12271/Unicorn Hunt I: Central Park

Unicorn Hunt I: Central Park
Date of Scene:	06 August 2022
Location:	Central Park North Woods
Synopsis:	Heroes gather to hunt the first unicorn released by Tabitha Smith in Central Park, NYC. Laconian, the Wood Guardian, is returned home, and has given Phoebe the names of his compatriates in bondage -- Epirote the Ice Mist and Achaean, the Firebound. Superboy did not get gored; Red Sonja (Mary Jane Watson) got to wrestle down a fantastic beast, Wonder Woman lassoed a Unicorn, while Hope Summers and Rose Wilson provided cover fire with tranq darts while wrestling with the local greenery after an initial stone-cold reception.
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Mary Jane Watson, Rose Wilson, Conner Kent, Hope Summers, Tabitha Smith, Diana Prince

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    UNICORN. French, la licorne, Latin? Unicornus. A fantastic creature resembling a horse with a single horn!

    Not that horses ordinarily have horns, unless applied to them in order to resemble the former.

    A few days ago in New York City, a small group of heroes with no small effort were responsible for freeing three unicorns that had been brought into the world through forced magical means. Now a small group gathers for a hunt for the first unicorn in the North woods of Central Park.

    Phoebe was already there. She had her hood down and her domino on, standing in a clearing in the North Woods. She had done some prep work, prepared a couple of notes with how dangerous the creature normally is (six out of ten), how dangerous it could be (nine of ten), and that under no condition are the attendees permitted to kill the creature. The goal was to send it home through whatever means possible.

    The woods seem to be more green, the air here cooler and kinder than outside in the city. Magic is beginning to lay thick here that she could taste the lilac notes and sweet honey against her tongue where ordinarily New York's magic tasted a bit like a garbage fire streaked with cheap grain alcohol and a side of street cart gyro.

    She taps on the ground, looking at the circle she's carved into the earth.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
She's been curious. She's ridden unicorns before. And slaughtered quite a few more. So Mary Jane enters on to the area curiously. A large blade in a sheathe is slung over her back that if anyone asks would just be for some SCA stuff. So when she's enterin ginto the area curiously, she's got a general outfit on with a Spidey t-shirt that's a bit bulky and a hoody. Underneath is a chain mesh shirt and even lower is a set of light ceramic paltes and kevlar. Just in case she's ogoing to have to deal over with something trying to gore her as life had taught or trample her.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson was not among that particular group of heroes but is tagging along today because some of her teammates were. Plus, she likes hunting things, even if she (supposedly) isn't supposed to shoot the thing. Rose is definitely not a unicorn kind of girl, she was more into vampires and demons drawn in the margins of the notebook she'd imagine going to school in. Until she got slapped upside the head, of course.

She's got a hood of her own, her white hair ponytailed and trailing out down across her left shoulder. She has a crossbow and a tranq rifle, both laced with heavy sedatives. The Bowie knife and the katana, however, are definitely not blunted. Symbol of good or not, if the animal tried to kebab her, she was going to mince it.

"If we get there and the thing sparkles or winks or talks, I am not going to be happy." Not that the odds of her being happy were very high anyway.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner read Phoebe's notes and discovered he prefers Tim's notes. Tim doesn't rate things from 1 to 10, but he tends to explain the whys and hows. Still, they are just horses with horns. They can't be much more dangerous than bulls, right? Of course an enraged bull can hurt a lot of normal people in a rampage, but... "has this horse injured anyone in the past few days?"

Oh. Right. Magical. He probably should avoid getting gored. Or trampled.

"Hey, Hope. Did you manage to build that tranq gun? Or the ammo?" He asks the redhead.

Hope Summers has posed:
    Hope was told about this mission just last night and then quickly went about seekign the materials required to complete the objectives Phoebe laid out.

Locate the unicorn(s).
Ensure the return of the unicorns to their proper place.
Prevent casualities for man (And beast permitting).

    Thus the redhead walks into the park with her hair tied up tightly in a short tail with locks of ruby framing her face that weren't long enough to reach the tie. She wears her canvas cloak over a green and yellow jumpsuit with roughly two guns on her person. One large rifle like thing across her back, obscured slightly by the cloak and a handgun held to her thigh.

    The com system in her ear is thumbed up with a brush of her finger and then a turn to look towards Phoebe with a sharp nod and then a glance to Conner. "Sure did." Without saying wear. "You know how to hunt a scared animal?" She asks the super-boy as she steps into the brush, quiet as can be.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Roaming Unicorns. Yeah, Tabby kinda had to own up to that one, but the other option was letting them be chained up in a clear display of cruelty by someone with no really aptitude for freestyle rap battles. But between the actions of herself and a seligtful Synthezoid. Unicorns had gotten loose and well Tabby feels kinda guilty cause that was probably not a good idea.

So there she is. Faux leather X-Suit in mostly black with yellow on her chest shoulders and sleeves and matching boots. Good for looking like she's been out motorcycling. Which she had to get there. Some extra ropes and maybe chains looped around her shoulders like a pair of bandoliers. And in her hand is a bag of carrots she grabbed from the kitchen at the Xavier School.

Seeing at Least one familiar face so far in the form of Hope, Tabby breathes a sigh. "Okay, at least if I get trampled now, or gored, someone can call home for me." she says with a chuckle at her own expense.

While she's there though she does seem to have an extra frowny look on her features. The blonde trying to try and see if the mystical critters ping on her beginners telepathy. "I really should bug Dani to see how she does the whole animal Dolittle gag." she adds and pinches her nose under her glasses.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana had not heard of the event that caused the Unicorns to arrive. She just had heard of their rumored existence now within the park. A very bad place for such a creature to be hiding, considering the city wrapped around it.

