When The Dust Settles

Krysto was the first to speak up, and his words would confuse most, but not Padraic "Parlay. We work together to resolve this, and afterword we may speak" Padraic actually glanced down at Krysto who glanced over his shoulder at the Norseman and nodded. Both began moving towards the door, both having been wearing civilian style clothing when they entered the room, but now, both were adorned in armor to match their birthright. One in hard furred plated armor, the other with a red cloak hiding the rest. They made short work of disappearing past Rhev and Kai.

Rhev allowed the two men to depart and looked at Kai, only she would see the fact that she had broken through to him and he glanced at the room before nodding and whispering back to her "Agreed." He seemed to steel himself "Take care of your wolves daughter mine. They will be needed" he grabbed her shoulder gently before walking to Wolfe and whisper something to him. He turned and hugged Orchid once before she disappears into the Grove. Spinning on his heel towards the door, any with the ability to keep up with his speed would watch his demonic side rip itself out of him before he's gone from the room entirely.

John Matthews sat and watched it all happen. He looked to Gia and grabbed her hand "We need to go. We need to get away from here"

"As will you, Father. Be safe."

That briefest of moments when your hand rested on her shoulder was used for her lips to ever so softly, so feather light brush against your cheek before the two of you separated again. The fact that she of all people had done such an act might lead you briefly to wonder what had transpired in that time before she'd come to Chicago for the words seemed to hold some sort of weight that you'd never heard from her before.

Orchid was surprisingly agreeable about being sent to the Grove,  her lips meeting the cheek that Kai's hadn't touched. Murmuring a farewell to Wolfe as well, she made a promise that she would help keep Eve safe while they waited for word back from you and Rhev.

Gia nodded softly to John before looking to Wolfe.

"Send him to wherever your woman and the King's were placed. Please. We'll need people as a contingency if something goes wrong here."

Her words were soft. Light. Clearly request, not order, but just as clearly a plea to protect the one she cared about.Even as she asked, those dark, dark eyes were seeming to glaze over, as if she were looking elsewhere.

John almost made to argue, but let out a breathe and nodded "Yes Mistress. If you can't come back in one piece, at least come back with all of you." He disappeared as his last words left his lips "I will stitch you back together".

Steele felt him. Fenrir. He was angry. He knew what was coming but he also knew that this time, they would work together. He stood and looked at Whynter "Don't worry, im not gonna tell you to go hide" he stepped past her "But im also not gonna let anyone stop us. He has a need, and I have a want" it was Lightnings hand that stopped him in his tracks "That's fine, but your not going alone Pup."

Gia's body lost the smallest fraction of tension when John conceded to going to a safer place. Her lips curled, oh so faintly at his last words, her head nodding, slightly, absent mindedly. When she spoke, her words were distant, much as her gaze had gone.

"Anyone else that you wish to find haven should be sent where they are. It's going to get messy in the great Domain of Chicago."

Whynter merely smiled, her hand reaching out to lace her fingers through Steel's, assisting Lightning in giving him pause.

"I didn't think you'd be that foolish. Were you to be, I'd be telling you to go fuck yourself. I think we're going to have to make a stand. Fucking God's thinking they're the top shit. They're not taking from this city what we're not willing to give. Father's right though. You're not going to go alone. We also need to not rush head long, rage first into this."

Steel fought him, not yet. No. Not here. Wait. "He's not rushing. He has been patient. I can't fight against him Wyhn. But I can fight with him. I will heal" he turned to look at the his Pack Mates "The Mortals wont" his pulling wasn't him trying to get away from them, it was him saying 'Let's go' he would lead them out, back to the outside.

Wolfe finally turned to the only person left in the room. "Gia"

"You're right. We'll follow your lead."

Whynter simply squeezed his hand before dropping hers away and gesturing for him to take point. Pulling Lightning back ever so slightly, she murmured against his ear,

"You are Ulfric yes, but he needs this. Let him lead. Let us have his back in this. Something tells me he may heal better than even you do if he plays his cards right in this.

Kai stuck her head back in the room, calling out,

"Come on you three...Four... Also take a look out the window before we go outside. Someone did something. It's thicker than fucking pea soup out there."

Once they were outside, Gia would let her head drop for a moment, a single tear calling from her eyes.

