Due to Sonic being dazed and such, he was stumbling over to the mysterious blue light without even noticing. When Sonic finally did regain his composure, a certain feline began to jog beside him.
"About time you woke up!" The hedgehog mused to Blaze. Not wanting to waste anymore time, Sonic firmly grasped Blaze's wrist before blasting off towards the blue light without even a moment's hesitation.
Blaze's heart skipped a beat, and before she could argue, she was being dragged along by a hedgehog she was quickly losing pace with. So with an amused smile, the red jewel upon her head lit up as Blaze channeled her pyrokinesis into propelling herself forward in order to keep up with Sonic; leaving a flickering ember of her power behind with every step.
"Not going to question what this dark void may be before rushing headlong into it?" Blaze jabbed, although her tone was serious enough to make it sound like a scolding.
A2 would turn over to give a blank stare at the man who apparently praised her for such actions that were basic functions for an android like herself. Just from the fact that she had practically deserted them in the midst of their war, she's grown fond of being alone and fending for herself. Something about interacting with a person she had no prior knowledge of and not even knowing the true purpose of being here set off a few warning signs in A2's head.
Regardless of her thrown sword would hit the object off of it's hanging place or not from the arch, A2 signaled the weapon to cycle back to her like a boomerang, making use of the electromagnetic sensors implanted into her body and her sword. Nonchalantly catching her sword's grip with a casually extended hand, she allows the electromagnetic system to manually levitate the sword behind her, signified by a singular holographic glyph surrounding its hilt. To any other person, this would appear like acts of magic.
Magic. A2 was rather perplexed by this comment. Androids were made out of technology developed by the humans, completely from scientific means. Just the mere mention of magic was baseless to her, the android aware that it was a form of fantasy. Even if she couldn't remember certain things due to her corrupted memory, she had a beckoning feeling that she had no choice to accept it as is at this moment, for she had no knowledge of this man and now a woman named Selene joining their supposed conversation. Furthermore, A2 felt like she couldn't tell what was truth and lies at this point... not what after she thinks on what went down before she got here...
"Try telling me something that makes sense, that'll be useful."
If this conversation wasn't going to go anywhere, A2 saw no reason to leave these two be. It was either they provide some info that she could work from or not. Simple as that. Just to be sure, A2 would passively initiate a quick scan on the two to match with current data she had in her system. As it looked like she was merely glancing at the two a bit too much, something about this troubled her. They were not mechanical like herself or the machines, instead they were of organic origin. That was all she could take from this.
"... lucky by chance that you lot aren't classified as my targets... yet. Do me a favor and don't give me a reason to change that."
Getting that out of the way, A2 grumbled over towards Selene's direction.
"Good for you Selene, you told complete strangers your name. Now do you expect me to do the same? Because I would have to be a complete idiot to do that."
At any moment, A2 could just straight-up leave them be, but almost like the curiosity of her corrupted memories, she was slightly curious on why she and unusual others were pulled into this strange place.
What a real bitch. She'd met even give Emma Frost a run for her money in that regard. Selene couldn't help find It adorable, however. Like a puppy chasing it's tail, A2 had no idea what she was doing. This child had to gull to speak to the Black Queen like that. If they weren't in the situation they were in, Selene would have murder the android on general principle. However, this wasn't the time nor place. Standing close, Selene felt no life force coming from the android, nor could she mind read A2 either. Selene began to think, and with that the puzzle start taking shape.
"Hmm. Something about you, it's off. I can tell. Child, you're not human, are you? Not that's a bad thing. Humans, So think they're strong, so yet most are purely weak. However, what are you than? If you aren't human, or accustom to their ways, I'll assume that the reason you're so rude. You should be warned, however, don't take my kindness as weakness. For you may not see my kindness again."
"I... Do not know... But we have to hope that they try... For their sake..."
Prologue The Dimensional Breach
It might have happened without warning, a sudden, jarring journey across space and time itself, or perhaps on accident, during an attempt to traverse the multiverse. In fact, it could even have happened in one's sleep, but nonetheless, each and every one who was brought to this place felt distinct pull towards a certain point, as they found themselves hurtling through an seemingly infinite space, to a destination that never quite came.
As there appeared to be no semblance of gravity, let alone sense of direction, most who were not able to keep themselves steady would find themselves in a rather voilent tumble... That is, until the new arrivals, of sorts, felt themselves come to a sudden stop, dumped onto a cold, hard, surface that... Seemed to have little to no texture at all.
Naturally, most who were dumped here would be a bit disoriented, with their vision in a whirl after their turbulent arrival, but fortunately, despite how rigid the ground beneath them seemed to be... It was actually quite solid.
But after taking a closer look at the ground, and their surroundings in general, most might find themselves confused, considering that whether they looked up, or down, right, or left, all they saw was darkness for the most part. Well, different shades of darkness, really; the "floor" beneath them was generally a pitch black, like the void, while the "sky" above was a more greyish color, but still quite dark for what it was worth, with little grains of darker and lighter color shimmering around, like some form of strange static... Or perhaps flickering stars, if they had somehow lost most of their light, or were just obscured by a thick fog.
As far as the eye could see, the place was flat, and perhaps those who managed to find it fast enough, could spot a faint, blue glimmer, and even hear a soft crackling noise as a circular shaped tear, in time and space itself... Appeared to close itself behind the group of arrivals, too quickly for even the fastest of arrivals to jump inside in time.
However, the disappearance of this mysterious portal of sorts, quickly revealed another faint, but still visible source of illumination; another dim blue glow, another tear in space and time, like the one that brought them here? Or perhaps something else?
Only one way to find out, right? It was somewhere in front of the group of arrivals.
Yet, that wasn't the only thing that could be seen, as somewhere to their left, there was the outline of something, perhaps a bench, sitting in front of a tall, pole like structure, with a glass container mounted ontop, and within, a dim light seemed to emanate from it, flickering on occasion.
Unfortunately, whatever light it was attempting to cast, did little to pierce the darkness in this place, but from what one could gather, the glass did seem a little smudged. This could not be made out for certain though, unless one were to investigate themselves...
Last, but not least, somewhere to their right, there appeared to be the outline some sort of wooden structure, with a large, flat board in its center, with something attatched to it, something big, and flat... Not unlike a rather large piece of paper or something, actually. Perhaps those who looked a little closer might also spot something hanging from the little arch on top of it, perhaps a potential light source? Or some other weird contraption, it was hard to tell from this distance, but whatever was hanging off that chain could prove usefull, that and there was bound to be something written on whatever was on that structure, right?
At any rate, it looks like at least there were a few things to do here, wherever, or whenever here was, anyways:
A) Find the source of that faint blue glow, it looks to be some distance directly in front of the group of people that had arrived.
B) Investigate the structures to the left, and though one couldn't be completely certain with the dim lighting in this place, judging from their outlines, it seemed to be a dimly lit lamp post of some sort that was sitting behind a bench.
C) Venture over to the structure to the right, which appeared to be made of wood, with a little arch ontop, that had some sort of object hanging from it. It also seemed that there might be something written on it, given the outline of what could be considered paper, attatched to it.
Or.
D) They could always loiter around and talk amongst each other or something, but it might be wise to at least get a little more light in this place before any real interaction can occur...
Where would the new arrivals go? If... Anywhere really, but well, somewhere was better than nowhere, wasn't it? Since it would seem that for whatever reason, or whatever cause, they would be stuck here for a good while...
To say Johnny Cage was a bit over the hill was an understatement based on his age. The man who popped out of a portal that seemed to lead to a place of fire and damnation was clearly older than most of the group, hair already graying as a part of middle age while his face held a few scars due to past fights. To anyone around, it might be hard to believe that this actor was supposed to be the Guardian of Earthrealm based on appearance alone.
It was a good thing then that Cage could back up his title, both with his powers and with his award-winning smile. Seriously, film critics loved that smile when he wasn't trying to overwhelm the scene. Plus, he certainly looked closer to being in his early 40s than his actual ripe old age of 52.
Landing on his ass with a grunt as he was thrown out of the portal, the movie star groaned before picking himself up, body a little sore as he looked around. The last fight he had had with a pair of wraiths in Netherrealm had been a hard-fought one, but thankfully, he had come out no worse for wear in the long-term - just a bit of an ache in his old bones as he cocked a brow from behind his new sunglasses at all the strange people and the strange place they were in.
"Damn, should have brought Toto along, the bad news that we're not in Earthrealm would have been better with him," He quipped before looking around the group with a smile, giving them a wave, "Any of you guys know how to get back to Earthrealm? My last portal was supposed to take me there..." The flicker of that blue portal caught his eyes, and the cheesy grin grew wider, "Bingo, I think we've found our way home, Janeway. Everyone interested in getting home has best hurry up, because Johnny Cage waits for nobody!"
Well, except for his queen and his little princess, but Sonya and Cassie weren't here at the moment. Actually, now that he thought about it as he began to run to the blue portal, where were they? Weren't they coming through the same portal as him? Then again, didn't the portal close right behind him as he jumped through? Right, get back home, then find out where the hell my family is and kick whoever's ass is responsible for this.
Captain America and Howlett prologue - A series of unfortunate adventures
Before the circumstances had brought them together these two had been strangers to one another. Truth of the matter was that they weren't even natives of the same universe. They had been stuck here for what they could surmise had been at least a few days. Their stay here had been everything else but pleasant.
Case in point as they were now running through a ravaged city.
"Move your ass Howlett! Unless you want them to bite it off!" The woman shouted to the bearded scruffy man running a bit behind her. Her name was Danielle Cage, but most people knew her by the moniker of Captain America. She was from a world also ravaged by disaster, but not to the degree that this one was.
"Better worry about yourself. Anyone who tries to get a piece of me will be missing a head." The man was James Howlett, governor-general of Dominion of Canada. His world was not as ravaged as this, though he wasn't unfamiliar to the concept of dimensional travel. Being the hunted however was something wasn't a fan of.
Turning around he'd see their hunters coming closer.
The living corpses of this worlds heroes hungered for flesh, and right now Captain America and Howlett were on the menu.
