The Evrensel Conflict -- Chapter 1: The Only Easy Day was Yesterday

"Is there a way you can stop the crab from attacking us?" Alec asked Alistia. The WERE-CRAAAAAAAAB!.... Was starting to get more and more riled up as time went on, probably because the thing was trapped inside a box, and it wasn't as though the conscious human brain inside it was panicking about the closed space. The only keeping the box from moving around was his weight, but a few moments after he asked the warrior of light that question, half a claw suddenly broke through a piece of wood and started sticking out. "If it starts attacking you again, throw it in the water."

"Why don't you?" Amy asked, sitting next to Xiao.

"Because I'd rather not lose a finger, and Ali can lift shit with her staff." Probably, Alec wasn't actually too sure on that front if she could do that, but he just wanted the damn crab gone. I'd been bothering them all since they arrived here, and it was clear this crab wouldn't stop being a nuisance until it died or tried itself out.

"Look, I know we don't like the little guy too much, but out of everything trying to kill us out there, it's the most harmless." Amy added in, not wanting Alistia to go near it.

"You found this thing first, you said it attacked you!"

"And failed horribly, at this point, I feel bad for him!" It was more pitiful to see it attempt to hurt someone than scary.
 
"Erm... I can kill it." said Alistia as she readied her staff. "I can also knock it aside with some water, but I sure as heck am not letting it clamp on to Thyrus if I can help it! I might be able to cause it to go to sleep or something, but that's about all I can do in regards to 'non-violent'. I can probably cook it as well if you want."
 
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Xiao Felt a sudden surge in energy coming from Alistias direction ans spotted the very nature calm down around her. It felt so tranquil and serene but she couldnt feel any sort of bending act going on in there what so ever. what ever that sensation is that coming from the cat girl it wasnt something she was familiar with.

She soon returned to watching the crab punch holes in the crate before lookng to Amy. "So that was the weird red thing my wolfbat tried gnawing upon... Should i just toss it out into the sea?" She asked, seeking the girls advice. she didnt want to kill something unnecessarily. Suddenly another crunch emanated from the box and she saw that yet another hole was formed and the box now looked dangerously weak. With a stomp and a seemingly physically intense tug midair the earth around the crate rose to prop it up and reinforce the walls.

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Zenith in the meantime slowly trudged along towards Alistia, feeling the healing her area of effect spell was releasing. "Hmm hope this works..." Wondering if getting closer would make the effects stronger she snuck up behind the Miqo'te and hugged her close. Being only 4 feet tall the thunderbirds winger arms ended up wrapping around the upper thighs while her cheek pressed up against her lower back.
 
The sudden burst of earth forming around the box startled Alec, making him visibly jump. When he looked down around the box, seeing what happened, he looked over to Xiao and said, "Thank you." If he could kill the crab, that'd be wonderful, but he would prefer the magic people do it. Amy though, didn't want to kill it. With Alistia's offer in mind, Amy thought for a moment. "Hmmm..... Alistia, if you can calm it down enough to listen to us, then I say go for it. If it still doesn't work, Xiao can throw it away in the water." It was the best idea she could come up with without resorting to killing the poor creature.

Meanwhile, the crab continued to stab at the box walls, trying to free itself, but upon breaking a third hole in the box, it crushed its claw against Xiao's rock wall; chipping it. That only angered it more, and now everyone could hear it loudly struggle to escape. If you've ever heard a crab make noises with its mouth, imagine it louder.
 
"I told you. This isn't Earth." Anta hovered about Kingpin, her shell opening and reforming as she scanned the flora around them. "Which brings me to my second point... these trees and grass? They're an almost perfect match to entries in the City's databases. I'm not seeing any Hive yet, which one means one thing."

"..."

"..."

"What?"

"For... ok. Do you remember those logs we had to recover for a Thanatonauts cell?"

"No."

"...whatever. Those logs contained a recording, one of those Thanatonauts had this theory that alternate universes exist, and even the Cryptarchs seemed to back them up on this. It's... well, they speculate it's how I'm able to revive you on death. That's not the important part, though. The important part is that we just proved them correct!"

"...and that's relevant how?"

If a Ghost could facepalm, Anta would've done so. "First off, they were offering a reward. Second off, this means that it's actually possible for the Vanguard to exist here!" Her voice rose a pitch. "Think about it. The Vanguard, the City... the Traveler!"

Kingpin shrugged, his expression unreadable under his mask (not that Exos were easy to read anyway). "Like you said, this isn't Earth. No coordinates, no getting back. Just focus on surviving. I don't know if you can resurrect me if I die."

