Time to rescue the Princess, er, summoner! (Active, Open)

[ithehellamharry.livejournal.com]

Who: Harry Dresden, Belle, Hades, Yuna, anyone looking to save the latter from the former.
What: The citizens of Paixao gather to save one of their own from the God of Death
Where: Starts at Yuuko's shop, then makes its way over to Hades' hideout
When: The night Belle and Harry found Hades hideout
Warnings: Probably violence, will update as needed
Notes: Okay, this is one of those pesky large scale logs, so everyone try and move fast (says the hypocrite) especially in the beginning. I figure we get everyone to tag in at Yuuko's shop, Harry and Belle will outline the location and plan, and then everyone split up into teams and make their way to the house. From there, things can hit the fan.

It had taken some time for Harry and Belle to get back to Yuuko's shop, having taken a different path and used some magical and mundane trickery to hopefully keep them from being followed. With any luck, by now people would have started to arrive.

Belle had kept Harry up to date on the responses on the message board, and he'd taken the time to try and sketch out a rough plan. It was far from perfect, but they couldn't leave Yuna imprisoned any longer than they had to, so for now it would have to do. With any luck, the others would have some suggestions as well.

Turning the street, he saw the familiar wall of Yuuko's shop, and turning to Belle grinned and said, "Well, I hope we have enough time to get the party set up before the guests arrive.

Comments

[beautiful-tale.livejournal.com]

Belle smiled slightly at Harry's unflappable sarcasm. In a way, that dry sense of humor was strengthening. "Somehow I doubt they'll be in a celebratory mood," she replied, opening the gate. "But I have to say, I'm happy that so many want to help...so many powerful people at that."

[eternitydreamer.livejournal.com]

NiGHTS had found the place easily; she knew the city by heart now. She whirled around to the front of the store (it hadn't taken her long to get to her destination) and bowed to the people there - one of which she already know. "Hello, Belle," she chuckled, then gave Harry an appraising (albeit friendly) look. Hm. Judging by his Ideya, Belle had good taste in friends.

"Well," she said, "have we decided where we're going?" She knew, of course, that they were going after Yuna and Hades, but she didn't know where that was. And that water balloon NiGHTS had hidden in her sleeve? Oh, that was nothing. Just a fun little surprise for Hades.

[upgrade2hat.livejournal.com]

Tanaka had never been specifically to visit the shop, but he had made a point of patrolling the city enough to remember how to get there. His arrival was as prompt as ever.

He nodded to those already present--Miss Belle, the man he had met briefly when taking on the Organization's lair, and another individual he wasn't familiar with--but didn't add anything to the conversation. He trusted the important details would come up without his asking.

[theboywithhorns.livejournal.com]

For Ico, getting to the rescue party outside Yuuko's Shop required taking the trains for the first time on his own. It was an unnerving experience, to say the least, for there was nothing like it in the world he grew up in. It was like being in the belly of a giant metal snake, whistling shrilly and blowing out great bouts of smoke. The horned boy felt uneasy, and tried to doze a bit while seated on the the cushioned seats, his sword resting across his lap. Although the rune-inscribed sword normally crackled with white lightning when held, the symbols glowing one at a time, its activity was unusually subdued, as if it were sentient and sensed no danger. Or perhaps it was saving his strength for the battle, like its wielder; strength that would undoubtedly be needed if it were to battle a god of death.

Eventually, for what seemed to the boy like forever, (for he was never very good at staying in one place for too long,) the train stopped at his desired location, and he made his way out of the belly of the steam-powered train, out into lamp-lit darkness as night fell on Paixao. Few citizens were out at this time at night, and those who did steered clear of the boy with the glowing sword, though not without curiosity.

He found Yuuko's shop soon enough, and spotted the gathering of people: two men, a woman, and a jester figure who appeared to float in the air before them. Sword in hand (for the boy had not yet found a sheath to carry it in), the twelve year-old boy with horns approached them, a solemn expression on his face as he considered what they were here for.

"Hello," he called out to them, a subdued greeting if ever there was one. His blue-green eyes looked over at the unfamiliar faces, though he recognized a couple from the journal portraits. "I am here to lend my skill to the rescue party. Is it not too late to join?"

[lyricalsummons.livejournal.com]

Lenne walked the distance from her present home to Yuuko's shop, too distracted to give a thought to the growing dark, and a short distance it was not. It wasn't that she had anything against the trains, but they moved far too quickly for her swirling thoughts. She used the travel time to think. Yuna. She knew that name, or rather, there was just something about it that rang in her, more the person the name belonged to than the name itself. And she was in trouble. Somehow, Lenne felt she owed the girl something, and whether or not that was true, it didn't really matter. She wanted, needed to help someone. This was as good a time as any to stop being a hermit, right? Yeah. That's it.

