Futuristic Sparked

[Indolent]

The fleeting expression of incredulity which flashed across her face when Gunnar caught her arm without issue encapsulated a particular feeling:

Spoiler

Her underestimation of Gunnar, or who or whatever he was now, was plain as day and he treated Jacks to a similar experience as she had him, unceremoniously ripped from the alley into the sky by the arm. A shock it was for her, the pain pulsating through her arm and shoulder as the act stressed her appendage atop of the overwhelming conscious response to all that unfolded as she found herself in the sky above everything. In a way, it had been beneficial. It gave Jacks a modicum of lucidity in the moment, as her body fully asserted the fight or flight instinct. The threat of the danger was self-evident and with the adrenaline flowing through her systems now, the intoxicating influence of alcohol waned.

All of this was magnified when Watcher pulled her close to his face, provoking a scramble for resistance--

"Grau-ity girl. Can it shurrr-wie de heightsh? Doesh it tire? Shall I eat? De Watcher doesh hungarrrr."

There was no witty retort or anything of the Jacks variety to be made in the moment. It was stark fear emblazoned in her features with the desire to live underpinning her body language as Jacks cried out. "Fuck off!"--

"GUYS WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW??!"

MJ's answer came in the form of a solid right hook from Jacks to Watcher's beaked face, an apparent attempt to free herself from his grip. She knew one thing to be true and that was the unrelenting urge to generate distance between herself and Gunnar. Watcher. Whatever it considered itself to be. Fortunately, somewhere amid all this, Jacks displayed a level of awareness as she called out to MJ behind.

"Grab on!!!"

If the punch had the desired effect as she hoped, he'd have let go. As to what came next? She really hadn't considered that just yet.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Grab on!!!"

There was absolutely no hesitation as she lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around and holding on for dear-fucking-life.

 

[MidwayLives]

"NO, GOD, PLEASE NO, GO AWAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!" She reared her arm back as if to throw a blast of fire but none came. There was no fire left. Her focus wavered, and in her fear and uncertainty all that flame had been snuffed out. Almost immediately after, her body outwardly reflected how she felt inside. The flames of her elemental body had shifted into water, a form she knew not how to control. Without the concentration, the sheer will holding herself together...

She literally collapsed into a puddle. A puddle that did her best to edge away from that MONSTROSITY. At the speed of about six centimeters a second. Still somehow screaming bloody murder the whole time.

The cockroach stopped dead in it's tracks and it's antennas twitched in pursuit of Avery. While it did that, water droplets ran through the rugged grooves on the creature's hand. It had a human-ish frame but it's hands looked rougher than the bark any tree Avery might have seen before. "You're....Carrying...." It moaned, it's bulbous disfigured head turned in the direction of the fleeing villain with a sickening snap. Which was followed up by the calming sound of wind running across and over the leaves clinging to the branches growing out of this golem's misshapen body. Shuffling rather noisily in the direction of the puddle, once it drew close enough, it knelt down. With accompanying cracks and pops of course. Twisting it's left hand into something of a claw like formation, it swung it down towards the puddle.

"You...Need to....Let go..."

While on the outside, Johnny was at something of a loss. He couldn't touch Avery without horribly injuring himself. Plus if the attacks she threw were too cumbersome to grasp, [Melancholy Hill] couldn't properly devour them either. But in this strange pocket dimension that both Johnny and his Goliath were hosts to, things were different. Avery would feel herself being pulled up and was once again face to face with the gruesome 'thing' that had requested her to carry it just seconds prior.

It's eyesockets were empty, as black as the night sky. Rows of teeth were rotten and displaced. Twigs and branches were growing out of it's skull. It just looked like a being that shouldn't have existed. But then you could have said the same for the Sparked couldn't you? However, it hadn't been Avery herself that'd been grabbed. If she looked down, she'd see a puddle of water right where it'd been. Right where she'd been stopped as she attempted to get away from her manifestation of fear/nightmare. What the creature had grabbed and was looking at was Avery's soul.

"You...Carry....Yes." With it's hands wrapped around Avery's spiritual neck, it turned her head to look towards the cockroach which had started on the walk towards her once again, the light from the streetlight illuminating it's jacket well in the seemingly infinite darkness. Perhaps now Avery would understand what the creature had meant. Avery could 'carry it' and give into her fear or she could 'let it go' and show it had no power over her.

The grip grew tighter however and small bubbles could be seen forming in the puddle. "What...will you...Do? Carry...Or...Let go?" Although she was not of her own physical body at the moment, Avery could feel it growing weaker as this thing's grip began to grow tighter. "Let go....and...refuse to carry it...." The cockroach IRS worker stood over the creature and Avery's prone puddle form, it's antennas wagging deviously.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"You...Carry....Yes." With it's hands wrapped around Avery's spiritual neck, it turned her head to look towards the cockroach which had started on the walk towards her once again, the light from the streetlight illuminating it's jacket well in the seemingly infinite darkness. Perhaps now Avery would understand what the creature had meant. Avery could 'carry it' and give into her fear or she could 'let it go' and show it had no power over her.

The grip grew tighter however and small bubbles could be seen forming in the puddle. "What...will you...Do? Carry...Or...Let go?" Although she was not of her own physical body at the moment, Avery could feel it growing weaker as this thing's grip began to grow tighter. "Let go....and...refuse to carry it...." The cockroach IRS worker stood over the creature and Avery's prone puddle form, it's antennas wagging deviously.

“GODDARNIT I DON’T SPEAK WHATEVER KIND OF CRAP SPIRITUAL MUMBO JUMBO YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! MOTHER OF GOAT JUST KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!”

 

[Corvette]

Watcher had ignored, purposefully, several other stimuli up to this point. The drones, the pleas, even MJ tagging along with Jacks when it'd interrupted her attack. Remaining aloof, as a predator, put prey at ease, made them think you weren't coming for them. It made them easier to surprise when you tore them apart.

But what it could not ignore was a punch with everything Jacks had, right to the schnozz. Jacks had considerable strength, considering her panicked state and powerset which increased the gravity of her strikes. It was like getting hit with a steel chair, back when Gunnar was human. With a start, Gunnar realized he was now referring to himself correctly in his internal monologue. He also realized he was in an uncomfortable amount of pain, his face on fire. Finally, he realized that he'd let go, and had done so several seconds ago. In his surprise and sudden flying back into his regular self, his eyes widened. He had just dropped two people from three hundred feet in the air.

He scrambled to adjust his position to dive, his wings clunkily obeying his instructions as he dove after the falling duo. Oh no, oh no, oh no... repeated Gunnar's thoughts, like a timpani of increasing tempo, ever gaining speed just as was he as he plummeted dozens of feet behind the two, trying desperately to close the distance. Claws outstretched, eyes wide in panic, he was indeed closing distance, but he could see plainly he would be too late.

"Nooooooooo!"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"JACKS!!!"

Until Gunnar showed up, the danger of their situation hadn't really set in. Beckett wasn't sure they were ever personally gonna feel in danger again, but there was something inherently goofy about chasing some chick in a Halloween costume through the streets of District 8 wearing some goofy holo mask. Then an apex predator came screaming through the evening clouds with a hungry glint in his eyes, and seconds ago had disappeared back into the sky with their best friend. They had tried to step forward when Jacks' arm had been grabbed, but by the time Beckett made another step the pair was already gone. They looked helplessly upwards where they had disappeared with their hands slowly pushing up into their hair, before the rush of flames suddenly disappeared from behind them. They swore and turn, expecting to see poor Johnny finished off while they'd been distracted, only to see him worse for wear but also the only person on the street.

"...W-well. Shit. This ain't how I expected this all to go. I was hopin for superheros, not cannibals."

Beckett slowly turned towards where Calamity Janet was pushing herself to her knees. She shied away and pointed a pistol at them as they started to turn. "N-now hold on, uh, ardent, was it? I ain't tasty I promise-"

"-You did this."

That was wrong. It wasn't as if the robber had any control over Gunnar. If anyone was to blame it was either the doctor himself or their uncle for kickstarting this whole mess. Unfortunately for Janet, neither of them were in arm's reach. Their mask flared red as they took another step towards Janet and growle "If anything happens to them-"

Janet gasped and pointed upwards, and Beckett followed it towards the sky.

