2012-06-04 - Heroes Crisis: Hell's Flame

The world is in chaos, not that the televisions stations are exactly running at this point, or the radio stations. The military is overwhelmed, and nightmares have become a reality. The city is burning in quite a number of places, and people are trying to find places to hide. The believed to be aliens have insect wings arching from their backs, and covered in black armor. The bits visible through the gaps in the armor appear to be twisted and evil looking, and their auras are murderous. Those that stand before them...do not fare very well as the military as constantly been pushed back as they attempt to create a place to stand their ground and protect as many people as possible.

Still, there are human beings scattered all over the city, trapped in hospitals, subways, and more. Some groups of humans are guarded by aliens with wicked appearing blade-like weapons to prevent their escape and easy rescue. Yet none of the aliens will speak to the humans, though they do sometimes share some twisted language between themselves that sounds like nothing heard by people before unless they are heavily into the real Occult and magic.

Aishe had been running herself ragged. She was stumbling down the stairs of her highrise, the elevators died during the attack, she just wanted to get the people upstairs some medical supplies. Looking around as she rounded the corner, she groaned sorely before darting for the door.

Peeking out to make sure it's safe, she palmed a pair of lighters in her hands, perfering the feel of it to her own power. She had a plan, hit the local free clinic, if that was gone, hit the hospital. Tugging the dancer's mask down over her eyes she pushed out the door.

It's terrifying out. That explains why many of the people inside your skyrise are crying or talking gibberish. And it also explains why you must be so much stronger now. Those monster-like creatures are flying overhead, seeming to search down below or dive in the distance toward where you know the military's general location is. The key is not being discovered of course, because they have a habit of converging together when there is a victim to share.

The streets are still because of the lack of traffic noise or movement, many of the cars are turned over as if a tornado has moved through here. Still, the free clinic is close by thankfully, and there is not too much damage on this residential block as there are say on the blocks with banks, labs, and government buildings thanks to the supervillains last week.

Aishe was terrified, every now and then pausing to click open her zippo and spark it. The flame's dance relaxed her, and took her to a place mentally that soothed her. She pulled the flame off of the lighter and tucked it into her pocket placing it a foot from her head and left it to hover there, just in eyesite as not to blind her self, moving forward she kept her hands up, but her focus was on supplies. Anything that was left that she needed she would take, leaving what cash she had in her pockets. "Damnit girl what are you doing, no ones going to get it," she said to her self before moving to look for first aid kits and disinfectant, the flame floating by her head flickering any time she moved too fast and began to stop thinking about it.

As you reach the free clinic, things look fine and empty in the lobby. You will have to move further back to find what you need, and that's when you hear some heavy footsteps on the hallway tile. Instictively, you know its them. The metal clanging against the tile, and some soft human sounds of crying. This place is not safe, but it's still in one piece and likely to have what you need. And of course, there is the need for help.

The girl sighed and reached up and pinched out her flame, taking a moment to adjust the mask she wore, the goggles reflecting the low light as she cursed. Flicking both lighters open she rests her thumbs on the flintwheels and advances, taking slow, deliberate steps as she struggled against the fear and urge for self preservation.

The thing that comes around the hallway corner is large, filling the hallway, especially with the wings. The blackened armor is spiked and looks almost reddish in places. Sharp teeth suddenly appear in its mouth, ugly appearing between the gaps of its face grill as it hisses at your appearance. It does not have a weapon at least, but it has long, blackened claws that reach out toward you as it starts to charge.

Aishe cries out, this being her first face to face! Her thumbs spark the lighters as she concentrates causing a third spout of flame to erupt in a nearby pile of paper debris and all at once she holds her arms forward as the three eperate flame sources elongate and twist together, growing and swirling together into a single snakelike column of flame that lunges towards the creature as she concentrates trying so desperatly to increase the heat of the flames!

The evil creatures lets out a painful scream that feels as if it should shred something inside one's very being as the flames burn at it. The walls begin to smoke, and the alien-like thing still struggles forward. It speaks in some twisted language, sounding almost mocking of the pain it obviously feels. It isn't human by a long shot! Still, when that sound echoed down the halls, you can hear the fearful screams and terror from two people that were held captive in a room down the hallway.

Aishe cries out "IM COMING" and reaches into her bag pulling out a red canister, inside, colemans white gas, "You want something hot?" she cried as she uncapped the bottle and threw it at the creature moving her hands to push the torrent of fire into the makeshift grenade!

The explosion rocks the inside of the building, and the doctor and nurse inside the room are definately hiding in a corner terrified! But just as the building seems to catch fire, Ember has to reach out and control those very flames. The creature though starts to fall to his knees just as the the claws seem to start to reach you. The armor seems to crack beneath the onslaught, and the creature beings to fall over and indent the wall as it twitches and then just lays there.

