13288/Discordants: Return to the Starport

Discordants: Return to the Starport
Date of Scene:	19 November 2022
Location:	Central Gardens - Atlantic Starport
Synopsis:	An attack on the Starport by Malekith's forces ends with the destruction of the Artifacts, Mjolnir's return, and Zatanna's fall.
Cast of Characters:	Thor, Richard Swift, Natasha Romanoff, Diana Prince, Jane Foster, Zatanna Zatara, Sif

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Thor has posed:
    It was not well known to the world beyond the Starport what transpired the day of the ritual. To the world Thor had disappeared, there had been some commotion at the Starport, but beyond that life continued. Yet the people in charge of the landing pad where the artifacts were gathered, and those who worked the area where its influence was to be felt, it became apparent after a time that... the ritual had worked.
    Visitors from other realms who traveled across dimensions in the old manner found themselves looking upon the beautiful tableau of the ocean and the crossroads to Midgard in the form of that Starport's spires. And often they were greeted by personnel who had been chosen to make that first polite contact.
    "And your name, sir?"
    "I am Mr. GrumbleTom, miss."
    The Starport hostess touched her stylus to her tablet and nodded, "And your reason for visit, sir?"
    "I had intended to visit the old country, miss. But I seem to have taken an ill step." The tiny eighteen inch tall man replied. He stood beneath a sign that declared in various languages, 'Please Form An Orderly Line.'
    The hostess shook her head, "Oh no sir, but trust we will get you where you're going."
    "Oh that'll be good, thank ye."
    "And where are you hailing from?"
    "Alfheim, miss."
    "Oh excellent, well welcome to Midgard, or as we like to say, Earth."
    "Thank ye."
    "Now I need to ask if you have a time limit or some sort of date when you need to return?"
    "Oh aye, I should get back likely before the next solstice when I have to dip me cap in some blood, but beyond that..."
    "I see, sir. Excellent."
    If matters had turned out better likely it would be viewed as a success. But today as the winds swirled off in the distance with the storm brewing close to the horizon, it might still be hard to see the victory in the endeavour.

Richard Swift has posed:
The Shadows were his friend. A sound, a shadow, a moment, a movement. The Shade moves two steps forward, out of the shadows, and into the light. Midgard. Earth. Why was he here? Because he had heard something was happening, and perhaps it was better to watch, and wait, and see instead of finding out by a third person. Plus, there was a storm coming. Indeed.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff is currently over on duty at the Starport, as part of the SHIELD and SWORD contingent that rotated in and out. Given the assassination some time ago of the Shi'Ar ambassador and everything else that had gone on, the presence of said contingent had grown, even if only slightly. So for whatever reason, the Black Widow was the one that had been assigned to desk duty here. Maybe she had annoyed Maria?
    But,s he's attentive and alert up in the control room over while reviewing data and the comings and goings. With her full eqiupment on her. Even if this was for however long just a desk job, she would be ready for anything. She has a list available of what would pass as 'customs' inventory, and is looking for anything amiss on it while listening to the security monitors go back and forth.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana had been on Themyscira just this morning. What with the situation unfolding there, she had a lot to help with, and in that vein she'd flown here to the Starport to help, by bringing some additional Amazon Wonder Woman resides not far away from where this tiny traveler is announcing himself as a Alfheim visitor. The Princess is standing amongst a gaggle of Amazons all wearing their gold and silver adorned armor, all listening to the Princess explain some of the details of what is unfolding back home, and how it might relate to what is happening here. Of course, the Amazons always draw some attention from outsiders to their people too, especially here in this place where both worlds 'collide' so to speak.

Wearing a dark blue cloak over her blue and red armor, Diana is simply holding a impromptu conversation with six other members of the Amazon guard.
arriors to the port to aid in security.

Jane Foster has posed:
The Atlantic Starport promises many wonderful and diverse avenues for future integration and exploration, a place among the wind-whipped waves and vast skies that would normally call Jane to visit. Heck, to find all manner of excuses available to her to stay, bothering SWORD to take up the other half of her purview or engaging in varied conversations or backroom deals to extend the tenure on site. Promising, if this were six months ago and not in the dark weeks following Hallowe'en.

She might avoid the place entirely were the necessity not already signed and sealed, an inescapable exchange for information on the grounds of SHIELD's work. Natasha may be on the ground, but certain matters require WAND-SWORD affiliated people on hand to manage the hand-off. To also say hello. Paperwork, handshakes, and the veritable thinned smile are all necessities that are seen to somewhere 'else' than the main rotunda, where privacy is gathered. The brunette astrophysicist doesn't even get to enjoy whatever she acquired for the agency, since that's all but sent hurtling out the door in an awaiting QUinjet.

Really, she could just do with a coffee and a long nap somewhere. Neither will be had, though the exciting armour in sparkling gold and silver at least attracts notice, and she veers slowly in that direction to gain a peek without radiating 'Hello I'm a tourist' vibes.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
It had worked. Travelers had begun to trickle in from other realms. Not the mad rush of alien creatures that some had abhorred. Zatanna walked into the Central Garden half expecting to see scaffolding and wrecked greenery in the aftermath of Malekith's spell.R
Still, it felt like an empty victory with Thor gone. For all her vaunted skills with magic, she had not seen the pall of evil that hung over them. She had missed Malekith's coming.

Dark circles mostly hidden by stage makeup underline Zatanna's eyes. She has dressed simply for the return. A sober black suit and starched, low heeled boots - she has learned the hard way to leave high heels behind.

Sif has posed:
Another had made her way back to this place. Sif had not chosen to dress in Midgardian style today. She was in her full Asgardian armor, with blade at her side. There was a cloak atop it in a deep red, matching her clothing well. It had a ruff of fur around the neckline.

Her last visit to this place, she had lost her best friend. Her mood had been ill since. She wished to know what had happened and she came here, to see if there were any sort of answers. She doubted it. This just happened to be the place.

Thus she entered, saw the array of artifacts in their special protective cases, and paused to be sure she kept any emotions well in check.

