Spectral chains wrapped around the administrator, holding him in place. It wasn't fast enough to stop him from casting the necrotic beam, but at least it stopped him from casting it again. Now it was time to pile on some damage before he could free himself.

Elsa moved forwards as Kole shambled off to one side. Hmm. The blue mage was a zombie now. That couldn't be good. Well, they'd have to deal with this latest problem when they had more free time. Hopefully it was an ailment that could be easily-remedied.

Oh well. First thing's first: Beat the everloving daylights out of some zombies. Hefting the scythe once more, Elsa moved into range.

-----

Move to short range

Bello, in his rush to start his new song, had forgotten something very important: when your audience runs away, you have to to follow them. Chase them to the ends of Ivalice, if need be. Acting on this much practiced wisdom, Bello joined the others in the fray. Or, moved to do so, anyway.

------

Now Bello moves toward the monsters.

It seemed that good ol' Kole was soon to join the ranks of the zombies he feared so much. He was also banged up quite a bit. Raltz indeed had a revify from their combined search earlier, but he also noticed that Arden had one that she apparently wanted to refrain from using. Maybe they should focus on the enemies for now.

Following suit with the others, Ralts moved in and took a strike at the Secretary's heart.

---

Raltz attacks the secretary

Arden's shot tears through the secretary's flesh, causing her to stumble back a bit, as Ark's sword moves to decapitate her. However, with surprising speed, considering her sluggish gait, the corpse moves its arm to intercede the blow, Ark's sword biting deep into her forearm, a mixture of blood and oil leaking out onto the floor.

Just as the undead frees her arm from the blade, Raltz lances into her chest with a vicious stab that leaves her bleeding, but still standing, as she begins to scream, a bundle of wires wriggling out of her mouth, ready to leap forward.

However, the attack is cut short, as lighting races through her body, arcing through her flesh, and up into the lighting and through the walls. Light fixtures through the hallway burst with power, and for just a moment all is dark, before the hospital begins to burn.
---------------
PC Round 2

Kole- move to medium range

Jhen- Start Casting Thundeeeeeeer

Arden- 6 Damage, Secretary

Ark- 10 Damage, Secretary

Mauve- Move to short range

Bello- Move to medium range

Raltz- 8 damage, Secretary.

Secretary- (-24)/??

Arden- 17/20
Raltz- 15/27
Kole- 6/23, Zombie
Elsa- 24/26
Ark- 26/29
Bello- 15/22
Jhen- 20/20

----------------
NPC Round 2

Administrator- Struggle against bonds fruitlessly

Secretary- Begin casting infection

Arden- 17/20
Raltz- 15/27
Kole- 6/23, Zombie
Elsa- 24/26
Ark- 26/29
Bello- 15/22
Jhen- 20/20

-----------------

Jhennek- 60 Damage Secretary

Secretary- Dead

Arden- 17/20
Raltz- 15/27
Kole- 6/23, Zombie
Elsa- 24/26
Ark- 26/29
Bello- 15/22
Jhen- 20/20

Hospital becomes Difficult Terrain. Athletics checks receive -2 modifier. Hospital is also fire, lightning, and shadow elemental terrain.

The Hospital was on Fire.

Arden stumbled back a pace; mind quickly making the connection to the undead's spilled body fluids and the resulting blaze. Her instincts ran wild with panic; fire was something they couldn't fight. They had to run before it spread. Her eyes went to the Hospital Administator, bound by Elsa's Black Magic spell, he was harmless for the moment.

But...Her mind returned to the crackling beam of black light that had struck Kole. The Blue was wearing warded clothing, stronger than her's, and he'd still taken a bad hit. ...the chains can't last forever. Tightening her jaw, Arden jerked a nod.

"Jhennek!" She snapped, glancing toward the small mage, "Cast your spell again, but focus it through mine this time!" Arden thrust her hand out, eyes blazing to life with the pale blue light of holy energy. "I won't have that abomination firing on while our backs are turned!" The cotton in her robes and silver in her hair intensified, burning brightly in the stark light of hospital.

"Everyone else, get moving!" Arden shouted, "We'll be right behind you!"

Her eyes shut, as she began to focus all her attention on melding her power with Jhennek's own. She had to shape Restore into a field of transformative power to bless Jhennek's Thunder spell. With some luck, she could make this work. Jhennek was a good mage after all - hopefully, the Tarut would pick up on her casting cues. Without her Thunder spell, Restore wouldn't do a damned thing here. But with it...

