Magical Teacher Professor Landry! - Episode 3: Bad End?

[Dracorion]

Jackson watched his air blasts and Sean's blizzard being dodged effortless by Hannah. He wasn't particularly surprised.

What raised his eyebrows, though, was the incantation. A fully formed spell? And then she sent three blasts of pure magic his way. Crap, that wasn't good. Not in the least.

Behind the blasts of magic, he saw her readying in arrow in her bow, and he didn't have a lot of time. He dove forward and fell into a roll, the arrows of pure magical energy flying over his head. He ended the roll in a crouch, ready to spring up, aura beginning to flare, as he prepared to destroy Hannah's arrow. Before he could, though, he heard a yell of "JACK GET DOWN!" from right behind him, and turned his head back just enough to see Jay about to bat Hannah's arrow away.

Was he serious? Really? He was going to bat an arrow? Jackson dove to his right, into another roll, as he yelled "GODDAMMIT!" in frustration at Jay. Then he was crouching away, out of the way of Hannah's arrow and Jay's swing. With that dealt with, he broke his crouch and dashed forward, straight at Hannah. He closed the distance between them quickly, and his right foot thrust forward, wind wrapped around it, aimed at her midsection. Normally, he would use the air blasts to strike from a distance, but at close quarters he could use them to double the effect of his strikes by launching them just before his actual hits connected.

Following the kick, his left foot rose as well, arcing through the air, wind rippling with it as well, as it aimed for Hannah's head.

[Bard The 5th LW]

It was pretty clear that the magical projectiles weren't doing much good. Hannah dodged about them with seemingly little effort, just sending more firepower at Jack. Its not as though the blizzard would have done much good either, a powerful one would have necessitated standing still. Nope, long-range likely wouldn't be of much aid.

It seemed Jack was also prepared for a close encounter of the face-kicking kind. Sean would have to oblige this melee of attacks. Kicking up the dirt at his feet, Sean powered across the field in an attempt to put Hannah at a position between him and Jack. If she tried to doge the kick by going backwards, he'd be right there to land a good punch to the jaw. If Jay's plan to club the arrows worked, maybe they could form some sort of brawling triad devoted to beating the shit out of Hannah. It was in truth sort of a grim thought, but the idea of Hannah having murdered Landry kinda made Sean push forward with it, sucked up in the potential rage of it all.

[SinrXIII]

There was his opening! Kohana had been waiting patiently, watching the fight with Hannah escalating the whole time. He'd crouched low, ready to dart forward whenever Hannah got distracted, and now his patience had been rewarded.

As Jackson surged forward, air swirling around his limbs as he attacked the archer. Jack swung his bat, aiming to swat her arrow away like a baseball; Sean moved himself behind Hannah to lock her into some sort of 'Fuck You' trifecta.

Kohana sprinted, moving as fast as he could without Flash-stepping, eyes locked on Hannah's bow. He bent his legs and leapt forward, hands reaching for Hannah's bow. He grinned, and tensed his legs; if he caught the weapon, his strength-filled legs would propel him back towards the root.

As he positioned himself, eyes on Hannah and her bow the whole time, he said only one thing to the classmates around him.

"You don't really think Teacher Landry died that easy, do ya'?"

[Riin Whitewind]

Despite the action coursing around them, Sao was at ease. She leaned against the root, watching Hannah prepare herself for Jay's assault. Despite her friend's quiet knowledge about how to best leave the- what'd she call it? Torii? - battlefield, Shin appeared to be hesitating from joining in.

Before she could shout some encouragement to the suddenly battle-shy Shin, the slim figure of Adeline made her noisy entrance. "Look, I know we're, like, supposed to be rivals and everything, but," the other Class President Candidate seemed nervous, so Sao hastened to reassure her.

"There's no reason we can't be friends as well as rivals, right?" The Undine smiled as she spoke, hoping her sincerity was audible. Adeline didn't seem convinced, clasping her hands behind her.