Aishe grunts as the explosion of the bottle sends the fuel everywhere, holding her arms out she begins to call the flames to her, snuffing the fire as she does so, sweat pouring off her as soot and carbon streak her exposed skin. As she goes towards those crying out, she calls out "I'm coming in, I'm a friend...."

And it isn't easy to gain control over it since the force of the blast also would have knocked Aishe back some. Still, you won, and the creature is down. As you head back, you will find in one of the examine rooms a male doctor and a female nurse, both looking terrified. But honestly, considering the condition of the people in your penthouse they are exactly what you needed.

"Who...who are you?" The doctor's voice shakes slightly, but he holds the nurse to his side, as the nurse holds him, mutual comfort.

Aishe lowered her goggles and the mask that went with them. "Y'can call me Ember..c'mon lets get you out of here" she said, voice thick with the amalgum of accents she called her native tongue. "I got a place ya can stay, and people that need your help" she said "It's safe."

"We have a lot of lacerations and burns. And i think someones got a bad appendix, but I dont know...just know that ive seen it before" she sighed as she picked up her lighters. "I'll go with you, ...or I can go alone if you like..."

Aishe sighs and looks around and begins to gather any supplies she could carry. "ITs bad out there Doc.." she said softly, "When we move..stick behind me..and if i go down....you keep going...alright?" she says as she puts the mask back on, then the goggles, checking her lighters, then snaping her fingers and staring at the flames that dance on her fingertips. "Fire can kill them....but it takes a lot of it....so fightings not really an option...not sure if guns work either.."

"They took everyone but Amelia and I away, I don't know where they took them. I think they only left one alien behind," the doctor says with a shakey voice. "I don't want to stick around." It only takes ten minutes to gather everything they need up, using the third bag the doctor grabbed for some tightly rolled up blankets and plastic gloves.

Amelia's voice shakes when she talks badly, "If...only the...heroes were here. Where...did they go?" She's about to cry again, but she's still carrying two of the bags, with the doctor carrying the other two.

Aishe sighed and looked to Amelia, "You're a hero..." she said comfortingly, "You're here, and you're willing to help others when your so scared. /THAT/ is what makes someone a hero. Not powers or gadgets." she moved towards the exit and looked outside cautiously, waiting to make her move.

Amelia sniffers, but nods, "Tha..thanks." She's shaking, so is the doctor, but they stand close to one another.

The doctor asks, "If...we are seperated, where is this place you are taking us?"

Outside, there are still those black dots in the sky, sometimes diving...but it appears clear - least for now.

Aishe gave directions to her highrise, and demonstrated the secret knock for the people inside to unlock the door. "If anything happens...you just go there and get safe.." she said "Come on" she continued pushing the door open and flicking her lighter caps off thumbs waiting again as if the flint wheel was the hammer to a pistol.

The doctor and nurse follow you, trying to stay low. They really suck at sneaking, but are surprisingly quiet after everything they have been through. Still, they keep close together and when one seems to freeze up, the other one is there to encouarge the other. They bonded in a way they had to, to survive this terrible situation. They don't talk as they follow you.

Only a minute after the two of you left, a scream is heard from where the group came from, and something bursts from the roof to fly overhead, looking for the targets that have escaped.

"Go....now" was all Aishe said as she flicked her lighters and tossed them onto the street, then pulled another from her bag before lifting her lands like she was commanding an orchestra, the flames growing slowly at first before she called up at the creature "OI!" she called flames into her hand and launched them at it as it flew. She wouldnt let them get hurt, even if it meant she was taken prisoner...or worse...

Suddenly in the sky, there are two of them. Aishe's cry having drawn another one. They start to dive toward her, one with a long bladed weapon a sort of cross between a sword and spear with jagged edges.

The doctor and nurse start to run for it, following the directions you gave them earlier. They are slow though as they are weighed down a bit for supplies and will need distractions to help them get away!

Aishe calls to the creatures "COME AND GET ME!" she cried looking around and sighing as she reached into her bag and pulled out the half galon can of white gas "Shit" she said to her self uncapping it and simply waiting as she directs another spout of flame at the creatures.

The creatures charge at her without sense of fear, one moving to nail her with claws, another to stab out with the weapon. Neither seems to have a sense of self-perservation, which is one of many reason that makes them so very terrifying. Still, they seem more interested in murdering Aishe, before they try to capture the runaways. That's good news for Aishe in the fact that she can successfully protect them.

Aishe grimaces as they close in and whimpers in fear as she looks down into the canister of gas and sparks her lighter. Right as the creatures get close, she uses her power to push the flame into the can and as soon as she feels the gas ignight, she takes a DEEEP breath and pushes all her anger at the creatures into causing this canister to explode in a massive torrent of fire, engulfing her self and hoping to the gods that she comes out of it ok!