That thing will fry.

She needed to stop trying risky things.

* * * * * *

> Begin Combination Magic, Restore+Thunder!

> Blast the Admin!

"Jhennek!"

At the sound of her name, the Tarut's eyes locked onto Arden's. She was a little surprised by the force of the exclamation - was she upset about the hospital burning? Because it would be completely understandable if so but she really couldn't have known that the orderly's blood would ignite so q-

"Cast your spell again, but focus it through mine this time!"

Oh! Was that all? She could do that! She watched closely as light coalesced in the White Mage's hand, growing brighter every second. Jhen stood close, and placed her tiny hand palm up next to Arden's. Concentrating, she started to draw lightning from the air around them. When she had enough for a solid blast, she would focus it through her friend's spell as asked.

"I won't have that abomination firing on us while our backs are turned!"

It was a good plan!

---
Cast Thunder to combo with Arden!

As the structure around them blazed, Jugan waddled as fast as he was able toward Ark. The flames themselves did not scare the young dragon. In fact, the flaring sensation of warmth that exuded from the walls caressed the young wyvern, a comforting sensation. But the explosions of light fixtures, the sudden cut in power and light and the resulting panic of those around him made him uneasy.

More pressed with concern that the administrator might break out of his bonds, Ark rushed toward the Administrator who was locked in place and swung his blade downward, attempting to cleave its head off its defenseless corpse.

------------------------
Attacking the Administrator. Since it is locked, I assume it has some sort of penalty to dodging or whatnot.

Swinging his blade powerfully at the Administrator, Ark is surprised to find zombie shifting ever so slightly and interposing one of Elsa's chains between himself and the Android's sword--noticed too late for Ark to pull back. Within a moment, Elsa's ghostly chains fade away from the administrator, however, her Scythe finds purchase in his flesh, tearing a weeping wound in his unaltered shoulder as Raltz's blade marks a gash across his chest.

Stumbling back, the creature shows some flicker of intelligence as it realizes it is outmatched and aims its cannon skyward, blasting the burning ceiling apart with a ball of light that explodes with furious force against the roof and brings it crashing down between the administrator and the small group of heroes, tearing through the floor and leaving a gaping hole where once a line of attack existed.

Through the hole the second floor of the hospital could be seen, fire spreading swiftly toward the I.C.U. from the fallen parts of this floor.

However, the corpse's ploy was in vain as lightning crackled from Jhennek's fingertips with amazing power, and arced directly through the purifying light of Arden's holy magic becoming a bolt of pure heavenly wrath that wrapped itself about the impure form of the undead hospital administrator, tearing and arcing through his flesh and grafts. At first there was only the sizzle and popping of burning flesh, but then he raised his arm once more, and his graft began to whine like a steam kettle... and then there was a ball of fire, tearing apart the hallway, and a concussive wave of force smashed into the group of adventurer's.

The sound was followed swiftly by the sounds of explosions below them, and through the hole they could see the fire roaring ever brighter, but this was hardly a concern as the floor began to buckle and warp, the hole spreading, as chunks of the ceiling broke away. The research lab began to sag as though it was about to slide from the building, but the bank of windows, and its slow speed promised a greater chance of survival than staying here and being crushed under burning rubble.
---------------
PC Round 3

Ark- Critical Failure. Free the Administrator.

Elsa- 12 damage, Administrator

Raltz- 7 Damage, Administrator

Bello- Move to Short Range of Administrator.

Kole- Try to look like someone who doesn't need to be shot.

Arden/Jhen, Combo Get

Administrator- (-19)/???

Arden- 17/20
Raltz- 15/27
Kole- 6/23, Zombie
Elsa- 24/26
Ark- 26/29
Bello- 15/22
Jhen- 20/20

Hospital is Difficult Terrain. Athletics check recieve -2 modifier. Hospital is also fire, lightning, and shadow elemental terrain.

----------------
NPC Round 3

Administrator- Fires... on Ceiling, dropping chunk of the roof between himself and attackers, ripping a hole in the ground.

Arden- 17/20
Raltz- 15/27
Kole- 6/23, Zombie
Elsa- 24/26
Ark- 26/29
Bello- 15/22
Jhen- 20/20

Hospital is Difficult Terrain. Athletics check recieve -2 modifier. Hospital is also fire, lightning, and shadow elemental terrain.

