EVENT #010

[larkers]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Amsterdam and any other megacity the Displaced happen to be in/travel to!
WHEN: May 28, 2512
WHAT: Golden-eyed monsters stream into New Amsterdam and other megacities the world over.
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Violence, death, body horror, mind control, and transformation.

> EVENT #010

It starts in the middle of the night, when most everyone should be fast asleep in their beds, whether they're still taking up a cot in the safehouse or staying in their own apartment. One moment it's quiet, with most of the rest of the city having also turned in for the night, and then in the next? It isn't.

There will be mass confusion as the scope of the situation becomes clear. Monsters stream out onto the streets, thundering up the stairs of a train station, skittering out of construction sites, or climbing up the walls. Some of them fly. Others slither. Others run, loping forward with only one goal in mind: to find something to sink their teeth or claws into and to leave destruction in their wake at every turn. They are a horde, a swarm, a teeming mass of creatures that have no intention of stopping. All of them have eyes or bodies that shine gold and wherever they go, they seem to leave decay. Concrete turns black and porous where they step; plants wither and die.

There is no real preparing for an attack of this scale. New Amsterdam will awaken as the sound of these monsters crashing down on cars or bursting through storefronts or into homes forces people to run screaming from their dwellings or places of work. There is no discrimination in who these beasts might target, and no discernable pattern in where they go.

All that one can really tell is that they seem to want to spread out. They're constantly on the move, leaping from victim to victim, and they're relentless. No one knows why they've come, where they're come from, or what will make them stop. At least for now, the only option seems to be to cut down their numbers. It's time to fight the horde.

The first night will be utter chaos as everyone reacts to the monsters' sudden appearance, but by the morning hours news reports will start streaming in. This is not only happening in New Amsterdam, or wherever else a Displaced might be staying, but seemingly everywhere. Some cities seem harder hit than others, but practically every megacity is overrun with the creatures.

With no way of knowing who might have unleashed the monsters, all of these cities have essentially been turned into battlefields. Not many civilians are prepared to fight for their lives, and it will take a mobilization effort from the police, Morningstar, the Displaced, and anyone else who's willing to take up arms in order to survive.

◉ As a note, this attack starts simultaneously in multiple cities. While it's the middle of the night in New Amsterdam, the monsters will appear at other times of the day in other parts of the world depending on the timezone!

> BESTIARY

So as to not make this post overly long, we have compiled all of the monster descriptions into a Google doc here for everyone's reference!

> (NOT SO) SAFEHOUSE

For those Displaced who stay at (or spend any time in) the safehouse under the hoverbike shop or the Red Wings bar, they may become aware of the presence of the monsters sooner than others, due to the fact that at least a few of the giant mole monsters will end up burrowing up through the concrete basements to wreak havoc. The screeching noise of steel claws tearing through the floor will be sure to wake up even the deepest of sleepers.

This won't just be an occurrence on the first night of the attack, either. Unless something is done to deter them, tunnels leading straight into the safehouses will continue to be created, allowing even other types of monsters to find their way through (the smaller ones, that is). Where exactly they're coming from won't be entirely clear, though it's a safe bet to assume that they must have originated in the cave system somehow.

Suffice to say that El won't be happy about the safehouse being compromised in this way, though this isn't a possibility that ze or anyone else could have really prepared for. While ze can't do much to physically help with containing the invasion of the monsters, ze will offer whatever resources ze can—though Morningstar is going to be busy in plenty of other locations, as well, and they only have so many resources.

The Red Wings, being a Displaced-operated location, will also be in need of assistance, especially if it's meant to be a point of safety and a hub for handing out supplies. Speaking of—

> RED WINGS HQ

As things begin to deteriorate, Clarke Griffin and Stephen Strange sink their resources into Red Wings, adapting it into a base of operations for the Displaced. Clarke also called in PRESERVE to set up a checkpoint here, too, and anyone—from the Displaced to civilians—will be able to seek aid here. (Of course, Red Wings will be just one of a few locations throughout the city where they attempt to set up shop, but Red Wings may prove to be more fortified thanks to the talents of the Displaced.) Civilians will not have access to Red Wings' safehouse, however. That's still something that Clarke and Stephen want to keep under wraps, for now.

In the bar proper, there will be medical aid, supplies, and even weapons for those who can use them. During rare moments of downtime, the gang at Red Wings will also work on reconnaissance missions to find safe spots throughout the city to provide much needed protection and safety for the people of New Amsterdam. This task may be much easier said than done. Gathering intel on the monsters is a high priority, too, and for anyone who tries to capture a monster to learn more about them, the basement might be a good place to hold them. If the Displaced are going to be able to fight back, they need to know exactly what it is they're fighting.

