Owner	Pose
Megan Gwynn	It's early evening when Megan finds the place where the last portal was supposedly opened and while she does not yet know the who or why or where of this magical mystery, well, at least she's getting close. There's a strong scent of magic in the air from those who can sense such things. Now she just has to find the exact spot, and maybe even catch the guilty party in the act so she can put an end to this once and for all. And of course she calmed for back up too. Let's just hope they show up. This mildly chilly afternoon in the park is dotted with a few people here and there now that Manhattan is back to normal. Let's just hope the rift isn't in the middle of traffic or something.
Daniel Ketch	Dan got the call just as he was leaving work. So, he needed to cross half of Brooklyn and Manhattan to get to Megan. Unfortunately he can't drive up walls to avoid traffic, it took a bit. Some streets are still undergoing repairs, that means more congestions, even for motorcycles. He texted 30 minutes, but they were more like forty. Hopefully the world won't implode during that time. Although he won't be too surprised if the world ends due to New York traffic jams.
Cael Becker	Sometimes you just need to take the time to clear your head - and for Cael, that often involves riding her bike. Today, though, she's not on her modern, S1000 RR - nope. She's testing out the vintage Harley Davidson Shovelhead she was given - a monster of a bike, from 1978. She weaves her way through traffic on it, listening to the loud sound of its vintage engine - and wondering how it'll sound once she manages to get it out of the city, and really open it up on some more rural roads.
Johnny Blaze	Magic. Nasty business was in the air. It attracted the Ghost Rider like a moth to flame. Though he didn't know exactly where to go until Megan's call for backup arrived. Hearing the call, and heeding it, he mounts his motorcycle and heads over to Megan. He hadn't transformed by the time the Hellrider arrived, and he cracks his neck. He looks for this 'Megan', since he's rarely met her before, and he seems to take notice of the Pixie, starting his approach. "You called for some help?"
Megan Gwynn	Well...Nothing seems out of place.Not at first. But as Megan heads further into the park, she notices something odd in a clump of trees. Was that a distortion effect in the air, like the ripple of atmosphere in the extreme desert heat? Well whatever it is, it's very subtle at first, unless one is attuned to the magical rift it forms. And there is someone suspicious there too. "Hey..Wait!" she calls out and rushes towards the man in a long black cloak - what is that, some sort of cult symbol on his back? But even as she runs towards him, he retreats into the thick foliage of surrounding trees. It is then that Megan hears a familiar motorcycle and glances around, spying Johnny furst. "Heh, Daniel, glad you could make it. I think he's a cultist of some sort. They must be the ones creating these magical rights." she peers around and there's a distinct rustle in the trees off to the right. "Over there!"
Daniel Ketch	Magic. Daniel is barely an initiate, but he feels it crawling somewhere in a place in his head that wasn't there a couple years ago. His good experiences with magic being pretty much zero, it means he is quite jumpy. It is a relief when he spots Megan, and he climbs off his motorcycle. It is not at relief when he hears Johnny. "What? No!" He didn't call anyone for help. Or for anything else. He seems to be missing the meetings of the so-called Justice League Dark. Maybe he gave them the wrong cellphone number. "What the hell are you doing here?" He stage-whispers as Megan comes close, talking about cultists and looking for men in clack cloaks. And there is Cael too! But maybe Megan called her. He waves to the woman, and then tries to follow Megan and her cloaked man.
Cael Becker	Focused on the road, Cael might have missed the gathering trio if not for Daniel's wave. Her head turns in that direction - and it's //Johnny// she recognizes immediately (of course) with a faint frown. Still, she pulls her bike off the road, riding it slowly into the park, and bringing it to a stop near the others, looking around at the others. "Is something up?" she asks uncertainly.     She really wasn't looking for trouble today. She was supposed to be taking it //easy//.
Johnny Blaze	Johnny stares at Megan as she calls him Daniel, and he shakes his head. "I'm Johnny. Johnny Blaze." Johnny mentions as he approaches closer, the chain hanging from his hands and dragging along the ground as he looks upon the magic that hangs in the air. The ripple of atmosphere from the magical rift is not unnoticed by Johnny, but he will notice it the least out of all of them until he transforms. He watches where Megan is going, and he frowns a little bit. Though he immediately starts to run after Megan. He has no clue who this man in the black cloak is, but he seems dangerous. Johnny looks at Daniel. "I get that a lot." He frowns a bit, and as he keeps moving, he spots Cael. "Magical rifts, it feels like. Megan's chasing after the guys in the cloaks."
