518/Opening Day

Opening Day
Date of Scene:	20 May 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Insect Queen (OMara), 300, Negasonic Teenage Warhead

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Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
It is early in the morning on a Saturday, and the crowd is waiting in line to get to be the first to check out the new goth merchandis store, only a few minutes away from its grand opening! Ads run in some minor goth culture magazines, tweets and messages being passed along through social networks, and plain old word-of-mouth has attracted a small crowd of interested people already. Granted, the shop is nothing special in size, and the crowd is closer to five people than twenty, but it's still not bad for the first day of business, especially so early in the day.

"I heard they have, like, special black leather cozies for chains," comments a skinny black-haired teenage girl. "I don't know how they do it, but you get to cover each individual link in its own leather wrapping. With holes, to see the metal underneath. Works on most chains."

"No way."

"It's totally a thing. Neera told me."

"What else did Neera told you?"

"They are giving away skull-shaped cupcakes for the opening. Like, not just flat skull silhouettes. Actuall edible skull sculptures."

"I hope they have cherry filling."

"For the trickling blood effect? That... that would be kind of neat..."

"No, I... I just like cherries."

While the chatter continues, a clearly non-Goth young woman in much more mainstream (and rather unremarkable) sweater and jeans waiting for the art supply store next door to open, turns to try and listen inconspicuously to the conversation. She shifts her weight from one foot to the other, attempting not to intrude into the chatter, but eventually starts to slowly, slowly inch towards the group.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    There is another woman here who does not, in any stretch of the imagination, look like she belongs here. By no stretch does a six foot tall woman with auburn hair and green eyes, dressed in two inch heeled black boots, grey slacks, and a grey long sleeved turtleneck. Some would call it power dressing. Regardless, here she is, walking down the street and stopping to slowly turn her emerald eyes towards the crowd gathered. She seems lost in thought for some time, before finally shrugging her shoulders and making her way towards the crowd. Curiosity and all that, no doubt pulling her towards this to see what in the world is going on.
    It's the other young woman here, who also seems out in the crowd, that she gravitates towards first. She smiles warmly, and waggles a few fingers in greeting to her. With an accent that screams, not from america, she speaks up softly. "Mornin.." she says first, keeping the smile on her face. She tumbs towars the crowd, "What's going on here?"

Negasonic Teenage Warhead has posed:
A new store for all things goth culture, and it's not a Hot Topic? That's one thing Ellie just has to see for herself. She even paid the fare and time in taking the train all the way to Metropolis, the name was promising after all: Morose Code. Nice ring to it, humor, should have potential.

When Ellie arrives, predominantly in black, chains, pyramid studs and spikes all about her leather jacket, pants and boots, it's quite clear she's in the scene. The multitude of piercings and buzz cut are also strong indicators. She is fashionably late, but it also mean she doesn't need to stand in any lines for the opening. But when she does get there, the store is still not open, and there are still people waiting outside. "What the fuck...? Slowpokes," she sighs, and moves to lean on the wall of the store. She knows just how to handle emergencies like this, her phone is drawn from her pocket much faster than a pistol, and her thumb is already speeding across the touchscreen. <MoroseCode more like CloseCode #OpenUpDammnit>

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
Violet O'Mara does not seem to notice Ellie's arrival (it's just another goth to her, after all), and turns to face the woman who addressed her.

"Oh. Hi," says Violet. "I don't... I'm not sure, actually, trying to figure it out." Her attention shifts to the crowd again. "From what I could pick up, they're opening a new specialty shop, today, and they're giving away free cupcakes or something like that. Which wouldn't be bad. I mean, cupcakes." Free cupcakes, to boot, but she doesn't say that part out loud.

There seems to be some movement behind the shop windows, which causes the crowd to turn its attention to it, but that does not last very long.

"Look! Up there! In the sky!"

It's not a bird, it's not a plane, and, unless Superman recently turned into some sort of truck-sized flying saucer with four-legs, it's definitely not Superman.

