Nearly 15 minutes elapse while we treat Seamus’ wounds and secure the area. Sinon re-locates the two hostiles, finding they have moved into the stairwell, which Aiden is now guarding. Sinon waits ten seconds after getting their location the first time and then does so again, determining that their position has not changed. He then sits down, asks Blake to keep an eye out around him, and begins using his psionics to look in on them. Unfortunately while he’s able to adjust his view to see them it’s pitch black in that area of the stairwell; he’s unable to make anything out. He quickly restores his vision to normal.

We hatch a plan for Gargoyle and Sinon to sneak downwards from above, about six to seven floors; Gargoyle will fly them both up several floors to that point. Meanwhile Seamus and Benton will take the elevator up to that floor while Aiden and Blake will go up the stairs to confront them.

Benton gets to work hotwiring the elevator to take them up to the desired floor and is able to do so successfully. They wait to take it upwards until Gargoyle and Sinon get into position, as Gargoyle begins flapping upwards. They arrive on floor 30. Gargoyle makes short work of a lock on the stairwell door. Gargoyle and Sinon begin quietly making their way downward, Gargoyle taking point and handing off his graser pistol to Sinon. The two of them, from a small amount of emergency lighting in the shaft, can make their way downwards. They proceed down several landings to floor 26 and can see, near one of the stairs, an armed grenade of some kind. Gargoyle examines it and sees it’s a standard plasma grenade. He alerts the rest of the group. After observing the situation a bit Sinon tries to hop down to a nearby landing to use a rope to set it off from a distance. However in doing so he sets it off. He manages to dodge backwards but is still hit by the blast, although not badly. He then feels a heavy “thwack” in his head and is stunned briefly by some kind of psionic attack, slumping to the floor.

Gargoyle hops down to try to reach Sinon and can hear something coming up the stairs quickly towards him. Sinon shakes himself and begins to come to his senses; he’s able, at the bottom of the next landing, a hulking Bareem coming up the stairs. He flicks some sort of device at Sinon, who barely pushes himself out of the way in time for the attack to miss, sparking off the concrete next to him. Gargoyle is able to bounce a grenade down the landing Sinon is on and it lands on the landing of the bad guy. Sinon stands and, while doing so, is able to determine that the door is unlocked. The Bareem runs down the stairs to escape the blast. Benton and Seamus emerge from the elevator a few floors down to an empty landing. Aiden and Blake proceed up the stairs cautiously, hearing the sounds of combat above.

As Blake and Aiden move upstairs Aiden is able to just make out, in the darkness, a shape in the darkness watching the area for approach. The creature snaps off a shot at Aiden who is just able to get back in cover in time. Sinon is able to book it up the stairs and get out of the blast radius of the grenade. He makes sure to thank Gargoyle for covering for him. Seamus and Gargoyle activate their enhancements as time feels to slow slightly. Aiden and Blake peek their head around briefly; Aiden notes that the bad guy is no longer present where he was before. Blake covers the landing above in case the guy pops out again.

Gargoyle descends a flight of stairs, carefully checking the corner. Seamus emerges from the elevator, going to the door to the stairwell and opening it. As the door swings open he comes face to face with the Gardayhi who is about a yard away. Seamus tries to strike him with his sword, wildly swinging at him and somehow connecting with its upper left arm, severing it completely. It looked like the arm’s hand was holding a non-activated grenade. Blake stays still, continuing to cover the landing above. Benton steps to the side of Seamus and fires at the Gardayhi but misses. Sinon follows Gargoyle down the stairs, pistol at the ready. The armless Gardayhi moves up the stairs, getting about halfway up the next flight.

