18473/Sweet Dreams and Mall Rats

Sweet Dreams and Mall Rats
Date of Scene:	30 June 2024
Location:	Rockefeller Center
Synopsis:	Megan and Daniel confront and defeat an evil faerie.
Cast of Characters:	Megan Gwynn, Daniel Ketch

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Megan Gwynn has posed:
It's another busy day at the mall, and another big blowout sale. But it's also fairly early and not *quite* as busy yet as it will soon be. Perhaps that is why Megan chose this time to slip into the mall..But she doesn't actually look like she's here to shop. Heck, she's not even dressed in typical garish Pixie attire. Instead she's wearing a navy blue hoodie over a black shirt and black jeans. The hood is pulled up around her face, nearly completely concealing her bright pink hair, although it's hard to hide those signature fairy wings although they are flattened against her back rather than fluttering around and garnering attention.

And rather than energetically skipping along, arms full of shopping bags, she seems to be sneaking around the perimeter, testing all the 'staff only' doors as if searching for.lSomething...

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Sales means people can find some stuff they usually couldn't afford. Which is a very common situation for one Daniel Ketch, part time car mechanic with unnatural bad luck. And a family curse in his name. Something that he learned recently and that explains so much.

And solves nothing, he needs stuff and has little money. So he is doing a different and more mundane kind of sneaking. Sneaking after good deals, that is. And since he has not seen Megan in a year, he definitely doesn't expect her around. Things for mutants are going badly again, and although he would like to help, he has a pile of other issues to deal with.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn tests another door and curses. "Dammit! This isn't the right one either.." of course she could just port in, but..Well, there is probably a good reason for that. A security guard spots her and frowns, stalking over to her. "Hey! What are you doing over there?!" his voice booms over her, clearly an imposing big guy she does not want to mess with.

She flinches a bit, glancing around and laughs nervously, "Eheh, sorry, I thought this was the washroom, I was waiting for my buddy and there he is! Byee!" she waves and giggles as she darts off in some random direction that ends up bringing her closer to Daniel.

Oh Yayy, it's that grumpy guy..But maybe he can help her find..Something. "Daniel! Heeey, fancy meeting you here! What's up?"

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Oh yay, it is little Miss Sparkling Happy. Daniel doesn't exactly dislike Megan, but she is so... so... silly? Not exactly. More like annoyingly bubbly. And usually trouble. "Oh. Megs. I'm okay. How goes?" He tilts his head, spotting an annoyed security guard. "Did you stole all the candy?" He deadpans.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn doesn't seem quite so...Bubbly and energetic today anyway. Really she just seems tired. "Stealing candy?!" she rolls her eyes.

"Oh Come on, do I really look like a criminal?" even if she did literally date a former criminal and used to gang out with some of his criminal buddies?! But surely that's water under the bridge now, right?

"Hmm, actually I'm trying to find a hidden door to a creepy room where an evil fairy was hiding, sucking the dreams and innocence from. kids...And other fairies..Which I guess is why my memory is fuzzy about which four exactly it's hiding behind. I managed ti set up a ward shortly after escaping last time but..."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"That sounds so ridiculous that I have no doubt it is true," replies Daniel with a long-suffering sigh. He glances to the security guard and nods, "sorry, she gets lost all the time," then takes Pixie's arm and leads her towards the shop's entrance. "But if that critter is around, the room is hidden from my partner, which means it is very, very well hidden. Or maybe right now no one is getting hurt. What else do you remember?"

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn makes a face. "Ridiculous?! heeey.." but it seems he does believe her as he starts asking questions.

"Hmm probably because of the ward I set up to prevent it or slow it down from attacking anymore kids..It's been some time, maybe it's own magic is weaker now that it's starved, or it's hiding. Soo..." she frowns, peering around.

"I remember being drawn down a long hallway, that looked like a hall leading to wash rooms. I remember stairs leading to a cold dark place." the mall is pretty standard, with washrooms on the two ends and in the middle where the food court is. They are just past the food court. "Oh! the only place I didn't check is the hallway on the other end of the mall..Let's go there." and she starts hurrying down the mall walkway.

Unfortunately there are big lines starting to form outside a couple of new stores that just opened, stores with huge mega sales. Can he keep track of the hyper fairy girl who blends in well in her dark clothes? Except that those wings suddenly glitter bright purple..

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"This place is also almost a century old, there might have been dozens of reforms and..." starts Daniel. And Megan is already leaving. He sighs again, trying to keep pace. Of all days for her to hide her bright pink hair.

It is possible he can't track her. But he is reasonably sure if she is in real danger, the Ghost Rider will find her. Of course, the idea of the Spirit of Vengeance appearing in the middle of a mall is... a bad idea. The cops already hate him enough.

