Lake's Death

Instinctively, Ruax's hand comes up to shield his eyes. It had taken centuries to crawl back up from the bottom of Hell's social ladder. Saminga's displeasure had been immense; he had to admit it was lucky his forces weren't scattered to the four corners of Abaddon like those of so many of his peers.

But, now . . . He had finally won back enough his dark lord's favor to earn a vessel to come back to the realm of the living. The cities smelled different, but he could still see that his master's Word was strongly felt throughout the land.

The Throne is trying to scream again. Sighing, Ruax looks over at the Ofanite. The device would keep the sugar-coated goody-two-shoes from having enough essence to go celestial, if only it could keep him quiet.

"SHUT UP" Ruax's voice, like a dark bass, resonants through the angel. It falls silent. Maybe a different mixture of the drugs could keep the thing quiet.

Jediael the angel. Jediael the Ofanite trapped in pain. Soon, very soon, its direct superior will come to "rescue" him. Ruax had seen to that.

A slow smile spreads across his face. Soon, very soon, Laban, the filthy wimp of an angel who had caused his untimely death and political disgrace will be arriving. Soon, he'll die in agony; the time was brief, but agonizingly long.

Ruax looks over his band of soldiers. Well, only two of them are undead, but they have big guns. Ruax likes guns. That's humanity for ya, always finding better ways of turning each other into bloody smears.

The wait was finally over. Seeing his prey approaching the base of the Science World building from admist the sparse crowd of humans below, Ruax calls out to him, his deep bass voice rumbling not unlike thunder from above.

"COME ON UP AND JOIN THE PARTY." From the roof on the building, the demon sees that the Mercurian has apparently come alone. What a fool.

---

Laban's gaze rises up to the top of the building.

/flashback/

The figure loamed over him, leering. "Death by Ruax," the creature of filth spat. Laughing, it reared its blade to deliver a fatal blow, a blow to send Laban spinning into Trauma for God-only-knew how long.

Suddenly, a spear jabbed itself into the hell spawn's back. From the scream of pain Laban knew that the spear was a holy weapon. He watched, vision blurred by the poison, as the creature's corpus was divided in two as its head was separated from its body by a great axe.

The head hit the earth with a dull thud and rolled over to Laban's feet. With demonic ability it lived yet, and spake to him, "You haven't seen the last of me." His own head swimming from the demon's poison, Laban mind's only barely registered the threat.

/end flashback/

It had been with a handful of desperate Essence that Laban had healed himself of the poison. And here was Ruax again, holding his charge Jediael hostage. But, how? More importantly, why?

---

"I HOPE YOU'RE ENJOYING YOUR HEADACHE, JEDIAEL." Says Ruax as he paces back and forth, waiting for his enemy to arrive. He had waited centuries to revenge, and time, like foolishly faithful friend has brought his enemy back to him.

Turning to his soldiers, Ruax smirks slightly at their fear and willingness to serve. Blind fools. "SONNY, BLAKE, WATCH THE SIDE OF THE ROOF IN CASE HE TRIES TO SCALE THE SIDE. JIMMY, ROB, CHUCK, KEEP YOUR WEAPONS POINTED AT THE ROOF'S ENTRANCE. ACE, WATCH OUR CAPTIVE."

Let him come.

---

Laban carries his body up the stairs, flight after flight. Why, oh, why, hadn't he bothered to learn how to fly? His hand dipped into his coat pocket, gasping the hilt of his ancient Sword of Purity. Perhaps it would be wise to call for a little back up.

Cellular phones are wonderful, wonderful things.

*ring*

*ring*

"Hello?"

"Hello, Adam?"

"Yes."

[Lake, resonance roll, over the phone -2, TN=9
5, 6, CD2 - failure]

"Ah, Adonikam, this is Lake."

"Laban, how goes it?"

[Adam, resonance roll, over the phone -2, TN=6
2, 5, CD4 - failure]

[OOC: Man, two angels both miss their resonance rolls - this does not bode well :]

"Well, I've got a demon problem at the moment. Top of Science World."

"Okay, where in Science World?"

"On the roof."

"Don't go up there alone, Lake, I'll be there in a few minutes."

"I'll be waiting for you."

