Fight the Hordes and Sing and Cry

[solar_flare]

WHO: Nero, Yang Xiao Long
WHAT: It's off to Everglade to rescue the human sacrifices from a demon trying to summon an eldritch god. Yang calls in Nero, and they're off to fight. A couple of cards, these two!
WHEN: August 19, 2018
WHERE: Everglade


[Over the past week, seven people have gone missing. Nothing unusual for Everglade, but this time, there's something unusual. Namely, one of those people got away. Yang got the call through the bounty hunter network, and naturally, she didn't turn it down.]

[The survivor told her all the details he could, about the culprit, the location, and the purpose of their imprisonment. The ritual won't continue until the demon fills the last seventh spot, but it's only a matter of time before someone else gets dragged off.]

[As soon as Yang knew demons were involved, her conversation with a certain newbie sprang to mind, and she looked up his number in the directory before sending Nero a message.]

'Demon trying to sacrifice seven people to summon an eldritch god. On a time crunch, heading to Everglade now. You in or out?'

[Attached were the coordinates, because she's almost completely sure Nero is going to be in.]

[When he arrives, he'll find himself at the edge of a murky bog, still hazy with the sinking sun. Yang's bike isn't parked too far away, and the huntress herself is walking along the edge of the waters with a frown on her face as she examines a mossy tree, shakes her head, and moves to the next. Her fingers skim over the slimy bark, questing, but she isn't finding what she's looking for.]

Comments

[solar_flare]

[A deep bass chortle sounds from within the creature as the mud inches higher, little by little.]

Suffocaaaate...

Nero, heads up!

[The monster's features start to shift in Yang's direction, but don't quite make it before a shattered tree is swung against its leg hard. The thud is fierce enough that the vibrations run through Nero's feet too, and holding the base of that very large tree is Yang. It's bulky and hard to grip, but the sheer weight of the makeshift weapon isn't a problem thanks to her semblance. The tips of her hair have begun to flicker as she grins.]

[If the size of her fists was the problem, then she just needed to upgrade to a bigger weapon.]

[The smash of the tree destabilizes the monster and it begins to tilt precariously, no longer trying to suck its captive inside of its arm. Down it comes, a tidal wash of swamp water crashing over the bayou edge as it lands hard.]

[It won't stay down long, though. Yang drops the broken half of the tree, now that it's firmly lodged in the creature's leg, and aims her left fist at the shoulder joint. A twist of the arm to shift the ammunition shells, and three quick blasts of twinkling blue rockets power into the arm that's got Nero. When they hit, sheets of ice crackle and spread, firming up the mud into something more solid. Yang pauses to reload, giving a short nod to her partner.]

You know what to do.

[unfollowed]

[ Well that's sure one way to make an entrance for a rescue?

It's the crackling ice that's truly the icing on the cake here and when Yang gives a nod in regards to the next move here, Nero just grins as glowing blue fingers curl into a fist.

Yeah, he sure knows what to do alright.

The strength that resides within his demonic arm shatters the ice the second it connects with a hard blow from the demon hunter and he only relents for but a few seconds so that he can dislodge himself from the creature and tap down to the ground. But he's not finished yet, oh far from it, especially with this creature here being a rude little shit and sucking him into his arm like that. Honestly, no manners. It's only with Red Queen held back with his left hand that his right lunges forward and that blue spectral arm manifests almost instantly, reaching for the creature's leg to wrap around tight.

And he has every intention of swinging that creature around a couple times and then chucking it across the way with that spectral arm of his. Bon voyage and all that. ]

[solar_flare]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo....

*

[Yang comes to stand next to Nero, putting a hand to her brow as she watches the swamp monster go sailing. Wordlessly she holds her palm out without looking at him. Low-five. He more than earned it.]

Guess that's that. All that's left is figuring out how to get into the demon lair.

[................. She sighs. She'd rather fight another swamp monster than go around feeling up all the trees.]

Any suggestions?

[unfollowed]

[ Low-five, huh? Well, can't say that's anything he's done much of before but, sure. Why not? Low-five it is. ]

So much for the whole the enemy of my enemy is my friend bs.

[ Honestly.

Dusting himself off some, the call for a suggestion has Nero looking around and taking a moment to simply stand there and listen. ]

Don't suppose a tree branch is a magical lever that, if pulled, will take us to the lair, huh?

[ Could that actually be a thing? Far too easy for them if you ask him and so, Nero just looks back to the swamp and all its murkiness. ]

Or a chain or something laying in this mess that can be pulled to open a way in somewhere.

[solar_flare]

Most of the trees I checked seemed pretty normal, but a submerged chain might be what we're looking for.

[Yang turns her head to look at the bog, and the murky water that gives absolutely no indication as to the water's depth. Ugh... She's going to be extra pissed off if that nasty stuff gets into her hair. Grimacing, she gathers up her mane in gloved hands, twists it, and stuffs it into the collar of her leather jacket. She really should invest in some hairties to carry in her pockets, for real.]

Guess I'm going in. Coming, or are you going to check for more trees?

[Praying that the seams of her boots are tight to keep out the water, she carefully eases in one foot. The water level rises to mid-calf. Okay, not so bad so far... She feels ahead with the toe of her other boot, testing for anything that stands out in the silt.]