Harbinger Pt 4: INNAWOODS (amos,john,reverb)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKoZMke594A

<HabeusKaiju>: It's a mid afternoon day, at the S-Academy, where rain pitter patters at the outside window. This noise is unheard of though, at least by Amos and Reverb as they are spending this rainy day in, training with the vampire skills, in the Haphazard room. Training dummies come in at droves at the two, trying to swarm them

Reverb outright jabs her hands into two of the dummies, tearing out their 'hearts'.
Amos stretches out his torso in a snake like fashion, wrapping around a dummy then constricting it until it bursts

<HabeusKaiju>: As soon as they destroy these final dummies, a hron blares out, signalling the end of this training module. the room, and training equipment melt around them, leaving only the blinding bright white walls, straining the eyes for a bit, before they can adjust

Amos straightened himself out, his form returning to normal
Reverb sighs, wiping her hands on her jacket and looking around the blank room.

Amos yawned, his body changing between several human appearances unconsciously as he did so before settling back on his more usual form.

<Reverb>: "Ugh, this one was too quick for my liking." she grumbled, rubbing her wrists and stretching out/
<Amos>: "The exercises rarely change. You're just getting better with it"
<Reverb>: "I'm not very fond of that fact."
<Amos>: "...Try to be merciful to them next time then. Repeat things that aren't meant to kill"
<Reverb>: "...Alright, understood."

Amos nodded to her. He didn't feel the need to take it any further, letting her handle the rest on her own will rather than his.

<HabeusKaiju>: As Amos nods, a loud thudding comes from the Haphazard Room's door, as it fills the room with bangs repeatedly

Amos immediately looked to the door, sharp barbed tendrils coming out of his back ready to strike should anything come through the door.

<HabeusKaiju>: the loud bangs continue, the door remaining unopen

<Reverb>: "What are the chances of this being a bad kill us all thing?"
<Amos>: "Hopefully low" the bogeyman replied, approaching the door. "WHO'S THERE!?" his voice boomed powerfully.

<HabeusKaiju>: The noise still persist, and the question, unanswered

<Reverb>: "Yeah, whatever this is, it doesn't sound smart. Assume combat protocol?"
<Amos>: "Do so"

<HabeusKaiju>: It continues still, and seems to be quicker, when a guttural sound, similiar to a horse comes from the outside

<Reverb>: "Right, on your count, we open the door." she said, making two swords in her hands.

Amos sighed, taking a moment as he breathed in softly. Little glimmering and glowing beads of air just barely visible to the human eye started to collect into the ends of his tendrils, causing them to glow lightly yellow as he took in the power around him. "Three... two... one!" All four of his new appendages crashed through the door, tearing it off the hinges and slamming into whoever was behind the door.

<HabeusKaiju>: As he does so, he slams into the frame of Nazgul, who stumbles back a bit, before straightening himself, staring directly at Amos, his eyes pulsating blood red

<Amos>: "....Oh"
Amos retracted the tentacles back into himself. Well, the door can be fixed, at least.
<Reverb>: "Is this... bad?"
<Amos>: "It
<Amos>: is John's horse"
<Amos>: "Sorry, Naz"

Nazgul stomps his feet, and, turns his head down the hallway, before looking back at Amos
<Amos>: "....I think its trying to lead us somewhere"

Nazgul nods slowly, before lowering himself, the familiar cracking of obtuse leg bones fills their ears
<Reverb>: "Do we, uh... follow it?" she asked, dropping her swords and letting them fade to dust.
<Amos>: "Its worth a shot" Amos said as he walked alongside the demonic horse
Reverb sighed, and followed the horse.

Nazgul huffs, looking back to his back, and back at the two
<Amos>: "....Fine" The bogeyman climbed onto the horse's back as well as condemning Reverb to ride bitch.
Reverb will remember that, and give the bogeyman some kind of beatdown for making her ride bitch. She grumbled and got onto the horse's back.
Amos pat the zombie horse on the head to signal it to get going

<HabeusKaiju>: It resumes the standing position, as the legs crack again, and, runs forward, barreling through the school at high speeds. Any door before it seems to open with a swish before it hits them

<HabeusKaiju>:Before long, it arrives in the forest, and stops, looking forwarding, signalling them to look forward as well, in his own Nazgully way

Amos looked ahead quizzically

<HabeusKaiju>: In between the trees, they can see three figures, walking away from them, adorned in leather jackets, and cowboy-like hats. One of them seems to be carrying a headless body, while the other one carries a shaking sack. The last one seems to be carrying a large suitcase.