However, the truth of the matter is that this attack happened quickly, and in the middle of the night to boot. As much as the group at Red Wings tries, resources are stretched thin, and they didn't have time to prepare as much as they wanted to. Supplies need to be rationed, bandages and stitches used for wounds that really need them, and if you're not a great shot, it might be best to let someone with more training take that gun you're eyeing.

More than anything, despite the difficulty, this is a way for the Displaced to help out as many people as they can, and a way for them to cement their humanitarian efforts and affect the population's opinion of them. The citizens of New Amsterdam are sick of this cycle of destruction, and are just waiting to be empowered. Now's the time to teach them to fight back and help them protect their city.

Red Wings' safehouse underground will be damaged by burrowing monsters as well, and will need protection. The bar itself will escape relatively unscathed.

> INVESTIGATING / GATES

Maybe the best way of dealing with the monsters isn't violence at all. Maybe there's a more strategic way to deal with this.

The monsters will be moving from city to city via the gates, just like the Displaced do. There might be a way to keep them from spreading, or at least slow them down, by shutting down the gate network. Of course, with the mag trains shutting down, getting back home could be an issue. One option is the delivery network of hover trucks. They'll still be running to get supplies from city to city, but their batteries don't run indefinitely, so these will be relatively local trips only. No getting from New Tokyo back to New Amsterdam with this method, unfortunately, and convincing a driver to let you hitch a ride might be a challenge, but it's doable.

Of course, there's also the question of where these things are coming from. Intrepid characters might be able to track them back to their nests, which are tucked away in wildly different places depending on the city. In New Amsterdam, they might be in the caves below the city. In other places, they might not be in the city proper at all, but just outside of it. It's important to keep in mind that the nests are far away from any of the action taking place elsewhere. Tracking these origin points may provide some answers, but the cost would be less involvement in the crisis taking place.

And then there's the matter of the monsters themselves. How can you fight an enemy you know nothing about? For those determined or crafty enough, capturing them might be an option, although this will take some creativity. Once these creatures are captured, they'll need to be kept contained, and kept alive. Just because they're monstrous doesn't mean they don't have to eat, after all, and some will need special environmental considerations as well, such as the mind control slugs.

What happens after that is up to the Displaced. Is dissecting them the best bet? Their internal anatomy won't be wildly different from most "normal" animals, with the exception of some creatures who have strange appendages or the like. Still, this might give the Displaced a better idea of how they operate and what their weak spots are. Sending samples to a lab is another possibility, if the Displaced can figure out how to safely store those samples. After all, the world is in a crisis, and no one is running tests at the moment.

All monsters, though, seem drawn to the blue light. When a Displaced uses a power or activates the empathy bond, the creatures will lock onto it, utterly transfixed, and if this is done enough times, that gold glow of theirs will intensify. What does it all mean? Maybe figuring that out will be a pathway to stopping their attacks.

> PITCHING IN

While all of this is going on, it certainly won't be just the Displaced who are heading out into the streets to try and stem the flow of the monster attack. These creatures are certainly not holding back, and no matter how much work might be put in, their numbers are overwhelming. Plenty of people will end up dead as a result, ripped to shreds or dragged off somewhere to be eaten. Yet, for some reason, these monsters are not as vicious toward the Displaced. They'll engage them in a fight and injure them, but they never go so far as dealing a fatal blow.

Seeing how that's not the case for the rest of the populace throughout the world, however, some groups and organizations will be rising up to do their part.

Police departments will be mobilizing in every megacity to put the monsters down, and while they are armed, it's not on the same level as the UNA. They also don't have any sort of training that's prepared them to fight monsters, but they'll still be putting their lives on the line to put a dent in the monsters' onslaught. When it comes to enforcing regular law and order, they certainly won't have the bandwidth for anything like that. Then again, most people won't be in any position to take advantage and commit crimes either, given the chaos that will be a constant everywhere.

Morningstar will also be jumping into action around the world. The New Amsterdam branch will be most likely to work alongside the Displaced and share some of their resources, particularly with those who are signed up as official agents or those who've supported them in the past. In cities like New Prague and New Beijing where the Displaced have made some contact with Morningstar before, they'll also be open to working with the Displaced. However, their resources are by no means robust. Morningstar is an organized rebel group, but they're hardly an official army in any sense of the word. They might be able to hand out a weapon here or there and they have a safehouse set up in almost every city, but beyond that, they'll mainly be getting boots on the ground to help with the fighting.

