PoNK: Guts, Gusts and Glory.

[Star Sapphire]

Players: Star Sapphire, NPC (to be played by Hal) and open(ask)?
Location(s): Chicago.
Plot Summary: With other heroes on-scene defending against the orange constructs for most of the other highly-populated cities in the United States, the Windy City has been left without a savior. Until one Star Sapphire shows up, pitting herself all alone against the orange tide...

Carol had been enjoying a day off, if you could imagine. Sitting in her apartment, eating some Chinese takeout and watching one of her favorite 'feel-good' movies. Everything was too simple, Carol supposed, because it was not only fated to go terribly wrong - it did go terribly wrong. And the owner of Ferris Aircraft knew just how wrong by who contacted her. Hal didn't send Carol a message, though in retrospect he was likely too pressed to think of covering all bases. The woman's ring didn't even alert of the oncoming swarm. Carol had been contacted directly by the Queen of Zamaron herself.

The ring that lay near her elbow on the coffee table wriggled and hopped into the air. "What're you up to now?" Carol asked the thing skeptically, eyes narrowed and wary. Whenever her Star Sapphire ring acted strangely, it wasn't for a cheerful reason. Pink vapor boiled off of the ring and curled into a cloud above it. An image formed in the apparition, and within moments Carol's queen was staring gravely out at her. "Star Sapphire Carol Ferris, your sector is in grave peril."

And... yeah, well, things just continued to go steadily downhill from there.

Now Carol was floating above Lake Michigan, staring up at the skies while they steadily turned orange, and hearing the chaos that was quickly taking over Chicago that lay at her back. Star Sapphire's expression was grim, and her power batter was only just dissolving after having been used to give the woman a full charge. She floated, solitary above the turbulent waters that pressed against the coast, a shining pink light against the oncoming hordes, and she allowed her love for her planet to well up in her.

"You won't take my home," Carol said in a voice that wavered with rage. The light around the woman dimmed, as if she were drawing it within her. Energy flickered beneath Carol's skin ominously, and then? Then she exploded. With a powerful boom as the sound barrier was torn to ribbons, Star Sapphire shot off like a comet towards the oncoming wall of orange. Already constructs were peeling away from the masses, unfurling wings and spiraling toward her, snarling and spitting foaming energy as they salivated.

Star Sapphire flew straight through the first phalanx without stopping, shattering them as her body punched holes in their centers. Think, think Carol thought. What would Hal do? The woman thrust her hand ahead of her and a beam of pink light loosed from her ring with graceful contours wavering around it. The bolt hit the nearest construct, and from that split and ricocheted, like a beam of light reflected through a crystal, knitting an instantaneous web through twenty enemies, pulverizing them.

[Hal Jordan]

The world was going to hell, and apparently taking Curtis Metcalf aka Hardware along for the ride. Or at least that was the apparent plan of these strange orange, living sculptures. Upon analysis of the creatures that were reportedly all across the globe these things were composed entirely of light, somehow solidified and given mock sentience. They were very familiar to constructs normally created by the Green Lanterns that were in the Justice League, however Hardware doubted they'd suddenly gone rouge and switched up their color scheme; though if reports were right it wouldn't be the first time a Green Lantern's gone criminally insane.

Hardware fired blasts of powerful plasma from his wrist gauntlets, shattering the constructs like glass, as he entering the air space of Chicago. He was stretched out to the midwest on his own, much of the east was covered by JLA'ers while west had a string of heroes lined up to defend that coast. Hardware's team mates in the Shadow Cabinet were actually dealing with the invaders outside of the US and the moment he got Chi-town cleaned up then they would slide (ie teleport) him to join them. Leveling his omnicanon at a gathering swarm Hardware prepared to blow the constructs clear out of the sky, when suddenly they all burst into sharp orange shards without his involvement.

