God loves, man kills

[Firebird]

Firebird flew above, offering air support where it was needed. She had to be careful, remembering training with Arsenal and AVOID doing TOO MUCH in enclosed spaces, such as generating VOLCANOS, otherwise she'd end up doing more harm than good.
Although, eyeing Valkyrie as she SHAMELESSLY flirted with Zach and then MADE OUT with him [never mind that she was actually HELPING HIM ], the idea of "ACCIDENTLY" creating a volcano RIGHT UNDER HER, didn't seem like such a bad idea. If only ZACH wouldn't be completely incinerated by it too...

The fight had been rough and more than a few on her team had taken some lumps, but so too did some on Oracle's team. It might be easy to assume that flatscans were weak, but the Purifiers prooved that they COULD cause serious problems, especially when they had something like a NIMROD in their "arsenal"!?Blaze hated the idea of this...but how much WORSE would it have been had Oracle's team NOT been here? Like it or not, their presence had been a key factor in how WELL things had gone so far. It was also a sobering reminder that the Six were not as "unique" as they sometimes felt they were. Still, Blaze agreed with Haleigh that the Six was by far the more powerful and experienced group.


Firebird caught sight of Harbinger and her strange new ally, who moved faster than greased lightning. There was also ANDREW!? Sally Spectra's driver!? What the HELL was HE doing here!?


Then, one of Mary's sentries revealed that HE TOO was a mutant!

"oh wow!"

She said quietly as she swooped down lower. Ruby was ON HER FEET and giving Sister Mary and her right hand woman a good old fashion ASS KICKING! It made Blaze SMILE in spite of the situation!

Harbinger was on her feet, RUNNING toward the altar and Blaze's instinct told her to FOLLOW. Harbinger called out a warning to Cass and as Blaze's eyes look ahead,she sees the HUGE NIMROD POWERING UP!

"Silver Swan! Black Widow! It's HAPPENING...Nimrod's COMING ONLINE!"

She continued to follow after Harbinger, catching side of Isis and Morning Star bursting in from a doorway to her right.


Ruby was hit dead center in her chest and sent FLYING over some pews.

"RUBY!"

Quickly intercepting her arc path in the air and CATCHING HER before she can crash into the pews and be further injured, Firebird lowers down with Ruby in her arms and lays her on a pew.


"Ruby, you did MORE than enough...you just hang on...we'll take care of this!"

I hope

"Guys, COME ON! We have to help Harbinger! We have to get Cam away from that Nimrod!"

Firebird waves them to come forward as she takes to the air once again and flies for Harbinger, who TK's Nimrod's first massive attack back at him, only to have HIM deflect the blast out toward THEM!


Firebird's apple green eyes WIDEN with surprise!

"WHOOPS!"

DODGING THAT ONE, she is now hovering right over hunter sentinel and the precog as he is about to attack her!

Nimrod: MUTANT: HARBINGER. HIGH LEVEL PRECOG/TELEKINETIC/MAGICK USER. TERMINATE!

<< The Nimrod lifts its hands , holding them forward, palms out, powering up for a deadly attack>>

"SOME OTHER TIME!"

Firebird takes aim and ATTACKS

 

[Matrix]

That was satisfying. Kicking ass and taking names and doing our part and all that.

Rich allowed some of the Purifiers to live to take the fall for all of this and turned back so that they could mop up normal style. Ana was ready to get to the cathedral, and he thought he would have to fly them there when Rose did the mumbo-jumbo and they were suddenly there. All of the Six, and Miss D and Morningstar, and some other people, and some more Purifiers (but a lot of bodies, somebody took an L tonight) and a big robotic-looking thing was in the center. Just as they arrived, he shot a plast that was deflected outward at everyone, including them. Rich instinctively held up his hands, changing them to....

....polished carbon steel coated in diamond, the hardest and most reflective thing he could find. He repelled the blast, but yeah, that shit HURT. His hands still sizzled as they turned back and he remarked as only he could.

Ouch.

 

[Ruby]

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Sanctuary

”CASS! WATCH OUT!!”

:: A lot can happen in a split second. You wouldn’t think so, but it’s true. When Cass heard Alison’s warning, she halted for a split second. That split second was all it took for NIMROD to BLAST Cass in her chest and send her FLYING into some pews! Being a part of The Six as well as undergoing Sharon’s BRUTAL training in The Danger Room, Cass was well aware of being sent flying/smashing/thrown into things and people. She instinctively knew how to turn her body in such a way to suffer MINIMAL damage to her person. Unfortunately for Cass, she had never encountered NIMROD before. She yelped as she flew through the air…only to be caught by FIREBIRD, her best friend! ::

Firebird: ”RUBY!!”

*gratefully*: “Blaze!”

:: Blaze wrapped her gently in her arms and lowered them both softly to the floor where Blaze sets Cass on an empty pew. ::

Firebird: ”Ruby…you did MORE than enough…you just hang on…we’ll take care of this!”

:: Cass shook her head. She DIDN’T do enough! She HAD to save Cameron! It was HER responsibility…and nobody else’s. Nobody would understand why Cass felt it was her duty to save Cameron. But she’d just explain later. Right now, Cameron and everybody else was counting on HER. She was burdened by what had happened DECADES ago, but talking it out, even if the listener wasn’t that interested - - set her free from carrying this huge weight upon her shoulders. But she couldn’t think of that right now. She did do what Blaze told her and took a few seconds to gather herself together and breathe deeply before going back into the fray. There was NO way she’d let her FAMILY fight to the death while she just sat around and watched. She jumped up and ran back to the altar. She wasn’t going to let Cameron down again. ::

I can do this!

:: She stopped cold when Blaze unleashed her attack on that robotic yahoo thing. It WAS a beautiful sight. Cass was always impressed by her FAMILY’S various powers and fighting skills. She grinned in spite of herself. ::

*calls*: “Looking good, Firebird!”

:: She turned her attention to the altar and cleared the last few steps in a single leap. ::

“I may be broken and bruised, but I am not out just yet!”

:: Cass was ready for anything. ::

 

[Oracle]

The Edge of the Sanctuary

Steel tackled the soldier that she had assumed was down but was apparently not out. She called out to him as he dropped the Purifier to the floor.

