The Amythest Angel

The Jumping Gazette - 5th of June

Excitement builds tonight for the unveiling of The Amythest Angel, one of the world's largest, most flawlessly cut diamonds. The sparkling rock, set to be worth a cool 5 million dollars will be stopping in Jump City for the next three days as part of its tour of the West Coast. The function, held at the Jump Central Museum will be celebrating the opening night with a fantastic gala, featuring the city's cultural and celebrity elite.

The mayor has pointed out though the event is high profile, he has spared no expense securing the Gem from any of the city's usual supervillains.

JUMP CENTRAL MUSEUM - 10.04PM - NIGHT TIME

The mingling of suits and gowns. The clink of champagne glasses. The chuckle and chortle, and the exchange of a light joke. It was a baffling sight for Kruel. She often wondered why humans were so quick to advertise their delight at being robbed.

The museum sat at the eastern side of a large park. The hot summer made the air stuffy, and the marble interior of the building felt cool by contrast. The guests swirled in the party between each other, clinking glasses and talking about their polo clubs and the economy.

In the center of the well lit hall was The Amythest Angel, not really an Amythest, just a purple diamond. It sparkled within the bullet proof case, surrounded by the security laser tripwires. Four guards in bodyarmour with their pistols holstered stood at either corner of the casket. Beyond that, cameras covered every angle, and another 30 guards stood on the museum's grounds, or in various rooms.

Still, credit where it was due. The humans made a lovely soundtrack for her robbery. The small classical quartet with their string instruments and piano in one corner of the room were lovely.

From her pearch Kruel could see it all. Her nest on the highest chandelier, tucked above all the bulbs. Normally she hated the light, but this once would count on its bright glaze shielding her from any onlookers who for some reason might stare straight up. And so the shadowy cat waited for her moment.

"Any second now..."

Shade was wondering what the hell he was doing in Jump City. Even as late as it was at night, this place was bright enough to give him a headache and make his powers seem like a joke. It's sad just the thought of not being able to fight with your abilities, all because of stupid, inanimate objects. Shade sighed and was half ready to leave when he saw the newspaper.

Covering the front page of the bundle of parchment, was the story of a purple diamond. An important one at that, highly valuable. Shade just knew that someone was already on the scene, waiting to steal the rock.

"The Amythest Angel, huh?" Shade said as he walked towards the building's direction. It wasn't as far as he thought it would be and sighed when he found it was still lit up enough to make his powers look like a joke. he groaned a bit and then used the shadow power he could muster up, to teleport him to the roof of the building.

Unfortuantely...the guard on the roof saw him.

"Stop right where you are.." The man said and lifted his gun to Shade.

Shade raised his hands to show he meant no harm...but the guard was obviously both having an anxiety attack, and a rush of dumbassary. This drawn to Shade because the guard fired off a round at Shade..missing by merely inches.

"....Put...down...the gun...." Shade said as he tried to bottle up his instant rage at being shot at. That was just something that you do not do.

Victoria walked out of the ladies' restroom, her finest dress on as she joined the party. Her old-fashioned mannerisms made her blend in seamlessly with the upper-crust crowd, and snagging a few free appetizers and a beverage would be nice, too. Honestly, she had no ill intentions toward the group despite her underhanded arrival. She just wanted a night out with people who enjoyed jewelry (something she made as her living), and to see the beautiful diamond that sparked the party.

She greeted everyone around her with a curtsy, speaking in proper English and listening courteously to discussions of politics, wealth, and the safety of the event. She certainly hoped so...such a large gem would attract all sorts of unsavory company. At the same time, she had gotten in with little trouble...who would think to guard the mirrors?

"Thank you, sir," she said, plucking a flute from a passing tray and taking a sip. Champagne...she knew what it tasted like. In her time, she had already drank wine...but today, it would be illegal. No one seemed to notice, perhaps due to her silver-grey hair and the demeanor that lied about her age. She sipped the champagne, making small talk and generally enjoying one of the vestiges of her past time.

((OOC: Please let me know if you don't want me around. She's not after the diamond, and doesn't know any of your characters, so she shouldn't interfere too much.))

Elemay heard the the big tour of the Amythest Angel stopped in Jump City for all the rich folk, which was plenty for regular robberies. Elemay was dressed up in a nice black gown that reached her feet covering her pants and shirt under it. Her hair was in a pretty bun too. She had converses under it all for running comfort but the gown covered so she still looked just a rich as the rest of the people gathered here.

Elemay sat down at an empty table near a couple of guards, no one wanted to sit by a couple of poor police, they were too good for that apparently. " Just wait for the right moment." Elemay mumbled to herself looking at the guards once in a while.

A man walked by, dressed rather fancy and waved with a big smile. " I haven't seen you before. Johnathan, Johnathan Rigmy. And you are?" He asked sticking out his hand. Elemay stuck out her hand and shook it, lightly. " Ashley, Brown." Elemay hesitated just a little trying to come up with a name.

He smiled " Well Ms. Ashley Brown, would you mind if I sat with you?" he asked polity not having a clue who she really was, and you would think her hair was a dead give away. " Go ahead, the pleasure is mine." She said trying to be polite.