"Oh. Shit. Oh shit, oh shit, ohhhh shit, uhh, uhhhhh-"

Beckett snapped their eyes around haphazardly for something to do anything, but the panicked vagueness of their thoughts didn't lend themselves to expedient problem solving- They jumped as a bullet hit the ground at their feet, and glared at Janet "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU-"

Then the ground exploded under them.

Janet pushed herself up to her feet and dusted herself off, took a glance upwards to make sure her power hadn't betrayed her and Beckett was on the right track, and huffed "I might be a lil too old for this" under her breath before she took a deep breath and started on a sprint away from this mess.

Beckett panicked for about a second as they were flung through the air by the explosion before they realized what was happening. Miraculously(?) their trajectory had their apex slowly to a stop right as Jacks and MJ were about to hit them, and they reach out, snagged Jacks by the shirt, had their own momentum yanked downward, and threw the pair up as hard as they could, attempting to cancel the pair's momentum out with some opposite force.

They followed that up a few seconds later by slamming into the pavement hard enough to crack it, a quiet 'ow' passing their lips out of sheer habit rather than pain.

 

[MidwayLives]

But what it could not ignore was a punch with everything Jacks had, right to the schnozz. Jacks had considerable strength, considering her panicked state and powerset which increased the gravity of her strikes. It was like getting hit with a steel chair, back when Gunnar was human. With a start, Gunnar realized he was now referring to himself correctly in his internal monologue. He also realized he was in an uncomfortable amount of pain, his face on fire. Finally, he realized that he'd let go, and had done so several seconds ago. In his surprise and sudden flying back into his regular self, his eyes widened. He had just dropped two people from three hundred feet in the air.

He scrambled to adjust his position to dive, his wings clunkily obeying his instructions as he dove after the falling duo. Oh no, oh no, oh no... repeated Gunnar's thoughts, like a timpani of increasing tempo, ever gaining speed just as was he as he plummeted dozens of feet behind the two, trying desperately to close the distance. Claws outstretched, eyes wide in panic, he was indeed closing distance, but he could see plainly he would be too late.

"Nooooooooo!"

"For crying out loud, Johnny. You're a fucking clerk at a supermarket! When are you gonna man up and get a real job? When are you gonna do something USEFUL?"

"I'll go to college and make something of myself, I promise!"

"Yeah, I can see every job wanting someone like you. Get the fuck out of my face, Johnny. You're nothing and you never will be."

After his parents had died, Johnny heard that exact conversation with his uncle more times than he'd ever like to recount. But while he had often tried to keep up an optimistic outlook at work, it wasn't the real him. Merely a shell of the kind of person that his parents would have liked him to always be. Polite, kind, and gentle even when faced with unfavorable circumstances. His aunt and uncle hadn't expected another kid and had seen Johnny being forced to live with them as another burden upon them. A view Johnny would soon come to share but one he never expressed. Out of fear of having nowhere else to go. The months passed, days clicked by and Johnny despite his best efforts had ended up settling into the monotony of everyday life for him. Wake up, have breakfast, go to work, come home and argue, and then sleep. Rinse and repeat. He kept on smiling through it all. Because it's what his parents would have wanted and he missed them. Immensely.

This incident, becoming Sparked, Johnny hadn't expected any of it. He was still terrified of [Melancholy Hill] and couldn't believe that it could read/speak his thoughts as if they were a pamphlet on open display. He'd run away from the group at first, scared that he'd end up just being labeled as a freak among them. Better if he got away and then if he got captured? At least the others wouldn't have to suffer. He'd almost avoided coming to help the gang in the first place! That was until his fight with Andrew. Although he'd disapproved of the underhanded methods for which Andrew utilized AUX, Johnny couldn't fully bring himself around to hating him. While Johnny had seen [Melancholy Hill] as a curse, a horrible accident, Andrew had loved AUX and saw it as a gift. A dangerous line of thinking, sure but one Johnny could kind of understand. After they fought and Johnny won, he realized that if he wanted to share in that mentality? He needed to do what felt right to him. Which meant helping the others he'd originally run away from.

The man he'd stolen the bike from? Johnny had seen him run off in fear after seeing all this madness. Johnny couldn't blame him in the slightest. If he still had his wallet, he'd have given him the money to pay for a new bike, a better one than the one he'd stolen and subsequently got wrecked by Avery. The robber? Well, Johnny believed he could have stopped her with [Melancholy Hill] but given how she'd been juking out Beckett, maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part. As Gunnar lost control and attacked Jacks and took off with her, Johnny could only watch helplessly from the ground. He'd come to 'battle' wearing a pair of dark blue jeans, red sneakers, and a miserable looking green hoodie that was clearly a size or so too big for him. It's sleeves had been burned to cinders and his arms were singed with burns. It felt like agony to even try moving them. His right leg felt like jello with the pantleg having been stained by the wound he'd suffered during his battle with Andrew. His shoulder wasn't doing much better. His pitch black bangs were also a mess, having been singed by the proximity of [Melancholy Hill] to the fireball that Avery had thrown at them.

He was completely useless and it upset him worse than anything else. Because in his heart it meant only one thing : His uncle had been right about him.

Until Gunnar showed up, the danger of their situation hadn't really set in. Beckett wasn't sure they were ever personally gonna feel in danger again, but there was something inherently goofy about chasing some chick in a Halloween costume through the streets of District 8 wearing some goofy holo mask. Then an apex predator came screaming through the evening clouds with a hungry glint in his eyes, and seconds ago had disappeared back into the sky with their best friend. They had tried to step forward when Jacks' arm had been grabbed, but by the time Beckett made another step the pair was already gone. They looked helplessly upwards where they had disappeared with their hands slowly pushing up into their hair, before the rush of flames suddenly disappeared from behind them. They swore and turn, expecting to see poor Johnny finished off while they'd been distracted, only to see him worse for wear but also the only person on the street.

"...W-well. Shit. This ain't how I expected this all to go. I was hopin for superheros, not cannibals."

There wasn't much Johnny could do with his body wrecked and Janet outside of [Melancholy Hill]'s swinging distance. But even without having laid a finger or bullet on him this entire scuffle, her words dug deeper than any blade or projectile could have. He had eaten Avery and he only had the vaguest of ideas what was happening to her. [Melancholy Hill] had explained to him back at the prison that if anyone was eaten? They'd be forced to face their worst fears over and over again. Until either they gave in and let themselves be killed/were killed or they managed to look their fear right in the eye and refuse to let it hold any power over it. Only then could they destroy the manifestation and escape. From what Johnny had seen of her, she seemed like a strong willed individual.
But she had also tried to murder him and for what reason? Because [Melancholy Hill] looked terrifying? He couldn't say she was wrong and maybe it could have been forgiven if that'd been the case.

Yet after seeing that whatever pain she inflicted onto the monster also came along to Johnny, she continued. Trying to burn him alive and kill the both of them. His punches and kicks wouldn't land and he didn't yet know how to fully bring out the depths of [Melancholy Hill]'s powers whatever they may have been. Which left him with the only option available and it happened to be the one he hated the most. If she survived, then good. He wouldn't feel as guilty. But she'd probably keep trying to murder him and with Beckett busy helping the others? It's very likely she would have succeeded. In his state, he wouldn't get far.

But if she failed to overcome her fear? Johnny worried what she'd go through. Would the creatures there torment her for what felt like forever to her but might have only been minutes, maybe even hours, to him? He didn't know and that being the reality of it scared him the most.

Janet pushed herself up to her feet and dusted herself off, took a glance upwards to make sure her power hadn't betrayed her and Beckett was on the right track, and huffed "I might be a lil too old for this" under her breath before she took a deep breath and started on a sprint away from this mess.

Beckett panicked for about a second as they were flung through the air by the explosion before they realized what was happening. Miraculously(?) their trajectory had their apex slowly to a stop right as Jacks and MJ were about to hit them, and they reach out, snagged Jacks by the shirt, had their own momentum yanked downward, and threw the pair up as hard as they could, attempting to cancel the pair's momentum out with some opposite force.

They followed that up a few seconds later by slamming into the pavement hard enough to crack it, a quiet 'ow' passing their lips out of sheer habit rather than pain.

"...Tch...After all this, she's going to get away..."