Many of the orange crystal-like creatures had been destroyed, leaving Hardware to be one perplexed superhero. Shifting his feet in the air Hardware's rocket boots allowed his body to turn around and not too far away he took notice of a woman in a rather revealing pink outfit laying waste to the invaders he had shown up to discard. "Nice shooting!" DOBIE (his on-board computer - short for Digital On-Board Integrated Electronics) enhanced Curtis' voice so that the woman in pink would be able to hear him clearly.

He wasn't familiar with her, though it was apparent that her super power was some degree of control over light - of a different shade - but he could plainly see that they were on the same side, at least for now. "Hey, wanna provide some cover?" They didn't have to become teammates, but if the world was ending, the least Hardware could use was someone watching his back. If the woman in pink could take out twenty of those things at a time then she was the marksman for the job to hold those construct things at bay while Hardware wrangled civilians and got them out of the dangerzone.

[Star Sapphire]

<Incoming carbon-based life form>

Star Sapphire rolled sideways, attempting to dodge a diving construct, but in passing the creature cast out tendril-like appendages that curled around Carol, so that the two barrel-rolled in a bizarre embrace. The woman gave a grunt, and managed to kick the creation hard enough in the chest to shatter it down the middle, so that after just two tight twists she was free of it's hold. Star Sapphire's ring loosed elegant ribbons of articulated energy that lashed out like whips, burrowing into several of the nearest constructs, then tearing them in two from the inside.

Carol was finally able to look behind her at the life form that her ring had alerted her to. She didn't recognize the suit of armor, but she sensed only love from him in regard to the planet, so Carol knew that he must be there to aid her. "Thanks," she said, grunting as she conjured a shield that blocked her from rows of razor-sharp orange teeth, then using that same shield to bash into her attacker so hard it broke. Star Sapphire was grateful for the aid, because even if she made it all look easy, she was giving everything she had.

The guardian of love understood what this armored stranger was asking of her: He'd handle stress areas in the city while she ensured that he had room to work. Carol nodded whilst throwing a punch that loosed a wide blast from her ring, throwing several constructs into one another. "Consider it provided." Star Sapphire sent out a radial wave of force that didn't destroy those enemies approaching, but simply forced them far enough back to give her some room.

Carol spread both arms wide and closed her eyes in concentration. From her aura spread wavering, graceful contours of awe-striking energy that made a clever webbing between Chicago and the encroaching hordes. Carol couldn't hold up a barrier against such a numerous force. If anything she'd hold out for several minutes, then when the force field fell, thousands of constructs would be waiting to overrun the city in one tidal wave. So the woman wasn't intending on creating a barrier. Nope, she needed to go on the offensive.

The Star Sapphire's face twisted with focus, then her eyes spread open, and she let out a gasp. From the wall of twisting energy that Carol had spread, she generated constructs that would be simple, but effective. Razor shards of energy exploded like gunfire from the weave of light, pelting any orange construct that was incoming. Hopefully Carol could keep it up for a minute or so. Then it would be back to taking them on one-at-a-time. Her breathing was already labored.

[Hal Jordan]

The lady in pink was seriously bringing the heat and it mystified Hardware that he had never heard of her before, or at least he didn't think he did. While she went to work dominating the hordes of invaders with brilliant displays of her violet powers Hardware quickly went to work trying to clear the area of innocent lives at risk. A lot of Chicago had been injured and brazen, leaving obstacles in the way of fleeing bodies and large problems that pinned some trapped. The boosters on Hardware's boots died down quietly as the man neared ground, letting him touch down gently before he set out to work.

His suit was able to record everything that lay before Hardware and quickly analyze the proper course of action needed in order for the hero to save as many lives in as efficient a way as possible. "Alright let's make this quick, DOBIE, there's a pretty lady up there would could use our help." Though she was doing a fantastic enough job on her own at the moment Hardware was not going to let the woman fall back on her own prowess for too long, there was no telling how long she'd been at it and how long it'd be before she grew exhausted. The first thing Hardware directed his attention to were a couple of downed and loosed powerlines. Thanks to the insulation of his suit Hardware could handle the exposed electrical wires with no risk and remove them from where they could cause harm to others.

