A Dark Night in the Big Apple

[Sai]

"The... heartsteel?" Sai suggested as they walked along. Why this heartless was so... clingy was beyond him. Then again, he didn't possess a heart, so it wasn't surprising to him that she wasn't violent. He couldn't peg why she wasn't attacking the other man, however, as it was obvious he still had his heart. Granted, from the calm nature of the bird on his shoulder, he could assume the man probably had tied his heart to the bird. To what degree, he didn't know, but maybe the heartless was just... confused. Of course, the construct Wall-E didn't possess a literal heart, and she didn't seem creative enough to pull from a non-literal source.

Looking forward, Sai spotted the Library not far from where they were. However, there was a detail that stood out which put him on edge. Reaching into his pocket, he produced his wand. His free hand lifted, stopping the others in their tracks as they looked at the building from across the street.

"Hold..." he said calmly, freeing his arm in the process. "We need to be careful here..." he added, slowly making his way across the street when it was safe. Though the library was closed for the night, the doors at the top of the stairs... were hanging wide open.

[Oeilvert]

Masheck followed Sai and Ms. Go with a curious eye; he held on tightly to Wall-E, noting that his winding would need to be replenished...and then he decided it was unfair this creature had to be wound in order to live. The sorcerer would change that, but first he decided to wind up the robot once more. Stopping, he knelt down and did his keys up and when the roving golem sprang back to full life he smiled.

"Heartsteele, you said?"

He thought about that word again and stared down at the emerald gem fastened to his cravat and wondered. Later...

"Hold..."

Sai had told them to stop where they were and Masheck narrowed his eyes that were accustomed to the light to see why the Nobody had called for this. What was up there in that building, the sorcerer wondered.

[Secondary Characters]

Most people know all about the New York Public library. They know that there's a large area where the general public could check out books. They knew there was a lower level containing yet more tomes, and the antiquated card catalog. They knew that if you went upstairs, you could find private places to enjoy a silent moment or two and read a humble book.

What people didn't know is that tomes older than recorded history were often stored here to be studied by scientists and researchers looking to unlock the mysteries of human nature. There were special rooms just for this purpose, climate controlled, and hidden away so that they wouldn't be disturbed by the common man. These places had high-tech security, which required a... delicate touch.

That is, unless you possess the raw power and strength to literally rip a door down. That was Demona's strong point. She was intelligent and powerful, so when the security alarms went off, she knew exactly what the next step was. Walking over to an alarm system, she commanded one of the heartless monsters she had "aquired" lately to follow her along. Though it hovered along on a massive tome, the creature also toted along her equipment, which she use quite skillfully to de-activate the alarm, making it seem as though some ambitious librarian was simply putting in a little overtime. Foolish thought that, in a city like this, with people in it like these...

In retrospect, Demona could have just came here in her human guise during the day... but even large sums of money and the power to do pretty much as you pleased didn't buy you the right to take away something that's being researched for the so-called "good of man kind". That was a problem, because the thing about magic was that you needed to have the spell on hand for the long term, not just rely on fickle memory. Historically... that always lead to messy ends. Demona was no fool. Espionage was a much better way to get what she wanted.

And so, with her prize unprotected, Demona casually walked up to the glass case that contained it, running her sharpened claws over the transparent shield of melted sand with a cold smile curling upon her lips. "Hello, old friend..." she'd whisper softly before smashing her fist down into the glass, opening it with no fear of another alarm.

Reaching down, she lifted the book into her arms and let out a soft growl, almost a purr as she stroked its surface. "The Grimorum Ex Magus..." she whispered softly, then flipped through the pages, which crackled lightly due to age, but remained as flexible as fresh bound paper. She hummed lightly, taking in her victory before looking to the other creatures which bobbled this way and that awaiting their orders.

"Boys..." she murred lightly, like a pantheress after a fresh meal. "Make a mess," she commanded, walking out of the room on her way to the exit. This was a diversionary tactic, of course. With the library in shambles, and the private room decimated, it would give the illusion of unsophisticated thugs doing the deed... common criminals with access to some minor tech. Plus, it sent a message. No one keeps Demona from what she wants. Not even the infamous MacBeth...