In the sky above, the Princess of Themyscira 'Wonder Woman' arrives in a very gentle, calm way. She just sweeps down out of the sky, dressed in her golde, red, and blue armor. Her coiled golden lasso hanging at her hip and a javelin of gold and silver upon her back.

Diana sees the group, her flight path descending down toward them, until her wedge-heeled armored boots just quietly touchdown on to the grass. There she stands, sweeping her eyes over one of their visages, to the next.

She nods her head once to them, her loose, dark hair flowing behind her otherwise bare shoulders.

"I have come to help." Wonder Woman tells the small group.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe gave nods of recognition all around to those who were arriving, though she levels a stare at Rose's complaints of the unicorn sparkling or talking, just blankly eyeing the assassin before she takes a deep breath and slowly lets it out as she rubs the back of her head. There were a lot of people with guns. Tabitha and Mary Jane get a nod and a smile -- with a point to herself, and then to her neck, and then a cut motion, quickly explaining that she can't speak.

    But it was Wonder Woman's arrival that caught her off guard, and she actually felt her cheeks and ears heat up and darken as Diana takes the field, and she works her mouth a moment before she just awkwardly waves at Diana, the 'cool magic person' persona cracked because who else would show up to help hunt unicorns.

    Phoebe takes a deep breath, and she digs into her bag and pulls out a blue crystal. This she briefly touches to her forehead, and she 'radio broadcasts' her forethoughts.

    <The goal is to capture or hold the unicorn long enough to dismiss it to its home. I've taken the liberty of creating the magic circle.> she explains, looking to the gathered hunters.

    <So if you think that you are pure of heart, please raise your hand at this time?>

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    In the distance, there's a musical sort of tone, almost like a bleat of laughter, tinged with the tinkling of tiny silver bells. The light around the group begins to soften a little bit.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
That would catch Mary Jane's attention. MJ is still in control of the host given the number of people present. She goes thoughtfully, "Is the unicorn expected to be hostile or wary or will there be other things around that might be pursuing it as well or that might join in the fight?" Because magic tends to always draw in other sorts of things.
    "And do you have any particular suggestions on how to try and calm it down and take it wihtout injuring it?" Just as to why exactly she has that large blade on her back for those rare few that knew who she was and what it meant was somewhat curious.
    Particularly given what the blade was made out of for those that could stell with it strapped onto her back or even it's history.
    So she's walking along with the otehrs and waiting over to be ready to put into a defensive circle.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson mostly knows Wonder Woman as someone her dad always wanted to kill. She was one of those trophies that the old bastard craved, a head he wanted on his wall, just to prove he could do it. Which meant, of course, that Deathstroke feared her and there weren't many who earned that respect. Rose regards the Amazon warily, her steely eye gleaming.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me," she says in regards to her purity.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Er, no. I never even considered hunting animals," admits Conner. "Doesn't even make sense for me," he adds more quietly. He would probably add some more, but MJ's appearance, with a sword, makes him blink and stare.

And then Wonder Woman. Woah. And Tim is missing this. Must. Not. Ask. Selfie.

"Er, so the plan is dragging the critter into your circle?" He asks Phoebe again.

Hope Summers has posed:
    Hope stops as Phoebe explains the plan to those around, and she unslings the rifle off her back, resting the stock on the ground and holding it upright with the barrel in her grip. "The pure of heart thing really changes how this plan was going to work." Hope reports, frowning.

    Her green eyes dart over to Wonder Woman, and then Conner, "I was going to ask you two to use your height and speed to keep the creature contained and give us overwatch with Conner, and your abilities in mind, making you best to deal with anything coming up and surprising us or seeking the targets for their own means. But..." Hope pauses to frown deeply.

    A glance to Rose and then Tabby, and finally her eyes ending on Mary Jane with the sword and armor. Hope is feeling incredibly out of her depth and abilities as it is. Diana, and Conner should be able to handle most anything on their own, and Phoebe would logically fill in any gaps via the magics. Hope is quietly lost in her own head, seeking the solution.

    All she knows to do at this moment is to NOT raise her hand and answer Mary Jane's question, "I believe Rose, as well as myself are prepared to tranq the creature, subdue it via narcotics and make it much more easy to manage."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
There's some extra telepathy going on. <<Umm, define Pure of Heart? I mean. I'm Pure Awesome. But I'm an ex-ish-thief with a bodycount and a number of broken hearts and probably wrecked a few homes. Also I can kinda cover the group think.>> Tabitha offers and focusses a little to try and include any other willing entrant into the telepathic comminications.

There's maybe a bit of self doubt bubbling away that she's trying to suppress. <<I brought carrots. Maybe they just want a snack.>> she suggests wiith a grin.

With Diana present and at least one person on the Kryptonian side of things. Maybe some extra muscle will help. Tabby just got reminded she's maybe out oif her weight class. "I'm not a fan of doing anything that might hurt them. These things were totally abused. No point distressing them further but if they're like wild tiger or lion levels of dangerous. Think a tranq dart would work?" she adds out loud while everyone is there. Hope gets a smile. At least the Redhead can synch with Tabby's powers for some crowd control extras in the form of BOOM.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana regards the others, offering them a small smile, before she looks to Phoebe once more. She is not clued-in on the inability to speak element of the young mage's condition, but she trusts that the girl is dealing with it as she hasn't ever asked for help. At the projected question, Diana raises her right hand, the palm wrapped in well worn leather straps, her fingers left bare. "I do my best to be. But, like anyone, I am open to judgement." The Themysciran responds.

Then, with a breath taken, Diana looks toward the dense treeline. "It entirely depends on their mental state. If they are hungry, some food could help. If they are lonely, some companionship could help. If they are truly lost of mind, then they may accept next to nothing beyond our absences."

Wonder Woman looks back to them then. "In my experience, a calm Unicorn... enjoyed a little bit of singing." She says with a faint smile again, before she wipes it away with a pursing of her lips. A calm breezes sends a few strands of her dark hair across her face then.

