393/Corporate Corruption pt 2

Corporate Corruption pt 2
Date of Scene:	20 September 2015
Location:	Mitakihara - Downtown
Synopsis:	Miss White has evidence that the CEO of WitchHunter Professional Services has tried to kill her. Twice. And Ao too. She's had enough, and intends to lure the man to the rooftop of the WPS building for a reckoning. But how far will she go to settle matters, and who will appear to stop her before she crosses a line she can't go back from?
Cast of Characters:	Homura Akemi, Yuko Minami, Hannah Sharpe, Mamoru Chiba, Takashi Agera, Haruna Kurosawa, Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Euphemia Barchetta, Mikoto Nakajima

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Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Last Time:

That beautiful, elegant rose blackens and wilts as Miss White imagines the worst: all of them laying dead. The CEO taking her company and making it just another cog in the machine instead of a brilliant rising star.

Love and hatred are so very linked. That deep, deep love for her companions fills into the darkest, more horrible of hate. Misty blackness filled with hurt, fear, anger, and all-consuming hate for the CEO pulls the floating grief seeds right into Miss White's linker core. The area shudders as all of the contained magic is devoured in Hannah's endless greed and ambition. Her eyes close as she floats in the air, eyes leaking blackened blood. It pours, and pours, and pours like an oozing wound, beyond what should be in her body. It's thick, like mud.

He's taking her friends he's taking her friends HE'STAKINGHERFRIENDS!

"DIE!!!" Howls Miss White.

The CEO was right. The world, for those here, floods into pure Darkness.

Now:

It's a perhaps familiar sight to some of those gathered. It's Tokyo Harbor overlooking the city itself. But where once there was brilliant white and prideful ambition, the cityscape has been twisted. Greys and blacks make up the silent city, and the lilly-covered water has grown into that blackened blood that drowned out the world.

Pain and anger float in the air like some kind of oppressive mist, almost enough to choke. Those gathered, both the magical girls and boys and the CEO and his monster alike sit upon opposite sides, easily able to stand on the floating mass. Between them, the ethereal figure of Miss White floats in the air, her tattered wedding dress coal grey, her face streaked with blood. The 'waters' are littered with dead lillies, and wind constantly flows from Hannah's floating body. She shudders.

And then screams in agony as the magic of four grief seeds wracks her body. She can't hold it in. Her banshee scream sends cutting waves of wind magic all across the area. The ice youma is hit as the CEO takes cover behind her. She pops like a balloon, shards sent everywhere.

Several of her wind blasts slam into the buildings in the distance, causing several to fall in clouds of dust and imaginary steel.

There's far less blasts directed at her friends. Indeed, the floating girl writhes about, twisting her body to try to stop her own powers from lashing out. She fails, though manages to cut out some of the power of her attacks.

"No no NO! Stop! Run! I...I don't want to hurt you all! Only him! DIE DIE DIE!" Love for her friends warrs with her hatred for the CEO.

Her screams draw black suited figures that wield a variety of firearms. Unlike before, their shots are wild, and lack the coordination they'd had previously while under Hannah's control. But the pure rage in her heart has them firing indescriminately.

Yuko Minami has posed:
     The good news: The ice youma's dead! The bad news: Everything else! Miss White's certainly not looking good in her present situation, and Cure Boost is looking uncharacteristically freaked out for once. She's never seen this sort of anything before, after all, so to see her sorta-friend once-enemy in such a state is disconcerting to say the least.

     "M... Miss White? What's..?" She brings her shields back out to defend herself from those wind blasts and those firearm-wielding figures, providing a semi-safe space behind herself with those massive tower shield should anyone need it.

     "Don't lose yourself to... Whatever this is! You can control it! We're here with you!"

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Cure Gull manages to dart out of the way of a powerful......piano...attack....

The piano falls towards the ground as she grits her teeth. She points down towards the CEO. "I'm...I'm gonna punch you in the face mister!" she screams---

But something terrible is going on over near Hannah. Her eyes go wide..."W...wah....What is that? What's going on....."

"Gull.... Up!" Corvus calls out. Indeed, she flies upwards, and darting, trying not to get hit by...magical gun fire. Also. WHAT THE HELL DID HANNAH-CHAN JUST TURN INTO!?

She doesn't understand this. Wh...why? Why did that happen? Is this the CEO's doing!? Does she attack the youma holding Ao?... does she attack the CEO? Does... does she need to try to hit Hannah?

She's so confused. "Corvus....what do I do...?" she asks in a lost tone.

"I really don't know , Gull." he admits honestly.

....But Yuko.... Cure Boost. She seems to have an idea--and she's ashamed. Sometimes...sometimes she forgets it was everyone's kind words and actions that saved her from being horrible maybe not even a little more than a month ago.

She darts over to Cure Boost's side...

"White-chan....! Y..You can fight that! You...can fight anything! Because you're the strongest...For.. For Ao-Chan! RMEMBER!" she calls out.

She calls up her own shield--- a whirling mass of feathers around her and wind. Though she seems to be staying just behind and to the right of Boost to try to let her shields do some of the tanking for her.

Hey... that's okay! That's practically Cure Teamwork!

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Good news: Dead youma. Better news for the side of light: Dissension in the ranks of Darkness. Does Tessen give a damn about that? Not particularly. She's busy protecting herself from a spear of ice, batting it aside with a Round Shield, backing off a little to get a better view of the battlefield. She's got all those Flicker Shots ready to go, she just needs a target.

Except that the targets worthy of her attention seem to be rapidly -reducing- in number, not increasing. The CEO seems like a pragmatic fellow... but his attitude deeply offends her. So she finally makes up her mind.

"Flicker Torrent," Carnwennan annoucnes, and the gleaming sapphire light-arrows are loosed, smashing through a pair of gun-mooks on their way to the target.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto is... really not that good at encouraging people. That's not really something boys are generally very good at in this sort of situation. Particularly not when he's being fired upon. He will leave the encouragement to the others for now. But they'll be able to do that better if there are less things shooting at them. So he turns his attention to darting through the ranks of Familiars, slicing into them with his claw, and kicking them off the roof or into each other.