His voice was weak, the strength and confidence he'd had during his scuffle with Andrew having long since vanished. He was in no condition to go brawling. Hell, he'd make a pretty wager that as it stood, Janet could have killed him before [Melancholy Hill] even got a hold of her. As he saw her getting further and further away however, Johnny grit his teeth. He could have stopped her! He was sure of it! He could have done something to prevent this! Gunnar might not have lost control if Johnny had stopped Janet sooner. "[Melancholy Hill]..." The creature re-manifested beside Johnny, it's form shaky and unstable due to Johnny's weakness. One eye focused on the fleeing robber while the other swiveled downard to Johnny's broken and battered form.

"You wish to stop her. No matter what..."

"I have to...To be useful...."

"Stopping the other one was useful. She could have killed us."

"Yeah, us. She was focused on us. We could have stopped this one if she hadn't..." Johnny paused to cough as he rolled over onto his side. "I'm too weak to get up. We have to stop her. I have to..." Johnny knew [Melancholy Hill] couldn't argue with him. It'd do what he told it to do. Even if it meant it'd stop existing if Johnny were to die. "Just like before..."

"Just like before..." It repeated back to Johnny before tucking it's injured user under it's left arm and leaping into the air with it's other arm outstretched. To try and grab Janet before she got away. However, the pain of being jostled around by his power was too much and Johnny screamed. Just as the claw closed, swiping off a few scraps of cloth of Janet's back, [Melancholy Hill] vanished with a ghostly wail and Johnny crashed onto the pavement, face first. Still conscious but very much in agony. Lifting his head up just enough to see Janet continuing to flee, he just as quickly looked away.

Useless...Useless...As his vision started to blur, he murmured out a small 'useless' before his head slumped down. He didn't want to look at his failure.

“GODDARNIT I DON’T SPEAK WHATEVER KIND OF CRAP SPIRITUAL MUMBO JUMBO YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT! MOTHER OF GOAT JUST KEEP THAT THING AWAY FROM ME!”

The creature currently holding Avery's soul by the neck had no visible reaction to her screaming. Unless you counted the tightening of it's grip as one. More and more bubbles appeared in the puddle down below and Avery could feel it becoming more difficult to speak with each second that passed. Tilting it's head to the side, the creature shook it. "You....don't....understand..." The cockroach drew closer and closer and splashed it's antennas in the puddle that was Avery's physical body. All while it's arms reached into it's jacket to pull out tax forms. Forms that had Avery's name on them(I mean figuratively, not literally.) and a pen with it's other arm. She'd have to return to a physical state eventually and it'd get the money it was owed one way or another!

"Everyone....who comes here....carries....." The grip grew tighter and Avery could feel her vision fading, the creature's words indecipherable as everything went black again and the bubbles stopped. But not for long. She'd 'see' again the creature not having loosened it's grip at all and the cockroach holding the forms and pen menacingly over her puddle. "Unless....you can...let your...fear go....You'll never leave.....You'll die here."

Beckett slowly turned towards where Calamity Janet was pushing herself to her knees. She shied away and pointed a pistol at them as they started to turn. "N-now hold on, uh, ardent, was it? I ain't tasty I promise-"

"-You did this."

"holyshitthey'rescary!!!"

Jean's original plan of attempting to scare Beckett and Janet into giving HER their money had totally backfired. She hid back in the nearby alleyway and peeked out sparingly. She'd seen a giant monster eat someone and another monster ATTEMPT to eat someone. She had wings and somehow she didn't feel like the freakiest freak on this street!

 

[MyrtenRose]

The creature currently holding Avery's soul by the neck had no visible reaction to her screaming. Unless you counted the tightening of it's grip as one. More and more bubbles appeared in the puddle down below and Avery could feel it becoming more difficult to speak with each second that passed. Tilting it's head to the side, the creature shook it. "You....don't....understand..."

The screaming ceased in an instant, the ever increasing pressure on her spirit self's throats translating to damage to her physical form. It made it hard to even so much as whisper. If it weren't for that and well, the bloodcurdling fear, Avery's defiant nature might have had her force out a murmured response like thus: "Oh, I know what this is. This is erotic asphyxiation. Harder...harder, daddy."

But she didn't. The overwhelming terror only increased as-

The cockroach drew closer and closer and splashed it's antennas in the puddle that was Avery's physical body.

IT IS TOUCHING ME! GOSH DANG IT!

All while it's arms reached into it's jacket to pull out tax forms. Forms that had Avery's name on them(I mean figuratively, not literally.) and a pen with it's other arm. She'd have to return to a physical state eventually and it'd get the money it was owed one way or another!

KEEP YOUR DEVIL PAPERS AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Avery screamed in her head, the puddle of water thrashing around wildly.

"Everyone....who comes here....carries....." The grip grew tighter and Avery could feel her vision fading, the creature's words indecipherable as everything went black again and the bubbles stopped. But not for long. She'd 'see' again the creature not having loosened it's grip at all and the cockroach holding the forms and pen menacingly over her puddle. "Unless....you can...let your...fear go....You'll never leave.....You'll die here."

It was going all dark again, but this time gradually, not instantly. But this darkness only seemed to last moments, as everything popped back into focus not long after. "...Di--die?" She struggled to repeat. "N--no. I won't!!!" Her soulself's pained expression changed, replaced by a rageful look that promised retribution.

"I WAS JUST REBORN AS A GOD AMONG MORTALS, I WILL NOT DIE TO SOME...SOME DEMON AND HIS PEST GOVERNMENT COCKROACH! THAT IS NOT GOING ON MY GOSHDANG TOMBSTONE! NOT NOW, NOT EVER!!!" The anger in her voice reached a fever pitch.

The puddle of water suddenly exploded with great force, knocking the cockroach agent way back(and burning those papers to cinders)

Where the puddle had been, her more humanoid self stood once again. But this time her body didn't burn orange. No, it glowed bright gold. Lightning crackled in the air all around her. I'll bring this whole place down on top of you before I let that happen, she thought, lashing out with a fist to try and punch the thing holding her soulself with an electrically charged fist.

 

[MidwayLives]

It was going all dark again, but this time gradually, not instantly. But this darkness only seemed to last moments, as everything popped back into focus not long after. "...Di--die?" She struggled to repeat. "N--no. I won't!!!" Her soulself's pained expression changed, replaced by a rageful look that promised retribution.

"I WAS JUST REBORN AS A GOD AMONG MORTALS, I WILL NOT DIE TO SOME...SOME DEMON AND HIS PEST GOVERNMENT COCKROACH! THAT IS NOT GOING ON MY GOSHDANG TOMBSTONE! NOT NOW, NOT EVER!!!" The anger in her voice reached a fever pitch.

The puddle of water suddenly exploded with great force, knocking the cockroach agent way back(and burning those papers to cinders)

Where the puddle had been, her more humanoid self stood once again. But this time her body didn't burn orange. No, it glowed bright gold. Lightning crackled in the air all around her. I'll bring this whole place down on top of you before I let that happen, she thought, lashing out with a fist to try and punch the thing holding her soulself with an electrically charged fist.

*THWACK!*

The punch was bright enough to illuminate the world of darkness. For the briefest of moments, Avery could have seen the creatures that had turned into the cockroach of her nightmares. They were small, probably only around a human child's height. They lacked mouths, noses, ears. Their eyes were white and pupils were lacking. They glowed brightly in contrast to their skin which was dark and seemed to bristle at the sudden intrusion of light cast upon them. They stepped back and acted as if they were ready to pounce but a voice called out to them.

"No....It is fine...."

Avery's punch had indeed landed and the left side of the creature's face had been caved in. Teeth were missing and it's lower jaw had been left completely hanging by a few threads of sinew and tissue. Yet it continued to speak as if nothing was wrong. "You've.....finally learned...What you need to do...." One of the creature's hands had slipped from around the neck of Avery's soul and hung limply at it's side. But the other hand didn't slack at all. It's grip seemed to be as tight as ever. "But....it's not enough....You're still....carrying..." Roots shot up from the forearm still holding onto Avery's soul and yanked her fist away from the golem's face. "It's....as I said....you must let go..." Nodding it's head in the direction of the cockroach, the golem attempted to smile. As well as anything could smile with it's jaw hanging off anyway, which was to say not very well. "Erase....that which....binds you....which scares you. Or you'll never stop carrying and I'll never let go..." Avery's soul was hanging halfway out of her physical body by this point. She had shown resolve in the face of her fear but it still seemed to linger to some degree and until she stared down her fear, her soul would never be free!

