Scene #2415: Behind the 8-Ball

Owner	Pose
Phantom	Twin Bells Cards and Toys. All the novelty toys that you want! A young boy is stepping out of the toy store with a small ball in his hands, shaking it violently. "This was a fun toy when I was a kid." his dad is explaining to him. "You ask it a question and it gives you an answer when you shake it." The boy shakes the toy and it comes up with 'Outlook Hazy' "This is stupid!" the boy says, throwing the ball. "It doesn't even bounce!" The father is downtrodden and disappointed - and it is that emotion that catches the attention of one of Mirage's Dark Generals - her primary one. Phantom smiles thinly. "Life is full of disappointments and lost love, kid. Let me show you how much! Let the future in the mirror turn terrible!" Both the boy and father are trapped within a mirror coffin, and rising in the middle of the street is a large terribad! It's shaped like a large ball with the number '8' in the middle of it's chest. It wears sunglasses with sharp upturned edges and a pompadour hairstyle. It wears a flowing red scarf and large boots and gloves as it rises up. "Terribad!" it announces and then starts to shake. The '8' disappears, replaced with a window and when it stop vibrating, the window reads... ''Signs point to Yes!'' And with that, it starts the attack, flipping over a police car as it starts to rampage through the streets!
Sailor Venus	There's really only one reason to be in this area, other than heading to school: Leaving school! More specifically leaving school to head for one of the Karaoke clubs. That was Mina's goal! Usually she would blow off steam with Volleyball Practice but there wasn't any today, so Karaoke was next up to let off some energy after a rough week. Or three. Mina strides confidently down the street with her bag slung over her shoulder, and phone in hand as she was busy texting a few people to see if they wanted to join in. It was last minute though so she wasn't really expecting much, if any, response. It's only because her attention is turned down toward her phone that she didn't notice the youma that had emerged until the car is tossed. There's no missing THAT sound! Head jerking up, she whirls around to walk right back into a konbini she had just passed. It's a momentary hideout and then... Sailor Venus lands ontop of another parked car pointing toward the youma. "You really picked a bad day to roll into town, you bowling ball... er... What... What are you anyway?"
Mamoru Chiba	"A-- a pool ball?" Tuxedo Kamen asks, loudly, from on top the building across from Venus. He's putting his phone into his pocket and Venus's phone is dinging with his response: 'no thx fite a monster whee', hilariously belatedly. "A terribad, anyway, you can tell by the scarf and boots and gloves-- but was it some pool player losing a bet? Isn't a little early for that?" All questions aside, he stands up and throws a rose at one of the giant monster's feet, but it is way too short to pin it to the ground. He claps his hand over his mouth so he doesn't laugh out loud.
Phantom	From on a nearby rooftop, Phantom watches. There's no need for him to get involved. It's only ''two'' heroes, after all. Instead, he observes the battle, arms crossed over his chest, only calling out, "Go on the attack, Terri-8-ball!" he offers up, more like an order than an encouragement. The rose smacks into the ground in front of the terribad, and it pauses. Looking at it, and then up at it's attacker, it hears Phantom - and again, starts to shake violently. Again, the 8-symbol disappears, and in the window, it reads: ''Ask again later.'' The 8-Ball stops it's attack, going into a defensive position, arms folded over it as it protects itself from any incoming attacks. Phantom's brow physically twitches.
Sailor Venus	Sailor Venus tips her head back to peer up at the redhead that was atop the building nearby ordering the youma around... Very poorly, apparently, as the youma doesn't do what it's supposed to. "I think it's defective," she calls out toward Tuxedo Kamen with a little laugh. Something like this might be perfect for blowing off steam after all! Casually walking from the roof of the car down to the hood, she reaches down to her belt to unclasp it. It spins free of her hips trailing into a much longer series of glowing hearts chained together. "It's in shape to be tied!" Fit to be tied. It should be 'fit to be tied.' Venus doesn't seem to notice her mistake as she swings her arm back then forward with a cry of, "Love-Me Chain!" It's sent spiraling out toward the crouched 8-Ball Youma trying to tie it up in one go.