And then she shows up the wings. Now, that might cause a riot. It wouldn't be the first time.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn can stick out like a sure thumb with those bright wings, although she quickly readjusts her hoodie over her wings, leaving peep holes on the back in case she needs to pop em out later.

Fortunately people are more focused on sales right now to notice. Something clearly caught her attention though, and even ghost rider will sense something grim and evil down a particular hallway, away from the crowds.

Good thing the security guards are busy with crowd control to notice. She pauses long enough to wave to Daniel before she tries the lock, finding it locked as well.

"Darnit! hmm.." she pulls out a hairpin and tries to Jimmy the lock. It doesn't look too complicated..

Daniel Ketch has posed:
No one is paying attention to a glowing winged girl? Sales make folks blind. Or there is something else going on. And when Daniel steps into the hallway... yeah, it is the second thing. Probably some kind of hiding enchantment.

"I guess you found you evil fairy thing," he grunts. "You sure you want to go after her? I am quite sure we could call some experts. There is a mall full of people right around the corner and magical fireworks are likely."

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn rolls her eyes. "Hey, are we not member of JLDark?! We ARE the magical experts far as I know.." there's a loud click and the door opens. "Aha, there we go, nothing a little fairy luck can't handle!" probably what helped her not get noticed by those hapless shoppers too. Maybe.

"Well, last time I was here, I...Don't remember exactly what happened, I was...Scared.." staring down into the deep darkness of the narrow stairway leading into the creepy basement, she once again looks scared. But that's where the evil energy is coming from too.."

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"Yes, and I am pretty sure somewhere in the rulebook says 'don't start fights in a mall full of civilians' or something like that," points out Daniel, peering at the darkness at the end of the staircase with a frown.

But not much fear. He is used to much worse. And he has a pocket flashlight, it is a useful mechanic's tool. Also good for exploring creepy places, which he does way too often. He starts going down. "Ok, stay behind me. My partner can handle most everything."

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn swallows and nods, stepping behind him. "Okay, just be careful, she'll try to trick you as faeries do.." she actually seems a bit nervous, scared even, in a way that Megan doesn't often seem.

There's not much to see, seems like a smallish storage room or at least the walks are narrow around the long winding staircase. The room is bigger in the bottom, full of some old boxes and crates...And what looks like a tiny frail child dressed in rags and chained to the walk. She glances up at the flashlight as it scans over her and whimpers, her voice soft and cracked, desperate. "H-help me...Please....!"

Daniel Ketch has posed:
"Illusions and such?" Daniel nods, not particularly worried. He can be tricked, if not easily given his burgeoning mystical senses. The Ghost Rider, however, is a far more difficult target.

He explores the room carefully, directing the flashlight steadily to give himself an idea of what there is in the place. Until he hears the voice. Then he points to the chained child. "Ah, yeah. That is why we are here. By the way, wasn't an evil fairy monster around here?"

Megan Gwynn has posed:
The girl sniffles and miss. "She..she drained my energy and tied me here to feed on me later. Please, you have to release me befire she returns!"

When Megan peeks out she gasps, "It's her! She's the monster! Don't be fooled by her cute appearance. It's a trap!" well hopefully ghost rider knows the truth.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Daniel nods at Megan, then smirks at the chained 'child'. "I guess you got lazy from tricking mall rats and half-blind shoppers. We are a bit higher in the food chain, that illusion is not good enough. Now, do you surrender, or do you prefer a beating first?" He leans forward slightly, letting the Ghost Rider peek through his eyes, knowing he can feel the creature's sins.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
The girl sniffles and cries at his words, looking all the more tiny, vulnerable and cute. "Please! Please help me! Don't believe that girl, she's the real monster, she trapped me here, just ask her.."

Megan swallows and backs away, suddenly looking fearful for some reason. "Uh..Well that's true but..Only because you're evil and you've been sucking the dreams from children.."

The girl just cries all the harder, but it seems she cannot fool Daniel..And then it dawns on her and she smiles. "Ohhhhh, I see now..There is a powerful entity attached to you, but you have no sweet dreams for me. The girl however.."

In that instant her whole demeanour changes as does her voice, no longer sweet, no longer fearful. Now it's bold, haughty, older as she looks up at the two of them with a smirk. No longer a child but a beautiful woman with long flowing black hair and alabaster skin. And beautiful rainbow butterfly wings..

And tendrils of living hair that move on their own, slithering and coiling around her, ignoring Daniel but beckoning Megan forward, who seems to fall in to a strange trance as she glides closer and closer to the faerie, reaching out towards those tendril like ropes of hair as they wrap around her arm, glowing eerily..