The cockroach for it's part slowly staggered up to it's feet, burn marks scorching it's exoskeleton due to the heat from Avery's electricity. It also seemed...smaller. Less towering and more the size of a human teenager. Avery had finally found her resolve and it appeared to have had an effect on the manifestation of her fear! Seeing that Avery was refusing to file the paperwork required, she was in BIG trouble! She was going down like Al Capone! Reaching inside it's jacket once more, it drew out a particularly nasty looking hunting knife and staggered forward, jabbing menacingly at the air.


'TAX EVASION TAX EVASION TAX EVASION!!!!' the cockroach repeated over and over like a mad mantra.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Avery's punch had indeed landed and the left side of the creature's face had been caved in. Teeth were missing and it's lower jaw had been left completely hanging by a few threads of sinew and tissue. Yet it continued to speak as if nothing was wrong. "You've.....finally learned...What you need to do...." One of the creature's hands had slipped from around the neck of Avery's soul and hung limply at it's side. But the other hand didn't slack at all. It's grip seemed to be as tight as ever. "But....it's not enough....You're still....carrying..." Roots shot up from the forearm still holding onto Avery's soul and yanked her fist away from the golem's face. "It's....as I said....you must let go..." Nodding it's head in the direction of the cockroach, the golem attempted to smile. As well as anything could smile with it's jaw hanging off anyway, which was to say not very well. "Erase....that which....binds you....which scares you. Or you'll never stop carrying and I'll never let go..." Avery's soul was hanging halfway out of her physical body by this point. She had shown resolve in the face of her fear but it still seemed to linger to some degree and until she stared down her fear, her soul would never be free!

"The only thing that needs to let go right now is you!" She bellowed, throwing another punch with her other unburdened fist.

The cockroach for it's part slowly staggered up to it's feet, burn marks scorching it's exoskeleton due to the heat from Avery's electricity. It also seemed...smaller. Less towering and more the size of a human teenager. Avery had finally found her resolve and it appeared to have had an effect on the manifestation of her fear! Seeing that Avery was refusing to file the paperwork required, she was in BIG trouble! She was going down like Al Capone! Reaching inside it's jacket once more, it drew out a particularly nasty looking hunting knife and staggered forward, jabbing menacingly at the air.

".....how did..." That pest just drew a knife on her. She wasn't no smart person but that didn't seem physically possible. Then again not many things here did feel that way. "And what the heck are you gonna do with that? Stab me? I'm made of lightning right now! You gonna stab the air next? Now I know you ain't actually with the IRS, that place hires like hardcore accountants and nerds and all them, you's too dumb to be hired by 'em. Puny pest, go on and GET before I BRING THE ZAPPER UP TO YOUR FACE--"

'TAX EVASION TAX EVASION TAX EVASION!!!!' the cockroach repeated over and over like a mad mantra.

"LIES!"

 

[MidwayLives]

"The only thing that needs to let go right now is you!" She bellowed, throwing another punch with her other unburdened fist.

Just as before, the golem made no attempt to dodge or defend. The punch smashed into it's head with little resistance. Chunks of wood splintered off and flew through the air along with pieces of grey matter. Blood ran down in torrents from the 'shattered' left side of the creature's face. But it hadn't been moved from it's spot and it's grip remained firm and steady. "You.....don't listen...well.." Having previously been hunched over, the creature straightened it's shoulders and with the one hand still around Avery's soul's neck? It squeezed and Avery's screaming was cut off and the cockroach approached the two, angered at having been attacked and denied the rightful money the IRS was owed!

".....how did..." That pest just drew a knife on her. She wasn't no smart person but that didn't seem physically possible. Then again not many things here did feel that way. "And what the heck are you gonna do with that? Stab me? I'm made of lightning right now! You gonna stab the air next? Now I know you ain't actually with the IRS, that place hires like hardcore accountants and nerds and all them, you's too dumb to be hired by 'em. Puny pest, go on and GET before I BRING THE ZAPPER UP TO YOUR FACE--"

"TAX EVASION! TAX EVASION TAX EVASION!" The knife was raised upwards and came sailing down. Embedding itself right into the left shoulder of Avery's soul. Which coincided with her feeling a shooting pain in that shoulder. Which to the average person wouldn't make sense. She was currently electricity in a humanoid form! How could a knife hurt her? Well, the same way that the golem could yank her soul out and use it to choke out a normally incorporeal being. Ripping the knife free, causing another wave of horrible pain for the villain, the insect raised it again.

"Time to choose....Will you let go...or will you die here?"

"tax....EVASION!!!" The cockroach screeched, seeking to plunge the knife right down into the chest of Avery's soul. All while sticking it's gross insect face in her physical face.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"TAX EVASION! TAX EVASION TAX EVASION!" The knife was raised upwards and came sailing down. Embedding itself right into the left shoulder of Avery's soul. Which coincided with her feeling a shooting pain in that shoulder. Which to the average person wouldn't make sense. She was currently electricity in a humanoid form! How could a knife hurt her? Well, the same way that the golem could yank her soul out and use it to choke out a normally incorporeal being. Ripping the knife free, causing another wave of horrible pain for the villain, the insect raised it again.

"Time to choose....Will you let go...or will you die here?"

“OH JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH, GOSH DAMN IT AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Avery screamed in utter agony, the pain of the blade piercing in and being yanked back out shooting all throughout her system. I WAS WRONG I WAS SO DAMN WRONG MAN WHAT THE HECK, WHY ME, THE FREAKING IRS AND COCKROACH ALLIANCE CAN GO BURN IN THE DEEPEST DARKEST PIT FOR THIS!

“OKAY OKAY OKAY I LET GO! I LET GO! THERE I SAID IT NOW STOP!”

 

[MidwayLives]

“OH JESUS MARY AND JOSEPH, GOSH DAMN IT AUGHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Avery screamed in utter agony, the pain of the blade piercing in and being yanked back out shooting all throughout her system. I WAS WRONG I WAS SO DAMN WRONG MAN WHAT THE HECK, WHY ME, THE FREAKING IRS AND COCKROACH ALLIANCE CAN GO BURN IN THE DEEPEST DARKEST PIT FOR THIS!

"TAX EVASSSSSSSIIOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNN!!!!!"

The knife was set to plunge through the chest of Avery's soul and kill her within seconds. As if her actual heart had been struck. But upon hearing her next words, the knife froze and dropped to the floor, disappearing within the darkness. The cockroach stumbled back, growing smaller and smaller. "YOU DIDN'T WIN! YOU DIDN'T WIN! YOU...DIDN'T....win.." It shrieked until it was the size of a regular cockroach scurrying around and it's jacket had fallen to the wayside, poofing away in a cloud of smoke. In it's place were more of those shadow creatures which fled back into the seemingly endless abyss. Having watched the display, the damage done to the golem began to heal. It's face put itself back together little by little and it's lower jaw swung back into place. Even the teeth Avery had knocked out with her consecutive punches were repaired.

"You let go...."

The hand around Avery's neck slackened and then was pulled back. She could see her soul fading back within her body. The phantom pains she had suffered from the cockroach's stab would linger however. For how long, the golem didn't say. "In your heart....you were still scared....but just now...You've shown you're free....Free of what you'd once carried.." Flashing the villain a genuine seeming smile from such a horrendous looking creature likely didn't put her at ease. "Now...you must....dispose of what's left..." The golem gestured to the cockroach which was still scurrying around, spewing obscenities aplenty.

~~~

On the outside, Johnny's body began to stir. He didn't know why this was happening and he didn't like it. He hadn't called on [Melancholy Hill] as his body was too weak and his attempt at catching the robber hadn't worked. He'd only ended up eating pavement in the failed capture. But to everyone else who was gathered, it was quite the disturbing scene. Johnny through a tremendous amount of pain pushed himself to his knees and began to retch. "Urghhhh...URHGH....." Spittle came up at first but soon [Melancholy Hill] appeared beside him, it's eyes looking everywhere in a mad dash as if desperately trying to focus on something, anything.

"Johhny..SOMEthing...IS...wroNG...."



Johnny started to gag and continued to heave but nothing would come up. "I...I know! Wha-What's going ON?!" Sparing a glance over at his power, Johnny was horrifed at what he saw. A horrible basketball sized lump had appeared in his power's throat and only seemed to getting better. "She...She must have overcome her fear!!" It was the only conclusion Johnny could reach! But what was going to happen to HIM once she got out?!