Thor has posed:
    Everything at a glance seems to be normal. There are no errant readings in the control area as Natasha gauges the systems. And Richard appears in the shadows, unknown to the security personnel on hand. Though he will likely espy the tiny figure of GrumbleTom speaking with the hostess.
    For a time there is only the wash of the waves against the support structures of the platform, and the quiet discussion with the traveler. The Amazons have their discussion with a Jane moving in that direction.
    But then in the area of the small buildings and displays that house the Resonant artifacts, suddenly one explodes with a brilliant blast of flame. The figurehead from an old viking ship roars to life as flame burns upward like a grand bonfire. Then the brilliant necklace gained from the land of Alfheim ignites and surges upward.
    Each artifact in turn grows awash in flames that do not seem to harm the area or consume anything, but once they all glow in their circular template, a large flame flashes to life on the edge of the platform.
    And that is when a giant skeletal claw slams out of seemingly nowhere, slamming down upon the edge of the platform and causing metal and stone to crackle and tear. At first it is just a leg, then a bony rib cage, then three gigantic draconic heads with green fire glowing from its eyes. It emerges from the nothing, crawling and pulling itself forward. While around it bestial winged creatures fly out and take to the sky.
    The monstrosity surges forward, knocking over the 'Please Form an Orderly Line' sign with a clatter as poor Grumbletom and the Hostess both break for cover.

Richard Swift has posed:
The Shade moves without making a sound. Staying to the background, he is here to watch, and observe, and who knows...take advantage of the situation. Let's see...a Ginger Agent of SHIELD. Princess of the Amazons. Magi. Asgardian Shield Maiden. Well, x2. Hrm.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha Romanoff is settled over in her position over when energy readings start to rise. Someone in the control room tehre from earlier events goes to swear, and then goes to put out a general alarm. <<All personnel, combat stations. All civilian crew, evacuate to shelters. All personnel, combat alert>>
    Natasha's recent experienceds with giant zombie monsters limited to the fun in Latveria, is going to simply pick up a large rifle over from the armory, and then is running towards the attacked area with it, moving to activate her camo suit which would have ehr hopefully blending into the background area, away from notice, letting her move silently and in the shadows..
    Not as much as the Shade, of course.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana, and the other Amkazon women, are quite used to the tourist types around here. Pictures, videos, asking for autographs even. Much of it is /very/ weird to the Amazons who are new from the island, but those who have put in some time now are growing more accustomed to all of this. With the six that are with Diana right now, they all represent different leadership roles amonst the patrols that move about the whole complex. The tallest of the six women is a six foot five brute of a woman known as Bria. Both Bria and Diana are first to react to the situation as it begins to unfold.

But with the chaotic nature of what is breaking out, all seven Amazon warrior women are soon turning, facing, and preparing for whatever this emerging danger might be.

"What is that?" One of the guardswomen says, clutching her golden tipped spear, holding it down and pointed outward now toward this potential enemy.

Diana glares, her cloak coming open as she holds her lasso twine within her right gripping hand, the end of it clutched in her opposite hand. A quick look is sent around the others nearby, as the Starport alerts are assuredly sounding off now...

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane isn't one who stands out in any fashion, at least to most people. Her daydreams about a proper hot beverage take a back seat to the occasional disquieting tug on her awareness. A klaxon noise is certainly suitable for attracting attention. Bria, Diana, and several other women training perennially for the defense of peace make outstanding sirens for something being terribly awry.

Lady Sif escapes her notice initially, although the immense clattering of something loud connecting with metal changes that. Is there a sigh of relief somewhere to be found at spotting her along with Wonder Woman in the vicinity? If so, a quiet one, running fast on the heels of reaching for the hostess and Grumbletom. Her first priority is the hostess unless the woman is obviously Atlantean or spared by a Midnight Angel somewhere.

"Quick, this way!" Whatever other defensive measures the spaceport has, automatically translating everything isn't one of them. Hence why she can repeat the same to a possible redcap in the language of the light elves, gesturing to a sheltered wall that leads to a deeper rotunda away from the angry monstrosity. It would've been nice to be a darn crab.

Three draconic heads leer at her and she might just glare right back, the province of death abused. Something more certain flashes in her set expression; she has a Bad Idea.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The peaceful garden and the gentle wash of the ocean on the platform had for a brief moment lulled Zatanna into thinking that the horror that had last visited them here was behind, leaving only grief over Thor's loss filling their hearts.

Magic fluttered and flared into existence as the artifacts bloomed with light. The magician felt the evil like heat from a fire. Eyes darting left and right for its source, she cries an inarticulate warning to the other as marble cracked under the claws weight. Retreating toward the group of Amazons, reflexively, she raises her hands, palms out, throwing a warding spell on the doors to the rest of the Starport. A mesh of purple light unfolds, covering them.

"It has returned," Zatanna tells those near her. "It, no he, wants more. I can feel his pull on the artifacts."

Sif has posed:
The alarms go off. People begin to vacate. And Sif glances toward the source of the excitement. While others go the opposite direction, she proves to be the opposite as she moves toward the danger.

There is no glance given to the flaming artifacts as she finds herself distracted by the giant skeletal dragon with three heads. And for some reason, that makes her smile. Not a pleasant smile filled with friendship or positive thoughts. This one was positively feral, a dark edge to it.

She walked toward the beast, a measured pace. As she walked, she unclasped the cloak she was wearing and it fell to the floor behind her in the wake of her passage. In the same motion, she drew her sword from her side.

"We have already killed you thrice!" she called out to the beast, her expression filled with satisfaction at that. "Stand down. Show us your master and we will be certain he does not abuse you further, allowing you to find your peace in death!"