It is abrupt, it goes from being a speck in the sky to slamming against the ground, creates a shockwave that rocks the whole district. Most people probably won't even get to see it drop at breakneck speed, they'll just hear the ear-splitting impact, the following rumble and feel the ground shaking under their feet. Some members of the Goth crowd turn in time, but most turn too late. And have trouble steadying themselves after the impact. Some of them fall to the ground.

The vehicle stands there. Four mechanical legs, crouched like a predator, supporting a large disc. Completely unmoving. Emitting only a faint, very faint hissing sound, barely oudible.

As for Violet, she pretty much lost her balance as soon as the wave passed under her feet.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa has, incredible eyesight, and incredible reaction speed and reflexes. As the smoke clears, she is standing directly underneath the vehicle, with both of her fists planted directly in it's underside. No doubt, doing so to help cushion the impact force that it slams in to the ground with. Her strength is incredible and obviously so, though even she is straining. If this thing weighs less than 25 tons, she can lift, however that's not the prime concern for her. To everyone else near by, she yells out at the top of her lungs, "Everyone out! Get out of here now!" With that said, she strains under it attempting to see if she can, in fact, lift it or not.

Negasonic Teenage Warhead has posed:
Ellie isn't one to go with the flow, she's not going to look up just because some crazy person told her to look up. She already seen all the tricks in trying to engage a crowd, she just want the damned store to open up so she can get her free cupcake, and maybe buy some cool paraphernalia. Of course it turns out there actually was something up there, and it does comes down pretty fast. By the time Ellie looks up from her phone, it's just in time to see Sassa move like a streak and catch the damned UFO before it causes real damage. The shockwave from Sassa catching the UFO doesn't do much to Ellie, who was already supporting herself against the wall of the store. "This is one crazy ass promotional stunt," she quips, and immediately twits: <Morose Code ain't even open, already doing lameass promo stunts #IIsDissapoint>

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
Most of the goth crowd just stands and stares. A few of them whip out cell phones and start snapping photos, shooting little movies, and texting away. The twits and hashtugs for #MoroseCode start trending. <The actress playing the hero isn't goth at all. Lame. #MoroseCode> <They got the Deathship from the cover art of the @BluesBrooders album 'Crush On You' all wrong. It's square, spiky, and has no legs. #LazyStunts #ResearchYourCoverArt #MoroseCode>

<Yeah, yeah, nice. Where are the #Cupcakes? #HungryForSkulls #MoroseCode>

The hiss intensifies, vapour is discharged from four nozzles all around the ship, and a dome at the top opens, revealing two large, muscular aliens in animal hides. They look vaguely like brown-skinned nehandertals. They have belts and straps containing all sort of arrows tips, looking more ceremonial than practical, and a dagger (with a shining blade and a futuristic-looking handle) dangle at each side of their belt, where gun holsters would be.

"Navigator B'zank, are you sure this is it?" "Yes, Master Trakumil. The readings leave no room for error. The procedure was followed. Find the largest village on the planet, direct the saucer there, and, once over it, find the largest concentration of tanned leather and metal we could pick up." He looks up from the scientific instrument he has been consulting. "This is it. No other place in the city has as much leather and metal as this one. It must be the hunters' guild, o Master Hunter."

"Excellent," states Master Hunter Trakumil, and points at the crowd of goths. "I want them captured, their chest ceremonially opened, and their hearts served to me for the ritual dinner. I shall absorb their hunting prowess, and go back to my planet with increased ability."

"Thus shall be done, o Master Hunter!" And with a bow, the Navigator presses a button. More hissing, and panels start appearing all around the lower part of the ship...