~~~

Once the cockroach had presumably been dealt with, the patch of ground that'd been illuminated by the streetlight opened up to reveal a staircase leading downwards. "Take...the walk...and you will find your exit.. You've....earned it..." It's explanation given, the golem took a step back and vanished into the darkness. Leaving Avery alone with the creatures who continued to stare at her. If she took the golem's advice and started down the stairs, she'd see an image of the cityscape where she'd been fighting Johnny visible at the end of the staircase. All she had to do was reach it and once she did? Everything went white...

~~~~

[Melancholy Hill]'s neck/throat had swelled to epic proportions. It definitely seemed like he'd swallowed a whole person at this point. Johnny for his part was clawing at his throat, feeling like he NEEDED to throw up but NOTHING was coming out! "I...I CAN'T STOP HER!!!" Maybe if he had better control/a better idea of what kind of creatures lurked inside [Melancholy Hill] he could have delayed Avery's return for a bit longer but inexperienced as he was? There was no chance in hell once she'd overcome her fear. It's mouth reared open and after a horrendous minute or two of retching and gagging, a white silky cocoon was launched out from within the portal.

Johnny also threw up.

The cocoon which held inside it Avery skidded across the ground before coming to a stop near a parked car. The supervillian had returned to this dimension and could see bits of sunlight peeking through the cocoon she had ended up in to better secure her for a safe exit out of [Melancholy Hill]'s pocket dimension. His hoodie stained with spittle, Johnny threw it off to the side and cursed his foul luck. It seemed like Beckett had saved the others but now Avery was free and she was more than likely a little miffed.

 

[MyrtenRose]

"You let go...."

The hand around Avery's neck slackened and then was pulled back. She could see her soul fading back within her body. The phantom pains she had suffered from the cockroach's stab would linger however. For how long, the golem didn't say. "In your heart....you were still scared....but just now...You've shown you're free....Free of what you'd once carried.."

"Just give me my ticket out of here, trashface."

"Now...you must....dispose of what's left..." The golem gestured to the cockroach which was still scurrying around, spewing obscenities aplenty.

"I DON'T TAKE ORDERS FROM YOU." The villain pouted.

Though a few moments later, the puny thing was hit by what was basically a lightning Kamehameha.

Once the cockroach had presumably been dealt with, the patch of ground that'd been illuminated by the streetlight opened up to reveal a staircase leading downwards. "Take...the walk...and you will find your exit.. You've....earned it..."

She didn't even wait around for him to start talking, just changing her form back to fire and starting to fly down the stairs. To hell with walking, she was not spending ONE MORE SINGLE SECOND in this place than was absolutely necessary.

Johnny also threw up.

The cocoon which held inside it Avery skidded across the ground before coming to a stop near a parked car. The supervillian had returned to this dimension and could see bits of sunlight peeking through the cocoon she had ended up in to better secure her for a safe exit out of [Melancholy Hill]'s pocket dimension. His hoodie stained with spittle, Johnny threw it off to the side and cursed his foul luck.

"..." This former janitor was suddenly stricken with the absolute desire to clean herself from top to bottom. But now was not the time. Her aura of flame flared up and burned away the nasty prison she was wrapped inside. As soon as the last piece of that disgusting thing was nothing more than ash on the wind, she lifted back up into the sky and looked for...ah, there.

"You!"

The way she said that word promised only one thing. Payback.

"YOU DARE SWALLOW ME?! SUBJECT ME TO YOUR TWISTED MACHINATIONS?!! SOME SICK KIND OF VORE GAME??! NO!" Her hands formed into tight fists at her side. "I'll show you!" She lifted her head, shouting skyward.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24px; text-shadow: 2px -2px 2px #FFD700;"] "THE FURY OF A HURRICANE!" [/div]
Her fire form exploded even brighter but more than that, it also came with the crackling sparks of lightning erupting around her, the same ones she'd shown in that void. She was tapping into two elements simultaneously. Twin blasts aimed for Johnny, one of each element.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24px; text-shadow: 2px -2px 2px #FFD700;"] "Feast on this, scumbag!" [/div]

 

[MidwayLives]

"THE FURY OF A HURRICANE!"
Her fire form exploded even brighter but more than that, it also came with the crackling sparks of lightning erupting around her, the same ones she'd shown in that void. She was tapping into two elements simultaneously. Twin blasts aimed for Johnny, one of each element.

"Feast on this, scumbag!"

"...Ah, shit."

Johnny slumped down onto the ground and [Melancholy Hill] faded away. He was burned, bleeding, and exhausted. There was nothing more he could do.

 

[Indolent]

Gunnar did stuff...

Becks did stuff...

Jacks felt the flesh on her knuckles turn raw as they scraped against the adamantine-like face of the gargoyle that was menacing her, knowing in that instant her blow was true if painful. The telltale reverberate of the punch informed her, the channeled gravity funneled through her fist finding their mark and magnifying her punch without mercy. In all honesty, Dempsey was shocked that she could will it so in these do or die circumstances she found herself in. There was the fleeting high of exhilaration at her own success, suffusing inward amid the wracking terror. Gunnar's grip loosened as a result, resulting in the two descending in a free-fall with street and building in an aggressive approach in a firm bid to make their acquaintance for the first and final time.

As a natural response, Jacks screeched at the top of her lungs. It was safe to presume that MJ did the same in tandem, albeit with protestations pertaining to Jacks' own power that she could carry the two to safety. There was no need, for Jacks was more than aware of the veritable applications to her powers. She only need exercise them. It would just not be a trifling matter in this trying time however and so, prudence was a must.

So the woman dug deep down inside, attempted to repeat the series of mental patterns of before that saw her to recent success with her power. Her eyes clammed shut and they only opened when she crossed Becks' path. Or they hers. Whichever. Her facial expression cascaded through a myriad of emotions, from terror of impending doom to grateful glee then a stark infusion of confusion before it concluded with terror once more.

Try as Becks did, bless their heart, the result was not what they had intended. Jacks, and by extension MJ, were now careening in an arc with the wind buffeting their faces for elsewhere out of District 8, near its edge from the looks of it. Into District 7. The screaming resumed, the mantra of "I don't want to die, I don't want to die" repeating in her mind's eye. In a way, it focused the inherent desire to live and the eyes shut close once more as Jacks tried again. The air flowing across her body fluctuated in ripples, buoying her scant centimeters though she settled back into the same trajectory once more. It wasn't enough to just hover, it wouldn't negate the momentum in time.

She had to fly.

A growl escaped her lips, pursed so tight they turned a pale white, as her teeth gnashed in frustration and tears rimmed her eyes before sailing away on the wind. Was this what she was going to amount to, getting shitfaced and then putting herself in shitty situations? In harm's way? Fuck that, putting others in harm's way. Her mind flicked to MJ in recognizance of that fact. The fact she strung the girl along into this bullshit with her typical aplomb. That of invulnerability toward anything and everything, come what may. Fueled by alcohol and self-loathing. Nothing could hurt her if she did not care. Apathy was her armor and she was clad in it.

She was going to die. Because of her, another would die.

It wasn't so much a choice as a truth. Trailing her epiphany, Jacks threw her head back and screamed as she willed anything and everything in her body. Muscle became taut, bone clenched, and hair stood on edge. Somewhere, deep inside, was an answer. And it came, borne on the wind as it lessened from a buffet to a comforting embrace. Forward velocity diminished and it was with a teary realization that Jacks laughed then. The emotional onslaught dissipated, repleted by elation, as she guided herself to a clearing within District 7 and set down. Her first landing, she hardly stuck it but there was always next time. It was with concern that she addressed MJ next, of her well-being. Whatever her answer, Jacks' reply would have been a gracious smile before she swayed and fell, collapsed upon the dirt, exhaustion from the ordeal wresting her forth to a catatonic slumber.

 

[MyrtenRose]

There was the fleeting high of exhilaration at her own success, suffusing inward amid the wracking terror. Gunnar's grip loosened as a result, resulting in the two descending in a free-fall with street and building in an aggressive approach in a firm bid to make their acquaintance for the first and final time.

As a natural response, Jacks screeched at the top of her lungs. It was safe to presume that MJ did the same in tandem, albeit with protestations pertaining to Jacks' own power that she could carry the two to safety.