Thor has posed:
    The alarms go out and sound as some observers trigger it across the station as well as from Natasha's position. Suddenly the Starport comes to life as systems shift from standby to alarm state. There is the cry of a siren letting the rest of the station know that a security event is occurring as people rush to shelters.
    Enough flying creatures emerge from thin air to darken the horizon partially, winged bat-like creatures yet bipedal as they hurtle into the sky. Around the surging hydra four ten foot tall Svartalfar armored forms in red and black surge forth, their bodies seething with power and each step melting the ground as they move, each wielding powerful flaming weapons as they charge forward. A surge of more figures come into focus behind as the first wave of monstrosities reach the area. Though as these smaller figures appear sharp sizzling bolts are fired forth.
    The hostess is rushing toward Jane and as she runs she is struck by one of those enchanted quarrels that slices through her left shoulder and forces her eyes to widen with pain even as she falls.
    GrumbleTom shouts, "Bloody 'ell!" Spinning around as he rips off his tiny shirt angrily and produces a thin dagger as he moves to try and protect the hostess. "The dark elves!"
    But when Sif bellows her challenge, the monstrosity swivels all three of its heads. It spreads its jaws almost like gigantic snakes seeking to swallow their dinners whole and then such a madness of horror is spewed forth, looking like a miasma of gas and ichor that preys upon the very soul of those it touches.

Richard Swift has posed:
The shadows were his friend. With a sidelong glance, he notes that the shadows also caressed the Widow. Although he thought he was invisible, the Shade still takes a moment to tap his cane against his top hat in a salute to an extremely talented woman. He knew she knows he was here.

Combat troops. Perhaps discretion was the better part of valour. Taking a step back, he lets the shadows engulf him as he watches. Diana and her Amazon soldiers. As her eyes move towards him, the Shade smiles. She was as effective as he had heard. Then that voice...Zatanna...her voice made him move further into the shadows. "Uh oh."

Then. Lady Sif. She was magnificent. Shade admires her for three seconds, and sighs. "Such a waste." Would she survive? "Here we go..." That was when all Nifleim broke loose. "Fascinating..."

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
The other in the shadows is not noticed by Natasha as she goes over into a firing position and goes to take up her bulky looking weapon. she moves to press her hand over to it, and it starts to hum. There's a very light glow from the shadows where she is as she goes to run into the area of the melee. Then she's going to jump up and over onto the wall, towards a perch near the ceiling that serves as an observation window for one of the coffee shops to get a view of the area. In position, the redhead ducks down then with her weapon. It continuing to charge with a building hum. The low light and noise probably doesn't stand out over given the melee, but she no longer operates from a position of total concealment. Then, the railgun goes to gather a full charge to it..
    And the Black Widow goes to push a heavy titanium round into the launcher.. Takes aim over at the center head of the large dragon that was advancing on Jane.. And goes to fire it. Attempting to aim over at the spot where open, fanged mouth met neck while the creature would be readying for a snap.. Her intent would be to hopefully have the hypervelocity round shot through the mouth, out the back of the skull, and hopefully blow the head clean off. OF course, that would require her to hit so precisely, and for the round to actually have any sort of effect on a magical leviathan, which it may not.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the situation growing rapidly out of hand, Diana, and the six other Amazons close by to it all begin to react. Captain Bria shouts something to the other five women who draw their weapons and prepare for the fight. Diana? Well, she's more capable than her sisters, and after shrugging off the blue and gold cloak from her shoulders, she lets the magic twine of the lasso of Hestia suddenly shine! With a bounce in her step, the Princess starts forward, and lunges up in to the air to go for that mighty dragon-like beast that the Black Widow is firing upon now!

Wonder Woman shoots through the air, lasso out, sweeping it toward that creature's skull as she intends to entangle it, and land upon the top of its head to keep the beast from using its maw to cause any further damage, or to hold it still for others attacks!

The other Amazons are drawing spear and bow, arrows already unleashed at the flying enemies, while those towering dark elven souls are met by Amazons holding out long spears to keep them at-bay.

Of course, seven Amazon are not the limit of their numbers here, no, 90 more Amazons are not far away.... and likely already well aware of something unfolding here...

Jane Foster has posed:
"She can't stay out here, Ms. Zatara. Do what you think is best in your educated opinion, as long as it doesn't throw civilians into the ocean!" A good number of other combatants joining the field might give Jane cover to grab the hostess shot through by a svartalf bolt or arrow. She hauls her to a covered spot before pain escalates into shock, wrapping an arm around the injured lady and hauling back with the perfectly mundane strength of two squishy targets in a sea of violence. "I'm going to take you back. We need to keep you elevated." An arm around the waist, and then hauled lockstep might be easier if she had another option to fall back on. Nonetheless, short of being overrun by the hydra or giant winged beasts, Doctor Foster takes the time-honoured route of a retreat.

Along the way, she gives the wound a once-over to determine if the location threatens the woman's life outright. Using the hostess' clothes as packing material for the injury might not be the most tidy or comfortable situation, but it beats bleeding out, performed as soon as they can both break into a room or find a quieter spot out of direct range. For that, she'll trust in the Amazons, Lady Sif in the field, the mundane defenses, and Zatanna's mystical talents to buy time.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Sif's brave charge draws Zatanna forward. Chanting under her breath, golden shields etched with revolving circles of runes spring into existence, impenetrable to the enemies weapons. The magician casts one before Sif, several brighten and form in front of the Amazons, she looks up, remembering the woman wielding a weapon that never should have been admitted to the Starport and throws one up before her. Lastly, the revolving sigils form in front of Jane, dragging the woman to safety.

Finally, Zatanna can turn her attention to the Horde around the dragon, dimly aware of the artifacts glowing in their cases. Power surges through them, opening the gate that admits the army charging them.

"Sif! Jane! The artifacts!" she screams over the din of battle. "We have to destroy them!" Not waiting for a response, still chanting to maintain the shields she duck crawls over to the nearest case.

Sif has posed:
As that spray of ew came from one of the skeletal dragon heads, Sif had her answer. There would be no cooperation. No standing down. Which meant the beast would need to be destroyed. Hopefully the fourth death would be enough. She dodged to the side in a quick roll, putting distance between her and whatever it was spewing forth. There was no telling what it might do. Perhaps it was just physical but if it was more magical in nature, it might kill with a touch. She didn't want to find out.

Only, there was far more to deal with than that as the entire invasion group was revealed. Sif frowned and shook her head even as the Amazons engaged the dragon and flying creatures. Wonder Woman herself in the fray which was encouraging for she was a warrior of much renown.