Mamoru Chiba	'In shape to be tied?' In shape... "Ooh if that one doesn't work can we try clotheslining it maybe? Or a tripwire! I love a good tripwire--" calls Tuxedo Mask, laughing. In shape to be tied. What the-- what? FIT. In shape is FIT. FIT to be tied! "Vee, I don't think that's the saying..." It's defensive and Minako is trying to tie it up-- it ''is'' a Terribad, and they usually take a few people to take down fast, but this one is ''silly'' and... wait, Chiyo was ''dating'' Phantom though?! Mamoru suddenly looks indignant. "Hey that Dark General is Usagi's cousin's boyfriend!" he calls to Minako. "Should we put a pet tracker on him you think?" And then he whips his hand out and throws an attack at the Terribad's ... legs. We'll say legs. It would be knees if the thing had proper knees. "Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!"
Phantom	"Will you attack now?" Phantom asks of the Terribad - even as the large 8-ball is getting all coiled up in the 'Love-Me Chain'. As he hears the banter from below, there's a glance towards Tuxedo Mask, and his head tilts curiously, as if not quite understanding the comment. Or more, not really making the connection of who Tuxedo claims hhe is. The Terribad starts to shake again, this time as a little sweat bubble appears on it's side. Clearly, it realizes that Phantom might be just a little agitated. And needs to up it's game! The attack hits it's legs, and it is just as that attack hits that the answer appears on the screen. ''It is decidedly so!'' Tucking in it's arms and legs, the ball starts to spin rapidly, coiling the chain around it faster and faster, and much like a wind-up toy gone wild, it suddenly takes off! It careens off of store fronts, signs, lamp posts as it launches itself in an attack to attempt to bowl Sailor Venus over, since she's still holding onto the chain!
Sailor Venus	Sailor Venus snaps her head around to gape over her shoulder at Tuxedo Kamen's explanation of who this redhaired dark general was. "Wait wait back up, her cousin is dating an Obsidian General and-- YEAH we should call her!" Like seriously get your man in line! Absently she asks while starting to yank back on the chain, "Isn't what?" That's as far as she gets before it seems the 8-Ball Youma decides it's time to do more than just sit and look mysteriously spherical. The winding of the chain around it yanks her off the hood of the car forcibly dragging her closer as it winds up. With the chain wrapped around her arm there was little chance to escape as she's dragged across the ground full speed toward the youma. At the last moment she manages to get one foot planted firmly, and uses the grip on the chain to lean back with a leg flinging out. "Sailor V Kick!" When in doubt, fall back on old moves! She was too close to draw her sword or do Crescent Beam so a good solid kick would hopefully stop it's spinning and maybe free her from it.
Mamoru Chiba	"I mean-- NOT THAT there's anything wrong with dating an Obsidian General--" Tuxedo Mask hurriedly says, "but yeah we should! Or maybe we tell Usa and she can tell Chiyo-chan...! Wait, what isn't what?" And finally -- he jumps for a better vantage point, on a lamp post a little closer to the ground than a rooftop, and lands in a crouch, then whips around and throws his cape back, letting loose a hailstorm of roses, petals first, that explode on impact into glitter, rose petals, and each one the force of a punch at that speed. "Tuxedo Glittering Rose Bomber! Still workshopping the name-- oh shoot, Vee!" Jumping off the lamppost, Mamoru calls out, "Let go! Let go the chain and we can blow it up! Phantom you are gonna be in SO MUCH TROUBLE with your girlfriend--"
Phantom	The kick to the 8-ball sends it spinning! Venus' attack seems to have had a positive effect on the youma as it tumbles away. Just to be caught up in the explosions that rock the terribad. Each one of them, each impact, causes the 8-ball to build up speed and as it rolls and rolls amongst the explosions, it seems to be... gathering speed. Tuxedo yells out at him, and Phantom frowns. "I do not have a girlfriend." he rumbles. "I am Queen Mirage's loyal general. There is no room for ''that'' in my life... but if you care so much. Terri-8-ball, CRUSH THE GIRL!" The 8-ball ratlles, and it's response is a chilling... ''You may rely on it.'' The ball launches into the air, going as high as some of the surrounding buildings, and as it reaches it's apex? It accelerates towards the ground, the shadow of the 8-ball looming over Sailor Venus. If something doesn't happen, she could be crushed!