Being a hermit had it's severe disadvantages. (Yes, there WERE actual advantages, but that's another matter altogether.) She had no idea who any of the people that had volunteered for the rescue were, nor could she really say she knew the kidnapped. Awkward. Not only that, but would they trust her or even want her help? Well, she wouldn't know until she asked.

She approached the small group at length, many times having nearly turned around and started "home." She smiled, a little strained but genuine, and bowed slightly in greeting, her staff clutched in her hands behind her back.

"Hi there," she greeted them softly. "Any room for another would-be rescuer?" she asked, much more confidently than she felt. Being a performer had its perks. She took a brief moment to look the others in the eyes as she waited for any response, just trying to get a feel of the situation. What an interesting assortment they were.

[tinybutfierce.livejournal.com]

Karrin had checked an rechecked her gear before finally leaving her apartment and going to Yuuko's. She wondered if the strange witch woman would be helping at all in their endeavor to save the girl. Karrin brushed some of her bangs out of her face with a sigh, while she didn't like the fact that her first case was a kidnapping she was glad to finally be able to do something here of use.

She approached the gathering group and had to wonder if they really needed this many.

Then again, they were going up against a god.

[4thhighsummoner.livejournal.com]

Braska had never been quick to anger. Even when he had first heard Yuna had been taken, he had been more distressed than angry--he had worried for Yuna's safety above all else. But after Hades's post, after everything he had said and done, Braska couldn't forgive the god. Lord of the Dead he may have been, but Braska wouldn't allow that to stop him.

The high summoner's face was set in a solemn frown as he approached the shop. He gave the group a polite bow, his frown dissolving into a kind--if not strained--smile. "I suppose I have come to the right place," he began, "If there is anything you would like me to do before we go, do not hesitate to ask."

[kotetsu-blade.livejournal.com]

Auron arrived not long after Braska. Though the ex-guardian didn't show it, the entire incident disturbed him. Hades was obviously one who would go to any length to get his revenge on him--a revenge Auron didn't understand. He remained silent, as out of sight as possible, occasionally glancing at Braska. The situation was taking its tole on the summoner, anyone could see that.

He intended to stay silent until the planning began. As far as he was concerned, he had caused enough trouble.

[humaniste.livejournal.com]

Death was the last to arrive, having had a ways to walk and a good deal of thinking to do in the meantime. He'd worked with gods before (and more often than not around them), but this was the first time he'd ever gone up against one directly. Add in the fact that Hades was supposedly the god of - well, his job - and this situation became a tangle that even Death was having trouble puzzling out.

But a girl was in trouble, needlessly so. He would not sit idly by.

He had reached that conclusion at the same time he reached the designated meeting place. Quite a few people he knew or had already seen had made it there before him. I TAKE IT I AM NOT TOO LATE.

SO SO SORRY EVERYONE

[finalfayth.livejournal.com]

Late, as was the norm for him, Jecht was pumping his legs in a full-blown sprint. He had already taken several wrong turns trying to locate this 'meeting place' and the locals didn't help, either. Perhaps it was his sweaty appearance plus the panicked look in his face that scared away the locals he screamed at to tell him where this shop was.

After bursting into two buildings that were obviously not where he was supposed to be, he tried his luck on the third. It didn't help that everything around was written in a language that resembled Spiran (they just seemed less curly) just enough to confuse him further.

Jumping in through the door, he heaved in several breaths as he looked around, "ALL RIGHT!" he cried in victory, celebrating that he had finally made it to the right place. Not to mention, how much his blood was boiling with anticipation of the action to come. "LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!"

[ithehellamharry.livejournal.com]

Harry waited until everyone had responded arrived, mentally ticking off the seconds in his head. He knew on some level that he was being a bit absurd, and that since there was no sign that Hades had detected them when they checked out his place there was no sense in rushing. Still, at the same time he didn't feel right leaving Yuna alone with her captor any longer than he had to, and from the look of things several of the others here felt the same way.

Besides, right now they had the element of surprise, and if they really were going up against a god, they'd need all the help they can get. He recognized Tanaka and Auron from the raid on the Organization's lab, and he felt a lot better about this whole thing knowing Murphy and Death would be along for the ride. Murphy because she was someone he could trust absolutely, and Death because they'd need some serious firepower for this, and it didn't get much more serious than Death. He didn't know the others really, but given the fact that he got a strong impression of power from several of them, he could only hope they knew what they were getting into.