"We've already lost our first. I did not know her, but she briefly allowed me to view her passing. her gift to our side. What would you have of me ?"

Steel would lead them, straight outside. And even though it was indeed foggier than a horror movie sea dock, but the fighting was happening. Steel could see enough though. Whoever this military was they didn't seem to believe in mercy or survivors. He finally gave in to the voice in his head, and his body didn't explode, but instead simply shifted to crinos, but significantly larger. He looked over his shoulder to see Lightning, in form proper, his Totemic Crinos Form. The form of the King. This would be glorious.

Wolfe simply answered "I need to know you're not going to do something stupid, or rash. We've just met, but I have a fondness for your partner. Do you want to fight this. Or would you rather just be handed back over to them"

While the two of them had been focusing on surroundings and their own personal shifts, Kai had straight up disappeared as was true to her clan gifts. Far from to ever run from a battle, it was obvious that she was still here. Somewhere. Save for the slightest, briefest glint of wolf that had danced through her gaze, Whynter still looked very, very human. 

"My stealth is going to be a lil different from Kai's. Also me going in like this will test what Intel they have on us. You two have your fun though. Don't worry, I won't stray too far."

Looking as she did like a very attractive barely twenty-one year old she winked at the two of you before disappearing into the mists and the combat. Somewhere out there, seconds later, there was a scream, though it was clearly not hers.


There was a weariness to Gia's gaze when she looked back up at you Wolfe.

"I wonder if he's realized that even so quickly that collar is more a restraint to me than it is to him. Stupid that I normally would have done... im VERY had to actually kill. To keep from him though... That's a different story. It's not in me to just roll over and die. However, if we fail... They're going to kill anyone who doesn't bow down. Those that fight ? It'll be worse than death in some cases. But there's too much... The power here. I can feel it. Its too much just to acquire me."

Rubbing her temples softly, she finally swept a hand across her eyes.

"It's simple. We go out there and we fight. And we do not fail, no matter what the cost."

He actually chuckled at her "You think it's a restraint for him? That's funny, considering its his Foci. I think you might wish to have some more meaningful conversation with your mouse. But that means you'll need to make it through this. How bout a compromise. I allow you to fight, and you allow me to assist you. Deal?" He didn't wait to shift the two of them out of the room, and onto the roof. His feet left the rooftop as his mirage faded, allowing his true form to be bare. The glowing runes etched into his skin shone like moonlight on a lakes surface. His lupine eyes weighing heavy on those within their gaze. His next words were teasing "Come Promethean, show this Druid what your made of"

She didn't make a singular response about the conversation that needed to be had. It wasn't until they reached the roof that she seemed to deem one necessity. Her eyes did briefly widen as they took in those runes, or that's what one might think. Much as she might hate them (a fact that none here would know)and even with the dense fog, the gun was crystal clear. Where it had come from was a good question, and for what seemed an eternity, most if not all would assume she was pointing it at you. Yet when that trigger was pulled, once, twice, thrice, it was clear you were not the target. Flowing into an impressively rapid movement, she blew passed you and in the direction the bullets had been fired. While the bullets had not stopped their targets, it had slowed them down. Briefly turned their attention on her where it had originally been focused on the woman keeping the concealing fog up.blurring passed you, there was no actual shift, but for a blink in time, she simply seemed to be more. And then she impacted the three bodies. There was a moment of resistance and then it was like watching in slow motion as their entangled bodies dropped out of sight over the edge of the roof.

With his Clairvoyance he watched as the Wolves ripped, the Kindred slice, and the rest of the city defend itself from this assault. Gia in front of him protecting Ashe was a sight to behold as well. But it was one quick, quiet thump from above that truly drew his attention. He kept Gia in his sight, and moved with her, hovering through the air, but always had the skies in his awareness as well. Something far larger was at play, and he was growing curiouser and curiouser.

She rode those bodies down. Down. And then down some more. A flurry of fists and claws and fangs the foursome was, but seconds before the impact with ground, she simply stopped fighting. Their moment of shock gave her the time she needed to contort her way free and launch herself at a nearby streetlight. Swinging around it a few times, she used the momentum to launch herself onto a nearby car. The three had definately impacted ground, and while not dead they were definitely severely injured. So it made hopping off the car to stride over there, tear out their throats and drink them down quite the easy thing. Not a mercy killing no, but rather a refusal to waste resources.