As time went on they had a couple of decent conversations about there lives. Of course almost everything that came out of Elemay's mouth was a lie but she did pull it off most realistically so he believed her.

She looked at the clock every ten minutes too make sure it was time. They were supposed to introduce the Diamond and it's history at 12:00 midnight, that's when Elemay will strike.

From her perch hidden within the blinding light of the Chandelier, Kruel surveyed all. Her blazing eyes moved from person to person, trying to scope out those working secretly in security, or possibly those intent on swiping the jewel themselves.

From one to another her vision loitered, trying to locate that missing piece, or alien presence.

"Something does not fit, but the question is... what?"

Then the gun shot rang out, loud and clear. The whole room gasped, and the music came to an abrupt halt. Kruel hissed. Some idiot was ruining everything.

Radio chatter rang out into ear pieces. Her sensitive cat ears picked up every word. Gun shot on the roof. Additional security en route. Secure the guests, and the Amethyst Angel.

Those amongst the guests did not display their pistols, but instructed those present to remain calm. Instantly a pack of six, menacing looking men in sharp suits with broad shoulders surrounded the gem.

Not wasting a beat, Kruel climbed the chain supporting the chandelier and phased through the solid matter of the ceiling. Through a second floor, she sprung onto the roof, in time to see a half dozen angry new arrivals packing heat, and moving in on Shade.

The shadowy kitty ducked into the darkness behind an air conditioning unit.

"Who is this idiot?"

Elemay jumped a little when a gun shot went off. Johnathan jumped up and put his arms in front of Elemay, or as he knows, Ashley Brown. She looked at Johnathan and smiled. " I have to, go." Elemay said awkwardly. He turned around with a disappointed look on his face.

" Well, It was nice meeting you Ms. Ashley Brown." Johnathan said shaking her hand and sitting down. Elemay disappeared in the crowd and headed for the bathroom.

Elemay entered it and watched several older woman leave. The bathroom was empty, so far. She stripped her dress off and ripped her bun out letting her hair fall on her shoulders. She smiled and walked out, people staring at her with her odd clothing at a ball.

She walked to the back of the crowd where no one was watching and jumped onto the roof, holding on to some wooden beams. she smiled and waited for the right moment to get the gem.

(moon let me know if you want some giant bug backup, it's what Symbiote is for right? Otherwise I want to watch this thread.)

"If you're smart...and don't want to go flying off this roof then you will put that gun down and back your sorry ass up as far from me as possible." Shade threatened a second time when the guard refused to put away the gun. He was anxious, Shade could tell just by how shaky the gun was in his hands, but Shade refused to go away or feel threatened by that infernal weapon.

"You don't scare me." The guard proclaimed steadying his hands a bit and trying to relax. Shade smirked at this as he thought he could feel another presence. Probably nothing but the wind playing tricks on him. He snarled a bit at how much light was around...but the amount of darkness on the roof top was sufficient..for now. He calculated to the best of his ability just how far the guard was from him. Then he grew upset and irritated. Just out of his reach. Sure he could send a shadow whip and yank the gun away, or a very, very small wave to throw him off balance.

There were a lot of ways, and he knew many of them, to take care of the immediate threat upon his life. But none that he felt like doing. Killing the man was out of the option, as a guard he was doing his job by questioning and threatening to shoot Shade. Besides..Shade didn't want to kill the civilian in the first place. He just want him to put down the gun and shut his mouth so that Shade could explain himself. But that plan is practically gone. So Shade improvised a new tactic.

"Look, Sir, I-"

"Say another word and I'll blow your kneecap out." The guard cut him off, cocking his gun to prove his point.

This made Shade's skin crawl..and not in a creeped out way. Anything to do with guns practically yanked the living hell right out of him, and he knew it too. That, and his age, were the main reasons Shade and Cops never got along well with one another.

Shade lifted his hand slowly and steadily. The guard tensed as the shadows immediately in front of Shade rose up and formed into to the figure of two large men. Shade would've made them bigger..and bulkier but the light was effecting him very badly and his powers were weaker then he would like them to be.

"Want to keep going now?" Shade asked and received his answer in the form of a gun shot, the guard freezing up as the two shadow men were able to stop the bullet. Barely able to yes, but able to all the same.

"What...What the hell are you?" The guard asked as he dropped his gun.

"I thought that answer was obvious. I'm a MetaHuman...whom has had a bad history with firearms." He merely stated remembering the scar below his left eye..

The rooftop suddenly exploded into action. Six guards stormed forward, pistols raised and flashlights blaring, darting into the darkness and looking for the intruder. Some had appeared from the other corners of the rooftop, and some from the floor below. Their reaction to the shadowy juggernauts was one of awe and horror.

"My god..."

Kruel was not about to have this foolish boy toying with shadows and angst make misery of her evening. She had the ideal heist lined up, and anyone who got in her way was forfeit.

She focused her powers, and instantly slithered into the mind of the nearest security guard. The man's eyes glowed with a violet glow as she spoke the hushed commands into his subconscious. She ordered him to stop this mysterious Shadow-boy, however much effort it took.