He doesn't come through without damage, though. There's far too many for him to take on alone. But he's trying, nonetheless. Shots scrape across his shoulders and sides, his balance and timing is off because of the great amount of wind that's blowing around. He will take several hits. But he's not stopping. He's not giving up.

He may not be able to save Hannah, but the others here can. And he's going to give them as much of an advantage as he can... before his strength runs out...

Takashi Agera has posed:
Takashi was charging up an attack. But now, the entire game has changed. For a second time, Miss White's gone into this powerful new form with him around. For the first time, Takashi is around to view it all.

==Strange Readings Detected!== his device chirps. "Yeah, I gathered that. With my eyes. Start recording. This is all strange. Data is paramount." he responds to his device.

Then, it's /clear/ Hannah has lost it to some degree, because she's attacking him, which is a suicidal venture and even she knows better. Axion puts up a wide area barrier, and Takashi stands in it - the barrier able to hold because Witch-white isn't putting all of her focus on him. "Don't lose your sense, Miss White." he shouts from within his protective barrier.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura was too focused on the battle to be fully aware... too busy thinking about the fight in front of her to really react to four grief seeds being on the ground. Surely, Hannah wouldn't be crazy enough to use four of those at once, right?

Right?

... oh.

It's only now, when it's too late, does Homura realize the full impact of her failure. She should've done something. She knew the risks those things meant, and she knew how dangerous they were, perhaps more than Hannah herself did. She screams out, too late, "White-san! NO!"

Of course, Homura understood why. She understood why Hannah would go so far out of her way. She understood why she would want to lash out. It made all too much sense to her... but...

"Don't be stupid! Who will protect Karina-san if you die?!"

The Ice Youma is no longer a concern, blasted away as it was. Ao Karina still needed to be taken to safety or Hannah might never forgive herself. The CEO was scum, but keeping friends alive was more important than killing enemies, no matter how much said enemy deserves it.

Homura considers all of these things as the wind buffets against her shield, purple barrier appearing to absorb each hit. Her already-frail body, drained as it is, can't quite stand up to the direct attack, but timestopping wont help her if there's nowhere to run to.

"Tch... White-san... I better get overtime for this," she mumbles, probably inaudible over the gusts of wind. Eyes fall on Ao, and the device user carrying her, a plan is formed, time is frozen, and feet move into action.

Homura moves towards Ao and Helix in the timefrozen moment, stopping for a second to catch her breath, and then reaches for and grabs Ao, trying to pull her into the timestop with her, and Helix along with her. "Come with me if you want to live."

Looking between Helix and Ao, Homura says, "Listen, the others are making a shield wall over there. Between the four of us, we should be able provide enough protection to survive this."

She glances up to the still Hannah. "Talking her down will have to wait, but it will be easier if Ao-san is safe. So, coming with me or what? Whatever you do, don't let go."

Homura tries to guide, or pull, Helix and Ao towards safety behind Cure Boost and Cure Gull, not resuming time until they're in relative safety.

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    Dark sky, blackened blood filling the harbor and waterways, wilted and blackened flowers everywhere.

    "This is cool! ...probably not what she wants, though. Hmm." considers Helix aloud. She's taken Ao to the edge of the roof- if they're still on a roof within this twisted version of Tokyo. She'll either keep hanging onto the older girl if she's excessively weak after her stay in the worst Ice Hotel ever or set her down carefully on her feet, but either way she's sticking by her and making it her One Girl Mission to make sure she gets through the rest of tonight as unharmed as possible.

    As for what's happening with Hannah herself, she's torn. If the WPS director wants to turn into a wailing banshee of terror and wind magic that's her prerogative! Euphemia is not the person you want to go to when having issues regarding the moral ambiguity of various means to power.

    That said things like screaming 'No, no, no!' make it pretty clear that this isn't what she had in mind at all, and the girl gives a grunt as a wave of magical wind washes over her. "Hm, yeah, this isn't right at all." She takes a step closer to the ailing magical girl and shouts, "Hannah, get a hold of yourself! If you're going to blow up the city do it because you want it gone, not because you lost control!"

    "Bulwark could we Dispel whatever's happening to her?" the girl asks after a moment.

    <No, Master. Dispel specifically targets opposing foreign magic in conflict with the target it's cast on. Most of the magic affecting Miss White is either her own or is staining her Linker Core directly.>

    "Which is why you didn't want me using one of those thingies she made."

    <Yes, Master.>

    Helix gets a perplexed look on her face

    As bullets start to fly she puts on a deep frown. Right as she's about to put up a magical barrier she blinks as the world goes greyish and dull- and not just from a barrier! Her head twists this way and that as she takes in the time frozen state of things. "Wow, sweet! No wonder Miss White regards you so highly this is super handy." She then gives an enthusiastic nod to the proposal, "That sounds like a great plan to me; I'm sure Miss White will make it through this, so if we just make sure Ao-chan gets through it too we should be in good shape."

    She'll follow happily along over to Cure Boost while time is stopped, keeping a tight hold on Homura as she's led. "Hehe, this is good though, I'll get a chance to meet the other girl with shields!"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
There was the rose, and now there's the shadow that threw it: the rage and hatred and horror in the air, clawing at the spirits of everyone present, sink hooks into the uncontrolled empath more thoroughly than anyone else present. Someday, his willpower will be enough to break free of nightmares; someday, his confidence and strength of heart will allow him to resist--

--but that's someday, and today's Tuxedo Kamen is caught up and swept away by the tsunami of wrath in an instant.

He doesn't even have a chance to do any more than stare in horrified startlement for a half second before he's gone, drowning in it, body reacting with vivid, cutting precision bolstered by bitterly cold fury.

From the shadows the masked boy had been swallowed into strides a tall figure weilding a glittering sword, the blood red inside of his cape darkened to the color of a dessicated, brittle dead rose, and the luminous white of his shirt and gloves and mask turned to the wasted grey of paper ash. With casual and whipcrack quick violence, he cuts his way through familiars and ghostly magical bullets alike, walking closer, unshielded, toward the eye of the hurricane.