Megan Gwynn	Megan Gwynn blinks and rubs her eyes as Daniel steps up. The *real* Daniel, "Wait wait, are you saying there's two of you? The heck?" she rubs her eyes. Maybe she didn't get enough sleep. and then a girl steps up that she doesn't know and she just laughs, "Okaay fiiine, someone sent up a bat signal or something but it wasn't...!" Oh.The black cloak is gone, apparently hiding in the bushes perhaps, but some of them are suddenly sprouting little legs and dancing around the small group. "Uh....?"
Daniel Ketch	Daniel is not even trying to explain this. "She is always in this kind of..." dancing bushes. Yes, no words. At least they look harmless. "Last time it was gremlins, or something like that." But last time there was not a guy in a black cloak. BUT. If he ends up being Batman, it is going to be pretty embarrassing.
Cael Becker	"Look, I'm just going for a ride on my bike," Cael replies, giving the ambulatory bushes a puzzled and mistrusting look. "If the lot of you want to handle this on your own, I can leave you do it and just get on with my ride..." Though even as she says that, the woman brightly dyed hair peeking out from under her helmet considers summoning her axe to her hands. That would //probably// be more effective against bushes than a gun.     Quieter and less alarming, too.     "Why do I keep ending up in weird shit?" she laments.
Megan Gwynn	Okay fine. Sooo, there are dancing bushes now, and that's sooo not on Megan. Even though funny stuff always happens around her. But what's with these bushes anyway? They start to dance and spin, faster and faster, whipping out long thorny branches at the heroes as they churn up a dizzying whirlwind of dust and leaves and thorns. "What the heck? It's like they're trying to confuse us.." she tries to focus, searching for the black cloak..That's definitely new, but it's hard to focus on anything with the dancing bushes spinning faster and faster, closer and closer. Wait, what was the objective again..?
Daniel Ketch	Daniel grabs a sawed-off shotgun from his motorcycle and stomps the nearest bush, trying to keep it down, protecting his face with an arm. He manages to keep the thorny vines off his face and hands for now, but looking for a cloaked guy in the night when being attacked like this is pretty much impossible for him.
Cael Becker	As the thorns scrape against her clothes, Cael lets out a sound that can best be described as 'put out.' "Fine. Another night of weird mystical bullshit it is," she mutters - as a blueish silver double-headed axe appears in her hands, celtic designs etched in along the axe's edges, and a design of crossed wings coming down the haft of the axe. She swings it with a practiced grace surprising for the size of the weapon, as she starts casually hacking away any branches or tendrils that reach towards them.     "I really suggest you cut that out," she directs towards the bushes. "Before I have to get more forceful."
Johnny Blaze	Johnny looks at Daniel. "You have a shotgun like that too?" He tilts his head. "Great minds think alike." He tells him, though he keeps the chain in his hands. Though with the thorny branches coming after the group, JOhnny narrows his eyes. "What in the hell?" The thorns scratch against his leather and cut through clothing as he manages to get semi out of the way, the cuts that reach him, and he looks for anything he can shoot.
Megan Gwynn	Megan Gwynn blinks, turning this way and that as bushes spin around then, clipping her arm with their vicious thorns. "Ouch! What are these things?" fortunately they seem to be nothing more than mere bushes and they are fairly easily destroyed with a few well placed stomps, axes and guns. What few bushes remain scramble back and are no longer moving, like the spell has faded. Megan frowns as she spreads her wings and hovers in the air, peering around, "I think that was just a ruse, playing for time..I don't see the black cloak anywhere..And that tear has grown even larger!" it's not obvious to those without magic senses, but it's there, a glowing tear of light in the air. To those who can't see or sense magic, they will only see a strange ripple in the air, like a desert mirage, or a subtle shift of air like northern lights. "Ill try to seal it but it'll be crude..Keep on guard..Anything could have escaped from there.."
