I13DT - In The Grip Of An English Winter

[Graham Jaeger]

"Running. Got it," Graham said matter-of-factly.

[Deirdre Quinn]

"Alright, we're going up."

She crouches down and offers her arms to the two, starting the sequence for her boot jets.

[Will Stanton]

Will shrank and melded to Dee's hand, a Will-tattoo on the armor.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham let himself be lifted, ready to spring into action on landing.

[Deirdre Quinn]

Dee takes off with a grip on Graham, hoping to soar over the minotaur and into the arena proper.

[Narrator]

The minotaur does see them, though lacking wings there is little he can do about it, but let out a warning bellow. He was answered by other minotaurs among the cages.

Inside the arena, Allison was being reigned in by a trio of minotaurs tugging on chains attached to her arms and neck. A beautiful blond woman was cracking a whip at her and marks were visibly closing and Allison's fur was stained with blood. "What are you grinning at, beast?"

"My girlfriend's here to kick your skinny elf ass."

[Deirdre Quinn]

Dee descends towards the arena grounds.

"Oi! Fuzzy! What do you say to getting out of here?" She shouts, letting Graham down.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham was immediately down and moving, bow at the ready but aimed at the ground for the moment.

[Narrator]

"So over this vacation," Allison yelled up at Dee.

The woman whirled, glaring at the descending heroes. The whip was replaced by a sword of ice in the blink of an eye. "Minions of the Summer Witch come to rescue her pet. You were foolish to come here."

The minotaurs in the arena, to their credit, held their posts, keeping Allison restrained.

[Deirdre Quinn]

"She's nobody's pet, least of all yours."

"Besides, you can ask your flunkies how foolish we're feeling right now."

[Graham Jaeger]

"They didn't even put up much of a fight."

[Will Stanton]

Will held back, waiting to be a surprise!

[Narrator]

"I'd been meaning to cull the ranks. So glad you saved me the trouble," she said, stepping forward with her sword up. There were sounds from the entry way, "And soon, I'll be returning the favor." She lunged, covering the space between herself and Dee in a flash, lashing out with her sword.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham drew back his bow as he took aim in the direction of the sounds.

[Deirdre Quinn]

Dee barely has time to put up an armored arm to block, grunting.

"And might I just thank you for making this an easy decision?"

She fires her free hand's repulsor at the woman.

[Narrator]

The blade scored a scratch on the armor, but the repulsor blast knocked the woman back several steps. "We're going to play that game are we?" She leveled her free hand at Dee and an ice spike launched itself from her hand, aimed at Dee's chest.

From the entryway, the baying of wolves could be heard and two of the massive wolves came in on leashes, their minotaur handler being pulled along behind them. Both of the wolves locked eyes with Graham and strained at their leashes, ready to lunge for the prey.

[Will Stanton]

While Icespikelady was distracted firing an ice spike, Will shot off of Dee's hand, expanding and flatting out like a big rubber net to try to flatten her.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham's grip shook as he fought with his animal instincts. He fired off a premature arrow that went wild and he cursed at himself.

[Deirdre Quinn]

Dee lunges to the side, narrowly avoiding the ice shard.

"Well if it's a game, I hope you don't mind if everyone plays?"

She looked for a gap between the minotaurs holding Allison and started cycling up her boot jets.

[Narrator]

Dee lunges to the side, narrowly avoiding the ice shard.

"Well if it's a game, I hope you don't mind if everyone plays?"

She looked for a gap between the minotaurs holding Allison and started cycling up her boot jets.

There certainly were significant gaps as the minotaurs seemed to be using the chains to also keep their distance from Allison.

Graham's grip shook as he fought with his animal instincts. He fired off a premature arrow that went wild and he cursed at himself.

The minotaur handler ducked to avoid the arrow and accidentally released one of the leashes as he did so. Feeling the slack, the wolf charged forward straight at Graham.

While Icespikelady was distracted firing an ice spike, Will shot off of Dee's hand, expanding and flatting out like a big rubber net to try to flatten her.

He landed on her, driving her to the ground and the next moment she was not there. She was standing off to his right, sword held at the ready. "Come and get me, clay man."

[Deirdre Quinn]

Dee fires her boot jets and charges into the gap, aiming to lay her hands on the chains and use her powers to break them, one at a time.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham's trained fight response took over and he quickly shot an arrow aimed at the creature's eyes. He would dodge quickly when it go close.

[Will Stanton]

Right!