Daniel Ketch has posed:
And Daniel punches the fairy woman. Nothing supernatural about it, he doesn't even have his shotgun, but he knows how to punch people and unless the creature knows how to dodge or take a punch, that is likely a broken nose.

He will kick her if she falls down too. "I got some really good nightmares for you, though," he states.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
The faerie shrieks in annoyance and doesn't try to dodge the attack but it seems she's made of tougher stuff as the punch merely phased her. It's enough to loosen her hold on Megan who blinks and stumbles back stunned. But the faerie quickly retaliates, snapping out ropes of hair like a powerful whip, whipping out at Daniel as if to try to swat him away like a fly, while wrapping another rope of hair around Megan's waist, her hair glowing eerily red as she starts to suck Megan's energy.

"Silly human, did you think a mere punch could phase the great Shardreuce?" she cackles, her little girl's dress quickly shedding away to reveal a beautiful black frilly gown that glitters and sparkles with deep red magic, as beautiful as she is evil.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Daniel acks and goes flying against the nearby wall. He coughs, then spits some blood. "Well... one never knows," he comments. "It would have been better for you, see? You have split blood, now. And pissed off a Ghost Rider."

He screams in pain as his body burst in flames, changing and growing in seconds, until the towering form of the Spirit of Vengeance stands in his place. "And now," he announces with a deep, eerie voice. "You will pay for your crimes." A steel chain, wrapped in flames, jumps forward to cut the hair holding Megan, and the Rider advances on Shardreuce.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
Megan Gwynn coughs and sputters as the rope is cut, flying off a little ways but no worse for wear. She seems stunned, a bit drained from the attack and is out for a bit. The faerie Shardreuce however, is just getting started. With renewed energy, she easily snaps her bonds, climbing to her feet and she seems larger than life, certainly no tiny child.

"Ah, so you finally reveal your true Color's, spiritof vengeance.." she snarls, wrapping her hair around her body as he advances towards her, using some as a protective shield, while other strands whip out, attempting to wrap around his leg and entangle him, possibly drain him of energy if she can. He is no faerie or child and probably has no innocent dreams to feed off of but perhaps his human host does.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
Daniel has dreams, although few of them could be called 'innocent'. But this is not Daniel. Daniel is now in the Void between Heaven and Earth, and the Ghost Rider doesn't sleep, or dream. Sometimes he remembers fragments of past lives, and sometimes those are pleasant, but he is an ancient creature, and even broken, he is powerful.

And full of energy. But not dream energy, but the Empyreal Flame that is used to forge souls. Sometimes called Hellfire. Which he freely gives to the faerie vampire. "Come and burn, you parasite," he snarls.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
He has no dreams, but plenty of energy, nine that she cares for. She shrieks in rage and pain as the attack backfires and her hair starts to burn. "Fiend!" she snarls, attempting to untangle her hair from him although much of it just burns and so she doesn't even bother trying to suck any more of his energy.

Instead, she summons several more coils around her and whips them out towards him, trying to slam hm against the walls like multiple whips. "I have no use for you..Die!" dark eyes dart madly around her, searching for the delicious pink haired faerie, whipping out another ripe of hair, trying to snag her by the foot and drag her towards her.

Daniel Ketch has posed:
As the hair of the faerie burns, the Spirit of Vengeance steps forward again, trying to reach the woman. "I don't die to those like you," he states, taking a blow that staggers him and makes him step back, then blocking another with his arm. "Those who prey on the innocent will fall to the Spirit of Vengeance. You summoned me with your dark deeds. Now pay the price!" Several chains explode from his body, clashing with the tendrils of hair, and he advances a few more steps and breathes hellfire on the woman.

Megan Gwynn has posed:
The faerie is tough, tougher than a human being, and full of Megan's magic gives her more strength. However, there is much hate and greed in her soul and as the spirit of vengeance looks upon her and judges her, she screams in fear, becoming completely consumed within his cleansing flames. Really there isn't much good left in her and that just makes her burn all the brighter.

When the smoke settles and the dust clears, there really isn't much left of her other than a charred pile of ashes. Once gone, Megan blinks and wakes up, rubbing her eyes in confusion. "Wow..What happened? Did I miss all the action?"

Daniel Ketch has posed:
The Ghost Rider, tries to reach the burning woman, but it looks like the fire is not merely burning her soul, but consuming it. "This shouldn't be," protests the Rider. Confused, or maybe just frustrated. He turns around, to search, when Megan's voice stops him.

"I do not know what happened, but indeed, you missed the action," he looks at the pink-haired girl. "It seems possible the fire consumed the creature's magic, but she managed to escape punishment. For now."