The appearance of the shield surprised her but was appreciated. She heard the words from Zatanna and glanced, spotting the closest artifact in relation to her location. She'd have to work her way toward it.

Which had Sif turning her attention to the Kursed ones. For they would not be reasoned with. Experience had taught her that. She moved to close with the first one, bringing up her sword. And a memory came to mind. Of young warriors hungry for battle and the valor that came with it. Rushing in before thinking. As likely to get themselves killed as prove themselves the great warriors they thought themselves to be. Thor would have been the first to leap into the battle in his youth, crying out a challenge to those attacking at the top of his lungs. Thus, in the honor of her fallen friend, she gave voice, screaming loudly. "Have at thee!"

She swung for the closest Kursed, the uru metal of her sword particularly good at dealing with their powers whereas a normal blade would not fare so well.

Thor has posed:
    Even as the ichor and bile sizzle forth from the trio of maws from the great creature, there is an abrupt anti-sound as something so fast and powerful seems to enforce a silence upon the world as it's fired. Then Natasha's round SLAMS into the monstrosity's main skull and a green ripple of visible power surges around it while the head is snapped back and suddenly falls forward as if dazed, lost in whatever haze is inflicted on it while the other heads stop spewing the horrors of its poisonous breath.
    It is a powerful strike, enough to make it so that Diana's approach is a clean dash into combat. She slashes across the sky her lasso grasping one of the three skulls and twisting sharply. It's enough of a rush to cause it to rise back on its haunches as it claws at her, unable to reach...
    That is until six long spiny limbs snap free out of its form, the limbs that would have been the six wings for these combined dragons when they were alive, now looking like the claws of a praying mantis as it tries to stab Diana to death with such malice.
    The Amazons rush forward and they meet the initial clash and surge of the creatures that hurl forth. One is felled as the Svartalfar Giant crashes into their quickly gathered line, but then the mayhem ensues and it is difficult to discern the sides.
    Meanwhile, across the Starport, the emergency forces are mustering. A first reaction force is already rolling while off in the harbor one of the Atlantean ships surfaces with a huge splash of waves and water, its ports starting to open as weaponry emerges.
    Distantly a shout is heard, "Yibambe!" and answered in kind as armored warriors of Wakanda rush across the Starport, bounding over the buildings that block their approach as they take up firing positions near.
    One of the winged creatures swoops in to menace Jane and her charge, even as she tries to help the hostess. Only for GrumbleTom to leap upon its back, his small blade plunging in over and over as the bat-creature shrieks and takes to the air once again, with him still on it. And still stabbing.
    Then powerful shields surge to life at a gesture from Zatanna, their energy roiling around in front of Sif, empowering her armor and form, another flickering to life in front of Widow though more subdued. And several more in front of warriors fighting for their lives.
    The artifacts continue to surge, engulfed in those cold flames that seem to neither burn nor consume. The Kursed Ones, however, glowed with a similar blaze. Their flames were ravenous in their consumption and their blades seemed to hunger.
    Another Amazon fell under the impact of one of those giant swords, and that blade rose again about to fall once more... only for Sif's sword to slam into the Svartalfar weapon with a loud clang. And on the backstroke she slices across the monster's abdomen causing it to reel backward wildly as it roars.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Now it's time to reposition. Natasha goes to the shadows once more, moving to relocate. She goes to dive down from her perch, and then goes to scramble across the room, firing a grapple dart to yoink herself across the arena to another outcropping. This one being the side of a support beam hse goes to slide down, landing atop one of the scanners used for putting visitors through customs, in all irony. She goes to land atop it and goes to let the gun start to charge again. There's small indications of her movement, but hopefully not as much if anyone's scanning the area through the melee. The weapon is charging, and will take several seconds.. So Natasha goes tos urvey the area for possible targets while she's not engaged and thus has the opportunity to skirmish at will.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the golden glowing lasso tied around the middle head of the beast, Diana is holding on to either end while the beast raises up boney arms to strike at her with them! The Princess nimbly jumps, ducks, and even casually steps, out of the way of the strikes. She continues to try and reign the beast in with the lasso, jumping up in the air and pulling hard on the golden twine to pull the beast backward and keep it from advancing, while at the same time further exposing its neck as she yanks hard upon it!

The Amazons down in the fight are struggling in numbers to keep up, but do roll away from potentially fatal attacks as they use their spears, swords, and shields to push back against the attackers. Captain Bria comes sweeping in with her massive sword to block such an attack to one of her sisters, thrusting her blade up toward the Dark Elf creature who dared to try such an attack!

The Amazon cavalry comes rushing toward the area too, all mounted upon horse back, they ride alongside the Wakandans, the horses carrying their riders close enough for the archers to all ready up, draw back, and let loose a volley of golden arrows up toward the flying enemies, while one of the Amazons shouts out! "Diana!" And from behind her back she whips out the Princess' sword and throws it with a mighty swing of her muscled arm! The blade twirls end over end up toward the Princess, who reaches her hand up and out to grasp its blue leather wrapped handle before she sweeps it around to cleave at one of the arms trying to skewer her!

Jane Foster has posed:
To think, she used to like bats. Maybe just Gotham bats, a special breed that tends not to attack random civilian bystanders. Jane utters her thanks when the bestial winged thing drops from the sky, and probably drops a little faster with several inches of fey blade rammed through its side and skull. The glyphs dancing around her blur into focus along with the ringing tones of Zatanna's warning, and she can estimate what the shield's intention represents. Raising her bloodied fingers from the hostess' wounds, she takes the woman's hands. "I want you to press here. Don't push the bolt out. Someone is coming who will be able to treat you properly but stay quiet and still for now."

Imperfect advice for the trenches and no different a century later. The brunette gets to her feet and scurries across the hall, stitching her way in the direction she came with a great deal less concern for her hide than she showed on the way out. Let that be a warning sign as she darts through swinging swords and rampant claws, bound for the reliquary.

Woe be to the dark elf who presumably wants to make a meal out of her, his judgment forever tainted in the sound that enjoins the fray in a high, almost ecstatic whistling of splitting the air. It descends at ruthless diagonals while the astrophysicist drops back into a defensive block, her arms raised to catch the stronger warrior's arm as she pivots aside on the sensible balls of her feet that Natasha's likely to find only sixteen errors with rather than twenty-five. Facing a martially superior opponent means diversion strategies and using momentum against them really has an advantage.

