4015/Demon Heart Part 3

Demon Heart Part 3
Date of Scene:	03 November 2020
Location:	=Location: An underground base in Pago Pago Island, somewhere in the North Atlantic.
Synopsis:	The Blue Beetle is down but never out.
Cast of Characters:	Ted Kord, Joan Wright, Stephen Strange, Diana Prince, Douglas Ramsey

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Ted Kord has posed:
Blue Beetle has brought a small group of heroes with him to Pago Pago Island to investigate missing ships and planes. Pago Pago where the original Blue Beetle, Dan Garret, died fighting the robot minions on Ted's Uncle Jarvis. After a brutal battle on the beach that saw the Bug destroyed the group led by King T'Challa made it to the main control room.

There, They found Jarvis Kord, now a cyborg, more robots, and a zombified Blue Beetle demanding surrender. Now Jarvis Kord Mark 2 and a huge heavily armored robot step, forward while Dan Garret calls Ted an imposter.

As the robots ready to attack and Dan Garret moves towards Ted, magical energies flashing blue white around the scarab embedded in his chest.

Ted Kord lifts his pistol. Unheard over the clamor he says softly, "Yes Dan, I often feel the same way."

Joan Wright has posed:
Oh hey! Part III of the same event so the outfit hasn't changed that much since last time around. So we've established that Joan is not really wearing a costume. Right now she looks like she got taken off a construction site. And, it's entirely possible that actually was the case. She's wearing steel toed boots, a hard hat, safety glsses, work gloves, a sensible light weight but long-sleeved shirt, and cargo pants with LOTS of pockets (ALL the pockets). And it appears she's got stuff in ALMOST all of them. One has been emptied out to allow for that nifty strap on light that's currently adorning her head, illuminating the view befor her.

We have also established that the helmet has proven to be very much necessary in the process. For in this case the head beam is doing a fantastic job of giving the gho-zombies? of Ted Kord's past the spotlight. The architect is a bit flummoxed at the moment. She was NOT given much of a heads up to what was going on until after she was already on the way over. Other than rebuilding the entrance to the tunnel so they could run in and pointing out the electrocution hazard, there's really not much to do here.

Except for not getting killed. She glances around, seeing of there's any thing of use nearby.

Stephen Strange has posed:
    Crossing barriers between dimensions takes tons and tons of mystical energies, crossing the galaxy takes nearly as much, but to those that are truly in the know of ley lines and the way mystical energies flow through the planets and around them, hitching a ride from New York to Pago Pago is almost trivial. The Sorcerer Supreme possesses such knowledge, even after spending a few weeks in another dimension seeking to renew an ancient contract from the time of the birth of men.

    Arriving at the beach and spotting a certain Amazon, Stephen's breath hitches and he steps into action, helping Diana dispatch her foe in an amazing, lightshow of a battle and conflict, like they've worked together before. The wizard knows she didn't need his help, she's Wonder Woman, but he's already here for a reason and that squid, isn't it.

    "Come, your friends need your help. Mystical energies down below are ... Not good." Stephen says, looking down at his boots and beyond into the earth and reaching out with his senses to find the correct path to the crew below, "Come." Stephen says and levels his hands to create a orange ringed hole in reality, moving from the beach with the hot breezy wind off the ocean to below, the dank cold, rushing winds occur from the drastic changes in atmostphere and Stephen invites with a gesture for Diana to go first, not saying what he's thinking towards the heroine, finding it better to hold his tongue.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana was indeed involved in a pretty epic battle between herself and a giant multi-armed-monster! When Stephen arrives, she's been battling the creature for several minutes and when he calls out to her, she's already severed many of its limbs!

His portal opens, his words are met with a look from the Amazon Princess before she's attacked from above by another giant tentacle arm! She sweeps herself off to the side of it, then raises her left thigh up to let the arm slam down upon the front of it with a wet splash against her muscled thigh!

Diana's form is motionless, strong, holding the tentacle arm draped over her leg as she lunges up in to the air, twists herself around and brings her opposite leg up and over to kick the arm out from in front of her!

The tentacle goes through Strange's portal! And Diana sweeps in to follow it. Her shining Sword of Athena is brought up in a flourish that ends with it striking down, squishing and cutting its way through the beast's limb as she lands upon her feet on the other side of the portal!

The severed limb lands at her armored feet, writhing around as it spews a nasty ichor out behind it from where Wonder Woman had split it in half.

Diana is here now, clutching her sword, her eyes sweeping side to side to take in this new place...

Ted Kord has posed:
Robot. Heavy. Armored. Fast. It steps on the tentacle and crushes it, lubricant squirting out(!) as the mechanisms driving it fail and power cells implode. It aims a vicious fist at the Amazon Princess' head.

"Kill them all! I only need the Bug. We can repair that. The robots comply, closing in.