<Reverb>: "Is that what I think that is." she said bluntly, clearly rather unhappy with some thugs kidnapping on school property. First thing she does is make a bow and arrow in her hands, leaning out and shooting an arrow right at the man holding the body.

Amos stepped off of the horse as quickly as he could, fusing with the shadows of the forest and rain to rapidly approach them unseen
Reverb shifts a little on the horse, patting its head, muttering to circle the men rather than go directly for them.

<HabeusKaiju>: the one man falls over, clutching his shoulder in pain, as he drops the body, which rolls, and lets out loud gargles of fear. the two others turn quickly, to look at Reverb

Amos started to set a trap with his own body in the forest, stretching out every limb and tendril he could to wrap around the trees with what looked to be thorny vines just barely visible to the human eye. It circled them among the heavy trees and plants as he spread himself out. There was nowhere to run.

<HabeusKaiju>: "Who goes there?"

Reverb doesn't give the men a second of rest, shooting another arrow right for the leg of the man carrying a sack.

<HabeusKaiju>: The one holding John's head cluthes it to his chest, and pulls out a crossbow, Trying to find his target. the other pops the suitcase on the ground, and opens it up, kneeling, still, and, observing as well

Amos made himself lightly visible to only Reverb, showing the web that he had spun around them just waiting for one of them to make a move

<HabeusKaiju>: the one man dodges, and fires a crossbow back at Reverb's direction, thudding the tree next to her head. it seems to give off the faint sense of holiness off of it
<HabeusKaiju>: "Monsters, show yourself! We came only for the Dullahan, but, we are open for more creatures to take home. In burlaps sacks, or body bags, it is your choice."

Reverb sighed, giving Nazgul a little nudge with her feet. "Circle around them, focus on moving." she said quietly, firing another of her crystal bolts. This time, in midair it splits off into three shards.
Amos lashed out with a barely visible whip from the trees, cutting right at the crossbow in the man's hand and scratching his arm heavily with those sharp thorns

<HabeusKaiju>: the man holds up his bracer, taking the crystals directly to his forearm, as they stick harmlessly in, but in taking by surprise, when his crossbow, and arm, as wrecked. "We are dealing with a crystalline golem, and a plant elemental, Jared, hand me the necessary tools!" The man holding the sack says

Reverb needs a new plan, it seems. She snaps her bow into two, the shards morphing into hatchets. She tosses them right at the men, their light weight and slight curve making it impossible to determine where they would land.

<HabeusKaiju>: The other man nods, and pulls out a small gun, with a catridge on top, and, a small tuning fork. He goes to toss it to the other guy, before seeing him get sliced in the knee, and falling over in screams of exasperated pain. Shocked, he runs over, and picks up John's head. Looking with fear riddled eyes, he holds the gun up to John's head
<HabeusKaiju>: "DON'T COME ANY CLOSER, OR YOUR MONSTER FRIEND GETS IT!" he saids, screaming at the top of his lungs
<HabeusKaiju>: As he says this, Nazgul stops moving, and nudges for Reverb to get on the ground

Amos continued to move around the shadows in his rope like form, observing and planning among the undergrowth as he looked to Reverb. Once they thought that she had given in.... that's when he'd strike

Reverb nods, and gets off of the horse. She doesn't have any weapons on hand, and her hands are raised just to prove it. "Alright, I'm unarmed. Just let the boy go."

<HabeusKaiju>: Well, I can't do that. I know your other friend will come and get me, the moment I do out down the monster's head.
<Reverb>: "He won't do anything of the sort. Put the head down, and no one has to get hurt." she said. This was of course a total lie, but she's not going to tell them that.

