She's A Restless Spirit On An Endless Flight

[steadypulse]

Who: Soldier: 76 & T'Challa
Which: Closed Log
Where: Within and around Town
What: Dreamboard Quest #1003 Witches by Moonlight; 76 and T'Challa run in to each other and end up taking up the quest of dealing with a few divebombing witch pranksters on the loose.
Warnings: Violence against paint dumping witches

Oh, he'd seen the post about it before he'd even gone in to the town that night. Wasn't it just another good distraction? Keep himself from growing restless, keeping along the rooftops for the most part, sticking to the shadows and aware of anything flying overhead. He'd seen darting shadows and heard the laughter from high, pressing against the roof to try and keep himself unseen.

Sights of fresh paint glittered from the street, still wet and it looked like something had been the target from the smears of paint walking away—

"Heads up and move!"

Even before the cackle could be heard, he'd spotted paint falling towards someone passing below.

Comments

[galactichero]

The splotches of paint that stained the street were difficult to miss, and T'Challa had been pursuing some of the witches that were responsible. But the warning catches his attention before the cackling does, and he glances up before quickly jumping back, narrowly avoiding getting covered in paint.

He looks up again, watching as one of the witches flies by.

"This is getting out of hand."

[steadypulse]

The paint bubbled briefly on the ground, settling like just some normal splatter after a moment as if it hadn't just done something paint very much shouldn't do. Easily missed, so very easily missed.

Of course that shout had given his position away, 76 having to take a rolling dive off the roof and to the streets below as a few splatters of paint hit where he'd been. Coming up on to his feet, head already up and following the flight paths that he could see with a soft hiss under his breath.

"You're telling me. Seems a bit out of hand for getting in to the spirt of things, too."

[galactichero]

"I suppose that would explain why their is a request to stop them on the Dream Board." He had noticed the quest in passing, but while he had been keeping an eye out for the witches, he hadn't been actively pursuing them before. They were becoming increasingly difficult to ignore, though.

[steadypulse]

Fingers brushed up against the side of his visor, the red flickering brighter as it lit up and projected what very much looked like a target display. A few white dots targeted as they moved, head moving to try and keep up with them and keep them in his visor's field of vision. "Been getting worse by the night for that to happen, too."

[galactichero]

Watching the display, he then glanced up to keep track of the witches' trajectory in the sky. "Well, I suppose that means we'll have to take care of it before it gets worse."

Then he glanced back at the other man. "That is, if you would like some help."

[steadypulse]

There was a total of four dots, which meant that there was at least four witches flying around that he could see. Two were circling-

"Wouldn't say no if you're offering," worked well enough before. Wasn't as opposed to partnering up as needed, and considering these were witches flying on broomsticks it was... probably in best interests for the both of them. "Got any ideas?"

[galactichero]

He kept a watch out, even while trying to work out a plan. "They don't drop close enough to try and knock them off their broomsticks. At least not that we could reach easily." He could potentially use his rockets if needed, but...

"Even if we were able to knock them down, we'd need to find a way to detain them."

[steadypulse]

"How do you feel about being thrown?" His head was still moving, trying to gauge when one or more of them might swoop down. They seemed to be doing something whenever they drew near each other. Filling up something with more of that paint- were they making the paint with magic?

Magic paint just sounded horrible even in thought. "Might be able to get you high enough for a swoop, but that would still leave us without a way to detain."

[galactichero]

"It wouldn't be the first time," he quipped. With the added height, he could use his rockets once in the air and catch the witches off guard.

But what to do if they've fallen from their brooms? "Could you use your shadow abilities to hold them down?"

[steadypulse]

76 tilted his head enough to catch T'Challa in the corner of his vision, but not enough that the targeting of his visor caught him. "You weigh about average for your height and build, I'd wager- can get you close," knowing his own strength helped that. Could work something out.

"I can give it a try, if nothing else." Been practicing somewhat, if he could make claws and something like armor, he could attempt something.

[galactichero]

He nodded, tapping his helmet to activate it. "All right. If you can get me high enough, I'll take care of the rest." He already had some of an idea in mind, but the rest would be winging it once he got up there.

[steadypulse]

"Hope you get a soft landing." The targeting system of the visor was starting it's automatic shutdown, given he wasn't actively keeping up with it. Still, was just enough that he was moving down to a knee and offering a hand for T'Challa to take a step on to. All the better for a straight up sort of toss. 76 still keeping moving target's in sight-

They'd manage something, shadows pulling to pool around him, as if getting that ready as well. "Tossing you on three."

[galactichero]

He stepped onto 76's hand, bracing himself on the other's shoulders. He glanced up to track the witches, hurriedly calculating in his head.

"Ready. One...two..."