Dan Garrett makes an awkward grab for Ted. "What will you do, Ted? I have the scarab. It sustains me even in death. I am strong as ever. What will you do?"

Ted fires a blast of light at Dan's eyes, blinding him, slips under his grab and runs around the side, aiming a kidney punch with not effect.

"Imma cheat Dan, it's what I do!"

The robots seem stunned by the light as well hesitating, processing or waiting for their vision to clear.

Dan yells and turns to swing at Ted, his fist hitting a badly installed support. A catwalk full of machinery and more stone debris comes crashing down, burying them in a cloud of dust.

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan looking around the place rewards her with the glimpse of a tentacle popping out of nowhere. Eyes widening she backs up in response, opting to NOT be near the robots or THAT. Now mind you this woman has already waded through a bit of water to come over to this side to be greeted by a zombie beetle so one can only surmise that the observation made upon the newfound visitor to be a profound one.

"Ew."

Or maybe not. As Diana pops in, the grossed out expression gets replaced with a smile. Which dies away as the tetacle gets lopped off and her view goes back to the smushie results. She looks down to it for a moment before the robot stomps on the tentacle as well. Okay. Well. Back to keeping away from the robots then. The robots pausing from the light doesn't go unnoticed. She turns her head, shining a light directly at one of them. Is it a robot by robot thing or is there like a universal switch or sensor controlling them all?

Stephen Strange has posed:
    Stephen waits for the heroine to step through the portal but then she's quickly under attack and the sunshine portal in the darkness suddenly vanishes. Doctor Strange remains on the beach and sighs. It's never easy is it. The wizard complains mentally as he reaches up into the air, and creates a new portal. Roughly 100 feet in the air above the sun kissed island, Stephen creates a new portal in the sky, linking it to the caverns and facilities below him. The floor beneath the bots and the mystical energies that Stephen can feel are opened into nothingness.

    He's trying to drop them from the ground they were on to a long fall onto the beach. Robots and capes alike. He'll have a way to catch those he wants to.

Diana Prince has posed:
For a second, Diana is able to register Joan and offer the other a soft nod and a very brief reassuring smile. But that moment is sadly overwritten by the sudden onslaught of ROBOTS. Specifically one aiming to punch her! Her reflexes prevent that outcome from happening, of course, as she can see it coming a mile away.

Sidestepping the robot's punching fist, Diana wraps the glowing golden lasso of Hestia around its metal appendage, moving at a blur of speed, she tightens the lasso and starts to whirl it around, to start to use the large robot that just took a swipe at her, as a rope-ended weapon!

The glowing golden lasso of truth is swung, sending the robot bouncing around to collide with its similar minions!

Diana strides with long lunges, controlling the direction at which she'll aim her new rope-tethered weapon!

Ted Kord has posed:
And the Beetle? The wall of debris and twisted machinery clatters, perhaps settling. the robots' numbers are depleted both by Diana's robo-bolo and Dr. Strange's mystical portal.

jarvis Kord snarls with oure rage and opens his armor's chest. "If my robots can't destroy you, I will do it myself. Inside the torso a glowing silver lava lamp of metal glows fiercely as vibranium panels are retracted. Diana would probably recognize this, or Douglas. Promethium. Deadly with prolonged exposure.

There is a muffled voice inside the pile of rubble, then it shifts and parts as a blue figure shoves it aside. Hood shredded and around his shoulders, but still wearing his trademark goggles, a blue scarab now clinging to Kord's chest. Ted shoves a boulder out of the way. "See? I cheat! Hey uncle Jarvis, give it up! I... got a rock!" He hefts a huge stone and bats a robot aside. Ted looks very happy, almost manic.

Stephen strange can feel the old magic curling about Ted Kord.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug pauses, and then says, simply, "You have to see that this is madness." He flattens his mouth into a line. "Sir, as a scientist you must've once had a reverence for logic and reason."

"This isn't about knowledge, or discovery, it's not even about power, is it?" He watches, cautiously. Then he turns to look at Ted.

"Someone once told me that the pitfall of magic comes when the urge manifests to use it to do things that are *counterproductive*, that don't really meet your desired ends - they simply seem appealing in the manic moment. No one needs to sacrifice virgins or raise zombies."

"I've realized science can work the same way. There's necessity, there's discovery, and then there's abuse - and logically, we're well beyond the pooint of abuse. You're a scientist. Logically, you *know* that-"

Joan Wright has posed:
The glimpse around does prove a little fruitful. Looking to the large amount of cables heading to a circuit box, Joan's eyes widen. Holy hell. From the same place that brought them exposed wires last episode, a central circuit box? Oh-

As Douglas distracts with a speech, Joan walks over towards the box, a hand unzipping another pocket to pull out and put on some thicker, more rubbery looking gloves. Yeah. It's a central circuit box. But... Evil lair.