Admittedly, she was doing that very thing. Her shouting was so loud and repeated that she felt she was gonna burn out her voice. Screams of terror, interlaced with a lot of cursing about the situation and begging about how she really didn't want to die. Not now, and not like this. She was so terrified that her eyes stayed firmly shut the whole time, not wanting to witness to her own painful demise getting closer by the second as they plummeted towards the ground.

Try as Becks did, bless their heart, the result was not what they had intended. Jacks, and by extension MJ, were now careening in an arc with the wind buffeting their faces for elsewhere out of District 8, near its edge from the looks of it. Into District 7. The screaming resumed, the mantra of "I don't want to die, I don't want to die" repeating in her mind's eye. In a way, it focused the inherent desire to live and the eyes shut close once more as Jacks tried again. The air flowing across her body fluctuated in ripples, buoying her scant centimeters though she settled back into the same trajectory once more. It wasn't enough to just hover, it wouldn't negate the momentum in time.

As a result, she did not see the efforts of others. She only felt them, and it felt like they were no longer falling straight down. She couldn't confirm it since she refused to open her eyes even a little bit, but it felt like they were now going another way. The wind running through her hair felt it was coming from a different direction anyway. Jacks...was that you? MJ couldn't help but wonder. Control over gravity...it probably was. MJ had already put together that Jacks was the one that had gotten her into the sky in the first place. The last thing she remembered was accidentally stumbling over the gravity powered drunk and fainting after straining her own ability. Jacks could have just left her there and yeah, with the accidental tripping and falling, there was some reason to do so.

She knew well how drunks could be.........surly.

MJ pushed the thoughts of dad out of her mind. Despite that, Jacks had brought her along(and even helped with her bloody nose if the tissues bunched up in her nose were any indication), likely using her power to give herself some kind of gravitational pull so that MJ's unconscious self followed behind as she went...even if Jacks was going high up into the sky. MJ didn't know why Gunnar did that and right now she didn't want to think about why. It was bad enough that Jacks' response was a punch. Her thoughts shifted to internal screaming to join her actual yelling.

It wasn't so much a choice as a truth. Trailing her epiphany, Jacks threw her head back and screamed as she willed anything and everything in her body. Muscle became taut, bone clenched, and hair stood on edge. Somewhere, deep inside, was an answer. And it came, borne on the wind as it lessened from a buffet to a comforting embrace. Forward velocity diminished and it was with a teary realization that Jacks laughed then. The emotional onslaught dissipated, repleted by elation, as she guided herself to a clearing within District 7 and set down.

Both ceased when she felt that they were slowing down, the wind gradually becoming less and less intense as they went, before ultimately she felt the ground beneath her as they landed. MJ instantly let out a sigh of relief and finally opened her eyes. Her heart was still racing but-- "GOOD OLD TERRA FIRMA!" She yelled, comforted that she hadn't died. "WOOOOOOOOOO!" That much let out, she turned to Jacks.

Her first landing, she hardly stuck it but there was always next time. It was with concern that she addressed MJ next, of her well-being.

".......Dude. You saved me. I'm still fucking alive! I don't know how we got into that mess and right now, I really don't care. I...just...thanks." Her eyes were so filled of gratitude and appreciation that it couldn't be contained, some of it escaping in tears of joy. They hadn't died! She hesitated for a moment, expression looking like she was thinking really hard about something...oh to hell with it. MJ leaned over, face edging in close enough for her to give Jacks a kiss on the lips, held there just long enough for MJ to taste the alcohol on those lips before she pulled away.

Whatever her answer, Jacks' reply would have been a gracious smile before she swayed and fell, collapsed upon the dirt, exhaustion from the ordeal wresting her forth to a catatonic slumber.

She was too slow to grab Jacks before she hit the ground, but well there was no way in hell MJ was just gonna leave her lying there. She pulled the passed out Jacks up, bracing the grav girl against her shoulder and finally going to speak to the others through their devices. "So hey guys...good news, we're alive. We're just--" She looked around, not exactly recognizing the farmland surrounding them. "--in district...7, I think."

 

[Gus Gungus]

A rooftop. Somewhere above wherever.

"-but it doesn't change the fact it's like every aspect of my life j-just, just went to war with one another-and I honestly don't, Steve I don't know what to do, S-Steve, I can't, I think..." She tried to sniffle, but such an act was usually executed as a way of reigning in wayward emotions. The effect here was the total opposite. Mayfield lowered the binoculars she gripped in one hand, stopped addressing the phone receiver in her earpiece for a second and buried her head in her knees, diverting the choked, miserable sob she lapsed into.

"...I think I'm going crazy."

Puffy eyes reemerged to stare soullessly from her vantage point down towards the frankly batshit manic melee unfolding through the streets below, every participant of which she hated. Not for anything reasonable either. She hated them not for any traits of theirs or something they did, but simply because they (regardless of role) were the agents of whatever fuckery was messing up her life right now and she didn't like it. Didn't like that stupid nerd responsible for shitting the fan to begin with. Didn't like his brute lab assistant or his dumb smug doctor buddy. Didn't like whiny emo boy or those two fucking yuppies trying to act punk. Nothing about this was reasonable. Why did she have to be reasonable about who she unequivocally despised? Fuck that. Fuck them.

...Fuck it.

She took a step up onto the building ledge as her eyes tracked one figure in particular through the chaos, hair whipping violently to her left. She furiously scrubbed a sleeve across her cheekbones to clear the tears away, taking the extra second to make sure she timed this right and also finish her phone call. "I m-miss you. Please call me."

Hanging up on her third ex in twenty minutes, she took a deep breath and stepped off the edge.

Janet pushed herself up to her feet and dusted herself off, took a glance upwards to make sure her power hadn't betrayed her and Beckett was on the right track, and huffed "I might be a lil too old for this" under her breath before she took a deep breath and started on a sprint away from this mess.

There was a noise too awful to describe as Mayfield's body splatted, thumped and crunched into the sidewalk right in front of Janet. Then, after a couple seconds' grim silence, an even more awful noise definitely describable as uninterrupted crunching sounded as the mangled corpse twitched and started to pick itself up, all wrong angles and inverted joints. Her body arched up on its twisted limbs like a freaky crab person, and there was a sharp crack as her neck snapped back into place and lolled so its owner was staring at Janet with a placid expression.

"Supervillain team-up. Let's do it."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Beckett was a little dazed purely off the adrenaline of the moment as they watched Jacks and MJ soar through the air. They couldn't catch them without the impact just breaking the pair anyways, but they were pretty sure they'd adjusted their trajectory to a nearby roof. It would hurt, but they'd-

completely miss.

They shot to their feet with a gasp of horror. The falling duo too far away for them to reach with a jump, and all Beckett could do was watch in horror as they went well over the wall and towards the sea- Wait. No. They were drifting, not falling. In fact, they were going... almost horizontal. Beckett let out a long, flustered sigh of relief. "Fucks sake Jacks, you couldn't have figured that out earlie-"

So many things. But...

"..." Beckett watched with slowly growing disgust and horror as Johnny's other self disgorged a person, like a bird feeding its young. "You... you ate her? What the fuck." They couldn't even fault the lady for being mad.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24px; text-shadow: 2px -2px 2px #FFD700;"] "THE FURY OF A HURRICANE!" [/div]
Her fire form exploded even brighter but more than that, it also came with the crackling sparks of lightning erupting around her, the same ones she'd shown in that void. She was tapping into two elements simultaneously. Twin blasts aimed for Johnny, one of each element.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-weight: bold; font-size: 24px; text-shadow: 2px -2px 2px #FFD700;"] "Feast on this, scumbag!" [/div]

...That didn't mean they were just gonna sit by and watch it happen. When the flames and smoke cleared from the blast zone, Beckett was standing in front of Johnny with their arms crossed. Their clothes were a scorched mess. The rest of them wasn't even slightly singed. They lowered their arms as they let out a deep sigh. And then a deep breath in. And out. and in. And out and in and- "Holy s-shit that was scary!" They heaved out. It was different than the few other times she'd been hit. It was hard to get scared when a table clocked you at mach two or someone shot you and you knew you were fine before you even processed that it was happening. This time they'd been staring a primal inferno straight in the face. Fear of flames was hardcoded into the human mind, and the only reason they didn't scream before the flames hit was that they couldn't get their lungs to cooperate. "A-are you done yet uncle?" They sputtered into the earpiece

