Carol's Apartment, Baltimore, Monday Evening

[firstofitskind]

Angel had pulled a few definitely illegal maneuvers and pointedly ignored the speed limit in order to get them to Carol's place in record time. Liam supposed he ought to frown on that, given that he was technically an officer of the law and all that. But given that someone's life was potentially on the line, he didn't particularly care.

They pulled up in front of Carol's apartment and as he and Ryan jumped out of the car, he handed his sidearm to Angel. "I'm asking you to stay here," he said, "Not because I don't want you in danger, but because we need to make sure we still have an escape route if things go south."

That taken care of, Liam and Ryan headed in to the building and up the stairs to the floor Carol's apartment was on.

Liam	"Shit," Liam muttered quietly, when he noticed one of the doors in the hall was ajar. Nudging it open with a shoulder revealed two unconscious? or maybe dead? bodies on the floor. There wasn't time to investigate, not with the sounds of a scuffle coming from further in to the apartment. "I'd say we're sorry for dropping in unannounced like this," Liam said to the snake cultists currently ramming themselves against the closed bathroom door in an effort to get at Carol, "but given that I don't think you folks are supposed to be here in the first place, there's really no point to that, is there?"
Ryan	Beside him, Ryan growled, a savage noise that could not have come from a human throat. From the way his teeth were elongating and his eyes turning amber, it was possible he would not stay human--well, human-shaped--for long. "Get your hands off that door if you want to keep them," he snarled.
Smug Assholes	The snake cultists--five of them; all of them white, all of them men--turned around, wearing nearly identical sneers of disdain. "Just what we needed, more freaks," one of them said, his hand tightening around the hilt of his knife. "You think monsters can count?" another one asked. "You think they'd realize they were outnumbered and run away before they attract more attention than they'll be happy with." A third spat, the slime landing on Liam's shoe. "Let's just kill them," he suggested. "And then finish dragging that bitch out by her snaky hair."
Liam	Ugh. Two pairs of shoes ruined in less than the span of a week, now. "So sorry to disappoint, but that's not happening." And that spit-covered shoe was now being raised to deliver a kick to the knife-wielder's wrist.
Genuine Wordsmiths	The cultist yelped, his hand spasming and the knife falling to the floor. "Oh, fuck!" he cried, shaking his hand out. "That hurt, you fucking...fuck!" Very eloquent these cultists were. Maybe they saved their best vocabulary for when they were carving runes into corpses. "That's it," said the first one said, narrowing his eyes at Liam. "Looks like we found ourselves a new pair of servitors."
Ryan	Normally, Ryan would point out that spit was easy enough to wash off. He was a bouncer at a club, his shoes had been hit with far worse. But Liam's kick had him joining the incipient fray, his hand--now sporting five, sharp razor claws--shooting out to wrap around one of the cultist's throats. "I think the only bitch you're going to find dragged here is you."
Liam	Liam held up both hands, in a gesture that most humans would interpret to mean one of surrender. Except for the fact that his palms were now glowing. "You're batting zero for two today," Liam informed the much-less-knifey cultist. "Not a great record." And with that he let loose a blast of energy, a warning shot that hit the floor right between no-longer-holding-a-knife and too-much-saliva. Sorry Carol, but your hallway now had a peephole to the apartment downstairs.
Never Seen An Alien Before	None of the cultists were expecting that. From his look of surprise, neither was Ryan. "What kind of freak are you?!" the very eloquent cultist demanded.
Liam	"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Liam said, a smirk playing at the edge of his mouth.
Ryan	Ryan was also curious, but he figured that was Liam's business. Asking was for later. Now was for finishing his shift into his tanuki form--a giant raccoon-dog that was all tooth, claws, and muscle--and taking advantage of the cultists' confusion to continue his attack. "You're a lawman," he said, voice much deeper and more resonant than his usual human tenor. The cultist in his grasp was turning a dark plum and he'd grabbed another by the face. That cultist's screaming snapped the others out of their contemplative reverie. "You gonna arrest me if I snap this one's neck?" Your call, Liam. There were already two dead men in Carol's living room. Ryan had no problems adding another five to it.
Liam	"Normally," Liam said, lunging to tackle a cultist to the floor, "I'd prefer to avoid killing, but since these idiots," and he punctuated that with a knee to the cultists' back, "were here to kill someone and just threatened both of us... even if I had any authority on the mainland, no. I wouldn't arrest you." Hope you enjoyed that dislocated shoulder as Liam wrenched it behind your back, cultist-guy.
Ryan	There was a sharp crack as Ryan made good on his word, tossing the one he had by the face in order to twist the first's head around. "Knew our Very had good taste," he growled. "Carol! Sit tight! You're gonna be--argh!"
Terrible Shot	The snap and the crying of the guy Liam had injured had provided decent enough cover for one of the cultists to pull out a gun, the slug boring into the creature's own shoulder. He'd been aiming for beast's the midsection, but that would work. "Now then, I think we've all had just enough of that," he said, voice genial. "I have the gun and your monster friend has just taken a bullet made of silver. He's going to be writhing on the floor in agony for a good long time--at least until we put him down. So why don't you put your hands down and we'll settle this like..." He sneered. "Gentlemen."
