Plan B?

[all_onis_are_true]

Who: Hiroshi, Dave Strider, Supernova, Rudy, and any and all interested parties. Justice League members also welcome.
When: Shortly after the intervention at the hill.
Where: Justice League Building
What: Perhaps the situation isn't as futile as initially thought.
Note: Details contributing to the final plot log will show up in this one.

Hiroshi sits at a table, still clinging to the Rod like it was some sort of security blanket, but any desire to use it had been lost the more the two future messengers had related the fallout. The book which had misinformed them sits in front of him, and Hiroshi stares at it dully, a faint feeling of betrayal underlying his flat affect. Not just at the book, even, but at his own sense of scientific skepticism.

Of course there wouldn't be some one-shot cure to it. Nothing works like that. He'd let his guard down, trusted in something mystical and mysterious, and had nearly caused the worst apocalypse ever. Not that there isn't still a chance of one should the Onis not be reined in, but...

But really, how can they be stopped? Nobody understands them. Nobody knows how they think, how they function. How to stop them. At least at home they had been contained in one mansion. The rate things are going, they'll be all over the city no matter what they do. Soon there'll be a whole new batch of bad endings. More Mikas, more Takuros, more Takeshis. The images of their demise and horrible resurrections dance in front of his eyes, some of the few memories he's managed to regain in this place.

He really is just a dumb, lucky kid, isn't he? Of course. How could he expect to be anything less. He'd been too stupid to keep anybody from dying then, either...

They'd relocated to the Justice League Building. If anybody could figure out how to brainstorm ideas on saving people, it would be heroes, right? So the reasoning goes, but Hiroshi isn't sure. He's not sure of much of anything anymore.

Comments

[wontdieifkilled]

Shirou is there now, and after having been briefed on the situation, is sitting and trying to come up with some ideas.

"...Wait. That rod is a beacon or something, right? What if we tried taking it out into the mountains or the middle of the ocean and used it there?"

[theheirofbreath]

John is still pretty optimistic. There must be some way for everything to turn out alright.

"Good idea! That would at least keep them away from people."

[youngestboxer]

"But then whoever uses it will have to deal with a bunch of those oni coming after them. And they're not exactly easy to fight off, either."

Yuta, on the other hand, is not optimistic about this at all.

[shineslightintodarkness]

Rudolph listened to the conversation as he examines the book - then he reaches over to pull it over to him. Quietly, he starts going through the pages as the others talked, his brows knitted in concentration.

[has_a_blog]

Future Dave leaned back in his chair, "It didn't exactly attract them when Hiroshi activated it. It turned a bunch of people into them."

[theheirofbreath]

"Ooookay, that's a lot worse than just attracting them. Is there any way to turn people back to normal after they turn into one?"

[has_a_blog]

"No."

He sounded very definite about this. Right or not, he remembers many many deaths from people who tried.

[youngestboxer]

"It does what."

He remembers Kupo's friend. Also, the body in the library. If there's one thing he dreads more than the ao oni themselves, it's the fact that his own friends could easily join their ranks.

"...Once they become one, I don't see how you'd turn them back. Nothing we've thrown at them so far has worked, so I doubt getting them back to their original forms is really an option here."

[rookierabbit]

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Barnaby leans on the table. He's been briefed on the situation already, seeing as he couldn't make it to the hill on time. Now all he has to do is make sure the future where these people come from never passes.

...he hopes.

[canthandleacape]

Booster leans back in his chair.

"We forget the Rod. Bad deal, it happens sometimes. Time to fold and try for a better hand. Worst comes to worst, we can always evacuate. This can't be the only livable place left."

Despite his words, he's nervous and shaken by the situation, speaking more quickly than usual and frequently glancing over at Supernova.

Supernova, for his part, merely leans against the wall, arms crossed, glaring silently.