He had been about to start talking right when Jecht made his rather dramatic entrance, and taking a second to give the man a look that strongly implied Harry thought he was nuts, then another to push down his subsequent irritation, before trying again.

"Alright, now that everyone's here, this is the situation. Working together, Belle and I have determined that Hades is keeping Yuna in a house in the Villas Salonas neighborhood. The house itself has three visible entrances, and a I suspect Yuna is probably being kept in the basement. Right now, I think the best plan is for us to split into three teams, each one covering a doorway. Whichever way Hades tries to go out, that team holds him until the others can get there and back him up."

Looking serious, Harry locked eyes with each of the group for a second. "Now, I'll admit I don't have a clear idea of how powerful Hades is, or what he is capable of, but given he shares a name with a God of Death where I come from, I'm not inclined to take any chances. We need to hit him hard, fast, and not hold anything back. Showboating and playing with your opponent to see how strong he is will be strongly discouraged. Feel free to cheat at your whim. Remember, our first priority is to get Yuna back."

He paused, then added, "Oh, and not die, that's also important. I want to thank you all for coming, but if you want this last chance to back out, feel free to. Anyone who calls you a coward can take it up with me, because avoiding this kind of fight if you're not ready isn't cowardice, it's being smart, something I've never really gotten the hang of."

He waited for a moment, then went on, "Okay, let's get into two teams of three, and one of four, and head out. I'll show everyone where the house is on the map, and each group can make their own way there. Just send a signal when you're in place by having one team member post on the network asking where to find a good cup of coffee."


[ooc: You can either roleplay the team selection and further planning or just have it happen off screen, once the teams are ready just start a thread for them with them hiding outside the house. I figure we can skim over the whole walking to the house thing, just assume Harry showed them where it is]

[beautiful-tale.livejournal.com]

The walk back to Hades' hideout seemed both impossibly short and incredibly long. Now, crouched by the back entrance to the unassuming building, her heart pounding in her ears and her knees shaking under her skirts, she flipped open the journal device she always carried. "I'm going to send the signal now," she whispered. "Keep a look out?"

Her fingers flew over the device, and though the click clack of the keys was muted, the noise of it still made her wince, as on edge as she was. Even as she wrote the code and set it out into the network, she worried for the rest of the rescue party and prayed that they were safe.

[eternitydreamer.livejournal.com]

NiGHTS had felt impatient all the way to Hades' current lair. It had been a terribly long time since the nightmaren had had an adventure, after all, and she was practically itching for action. She hadn't gone to the party (it had been indoors and really, who wanted to spend time in there unless they had to?), but this had definitely been worth getting into, and she couldn't keep the grin off her face as she hovered close to the ground once they were at the hideout.

Belle was certainly frightened, wasn't she? NiGHTS supposed she could understand it; it wasn't every day that a mortal took on the gods (and although NiGHTS had lived through two of those situations by now, she still understood how uncommon it was). She nodded to Belle, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry," she murmured. "We'll be all right."

She listened and watched for trouble as Belle clicked away on the keyboard. Hm. Nothing really out of the ordinary. NiGHTS crossed her legs and arms, looking utterly relaxed and unafraid. Nothing to be worried about, after all.

[upgrade2hat.livejournal.com]

Perhaps Tanaka was feeling a bit nervy as they made their way to their destination, but he tried to keep it from showing as much as possible. It was not that he was frightened about facing a god; it was merely a daunting task, and he wanted it to go as smoothly as possible. He was nervous, but not particularly worried; after all, Mr. Dresden wanted them to give their all in this. And making sure people gave their all was what Tanaka was there for.

He was focused, mostly, keeping his mind on the goal as much as possible; to get that girl out safe. He didn't know what she could be going through, but whatever this lunatic had in mind for kidnapping her was nothing he wanted her to deal with any longer.

Tanaka branched off into the group with Belle and the unfamiliar individual to take the back door. He said nothing as she murmured and sent out the signal; a curt nod, and then looking to their surroundings, tensed to begin a routine the instant they needed it.

[beautiful-tale.livejournal.com]

"Alright," Belle said, snapping the journal closed and slipping it back into her pocket. "The signal's been sent. Everyone else has sent out one as well." She swallowed with some difficulty, eyes dark in her pale face as she stood and smiled a shaky smile at Tanaka and NiGHTS. Both seemed so unafraid, as if they'd done this all the time. Even as her legs shook under her long skirt, she would do her best to be brave as well. Yuna was waiting...

