex)
04:35   Trimangle   Alex puts her blade away and reaches down, hauling the man into a fireman's carry across her back. "S'gonna make it a bit awkward but I think we can deal."
04:36   Hazard  He groans in pain, bleeding from the chest. "Gloryyyyy..... To the BEAcooooon...."
04:37   Jar_Mimic   "Aha!  I knew it!"  "That's totally something a Beacon would say."  "These guys are the worst."  "Scum.  Complete scum."  Girl and doll shake their heads disapprovingly.
04:38   Trimangle   "Well, you don't belong to the Beacon, I know that much-- Nat, he doesn't--so you can dispense with that. Who do you work for, and why kidnap those kids?"
04:39   Hazard  "We're low on our numbers... We were going to... train them... make them be our soldiers... of purity..."
04:41   Jar_Mimic   "I ffff..."  The little girl cuts herself off before starting again.  "I freakin' knew it."  "Dude, we totally called that.  We totally called it."  "Here, we'll get these guys out of here."  "Come on, kids."  Fairly well assured that things are handled here, Nat and Lil begin to lead the kids away from the trap door, down the hall.
04:41   Hazard  Ea pulls herself out of the trapdoor, slamming it down and welding it shut with her flames.
04:43   Trimangle   Alex sighs. "Beacon's also not in the business of abducting and conscripting children, much less nonmagical ones." Alex begins following Nat. "Let's start with something else, then. What's your name?"
04:43   Jar_Mimic   "Oh, Ea, you're b-"  When Natasha turns, she sees something she doesn't like.  "Uh, Alex?  You need to get that guy out of here, like, now.  Right now!  Or we need to run!  I smell a bomb!"  Her Third Eye pulses.
04:43   Hazard  "Your daddy, bitch." A vicious glow lights his face from under his fatigues.
04:45   Trimangle   Alex's eyes widen, and she drops the man to the ground, leaping into the air. "Go go go!" she yells, panic threading her voice as she kicks herself clear, grabbing Ginny as she goes.
04:46   Jar_Mimic   Dolls scoop up the other two kids as the doll maker and her weapon goad the plush platoon down the hall with all speed!  "Run, run!"  "Faster, c'mon!"
04:46   Trimangle   Before the fireworks, Alex snaps a hurried shot of the man on her cellphone with her free hand.
04:46   Hazard  BOOM. Well, maybe not BOOM. More like... Boom? Perhaps more like Pshaw! As he rolls, a puff of light and smoke shatters his rip cage, spraying gore all over the ruins.
04:48   Trimangle   "..." Alex stops a short distance away. "Well! That wasn't as bad as I feared!" she laughs. "Fine, we'll just--have to settle for his body." Alex drifts back over, alert for any further traps.
04:50   Hazard  The ruins are completely still now, except for the chunk of lung dripping down the wall and past a poster of Bridget from Guilty Gear. Enjoy your trap.
04:50   Jar_Mimic   "Oh.  Oh, god.  Bwah.  Kids.  Kids, don't look.  Please, don't look."  Despite the fact that the kids might just actually be taller than Natasha, she still attempts to stop them or block their view if they try to see back into the hallway that got painted red.
04:51       *** Raincoat quit (Quit: Oops. My brain just hit a bad sector)
04:52   Trimangle   That's a trap, but fortunately not the kind Alex is worried about. She sets Ginny down and gathers the corpse. "...I should have knocked him out," Alex sighs. "Well, maybe his body will tell us or Tesla something."
04:53   Hazard  "Eeeeeew! Ewewewewew!" Ginny cries out, backing away from the ruined lump of meat.
04:54   Jar_Mimic   "Alright, we're leaving!"  "C'mon, kids!  Stairs!  This hallway still has stairs, right?"  "Alex!  Forget that body for now."  "Let's get the kids to the ground first.  You know, so they're not scarred for life?"
04:55   Hazard  Ea grabs hold of little Barry, leading him up the rubble and into the night air.
04:55   Trimangle   "...Right. I'll just strip it." Alex sets the corpse down and takes everything out of his pockets, as well as the uniform blouse, which she cleans as much as possible.
04:56   Hazard  She finds his pockets alarmingly empty. As if the only thing on him were his uniform and rifle.
04:57   Trimangle   Well, at least she has the blouse, then. She moves out with the rest of the troop.
04:58   Trimangle   Oh, and the broken rifle, too.
04:58   Jar_Mimic   In fact, while the humans all exit the building, the dolls and Lilac stay behind.  "Alright.  She wants this body?  Heave-ho, everyone.  We're taking it with.  At a respectable distance."  Just as they were ordered, the dolls gather up the bloody body, not caring if they get any on them, and move out along with their pint-sized commander.
 
