Clockwork Spheres

September 05, 2015:

X-Red are cleaning up M-Town and they are met by Clockwork

M-Town - New York

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

M-Town has been under… reconstruction is the best way to put it. X-Red and various city, state and charitable concerns have been putting a lot of effort into helping the place recover from the Riots a few weeks back. It's been slow work and the place isn't exactly back to normal. The atmosphere has certainly changed though now that the looming threat of the SRD has been removed. The militia is still under very thorough investigation and from the newspapers it sounds like there are charges pending.

Bobby Drake lives in M-Town so it's no surprise that he's been involved in a lot of the volunteer effort to get the place patched up even after hours and not in an official capacity. Not everyone stayed. Some decided to move elsewhere after that debacle but there are a fair number of people who are staying and a lot of damaged buildings from the riots, mostly businesses and public places along the main avenues. And they're getting repaired… remarkably quickly. Well, for repair work which still means it's taking time.

At the moment, the ice nerd is helping doing basic hammer swinging over at a condo complex that was the scene of an SRD 'detainment action'. There's a lot of drywall that needs replacing, to say the least.


M-Town has quickly become one of Ryden's favorite parts of the city since his return. We're it not for Darque he'dve been here helping during those riots, more than the lone time. Darque is still a problem but the deadzone is gone, the sister is found and Ryden has slept. So he's out and about and considering. He's a tall man, lean with a kind of rakish handsomeness.

People eye him as he strolls down the sidewalk and not just because of his odd manner of dressing. Those purple and black leopard leggings again, and a pink tank top that has the words Milk Bar scrawled across the chest. He also has a large travel pack hanging from his shoulders and is barefoot. A white goose with black markings waddles in front of Ryden, honking and pecking at people who don't move out of the way fast enough. Ryden might tell him to stop it but he's reading an article in the paper as he walks along, talking about the pending charges and wondering if there isn't something he can do there. "Hm…I wonder if I could just.. Ya know?" He waggles his hand in the air in an arcane gesture. Its not clear if he's talking to the goose, himself, or someone or something else.


Wanda has been away for a while; travelling the world with a group of other magical beings destroying obelisks. The last one putting yet another crater in New York. Is it any wonder that so many people don't like them? Half beaten to a pulp herself, it is a rather despondent Wanda that approaches Bobby. "Do you need some help?" she asks softly before peering over at the sound of a goose. Oh…that guy again. But didn't he have a duck before? Why a duck…who knows? Wanda takes it upon herself to grab some nails, ready to hand them over to Bobby when he needs one.


Brins' arm and hip are healing. Her arm taking longer due to the new wound she obtained when confronting Gabby Trent… the brunette mutant has been in the wars, that's for sure. Swinging a hammer and any heavy physical labour is probably not something she should be doing, but there she is… picking up the rubble that's piling up from Bobby's efforts.

"Looks like you need to take it easy, Wanda." Brin offers the woman a smile. "You've done enough recently…" Brin speaks in that quiet way of hers.


"I'd love some help Wanda… are you okay?" Bobby had heard of the… kerfuffle seems the best word for it. Odd word, that, isn't it? He's still wearing a glove over his iced hand. The one that won't change back and is a little on the hard side to move. "We're about to get ready to start redoing thse two units and if you wanted to stay for lu-" A metallic buzzing sound, distant but distinct cuts him off. It sounds like a swarm of bees… if they were made of brass. "Does anyone else hear that?" It's coming up the street… and quickly.

Ryden, being the only one on the street is the only one in a position to see the swarm of small brass spheres with insect wings come winging up the street. Its like if someone convinced a bunch of ball bearings they were angry wasps. He's right in their path.


Ryden had just stepped into the crosswalk, he's still not minding his surroundings but he does hear the noise and Damnyou;'s regular honking switch over to a tone of alarm. "What?! I'm…" Ryden looks up and frowns. What the hell are those? Snitches? No, no he's on earth now, not in a book. Ryden may appear a little buzzed. He looks at his goose then back at the things. Okay, those are totally real if the goose sees them too. Doubting the metal ball things are harmless, this is M-Town after all, the lorekeeper reacts swiftly. It's good he's holding the newspaper, awesome luck for a change. One finger touches the page and moves the letters around into the command he wants and then Ryden glances across the street at and finds a fire hydrant. He focuses his will and magic into the words and the hydrant bursts open, a violent stream of water aiming for the spheres.