---

[Ruax NC Tail, TN=9
3, 4, CD3, Essence 1, Disturbance 1
Ethe Song of Poison, TN=8
6, 1, CD5, Essence 2, Disturbance 7
Total Disturbance 8]

An evil grin spreads across Ruax's face as he hears his prey climb the final steps to the roof. With a shrug, he sings his long barbed Tail dripping with poison into creation. This angel is going down.

---

[Laban perception roll, bonus of +8, total TN=19
3, 5, CD5+7=CD12]

Laban freezes momentarily, hearing a definite Demonic disturbance in the Symphony from just beyond the door. A little less then half is merely spent demonic essence, but over it he can clearly hear a Song. A Song whose tune evades his memory, only vaguely familiar, somehow.

He gears himself up, preparing a Song of his own. Hopefully Adonikam would be arriving shortly.

[Laban Ethe Song of Harmony, two extra rounds +2, +1 Choir Affiliation, TN=12
1, 1, CD6, Range: 12yrds, Essence 2
Total Disturbance 9 (Laban, Ruax, Jediael, and five humans)]

[Rolls to perceive disturbance: Ruax, bonus 9, TN=13, 5, 6, CD4+1=CD5]

The sounds of the disturbance reach Ruax's senses. The angel has decided to make its presence known.

[Will Rolls to resist (minus Laban's Ethe Forces):
Ruax +3 Essence, TN=8, 4, 3, CD6 -success Disturbance 3
Mundane 1, TN=0, 3, 4, CD6 -failure
Mundane 2, TN=0, 3, 6, CD6 -failure
Mundane 3, TN=1, 4, 5, CD3 -failure
Undead 1, TN=1, 4, 4, CD1 -failure
Undead 2, TN=0, 6, 4, CD1 -failure]

Laban opens the door, subdued and rational. The three man with submachine guns lower their weapons and step back. Ruax charges.

[Ruax, striking with Tail, Fighting/5, TN=15
5, 6, CD5+3=CD8, a hit for Power 5 + CD8 = 13 Damage]
[Laban, choosing to full dodge this round +2, Dodge/4, TN=14
5, 1, CD4+2=CD6 damage is reduced to 7]

[Note: In "Perry's rules" a successful Dodge roll does not Subtract from *damage*, every point of successful Dodge CD serves to negate one point of successful *Attack CD*. In the above case, Laban's Dodge CD6 negates Ruax's CD8 down to CD2, not enough to completely avoid the attack, but enough to lessen the damage from CD8+5 to CD2+5. Had Laban rolled well enough to reduce Ruax's CD8 to zero, then the attack would have failed and no damage would have been delivered]

Seeing the tail coming for his legs, Laban jumps into the air to avoid it, but the strike comes too quickly and he's knocked over in the air, the spikes in the tail ripping through the flesh of his lower legs.

[Ruax, Will roll to resist song of harmony, TN=5
2, 2, CD2 -success]

[Ruax, striking with Ethereal Blade/4, Large Weapon/5+4, TN=19
5, 4, CD6+7=CD13, Power+3+13= 16 Damage]

Spinning in the air and out of control, he's unable to defend himself against Ruax's immortal blade which bites deeply into his side as he turns in space, the energy of the spin literally pushing him deeper onto the impossibly sharp edge.

[Laban's vessel had +24(12) hits, then +17(12), now +1(12).]

Stunned, with a bubble of fear welling up in him, Laban looks up at his attacker.

"GLAD YOU COULD MAKE IT." Ruax spits on the Mercurian at his feet.

[Ruax, Will roll to attack again: TN=5 6, 2, CD2 - failure]

Although he can still feel the Song preventing him from taking action, Ruax is patient. The drug would be taking effect soon enough.

---

[Cyanide, 1d damage = 2 Damage.
Laban's Body hits were +1(12), now -1(12), if he's reduce to -12, he's finished]

Laban feels the poison creeping into him, driving him towards unconsciousness. With a handful of desperate essence, Laban strives to heal himself as he had centuries before.

[Laban, Corporeal Song of Healing, +6 Essence, TN=12
{clatter of dice} 6, 4, CD3. 9 Body Points healed
Laban's Body hits are now +8(12)]

Battling unconsciousness, Laban turns to face his foes.

---

The sound of tires squealing to a halt from down below. "KILL IT" Ruax commands the gun-toting humans. He looks over the edge to the car below.