Soon enough the hunt came to an end as the way was blocked by debris that they had no time to clear. Howlett grinned as golden claws popped out with a snikt from his hands. "Guess this it were it ends. No one can't say that I'd die on my back."
Captain America looked grimly at him before raising her shield. Even in the brief time she had known Howlett she'd felt a sadness in him. It was as if he was looking forward to his death. "Speak for yourself, I have too much to live for to let these flesh eating vultures do me in."
Suddenly however they felt a pull before vanishing into thin air, stealing food from the ravenous zombies that hunted them.
"I... Do not know... But we have to hope that they try... For their sake..."
Prologue The Dimensional Breach
It might have happened without warning, a sudden, jarring journey across space and time itself, or perhaps on accident, during an attempt to traverse the multiverse. In fact, it could even have happened in one's sleep, but nonetheless, each and every one who was brought to this place felt distinct pull towards a certain point, as they found themselves hurtling through an seemingly infinite space, to a destination that never quite came.
As there appeared to be no semblance of gravity, let alone sense of direction, most who were not able to keep themselves steady would find themselves in a rather voilent tumble... That is, until the new arrivals, of sorts, felt themselves come to a sudden stop, dumped onto a cold, hard, surface that... Seemed to have little to no texture at all.
Naturally, most who were dumped here would be a bit disoriented, with their vision in a whirl after their turbulent arrival, but fortunately, despite how rigid the ground beneath them seemed to be... It was actually quite solid.
But after taking a closer look at the ground, and their surroundings in general, most might find themselves confused, considering that whether they looked up, or down, right, or left, all they saw was darkness for the most part. Well, different shades of darkness, really; the "floor" beneath them was generally a pitch black, like the void, while the "sky" above was a more greyish color, but still quite dark for what it was worth, with little grains of darker and lighter color shimmering around, like some form of strange static... Or perhaps flickering stars, if they had somehow lost most of their light, or were just obscured by a thick fog.
As far as the eye could see, the place was flat, and perhaps those who managed to find it fast enough, could spot a faint, blue glimmer, and even hear a soft crackling noise as a circular shaped tear, in time and space itself... Appeared to close itself behind the group of arrivals, too quickly for even the fastest of arrivals to jump inside in time.
However, the disappearance of this mysterious portal of sorts, quickly revealed another faint, but still visible source of illumination; another dim blue glow, another tear in space and time, like the one that brought them here? Or perhaps something else?
Only one way to find out, right? It was somewhere in front of the group of arrivals.
Yet, that wasn't the only thing that could be seen, as somewhere to their left, there was the outline of something, perhaps a bench, sitting in front of a tall, pole like structure, with a glass container mounted ontop, and within, a dim light seemed to emanate from it, flickering on occasion.
Unfortunately, whatever light it was attempting to cast, did little to pierce the darkness in this place, but from what one could gather, the glass did seem a little smudged. This could not be made out for certain though, unless one were to investigate themselves...
Last, but not least, somewhere to their right, there appeared to be the outline some sort of wooden structure, with a large, flat board in its center, with something attatched to it, something big, and flat... Not unlike a rather large piece of paper or something, actually. Perhaps those who looked a little closer might also spot something hanging from the little arch on top of it, perhaps a potential light source? Or some other weird contraption, it was hard to tell from this distance, but whatever was hanging off that chain could prove usefull, that and there was bound to be something written on whatever was on that structure, right?
At any rate, it looks like at least there were a few things to do here, wherever, or whenever here was, anyways:
A) Find the source of that faint blue glow, it looks to be some distance directly in front of the group of people that had arrived.
B) Investigate the structures to the left, and though one couldn't be completely certain with the dim lighting in this place, judging from their outlines, it seemed to be a dimly lit lamp post of some sort that was sitting behind a bench.
C) Venture over to the structure to the right, which appeared to be made of wood, with a little arch ontop, that had some sort of object hanging from it. It also seemed that there might be something written on it, given the outline of what could be considered paper, attatched to it.
Or.
D) They could always loiter around and talk amongst each other or something, but it might be wise to at least get a little more light in this place before any real interaction can occur...
Where would the new arrivals go? If... Anywhere really, but well, somewhere was better than nowhere, wasn't it? Since it would seem that for whatever reason, or whatever cause, they would be stuck here for a good while...
The two of them fell to the ground with a loud thud. Relieved, but confused as to where they were. Was this the machinations of the entity that had brought them to that zombie infested world?
"What the heck just happened?" Captain America looked around to see if there was anything that caught her eye, but all that she saw was the dull surroundings and people looking as confused as her standing around.
Howlett was no better. He tried to get a scent of the area but it was scentless. No scents, no sounds other than from the chatter of the people there. There was only emptiness.
While their time together had been short, surviving on that world had made them form a bond with each other and with a nod both of them went to investigate the structure to the right where they found that some people had already gathered.
What a real bitch. She'd met even give Emma Frost a run for her money in that regard. Selene couldn't help find It adorable, however. Like a puppy chasing it's tail, A2 had no idea what she was doing. This child had to gull to speak to the Black Queen like that. If they weren't in the situation they were in, Selene would have murder the android on general principle. However, this wasn't the time nor place. Standing close, Selene felt no life force coming from the android, nor could she mind read A2 either. Selene began to think, and with that the puzzle start taking shape.
"Hmm. Something about you, it's off. I can tell. Child, you're not human, are you? Not that's a bad thing. Humans, So think they're strong, so yet most are purely weak. However, what are you than? If you aren't human, or accustom to their ways, I'll assume that the reason you're so rude. You should be warned, however, don't take my kindness as weakness. For you may not see my kindness again."
"I don't think anyone wants the kind of kindness you're sellin'." Howlett responded, tipping his hat towards the three gathered in the area. "If you need anything to call me, I'm James Howlett."
"I'm Captain America." Cap replied as she took in the three there her shield now resting on her back. "Anyone have any info about where we are?"
Well now, maybe this one was more like Vivienne than he had initially imagined.
"Terribly sorry for confusing you," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I simply presumed too much I see."
He looked amused all over again when the woman summoned her sword back to her. Perhaps he had made a grave error in assuming she would know what he was talking about. For all he knew, she was an apostate mage from the wilds of Ferelden who had developed some kind of unique discipline of magic all to her own. It certainly would have explained her social demeanor and barely-there outfit.
"And, of course, sorry for being so presumptuous to assume that any and all desire my company! I promise to only open my mouth for worthwhile bits of advice and humorous quips." He smiled, for he knew this was not what the woman wanted to hear from him, but Dorian was hardly going to be the one to break off the conversation. The ones who took themselves a bit too seriously were the best to get a rise out of, after all.
He didn't account for others to join their merry band of two, but he was grateful that his natural charm and good looks were enough to draw others out of the crowd. His brow raised at the sight of the second woman, noting that she too was looking quite provocative. She was stunning, obviously, but oh, alas...
"Oh!" He barked out a laugh at the first woman's comment, for he had to agree, this new woman was rather quick to provide her name. Perhaps she was not so humorless after all. "No worries, perhaps we should be trying to make friendly in a place as dismal as this. Just so you're not the odd woman out, Selene, I too will provide my name." He took a slight pause. For dramatic purposes, clearly. "... Dorian! Dorian of house Pavus."
Would they recognize the name? If they perhaps had any connection to Tevinter...
"Interesting," he muttered when he heard Selene be so bold to accuse the other woman of being inhuman. Perhaps she was on to something, considering this was something akin to the Fade and all. "Now, now, let's not make suggestions that new friends are demons so quickly. For all we know, we're all just a bunch of hapless mages who have stumbled into the world of dreams. That is, of course, if both of you are mages. I can only imagine you are, but I am open to being shocked and surprised if you're willing to share."
He had only finished saying this when more arrived, which elicited a chuckle from Dorian. My, my, more people to contend with, and these two certainly looked like no mage Dorian had ever seen. The woman of the pair introduced herself as a captain, which invoked the image of some kind of knight. Very intriguing...
"I'm afraid info is in short supply," was all he could think to say for now.
It was a beautiful day at the Kanzuki estate. The Sun was shining, the birds were singing, and resident hired goon Birdie was treating himself to a light snack. Which, y'know, meant an entire box of Krispy Kremes. The fancy kind, mind you, with the jelly filling and pretty glaze. Life was very, very good today.
Until, of course, trouble dropped in.
"Oof!!" Donuts scattered to and fro, Birdie helpless to save them as he found himself between the floor amd a stiletto. The culprit let out her signature laugh.
"Ohohoho~! For a man named Birdie, you really are bad at flying away from an attack! You'd be cat food in a week!"
"Uurgh..." Birdie got to his feet as Karin got off him, but he kept a hand on his poor head. "I'm here for a good time, not a long one," he retorted. "I woulda much rather enjoyed my meal before looking out for trouble."
"We both know you find trouble no matter what you do," his boss replied. "But anyway, I need you to do something for me. Today is the day I'm to meet Little Eagle."
"Little...who now? Ain't that a singer?"
"Not Little Richie, you buffoon, Little Eagle? You know, one of the Dolls?"
"Ohhhhh, yeah, yeah I know! Hmph, what bloody language uses 'Little Eagle' as a name of a month?"
"Oh for the love of...Little Eagle is her real name! She went by Noembelu before. Yoy might remember her as the one who took you out and let Marz escape."
"Oh. Her." Yeah, he remembered, all right. Cost him his well-earned meal. "So, what do I gotta do, boss?"
"You will meet her and keep her company until I get back."
"From doin' what?"
"I need to deliver some belated gifts to Nuying and Ehuang-Xanyu and Jianyu, as they were known as when Dolls." Karin gestured behind her to where some servants were wheeling out an entire cart of Fei Long movies. "The entire Fei Long filmography! If you can, try to figure out what Little Eagle likes. She's getting gifts too."
"Yeah, yeah...but hey, ain't Honda helpin' with Dolls too? Why can't he do it?"
"Oh, Edmond mentioned needing to go to deal with zombies in America, or something. I didn't think much of it."