Daniel Ketch	"Uh... supernatural creeps usually laugh at handgun bullets," explains Daniel, "but I found out a shotgun usually has enough punch to give them pause." He squints his eyes at the supposed 'tear' he can't quite see, but he can feel. "Just close it, if the cloak guy shows up we can take care of him," he decides. "If anything got through, we can track it later. It is downtown New York, someone is going to see any monster unless it is under six inches tall."
Cael Becker	"There's a lot of harm a monster can do in this dense a population area, though," Cael remarks in a dubious tone. "And unless I'm mistake - some magical creatures have ways of staying hidden."     She searches for any sign of trouble - not joining in the conversation about firearms, as she keeps her attention largely trained on the task at hand. The axe is held in an unwavering grip as she searching for trouble.     She'll check her jacket for tears later. If those plants ruined her jacket...!
Johnny Blaze	"A pain in the ass is what they are!" Johnny curses the vines as he twirls his chain, slicing through the thorny vines that continues to pursue him. He felt fire burn his wounds like the Rider wanted to come out. "Guard duty it is." He stands up tall, twirling his chain and having a bit of an internal conversation with Zarathos. One that amounts to 'you'll come out when I feel like it or when you're needed.' He looks at Megan. "Do what you have to do. We have your back."
Megan Gwynn	Megan Gwynn nods, frowning as she surveys the tear in the sky, and summons her soul dagger. It's growing dark now the sun is starting to set, shining purplish hues across the sky. In some magic circles, sunrise and sunset have particularly notable ties with peaks in power. Perhaps this was well timed.. "Wow, the tear is bigger than expected..But I think I can do it..It was opened by magic, my dagger repels magic so it should act like a band aid over the magical tear.." and she gets to work, performing some emergency magical surgery. With any luck, nothing escaped but then again..Who knows? For a few minutes it seems all is quiet..Maybe a little too quiet. And that's when shadowy transparent figures seem to crawl out of the woodwork. Ghostly figures. In many cases, they appear as deceased loved ones or perhaps victims that were killed one way or the other by the heroes. They appear at first only to the heroes..In Megan's case she sees her deceased father, which causes her to freeze in her tracks. "D-dad!?" she gasps in disbelief.
Daniel Ketch	And in Daniel's case, he sees his sister Barbara coming at him. It makes him freeze, but it has also the effect of waking up the Ghost Rider, who feels a very human guilt remembering Barbara Ketch's death. "Wait... no..." Daniel realizes too late what is coming, and too late to stop the Rider. He stumbles back, but his flesh is already melting, flames bursting from his eyeholes. "YES. I shall not let the event proceed. The one who opens portals threatens many innocents, there will be a reckoning."
Cael Becker	Cael also sees a relative - her mother, who died and left her orphaned many years ago. The woman resembled Cael, and was only a few years older than her - but didn't look to be in good shape. She was thin, with missing teeth, and sores visible in the skin near her wrists, and at the base of her neck. Seeing her felt like a physical blow, and Cael steps back, her axe disappearing from her hands. She looks around for some sort of clue as to what is happening. Was this some sort of trick? Was it really her mother's spirit? Not long ago, she would have dismissed this as ridiculous.     But now... she's seen ample evidence for the existance of spirits after death - and for the afterlife, as well.     "...you guys seeing this, too? Anyone got any insight into- into whether it's real or not?" she asks.
Johnny Blaze	Johnny is ready. Or he was. All is silent for a long time, before those ghostly apparitions crawl from the shadows. Everyone sees someone different, and Johnny? Johnny sees his family. His wife Roxanne. His son Craig. His daughter. Emma. Johnny's expression blanks as sadness reaches him. "What....what is this? This can't be...Roxy? my babies?" Johnny approaches them. "T-this isn't possible."
Megan Gwynn	They look so real, sound so real as they hover closer to their loved ones. They seem so peaceful, so serene as they reach out their hands to the heroes. "Come with us..Come back with us..We no longer have to be separated..We can be together.." their voices, their appearances sound just as they did in real life, and yet they are dead, aren't they? Megan had started working on the portal, but her hands tremble, lowering the dagger and tears well in her eyes. "Dad..I missed you sooo much! Are you from the other side? Can I come see you..?" her father smiles lovingly. They all do.. But when Daniel shifts into the Ghost Rider, everything changes. His 'sister' screeches and her body swiftly shifts into its true form, a hideous demonic looking thing full of teeth and claws and cloven hooves and fur. It snarls and slashes at him. They all quickly change form, rushing at the heroes, with deadly sharp horns, fangs and claws.