[steadypulse]

Set himself so that he'd be able to get his whole body behind the toss, adjusting to the weight once he had the man there. A slow and deep breath in, targeting just flickering out the moment one was swooping—

"Three!" And 76 did get his whole body in to the toss, coming up and using momentum as well as he could as he launched T'Challa upwards and in the direction of the swooping witch as best he could. Was clear he'd done something like this before at least.

Still, the moment the other was up 76 was pulling shadows in more quickly, a few curling around his boots as if to better anchor the entire thing as he waited at the ready.

[galactichero]

T'Challa braced himself once he was launched into the air, heading for the closest witch. She dodged, as he expected, but his rockets quickly activated so he was able to pursue her, much to her surprise.

Grabbing onto her broom, he used his body weight to cause the whole thing to jerk slightly, startling the witch enough for him to climb onto the broom behind her. Then, grabbing onto her hands, he used her to help direct the broom into the other witches, knocking into them and causing a few to fall.

[steadypulse]

There was an explosion of that sparkling paint mid-air, and sure it was raining down from the crashing about. Better than one great splatter? Debatable. All the same 76 was keeping himself underneath, sliding along the shadows a bit as if he were on skates. Helped him keep track of the erratic movements once T'Challa had gotten hold of one.

Moved a hand out, shadows lifting from the ground and taking the shape of a claw-like hand and did his best to actually 'catch' the falling witches. Wrap the shadows around and pull them right to the ground. Sure there was screaming but- it didn't sound like words were being formed. Just outraged sounds.

[galactichero]

It was actually proving pretty effective, knocking the other witches off their brooms to the waiting shadows below. When it came to the witch on the broom he was riding on, though, he knew it wouldn't be quite so easy.

After they fought and struggled for a bit, T'Challa managed to get control of the broom again, directing it straight down where the other witches were caught.

It'd be close...

[steadypulse]

They were struggling in the shadows, against the ground, clawing and kicking in attempts to get loose. It was some work trying to keep the shadows stable and solid to keep them in place, had to keep in one spot and keep drawing shadows from wherever he could. Could feel the effort, but he pushed on.

His head did snap up then, dropping down to sort of sit on his knees and pull up a different hand. Moving for that clump of shadows to meet that dive down, some attempt to keep that from being too hard of a landing.

Trusting that T'Challa had some idea to keep himself from getting literally caught up in the shadows as well.

[galactichero]

He kept the broom steady, despite the witch's struggle, diving straight down towards the shadows waiting to intercept them.

Then, at the last moment before the shadows swallowed them, his rockets activated again and sent him jettisoning off the broom, propelling him forward several feet before he hit the ground, just out of reach of the shadow.

[steadypulse]

There was a mix of glittering black pain and shadow on the ground, only one making the mess from the witches' struggles. 76 kept himself rooted in place, hands planted on the ground and appearing to actually be sinking in to pools of shadow as if it was needed to help keep the entire 'shadow trap' up. There were hands and pointed heeled boots punching and kicking up through them.

Didn't stop him from looking in the direction T'Challa had launched himself- "You still breathing over there?"

[galactichero]

Releasing a breath, he gets to his feet and dusts himself off.

"I've had rougher landings," he responds. He's about to remove his helmet, but thinks better of it for now. "How are you holding up?"

[steadypulse]

At least he was in a comfortable position to keep the shadows up, 76 still having to fight to keep the kicking and struggling witches in place. More of that paint was splattering around, the scent of it growing thicker in the air and-

"So far so good. Seems like they're not impossibly strong, just- energetic?" Stronger that the average person, despite fitting the bill of a witch from some fairytale. Maybe that went with it, too. "This stuff doesn't smell like paint, either."

[galactichero]

"Hmm...still, we will need to find another way to secure them."

The board hadn't mentioned where to take any witches that were causing this trouble. Was there a jail cell or the like that they can hold them for the time being...?

He glances up at the comment, then over to the nearest splatter of paint. "Now that you mention it, I think you're right." Stepping closer, he crouches down lower to inspect the puddle. Then, grabbing one of the witches' discarded broom, he carefully dips the end of it into the paint.

[steadypulse]

"A good net would do in a pinch, don't know how long I can keep this up," he could feel it draining, but he was stubborn enough to keep the flexible shadow prison up as long as he could. "Or, if not that lock them up in some stone building," there had to be something, right?

The longer and more that was spilling over ad in to his shadows and the street itself, the easier it was to smell it.

Could dip the broom in to it harmlessly, but the liquid held tight and soaked in, riding up along the broom as if seeking to seep in to it somewhere. It was also a deep black, and even if there were streaks of some color and even sparkles, it smelled heavily of ink. Even had more the consistency of it than paint as well. "Something is off."

[galactichero]

Looking around, he rose to his feet when he spotted a building nearby. "Looks like there's one there," he said, gesturing with the other end of the broom. "Think you can hold out long enough to bring them there?"

Distracted with looking for a place to hold the witches, he didn't quite notice the paint - or ink, or whatever it was - moving down the handle of the broom.