"Heh, them Americans. Bloody animals, the lot of 'em." Birdie fished one of the Krispy Kremes out of the koi pond and ate it.
"Anyway, I'm off to Shanghai. I'll bring you some dim sum, if you'd like."
"If it's food, you know I'll eat it!"
"Oh believe me, I know." And she was gone.
11:45 AM
As he lounged about, his Gorillaz album playing in the background, Birdie scratched his stomach, looking around. Little Eagle was nowhere in sight. Ugh...all this waiting when he could be eating! Hopefully she'd be here soon...
Eh. He'd waited long enough. Birdie yawned, wanting to laze about some. Resting his head on his arms he curled up on the ground and decided to get some shut eye.
----------
He woke up to a bloody void.
"Bloody hell?" He sat up, looking around. "What the-Lady Karin! This some kinda joke?!" Hello?!"
This was weird. Real weird. And all these strangers...suddenly he noticed someone he knew.
"Little Eagle!" She didn't respond. Laying unconscious, she looked to be asleep. And in the same boat as him.
Birdie groaned. Karin was gonna kill him for this.
Well now, maybe this one was more like Vivienne than he had initially imagined.
"Terribly sorry for confusing you," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I simply presumed too much I see."
He looked amused all over again when the woman summoned her sword back to her. Perhaps he had made a grave error in assuming she would know what he was talking about. For all he knew, she was an apostate mage from the wilds of Ferelden who had developed some kind of unique discipline of magic all to her own. It certainly would have explained her social demeanor and barely-there outfit.
"And, of course, sorry for being so presumptuous to assume that any and all desire my company! I promise to only open my mouth for worthwhile bits of advice and humorous quips." He smiled, for he knew this was not what the woman wanted to hear from him, but Dorian was hardly going to be the one to break off the conversation. The ones who took themselves a bit too seriously were the best to get a rise out of, after all.
He didn't account for others to join their merry band of two, but he was grateful that his natural charm and good looks were enough to draw others out of the crowd. His brow raised at the sight of the second woman, noting that she too was looking quite provocative. She was stunning, obviously, but oh, alas...
"Oh!" He barked out a laugh at the first woman's comment, for he had to agree, this new woman was rather quick to provide her name. Perhaps she was not so humorless after all. "No worries, perhaps we should be trying to make friendly in a place as dismal as this. Just so you're not the odd woman out, Selene, I too will provide my name." He took a slight pause. For dramatic purposes, clearly. "... Dorian! Dorian of house Pavus."
Would they recognize the name? If they perhaps had any connection to Tevinter...
"Interesting," he muttered when he heard Selene be so bold to accuse the other woman of being inhuman. Perhaps she was on to something, considering this was something akin to the Fade and all. "Now, now, let's not accuse new friends of being demons so quickly. For all we know, we're all just a bunch of hapless mages who have stumbled into the world of dreams. That is, of course, if both of you are mages. I can only imagine you are, but I am open to being shocked and surprised if you're willing to share."
He had only finished saying this when more arrived, which elicited a chuckle from Dorian. My, my, more people to contend with, and these two certainly looked like no mage Dorian had ever seen. The woman of the pair introduced herself as a captain, which invoked the image of some kind of knight. Very intriguing...
"I'm afraid info is in short supply," was all he could think to say for now.
"Mechanical." Howlett responded pointing at his nose, having become familiar with a similar scent when he and his former team had been stuck on a worth inhabited mostly by machines. This one though looked for all intense and purpose as a human, perhaps a spy of some sort? For the time being though that was the least of their worries. "No demons here. They have a far worse stink around them. Just got to take my word on that."
"I see." The response didn't seem to sit well with Cap. "That just means we have to find some answers ourselves then."
What a real bitch. She'd met even give Emma Frost a run for her money in that regard. Selene couldn't help find It adorable, however. Like a puppy chasing it's tail, A2 had no idea what she was doing. This child had to gull to speak to the Black Queen like that. If they weren't in the situation they were in, Selene would have murder the android on general principle. However, this wasn't the time nor place. Standing close, Selene felt no life force coming from the android, nor could she mind read A2 either. Selene began to think, and with that the puzzle start taking shape.
"Hmm. Something about you, it's off. I can tell. Child, you're not human, are you? Not that's a bad thing. Humans, So think they're strong, so yet most are purely weak. However, what are you than? If you aren't human, or accustom to their ways, I'll assume that the reason you're so rude. You should be warned, however, don't take my kindness as weakness. For you may not see my kindness again."
Captain America and Howlett prologue - A series of unfortunate adventures
Before the circumstances had brought them together these two had been strangers to one another. Truth of the matter was that they weren't even natives of the same universe. They had been stuck here for what they could surmise had been at least a few days. Their stay here had been everything else but pleasant.
Case in point as they were now running through a ravaged city.
"Move your ass Howlett! Unless you want them to bite it off!" The woman shouted to the bearded scruffy man running a bit behind her. Her name was Danielle Cage, but most people knew her by the moniker of Captain America. She was from a world also ravaged by disaster, but not to the degree that this one was.
"Better worry about yourself. Anyone who tries to get a piece of me will be missing a head." The man was James Howlett, governor-general of Dominion of Canada. His world was not as ravaged as this, though he wasn't unfamiliar to the concept of dimensional travel. Being the hunted however was something wasn't a fan of.
Turning around he'd see their hunters coming closer.
The living corpses of this worlds heroes hungered for flesh, and right now Captain America and Howlett were on the menu.
Soon enough the hunt came to an end as the way was blocked by debris that they had no time to clear. Howlett grinned as golden claws popped out with a snikt from his hands. "Guess this it were it ends. No one can't say that I'd die on my back."
Captain America looked grimly at him before raising her shield. Even in the brief time she had known Howlett she'd felt a sadness in him. It was as if he was looking forward to his death. "Speak for yourself, I have too much to live for to let these flesh eating vultures do me in."
Suddenly however they felt a pull before vanishing into thin air, stealing food from the ravenous zombies that hunted them.
The two of them fell to the ground with a loud thud. Relieved, but confused as to where they were. Was this the machinations of the entity that had brought them to that zombie infested world?
"What the heck just happened?" Captain America looked around to see if there was anything that caught her eye, but all that she saw was the dull surroundings and people looking as confused as her standing around.
Howlett was no better. He tried to get a scent of the area but it was scentless. No scents, no sounds other than from the chatter of the people there. There was only emptiness.
While their time together had been short, surviving on that world had made them form a bond with each other and with a nod both of them went to investigate the structure to the right where they found that some people had already gathered.
"I don't think anyone wants the kind of kindness you're sellin'." Howlett responded, tipping his hat towards the three gathered in the area. "If you need anything to call me, I'm James Howlett."
"I'm Captain America." Cap replied as she took in the three there her shield now resting on her back. "Anyone have any info about where we are?"
Well now, maybe this one was more like Vivienne than he had initially imagined.
"Terribly sorry for confusing you," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I simply presumed too much I see."
He looked amused all over again when the woman summoned her sword back to her. Perhaps he had made a grave error in assuming she would know what he was talking about. For all he knew, she was an apostate mage from the wilds of Ferelden who had developed some kind of unique discipline of magic all to her own. It certainly would have explained her social demeanor and barely-there outfit.
"And, of course, sorry for being so presumptuous to assume that any and all desire my company! I promise to only open my mouth for worthwhile bits of advice and humorous quips." He smiled, for he knew this was not what the woman wanted to hear from him, but Dorian was hardly going to be the one to break off the conversation. The ones who took themselves a bit too seriously were the best to get a rise out of, after all.
He didn't account for others to join their merry band of two, but he was grateful that his natural charm and good looks were enough to draw others out of the crowd. His brow raised at the sight of the second woman, noting that she too was looking quite provocative. She was stunning, obviously, but oh, alas...
"Oh!" He barked out a laugh at the first woman's comment, for he had to agree, this new woman was rather quick to provide her name. Perhaps she was not so humorless after all. "No worries, perhaps we should be trying to make friendly in a place as dismal as this. Just so you're not the odd woman out, Selene, I too will provide my name." He took a slight pause. For dramatic purposes, clearly. "... Dorian! Dorian of house Pavus."
Would they recognize the name? If they perhaps had any connection to Tevinter...
"Interesting," he muttered when he heard Selene be so bold to accuse the other woman of being inhuman. Perhaps she was on to something, considering this was something akin to the Fade and all. "Now, now, let's not accuse new friends of being demons so quickly. For all we know, we're all just a bunch of hapless mages who have stumbled into the world of dreams. That is, of course, if both of you are mages. I can only imagine you are, but I am open to being shocked and surprised if you're willing to share."
He had only finished saying this when more arrived, which elicited a chuckle from Dorian. My, my, more people to contend with, and these two certainly looked like no mage Dorian had ever seen. The woman of the pair introduced herself as a captain, which invoked the image of some kind of knight. Very intriguing...
"I'm afraid info is in short supply," was all he could think to say for now.
"Mechanical." Howlett responded pointing at his nose, having become familiar with a similar scent when he and his former team had been stuck on a worth inhabited mostly by machines. This one though looked for all intense and purpose as a human, perhaps a spy of some sort? For the time being though that was the least of their worries. "No demons here. They have a far worse stink around them. Just got to take my word on that."
"I see." The response didn't seem to sit well with Cap. "That just means we have to find some answers ourselves then."
Through some method unknown to her, A2 got the message that Selene knew about her not being a human. Not like she was designed to fool others under the guise of a human, she was solely created for battle engagement in all sorts of purposes. There was nothing to hide in terms of that, but from the fact that she was identified in such a strange manner, it made her wonder if traces of the machine threat were here. Though, she didn't care about machine threats too much, considering the bigger picture of this strange occurrence.
"Congrats. You got me even when I have nothing to hide."
As if to intentionally mess with Selene, A2 would sarcastically congratulate her, giving the Black Queen a taste of A2's snarky behavior. Just as she would begin to speak, she paused for a moment due to a part of her memories being restored.
