Viva La DWRP

There are no complaints from Raph with the new position Shu offers him in the party. He slips into the rear, almost fading into the background as they go.

Atom's signal is acknowledged with a quick nod, feet firmly planting in place. Renne's shadow extension is a plus, doing well to compliment the ninja stealth he applies. His sai are ready, gripped between his large fingers in case something needs to be done about any guards happening upon them, but he feels confident they can get past without a problem. (Or attack. Whatever comes first.)

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As the team waits, hidden within shadows, the sound of the guard's footsteps grows louder and louder.

They round the corner with confidence and quick, brief glances that slide over Renne's shadows.

These guards clearly have absolutely no idea that they are being observed.

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Shu silently points at a moment when the guards are within easy reach but have begun to pass by such that their backs are to the group. It is less that she is commanding them and more that she simply thinks this is the best time to strike.

A carpet of greenery ripples out from under her feet in all directions, stopping in an approximately twenty feet perimeter. Even if any single guard were to escape their initial onslaught, they would find themselves incapable of leaving this grassy corridor. Shu has locked down this space and controls the movement within.

Simultaneously, her staff is whipping out for a hard thrust to the back of an enemy's head.

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straykitty

There is a burst of Ether as Renne propels herself forward, sweeping her scythe in a wide arc intended to claim as many heads as possible.

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upupatomway

Atom doesn't want to risk crashing into someone by getting between Renne and the unfortunate souls who became her prey or between the other two and any of their targets, but he stays ready, arms outstretched, in case any guard needs an extra electric shock to stay down or an emergency shock to keep them from making noise.

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With Shu and Renne getting the jump on their targets, Raph also hangs back with Atom, ready to swoop in. Whoever is nearest and still upright is straight-up grabbed from behind with a surge forward, large hand clamping over a soldier's face while huge arms stay locked in place, silently dragging them back into the dark with him.

To render unconscious is the game, but there's no real telling if unconscious is the way it will stay.

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Immediately, two of the guards' legs are captured in Shu's carpet of greenery. Which means those same who guards have absolutely no ability to move when Renne's scythe slides through the air - and through their necks.

"By the Emperor...ugh!" One of the guard exclaims in horror as he leaps away from the sudden plant invasion. But he doesn't have long to stare at the rolling heads, because it's at that moment that Shu hits him in the back of the head - and gets a shock from Atom.

He's reeling from the hit - but he's still alive, and scrambling for his weapon.

Meanwhile, the last guard is being pulled back by Raph. But she seems to have quicker instincts than the rest, because as Raph grabs her she manages to twist so that he can't get a completely secure hold. She then strikes back, immediately reaching to grab at Raph's eyes.

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Shu does not comment on the rolling heads, though the heads are quickly obscured from sight as Shu teleports them back behind them into the corners of the stairwell. There is no particular need to look.

The man she strikes gets a sharp blow behind the knees to bring him down. Should he fall, Shu follows up quickly by holding two ends of a cloth handkerchief, stuffing the bulk into his mouth, and jerking back sharply to gag him.

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On one hand, Raph may have underestimated his target.

On the other hand, attacking his eyes is a Huge No.

The threat of panic rising in his throat is quickly shut down as he tries another maneuver, turning his head to one side so that he isn't completely blinded by the strike, striking back with the flat of his hand. As he tries to hold onto her, he steps forward, sweeping her leg with his, using the momentum to throw her to the floor.

A hand catches onto her chin as she goes down, yanking upward and to the side to snap her neck.

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Despite putting up be best fight out of all four of them, the guard who'd tusseled with Raph doesn't stand a chance. She's unable to land a blow, and instead is brought to a swift and violent end.

The last guard stood even less of a chance.

Shu swiftly brings him to the ground and gags him - and they're left with one trembling, terrified guard.

At this point, he's not much of a threat - though he is also a loose end.

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straykitty

Renne casually draws a silver needle comprised of Ether in case some aggressive interrogation is needed while tapping away at her ENC.

"My my, the signal seems to be getting sharper. Your brother's work, I'd imagine," she says giving Raph an appreciative nod.

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"Search for keys."

Shu does not comment on the neck-snapping, either, patting her guard up and down. It is unlikely that they will find anything, given that these are guards patrolling the outside corridors rather than sentries at the cell itself. Still, worth a shot.

"You heard her. We will locate our friends with or without your help. With your help will simply be easier for everyone. We will leave you more quickly, after all.

"I will loosen the gag enough for you to speak. If you scream, no one will be here in time to help you avoid an unenviable end.

"Where are the prisoners and the keys?"

