Be Careful What You Summon

January 03, 2016:

A demon that Zee has spoken with previously … comes to visit her.

New York

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Plot:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

Zee needs to catch up with Jericho and she's taking a chance that he's actually 'earth side', heading to New York by way of Leyline. Without her inate magic, the Leyline network has been getting a good work out by the raven haired mage … as Zee herself is too - so.much.walking.

The Leyline in New York puts her onto the street, several blocks from the demontainted hackers apartment. Adjusting her messenger bag over her shoulder, she starts off at a brisk walk … as alert as she can be to danger, but with her magical senses dulled, she knows there's a heap that she can't feel.

Which would be why she's totally missing, the stirring in the magical energies around her - the sense of menace that comes from the shadows and the areas in between.


See, May would have taken a car rather than walk everywhere, especially in winter. But then, she gets quite enough exercise elsewhere so it balances out. Having talked with Zee earlier, she met with the mage at the leyline and is now walking alongside. And, since she's always been a Muggle, she wouldn't have picked up on any magical energies in the first place.


Jericho isn't at his apartment. He doesn't mind meeting May and Zee there but he's actually looking into something nearby. Well, okay, he had been looking into something, scoping out a building and hacking serruptitiously - like he used to and apparently still does - when he hears K'nert's hissing laughter from down the alley.

K'nert of course, is about to get him out of hot water if he needs to be but the imp had sensed a 'disturbance in the force' as it were and wandered off, briefly. Jericho doesn't usually pay much attention when he does that since the imp has an uncanny abilitty to get back. Maybe he should start though, since K'nert had gone off looking for entertainment… and found Rahne. He's, at present, skittering back towrad the hacker while hissing and chortling all the way.


And there's Wolfsbane, hot on the imp's heels. Does K'nert even technically have heels? Wherever she'd been, he must have done something to set her off (again) because now she's chasing him and making various threats. Whether the others hear that first or anything else remains to be seen. "When I get muh hands on ye I'll…!"


"Agent May" the blue-eyed mage smiles as the SHIELD agent joins her. "I was going through one of books, back home, and I found some information that might be of interest to you and Jericho."

Of course she doesn't know where he is, but she does hear K'nert chortling and hissing - even understanding what he's say and she rolls her eyes and looks around … "K'nerts having far too much fun with Rahne…" she glances and May and then nods to the Wolfwoman following K'nert "I would expect Jericho is here somewhere…"

Just as she turns in K'nerts direction, a portal appears behind her and something, large and dark with long spindly arms, steps through, "Zzzzatanna, it was only a matter of time…" the creature hisses as its clawed hand tries to close around her upper arm.


May nods to Zatanna, recognizing the hissing sounds even if she can't understand them, but then that portal opens and as the hand reaches to snag the mage, she's pulling her butterfly swords and swinging to slice at the spindly arms in the same motion. Hands OFF!


Ack! Demon! The hunting of K'nert is forgotten shortly after Wolfsbane spots the thing that's showed up to make a grab at Zatanna. Maybe there's a reason the imp was getting her to go after him, but that would mean he'd have probably known this was about to happen. Whatever the truth of the matter, the wolfen mutant covers her mouth for a moment, eyes wide. "Saints preserve me..LOOK OOT!" She doesn't leap into the fray…yet.


Jerked off balance, as the creatures hand closes around her arm, Zee falls back, even closer to it. Mays sword slices at the creature but it's skin is tough and the blade barely cuts through it's skin, catching … but causing it to loosen its hold on Zee's arm.

Ripping her arm free, causing a gash to open, the mage spins to look at her assailant, as the portal closes behind it. Her eyes widen "Tenelahr" she breathes as it's other arm comes crashing towards her, knocking her flying.

"So you remember me, witch…" He hisses at Zee, so intent on her, he's not paying attention to May or even recognised that Rahne is there.

K'nert, seeing the fracas scampers off in Jericho's direction… to deliver the news that Mistresses Kitten is in trouble.


Jericho hears the sudden cries of alarm take the place of Rahne's former cries of indignation. He shoves his work to the side and comes out from the alley where he'd been standing. Demon. Yep. Not one of the ones from his neck of the woods either. Jericho produces a pistol from under his shirt and opens up on the thing. It may well be bullet proof but being shot is distracting as hell all the same and the hacker has other tricks in his bag.


May promptly puts herself between Zee and this demon-thing (hopefully NOT in Jericho's line of fire) and pulls a thin silver flask from her jacket to unstopper and splash at the thing's face. SHe's been dealing with demons a lot lately. SHe's prepared.