Liam	Liam's gaze darted over to Ryan, who, yes, seemed to clearly be in pain. But it didn't appear to be as dire as the asshole with the gun was making it out to be. Which was not something Liam was going to draw attention to. "I think we've gone a little too far for that," he said instead, grabbing the guy he was currently kneeling on by the hair and slamming his head into the floor with one hand. With the other, he was aiming a shaqarava blast at that gun as he stood back up.
Ryan	Okay, so there might have been a little bit of that agony going on, Ryan had to admit. But that was because he'd just gotten shot in the shoulder and that hurt. A lot! Ryan had never been shot before, he figured he was allowed to make a big deal out of it. Especially since the cultists were stupid enough to think it made him less of a threat. He was a therianthrope, yes, but not a werewolf. In another, less dire situation, he would be insulted. In this one, however, he let himself whimper and his movement still, turning back into a human as he did so. And waited.
Bad Decisions	The cultist's head bounced off the floorboard with a strangled cry, adding a mild concussion to his list of injuries. He moaned, eyes bleary, and then his body went lax, not quite unconscious, but certainly not in any shape to hop up and join the fray quite yet. The other cultist's hand went backwards from the force of the blast, screaming as the gun heated up in his hand. It was cherry red when he finally managed to pry his blistered fingers off. "What are you two morons looking at?" he screeched, voice high-pitched with pain. "GET HIM!"
Liam	"Do you really wanna do that?" Liam asked, advancing slowly on the cultists still standing. "Things haven't been going too well for you so far."
Not Feeling Reasonable	The problem with trying to talk down snake cultists was that they'd already sacrificed rational thought for the idea that a giant, interdimensional snake was going to come crashing in to give them their hearts' desire. The two remaining cultists, one of them bleeding freely from the gashes on his face from Ryan's claws lunged for him, one swinging a what looked like a nightstick, the other pulling out two knives, holding them with an ease that spoke of long use. To make matters more creepy, the leader began intoning something that sounded like a mashup of ancient Greek and Latin, which the other two picked up within a few words. Have you ever been chanted at while someone tried to take a swing at you, Liam? There. That was one exciting life event you could cross off your bucket list.
Liam	You know, he had not? Ranted at, definitely. But the chanting was new. Liam managed to duck the nightstick, twisting around behind the cultist and aiming a kick at the back of one of his knees.
Stabby!	That kick connected, sending the bleeding cultist down on his knees, but his companion jumped in before Liam could take advantage of it. He slashed out with his knives, one aiming high towards Liam's eyes, the other lower, a sharp stab to the ribs.
Liam	Liam had only a split second to react, and although he really would have preferred to not be stabbed at all, it came down to protecting his face or his ribs and he went for the former, the energy from the shaqarava providing a shield of sorts.
Knife Fetish	The knife was a burning line of pain across his side, fabric and skin parting easily. This cultist kept his knives sharp. He leered at Liam. "Like that, freak?"
Ryan	"Like this, asshole?" Ryan asked, tearing out the cultist's throat with his claws. Originally, he'd planned to tear the guy's head off but, ow, his shoulder still really hurt. He grinned at the other two, who were staring at him in shock. "Surprise bitch. Bet you thought you'd seen the last of me." What? Tanuki liked pop culture!
Chant, Interrupted	"You were dead!" the leader sputtered, his chant momentarily forgotten.
Ryan	"Silver's for werewolves, dickhead," Ryan snapped. "Liam, now!"
Liam	For the record, no, Liam did not like that. Taking advantage of the distraction Ryan provided, he lashed out, directing a shaqarava blast at the leader of the cultists. Not near, not at a weapon he was holding, but at the cultist himself.
Overcooked	The man screamed, high and shrill like a rabbit, and the scent of sizzling flesh followed. He reached for his burning, blistered face, but didn't touch it, too afraid to put his fingers against the flesh that had split apart. For a moment, everyone stood still, frozen in place. Then the leader toppled backwards and slumped down the wall.
Liam	And just as quickly as it had come, the moment was over, and Liam was stalking towards the last of the cultists, the one he'd knocked down on his knees, hands still glowing. Was he still feeling dedicated to the cause? Looks like we're about to find out.
Villanous Monologue	"Even if you kill me, you'll never be able to stop our god," the cultist spat. So that would be a yes, then. "We have friends you would never dream of! And your little girlfriend is about to find that out first hand!" Oh good! Monologuing! Also, Liam, apparently you were recognized. Feeling famous yet?
Liam	He'd been fairly high-profile back in his own reality, so it wasn't exactly a new experience. And of more concern was the implied threat to Verity. "What 'friends'?" he demanded. "What are you planning?"
Cryptic A-Hole	The cultist just grinned at Liam. "Wouldn't you like to know?" he asked.
Ryan	"Yeah he would," Ryan growled. "And so would I, so start talking or we see how long it takes for me to eat the whole length of your small intestine." For the record, ew. But these guys believed in benevolent snake gods and that all therianthropes were deathly allergic to silver, so Ryan was betting his bluff would hold.