UNA soldiers who have been left without any sort of purpose or guidance will now have an opportunity to put some of that training to use. Their involvement will be much more scattered, though in some cases small groups of these soldiers who used to work in units together will reconnect in their effort to fight off the horde. However, having been cut off from the UNA in an official capacity, they won't have much in the way of gear or weapons. They're still formidable fighters, though, and now might be the perfect time to reach out and make a connection with some of them.

Mercenaries belonging to various different outfits, depending on what city they're based in, will also be joining the cause. Whether they're acting out of a basic desire to survive the attacks or if they're actually being paid by someone to go out there and risk their lives will be less clear, but they're some of the best-equipped fighters (other than the police). They also won't really find much reason to protest any of the Displaced pitching in to fight with them. The more firepower, the better, right?

A group of regulars from the New Amsterdam fighting rings will be rising up to add their fuel to the monster-fighting fire, as encouraged by Hawke and whoever else might know them well enough to reach out. Given that some of these people have illegal mods to enhance their strength or cybernetic attachments that can do impressive amounts of damage, some of them might hold their own against the monsters. Hell, some of them might even ask the Displaced to demonstrate some of their powers if they end up fighting together, as word of their abilities has become more known among their ranks. Either way, they'll be jumping into the fray with quite a bit of gusto.

PRESERVE will be involved on the other end of these efforts and will be doing their best to tend to the wounded and the dead, along with finding shelter and safe spots for people to barricade themselves from the attacks. It's not like the grand majority of civilians could stand a chance against these monsters, after all, yet not all of them can rely on their homes to be safe enough to stay in. They'll be quick to accept an offer of Displaced help, as they'll be doing their best to try and drag the recently dead to hospitals to get them put into medi-units before they're too late. Along with what's set up at Red Wings, they'll also be cobbling together other relief spots throughout the city for taking care of wounded and offering up what supplies they have (food and water, medical supplies, etc).

And what are the corporations doing in all of this? Well, suffice to say, mainly just panicking. Unsurprisingly, they're not much help during a crisis like this, with most of the super-rich opting to hide away in whatever highly secure bunkers they might have. Too bad that these bunkers might not prove so secure in the face of these attacks. Could that prove to be an opportunity if someone went looking?

> FINAL OOC NOES

Please refer to the OOC EVENT POST for all OOC info, including suggestions for directions on how to engage with the event. Given the spread out nature of this event, as well as the amount of additional details provided here, please direct all questions to our QUESTIONS thread below. This is, naturally, a huge event in terms of scale, and so we're certain there are aspects of it we haven't covered and questions that have yet to be answered. We do encourage that all of our players use the event planning post for any additional ideas and for touching base!

Please do not begin to thread out any aftermath until AUGUST 8, 2020, which is when we will put up the aftermath log and OOC post. If this date changes, we will provide a gamewide update as needed! As a note, the August calendar will be posted alongside the aftermath!

As a reminder, there is one power level up available for this event, granted for a thread of at least 5 log/action comments containing your character utilizing their power in some way during the event itself. They will need to reach the 5 comments required by SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 to be eligible. Submission will be handled on the wrap up post.

Our Activity Check will be posted AUGUST 1 at 12 AM UTC. It will run for seven days and close on AUGUST 8 at 12 AM UTC.

Have fun and fight some monsters! Or … whatever else you might do with them. 😉😏 Your secret's safe with us. 😙

> NAVIGATION

Comments

goro akechi ( open and closed below )

[impede]

[Feel free to do any additional plotting here! Happy to write anything more specialized as needed.]

ferocity ( ota )

[impede]

[The only thing that's missing is his power.

Oh, these monsters are different from the ones in the lab. They're vicious and they even want him to become one of them. It's truly fascinating to see it at work, and it makes him wish that he could drive them a little madder, all to see what could happen.

But that won't be happening here.

Once Akechi gets going, he gets going. He's vicious and unhinged, acting more unrestrained than ever before. It's all truly ... well ... it could be monstrous. Ruthless might be the better word.

Coming across Akechi won't lead to him making friendly banter. He'll say something more like,] Gonna lend a hand? Or fucking gawk all day?

[And that's if he's talking. If he's not, he'll take down a monster with a careful shot, right before he begins laughing. Of course, his laughter is more like a cackle.

