When the Wind Goes

Just off of the Northern end of the 550, headed west, one would find themselves in bumfuck nowhere. Specifically, they would be in bumfuck nowhere at the base of the Elkhorn Mountain. This particular part of nowhere, however, had a name. Hunter Falls! It was a nice little hamlet of a town, maybe at most six hundred residents, and it was a good place to come if you were looking to retire in a nice, quiet place. For tourism, all it really had to offer was hunting, mainly deer, but they did have another export.

Rumors.

Stories…

Stories about the origin of the town’s name or the strange things that lurked just out of sight. Mysteries that dimmed the town’s talk into hushed whispers. Hunter Falls was a town thought to be named for a waterfall not too far from the town, but others…others claimed it was named for the hunter who fell, hunting something that only came out in the evenings. It was always out of sight, always out of reach, at least…until it wasn’t, but by then it wouldn’t matter for long. It was these intrigues that and rumors that for whenever something went bad, really bad, no one seemed to be all that surprised. It was just more tinder for the flames of rumors that burned from the town, it fueled it and carried it on.

Melody Potts, or as many knew her, Rabbit Punch, had been only pass through the area. She had wanted to stay for a night, wanted to rest and recuperate, but as soon as she got to the town of Hunter Falls, she found herself being pulled into the newest mystery the town had to offer. It wasn’t a pleasant one either. She had heard about the town’s habit of spreading rumors and oddities, and she honestly had been excited for it. But this…this was not what she wanted to be spending her down time with.

She stood in what she assumed was the remains of a living room. It was near the edge of the town, only a few steps from the thick forest that surrounded the village. In any other case, this would’ve been a nice dream spot to retire to. However, it had been ruined by bloodstains and the remains of human…humans? When she arrived she was told that the owner’s leg had been found in the living room, and then the rest of him was strewn across the upstairs bedroom in every nook and cranny it could fit.

First assumptions put it at a bear or some other kind of wildlife, but…there was something strange about it all. Prints in the blood that weren’t like any animal the experts could put their finger on. There had been a gun too, but it had also been the owner’s. The weapon had been fired several times, and there seemed to be some proof of impact, and yet…and yet it was evident that the blasts from the shotgun weren’t enough to take whatever it was down. Any animal after taking five shots from a gun like this would have gone down with ease. But it didn’t…this was not a normal case.

It was for that reason she had been quickly pulled in as soon as they heard a hero, one of the top five, had just arrived in town. She wasn’t much for investigation, but she had been through enough crime scenes to know a few things to keep an eye on and a few ideas of what it could’ve been. Her first though, of course, was to agree with the cops. Animals, some sort of oversized bear or a group of wolves. That didn’t explain the prints, though, which meant…it was probably her latter idea, a Meta. It had to be, there was no other explanation of it.

She paced around the room, thinking. She hadn’t been alone, there were another two cops with her, as well as another pair off in the woods, following the trail left in the snow. It had gone dead after a mile, yet they had decided to give the area a quick once over before a full sweep would be conducted next day. So, she was left relatively alone to do her work.

She knelt in front of the gun, inspecting closely and then followed where it pointed to the wall, where blood was splattered, blackened, still slightly red…but not human…and not animal either. “Huh, what kind of monster were you?” She asked herself quietly, staring hard at the bloodstain, slowly trying to put things together.

As those cops investigated the woods, they would find more concerning evidence. Those prints found in the house earlier were on the trees. This cut out any suspicious they could have about wolves or bears. Neither of those knew how to climb. Another fact was the state of the woods themselves. They were dead silent. No frogs croaking, no bugs clicking. It was if the only living thing there was the trees. Perhaps Melody would notice that to.

Of course, Melody would soon have other concerns. The house investigation turned up initially confusing, yet it was in line with previous incidents that have taken place at Elkhorn Mountain. Whatever was lurking about had been at this for more than just a few years. It obviously went back further. Stories from the native americans told of such slaughters and incomprehensible horrors. Or they would have, were such history not lost a long time ago.