His eyes are blank behind the phantom mask, the dark leached grey of a tempest at sea. He's completely silent.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Cure Boost's shields prove resilient: those twin magical tower shields soaking up bullets like a champ as they plink plink plink off! Oddly enough, perhaps some slight curve of them combined with Hannah not actually wanting to harm them takes some more bite out of the wind. Boost might have to really hunker down at this squall, nevermind the waves of dark blood that everyone is standing on making the terrain treacherous.

Cure Boost pours her heart out at the raging, blood-crying Miss White.

"No...control...have to...ahhhh! Nooo it /hurts/!!!" Pain overwhelms her. She grits her teeth, trying to endure, trying to put all of that power into use against her hated enemy. But forces this primal are too much. More wind bursts about, and another skyscraper falls as she swings herself around, in an attempt to not hurt her friends.

And then, just before it truly ends her very sanity, it's a further pair of unlikely sources combined that offer a bedrock of stability, albiet one made of glass.

Cure Gull, friend of a feather and former fellow Eclipsian, reminds her of one of the things she's fighting for. Not a world. Not some lofty goal. But deep down inside, everything she's ever done has sprung from Ao Karina. The raging girl shudders, and pauses. Her shining linker core quivers. Some of that horrid corruption that's seeped into her, a true ball of blackness, cracks and falls.

"I...I am?" She whispers, voice weak.

She gulps. "Ao-chan..."

MIkoto is more practical about things. Her shots destroy several Gun Goon in rapid fashion, before a burst of her fire zooms to the CEO. But he's ready. He opens another magical door, steps in, and it shuts behind him. He reappears elsewhere, as Mikoto's shots seem to obliterate a duo of goons that were about to shoot her in the back!

The CEO, unfortunately for him, ends up right in front of Miss White.

Similarly, that claw of Ikuto's is a horrid scythe amongst the Familiars. A good dozen of the creatures fall to his black kitty claws. There always seems to be more, but some seem to actually be cowed by his impressive efforts at destruction. That only leaves them more easily taken out. The pressure against Cure Boost's shields grows far less thanks to Ikuto.

Takashi is getting amazing amounts of data. One thing is for sure: the amount of Dark energy and magic flooding into Hannah should have killed her instantly. There's no way this should be survivable.

At least he's getting a wealth of information. Also proof that Hannah has no such thing as restraint in her soul.

His words cut her, and in a good way.

"Not...going to lose...to this! NO! I...I will not hurt my friends! I WILL NOT HURT AO!" She howls. Unfortunately, ever doing that much causes more wind to rage about. But it's more controlled this time. Several of her own Familiars die by their Witch's hand.

Homura speaks, and her words reach her.

Ao die? The implication is obvious. There's horror in her face. "I can't! I WON'T HURT HER! Please...keep her safe!" Begs the woman, curling into a ball in the air, even the CEO forgotten. Wind lances around her, but that wild energy is slowly being pulled inwards. Even several of the Familiars dissipate. All of the love and concern by those gathered is having its effect as they start to help Hannah to sanity and reason.

Ao doesn't resist either Helix or Homura. When the timestop ends, all three girls are behind that bulwark of safety named Cure Boost.

Homura, for the record, is getting a bonus for this crap.

Ao Karins mutters to Helix.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
"She'd...never hurt me. I believe in her. She'll...come through this!" Comes words through chattering teeth.

Power, familiar, and yet oddly different cuts through her army of Familiars. That which she hungered for, and yet hated herself for wanting, walks forth clad in her very own fury.

She finds lust for power, her ambition once again in that moment. Not the pure hate for the cowering CEO. Not the pain of impossible magic within her. But pure mortal greed.

As much as the young man soaks up her wrath, he's a threat, he's a solid point in all of the chaos. And he has something she wants.

The wind in the area stops. Impossibly dense balls of wind and blackness draw into her hands. The Familiars in the area fall as their magic is devoured.

The madness in her eyes vanishes. All of that power is used to zip her way over with the power of physical movement bordering on the speed of light at the young man. She can't resist. Heedless of wounds he might cause, she tries to seize him up in her arms.

And then oddly serrated Witch teeth seek his shoulder, trying to devour that deeply primal power within the young man.

"MINE!"

The ground quakes, blood-water splashes, and the pure fury of her using all of the gathered magic to reach that well of power causes the black earth split into pieces, shards of it threatening to pierce each and every one of the magical boys and girls here with tons of quaking rock.

Yuko Minami has posed:
     Between Cure Boost, Cure Gull, Helix, and Homura? That shield is never coming down! Well, never is a long time. Perhaps just a very, /very/ long time. The green-haired PreCure certainly realizes this, and she tries her damnedest to offer whatever moral support she can despite.. Not really knowing what any of this darkness and anger business is about. She'll have to ask someone about it later. Ikuto's assistance certainly helps reduce the strain on her body as well, and Cure Boost tries to stand as tall as possible, apparently feeling somewhat self-concious now that there's so many other magical girls nearby.

     "We're all here to help you! Er... Except that guy. But the rest of us can help you get through this! To learn how to control the... All of that! Ao's safe here, so take whatever time you need." Glancing back at the other girls and Ao, she seems to be waffling on whether to step out from there or to try and get closer to Miss White. She did just say that Ao would be safe, though, so she opts to stay right where she is to give the semi-berserk girl as much time as she needs to...

     ... Try and eat that guy with the cool hat, apparently. She's not even sure how to react to that aside from just staring, really. "White-san! Don't eat that.. Guy." How awkward. But she's still trying, at least! Kinda.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto's not having too great a time of things, even as much as he's cutting through these Familiars. He's only one person. And it's not long before something else gets his attention. Hannah... is trying to kill that fellow in the mask apparently. Ikuto doesn't recognize him as the one who he spoke to on the roof, who he has the number of in his phone. He doesn't even know why Hannah's attack the poor boy. But he does know two things. Firstly, that young man has no business in here. He's been completely taken over by Hannah's hate. And two?

Hannah needs to be stopped.

He can't fly, but there should still be enough Familiars for him to use as stepping stones. If not, all the better for him to leap closer to Hannah. "ENOUGH!" he calls out. "Stop! This has gone far enough!" He really is going to give her a chance to come to her senses. But if she doesn't?

Say hi to Slash Claw, Hannah. This is probably a bad idea. But if she's focused on him, she'll leave that boy alone.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Cure Gull for a moment... Gull thinks they go through.... she's back...in control. Right?