Negasonic Teenage Warhead has posed:
Ellie is certainly looking up from her phone now, as the 'aliens' come out and are on the look for a Hunter's Guild. "Oh hell no. Hunter's Guild? What kind of lametards do these idiots think we are...?" Ellie is super upset over this ridiculous attempt to bump up sales with a horrible gimmicky show. "Fuck this, Ellie's out," she announces, before stomping away towards the nearest station. She'll go back to Hot Topic, at least they don't pull off lameass stunts, cupcake be dammned.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa, to her credit, stops trying to lift the, well, whatever in the hells this thing is. No, instead she exhales deeply and walks out from under it a few steps, before deciding that today is as good a day as any to blow her cover, and all these goths have no effing clue what's really going on anyway. With that, she stands infront of their vessel for but a moment before slowly, and steadily, rising in to the air with her arms folded just about her bustline. She glares down at the two large, /men/, /aliens/, /whatever./ "Alright boys, that's enough of what ever it is you think you're doing. These children have no clue what's going on, so, if you'd be so kind? Leave. Now. While I am giving you the choice." She is, very serious, and obviously so. If they intend to stay, it /will/ be a fight.

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
Cell phones start being enveloped by lightning bolts. Zap. Bzz. Crackle. All that.

People have to just drop them on the ground abruptly. "Aw, man!" "No!" "I hadn't managed to upload the movie!" "My pictures!" "It doesn't work anymore!" "What kind of stunt is this? If you break our phones-"

A slow realization spreads. People look at each other, in silence. "...this isn't a stunt." And those who aren't frozen in place with fear, start running for their life.

Violet, still lying uncerimoniously on the ground, lags a bit behind the crowd, but after a little while, her eyes widen with understanding.
"...no..."

Her look is of pure panic, of pure terror, of a primal fright that takes over her whole body in a frenzy, and she straightens her back, reaches for her purse to rummage into it.

She pulls out her smartphone, and taps like crazy on it. "NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" she screams, still on her knees. "For one time I had managed to save up /something/!"

The two men, aliens, whatever look at each other, confused. And then return to face Sassa. "This must be the Master Huntress of this planet." says the Navigator, quietly, leaning towards Master Hunter Trakumil. "You shall be the first to undergo the Opening Day ritual." states Trakumil, "You shall get back to the ground, now. You may struggle and scream while we remove your heart." "In fact, " chimes in the navigator, "that will be really appreciated." "You will not wander around," continues the Master Hunter, "or assist your hunters at all while we do so, nor receive assistance from them."

The panels underneath the ship finally open, and hunting robots are lowered. Half of them are large, bulky bipedal things, while others are four-legged ones not unlike sleuths. The humanoid ones are armed with nets, bows and arrows, and guns.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa rolls her eyes and lets out a rather deep exhale before floating towards the navigator first, the one that seems the weakest. She reaches out, snatches him up in hand, and attempts to toss him like a rag doll, straight up in the air. She then looks to this /master hunter/ and glares in to his face. "I'm going to say this again, Leave. Now. While I give you the choice to leave alive. If you so much as harm a single person, I will not hesitate to end you. I do hope you understand me? Seeing as you seem to speak our language." She looks down a moment to the robots, "If, those things take a single step? I'l destroy them all, and you /will/ be next. There's no negotiaton here, so I'd take the only offer you're going to get."

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
While the Navigator may scream when he's tossed over, The Master Hunter, more pragmatically, hurries to slam on a big yellow button in front of him.

A transparent bubble of energy appears where the dome used to be, encasing the previously open navigation post.

"You should not have done this, woman!" The angry voice of the Master Hunter is relayed by a speaker right on the outside of the saucer. "The robots have been started. There is no way to recall them until they have accomplished their mission. Your people will pay for what you did to the Navigator!"

Meanwhile, hunting robots have started throwing nets at the goths, and shooting them with tranq guns and tranq arrows. As the aliens implied earlier, they seem to want them alive for their ritual.

Being the sitting duck she is, Violet is caught soon enough in a net. Her 'help, help!' mixes with that of all other non-sedated people.

