Have fun storming the castle!

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

Roberto DaCosta rolls out a well-worn laminated architectural map. Some areas have been drawn on so often the wax pencil is permanantly inscribed. He scrubs off as much as he can using the hem of his shirt.

"I wish I could call the Storm Queen cocky, but that would imply she doesn't know exactly what she's doing. You can find one of these in every village in North Africa. Anyone who wants to see the Queen is welcome to visit. Just don't expect to come back."

Someone used permanant marker to write names in specific hallways; Pete, Meggan, Jono, Piotr, Illyana, Tessa, Wanda, Erik, Pietro. Roberto pulls out a marker and carefully writes in Dani and Sooraya. He pauses, staring for a moment at Dani's name, then closes his eyes and stands.

"People who think their children could be Barons some day take them through the front door." His voice drips with bitterness. "People who think they can steal something usually try the back passage. This one has a coin slot to open the door." He taps the map. "Last time, I went in here, through the servant's kitchen." He scowls. "They actually offered us a bowl of soup. The masters don't like it when the prey is too hungry. We give out too soon."

A vein on his forehead starts to twitch.

"We're going in here. Through the catacombs. If I save my power - and if Dazzler's 'battery effect' works, we can take out the weaker of them at the start. The fewer we have to fight the better."

Comments

[house-of-mystiq.livejournal.com]

"How do you kill these things?"

A map in every town. Cocky, yes, but probably effective. Why let the angry ones foment rebellion at home when you can give them the means to take themselves out while they're young and stupid?

She'll have to suggest the tactic to S.H.I.E.L.D.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah studies the map, studiously ignoring her teammates and paying attention to Roberto's description of the Storm Queen's hold. "Dazzler works off sound, so if we can make some noise for her, her power should hold out and give us some firepower. I can probably counter any one thing or person they throw at us. I'm familiar with Wolverine and Storm... I'm not sure who else they've turned, but I also recognize most of those names. Even with a vampiric powering up, I can't guarantee a win, but I can probably counter a resource, if people can tell me who needs to be taken out of the equation to give this a chance. Morph should also be vampire-proof, but not necessarily proof to other powers, so if we can throw him in with some of the baseline vampires, he can probably counter a lot of those to help even up numbers." she suggests, seeing a lot more names among just the potentially turned than they have here.

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

"Sooraya is dead. Dani...Dani's body is still walking around the castle. There's no bringing any of them back. We know that."

He doesn't know if he can look at her again.

No.

He can't think of that now.

"Dazzler, I'd like to practice the battery effect en route. Let's make sure it actually works. If so," his lips turn up, but no one can call that expression a smile, "you may be the best thing to happen to me since I left Brazil."

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Waitwaitwait. Erik. Wanda. Pietro? They've turned the entire Swiss Family Magnus??" His eyes bug out.

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Turned or killed. It would make sense that Magneto would be a target. I'd guess he's dead though... unless turning provides really impressive control over spawn. He wouldn't do well following Storm."

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

"You have a point - so spill, Bobby. Which of these are still around in the fang gang?"

[silver-sable.livejournal.com]

"Magnus is dead."

Silver speaks up from where she's been being quiet over to the side. And it was a hell of a show, too. There is a faint smile on her face as she remembers it. Gave her hope that these things could be killed.

"Illyana Rasputin, Meggan... and Wanda are all still around." She doesn't add Dani as they've generally pounded that into the ground by now. "The others are gone but those are enough. There are a lot of lower level Barons who aren't nearly that sort of concern."

[discodazzles.livejournal.com]

"No problem on practicing, Sunspot. Just as long as we have some noise sources. I'm guessing you don't have any big radios handy," Dazzler says instead of asking. If they do, all the better. Otherwise, she'll be able to use the sound in the area. Currently, she is charging her own batteries, absorbing sound from around her and storing it for later use.

A couple of the names sound vaguely familiar from her world: Wanda and Meggan. Wanda was in one of her lines of work. Meggan, the other. She never much liked that shapeshifter and she finds herself hoping she'll get first shot there.

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

"No Pietro? Whew.. I hate that guy. No sense of humor. Wanda and Meggan and little Illyana. Weird! Back home, they're the ones with ties to magic."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah nods. "Which could be a problem in its own right. They're all dead in my world, but I know of them." She glances at Dazzler. "I could manage some noise to really power you up, but it'd draw attention to us before we're ready. It sounds like, with Roberto, Morph and Dazzler, we have some options for vampires. Any preference for who I should look for?"

[silver-sable.livejournal.com]

"Who ever ends up being a target."