[Mundane 1 unloads his weapon, firing two bursts into Laban.
TN=9, 1, 3, CD6, Power +7, 13 damage ea, 26 Damage
Mundane 2 unloads his weapon, firing two bursts into the angel.
TN=8, 4, 1, CD1, Power +7, 8 damage ea, 16 Damage
Mundane 3 unloads his weapon, firing two bursts into the angel.
TN=9, 1, 6, CD3, Power +7, 10 damage ea, 20 Damage
Undead 1 unloads his weapon, firing two bursts into the angel.
TN=9, 4, 1, CD4, Power +7, 11 damage ea, 22 Damage
Undead 2 unloads his weapon, firing two bursts into the angel.
TN=8, 3, 2, CD6, Power +7, 13 damage ea, 26 Damage
Total Damage delivered 110
Note: the humans were given a bonus to their TN due to close range.
Laban's hits were 8(12), now -121(12). His vessel is dead.]

The bullets riddle Laban's body, ripping it apart.

As his Corporeal form is slain, the pain stuns Laban's being. The crushing blow of mortal death, a painful confusion of movement from the mortal plane to the celestial plane. In heaven, his heart throbs as its owner returns to it.

---

After hearing the Disturbance in the Symphony and a song he did not recognize, Adonikam feared the worse. It had been demonic in cause, of that he could be sure.

Squealing to a halt at the entrance to Science World and leaping out of the car, Adonikam hears the sound of gunfire from up above. The disturbance in the Symphony isn't any louder for it. Humans or the work of Roles. A quick glace upwards and he sees a grinning face with dark hair against a darkening sky.

[Adam, switching Vessels, 1 Essence, Disturbance 1]

Adam shifts vessels in the darkness of the shadow of the building, moving out of his Role, and sings a song of motion to rise to the occasion, ignoring the screaming woman and running children who have been frightened by the sounds of violence.

[Corp. of Motion, TN=8
: 5, 5, CD6, 1 Essence spent, Disturbance 1]

Cursing his luck, he tries again.

[Corp. of Motion, TN=8
: 5, 6, CD6, 1 Essence spent, Disturbance 1]

Deciding that the fates are against him, Adonikam takes off for the entrance doors. A crowd gathers outside.

---

Ruax turns to the angel imprisoned in the stolen Vapulean device. "POOR LITTLE THRONE, TIRED OF YOUR SEAT??"

[Ruax, Will roll to remove his Attunement to Jediael, TN=8
{clatter of dice} 1, 1, CD2]

[Ruax, striking with Ethereal Blade, TN=15+4=19
2, 2, CD1+7=CD8, Power +3, 11 Damage.
Jediael's Body hits were 25-10, reduced to 15-10 when abducted, now reduced to 4-10.]

The blade plunges through the Throne's body. Jediael whimpers in protest, his words unable bridge the gag in his mouth.

[Ruax, striking with Ethereal Blade, TN=15+4=19
5, 3, CD3+7=CD10, Power +3, 13 Damage.
Jediael's Body hits were 4-10, now -6.]

Another slice cuts his torso in half, the hips and legs sliding out from beneath the weight of the upper half and hanging by the straps in the chair.

[Ruax, striking with Ethereal Blade, TN=15+4=19
6, 4, CD1+7=CD8, Power +3, 11 Damage.
Jediael's Body hits were -6, now his Vessel is dead.]

Turning to the humans and undead, Ruax orders, "RELOAD YOUR WEAPONS, STAY HERE AND KILL IT LIKE THE LAST ONE."

---

Adonikam rushes up flight after flight of stairs, rushing to the top.

---

After removing Jediael's vessel from device, he grasps it in his hands, allows his Tail to fade and leaps over the edge of the building.

With a heavy thud he lands, his powerful feet leaving deep footprints in the pavement.

[Falling: due to the severe height, Ruax takes 10 damage. He had +80-40 hits, now he has +70-40 hits. Merely a scratch.]

He sees the face of a small child behind a tree, he hears the sounds of people running away in fear. The smell of the blood seeping from his damaged feet taints the air; the sounds of police sirens remind him of the changes that have occured on earth since his last tour of duty to the Corporeal Realm.