"I, uh, have to admit, you look like you know what's going on." The girl paused, then all at once, "Soisthisplacere -?"

Rudely interrupting their bonding experience, a handful of seeker vines burst from the ground around them, spraying chips of granite in every direction. Sao didn't even have time to be pleased that Adeline thought she was so well-informed.

"What the-?!" The yellow-clad girl spun towards the woody stems, sword in hand. Thinking quickly, Sao braced herself against the stable root behind her, aura brightening to a rich green. A gel-like substance beaded up in her hands, translucent and gently bubbling.

Launching herself off the root for a bit of speed, Sao dove out of the flimsy cage created by Hannah's slim vines. As she passed between two of the reaching tendrils, the Undine slammed her palms against them near the base, leaving a slick coating of corrodere. Turning her dive into a roll to bleed off her extra momentum, Sao cradled her stinging hands to her chest. That may not have been the smartest move. Ow. Behind her, she could hear quiet hisses and pops of escaping gasses, freed by her corrosive gel.

Shaking her stinging palms, Sao turned back towards the system of vines, already charging up another excretion of corrodere.

[Girasol of Chaos]

The bow-weilding girl seemed quite occupied with the sudden barrage of people who attacked her. And now some people were missing. Starting to get used to being confused, Chou strided to her right cautiously, observing the battle.

The azure-skinned ogre closed her eyes and focused, hoping to pinpoint where the torii source was coming from. Unfortunately her mind was a fog, and she would be leaving herself-and Sao- open if she continued to concentrate. Blue orbs snapped open again, accompanied by a frown.

"What the-" Behind her! Chou spun around and lept, scaling over the large root as vine-spears erupted from the ground. Thinking quickly, Sao sprung towards some of the roots and broke free, apparently burning the two roots she slammed her palms against. Not having time to be impressed, Chou slid down the left side of the roots and swung at the base of the nearest root with her club. She wasn't expecting the vines to be brittle enough to snap, but the blue oni hoped to do some damage anyways.

[Steel Shadow]

The newly formed maw slammed down-

-on to empty air, as Diana yanked her arm back at the last moment, stepping back calmly.

"God damnit, Shape shifters suck!"stumbling back with a surprised 'Eep!'

This was bad. The thing had gotten over it's surprise and focused on her. The shapeshifting killing machine made of teeth and darkness was focused on her.

Several snarky parts of Di's brain tried to chime in to point out that this was A: stupid, and B: entirely her own fault for kicking the thing in the head. Their assault was joined by her rational centers, which insisted that none of this could possibly be happening oh god oh god wake up already. These insights were all quickly and brutally dismissed as 'unhelpful'.

'This thing is like nothing I've ever seen before... I'm dealing with either super science or magic here!' she reflected, absently trying to kick the beast's new chest teeth in. 'Not that there's a difference at my level. Which really puts me at a disadvantage. If I had some way of fighting fire with fire, maybe I could get out of this, but... Well, then I'd be a super hero, not a super director. Oh well.'

She dodged another attack, ducking under a limb with far too many sharp edges, and frowned (cutely! Her aura was still working away). 'Come on Girl, think! An Ordinary Teenage Girl (tm) does not fare well in a match up with a super monster! Or even regular monsters, at that... Think! This place is crazy! There must be something in here that will help!'

The strange rules that governed this weird world didn't really seem to be geared to her advantage, though. She just didn't know enough! Her fists tightened... And the pinching in her hand reminded her of just what she was holding.

Would it work? Did she really have the key to her survival in her hand this entire time? Was it even still... powered? Turned on? Was there a chant it needed? There was too much she didn't know! But she didn't have a choice, either. She took a breath, steeling herself for the worst.

"Hey Kid! When I tell you to run, get out of here!"

This wasn't a battle Diana could win... But maybe it was a battle she could survive. She spun around, jumping over a slash to the gut, and held out a hand.