No. She's luning for...Tuxedo Kamen!? Who also looks... off. A Sword!? but.... Tuxedo Kamen... he's... he's one of her special friends too! One of the ones who... who saved her....

This upsets her. Why... why is Hannah doing that!? Didn't she have control...!? What... What can she do...!?

Corvus also looks a little panic'ed over this.

What. What can she do.... she closes her eyes.

'...and then I kicked Oresky in the face-- and he went flying.'. Its words that come into her head. Words she found on a very old and faded Virtue report that was written by her sister when she was looking for a picture of her sister in her Pretty Cure ID.

Nrg...kicking. Hannah. In the face. It would work but. She'd be kicking her friend in the head.

But, that Oresky jerk is still around! So. Surely. It just hurts.

Gull lets her wings take her very high and into a spin, before she calls out. "Gull...Windy Hurricane..kick!" she calls out as she flys down at a ridicolous speed toward's Hannah's head. She won't enjoy this. But hopefully, she might help divert her attention.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura hunkers behind Cure Boost, keeping close to Ao and Helix, while also holding up her own shield to survive the raging magic. "I believe she wouldn't hurt you on purpose, Karina-san, but I'm not getting paid to gamble your life here. Stay safe. We just have to survive this onslaught long enough for White-san to regain control."

If that's even possible.

Homura goes wide eyed with terror, screaming, "NO!" as Tuxedo Kamen is bit. This... this is impossible! Has White-san really lost it? Is she... is she really going to become a Witch in mind as well as in form?!

Homura holds up her own shield, adding her purple barrier to the wall, only to get blasted back as the ground quakes and splits, a large shard piercing her shoulder. She grits her teeth through the pain, holding her head down to avoid showing her face in this moment.

"White... Miss White... what are you doing? You have to stop this!"

She staggers forward, holding her bloodied shoulder, falling to one knee. She curses her luck. If only she hadn't been drained earlier this week! Fortunately, she doesn't need to stand to hold up her shield, and her magical barrier comes back.

She looks up, eyes pleading and desperate. "Please...! Stop this! This isn't like you! Get a hold of yourself... this isn't what you wanted, is it?!"

Homura tries to speak, but words fail her. Not only does she doubt her ability to say the right thing, but another problem nags at her mind.

She has never, ever, ever been able to talk down a Witch.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
To quote one of the premiere Knights of Ancient Belka, 'Information is Ammunition'. Mikoto still has so very little clue what's going on. She's never seen a Witch before. She's heard stories, but this is something entirely different from all of those. And she -hates- not knowing what to do in a fight. It really just gets right to that competitive core and drives her to intense annoyance.

"In all the worlds and all the wars, I have never seen anything quite this particular brand of stupid," she mutters, and then dives, zooming into the middle of the fight, aiming her course straight at the CEO. Best to get him out of 'Miss White's way until the lady has decided what she wants to do. Aside from eating Tux-boy, that is. That looks kind of messy.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Riventon doesn't know - couldn't know - the depths of Hannah's exeperience with the boy, the one in the Tuxedo. All he knows for sure is, that boy has gotten in his way more than once. So for sure, he has no qualms about what Hannah's doing.

Forgetting the source of her anger though - the person that would strike down her desires and pride? That /does/ seem wierd, and the way she seems unable to prevent herself.

"You're out of control, Miss White!" he says, raising his hand. "You're bigger than whatever this thing you've created is - or at least I hope you are." That energy he's been channeling in his hand rips forth, tearing a hole through the air and leaving a dim space behind for a moment, tainting the very essence itself. If the White Witch is unable to stop herself, that beam should hopefully do a good job of interposing itself between her and Mamoru. Not out of a desire to save him, but out of an awareness that whatever is going on with his Lab Partner, she seems powerless against the strength she's created.

"This isn't what you wanted, don't do yourself the disservice. Don't let this uncontrolled, undirected anger beat your own glorious pride and goals!" he calls out... offering help, in the unique way that he can.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
The earth shudders and cracks and splinters violently upwards in the labyrinth, and that shield wall holds, and Hannah's friends are staring or coming to extremely difficult decisions--

--and the gleaming sword clatters to the ground, loosed from suddenly nerveless fingers. It bounces once, then shifts back into a black cane with a silver skull atop it.

Lightning fast, Pierrette descended upon him and caught him up in her delicate monster's hands; quick as thought, she sank jagged sharp teeth into his neck.

Now, he hangs there limp, and the ash falls away from his shirt, his gloves, his luminous white mask; the red of his cape clears to heart's blood, the same red that begins to seep down and stain the familiar white tie and wing collared shirt. Gold light bursts forth from the juncture of mouth and neck, and even as the pure primal energy shreds through the foreign rage clothing him and begins to flood into the girl, images she's seen before in her mind's eye begin to flash through once more.

She's taking him, she's taking all of him away, and while the madness and chaos surrounding her friends and enemies calms as her focus changes and her world shines with fields of gold, she's also taking his pain and loss and grief, his sorrow and his forgiveness, his past and his present and the pasts further back still.

Images flicker across the battlefield for all to see: the brief superimposition of an airy white palace in flames, phantom soldiers fighting a bloody war, cutting in and out like the failing lightbulb from an ancient projector. And then in the middle of everything, the desperate attacks and pleas of the people who love her and the people she loves...

An ethereal figure made of moonlight, silver hair drifting and luminous, ghostly gown moving as if underwater. She stands with small, delicate feet not quite touching the ground, slender hands reaching out toward Pierrette and the boy in her arms, begging silently. Not yours, Pierrette. Not yours, Miss White. Not yours, Hannah Sharpe.

Mamoru is fading fast.

The impossibly bright phantasm before Hannah is weeping, and her tears are silver.

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    Helix gets buffeted by more winds as Hannah rages, turning her back to Cure Boost and Ao and so the girl is firmly between the pair of twin-shield using magical girls as Homura goes off to try and reason with the Artificial Witch. Tears start to form in her Barrier Jacket as the powerful magic whips around her, but only a rough breeze will make it through to Ao.