The first guard raised his weapon and fired, sending a blast at Shade. The other five guards followed suit. One hit his radio, and barked. "Metahuman on the rooftop. Evacuate the building right now.".

Forsaking the night time battle between mortal men and shadowy superhero/villains (she wasn't sure which), Kruel discreetly bled back into the floor, phasing into the hall below. As carefully as she could, she crept back onto the chandelier, looking down over the main hall. She spotted her eyes upon the case. No doubt the action above would soon bring the police, and she would need to act urgently.

"Foolish humans, always rushing things. It was going to be such a great evening too."

Elemay watched as another idiot was trying to take her beautiful gem. This was going to be money for weapons, rides, and anything the Symboite needs. Not for just another Meta on the street. She sighed, still holding on to the beam getting ever so tired, and watched for her moment.

This street shadow rambled on and on and fought with the guard. He then began to from what look liked a shadow. She smirked as she saw the shadow. His "powers", so far, are actually quite interesting and this kid might be a good Symboite member. She shook her head as she got lost in thought.

Elemay watched as one of the guards eyes turned purple. Another Meta? How many we're after the jewel, and why? She was still smirking when it got wiped off her face by the guards calling her out. Maybe the roof was a bad place to hide considering there was already a Meta causing a scene and she was holding on to a beam on the roof.

" Here we go." She said thinking about who side to join. She wasn't on the good side with the cops, well she was one of the most wanted criminals in steel city but she had her reasons. She had to join the fellow Meta side to win this fight and hopefully get this Jewel.

She swung off the beam and landing on the guards shoulders in a sitting position and flipping him over with her legs and landing quietly. She flipped backwards and jumped out of the bullet range and kicked one gun out of the guards hand. " Another Meta!" the guard exclaimed backing up a little. She smirked under her hood and ran towards him punching him in the gut making him fly back, not super strength, but speed knocked him back.

The ground shivered causing the building to shake slightly a very minor tremor but it was unusual for the area. The quake stopped and then started again growing stronger and seeming focused near the gem. In just a few seconds the floor split and began flying up slightly as a couple massive talons appeared through the ground. Tiberius pulled his bulk through the ground, he had been given a special mission that only Tim had known about he said Kris knew and Kris wouldn't contradict it.

Tiberius spun around the six cannons on his back began moving independently, tracking people and when he determined they weren't after the jewel the cannons moved on anyone who was approaching was fired at. In less than a second three poisoned shards of bones were fired at their chest, his accuracy was dead on, the shards moved just like a bullet. Tiberius had been told to keep the gem from being stolen.

This was his first solo mission and his chance to finally stand out in Symbiote as useful. Tiberius wouldn't let anything get in the way of this task, not even an ally. Tiberius shouted over the shooting. "Give up your foolish attempts to take this item. I will shred anyone who comes close."

"Trigon's Evil Underwear, what is that?" Kruel looked down form the chandelier to see the game unfold before her. Shadow Boy and Acrobat were doing a number on the security guards, and numbers weren't mattering at all. She couldn't believe the skills of the two, making mincemeat of the security guards coherency and discipline. Wild shots were flying, crowds were now running and screaming. Then it happened. The thing Kruel had not prepared for during her scheming.

The arrival of some huge, alien-esque monstrosity, firing shards that send guards flying. Those hit soon stopped retaliating, and bodies were spamming in awkward throes.

Her analytical mind raced, trying to put together what was going wrong. She could handle security guards, martial artists, and shadows were her specialty; THIS was however an escalation that caused hesitation.

Regardless, she wanted that gem. Leaping from chandelier to chandelier, she stopped at one above

A small blast of energy from her enchanted collar cut through the cable holding the crystal chandelier, and the thing descended like a glass and brass hammer, right toward Tiberius.

Kruel rode it all the way, laughing evilly. "Mwahahahaha"

Victoria was no longer paralyzed in fear, now visibly shaking as guards fell, either unconscious, poisoned, or simply dead. A few drops of blood narrowly avoided her dress, staining the fine marble before her instead. This was too much...she just wanted a nice night out, and now it was war before her eyes. A nightmare of panic.

A loud snap caught her attention, and her gaze darted up to the source of the sound, a metal and glass chandelier falling for Tiberius. An evil laugh emanated from the chandelier, and she squinted to see--good heavens, was that a cat?! There was no time to think...much like the broken bookcase at the library, pure instinct took over. She didn't want Tiberius to get hurt!

"No!" She called, reaching out and tugging as though she were pulling the chandelier...more specifically, its brass frame. And pull it did...the thing went off course, crashing to the floor since she had little time or focus to slow its descent. She scrambled to her knees, crawling over to look for the cat as guilt swept over her. She hadn't just killed it, had she? "Pussycat..." She called, using pieces of the brass to sweep the glass away in her search. "Please...please be well...!" Sadly for the seemingly jinxed jeweler, she had no idea the cat was the cause of the crash.

((I know that I'm technically out of turn order, but it's been days...and I can actually do something here!))