2109/Sorcery at the Public Library

Sorcery at the Public Library
Date of Scene:	14 June 2020
Location:	Metropolis Public Library
Synopsis:	Jovian temporarily is turned into a chicken. The heroes defeat Student 42. Sera and Jovian share a bounty.
Cast of Characters:	Jovian Anderson, Julie Yan, Sera, Freddy Freeman

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Jovian Anderson has posed:
There is a serial book borrower who is simply known as "Student 42" who is in the system, but none of the staff can ever catch on camera and never remembers loaning a book too. More importantly, the books they check out arent in the catalog. Numerous consulting companies are unable to remove the anomoly again and again until the complaint escalated with the city goverment higher and higher up the food chain. A careful analysis of the records does indicate that one time in the week is the most likely for the serial invisible checker outer to get the books, but the thing is, they never RETURN the books that they borrow either which has driven the librarian and the city treasury to fits and it is even a minor mockery in certain gossip columns. Eventually, this turns into a bounty and Jovian figures that what could be easier than someone who hasnt turned in books to the public library?

So it is, that he is sitting on top of the public library with a single use Zip gun, looking around for the mysterious "Student 42" who has, in fact, checked out a book. He has a few web cams hidden about the library, and no one sees anything. No one is reacting. Nothing unusual is happening in any way, but on a hunch he moves over to the side entrance to see a human Jawa, about 4 feet tall in a large brown robe with a back pack fullof books as he rapels down the side of the building.

"AHA!" Jovian points at him accusingly. ....not a master of witty dialog yet is Bolo.

The student stares and a pair of golden eyes narrow at him annoyedly. The backpack is set down and unzipped.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
For those senstive to such things, the ambient magic in the area spikes through the roof. It's a bad feeling and there is something not quite right about it either, something almost otherworldly.

Julie Yan has posed:
    Julie had been in the area, mostly getting dinner at a taco truck when she sensed a disturbance not far away. Finishing her dinner, she was quick to take off in a run, sprinting like a madwoman towards the public library, where she sees some dumbass rappelling by the side like he's ESU SWAT. "Hey, jackass! What are you doing up there?" She calls out, noticing the zip gun.

    Her fists begin to glow with magical energy, and she spies the student and their golden eyes. She's got a bad feeling about this.

Sera has posed:
Supergirl said, 'Come to Metropolis some time, the air is nicer there. Fly south until the air feels fresh.' And so Sera was gliding through the air, her hands planted on her hips like Peter Pan. A bright white glowing energy in the shape of wings spreading out from her back. Her eyes too glowing white, and a happy smile on her face. From time to time, the moon catches her Angelic Elysium armor, silvers and golden lights dancing off of her as she lazily rotates about in the sky.

Sera thrusts her arms out in front of her and sweeps her arms through the air as if she were swimming. The magic from below is like a beacon to her curiosity though. Her eyes turn toward the ground, not making out any features of what's really happening, just seeing the magical aura. She alters her flight path - Supergirl and her cousin can wait. The streak of bright white light curves down in a spiral over the Metropolin buildings, narrowing in on the library as she seeks out the source.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    It's a clear evening, close enough to summer that there isn't any chill in the breeze even this late in the day. A perfect day to be out and about, playing a sport, or partying, or swimming or any number of things teenagers do during their summer break. Freddy, however, is seated at a table in the city's public library, reading. Yes, reading. It's a bizarre sight, perhaps explained away by the crutch leaning against the square table. Its presence also means the kindly librarians are eager to navigate the Dewey Decimal System for him and bring over requested books.
    The title of his current book reads 'The Twenty-First Century Superhuman: Gender Identity in a New Era'.
    He lifts his head just enough to peek over the top edge of his book at the entrance where all the commotion is happening.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Student 42 is about to simply teleport Jovian to Kansas in the middle of a corn field until he senses a much larger and more dangerous problem. No, stop that, make that problems. He isnt sure if it is 2 or 3 but his supernatural intuition tells him 3 is the magical number. Jovian is not counted as a threat as he changes the page in the book he is thumbing through. A yes, THAT spell. He had always wanted to try THAT spell.