Aiden books it up the stairs. Gargoyle proceeds down the stairs in a flying leap and can make out the Bareem on the next flight down waiting for him. The creature looks to have been waiting for him, holding some kind of two-handed weapon that it fires at him. He manages to dodge away from the blast but the weapon strikes the wall behind him, catching him in the splash damage as a bunch of plasma explodes behind. Hurts like burning! Seamus books it up the stairs again after the Gardayhi who, this time, is able to dodge out of the way of the attack like he’s made of rubber. Blake follows quickly after Aiden to the next flight of stairs. Sinon charges down the stairs firing his pistol. He trips slightly going down the stairs but is able to somehow recover his balance just in time to land all three shots (luck time 7:54). Two shots to the creature’s torso don’t seem to have any effect but one that hits its leg causes the Bareem to fall over to a sitting position as the injured limb buckles under him. The Gardayhi that Seamus was chasing whips around, trying to fire a weapon. Seamus is barely able to dodge out of the way as he flings himself to the side. Aiden runs up another flight of stairs and Blake follows behind. They emerge a few steps below Seamus.

Gargoyle tries to use his monowhip to attack one of the creature’s limbs, snaring its right arm. The whip cuts badly into the arm but doesn’t quite sever it as a small amount of bone and sinew keep the limb attached to its body. The arm falls limp at its side. Seamus tries to attack the Gardayhi’s other arm but he can’t quite land the blow as the creature twists its arm away. Benton follows after and is able to fire off a spray of shots but can’t seem to land them. The large Bareem, now wounded, reaches for a weapon at his belt but can’t seem to bring it to bear fast enough. Sinon stays in cover and tries to draw a bead on the target. Meanwhile the Gardayhi runs up the steps. Aiden continues ascending the steps as quickly as he can, stacking up behind Seamus. Blake, on the way up, looks at the disconnected arm of the Gardayhi but doesn’t try to grab the grenade as the flesh around it is disintegrating.

Gargoyle tries to monowhip the Bareem’s other arm this time and hits, again badly cutting into the arm, which also falls limp at his side. Seamus moves up again behind the Gardayhi, this time choosing not to attack. The Bareem, now disarmed, does nothing but chuckle at his poor fortune he kneels on the stairwell. Benton fires off another shot at the Gardayhi and this time is able to hit but without discernible effect. Sinon again takes aim, this time bracing against the nearby stairwell.

The Gardayhi again runs up, this time firing blindly behind him. Seamus thankfully dodges out of the way as the weapon swings around and narrowly avoids being hit. Aiden and Blake continue their rapid ascent of the stairs. Gargoyle’s whip flashes out and catches the Bareem around the neck, badly slicing into it. While ascending the stairs rapidly Seamus whips his pistol out of its holster and fires off a few rounds, the massive charge pistol thundering up the corridor. The creature tries to bend and twist out of the way but doesn’t do so quickly enough and a round takes the creature in the skull. Despite the bits of brain and skull that spray forward past his eyes the creature somehow maintains its balance and is able to continue up the steps. Benton tries to do one better and looses a few shots, hitting with them all. The hand, leg and chest all take rounds with the one to its hand causing its weapon to spin away. Still it continues on. Sinon pulls the trigger and his graser pistol takes the still-chuckling Bareem square in the forehead. It stops chuckling as he finally passes out, slumping to the ground.

The Gardayhi soldiers on, continuing to ascend the stairs. He suddenly stops and whips around with his leg, landing a vicious kick to Seamus’ chest that doesn’t do much to get through his armored coat. Aiden continues to charge up the stairs and is able to reach the location of Seamus and the Gardayhi’s sudden mêlée. He’s able to take aim and fire off a few rounds at the creature. Gargoyle runs down to the unconscious Bareem and eyes its weapon. However he’s able to recall accounts of their weapons exploding upon those other than their owner trying to use them. He’s now able to see the Gardayhi on the landing below, just as two large-caliber rounds slam into the concrete near him. Aiden’s shots manage to hit in a sensitive spot and go straight through its armor, alien blood spraying out the other side. The Gardayhi finally collapses to the floor, unmoving.

With that dealt with Seamus walks back to retrieve his dropped sword. Blake walks down to the next flight (floor 24) to begin trying to pick the lock to enter. About fifteen seconds later what’s left of the Bareem has melted through the stairwell. We elect to head back to floor 19 to recuperate. Benton is able to scrounge some medical supplies on the floor and patches up Seamus quickly. He also is able to treat Gargoyle and Sinon.