“Thank you!”

Turning, she saw a boy she hadn’t seen before being attacked by sentinels! They had encircled him with some sort of tentacle device.

Gabriel: HYPERKINETIC AGRESSIVE MUTANT IDENTIFIED! TELEKINETIC, MAGICK MANIPULTOR DETECTED. SUPERSONIC SPEEDSTER DETECTED. THREAT LEVEL: SEVERE! IMMEDIATE TERMINATION REQUIRED!

A hyperkinetic? How did she not know about this?!

In what seemed like the space of a second, the boy disappeared and reappeared next to Harbinger and a thief called Xavier. And then SHE was gone, rushing forward. Oracle followed suit, pushing into the sanctuary, fighting off the last few Purifiers in her way. But there was something more in here than just the captors of the Six’s teammates: it was something large and metallic, humanoid but not human-looking.

The nimrod was powering up and about to fire at the remaining captive, but Harbinger was there, raising her hand…

“HARBINGER NO!”

She deflected the nimrod’s attack but it in turn deflected it out towards the rest of them! And then suddenly Steel was on top of her, using his metal body to shield hers.

She looked up into his face after the blast passed by them.

“That’s two. I DEFINITELY owe you a free pc tuneup…or maybe a beer.”

He turned back to face their new enemy, and the two of them moved in closer together.

It was about to attack Harbinger again, and Oracle suspected she would not be able to deflect it this time. Tucking her staff under her arm like a gun, she aimed for the nimrod’s outstretched hands and fired shot after shot of a specially designed bolt that could dissolve metal on contact.

 

[Titan]

The Edge of the Sanctuary

Andrew grunted as he made contact with the robots. That was really stupid. Really, really stupid.

The robot-thingies did not seem to be fazed in the slightest, and now were turning their attention to HIM. Which, in truth, WAS the objective but he hadn’t really thought things through to this point.

Gabriel: HYPERKINETIC AGGRESSIVE MUTANT IDENTIFIED! THREAT

LEVEL: MODERATE

Michael: CONTAIN AND TERMINATE!

He held up his hands and backed up.

“Wait – I think you have me confused with someone else. TERMINATE?!”

THINGS shot out of their ARMS and were around him like boa constrictors, squeezing him so tightly he couldn’t move. He struggled but they did not budge.

“What the hell is this then?!”

The guy who had been unconscious when Andrew had made his leap of faith had chosen to become conscious NOW, and had broken down one of the robot things. But the arms were still holding him tight.

The other robot started talking again:

Gabriel: :: The sentinel's gene scan responds once more::

HYPERKINETIC AGRESSIVE MUTANT IDENTIFIED! TELEKINETIC, MAGICK MANIPULTOR DETECTED. SUPERSONIC SPEEDSTER DETECTED. THREAT LEVEL: SEVERE! IMMEDIATE TERMINATION REQUIRED!

Where was this third mutant and why wasn’t he rescuing him?!

Suddenly he was standing next to the girl and guy he had been trying to save. Oh, mutant stuff.

“No need to thank me – I am amazing ALL the time.”

But the girl ran off without saying anything. He called after her.

“No need to be intimidated by my dashing good looks!”

He turned towards the guy and gave him the nod and grin, elbowing him good naturedly, raising his eyebrows.

“I think she wants me.”

In no time flat, the girl with the blue-black hair was attacking this big metal thing that looked like it came out of one of those old sci fi movies. And it had a super sci fi shield too. Andrew dove for the wings of the church, making it into an alcove and behind one of the stone columns.

He was a sitting duck. They were ALL sitting ducks. He had to move. Andrew looked around him. There were some daggers that the people (?) with wings had been throwing down on them. He picked up all he could see and gingerly held them in the crook of one arm. He hoisted himself up the nearest standing column, and swung onto one of the poles they used to hang banners from. Balancing in a crouched position, he moved one of the daggers into his right hand.

The metal giant was about to fire again at the girl with the blue-black hair. He was pretty sure she’d be vaporized. And there was no way he could let that happen after he’d nearly broken his neck for her earlier.

“HEY!”

He threw the dagger, hitting the giant where its breast plate met its shoulder. He leapt to the next pole, and the next, throwing the daggers as he went, aiming each time for the places where the thing’s joints came together, hoping that there would be some vulnerability in those spots.

 

[Artemis]

:: The purifiers were on them like a swarm...a PLAGUE OF LOCUSTS. The metaphor was so appropriate but the humour was lost at the moment considering the circumstances::
:: Haleigh, despite looking a bit worse for the wear, maintained her CAVALIER attitude as Alycia asked if she was alright. Little did the Amazon know that Haleigh was FAR from it.::

:: Still, in this moment that they were in, they carried on, fighting hard against and THROUGH the horde of Purifiers. Persephone was nearby, noticeably she refrained from using her elemental powers, which could have made this ALOT easier for them all, but she was still handling herself QUITE WELL, to DEADLY effect against her foes. Recall went to Simon's aid after he was viciously blindsided by a winged Choir member.::

::Charope continued to fight off more purifiers and THe Choir when suddenly, she FELT an odd sensation and quickly looked UP to see VALKYRIE right above her, looking as though she was about to DROP DOWN ON HER IN ATTACK!::

ATHENA!


::Charope shouts as Black Widow, who obviously saw the same thing, PULLS HER out of the way! But Valkyrie was in FACT intercepting the REAL attacking, a robed purifier who had tried to ambush Alycia from above!::


:: Valkyrie completely annihilated the assailant and let her airborne momentum carry her on without even looking back at Alycia.::

....


Well...


:: Alycia looked at Haleigh, who had seen the same thing::

Maybe there was something to what Steel said about her after all?


:: Silver Swan and Firebird took out a substantial amount of the Choir, while Oracle, Mina and Steel bowled over more purifiers on the ground. Alycia spotted Valkyrie again, this time she was with ZACH!?::

...

I take that back....she's out of her MIND!


::not aware that Valkyrie was actually HELPING him...::



:: Alycia said, only imaginging what HALEIGH might be thinking, but NOW wouldn't be the time to address it::


:: Harbinger and her newfound ally made the scene and a skinny looking man dropped down from the ceiling trying to attack the sentries::

IS HE OUT OF HIS MIND!?