Ruax runs over and grasps the child, pushing him into and latching him into the device as he runs. Time is on his side. First, to hiding . . .

---

Adonikam arrives at the top of the stairs, and sings a song of Nimbus.

[Adonikam, Corp of Nimbus, TN=8
2, 5, CD2, 3 Essence spent, Disturbance 9,
rolls to resist are at -2 b/c he put an extra 2 essence into the Song's effect, duration 6 minutes]

[Mundane 1 rolls to resist TN=0, 2, 5, CD5 - failure
Mundane 2 rolls to resist TN=1, 1, 6, CD2 - failure
Mundane 3 rolls to resist TN=2, 4, 4, CD1 - failure
Undead 1 rolls to resist TN=2, 1, 3, CD6 - failure
Undead 2 rolls to resist TN=3, 4, 2, CD5 - failure]

As he passes through the doorway his Celestial nature sings forth, his corporeal form blazing with the glory of the heavens. The humans drop their weapons and step back, their faces slack with disbelief. The two undead shield their eyes and look away in pain.

[Resonance rolls on all parties TN=6:
Mundane 1: 1, 2, CD5
Mundane 2: 3, 4, CD5 - failure
Mundane 3: 1, 2, CD3
Undead 1: 3, 4, CD2 - failure
Undead 2: 5, 2, CD2 - failure]

"You," calls Adonikam to the cowering men still clutching their weapons. "Do you deserve a second chance?"

"Yes?" comes the pathetic voice of one of the men.

Adonikam attempts to wield his resonance on the two undead, again.

[Resonance rolls on the undead, TN=6
Undead 1: 2, 5, CD 4 - failure
Undead 2: 3, 4, CD 4 - failure]

In a few minutes, thinks Adonikam, others will be arriving. He attempts to size up the men again.

[Resonance rolls on the undead, TN=6
Undead 1: 1, 5, CD2
Undead 2: DIVINE INTERVENTION]

In a flash of Divine Favor, the Malakite sizes up the six humans. His Holy Resonance, boosted by Divine Favor, reads their paths of honor and dishonor like a book: The four humans are savable. The two undead's souls, however, cannot be saved. Foul unholy creatures they are, having dishonored their very nature. It would going to take much more time to work with them than it was perhaps worth his while.

Adonikam walks towards the two undead soldiers who back away in pain as his Halo nears them. The Malakite knows he had enough time before the Song's effects abate.

His hand shoots forth, grasping the undead nearest him. The monster screams in pain as the Holy's halo touches his unholy flesh.

"I'm not letting go of you until you answer my questions."

The other undead scrambles to escape.

His head spinning round the King says in a commanding voice, "You're not leaving." The other unholy creature stops in its tracks.

"I'll answer your questions, please," sputters the monster in Adonikam's grasp. "Just don't

"Kill you?" The Malakite grins, "you're already dead." He brings the undead's face up to his own, their noses practically touching, "Whom do your serve?"

"Demon Prince, Lord of the Dead, Prince of Death, Saminga." The monster whimpers slightly.

"What is the name of the demon you serve directly?"

"La, Labana."

"Is that who was with you on this roof?"

"No! No, that was just some demon, I"

"Who is he?!"

"Ruix or Ruax or something," the creature moans piteously. "Ppplease don't."

"Pathetic creature," says the Malakite almost to himself. "Get out of here," he commands the humans, "go down and surrender to the authorities."

"Except for you, two," he growls to the undead. "You're staying with me."

The sounds of cars squealing to stops rise from below. "This is the police. Come out with your hands up."

---

The stairs aren't too hard to locate, and as Fury ascends them, she can hear voices from above.

" . . . me more about Ruax, what did he have you do in his service?" The voice is severe, as though it can barely tolerate those it is addressing.

"We, we got a hold of this guy," comes another voice, obviously scared and in a state of shock. "And, uh, we helped to put him into this, thing."

"What thing?" demands the severe voice.

"I . . . I dunno man! He just had him strapped in it, like one of those chairs at a hairdressers with that thing over your head, man! Just don't kill me!!"

"Who??"

"Ruax, I"

"No, in the chair, idiot."

"He called, called him Jed," says another voice, obviously shaking, but not as scared.

"Jedial?" asks the harsh voice.

"Yeah, yea" But the man's voice is broken by the sound of his neck doing the same.