"We shall have to find them, and inspect their state to know how to proceed."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <The sole reason I'm projecting through magic is because I have no larynx. This is actually going to give me a huge migraine later.> Phoebe gives a toothy smile to Tabitha. And she considers, looking down at the circle, and she takes a soft huff of breath. <I scouted around this morning and found nothing but the usual couple of ghosts and a couple of minor presences in the park. And the suddenly sparkling clean Loch. I've never dismissed something so big before, but I think we can draw it to us.> she looks around at the grouping again, and then points to Tabitha, and points to the circle. <You're the bait. You freed them and you brought carrots. Wonder Woman, if you would not mind joining us in the circle? Everyone else, up into the trees.>

    Phoebe rubs her hands a moment, and purses her lips. <Ravager is obviously going to have to be the one to sing.> she offers as a joke, trying to break her own tension as she steps into the circle, carefully to not upset the lines she's cut into the earth, and she offers her hands out to Diana and Tabby.

    <Superboy is the most at risk if it comes to a physical fight.> she explains.

    The air turns lighter still, pleasant, like the moisture of the summer heat is refusing to land on anyone's skin. The feeling of magic is getting thick enough that it may begin tingling against the noses and earlobes of even those who are not sensitive to its presence, though whether that is affect of the hunter or the hunted remains to be seen.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would nod over at Diana, "Understood, Princess." Something rarely that she and Red Sonja would acquiesce to. Sonja at least distantly knew Diana. And respected the warrior princess almost uniquely among the Greeks but for perhaps one other that had never made her home on Themyscira and had taken her own life of adventures, remembered or not by the modern age.
    Moving over to flank Diana as bakcup. "I can handle anythign hostile if it might come after us and give some level of support if need be." How exactly Mary Jane might know that over and offer it sincerely might confuse those whom had not met her.
    Conner is given a sad smile. She had kept secrets over from him that she wasn't happy over. But with obligation adn duty came other things. So her mouth goes to offer a silent apology.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson snorts, "Singin'? Nah. I can freestyle a few bars in a pinch, but I ain't drunk enough. For any of this shit. But mainly for that."



She looks across to Hope and nods, "You guys play flush and feed, Hope an' me'll slip into the shadows and see if we can creep up for a shot if it's called for. Balm knows my telepathic phone number," she says, backing away and moving towards to get some distance.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner nods at Hope. His plan already was fly up and check if he could spot the unicorn from above, anyway. Although given the size of the park, it might take a while. "I am not at risk, my tactile telekinesis should protect me if the unicorn is actually fast enough to hit me and able to ignore my invulnerability," well, except he never really learned to dodge. Lame turtles are fast enough to hit him. Look, it is a kyrptonian thing. "You know the Outsiders can sing, we did our Karaoke training. You think Unicorns like Rock and Roll? But if it is classical, we are doomed."

"Anyway, I am going up and if I see it coming, I will use the comms." He hovers up and tries. But man, so many trees!

Hope Summers has posed:
    Hope takes a soft breath as the circle is formed and the battle plan becomes much more clear. Nodding sharply as she takes her mutation and copies Tabitha's powers, and instead of blowing stuff up, she's choosing to work with the telepathy. <Balm, you can lower yours now, we don't need you getting another headache, Tabitha and I will fill the need.> And like a wave of air washing through the team, Hope connects everyone in a well practiced way. It may not be the normal telepathy she's used to, but she's used and well practiced in telepathy.

    "Lets focus up, game faces, and minimal talking." Hope requests with a glance to Conner, <You got it.> Hope thinks as she reshoulders her gun.

    Climbing up into a tree, and pressing herself against a branch tightly and getting into a decent shooting position with the rifle able to be aimed towards the circle, but finger remains on the side of the weapon and the red head takes to focusing on her breathing, and slowly a hand lifts the hood over her hair.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
<<Not the worst thing I've plaid bait for.>> Tabitha unslings the ropes and chains from her shoulders to be used. A little heftier than maybe her usual stash of gear. Keeping the bag of carrots, the bag itself a little string mesh thing. Tabby hops over inscribed lines inside the magic circle, making sure to not mess up the inscriptions.

<<Comms are nice but between us. I kinda prefer a mind link. Hope, if you tell anyone back at Westchester I was bait for unicorns. They won't beleive you.>> she states and chuckles at her own expense. But at least Hope knows what she's doing with their shared telepathy better than Tabby does. And it's her power.

<<If you're gonna sing. I suggest 'Sam' by Lila Cheney.>> Tabby adds with a giggle. A song about her ex boyfriend. By his Ex-girlfriend.

Diana Prince has posed:
A hand is swept up to push her hair back out of her face, then Diana lowers it again to take Phoebe's offered hand. She looks to the others, toward Conner, with a soft nod. "Be careful. If they are aggressive, I am not entirely sure what they could do to a Kryptonian." Her eyes then look to the others headed for the trees. "I am very sure what they can do to regular people though, so everyone be on guard. Let us hope they are calm, and just seeking help."

The Princess steps in to the circle then, before she drops her eyes to Phoebe. "Should they be unable to be sent home, I would offer to take them to Themyscira. I am sure the Queen would accept them in to the Enchanted Forest there, where they would likely feel some measure of home and safety, as opposed to..."

She stares out at the forest, with the massive city horizon stretching up above the trees from behind and beyond.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe just gives a nod, and taking both Diana and Tabitha's hands within the circle. She takes a deep breath, and she focuses.

    Phoebe's magic is that of Light. Warmth. Healing and Hope, purification and what was Good.

    The fabric of her hoodie rustles as if wind rises from beneath them, the circle itself beginning to glow in a dull rose-gold light, sending out a message, a signal -- a Beacon. We are Here.