Whomever was up there was certainly showing off. That second impact wasn't as friendly as the first. As he came to a stop at ground level he raised his hand at the 2 soldiers attempting to over take her as she fed, just before they were impaled on earthen spikes that jutted up from the ground. He non chalantly continued to survey the area around them as they went, offering support where needed.

She made quick work of the two before moving on to the third. She had barely broken fang to flesh when she reared back, scrubbing roughly at her mouth. Spitting out that first bit,

"Wolfe. Let them know. There's something in the blood. Its going to be toxic to the Vampyres."

Using her claws to simply rip out the heart, she followed it up with simply taking off the head. Messier than she would have liked. More time consuming, but it would work in a pinch.

He approached quickly and touched the blood examining it thoroughly before snorting "This'll be easy enough to counter. For creatures of such divinity..." He looked at her "They are very stupid" he extending both hands and allowed his magics to explode outward, touching all within his range. The toxin he discovered in the blood became inert where he found it, simply by his will. "That should at least buy us an edge. You should be able to resume your preferred method"

Padraics axe came down hard enough to slam its victim into the ground. He certainly wasn't moving after that blow. He looked over to see his new found Spartan companion running another poor soul through. He to straightened and looked over to Padraic and nodded. Before either moved their attentions were sent skyward. Krysto became immediately angry, because he knew who was there. Padraic felt the threat of whatever it was but couldn't quite discern who or what it was. They moved quickly, back to the Nest, where Ashe stood doing what she did best, covering their asses. Padraic had felt it, moments prior. He was trying not to think about it, but he knew. She was gone. And he was pretty sure whatever was up there had done it.

Steelrir was enthralled by the carnage he found himself in, he knew Lightning was at his back, and their mates were somewhere in the violence around them covering their tails. It was when he heard that cacophony of Roars. Not animalistic, more human. Anger, frustration. Somebody wasn't having a good day. Then it really hit him. The Divinity of it. And Fenrir roared internally. That was the last thing Steel heard has Fenrir took over completely, and launched himself skyward.

"Not stupidity. Distraction tactic. Albeit a weak one though."

The confusion at her own realization was evident in her words to him.She knew the Council well enough to know they weren't fools. Why use such a simply fixed tactic unless it was just a cover up ? Or perhaps not the only one ? Didn't do her any good now. That was when the pain hit. The blade pierced through her.\Wait. Correct that. Blades. One through her heart and the other through the gut. Ouch ouch and fucking ouch. Slowly she turned her head and looked dead on into the eyes of the unlucky fuck who had gotten the jump on her while she was thinking.

"This is going to hurt you more than I am."

The confusion on his features was evident before her hand lifted, wreathing in fire as it did. Eyes widened, he turned to run though the chance was denied as she simply plunged her hand into his chest cavity. It took her seconds to withdraw it and torch the thing to ashes before his dieing eyes. Then to deal with the swords currently sticking out of her.

Ashe had in fact been doing one of the things she did best and covering their asses. Thing was, the city was spreading. To be more exact the fighting was starting to spread through the city. She could let her touch spread as well but that risked other problems cropping up and not just for the enemy. Frowning softly as she kept up what she could, she listened to the winds, to the words it carried her. When she felt the presence of Krysto and the one named Padraic return to the nest, and then the roof, she simply called out,eyes still closed,

"This isn't about them, it's about us. We can keep fighting but she's got the numbers. It's also spreading further across this city than I like. And you know her, well as I. Would be worshipers or not, she'll have the people of this city slaughtered. I'm not saying we hand ourselves over, but we need to either take this to her, or find a way to bring her to our playing field."

The two women were in fact out there amid the carnage doing one of the things they both seemed to enjoy doing the most. That was until mere moments after Steele went airborne. When another wave of reinforcements appeared and it wasn't backup for the home team either. One of said wave was a massive mother fucker. Nine foot tall and built like not one, not two, but three brick shit houses of muscle, he moved with a speed and grace that something that size just shouldn't have been able to. Kai merely smiled viciously, and continued working her way through the opponents that had somehow manage to get between her and Whynter who was currently working on rending open a damaged car to get out the civilians that were inside. Telling the Mother to take her two teen age children and run, which they did without much argument, she'd barely had time to turn and take a few steps to asses the situation when that thing was suddenly in front of her, quicker than even she could perceive. That's when it's arm swung out like some sort of club ? Battering ram ? Some sort of unpleasant something and impacted her body. The sound of bones breaking, of wet things snapping was clear even as she hit the air. Even before she flew the length of several blocks to finally hit the wall of a building. The sounds came again then as did the scream of Kai's rage filled scream of Whynter's name.