With shots being fired from a gun, Wolfsbane is going to be covering her ears for a few seconds rather than charging into the middle of this fight, especially if there's any chance of getting hit by a bullet. That would be counterproductive. A hand closes around a cross she's been wearing as a necklace, the Scot perhaps trying to draw some strength from it as she carefully edges closer.


Jericho's bullets flatten and bounce off the demons skin but they do take his attention from Zee, as he's splashed in the face with holy oil, which sizzles and starts to blister.

Knocked Apex over Base, Zee skids back along the ground landing heavily against mail box, as her messenger bag comes loose and slides across the ground towards Rahne. It's been a long time since she's taken this much physical abuse from an enemy. Groaning as she picks herself up from the ground, her face gashed and bruised, she looks at May "Add fire … May" she croaks as she scrambles to get to her bag.

As Zee moves, Tenelahr roars out "You thought to bind me, Sorceress … now I'll bind you " and it a bolt of demonic energy shoots towards Zee.


Jericho empties the pistol on the demon. When it turns its back on him he drops into a spirt, traces beginning to glow as he does. There's a harmonic hum that Rahne will be able to hear easily and May will be quite familiar with. Then the circuit traces visible through his shirt and on his arms flash and a moment later there's a semi-opaque field of blue light where the hacker used to be. Shaped like a demonic werewolf with a lizard tail and spiked running down his back, eyes glowing bright, standing seven and a half feet tall and moving suddenly much faster. The techwolf crashes into the demon at top speed. He'll take any help he can get from Rahne's faith. He just hopes she aims it well.


The Winchesters would be SO proud. May slices at the demon again with her oiled mithril blades, and while doing so pulls a zippo from an inside pocket of her jacket, flicking it open and lighting it before flinging the lighter at Tenelahr's face. Take that, nasty.


There's a frown from the wolfen woman when the bullets don't do a whole lot to the demon. That's one tough skin. Would Wolfsbane's claws even do anything? The oil does work to an extent, but she hesitates long enough to leave her staring at Jericho's form along with his attack, after that hum drew her attention his way. "Whit..?" She clutches tighter at her cross, then Zatanna's bag comes to a stop a few steps from her. That at least gets her moving further, grabbing it to toss back her way just as the demon's trying to blast her. "Here!" As for the demon itself, what she does next will come down to what Jericho's attack does..or doesn't.


Fingers closing around the strap to her bag, Zee cries out as the energy hits her. It burns, Rahne can see blisters starting to form on the teens arms, but it's also compelling the mage to come to Tenelahr … Steps dragging, Zee's at least had practice in dealing with this type of assault, tears of pain starting to roll down her cheek, she makes her way slowly to where the demon is standing. "Rahne, pray … " she grits out, seeing the cross the Wolfen is wearing.

Mays lighter sets the demons' face alight, her mithril blades cutting deep this time, opening a gash in the creatures belly. And then Jericho's crashing into it, claws having some effect against the creatures skin.

The distraction reduces the compulsion on Zee, who slowly removes her Sgian Dubh from her boot and begins to chant backwards … slicing the inside of her arm and letting blood drip in a circle around her…

Tenelahr roars, as he's attacked, vicious claws swiping at the techno wolf trying to get it off him. With the combined attack from Jericho and May, he's not clear on where to focus.


Jericho is an expert in this kind of infighting and used to working along side may, but Telenahr is a greater demon and not at all to be trifled with. The transformed (well armored, but it's not really clear to those unsued to it) hacker cirles, swiping with digital claws sharp enough to rend steel and gouge tank armor. He's doing his level best to keep the demon's attention split between him and May knowing that either one will be in for a bad day if they get a solid hit… but also knowing that he can take more of those than May can.

The techwolf snarls again ducking a swipe, grabbing the arm and biting and tearing - yes the mouth on that construct works - before digging his claws into the things hip and swinging it back toward May. He could… still use some help.


Agent May is still trying the ginsu action, but then after taking another good swipe or two at the thing when Jericho pushes it in her direction, she pulls a plastic bag with an oil-saturated cloth inside. If they can get Tenelahr to swallow it, that'd distract the demon for sure.


Pray? Oh. "A-aye, right.." Wolfsbane blinks, the call to do that helping snap her out of being a watcher alone. "Lord, give me th' strength tae help send this creature back tae where it came from. Amen," she says, her hand tight around the cross another moment longer before she tucks it between her costume and body. She'll just ignore the fact Zatanna's actually drawing her own blood for some sort of spell.