Ryden picks up his pace and hurries over towards the others now that he sees them. Only stopping to scoop up the goose. "HI! I"m Ryden. This is my duck-goose. My goose." He's still trying to remember that. Like, yhow the hell was he supposed to know? Gooses are usually bigger. Whatever, they have bigger problems right now. "I've met some or all of you before… what are those things?!" Not the time for lengthy introductions! And they probably don't remember, he barely does himself. The oddly dressed man sets the goose down and holds his paper up like its a shield. His eyes are already scanning rapidly through the words as he searches out the letters for another spell.


"If you are helping, Brinley, then I can help" Wanda smiles to the other woman with a nod to her wounds. Her fingers twitch and curl, generating her magic before she flings it nonchalantly at the some rubble…which is now piles of one dollar bills blowing in the breeze. "It will all get picked up…and quicker now" she explains with a tired smile before shrugging to Bobby's question. "I am fine. I helped…a little bit." Before she can continue she hears the buzzing, looking over in its direction with a concerned look on her face. "Why does that sound familiar?" she muses softly before there is a man and his duck-goose saying 'hello'. But he's right, no time for reintroductions as brass spheres zoom towards them. "It can't be…"


Brin pales as the sound reaches her ears, she's fairly sure she knows what that is… or they are. "Are they drones?" she breathes. "Protect those on the street, they'll target them."

With a glance for Bobby, Wanda and Ryden, the brunette heads for the door - a glowing green and gold shield appearing between those nearest her on the street and the incoming buzzing… better safe than sorry, right?


The buzzing stops for a moment as the busted hydrant gets in the way, but then comes closer and faster. Bobby has a peek out the window and… "Oh hell. Hang on!" He starts to ice off the room. Windows and outside vents mostly. The swarm comes right up to the ice and hits it, bouncing off of it like so many confused birds. Then it starts to… eat? Cut? Whatever it's doing it's chipping away at the ice while others go looking for another way in. "Wanda, tell me those aren't what I think they are."


"What?!?! What are they!?" Ryden yells in alarm. The water didn't stop them, neither did the ice, what the hell? He can't fight against the unknown effectively. Damnyou squawks and moves out of the way. He has nothing to add to this situation. The lorekeeper shrugs out of his pack and get it open. He doesn't know what he needs yet and the paper is still clutched in one hand. Maybe he can just trap them in a book? But if they are magical.. that could be difficult.


Wanda nods silently to Bobby as her powers build around her fingers once more. "It is him" she finally adds. "The Watchmaker. The Clockwork King. Whatever name he chooses today" she states coldly. "And I made him stronger" she adds with a tone of guilt and sorrow. She waits for the drones to start breaking through the ice before acting. "They are probably here for me" she suggests. "Perhaps I should lead them away?"


Brin watches from the street as whatever they are starts to break windows… and the ice form. Maybe those inside will be safe for now, she'll just wait with those outside… protecting them.


Brin won't be safe for long. Behind the swarm there's a trio of clockwork spheres rolling up. These are larger. Easily as high as a person. And one of them peels of to deal with Brinley. Or at least that's what it seems to be doing. It's rolling up very, very fast.

The inside of the ice isn't going to hold for long. So Bobby has a new idea. He's gathering up cold about him. Which means it's getting chilly in here. "We need to get onto the street. We don't want to do this inside." Less room for one thing. Bobby hasn't seen the big ones. "Okay… get ready to go in three… two… one…!" He blasts outward with the ice as the same time that his barrier breaks and makes a slide. His first thought is to take Wanda's hand and get her out the window and onto the slide to the street. Then Ryden, then himself.