Dedicated Moron	The cultist looked at Liam again and smiled. "And how are you going to torture me to speak?" he asked, like he was inquiring after the price of gas.
Liam	"I'm not going to eat your small intestine, if that's what you mean," Liam spat. "But if I have to burn a limb or two off to get the answers I need, well," he shrugged. "Let's go."
Ryan	Ryan looked a little surprised. He hadn't thought that Very's boyfriend had had that in him. Literally, what with not expecting the burning purple light at all, but casually offering torture was pretty hardcore, even if it was just as much a bluff as his intestine buffet. "I'll hold you down while he does," he added casually. "It'll make it easier to chew."
Vague Threats	"Guess there's only one thing to do," the cultist said, bowing his head-- Before exploding into movement, flinging himself towards the discarded knife his companion had dropped when his throat had been ripped out. "Your girlfriend's dead," he said, bringing the weapon to his throat. "You just don't know it yet."
Liam	It was a bluff, yes. Liam's father had been the sociopath, though he'd always favored Mental Intervention over anything physical. Still, having access to Sandoval's memories meant he knew just how to pull off making a threat like that sound convincing. "What the hell do you mean by that?" Liam demanded, the glow dimming from one hand as he attempted to reach for the knife.
Well, Fuck	Too late. The cultist pitched himself backwards, away from Liam's hand, and dragged the knife across his throat. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Ryan	"Well...fuck," Ryan said, his fist hitting the wall hard enough to leave dents in the drywall. "You think he was just messing with us, or...?" Ryan wanted to believe that Very was okay. But nothing about this situation was okay in the least.
Liam	"I don't know," Liam admitted, already pulling out his Global to call Verity and check in with her. "Can you..." he gestured to the still-locked bathroom door down the hall. "Let her know it's safe? She'll probably be more inclined to believe someone whose voice she recognizes, right about now." Liam was sure he'd have been able to convince Carol eventually, but this was faster and meant he could (hopefully) get ahold of Verity in the meantime.
Ryan	"Yeah, of course," Ryan said, heading down the hall. He tapped gently on the door. "Carol?" he called. "It's Ryan, from the bar. You okay in there? It's safe to come out now." Meanwhile, Liam's phone just rang and rang and rang--at least until Verity's voicemail connected.
Carol	"Ryan?" Carol's voice came through the door which firmly remained shut between them. "Is that really you? Prove it."
Ryan	"I mean, I could shift into tanuki form and tear down the door, but I think that might cause as many problems as it solves," Ryan said ruefully. Though considering the fight they'd just had and the blood everywhere, maybe Carol should just consider moving. "Errr, did you ever get that beehive wig Very suggested? So your snakes have more room to move around?"
Carol	Carol opened the door to the bathroom slowly, face red and puffy. "Oh Ryan!" she said, keeping her eyes averted so she wouldn't accidentally freeze him. A lesser gorgon wasn't strong enough to truly petrify anything bigger than a hamster, but it could keep someone in place for a few minutes. And often left a nasty headache behind. "It was horrible! My snakes had to bite people and they wanted to drag me out of the house and--"
Ryan	"Shh, shh, I know," Ryan soothed, bringing her back into the living room. "But me and Liam got here in time. They're not gonna be able to hurt you again, promise." He looked up at Liam once they got back into the room. "You get her?"
Liam	"No," Liam said, sliding his Global closed with a frown. "Left her a voicemail. I'm going to try again in a minute." Maybe she was just busy and couldn't answer her phone at that precise moment? He kind of doubted it, though.
Ryan	Ryan didn't look like he was all that optimistic about it, either. "Yeah," he said. "Maybe." Glancing down at Carol, he suggested, "Why don't you pack a bag for a few days. You can stay at my place for a bit while you figure out what to do next."
Carol	Carol nodded. "Thanks, you guys, for coming to get me. I really don't wanna think about what might have happened if you hadn't."
Liam	"Yeah, let's not do that," Liam agreed. He surveyed the damage to her apartment, looking somewhat sheepish. "Sorry about all... this. I'll get someone to take care of it while you're at Ryan's." Because bloodstains, broken furniture, and a peephole in to the apartment below did not a comfortable living space make. He was about to try calling Verity again when suddenly his gaze went distant, Global falling from slack fingers. A grinning bogeyman, a cloud of sparkling white powder, and then... Verity, strapped to a table and unable to move. The last piece of the puzzle clicked in to place as Liam realized what the cultist had been rambling about when he'd said Verity would soon 'find out' about what they were up to. "We need to move, now," he said. "I know where Verity is, and what they're planning to do to her."
Ryan	Ryan snatched up the weird phone thing and nodded, handing it back to Liam. "Okay, Carol, forget the bag. We've gotta go."
Carol	"Wait, what's going on?" she asked, looking from one man to the other.
Liam	"It's time to head in to the dragon's den," Liam said grimly.

[ooc: Preplayed with the delightful arboreal_priestess as cryptidsandkinfolk. Warning for violence and NPC death. First post / Previous post / Next post. NFB, NFI, OOC totally welcome.]