Amos generated an illusion to them, an image of his human form stepping from the shadows with his arms up. "We want the boy, nothing else"

<HabeusKaiju>: "Well....you don't seem to be golems, or plant creatures....what exactly are you?" the man says, raising an eyebrow, but keeping his fearful expression
<Reverb>: "We're asking the questions here, buddy."

Amos in the meantime spread his true self under the ground, preparing a silent ambush from below. He had them in checkmate, they just didn't know it yet. "Why did you take the boy?"

<HabeusKaiju>: "We took him, because his is an affront to our group's goals. As are you too, it seems. Are you wizards, of some kind?"
<Reverb>: "This school is our property, we can ask all the questions we wish for first." she said simply, staying by the horse. She didn't even glance at Amos, because she simply didn't need to.

<HabeusKaiju>: the horse seems to wander off, and disappear into the bushes, as the man continues talking "Your school may harbour these abominations, but I currently hold your friend's head. Right now, I'm in control here!" He says, with a bit more confidence

<Amos>: "For the best interest of your life, I would put the head down right now"

<HabeusKaiju>: "N-no!" He quickly turns the pistol towards the two, and shoots out a jet of flames at the two, laughing hysterically, not seeing the glowing red eyes that lie behind him
<Reverb>: "Trust us, this is for the best."
<HabeusKaiju>: "I will take this head, and, will reach Templar/Paladin, multiclass level 5 for this!"
<Reverb>: "...yeah, I heard enough."

Amos quickly disperses the illusion. They made their choice. The ground below the men burst open in an explosion of dirt, shadowy vines shooting out of the ground and wrapping themselves around them as well as knocking John's head loose from their grip. Each of the tendrils had spines all along them, digging into the flesh and clothing, moving becoming painful
<HabeusKaiju>: the man winces, crying out in pain, confined to the vines. His suitcase sits beside him, as he stands immobilized in fear, and pain

<Reverb>: "Keep them in place, I'll get the suitcase." she said, hopping into the mass of vines and moving for the case.
Amos made sure that the vines wouldn't harm her, clearing a path for her as his extended body used its strange supernatural strength and wrapping to keep them in place.

<HabeusKaiju>: Inside the case are many components, and weaponry. You see attachments, of crosses, gold, silver, and, even some wooden stakes. It seems to be, that, for any supernatural enemy, they had a counter
<Reverb>: "Great, they're hunters."

Amos let his bogeyman form lightly show out of one of the tendrils, still binding them but now having the horrific visage of his nightmarish form looming over them. He wrapped his arms around the man from behind, his large hungry maw right by his head. "Who are you?"
<HabeusKaiju>: "J-J-Jared" he says, shakily.
<Amos>: "And, who sent you?" His voice was nearly demonic, sounding like he was ready to snap the vines down on them and tear them apart on the spot.

Reverb shuts the briefcase and carries out, calling for Nazgul and John. She's sure Amos can handle this guy himself.
<HabeusKaiju>: John squirms on the ground, as his head lets out muffled cries for help. Nazgul is nowhere to be seen.
Reverb cut into the sack, pulling out John's head and rolling it over to his body.

<HabeusKaiju>: "I...I work for The Holy order of Diecasters. W-W-we we-were sent to ca-capture the Dullahan, to stu-study!"
<Amos>: "And just where is this Order?"
<JohnQuint>: "We hunt down affronts to God, as told in the most holiest of books, the Monster Manual!" Jared says, in a hushed tone
<Amos>: "...Tell me, what happens when you reach zero hitpoints?"

<JohnQuint>: "OhGodWhatIGoingOnWhereAmIAmIDeadOhGodOhGodWhatHappenedPleaseDontBeDeadAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" JohnQuint says, scared out of his wits
Reverb sighs and picks John up by his arm, back into a standing position. "You're not dead, man."
<JohnQuint>: "OhGodCrystalGirlTheyCameInWithGoldRodsAndTookmeIWasDoingHomeworkWhatDidIDoWrong?!" he says, grabbing his head, shaking

<JohnQuint>: Jared gulps, and looks fearfully at Amos
<JohnQuint>: "Li-li-listen man, we were just trying to finish up a botched job one of our former members messed up, is t-t-that such a crime?"
<Amos>: "Kidnapping children and threatening murder? Yes. Now answer my question"

