Return to Halcyon

September 15, 2018

Rhiannon had been restless and impatient ever since they got the call from Cyclone. She remembered the hero from when she used to live in Halcyon City as a kid - he was one of the best in her eyes. She used to practically idolize the man. His reason for calling was far from positive though. Looking out the window of the car, Halcyon was familiar but also not… It had been a few years since her last short visit to see her cousin and even longer since she lived here.

Gwen… Cyclone didn't give much detail on the phone (and her parents probably told her even less), but even that was enough to make Rhiannon rush to get here. It was a good thing her ‘training’ was officially over because they couldn't have stopped her from coming anyway.

As the drive continued, something strange caught Rhiannon's eye. A veritable fleet of unmarked grey trucks were pulling into the parking lot of the mall and spreading around it to all sides. She requested that the car pull over and drop her off here for now. ‘Errands’, she said. It was obvious that neither Aife nor Lukas believed her, but they chose not to question.

“I'll see you back at the house, alright? Or I'll call if I need a pickup.”

Waving as they drove away, she waited until they were out of view then took a quick look around to make sure she didn't see anyone else. With a wave of her hand a vibrant purple arcane circle appeared above and below her, drastically changing her appearance to that of The Morrígan. A second circle appeared on her back as her cape transformed into a pair of large shadowy crow wings - avoiding the notice of just walking in may be best for the moment. Taking flight, she silently glided high over the unbroken ring of trucks as people wearing grey suits and gas masks began pouring out of them with equipment and piping. This was definitely not good.

The sound of helicopters reached her ears and Morrígan hurried to find a point of entry not yet blocked by this invasion. Spotting a rooftop door, she swooped in and landed at a run as the wings morphed back into a cape fluttering behind her. She was able to dart her way inside without much incident and was soon dashing down the stairs until she reached the first door exiting into the main mall. Opening it, she ran face first into two of the suited individuals.

Morrígan's first instinct was simply to get away from them as one grabbed her arm and the other immediately reached for what looked like a stun baton. There was a struggle that resulted in a numbing graze from the baton and her eventually rolling over the railing to land with a crash on the floor below. That felt like it bruised some ribs at the very least, but she struggled to her feet and ran for the nearest large gathering of people - an indoor roller rink.

As she approached, something else odd and concerning caught her eye - a pink gas was slowly starting to filter through the vents. Whatever it was, Rhiannon doubted it was good. Using some mild magic, she boosted the volume of her voice to reach the entire rink.

“Everyone, please remain calm and move to the center of the rink! There is an airborne threat and I can only protect so much area, alright? Please, fill the rink as quickly as possib- ah!” Morrígan finished with a cry of pain as something cold and sharp sliced along her upper arm.

Looking behind her, a suited lady with a tank on her back was fast approaching. The teen hero ran to the edge of the rink herself and began an incantation to create a warning glow along the edge of the area she was about to enclose. Confused and alarmed mall-goers argued on whether or not they should listen to the unfamiliar costumed girl, but the majority followed her instructions as they also began to notice the strange intruders blocking off exits and the pink gas becoming more visible.

Soon the runes on The Morrígan's skin began to glow brighter as motes of colored light swirled around her figure, whipping her hair and clothes in an unseen breeze. She could feel the power building, but her focus remained unbroken - this power was hers and it would bend to her will, dammit. With one last look around, she realized she couldn't wait any longer lest the gas reach them. Hopefully everyone else would be alright…

A sound like the tinkling of wind chimes and a breeze through leaves filled the room as a shimmering green barrier rose from the massive glowing magic circle that had formed on the floor around the entire rink. Gasps erupted from the crowd but then everyone went eerily silent as the gas floated ever closer to the barrier - would it get through? The first of it reached the edge and the green barrier flashed brightly, but the gas spread harmlessly against it. There was a collective sigh among the crowd behind her, followed by renewed murmuring about what was going on. Rhiannon was relieved as well, but she needed to keep her focus up. That lady and her men were still approaching.

The group stopped just on the other side, facing her and her protective bubble. All the exits had been sealed and the pink mist was growing thicker outside the barrier. Any bystanders who hadn't followed her instructions in time started coughing and choking, eventually lying down on the floor before starting to... change. Rhiannon and the others safe from the gas watched in horror. Some begged her to drop the barrier and let them in but everyone knew if she did that they'd all be exposed.

Meanwhile the bastards responsible had started prodding, shooting, freezing, and otherwise testing Morrígan's barrier for any weak spots they could exploit. She was confident they would find none - but the more they tried, the more energy she had to expend to keep it manifested. This sort of defense couldn't last forever, but the gas wasn't going away. Eventually the woman in charge seemed to notice the strain it caused and ordered a constant barrage on all sides.

Morrígan cursed in frustration and opened the floodgates to her power once more, absorbing what she could before damming it up again. Her body was trembling with exhaustion and her injuries ached, blood continuing to slowly streak down her arm. Plus, the people with her were beginning to panic. This couldn't continue. Closing her eyes for a moment, Rhiannon took a deep breath and focused. Control… control…

A glowing blue intricate magic circle appeared on the skylight overhead, drawing everyone's attention. The air began to swirl in a circular motion, made more obvious by the thick pink mist being moved along with it. The circulation grew faster and faster until it became a small cyclone of energy. Glass shattered and with an angry growl of effort, Morrígan's eyes flared green and the gas was forcibly sucked from the room and out the open skylight.

The assault continued however and this time she didn't have the time or energy to safely siphon the power needed. A moment later, the barrier fell. Thankfully no pink gas remained, and it seemed to no longer be filling the vents either. Before anyone could feel relief, a blast of cold struck Rhiannon square in the chest from the bitch's gun and the heroic teen fell to the floor in a heap. Just as things looked like they might get ugly, the ice blocking the exits was blasted inward as various law enforcement and other heroes swarmed in to retake the scene.

In the ensuing chaos she managed to swap back to her civilian glamor, avoiding further attention to herself though she was certain a few people noticed. Eventually medical first responders were allowed in and despite protests she was one of the first taken away for immediate hospital treatment due to very visible - and treatable - injuries.