She nods with each point being made. Perfectly great points indeed. To which she opens up the box with a loud creek and a quick flip of the main switch, jumping back as she does so.

Yes.

NO trust in this place's electrician.

Ted Kord has posed:
The hulking robot on the golden lasso loses its oomph and goes limp. The robots falling through the portal similarly go limp and unresponsive. Jarvis Kord does not, the Promnethium generator fizzing and bubbling and shining its toxic, mutating light.

Jarvis Kord scowls, "Cybernetics for all would be my mantra... but humans detest change... If I can't win, I will destroy Pago Pago and al of you!" he scowls. the harsh light seems to warp his features.

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord throws the rock aside and lunges at his uncle, lifting off the ground. His speed and momentum carrying them both through the portal. Tumbling on the sand of the beach, Ted hangs onto Jarvis and calls to Dr. Strange. "Make him disappear or something, he's got a WMD in his freaking chest! Please! ... I'm sorry Uncle Jarvis, truly. I failed you and Dan again."

Stephen Strange has posed:
    That sense, Stephen closes the portal from the floor the robots were on and the sky, to open a new one, and not be able to step into it, But the visibility helps.

    "By the Vishanti protect these mortals." Stephen demands as he reaches through the newest gap in space and time to create many small shields around those that trigger his magical senses as human. A golden-yellow translucent sphere around Diana, Joan, Ted, Doug and even one around the warned chest piece of Jarvis. It appears the Doctor wont allow people to die on his watch. The sphereical shield spells acting as a way to catch Ted and Jarvis falling through the portal a hundered feet in the air.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug holds up his arm, the light reflecting off of shny black techno-matter and golden circuitry. "I've fused into a singular entity with a techno-organic life form before. I know the appeal of transcendence, of shedding your limitations. But forcing people into that kind of change is - well, it's rape, sir. I had to learn that from someone who valued me as an individual more than I valued myself."

"But the funny thing about techno-organic matter is," Doug says, as his fingers begin to sprout tendrils, "It doesn't play by the rules of physics as most men understand them. It's almost like having a hand made of liquid carbon and nanocircuitry, you know?"

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's fighting continues up to the point where the robot that she had ensnared with her lasso has gone mostly limp and is mostly destroyed. She uncoils the lasso from around the bot's body and then draws it back to her. A look is given over to Strange and his protective ways. Its noted, its appreciated, and he'll know it from the quick faint smile he receives from her before she steps forward, lasso coiled up in her left hand and her sword held by its blue leather wrapped handle in her right.

"Whatever has gone on here, it ends now." Diana speaks out, looking toward Ted, Jarvis, and then to Doug. "The chaos on this island must end."

Ted Kord has posed:
Jarvis Kord sputters, literally, smoke coming off him as he initiates a final failsafe to avoid capture. His frail body convulses in the armor briefly then lies still.

In the quiet, Ted peels off the melted parts of his costume that contacted his uncle's generator. Despite his new found power his chest and should are burnt. He croaks, "The vibranium, extend it around the promethium... he was using it as control rods. That should stop it."

Then Ted buries his face in his hands. He doesn't notice the burns healing or much else.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug walks over to ted, and squats down, before he reaches into one of the pouches on his belt and takes out a spray. "This is what we use at - nevermind. It's a uh - secret recipe." That promotes the regeneration of healthy tissue in the event of severe burns. He shakes it up, and says, "It stings. A lot.' Then he sprays Ted's burns with it.

"I'm sorry about your uncle, Ted. Sometimes - we just lose people."

Joan Wright has posed:
Recovering her footing, the Damage Control employee looks to the box. Oh hey. Joan didn't get killed. That's good. Huh. At least that place was properly wired... Stepping closer she uses her gloved box to swing the box shut.

CREEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA-

She pauses, glancing to the others before finishing the task.

-AAAAAAKKKK. Klunk.

Not sure what's going on over where Ted and Doug are at. She slowly walks over, taking off her gloves. A questioning glance is shot over to the others.

Ted Kord has posed:
As everyone congregates on the beach and some prisoners find their way out of the base, Ted looks up, seemingly oblivious for a moment. He surveys the beach and wreck of the Bug. Then he looks down at his chest and the pulsing scarab. "I'd have given nearly anything for this scarab at one point. Now... I saw what it did to Dan. I'm a little leery of it honestly. I'll make a shrine for it, in honor of Dan, and my Uncle."

He looks at Joan and says, "when we fought Uncle Jarvis the first time... I saw the circuit box... but I had no gloves and I hesitated. I was scared of getting electrocuted. Good job Joan."

Then with a wrench he removes the scarab. "Ow... F***ing mother flower. That hurt."