    The light of mid-afternoon in Central Park fades to that of a lavender twilight, the coolness of evening kissing upon exposed skin and slinking around the gathered like the softest of cats brushing against ankles.

    Those who are sensitive to magic would feel that tingle of electricity -- wherever this unicorn hailed from, it was not simple a low power beast. Fireflies begin to twinkle like distant, neon-yellow stars around the heroes.

    And stepping into the clearing, there is a unicorn, the exact color of a full winter moon on newly fallen snow, the color of ice held against fingertips. It would be hard to mistake it for anything else; its deer-like head holding dark onyx eyes that reflected the wood around it. Its chin had a short, tufted beard that moved in every switch of the breeze. Its long tail was not like a horse's, no, but like a lion's. Long and tufted at the end. It was somewhat smaller than a quarter horse, and more slender, its cloven hooves tentatively brushing against the ground as it steps further.

    Long, tapered ears, almost like those of a rabbit draw up from the silk of its mane, and spiraling from the middle of its forehead was a single, pearlescent horn.

    Its nostrils flare a moment, unsure of the situation, before it lunges forward, nearly knealing to the ground.

     -- and that's when all the stones smaller than the palm of a hand rise up and off the nearby path, and launch themselves at the women in the circle!

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Right as the stones go to rise up and launch at them, Red Sonja goes to take over within ehr consciousness. The blade is quickly and casually unsheathed from her back. Red Sonja snaps out, "Defensive formation! Those whom can block them, defend thsoe whom cannot!" No one may or may not be actually listening to her, but the intent is there. They're here to try and take the unicrons over willingly with them. And this might simply be a defensive reaction on the part of the animal. So no need to counter-attack.. Yet.
    Red Sonja's blade snaps out even as seh goes to slash it through one of the attacking rocks, reducing it over to a series of pebbles, magically propelled or not. Then presuming she's in a position to get over in front of one of the others, the swordswoman barbarian is moving to try and leap out over in front of them to try and snap out over with her blade oncemore, trying to slash through another rock if she's in a good position!
    The point is to be defensive, not go on the attack. And not everyone can intercept these things so well.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson drops low and rolls behind cover as the stones scatter. She was likely out of range anyway, but better safe than sorry. Especially when you only have one good eye to spare, regeneration or not. Even being blind for a few minutes made Rose feel crazy.

She has to remind herself not to immediately retaliate. She wasn't even sure the tranq would work and Wonder Woman didn't need her taking potshots to protect her from harm. Let the good and pure handle the first attempt and the heavily armed would be ready to back up if necessary.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner is not sensitive to magic in the good way. The sci-fi effects do creep him up a bit, though. Magic does that to him. "Hey look, it is working," he is probably the first to spot the unicorn. And so far so good, so far so... not good!

He dives towards the circle, trying to get there before the stones. Wonder Woman can surely handle a few rocks herself, but Phoebe's bat-armor is not going to do great. And the blonde seems even less protected. So, he reaches for them both to try to push them down, while protecting them with the telekinetic forcefield.

Hope Summers has posed:
    <HOSTILE HOSTILE HOSTILE!> Hope alerts in everyone's heads as the rocks shoot towards the three women in the clearing and Sonja stepping forward to counter the attack as best as she can. The red head drops her right hand from the trigger and a small blip of light appears in between the tips of her fingers. The ball of super charged plasma rests in her hand and then, Conner is dropping into the fray, putting himself into potential risk to help Phoebe. Admirable but Hope does worry, but keeps the concern to herself. A twist of her fingers and the ball is crushed as it won't be needed with the Conner Shield in effect.

    Hope raises her hand back to her gun, presses the stock to her shoulder and scans the field looking for the creature with her eyes before switching to the scope to ensure her accuracy. Rifle leveled and sight taken up, Hope squeezes the trigger, sending a high horse grade tranq flying through the trees to the creature's neck.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Most of the magical energies Tabitha had been exposed to growing up had been decidedly demonic. Not that it put Tabby off the experience, and anyone complaining that having an ex-girlfriend that could pass for an 80's heabt metal album cover girl has rocks in their head.

That said, Phoebe's magic feels warm and nice. Tabitha might not be a magic user herself but she does provide some of her own electrical warmth and stuff while her power is poised and hands are held. There's even a faint little glow behind her glasses.

It's probably a good thing she's keeping her power going.

With the creatures coming out, Tabby gets those eyes widening. "Even seeing it again. I still keep expecting something a bit more kinda less ummmm. Chineric?" she says to the women with her.

The flying rocks coming at them. Tabby concentrates and the women feel kind of a staticy electricity feeling of Tabby's own before a number of small orbs of plasma appear around them and the blonde blombshell is directing the glowing balls of heat and ionised gas to catch as many of the incoming projectiles as possible.

"Gah, if these were bullets at least they'd melt when they hit. It's middle school all over again!" instead the rocks just make the smaller booms boom to take the oomph out of the rocks.

None of the booms doing more than trying to be a point defense.

A blast screen.

While Hope might be better with her Telepathy. Plasmakinesis has been Boom-Boom's jam for years. In case anything makes it past people already on guard.

Tabitha doesn't need hands, just a lot of concentration.

"Hey, knock it off! We're trying to be cool! I'm the one that got you unchained remember!" she calls out to the Unicorn she thinks might be launching rocks. she even tries her hand at sending camling thoughts telepathically as if that would do anything. The concentration and spreading thin of brain power visibly showing signs of stress and strain on the woman.

Diana Prince has posed:
The arrival of the Unicorn is called out by others, and Diana's eyes befall it. She notes the unique appearance of some of its features, a little different from what she's seen previously, but that is to be expected in such a ancient breed of animal. She anticipates the rocks though, feeling the discomfort in the air before they're pitched in the direction of she and the other two...