Daniel Ketch	"It is not real, beware!" Replies the Ghost Rider, meeting the demoniac creature heads on. The claws tear the leather from his bones, somehow cutting the supernatural fire underneath. But he responds aiming a punch to the shapeshifter's face with his right fist. His left hand pulls from the chain around his torso, and he whips it to protect... One of the (maybe) innocent women in scene? Nope. He swings to the creatures threatening Johnny. Go figure that one out.
Cael Becker	Those words - those were the wrong things to say to Cael.     She's alive. She has reasons to live. She just came back from the underworld - where she went to fetch her boyfriend, and bring him back to the people who love him.     Whether or not this is her m other - she's not going anywhere with her.     "Fuck off," Cael answers immediately. "//You// left //me,//" she reminds the specter. "I was 12!" she says accusingly.     Her gaze goes to the others as she adds - almost in unison with Daniel, "Don't listen to them. This is some sort of trick. Don't-" As her mother's form shifts, her defensive denial turns into fury that something would dare take her mother's form like that. The axe is back in her hands - but this time there's arm as well - blueish silver metal covering her chest, wrists, and chins. Dark, almost black metallic wings extend from her back - and a flap of those wings propel her forward as she swings with her axe towards the demonic creature. "Fuck off!"
Johnny Blaze	'Not real.' Johnny had moved to embrace his family. They were fake. Demonic manifestations of evil. With tears in his eyes, an emotional reception turns immediately to rage as Johnny transforms into the Ghost Rider in a burst of flame. <"You dare?!"> Arms immediately reach for the throats of two of the entities, as if to crush their spirits in his grasp. The third is left to Daniel, who receives a single nod in gratitude from a -very- pissed off Blaze.
Megan Gwynn	Megan Gwynn blinks slowly as the ghost of her father quickly turns into a hideous demon with claws and fangs. "Whu..What?" she reacts a bit slower than the others, and screams as the demon slashes into her, drawing blood from her arm. She snarls, dagger glowing brightly as she stabs it, sending it shrieking in rage and anger, before stumbling to its death.. But there are many more, who had slipped out while the heroes were distracted with dancing bushes. And while the first wave are easily struck down by their efforts, more and more crawl up from the shadows, spreading out to attack passersby but mostly focusing on the heroes. Megan grits her teeth, flying back to the rift, trying to focus on sealing it, trying to ignore more demons that start to charge towards her. "Gotta..Seal this..!"
Daniel Ketch	There is a nasty crunch as the first demon facing Daniel's Ghost Rider has its face caved in. He snarls when Johnny is replaced by Zarathos, though. Maybe that was exactly what he was trying to prevent. And now there are many more of the monsters. They need to protect Megan and also the people in the park. He breathes hellfire to those closer to Megan, then turns to Cael and Zarathos. "I will protect the half-fae girl."
Cael Becker	"Can you manage that alone?" Cael asks - without pausing in the way she swings her axe - using the haft to block attacks - or catching them on the top of the axe, only to shove them off, and sweep down with a devestating strike. "If anything happens to her, and we're unable to close whatever this is - we lose more civilians in the long-run," she points out.     Guarding Megan's back so she can work was, undeniably the one priority.
Johnny Blaze	*CRUNCH* The apparitions suddenly fade in Zarathos's firm grasp, growling as the demon looks upon Ketch, two Ghost Riders face to face. <"Do it."> Means Zarathos can go on the offensive. Thatchain is out to use as he starts to swing it in his hand, and with a wide-arched swing, it tries to cut through as many as it can.
Megan Gwynn	Hellfire seems particularly effective on these demons. They shriek out in pain and fury as they burn in purifying flames, although a few of them manage to escape. He has caught their attention though, and they snarl as they turn and leap towards Daniel, leaving Megan alone for the moment at least. Cael's powerful axe swings slice easily through the demons who seem to rely more on numbers than individual strength. And Johnny's chain slices easily through many more..But the remaining demons are smart as they move into formation, then rush towards more shocked bystanders. A group of three kids playing out in the park, a couple of joggers. A noisy dog are their next targets, easier t prey than the powerful heroes. And while that's happening, Megan works feverishly on that rift, "Got a bit more than halfway closed, try to herd them over here, through the portal!" she gestures towards a pair of trees where the remaining rift is before she continues to trace her glowing dagger over the torn edges of the magic rift, causing the ragged edges to briefly glow pink as she uses her dagger like a surgical knife, hot gluing the greyed edges together with her dagger. She's looking tired though, this is taking a lot out of her. "Almost there.."
