EVENT: The Attack of the Clowns

[soul_mods]

Early in the morning, those who had brought one back would find the bird keychains they brought back from their trip to that skii resort doing something...strange. The small eyes on the things started pulsing with a faint light that might go unnoticed at first. It doesn't stop though, and keeps right on pulsing for the rest of the morning.

Shortly, before noon, the light stops pulsing and shines bright enough to be uncomfortable.

Two things happen at once when it does.

One of these things is this: within a 50 meter radius of every keychain, strange ripples appear in the ground. From these ripples, something that is barely humanoid in shape slowly ascend. Their colours range from red to silver to yellow to purple. When they've materialized all the way, the Clowns immediately spring into action, attacking anyone nearby and, if there is no one, move in whatever direction they were facing, seeking victims.

The other thing that happens is a voice, young, lilting and feminine, being projected through the keychains.

""Thank you for all that you have done: none of this would have been possible without your contributions. I would thank you all in person except I don't believe I am really welcome here. Which is a pity as I hadn't gotten to meet all of my lovely victims the first time around. Please accept these children as a token of my appreciation instead. They are a little, ah, crude, but I do hope you will all play nicely~."

((OOC: Please put [Character Name | Location | OPEN/CLOSED ] in your subject header! Event information can be found here.))

Comments

done editing I swear

[heavenly_earth]

[Assured of Near's response, Neji withdrew from him and focused on the Agency, watching as Genesis and Edgeworth struggled against their enemies. One clown fell, but two were still dangerous, and he knew firsthand that Soul Menace wasn't as effective on the clowns as it was on kishin eggs for the lack of soul wavelength to disrupt.]

We're close. [Close, but Lee's batons were yellow in his hands, and it was a risk if he used his Weapon's speed to get them there faster. But his eyes were drawn to the rest of the Agency, where more of those glowing circles were appearing, and they didn't have a choice]

Lee! [They'd have to risk it, and do as much damage as possible in the short time they had. With the sudden burst of speed, Neji pushed them until they were just outside the Agency, then leaped up and smashed Lee into the clown Edgeworth had already damaged]

Edgeworth! Genesis! You need to get out! More clowns are spawning behind you! I've already sent for back-up!

[awokentospring]

Neji... I do not think they can hold the attacks off much longer! [As much faith as Lee had in his friends here, he knew the power of these clowns and they were no push-over. It was nice to see that one of them was taken out but they still had a lot on their plate.]

But... [Lee stopped his argument before it could even start. There was no point in denying they needed some speed. Steeling himself, Lee hoped they would push beyond this next burst without any throwback from his natural handicap, then he broke through the invisible barrier, giving Neji an edge as they raced onward into the fray.]

[cardfortress]

[Near would point out that of course it's a good plan, I'm an excellent strategist but he's sure that goes without saying anyway, so he holds back from saying something once again, but only because he would be stating the obvious.

His partner isn't as well versed in self-restraint as he is, however, and Near would have rolled his eyes at his reply if he had the eyes to roll right now.]

Right. You know many things, some of which happen to be wrong.

[Mello started it, so Near's reply is entirely justified; he doesn't want to fight like an old married couple have this discussion right now, either, but clearing things up is always good.

There is something vaguely amusing about leaving a trail of confused clowns in their path, as Mello runs to get them to the Agency on time, but Near doesn't let that distract him; he keeps a close look on their surroundings as they move, knowing that both of their lives depend on good observation skills, because they need to dodge or block attacks and figure out what each kind of clown can do to them. They have no idea of what they'll find at the Agency, either, so the more they know about their enemy and the different forms it can take, the better.]

Levitation, [he states after a moment, sounding deep in focus.] There is something else I can't figure out right now, but they seem to be able to levitate objects at will.

[want_the_world]

Name one thing I'm wrong about.

[The challenge, in fact the entire topic, is dropped and forgotten as Mello rounds a corner at a full-out sprint and the Agency comes into sight. The number of clowns has dramatically increased since his last view of the building through the surveillance cameras, and even with Lee and Neji fighting towards Genesis and Edgeworth, the odds are in the process of tipping to the clowns' side as more appear.]

Where the fuck are they all coming from?

[It's a rhetorical question to be dealt with later.

Mello's already felt for himself what the red ones do, and can make an educated guess about the silver from having observed how their blobby shapes change. He can't tell about the purple ones yet, and isn't eager to find out. As quickly as the half-formed idea of prioritizing based on the clowns' attacks occurs to him, he discards it in favor of a much simpler plan: hit as many of them as they can, as hard and fast as they can. Dispute with his Weapon forgotten as irrelevant, he takes a split second to make sure his mind's completely open to Near.]

Let's blow some shit up.

[He lifts the cube and points it at three of the clowns' heads, marking them as targets. At his wordless signal, Near unleashes their resonance attack, the resulting small explosions satisfyingly like red, silver, and mustard yellow fireworks going off.]

Push the bastards this way! [he calls, perhaps overly optimistically.]

[recitings]

[In the meantime, Genesis had snapped out of his drained state as the purple clown was jolted away. However, he almost forgot that the red clown wasn't dead yet. It continued to sap out the heat Genesis was radiating until...]

Edgeworth, take cover!

[Immediately, he pulled back and pulled his meister with him as the air surrounding the clowns suddenly combusted, setting the hall and the eerie puppets ablaze.