:: He was about to be crushed/strangled, when suddenly one of the sentries was dismantled in the blink of an eye, and ANDREW was teleblinked out of the group of the other, but NOT before he was revealed to be a mutant too!::


:: The SWARM of purifiers seemed to have ended, the Six had fought their way through and were making their way down the center aisle as best they could::

THERE!


:: Harbinger was running toward the altar, CASS was fighting with Sister Mary Justice and Sarah Smythe and Firebird was following after Harbinger::


:: The sense of urgency was HIGH now that they seemed to be getting to the root of this, when suddenly, ROSE, RICHARD AND ANA-LEIGH appeared!::



:: Alycia looked at Ana, RELIEVED to see her ALIVE and whole, but SHOCKED that she'd be HERE!::

ANA!!! STAY BACK!


:: Cass was shot by the Nimrod. It then attacked Harbinger, who TK'ed it's blast BACK at it only for it THEN to send that blast OUT toward THEM!::


:: quickly crossing her arms in front of her an an X pattern, she BLOCKS some of the blast that would have hit HER with her feminum bracelets while OTHERS in both groups have to deflect or evade it as well! Alycia quickly turns back to see about Ana, only to find that Richard shielded himself and Ana, while ROSE generates a field of psionic energy around the three of them::

Thank the goddess

:: But it's far from over::


Someone GET Cameron OUT of there!

::Firebird leads off the ATTACK on Nimrod, followed by Oracle and from above....::

That young man again!?

:: She watches in astonishment as he throws a large dagger with perfect aim and form to land right into the chest of the Nimrod, but somehow, Alycia suspects that won't be enough, but he coninues to move with impossible skill and throwing more daggers and projectiles into the nimrod in ANY possible openings. But from THAT far, with perfect accuracy!?

How can he POSSIBLY....!?

:: But he IS a mutant....and he's trying to do something! they should ALL follow suit before Cameron and/or Alison are killed!::


::Holding out her hand, a sparkling trail of energy flows down around it as she manifests her SILVER BOW and a shaft of divine lightning. Haleigh was already in the process of getting Cam out of harm's way. ::

:: Alycia shoots that bolt of divine lightning at the Nimrod and THEN she spots CASS sprining back on the alter even as Harbinger doesnt TRY to escape!::


RUBY! What are you doing!? GET OUT OF THERE!

 

[Mina Harker]

Near the Altar

Mina was the closest of the rescue team to the altar as events unfolded. She was covered in blood, mostly Purifier, but some her own: her body had been cut in numerous places by the blades of the Purifiers who had swarmed her. Using her predator’s stealth, she slowly moved herself further and further forward. She watched one captive turn the attack onto her captors, and the one whose voice she recognized [from Haleigh transmitting Alison’s briefing before the fight] as Harbinger attacked what she called the nimrod directly, and at close quarters.

Foolish. But one good turn deserved another. Now behind the altar, she was behind the nimrod too. She ran forward, and JUMPED onto the nimrod’s back. She gripped with her legs as she put her hands around its head, attempting to rip it off. She gasped.

<<Flash>>

She could see the young black man that was here with them today – RAMPAGE – fighting the nimrod.

<<Flash>>

Then it was falling through time and space. Landing at the feet of the nun.

<<Flash>>

Giving Sr. Mary the instructions, the means to do ALL OF THIS...

<<Flash>>

The twelve bloody sacrifices...

<<Flash>>

The mysterious benefactor, Madame X...

<<Flash>>

The "birth" of the Choir...

<<Flash>>

And then finally, the nimrod’s true purpose: to become MASTER MOLD!

It was never about the boy on the altar, or the girl who had been freed.

"It lured us. Lured us all. It wants us all dead."

 

[Arsenal]

Finally, the had secured the area. There was dead an dying Purifiers everywhere. It appeared that Clandestine had no deaths...YET. At the all-clear signal, medics gathered and set up triage for the injured. Doc would be needed, and she was obliging as he sat at the end of Sally's bed, tired and bloodied and with what seemed like 2 - no 3 broken ribs from incoming concussive fire he had taken on. If not for the armor he would have been dead, so he was grateful. He was for the moment hiding his injuries so Doc would get to him last. She looked at him as she started to go to help the wounded, and for a few moments they just held hands, hoping that the others would be just as successful as they had been.

The moments ticked, and then they let each other go....for now. Mike caressed Karen's cheek and nodded as he gave a one sentence request.

Go...I will watch Sally.

 

[Steel]

The Edge of the Sanctuary

He never could stand injustice. When he was eight, he had skipped school and marched with striking miners in his town who were protesting safety conditions and low pay. It made him ANGRY, even then, to see people harmed who couldn’t defend themselves. And that’s why he had become a policeman.

As he was coming up through the detective ranks, there were some who thought he was dirty. He was willing to do anything to save an innocent, whether that meant playing by the rules or not. He got a reputation for being too aggressive with the criminals. But he lived, breathed, ate, slept the job.

It wasn’t a world then that would accept a man who could turn himself into metal. So he hid. He pretended he was human. His job necessitated that he be so reserved, professional, to always hold back. Even though he often wanted to just plant his fist in some turkey’s face. Sometimes it came trickling out through the cracks. But THIS, this was a tsunami.

All the times when bureaucracy or politics let a bad guy walk, all the bullshit from superiors he had to take, even the CRAP he got for his accent – all of it was channeled into his fists. He kept picturing all those unexplained deaths, and the ones they KNEW had been the Purifiers. To take a life was to take everything. And he wanted nothing more than to take EVERYTHING from these lowlife zealots.

Harbinger, who he recognized as Delilah’s friend Alison, ran ahead of them, and put herself between the nimrod and her brother. She deflected one of its attacks, but it was sent hurtling out towards them. He covered Oracle, shielding her with his body. When it was past, he leaned back away from her.

“That’s two. I DEFINITELY owe you a free pc tuneup…or maybe a beer.”

He made a sound like a nervous laugh.

“Maybe the beer?”