[Sai]

Sai crept his way up the stairs slowly, then peeked inside the library. Already, bookshelves were knocked over and books were strewn everywhere. In the far corners, he could make out movement. Apparently, the assailants were still here. He looked to the others and held a hand up to his scarfed features, forefinger extended. It was the generally accepted symbol for silence, even if his lips were not seen under the crimson cloth. He gestured for them to follow him inside, his wand held aloft in order to have his weapon drawn.

He crept along through the dark, watching carefully for any nearby ruckus while keeping careful attention on the mayhem not far from them. This... would not do. He needed to find the keyblade notes hidden here, and if these frantic creatures were doing this level of damage, what were the chances he would find them?

Sai recognized the creatures when he got close enough to see better. Large books, brainy looking heartless... they were obviously bookmasters. He turned his head slightly, addressing Ms. Go. "Care to hault your friends?" he whispered, hoping for a... quiet method even if he was sure not to get one...

[Oeilvert]

Surveying the chaos Oeilvert shook his head mournfully at the destruction caused by the yet-unknown force what struck through the Public Library like a hurricane. Drawing out his wand quietly and unbuckling the strap to the book pouch at his side he readied Livevus; he tilted his head into the ruffling feathers of his companion Locke and whispered quietly a warning to be careful and watched, to see what would happen next.

Bookmasters would soon reveal themselves to be the culprits of this madness and Oeilvert took note of how Sai had asked Ms. Go to settle down her "friends". Was she responsible for this?

No, someone else had to be the source, as Oeilvert didn't think the crazy, happy Ms. Go would have anything to do in a library as grand, save for chasing poor children around. Masheck shook his head and awaited her next move.

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]"Eep!" At the sounds of alarms, Ms. Go hid behind the two men, feeling safe there, before she peeked out at her fellow heartless. She squeed a little, and hovered infront of Sai, looking to him, "Hey! They are just like me, look!" she giggled, looking back to the creatures wich had the symbols of Heartless.

She moved a bit closer to the creatures at Sai's command, and waved a little to them, "Hey you guys~" she had a cute face, "Hey, listen...um... what you are doing is a very big no, no." she pouted, "So, if you please, stop? pretty please?"[/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

Wall-E let out a little warble in appreciation of being wound back up. He nodded a bit to Oeilvert, and pointed down to indicate he wished to rove on his own a little. Nothing against his companion, but he just liked to move around. Once on the ground, he would extend his treads and move a bit, happy to be mobile once more!

At the prompting of the silver man, Wall-E would hide a little behind Oeilvert's leg and peek around a bit, using his binocular-like vision to scope out the strange creatures. They were being very destructive, which made the little robot somewhat nervous. Even as Ms. Go went over to communicate, Wall-E would back up a bit anxiously... and accidentally bump into a projector which was standing out for a recent event at the library.

It whirred to life, projecting an old musical onto a blank, white wall, the sound coming from a little speaker on the side of the machine. The film skipped once or twice but settled into place, bringing the old musical to life!

Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out
Strut down the street and have your picture took
Dressed like a dream your spirits seem to turn about
That Sunday shine is a certain sign
That you feel as fine as you look!

Wall-E flailed a little, trying to find a way to get the projector to stop! He pressed buttons rapidly, and tried to cover the projector light with his hands, and even tried holding a finger over his non-existant mouth and go "shh!" but nothing! He looked over, hoping the monsters didn't take this as some kind of threat...

[Secondary Characters]

The heartless would look to Ms. Go a moment. They all seemed... confused. What orders do they follow? The ones of the dark hearted gargoyle woman, or those of their family? What authority did Ms. Go hold? What kind of heartless would they be should they not listen? Confusion was clearly played across their faces... that is until a certain song erupted through the library!

Put on your Sunday clothes when you feel down and out!

The heartless jumped lightly, and their confused expressions immediately switched to angered frowns. Treachery! Though Ms. Go was one of them, she was travelling with beings of the light and, worse, a Nobody! They immediately lurched forward and began an assault on the 'heroes'!!