At the same time, the Master Hunter starts to operate the saucer, to use the legs to raise it above Sassa, and crush her with the weight. It didn't work the first time, but, who knows, maybe second time's the charm.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    It wont work this time either. Sassa dodges the attempt from the saucer to to crush her. Instead, turning to face the robots as they go about this attempt to catch and sedate all these people. Sassa turns back to the master hunter for a moment, a look in her eyes that would scream to any normal person, I warned you, is shot his direction. She does not linger though and soon turns to engage the robots in close combat. A an area of expertise of hers by the looks. Her focus is their destruction, and protecting what people she can, in any way she can. With only her bare hands though, her strength and combat skills will have to do. Unfortunatly for Violet no doubt, Sassa doesn't single her out from anyone else, attempting to save everyone by guardian people with her own body, ripping people out of nets, and slamming in to robots with the force of dozens of tons of impact.

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
The robots are strong. Very strong. But it takes Sassa a couple of blows at most, maybe three in the worst case, to down each of them. Sometimes the dog may gang up on her, but still, no real challenge there.

A whirring comes from the second crater, the one where the saucer is lying in after the attempt at crushing Sassa. It takes a few seconds for it to rise again, and steady itself. It turns, slowly, on its leng, a loud *THUD* on the ground at each re-orienting step. A hole opens in the front, and a bright light progressively increases in intensity. It appears a plasma cannon is charging.

Violet, in the meantime, notices that the robots, confused by the sudden moving of the saucer, is taking a side detour through an alley. Her hope that, by standing perfectly still and not putting up any fight, is confirmed. Well, not that she /could/ fight in the first place, but her hope that this inability would have helped, worked. She takes a look at the back of the robot who's dragging her net along like a sack, and she sighs. "I didn't want to do this, but..."

She pulls a scarab amulet out from her sweater, closes her eyes, whimpers, and gives the amulet a determined push.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa's attention is locked on the robots, on destroying them, and saving lives. That is, until she hears the saucer move again, and she hears a sound and sees the bright light of something no doubt dangerous beyond all measure. To many lives on the line here, far far to many. She notices one of the bots scampering off with Violet, but she has to make a decision. Stand in the way of whatever this is and save /lives/ or fly off after a robot and save one life? She makes a decision that she'll no doubt regret regardless and spins around flying straight for the plasma cannon. Her intent? Block the shot of it with her body as best she can.

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
The whirring reaches maximum pitch.

BLAM!

A blinding flash of light departs from the ship, and hits Sassa's figure straight on.

The onlookers stare at the impact, agape. Some instinctively reach for their now broken and lost smartphones.

Perhaps because of the EMP blast of the cannon, or perhaps because of the energy required, the forcefield ripples and flickers, occasionally appearing in various colors, and disappearing at moments. Looks like it's already started to self-repairing.

For the time being, nothing is seen or heard from Violet.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    So much for the new store, as Sassa takes the blast head on and it sends her flying backwards. She impacts the side of the building, dust, debris, bricks and mortar, glass and all manner of things exploding about her as her form continues through that first wall and slams in to the second. The second wall, doesn't hold her form anymore than the first and buckles in a shower of more dust and debris as she slames in to, and through it. Finally, wall number three stops her momentum as she slams in to it with enough force to crack it before falling face first in to the ground with a thud. It's Violet's turn now, or anyone elses, as first glance appears to have done some damage to the woman.

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
Out of the alley Violet's captor robot had disappeared, a statuesque four-armed six-feet tall redhead with green eyes steps out, sporting a chitinous armour, a large pair of wings on her back. and feelers on her head. "Now I am really angry." She exclaims, tapping a torn-off robot arm on the palm of her top hand, while she cracks the knuckles of her bottom pair of hands. "You just do not go about attempting to rip off /my/ heart." Well, she needs to work a bit on heroic selfishness, but it's a start.

"I normally have to rein in my instincts, but this time I am sure I-know-who will have nothing to say against what I'm about to do." She growls, and snapping her fingers, a cloud of wasps, hornets, mosquitoes and various other nasty bugs flies in from the nearby area, converging towards the cockpit with the flickering forcefield as a focal point.

"You, vermin!" She snarls at a terrified goth boy trapped in a net, whose captor robot has been destroyed by Sassa, earlier. "Where is the fighting, flying humanoid." She points the disembodied robot arm she was playing with earlier. "I- I don't know! T- there was a flash and- and I think she w-was blasted that way! S...she's probably dead!" The goth's voice cracks at the end, be it for fear or sorrow about the hero's sacrifice, while his trembling hand points towards the Sassa-shaped hole in the wall.