Her shirt sleeve ends up cut, and the blade that comes down ends up momentarily entangled on a cheap, thin tennis bracelet that could be had for $119 at Target. Funny how her arm isn't bleeding or wrist tendons severed, either, as the dark elf's strike veers askew.

Much less funny is when a falling star completes a near right angle turn and uses the opening to plow straight to the elf. Heated uru streams a tiny vortex behind the short haft to open a route for Jane to run down, and anyone else who feels like following after her.

And a certain hammer.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
All of their hard won work destroyed to stop Malekith? Friendships had been made, bonds between realms that at best had been wary of each other. Distrust had been overcome with the Dwarves and new understanding fostered by the opening the realms to each other.

Half her attention is on the shields that need to be renewed, distracting her from the task at hand. To the sound of hooves clattering on the marble floor, Zatanna makes her way to the first case. The ring emblazoned with the three realms glows with an unwholesome light. A light they it was never intended to channel. Zatanna loathes the idea of destroying the hard won work of so many months.

In the distance she hears Wakandan war cries, voices rally in the hall. Fists clenched, eyes closed in concentration, the mage makes a decision. She won't destroy the work of so many people, it would suit the evil driving the attack too well.

The elements are her domaine. Zee considers the metal and forms a spell, ".semyhr yresrun fo koob a emoceB .egnahC .etumsnarT" (Transmute. Change. Become a book of nursery rhymes.)

Sif has posed:
"Get clear," Sif told the fallen Amazon as she blocked that blow and attacked the Kursed. "But if I might borrow your shield?" And with that, she had an Amazonian shield she was able to scoop up and position on her left arm, helping to give her even more protection during the fight. Extra was always better in that situation.

She did not stop with that backstroke. There was no stopping for a Kursed. Thus, as it fell back, she flicked that sword back across in a quick shift of direction in an attempt to cut through the neck. Only to find her blade blocked again. The creatures were far more dangerous for they were extremely strong and difficult to kill. Injuries that might incapacitate another were nothing to a Kursed.

Though as she engaged with the creature, she began to work her way toward the artifact. Letting the Kursed think it had the advantage. Then she ducked under a sword blow--hopefully lining it up so the Kursed's blade would slam into the artifact displayed and destroy it!

Even as she saw that flash of light and movement. Was that Mjolnir?! And in that instant she felt the bite of a blade cutting into her upper arm for she had lost focus. But she felt a swell of hope even as she refocused on the fight she was engaged in.

Thor has posed:
    There's a tension that snaps along the line and Diana can feel the creature raging and resisting, its form seeming to be composed only of bone yet she can feel the mass of a neck or flesh as if its body was invisible. Though that gives her more purchase as she focuses her power and lifts... and is able to bring the horror DOWN! Hard upon its back with a loud crash, several dark elves crushed under the creature's impact.
    It writhes as it's pinned, tail thrashing, those six pinions slashing out trying to impale the princess and any else that draw near. There's a loud /SHING!/ as the blade slices one of the limbs free, sending the talon flying into the air.
    The battle has surged, catching up and rolling over some of the souls so set upon. Warrior Dark Elves with their blades and bows hurl forth. Several are struck down by weapons-fire and arrows from the defenders of the Starport. Another grim figure with a heavy iron helm raises his blades seeking the blood of a certain astrophysicist.
    It is a victory close at hand, a small one but just the first of the night for him assuredly as he sees the human female fight and try to foul his aim. His last thoughts are on conquest...
    When Mjolnir smashes his armored shell and slashes past into Jane's hand with a /WHOM!/ of power.
    In the display area near Zatanna she can feel the power surging from what fell magics hath been wrought. She can almost feel the presence of the other sorcerer who seeks her and her world's downfall as power continues to bind the artifacts. She is able to focus on one, her power gathering at her fingertips. She works the change, a twist of the fabric of reality, turning the symbol of peace between Nidavellir and Midgard into something seemingly harmless.
    And for a moment the spell flickers, wavers.
    Then a voice is heard through that link between the artifacts. A single word spoken with derision and reverberating darkly.

    << Amateur. >>

    The spell surges again. Yet she did weaken it, she did damage the connection. Perhaps not enough.
    The Kursed continued to harry Sif, locking onto her even as fire spewed from its wounded side. It roared a tinny hollow metallic roar as its weapon hammered at her defense, over and over while around her the battle surged. More and more figures joined the battle, even as the bat-creatures flew across the Starport itself.
    The second slash from Sif was parried, but she felt it purchase as she tore its neck open, a great gout of fire as it fell to its knees, the flames that powered it starting to overtake it and end its life.

Natasha Romanoff has posed:
Natasha goes stalking for her next target. Mjolnir goes to smash past the first target, and then Natasha goes to take up her rifle. she goes to flick an array over on it as it goes to hum, the capacitor at flul charge.. she then goes to select another fire mode as she retracts the heavy AP cartridge and goes to roll up one of needlers. The targeting array having done calculations for the weapon, she now goes to fire it towards as many of the Kursed and Dark Elves that were stalking towards Jane as she could.
    What a needler did was fire several hundred small metal darts the size of needles at their targets. In this case, the targets being the eyes, nose, throat, and bare patches of skin not covered by armor of the Dark Elves and Kursed. Said metallic darts would then be launched out in an array of two hundred or so, the firing computer calculating the angles. Each dart would be launched at about Mach 40 or so to hopefully hit each of the things rather badly. Yes, they might be immune to most arrays of collateral damage and non magical weaponry. But even flesh could be made to be rended.. They would hopefully -feel- it as monomolecular edged blades would slash through them by the dozen, if the trajectories were good!

Diana Prince has posed:
With the giant multi-headed beast on its back, Diana dodges another incoming attack from one of the other boney spikes! She lunges down the creature toward one of its legs to attempt to hog-tie the beast now! The golden twine of her lasso trailing behind her at the neck its tied firmly too, her sword striking at the spikes that try to impale her!