Meanwhile, a dangerous woman of wings and claws was perusing her newfound prize. She had all the time in the world, after all, to find the spell she sought. With a light purr from her ruby lips... she chuckled her good fortune. There it was, a spell that made moonlight deadly to humans. Yes, this was a much more time-consuming method, but she knew in time it would yield results. If nothing else... it would wipe the streets clean of their kind while her race were about. That was a tremendous advantage.

Reaching up, she plucked a random document from a nearby, toppled-over filing cabinet to use as a bookmark. Little did she know, she had just used a Keyblade Note as her place-keeper. Closing her book, she decided to move on. Walking toward the exit, she ran over how she would administer the spell... until she was distracted by the battle in the main library.

She frowned, seeing strangers here. Two mages now... and a robot! Not to mention a less than evil heartless bobbling around like an imbecile. She didn't know what these meddlers wanted, but she did know they were in her way. Flipping her book open, she read off a spell, and pointed her finger at one of the mages... the one in the more rustic green...

"THUNDAGA!" she screamed after a moment of preparing the spell, a bolt of lightning streaking across the library in a deadly arch aimed for the heart of the human...

[Oeilvert]

Masheck Octavian was definitely unprepared for this wave of searing hot electricity zooming down the corridor between book shelves; and so when he turned to face the stream of lightning he drew up his wand to counter and, before he was able, was struck through the heart.

"Grah!" cried the sorcerer as he was thrown backwards into Ms. Go, his wand falling and landing with a "clink" on Wall-E's head.

He lay there for a while in pain, convulsing with each remaining surge of electric energy pulsing through his body until, after it had ceased, he slowly staggered to his feet, a large burnt, smoking hole standing in the wake of the woman's attack.

"Ugh...that is going to leave such a disgusting new scar..."

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]"Wait! Wait! What is going on!?" She would beg her Heartless family to stop, she, herself, feeling confused. "They are Atticus' nobodies, aren't they ok??"[/glow]

They are our ENEMIES, Sister!

[glow=green,2,800]"Enemies? Them? But they are Atticus'--"[/glow]

Nobodies! They are NOBODIES, sister! Our ENEMIES.

[glow=green,2,800]"E-..enemies...?" she pouted, standing there rather confused until Oeilvert's body came crashing into her, "Oumf!" she yelped, sitting up and looking to the one dressed in green, "Atticus number 1 Nobody!" she gasped, her eyes glowing a menacing green afterward.

"I will not attack family.." she hissed, standing up, her hands BLAZING a dangerous green... she looked to where that Thundaga spell came from, a gleam of psychotic rage coming from the heartless, "...But I WILL attack YOU!!" the thief hissed, and charged forward toward the winged demon standing near the exit! Her speed incredible, and menacing when she was angry.

"NO ONE HURTS MY ATTIKIN'S PIECES!!" [/glow]

[Secondary Characters]

Wall-E let out a shocked warble when the heartless began to attack, and flailed about a bit anxiously. He was by no means a combat robot, so to be thrust into battle was... well, scary! He had no idea how to protect himself, so the best he could do was hide behind Oeilvert.

But even that was short-lived! His friend was shot at, the wand falling on Wall-E's head as the man flew backward. A startled "Whoah!" escaped the boxlike robot as he picked the thing up and looked around. Heartless were coming! Unable to really use it properly, Wall-E waved it carelessly in front of himself, hoping for some kind of reaction. He'd only succeed in making books fly off shelves way off target of where the wand was waving, but this worked out as they slammed into the heartless' heads, dizzying them momentarily while the little robot rolled over to the standing Oeilvert.

"WOo!" he whistled, holding Masheck's wand up. "Maaaschek!" he cried, waving it lightly in a "here take it!" manner. He placed it in Oeilvert's hand, then pointed at the madness. Quickly, he "balled up" into his little boxlike form, providing a wonderfully hard projectile...

[Sai]

Sai blinked slightly. It seemed all was going well for now, but when the music began, it all started to collapse in on itself. What a shame. The heartless began to attack, though were distracted by flying books. Another assailant was attacking from his left, taking out Oeilvert with a well-placed thundaga spell. He turned his attention toward this person, only to find that Ms. Go was currently handling the problem.

That left the more immediate threat. The heartless were rising from their impromptu burial by literature. Now, Sai could start throwing lightning spells around like certain crazy women he could mention, but that left the threat of fire should it go awry. Better option: levitate, and the good-natured Wall-E just provided a wonderful weapon...