Wordlessly, she silently walked up to the back door, glancing to either side for a moment...and pushed the door open.

(Group 2: Ico, Murphy, Death and Harry?)

[theboywithhorns.livejournal.com]

With his group, Ico was led towards the home in which Yuna was held, and around to the side entrance of the building. He looked around the house warily, seeking anything that might seem off, but also looking towards the windows and the ledges, trying to ascertain whether they were scalable. He'd have to leave his sword behind to do so, however, and he wasn't keen on deserting his group either.

And so, as silently as he could, he flattened himself against the wall near the door, sword in both hands in anticipation for what might be lurking inside the house. He didn't know what to expect - the shadows in this place were supposedly different, somehow - and he didn't know what skills his companions possessed (although the skull-faced... thing in the black cloak certainly looked menacing enough.) Therefore, he made no pretense of leading, choosing to defer to their judgment during this rescue mission. Turning his head away from the door, he glanced at his companions with an inquisitive expression; evidently, someone would have to open the door.

Re: (Group 2: Ico, Murphy, Death and Harry?)

[tinybutfierce.livejournal.com]

Karrin stayed alert, her assorted gear a little strange if they hadn't been going up against a god. She felt a little silly, but along with her gun that was held in her holster, she also had a small fire extinguisher attached to her back and a sword (Japanese style katana). She had a feeling someone like a god would be impervious to bullets (it always pissed her off how many things were impervious to bullets) so she was improvising.

She found herself sticking close to the kid. Karrin knew she should expect the unexpected, even from a kid, but she still couldn't shake off the need to be a little more watchful of him than Harry or Death (who needed to watch Death anyway?). Karrin let out a breath, holding her journal and ready to post the signal to let the others know, "Are we ready?"

Re: (Group 2: Ico, Murphy, Death and Harry?)

[ithehellamharry.livejournal.com]

While the others watched the door, Harry tried to keep a watch on the rest of the house and surrounding area, relying on his eyes, ears, and even nose to search for anything out of the ordinary. Years of dealing with the supernatural had trained him to always mind his surroundings, because one never knew from where exactly danger would come next.

He had been lucky enough to arrive with most of his foci and other equipment, and he had made sure to bring all of it with him. He had a feeling this was going to be one hell of a fight.

He'd also taken the time to draw a deep circle in the dirt with his knife and filled it with a metal hoop he'd borrowed from Yuuko's place, before placing a small bottle of the city's water in the center. The spell he had planned was going to be one hell of a hard one to pull off, but if he could manage it it would make a pretty powerful trump card.

Shaking out his shield bracelet and tightening his grip on his staff, Harry glanced back at Murphy, making out her smaller frame in the dark. He had to admit the fire extinguisher was probably a stroke of brilliance on her part, but he couldn't help but wish for a camera at that moment. She just looked so ridicules, and it would make up for the whole paintball thing with Kincaid.

Focusing on the serious task at hand, he said, "I'm ready as I'll ever be. Once we get word from the others, see if you can stay low and start moving closer, but whatever you do, don't get between me and whatever comes out of the house. I don't want anyone getting caught in the crossfire."

Re: (Group 2: Ico, Murphy, Death and Harry?)

[humaniste.livejournal.com]

So he would get a chance to see Harry's magic again, as well as helping the girl. That about settled it in Death's mind - this cause was more than worthwhile. He waited patiently for Harry to be settled in and for the signal to arrive. His sword was hidden, as always, just beneath his cloak, ready to be drawn at a moment's notice.

He nodded at Harry's words. I WILL OPEN THE DOOR. The tone brooked no argument - whatever (if anything) came out was less likely to cause harm to Death than the other three, and he knew it.

((Group 3: Auron, Braska, Jecht, and Lenne))

[4thhighsummoner.livejournal.com]

Braska's hand tightened around his staff as he approached the house. It was nerve-wracking, but he did feel better knowing Auron and Jecht were with him. It was almost like old times, albeit without that fate looming over their heads. He didn't know the young woman who had come with them, though there was something strangely familiar about her and she had wanted to help, which, as far as Braska was concerned, was more than enough for him.

The High Summoner turned to the others and cast a few more protective spells. "That should be enough," he said to himself quietly. Or, at least, he hoped it would. He glanced back over at the door, a slow sigh escaping his lips. "I'll put up the signal."

[kotetsu-blade.livejournal.com]

Auron turned away as Braska pulled out the journal, shifting the weight of his sword on his shoulder. It was... difficult to believe to some point. They were going to fight a god of death. The god of death were Hades's words to be believed. Interesting to think he had met Death himself when he had first arrived in the city only to fight another face of it now.