    "She wouldn't hurt you, but she isn't in control of herself very much right now. I know you're right- she'll get through this. But I think she's the one you need to say that too, not me. If anyone can get through to her it's going to be you." The cyan haired girl looks towards Hannah as she bites at Tuxedo Kamen and things start going crazy around them, followed by Black Lynx and Cure Gull's attempts at more forceful methods of bringing her around.

    "...you probably want get on that sooner rather than later."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Her words might be slightly clumsy, but even more than that, the sight of Boost so valiantly defending Ao etches the girl into Hannah's consciousness. She's saving her best friend from Hannah herself. Guilt etches its way into her heart.

Even then, Cure Boost is still trying to help her.

Her hands on Tuxedo Kamen loosen, just slightly.

She doesn't look, still blind as ever, but her attention settles on Ikuto for a moment. She can sense his growing hate, his power. She literally /growls/ like some kind of animal at the young man. An animal with prey in its grasp.

The CEO, meanwhile, has somehow survived the insanity. Mostly thanks to Mikoto as she zooms in, and catches the crying, trembling man in her arms. He quickly tries to struggle away, panicked.

At least he's not in the immediate range of Hannah.

'This isn't what you wanted, is it?'

Here she was, trying to devour one of her own most personal friends. She's become a threat to Ao. And she's hurt Homura, another person she loves dearly. That horrible guilt and realization of what she's done rips at her anger and hatred raging around, at her pure flowing desire for power.

In one moment, she realizes that she was about to become the exact kind of monster the CEO had said she would be.

Her grip loosens further. Her sharp teeth start to recede from her friend, only to clamp down, then release. She's torn, between lust and love for power and friends respectively.

It seems that Miss White isn't quite gone just yet.

Riventon is perhaps one of the very small selection of people who consistantly make her irritated through be right, and making her angry in the process. Instead of a grudge, it's this harsh big brother kind of feeling that always cut straight to the bone. Once again, his words are like a shot through the heart.

How could she earn her goals if she's going to let this level of power drive her to betraying everything she stands for, all the people she loves?

True to form, she raises her hand, and slams it down on that flying ball of energy that seeks to seperate the two. It crushes it utterly and a single hand still remains on Mamoru.

But her attention has finally snapped to Riventon, soem smart retort on her lips. It's a scene that's played out between them dozens of times.

She's wavering on the edge as she fights it all, but these people have brought their Hannah back. Yet the entire area is filled with pure power lust. How long can she endure?

Golden light draws her consciousness away. There's blood in her mouth. But her mind is elsewhere.

An impossibly beautiful woman is before her. Her heart shatters. She's begged, amidst the chaos. The Artificial Witch Pierrette looks at the boy in her arms, the power and emotion she's gathered. Everything she wants.

Not hers. She stole it. She hurt her friend. It's not right.

The ghostly monster that is Pierrette floats to the girl, smiles, and hands the fallen boy to her. That golden ball of energy is laid to his chest.

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
"Yours. I...forgive me!"

In the real world she gives it all back, willingly. A hand presses to the true form of Mamoru, to try to shove that emotiion, that energy, that health back into him with all of her remaining power.

Cure Gull slams her kick into her face. She endures. Eyes turn to Cure Gull.

That kick smacks her back to her senses, and the dream fades. A hand reaches up.

And prods Cure Gull in the forehead. Hard. Enough that she might go flying back...harmlessly.

"...I really do need a kick in the face sometimes, Gull-chan." Her words are remarkably Hannah, and she beams a sad, wounded smile.

Ao Karina looks into Helix's eyes. There's no words, an mere nod. She uses the girl to slowly stand up.

"I've always been saved by her. So now..."

She strides over, this normal girl, past rock and chaos and blackened blood. Her hand flexes, and she's staring the last vestiges of Hannah's mad form in the eyes.

Smack! Ao Karina slaps her friend in the face.

"You're embarrassing yourself. There's a foe you need to face."

Everything breaks at once, the magic shattering as Miss White faces her friends, and lets go.

She's bleeding, barely alive, and right in front of the CEO. She reaches down, and punches him in the face. Once. Twice. Three times. She hefts him up.

"...If not for you, none of this would have happened. I should toss you off this roof."

It's tempting. She resists.

And holds him up.

"Leave the country. I don't want to see you ever again. I have friends to apologize to for being a weak, stupid girl." She lets go, and then walks to her friends.

For once, she doesn't know what to say.

For all of two seconds. "...We all alive at least? Tuxedo Kamen?"

She waves to the rest. "I...thank you. All of you. But save the kicking my ass for later, we have a hat guy to keep alive."

This leaves the CEO, bewildered, punched, but alive. He stands there, stunned.

Yuko Minami has posed:
     What can Cure Boost do from her position without putting Ao and Homura in danger? Even with the fabulous-haired girl's shield and... Whatever it was she did that got everyone behind her so quickly, the Precure's main goal here is to just act as a bulwark between anything that could harm her companions here.

     Still, it just feels wrong standing there. Watching the dapper tuxedo hat man getting eaten certainly isn't making her feel much better abut that, and there's a sense of powerlessness in not even being able to move from that spot. Even when Miss White does appear to regain her senses and Tuxedo Kamen is not immediately in the process of being eaten, there's a twinge of... Regret? Frustration? Whatever it is, Cure Boost's face certainly doesn't show any of it! Instead, she just smiles broadly at Cure Gull, Miss White, and her non-powered, yet incredibly brave friend that had the guts to just go right up and smack the crazy out of her.

     "We're alive, White-san. We do need to get Kamen-san some medical attention, though." Setting those shields aside, she moves over to try and get the girl in a tight hug! "We can talk about... Whatever that all was later. But are you sure about...?" She gestures at the CEO, levelling a long stare at the man before kicking a shield over (Away from the others, of course!) just to make a loud clanging noice.

     "I-I'm not questioning your decision or anything! But after causing all this, just.. Letting him off with a few hits?"

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Cure Gull is blasted up and away harmlessly!? Well. She does catch herself and then jets back to the ground as Hannah becomes well... Hannah again. Or. Rather Miss-White. That is to say. She is no longer some crazy ass Witch Girl.