Finally, the Scotswolf acts. Amid the impressive attacks by Jericho and May's own efforts, she leaps in to rake her claws across the back of the demon with a snarl, then she pulls her cross back out, slips the necklace off, and presses it to his skin. "Begone wi' ye, foul demon! In th' name o' th' Lord, begone!" It helped work on the Krampus she ran into…


It's funny how Zee spilling her blood seems to get that type of response. Not that the teen notices as she bends painfully to close the circle by smearing said blood. Still chanting, the blood now drips to the ground at her feet …

Tenelahr roars again as Jericho and May double team him… and as he roars, Mays able to stuff that bag in his throat. Now there's a small amount of smoke coming from the demons mouth, as the oil is swallowed

Rahnes prayer must be heard … the demons skin starts to crackle where the cross is pressed to his skin. But that doesn't stop it swiping out at all three … trying to rend them neck to naval or anyway possible to make them stop attacking it.

A portal opens slowly beyond Telenahr, as Rahne speaks her prayer… Zee's dimensional magic latching on to it to give her spell a push. It's long for the portal is big enough for the Demon to pushed through…


"Now, Trent! Get clear!" That last is said to Rahne, but since she doesn't know the wolf-woman's name, that's best she can do. Tossing her blades aside (sorry, Ryden), she pulls an honest to goodness road flare (but it's only birthday candle sized!) and lights it before risking her hand again by shoving/tossing it into the demon's mouth. Perfect recipe for indigestion.


There's a sizzle and pop from Jericoh as if his fields just took a direct hit, though the demon didn't hit him, along with a cry of consternation from the hacker who dives clear as May enacts what he's going to call 'The MIB Gambit'. Though this one doesn't involve her being eaten and shooting her way out from the inside, so there's that.

The techwolf winds up next to Rahne… and then sidles away from her as he waits to see if May's gambit works. If not he'll tackle the thing and force it bodily back where it came from.


Wolfsbane's quick to act, just as quick to fall back, as much to avoid the angered, maybe frantic retaliation by the demon. Her heart's pumping hard, the adrenaline running high, and..well, she sweeps one of Telenahr's legs as part of her turn aside, meaning to help throw his balance off to help him fall back toward the portal. The sounds from Jericho seem to confuse her at first, but she watches with wide eyes as May comes up with another trick to use. Back to watching, crouched and ready to move again if need be.


When Zee realises that her telling Rahne pray has caused Jericho … discomfit, she's going to feel awful but for now, she's grateful the Wolfen has. Still chanting, blue eyes (that aren't glowing like they usually do) focus on Telenahr, willing him by their piercing gaze into the portal.

Mays modified MIB Gambit works, as Rahne causes the demon to stumble backwards into the gaping portal. The magic does the rest, as Telenahr is dragged into to.

Zee stands, in the middle of her circle, blood still dripping from her arm, blistered, smoke rising from her clothes and messenger bag gripped tightly in a hand. She struggles to close that portal … a task that had been, whilst not easy, a lot easier than this usually. It might seem that she's nearly lost control of the spell.

Finally, the portal winks out…


Jericho pants for a few long moments. Combat is tiring no matter how in shape one is. After a short pause the 'field' around him winks out and the still completely human looking hacker drops lightly to his feet. Which is the point at which Rahne may realize he was 'floating' inside that construct of light the entire time. "Ow…" He's got a couple burns, including one on his hand that looks different from the others. Yeah that abjuration from Rahne actually did burn a little. Usually that kind of thing is only uncomfortable but this was rather focused.


Melinda May is panting as well, but managed to get out of this mostly unscathed. Though her jacket appears to have taken the brunt of the attacks aimed at her. She looks at Zee… and immediately resolves to get her a similar jacket. This is ridiculous. She carries a few bandages, but not nearly enough to keep up with the mage's track record for injuries.

Stepping over to Zee, she takes the mage by the not-bleeding arm and steers her to the nearest step. "Sit down before you fall down. Please tell me you have a proper first aid kit in that bag."


If there's some discomfort now showing in anyone, count Rahne among them as she looks with some uncertainty toward Zatanna, who did indeed cut herself as part of that spell. That's just not right in her world, but - and she doesn't know this yet - it seems she's done something that affected Jericho in the process. She may struggle to believe all of that just happened, including her role in it, but this is twice now that her faith has helped resolve a situation. She's eyeing Jericho as well after indeed seeing him drop back down, and there may be a time to ask him about that but right now it's to wonder apprehensively, "Tha' was one o' Limbo's demons, aye?"


Handing her bag to May, who's going to be surprised when she finds just so much more inside, Zee takes a seat of the step. "Mind my sword. First aid kit should be on the left. It … will do, till I can get home or find The Fox." Both of their healing hurts … but it's better than what she's feeling now.