Daniel Ketch	"Yes, for they are weak," declares the Spirit of Vengeance, whipping his flaming chain to shatter the demons as they come close to Megan or himself. "I suspect they are not fully in this realm. It doesn't matter. They shouldn't be here." Although he is not trying to 'herd' anything, but to destroy them as quickly as possible using the chain or his spiked fists. Letting them close to the portal would put them too close to Megan, after all. Or maybe he is just merciless.
Cael Becker	Cael doesn't seem keen on the idea of herding either - but when Daniel says he can guard Megan's back, and she spots some of the monsters going after //children//... "No you fucking don't," she growls in an angry tone, as she flies in hot pursuit. "CAN I HAVE ALL CIVILIANS OUT OF THE AREA!" she orders in her loudest, most commanding voice. "BY ORDER OF THE FBI." That's an authority most people accept after all.     More specifically she adds, "Kids, run!" as she descends on the demons, kicking one - swinging her axe towards the head of another.
Johnny Blaze	<"Protect the innocent!> A voice in combination of Johnny and Zarathos orders, vengeance fueling the Ghost Rider as it leaps forth with a powerful movement to try and bulldoze into the demons going after the joggers. <"Fall before VENGEANCE's FURY!"> The demon howls into the air at his approach.
Megan Gwynn	Daniel does a good job of destroying any demons that get too close to Megan with his flaming chain, making quick work of them, and indeed, he could be right about their limited strength being tied to the half open portal. Thankfully Cael manages to get in between the demons and the playing children, and her voice is loud enough to carry pretty far. Most people in the area scream and run either at the warning or at the sight of demons. Thankfully Johnny manages to leap into action, quickly and efficiently flattening and destroying the demons that give chase after joggers and stragglers.. Meanwhile, Megan pants, falling to one knee. "Almost there...Sihal Novarum Chinoth!" she yells as she teleports whatever demons remain, sending them flying through the portal before she uses the last of her strength to seal it all the way with a final flicker of pink before the rift vanishes completely. Her power almost completely exhausted, she collapses tiredly to the ground..
Daniel Ketch	Daniel, or rather, Noble, is an efficient killing machine, indeed. By the time the last demon bites the dust, Megan was still finishing with the portal. Now he is looking for men in black cloaks, and his night-sight is much better than Daniel. Still, he can't find anyone suspicious enough to go running (or riding). And then Megan collapses as the portal closes. He hesitates for a few seconds, and then picks her up from the ground gently. "Do you require a healer?" He asks.
Cael Becker	As the children are saved (and thank her by running off screaming) Cael takes to the air, circling around as she searches for signs of trouble. She doesn't seem to spot any more of the demons, though - or any signs of obvious violence, or distress. "We might be clear!" she calls down to the others. "Is the girl alright?" As if the 'girl' was really all that much younger than she was herself...
Johnny Blaze	*BOOM!* Johnny outright flattens the demons and scares the pedestrians to safety with a demonic roar in their direction. Wrapping the hellfire chain back around itself, the demon growls and starts to turn back to the group, approaching Megan. <"She is exhausted."> The Rider turns to Noble. <"We will have our reckoning another time.">
Megan Gwynn	The dog is not rescued but it barks loudly enough at a nearby demon until that demon is teleported away by the magic..It seems there are no casualties tonight, but no sign of the black cloak either. Megan however, looks rather worse-for wear, but she's probably used to this sort of thing. She just smiles tiredly at Daniel, "Heya..Nice catch.." she winks, "I'm okay, just a little tired, nothing a little R and R can't cure. Did we save the day?"
Cael Becker	"I think we're in the clear," Cael calls down to the trio on the ground. "But I have the best vantage point for making sure! You boys get the girl any help she needs - I'll patrol for a while!" With that, she flaps off into the growing gloom, her gaze constantly scanning the ground beneath her.