Diana Prince has posed:
When things calm down, Diana breathes a sigh of relief. Her sword is sent up over her shoulder where it near-silently glides back in to the sheath resting on the back of her harness. Her lasso is placed back on the harness at her right hip and she looks to those gathering o the beach.

She raises her left arm up to speak in to her bracer through a team comm with T'Challa. Diana starts to quietly explain to him about the precious metals that he's probably going to want to acquire to take back to his homeland.

When she finishes she walks toward the others. "Are we all alright?" She asks quietly, knowing the answer to that is not exactly a 'yes' but the madness as settled, for now, at least.

Stephen Strange has posed:
    Stephen was about to approach Ted and Jarvis when "Jeez kid!" Doug is suddenly up there with some, healing salve for the burn victim. Stephen takes a moment and assumes everything is secure, and so with a wave of his hands, those in the base are pulled to the beach via teleportation spells and Stephen takes a moment to catch his breath.

    Strange looks to Diana and then Ted who's holding a very mystical artifact. "I think we're alright, Wonder Woman." Still feels weird saying it, even now. Especially now.

    "Beetle." Stephen says, drawing Ted's attention, "Do you want me to take care of that? Magic hasn't been acting correctly lately and I'm able to promise to keep it in a safe place."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord looks at the scarab and then holds it up to Stephen. "I will want this back when magic settles down. We'll need special equipment to disassemble the reactor, Demon's Heart i've heard it called. can someone put in a call to Damage Control... I think they'll throw out my account after this." He gets up and fiddles in his pocket before pulling out a well cared for signal device with the JLA emblem . He looks at Diana and then the small comm. "Did you call them already? I'm not sure if my signal will still be acknowledged. Been a while."

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
    "Sorry, Doctor." Doug says, "He's just my boss - I have to earn my paycheck. Without that, it's just the walk of shame back to the big house." He flattens his mouth into a line. "Though I think I might be well out of my pay grade."

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan nods understandably. "Subpar building electrical wiring is pretty standard in evil lairs. Got it. I didn't trust the box either without gloves." She glances over, seeing estra people pop out "Oh hey! Looks like the others found the missing people. That's good."

Joan looks over to where the Beetle once was and sighs, "...Your bug looks a bit worse for wear."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana nods softly to Ted's words before Joan's cause her to look at where the transport that brought them here is. "I can summon the Jet." She speaks of her 'invisible' jet, but then looks to STrange. "Unless you would be willing to send us home." She says to the Sorcerer Supreme.

Her eyes go back to Ted then. "I have told T'Challa about the vibranium. I will be informing the Justice League of this place, and have our monitoring systems focused here. The threat that this place offered would be terrible, if it continued in some capacity, and found its way to the mainlands. We will watch it."

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord says, "I'll shut it all down. He was my uncle. Or we could just let the promethium loose. Blow this stupid rock off the surface of the Earth." He holds up the signaller to Diana. "Here, I should have given this back a while ago. Even less point now than before. No Bug so I'm just a guy in... half a blue costume. Still got my goggles!" He smiles and settles them in place. Then he waggles the signal device for emphasis.

Stephen Strange has posed:
    Stephen nods towards Diana, "I'd be willing to do that. As long as you don't mind Central Park and then figuring it out from there on your own." Stephen says, he's not going to take every single person here to their individual homes. "Last train home." Stephen declares to the beach and creates a large portal wide enough for five people to walk through easily, shoulder to shoulder. The greenery of the park is completely visible to the other side and Stephen winks towards Diana. All she had to do was ask.

    Stephen takes the mystical artifact from Ted and slips it into a pocket at the back of his tunic, likely just a pocket dimension, but the cloak seems to cover that part well enough and the sensations from it disappear from the area.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana accepts the signalar back in to her leather wrapped palm. Her bare finger wrap around it as she lowers it down to her side and puts her eyes back upon Ted. She shows him a soft smile. "A hero is more than his toys, and costume. He is more than a pair of goggles." She says. "A hero is a person who stands up for what is good, right, and serves justice to those who wish to push injustice. You will gain new items for yourself, Ted Kord... but your heart's quality-- and the actions that come from it --is what matters most."

Diana looks over to Stephan and shows him a larger smile. "I love Central Park." She says, stepping over toward him then.

Joan Wright has posed:
Joan sighs, finally taking note of the attire Ted has and undoes another pocket, reaching in to pull out a small plastic bag. She hands it over to Ted before she shuts off the head lamp on her helmet. She gives a nod to the heroes before she steps through the portal. Not even blinking. So. Tentacles are an Ew. But random portals are 'Okay!'

Ted Kord has posed:
Ted Kord shrugs into the -orange- poncho... wonders where an urgent care is? Phone is lost. He'll have ti explore. It's just his regular place has a mug with his name on it. He steps through.

Douglas Ramsey has posed:
Doug doesn't seem to balk once at the portal. Weird kid. He steps through it.