By now, the two were near the dock where the crab was still trapped in the box. Kingpin decided to play the nice card and see what he can dig up.

"What's that in the box?"
 
Alec looked really annoyed at Kingpin for that question. "There's a big arse crab in here." He simply told the guardian. Clearly he didn't pay attention to when he was speaking earlier.

While all that was happening though, Ash was busy working. They needed transport, food, water, and medical supplies for seventeen people, and he did not trust Alec to be the man in charge of organizing everyone. He was having issues with a crab for god's sake. While Mitsuru was doing her own thing, he lightly tapped her on the shoulder and signaled her to follow him. Alken, Gaeira, Doom Marine, Spidy, Connor and Lincoln were gathered around, as Ash had brought them all together. "Alright, listen. We need a lot of things. Food for start, along with shelter, and transportation for all of us. So, I propose we split up into three different groups. Green-guy here," meaning Doom Marine, "Connor and I will search for transport. Spider and Mitsi," meaning Mitsuru, "you two should search for food with Blackwood. Alken, Gira," he did mispronounce his name, "and Lincoln, you guys are gonna scout out with Kingpin over there to find out how large this whole demon invasion thing is, and if there's some place for survivors. Like a fort, or a heavily guarded building, any signs that there's actual people out there, not mutated zombies in constant pain."

"Actually, I think I'd be much better suited if I went out scouting with Alken, Gaeira and Lincoln. With my web shooters, I can easily swing across the city on the ground level to better search for survivors, while they can stay up-high and scout from above." Peter pointed out, having not taken off his mask since they all first arrived here.

"Alright fine, Green and Connor can find transport. I'll go with Misty and Blackwood and we'll search for food."

"It's Mitsuru, actually--"

"Whatever." He handed over to Lincoln a radio. "Hey King!" Ash shouted over to Kingpin, "How fast can your ship go? I want you to be our eyes and ears over the city while you're out. What's your frequency?" Kingpin's ship would make for a good getaway vehicle should any of them have trouble.

"What about us?" Alec asked while still standing on the box.

"You and the girls can stay here. Xiao, three questions:" He walked up to Xiao as he started asking them. "One, can you make this place a shelter secure enough to keep out the creeps? Two, if you can waterbend, is there some way you can make it clean for us to drink? Three, can you make sure Alec doesn't kill himself with that crab, or screw up somehow that ruins this place for us?"

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Ash, I think I'm not that stupid to fuck up that badly." The moment he said that, Alec's foot collapsed into the box, and fell right on top of the Were-crab, aggravating it to no end, and quickly snapping its claw onto the Scotsman's leg. "AHH, FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!!" He repeated, tripping over Xiao's little earth walls to help keep in the crab, while trying to kick off the large creature.
 
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Watching the crab apprehensively she noticed it poking more holes in that crate but her attention was soon taken by Ash as he began to organize people in groups. She was only moments away from asking what she could do to help out but luckily the guy beat her to it and walked up to her. Still sitting on that squishy ball of spinning air she had to look up to see his eyes. "Just tell me where and how big. we can make either a dungeon." She meant a bunker by that but at her time such a term as a bunker didnt exist. "Or make a keep. Sometihng a dragon cant topple as easily like these spires." She motioned towards the skyscrapers in the skyline.

Water wouldnt be an issue what so ever as she began to demonstrate by literally ripping water from both the air ground and whatever plant life happened to be within a meters distance of her. "I can get that stuff from practically anywhere... wont work in a desert though. Larger amounts shouldnt be too hard to make clean if Amy helps me pull out the dirt." Lastly when she heard the crate collapse she only face palmed and used the water that she had gathered up to whip the crab several times until it would let go of Alec. If that didnt work she would attempt to use a stone pillar to wedge the claw open.
 
"A keep would be good. If that dragon comes near, don't try to fight it, just barricade yourselves and prepare an exit if it tries cooking you out with fire. I'd rather not have a dead human swiss army knife die while we're stuck here." Ash answered, looking through his ammunition to see how many shells he had left. He counted twelve. His chainsaw would be half full as well, so weaponry was his biggest issue. But, if he started around the two super soldiers, the man with the spaceship, and lightning man, Ash doubted he wouldn't be screwed if they ran into more zombies or demons.

"I'll help out!" Amy spoke up, walking next to Xiao. "You and me can help make the shelter, get it done in half the speed, then work on purifying the water." Seems the plan was all laid out. All that was needed now was to deal with the large crab attacking the fully-trained military soldier.... Ash wondered if he was lying, or was ousted thanks to running away from battle. At least the latter option meant he could leave him to die.