"Mother"-- no-- Jenova was still murmuring in Genesis' head, trying to offer him power, convincing him that he needn't be tied down to a Meister. But Genesis knew far better than the madness in him. He transformed back into his weapon form in Edgeworth's hand.]

Do you think we can use our resonance technique to get this under control?

[After all, they could control fire. If they could control it well enough, they could defeat the clowns and save the Agency all in one go.]

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth needed no second urging. He turned away and shielded his face. That sound was a sound that had become even more familiar to him as Genesis' Meister - the sound of things going up in flames. Before he knew it he felt the Weapon transform and return to his hand.

When he stood up again, he saw the fire. If they didn't do anything, the Agency would be wrecked all over again. And Edgeworth didn't want that. Not again.]

We can try, yes. But we have to do it now!

[Channeling his rage (how dare they destroy the Agency entrusted to him) and determination to get rid of these blasted monsters, he poured his soul wavelength into the Rapier. Before they could use their resonance attack, they had to achieve perfect resonance.]

[heavenly_earth]

[It's a crossfire Neji finds himself and Lee standing in the middle of- clowns at the center, flanked by Genesis and Edgeworth inside the building, Mello and Near's souls out. But the clowns laboring behind Genesis and Edgeworth are unchecked, and Neji uses Lee's speed boost to fly past them to intercept.

It's a lot of clown to take on themselves however, and Neji elects to weave between them, strike hard and fast, then take cover until most of them are hellbent on his destruction. Neji lures them away from the other pair and leads them outside and around the building, heading back to where Mello and Near are located]

Hang in there, Lee. Delay the color change as long as possible. I'll live without your speed for awhile now, and just focus on regular attacks and Soul Menace. Then perhaps we can attempt a final synchronization..

[awokentospring]

[The trick to being a shinobi was controlling one's fear. If one could stomach a tight situation, one could keep a clear head and remain above the carnage enough to think proper strategy. Lee was fairly good at what he did, so he thought he had a grip on his senses. But this was enough to confuse him, and he was glad he wasn't the one calling the shots here.

Holding in his ability after such a rush was almost painful. But if he kept expanding energy then he surely would reap repercussions back on Neji and Lee didn't want that. Concentrating as hard as he could, Lee fought against the transformation, but he could already feel it, his batons slowly morphing towards orange.]

Neji!

[cardfortress]

[Near is about to point out that they should leave this discussion for later when Mello gets them to the Agency and they finally see for themselves how many clowns they're going to be up against, so both of their priorities are quickly rearranged. His Meister's question may be rhetorical, but Near wishes he had an answer for it all the same, because they should destroy whatever it is that is summoning these creatures.

Like Mello, Near lets his mental walls come down completely so that they can use their resonance attack freely, and unleashes the small blasts at every unspoken cue his partner gives him. He's as careful not too use too much of his energy for each explosion as he is about making sure each one is as deadly as a directed explosion can be, but even though he's quite focused on the task at hand, he doesn't miss the somewhat optimistic tone behind Mello's words.]

Don't get too cocky, [and as he says that, the clowns that Neji and Lee directed outside make themselves known, and Near eliminates a red one first, not wanting a repeat of what happened after he and Mello left their apartment a while back.]

[want_the_world]

Me? Never.

[Mello's mind is working as quickly as it ever has, assessing the rapidly changing situation. The sudden flare-up of fire from Genesis and Edgeworth's direction has him wincing, but without any Madness active in the area, it's no more than a brief instinctive reaction, and the steadying warmth of Near's mind helps him get over it quickly.

Are the clowns coming from inside the Agency? Likely, but that's just as clearly not the only source of them.

He has time to brace himself, mentally and physically, taking the side-on stance he uses to fire his gun, as the clowns Lee and Neji are fighting approach.]

Yellow next, I'd think.

[As he takes aim, he thinks it's a good thing Gemini isn't here to see them; he'd be practically lit up with rage.]

I want to get off the defensive. Ask Neji if Genesis and Edgeworth can pull theirs this way, too.

[With a smaller area to focus on, all their respective attacks could be more targeted and intense.]

[recitings]

[Meanwhile, Genesis had been controlling the madness within him, taming it so he and Edgeworth could achieve perfect resonance at the quickest time. It had to be now or else the damage would be something they couldn't control. Not to mention that if they couldn't do so, then they might as well become trapped in the burning office.

He thought of LOVELESS, he focused on the words as a mantra to tame the Black Blood, and then made his mind zero in on Edgeworth's emotions and amplifying them.]

Let's do it, partner.

[prosecutory]

[Edgeworth visualized Genesis' second Weapon form in his mind. He imposed his will upon the flames that were itching to spread and destroy everything in their path. This Agency had been established for a reason, and if Edgeworth could not protect it and everything it stood for, he would never, ever forgive himself.

Ever.

He swung the Rapier forward at the nearest patch of flame, glaring at it as if it were a defendant trying to bluff and cover up what he had done. Feeling the power welling up inside him like a reservoir ready to be tapped and the warmth of their resonance hitting the perfect note, Edgeworth shouted his commands, pointing the Rapier in turn to every flickering group of flames.

In order to achieve perfect concentration, he shut everything else within his surroundings out, depending entirely on Genesis to warn him in case any more enemies approached.]

Stop! Die! Cease and desist!

[Rinse and repeat. And the fires did exactly that, suddenly remaining in one place before sputtering out just like Edgeworth had yelled at them to. Miles Edgeworth: Fire Whisperer.]