"Hey, have you met Sao?" She flashed a charming smile, then shoved her fist forwards, Sao figurine at the ready. Two sets of eyes, one painted, one glowing green, met...

Black light filled the room, then vanished in an instant. The walls spun as Di's legs buckled. Cold air swept over her suddenly, as if she was drenched in sweat, and for a moment she wondered if she'd just done something terrible and irrevocable to herself by using the figurine...

"R-ruh..." She swallowed, trying to push the word past her suddenly sluggish tongue. "Run!"

There was no time to think about it, though. The beast was stunned, frozen in place, but who knew how long that would last for. She herself had woken up in mere seconds (Hadn't she?). The advantage had to be pressed. She glanced back. A bob of black hair and a green eye peeked out of the closet, radiating a nervous terror. The director suppressed a groan. "Go already!"

That did it. The Girl (Was it a girl? Kids could be tricky!) tore out of the room like hell was on her heels. Which wasn't too inaccurate a description. Di was all set to follow, but first...

"Y'know, monsters like you only belong in one place," she muttered, her aura not quite able to hide the tiredness in her voice, and grabbed the Thing by it's stringy neck, hauling with all her might. It was a pretty brutal throw, even if the Girl doubted it was even enough to hurt the shape-shifter, but it accomplished what she set out for, as the Beast slammed into the open closet. A swift kick slammed the door closed on it, and then Diana was running after the girl, and out of the dark room.

[Teal Mage]

((This post is split between this thread and the next one. Please reply in the new thread.))

Diana ran.

Deafening, her heartbeat pounded in her ears muting the thunderous sound of her high heels on the wooden floor below. Her red hair trailed limply behind her, plastered to her scalp by cold, dark, liquid. The same mess sheathed the rest of her, staining her the ripped evening gown a deep black, and chilling her pumping arms and legs. A weird seeping sensation ranged over her body and her breaths came in labored gasps, as she stared resolutely down the hallway before her. She was lightheaded, but somehow, miraculously, maintaining her balance.

Several meters in front of her the white ghostly figure of the little girl sprinted down the hallway, white nightgown billowing behind her. Diana caught little glimpses of her feet as they kicked up in her wake, only a fraction less pale than the girl's dress. Despite the depth of the gloom in the hallway, the girl was clearly visible. It almost seemed like she was glowing.

To either side of them, the hallway was featureless olive-green plaster. Diana couldn't see the end of it - her vision extended only a few feet in front of her. Was this inside a building? It didn't seem possible...

Suddenly, a white shape resolved itself; the door! It was close! The girl was almost there! They'd make -

A roar exploded through the hallway, monstrous and furious. An earthshattering crack! erupted behind her, and the hallway began to tremble, shockwaves shooting up her legs. A sudden sensation drowned everything out, as if a pair of knives were boring into her back. Diana...deep and dripping murder, growled words somehow found their way into her mind. The shaking of the hallway beneath her escalated as crashing sounds filled the air, coming from behind her.

It was coming!

For you! Laughter, deep and menacing filled her mind.

Before her, the hallway stretched. The white brilliant white square that was the door dwindled in the distance. Suddenly, it seemed miles away.

Diana's expression hardened. Teeth clenched against the aches that filled her, she lept to the side. Her landing was awkward - the point of her heel slipping beneath her, and she wobbled. A hand snapped to the wall at her side and she steadied herself. Gathering her legs beneath herself, she exploded forward, sprinting headlong toward the far distant door.

Booming laughter filled her mind again and the crashing behind her seemed to grow more distant. Abruptly, she dashed diagonally, to the right. Her hand slammed down on the wall, slick with liquid, and she pushed off, rebounding diagonally to the left. Her eyes flickered toward the door -

The girl had stopped.

She was right at the door.