The Insect Queen raises her chin, and through half-lifted eyes, she reflects for a moment. She sniffs the ionized air, quietly, a couple of times.

"Mmmm. Plasma-roasted human flesh." she comments, licking her lips. "She seemed powerful, maybe I will be absorbe some DNA samples as well. A proficuous business lunch."

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa will not be a lunch today, not for anyone. After a few moments of rest, she returns to the fight the only way she knows how. She lifts herself up slowly, and hovers in the air for a split second before flying fists first in the enemy saucer at near mach one. To the average on looker, it's almost a blur as she moves from a dead stand still hover to nearly seven hundred miles per hour in just a few seconds. The acceleration must be intense, as well as the forces exerted on her body. Not mention, the sheer impact and tonnage of her physical strength slamming in to the vehile with such force.
    As she flies by, the air itself is compressed by her moving through it, causing all of that previous dust and debris to go flying and not doubt disturbing the insect queens bugs in flight. There's a sheer rage to her counter attack that might see her forget to hold back.

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
When the forcefield flickered through the flying insect, it had an effect similar to a bug zapper. The forcefield eventually re-stabilizes, but a good number of insects had already managed to get through, and started stinging. Matster Hunter Trakumil was busy swatting at them, to no avil. Can you imagine being locked inside a car full of angry wasps and hornets? Well, Master Hunter doesn't have to.

Unable to control the saucer, Sassa's impact manages to give the fatal blow to the already weakened structure, piercing a hole right through it. That thing is not going to fly anytime soon.

The Insect Queen, currently busy shooting webs at the robots to jam their movements, turns towards the focus of the action. "Oh, look," she smirks. "Looks like someone else is flailing and screaming while they're being not-so-ritually opened."

"Hey, Humanoid!" She yells, in Sassa's direction, trying to reinforce her message through telepathy (but with humans, it's a bit hit-or-miss if telepathy will work -- depends on the single individual). "Rip that ship's heart out while we're at it. Give them a taste of her own medicine!"

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Telepathy does work with Sassa and it does indeed make sure the message gets across. For only a moment she looks around to the source of the voice, sees that it's this insect like thing, and despite being a bit freaked out, she nods and chooses to grab the Master hunter by the scruff. She throws him out of his vehicle, and proceeds to smash the every loving beejebus out of the control consoles inside.

    Once that's done, she floats out side and searches for the /master/ hunter. He has her full attenion, and her full fury. Standing over him, the battered woman, clothes torn to shreds by the blast but still enough present to keep her decent. She leans down, and grabs him by the scruff, leans in and whispers. "I wonder master hunter, do you like to fly?" she asks of him, a calm rage in her eyes. She pauses for a moment, and slowly lifts him up in the air as she floats skywards at a steady snails pace. "Do you like harming innocents? Do you enjoy hunting those that can't fight back? My people respected what we hunted and we used the full animal. It's fur, its meat, all of it. We gave thanks to it for providing to us. You? You think you can hunt /people/ and get away with it?" She pauses again, to look back to his saucer before looking back at him. "I told you, you had once chance to take my offer.."

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
The Master Hunter, face swollen and made unrecognisable by insect stings, turns his... well, his eyes are nowhere to be seen, what with the current bug-induced deformity of his face. "What are you rambling about, woman! Innocents? We always make sure to challenge the best hunters on the planet we land on! We apply the Sacred Ruled of Fair Combat!"

Despite what must be unbearable pain, he lifts his arm, equally stung and swollen, and starts counting on his fingers, "One. You shall find only the largest village one the planet. Two, find the best hunters on the planet. Three, engage only them, and no non-hunters who can't fight back."