Is he ... unhinged? Most likely. But he definitely feels alive.]

[emosey]

[ Akechi definitely doesn't need to goad Cloud into any sort of action. While his methods may not be the most elegant, it's clear that he came prepared to do some serious damage -- if the wooden baseball bat that's got nails sticking out in every direction is any indication.

Such a crude weapon is shockingly efficient in Cloud's grasp. His swings lack the frenzy of an amateur hoping to get lucky. He hefts it each time with a calculated purpose, switching from hand to hand as necessary, and sometimes using both at once to lend his swings that extra little bit of 'oomph' necessary. By the time he comes across Akechi, he's probably already spattered in gore. ]

[impede]

Someone's been busy. [It's an idle remark, and one that's matched by someone equally covered in gore. While Akechi primarily uses a firearm in this world, he's found opportunities to get up in the monster's faces to take off their heads. There's something satisfying about it: about knowing exactly what his hands are capable of. He's cautious to not use his powers: he's seen how they can be transferred to others.

That way lies trouble: especially given what his abilities can do.]

But it seems to be like your instrument of choice will eventually give up the ghost. Are you truly satisfied with that?

[emosey]

[ Of course he isn't satisfied with a weapon that will only break, and probably sooner than later if the amount of hits he's been getting in on some of these monsters is any indication.

But Cloud isn't exactly spoiled for choice here. Never mind that he doesn't have the money to spare for one but even if he somehow did, he still wouldn't know where to go and actually buy one.

Which is what had resulted in this little D-I-why-Y project of his in the first place, because nails and a bat were at the very least easy enough for him to obtain, even on a limited budget. ]

Had to make do with what was available at the time.

[impede]

So you did. You haven't been dragged under by the tide, so it could be worse. [The fact that he's survived this long speaks volumes. The shades of monster gore on Cloud says a lot. He's killed quite a few of those creatures along the way. Denying him better means to do so would be unfortunate.]

Come along. How good are you with guns? Melee weapons aren't favored by people in this reality, and I'm not intending to give away any shooting lessons.

[Nor would anyone want to ever take one from Akechi, who'd be a big, impatient dick about it all.]

[emosey]

I was a SOLDIER back at home. [ Which fortunately, is more or less exactly what it sounds like, so no complicated explanation of Shinra's elite paramilitary organization is required of him. Which is good, because he cares even less to talk about it right now than Akechi probably cares to hear about it. ]

It's not by choice but I can shoot just fine.

[ While hardly his preferred weapon, in this or any reality, all Shinra troops likely receive firearms training. So, he is at least confident in making that statement. ]

[impede]

[Curious. What kind of soldier doesn't shoot a gun by choice? Would he prefer to wave a melee weapon around? For what it's worth, Akechi does like the intimacy of a melee weapon, but it only suited him in the metaverse. While blood and gore would hardly make him squeamish, it wasn't as if he slit the throats of the shadows in that other world.]

So you prefer impracticality during a fight, [he ultimately decides. And, again, this is because Akechi knows that he likes the feel and flair of using a gun himself. He's no more innocent.

Not that he intends to let Cloud in on the secret.]

At least you won't turn down what should be a given. Come. I have a weapon for you.

[emosey]

[ Cloud lets that first, dismissive remark slide without comment. In the absence of things like materia, potions, and the like, he supposes he can understand why someone would prefer ranged weapons to melee combat where the risks of getting seriously hurt are exponentially higher. At the very least, a gun will give him the ability to take out some of those flying monsters without having to wait for them to come swooping down on him. ]

Thanks.

[ Akechi's offer is a little surprising but Cloud certainly isn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, he hustles to do as Akechi asks of him. ]

[impede]

[The trek back to Red Wings isn't as long as it could be, especially since most of their efforts are focused there anyway. Once they move through the building, between the PRESERVE volunteers and other Displaced, they end up back in the kitchen. Akechi proceeds to what appears to be a cooler plugged into the wall. Once it's opened, Cloud will see that it hasn't been in use for some time—perhaps not since before this attack started.]

I believe this executes its shots a bit like a shotgun. [He pulls out a larger weapon. Within Akechi's hands and in comparison to his build, it likely appears even larger. The weapon itself looks almost unfinished, like it was pulled out of a warehouse before it completed its assembly. That would be close to the truth.]