Tuxedo Kamen...n-no! She whimpers. What did.. he do.. to help her before? She remembers the cape. She remebers how that made her feel safe and protected even when something terrible was rampaging for control of her heart.

She doesn't have a cape....

She places Corvus on his hat. Corvus blinks. >,>.

Cure Gull nods a few times.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura watches the scene play out before her. A battle... that woman... is this what Homura thinks it is? Mamoru's own visions... becoming a part of the Witch's labyrinth?!

.oO(This is not good... Is... Hannah really going so far that something like that would manifest...? This isn't fair, Kyubey! She isn't even one of us!)

A tear is shed, her fists tighten. She prepares herself, mentally, for the painful process of hunting down a Witch who was once someone you knew...

Yet... it doesn't come to that.

Hannah pulls out of it. Mamoru is handed back to the silver woman, his energy returned to him. She even lets the CEO go...?

Homura wouldn't be so merciful, but considering how close to the edge Hannah is right now, having her killsomeone is out of the question.

So Homura lifts a single gun and, with her remaining good arm (the other one is connected to a very wounded shoulder), after aiming she pulls the trigger.

The shot, of course, goes wide, the bullet flying harmlessly off over the sea somewhere.

"THE NEXT SHOT WONT MISS, JERK! YOU BETTER RUN!"

She tosses the gun aside, weakly picking herself back up to her feet, drops of blood tracing her path. Homura's gaze travels between Mamoru and Hannah, saying, "White-san... you're okay now? Are you really...?"

Homura also wants to check up on Mamoru, but... she's in no shape to take care of him.

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    The threat is gone for now! Helix lets out a sigh of relief, the raging winds having roughed her up quite a bit more than she would have expected when they weren't specifically aimed at her. There's no doubt she'd be hurting badly if Miss White had turned that kind of power on her directly, even if she does have Bulwark to protect her.

    She can't help but smile a little at the type of 'tough love' that Ao gives Hannah- not words of friendship or a bleeding heart, but a smack across the face that resounds. Just as she had thought, Ao knows how to get through to her better than anyone.

    But even with Miss White once more under control, if injured by her own powers, there is still one very messy detail left to deal with. Miss White tells the CEO of WPS to leave the country after slugging him repeatedly. As she turns her back and walks away Helix meanders over.

    Homura takes her shot at the man, missing on purpose with the intent to terrify him. Yoru plants a bug in his ear. Helix watches all this, and once done she speaks up.

    "Well that was a fine mess you caused." she tells the man in a cheerful voice. "It looks like she's willing to forget, even if she won't forgive. Everyone else, too. And if they're all fine with that, good for them."

    Helix tilts her head upwards, looking up into the sky. At nothing really.

    "But you know what? You hurt -my- friends too." She reaches out and grabs the man with one arm.

    <Hybrid Mode>

    Bulwark's right shield flips around and the cannon emerges, long, dangerous, and threatening. A quick mental command. <Saftey Limiters Disengaged>

    Helix tosses the man off the roof with one arm while aiming right for his head with her cannon. <Magnum Boulder>

    A flash of green light. It's a powerful, hypervelocity, high penetration beam of energy directly to the forehead. There's little doubt of the result.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto sighs as the chaos seems to die down. At least where Hannah's concerned. Good, he doesn't have to do something MORE drastic. He lands near where the group is gathering, but says nothing. He's no healer. More importantly, he looks at Hannah, his face impassive.

Twice now. That's been twice now that Hannah's lost control of herself. Twice that Ikuto knows of. How many other times has it happened when he WASN'T aware?

...Maybe that CEO has a point. After this... can Hannah be trusted anymore? If she can't even keep control of herself when allies are around-- including her not-magical friend, who could easily have died here-- can she be trusted anytime? After everything Ikuto has been through at others' hands, as slow as he is to trust others...

...Ikuto is forced to answer his own question with 'no'.

Everyone's busy making certain the man in the suit and hat is alive still. Now's the perfect chance to make his escape. Ikuto steps back from the group, slowly, silently, and heads for the edge of the roof. He leaps across, to another, and heads away. He's soon out of sight. The Labyrinth will soon disappear, and with Hannah now in control of herself, there shouldn't be any familiars.

With his quick escape he misses Helix's murder of the CEO. Probably for the best, he's not ready to go that far in his descent.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"You heard the lady," Mikoto growls at the man. "She's stronger than you thought, isn't she? Strong enough to overcome your little monstrosity... to reach past her anger and find the path once again."

Mikoto chuckles, light and pleasant. "Are you proud of what you've created, old man? Of what's become of your work? I do hope you are. She deserves someone to care about her, to find -her- goals worthy of their struggle... much, much more so than you."

And since he no longer seems to be in immediate danger, she turns her back on him, pacing slowly away, back to Ms White. "I take it this is going to be one of those lives, hmm?"

And then there's another voice behind her, and a blast undoes her work. "Yes. Definitely going to be one of those lives."

Hannah Sharpe has posed:
Miss White lets out a sigh of relief.

"...I really screwed this one up, huh, Boost-chan?" She mutters, shaking her head.

She walks forward, wobbles, and then Ao catches her bleeding and weakened friend by the arm.

Hannah shakes her head.

"Don't...tempt me. Not now. I need to live with myself. Not to mention being able to sleep at night. If I kill him right now, then I become nothing more than a murderer. Besides. I have what I came here for, /right/, Ex-CEO of WPS?" She glares at the man. He very nearly passes out. There's something dark and evil lingering in her eyes.

Notably, Corvus on top of Tuxedo Kamen's hat is adorable. A shame she can't see it.

The CEO screams as a bullet fires, and he falls, starting to try to crawl away.

"...A stupid, stupid girl who damn near got everyone she loves and cared for killed because she was reckless? Yeah. But no, I am not an insane monster right now. And yes, alive." As the adrenaline starts to wear off, some actual Hannah-level salt and grumpiness enters in her.

Ao is having trouble holding her up, and soon she passes Hannah to Homura.

Ao sighs.

"Take care of her, please." Ao asks.

And in the aftermath, Ikuto makes tracks, a friendship broken. Something in Hannah's heart twists. But she remains (mostly) upright.

She deserves that cold look. Self loathing is very, very easy right now.