Just as Potts had crouched down to observe the gun, something tapped the window behind her. Upon investigation, it seemed she had a visitor. It was certainly a harrowing sight at first glance. It was a humanoid figure, body hidden by a black cloak. But the mask was easily seen. Silverish metal with runic carvings all along the surface and three claw marks carved all the way across the face with red ink painted into the divots, making it appear as if the mask had been mauled.

Something about the runes in that mask. Potts might find them unsettling. As if looking into the face of incomprehension itself. Whatever was written on that mask was something ancient and unnatural, not meant for human eyes to look upon. Once she looked at the figure, it would begin quietly backing up into the woods once more.

She had thought she had picked up something with her hearing prior to the knocking. Her ears flitted that way, trying to hone in on it, but it was a hard read. Out in the woods sounds could literally be anything, not unless you knew what you were looking for would you have any luck identifying the random padding of steps. Perhaps that is why when the knocking came she didn't exactly process it, she stayed studying the gun for a few moments and it wasn't until it picked up again that her head raised and began to search for it.

It hadn't taken long to find and when her eyes fell upon the person she blinked once, as if she didn't quite process what it was she was looking at. In the simplest of terms, it was a weirdo. Perhaps a cultist by the looks of it? It was hard to place. Some people would hop at the chance and accuse this person of being the murderer, but why would they tap and draw a hero's attention? There was no real good reason for it...unless, they were a psycho and were trying to lead her into a trap. That was a real possibility, but she didn't want to make any rash actions too quickly.

Instead, she promptly stood, went to the door, and then with a blast from her feet, leapt over to the man. She skidded as she hit the ground, ending up right by the man's side. Despite assuming he wasn't the killer, that didn't mean she trusted or liked the individual, which could probably explain the narrowed look she gave the man as she inspected him. When she rose, her fists were clenched and while not in a defensive stance, she was ready if he had any tricks for her. She tried to appraise any initial danger from the man, certainly there was something off about the mask, but she kept a good few feet from the man just in case.

"This is a crime scene and you just left some prints on the window. I could have ya arrested for disturbing a scene, trespassing, and probably a few other things, so...I wanna assume you're smart and know that I could...so, wanna tell me what your whole deal is before I make decision on what to do with you?"

Whoever it was definitely didn't look like they could cause the carnage that was found within that house. Though, in this world, looks could be deceiving. Though it went both ways. There were some pretty scary looking heroes out there as well. Had she of been in Colorado for a while, she might have heard whispers of a person titled 'The Mauled Mask'. But his existence was a fairly recent development. No one really knew his logic or motivations.

The mysterious figure backs up into the woods after knocking on the window, now concealed in shadow since he's positioned himself just past the reach of the house's porch lights. He takes a singular step back as she suddenly launches herself toward him. Of course, in a time where silence would be best, the hero can't walk normally. A displeased sigh can be heard from under that mask as she stops before him. Upon closer inspection, he was definitely fully human. Under his cape was a simple white shirt with a leather vest. His lower body was clothed with dark brown cargo pants, black leather boots, and a belt with multiple pouches on it for various kinds of tools. He remains quite still as she looks him over.

"You need to get those cops out of here. If you've got half a brain...you'll be heading off too." There's a slight accent to his voice. Louisianan perhaps? It's hard to discern. He suddenly pauses, head darting about as he double checks his angles. "Ain't you noticing it? For someone with such big ears, you're not makin good use of them." He gestures broadly about the forest. "What do you hear? Other than us?" Though her hearing was much better than his, and she could probably hear the cops searching about in the distance, she'd notice that he's got a point. The cops, along with she and the weirdo, were the only ones daring to make a sound in the entire forest, which means the animals that lived there knew something they didn't.

Mauled Mask uses his index finger to point at the house. "It can't be a crime scene if the crime is still in progress." He then looks directly at her. "We're on a hunting ground. The house is the hunter's bait. So if you want to do your job and save lives...Get. Those. Cops. Away."

If the man's attempts were to earn Melody's trust and compliance, he had failed by a long shot. If his goals had been to piss her off and make her even more suspicious of him, he had succeeded by leagues. She was smart enough to know not to dismiss the man's words, no warning should go unheeded, even that from a complete asshole and loon. But still, she looked at him, unamused, with a deep frown and glare in her eyes, not the look of a rebellious child, mind you, but rather like the look of a senior staff member being told by the new guy how to do their job.

