10715/Lighting the Cat Ahead

Lighting the Cat Ahead
Date of Scene:	09 April 2022
Location:	Queensland Park
Synopsis:	A Lantern versus a Cat. Guess which is the canary.
Cast of Characters:	Barbara-Ann Minerva, John Stewart

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Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
It's night over in Queensland Park in Metropolis. Nearby, sirens are afire from an armored truck that had the doors torn off, the driver disabled in seconds, and the contents yanked from it all within a minute. Currently darting through the park at supersonic speed is one Cheetah, having done a brazen nighttime robbery. Over her back slung a large bag filled with gold bars that had been on their way towards a bank.
    Did she need to do such things to exist? No. For the htrill of it? Very much so.

John Stewart has posed:
<<Status report: Metahuman robbery in Metropolis on police radio frequencies. Location last seen is Queenland Park.>> Comes the mental voice of the AI in John's Power Ring.

He was on his way home to New York from patrolling the solar system when he heard the report. He was nearby, so why not?

Turning in midair at an angle, John goes from a faint light in the sky to a bright comet as his flight field intensifies around himself, his speed going from a lazy half to mach 1 to mach 2... 3...

He'll be at the Park shortly, and Cheetah will no doubt see the emerald comet as it streaks through the sky in her direction soon.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
That's the thing about Lanterns. They're easy to make out and not subtle. Cheetah is accelerating still. She doesn't know how the Rings work, but something gives her the impression that actually evading one and sneaking past it isn't going to work. She's zigging adn zagging on an evasive course, trying to make herself trouble for her pursuer to keep up with!

She's going to try and randomize her course, hopefully making it difficult for him to get a clean intercept and he'll have to 'chase' her.

John Stewart has posed:
As Cheetah starts to randomize her course, John frowns slightly. Trying to lose him? Not often they try that, but sure...

"Ring, attempt extrapolation of course and report when you have a 90 percent certainty." John commands of it.

Instead of keeping a close pursuit, John elects to keep a decent distance so he has a good view of where Cheetah is going and able to respond to any major course deviations.

Trying to keep up with her seems like it'd be a good way to get civilians involved. Best to keep the situation relatively calm...

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Most civilians aren't out late at night in this park. The area is clear, which makes it easier. Cheetah is at not being directly attacked going to make a break for it out and into the open. Nearby there's a sewer grating which is likely her target. If she could get in there the tight confines would make for far better for her abilityes in close quarter combat..

John Stewart has posed:
Grating... that's a good potential target, and one she seems to be going for.

As she goes for it though, he suddenly speeds up his flight and aims his ring towards it. Instead of a grate... she'll find a green constructed barred cage.

John likes to cut off escapes instead of chasing, it seems.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
There's a raw-ROWR from Cheetah, as she would slash at it with her claws, the magic blades inflicting no damage. She would hiss, "You got in my way.. Guess you're going ot die today!" Without much preamble, Cheetah is going to rapidly launch herself up and over into the air with a powerful leap, trying to engage John in melee before he could hopefully react to her sudden change of direction!

John Stewart has posed:
The Power Rings are some of the most powerful weapons in the universe... but John himself is only human, with the reflexes to match.

As Cheetah leaps at him, she has no problems connecting, and his flight shield flares as John Wills a reinforcement of said field into a defense shield, before he Wills into existence a shield construct between him and Cheetah.

The barred cage disappears as he does so.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
The barriers protect hte worst of the damage. Cheetah is strong, but not extremely so by superhuman standards. Her magical claws make ehr particularly dangerous.. But mostly to those that are weak to magic. Barriers work just fine at stopping them!

Cheetah would backflip away from the shields as they would deflect her off them, going to hit the ground in a series of rapid sommersaults!

John Stewart has posed:
"I don't suppose you'll stand down if I ask politely?" John quips as the shield disappears, his glowing eyes easily noticable from this distance... and she can easily see him and who he is. He wears no identity concealment, just his own version of the Green Lantern uniform.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Cheetah starts to dim.. Even as she's readjusting her course to take her back over into the park. Seemingly fading from view and moving silently. Using magically enhanced stealth to lurk in wait ot ambush.. So now a challenge of ring and experience versus magical stealth!

John Stewart has posed:
"Ring, scan for magic use in the area. Does she leave residue as she moves?" John asks as he goes higher and floats, "Check for rings of disturbance by a body as well. She may be invisible, but I'll bet she still has a presence locally."

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
There's no -signs- of a disturbance from a body. However she's moving seems to render such actual notice meaningless. But it is capable of picking her general area up by magic. She's fallen into the trees to use as cover.

John Stewart has posed:
She's fast... so best to try to do this with a KO.

Instead of tackling her down, John aims his ring, and suddenly a wave of Green concussive energy fires from John's ring as he Wills an energy wave of force through the trees right at Cheetah.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
Cheetah is caught by surprise! One blast hits her, then a second! The third has her slashing through in midair to break the beam, the fourth she dodges cleanly, and then hse's launching herself along even faster, trying to leap up through the air with intent to try and slash at John once more in the same highly acrobatic maneuver!

John Stewart has posed:
And here we go again.

This time, instead of conjuring a hard shield, John instead dodges upward... and then aims his ring down, Willing a hammer into existence to try to smack Cheetah down into the ground.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
WHAM! There's a BLONK as Cheetahw ould be hit HARD by it, ribs giving over as she would hit the ground hard and leave an impact crater, spiraling along brutally!

John Stewart has posed:
As she impacts, John floats there a moment, assessing the situation.... then, he aims his ring at the crater, WIlling another barred cage into existence in an effort to contain her.

Barbara-Ann Minerva has posed:
That's enough for the Cheetah. She's lost her prize, she's outmatched, adn more heroes will be there in seconds. So there's a WHOOSH as she's once again zooming for the sewer grate, vanishing into it. Leaving a damaged armored car, a couple of dazed officers.. but nothing beyond that.