Xiao's water whips would fling the crab off of Alec, leaving scraps along his armored leg, yet again it started charging back at Xiao now. Her pinning the crab with some large earth walls would do, at least until Alistia could calm the thing down.
 
Alec looked really annoyed at Kingpin for that question. "There's a big arse crab in here." He simply told the guardian. Clearly he didn't pay attention to when he was speaking earlier.

While all that was happening though, Ash was busy working. They needed transport, food, water, and medical supplies for seventeen people, and he did not trust Alec to be the man in charge of organizing everyone. He was having issues with a crab for god's sake. While Mitsuru was doing her own thing, he lightly tapped her on the shoulder and signaled her to follow him. Alken, Gaeira, Doom Marine, Spidy, Connor and Lincoln were gathered around, as Ash had brought them all together. "Alright, listen. We need a lot of things. Food and water for start, along with shelter, and transportation for all of us. So, I propose we split up into three different groups. Green-guy here," meaning Doom Marine, "Connor and I will search for transport. Spider and Mitsi," meaning Mitsuru, "you two should search for food. Alken, Gira," he did mispronounce his name, "and Lincoln, find us someplace to sleep for the night. If you run into trouble, give us a call."

He handed over to Lincoln a radio. "Hey King!" Ash shouted over to Kingpin, "How fast can your ship go? I want you to be our eyes and ears over the city. What's your frequency?" Kingpin's ship would make for a good getaway vehicle should any of them have trouble.

"What about us?" Alec asked while still standing on the box.

"You and the girls can stay here. If we can't find someplace to stay, we'll head back here and try to make camp." They would need a safe place to stay, depending on how bad the city was the further they went into it.

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Mitsuru would flourish her sword, run a hand through her hair, and brush her coat back.
"Right. Let's go." She said to the man who kept referring to her by the wrong names that she had met earlier in the tower. "We have work to do." She didn't want to sit around if it was down to survival, especially a group's survival. This was her new SEES, her new Shadow Operatives, and she'd make damn well sure that everyone else got out safely. She made sure her Evoker was at her side before she departed.

However, something had just occurred to her. This city was empty, practically nothing seemed to be here except for burning buildings and dark, gloomy skies. She paused as she began to leave and turned around before taking a step forward. "And where do you propose that we start looking for food?" She asked their self-proclaimed leader calmly.​
 
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"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there sister." Ash interjected, stepping in front of Mitsuru before she could start leading. "I'm happy you're enthusiastic about taking charge here, but I'm sort've an expert on demon killin' and end of world survivin', so no offense, but I'll be taking charge." As if on cue, Mitsuru asked her question just as Ash finished speaking.

"We'll look for big convenient stories, Walmart's, S-Mart's, Target's, grocery stores, even in post-apocalyptia, those places will still have some food around. Maybe even guns, though that's just if we're lucky." They would also make good places to find survivors, so if people were still alive in this god forsaken city, making shelter in that place is like a fortress already set up for you.
 
Connor RK-800

Connor had been happy for all of sixty seconds before he was told he was going to go find transport with Doom Marine. He looked over at Ash and sighed. What was that human expression for this situation? Ahh, when something seemed too good to be true. He wouldn't argue finding transport though. It did make sense to send a literal tank and the highly advanced killing machine android to find transport. Okay, so maybe the Green guy was more there so he didn't die, but he wasn't about to admit that. " "I'm ready to go and help H-Ash.. Let's go, Green guy," he said, not knowing what else to call him.

@Nero Kunivas

Lincoln Campbell

Lincoln took the radio from Ash. He didn't bother to ask why he didn't hand to anyone else. It might have been the fact that he was one of the few people who could recharge it, if it died. It also was possible that he had just handed it to the nearest person. " I'm going to safely assume that you're like my world's Spider-Man who can shoot webs and can defend himself and doesn't kill, let's get going. These buildings aren't going to find themselves. I imagine you will take to the building, so I'll see you when you land again," he said, gesturing for Gaiera and Alken to follow.

@Agent_Puncake @AIM Leader Wade @BadJohn
 
"Wait, which Spider-man do you have?" He asked Lincoln, since that would help out in narrow down some ideas he was having. This couldn't have been the work of Morlun or his family, since they were only focused on Spider-men. These were not Spider-men, and last he remembered, Morlun didn't exactly own an army of demons or possessed human beings that slowly morphed into zombies. "Uh, N-Nevermind," he quickly changed his mind, since that detail wasn't actually necessary the more he thought about it.