"I don't do introductions, takes too much effort for my CPU processor, but fine... I was built as an all-purpose battle android with the alleged purpose of eliminating other machines... or so I was told, designated as YoRHa Attacker Type No.2 ... or to save me a headache, keep it short with A2 instead."
Running a hand through her hair, A2 stopped herself before she would go to worthless information, and it was more to save herself from putting too much effort in a task that wouldn't contribute to a direct solution to this strange event. With more walking in to this small group, she felt relieved in a way to move the topic to the main problem at stake. When asked on information related to the situation, A2 opened up a single holographic display to see if this location was related to any geographical records she had saved on her memory.
"No matches with my saved geographical and environmental data records. Nothing else that can be done until something big happens. Tough luck..."
With nothing of worth being found through this method, A2 disabled her holographic console for now. It would drain out energy out of her if she had that on for too long.
There aren't many words to describe the feeling of a summer day in Italy. It's like a musical playing on Broadway; a once-in-a-lifetime feeling that fades away, even if one gets the chance to see it again. A fool thinks he can feel that golden wind every summer, every year, because he only looks forward. People that that; the 'blind' people that are exclusively 'takers' won't understand what I mean. It isn't the blistering heat or the sugar-hungry bees that make a summer day memorable; it's actually the time off that leaves the impression on you. One doesn't get this kind of time in school or work. So, with all the time available, you get a chance to look back, before you look forward.
Look back on the golden path you've walked.
And see where your ambition and your resolve leads you next.
-----
"Ah, uh, b-boss?"
The door creaked open ever so slightly, exposing the boy's face to the the cool breeze flowing through the open window within the office. Standing in the thin frame was a sharply-dressed Italian youth, no more than 16 years of age. His face was overflowing with fear as peered around the office, halting his gaze when he spotted a figure standing over a wooden desk, peering through the window. The figure turned slowly, facing the young man.
He looked exactly like he looked in the pictures; a glossy two-piece suit with a checkered coat tail, with the wing-shaped emblems on the collars and a heart-shaped opening on the chest. The three ladybug emblems located on either side of the chest and directly below that zipper. The golden hair and the eyes that kind of sharpen at the edges...
Giorno Giovanna, the boss of Passione.
Giorno blinked, waiting for the informant to speak. When the boy stuttered and expected something grand to happen, Giorno smiled patiently and walked forward. He noticed the kid was kind of scrawny, in an eerily familiar way. "I'm assuming you've come to tell me something, Candire?"
The boy calmed down slightly, walking into the office and bowing to his superior. "Yes, of course, boss! I was jus' gonna deliver a report from, uh, Guido Mista, on his mission!"
"Mista?" Giorno said, furrowing his brow. I didn't expect a report from him this soon... did he just get impatient? Or did he finish earlier than expected?
He probably did finish earlier than expected. Giorno has had plenty of time to learn Mista's routine, after all.
For the past three years, Giorno Giovanna hasn't found himself getting much action ever since he 'evicted' the previous boss of Passione. Three whole years had passed since then, but his dream of removing drugs from the streets of Naples was succeeded in just one, maybe two years. Passione quickly turned it's loyalty towards Giorno, something which he suspects is either a sign of cowardice in the ranks of the mafia...or, are they truly good people? Giorno had three whole years to find the answer to his question, but it's a curious dilemma.
Some of were as dishonorable as Giorno had expected. Being in this position of power and 'dealing with' the 'takers' made Giorno feel...too much like his father. If he can still call him that, after all this time.
For what it's worth, however, some sense of honor was returned to Passione, and by extension, Naples itself. The gang's efforts were turned towards development in Naples and some minor Robin Hood-esque operations, and earning the loyalty of some old friends. Giorno followed in the golden path left behind by Bruno, with only Guido Mista and Pannacotta Fugo by his side.
...But, where does he go now? After everything was said and done?
He was stepping towards his 'dreams', but now he's at the end of the path. Having everything felt like having nothing for Giorno. Indeed, the summer day was passing, and it was starting to feel like the end of that Broadway show. He's just carrying on the flag of Passione, if not for himself, then for those who died along this path.
Giorno blinked and focused himself, staring down the young Candire who looked confused at the boss' sudden silence. "...Well, what did he say? Did he get the job done?"
"...Uh, well...no, I don't know. I was hopin' you'd know what this means, boss. Plus I'm not all that good at reading..." Candire muttered, reaching into his coat and handing Giorno a crumpled letter. Mista doesn't normally send his messages through writing. Giorno arched his brow, opening the letter and peering down at the words. It was less of a letter and more like some bizarre poem. The words were split in individual lines, and they were scribbled in crude Italian.
The lower right corner of the letter was torn off, but Giorno knew what those last two letters would be. The youth was visibly sweating, flipping the paper over and seeing the signature. Mista doesn't find himself writing documents all that much, but Giorno recognized the signature as Mista's.
But he knew it wasn't actually Mista...it was someone else. Someone who knows about the Bow and Arrow...!
Although it's been three years, Giorno never forgot the feeling he felt when the Arrow came into his possession. Even today he didn't know exactly how or what his Stand left of the former boss of Passione, but for some strange reason, he finds himself trusting the power of the Arrow fully. As if it's power was absolute...and as Trish had said, Giorno was the only one who could hold on to that Arrow. truly let anyone else see the artifact. He never even let Mista or Fugo touch it, in fear of it's power awakening the same superficial evil that plagued the man who was once 'Diavolo'.
If someone knew of it, and the power it gives...they must be a powerful Stand User themselves, seeking more power from the artifact. Someone who had power over reality itself, if they felt the need to mention it.
"B-boss? You alright?" Candire stuttered.
Giorno lowered the letter and stared blankly at the air for a moment before looking over at Candire. "Yes, I'm fine. I'll keep the letter in case it falls into the wrong hands..."
"Candire. Get Pannacotta Fugo for me, please."
"F-Fugo? But, but he ain't--"
"Hm."
"Candire, please don't make me say the same thing twice. Repeating something that needs to be said once means the listener is unintelligent. And when the listener is unintelligent, then the thing I'm saying means nothing to them."
"So that makes it useless, useless, useless."
"Get Fugo. Now."
Candire didn't need to hear it twice. As soon as Giorno glared, the boy quickly bowed and rushed out of the office, shutting the door behind him. The office fell silent, even with the wind howling through the window. Giorno rubbed his forehead and sighed, moving towards a discolored section of the wall on the other side of the room.
"Gold Experience."
A ghostly, golden fist emerged from Giorno's shoulder, lightly punching the section of the wall and then vanishing. A moment passed, and the wall suddenly began to shift and shuffle, morphing and shifting into a strange pile of scales and darting tails. The wall turned a cluster of chameleons, perfectly colored and textured like the wall. The reptiles scrambled off each-other and crawled away, revealing a small vertical safe indented into the wall. I've made this arrow apart of my resolve. The focus of my dreams for the past three years, even after everything has faded. If I let it go into the wrong hands...
The golden hand emerged once more, gripping the lock and twisting it at an inhuman speed before opening the safe.
And there it sat.
Giorno reached out and gripped the artifact, his face stern with an unbreakable resolve.
It would be an insult to everything I stand for!
Just then, a bright light suddenly filled the safe, growing brighter and brighter with every second, Giorno's eyes widened and he leapt back, gripping the arrow with all of his might. He opened his mouth to call out his Stand, but he...froze. Everything around him was starting to melt away like a watercolor painting on a hot day. His body was frozen in some surreal state, as if he was passing into another world itself, but the Arrow remained in his hand.
"W-What is this...?!"
What was he thinking? Time and age can never melt away an unbreakable fate, even if it means tearing reality itself apart. After all...
'...The Joestar's were fated to never rest easy...'
Blaze's heart skipped a beat, and before she could argue, she was being dragged along by a hedgehog she was quickly losing pace with. So with an amused smile, the red jewel upon her head lit up as Blaze channeled her pyrokinesis into propelling herself forward in order to keep up with Sonic; leaving a flickering ember of her power behind with every step.
"Not going to question what this dark void may be before rushing headlong into it?" Blaze jabbed, although her tone was serious enough to make it sound like a scolding.
It was a beautiful day at the Kanzuki estate. The Sun was shining, the birds were singing, and resident hired goon Birdie was treating himself to a light snack. Which, y'know, meant an entire box of Krispy Kremes. The fancy kind, mind you, with the jelly filling and pretty glaze. Life was very, very good today.
Until, of course, trouble dropped in.
"Oof!!" Donuts scattered to and fro, Birdie helpless to save them as he found himself between the floor amd a stiletto. The culprit let out her signature laugh.
"Ohohoho~! For a man named Birdie, you really are bad at flying away from an attack! You'd be cat food in a week!"
"Uurgh..." Birdie got to his feet as Karin got off him, but he kept a hand on his poor head. "I'm here for a good time, not a long one," he retorted. "I woulda much rather enjoyed my meal before looking out for trouble."
"We both know you find trouble no matter what you do," his boss replied. "But anyway, I need you to do something for me. Today is the day I'm to meet Little Eagle."
"Little...who now? Ain't that a singer?"
"Not Little Richie, you buffoon, Little Eagle? You know, one of the Dolls?"
"Ohhhhh, yeah, yeah I know! Hmph, what bloody language uses 'Little Eagle' as a name of a month?"
"Oh for the love of...Little Eagle is her real name! She went by Noembelu before. Yoy might remember her as the one who took you out and let Marz escape."
"Oh. Her." Yeah, he remembered, all right. Cost him his well-earned meal. "So, what do I gotta do, boss?"
"You will meet her and keep her company until I get back."
"From doin' what?"
"I need to deliver some belated gifts to Nuying and Ehuang-Xanyu and Jianyu, as they were known as when Dolls." Karin gestured behind her to where some servants were wheeling out an entire cart of Fei Long movies. "The entire Fei Long filmography! If you can, try to figure out what Little Eagle likes. She's getting gifts too."
"Yeah, yeah...but hey, ain't Honda helpin' with Dolls too? Why can't he do it?"