Athletics roll of 9+ required to cross over.

----------------
PC Round 4

Jhennek/Arden- 112 damage to Administrator.

Administrator- Blow the fuck up.

Hospital- Collapse

Collapsing hospital- 3 damage Arden, 2 damage Raltz, 0 damage Kole (crit success), 5 damage Elsa, 2 damage Ark, 4 damage Bello, 2 damage Jhen


Arden- 14/20
Raltz- 13/27
Kole- 6/23, Zombie
Elsa- 19/26
Ark- 24/29
Bello- 11/22
Jhen- 18/20

Diffuse holy energy poured into the air before Arden, faintly green, as the White Mage chanted softly. She called her fist, eyes tightly shut, and willed that power to condense. Her spell casting aura grew in brilliance as the power of restore collected itself into a lens-like form.

Lightning flashed from Jhennek's hand, pouring through the holy lens. Purified and magnified, the spell raced down the hallway, consuming the Administrator at its end in a crackling mass of incandescence. Flesh sizzled, as holy lightning damaged grafts and surged through the man's shadow twisted form.

A mana cannon - heavily damage - was thrust from the spell's peak. A high pitched whine reached Arden's ears, wiping away her cocky expression and causing her to stumble backward. Flames, a fast spreading ball of fire, burst from the graft as it overloaded and exploded. The hallway's walls and floor disintegrated, as a solid wave of concussive force raced outward, knocking Arden to the floor.

...which started to fall apart.

Cursing softly, Arden pushed herself to her feet - and grabbed Jhennek in the process. She swept the small mage into her arms.

"Move!" She shouted - hopefully it wasn't necessary - and took off back toward the Research Lab. The ceiling was collapsing around them - but things looked more stable the way they had come.

A chunk of stone fell into her path, spraying jagged shards of tile and plaster into the air. Biting her lip, Arden did her best to shield Jhennek from them with her body. The debris cut shallowly into her skin - it stung. But, she'd reached the Research Area, which seemed to be trembling a little, but, was holding itself together otherwise, luckily.

Ignoring the strange vibrations for the moment, she moved deeper into the room. Carefully, she knelt and set Jhennek down. Was the shaking getting worse? And why did it feel like things were slanted? Maybe that blast did more damage than I thought…

Putting such concerns aside for the moment, Arden pushed herself to her feet. "Are you alright?" She glanced back toward the hallway to check on the other-

The whole lab seemed to be sliding away from the connecting hallway. The hole was spreading.

Eyes slightly wide, Arden turned back toward Jhennek. "We should move further into the room."

Walking quickly, it was quickly becoming apart that the slanting was growing more pronounced - At least I wasn't imagining it. It was getting harder to stand. Her feet were sliding. Wait, that means...

"Grab onto something!"

Arden really hoped that she hadn't imagined shouting that.

* * * * * *

Miraculously, after the dust settled and the shaking stopped, Arden realized that, aside from a dull ache everywhere, she was still alive. More miraculous still, she was outside the hospital, in a mostly in-tact research lab.

How lucky.

"Is everyone here?" She called, pushing herself - still a little unsteady - to her feet. Arden dusted herself off - moving a little gingerly.

Along with the other adventurers with blades, Raltz valiantly cut a bitch in the form of the locked up administrator. However, things seemed to go from good to bad when two of his fellow mages decided to be creative and formed a holy lightning bolt of destruction. Raltz was too busy trying to get away from the heavenly blast's target to really see what happened, but some went boom, and he felt the whole area shaking around him. He rose to his feet, stumbling, and tried to run away from the hole in the ground. He felt himself fall again though with an even greater thud as he ran. after that he blacked out for a moment. He wasn't quite sure where he was at the point he heard Arden's voice again.

"Is everyone here?"

"That depends, is my hat okay?" Raltz responded a bit feebly as he got back up, feeling around his rather excessive head of hair for his red hat. It appeared to be gone, allowing all of his hair to be shown from the bangs to his shoulders. "Whatever, I guess I'm here," he said despondedly as he searched around for his jaunty headpiece. It wasn't long before he came across it some feet from where he landed. He quickly scooped it up and dusted it off to the best of his abilities. After that, he mounted it once more.

"Anywho," the red mage said offhandedly as he tucked some stray strands of hair away, "where is Zombie boy? The two of us found a revify earlier, and if he's still alive I can probably give it to him as an alternative to shooting him in the face."