[shineslightintodarkness]

Rudolph flips through, towards the end of the book, noticing handwritten scrawls. The man blinks, remembering the anemoi he cashed in before rushing to the meeting, and he starts going through the cramp tight writing... the answer is there. "By Gods! I found it!"

[all_onis_are_true]

For the first time, Hiroshi stirs a bit, looking towards the older man, confused. "Found what? The passage that says, 'ha ha fooled you all?'" he asks, slightly bitterly.

[rookierabbit]

Barnaby walks on over, and looks over Rudy's shoulder.

"Found what?" he asks, although already he's scanning the pages for whatever answer he's found.

[shineslightintodarkness]

What Bunny will see looks like something not unlike cuniform in small, cramp handwriting. "This is a man's critique on the book. He identifies himself as Acronix the Summoner." Rudolph points to a particular line.

"These symbols? It's Draconic, its a language mages use for spellcasting and scholarly works, like how I used Darkonese for my Medical practice." He quickly explains. "First sentence - 'While indeed this rod and this sphere does have a powerful effect, it is clear reading between the lines that our mysterious sage seeks only far-death' - excuse me - 'annihilation. I took the effort to rework his madness to something that is actually useful.'"

[theheirofbreath]

John peers at the book with interest.

"Does it say anything about getting rid of those things?"

That would sure be useful...

[has_a_blog]

Dave perks up. Rudolph had been one of the first casualties in his timeline. Could he really have been the key all along?

[shineslightintodarkness]

Dr. Van Richten scans the pages, mentally translating and throwing out what wasn't necessary. "All right, I'll spare you the self-congratulatory tone and sum it up. One should take the staff to a large, preferably isolated area and find the deepest part."

He clears his throat. "Place the tip of the staff up and recite the written chant backwards. Acronix says the person who does it has five minutes to get out of the area before the seal activates."

[rookierabbit]

"What happens if they don't?"

He has a feeling he already knows, though. Or at least, suspects.

[alittleblackmagic]

Palom, who had actually been keeping quiet after seeing Hiroshi break down into tears, chimes in with unwanted commentary once again at this point. Some measure of vim and pep has returned to his tone.

"Then they're gonna keep the monsters company for a really long time! It won't be a problem if we've got someone who goes through time, though. And the great Palom is always free for teleportation!"

[theheirofbreath]

"If that's all we have to do, then this should be easy!"

He's relieved. Now that they have a solution, they can fix the problem and everyone can stop arguing about it.

1/2

[all_onis_are_true]

"So... the Rod isn't useless?"

Hiroshi slowly stands up. "Assuming this guy can be trusted any more than the writer, of course... but then again, I guess it'd be better to do it in some deep hole in case worst comes to --"

2/2

[the_ko_stands_for_tiger]

And then he's interrupted by somebody running in and slamming the door shut.

"Uh, guys?" Kotetsu says. "I don't wanna alarm any of you. Knowing that, I'm hoping you'll take me seriously when I say..."

He points behind him. "THOSE DAMN BLUE THINGS ARE IN THE FRIGGIN' LOBBY!"

[youngestboxer]

[What.]

How did they get here already?!

[gogoghostpowers]

And out in the lobby, Danny is there, struggling against the oni. He's been trying to stop them ever since he spotted them about half a mile away, but just about nothing that he could do would stop them. The only thing he found helped even a little bit was his ecto-shield--thankfully a power he recently remembered.

He's been projecting a giant shield in front of them, over and over, but they would just burn through and dissolve it as though it were nothing within a few seconds before continuing on as though nothing had ever happened.

Now he's in the lobby of the Justice League, sweating and shaking, barely able to hold up his latest of shields, which is rapidly dissolving just like all the others.

He can hear the others inside. "I don't think I can last much longer against them, guys!" he shouts behind him.

[stinglikeabat]

Joachim is backing Danny up; i.e., throwing furniture and spells at the horde with all he has. This has even less effect than the shields do, and he's starting to run out of chairs.

[has_a_blog]

Dave stood up. He had known something like this was going to happen. There was no way the universe was going to let someone escape from a splinter timeline.