"Oh, Edmond mentioned needing to go to deal with zombies in America, or something. I didn't think much of it."
"Heh, them Americans. Bloody animals, the lot of 'em." Birdie fished one of the Krispy Kremes out of the koi pond and ate it.
"Anyway, I'm off to Shanghai. I'll bring you some dim sum, if you'd like."
"If it's food, you know I'll eat it!"
"Oh believe me, I know." And she was gone.
11:45 AM
As he lounged about, his Gorillaz album playing in the background, Birdie scratched his stomach, looking around. Little Eagle was nowhere in sight. Ugh...all this waiting when he could be eating! Hopefully she'd be here soon...
Eh. He'd waited long enough. Birdie yawned, wanting to laze about some. Resting his head on his arms he curled up on the ground and decided to get some shut eye.
----------
He woke up to a bloody void.
"Bloody hell?" He sat up, looking around. "What the-Lady Karin! This some kinda joke?!" Hello?!"
This was weird. Real weird. And all these strangers...suddenly he noticed someone he knew.
"Little Eagle!" She didn't respond. Laying unconscious, she looked to be asleep. And in the same boat as him.
Birdie groaned. Karin was gonna kill him for this.
The blue rodent would simply grin whenever Blaze had released his grasp from her wrist and was now keeping up with Sonic at a steady pace. Sure, Sonic was without a doubt faster than his feline companion, but knowing that someone could even keep up with him aside from the likes of Shadow was a nice thought.
"Nope." The hedgehog said as a sly smirk laid on his face whilst he continued to run at the same pace, still looking forward as he ran. While the two were anthropomorphic animals were running, Sonic turned his head to look at Blaze. "Last one to the weird blue light is a rotten Eggman!" Sonic said rather immaturely before kicking in his boost and running full speed toward the mysterious blue light.
At least until he came across a rather large man standing over what looked like an unconscious woman. "Time out!" Sonic said to Blaze before redirecting his route towards the two in question. His smirk was now gone and what was on his face now was a more solemn expression planted there instead. "Hey buddy! You two alright?" Sonic asked in an apprehensive tone. He was talking to Birdie of course, since his partner was y'know....
What a real bitch. She'd met even give Emma Frost a run for her money in that regard. Selene couldn't help find It adorable, however. Like a puppy chasing it's tail, A2 had no idea what she was doing. This child had to gull to speak to the Black Queen like that. If they weren't in the situation they were in, Selene would have murder the android on general principle. However, this wasn't the time nor place. Standing close, Selene felt no life force coming from the android, nor could she mind read A2 either. Selene began to think, and with that the puzzle start taking shape.
"Hmm. Something about you, it's off. I can tell. Child, you're not human, are you? Not that's a bad thing. Humans, So think they're strong, so yet most are purely weak. However, what are you than? If you aren't human, or accustom to their ways, I'll assume that the reason you're so rude. You should be warned, however, don't take my kindness as weakness. For you may not see my kindness again."
Well now, maybe this one was more like Vivienne than he had initially imagined.
"Terribly sorry for confusing you," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I simply presumed too much I see."
He looked amused all over again when the woman summoned her sword back to her. Perhaps he had made a grave error in assuming she would know what he was talking about. For all he knew, she was an apostate mage from the wilds of Ferelden who had developed some kind of unique discipline of magic all to her own. It certainly would have explained her social demeanor and barely-there outfit.
"And, of course, sorry for being so presumptuous to assume that any and all desire my company! I promise to only open my mouth for worthwhile bits of advice and humorous quips." He smiled, for he knew this was not what the woman wanted to hear from him, but Dorian was hardly going to be the one to break off the conversation. The ones who took themselves a bit too seriously were the best to get a rise out of, after all.
He didn't account for others to join their merry band of two, but he was grateful that his natural charm and good looks were enough to draw others out of the crowd. His brow raised at the sight of the second woman, noting that she too was looking quite provocative. She was stunning, obviously, but oh, alas...
"Oh!" He barked out a laugh at the first woman's comment, for he had to agree, this new woman was rather quick to provide her name. Perhaps she was not so humorless after all. "No worries, perhaps we should be trying to make friendly in a place as dismal as this. Just so you're not the odd woman out, Selene, I too will provide my name." He took a slight pause. For dramatic purposes, clearly. "... Dorian! Dorian of house Pavus."
Would they recognize the name? If they perhaps had any connection to Tevinter...
"Interesting," he muttered when he heard Selene be so bold to accuse the other woman of being inhuman. Perhaps she was on to something, considering this was something akin to the Fade and all. "Now, now, let's not make suggestions that new friends are demons so quickly. For all we know, we're all just a bunch of hapless mages who have stumbled into the world of dreams. That is, of course, if both of you are mages. I can only imagine you are, but I am open to being shocked and surprised if you're willing to share."
He had only finished saying this when more arrived, which elicited a chuckle from Dorian. My, my, more people to contend with, and these two certainly looked like no mage Dorian had ever seen. The woman of the pair introduced herself as a captain, which invoked the image of some kind of knight. Very intriguing...
"I'm afraid info is in short supply," was all he could think to say for now.
"Mechanical." Howlett responded pointing at his nose, having become familiar with a similar scent when he and his former team had been stuck on a worth inhabited mostly by machines. This one though looked for all intense and purpose as a human, perhaps a spy of some sort? For the time being though that was the least of their worries. "No demons here. They have a far worse stink around them. Just got to take my word on that."
"I see." The response didn't seem to sit well with Cap. "That just means we have to find some answers ourselves then."
Through some method unknown to her, A2 got the message that Selene knew about her not being a human. Not like she was designed to fool others under the guise of a human, she was solely created for battle engagement in all sorts of purposes. There was nothing to hide in terms of that, but from the fact that she was identified in such a strange manner, it made her wonder if traces of the machine threat were here. Though, she didn't care about machine threats too much, considering the bigger picture of this strange occurrence.
"Congrats. You got me even when I have nothing to hide."
As if to intentionally mess with Selene, A2 would sarcastically congratulate her, giving the Black Queen a taste of A2's snarky behavior. Just as she would begin to speak, she paused for a moment due to a part of her memories being restored.
"I don't do introductions, takes too much effort for my CPU processor, but fine... I was built as an all-purpose battle android with the alleged purpose of eliminating other machines... or so I was told, designated as YoRHa Attacker Type No.2 ... or to save me a headache, keep it short with A2 instead."
Running a hand through her hair, A2 stopped herself before she would go to worthless information, and it was more to save herself from putting too much effort in a task that wouldn't contribute to a direct solution to this strange event. With more walking in to this small group, she felt relieved in a way to move the topic to the main problem at stake. When asked on information related to the situation, A2 opened up a single holographic display to see if this location was related to any geographical records she had saved on her memory.
"No matches with my saved geographical and environmental data records. Nothing else that can be done until something big happens. Tough luck..."
With nothing of worth being found through this method, A2 disabled her holographic console for now. It would drain out energy out of her if she had that on for too long.
The concept of time ceased to exist as Giorno hurdled through a white void, flying through ruptured cracks in time and fading in and out of consciousness. His mind was thrown out of balance, and he tried to find some way to understand where he was going and what just happened. But it was all too surreal, and the white coloration quickly became a pitch black.
....
When he regained consciousness, Giorno gripped his side and coughed himself awake, lying against a cold, black surface. He rose his head, glancing around what appeared to be another surreal void. When the intense ringing went down, he could hear...voices. He could see roughly humanoid blurs walking around admist the black background, talking and chatting it up.
Where am I?
Shit! The Arrow!
Giorno suddenly shot up from his position as if in intense panic, looking around frantically for something. He felt something move under his coat, and in an instant he glanced down his collar and found the Arrow sitting there. Relief washed over his mind. He stared down the artifact for a moment before standing up and looking around the abyss like a lost child.
The light appeared right after I opened the letter. I have a feeling this must be some kind of Stand ability-- like a personal room, something like that turtle.
But, what a strange feeling. It all feels too complex. A plot woven by fate, not by dreams; something I'm not used to. As much as it pains me to say something like that...
I'll have to figure out what's going on.
...and protect the Arrow at all costs.
Giorno's inner thoughts couldn't accurately display the entirety of his thoughts. It felt grossly convenient and ironic, even; on a summer day when he reflects on how the light has left his life, fate hits Giorno like a raging bus. It must have been some kind of lucid dream, but at the same time Giorno can't help but feel it's entirely real. He feels tied to Italy like it's some kind of anchor, and that weight on his mind and his heart has been lifted. He isn't in Italy-- in fact, he might not even be in...
Reality...?
Whatever the case, Giorno willed himself to figure out exactly what's going on.
Giorno glanced over at the right side of the void, noticing a group of people standing around a structure. He would calmly approach them, doing his best to speak English. Of course it'd end up being perfect English, albeit with a charming Italian accent.
"Ah, pardon me, do you any of you know where this place is?"
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Alt History, Anything really. It honestly depends on how I'm feeling. I am always up for a good, solid Cyberpunk RP. I'm also up for Crossover RPs.
With her eyes just barely adjusting to the deep dark, Rosa decided to cast the spell Holy to call out some light. Hopefully this would light up the area around them, and allow everyone to see better.
Well now, maybe this one was more like Vivienne than he had initially imagined.
"Terribly sorry for confusing you," he said, bowing his head slightly. "I simply presumed too much I see."
He looked amused all over again when the woman summoned her sword back to her. Perhaps he had made a grave error in assuming she would know what he was talking about. For all he knew, she was an apostate mage from the wilds of Ferelden who had developed some kind of unique discipline of magic all to her own. It certainly would have explained her social demeanor and barely-there outfit.
"And, of course, sorry for being so presumptuous to assume that any and all desire my company! I promise to only open my mouth for worthwhile bits of advice and humorous quips." He smiled, for he knew this was not what the woman wanted to hear from him, but Dorian was hardly going to be the one to break off the conversation. The ones who took themselves a bit too seriously were the best to get a rise out of, after all.