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upupatomway

Between Renne's signal tracing and Shu's interrogation, Atom has no doubt they'll have a general direction in mind soon. With the guards down or detained, he focuses on his scanning again and looks over the room for signs of keys. Finally, he comes back around to the gargoyles.

He turns towards the others again and points at those that stand out compared to the others. "There are two gargoyles by one of the doors that are made of different material from the others. Does that mean anything?" he asks the guard. Getting grilled by what looks like a 12 year old might not be the most intimidating, but if the guard is smart, they'll start talking when he has this kind of backup.

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Raph doesn't want to think about the neck snapping either, shaking the experience off as best as he can while glancing in Renne's direction. "No doubt about it. That definitely something he'd do." There's a sense of older brother confidence in the way he says it, and the gesture of punching his fist into his open palm adds to the intimidation necessary while Shu and Atom ask the questions.

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Some guards are brave, and loyal, and unwavering in their duty.

The one surviving guard is not one of them.

"She has the keys!" He blurts immediately, pointing at the dead guard who'd tussled with Raph. "The gargoyles are a trap, they'll spout poison gas if you don't say 'Diaval', please don't kill me...!"

Meanwhile, Renne's signal is pointing to somewhere down below them - and somewhere in the direction of the gargoyles.

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straykitty

Renne has no qualms rifling through the corpse until she locates the key.

"Found it," she says, twirling the key nimbly in her fingers. "What did you want to do with the prisoner and the bodies?"

She's at least asking before she sets them all on fire. Consideration!

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upupatomway

"Assuming he isn't lying, the prisoner's information is helpful," Atom considers. "I can test the password while the rest of you stand back. If he's feeling generous with information, we should keep him alive. There might be other traps on the way to the dungeon."

He'd prefer to limit the killing, but he says it that way knowing the others probably know his preference already.

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Raph makes a face when the surviving guard points out who had the keys. "Oh." Renne saves him the trouble of dealing with the feelings rising in his gut, swallowing it away as he studies the gargoyles (totally not distracting himself) at Atom's suggestion.

"Okay, cool. We got one thing down. I'm with Atom on this part, though — we keep this guy as collateral. An' the others...um. I was gonna say hide 'em. Maybe?" There's a pleading look thrown Renne's way, but he has a feeling that's not the option she's going for. Shu gets the tail end of that look since she's not as inclined to incinerate people.

His brow furrows again. "I'm going with you," he tells Atom. "No way Raph's gonna let you go off on your own to test things out."

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"Thank you."

Shu is polite even when interrogating prisoners, though she has no particular compunctions about regagging him once he has served his use. She considers his decision wise. She doubts the sorceress is a particularly generous mistress, and the man owes her little loyalty.

The headless bodies, gender now difficult to determine under the armor, and the female body, Shu considers briefly before also teleporting them away into the shadows of the staircase. She has caught that somewhat smug look on Renne's face.

"Better that they're not so obvious. ...And we don't need any strange smells attracting attention. Ah - Raph."

It might be a relevant piece of information he doesn't know. Or perhaps Raphael is simply still quite valorous. Still, it's worth mentioning.

"I believe Atom is immune to poison gas and most other... biological agents, which is why he is volunteering."

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Raph blinks at Shu. "Wait. For real?"

While his valor is still genuine and in the right place, he now at least considers the consequences of a trap that may contain these possibilities. After a beat, he nods. "Okay. Raph can still be of help from a distance."

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upupatomway

"I was built, not born. That's one reason Donnie and I get along so well," Atom explains quickly.

He approaches the heavier metal gargoyles, keeping a hand up to remind the others not to get close yet, his eyes lit to scan again.

"Diaval!" he announces just before stepping between them.

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As Atom steps forward, the gargoyles flare with a dark, malevolent purple light...

...but then Atom speaks, and the light dies. The guard, it seems, spoke the truth - and the trap has been disabled.

And behind the gargoyles, the door the guarded creaks opens - revealing a twisting staircase that descends down into the darkness.

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upupatomway

Atom waits a moment, just in case there's an additional mechanical part that has to fall into place for the trap. The gargoyles return to normal though and the door opens. He turns and gives the others a thumbs up. "He was telling the truth. It's safe. Hopefully the stairs through here lead down to dungeon..."

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More stairs? Shu sighs slightly, and she looks downwards at their prisoner. While he's been busy blubbering, small vines have curled upwards from the floor and begun to gently entwine around his feet. They accelerate in growth now, pulling his ankles tight and creeping up towards his hands. Shu gently guides his hands behind his back as they, too, are bound together.

"You will be fine if you don't try to break free. Why don't you take a nap and reflect on seeking employment elsewhere?"

So saying, she snugly affixes the gag, advises him to breathe through his nose, and nods at her companions.

"Shall we continue?"

Down they go.

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