<JohnQuint>: "We....die. B-but, you guys are superheroes, you....you wouldn't kill"
<Amos>: "Wrong. You are incapacitated" The tendrils make a quick squeeze, hitting certain points on the body to send the men out cold on the spot. "I've never played the game and I know that. You die at negative ten"

Amos loosened the tendrils, leaving the three men unconscious on the forest floor as his monstrous form started to collect back in the center. If John saw he'd probably be scared out of his wits before Amos returned to human appearance

<Reverb>: "John, John, calm down, okay?" she said, admittedly having to dig real deep into her heart to find her caring tone. She pats John's back slightly, assuring him nothing's wrong.
<JohnQuint>: "IsCatAndNazgulOkayWhyDoesthisKeepHappeningToMeOhGodICouldntEvenDefendMyselfISuckThisSucksWhydoesthisHappenToMe!"

Reverb sighs and slaps John quickly. Nothing too sharp, just enough to bring him to his senses. "John, calm down!"
JohnQuint 's head spins on the ground, as he begins to lightly cry
<JohnQuint>: "I-I-I'm suh-SOOOOOOOOOORRY!" he says, going into full crying mode, as the man next to him falls limp, after letting out a sharp cry of pain

Reverb sighs, picking up the head and putting it back on. "John, John, I need you to just stop crying for a second, okay?"
JohnQuint sniffles, as he grabs his head, and makes it shake yes

<JohnQuint>: "W-w-what just huh-happened?" john asks, a bit calmer, but, still his nervous self
<Reverb>: "We don't quite know yet."
<JohnQuint>: "Are you guh-gah-guys ok-okay?"
Amos brushed off his clothing as he looked down at the knocked out men. "Yes, we're fine"

<JohnQuint>: As he looks down, one man flutters open his eyes, and raises his arm, a gun attached to it. "T-t-take these, you bloody monsters"
<JohnQuint>: but, before he can accomplish this, Nazgul bolts out of the forest, and clamps into the man's shoulder, causing it to bleed, as he drags him into the forest. Nazgul once again stares at Amos, this time giving a nod, as he moves backwards

<Reverb>: "Well, that... happened."
<JohnQuint>: "T-t-that's go-good then. S-s-should we guh-go home?" John says, not paying attention to Nazgul's presence
<Amos>: "....That guy going to be okay?"

<JohnQuint>: "Oh, y-y-yeah. Don't worry, Nazzy is as swuh-sweet as a ki-kitten. He'll play with hi-him for a b-b-bit, bef-before letting hi-him guh-go" John says, smiling his cheshire smile
Reverb glances at Amos, gesturing to ready a search party just in case.
Amos nods

JohnQuint rubs at his previously bound wrist, as he looks at Amos and Reverb
<JohnQuint>: "T-t-t-tha-thanks for suh-saving me gu-guys...." John says, lowering his voice, acting meekly
<Amos>: "Its fine. Did... they catch you by surprise? No warning?"
<JohnQuint>: "They just clu-climbed in, and wa-waved go-gold rods at muh-me. I had a free Puh-period, so, no one was there to help me"
<JohnQuint>: I t-t-think th-these are the s-s-same gu-guys that att-attacked me before, tuh-too

Amos sighed
<Amos>: "We'll have to keep up our guard then, try to track them down"
Amos turned from the forest, looking back to the two students over his shoulder as he motioned for them to follow
JohnQuint scratches at his arm, and follows behind, looking down at the ground

<JohnQuint>: As the three walk back to the school, the rain begins to dissipate, and, the warm, humid air brushes their skin. Eventually, they make it back to the schoolgrounds, as John waves them off, shaking, heading back to hide under his bed for a few hours. Later, they were to each find a giftbasket of foods outside their doors, with a perfectly calligraphic note on each, thanking them once more for their help. Meanwhile, Amos' search party eventually found Jared. His face was frozen with a look of utmost terror, and, many small lacerations across his face. Pale beyond belief, it was fortunate to know, he was still alive.