Hours later...
 
Thom rummages through his refrigerator, desperately seeking something sweet out of his ice-box full of vegetables from that skankily dressed little plant girl. Finding a jar of strawberry jam that Mako made, he decides that a peanut-butter and jelly sandwich would have to do, even if it is made from whole grain. Seriously? That ridiculously named girl may be giving them free food, but couldn't the bread be white? Why was everything healthy with this girl? Bread should be white, sourdough, or rye. Not this "ancient whole grain"-shit she was passing around as bread. The bitch probably never even heard of a McDonald's.
 
Something tugged at his lab coat. He felt his heart leap into his throat, and his blood drain straight into his feet. He looked down to see a curly mop of red hair looking back up at him and smiling with her hazel eyes. She clutched her purple, blood-stained bunny. Strange how she was still attached to it after what it had been through. "Oh! Ginny! Shouldn't you be asleep?"
 
The way she was looking at him struck him as odd. Like she didn't even see him, like she wasn't even awake. "I am asleep. I have just been sent with a message for you."
 
The bottom dropped out of his stomach. Ever so slowly, he backed away from the tiny child that he had watched come into the world. The child he had ignored to follow his obsessions. Was this really her? Was she being mind controlled? Was this a Sixtyone Analog, or something even worse?
 
She continued, her voice and words as alien as they were familiar. "Continue the research you were doing for your past employer. Your findings will belong to me."
 
"Who are you? How do you know about my research? Are you... Are you with..." Stumbling in the dark, he tripped over the small table that had been knocked over earlier that day, and tumbled to the ground.
 
"No. They do not concern me. The possibilities of your research does. You will give it to me."
 
There was no spoken threat in what she said, but it was implied. If someone could control your daughter's sleepwalking, they could easily hurt or kill her. If he didn't give them what they wanted, then Ginny would be dead. Of course, if he gave them his research, he'd be responsible for far worse. He needed to get them to reveal their hand so he could take control of this situation. "I'm sorry, but... I don't have any of the right equipment to continue my work. It was all destroyed when my universe imploded. Please, don't hurt my daughter."
 
"Don't hurt your daughter? You have the gall to lie to me, and then beg for her life?" The little girl stepped forward, red curls bouncing and swaying behind her. There was a malice there that didn't fit inside her child's body, and a haunting anger in the eyes of her doll. "I know about your secret room."
 
Shit. He was convinced he had managed to hide it so well. Doubly convinced after the soldiers passed right by after taking Ginny. He hated himself for leaving her to them, but he had to protect his experiments or destroy them before they fell into the wrong hands. The soldiers... They were connected to this. They didn't miss his secret lab, they intentionally left it alone to lull him into a sense of security. They worked for whomever had his daughter. Safe to assume, they had the other two children under their thumb, too.
 
His little daughter stood over him, a terror in a tiny nightie. Her eyes glistened with tainted moonlight, orange refrigerator light, and a rampaging avarice. "I'll forgive you this one time, but remember: Every night, I will send this child in to see your results. If I feel that you are stalling or misleading me, I will kill her. I expect results, Thom Goethe. If you meet my requirements, your daughter will survive to enter my service." She leaned in, bringing her eyes inches from his. Their glitter was of a joy that knew no morality. Her lips parted for one last taunt. "And wouldn't that be nice, daddy?"