Will charged at the woman and her sword, carefully paying attention to see if she had a tell for her teleportation. Watching hours of Nightcrawler footage in the DR for, uh, research, would pay off one of these days!

[Narrator]

Right!

Will charged at the woman and her sword, carefully paying attention to see if she had a tell for her teleportation. Watching hours of Nightcrawler footage in the DR for, uh, research, would pay off one of these days!

She shimmered briefly before disappearing again, reappearing behind him and bringing her sword across at his back. He could feel the cold emanating from the sword.

Graham's trained fight response took over and he quickly shot an arrow aimed at the creature's eyes. He would dodge quickly when it go close.

The creature yelped and veered off, swinging its head around to look for him, blinded on one side now. The minotaur seemed to be trying to let the second wolf go by unhooking the leash.

Dee fires her boot jets and charges into the gap, aiming to lay her hands on the chains and use her powers to break them, one at a time.

Dee broke two of the chains, but missed the third one as Allison abruptly used it to play paddleball with her fist and the face of the minotaur holding it.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham tried to keep on the wounded wolf's blind side as he shot at it again, aiming for the neck.

[Will Stanton]

Will didn't bother turning around--he just shifted so his back was his front, and vice-versa.

He then attempted to CATCH the sword inside one of his hands, in theory trapping it. He stuck out an arm to try to intercept the slash.

[Deirdre Quinn]

Dee activates her jets again and tries to barrel into the nearest minotaur, aiming to knock it towards the woman Will is fighting.

[Narrator]

Will didn't bother turning around--he just shifted so his back was his front, and vice-versa.

He then attempted to CATCH the sword inside one of his hands, in theory trapping it. He stuck out an arm to try to intercept the slash.

Will catches the blade easily, since she's intending to hit him with it anyway. The cold bites deeply, worse than any winter. If he had bones, he might be chilled to them.

Dee activates her jets again and tries to barrel into the nearest minotaur, aiming to knock it towards the woman Will is fighting.

Dee's bull rush seems mostly successful as she knocks the bull into the woman. This leaves Will holding the bag, or rather the sword. "Off me, you fool," she screams as she tries to untangle herself from the minotaur.

Graham tried to keep on the wounded wolf's blind side as he shot at it again, aiming for the neck.

The wolf staggers as the arrow sinks deep into the flesh of his neck. As he falls over, the other wolf leaps over the body straight at Graham.

[Will Stanton]

Will began actively frosting over, but he grit his teeth and stated marching forward, much slower, to try to grab the woman before she teleported again.

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham shifted to satyroid and sprung skyward, exchanging the bow for his new daggers before coming down stabbing.

[Narrator]

As Graham leaped into the air, he heard one of the minotaurs bellow, "It's Herne! Herne's here! Run!" The wolf dodged the incoming stab and lunged, trying to clamp down on his leg.

As tangled up as she was with the minotaur, who was now trying to get away from whatever 'Herne' was, Will could fairly easily grab a hold of her.

By now, Allison had the remains of the chains on her arms wrapped around her fists. She looked for a target, but the remaining minotaurs seemed more interested in leaving the arena.

[Will Stanton]

Will's movement continued to slow and clog up, as icicles started forming off of his extremities.

"Hey, let's chill a moment, shall we?"

[Graham Jaeger]

Graham attempted to evade but didn't entirely succeed, crying out as he felt the snapping teeth tear a chunk out of he leg. He stabbed at its face in retaliation.

[Narrator]

"You think to freeze me, fool? I'm a Princess of the Winter Court. Not even the chill of Cloch Iâ bothers me. It looks as if it will be your undoing though," she smirked, finally pushing the minotaur off of her, even though she was restrained by Will.

Graham's stabs actually caught the wrestling beast behind the skull. It collapsed, it's jaws still around his leg as it's nervous system tried to understand this "death" thing.

[Will Stanton]

"You...don't need...to be bothered..." Will said slowly. "You...just...need...to be....taken...out..."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"And that's where I come in," Dee says, disentangled from the minotaur as well, and delivering a right hook to the princess' jaw that Allison might approve of.

[Narrator]

The princess' head snapped to the side and her body sagged into unconsciousness.

[Will Stanton]

"Kn...knocckkkked her cooooooold."

[Deirdre Quinn]

"I think we'll take the fact that you're still punning as a good sign."

[Will Stanton]

"I''lllll live. I'mmm from Nnnneeww York afffffter allll...this is nooooooothhhhhnng." he said, turning quite blue as he struggled to walk forward.