"Um." Ryden does see the big ones. He still doesn't know what they are dealing with-what the hell is the watchmaker? Why do these people always pick such obvious names? It isn't a code or secret identity if you give away your job or some defining trait in-shit focus Ryden! Damnyou pecks Ryden hard in the shin. He's aware of the magi's penchant for distraction. "Ow! Shit! Okay okay okay I uh.. uh.. I can't just go around dropping pits everwhere." "Um.." What would stop these things? They're metal.. and big and getting closer and oooh crap on a stick! Ryden pulls a book free of the bag and the second he's got the room and space to direct it the pages fly open and stop. The image is of a dragon. A two story house sized black and red dragon exhaling a great cloud of dragonfire. "Ahah!" The dragon begins taking shape outside the building. It seems enraged, it's mouth open in thunderous roar that is suddenly shaking the walls and rubble. Ryden sways. That took some power for sure.


Wanda does take Bobby's hand briefly to get through the window and then jump out into the street…or over it. The witch hovering slightly as she turns towards the giant spheres. "Brinley! Are you okay!?" she calls out, glancing around quickly for the tell-tale barriers that mark her friend's presence. But then she has her own health to be concerned about…and that dragon is not helping. Who the hell brings a dragon with them?! With reality already given a kick by the appearance of mythological beings, Wanda doesn't feel too bad as she casts her energy ahead of the giant spheres. Her intention is to turn those globes into something harmless…or inoperative…but instead her magic crashes into…her magic. The spheres seem to be 'coated' with her own chaos power and they draw her spell into them as if charging their batteries.


Like M-Town could use the extra damage… Brin winces as the Dragon appears… and exhales fire "People still live here, you know." she grumbles to herself as much as to anyone. "I'm o.k, Wanda." she adds slightly louder as the people she's protecting all head down the street into one of the safer looking building - maybe they'll be ok too.

Eyes fastening on the trio of larger clockwork devices, particularly the one coming at her - her shield wall disappears and wings appear on her back, lifting her above the device as she considers it.


Bobby slides down the ramp last and stares at the spheres and the dragon… he doesn't have long though. Some of those buzzers survivied the ice blast and circle back, coming to get him and him personally. He turns to freeze them but it's going to take him a minute as he ducks and dodges.

Which leaves Brin, Wanda and Ryden to face the big spheres. Dragonfire bathes one of the spheres and warps it, causing it to grind to a halt. That one's immoble. Panels slide away on all three revealing large cannon. Not quite tank sized but definitely not anything anyone wants to get shot by. There's nine of them all told and they focus between them on Wanda, Ryden, Brin and the dragon and open fire. The bolts aren't bullets but seem themselves to be concentrated chaos. Getting hit by those definitely not recommended. On the other hand, the panels sliding away reveals the inner workings, making them vulnerable.


A fire breathing dragon as big as a house is a danger but it's Ryden's danger. It's been called out and made into being by his magic and his will and it will only do what he commands it. The only thing in danger from the dragon are the metal spheres and Ryden himself, if he uses too much power to hold the spell that gives the dragon existence outside of it's story. The large creature turns its breath on the closest of the large sphere-things even asa it swipes a massive clawed foot in that direction, hoping to hit a second. Ryden is sweating despite his thin clothing as he dodges one of the shots. The books pages flutter some more and a blank one appears. This.. this is going to hurt. None of these people know how to take care of him either. Shit. No time! Ryden holds the book up and pulls forefully with his magic. These things will go into this book dammit! They will. He hopes. He'll use all of the power he can grab to do so before he collapses from overuseing his magic.


It sucks to have your own magic thrown back at you. Especially when you gave it to your enemy yourself - long story but it wasn't a good week. Wanda dives and dodges through the air without a lot of grace but she does manage to avoid most of the bolts sent her way…except for the one that burns across her thigh. She probably deserved that. With the panel open she slings more of her energy at the exposed gears and cogs. No wires here. No motherboards. Everything is clockwork so thankfully it doesn't take kindly when energy blasts teeth from teeth and cogs can no longer turn. She hasn't used her power as a hammer for a while now but Wanda doesn't see any other option when fighting yourself. The sphere starts to spin as wheels and cogs break and crack, all control lost.


"Oh crap…" Brin knows this is going to hurt. Dropping down onto the sphere nearest her, behind the cannon that's appeared, her wings disappear and replaced by her glowing green and gold scimitar.