She was tapping her foot on the ground, both building energy and trying to express her disinterest and impatience at the man's attitude. She let out a sigh, then reached up to her ear, something clicking and then she spoke. "I am gonna need you all to pull out while I deal with something. Make sure no one else makes their way up, tell people to stay inside, and be ready for the worst. I'll be back soon with good news. Copy?"

There was a long pause as some information was transferred, before she gave a nod, not at the man, but at the words spoken to her, and then finally...she turned her attention back to the man.

"It's done." She cracked her knuckles, squeezing a fist with her other hand, "Not because of your people skills, mind you, honestly...if I have to kick your ass I don't want anyone having to step. First, don't talk to me that way. You're acting like I wasn't going to, don't talk down to me. Doing so is not only a good way for me to ignore your advice, but also a good way to get you sent into the ground."

She sighed, her gaze leaving him and then beginning to look around the wood, her ears flicking, trying to pick up on the faint sounds of the wood. She was searching, waiting for the moment a beast might pounce from the dark or the treetop. She wasn't sure what it was, but she wouldn't let herself get caught off-guard. "Second..." She started, still not looking back to the man. "Regardless of whether your the perp or actually here to help, you know something and you should better get talking if the situation is as dangerous as you say it is. Don't waste time talking down to me say so, we could've avoided all this ranting if you just were simple about it. It's a lousy way of saving people."

One of her fists began to crackle with orange-like electricity, "And I got plenty of brains. More than enough to know that I shouldn't leave you alone, whether your guilty or here to help." And, internally, to make sure the man gets charged. She was a hero, she had virtues, but that didn't mean she couldn't be petty. Regardless if he'd be let off and didn't have to pay the charges, it would be inconvenient and annoying to deal with.

The masked fellow wasn't exactly trying to get her trust. He didn't care whether or not she trusted him, he just wanted people safe. They were on a limited timeframe. They only had a matter of time before it moved on from observing to hunting. While Melody makes the call, she would be able to watch him finnick around with his gloves. Specifically the....circular dry erase boards on the palms? He takes out a marker and draws some sort of rune one each of them. The runes wouldn't be in any human language Melody knows. and looking at them might cause her to feel...unnerved. This man was obviously versed in unnatural things.

"You expect the guy in a mask skulking about in the woods to have people skills? Seems like more of a foresight problem on your end. That fact notwithstanding, it's observing us. It'll only observe for so long before it knows what it needs to begin hunting. Those cops fleeing'll make it panic. We don't have much time before it decides it's been found out." He's still being vague about what it is, exactly, but with the cops having hurried out of the woods, Melody's ears would b e picking out something else. The footsteps are barely aduble. Strangely, despite being barely audible, they're fast. Superhuman fast. Worst of all, they were getting closer.

They seemed to be moving in circles around them. The man was indeed correct. They were being observed. Scouted. The masked man sighs, beginning to speak afterwards. "Since you seem...irritately determined in staying, I'll explain. It all began when these idiots built a house that was-" He suddenly leaps into action before finishing his words. Quick as lightning, his hand reaches into his coat and pulls out a gumball. In an instant, it's thrown right passed Melody's head. A green glow would bathed the forest in eerie loght for but a few seconds as the gumball makes impact woth something and promptly explodes, creating a pulse of kinetic force that knocks back whatever he hit and sends it flying into a nearby tree. The screech his target lets out assails their ears. It would cause their hair to stand on end and send chills up their spines. Supernatural fear inducing vocalizations were a commonly used abilities among wendigos. Even screams of pain could cause such a reaction. The Artificer was thankful to have his helmet, which kept the effect from being too intense.