He didn't account for others to join their merry band of two, but he was grateful that his natural charm and good looks were enough to draw others out of the crowd. His brow raised at the sight of the second woman, noting that she too was looking quite provocative. She was stunning, obviously, but oh, alas...
"Oh!" He barked out a laugh at the first woman's comment, for he had to agree, this new woman was rather quick to provide her name. Perhaps she was not so humorless after all. "No worries, perhaps we should be trying to make friendly in a place as dismal as this. Just so you're not the odd woman out, Selene, I too will provide my name." He took a slight pause. For dramatic purposes, clearly. "... Dorian! Dorian of house Pavus."
Would they recognize the name? If they perhaps had any connection to Tevinter...
"Interesting," he muttered when he heard Selene be so bold to accuse the other woman of being inhuman. Perhaps she was on to something, considering this was something akin to the Fade and all. "Now, now, let's not make suggestions that new friends are demons so quickly. For all we know, we're all just a bunch of hapless mages who have stumbled into the world of dreams. That is, of course, if both of you are mages. I can only imagine you are, but I am open to being shocked and surprised if you're willing to share."
He had only finished saying this when more arrived, which elicited a chuckle from Dorian. My, my, more people to contend with, and these two certainly looked like no mage Dorian had ever seen. The woman of the pair introduced herself as a captain, which invoked the image of some kind of knight. Very intriguing...
"I'm afraid info is in short supply," was all he could think to say for now.
"Mechanical." Howlett responded pointing at his nose, having become familiar with a similar scent when he and his former team had been stuck on a worth inhabited mostly by machines. This one though looked for all intense and purpose as a human, perhaps a spy of some sort? For the time being though that was the least of their worries. "No demons here. They have a far worse stink around them. Just got to take my word on that."
"I see." The response didn't seem to sit well with Cap. "That just means we have to find some answers ourselves then."
"Yes. While I can use magic, I'm not than just a mage."
A coy smile appeared on the witch's face as Dorian questioned Selene.
"Yes. While I can use magic, I'm not than just a mage....."
Dorian and the other Selene was almost playful pulling them along as she slightly turn. Selene took a breath in, Selene's voice came out soft, none threating as she turned back to him.
"I am whatever I need to be, Dorian. That's al you need to know for now."
Meanwhile, an old adversary reared his head. However, something was off. Mental trying to probe the man she knew as the Wolverine, The witch was shocked when she couldn't. Hmm. It seem she'd have to investigate this later
Through some method unknown to her, A2 got the message that Selene knew about her not being a human. Not like she was designed to fool others under the guise of a human, she was solely created for battle engagement in all sorts of purposes. There was nothing to hide in terms of that, but from the fact that she was identified in such a strange manner, it made her wonder if traces of the machine threat were here. Though, she didn't care about machine threats too much, considering the bigger picture of this strange occurrence.
"Congrats. You got me even when I have nothing to hide."
As if to intentionally mess with Selene, A2 would sarcastically congratulate her, giving the Black Queen a taste of A2's snarky behavior. Just as she would begin to speak, she paused for a moment due to a part of her memories being restored.
"I don't do introductions, takes too much effort for my CPU processor, but fine... I was built as an all-purpose battle android with the alleged purpose of eliminating other machines... or so I was told, designated as YoRHa Attacker Type No.2 ... or to save me a headache, keep it short with A2 instead."
Running a hand through her hair, A2 stopped herself before she would go to worthless information, and it was more to save herself from putting too much effort in a task that wouldn't contribute to a direct solution to this strange event. With more walking in to this small group, she felt relieved in a way to move the topic to the main problem at stake. When asked on information related to the situation, A2 opened up a single holographic display to see if this location was related to any geographical records she had saved on her memory.
"No matches with my saved geographical and environmental data records. Nothing else that can be done until something big happens. Tough luck..."
With nothing of worth being found through this method, A2 disabled her holographic console for now. It would drain out energy out of her if she had that on for too long.
Selene new better than to loose her temper in a new situation. Being alive for centuries teach you a social skills that will save your life, Selene had some of them in the pass. However this girl? Her lack of social skills was going to get herself killed. Not by Selene's hand, however. It matter not to The black queen. Out of all the member of this small quaint little group, A2 was useless to Selene. Anyone who's life couldn't sacrifices for Selene's was useless and last time Selene checked, robots don't have a life force. But who knows? Could make a nice throne out of her metal bones, if the opportunity showed itself.
The concept of time ceased to exist as Giorno hurdled through a white void, flying through ruptured cracks in time and fading in and out of consciousness. His mind was thrown out of balance, and he tried to find some way to understand where he was going and what just happened. But it was all too surreal, and the white coloration quickly became a pitch black.
....
When he regained consciousness, Giorno gripped his side and coughed himself awake, lying against a cold, black surface. He rose his head, glancing around what appeared to be another surreal void. When the intense ringing went down, he could hear...voices. He could see roughly humanoid blurs walking around admist the black background, talking and chatting it up.
Where am I?
Shit! The Arrow!
Giorno suddenly shot up from his position as if in intense panic, looking around frantically for something. He felt something move under his coat, and in an instant he glanced down his collar and found the Arrow sitting there. Relief washed over his mind. He stared down the artifact for a moment before standing up and looking around the abyss like a lost child.
The light appeared right after I opened the letter. I have a feeling this must be some kind of Stand ability-- like a personal room, something like that turtle.
But, what a strange feeling. It all feels too complex. A plot woven by fate, not by dreams; something I'm not used to. As much as it pains me to say something like that...
I'll have to figure out what's going on.
...and protect the Arrow at all costs.
Giorno's inner thoughts couldn't accurately display the entirety of his thoughts. It felt grossly convenient and ironic, even; on a summer day when he reflects on how the light has left his life, fate hits Giorno like a raging bus. It must have been some kind of lucid dream, but at the same time Giorno can't help but feel it's entirely real. He feels tied to Italy like it's some kind of anchor, and that weight on his mind and his heart has been lifted. He isn't in Italy-- in fact, he might not even be in...
Reality...?
Whatever the case, Giorno willed himself to figure out exactly what's going on.
Giorno glanced over at the right side of the void, noticing a group of people standing around a structure. He would calmly approach them, doing his best to speak English. Of course it'd end up being perfect English, albeit with a charming Italian accent.
"Ah, pardon me, do you any of you know where this place is?"
Kara Danvers/Connor Walsh Prologue: Another Day, Another dimensional incident, Must be A Tuesday/ How to get away with Interdimensional travel
Warning: Spoilers for Supergirl up to 2x17 and Flash 2x17
Kara Danvers took a deep breath, as she looked around her room. It was a mess. Well, a mess that she had caused while having a conflicted time after telling Mon-El to leave and that she needed time to sort her emotions out. She did love Mon-El, but she also loved Lena Luthor. She realized it the day she had rescued and despite, Mon-El's kiss saving her from the musical world, things hadn't gotten better between them. They had gotten a bit worse. It had everything to do with what she had found out earlier.
Knowing that Mon-El was the prince of Daxam and then his family targeting her by international Bounty Hunters had been the last straw for the woman. She had asked him to leave and he did. She had accidently broken a few things in a fit of rage and really needed to catch her breath. So, when her government issued cell phone rang, she hoped that it was something for her to do.
" Supergirl, we have a problem. A portal has opened in the middle of National City," Hank Hanshaw AKA Martin Martinhunter told her over the phone.
" I got it, Hank. I will be right back," she said, changing into her Supergirl outfit. She flew towards the portal, and was about to see what was in when she was sucked into the portal. She sighed, when she arrived in a strange new world.
" Who are you?" The voice asked.
" Where am I?" She asked. Before she could get the answer to her question, a second portal opened and both of them fell through it. Today was going to be one of those days, she just knew it, as she lost consciousness.
When Supergirl awoke again, she was in darkness. " Did you do that? Where the Hell am I?"
" Listen, don't freak out. I am sure we can figure this out. What's your name?" Kara asked the man.
" Connor Walsh, student at Middleton University. I don't understand what the hell is happening. I mean- I assume this is some sort of guilt dream. I have done a lot of bad things- helped with a few-," Connor trailed off.
" Helped with a few what?"
" Nothing," he replied, looking over at her. She was a blonde, she probably wasn't too smart, so it should be easy to say things.
" You said something- I am not an idiot," Kara replied back to him.
" It's none of your business. Has anyone told you that you have the most beautiful blue eyes?"
" I already am in a relationship."
" And I'm gay."Connor was right that he could distract her. She had gotten insulted by his compliments. "So I guess the s on your-"Supergirl punched Connor unconscious before he could finish that sentence. She surveyed the area and ducked behind a column in the darkness and changed back to civilian clothes and slide on her glasses. After a minute, she looked for someone to talk to.
[Connor woke up after a few months "Great, now where did she go?" He asked, looking around for the blonde with the S on her chest. She didn't seem to be around, but he did find a mousy blond who seemed to be alone. Well, it was good that she was gone. He went to investigate the right structure .
"Um...hello? I-I could have sworn I heard footprints....somewhere."
"GrrrRRRRRRRrrr ackackack,"
"Oh shut up. Nobody likes you," Wheatley scowled at his peer surrounding him. Of course, that didn't last too long. What was the point anyway? It's not like help would actually come for him.
"Don't leave me..." he whimpered regardless.
Why? Why did he have to come back? Yes, it was a godsend to be back here on earth ever since Wheatley got shot into space, but it was a mistake to come back to the place that he singlehandedly almost blew up and all that.
"Congratulations. Including all of the human test subjects, you have shown to be the best at losing your mind, On the upside, it's not like you have much of a mind to lose."
"GL-GLaDOS! Was that you making that noise."
"You see, what I did there was called foreshadowing. I alluded to the fact that you are insane to make you realize that there is no one in this room beside you and me...and a whole bunch of screaming cores wanting to dismantle you. Please forgive me for your incompetence."
Before any more words could be spoken, the larger robot attached to the ceiling moved closer to get into Wheatley's face. "Do not get excited. I am not here to kill you. Yet. I have simply come by for science. I would ask you to follow me, but I'd rather not deal with you online for the duration of the trip. Goodbye."