Ace Saijou	Above the streets on the rooftop of a differnet building, a lone figure has come late to this battle, perched on the edge as he watches the chaos down below. He had given a start at one point, as the instincts which had drawn him to this continent, to this city, found themselves validated at the call of a heartachingly familiar attack. Unable to help grinning as both his princess and her ally take the fight to the youma -- perhaps he wouldn't even be needed here. Then again... As the 8-ball leaps into the air, the figure takes just a moment to mark its ascent before raising his hand, and then snapping it out. The wedge of force that precedes the thrown projectile will send it streaking true to its mark, looking to clip the side of the 8-ball's head. And thusly spoiling its angle of descent, seeking to make it crash away from Sailor Venus. The projectile itself will be deflected, streaking down at an angle to embed itself into the concrete in front of Venus with a sharp crack. Far too sharp for what it's revealed to be: a playing card. Specifically, the Ace of Hearts.
Sailor Venus	Sailor Venus finds herself losing track of the whole 'evil boyfriend' situation (even though she was very interested in this bit of gossip!) because she was a bit too close for comfort to the youma. It doesn't take long for her to release the chain, especially when Tuxedo Kamen urges her to do so. Rather than move toward it she leaps backward trying to distance herself as quickly as possible. It's still coming rapidly in her direction making the next move one that would have to be the correct one, or else she'd get in far more trouble than she already was. Before she has time to react, that bolt of SOMETHING shines out to hit the youma and then lodge into the street by the toe of her heel. The memory of that card surges to the forefront of her mind immediately. Along with it is a rush of confusion, and tangled up emotion. Venus' legs give out beneath her. She drops to her knees while staring at that card embedded in the ground with the look of someone that just saw a ghost. Horrifed, terrified, confused. A gloved hand reaches with trembling fingers for the card... But then her head jerks upward, gaze seeking the rooftops. "Kaitou Ace!" That certainly wasn't Phantom she was calling out to.
Mamoru Chiba	"The f--" starts Tuxedo Mask, looking up to where the card shot from, poised to have jumped for Venus, but stalled as the giant 8-Ball monster is knocked off course. He cannot help but think faintly annoyed thoughts that the figure all in white isn't a different figure all in white-- isn't MULTIPLE POSSIBLE figures all in white-- and then he's distracted by the newcomer's mask. WHAT?! No there's a ''monster'' and-- oh and Venus is down. Mamoru drops to one knee on the pavement and slaps his gloved hands onto the ground, yelling "Tuxedo la Smoking Crater!" There's a rumbling like an extremely localized earthquake, and suddenly there's a line of growing explosions ending in a huge one, blowing the pavement and the dirt underneath it up and ending under the Terribad, where it chunks down a little like an extremely large elephant stepped on it, then explodes upwards in dirt and rocks and pure white-gold FORCE. "Hey, 8-Ball! Are you gonna survive this?!?" he yells super loud. Phantom's apparent brainwashing is not the main problem here, but he'll definitely be talking to Usagi and Chiyo later.
Phantom	Just as the 8-Ball was about to crush Venus - it's dealt a losing hand! The playing card smacks into the side of the 8-Ball, sending it flying it aside. It clears the street and slams into a store front, embedding itself there as it's arms and legs pop back out comically. It attempts to rock back and forth to get back on its feet, but... there's other attacks, even if Venus is out of the fight for the moment. Wait, who invited the new person? Phantom was turning to see what the possible threat was - but no, apparently Ace was just here for a cameo and is off again. But that gives him enough pause not to send out an order - which means that Tuxedo trunciates the order with the question of his own! The Terribad is struck by the blast from the la Smoking Crater and it trembles and shakes. And finally... it gives an answer. ''Don't count on it.'' That is when the Terribad explodes in a shower of sparkles, defeated by the efforts of the trio. Phantom gives a little grunt, glancing back towards the pair on the ground one last time before he launches himself off the rooftop, disappearing into a teleport.