Along with the noise, the split second of light would allow Melody to see what they were up against. The light reflected off of dark red irises in the woods around them. Hunting them were not one, but two creatures. Tall slender beings with black fur, and armored antlered heads, making them look as if their heads were deer skulls. Deer skulls with jagged sharp teeth. The one she would have seen behind her masked companion was standing on two slender digitigrade legs. It's arms were equally long and bony, with lengthy fingers on it's hands ending in sharp claws, bathed in blood. There it was, the perp. And judging from the fact that the masked man had attacked something that was coming up behind her, there was two of them. While she had been protected, the one behing the masked man was about to attack him. Judging from the stance it was in when she saw it during the green flash, it was about to take a swipe at him.

Finally, the masked man soeaks up. "My point is, WE ARE IN WENDIGO TERRITORY."

Melody rolled her eyes at the man's snide remarks. If he kept talking like this there was bound to be in an imprint of him in the snow or in the wall of the adjacent house. She was ready to knock him down a few pegs if he went on like this. But she was a hero and unfortunately in most circles beating up innocents, even the condescending asshole innocents, was frowned upon. Regardless, that didn't mean that she had to be polite or make working with this fellow any easier.

Her ears did flick at movements around them. They had been fast, but...she could keep pace with them, no problem. She had dealt with a whole liter of things just as fast and potentially just as strong. Supervillains, savage beasts, aliens, a false god or two, demons, you name it she has probably beaten it into the ground. Even as her ears flicked, following the directions of the moving creatures, her eyes never left Asshole, her going nickname for the asshole in front of her.

As the man spoke, Melody kept her casual stance, not seem to be bothered all that much by their watching guests. She nodded a bit, her eyes, only for a moment, lighting up as Asshole jumped into action. She didn't look away or flinch at green ball as whizzed by her head, and neither at the explosion from behind her that soon followed. If she had been in any way startled by the grotesque appearance of the creature, she didn't show it. She didn't even seem to recoil at their sudden appearance or speed. Instead, she kept her gaze on him, giving a small nod. At the sudden lurch of the creature from his blind spot, she would sudden jump forward at an alarming speed. Her entire body seemed to crackle with an orange energy.

While the creature hadn't quite reached either one of them yet, she threw a sudden punch and released a high blast kinetic energy, more than enough to put a dent into a steel and more than enough send the creature soaring backward. In the air, there was no real way to resist a sudden blast of force pushing you in the opposite direction. Once it was back in the wood, she straightened again and resumed the casual stance. She looked over his shoulder at him. "Very dramatic, I certainly appreciate the flair." She shot at him, letting out another sigh. "Anyways, these things got a weakness or can I just pummel them into the ground like any other creature?"

She thought for a moment on the word wendigo. That was...Native American stuff? She was pretty sure. People turned into monsters from...something. Most legends at least and said they once human. "Any way to turn these guys back to normal? I don't really know myths all that well, but if there's a way I am least willing to try."

Whereas her stance was casual, Artificer's was stiff, prepared. Perhaps even a hint of fear? Not the kind that would hinder his ability to fight. No, one that spoke of an extreme comprehension of his mortality. He had not the abilities Melody wielded, and had to act accordingly. He sees it out of the corner of his eye, the power behind her blow that sends the wailing beast back into the trees. At least her powers put her up to par. Her compliment about his 'dramatic flair' as it was simply drew a grunt. he draws a few cards from his coat and tosses them about in a radius around them, using a flicking method that causes them to stick into the soil.. "Beatin them works just fine, fire quickens the job if you just so happen to have anything like that. I say we stick to beatin unless you've a way to stop the forest fire that would result fro-" He couldn't hear them like Melody could, but one gets a sense for the hunting tactics of supernatural beings after a fair while. What were his senses telling him? That he was being able to speak uninterrupted for just a bit too long. At blinding speed, one of the antlered beasts launches itself from the trees, landing between them. Spotting him as the easier prey, those blade sized sharp claws take a swing at Artificer. his intuition proving true, he turns about while taking a hurried step back, those claws just barely missing his torso.