Like a bell sounding backwards, the off beat and simply WRONG chime sounds out in crystal disonance, fingers on a musical chalkboard as everyone in a block who has any sense of order covers their ears including Jovian. And just like that the four large stone lions in front of the building and six large stone gargoyles on the taller building begin to come to life, roaring in sync with the bell.

Jovian turns his bolo at the hooded student, who throws back his hood and looks as old as a toddler with jet black hair and purple eyes. The bolo is turned into a bouqette of flowers as Student 42 claps.

Jovian looks at Julie and, realizing she was speaking to him said, "hey, the city has a bounty on him for...." he mutters under his breath, "library books.

Julie Yan has posed:
    "Bounty? What is this, Star Wars?" Julie says in confusion, "What the hell are you supposed to be, anyways? Some kind of Punisher knockoff? I didn't think that dude took checks to hunt scumbags."

    Of course, suddenly the gargoyles come to life and the hooded student turns out to be some kind of horrible gremlin child thing with weird eyes. JUlie blinks. "Uhhh, -what- is with that dude?" She asks, but of course she starts hurling fireballs at one of the gargoyles, making graceful motions as she throws fiery punches to propel each projectile.

Sera has posed:
Sera swoops down to join the gathering group of interested parties and says chipperly, "Did somebody say bounty? count me in! Ain't nothing for nothing, but a bounty ain't nothing." She tilts her head at the small student in the coat and watches with fascination as the bola's turn in to flowers. "Oh oh! Magic. Delightful."

The flair for being showy she learnt from her wife in another life as she holds her arm aloft and sings out an unearthly song. The wings on her back gather and form a glowing white cape behind her and the air above her hand splits in to a glowing white sword made of magical energy, held by her. "Dead or alive? The little man has.. oh dear, made some friends," she says as her eyes turn toward the newly animated lions and gargoyles, "Hah. Brilliant spell - I love it."

"Perhaps we should illuminate the situation." She closes her eyes, scrunching her face up as if trying to remember something. Hesitantly she begins to sing another song like somebody trying to remember the words. Her confidence grows, then she tosses her free hand up in to the air and bright lights shoot up from it. Sparkling in the air turning the night in to overly lit, magical flares refuse to fall to the ground.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    "What even," Freddy bears the mark of the Wizard, but when he's schlepping around as a mortal boy, it really just means there's a target on his back. To others, his presence may be a faint trigger of mystical energies, but he himself doesn't really possess any way to sense or perceive the world on that level. Still, he has eyes and can clearly see a maniacal sorcerer-child turning a primitive weapon into a clutch of flowers. He sighs, muttering. "This sounds like a job for bum bum bum..."
    He shoves the some books into his backpack, slings it over his shoulder, and moves to the front entrance of the building, hurriedly thanking the library admin. Once he's outside, he rounds a corner and calls out 'Shazam'.
    A burst of lightning joins the chorus of chaos, and in a blur, Pantheon appears before Jovian, Julie, and the toddler from hell, crimson cape fluttering. The hero is an idealized version of his alter ego, how Freddy might look like after a decade of growth and plenty of exercise. His hair is a little shorter too, instead of the unkempt mess of curls it usually is. "Hey! Knock that off!"

Jovian Anderson has posed:
There it was. Three was the nature of things. Three threats of note and here the cards manifest themselves. The lions began to charge and leap forward but were moving around to the ally on the side of the building as the gargoyls flew down. The flares soared around lighting up everything, mixing with the disonnant bell that still seemed a quiet note that lingered just below normal human hearing which to the magically sensitive was a lingering note and scratching almost a moan in the earth like a wound in space itself. It wasnt right and it wasnt normal but the world was what it was.

Jovian tossed another bolo at the child which was turned into a baloon version of him slowly floating into the air that looked like a parody of him. He looked at Julia and said, "Star wars is...wait that was LAST week, this kid is more...." he tries to think of a fantasy novel, "Er...lord of the rings."

The kid looks at Julie and the caped threat and up at the angel and turns to another page in the book. It looks like he is preparing another spell but despite the terror of the populace the statues do not outright attack anyone or the three others just yet.