It'll allow you to use the same close-range training that you prefer, without being quite up in their faces. [He begins to hand it over.]

holding out for an unlikely hero ( ota )

[impede]

[As it turns out, Akechi is not all brutality. He won't let someone die by the hands of a monster. Or claws. Whatever. He's a vicious enough fighter that he can stand between someone and being prey, even if it might cost him.

It does, at least in some instances. When he takes a glancing blow, his body buckles somewhat, but he doesn't tip over. That might be surprising given his frame: lengthy and slender, he doesn't seem like he has a lot of meat on him. Then again, he's been tearing through monsters. Maybe that was visible.]

What are you waiting for? Do you want to die here?

[Oh, yes. He's not here to play sacrifice.]

Get moving!

[preseance]

( gene is fully capable of bein' reckless in a lotta instances. but he ain't a fool, an' while he ain't got strong feelings one way or another about bein' dead, he ain't about to make dyin' easy. but for all that he's a competent shot an' ain't got much fear in him of anythin' at all, he ain't a fighter.

which means by the time he runs outta bullets, he's down to bare hands an' a prayer. the monster had tracked him through a storefront (literally through the damn thing, he's still shaking shards of glass from his hair) an' has him pinned down in a corner where he'd mistaken a dressin' room door for an exit. if ever there was an argument to be made to get rid of these stupid slidin' panels, that'd be it, by christ.

he's got a hunk of architectural stone in one hand as the creature circles him, an' when it lunges in —

— well, it surely don't make it all the way. whatever happens is so quick he can't hardly follow it, an' then even as the fella tosses out that acerbic reminder to move he's already on it. he knows a fighter when he sees one, an' he also knows full well he'll be more a danger needin' protection nearby than a ways off in the clear.

though once he's a safe distance, he pivots an' chucks that damn hunk of rock like a baseball.

(he always did wanna play for the agathine royals, his leftie pitch is a brutal thing)

it smacks the monster in the side of the head with a resounding thwock an' gives the fella, hopefully, enough of an openin' to dispatch it clean. )

[impede]

[As a member of the school of "Teamwork is Bullshit and it can Fuck Right Off" school of logic—hell, Akechi graduated with honors—he doesn't appreciate the flying rock properly. It's an unfortunate truth: he's too caught up in his own brutality to think about anyone helping him. And to Akechi, he sees a useless person in just about everyone. It's hard to notice what else they might have to offer him because he sees value in these transactional ways.

All of this is to say: it's unfortunate that he doesn't see that pitch. Akechi is a baseball fan—of the Yomuiri Giants, of course, because he doesn't care for teams that make a culture out of losing—and he would be able to appreciate a nice throw, especially coming from a fellow lefty. What a shame that it turned out like ... this. He's too brutal, too vicious, to see magic in the making.

The good news is that for all that he's missed Gene's pitching career living and dying, he does take advantage of the stunning action from the rock. The brutality that follows makes Akechi look as much like the vicious, wild creatures rushing the streets, only when he turns to Gene when he's done, it's not with a flash of golden eyes. There's a certainty to them.]

The fuck are you still doing here? [Yep. Definitely missed Gene's big ol' strike out.]

[preseance]

See, now, you could'a just said 'nice throw' an' have done with it.

( but his tone is warm an' amused rather than carryin' any level of offense at the attitude. see, gene has been corrallin' teenage boys who think themselves above god an' all the rest for years now, ain't no thing. )

Come on, let's get outta here before more show up.

[impede]

Does it look like I'm eager to run? [Though there's no point in waiting for a swarm, he's a touch annoyed at the implication that he needs to avoid what he's very literally out here to kill.

He begins to move just the same.]

You take point. I believe I'm better prepared to watch your six.

Wildcard.

[variate]

[ this isn't like the Metaverse. it makes it seemed controlled almost, even while the Phantom Thieves were prowling through the depths of Mementos in the Monacar. his time here has made events like this more common, and while he's not entirely comfortable running into battle without his array of Personas at his helm, he's learned that he can still fight without them.

just as dramatically, of course.

his grappling hook has been a good tool. as long as he gets a good grip, his access to certain places is almost unlimited. while he hasn't strayed far from Akechi, he still finds means of swinging around the corner of the closest building, shooting one of the nearby monsters in the head, and landing a few feet away from him.

the gun in his hand cocks, and he reloads. ]

Ah—hi honey, I'm home.

[ he stands adjacent to him, and aims at the closest monster. ]

[impede]

That nonsense again ... [While he had taken it in stride as well as he could while inside of Leblanc, he doesn't hide his frustration for such ... cuteness here. But that's Akechi all the way. He doesn't live for motivational speeches. He doesn't fight because he carries a stupid fucking name. He does what's necessary.