IT's then that Diana's free hand snaps down to her side, and a second past that the Lasso of Hestia ignites in to a brillaint gold glow that pierces the evening ambience that had fallen over the park yard!

The golden glowing lenth of twine twirls through the air in front of the trio of women, as it is spun so fast that it becomes a disc of golden energy! Unbreakable energy that shields the women from any of the stones that might get through their levels of other heroic protection!

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    YEP. HOSTILE. Phoebe honestly can't blame it!

    She dives to the side, her eyes going wide as she shoulder-rolls to the side, letting Diana and Tabitha handle the striking of the stones! She pulls from her bag something made of gold, curling her fingers around a bridle with a rope.

    As Red Sonya's blade snaps out, the rocks crushed to gravel beneath the might of her blade, the barbarian goes to take point, defensive point, but she becomes the focus of the unicorn's next attack. Its nostrils flare, its cloven hooves scratching at the ground as it turns to rear up, giving a screaming, eldrich cry that echoes like the scraping of rusted metal, combined with the screaming of a lamb.

    Hunters have invaded its home, and it doesn't take kindly to their intrusion!

    Around Rose, the trees begin to whisper, one massive beech slooowly creaking down behind her to try and grasp her within its boughs... at least it's not a Douglas Fir?

    Conner dives to join the fray, the telekinetic forcefield tanking a good amount of the stone, but as the sole male, he's a little bit of an extra target. The unicorn charges him, lowering its horn with intent to harm!

    -- it takes the tranq to the neck, a little froth forming on the edges of its mouth as it slips a step or two from the sudden sting.

    The brilliant gold of the Lasso of Hestia spins and catches against the stones.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Mary Jane Watson would call out, "Restrain the thing!" She's going into defensive mode. Ordinarily she's not remotely fast enough to do this, but the joy of magically hurled rocks is that they can only go so fast without immense power. Which seemingly that the unicorn does not have to be able to maintain. "Restrain the thing!" Red Sonja's normal backup thing is to leap over upon the creature with intent on breaking it in like one would a fresh wild horse, but they're trying to take this thing over peacefully, so she remains in her position.
    "And do so quickly before we have to escalate!" Red Sonja keeps her blade up in a defensive position, rapidly going to be able to backup teh others even as the unicorn seems to be going down. She doesn't bother to relax. Still on full alert and going into a sweeping of the perimeter.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson ditches the rifle, reaching back to draw her katana. The laser-honed edge gleams as she lashes out, slicing away at tendrils trying to wrap at her knees. She rolls over her shoulder and pops up in a defensive crouch towards the vegetation, blade ready to strike.

"I knew I should've brought the flamethrower!" she cdalls.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner feels a few stones hit his forcefield before the others step in. "Not nice, that is one murderous horse," he points out to Phoebe. "Not very smart, though. He is all attack and no defense."

And now he is coming for him? What did he do this time?! "No flamethrowers in Central Park, please." He tells Rose. "I'll keep the vegetables off you, keep shooting tranqs to Mr. Horse there." Conner is going to see if he can put the moving tree between the unicorn and himself. Unicorns getting the horn stuck in trees are a thing, right?

Hope Summers has posed:
    Still in the tree, Hope frowns as she watches the thing start to charge, not only towards the Wonder Woman, Tabby and Phoebe, but now towards Conner and that gives her a wince. She's not this groups leader, but she still feels guilty at the idea of him getting hurt. He's the stronger one, the faster one, and yet, he's here putting himself at risk of getting seriously hurt.

    The charge is pulled back and the spent cassing flies free of her rifle and she slams home another round and levels her sight once again. Damn thing is a threat to her friends and her people. It's time for night night!

    Squeeze and poof, another tranq is fired towards the beasts neck.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
With the rocks being shielded off by layers of extra from Conner and Diana, it lets Tabby reduce the amount of booms needed to catch a few extra rocks that slip past the goalies.

The unifoirms provided to X-men can take a decent enough beating. Enough Tabby is confident that without any insignia the outfit works well enough as a motorcycle safe, one piece catsuit. The lack of a helmet is probably a concern.

. "I left my spare at home!" she yells to Rose about the flamethrower. She is one sort of but maybe not incinerating a mystical creature is a good idea.

It doesn't stop her trying to calm the unicorn down telepathically. At least trying to convince it that they're friendly but that seems a bit too far out of Tabby's wheel house for now. It's probably not helping that people are shootiing darts at it. <<Sleep time, when you wake up you'll be free and inj a safe place!>> she tries to reassure but if it is doing anything. Tabitha has no clue.

She does mean well. At least it'll have a tasty carrot waiting if it dozes and wakes up later.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the rocks being dropped to the earthen floor, Diana pulls her lasso back in upon herself. the golden rope twirls around her body and wraps several times around her armored forearm. It continues to glow, however, as the Princess takes a step forward, watching the others outside the circle deal with the frightened animal.

She feels a great deal of sorrow for it, and it shows upon her face, but the Princess just keeps her boots planted in the soft grass, gives a look toward Phoebe, then to Tabitha, and then back to the others attempting to seize the beast in its tracks.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    <I don't want to use it, but I have a golden bridle. If we can pin it down and possibly get it on--> Phoebe thinks. There's a lot of regret coming from her as well, sorrow for the poor terrified creature.

    The unicorn's charge was halted by the wood, the horn peircing through and very, very nearly breaking the wood -- with supernatural strength, the wood strains and cracks, but holds in place as Superboy's bacon is saved by nature! The second tranq strikes the unicorn's neck from Hope, and it gives another stumble.

    Rose, meanwhile, is slicing and dicing in the trees as the beech attempts to lift her off her feet with all its woody strength. Hope would find that the nearest greenery to her is trying to take her lower limbs and lift her into the air to try and wrestle her into a poorer position to dispatch with the t ranquilizers.