He turned. The nimrod was about to attack again. Oracle hit it with the bolts from her staff, some kid was throwing knives at it, and Mina had actually jumped onto its back. It was like going up against Godzilla with a pea shooter. He ran forward, and when he made it to the altar he brought both hands together and down with all his strength against the stone floor, sending a crack towards the nimrod. He could only hope that that would put it off balance and cause it to miss Harbinger. He leapt up onto the raised altar and continued to sprint towards the nimrod, pulling back his metal fist and letting it fly forward and connect with the metal monster.

 

[Black Widow]

In her peripheral vision, Haleigh caught sight of something flying through the air towards Alycia. It was Valkyrie, with a raised sword! Haleigh grabbed Alycia by the collar and yanked the Amazon off her feet, out of the path of certain murder. She could hardly believe Valkyrie thought she could get AWAY with trying to sneak attack and IMPALE Alycia when everyone else was distracted! But once she had pulled Alycia to safety, and turned to defend them against a potential betrayal by Valkyrie, she watched Ashley land on a purifier who was in mid-swing with a spiked bat. She killed him with ease, and Haleigh realized that Ashley had actually SAVED Alycia.

Alycia: Well...... Maybe there was something to what Steel said about her after all?

"MAYBE....."

It was ALL she'd admit to at this point. She didn't express the slightest bit of admiration she felt creeping up on her. Haleigh watched Ashley move on to the next target without even bring her stride. Yes, the girl was a skilled killer, and Haleigh could respect SKILL. NOT so respectably, Valkyrie followed that up with landing nearly on top of Zach. Haleigh couldn't see exactly what was going on over there, but there was NO mistaking the mouth-to-mouth that happened. The look on Haleigh's face must have been priceless.

"Did she REALLY just--?!?!"

Alycia: I take that back....she's out of her MIND!

"If I get charged with her murder, would you defend me in a court of law?"

She replied in a surprisingly CALM tone. She was only joking, of course. She never believed in a million years she'd be charged with murder. Anyway, she had TOO MUCH money, and too many connections. She could slaughter the detective right here in the church, in front of EVERYONE, and still get away with it. She fantasized about it for a second, then her attention was stolen by something much worse than a man-stealing hobag.

She became acutely aware of a foreign technology powering up. The Nimrod was activating! Haleigh couldn't hack it, despite her best efforts. It was so alien to her, she wasn't sure she would EVER control it. Still, she wasn't about to watch Cameron be obliterated by it. She rushed towards the altar. Alison appeared by Cameron, deflecting the Nimrod's opening blast back towards it, but Nimrod responded with a deflection of its own, and the repulsor beam went spraying everywhere. Haleigh snatched up two dead bodies and used them to shield herself as she continued to move towards Cameron. They disintegrated almost completely in the blast, spraying Haleigh with a fine mist of blood. She raised her now empty hands and encased the Nimrod's arms and legs in molten cast iron, then cooled it quickly into two solid blocks, rendering it immobile and unable to do any more attacks with its hands. Several of the others were attacking it also, giving her a chance to focus on Cameron.

He was chained down on the altar, and fixed with a power suppressor. He'd been badly beaten, and the sight of it provoked such rage within her, she thought she might manifest a NUCLEAR BOMB. Gently, she put a hand on the said side of his face, looking into his eyes and seeing that he still had some fight left in him. The look they shared was the only thing that kept her from going completely BALLISTIC. There were no words between them, there didn't need to be. She pulled the chains apart with her bare hands, lifted Cameron onto her shoulder, and grabbed Cass by the waist before activating her molecular displacement chip. The trio disappeared for a split second, then reappeared right next to Alycia.

"Charope, you defend them while they recuperate their powers. I'm going back to get the bitch that did this to them........ and I'm going to turn her INSIDE FUCCKING OUT."

Haleigh set Cameron down, unlocked their power suppression collars, and turned to go back into the thick of it.

 

[Orion]

Ashley: For gods’ sake do NOT pull that out.

"Heh, that's what SHE said......"

He replied with a drowsy smile. There were a lot less scumbags to fire at now. She wrapped his leg with a scrap of fabric and pulled it tight. He was trying not to be a baby about it, but FUCCK that hurt.

(Gruffly) "Take CARE, working that close to the goods, bella donna."

He looked up at her. She seemed to be thinking about something, then she sighed.

Ashley: Don’t say I never did nothing for you.

"Uh..... I think that's like triple negatives and English is actually my second language, so forgive me, but WHAT?"

She grabbed a hold of him and kissed him then, and it wasn't a 'aww honey you're doing great, hang in there' kind of kiss. It was a powerful, aggressive, passionate kiss that washed over him like a riptide and made him forget the pain and fatigue of the moment. It was so powerful it made him forget himself. He couldn't stop himself from responding to it. He dropped the plasma cannon and grabbed hold of her.

It came to a natural end and he pulled back, opening his eyes to see a repulsor beam ricochet towards them. He grabbed her again and took cover, rolling on top of her as the pew they'd been partially obscured behind practically exploded into dust and splinters and large chunks of hardwood.

"I will NEVER say you did nothing for me."

He said with a smirk as the pieces of pew rained down. When the debris stopped falling on his back, he pushed himself up, then helped her to her feet as well. He looked around. Nobody seemed to notice their imprompu make out session. There was an all out assault on a giant robot looking thing on the altar.

"And to think I almost got married here."

He remarked. Just another day with the Six. Gods, how unrecognizable his life had become. Literally people he didn't even KNOW had shown up and were fighting this thing. Haleigh was rescuing Cameron.

Of course she is. Good thing I'm not bleeding out or anything. No big deal, just an arrow in a major extremity. Hope it didn't nick my femoral artery. ZEUS ALMIGHTY that guy is SUCH a TOOL!

His powers weren't much good against a futuristic machine man from outer space or the alternate dimension or or the phantom zone or wherever the hell it was from. Instead he focused on the Six, Oracle and her (his) group, and their allies. He pumped them some of that aggression that Valkyrie had just given him, and gave them a little adrenaline booster. But enough to make them fool hardy, but definitely something to reinforce their confidence levels.