"Wait! Wait! Nonononono-zzzzzz."
Using a claw, GLaDOS untied Wheatley and held him five feet over the floor, moving towards the exit in the ceiling from whence she came. Of course, she did "accidently" drop him before leaving the room just for the hell of it.
The bad idea's core woke up above a pit. He rested on top a white tile typically used in testing rooms with two paths, both made out of concrete and all leading to opposite edges of said pit by around one hundrid feet long each. There was no seeable bottom. There seemed to be a few wheels attached to the bottom of his being. There was a slight angle to it, giving him a slight angle looking upwards.
"I wanted to kill you. I really really wanted to kill you. I had full intention of making you slowly go mad and then taking you apart very very slowly. However, I decided, what if I used your incredible stupidity for science? To see how actually stupid you are. Believe me, I have high expectations, but I'm sure you can blow them out of the water."
"This is ridiculous! I came here to make amends after, I don't know, you left me out in space!?"
"Need I remind you that you're the one who almost killed us all. You coming back only demonstrates how utterly incompetent you actually are."
"I'm sorry, alright! Ca-can you please give me a second chance?"
"The only chance I want to take with you is with a game of Russian Rule, but with all six bullets in the gun. Now, you are above a pit that is around six thousand feet deep. The path to your left is a very sturdy path. If you cross it, you will go back to the room where you will be screamed at for the next year only for you to go back testing for me. To the right is a very unstable path, which will more than likely lead to your death. However, if you go down this path, you will be free to leave.
"I should also note that if you do fall, you will meet with the chemical waste we store when it becomes too unstable to be left in any other place in all of Apature. On impact, you will either burn in a very slow and painful way (and yes, I turned on your pain sensors for you), or there is the slight chance that oyou will be transported to another demention. Both seem like really interesting options to watch, but ultimatly, the choice is up to you."
"Is there an option for me to, ya know, both be free and stay?"
"Of course not! Now choose: you only have ten seconds to start rolling. Ten...nine...eight..."
"Uhhh, yeah, okay, I can do this. Right left right left....ughhhhh."
"Five....four...."
"Gah! Just give me a second to think, alright!"
"Two...."
"Fine! Fine! Right! Okay, I'll go right! I want to be free!"
Going at an astounding one mile per hour, Wheatly used his new found wheels to go down the unsteady pathway.
It was around twenty feet into that he started to feel crumbling in the walkway.
"Never-nevermind, I think I'll head left instead."
"If you dare go left, when the turrets finish with you, the only thing left of you will be your wheels."
"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it."
So he continued, edging slowly towards the end of the path.
He didn't even make it to the fifty-foot mark.
Screaming all the way down, Wheatley was cast into the pit, much to the relief of the only robot in the room.
"For once, both I and all of science and humanity thank you for your contribution," GLaDOS said with little emotion, pulling herself out of the room to carry out more science.
--------------------------------------------
There was no end for Wheatley. He fell until his fear of falling overloaded his systems and made him shut down. When he awoke, he found himself in an odd, flat, dark location. There were strange...beings all around him. Feeling overwhelmed with relief from not being dead and fear of his new situation, he exclaimed to himself:
"I can't believe Aperture has a whole section of the building I've never seen before! Oh God...I hope GLaDOS doesn't know about this place either..."
Dorian couldn't help but make it visibly clear he was confused by this assessment. This woman - "A2" as she wanted to be called - was a far cry from a trebuchet, but still, she was suddenly referring to terms that Dorian had no measure how to identify, which meant something beyond his understanding was going on here.
Some kind of mechanical being designed for battle-- that alone invoked an image of a golem from the ancient dwarven empire. Perhaps this "android" was similar in some manner, though it was astonishing then that she looked like a regular human. It was intriguing enough that Dorian felt a need to know more, but perhaps now it was best to hold back on the questions. Things were not always as they seemed in the Fade and so he could hardly trust the validity of the people around him.
If this was even the Fade. Perhaps the veil had been torn down entirely, and this void was the cheery conclusion. Pleasant thought.
Selene was a bit of an odd one, to be sure. She made Dorian wary, though anyone who made Dorian wary usually turned out to be pretty fun for him as well. "Whatever you need to be, hmm?" He smiled at her, arms crossed. "Then perhaps you could be as someone who has the power to help us out of this little predicament?"
It was then that their group grew even further, but the latest two arrivals were easily more pleasing on the eyes than the last two. Dorian turned to the pair and answered the blond's question with a shrug after Selene so graciously gave a blunt response of her own.
"She is right, we don't know much at all-- but, no need to despair! We will figure this all out in due time. That is, required that you are all just about as lost as I am and not conspiring against me. You're not all mages, clearly, so we'll take that off the table. In fact, and I probably should have asked this right away, but where are you from? I would normally assume Thedas, but something tells me that is not quite so... Hm?"
The blue rodent would simply grin whenever Blaze had released his grasp from her wrist and was now keeping up with Sonic at a steady pace. Sure, Sonic was without a doubt faster than his feline companion, but knowing that someone could even keep up with him aside from the likes of Shadow was a nice thought.
"Nope." The hedgehog said as a sly smirk laid on his face whilst he continued to run at the same pace, still looking forward as he ran. While the two were anthropomorphic animals were running, Sonic turned his head to look at Blaze. "Last one to the weird blue light is a rotten Eggman!" Sonic said rather immaturely before kicking in his boost and running full speed toward the mysterious blue light.
At least until he came across a rather large man standing over what looked like an unconscious woman. "Time out!" Sonic said to Blaze before redirecting his route towards the two in question. His smirk was now gone and what was on his face now was a more solemn expression planted there instead. "Hey buddy! You two alright?" Sonic asked in an apprehensive tone. He was talking to Birdie of course, since his partner was y'know....
Shooting a reserved smirk back at him, Blaze's running strides grew longer and longer, and the dim embers left in her wake stringed together to form a blazing trail. "Glad to see you haven't changed a bit since we last met," she said with a more lighthearted tone.
As Sonic tapped into his supernatural speed, Blaze didn't back down from his juvenile challenge. Summoning the full extent of her powers, the pyrokinetic princess confidently matched Sonic's boost with her very own fire boost to speed across the dull void, looking like a burning comet streaking through the night sky. Watching Sonic slow down to turn, however, certainly broke her concentration. Glancing at the duo the hedgehog was now on a crash-course with, Blaze shouted "I'll meet you up ahead!" and continued on as planned.
There was no end for Wheatley. He fell until his fear of falling overloaded his systems and made him shut down. When he awoke, he found himself in an odd, flat, dark location. There were strange...beings all around him. Feeling overwhelmed with relief from not being dead and fear of his new situation, he exclaimed to himself:
"I can't believe Aperture has a whole section of the building I've never seen before! Oh God...I hope GLaDOS doesn't know about this place either..."
Before long, Blaze had arrived before the brilliant blue light, and came skidding to a complete halt. Narrowing her eyes and leaning in, she peered deep into the-
Clank! Blah blah beep beep boop
Blaze's keen ears snapped around to face the metal sound, then the rest of herself swiftly followed; the violet feline preparing her flames for any trouble, only to spy what appeared to be a harmless white ball. Blaze breathed a deep sigh to calm herself, and balled up her fists to suffocate her conjured fire before approaching the...talking metal ball. Quirking a brow, she studied Wheatley's frame, muttering
Those who followed the blue light found a strange, glowing, circular shape, with a faint, flickering light in its center... Not unlike the one that brought them here, except this one seemed to be all balled up. If this was some sort of portal or what have you, it appeared to be closedfor one reason or another, with no clear indication of how to open it or anything.
However, it looked like this might just lead some where if it were somehow opened... But perhaps one could find some answers laying around some other location?
Either that or they could just try and interact with the object, but honestly, it was hard to say if it would even do anything, let alone if this strange shape was solid enough to be interacted with in the first place...
Those who arrived at the structure to the right found that it was quite massive in scale, and while it was a bit difficult to make out for certain... It seemed to be some sort of big, wooden billboard, with a sizeable piece of paper stuck onto it. In fact, there seemed to be a bit of writing on it actually, accompanied by a crudely drawn map of some sort.
Unfortunately, it was too dark to read anything properly on the board, which was a bummer.
However, A2 made a bit of a discovery when she flung her sword at the object hanging off of the arch above the billboard. Unfortunately, the sword seemed to only graze the object instead of hitting it directly, causing it to swing from side to side, but on the upside... It appeared to have unraveled whatever it was hanging off of, causing it to to lower itself to ground level.
As a result, A2, and anyone around the billboard could gather that it was an unlit oil lamp of some sort. What's more is that this oil lamp had some fuel in it, which meant that all it needed was a source of fire or something to light it.
With any luck, this lamp might just provide enough illumination for those at the billboard to see what might have been left written here...
The structure to the left seemed quite pitifull compared to the one to the right, actually... And in the dim light of what was apparently a lamp post it was quite clear that there was a bench in front of it.
While it in itself was unremarkable, there appeared to be some sort of pendant laying on it, barely noticeable in the poor lighting... But the little light that did come from the lamp post, illuminated a mysterious, blue, gem on it.
One would have to get more light in here to see many more details about that pendant though, or just pick it up and peer real close at it, either way worked.
However, those who were not so interested in the pendant, and perhaps... Moreso in the lamp post itself might notice that the glass on the lamp post was covered with a considerable amount of dust and soot, which was evidently why it wasn't doing a very good job of illuminating the area.
Though unless one was incredibly tall, they would be unable to reach the glass on lamp ontop of the lamp post itself, but on the other hand... It was noted that the bench was high enough off the ground to be of use; by simply standing on it, one might juuust be able to reach the glass on the lamp, and perhaps try and clean it off...
Shooting a reserved smirk back at him, Blaze's running strides grew longer and longer, and the dim embers left in her wake stringed together to form a blazing trail. "Glad to see you haven't changed a bit since we last met," she said with a more lighthearted tone.