Silver looks up, narrowing her eyes. The light has changed in here and it isn't just Roberto. "We have to head out. We're losing the light and we want to be there before it is gone and before they come here."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Sure, I can do that." she pauses, about to say more, when a thought occurs to her. "Say, does the Storm Queen here use the same tactics... calling up a storm and throwing the lightning around, that the Ororo I knew did?"

[marvel-citizens.livejournal.com]

"I have never actually seen her use her powers. I think. If you get that close, she'll have the Barons and her Consort there to defend her."

Roberto slings a pack over his shoulder.

"We can talk on the way. Let's go."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah is more than happy to get going, but clearly interested in talking tactics as they go. "If we're going to stand a chance, someone has to get that close. She has her defenses... and I'm familiar with her and Wolverine. Who are the Barons?"

[silver-sable.livejournal.com]

"The others we've been listing and some other minor vampires that aren't anymore dangerous than the average vampire." Silver grabs her pack as well, checking her weapons as she does so, starting on her way out of the caves.

[webslingah.livejournal.com]

Peter enters, in a much more intact costume, and carrying bandoliers with small vials attached. "Spider-Men, bearing gifts. We have a few surprises, and I've finished the improved goggles."

He offers up the glasses, with incredibly dark lenses.

[proteus-maximus.livejournal.com]

"Oooh, fancy." Morph snags a pair of the goggles, and shifts into a facsimile of Will Smith in a black three-piece suit. "I make this look good."

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

Sarah takes the goggles, still considering the battle ahead as they go. "Ok, ready for the lightshow. Let's see if this works."

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

The S-Man is wearing the goggles as well. Agent S to Morph's Agent M... if he even knew what Morph was talking about.

He's tense, though. He really needs to invest in a belt with little compartments for stuff like this.

[tj-nocturne.livejournal.com]

TJ drops in- literally. Nothing new learned, save what was just said here.

Her mom's a vampire. Great. With any luck, she won't have to face Wanda herself. But then, luck seems to be in short supply these days.
She perches on the nearest convenient surface, tail extending for extra balance, she takes a close look at one of the pairs of goggles. "You guys put these together just now? Impressive." Yes, that was a compliment.

[spidey2099.livejournal.com]

S-Man shrugs, with a modesty that may or may not be uncharacteristic.

"Parker did the heavy lifting. I just gave him the tools - and the goggles aren't the main attraction."

[webslingah.livejournal.com]

"The man has a portable laboratory with him. It was good to have access to that kind of resource again."

[discodazzles.livejournal.com]

Alison preps along with the others then will follow as they start out. Before nightfall, which does seem the best course of action. This time, she's not going for the subtle approach if the feral man returns. Nope, it's a laser blast to the forehead. Maybe that'll slow him down.

The sunglasses are examined. "Fashion statement or to keep me from blinding everyone else in the area?"

[rogue-starsr.livejournal.com]

"Pretty sure its the latter. Hopefully we can keep you running high energy."

[silver-sable.livejournal.com]

"You and Roberto. He gets some amazing brightness going." Silver continues to walk, almost not having to look at the path as she makes her way.

[touchedbymidas.livejournal.com]

Yeshua knew that there were visitors in his Queen's land, he knew it, he felt them drop in. He also knew that these visitors were not of this world. Which is why he noticed them so quickly, the harmonic resonance of each of their molecules was slightly different, but they had landed on his land, and even though they appeared miles away, they may as well have appeared on his door step.

The charcol black baron of the Storm-Queen did not inform the highness when they had arrived. He didn't need too, it was too far below his station to be a petty spy for the Queen, she had other servents for that. Of course if she had asked, he would have told her, but the Queen never came to him. Yes, the years have been hard on Yeshua, but he did what he had to do, to save his own. For Yeshua was not a vampire, nor would he ever be able to become one. His mutant abilities prevented this. But he did work for the Queen, out of his own free will, the queen had her hands on the one thing that could control the mutant. Laurie.

If he did what he was told, she would be kept safe. So he kept the land fertile, and the lifestock healthy. He knew Laurie was still alive, he could feel her energy. But there were orders given to her gaurds to murder her instantly if anything happened to her.

Yeshua knew something was going to happen though, the planet, the air, and the land was telling him trouble was on the way. He smiled despite himself, welcoming the distraction, and waiting patiently for it's arrival.

[ororo-munroe.livejournal.com]

She was perched utterly still. High upon her throne, face set in a mask of stone, she watched her Favored Ones work their magicks upon tonight's guests. Her Consort promised her information and she was pleased to see him deliver. The newest shipment was intercepted and recovered by her barons and now...

"Your family chose well sending you here," she murmurs blankly, letting dark fingers trace pale delicate eyelids screwed tightly shut in fear. "You have the loveliest brown eyes."

"They remind me of a Kitten I once had."