 

[Rampage]

Nicolas was in the midst of a warsong, his hands and his axe doing the talking. The psionic shield had worked fine, he was essentially unscathed, even by the vibranium daggers. The blades would penetrated the outer portion of the shield but the flatscans were too weak to resist the current of the spinning energy and so the blades would be swept away. That is one hell of a last look to have on your face, that "Oh shit!" shock. Especially as the guy you tried to stab LITERALLY ripped your face off.

He made it close to the altar as the Nimrod powered up and took a shot at Ali! She deflected it (good girl!) but it scattered the beam. Nicolas did not miss a beat, backhanding the beam with the flat of his axe as he moved. He seemed to reach the altar at the same time as the magnificent metal detective, and he swung, embedding his axe partway into the side opposite the guy's crushing metal blow.

 

[Matrix]

Rich stretched his hands, now completely healed after deflecting that shot. He saw the damned thing powering up again, and EVERYONE seemed to be taking a shot at it. Growing in size and changing to Titanium, he pulled Ana-Leigh and Rose back a bit behind his legs - they could use them as cover while they fired - and brought his arms together to form a railgun. This was a high energy deal but it was his best single shot and it looked like that is what they would need, so he took it. Ironically, the Purifiers he ate at the Parthenon made it AAAAALLLLL possible. He smiled as he fired a 6-foot tungsten carbide iron-core 10-pound round at the robot at Mach 7. He made the projectile flayed at the end just in case...

STRIKE! The spike stuck THROUGH the robot at its abdomen and when the back caught, it helped pin in him in place by sticking into the ground in front of him.

 

[Ruby]

St. Patrick's Cathedral - Sanctuary

”RUBY! What are you doing!? GET OUT OF THERE!”

:: Cass was now on top of the altar, trying to figure out a way to save Cameron. She heard somebody scream at her. ::

“NO!”

:: She spotted a heavy curtain nearby and quickly sized it up. She figured she could SWING from the curtain ONTO the robotic…whatever it was. She jumped up, no mean feat as she was running on fumes by this time, and started to swing…only to discover that somebody had had the same idea. So she swung backwards and jumped down, taking a slight tumble as she did so. She grinned at the young woman on the robot’s back. ::

“YEAH! I had the same idea! Great minds think alike!”

:: She gave Mina two thumbs up. She turned to see what else she could do when an unfamiliar man came barreling past her, heading straight for the nimrod! She rolled backwards so she wouldn’t be caught…and was stunned to see him PUNCH the robot without breaking his fist, wrist, and arm. ::

“Wait…WHAT!?”

Who ARE these people?

:: She didn’t have time to stop and think, so she bulldozed over to Cameron…and stopped short when she saw the LOOK on Haleigh’s face. Cass was told that Haleigh could manifest things right out of thin air, and she was pretty sure Black Widow was about to manifest something insanely horrible! ::

“Remind me to never get on your bad side!”

:: She reached for Cameron…but Haleigh got to him first, hoisting him up on her shoulders. Once she got the chains off of him with her BARE HANDS. ::

“Show off.”

:: She yelped as Haleigh grabbed her around the waist…and then the next thing Cass knew, she was beside Alycia. ::

"Charope, you defend them while they recuperate their powers. I'm going back to get the bitch that did this to them........ and I'm going to turn her INSIDE FUCCKING OUT."

“The HELL you are!”

:: Cass was PISSED. SHE was the reason everybody and their grandma was here. If SHE hadn’t been so hungry that night at The Parthenon, none of this would’ve happened. Nicolas even warned her about this but it was too little, too late. No WAY was she going to be responsible for more deaths. Haleigh had already gone back into battle and Cass was so frustrated she had to express it somehow. Her powers were FINE. Cass turned to a wall sconce light fixture nearby and used her psionic power to explode the whole thing. Instead, however, only the glass exploded. Cass screamed in frustration. ::

“I’m going back into battle. No way am I going to witness your sickeningly sweet reunion.”

:: Both Alycia and Cameron would understand that her anger and frustrations were not directed at them. Cass got up and prepared to go back into battle. She was determined to save somebody’s life with her own; she NEEDED to do this. Nobody was going to do this thing FOR her. ::

 

[Valkyrie]

Behind the Colonnade

"Heh, that's what SHE said......"

Valkyrie didn’t look up from where she worked on his leg.

“To you? Not likely.”

"Uh..... I think that's like triple negatives and English is actually my second language”

“Mine too.”

She reached up with her right hand and pulled another blade from her bandolier, and threw it behind her without a glance, burying it forcefully into a Purifier trying to sneak up on them.

She was giving Orion a power up, then suddenly he was throwing her behind cover as a repulsor beam ricochet shot through the joint.

"I will NEVER say you did nothing for me."

She shrugged nonchalantly.

“Coming to the aid of warriors on the battlefield is my job. Was my job.”

Zach looked appreciably better now and he stood up, then was helping her up. She shrugged him off.

“I don’t need your help.”

Zach was taking in the building like he was on a tour.

"And to think I almost got married here."

Valkyrie sneered.

“What were you thinking? Nice one, dodging THAT bullet. Hope it wasn’t to that Black Widow person. Have you checked her for a penis?”

She gave him a hardy pat on the chest.

“Try to stay out of trouble while I go fight with that metal thing.”

And then she was off.

Rampage and Steel were assaulting him from the front, but Mina had just vacated her spot on the nimrod’s back. Valkyrie moved into a sprint and then vaulted into the air, tucked into a somersault then hit the ground behind the nimrod, coming up into a crouch behind it. She put both hands onto the back of the nimrod. Her touch created an energy field that would disrupt solid matter and cause its molecules to come apart and melt or dissolve. Hopefully, she could get to something sensitive.

 

[Prophet]

St. Patrick's Cathedral

She still wasn't listening to him. They were in dire straights and while hearing her backstory had given him new perspective into the woman's life and why she was the way that she was, it didn't change the fact that they were being help captive and about to be cut open to bleed on an altar. None of what she was saying mattered at the moment and if she was looking for understanding from him, she wasn't going to get it in this moment. Her experience may have been horrifying but who among The Six's experience hadn't been? Cameron had been tortured to DEATH by a woman he was now told he could not lay a hand on because of some stupid truce and by his sister Erika, striking a blow to both Alison and Cameron that they would never forget. He had had his sister's hands INSIDE of him as she cut into and "explored" him. And that wasn't even the worst "backstory" among them. In THIS moment there were far more pressing matters to attend to and he just hoped that "Bryda" would be smart enough to survive so that Cassandra could live to see another day.