He stirs and gathers some force to address Sassa again. "This is where you keep your metal weapons, where you keep your leather spoils!" he says, gesturing in the general direction of the now destroyed Morose Code, which, coincidentally, happened to sit right next to a couch-and-armchair store (on the other side of the art supply store, of course), and a hardware store. "The rules have been followed, and no superior weapon was used unless it was proven the individual was a match! We shot only /you/ with that plasma cannon!"

Well, that explains why Sassa could get it so head-on. It was a bullet with her name on it.

Well, a plasma bolt.

Can... can you even /write/ on a plasma bolt?

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa glares and presses her forehead to the Aliens, "Come here.." she says to him behind gritted teeth as she holds to him. He has no choice by the looks of things, considering he's floating in mid air and held by Sassa directly.

    She floats him over to the store, "Look.." she says, as she forces his gaze in to the destroyed store. "Clothing. Items for non hunters to enjoy. Not a single weapon. Not a single thing devoted to hunting." She turns him around again to face her, "You attacked unarmed and defenseless people!" she snaps out at him, at the tops of her lungs. The anger there, is palpable. "Now, I give you a choice. Live, and go away from this place and it's people never to return again." Pause. "Or die. You choose.."

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
The Master Hunter's lips quiver. He stays silent for a few seconds.

"Life," is all he says. He's swelling really badly, and talking may be a problem for him.

He coughs, and coughing seems to cause him to convulse again, after which he attempts to press himself closer to Sassa. "Y...you..." A cough. "You are not like the others." He wheezes. "Just- what /are/ you?"

Sassa (300) has posed:
    "One of this worlds many protectors, just like her.." she replies as she thumbs at the Insect Queen. "This world? Earth? This world is OFF LIMITS" she snaps at him again. "Be glad, that I am merciful and understanding." She slowly floats to the ground and lets him down as she remains floating above the ground herself. "You, leave, now. Do. Not. Come. Back."

    With that said and done, she turns on heel and looks to see if IQ's done the rest of the dirty work to finish up the robots. She floats over to her and finally lands down on her feet. "I, have no idea what you are, but thank you for the help.." she says softly.

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
Insect Queen, having safely incapacitated, if not destroyed, most of the robots, by wrapping them in sticky webbed coccoons, looks up from her packaging work. She gives Sassa a look from head to toe, and backwars, then returns to work. "You have no idea of what I am? Well, I could say the same about you." A little more web-work. "I am the Insect Queen," she finally states. "'Your Majesty' will also be accepted, as will 'Supreme Ruler', and 'Magnificent One'. Extemporaneous titles found to be appropriate will be rewarded."

"You have rendered a good service, today, as well. This planet is complicated already, the last thing we needed was senseless troublemakers."

She finishes up her little sausage-shaped package of... alien thread-like substance, for lack of a better word, and raises to her full height.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa blinks a few times, confused, but chooses not to give some random bug lady such titles or honorifics. "Ah, well, what I am isn't really all that important either. Though, thank you for helping me with this..." she adds as she looks down and dusts herself off. "I'm going to need new clothes.." she adds, a deep exhale escaping her lips. "I take it you and I should contact law enforcement and then be on our way?" she asks, though, as she ends the question, sirens can be heard in the distance. "Ah, well, there they are. If you'd be so kind as to see to these robots? I'd like to take my leave..."

Insect Queen (OMara) has posed:
Insect Queen scoffs, "I am not contacting law enforcement. They are nothing but trouble. You may do it at your leisure when you best feel like it." She gives Sassa another once over, then shakes her head. "Humans. How did your species not evolve to grow your own armour? You are really..." She waits for a moment, then continues, cautiously, "really strange." And then she notices the arrival of law enforcement. "No, I think I will be on my way, thank you." She says, and flicks her top-righ hand in dismissal.

She hops in the air, her large wings keeping her hovering a couple of inches off the ground, and immediately after, she shrinks down to a few inches in size, and with a last nod of acknowledgement to Sassa, she turns to fly away from the scene of the crime.

Sassa (300) has posed:
    Sassa exhales deeply and slowly rises in to the air as the LEO's arrive. With that, she takes her leave flying off in to the grand blue sky.