Captain Bria slices her sword down through another flying bat-like creature that was attempting to strike at one of her Amazon sisters. Another flies down and lands upon the Captain's back, causing her to simple reaching a powerful arm over her shoulder, grab the creature before it can bite her neck, and just smash its head with her mighty grip! The limp bat-body drops to the ground at the Captain's feet as she takes a moment to see Jane catching that hammer.

But there is no time to gawk. The captain spins around and shouts something in Themysciran toward her mounted soldiers who push further off to one side where the fighting is more chaotic and more in need of assistance. Another volley of golden arrows lance through the sky toward their foul targets, as Captain Bria helps one of her sisters back to her feet, and pulls a spear from another dead winged creature.

Jane Foster has posed:
Perhaps more fraught than the awful hydra under full assault is the reappearance of the Accursed's voice to Zatanna. A coward's method to intimdate, but alas, unknown to the astrophysicist taking the most direct path into the reliquary fray.

Something mightier than fear sings in Jane's blood. She sheds her visible mortality when Mjolnir lands in her palm, the moment to rejoice in balancing the scales in a dearest friend's honour soaring above the anger for the attack. Though not quite on Diana's level of bouncing and weaving through the fray, she soars on an assisted leap while twisting the leather strap and handle round and round.

She's watched the Thunderer do it enough, after all, and the windmilling whirl earns a trilling hiss as she sends the hammer flying forth from her to strike at the nearest beast harrowing the homo magi or Sif to buy them space.

Those flaming artifacts number many, and the end target for Zatanna's call.

<<Mjolnir? Will you hit the one next to her, please?>>

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Darkness menaces the homo magi, desiring to insinuate itself into her very blood and subsume her power to its own ends. Through the artifacts, the presence of Malekith pulls like a black hole, threatening to pull them all into its maw. Emotion wells up in Zatanna - a murderous flood of anger powered by grief and stung pride. She reels for a moment, hands to her temples, judgment clouded by the surge of power as she seeks her way out of the dark maze filling her mind.

The hopeful spell was no better than the nursery rhymes in the book. The connection to the realms is still contained in the ring's new form.

If only they were not here...

Just as she about to fling the artifact into another dimension it occurs to her that Malekith's evil has no bounds and will infect whatever realm. The ringing sound of Mjolnir is impulse enough.

Joy at snatching Malekith's victory from him resounds in her voice as she commands, "!ti yortseD"

Sif has posed:
That was quite the battle and the Kursed was still not dead though she hoped it would be soon from the open midriff and neck. It was leaking those flames all over but Sif could feel the damage done by its attack to her arm, the blood dripping down from the wound to drip off at her elbow to the ground below.

And there Sif paused, seeing that the hammer she thought was a sign of Thor's return was instead in the hand of Jane Foster. It stirred strange emotions. Sadness took the place of hope at first for it was not the return of the thunderer. But Jane was able to heft the weapon and that was truly something Sif found amazing and worthy of respect.

And that moment almost ended up with her getting her head cut off. She managed to drop and roll to the side, under the blade of the next Kursed. They truly were formidable opponents and she had to do her best to battle them. They had strength that would rival Thor.

She continued her motion and closed distance to the nearest of the artifacts. Which in this case was the mermaid figurehead. Hopefully no Atlanteans were watching too closely. It was nothing personal really!

Sif brought her sword up, trying to cut through the display case and the artifact itself in an attempt to destroy that link in the spell!

Thor has posed:
    There's the wild swirl of battle all about, Natasha hovering near the edges has her choice of targets. She sees the fall of the great beast, she sees the Kursed and their war waged. The soldiers, the bat-creatures, they all hurl themselves at the defenders.
    More Svartalfar rush toward Jane, though one slows his charge when he recognizes the hammer. It is the only thing that saves him as Natasha's weapon takes aim and she brings it to her shoulder. There's the hiss of the weapon discharging, no visible sign of its wrath. But the carnage is as suddenly the figures that were rushing Jane fall in a clump, like puppets with their strings cut.
    Diana pulls hard on the lasso and she /yanks/ the creature onto its side. A jaw snaps angrily at her only to have a loop pulled over its head. More spins slash down, clanging into the ground and the metal. Yet she has the thing restrained, no longer able to move on its own power, yet it still lashes out, trying to wreak what havoc it can even on its own troops that are foolish enough to draw near.
    The other Amazons build a stalwart bastion as they hold the line, reinforced by the charge of the other Amazons on horseback around that flank, the sound of their hooves clattering upon the landing pad.
    It's at that moment that the Atlantean ship opens fire with a loud CRACK-KOOM! A short sharp beam of some kind cuts the distance between shore and sea, the point of impact exploding and sending a mass of Svartalfar into the air. The turret on the ship twists and rotates as it makes ready to fire again.
    Into the air flies the armored figure wielding the mighty hammer, setting it into spinning as her long shadow falls across the dark elves, her silhouette heralded by the setting sun behind her. For a moment the charge is checked and suddenly the hammer-wielder is taking increased fire...
    Then the hammer crashes down into the flaming elements of the artifacts, smashing into a golden necklace won in the Fortress of Featherwine. It is a tremendous impact that sends a half-circled shockwave forward, flattening the attack of several of the Svartalfar.
    Then there is the tinge of power as energy leaps and dances around Zatanna, her magic flaring around her, and Mjolnir's sizzling lightning seems to join, twinned together. Then joined with the mystic blade gifted Sif by Odin himself. The choice has been made, the path of sacrifice. Those flames surge around the artifacts only to sputter and seize when the very items the heroes had fought and bled for...
    Started to crumble as if Entropy raised her hand and caressed them with a touch.
    The masthead of Vanaheim crumples in on itself, its tales lost to the ages. The sliver of the black bifrost seems to scream with this betrayal. The book of nursery rhymes that had drawn the Dwarfs to alliance, seethes in a primordial mass of green particles. The fragment of Bori's shield... lost to the ages. An ancient cannon held in Jotun. The iron helm of a Svartalf hero. Muspelheim's clasp, filled with Surtur's rage.
    Entropy takes them all.
    Though battle continues to surge, with the destruction of the artifacts suddenly the invisible gateway becomes apparent. Surging with hellfire, a great tear in reality that roars in its vulgar magic. Svartalfar soldiers rush through in their mad rush to do battle. Only for that gate to grow and grow, blazing as its power escapes and reaches critical mass. Which then suddenly spends itself as its blazes out, slicing any partially through soldiers into pieces, and setting those near aflame. That gate is closed, disappeared.
    No more reinforcements. Though now the battle must be won.