"Bah! She's just an upstart! If she's done this once, what makes you think she won't succumb to it all again!? RAges the man.

The CEO looks Helix in the eyes as he's lifted up.

"Wh...wait! I'm a member of that organization! I'll have every assassin after you if you do this! You won't survive the niiiiiiahhhhhhhhhAHHHHHH!" He falls, tossed over, complete terror in his eyes. Then that beam bursts at him.

It's perhaps more than he deserves. A relatively quick death. A headless body crashes to the pavement.

Miss White goes stock still in Homura's arms. Helix really just killed the man.

She doesn't know how to feel. She's shocked, horrified...and some small part of her is happy. It's too much.

"I think this will cover several lifetimes." She mutters to Mikoto as Miss White finally collapses unconscious.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
in the ghostly half-world of memory and dream, a princess takes the bloodied but already-healing boy in moonlight arms, smiling through her tears at the drifting witch-bride, golden life and light pressed back into his chest

As Miss White lays Tuxedo Kamen down, his breathing's returning to normal, and the blood on his shirt isn't his life's blood. There's worry and relief around him, there's still anger, there's one remaining burst of violence; he's blissfully unconscious for all of it. It's a good thing, too, because despite being pretty damn rekt himself, he'd still try to fix up Hannah and Homura. Corvus sits on the hat on the ground next to his head, and he slowly starts to come around, bewildered.

The giant black bird is, of course, the very first thing he sees. He wakes up smiling a little, but the smile freezes on his face. "Um. I promise I'm not dead... please don't eat my eyeballs," he tells the fairy-bird in a faintly concerned tone.

That's what crows do, right?

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura weakly tries to hold onto Hannah as Ao hands her off. She stumbles for a moment, but hey... she's a tough girl! She can handle it!

"Sorry, White-san. I'm gonna bleed on you a bit, I think."

Helix kills the man, and Homura glances back at him, and then the girl. She turns her gaze ahead and trudges towards Mamoru. The CEO's death isn't even worth commenting on.

Homura finally makes her way towards Mamoru, carrying an unconscious White-san in her arms, saying, "Hey, Tux-kun. That looked pretty nasty. Are you going to be okay?"

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Corvus, (Who is a silver color Raven. Which is odd and doesn't probably actually exist in nature.), blinks. "No. I won't do that. Um. Gull was just worried about you and I think she thought she was helping."

She nods matter of factly. "Um one moment..." Corvus says glancing to the side....

He flies into Gulls face and fail lands on her head repeatedly like Euphy Eclipse Corporate Ladder Climb Murders the CEO. Yay! Gull didn't have to deal with that!

"Ack, what was that for!?" asks Gull. "Uh. I missed your head." he insists.

Gull hovers into the sky and....

Oh... right...

Riventon.....

She tries giving him a wave. "H..Hi Riventon-Chan!" she says waving an hand at him!

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
"I hope you're satisfied," Mikoto says, and reaches out to catch the falling Hannah - only to be beaten to the punch, as it were, by Homura. Yeah, her timing sucks tonight.

She pauses, taking a look around the assembled folk, and her standing there as the unaffiliated outsider. Well. It's not like she has any enemies here, right?

Probably. There is a time to mouth off, and there is a time to Shut Up. This is one of those times. So Mikoto keeps her remaining sass to herself.

Takashi Agera has posed:
Riventon watches it all - the drama, the impromptu execution - Helix's practiced high-speed reactions beating out his own by a hair, something to work on in the future, but at least he won't be telling the higher-ups any stories either way - and then is snapped out of all of his plans and machinations and thoughts by a single soft voice.

"Riventon...chan?" he says, quizzically. "I'm Riventon. But I think you misplace that honorific..." he says. He's not angry, or malicious - he's genuinely been thrown for a bit of a loop, and his brain is still rebooting from the system shock of 'riventon-chan.' as he turns to Cure Gull.

Haruna Kurosawa has posed:
Cure Gull blinks and then blushes.. "Ah...!? I'm so--- sorry!" she says blushing. "I..I'll try to. Say Hi later..." she mumbles before she pauses as Corvus whispers something into her ear. She turns around. "And Um. Stop using Scorns readings to make Retrievers you darn dark goofball." then she pauses. "CORVUS WHY DID YOU HAVE ME SAY THAT!?" she yells.

"Because he's a jerk who works for that organization?"

Gull begins taking off fast. She looks /SO/ embarrased right now. ;_;. That is the /worst/.

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    <Device Mode. Safety Limiters Reinitialized.> Bulwark chimes helpfully, the shield on Helix' right arm reverting to be just that- a shield, and not a cannon.

    Homura and Ao seems to be taking care of Hannah. Tuxedo Kamen (who she doesn't know except that he was there to help fight the poison Youma that hurt Ao) seems to be taking his Witch Bite well enough, and Riventon and cure Gull seem to be talking. Ikuto... is gone, she notices, not quite sure when he left. She isn't sure quite what to think of Tessen just yet- she noticed the magic attacks flying in after the CEO in the middle of the fight, though, so that puts her up a notch in her book. She can't -really- blame her for opposing them when going after a Lost Logia, after all- everyone wants those things!

    Even though it might be better to look after hurt people right now there is someone she wants to speak with. She walks across the roof back over to Cure Boost and extends her hand, "Hi! I'm Helix. Your powers are great- shooting your shields at them, it lets you defend and attack at the same time! You held up really well; you're pretty tough!" High praise from the energetic cyan haired girl!

    Who is still holding her hand out to be shaken. At least there's no -literal- blood on it, right?

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"O-oh, okay," Tuxedo Kamen tells the (silver!!) fairy-bird, "sorry." He laboriously pushes himself up on his elbows, then his hands, and then he's sitting up and gingerly prodding at the side of his neck as Corvus flies away and flaps at Gull; thing-timing is off, but he definitely also missed the assassination. He waves to Gull with the hand not at his neck, then looks up at the approaching Homura, also bleeding, looking super tired, and carrying Hannah. "I have no idea what happened," he tells her honestly, "but I apparently cut my neck! It'll be fine. Is she okay? Are YOU okay?"

