Episode 6: Mistaken Identity

The Ne'er-Do-Wells had been taking a break in a local Schorbach's coffee shop, signing autographs and debriefing Angus on their last adventure, when a panicked-looking man burst through the door. He claimed that they *had* to help him, that he was being framed for a series of recent magic-related thefts that had occurred in the Sapphire City area. That, and desertion of a military Freak Squad, loitering... a number of crimes for which he actually *was* guilty. He was wearing a mysterious magical amulet as well, but hardly had time to explain its properties to them. The gang considered his rather flimsy case for a minute, and meanwhile Patri-bot appeared on the scene to apprehend the supposed criminal. Not wanting to argue with a very solid embodiment of the American government, they let the robot take the strange man into custody. As Patri-bot was leaving he declared that they too were wanted for questioning surrounding the thefts and had six hours to comply, and that spurred them into action.

They had to investigate the crimes themselves if they were to clear their own names. They remembered that the thefts had occurred at three disparate locations over the past few weeks, and that each of the items stolen had some historical significance to it. The scenes of the crimes were the local art museum, the Sapphire City Conservatory, and the SCIMTR - the Sapphire City Institute of Magical Technology and Research, a Military-owned base. They decided to head to the museum first.

There, they gained easy admittance to the scene of the crime due to Angus's sweet-talking of the receptionist. She slipped him her number, and two are still 'acquainted' to this day. A museum attendant, an elderly and small man, took them to the room in question. They found little out of the ordinary at the crime scene, and that was disturbing. The glass case where the stolen artifact- an Ancient Roman bangle- was stored was unbroken and even unopened. Maxwell attempted to speak with the surrounding statues, but they were too absorbed in their own perfection to notice the thief passing through. Boanna and Blank Page used their magic to examine the area, searching for traces of magical residue in the glass case. They found little conclusive evidence, other than that *something* magical had somehow slipped through the glass without opening it. They decided to investigate the Conservatory next.

All three locations are within walking distance, but the Ne'er-Do-Wells know that their 6-hour-clock is ticking, so they hurry there. They're greeted by a shy girl of about 17 named Samantha, who carries around a black and white cat whom she calls Fluffles. Maxwell attempts to speak to Fluffles too, but she keeps to herself. Samantha leads the team to the room from which a priceless and beautiful violin was stolen. She gives them a list of everyone who had access to the room, the most suspicious of names being Igor, the rather angry Russian violinist who lives on the third floor of the conservatory. Through their magical investigation Boanna and Page detect a trace of magical residue that had broken through the room, this time much more violently than the last. Imagining now that these thefts were unrelated- committed by different thieves entirely- they went to interrogate Igor. He refuses to open his door, so Boanna slips through, asking him politely to open up once inside. He does, and though his very appearance screams villain, he has a tight alibi and doesn't seem to be hiding any priceless violins in his room. In fact, he was so proud of his frightening, black Russian violin that he claimed he'd never touch something like the stolen one, and angrily ushers the Ne'er-Do-Wells out of his living quarters.

Their next and last lead is the SCIMTR base to investigate the site of the stolen gemstone, but when they arrive there they realize that there is little hope of them getting inside to investigate directly. Though they are local and nationally-recognized heroes of a sort, they had not been given clearance to enter, and spent a good while arguing with the guards posted by the entry gate. Luckily for them, Boanna and Blank Page both possess the ability to turn invisible and temporarily incorporeal, and they used the distraction to sneak in with ease. They traced the magical residue of the thief to the second floor, a messy vault of ancient magical artifacts. Most notably, there was a deactivated golem in the corner of the room. They did not have much time to investigate though, as a failed teleportation spell on Page's part set the magic-sensing alarms in the complex off and they were detected instantly. From outside Angus, Carrion and Maxwell could hear that a breach had been detected and that reinforcements were being called in.

Out of the air zoomed the familiar red-white-and-blue jetsream of Patri-bot. Appreciating the opportunity for a fight after a day of intellectual activity, Angus immediately threw his axe skyward as the bot approached. Page and Boanna, caught in the magically sealed fortress, had to find a more physical way out. Boanna looked at the golem and had an idea. Phasing into its body, she brought it to life with her own energy and used its massive stone fists to break a hole through the second-floor wall. Page saw Patri-bot and took to the sky in an attempt to paralyze him with her magic. She did slow him down, but he retaliated with a swift blade across her chest and she was knocked unconscious and out of the air. She was luckily within jumping range of Angus, who caught her and delivered her to safety on the ground level. Patri-bot landed and began to tussle with Carrion, while the golem Boanna prepared her assault. She dropped out of the window and landed directly on top of Patri-bot, pinning him to the ground until he was able to shake her off. Maxwell's magic provided cover-fire for the three melee combatants as they struggled against Patri-bot. He swung his 'Sword of Liberty' at Carrion, who was able to catch and break the mechanical blade in two. While Angus rained attacks on Patri-bot with his axe, he blasted his chest cannon and aimed for Carrion's head, and a small nick to the brain sent him unconscious and to his knees. Boanna's fists and Angus's axe were more than enough to tackle the disarmed Patri-bot, though, and the fight ended in a blast of red, white and blue as Angus cleaved his head in two.