    MJ, on the other hand, with the Barbarian armor and blade, is still a target.

    Off to her side, a large boulder disrupts itself from the path, and with a low rumble of the earth crushing beneath its feet, it attempts to try and run over Red Sonya with all the grim determination of a NYC Transport Bus with intent to disrupt the magical circle and send Tabitha and Wonder Woman to a Syssiphian fate!

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Red Sonja doesn't bother to brace over for the charging unicorn. Intead she just goes to try and leap over and up and around the beast, twirling over with an arm over the neck to try and launch herself bareback atop it! "Halt, beast!" Now that it's attacked her directly she's giving it no quarter. At least, from her perspective. An arm goes to snap over alond the neck to brace herrself, one leg going to kick voer astride it to try and hold it tight. Other hand spiking up to hold on to the horn to try and mak ea point.
    At least in her era, unicrons, terrifying brute creatures of the frozen plains, had a sort of vulnerability to it. If it could feel pain.. She goes to brace herself if possible atop it, trying to hold down hard.
    "Care not for me, stop this wretched thing before over it causeses more damage!" Or at least, before she has to try and do something with that sword of her's..

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson snarls as she shifts into a backflip. Odds are, she'd end up half-splattered in the attempt, but Ravager doesn't do fair odds, not ever. Probability shifts her way and she springs like a pinball, back and forth through various bits of splintered debris to reclaim her tranq rifle and drop down into a crouch, rapid firing two more darts at the unicorn, even as she puts herself closer into the line of fire.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner slides aside, letting the unicorn smash its head on the tree, horn and all. "Haha, gotcha," he states happily. Except now several trees are trying to smash some of his favourite teamates. Central Park Conservancy is going to hate him, but he kicks down one of the attacking trees, then runs to catch Hope and fly her up, so she can shoot from above without attacking greenery. "That is four or five tranq darts. Maybe he is immune to drugs. Wasn't there something about unicorns healing poison?"

Hope Summers has posed:
    Hope's foot is snagged easily and she's pried from the tree, as she's not going to try and have a strength battle with a pair of trees and herself as the tug of war rope. That ends poorly for the fleshy thing. Every time.

    The girl doesn't scream however, as she sucks in a breath of fear and while upside down is still trying to aim and take the shot.

    Teeth gritted firmly before she's scooped up with a huff as her breath is forced out of her lungs by the catch and pull. "It's only two. Even if they do heal poisons, which I'll ask about later, this is more like venom." Hope educates and while pressing herself against Conner's chest, and using his shoulder as a brace, she levels the rifle to take a third shot. "That's three from me. Two from Rose. Thing should be hitting the floor any moment."

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Tabitha is not sure if leaving the circle is a good idea but while Connor is wrangling a Unicorn directly and Diana is in the circle with Phoebe and herself. Tabby frowns at the incoming boulder. "Red, duck!" she yells and hopes the woman gets out of the way.

Mostly so the ginger with the sword doesn't get hit by collaterall splash damage.

With hands full Tabby generates a stream of plasma instead of a single bomb. That might boom too big and risk the circle's integrity. But a concentrated blasting stream could push back on the rock and get it jumping and launching over. If it hits the rock while it's moving and connected towards the lower half. Like making a bowling ball hit a curb.

<<C'mon, you gotta be feeling the dope now. It's okay to sleep. We won't hurt you!>> she keeps trying to send soothing and reasuring senses as she keeps attempting to communicate.

Diana Prince has posed:
With trees being impaled, and knocked over, boulders being cast about wildly, and more shots fired at the Unicorn... Diana releases a light exhale as she unfurls her lasso at her side and holds it gripped tightly in her left, and right hands.

She waits for just the right moment before she swirls the lasso again, and sends a curling loop down its length toward the Unicorn's neck! IT's at the very edge of the lasso's length, but may be just enough to help snare the beast from where the Princess is standing.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Red Sonya manages to get her arms around the unicorn, its horn embedded in the wood, just as it manages to rear back and pull free, giving another scared scream, frothing at the mouth. Diana's lasso is caught about its head and neck, its forehooves coming down. Its eyes are wide, and though it's a smaller creature -- Tabitha might recall this was the smallest of the three! -- with the tranquilizers, the people holding it down, and Tabitha reaching out to the creature -- slowly -- it begins to sink down, its legs folding beneath it as dusk gives way to evening. The fireflies are glowing brighter, blinking in and out of vision as the unicorn appears to surrender to the tranquilizers, its head dipping.

    The trees release Rose and Hope as the unicorn's magic fades, the stone stops rolling and starts back to gathering moss.

    The unicorn breathes hard.

    Return me not to imprisonment. I would rather perish than lose freedom again

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
Going to slide off the Unicorn as the lasso goes down and it's stuck over into the wood, Red Sonja lands on her feet smoothly. Blade now dawn out, but she geos to take several steps back. Trusting the others. "I suggest you still your struggles or the next thing off will be your head. Or failing that you come -with- us whether you want ir ot not. Parley in good faith and listen. The power is not with you here. We -negotiate- out of a sense of wishing to accomodate you. Do not mistake that for weakness."

Rose Wilson has posed:
Thiere is a part of her - her father's daughter, her hunter's heart, that lethal thing in her soil that counts coup whenever she takes a head - that part of her thrills to see the unicorn stumble. She's momentarily shocked by her own bloodthirst, how strong it boils in her blood and she almost recoils, turning her head away from the spyglass of the rifle before a traitorous hand might shift to potent ammunition. That's not her path and she has to remind herself at times like these, tempting as the notch might be.

So Rose doesn't take another shot and that, for this moment, can be counted as a victory in itself.