He pulled out a sword that no one from this era had seen before. It looked similar to another sword that people might have seen, but the blade's edge and parts of the hilt were glowing a familiar shade of green. The blade also had "SoftBank" written on it.

He held aloft Wild Excalibur and it covered his arm in some kind of white armor, making it look like he was clad in shimmering samite, signifying by divine providence that he was going to go to fucking town on some blue assholes.

"Alright, guess this is it. I always knew this was a one way trip."

He made eye contact with Supernova (Though with one wearing sunglasses and the other wearing a mask, who can tell?) to get his attention. "You guys take the scepter and do what you need to. We'll hold them back."

[theheirofbreath]

"But what about you guys? Can you really hold them all back without help?"

John is really not liking the way this looks like some kind of last stand. Surely there was a way to avoid sacrificing anyone.

"You're not seriously thinking of..."

[1/2]

[canhandleacape]

Supernova strides forward from his position by the wall.

"There's no time for a debate. We have more experience than any of you. We're prepared for this."

[canthandleacape]

Booster gives himself an uneasy stare for a moment before he suddenly jumps to his feet and slams his hands on the table.

"Alright, you heard 'em! We're getting the hell out of here while the getting's good, so everybody make sure you've got everything important and let's scram!"

By now, Supernova's already out in the lobby, firing away at the oni and telling Danny and Joachim to leave.

[rookierabbit]

"You're kidding me." Those words are already past his lips as he throws on his jacket and runs out of the room to join the rest.

He gawks for a moment, then glances at Kotetsu. He'd ask how the oni had gotten in somehow, but decides that isn't important right now. "Any emergency exits?" Like, say, the fire escape?

...that is, if there is a fire escape.

[shineslightintodarkness]

He grabs the book, ready to go. Rudolph looked at Supernova and Future Dave sadly, but see that they're well and determined to be the barriers. "Give them hell."

"Hiroshi, get the staff. The rest of you, what's the deepest, most isolated place do you know of?"

[all_onis_are_true]

"Wait! Are you two nuts?! You can't just --"

Hiroshi's protests are cut off as Kotetsu suddenly runs forward, scooping the boy up, Rod and all. "No time to argue! They know what they're doing, so let 'em do it! Kotetsu looks over at Booster, nodding. "Okay, everybody! Follow us! We'll get you outta here without big blue heads, or my name isn't Kotetsu T. Kaburagi!"

He nods to Bunny and looks over to Future Dave one last time. "...that thing looks ridiculous, by the way," he can't help but shoot off, before dashing off. Hiroshi, after some initial protests, has his survival instinct kick in, and is able to be let down to run on his own.

Even if it feels like he's abandoning people. Again.

[alittleblackmagic]

"Hiroshi? Hiroshi, stop -- Sheesh.

...Well. I know Hiroshi's really keen on avoiding magic, but if anyone wants to take the easy way out, you can feel free to come along."

Palom, trusting that Hiroshi will be fine after seeing him somersaulting and outmaneuvering three onis, readies Warp for himself and anyone not in the mood for a chase scene.

[stinglikeabat]

Joachim, tagged out by the heroes from the future, cannot get out of that lobby fast enough. There's nothing he can say to that kind of sacrifice, but he can sure as sunshine make sure they didn't go through all of this for nothing.

"That cave where we found the orb in the first place! It doesn't get any deeper than that! Don't worry about Kotetsu; I'll make sure he finds it!"

And with that, he's off with those who are in the mood for a chase scene.

[has_a_blog]

As they fled the building, the sounds of battle filled the air. Six months of continual practice in dealing with Onis was letting the two of them actually hold them back!

About twenty seconds after the last of the escapees left the building, there was a rumbling noise, then suddenly an enormous sword blade erupted through the roof in a cloud of dust, accompanied by a barrage of energy blasts of the sort that Supernova is known to use.

After that, all was silent.