Balancing carefully, hard to do when one arm isn't working so well, the brunette mutant smashes the blade into the clockwork mechanism - absolutely no finesse involved in the action - trying to disable the device through brute force.


The clockwork mechanisms of these things are… delicate. Brin and Wanda's targets seize up and just… stop moving. Bobby has frozen all the buzzers by this point and Rydens target starts to melt… and then is sucked into his book. Along with one of the other spheres, the one near Wanda. The one near Brin is too far away or somehow resistant. One of those.

And then it seems to be over. Except Bobby remembers something about these things. "BRIN! GET OUT OF THAT THING! RUN!" There is definitely something ticking in here. And then a… steam whistle? That can't be good. Bobby can't reach Brin and can only hope she can fly away. He does grab Ryde and Wanda though and throws up an ice dome.


Ryden only manages to catch two of them so he isn't exactly unconcious, but he's in a helluva lot of pain. He's already used his power today, its why he'd been buzzed. Summoning a dragon into existence isn't exactly a small magic. Pulling the things into his book, when they have Wanda's magic about them makes it so much harder to do than if they were just metal sphere attack…things. So he goes face down into the sidewalk when Bobby grabs him and is more than a little stunned and moaning. The dragon lurches forward and then collapses, knocking the sphere away from Brin somewhat before it suddenly fades away to return to Ryden's book. Still weakly clutched in one hand despite everything.


Wanda is dragged back once again, her eyes opening in alarm before she realises who it is. Then there is ice all around her and she can do little to help the outside world other than hope that no one gets hurt. She looks to the wound on her thigh and does her best to press her hand down to stop the bleeding.


It's ticking? That means it's going to explode or something right? Bobby said run… but what about the damage the thing will cause?

Dismissing her sword, the brunette is still balancing as the Dragon knocks the sphere and sends Brin toppling backwards to the ground. Stifling the cry of pain as her arm is jostled again, the wings don't appear - instead she forms her shield OVER the sphere. If it's going to explode, maybe she can limit the damage that it will cause and not get herself hurt much more than she is.


Ka-BOOM!. The sphere explodes. It's loud even within Brinley's containment but the damage is confined to the street beneath it. Which… is a good thing. It would have been pretty bad for the surrounding buildings otherwise. Bobby pokes his head out when the noise fades, relieved to see Brin's okay. That means they only have one, maybe two wounded. "Wanda, how's your leg? And… Ryden right? You okay?" He seems… in pain? Maybe a bit drunk? "Brin, if you're alright I could use a hand over here!"


Ryden manages to roll, or really, flop over onto his back. He's moaning and his eyes are rolled back into his head but he isn't quite seizing. Suddenly the duck-goose, is there. It seems completely unharmed although its honking and squaking anxiously and it waddles up to Ryden's pack and begins pecking at the side pocket. He doesn't have hands. He can't open the flap and get the medicine out and Ryden isn't exactly in a condition to ask for it.


Thankfully Wanda understands goose…or she recently saw an episode of Lassie. She flicks open the flap and avoids getting billed while doing so and takes out the medicine. "Anyone know how to use this?" she asks the world in general while looking for Brinley in detail. "My leg is fine" she smiles to Bobby even as it continues to bleed. In the bad injury stakes amongst the quartet she is very far behind the others.


Brins ok. The concussive force of the explosion against the pyschic construct has given her a slight headache… and her arm is throbbing from where she landed but it could have been so much worse. Limping over to the others, Brin looks at Rydens medicine and takes it from the woman "I do." even as she administers it to the downed Mage. "How are you two. Wanda, I'll look at your leg next. Bobby?" There's a note of concern there…


"I'm okay." Bobby murmurs. "Not any more hurt than I was when we started." He stands aside. Brin is the one who has been training in medical matters. He's quite certain the police will show up shortly. That had all happened so fast that there hadn't even been any time to sound an alarm. "Wanda, why don't you have a seat. We'll get your… leg looked at. Here let me…" He kneels down and tears off a strip of his shirt to slow the bleeding while Brin is working.