"Something wrong?" Ash asked, overhearing the question.

"This isn't my first experience in multiverse travel," Parker started to explain. "There was a man named Morlun, he was some sort of vampire-like creature, and he was trying to hunt down me and other versions of Spider-men, because we all possessed totems. Some sort've universal power versions of me possess-- it's a little complicated. Anyway, we faced him and his family, and I thought we managed to beat him. But, I can't say this is his work. If this was Morlun's work, he wouldn't have kept us all here, he would've hunted us down and killed us, not leave us all in a city filled with demons and monsters."

"And this never came up, why?....." Ash again asked, since this seemed like really important information.

"Because I don't think this is Morlun's work. I think something else brought us here. We do have a strange importance to our worlds in some way, Alec is right about that, but why leave us in this city?" If they were here to help, well.... Shouldn't there be at least someone to talk to?

Ash pondered over this as well for moment, before speaking up. "Look, we can't stand here and ponder why right now, it's getting dark out, and we gotta get moving before we find out if more things come out when there isn't daylight!"
 
Alistia closed her eyes as she focused on the werecrab, trying to soothe it and calm it with magic. Easing, relaxing, magic. Trying to take the crab to that happy place. That sweet and lovely place of repose where nothing could threaten it. Where there was no need to fight, no need to be on-edge, or anything. Just a need to relax, calm down, and rest. Enter into repose...

Her staff glowed softly as magic flowed through it and down towards the crab, bringing peace, relaxation, and harmony to it to try and make it as relaxed as a stoner with an entire moons worth of top-grade weed.
 
"Frequencies are here. I made a new one, just for this." Anta transmitted the frequency to Ash and Lincoln. "Our ship is capable of interstellar travel, but it only goes supersonic in-atmosphere. As for the aforementioned FTL travel... well, we don't have any coordinates. We'll be flying completely blind out in space."

Kingpin beckoned Anta closer. "Stay hidden from now on. You remember what happened to Cayde."

The Ghost sighed, but disappeared in a shower of light nonetheless. The Titan nodded. "Are we heading out, then?"
 
With the Crab getitng fringed off of Alec Xiao let out a yelp as it charged right for her. instead of walling it in which seemed to piss it off more She stomped on the ground and then pulled up with her hands. by doing so she pulled out a pillar of earth right beneath her own feet thus raising her high above the crab where it shouldnt be able to climb up. Looking back down though it looked like her spikes had pinned it down in place enough. "Phew... that was a close one." She murmured before looking over to Amy. the girl she had accidentally pulled up with her too.

"Well a keep shouldnt be that hard.... you said youre an artist right? Mind doing the more intricate bits? im not good at making that." Xiao said before concentrating on something as her eyes suddenly glowed white. With a massive display of the power that an avatar has event hough she wasn't putting too much effort into it she made the dirt compact into solid stone before raising 10 feet thick walls 30 feet up to form the defensive walls a castle would have. With Amys help those walls would get crenelations thus giving those with ranged weapons some cover to duck behind if an enemy decided to shoot back. Next similarly to how Xiao raised herself an Amy off of the ground she pulled upa massive tower in the middle while the gap between it and the wall sank in deep to the point the bottom was nearly impossible to see. While Xiao reshaped the land around the keep and formed the buildings themselves tremors emanating from the ground could be felt by pretty much everybody within a solid mile of her. "That should do it i think?" She spoke now that she was back down by Ash "I made space on the roof for that metal bird too." She pointed at kingpins ship.
 
This happened in less than 10 minutes, Amy and Xiao managed to make a FUCKING CASTLE! While Ash was busy talking to everyone, and Alec was watching Alistia relax the crab, when the earth began to tremble, everyone looked back to see what they did. Amy was hesitant on Xiao's request to do more of the spacious work, since she wasn't an architect in the slightest, but she looked over to Xiao and told her, "Um..... Y-Yeah, I think, I think I can do that." Though not even she knew Xiao was gonna make something this big! Watching the avatar go into avatar mode, she watched her rise up and craft a keep that took up the entire space of the park.

It was ridiculous, and when she finished, Alec and Ash were take aback by her work. Amy as well, though more so because now she needed to do a lot more work. When Xiao was done and came back to Alec and Ash, both of them stared up and gawked at the keep she just made, barely listening to what she told them. Alec's impression was: 0_0

".......... UHHHHHHHHHHH........... Did you need to make it so big?" Alec asked, since while it was nice she made SUCH A BIG PLACE, they weren't exactly an army now, where they. Wasn't exactly like they were planning on staying inside the city with all the goddamn monsters. But hey, the park had a new addition now.