This time the feel of the explosion is pushed outward toward the monsters as they are pushed back by the heat of the flames and the force of them. They cry out in plain, and one drops to the ground while the other flies upward and the flames lick his armor, but seem to not truly harm him. He points his metal spear-like sword at you before moving to land hard on the ground, denting it. To get hit by this monster...would HURT.

The girl was knocked back by the explosion, but had no time to relax, her lungs aching for air, she pushed her hands forward and curved them to the side causing the flames to tighen together, like focusing a beam of light through a magnifying lens, and did her best to place the entire stream in through the slats in the creature's face armor. She stood her ground as she pushed, refusing to back down knowing the moment she turned to run, she would die.

The creature jerks its face back and lets out a horriable sound that might be a scream. He then starts to move with unusual speed while on the ground, leaping about in an inhuman manner to try and leap on you. There is a car at your back however....it is overturned.

Aishe whimpered in fear as she backed into the car, then has an epiffany. She snaps her fingers and lets the flames dance on her index and middle fingertips, waiting. Panting, she tries to leap out of the way at the last moment hoping the creature will miss her and spear the undercarriage and let all those lovely combustables leak out!

Aishe waited too long, the blade slices through her side, parting the flesh and meat like a sharp knife making a fish fillet....no...the blade is jagged, it's much worse than that as the cut is nasty. Still, the gasses leak out and suddenly the fire and explosion bursts outward to take out the armored monster as it is cooked alive in its armor...but just how close is Aishe? Still, the flames will not harm her, but the explosion is much more concerning.

Whimpering as she sits up, Aishe struggles to crawl over to the backpack and grab it, before trying to make her way to her feet to bring the supplies back to the apartment. The problem is its not long before the pain and bloodloss cause her to slow down, droping to her knee's. She was about half way home when she finally lost conciousness.

Krypto is tired and sore, and his cape has seen better days by far. Though he has mostly hung out in Metropolis to fight the aliens, when there are breaks he spreads out across the states to even the world. That is when Krypto finds Aishe. He had helped some of the reservists in New York City before finding her. He settles on the ground and twitches his ears for the closest help. He can hear the doctor and nurse dealing with injuries nearby. The dog does have super intelligence, or rather perhaps average human intelligence when compared to a human. He picks up the poor woman by the backpack she wears and starts flying toward the penthouse. The door doesn't do much for him as he gets inside the apartment building and soon flies up the stairs with her. He is polite enough though to set her down in front of the door and scratch on it, letting out a few short yips.

Aishe whimpered softly, her side aching like nothing she'd ever felt, conciousness like water sliping through her fingers. She was able to gather some, but then it simply washed away.

When you come too again, you are feeling obviously sore, but also sort of floaty thanks to the drugs. You are in your penthouse, bandaged up with a fresh shirt on and sweat bottoms (if you had any rather than jeans). Course, the nurse was the one that helped you change with some female help. People are talking quietly, and occansionally from outside through the drawn curtains you can hear the horrible cries of the aliens to one another in the distance...the sounds just seem to carry. It's dark, but it's better that way, so they don't find you.

Aisha whimpered confusedly as she came to. As she looked about, she couldn't help but try and sit up, the drugs taking away some of her better judgment as she shapped her fingers and collected the flames on her fingertips looking around as if by candlelight.

The nurse does come in, and jumps when she sees your fingertips lit up. She lets out a quiet yelp, but that has someone else entering...but soon the nurse is fussing a bit over you, "Are you alright? A dog dropped you off by the door, we were lucky to answer it. You were bleeding badly. Doctor Richards had to put a number of stitches in you. How is the pain?"

Aishe winced "Feels like i got cut in half," she said, then smiled slightly. "I'm glad you both got here safely..." she said "There's not a lot of room with all the people, but I'm going to go out and see if I can't ind us somewhere better defended later," she winced again grunting through her teeth "Ngh how deep was it?" she asked as she looked down, touching her side. Not the best patient.

"Please do not touch it. It was deep and jagged. We were very worried about infection. I'll be in soon to change your bandage. We are getting low on pain killers though, you have already be out a day, so get sleep while you can. And good news, it's an ulcer on that one guy you were worried about. He will be fine," Amelia says. "We are crowded, but safe, and everyone works together to keep things quiet, and to split food. We managed to get into some of the other apartments for more food, though we feel bad about it, we were too scared to go outside."

"I think the guy in 1402 is in the bahamas...He was....a bit of an eater..try and get in there.." she said laying back and grunting in pain, "No painkillers for me..save them for people who really need them" she grunted again, a few tears streaking her face. "There's a box of sweet's hidden under the couch, its my emergency stash..take it and give it to the kids" she said biting her lip, the pain strong.

The nurse nods and smiles, "Thank you, rest well...," she doesn't say anything about the pain killers.