Making sure the electrical wires were all taken care of Hardware moved onto where a litter of fallen debris had effectively kept frightened civilians prisoner. "Just stay calm folks." He commented to the gathering as he landed near them. A building had partially collapsed, not making much room for safety on the inside while the only exit was blocked off by parts of the building that'd fallen outward during the collapse. As Hardware began lifting the heavy chunks of brick and stone from the exit path DOBIE buzzed with alert in his ear. "Omicannon; arm fleshette." <Fleshette armed> DOBIE responded to the command. Quickly Hardware spun around, arm straightened forward and leveled for the approaching duo of constructs.

The omnicannon on the man's arm then fired two rounds through the air. The rotating shells reached their peak of velocity and upon that moment the shells ripped away, releasing a spray of razor sharp barbs that tore through the advancing constructs. Holes filtered through the two charging hardlight beings and soon they were unable to properly support themselves and ended up crumpling under their own weight. Hardware searched the skies for any more attackers, but found the pink light wielder was doing excellent in holding the rest at bay. Quickly Hardware returned to his work, his suit allowing him to lift and move the tons of stone that trapped the civilians. "You all stick close to me!" He commanded the group as he looked to lead them to safety.

[Star Sapphire]

Star Sapphire was doing splendidly. Better than she could have envisioned for herself. I wish Hal could see me, she thought momentarily to herself, then was irritated at having thought that. She was a Star Sapphire now. The Star Sapphire. Finally in control of her actions while she wielded such extraordinary powers, and Carol felt like she had been born to do this. No wonder the crystal from Zamaron had chosen her as it's host so many years ago. Her soul was tailored to wield the violet light of love.

Carol continued to loose her barrage of razor shards. Until the first Orange Lantern showed up. She saw him. A smudge, a blot among the rest of the color-turned skies. Star Sapphire diverted the thinnest tendril of her concentration to prompt her ring. The piece of jewelry hummed confirmation into her head. <Member of the Orange Lantern Corps inbound. Intentions: hostile.> Carol cursed under her breath. With a groan of discomfort the woman closed her arms from their widespread position.

The network of light that she'd opened furled together, closing in on one another and hurriedly fleeing back into Carol's aura. With the influx of power that absorbing the phenomenon created, the woman felt her chances of defeating the oncoming Orange Lantern increase. But there were already constructs trying to dodge around her guard and head for the city. "Gotta finish this Lantern quickly," she muttered to herself. Star Sapphire set off like a shooting star.

She'd made it three hundred feet, and then the Orange Lantern met her halfway. They collided, and the resounding boom from the powers of avarice and love exchanging such concentrated blows echoed over the entirety of Lake Michigan. Carol was flung backwards, tumbling end over end for a moment before she could right herself. Whether or not love overcame outright, the woman did not know. Surly the Orange Lantern she'd hit was still trying to recover when she'd already regained composure.

"You really think that anything will become of this madness?" she screamed with indignation at him. The Orange Lantern snarled through it's mouth, split as it was into four quarters. "Ickan urk phala!" Star Sapphire heard the translated version via her ring, and her expression turned furious. "What did you just call me?!" Carol loosed a beam of energy. First it hit a focused blow on the Orange Lantern's guard, then the end of the bolt broke into tendrils that curled around him, pulling him with terrible speed towards Carol.

Star Sapphire had her fist ready, and connected the blow to the Lantern's mulish face when he was passing her. She felt his aura flickered, dissipate and her own protective field, enshrouding her fist, break the primary bones in his facial structure. The Orange Lantern gave a guttural moan and fell towards the waters below. Carol left him. "Let us see if avarice floats." She had bigger things to worry about.