"What the sword wench said." she echoes with a hollow cast to her voice.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner lands again, some distance from the unicorn, letting Hope go. "Now he speaks? After fighting us when we were going to help him back home?" Conner is absolutely sure now unicorns aren't very smart.

Well, good thing Phoebe didn't try this alone. "That was a lot of magic that horse was throwing around. But... didn't you say there was three of them, Balm?"

Hope Summers has posed:
    Set down by Conner, carefully on her feet and with a soft look from the red head to the alien, she takes a breath before turning and facing the mystical steed. "Stand down everyone. It no longer poses a threat. Neither should we." Hope says, her voice much more potent than before. She has that adrenaline pumping and Cable's regimented upbringing kicking into high gear.

    "He felt threatened, likely still does, but he's in a vulnerable position and is aware of that."

    Hope steps closer to the horse and bends down at her knees, rifle leaning on top of her shoulder like a resting samurai. <Phoebe, do you have what it takes to send it back home?> She asks, looking down into it's black eye that she can see, "We only want to get you back to your home." In an almost caring soft whisper.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
<<You're not going to get locked up.>> Tabby reassures and beams some warmth as the creature gets more and more worn out. <<We just want you getting back to your home. Where people won't try to imprison you and you can like totaly run free. Much much grazing with like no guilts and stuff.>>

Sonja who seems to be driving the redheaded model's body gets a very very sharp disappointed Mom like glare. It's aimed at the others that might be negotiating from a position of violence.

"Not cool! No heads come off. Too harsh yo. He's scared and in a place he don't know. How the crap you gonna react in the same sitch?" she points out.

<<We'll find your friends, herd? I wanna think herd. Family. Get you all home, same and sound.>> she keeps up the telepathy while Hope adds to the reassurances of the unicorn's safety.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the lasso around the creature's neck, Diana starts to use her hands to pull herself toward it while keeping the rope taut. It is glowing, mind you, so questioning the beast will yield it to tell the truth should any questions be asked of it...

As the others talk, Diana just approaches silently, one foot after the other, until she's beside it like the others. She draws in a breath then, and comes to sit down on a scattered, displaced, stone, beside the creature's head. She reaches a hand up to press her bare fingertips against the side of the Unicorn's long face. She just gently strokes her fingers down the smooth surface of the frightened animal, before she looks toward Phoebe to hear the answer to that question about being able to send it back to it's home.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The unicorn's dark eyes blink a moment, wetness forming at the bottom of the eye and drawing downwards, along its velvet-like cheek. Slowly, it lifts its head at Tabby's words, and at Diana's touch, its breath slowly, almost dazed as the sedatives take effect. Its flanks rise and fall with a shimmer of sweat as it slowly registers everyone around it.

    It gives a little whicker, and then turns, and slowly lays its head against Tabby, and then Diana.

    Phoebe comes up to the grouping, looking around. She takes a deep breath, and looks to the circle she carved into the ground, and then to the unicorn in question.

    <I can.> she replies, <but I need your name.>

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
The horse seems to have accepted the need for a parley. Red Sonja goes to slide her sword over her back and remains silent an dimpassive. Now it's the turn of the princess that purportedly can speak to animals by magic to see things through. She just goes to watch like a beacon.
    Now on overwatch in case other monsters come thier way.
    Yes, she considers the unicorn one.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson flexes her hands as she puts away her own weapons. She wasn't sure if she felt relieved or disappointed. Regardless, she did her best to look unfazed by it all, pulling a hood back further up to shadow her face. "Oh, great. A happy ending." she says flatly.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner keeps watch too. Because three unicorns, this is only one. Also, it targeted him despite being the one that was not doing anything. No magic, or aiming weapons. Sheesh.

Dogs > Horses. Clearly!

Hope Summers has posed:
    Hope reads the room and moves up from from her squatted spot, rifle held in a hand and then slung back over her shoulder. A glance is given to Rose and Conner with a nod sent in both their directions. Then Tabby and Diana, and Sonja. Sonja, she seems like a woman who knows how to handle herself in a fight. Hope thinks to herself that she needs to meet her later, learn what she can from her.

    The younger red head keeps her eyes on Phoebe and the unicorn, mind reaching out and sending calming emotions through the borrowed telepathy, and taking a deep breath to help that within herself as well.

    "We good?" She asks, scanning the perimeter, still on alert but trying to calm the rest.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
The Unicorn gets soft caring cheek rubs to reinforce the feeling of safety as the tranquilisers kick in. The Uniforn is toally getting lit and Tabby is just fine making sure it knows and feels safe with her telepathy.

Well she actually gives it a hug because you get the chance you hug the floppybeared unicorn. She's not that far past her teennage yeares. "Two more. Bigger siblings. This guy is the little one." she states and nods. "And there's still the guy that chained them up to watch out for." she reminds.

"Happy ending costs extra, we still got work to earn it!" she points out to Rose.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana pulls gently on the lasso as it starts to uncurl from around the Unicorn's neck, the heated rope going dim again as the power within it is shunted back in to itself. The Princess sweeps her eyes over the others here, as she listens to them speak. "There are two more, hmm?" She asks then. "Well, I hope they can be rescued just as ... easily." Of course this was up to debate just how easily it was rescued, but all the same!

The Princess keeps her hand on the side of the Unicorn's face, continuing to gently stroke the animal as it leans in to the soft petting.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    I am called Laconian. the unicorn replies, and then slowly, he shifts upwards. His tail whips slightly as he gives a shake of his head, looking to all the gathered heroes in turn as he breathes out, and his head bows to each.

    You all have my thanks. Should you travel through my home, in dream or waking, I will lend you my aid. At your word. Return me home. he states, shakily drawing up to a walk.

    Tabitha and Diana and Sonja all come away with unicorn fibres on their clothing as he stands, and Phoebe, very, very tentatively, reaches out to touch his flank as she walks with him.