Cameron WINCED with pain and screamed out.

<< Sister Mary Justice SLAMS her energy baton down on Cameron's HEAD with a speed and ferocity that defies her petite form and age. It's as though her HATRED of mutants has become a FORCE itself and it now POWERS her.>>

BE SILENT, you ill mannered creature!

Do you not know that pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall!?

<< She then STRIKES him across the face from the left. By now, his face was swollen and both of his eyes were blackened from the beatings that Mary had administered. His body was bloodied and covered with wounds from the LASHINGS she'd given him. But he had succeeded, at least, in ONE thing...he HAD drawn most of her attention away from Cass, allowing her time to HOPEFULLY gather herself.>>

She continued to attack him. For as strong as he is, the assault has been brutal and while his body LOOKS far more damaged than his mind or his resolve, he is really starting to feel the effects of his torture.

<< Mary GRABS Cameron by the hair and drags him across the way, throwing him down in front of the Nimrod component>>

Bring me the dagger forged from the gift of visions!


<< Sarah Smythe produces a glowing pink object shaped in the form of a dagger. It's composed of the same material that makes up the Nimrod component!>>

His blood will herald the beginning of the END! Nothing THEY can do will stop what is coming! Soon we will RECLAIM this world for god's righteous children!

His mind was brought back to the night of The Inferno when the sky was purple and filled with rage. Cameron thought it was the end of the world. He thought there was no coming back that night. He was wrong. There WAS a new day. He hadn't endured all he had endured in life to be taken out by a misguided and horribly ignorant woman. Still...he was weak and it would take everything in his power to get out of her grasp.

:: She took another peek around the pew and her eyes went further than Alison’s position…all the way to the altar where the psychotic nun was standing over Cameron preparing to KILL him! But how was SHE going to rescue him? She was chained up! Without thinking, she reached her hand up and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear…and was stunned to realize that she WASN’T chained after all! She grinned. Maybe she could save him after all! She quickly scrambled out from underneath the pew and stood up. Ideally, she had wanted to do the sneak approach, but that would take time that Cameron did NOT have. ::

*horrified*: ”CAMERON!!”

:: Cameron would hear something different in the tone of her voice. He would hear HIS Cass. She began running towards the SIDE aisle in an effort to dodge anything and anyone. Her eyes never left the altar. She ran around the dilapidated pews, dodging people and things, right, left, and center. ::

Cameron was throttled back into reality as he heard not Bryda...but CASS. She was BACK!

"Certainly cutting it a little close...but HOT DAMN! She's BACK!"

Cassandra was on Sister Mary Justice delivering an impressive physical prowess as she beat the woman in the face. Camerons struggled for a second before trying to clammer to his feet, barely able to see out of his own eyes at the moment because of the swelling and bruising.

Just then the sounds of the battle outside EXPLODED into the Cathedral. He could barely make out faces at this point but he knew it was them! The Six..and some others he wasn't very familiar with..but he didn't care. With this many attackers, The Six needed all the help they could GET.

Ruby's last stand didn't last as long as expected. Sarah Smythe was on her and before long Sister Mary had JUST enough time to return her efforts to HIM. As he rose to his feet he was KICKED down.

She thought she could stand in the way of god's will!

Is that what YOU think?

<< Drawing her dagger once more>>


Your would-be saviors are not having such a good time NOW that they are in the house of the lord, are they?

<< energy begins to CRACKLE and SPARK around the nimrod's eyes and chest area>>

The time to DESTROY mutants is at hand!

Now that the Silver Swan has returned to the place where she killed my brothers and sisters....the time is at HAND!

<< Mary RAISES her dagger once more, with a look of wild anticipation over her face, preparing to plunge it DEEP into Cameron>>

Goddammit this woman was resilient. Proof at how much STRENGTH people could draw from their higher power. Cass was on Sara in an instant before turning her attention back to Mary.

:: She turned towards Mary…who was NOT watching the fight between Cass and Sarah. Obviously, she had complete faith that Sarah would have the upper hand. ::

“Dear, dear, Sister…your god would be so disappointed in you. I mean, you call this place a house of god, and yet…YOU brought, what did you call me? Oh, right; DEVIL’S SPAWN. You brought the devil’s SPAWN into the house of your god. I mean, really. What kind of follower would DO something like that? Tsk, tsk, tsk. A house of a god is supposed to be SACRED, and yet here you are, DESECRATING this place with ME and with CAMERON. Not only that, but you attracted others like US to this place as well.”

:: She swung the candle holder and hit Mary across the back of her shoulders. ::

“Also, it would seem that Sarah has a BURNING desire to get the hell out of here…”

Cameron smiled. There was a very BRIEF moment of silence as he looked at Cassandra.

"Good to have you back, kid..."

He stumbled to his feet and embraced her in a hug as he leaned on her for a second, trying to get his barings. He looked to the others who were finishing off most of The CHOIR as he could feel the pulsating BUZZ of the Nimrod component. They were ALL in harm's way. He shouted out to them as Alison SWOOPED in to say...ANDREW?!

"What the HELL is that kid DOING here?!"

:: The man is quickly enveloped in a swirl of glowing blue/black orbs and TELEBLINKED from the tentacles back on solid ground next to Tachyon, but she didn't bother to stay and see if he was okay::

THERE'S NO TIME!

:: She begins running for the altar, toward Sister Mary Justice, her brother, and Nimrod::


CASS WATCH OUT!

The Nimrod SPRANG to life as Cassandra is BLASTED by two repulsor blasts from the Nimrod's eyes. Cameron went to lunge for her.

"CJ! No!!"