Continuing her zigzagging evasive sprint, "Open it!" Diana screamed, rebounding from the wall again. "That thing's right behind us!" Desperate, she sprinted faster. The left wall was in front of her. Her hand slammed against it, a darkness unseen by her eyes flaring huge around it, as her muscles coiled, and she twisted, launching herself for -

Her heel snapped.

For a sickening moment, Diana hung in the air, paralyzed. As if in slow motion, far down the hallway, the girl gracefully turned toward her. A great distance seemed to separate them, yet, Diana could clearly read the frown of confusion that had formed on her pale face. Wide blue eyes met green ones, and suddenly, a new horror filled the girl’s.

! A shriek of pain froze in Diana’s throat. She arced violently. Her skin suddenly felt too tight – too hot, so-something - something was wrong! The cry tore itself free of her throat, as pain slashed down her spine. A great rush of dark fluid ripped free of her back, the pressure shredding the thin fabric of her gown’s back completely. Like a wave against stone, it broke into the air, spraying diffuse blood in a cloud around her.

Exhaustion crashed down, as she plummeted. Darkness closed about her. In the moment before her vision completely vanished, a slash of brilliant white filled her gaze and her face struck something soft and warm. A distant impression of rancorous laughter, and earthshaking rumbling filled the air. Then something warm and strong enfolded her ruined back. Whispered words, a voice, vaguely familiar. Something cool on her brow. An-and…

Nothing.

* * *

Jack dove under her trio of magical blasts. Hannah landed on the tiles several feet further back and fell into a crouch, snapping her bow coming up. As the wizardling began to spring up, she fired off a new shot.

"Jack get down!"

Crying a warning, Jay charged in from behind. A scream of frustrated rage tore itself from Jack's throat, as the dark haired youth threw himself to the side. A loud ping sounded as Jay swung his bat like a gold-club, connecting solidly with Hannah's stomach-level shot and knocked it high. Spinning wildly, it sailed into the air, and off the tower at a thirty-five degree angle.

To the right, Jack landed in an awkward and messy roll. Hannah snapped her bow to the side. She drew back, a new arrow forming quickly, blunted tip aimed for Jack again. The dark haired wizardling rolled to a crouch, legs tensing under him to spring. His eyes snapped up - just in time to see an iridescent blue blur closing on him. Hannah's newest arrow.

Pale blue light flared before Jack, as the youth's expression tightened. The arrow's tip plunged in, piercing through. A screen of translucent glass formed, expanding outward into a floating barrier in front of the dark haired spell caster. Hannah's arrow was transfixed within its surface, just above the fletching. The tip was less than an inch from Jack's forehead.

He'd been lucky.

To the north, Kohana dashed past Jay, calling out cheerfully as he did, "You don't really think Teacher Landry died that easy, do ya'?" Several meters back, the long haired boy's new found puppy waited patiently, settled on its hunches. Further to the north-east, Sean closed on Hannah, muscled arm drawn back to strike.

Jack shook himself and dismissed the barrier. Shooting to his feet, "The hell do you mean!?" He called, charging after the fast moving dog-boy.

* * *

Shuyin sipped from his teacup.

Despite his invitation, Dal had refrained from taking one of the prepared white cushions, and left his cup of tea untouched. Instead, the Fae's countenance had slowly darkened, expression growing cold and hard at Shuyin's words. Once the Professor finished, and offered his mirthless smile, Dal had fixed the man's enigmatic golden eyes with his own cold green ones.

"Tell me, where is your humanity, Shuyin?"

"You condemn my kind for our callousness?" He snapped, gesturing fiercely. "While you would trap, and worse, use, children merely to slay a rival!? That you could so coolly calculate..."

Through Dal's indignant tirade, Shuyin remained unreadably silent. He did, however, offer periodic shrugs in response to the Fae's accusations - though the net effect appearing to be minimal. Sometime during its course, Astarte pushed back the west curtain-wall of the tea-pavilion and stepped through. The mummy paused momentarily, a look of surprise appearing on her pretty face. From outside the pavilion, it had seemed that she was entering from behind the twin Johannas, with Shuyin sitting on the north side of the table, and Dal standing on the south side.