Blank Page was sent to the hospital, critically wounded and unable to carry on with the investigations. Maxwell too had to flee the scene, most likely not wanting to get more involved with law-breaking than he already had. The others continued to trace the magical trail of the stolen artifacts and found that they led to the Sapphire City Bank, a supposed bastion of monetary security. They hurried there to find none other than Samantha, dressed like some sort of 'magical girl,' with Fluffles perched on her shoulder and wielding a conductor's staff as a weapon. She introduced herself as a new heroine, Sonata, who would use the items and money she had stolen to do justice for the world! And she'd start by killing the Ne'er-Do-Wells who'd stood in her way.

She raised her staff and summoned five elemental beings- fire, water, wind, earth, and spirit- each named for a different musical term. They were entirely corny, but the Ne'er-Do-Wells knew not to underestimate them when they were already outnumbered. Sonata put a magical, musical barrier up around herself, which Carrion began to punch away at. Every so often it compels him to sway to the rhythm, which only strengthens it. Boanna attempted to do battle with the earth golem, but found her new body clunky and so abandoned it in the bank. Angus hacks away at the earth golem as well, but he finds himself meeting a match in terms of toughness. From behind the barrier, Sonata and her spirit guardian use their magical artifacts to strengthen her comrades and weaken her enemies. The battle is absolutely chaotic. Angus, being the only living member of the Ne'er-Do-Wells present, is targeted by the wind elemental's suffocating grasp, but his overwhelming bodily strength resists most harm. The fire elemental flings bolts of flame at him, but his chest hair deflects it. Water attempts to drown him, unsuccessfully. Earth lands a punch on his face, but he smiles and takes it, until the next blow comes from below-ground and socks him right in his dazzling balls.

As the musical barrier refuses to come down, Angus is weakened by the constant assaults on his living body. Boanna pumps more and more of her demonic essence into each of her arcane bolts, but is still only able to fell the flimsiest of the elementals. Things look comically grim for the Ne'er-Do-Wells, and suddenly the battle takes a turn in their direction. Through the doors of the bank burst the Fuzzy Friends- a ragtag group of heroes composed of Mungo, Alexi Nezhizen, and the pixie Ivy. They come ready to fight, and their presence restores morale to the failing heroes. Mungo and Angus team up to defeat the stony earth golem, crushing him into dust. Alexi blasts away at the water elemental with his lighting glove. Ivy attempts to sprinkle the area with her potent pixie dust, but is caught in a blast of fire that scorches her and leaves her inches from death. Her screams of pain introduce an element of urgency into the battle, and the Ne'er-Do-Wells and Fuzzy Friends focus all their energy on finishing off Sonata's elementals.

Boanna, fueled with rage at being unable to protect her friend, sinks into the ground and under Sonata's barrier. She strengthens herself with a terrifying amount of demonic energy and lets loose a fear bolt directly at Sonata's head, which incapacitates her and ends the battle. Before Boanna is able to do anything further, Fluffles begins to shift. She transforms into a tall, elegant and gold-clad woman with towering horns. The woman tells Boanna that she is Felbix, a demon of greed, and that she had been manipulating Samantha into serving her whims. The girl had no free will of her own, but Felbix was not done using her yet, and after a promise that they'd meet again soon Felbix takes Sonata and teleports off the scene.

The group gathers around Ivy, who looks beyond saving. Boanna knows that there is one way she can help her, but she had already used so much of her demonic essence during that battle that she feared the result. Determined not to lose another person she valued, convinced that she was *better* than that, she channeled all of her remaining power into a lifesaving healing spell. Ivy rises from her near-death state and cackles, "what is your bidding, dark mistress?" Boanna looks at herself; where was once a semi-transparent, purple-ish ghost body stood a solid, half demon with light purple skin. Two black horns protruded from her head, her nails were sharp and threatening, her pupils solid black, and her wings black and bat-like. She had fallen for her friend's sake, but had corrupted her soul in the process. Ivy declared that she wanted to be called 'Puck' from now on, finding her old identity too soft for her new purpose. She swears her soul to Boanna's service, and the group exits the scene of the crime, horribly shaken.