Sera has posed:
Sera Ooohs and the sudden explosion of magic just out of eyeshot and the appearance of Pantheon. Her attention returns to the problem at hand though and she hmms, "Tis been a while since I've had to deal with a cranky mage." She taps a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "Now how did that song go.." She hums a few notes, "NOno. That's not right." She glances over at the animated statuary and then back to the short mage. "Hey you're not actually going to do something violently stupid are you? because that would be very stupid and result in a great deal of violence toward you."

She hmms, "Oh hey I remember how it goes, it's like that rhyme." She extends her hand out gesturingly as she begins to sing a song probably never heard on this version of Earth before, attuning her sight to the magic plane, that annoying bell sound makes her wince and forces her to stop singing, "Oh by the Goddess that is irritating." She starts again and then watches the magic the short man is making. "Ah hm, smart, protection spell." She gets analytical on it, "Fire? how does that work even." Her desire to debate the man with magic grows intensely inside her.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    "Yo, get that book away from him!" Pantheon shouts, watching the stone figures loom eerily over the people on the streets. Hazel eyes flicker back and forth, the child or the gargoyles, and land on...Julie. "Hi again!" He offers her a brief smile, surprised to see her again so soon. "Firebird, right?"
    The lightning-clad hero pulls away from the trio and soars over to the stone creatures, preemptively spearing through a flying gargoyle.

Julie Yan has posed:
    Julie recognzies Pantheon, but right now isn't a good time for friendly greetings. "Sup Pantheon." is all she can manage. "Yeah, or Fenghuang if you wanna be ethnic." She grins cheekily, before she uses her scarf as a grappling hook, hooking onto Pantheon and using him like a slingshot to propel herself toward one of the gargoyles, dropkicking it right in the face!

Jovian Anderson has posed:
The first Gargoyl is immediately smashed to bits by the kick. It's tough but it simply isnt prepared for that level of stregnth as two of the other six attempt to attack her at the same time. The four stone lions immediately charge at Freddy and the three other stone gargoyls fly up at Sera. One charges ahead of the others.

No one is paying attention to Jovian who gives up tossing Bolos at the kid and marches up, still not considered a threat and tries to take the book out of his hands and STudent 42's eyes go wide in anger but he pulls the book back in a tug of war.

Sera has posed:
Sera tilts her head thoughtfully at the use of magic by the short man. "Oh he's thinking of fighting or thinking of escaping, hard to say... hmm." Her head snaps toward the gargoyles as they launch in to action toward her. "I see, the fun begins! HO! Angela would love this."

She grins dashes through the air to the side, cutting her magical sword through the first one. Her voice sings out as she captures the top half of the gargoyle telekinetically and throws it at the second of the three coming toward her. The bottom half of that first gargoyle goes plummeting to the ground. She doesn't have the time or arms to deal with _every_ little detail.

"Careful fellow bounty hunter, he probably bites," Sera offers not so useful advice as the pair tug of war over that book.

Julie Yan has posed:
    Julie is the kind of person who thinks physics are totally exempt from them, which they might be given her abilities. She turns the first gargoyle to powder with that kick, and promptly bounces off the remains towards another gargoyle, her scarf ensnaring it as she pulls herself towards it. Conducting chi through her scarf, Julie sets it aflame, trying to smash it to bits as she closes the distance.

    All the while, she grouses mentally about how much easier this would be if she could properly fly and not just 'jump good'.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    Firebird gets her assist, Pantheon maneuvering midflight so that she's propelled into the air. He doesn't slow though, and he shatters the first gargoyle, sending an explosion of debris and stone down onto the gathering crowd of people, and positions back on the ground such that he could catch Julie if she needs it. He's not sure about the extent of her abilities, only that she can punch things and make fire.
    But honestly, she seems fine. Look at her go.
    An animated lion pounces, and Pantheon holds it back with the sheer strength of Hercules, slamming his fist into its stone gut and launching its brethren.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
The assault on the statues is frankly more than enough for the other statues to...well..OK if they had brains they would run but they are animated statues so they keep trying to attack things that they can barely harm. The sorcerer begins to think that a change of tactics is in order before he looks at Jovian and wrinkles his nose in anger.