Krysto made his decision and looked to Padraic "Gather those from the meeting. Make it quick, and meet back here. I have a plan" Paddy nodded and dropped off the edge of the roof, luckily in time for a small female form to get blasted into his chest. Looking down at Wyhnter "That's not the way you fight. Do me a favor, find your wolves, get them back here" when he set her down, she would be feeling as fine as she had before she went flying. He looked up and spied a black form flitting through the air and went airborne to catch up.

The shock rippled through her when she heard the voice that was become frustratingly familiar. Less that it had been he who caught her because that clearly had not been an intentional impact, but all about right time right place. More that her body simply didn't hurt anymore. That quickly. She'd figure it out later. Shock bled over into hackles raising,

"The fucker cheated. Besides, no one is perfect. Thank you though. One of them is already airbo..."

Sighing softly, she felt new arms wrap around her and sweep her up, the body they belonged to never once stopping. The way they were now blurring between bodies and things, really obstacles of any form without interference told her who it was, as well as the scent. Shifting her weight so that she was spider monkeying Kai's back, she leaned in to her ear to be heard.

"I'm fine. Whatever the big guy did fixed me. We're not going to tell Dad and Steele about that, kay ? However we need to find dad and get him back there apparently. The Paddy guy said wolves plural but Steele is airborne currently."

There was no verbal response, just a slight change of direction as Kai shifted route to head towards where Lightning was laying waste.

His blade ripped through another torso and he let loose a roar of challenge. He wouldnt lie, he was having fun. It had been a while since Lightning had cut loose like this. Granted, watching some monstrosity sucker punch your Daughter? Way to piss in some ones cheerios. He made no effort closing the distance between them, and trying to headbutt the poor sods existence into the next plane. That is where he will be found, showing that moron the error of his ways.

Padraic landed on the rooftop mere seconds after the Reverend had landed, dropping the two he carried. He turned on Padraic intent on harm, but once releasing who it was he calmed "How can I help you Norseman?" His monotone was a welcome sound "The greecian has a plan to take care of this. Pretty sure we know where their boss is" Rhev nodded "Then I will wait for your signal. Until then I will continue my endeavors" and with that he disappeared over the side. Padraic shook his head and made way back to the Nest.

You'd find that you would be able to show the massive man-thing a good what for, but it was far from as easy as you expected it should be. It would take more than just a blow or too, quite a bit more in fact. Yet it was a blow or two away from what should have been a death blow when he merely smiled at you and blew you a kiss before disappearing. No pop, no flare, no flash of light marked his exit, but there was an oh so very faint almost mechanical whir though that could be taken to memory. One would assume it was as there was suddenly a hand landing on your side. Well make that two familiar female hands, one being Kai's the other the aforementioned Daughter. As they rippled back into vision,

"Come on Dad, apparently there's a change of plans. And who was that you were laying the smack down on ?"

He shook his head, and started to move back to the Nest, but he spied Steels furred form plummeting back to the earth. And that's where he was headed.

Padraic looked out as Krysto to witnessed the Wolf's tenacity, for he had literally snatched their quarry out of the sky. Krysto put his hand on Ashe's shoulder "We need to be there, now" Padraic stood waiting and ready to move.

It was easy enough for Kai, with Whynter in tow to follow Lightning as he was kind of a hard form to miss. Even if he hadn't been, good luck on preventing the Vampyre that was hot on his heels. What Whynter didn't mention was the feeling in her gut that even with the fighting still going on in places, that this was NOT the challenge it should have been. Was supposed to be. There was still something bound to happen. The question was, what was it ?

"You're right, we do."

Ashe's words were simple, ever so quiet before she simply opened her eyes and stepped forward. Wrapping her arms around you, Krysto, you felt her magic envelop both of you before carrying the two of you to the ground, where you both needed to be. The brush of her lips over your cheek, the quiet 'I'm sorry' was very possibly something that you could have imagined as she stepped back and gave the both of you space to observe the scene.