"ALMOST! I NEED LIKE, TEN MORE SECONDS!" came the response from the lab. "If I can't get to her from above then... SOMEONE GET UNDER HER. OR JUST GRAB HER."

 

[MidwayLives]

Try as Becks did, bless their heart, the result was not what they had intended. Jacks, and by extension MJ, were now careening in an arc with the wind buffeting their faces for elsewhere out of District 8, near its edge from the looks of it. Into District 7. The screaming resumed, the mantra of "I don't want to die, I don't want to die" repeating in her mind's eye. In a way, it focused the inherent desire to live and the eyes shut close once more as Jacks tried again. The air flowing across her body fluctuated in ripples, buoying her scant centimeters though she settled back into the same trajectory once more. It wasn't enough to just hover, it wouldn't negate the momentum in time.

She had to fly.

A growl escaped her lips, pursed so tight they turned a pale white, as her teeth gnashed in frustration and tears rimmed her eyes before sailing away on the wind. Was this what she was going to amount to, getting shitfaced and then putting herself in shitty situations? In harm's way? Fuck that, putting others in harm's way. Her mind flicked to MJ in recognizance of that fact. The fact she strung the girl along into this bullshit with her typical aplomb. That of invulnerability toward anything and everything, come what may. Fueled by alcohol and self-loathing. Nothing could hurt her if she did not care. Apathy was her armor and she was clad in it.

She was going to die. Because of her, another would die.

Johnny could only look away helplessly. He didn't know Jacks, only that she was disgusted by [Melancholy Hill] and that was all. But MJ, she had tried to help him. He had wanted to get away from all of this after it proved to be too much information for his fragile mind to handle. Yet she tried to talk him into staying with the group despite the horrifying power he possesed. He would always be grateful for that. He only wished he could have done more to help here. But as he stared down Avery, it was defiance burning in his eyes. Not defeat or surrender. He may have been exhausted. Too tired to even manifest [Melancholy Hill] anymore. There was nothing that he could do if she still wished to kill him(which she did!)but he wouldn't give her the satisfaction of seeing his face twisted in fear as he perished.

He only hoped MJ and Jacks would be okay.

"..." Beckett watched with slowly growing disgust and horror as Johnny's other self disgorged a person, like a bird feeding its young. "You... you ate her? What the fuck." They couldn't even fault the lady for being mad.

That however caused Johnny to furrow his brows in frustration. "What would you have had me do?? Sit back and be murdered on the spot? I didn't like it but..." His gaze hardened and he continued to stare Avery down. His arms were singed and he could hardly raise them, his legs were trembling and his left pantleg was stained with his blood. But like hell when death was staring him in the face would he be judged. "I did what I had to do..." He murmured. If there had been any other way of defeating Avery, Johnny would have gladly taken it. But between being horribly killed and whatever Avery went through to escape [Melancholy Hill]'s dimension, he thought he picked the lesser of two evils, even if it left him guilty/a bad taste in his mouth.

Still, it looked like no matter what choice he'd made the decision was going to be the same. Him left on the streets as a charred corpse.

...That didn't mean they were just gonna sit by and watch it happen. When the flames and smoke cleared from the blast zone, Beckett was standing in front of Johnny with their arms crossed. Their clothes were a scorched mess. The rest of them wasn't even slightly singed. They lowered their arms as they let out a deep sigh. And then a deep breath in. And out. and in. And out and in and- "Holy s-shit that was scary!" They heaved out. It was different than the few other times she'd been hit. It was hard to get scared when a table clocked you at mach two or someone shot you and you knew you were fine before you even processed that it was happening. This time they'd been staring a primal inferno straight in the face. Fear of flames was hardcoded into the human mind, and the only reason they didn't scream before the flames hit was that they couldn't get their lungs to cooperate. "A-are you done yet uncle?" They sputtered into the earpiece

Johnny's life flashed before his eyes as Avery's attacks came in...

The precious years he'd spent with his parents before fate cruelly snatched them away from him. His first day on the job and how he slowly grew to enjoy it, finding it a nice escape from the drama that seemed to pervade his everyday life. Even discovering [Melancholy Hill] didn't seem so bad when death was looking him right in the face. It was another facet of him and yet with it, it'd tried doing it's best to keep him alive. But Avery's will to live proved to be stronger and she had managed to conquer her fears and escape. Closing his eyes, Johnny let whatever regrets he may have had slide off his back. Soon it'd all be over.

*FSSSSSSSHHHHH*

After a moment or two, Johnny hesitantly opened an eye. Well, he was still in a lot of pain but not life ending pain at least. He also wasn't a smoking husk so that was a surprise. Had he somehow managed to summon [Melancholy Hill] to defend himself at the last minute? He was sure he'd been drained of energy, how could he have done such a-Oh. His savior stood before him, their clothes burnt to a crisp but their body remained relatively unharmed. A feat Johnny wasn't sure he could have replicated if Beckett hadn't gotten in the way to save him. "Thanks..." He exhaled as he pressed both hands to the ground and with some struggle, pushed himself up to his feet. His arms hung loosely at his side and his bangs fell forward, masking his eyes somewhat.

"...If you've got a way of beating her, I'm all ears. Eating her and trying to keep her subdued before she escaped used up about all the energy I got. I can't even summon [Melancholy Hill] and I think she's really mad I had it eat her..." Beckett was strong, that much was true. But what could you do when you couldn't punch lightning or fire or water?

 

[MyrtenRose]

...That didn't mean they were just gonna sit by and watch it happen. When the flames and smoke cleared from the blast zone, Beckett was standing in front of Johnny with their arms crossed. Their clothes were a scorched mess. The rest of them wasn't even slightly singed.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-size: 15px; text-shadow: 1px -1px 1px #FFD700;"] "...…." [/div]
Of all the things she expected, that wasn't up on the list. These guys had someone who was fireproof and lightningproof! Her twin blasts didn't even leave so much as a first degree burn. A tough one, then. Couldn't say the same for their clothes though.

They lowered their arms as they let out a deep sigh. And then a deep breath in. And out. and in. And out and in and- "Holy s-shit that was scary!" They heaved out. It was different than the few other times she'd been hit. It was hard to get scared when a table clocked you at mach two or someone shot you and you knew you were fine before you even processed that it was happening. This time they'd been staring a primal inferno straight in the face. Fear of flames was hardcoded into the human mind, and the only reason they didn't scream before the flames hit was that they couldn't get their lungs to cooperate.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-size: 15px; text-shadow: 1px -1px 1px #FFD700;"] "Scary? SCARY???" [/div]
She repeated, her voice emanating such fury the likes of which hell hath no.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-size: 15px; text-shadow: 1px -1px 1px #FFD700;"] "WHAT DO YOU EVEN KNOW OF FEAR? TRUE, BLOOD-CHILLING FEAR?!" [/div]
She pointed dramatically over at Johnny. Even as she pointed, brief bursts of fire shot off from her hand, escaping into the air above. To say nothing of the lightning still sparking around that fist.

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-size: 15px; text-shadow: 1px -1px 1px #FFD700;"] "Pray you never have to learn from that one. The horrors I experienced, stuck deep in his...his...bowels..." [/div]
She shuddered at the very word. Her fire form dimmed and the lightning beginning to fizzle out. Even with what she had said in there, she would be lying if she said there still wasn't some fear. Cockroaches were nasty pests that brought only misfortune where they showed up. Any place that they showed up at spelled the firing of any janitors that worked there, for sure. The thought of a GIANT one coming for her hard-earned cash...no.

I think she's really mad I had it eat her...

[div style=" color:#ff4500; font-size: 15px; text-shadow: 1px -1px 1px #FFD700;"] "You THINK?! THAT DOES IT! YOU, THE PROTECTIVE ONE! YOU ARE BUILT TOUGH ON THE OUTSIDE, THAT CAN NOT BE DENIED. BUT..." [/div]
Her form changed again, the fire and lightning dissipating into nothing but air. Avery dropped out of the sky and hit the ground like a stone. Literally. It wasn't like she had been encased in rock, like some sort of armor with the fire still burning within. No, her form was solid stone now.

"ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH TO TRADE BLOWS WITH THE EARTH ITSELF?" She bellowed, sounding more like she belonged in a wrestling ring and not making a damn mess out of a city street. Avery punched her rocky fists together with colossal exuberance before breaking into a sprint forward. "I'M ABOUT TO ROCK YOU LIKE A HURRICANE!"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"...Why are you even here?!" Was Beckett's beleaguered response. They growled and cracked their knuckles as they grit their teeth in frustration, a feeling which only grew as they realized they absolutely weren't strong enough to crack their own knuckles. "You just show up and start throwing fire at whoever for the shits and giggles? How did you even know where to go, the police aren't even-"

They cut themselves and squinted at the faint sound echoing from the main thouroghfare to the north, in the direction of the bank. "... Ah shit- AH SHIT-" Their brief surprise and concern at the encroaching law enforcement distracted them from the fact that Avery was barreling down at them. That didn't last, and a few seconds later the pair thudded into the outer wall of a skyscraper with enough force the crack the concrete like a pane of glass.



--------------------------------------


Janet shrieked. It was short and to the point, but it felt like it was tearing her own eardrums so high pitched and violent was it. It was, nonetheless, not nearly as violent as the suicide that had randomly occured before her-

"...Oh my gosh hun you ain't dead??? Ah, heck, uh... I take your powered then, huh?" She ventured carefully, the bandana around her face doing nothing to hide the revulsion in her eyes as she watched Serenity's apparently alive body contort itself to face her. "Boy howdy thats uh. Hoo. You uh. How bout I give you a hand up first hun and then we can talk shop?" She offered, beginning to reach her hand forward. "Oh that is so disgustin. Where... where is your hand darlin'?"

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Why are you even here?!" Was Beckett's beleaguered response. They growled and cracked their knuckles as they grit their teeth in frustration, a feeling which only grew as they realized they absolutely weren't strong enough to crack their own knuckles. "You just show up and start throwing fire at whoever for the shits and giggles? How did you even know where to go, the police aren't even-"

“I don’t have to explain myself to you or anyone else!!!” She roared back mid-charge. “Hurricanes answer to no one!”

Their brief surprise and concern at the encroaching law enforcement distracted them from the fact that Avery was barreling down at them. That didn't last, and a few seconds later the pair thudded into the outer wall of a skyscraper with enough force the crack the concrete like a pane of glass.

It was easy to miss. After the thunderous sound of the two slamming against the building, the quiet “oh” that followed was almost imperceptible. When the dust settled, it was made clear as day what that oh had been about. Either she had underestimated this one’s power or overestimated her own but whatever the case...the impact had shattered her rocky right arm, scattering it into many tiny pebbles that slid across the ground, leaving her only with her left arm. And she was right handed.

She looked from the scattered pebbles back up to the empty space where her arm had been and then back to the ground several times in quick succession before she looked over towards Beckett. “Umm...I call for a time-out?” The confidence and bravado in her voice from just a few seconds ago had completely disappeared.

 

[Corvette]

Gunnar had been unable to catch up with Jacks and MJ--which was fortunate for them when Jacks was able to save the two with a quick-thinking adaptation using her powers.

But Gunnar was left diving, and quickly flared out his huge wings to slow himself down. With a snap like windblown canvas, the two appendages scooped together enough air to drastically slow Gunnar down, a mere dozen feet from the ground. He still landed hard, crumbling the concrete beneath him as he stumbled into a mailbox, bending it irreparably and exploding a puff of envelopes all over the street.

"No..." he winced. He was causing so much damage without ever meaning to. He cowered now as he surveyed all the damage.

Not all of it was his fault, but he could see where he--or the Watcher, maybe--had carved its claws into the street. "Not uant. Not uant." He sat down, looking timidly around himself, waiting to be reprimanded for things he couldn't control. If he could've chosen, he was considering that he'd rather have died in the explosion than been forced down this dark path, where he was unknowably dangerous, feral, and ravenous.

 

[MidwayLives]

They cut themselves and squinted at the faint sound echoing from the main thouroghfare to the north, in the direction of the bank. "... Ah shit- AH SHIT-" Their brief surprise and concern at the encroaching law enforcement distracted them from the fact that Avery was barreling down at them. That didn't last, and a few seconds later the pair thudded into the outer wall of a skyscraper with enough force the crack the concrete like a pane of glass.

Johnny could only look on in complete and utter horror as Beckett was tackled through a nearby building. An attack like that would have left him seriously mangled or even dead. He had no idea who they were before all of this had gone down and yet they had risked their life for him just now. It wasn't something he could just brush aside. The sounds of sirens in the distance worried him. He'd gone and announced who he was, believing that he could handle Avery and sound cool at the same time. It was stupid, stupid, stupid! If someone captured him, what could he do? Attacking them with [Melancholy Hill] would only make things worse. They'd brand him as an enemy and probably run all sorts of tests on him and maybe even torture him. Hours prior, he might have accepted such a fate with open arms. But now he realized that there was good he could do with his power. He just had to figure out what!

But he couldn't lay a hand on Avery if she switched her elements again. After all, had you ever heard of someone defeating fire by punching it out? Or stomping out electricity with the sole of your boot? Or breaking water's neck with your tail? Maybe now that she was solid, he could help Beckett. If he could just...

"Come on, Johnathan, come ON..." He chastised himself as thin strands of a black miasma began to ebb away from Johnny's person. They trailed around his body and eventually coalesced into something of a shadowy skeleton hovering over Johnny.

[Melancholy Hill] had been summoned but it was incomplete due to Johnny's lack of energy. It'd serve him no purpose in this weak state like this. It'd be overpowered and with it, so went Johnny. His entire frame seemed to tremble before he collapsed down onto a knee. His other half's form began to dissipate and vanish, all while still masked in darkness. He had suspected it, even said it aloud, but he didn't want to believe it. He was simply too tired to summon [Melancholy Hill] in it's entirety in a meaningful way. Beckett was on their own and it pained him more than his wounds to have to see that was the reality before him.

"Damn it..." He bemoaned his own weakness before looking over his shoulder at the sudden noise. "Gunnar? Gunnar, we have to-"

"No..." he winced. He was causing so much damage without ever meaning to. He cowered now as he surveyed all the damage.

Not all of it was his fault, but he could see where he--or the Watcher, maybe--had carved its claws into the street. "Not uant. Not uant." He sat down, looking timidly around himself, waiting to be reprimanded for things he couldn't control. If he could've chosen, he was considering that he'd rather have died in the explosion than been forced down this dark path, where he was unknowably dangerous, feral, and ravenous.

"..."

He was too weak right now to fight Gunnar if the doctor lost control again. [Melancholy Hill] couldn't be fully brought out at the present time. It just wasn't within Johnny's power. The longer they stayed here however, the more trouble it'd cause in the long term. Limping over near Gunnar, Johnny hesitantly reached out to the doctor turned creature. Before his hand touched flesh, a ghostly arm extended from his forearm, somewhat transparent in appearance as it propped itself atop Gunnar's shoulder and gripped it.

*pant pant*

He didn't have it in him to summon all of [Melancholy Hill], at least not in any manner that it'd be of use in a fight. But the limbs were no problem at all. "Gunnar...We've gotta get out of here. If we stay, the police will find us and if they catch us..." Johnny paused to catch his breath before taking a step forward and manifesting [Melancholy Hill]'s left arm in case Gunnar attempted to lash out. "I can't say I have my head fully wrapped around everything that's happened but I know how you feel...I may look normal on the outside but you and everyone else in our group can see..." The arms were clear enough to Gunnar. Patches of fur had flaked off to reveal bone underneath, the skin was pale and the flesh seemed somewhat bloated. At the end of the arms were hands which seemed more disturbing given how _human_ they appeared to be and yet feline at the same time.

"It's like walking around with a monster that I'll see everytime I look in the mirror but no one else will. I offered to stay back at Bant's lab with you because I felt out of everyone there, you and I got the shittiest end of the sticks..But I ran and I'm sorry for that." Too much had happened and Johnny was still struggling with his suicidal urges, urges that had seemingly subsided...for now. "I won't do that again. I promise." The grip relaxed somewhat. "Please, Gunnar. Let's get out of here before it's too late. I'm not gonna leave without you." The truth was that in his state, Johnny doubted he'd get far on his own but even if he wasn't battered, he wouldn't leave Gunnar to whatever fate the world would subject him to.