NIMROD: NIMROD UNIT COMING ONLINE. REGISTERING MULTIPLE MUTANT SIGNATURES. MUTANTS ENGAGING IN HOSTILE ACTIONS AGAINST BASELINE HUMANS

<< 1 nimrod is ENOUGH. One that has been gathering data and using the very materials of the cathedral to rebuild itself to its now CURRENT size was WORSE. The Nimrod was now coming online and shooting from hunter mode to a level where it would EVOLVE to a MASTER MOLD>>

<< It now had COMPLETE VIEWS AND STATS on EVERY active mutant in the cathedral>>

NIMROD: THREAT LEVEL: OMEGA!

<< It takes it's FIRST step forward as Harbinger scrambles up the steps of the altar>>

NIMROD: MUTANT IDENTIFIED: PROPHET. TELEPATH/TELEKINETIC. TERMINATE IMMEDIATELY!

<< The symbol on it's chest begins to glow and energy powers up. It FIRES upon Cameron!>>

"Shit.

Alison TRIED to TK the blast back at the Nimrod but it was able to not only reflect it but to DISPERSE it through the Cathedral. Firebird had saved Ruby from the fray..and just as he knew she would she ignited one of her more deadly fire assaults at the Nimrod. They ALL did. They were hitting it with everything they had..but Cameron didn't need to use his powers to know that it wouldn't be that easy. Cameron was still restricted by his chains. If he couldn't move fast enough...he would be toast.

Thankfully...

He was chained down on the altar, and fixed with a power suppressor. He'd been badly beaten, and the sight of it provoked such rage within her, she thought she might manifest a NUCLEAR BOMB. Gently, she put a hand on the said side of his face, looking into his eyes and seeing that he still had some fight left in him. The look they shared was the only thing that kept her from going completely BALLISTIC. There were no words between them, there didn't need to be. She pulled the chains apart with her bare hands, lifted Cameron onto her shoulder, and grabbed Cass by the waist before activating her molecular displacement chip. The trio disappeared for a split second, then reappeared right next to Alycia.

"Charope, you defend them while they recuperate their powers. I'm going back to get the bitch that did this to them........ and I'm going to turn her INSIDE FUCCKING OUT."

Haleigh set Cameron down, unlocked their power suppression collars, and turned to go back into the thick of it.

He looked into Haleigh's eyes as he felt a surge go through his body. Of course it was her to get him out of there. He knew she would have done it for any one of them, but after everything they had been through as of late. How seemingly impossible it had been for them to communicate..it was nice to see her come to his aid. As they manifested next to Alycia, Haleigh was right back into the fray of things as she popped his neutralizing collar off.

He placed his hand on Alycia's back and gave her a warm look of gratitude.

"Nice to see ya, babe. Now let's kick some ass."

Cassandra: “I’m going back into battle. No way am I going to witness your sickeningly sweet reunion.”

Cameron telekinetically held her in place and gave her a stern look.

"No CJ. We aren't going after that [points to the Nimrod]...We are going after THEM."

He pointed at Sister Mary Justice and Sara Smythe. He released his hold on Cass.

As Sara began to recoup from Cassandra's attack, Cameron squinted for a second. Sara would find herself telekinetically FLOATING in the air completely unable to move. Cameron smirked.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson Sara..."

[scanning her mind]

"What HAPPENED to you...is TERRIBLE. What he DID to you...was AWFUL..but what YOU have done?! HIDING behind a STUPID woman who...by the way?!"

Cameron didn't even LOOK as he gestured his left hand telekinetically HURLING Sister Mary Justice from her spot behind the Nimrod and to the CENTER of where the group was standing.

"I SEE YOU!"

[turning back to Sara]

"You TURNED into a monster FAR more destructive than HE was. You have NO idea what mutants have done for you. FOR ALL OF YOU!"

[gritting his teeth before wickedly smiling]

"And now...Sister Sara I think it's time you paid for YOUR sins!"

Prophet SQUINTED his eyes now using his own psychic ability to see clearly despite his wounds as Sara was FLUNG hard against the wall several feet away as the various weapons that The Purifiers had been using against The Six and Oracle's team began to "fly" from where they were scattered across the floor with GREAT speed as they began to brutally and disgustingly PIN Sara to the wall. Blades sliced through her arms and chest and breasts and neck as her blood began to POUR from her body dripping down the wall and hitting the floor. At the end of Cameron's brutal assault Sara Smythe looked like a PIN CUSHION...dead with a haunting expression on her face, her body positioned to look as if she had been crucified. Cameron returned his glare to Sister Mary Justice.

"Any last words of fanatical widsom Sister?"

 

[Persephone]

The purifiers were finally dwindling in numbers, but the danger was still far from over. Spotting the alter from across the room, Cass and Cameron were there....and so was Nimrod. Cass attacked, but Nimrod was quick to dispose of her. Luckily Firebird was there to assist. Then, it turned it's sights on Cameron, preparing to unleash a deadly energy blast on him.

"NO!"

Alison quickly jumped in between Cameron and Nimrod, causing Ava's eyes to widden in horror. But the precog telekenetically evaded the attack, only to have it be sent flying back at THEM. Connecting her mystic daggers together in an "x" fashion, a bubble of mystic energy created a shield around Ava as the Nimrod's blast hit her. The attack was still powerful enough to cause the goddess to drop to one knee and anchor herself to to the ground in order to hold off the attack, but soon it was over. The shield dissipated around her just as Haleigh attacked Nimrod and grabbed Cameron and Cass from the alter, rescuing them. She reappeared next to Alycia who was about 10 feet away from Ava. As much as Ava wanted to run over and see if Cameron was okay, she needed to focus on Nimrod. Plus, he looked more PISSED than hurt.

With Haleigh's attack, and now NICOLAS slamming the back of his axe into it with his omega level strength, Ava decided to add to the onslaught in hope to overwhelm the Nimrod.

"Nicolas watch out!"

Ava shouted as she unleashed her transfiguring whip at Nimrod. The whip quadrupled in size, wrapping around the Nimrod multiple times before turning into a coil of lightning. The lightning fed off the metal of the Nimrod's body, heating to temperatures enough to MELT METAL. The electrocution didn't stop as Ava pulled the whip tighter around Nimrod; in fact it intensified causing the entire cathedral to illuminate in a wash of blue and white.