And then there's Ren: all flash, but a great deal of substance. He can't even deny how attractive it is at its core to see Ren putting on a show like this. The fact that he shows up to "save" him—well. Of course he can't turn his gaze away.

At first.

Another bat creature tears his attention away.]

Get moving! [he snarls, and turns and begins to shoot while ducking away from its large talons. The feint makes him cackle: a low, burning sound in the base of his throat.]

[variate]

[ even without the back-up of having a Persona, he holds himself with a flawless confidence. he has to gauge his shots, make sure that his aim is level before he shoots.

he turns over his shoulder to aim toward the closest bat that's heading toward him. with his other hand he retracts the grappling hook beneath his sleeve, and then slings it out again to catch bat creature enough to off-center it and Akechi can get a better hit. ]

I've got three more, on the right!

[ it's easy for him to fall into position. ]

[impede]

What a shame that I can't guide us through all of this! Keep alert, and tell me whatever you see from your end. [Without his Persona or powers in the metaverse, he lacks the same ability to navigate this situation. He had always been good at managing that alone for a reason, after all. Now he stands without it, so soon after it feels like he lost his powers.

A really true shame. But at least the loss of it comes with freedom and control in another way.

He takes the shots, but misses the last one because the bat ducks and turns in the air. Akechi blurts out a curse, ducking down with a grunt.]

We need to reduce our angles. There's coming from too many directions!

[variate]

[ there are three others that cause Ren to pull the grappling hook back, aiming to take a few shots at those that get a little too close. they're aggressive enough that the shots don't do much but momentarily deter him.

so, he switches strategies on the fly, expecting Akechi to follow suit. he leaves himself open to take the last shot at the bat monster that Akechi missed, knowing that he'll compensate. ]

We can narrow the field.

[ they need a corridor, a building entrance, or something that would force them to line up to allow a certain flexibility for the two of them. ]

There's an alley close. We need to scatter them, first.

[impede]

[The weapons that he obtained from Tempo are truly useful. The moment that Ren says that they need to clear them out, he switches gears, swapping one gun out for another that's larger and strapped to his body. He swings it up. The issue is that it's obviously more experimental in nature: while he knows how it works, it's better for this specific purpose. If he tried to be more exact, he'd probably get himself killed.

And as much as he's looking out for Ren at the moment, Akechi's interest in passing away has ... faded considerably.]

Head on, Joker. [He shifts the weapon.] I'll take care of these bastards. [And then meet him there shortly. His position is one that will allow him to turn and flee once the shot is fired.

And with a gun like this, it'll only take the one. Ah, if only he had something like this in the metaverse ...]

[variate]

[ that's not entirely what he was expecting—but when was Akechi exactly what someone was expecting? there's the barest moment of a slim pause, where Ren's looking at the gun, then up at Akechi again as he darts past him. ]

Don't make me wait long.

[ there's a skid of his boots as he ducks behind Akechi and the monsters begin to follow him into the range of the gun.

he takes a look under his hood and over his shoulder as the gun is raised because honestly? he wants to see what it can do. ]

[impede]

[Guns in this world aren't made to be noisily problematic, but they still have some kick. When Ren looks back, he'll see Akechi prepping his body for the shot, moving his arms into a better position—

And then, as the creatures swoop down, he hits them one after another. Somehow a single shot fires in five different directions, knocking the bat creatures out of the air.

Akechi, after that, trembles and nearly buckles with the force of the weapon itself. He recovers bit by bit, turning toward Joker with a serious expression on his face. That's the only way he can cope with the pain of the kickback, after all.]

[variate]

[ damn.

when it's not Akechi's usual slew of curses, he knows that there's a reason. Ren slows one step, continuing as they close in to the alley so Akechi can get behind him and he can cover him momentarily so he can catch his breath.

stalking a step away the now bloody and gutted bats, is a Leshen. Ren takes aim to hit it square in the forehead as it lets out a blood-curdling scream.

they have just a second as Ren heads into the pathway of the alley, and reloads his gun. ]

[impede]

Take point! [he snaps, falling into place behind Ren so that he can begin to recover. He's dealt with a lot in his short life. He's even dealt with this level of unsteadiness, but he knows what he needs to get over it. His slender arms bend as he leans into the wall, using them as leverage.]

Keep an eye out, [he directs.] That call is for more. They'll be here shortly.