[Hal Jordan]

Miraculously cops and firefighters were still on the scene, setting up a station to work as a possible safe haven. These guys were real heroes, even without energy rings and suits of electronic armor they still stuck around trying to help folks. Hardware charged forward, using his plasma whip to crack open any constructs that happened upon him and the succession of citizens he lead. Upon reaching the safe haven Hardware turned and kept an eye on the group's back as they all rushed in, each to be looked after and checked for injury by the police and a small medical team they had on standby. "I saw a fire at the hotel on 75th, not sure if anyone's in there or not. Gonna take back to the skies, I'll give you guys all the cover I can."

The firefighters nodded to the words of the man in the high-tech armor and marched out without missing a beat to load on their gear and all board their firetruck. Flying just a few feet over the truck Hardware worked as the firemen's escort, his omicannon firing on any of the orange constructs that flew too close to himself or the red truck below. Suddenly a weight dropped onto him from above, and Hardware had to curve sharply through the air to avoid plummeting into the firetruck under him. Crashing into the hard ground Hardware just barely managed to flip himself over and found a three headed construct straddling him. This being made entirely of solidified light bared down at the hero snapping its jaws and brandishing its butcher knife length claws.

A slash was made for Hardware's face, luckily for the man under the armor the polarized shell worn over his face protected him from an early death. "Back. The. F&%^. Up!" Hardware placed his right hand over the center head's face blasted it full of plasma energy. The middle head was destroyed instantly, with much of the creature's chest melting away in the same instant. Hardware then grabbed the other two remaining heads around their throats as he stood and shot off into the air. Dagger hands continued slashing at him but Hardware's armor proved efficient against blades and with his augmented strength he suddenly ripped the construct in half.

He dropped the now separate pieces and watched them break up more upon hitting the ground below. Hardware floated in place as he watched the speeding firetruck bend a corner, they seemed relatively out of danger for the moment. Turning his attention else where Hardware searched the skies until he came upon the woman in pink. "Hey. Need a hand?" He asked as he snapped his plasma whip and snagged a construct that had been approaching Star Sapphire from a blind spot. Hardware yanked the creature toward him and using a blade that jutted from his forearm gauntlet decapitated it.

[Star Sapphire]

Carol couldn't think about how hard pressed she was. How futile her efforts would appear out of context. How ridiculously outnumbered she was. Because Star Sapphire had hope. And hope, she believed, just like faith, was born from love. Carol let the love that she had for her planet, and those that she cherished therein fill her to the brim and flow over. That love spurred determination onward, and extended her average limitations far beyond their norm. Like a mantra, as Star Sapphire fought, images and faces flashed in front of her eyes. Ferris Aircraft, the park that she'd been taken to by her father as a child, Hal... And Carol's aura was stoked to burning.

Hal was no doubt off somewhere else, at the greatest concentration, or most dire assault that Larfleeze and his constructs were waging on the planet. She would have to hold her own. Star Sapphire burnt a violet trail in the air above Lake Michigan as she flew, making use of every aerial tactic that she'd ever learned, every shred of her experience as a pilot, and down to the last dredges of her instinct to make progress. Carol zigged around a phalanx of winged constructs, destroying them with a volley from behind. She zagged to dodge a pouncing shape, looped a spiral of energy from her ring around it and hurled the thing so hard into another that they both shattered.

On and on she went. Star Sapphire had only been fighting for a handful of minutes, but it felt like hours. Still, she kept the flow of cherished memories, beloved faces, and did not waver. Carol had just blown a hole through the chest of a construct that looked bizarrely like a kangaroo with wings and tentacled arms when the crackle of energy and the snap of it pulling taught caught her unawares. Star Sapphire sent a forward ripple of force to hurl oncoming constructs back and give herself some room before turning to see her unexpected ally removing the head from another.

"I thought you'd never ask," Carol said. The possible banter that it could have been was dashed by the grave, slightly alarmed waver in her voice. There was a sound above the general chaos like a missile inbound. Star Sapphire looked back to the skies and saw the shape of another Orange Lantern approaching. Her eyes narrowed. "Careful. This one's like me, but for them." Carol felt like that was a summarized explanation that wasn't too confusing. Hopefully her armored companion wouldn't underestimate the Orange Lantern.