Richard Swift has posed:
5rThe Shade watches and was waiting for his moment. However, when Sif cut through the display case, Swift pauses and waits instead. Cleaning up was not such a bad idea.

Dark Elves. Fascinating. His eyes regard Zatanna with a new look. Admiring almost. Jane Foster. Again. Using the hammer...hrm. Diana and her martial skills, commanding indeed.

Then there was Natasha. The shadows pulse and move as he watches her in action. Not a woman he wants to get on her bad side, indeed! The battle was an ebb and flow, all the while, the Shade watches and waits. So far, no one needed him. Yet. As the battle continues, Swift pauses, sighs and shakes his head. "Such loss..."

Diana Prince has posed:
With the three headed ethereal dragon beast on its side now, Diana has it tied-up sufficiently enough that she's now made her way across its side, its mid-section to its chest. Another dodge is given to the boney spike that strikes at her in the moment, but her focus is solely on one task. Her boots press down hard against that translucent matter that makes up the creature's ghostly body around its gnarled bones. She reaches where its chest is, and with a hard plunging thrust of her sword she sends it experimentally right down to where she'd believe a heart to be, but does a creature like this have a heart? She's walking on 'something' that feels like flesh, even if it is not visible to the eye... Her sword is thrust down either way, and she buries it down to its hilt, going down to one armored knee in the process!

The other Amazons keep up the defense, trying hard to shrink the line of the onslaught so it cannot push any further toward the more vulnerable interior areas of the starport. This whole section was added on to be a bit more separate from the main structures of the four-leaf-clover designed port, thus it does have a fairly good choke-point between it, and the rest of the facility... but this is quite the enemy army trying to assault it.

Bria shouts, sending another wave of arrows out from the mounted archers with their golden recurve short-bows, while a rushing line of spear-maidens break past the archers and move in to support Sif and Jane, and the others trying to smash apart those magical artifacts.

Jane Foster has posed:
Diana and Sif's play of harmony and melody in the realm of battle is a beautiful thing. The woman who was Jane -- and remains, to some fashion -- merely adds a brief cantata to their elaborate staging of fluid violence in the name of all things treasured. Atlantis and Wakanda add their furious ripostes in the surging boom, the clash of arms, all against a wider, dangerous enemy emerging en masse.

The woman wielding Mjolnir takes the thumps as they come, save for that hydra if it can even remotely look her way. Slower projectiles might be knocked aside, while enchanted armour absorbs the stabs or thrusts from varied melee weapons. Her habit of avoidance is very much not the Steve Rogers School of Shield Can-Can, but swiveling and leaping make for a more difficult target to center on. She rather relies on hurling the hammer in creative arcs based on a very good idea of ballistics trajectories -- proof physics /is/ totally a useful PhD, Mom. When disarmed by the scintillating uru artifact, she uses the amplified strength coupled to her martial arts training, spinning kicks and open-palmed blows a litany of violence in abbreviated verse.

More eyes on her spares the Amazons and the civilians. It opens room for the mage to do her thing, for the SHIELD assassin and the Themysciran princess to level their opponents. Oh, she'll bleed her fair share for them, but a fair price to drift and dance through the battle.

She points at one of the svartalf soldiers looking a little too eager to get near, and when the hammer returns, she's off with it for another whirlwind of unleashed justice in the heart of the storm.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
For one moment, lightning crackles and zooms between Jane, wielding the hammer, and Sif, holding her mystic sword. The current englobes Zatanna, making her hair stand on end and forms a chain between the artifacts. Entropy kisses them into nothingness.

The light fades. And the artifacts are no more.

Zatanna loses control of the shields which fade into nothing.

Breathless and reeling from the surcharge of magical energy, Zatanna does not see the Dark Elf that bowls her over. A razor sharp knife ruins her designer suit as it slips between her ribs. Blood wells through the starched white shirt. Stars dance in her vision as she breathes one word, ".ecI"

Sif has posed:
As the artifacts begin to fall, Sif feels a sense of sadness but it is fleeting. After all, they are simply things. Their tales will live on in the stories of Asgard and thus, they will never cease to exist. The tales of the heroes recovering them. The tales of the battles that were joined from their corruption at the hands of Malekith. They will be preserved in the way that has been done for generations.

The explosion of the passage gives that momentary happiness but it doesn't stop the ones that are still present. The various protectors of this port are amazing in their own right and to be honored for their valiant efforts in this conflict.

But for now, she had to focus. There were still Kursed among the foes and she tried to focus her efforts there. Blocking another blow by the one she'd been engaged with a moment ago before taking out the artifact. Shield used to push the blade away and trying to strike the Kursed only to find herself pushed back physically. She frowned, modified her stance, and closed again.