A pair of brass knuckles is slipped onto his fingers as the wendigo follows up after it's swipe with a bite. As it goes for his throat, Artificer dives down between it's legs, rolling into a crouched position where he throws a solid right hook into it's knee. There's a large bang as he does so that emits from the brass knuckles, followed by a sizzling noise. The enhanced impact is enough to knock the creature down on one knee. Artificer uses tis chance to jump up onto it's back, left arm going around it's neck as he begins to repeatedly punch it's head. "They're too far gone! We have to-" His words are cut off as the claws of the flailing wendigo manage to lash across his back. "It's A MERCY." The wendigo staggers about, trying to shake him off as it takes blow after blow to the skull. Finally, it's feet plant themselves where artificer wants. With one final punch to the back of it's neck, he jumps off just as it steps on one of the cards he stuck into the ground earlier.

A massive pulse of green energy sends the horrid creature flying straight up into the air at a blinding speed. Their eyes would barely barely be able to follow it as it made impact in the brush of a nearby tree, multiple branches impaling it through the back of the chest. It wails one more time, screaming in rage at the sky before going limp.

Melody would notice it as the rune goes off. The mauled mask nearly falls to his knees, a ragged gasp leaving his body. Though Melody couldn't see them, he could, things lurking in the darkness, creeping, slithering about, all just in his mind. An affliction of rune overuse. To melody, she would see his head swiveling about, as if fearful of something else. "No...No...please not now..." He mutters. Ever so slightly distracted by his delusions, he opens the perfect opportunity for attack. The second wendigo charges out of the brush, maw open wide as it launches itself at Mauled Mask, who is currently none the wiser about the fact that he's about to be ripped in half from behind.

Despite the horrors that they were facing here, Melody knew better than to show them any sign of fear. If the enemy knew you were afraid they could capitalize, use it against you, strike when they saw it bubble up to its peak. No, even if she was scared, she could never let herself show it. That would come after when she was alone or with another she could trust, but never on the field in the thick of things. That said, the idea of a wendigo didn’t quite cause her bones to shake or tremble or for her mind to race, ironically, like a rabbit away from a swooping hawk. No, these were just some mutant freaks with sharp claws and enhanced strength. Spooky in appearance and stature, but she had been at this game long enough.

Before she could make another snappy reply or joke about the man’s edgy demeanor the first of wendigo were upon them. The sudden appearance had made her jump defensively a few feet, wanting the distance between her and that creature. She let out an impressed whistle as she took in the image of it. Hulking figure, claws as sharp as razors, horns with fresh gore dripping down them, and a face that was surely the furthest shot from winning any award at the local beauty pageant.

She simply watched as the man pulled off an impressive dodge between its leg, a solid punch, and then a hop, a skip, and a jump onto its back. As he called down to her in that desperate tone she just raised a thumbs up to him, smiling placidly. “You got it, bud.” And then like that…the Wendigo was gone. She let out a soft impressed whistle and gave the man a small golf clap as he fell to his knees. “Hey, that was pretty good! You had me worried that these things would be tough, but if you can do it.” She joked with a small laugh though cut off as he seemed to struggle with abilities.

She moved over to him as muttered, popping a squat and tilting her head. “Oh, are you one of the ‘My powers come with dark cost’ kind of people? I’ve seen this one before. No worries, buddy, I got the rest.” She’d pat his back before standing up, just as that second Wendigo came lunging out of the brush and trees.

Her fist was balled up and already crackling with orange energy, almost appearing as lighting streaking across her form with no conductor to attach itself to. She waited, allowing the beast to soar through the air towards its prey. One. Two. Three. A moment or maybe two before the beast’s claws came upon Artificer Melody swung out her fist. That orange kinetic energy that had crackled around her fist fired off and into the Wendigo, sending it soaring back into trees which broke under the force of which he flew. He skidded across dirt leaving a high impact mark when it finally came to a stop.

She had expended a good deal of energy in that shot, wanting to make sure it was a one and done kind of deal, and already she was tapping her foot as she started to build up more. Her eyes were fixed on the beast she struck, waiting to see if that was enough to properly kill it or at the very least knock it out. Her ears still flicked here and there, making sure that no other predator would lurch upon them. For the moment at least, the far wendigo seemed content with staying as still as a corpse.

When she was sure it was dead and content staying that way, she looked back to Artificer. “You done having a moment? Or do you need water or something?”