"Not a Limbo demon, no. But a demon. Telenahr… " she glances around the group, biting her lip. "I 'called' him a few months ago to get information." Why… would a mage, a young woman like Zee, call a demon? And why had he come after her today…

"Are you three alright?" Zee eyes Mays jacket and winces. She's not seen Jericho's burn yet, either.


"Not one I've ever seen." Jericho confirms. The fact that Jericho hasn't seen him doesn't really tell the hacker that he's not from Limbo. It's the fact that Zee apparently called him for information. Zee wouldn't do that to a Limbo demon. She doesn't have any reason to, she knows the biggest authority figure there personally. All of that suggests something… other, to Jericho. What hell or nether plane Zee dug him out of he has no idea.

Jericho isn't likely to show anyone his burns either. He just deals, that's the way it goes. Rahne can very likely smell them though. Burnt flesh has a… particular odor.


Opening Zee's bag, May manages to rein in her reaction to merely a very brief widening of her eyes. THen it's back to business. SHe makes a mental note to have a scabbard made for Zee's sword (like she plans to do for the one she 'won' from the Tenghu), then sets the bag aside to start making use of the contents of the first aid kit. She sees the mage's wince aimed at her jacket. "I don't care about the jacket. It took the hits so I don't have to." And by her tone, she's TOTALLY getting Zee a similar jacket.

Quick stack of gauze on the cut — "Keep pressure on that" — and then two tiny containers of burn cream. Sadly, May is also familiar with the smell of burnt flesh. Don't ask. One of the two containers is held out to Jericho. "Don't argue with me. Just use it."


Wolfsbane's nose wrinkles, and there are two reasons for that. One is the burnt flesh smell, which causes her to squint in Jericho's direction with a raised brow. Maybe she's guessing a thing or two about what happened there, or will later on once she's had time to think about the steps that just took place and what happened as a result of each one.

The larger issue is what leaves Rahne staring more openly at Zatanna. "Ye mean tae tell me ye summoned a demon wi'..wi' some ritual an' I just helped ye banish it when it came after ye," she says, speaking slowly and clearly as a way for her to make sense of this. "I'm sorry, an' I'm..I'm glad naebody go' killed because o' this..but I have tae go noo. I canna stay here any longer." Yes, she's very uncomfortable with this, and she turns in preparation of running into the nearest alley. The cross is held just as tightly as it was when the demon was on the attack, and her hackles look like they're up.


Now that things are settling down, Zee eyes Jericho. She remembers what happened last time they entered hallowed ground. Holding the gauze as directed, her eyes fall on Rahne as the Wolfen starts in, giving a level look in return.

"Yes, that's correct. He's from one of the 6th level hell dimensions. I was investigating a series of murders, supernatural ones, and he helped me find the killer." That's … all so reasonable isn't it? "Demons are funny, they sense a weakness and they'll try to exploit it. Guess the words getting out…" she glances to Jericho and May.

"Your faith helped, Rahne. It help fuel my spell and gave him something to think on." The ravenhaired mage speaks quietly "That's a very powerful thing to have."


Jericho takes the salve without complaint or comment, May knows how he is. The hacker can tell Rahne is getting a bit… weirded out. Not that he can blame her. He's been dealing with demons on the regular for a long time now but he does recall (sometimes) that not everyone does. "Thanks May. Zee I hope you're okay. We should get off the street though. I did fire a gun. Lots." And that may have drawn attention… as might his wolfy display. He'd prefer to be under cover quick. And he might as well take the others.

"Thanks for helping Rahne." Looks like they're about done here.


Wolfsbane hasn't left quite yet, though she's got a hand against the nearest wall leading into that alley. Zatanna's words give her reason to pause and listen, and her eyes flit from the sorceress to Jericho, passing over May as they return to Zatanna. The uncertainty lingers, especially when she has to consider just why Zatanna seems to have done what she did, giving her own justification for it based on her perspective.

Of course, Rahne's is different given the way she was brought up. They may not know that, but the last few weeks have opened her eyes wide to certain things she'd tried to forget or ignore. What her faith did..at least seems to be true, but to what end? She suddenly seems younger than she is now, and it's with a conflicted expression that she turns to leave without a word and little more than the faintest of nods toward Jericho, her eyes and face doing enough talking for her. Quiet steps may be heard, confirming the wolfen woman's running.


After quickly applying the burn salve to the worst parts of Zee's injuries and then quickly wrapping everything in gauze to protect it while they move, May nods to Jericho. She suspects she knows where they're going, but she'll deal with it this time. "Let's move." She shoulders Zee's bag and hurries to retrieve her swords.

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