After healing up and resting we head over for Seamus’ cage match, taking seats that happen to have a good view of Tigerlord’s seating area. Ivan the Terrible is the opponent. The rules are announced as an “escalating lightning cage match” with increasing shocks resulting from contact with the walls of the cage. Ivan is a cyber freak with double-jointed cyberarms. The venue goes through a holographic display of the various capabilities and such of the two combatants. The fight starts amid roars of “Sharknado.”

Seamus steps to the center of the ring, evaluating his opponent. Ivan does the same, his arms raised in guard position. The two repeat those movements, sizing each other up. Separated by a few feet now Seamus waits for his opponent to take the next move; Ivan stops and continues to evaluate. Seamus stays still, waiting for his opponent to make the next move, which Ivan does, stepping forward.

Seamus leaps into action with a vicious kick but Ivan is able to parry the attack; he tries but fails to grab the leg as it goes by. Ivan returns the favor with a kick that Seamus isn’t quite able to get out of the way of, hitting in the torso. Seamus steps into him and tries to bite Ivan but can’t quite make contact. Ivan responds with a bear hug but Seamus is able to step backwards and pull away from the attack. Seamus steps in, again trying for the bite but he can’t seem to get in position properly. Ivan, frustrated, tries a feint as he attempts to grab Seamus but again can’t quite make contact. Seamus turns with a wicked punch that Ivan can’t quite get out of the way of in time, feeling ribs crunch under his fist. Ivan responds by turning and finally manages to grab ahold of Seamus. Seamus responds with a vicious bite, this time one that Ivan isn’t able to avoid. He sinks his fangs into his chest painfully for the both of them as he gets a mouth full of sweaty man chest.

Ivan has had enough and tries to use his hold on Seamus to wrestle him to the ground, which he manages to do. As they both hit the mat Seamus tries to gain the advantage in the wrestling contest and is able to get a deep hold through Ivan’s armpits. Ivan furiously tries to respond but Seamus masterfully counters his movements and deepens his hold on poor Ivan. Ivan again does everything he can to try and break the hold but can’t make headway, exposing himself to further attack. Seamus once against sinks his teeth into Ivan, drawing more blood. Ivan’s pathetic attempt to break free fails badly while Seamus yet again viciously introduces Ivan’s internal organs to his enhanced fangs. Ivan begins yelling his displeasure with the bites, but to no avail. Ivan wriggles and struggles but can’t get any leverage against Seamus’ holds. Ivan’s frantic head movement somehow avoids a bite to his face. During the struggle Ivan is able to suddenly gain a bit of leverage and is able to miraculously get free of Seamus grip. Seamus is able to quickly secure a hold on him again, although not a strong one at first. Ivan counters, again wrestling for position, but can’t quite make headway.

Seamus is able to sink a deep hold in on him again, this time succeeding. Ivan again can’t muster the proper leverage to get free and gets bitten for his troubles. Despite bleeding quite a bit now Ivan manages to stay conscious but can’t get free. Seamus has had enough and goes in for the face this time, biting at him once, releasing and doing it again in quick succession. Unfortunately Ivan can’t muster a defense from his previous fierce efforts. This time it hurts him badly; Ivan looks a bit dazed and doesn’t take any defensive action as he tries to comes to his senses.

Seamus suddenly gets a crazed look in his eyes and goes after Ivan with renewed vigor. In a bloodlusted rage he goes for the throat wildly. One hit goes low and hits his torso but the other sinks deep into the exposed neck. A spray of blood amid the ripping flesh signals something important just gained a new hole in it. Ivan finally, mercifully, passes out. Seamus continues attacking Ivan’s ruined neck, tearing into it further and laying all of it out down to the spine. Ivan expires messily, his head effectively disconnected from his body.

Shortly later Seamus snaps out of his haze of bloodlust to the roar of the crowd, who very oddly like this kind of thing quite a bit. The cage is deactivated and Sharknado is announced officially as the winner.

That’s it for tonight. We all receive four character points.