"Oeilvert... may I borrow your friend a moment?" he asked nonchalantly before pointing his wand at Wall-E's metal box of a body. With a flick, he sent the robot flying, slamming into heartless heads at very high speeds. He would continue Wall-E in constant motion, every once in a while glancing off to the sides to assess the situation. Something caught his eye!

Caught in the book was a copy of the keyblade notes! He pointed at the woman swiftly, calling to Ms. Go. "She has what we're after! Take it from her!"

[Oeilvert]

Masheck nodded to Sai when he asked to "borrow" Wall-E and watched as the Nobody began using the golem as his own personal, levitating hammer. Masheck, on the other hand, turned to face Demona.

"What is it, exactly, that you need? I can procure whatever item it is you seek..." he directed his wand her way, making sure not to strike Miss Go should he start throwing magick around.

"The Notes, by gods! I understand, and it looks as if she's got one! Locke, go!"

He brought his other arm up and flicked the crow off his shoulders, keeping a careful eye on the creature as it flew into the shadows, awaiting the perfect opportunity to snatch both book and notes.

[Secondary Characters]

"I don't have time for this..." spoke the sultry voice of the gargoyle femme fatale. She could read Ms. Go's movements flawlessly, having seen hundreds of people try basically the same tactic, and almost an equal number of mages that have gone for the 'burning hands' type spell. This was nothing new, and she already had a means of fighting back. Lucky for her, the heartless woman's greatest weakness had already been revealled.

Leaping sideways, Demona was easily able to avoid the bull-rush from the attacking Ms. Go. She landed on her side, gripping the book tightly to her breast as she reached over to the lone bookmaster she had designated to carry her things. From this one's laden-down arms she pulled a strange weapon, a rifle of sorts. Here, she pointed it at the back of Ms. Go, already having passed her and pulled the trigger.

A wave of light would erupt from the tip of the weapon, streaking at speeds befitting its appearance into the exposed back of her enemy. She'd hold the trigger down in order to maintain the laser blast, standing slowly but keeping the light pouring onto the creature of darkness. "I thought your kind learned the first time, based on their compliance with my operation here..." Demona spoke, now standing over the woman. "Apparently, you didn't get the message..."

She had to release the trigger now. The laser cannon, while an incredibly effective weapon, had a problem with overheating. Should it get too hot, it could detonate and that would not be good for her. So, as it cooled down, she turned to look at the two mages nearby with a scowl. "You two. Nothing funny, or I open fire again..." he said, but instead of keeping the weapon trained on Shego's heartless... she pointed it directly at the silver-garbed one whom she did not strike down the first time.

"Except when I do, it'll be his head," she warned, gesturing with her book for Sai to end his assault. "Now, if you'll be so kind..." she whispered, hearing the sounds of approaching sirens, the police only just now responding to the open door and sounds of chaos within. "...kindly move out of my way so I can take my leave. You can deal with authorities yourselves..."

She smirked back to Ms. Go behind her. "This goes for you too... you know how fast this weapon fires... I don't think even you are that speedy..."

[Shego]

[glow=green,2,800]As Ms. Go was struck by the agonizing ray, she yelped loudly, and shrieked in pain when the light continued to stay on her. Some of the darkness trickling off and through the cracks. Little did this person know, was that a bit of darkness had fallen on the closed book, hiding between the pages. She afterward welded into the cracks of darkness in the room, slithering around like a snake as she witnessed the woman. She gasped, seeing one of Atticus' nobodies threatened, and she rushed to his aid, with much quickness. When the demon looked back to find her, she was already gone... although she would soon re-surface.

She stood between demon and man, holding her arms out protectively, "N-no!" she would whimper, still in pain, "D-...don't hurt him... please..." her eyes were crescents pointing downward, in a worried way. Ms. Go? Giving up without a true fight?

No, that ass was hers... this creature had something precious to her threatened. She tagged the woman, and would not have her out of her sights until she was rightfully punished, that, or she had exacted revenge somehow. She put a sweet face, backing away a little, still protecting Sai with her form.

"W-we'll be good..." she spoke weakly. [/glow]