"Don't rush in." Did it need to be said? Maybe. The air was filled with tension and apprehension, an environment that often led to rash decisions. Even with the others keeping near the other entrances, Auron didn't want to take any chances, not while Yuna was within. She, as well as the woman who had come with them, probably didn't have the luxury the rest of them did when it came to that.

And Jecht had never been one to take things slow in the first place.

[finalfayth.livejournal.com]

The blitzer stiffened his grip on the hilt of his longsword, then released it, repeating this action to quell his need to do something. He scoffed as Auron warned them to take their time, knowing full well that as soon as the first move was made (if it wasn't he himself to make it) he was going to be in the middle of the fray, no question.

Jecht nodded in Braska's direction as he informed them he would be putting out the signal, as well as in thanks for the defensive magic he had cast on them. He knew from experience the benefits of the white magic the summoner used when it came to hand-to-hand combat. The more help they had, the better.

"That guy's not gonna know what hit 'im..." he muttered under his breath, focused now on the building ahead.

I'll just leave this here now.

[masterfulflames.livejournal.com]

It's the sound of battle that alerts him first, and then he realizes that he can feel the darkness pull in the direction of the different doorways. He… wha - WHAAT?! Someone had FOUND HIM?! How did they possibly manage that? He had kept himself hidden well enough, moved locations, played it safe while everyone was roiling with anger over his words… HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLE HAVE FOUND HIM?!?!

Hades fumes, fire dancing across his arms and burning the table beneath them before he slams them down and shatters it completely. No. No, this was too early. This wasn’t part of his plan at all - they couldn’t be here NOW of all times!

Moving quickly, Hades storms to the room he has Yuna locked up, throwing the door open as he still hears the different battles going on with his Heartless ‘guards.’ Just how many people were gathered here now? Surely they couldn’t be THAT organized!

He scowls at her darkly, a hand on the doorway burning through the wood, staring at her with a seething glare. “Get over here now, or I’ll make you regret it,” he tells her darkly. They needed to escape. This whole new mess didn’t go with his plans at all, so he just had to restart things. Find a new location - where he could not BE FOUND and then… then they would go about this the right way…

If he could just get the girl with no hassles…

/leaaaps

[sumofallfayth]

One would have thought by now Hades would give up on the notion of doing anything that involved Yuna with no hassles. The very last thing Yuna wanted was to make things easy on her kidnapper, no matter the consequence. She was more than certain by this point that she was bait for someone, which meant that Hades wasn't likely to do away with her any time soon. This made her resistance a little easier as she didn't need to worry about what exactly he would do to her.

The former summoner couldn't sense the Heartless' darkness like Hades could, but she certainly heard the sounds of fighting above her before he burst in. For the first time in a while, she felt hope, true hope, not the kind she had to force herself to feel. Someone or something was up there and they were giving things a run of their money.

The door to her prison banged open then, startling her to her feet. She still wore her Gun Mage outfit, as it was the last one she'd been in when he'd taken her captive, but without the dressphere itself, the outfit was useless. Still, she had her fists and her feet. Hopefully, they'd be enough to at least stall him until help arrived.

"No," she told him stoutly, standing in the middle of the room and glaring at him, not moving an inch. "I'm not going anywhere."

[masterfulflames.livejournal.com]

See now, that was a problem. Another one of those things that Hades couldn't stand and all that crazy, crazy stuff. This girl? Was really starting to grate his nerves. Seriously. Might not be worth as much as he was initially planning - but then, ALL his plans were going up in smoke today.

He grits his teeth and drags his hand down the door frame, leaving scorch marks behind, then drops it to his side. He makes an almost defeated seeming, half shrug. "Yeah, okay. I get it. I do! You've got to play the little rebellious teen. Gotta be a tough act to keep up, I bet. But you know something?" His eyes sharpen and he's without a sliver of a doubt angry. "I don't exactly have TIME FOR THIS!" he yells, skin for a moment draining from the blue to a raging orange as he stalks towards her. "Your constant defiance is INFURIATING!"

He almost, almost wants to barbecue her, right then and there. Toss her back in the main room as a burnt little porkchop so he can jerk a hand at the rescue party and say: HA! You're TOO LATE! But that's a bit more over the top right now than what he wants to reach. There's still time for this to work his way, and besides, he can barbecue the rescue party on his way out. Torch the entire building!

Oh, won't that be fun?

"So if you missed the memo - that was the wrong answer!" he shouts, and swipes a fiery arm down towards her.