Inside the pavilion, however, the positions were reversed. The west side of the table, which she stood closest to, was empty.

"...tell me, Professor Shuyin, where is your humanity?" The Fae reiterated coldly, drawing his sword in a flash and leveling the tip at the Professor from across the curtain-walled chamber. "Explain to me how you are not more a monster than Jo or myself. Explain to me what gives you the right to toy with lives in a manner only the darkest of fae would stoop to, and then deign to paint yourself as anything more than a killer."

Shuyin sipped his tea one last time. Then, offering a small smile, turned his gaze from Dal, toward Astarte. "Ah excellent, another guest." He gestured vaguely with his free hand and a new, steaming, cup of green tea appeared in the air, levitating, before the mummy. "Please Miss Whitewrap, sit wherever you please, and feel free to join our discussion."

His eyes returned to Dal. "And please Dalhach, there is no need for weapons like that among civilized company." Shuyin chuckled merrily, "I do not intend to fight you, not unless you force my hand." He sipped from his tea again.

"Now then..."

* * *

With Jack pinned by her latest attack, Hannah released an annoyed breath, still kneeling within her ring of cracked stone. Too close… Her eyes were shut.

Behind and to her left, a pale skinned and dark haired youth was closing on her. His white tuxedo - And stupid green bowtie. - did little to disguise the short haired boy's well-muscled physic. Green eyes opened and fixed on the other active opponent. A shirtless youth of indigenous descent; coming at her from the front. An annoyed frown appeared on her face; he was, if anything, more fit than the pale one.

I'd rather getting into a fist fight with either of them. She reflected miserably. Not for the first time today, she wished Al and Zet were still here. I'll take out that annoying baseball brat and then that musclehead chick after I clear this up. Hannah promised herself, eyes closing again.

Wait for it... Jack's barrier dissipated, the pale kid was behind her now and the dog-eared native was shouting something. Not yet... Powerful legs clad in white dress pants tensed, as the brown eyed youth at her back planted his feet and twisted toward her, arm pulled back. Jack sprang to his feet shouting after the shirtless boy, who was charging her. Almost -! Her legs tensed.

Now! A voice - not her own - exploded through her thoughts, and her eyes snapped open. She pulled back, leaning at the hips, as her legs uncoiled. Air rushed past her chest, as Sean's fist narrowly missed her torso. Grinning with triumphant, her evasion carried her backward, into the air -

Sean's free hand closed fast on the dark green fabric of her trailing cloak. A choked gasp of surprise escaped her lips, "Fu -" He wrenched her forward, twisting. The youth's heavily muscled arm pulled back, coming, level with her head –

And Hannah rammed her knee into his crotch.

Sean spasmed.

Hannah slammed her foot down onto Sean's leading right foot. In her left hand, her bow collapsed and writhed, twinning like a snake back up her arm and turning into something like a gauntlet of ivy. Her right elbow rammed itself into Sean's stomach. Then her left whipped forward, delivering a powerful palm strike to his upper chest, sending him stumbling back a pace, as she pushed off, and leapt away.

And, immediately after, the cracked circle of stone Sean stood on erupted.

A series of whipping sounds cut through the air, as, like Kohana before him, the well-muscled Canadian fell victim to Hannah’s vine trap. Arms, legs, chest, neck and hands bound separately with slender and light brown roots, each without give and supernaturally strong. He couldn't move. Though the half-demon youth did not know it yet, escape from this trap with mundane means was impossible. On the bright side, their strength supported him. After Hannah's below the belt strike, that was definitely a plus.

Once the stars faded from his eyes, he'd have to thank her for that.

...after he figured out how to escape from this cursed trap.

((Continued here.))