 

[Ana-Leigh Moreau]

Appearing in the cathedral, Ana-Leigh saw nothing but bodies, blood, carnage, and chaos. The six and Zizi's team really laid waste to the purifiers. But as Ana watched the giant robotic creature known as Nimrod activate, she knew this was FAR from over.

"Oh shit."

Cameron and Cass were rescued, but not before Alison deflected an pulse beam attack from Nimrod. The beam came shooting directly after everyone in the cathedral. Rich quickly raised his hands, which now looked like some type of metal. Ducking behind his body, she could feel when the beam hit him--his body began to tremble from the impact. But luckily he held out. The beam dissipated and Ana-Leigh stepped up next to him.

"Thanks again, hot shot."

Everyone seemed to be taking a shot at Nimrod to try and destroy him, or at least slow him down. But Ana-Leigh's eyes shifted over to Cameron, who had a woman floating in the air toward him. She was obviously one of the woman who had been torturing him. But there was another woman--one dressed fully as a nun. He had brought her out into the middle of the cathedral despite her efforts to escape during the chaos. Ana-Leigh watched as Cameron completely mutilated Sarah's body, her eyes widening at the sight.

"Jesus..."

Looking back over at the other nun, she was sitting on the ground but pushing her body away from Cameron in horror. Ana-Leigh quickly picked up a rogue bow and two arrows that the purifiers had been using before she had got there. Taking aim with both arrows, Ana-Leigh shot at Sister Mary Justice with perfect accuracy, each arrow slamming THROUGH both of her hip bones and into the marble below her, anchoring her to the ground so she couldn't escape.

This woman deserved exactly what was coming to her.

 

[Rampage]

"Nicolas watch out!"

Ava shouted as she unleashed her transfiguring whip at Nimrod. The whip quadrupled in size, wrapping around the Nimrod multiple times before turning into a coil of lightning. The lightning fed off the metal of the Nimrod's body, heating to temperatures enough to MELT METAL. The electrocution didn't stop as Ava pulled the whip tighter around Nimrod; in fact it intensified causing the entire cathedral to illuminate in a wash of blue and white.

Being a telepath DID have advantages, as did knowing your teammates well. Nicolas pulled aggressively but effectively to roll Steel away from what was to come. He probably could have withstood it. Both of them probably could. But why on Earth shoudl either of them try. He spoke quickly to Steel.

No time to warn you...until that stops throw shit at it, maybe deform the superheated metal.

With that Nicolas snatches a stone block out of the ground and chest passes it into the back of the Nimrod, staggering it...

 

[Seer]

<< Nimrod was beyond anything The Six, Oracle, or her team had encountered in their NATIVE timeline as far as sentinels & their technology went. However, The Six had traveled the time stream more than a few times, courtesy of Spellbinder and her stepping discs, and encountered the Nimrod in a very bleak timeline where alternates Alison & Ava were raising an orphaned Victoria King. Their battle against it THERE was as violent as it was here, and ONLY through "thinking outside the box" did they manage to REMOVE IT, not defeate it.>>

<< In THIS timeline, of all those present now, only Black Widow, MorningStar and Harbinger, along with Charope and Silver swan faced a MASTER MOLD, and they knew just how deadly and powerful THAT sentinel was. The longer the battle with this NIMROD went on, the closer they came to facing a NEW Master Mold and that was something NONE of them wanted.>>

<< Mina divines information about the sentinel as she makes contact with it and CONFIRMS to them all that Nimrod's goal was never focused on destroying Cameron or Cass, but to hunt and destroy ALL mutants>>


<< Each blast, each HIT that it takes seems to damage it, but while it's TARGET'S emotions are running high, it remains the same. While it can easily compensate for Firebird, Rampage, Andrew and Steel at this stage, There ARE certain attacks that do seem to give it "pause". Such as Oracle and noticeably Valkyrie's attack.>>

Nimrod: WARNING! This unit facing attacks and hostile actions from multiple sources/targets.

<< Each person it looks at, causes a srolling list of stats and info to appear just to the right of the image of that person>>

Nimrod: Initiating counter measures.

<< The cast iron around it's hands, arms and legs begins to CRACK, the fracture lines are glowing with pink/white enery before they EXPLODE off and the shrapnel is sent FLYING toward Charope, Ruby and Mina>>

Nimrod: Continue with counter measures.

<< a swarm of buzzing insect like "nano sentinels" ATTACK Oracle's chair, devouring all of its tech; A Concussor wave to HAMMER and BLOW Valkyrie and Rampage away; SPRAYING a corrosive substance ALL OVER Steel, a chemical that Nimrod has determined WILL BURN through Steel's living epidermis down to his internal systems; a CRYO Beam that PAINFULLY stuns Firebird and sends her falling from the air above; EYE BEAMS that blast at Andrew and CHASE HIM no matter how/whear he moves until he is forced to retreat to the ground level and then the ground he's standing on is blasted>>


<< He is hit by Charope's lightning AND the continuous lightning from Persephone's whip. He RETURNS the "favor" an unnaturally occurring degree and sending it in a massave FEEDBACK WAVE to Persephone AND Charope, FORCING them to either evade/dodge or being enveloped by it completely. Prophet seeks revenge of Sarah Smythe and Sister Mary Justice. Sarah's cries and subsquent death are not lost on the Nimrod.>>

Nimrod: Multiple targets displaying hostile actions toward humans! LETHAL FORCE NECESSARY TO PROTECT HUMAN LIFE!


<< Prophet is BOMBARDED by a white noise geneator AND a black light beam to render him visually blind AND "head blind">>

<< The actions of Richard and Ana-Leigh have now earned them Nimrod's notice as well. Nimrod extends his hands and begins to fire a rapid volley of repulsor blasts at them. Rose glides in front of them and spreads out her arms, forming a glowing white sphere of psionic force around them, protecting them...for now>>


<<Nimrod's assault continues from it's palms, eyes and chest, while it's glows brighter than before and it seems to be GROWING in size. The level of power it is displaying will soon bring the church down on them all!>>



Nimrod: This unit determines that this timeline is filled with too many hostile mutants, a clear danger to human life. This unit MUST evolve to master mold form to begin generation of nimrods!