Damnyou relaxes and shuts up once Brin injects Ryden's drugs. The Goose flutter-jumps up onto Ryden's chest and waddles forward to sit just before the man's chin. A feathered wing brushes the magi's face in a comforting guesture. The meds work almost immediately and Ryden quiets too and his eyes close instead of remaining rolled back in his head. When he makes a move as if to sit up a few minutes later. Damnyou promtly pecks his forehead and gives a warning "QUACK!" Not nearly as hard as usual though. Maybe the goose isn't out to kill the man after all.


Wanda happily gives up the medicine and then hobbles out of the way to find a seat. She watches Brinley work before turning her attention to Bobby. "It is okay" she smiles, "No need to…" And then he's tearing his shirt…so Wanda shuts up and lets him. "Is your arm fixed? Have you seen the people you need to see?"


Ryden seen to, Brin turns to Bobby and Wanda, smirking as Wanda quiets… Brin would and does too. Assessing her work, she nods approvingly "That will need better looking at back at X-Red. The Rescue medics will be able to help there." The duck-goose gets a look as it flutters at Ryden, and the brunette gives the mage an assessing look "Do you need anything else?" Magical trauma, isn't her thing.


"I have yes, but it's not fixed yet." Bobby murmurs. "It's not an easy problem. They're working on it." Once the bleeding is staunched he stands aside to let Brin do her thing. Disinfecting or whatever else she needs. And Bobby has lots of shirts so he'll be okay. "Is Ryden going to live?" He hasn't said anything and his duck… is trying to eat him.


Ryden's eyes slowly open. He looks… very dazed. To the point that he shouldn't be so aware of things and part of him isn't. "Wha..whys ther a duck?.." He's got a lot of experience being in this state though and so he manages a semiawareness. "Severyone okay? Fix wha''?" He'd been about to do some magic, hadn't he? Is that what happened? "Sdamnyou…goose.." Not a duck.. okay so its *really* a semiawareness. He doesn't look like he's gonna seize to death or something now though. The goose looks up at the sky and then the Brin and Bobby and Wanda and just sighs. Clearly the duck, or goosish expression of "Why me???"


"It's really nothing" Wanda now insists to Brinley about her wound. Her concern has already moved back to Bobby and his freezing problem. "Tell them to work on it quicker or I will…" Wanda states coldly before she looks apologetic. She's been spending too much time around Doom. A smile at the goose's expression before she nods to it in agreement. Surveying the damage she frowns. All that money she created is everywhere…or burned…or torn. "I should help clean this up" she states, since they were probably after her, before she stands…and immediately winces at the pain.


"Wounds aren't nothing." Brin speaks quietly and finishes tendering to Wanda. It will need to be redressed when they're back in HQ "I'm sorry I don't have any pain killers." she hates the things and doesn't take them herself. "I'm sure Bobby's working on it, Wanda." Brin can feel Bobby's concern about his condition and worrying him like that probably won't help.

Ryden's state has the brunette blinking. She can't speak duck, or goose, but the expression seems to say it all. "Bobby, will you help me, please. We need to move him." she thinks. "Wanda, let's move Ryden and we can get started here again."


"We all will. But let's get Ryden somewhere safe. Ish. And his duck… duck… goose?" Bobby's sense of humor is alas, DOA. "Get his bird some place it won't cause any troulbe. My car's just over there. I'll…" Brin's hurt. Wanda's hurt. He'll carry Ryden. "Brin, here take my keys. Let's get going."


Ryden is able to stumble along, half walking, half being carried by Bobby. Damnyou waddles at his other side and occasionally headbutts Ryden's ankle to get him moving again. The lorekeeper is snoring. While he half walks. With one eye open. Whatever was in his medical device is apparently very potent. He's going to feel bad about this later. Pretty girls and a pretty guy and a chance to be all heroic and he's the one that needs carrying. Maybe he'll get lucky and just not remember it.


"We're not helping clean up?" asks Wanda as she hobbles after the others. She won't take any assistance. The guy with the duck is the one who needs help…in so many ways. And that's coming from Wanda. One day she'll figure out how to warp reality to create wormholes to act as instantaneous transporters but for now it's all four of them in Bobby's car.

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