Thor has posed:
    The dread hydra rages against its state, its body surging and struggling. Its pinions click and clack as it stabs into the ground, around it, at anything it can reach. One of the maimed heads lifts its shattered skull to hiss at her loudly, green flame-licking around its ethereal lips.
    She raises her blade and she does find purchase, does find its flesh, and when the blade comes down she finds its heart as well. Another surge of green flame blasts from the cavity into the sky and blazes past Diana's triumphant form.
    Abruptly the bones all clatter to the ground, pieces of three ancient dragons whose bloodline had been corrupted, ending here upon the field of battle under Diana's sword.
    The Amazons control their side of the battlefield, keeping their formation strong, keeping up a steady rain of fire augmented by the Wakandans taking their shots. The battle seems less chaotic, more in control, though still in flux.
    The other flank is held down in no small part to the hammer-wielding astrophysicist who lays about herself with such severe power. The hammer whirls in its arcs, shatter formations of the enemy and then returning only to be sent on its way again. It is a glorious display of power and if there are tales to be told they will write of the warrior women here today.
    An assassin in black and with wicked blade leapt upon Zatanna, bringing the weapon home. The poisoned weapon takes purchase and already she can feel the horrors such chemistry plays upon not just the body but the soul as well. The faceless assassin seems to turn its head slowly to the side as it looks at the fallen sorceress.
    Whatever thought it might have is lost for in the next instant it is encased in blast of ice that completely encases it. Yet a second assassin leaps forward, brandishing a twin blade. A female assassin, avenging her brother as she lands near the sorceress...
    But that is the moment when GrumbleTom falls from the heavens, dagger in hand and Svartalfar quarrel in the other as he stabs madly into the Dark Elf Bladeswoman. "Take that ya bloody harpy!"
    In Sif's portion of the battle, she felled her opponents as they set upon her. A swath of fallen armored figures as she made her way to another of those Kursed. She appeared close enough and they each saw each other in the same moment. Blades clashed, swords fell and hammered. Her shield rang loud as it accepted strike after strike until she was able to make a clean parry and her sword took the mad suicide warrior through the visor. A clean cut that sent him back on his heels, then his knees, then his face as the armor burns.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's sword is hilted in the chest of that mighty ethereal dragon body. She holds it there as the beast writhes about, and when it spews green flame in to the air from one of its mouths, is when she stands up, and pulls the blade free of the beasts form! The Princess clenches the muscles in her arm, tilts her body to one side, and sweeps the blade outward, releasing it from her leather wrapped hand! The sword twirls end around end as it soars toward the fire-spewing dragon maw, right up to the point where the tip of the blade will puncture the underside of its mouth and close its fire-spitting mouth back in to the top of its head, the blade sinking in to the head through the mouth now!

Diana jumps from the dragon then, and grabs her lasso on the way up, the taught rope positioned between one leg it is tied to, and the middle-neck of the ghostly menacing creature! Diana takes the lasso with her up in to the air, sending one tip of it out to wrap around her sword and with a hard yank she rips it back out of the dragon's mouth! Landing on the marble floor of the landing field, Diana catches her sword, wrapped in her lasso, and holds it off to her side.

The Amazon cavalry builds a line across the walkway that spans from the portal landing zone to the heart of the starport, with Captain Bria riding her black and blonde haired horse along its front, shouting commands to the other Amazons as they hold the line to keep any additional enemies from getting any further in to the Starport facility territory...

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Cold engulfs her when she freezes the DarkElf. Another weight almost finishes her. Unaware of GrumbleTom's bravery, Zatanna feels the stone on her chest lighten. The blood welling from the mage's wound flushes some of the poison away.

But the Dark Elves dip their weapons in magical venom. Venom meant to burn as it races through its victim's bloodstream, paralyzing its prey. Some would count themselves lucky to die quickly, unable to breath. The unlucky can be saved for a living death, becoming the puppets of a dark sorcerer.

As her vision fades, blood transmuting into dark magic, the mage's innate wards begin to crumble.

Muttering spells to keep her lungs inflating, Zee reaches instinctively for Jane, for the power that courses through her. She does not wish to go into the darkness. Not yet.

"Help..."

Jane Foster has posed:
Thunderous applause booms where the might of Odin's craftsmanship, reconstituted through a dreaded relic and two sorcerers' hands, plunges into the midst of the remaining dark elves and Malekith's forces. For every flourish, a reprimand to the Accursed, punched into bare flesh or smashing through the swords, spears, and other dubious weaponry that would be turned on Midgard and her allies. Jane is the cyclical heart of that dervish, a chorus wrought in something like steel. All brought to bear in assisting Sif cutting through the Kursed.

She weaves her circles, conscious of a teetering thread in the melange of perishing foes or those animated by spells. One small victory seized out of a tidal wave, lessening its force, joining a sisterhood led by the goddesses of war and victory, every soldier and guard in the building holding the line in tribute to what goodness and a vision can bring. But...

Before all else, Jane Foster is dead.

Like knows like, and even the dance of thunder cannot quench her uncanny sensibility to Zatanna bleeding out too fast. All it takes is a turn of her helmed head to read the wyrd dictated by the Norns. She bursts into movement, shoving aside a snarling pikeman piercing her arm. He's hurled away, the hammer flying to her palm and together both of them carried to the sorceress. /No!/ can be cried to the skies in futility. No, when Thor vanished. No, as her mother gave her last breath. No, for so many maimed lives spilling through her fingers. How powerful is no when spoken by a psychopomp going to her knees, holding out the gauntleted hands and hammer both, in a benediction by proxy from the Golden City itself?

Life, such a fragile thing, written in lightning and mercy.

Thor has posed:
    The battle rages, Diana and the Amazons set the tone and tempo, while the other warriors and defense elements fill in the gaps to support. It is no longer a battle. No longer in doubt. Some of the Svartalfar seem to fade, retreating only having nowhere to retreat to...
    But then each and every one seems to go mad with wild abandon. They leap to attack no longer with any hint of self-preservation. Fanatical perhaps, or robbed of their senses and driven mad. They do not hold off, they do not surrender...
    And it becomes naught save bloody butcher's work.
    Yet it is amongst this grim vision of war that another play is acted out as one hovers so close to passing from one realm to another. Only for whatever specters seek that fate for the fallen sorceress are held at bay by another spirit entire. Jane and Zatanna wage their own battle.
    And only time will show who is truly victorious.
    

Richard Swift has posed:
Chaos. Everything was happening at once. The Dark Elves were lethal. Dark. Swift frowns, and sees how the battle goes. Then, something happens that makes him...feel. For the first time in a very long time.

The Sorceress. Zatanna. Sighing, Swift concentrates, and feels his way through the darkness...to appear at her side. Jane was there. Indeed. But would not be in time. The Shade grabs her outstretched hand and says, "Be at peace. I am here.

Then, the opposite of a "flash" and they were somewhere else. "Whatever you need..." Swift whispers to her. Why was he being altruistic all of a sudden? A villain helping a hero.