He's a little wobbly getting to his feet, and that's a little unnerving, but-- Hannah did push everything she took from him back where it was supposed to go, so he's already on the mend. "Oh damn, you don't look okay, here let me take her."

Homura Akemi has posed:
"I think I've imposed on you enough, Tux-kun," says Homura, flatly, "You've been more than kind to me, a true gentleman. Though... if you don't mind..."

The Puella Magi might be up and running around but she's still not at 100%, and this battle is actually going to be another setback for her recovery. She's not a fool, and she's more than happy to hand Hannah off to Tuxedo Kamen as he offers.

"Are you sure your neck is alright? We saw some things I should probably tell you about later."

Homura really doesn't look like she should be walking around right now. She's tired, but this isn't the first rough day she's ever had... "I can make it home okay, if you can take care of her. Normally I could handle it, but... you know..."

Yuko Minami has posed:
     That's.. One way of taking care of it without Miss White having to do it herself. Although Cure Boost is somewhat troubled by how easily Helix took the CEO out, there's still a fair amount of relief offered by that bit of... Closure? Finality? Definitely finality.

     Besides, it does mean that they won't have to worry about him coming back to mess with Miss White down the line. So that's still something! She laughs for the first time in what feels like ages at Cure Gull's apparent embarassment at... Something or another caused by Riventon. The gears would even be turning in Boost's head if she wasn't so tired! Alas, it goes right over her head, and her attention is grabbed by Helix when she offers a hand.

     "Eh? Oh! Hey, there. Cure Boost, at your service. Nice work with the beam saber." She grins at that as she takes Helix's hand to shake it firmly. "You're tough, too! And... Well, someone has to do things that some of us aren't so good at." Is that last bit directed at herself or at Helix? Hard to say without further elaboration that she doesn't give.

     "And the color scheme... Hm. Think anyone's going to get confused by this?" If nothing else, at least Boost doesn't seem too bothered by the figurative blood on her hands! She turns her gaze to

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    Helix considers for a moment before shaking her head, "I think we'll be fine. You have tower shields and piston-shooters for them, I have kite shields on my arms that turns into cannons. Also if anyone gets too confused we should bonk them on the head because our hair is different colors!" Not to mention that Helix' hair is braided against the back of her head and Cure Boost's is, well, Pretty Cure hair.

    "But anyway, it's nice to meet you, Boost!" A bright, beaming smile, "Thanks a whole bunch for helping out! If something had happened to Ao everything would have turned out completely different." Yes, Helix is actually pretty pleased with the way things have ended tonight. The big threat to Hannah and Ao is over and done with, so far as she knows, and even if there were a few bumps along the way it makes her feel like celebrating!

Takashi Agera has posed:
Riventon turns to his small, shieldbearing comrade, Helix. "You did what I would've done, only you were faster on the draw." he says, walking over casually and ruffling the shorter magical antagonist's hair. It's a gesture of respect, though. "Good job."

He turns to the ones still left of the greater assembly. "Because you helped, I won't turn this into a further battle. But remember this: there's a very large difference between standing beside me and standing in front of me. One of them is far more hazardous to your health." Riventon says, before taking off into the sky, heading back to UMBRA's headquarters.

Today was a very interesting day indeed.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto shrugs. Well, that's said. "'If you value your lives, be somewhere else'?" she mutters to herself. Definitely upholding her geek cred today, at least. She really, really wants to get one of them to explain what the HECK was going on tonight. Then again, is it really all that smart to remind the ones who're willing to kill people and play with dark magics that she's still standing there?

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    Helix smiles up to Riventon when he comments that he was about to do the same thing she did, only to get a scrunched up face and let out an, "Augh!" as her hair is ruffled. Though once he's done and tells her she did good her smile is right back on her face, and beaming. Despite all the mess she's ending the night in an incredibly good mood, and the praise from her boss is the cherry on top.

    She notices Mikoto again after Riventon makes his dramatic exit, "Nah. More like 'If you value your health, don't get in our way.' But if your going to try and kill us and use nonmagical friends as a pawn in your sick games? Then yeah you should probably just make sure we never see you again."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I've definitely got her," Mamoru tells Homura reassuringly as he takes the unconscious Miss White from the practically staggering Puella Magi. With every tick of the second hand on his pocketwatch, he's steadier; the girl he's now carrying is plenty light. He lowers his voice, shifting Hannah in his arms slightly and leaning in toward Homura. "Homu-chan, take my hat. Car keys are in it. I'm parked two blocks north. DO NOT tell Kyouko I let you drive it. Please don't crash it. Get home safe."

Maybe he's still possessed.

No one else seems to be watching him, so as soon as Riventon -- whose further attention he would DEFINITELY not like at the moment -- has left, he gives Homura one more quick smile. "I'll be fine."

Then he, too, vanishes into the night, up into the air. True to his word, his hat's right there on the ground.

Homura Akemi has posed:
Homura looks down at the hat, and then at Tuxedo Kamen. With a smile she says, "I'll be sure to put a towel down instead of bleeding all over your chair."

He may or may not regret that, though all things considered Homura will feel obligated to leave it in better condition than it was in when she borrowed it. Fill up the tank, etc. Just maybe later, when she doesn't feel like falling over.

She picks up the hat, turns as Mamoru starts to leave and says, "Thanks..."

Homura starts to walk the rest of the way. Power jumping seems like it might be a bit too much for her at the moment, but she knows the building well and an elevator isn't that far away.

She hopes no one is in her apartment's parking space. It's not like she ever uses it.

Mikoto Nakajima has posed:
Mikoto flashes 'Helix' a tiny little smile. "Oh, I think you'll find I don't take to intimidation very well. Friendship works -so- much better, don't you think?" After all, she -did- help with the fight. And she's proven pretty tough so far. Several random youma could attest to that. If they still existed.

She holds out her hand to the other girl. "Call me Tessen."

Euphemia Barchetta has posed:
    Helix smiles cheerfully, "I'm not threatening you!" Pause, "Oh, maybe he was though." She seems to consider this for a few moments before waving her hand back and forth a little dismissively, "Yep! I agree, being friends is much better than being enemies. If you want to be our friend I don't think he meant you after all.

    She walks up and shakes the other girl's hand, "Helix. Nice to meet you, Tessen!"