There is a surge of power as Sera issues her warning and he begins to think she might be right....before there is a chicken standing in Jovian's place.

The other three lions flank Freedy,ready to attack him on all four sides while the remaining gargoyls rush in towards Julia and Sera with suicidal and fanatical glee, for they exist only by the will of the one that animated them.

A faint ring of fire surrounds the child sorcerer now, almost taunting another to try and come at them.

Julie Yan has posed:
    Julie gives a big thumbs up to Pantheon as they take out the gargoyles. She latches onto a gargoyle and pulls herself towards it, landing punches and kicks that can turn solid stone to powder, aided by fiery chi as she tries to keep herself upright. "Yo, witch lady!" She calls out to Sera, "Need an assist, can't fly at the moment! Cast a spell or something!"

Sera has posed:
Sera look beyond amused at being referred to as 'witch lady'. Tickled pink you might say, giggling a moment. "Mhm! Kick foo, I got you!" She begins to sing out a swelling song in to the air then reaches behind the nape of her neck like she were taking off a cloak. She makes a tossing motion toward Julie, a bolt of white magic leaping from her back to wrap about Julie - then explode from her back, two magical white angelic wings. They seem to react to Julie's will, giving her flight.. while the magic lasts at least.

The angel looks mighty pleased with herself, "Haven't done //that// in a lon.. whoa..," she says distracted as she looks back to the short magic man and the chicken before him. "Did you just turn that guy in to a chicken??!" She sings out again as a stone lion jumps at her and she catches it in mid-air with telekinetics, then grunts as she tosses it at the magical man. "That's enough of that.. catch!" She charges toward the man behind the launched stone lion, trying to scoop up the probably very confused chicken.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    Swarmed, Pantheon becomes a blur of motion, fists striking at such high speeds that he begins to channel bolts of electric current. "The book! Get. That. Book." Each blow is charged with lightning, and soon, the lions around him are disassembled part by part. They don't operate like living flesh, and Pantheon must reduce every part of them to dust, drumming up a thick cloud of stone.
    To the surprise of absolutely no one, Pantheon breaks from the melee, graceful in flight, and looks around. "Good effort, team! Wait, where did-" Wide-eyed, he looks at the chicken.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
The chicken is grasped though it had the mind of Julian that had rather futile aspirations of grabbing a bolo and hurling at Student 42. For those that can understand chicken, it is swearing.

Student 42 can see t hat this fight is not going well, and while the ring of fire around him is a vicious spell designed to turn the power of the attack back on the person who does it, it only works on the first target and he is now facing three, near and dangerous. He is preparing a third and final spell (the chicken transformation doesnt count) since three are his opponents and three are the spells he is slowly making all happen and he has made his mark while showing valor. He clutches his book to his chest possessively, preparing one more surprise.

Julie Yan has posed:
    Julie isn't terribly intimidated by fire. As she notices her new wings, she exclaims, "Whoa, this is weird! But cool!" She takes the new advantage to blast towards the ring of fire, trying to pounce through it in the hopes that she isn't the first target. Knowing the book is the key, she makes a run for that tome if she can blast past that fiery barrier.

Sera has posed:
Sera snugs the chicken in her arm and chuckles, "Bok bok to you too. Fear not little chicken man, we will fix this soon enough." Her eyes turn to the small man again and tilts her head, watching him weaving the magic. She's getting better at watching it now that she's seen him do it a couple of times. "Ooh OH no you don't!," she says as she sings one of the few songs she knows by heart. Usually she's using it to protect Angela, sometimes herself - magical reflection.

A bursting white magical grid of light spreads out between the four of them and the antagonistic small mage man to deflect that spell back at him. Another top spell she remembers well is healing. Usually for the collateral rather than for herself or Angela.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    There's beat where Pantheon doesn't do anything but watch. He possesses the Wisdom of Solomon, but there's always a moment where that knowledge needs to be channeled from divinity (sorta, technically, Solomon wasn't a god) to his mind. A panicked look crosses his features at first when he recognizes what the child-sorcerer is attempting, then a contemplative look at Sera's song. He lands quietly behind the sorceress, squinting slightly at the brightness of her spell.