As Sonic tapped into his supernatural speed, Blaze didn't back down from his juvenile challenge. Summoning the full extent of her powers, the pyrokinetic princess confidently matched Sonic's boost with her very own fire boost to speed across the dull void, looking like a burning comet streaking through the night sky. Watching Sonic slow down to turn, however, certainly broke her concentration. Glancing at the duo the hedgehog was now on a crash-course with, Blaze shouted "I'll meet you up ahead!" and continued on as planned.
Before long, Blaze had arrived before the brilliant blue light, and came skidding to a complete halt. Narrowing her eyes and leaning in, she peered deep into the-
Clank! Blah blah beep beep boop
Blaze's keen ears snapped around to face the metal sound, then the rest of herself swiftly followed; the violet feline preparing her flames for any trouble, only to spy what appeared to be a harmless white ball. Blaze breathed a deep sigh to calm herself, and balled up her fists to suffocate her conjured fire before approaching the...talking metal ball. Quirking a brow, she studied Wheatley's frame, muttering
"Um...hello? I-I could have sworn I heard footprints....somewhere."
"GrrrRRRRRRRrrr ackackack,"
"Oh shut up. Nobody likes you," Wheatley scowled at his peer surrounding him. Of course, that didn't last too long. What was the point anyway? It's not like help would actually come for him.
"Don't leave me..." he whimpered regardless.
Why? Why did he have to come back? Yes, it was a godsend to be back here on earth ever since Wheatley got shot into space, but it was a mistake to come back to the place that he singlehandedly almost blew up and all that.
"Congratulations. Including all of the human test subjects, you have shown to be the best at losing your mind, On the upside, it's not like you have much of a mind to lose."
"GL-GLaDOS! Was that you making that noise."
"You see, what I did there was called foreshadowing. I alluded to the fact that you are insane to make you realize that there is no one in this room beside you and me...and a whole bunch of screaming cores wanting to dismantle you. Please forgive me for your incompetence."
Before any more words could be spoken, the larger robot attached to the ceiling moved closer to get into Wheatley's face. "Do not get excited. I am not here to kill you. Yet. I have simply come by for science. I would ask you to follow me, but I'd rather not deal with you online for the duration of the trip. Goodbye."
"Wait! Wait! Nonononono-zzzzzz."
Using a claw, GLaDOS untied Wheatley and held him five feet over the floor, moving towards the exit in the ceiling from whence she came. Of course, she did "accidently" drop him before leaving the room just for the hell of it.
The bad idea's core woke up above a pit. He rested on top a white tile typically used in testing rooms with two paths, both made out of concrete and all leading to opposite edges of said pit by around one hundrid feet long each. There was no seeable bottom. There seemed to be a few wheels attached to the bottom of his being. There was a slight angle to it, giving him a slight angle looking upwards.
"I wanted to kill you. I really really wanted to kill you. I had full intention of making you slowly go mad and then taking you apart very very slowly. However, I decided, what if I used your incredible stupidity for science? To see how actually stupid you are. Believe me, I have high expectations, but I'm sure you can blow them out of the water."
"This is ridiculous! I came here to make amends after, I don't know, you left me out in space!?"
"Need I remind you that you're the one who almost killed us all. You coming back only demonstrates how utterly incompetent you actually are."
"I'm sorry, alright! Ca-can you please give me a second chance?"
"The only chance I want to take with you is with a game of Russian Rule, but with all six bullets in the gun. Now, you are above a pit that is around six thousand feet deep. The path to your left is a very sturdy path. If you cross it, you will go back to the room where you will be screamed at for the next year only for you to go back testing for me. To the right is a very unstable path, which will more than likely lead to your death. However, if you go down this path, you will be free to leave.
"I should also note that if you do fall, you will meet with the chemical waste we store when it becomes too unstable to be left in any other place in all of Apature. On impact, you will either burn in a very slow and painful way (and yes, I turned on your pain sensors for you), or there is the slight chance that oyou will be transported to another demention. Both seem like really interesting options to watch, but ultimatly, the choice is up to you."
"Is there an option for me to, ya know, both be free and stay?"
"Of course not! Now choose: you only have ten seconds to start rolling. Ten...nine...eight..."
"Uhhh, yeah, okay, I can do this. Right left right left....ughhhhh."
"Five....four...."
"Gah! Just give me a second to think, alright!"
"Two...."
"Fine! Fine! Right! Okay, I'll go right! I want to be free!"
Going at an astounding one mile per hour, Wheatly used his new found wheels to go down the unsteady pathway.
It was around twenty feet into that he started to feel crumbling in the walkway.
"Never-nevermind, I think I'll head left instead."
"If you dare go left, when the turrets finish with you, the only thing left of you will be your wheels."
"Alright, alright, I get it, I get it."
So he continued, edging slowly towards the end of the path.
He didn't even make it to the fifty-foot mark.
Screaming all the way down, Wheatley was cast into the pit, much to the relief of the only robot in the room.
"For once, both I and all of science and humanity thank you for your contribution," GLaDOS said with little emotion, pulling herself out of the room to carry out more science.
--------------------------------------------
There was no end for Wheatley. He fell until his fear of falling overloaded his systems and made him shut down. When he awoke, he found himself in an odd, flat, dark location. There were strange...beings all around him. Feeling overwhelmed with relief from not being dead and fear of his new situation, he exclaimed to himself:
"I can't believe Aperture has a whole section of the building I've never seen before! Oh God...I hope GLaDOS doesn't know about this place either..."
Sonic had also heard the awfully offbeat British sounding badnik. However, unlike Blaze, Sonic went for a more shall we say... "direct" approach when he finally found the source of the voice.
"..Hold that thought." Sonic said with a single raised finger before zipping off and catching up with Blaze and Wheatley. "Hmph.. figures that Eggman would prepare us a little welcoming party." The hedgehog said as he folded his arms across his chest. Not even five seconds after saying this, the blue blur jumped in the air and tried to homing attack poor Wheatley.
It was just another normal day in downtown Rome. The afternoon sun shone down over the old buildings that lined the streets. In an alleyway, two men stood with their guns pointed at each other. For one, this was a matter of life and death. For the other, it was nothing more than an average day on the job. The former trembled where he stood, his hands shaking as he pulled the trigger of his handgun. His target didn't even flinch as the bullet whizzed by his head, causing the young man's red hat to flap in the air.
This young man was named Guido Mista. An experienced gunman, and the second-in-command of the Italian mob known as Passione, Mista had been in situations like this countless times. This was just another assassination to him. His target was a traitor named Francesco Allegro, who killed his partner and attempted to run away with all the money they had collected to that point.
Mista fired his revolver at the man on the other end of the alleyway, hitting his target in the gut. Francesco clutched at his wound, his face contorted with intense pain and fear. He watched in horror as the one sent to kill him trained his sights at his head and shot once more. He did not miss. The body of Francesco Allegro fell to the ground with a thud.
Mission accomplished.
As Passione's underboss turned to leave the scene, he opened the chamber of his revolvers and counted the remaining bullets. One... Two... Three... Four. According to Mista, four is an unlucky number. Normally, he thought himself a lucky man, but anytime the number four was involved, something bad seemed to happen. Four bullets left... Whatever. The mission's already over. What's the worst that could happen?
Just then, he began to feel lightheaded. He raised his hand to his temple, as if he had a headache. Before he had time to even think about what was happening, he fell backwards as his vision faded. However, he never seemed to hit the ground. He felt as though he was falling through the world itself, into a bottomless void. Soon he completely lost consciousness.
Dammit! I knew I should've taken that guy out with one shot!
Guido Mista mumbled as he came to. He opened his eyes to see nothing but darkness all around him. He struggled to get back up on his feet, still disoriented from the journey to this strange place. Once he fully regained his senses, he heard a very familiar voice.
The concept of time ceased to exist as Giorno hurdled through a white void, flying through ruptured cracks in time and fading in and out of consciousness. His mind was thrown out of balance, and he tried to find some way to understand where he was going and what just happened. But it was all too surreal, and the white coloration quickly became a pitch black.
....
When he regained consciousness, Giorno gripped his side and coughed himself awake, lying against a cold, black surface. He rose his head, glancing around what appeared to be another surreal void. When the intense ringing went down, he could hear...voices. He could see roughly humanoid blurs walking around admist the black background, talking and chatting it up.
Where am I?
Shit! The Arrow!
Giorno suddenly shot up from his position as if in intense panic, looking around frantically for something. He felt something move under his coat, and in an instant he glanced down his collar and found the Arrow sitting there. Relief washed over his mind. He stared down the artifact for a moment before standing up and looking around the abyss like a lost child.
The light appeared right after I opened the letter. I have a feeling this must be some kind of Stand ability-- like a personal room, something like that turtle.
But, what a strange feeling. It all feels too complex. A plot woven by fate, not by dreams; something I'm not used to. As much as it pains me to say something like that...
I'll have to figure out what's going on.
...and protect the Arrow at all costs.
Giorno's inner thoughts couldn't accurately display the entirety of his thoughts. It felt grossly convenient and ironic, even; on a summer day when he reflects on how the light has left his life, fate hits Giorno like a raging bus. It must have been some kind of lucid dream, but at the same time Giorno can't help but feel it's entirely real. He feels tied to Italy like it's some kind of anchor, and that weight on his mind and his heart has been lifted. He isn't in Italy-- in fact, he might not even be in...
Reality...?
Whatever the case, Giorno willed himself to figure out exactly what's going on.
Giorno glanced over at the right side of the void, noticing a group of people standing around a structure. He would calmly approach them, doing his best to speak English. Of course it'd end up being perfect English, albeit with a charming Italian accent.
"Ah, pardon me, do you any of you know where this place is?"
"B-boss!" He broke out in a run towards the source, his eyes adjusting to the darkness along the way. "Giorno! What are you doing here?" He paused for a moment before opening his mouth to speak again. "What am I doing here? Is this some sort of Stand attack?" Mista looked around at the others gathered near this strange structure. "And who are all you guys?"
