ARX RAID: Collaborative Fan-Fiction -- "A Hollywood Ritual"

A Collaborative Hero Story by Arcane Ace (23078 ), Aphrael (11292), The Sword of Gerraxia (14367), and Astra (22632)

Arx was demolishing everything in sight as he took out every frustration on the heroes who continued to try to thwart him.

Krystal Fae had earlier discovered that he might possess a weakness to magic or magic-based attacks, such as enchanted blades or other arcane tools. While many heroes tried to aid in his defeat, whatever it was that had supercharged him proved effective at protecting him. Several dozen heroes, at Director Nova's orders, switched tactics and dove into saving the citizens of Hollywood and the surrounding communities.

Arcane Ace watched from the roof of the Pantages Theater, considering the variety of arcane options available. Working individually seemed to be only slightly more effective, but the advantage any mystic worth their salt knew was magical effects often geometrically increased when applied in unison. Covens and cults didn't just happen because people liked one another. Unity brought results.

An idea formed in his mind. "This might work. I wonder who all I can get on board?"

He switched on his communicator and contacted several of the other heroes he knew that used spellcraft. "Anyone out there with the ability to harness magical energies, meet me at the intersection of Hollywood and Vine. I have an idea. We need to get ritual on this guy's ass."

Silver Paladin replied immediately. "I like the initiative, but I think I might tag along with some others. Someone needs to tank for you all while you get witchy with it, don't you think?"
"You might be right. Anyone who wants to help, come on over. We need three teams. One to cast the spell I am thinking of that will draw from the ambient magical energies that encircle the globe. Team Two will protect us while we work the incantation. The third team will have to lure him to us when the time is right."

"How do you expect us to do that?" Chained Angel asked.

"I don't know everything, yet. I'm working this on the fly. This fight doesn't have a script, you know," Arcane Ace replied. He thought for an instant, finally noticing a faded movie poster from one of Arx's previous blockbusters. "He-he-he. Let's play to his biggest weakness."

"And that would be?" Wyldfyre asked.

Arcane Ace launched into the air to meet those who might aid him. "His Hollywood ego, of course. We need to make him think his fans are rooting for him. I bet the sodding fool would even stop to sign an autograph or two."

Astra smiled at Arcane Ace, "That's a great idea!" She exclaimed. She began to concentrate on making a telepathic illusion to convince Arx his fans were coming out to support him. "Any other psychic heroes want to help out with this?"

She made the psychic image of fans running towards Arx screaming his name. Clammering to see his movie. They were saying things like "We love you, Arx!" and "Show them you're the best, Arx!" she was laying into his ego.

She saw The Sword of Gerraxia using her supernatural powers in much the same way and gave a wink to the other heroine.

The Sword of Gerraxia wasn't a very powerful magic user. She knew Rune magic, not spells. Most of her powers were supernatural in nature. She knew they had to take down Arx. She could help though. She would set up protective runes for the more powerful magic users and assist those trying to lead Arx to the point where the plan would take him down.

"Arcane Ace, I can set up protective runes for the major magic users," The Sword of Gerraxia informed. "After that, I'll help the others bring him here. The Sword of Gerraxia is at your command."

"Thank you, Sword. Glad to have you with us," Arcane Ace said.

"Where do you want us to lead him?" Astra telepathically asked Arcane Ace. They began to move him. Guiding him to a predetermined spot.

AphraeltheFaeChildGoddessofInnocenceversion3.0 teleported in to join the others. "I have been doing some research on Arx from before he went rogue. There are some theatres nearby which aired his earliest movies. There is also his Hollywood Walk of Fame star too which for odd reasons many in show business go crazy about having. But wherever we decide upon to lure him, we must decide fast. Krystal Fae has just informed us that Arx has armed the nuclear weapons on the fleet of Navy ships he not long ago threw at us. At the same time I am getting a huge sense of mental urgency from Director Nova himself."

"Lure him to the 7000 block of Franklin area. The Magic Castle and the Academy of Magical Arts is there. I know the owner professionally. He has created certain wardings and enchantments that draw mystical energies to his businesses." Arcane Ace informed the heroes working with him.

Astra, Starmaster, and other mentally proficient heroes worked to create a mass illusion of fans cheering and celebrating Arx.

"I feel dirty trying to do this," Starmaster said. "He doesn't deserve this kind of fanfare. Never did, in my opinion. What makes people act like celebrities are so wonderful?"

"Beats me," Astra said.

Arcane Ace, worked on the ritual spell he wanted the other mystics to join in on. Resistant as Arx had proven to be, Ace knew that trying to overpower the supercharged ex-hero would be next to impossible. They needed to use subtler methods. Bolstered by the Avatar's morphon powers of Strength, Supernatural, Mental, Physical, and Technology, Arx presented a very daunting challenge. How do you defeat someone with so much raw power?

You take the power away from them!! Ace realized that Arx was simply a container drawing on power that had been added to his own. If the excess power could be pulled out of him, depleted somehow, the battle would be effectively won.

He scribbled down his idea for a draining incantation and sent the proposal to the other heroes.

Several minutes later, his ploy went into effect. Heroes with illusion and psychic abilities created an illusion of a massive WE LOVE ARX rally taking place in the streets before the Magic Castle. Brawlers circled the spellcasting heroes in order to protect them as they performed the ritual. 

The spell was a fairly simple and direct evocation. Magic has an ebb and flow like the tides, and currents as well. They targeted Arx to become part of the world's own magical circulatory system and "pull" out the additional foreign Morphon energy from the vessel of his body, Together, the mystical heroes who joined with Arcane Ace began to chant and power the enchantment.

As predicted, Arx made his way to his imagined devout fan-base, drawn by their chant of "ARX, ARX, WE'RE HIS FANS, IF HE CAN'T STAR IN IT, NO ONE CAN!!!"

"Hello, you wonderful people. I only have a moment to spare, so take as many pictures of me as you can," Arx said as he posed holding two fingers up in the 'V for Victory' gesture at them.

Astra telepathically messaged Arcane Ace, forewarning him that Arx was nearing the position the heroes wanted him in. She counted down Arx's arrival mentally. "three...two...one...NOW!"

The team of magical heroes competed the final segment of the spell they had been charging like an old-school explosive fireball in D&D.  Bright steams of light came to life overhead and flowed like a surging river toward and over Arx, washing away the illusionary fans and blinding anyone directly looking at the airborne stream. Pure magical energy, direct from Mother Earth herself, enveloped Arx and sought to cleanse him of his ill-gotten god-like powers.

The incantation came to a close and the mystical heroes drew breath, looking to see if their target had been defeated. To their surprise, Arx hovered in the air still and sneered at them. "Pathetic."

With a purely anime maneuver, he flared with a brilliant energy and drove his fist in a wide arc around his body, creating a wave of kinetic force that drove every hero flying back into the air several yards. Some landed on the street, flat on their backs, while others impacted into cars or buildings along the streets. Arcane Ace found himself in a manicured lawn shrubbery, his feet caught in the branches shaped into an Oscar statue.

"Damn," Ace said as Arx moved to the shoreline. "What went wrong?!"

Astra floated over, tenderly testing a bright black-and-blue bruise on the side of her face. "I don't think that went as well as we hoped."

Ace winced, grinding his teeth together as he realized the error in his thaumaturgy. "I forgot to consider he was a fairly attractive, male actor with a long career in Hollywood."

Looking confused, Astra stared at the arcane hero. "Huh."

"I'm foolish. Of course he's been leyed before."