Ace Saijou	The angle and the destroyed streetlights will make seeing who the new party is difficult from Venus' perspective, and not much better from the others'. Did that figure even pause, when that name was called? Difficult to tell. What can be just made out at least, are stark lines of a white military-style jacket and trousers, and the more elegant ones of a ballroom mask. The lone figure stares down at the street for a long moment, perhaps seeking out one of its occupants in particular. And then turns away, a flurry of playing cards swarming around it before dispersing into the air, leaving only the empty rooftop behind.
Sailor Venus	Everything falls apart at once. The ground cracks and caves under the Smoking Crater. It takes a quick hand for Venus to snag hold of the card that had been left behind so that it, too, doesn't vanish. There's no time now to stare up at the skyline, at the pale figure shrouded in shadow that vanishes in a flurry of cards. Not petals, like some others may. It was familiar at least to her. Clutching the card to her chest she leaps back to her feet shaky as the ground may be and turns to face the youma that was destroyed by Tuxedo Kamen. "Sorry!" She ought to be helping. She ought to have helped more. "Sorry," she says again quieter though it may not be heard amidst the destruction of the Terribad. "Tuxedo Kamen! I need to talk to you after this!" She sounded very. Very serious. For now though she raises her hand preparing to fire another attack if necessary. "You're ball-less now, General! Give up!"
Mamoru Chiba	"It's okay! And sure okay, but... I think..." The smoke clears, and Phantom is gone. "That jerk," Mamoru says completely without heat, squinting up at the rooftop where Phantom vanished, then looking up at where the other guy-- or girl-- or enby-- disappeared in a fluttering swarm of playing cards. He scratches the back of his head, then looks at Minako, baffled. "Kaitou Ace? Didn't he vanish before Sailor V did?" A beat. "Wait, did you just say Chiyo-chan's boyfriend lacks... crown jewels?"
Sailor Venus	Sailor Venus blinks rapidly as the dazzling light of destruction clears enough for her to realize that Phantom had left already. A small part of her feels bad because really that was an awesome jibe, but... She blinks a single time at Kamen with a helpless shrug. "I mean, it's fight-talk," she retorts with a bit of indignant attitude that quickly devolves into a nervous giggle. "Don't tell her I said that though." The giggling slows, and her smile drops away. Instead she pulls her hand from her chest to look at the card cupped in her hand. Rather than raise her voice she walks toward him to display the Ace of Hearts card she now carried. "He did," she agrees quietly. "Because I killed him. Kamen-" She begins only to pause, voice dropping so as to not be overheard. "Mamoru." Her eyes seek his out with lips pressed tight together in a worried expression. "Kaitou Ace was Danburite."
Mamoru Chiba	It's on the tip of Mamoru's tongue to say something about Queen Mirage ''having them'' while he shakes his head -- he won't tell her -- when Minako gets serious. When her voice drops, he has to bend down a bit to hear her, taking a half-step back so he's not in her face. She can ''see'' when the alarm hits (someone she killed is back and has powers?) (she killed--) She can see when the silhouette of the figure on the rooftop resolves into a different image in his mind, and she can see when he looks haunted. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, Minako-chan," the prince says, his voice somehow younger, injured. "I didn't realize you--" He shakes his head, and reaches to gently pull Sailor Venus out of the street as the real world fades in, the destruction vanishing and the traffic and pedestrians coming back. He says, more conversational volume because the ambient noise has increased, "We need the other guys to hear this. We need the other girls to know who Danburite is. And we'll-- we'll figure this out, okay?"
Sailor Venus	Sailor Venus can't hide the pain that flashes over her face as she watches his own reaction to the news. She had said they'd fought but she never said how it ended exactly. He just knew that he had died not that... It actually takes a moment for her to recall they were standing in the middle of the street. When he pulls her away she follows with a simple quick nod. Lips work trying to form words, fail, then try again with a quietly choked, "Okay."