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"...... Oooooooooo-kaaaaay. You did a bang up job, kid." Was all Ash could say, patting her on the shoulder for the good work. "We'll...... go get the stuff now, but um..... Yeah, just keep doing what you're doin', can't wait to see inside." Giving a thumbs up, Ash turned around and looked to everyone, who if they weren't surprised by the sudden appearance of a castle from the ground, they clearly were deaf, dumb and stupid. "..... Everyone gonna get to work or not?! Come on, Kingpin, you're flying!" Ash shouted out to everyone, since it was getting dark now, and they needed to get going fast.

With Alistia and the WERE-CRAAAAAAAB!!!......... Her spell had actually managed to work. While it struggled to escape it's new prison, with Alistia's help, its wild movements slowed down. The crab suddenly became more tired, resting its claws on the ground finally, before being too exhausted to continue. Alistia's trick did the...... trick. Seeing it finally stop, Amy undid its trap and set it free. "Good job!" She complimented to the Warrior of light. "I'll see if I can make it a little home....... In this really big keep."

She looked back at it and a few nervous tears of sweat went down her forehead. "A really.....really, big keep."
 
Once Xiao was down and had looked at her handiwork herself she let out a bit of a gasp. "Whoops went a bit overboard..." She murmured before looking to Amy and giving her an awkward smile. "S-sorry bout that... i hollowed out the rooms though if that helps any" Xiao sure as hell didnt expect sometihng that big from herself even. Really needs tog et a grip on her avatar state for the next time she ends up making shelter, hopefully not ending up with an entire city...

Looking back at ash who was a bit dumbfounded by that Xiao made a fake cough to get his attention. "Need any more help or i can go with the food team? Water is a few minutes job anyways so can be left for later." The avatar offered to help elsewhere now that she das done the bulk of the keep, leaving poor Amy to deal with making the place livable.

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Meanwhile the thunderbird seemed to have noticed that getting right up close and rubbing her cheek on the casters back didnt help with healing let out a sad sigh before letting go. Before she could even say a thing she let out a startles squak and took off. What she saw made her even more astounded. she had never before witnessed an entire castle raise from the ground. What amazed her even more it was a single woman with glowing eyes that did it too. "Right...remind me to not piss her off." She murmured to herself. Once the ground was safe again she landed next to ash and did the same as xiao. "I can help out too. Just tell me where. Dont worry im more capable than i look."
 
Many things had happened as they left that building. But of all the turns that this could take. Alicia was not counting on the part that would have her standing in front of a freaking old age castle.
Or that there was such a thing as a werecrab.
The girl could simply observe in a stunned silence while her mind tried to understand the part that didn't make this a crazed dream caused by on of the crews weird concoctions back home.
She missed the safe and cosy enclosure of the bathtub now. Maybe there was one in the castle. Afterall who was she to question reality by now.
 
Alken and Gaeira stared at Peter Parker for a moment, neither entirely certain what to say to the guy for a few moments.

"Hey, not to sound like a jerk, but...what exactly are you, Spider-Man?" Gaeira tilted his head at the legendary Spider-Man, having no particular idea what he was looking at. "Before you started talking, I assumed you were a Special Combatant Droid with a strange paint-job." Alken shrugged lightly with agreement. "Are you military? An acolyte of a Spider-Lord? I'm not trying to antagonize; just curious."

"Eh. He slings webs, and is spider-themed. Mister Lincoln seems to know him; he must be pretty important in his own regard." Alken started towards the nearest buildings. "Having a spider-legend who does whatever a spider can seems like it'd come in useful. Now, let's mosey."

"I think it's a valid enough question. I've never heard of a Spider-Man. I'd like to know what exactly that is, but if it's useful, I ain't complainin'." Drawing and checking his weapon, Gaeira followed along behind Alken, gently flicking his blade to make sure it was sitting tightly inside its tang. Satisfied, he holstered it.
 
"Wait! Bird! Come back!" called out Alistia as her attention now flickered back to the leaving bird. She had meant to say something, and she probably would have, but she had to focus on the werecrab first off and now... Uggg.

"I'm sorry, but I can only cast one spell at a time! Did you need some help? I don't doubt it considering you were outright hugging me."

She then quickly turned around to look back at the crab. "Why are you keeping it? I really don't get it."

And then she spun around again to try and find Zenith only to catch up with the fact that a giant castle had just sprouted out of the ground... which she should have noticed earlier but had been far too focused on calming down the werecrab. "What the heck just happened? Why is there a giant castle here? Huh? What?"