    <If you want to lend a hand, c'mon over to the circle. It'll be easier with a bunch of us on the outside adn him on the inside.>

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
This is irritating. But, Red Sonja has done her piece. Her body language shifts and relaxes, even as she goes to tentatively take out the strands of hair over that she has had dropped on her. They go carefully collected to be put over into a plastic bag. Probably someone from WAND can use them or..
    Well, ther'e sthe old stories of that they could be slung together to mkae a bowstring.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson shakes her head, closing her own fist, "Nah. You don't need my blood price slowing you down," she says, ducking away.

"I'll make sure the others know where ya went, if you don't come back from...wherever or whatever's happenin' in hocus pocus unicorn land."

Diana Prince has posed:
Once the others begin to move with the Unicorn, Diana rises back up to her full height of just over six feet. She starts to walk with them, moving her coiled-up lasso back to her right hip where she reattaches it to the harness worn over her torso. Her hands go to her sides, and the Princess just ends up back at the circle area, this time standing along its extserior perimeter. She looks to her right toward everyone else, her dark hair gently blowing in the wind, giving Rose one questioning look as she wasn't familiar with the gun-toting gal...

But, ultimately her gaze goes again toward the galliant steed as it is entered in to the magical circle.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    This unicorn would have been too small for almost anyone in the group to have ridden properly, though it would have been able to comfortably carry any of them if they tried.

    The unicorn tiredly stands in the middle of the circle. As the others gather around the circle, Phoebe takes a breath, and holds her hands appart, and between them there is light. And then the light swirls into pale, golden-glowing water, which she drops to the circle. Its lines and runes turn a pale blue, the light changing around them as twilight betweens to fade back towards late afternoon.

    Phoebe brings her left hand to her throat, her right hand held out.

    <Ut omnis aqua suo tempore volvitur, iterum atque iterum rediens, sic te vinctum in domum mittimus, Laconian, unde venisti, redi.> Phoebe commands in Latin, her voice a whisper against the breeze as the magic begins to spiral upwards. Yes, Rose, it does glitter, but this was because of the light shining off the droplets, bathing the little clearing in a wealth of rainbows surrounding our heroes. The warmth and coolness, a sense of peace mixed with the scent of lilacs and roses, black pepper and sharp citrus.

    Revertetur in terram suam!

    There is a small rumble, and then, quietly, Laconian's black eyes glow, clearing to their natural deep forest green, dappled with golden yellow.

    Be Warned, Daughter of Amanda, Daughter of Paisi, you are both marked. Now, Farewell.

    And with a snap like a wet towel, the unicorn and the magic circle carved into the earth are gone.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    And Phoebe collapses down to her knees, coughing violently and spitting to the side.

Mary Jane Watson has posed:
The young girl that was dealing with the unicorn has collapsed. Mary Jane stills within herself the instinct to run over and offer ot help and see what's wrongw ith the girl. Mostly that therea re others -far- better suited to this than she is that know Balm. So she just goes to keep herself on full aert in case other things come out and go after them.
    Someone here that's magic and that knows her is going to be in a lot better position to help PHoebe than random redhead, agent of STAB.

Tabitha Smith has posed:
Luckily for Tabitha, no one would get upset at her getting covered in unicorn fuzz. Jerome the X-Donk is pretty cool with that stuff.

So offering to help Laconian get home, Tabby keeps up with contributing and fulfilling that kinda promise. So circle time she is back at once more.

Though if he's in the middle Tabby tries to make sure she's not about to be accidentally ported to his realm. Maybe when the other two are back. "Sooo, can we ask your friends names. Be easier to convince them we're not out to hurt anyone!" she points out warmly. "Friendly faces and names always help in getting the lost back home. I'm a runaway myself. So experienced. I'm Tabitha by the way!" she offers in introduction to Laconian. The fuzz on her synthetic leather left alone. Tabby will probably just bunch it up as best she can and put it on her shelf at home. Right next to some of her other weird keepsakes.

Once the latin chanting starts and the spell goes off and the circle and Laconian are away Tabby hunkers down to check on Phoebe. "Umm, hey, you alright. I know magic takes a lot out of people if they like cast from hitpoints. But maybe next time. Draw on some of us. I know I've got energy to spare." she offers with a smile.

"Amanda? Ohh. Yeah." That gets a little tone of sadness from Tabitha as she realises who the Unicorn referred to. "What does he mean by marked?" she makes a mental not to check for anything on her butt that might have appeared or not later.

Rose Wilson has posed:
Rose Wilson sheathes her weapon, the rifle sideslung across her lean body. She sees Wonder Woman notice her and holds up an 'okay' thumbs up. Not exactly a handshake, but there are other fingers she could have used.

She'll trot and get a distance, ducking away even from those who know her. Time to brood for a while. It's a bad girl's prerogative.

Diana Prince has posed:
After the spell is cast, Diana kneels down beside Phoebe where she crumpled up. She reaches her right hand out to place it on the back of the young woman's shoulders. "Are you alright?" Diana's soothing voice asks, as she watches her with curiosity. "You have done a very good thing here, Phoebe." She reminds her too.

The Princess looks up toward where the Unicorn had been, before she lets a smile roll across her red hued lips. "A creature such as that? You saved him, and thus... you have better luck for it going forward." She tries to cheer the mage up before looking toward the others.

"If there are two more left, do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need help. I will gladly do so." She then tells everyone still around them.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe brings her gloved hands up as Diana kneels down beside her, and when she pulls away, there is blood on the fingertips.

    She signs that she's fine to Diana, and just, leans back on her thighs.

    Two more unicorns remain, and the names hang in her head like a bad idea.

    Epirote, the Ice Mist

    Achaean, the Firebound.

    Laconian, the Wood Guardian, was the weakest of the three, and the shortest bound. What dangers further waited with the unicorns in Manhattan?