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Thanks to the wings and Sera's healing, Julie is able to get the book at precisely the moment Student 42 finishes the spell and sends it back on him. It's almost anti climatic really except for the shriek of rage as he implodes on himself and teleports, temporarily without magic 100 yards above the Atlantic ocean a mile out to sea. He isnt hurt too much as he splatters into the water but the indingity of it all will not soon be forgotten as the statues reassemble and appear where they were originally summoned from. Not every spell reverses itself like this but apprarently this one does.

Technically the chicken spell would resolve at sunrise or if removed faster. As curses go its relatively light but that doesnt stop him from swearing fluently in Chicken.

Julie Yan has posed:
    "YOINK, ASSHOLE!" Julie grins wide, flipping off Student 42 before going back out the other end of the ring. She's unscathed, thanks to both a healing spell and her own fire resistance. THe martial artist brushes some fire off her dress, and she shows off the book proudly. "I'm fireproof, didn't think this through did ya?" She says proudly, before tossing the book towards Sera.

Sera has posed:
Sera gaps and drops the chicken as she catches the book. She blinks at Julie and grins, "Nice." Her eyes turn to look down at the chicken. "Well. Either I spend a day understanding what that short man did to you Mr. Chicken, or we wait for the magic to wear off.. which will probably be sooner than me understanding this strange magic. Honestly, the first time I've seen somebody turned in to a chicken."

She looks to Pantheon and says, "You're all kinds of magical shiny.." and to Julie she holds out her arm and the magical wings crackle through the air back to her arm and disappear entirely. "And you are very spinny kicky punchy. Love it." She tries to pat the chicken, "And you are a fellow bounty hunter who will absolutely give me fifty percent of the bounty once you've become a human being again."

Julie Yan has posed:
    JUlie watches her wings disappear. "Ah, it was fun while it lasted. I need to figure out how to do it myself." She shrugs a shoulder, and tosses Sera a salute and a big smile. "Thanks! It comes naturally, I guess." She says, blowing Sera a kiss. Pantheon also gets a thumbs up from Fenghuang, as Julie gives him a big wink. "Good to see you too, big guy. Guess that's over with, huh?"

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson clucks that he is willing to share half of a bounty he did nothing to earn but the city will probably be happy to have someone to attach to who or what Student 42 is, who PROBABLY wont be checking out books from this particular library any more.

Freddy Freeman has posed:
    Pantheon's face softens a little when Sera points out his magic nature, and fist on his hip, he nods. "Thank you! You're, like, an angel," Pushing his hair back, he continues, "Can you turn him back into a human? Please say yes. I might be magicky, but I can't really cast spells...not the way you do anyway." To Julie, he says, "It looks like it. Nice job. So about your hero name...I like it, but don't you think you need a costume too?"

Sera has posed:
Sera nods her head, "Yes I'll keep an eye on our chicken friend here until he changes back himself or until I can figure out how to do it sooner." She smiles and says, "Oh. Bother, time flies when you're fighting a tiny grumpy mage.. I have an embassy opening to get to in New York City! Never miss an Asgardian party.." She tucks the chicken under one arm and the magical book under the other. "A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Sera.. and yes, I am an Angel from Heven. Well spotted."

Jovian Anderson has posed:
Jovian Anderson seems non plussed at this revelation which, as a chicken he is both particularly well equipped to do and completely unable to engage in social masking. "An angel? Really? Wow. I expected the unusual when putting on a mask but not this scale." (In chicken)

Julie Yan has posed:
    Julie shrugs, motioning to her dress. "Isn't this enough? I mean, I could maybe use a mask but screw it." She says, and smiles at Sera. "I'm Julie Yan, but you can also call me Fenghuang. Or Firebird, assuming Pontiac allows that." She says, before perking up. "Embassy opening, huh? Sounds fun, is it public by chance? I might drop by, if only to scope out some cute Asgardian warrior maidens." The martial artist winks.