The Evrensel Conflict -- Prologue: Chapter 2A -- Brave New World

Wade Von Doom · Apr 25, 2020

Time was becoming hard to track of. Had they been there an hour? Hours? Days even? The celebration simply continued on. From the little stands that gave out food and drink, it turned to crowds jeering on the group. Confetti was raining down upon them all, flags with their faces waved high in the sky as if they were heroes of old, and even the people were... They weren't fish people. They were normal. The city had changed drastically.

It was the same, but the people were normal. The sun was out. The mood in the air was cheerful and optimistic. These were the days they all pined for. The golden age. And they were celebrating its return. He will awaken. They will all travel with him. Drums and horns played all around, as Alec, Nomad, Lava and John made their way down the large street, with people clapping and cheering them on. Guardians, soldiers of the alliance, Elon's rebels, they all stood aside as the heroes of the world made their triumphant march. Alec was fully embracing the festive mood going around, having a large pint of Guinness in his hand, and an arm around the shoulder of his dad, also with a pint of Guinness. "HAHAHAAAA!" Alec shouted out. "You're all fuckin' amazing!" Then he downed his drink, though not fast enough, as Guinness dripped down his chin and into his suit. Nomad was still surrounded by Zavala, Ikora and Cayde, with Cayde going, "C'mon!" To Nomad. "We got a golden age to bring about!"

Lava was being held by Elon still, wanting to keep holding her and never let out, while her team mates waved back to the crowds. They were soon joined by Callintus, the Ponds, Shirou, Sam, Tsunade and Alistia. They were also joined by their own compatriots. Callintus was finding himself leading the Knights of the nine, as they held him aloft on their shoulders, with his sword held high. "Alec!" He shouted over.

"Cal!" Alec shouted back, quickly approaching him.

"Good to see you four are enjoying the celebrations!" The knight was carefully placed back down on the ground.

"Alec!" The voice of Amy rang out, as she ran over to hug him, giggling like a school girl. "We were SOOO worried you got lost and you'd miss this!... Who's this?" She asked, pointing to his father.

"Oh! This, this is my dad, Samuel Duggan." He introduced, moving aside for his dad to shake hands. "Some call my Duggy." His dad told Amy. "Sam's fine." Alec interjected.

"Well, pleasure to meet you, Duggy." Amy rather preferred that, shaking his hand.

"Amy!" Rory quickly came up from behind her. "C'mon, we're gonna miss it!" He told her, grabbing her hand. "Okay-okay!" She had told hold him back for a moment. "We're going to the edge of the city, they got fireworks planned!"

"Why?" Alec asked.

"The big guy's gonna be waking up!" Amy shouted, as she got lost in the crowd.

"Huh! Well, you heard the lady, let's go!" Alec told his group, as behind everyone, John stayed next to his wife, unsure of if he wanted to stay in such a large crowd. "Come on." Helen told him. "It'll be good for you." She told him, with John nodding.

Shirou and Sam were surrounded by soldiers from the HCDF, and mages from the Clock Tower, all cheering the two on. Alistia and Tsunade, however, were left by themselves as the parade passed them by, like they didn't exist. Jacket and Ayana, though, were having a very unique experience to say the least. With Jacket's help, Ayana would at least have someone to follow and help her with this weird third person perspective, as she navigated this bizarre 8-bit landscape. While everyone else was seeing real, she was stuck with NES quality graphics.

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

Down below, the city's workers were finishing up the needed construction for the awakening. If the Doctor's blood was what would wake Xog up from his slumber for good, then they would need to find a way to interject it into his body. How do you inject blood into an Eldritch God? Nux had that planned out. Within the cave made from Xog's own skin, they were creating a 'needle' of sorts that would insert the blood into Xog's system. It was in here that they were close enough to a vein for the procedure. In such short time, Nux's workers had managed to make the place look entirel empty to 100% a sacrifice chamber.

When all was set and done, the final process was up to the two Doctor's now. The worker had gathered around them, bowing down in their honor. Nux slithered behind the table, where two hand prints engraved in the stone machine were waiting for them. All they had to do was put their hands on them, and with a little prick, fill up the prints with a few drops of blood. Even the small amount, by their calculations, would severely destabilize Xog's internal systems. It would surely remove the 'influence' he had on everyone here.

"We give thanks and honors to the awakers. May their oaths of blood bring about his knowledge to worlds in desperate need." Nux prayed, folding his hands together. "Cahf ah nafl mglw'nafh hh' ahor syha'h ah'legeth, ng llll or'azath syha'hnahh n'ghftephai n'gha ahornah ah'mglw'nafh."

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

Once everyone reached the edge of the city, the view was impressive to say the least.

Crowds of hundreds were gathered around the edges of the city, looking out to the water, cheering on the awakening of their great elder. The golden age was coming soon. Only a few more minutes left. Overhead, Trigger and Ryan could be seen flying. The turtle Trigger slowly moved across the air like it was water still, seeing down upon the large crowds, while Ryan remained with his own kind, traveling through the rocky terrain off the coast.

Wiggin · Apr 29, 2020

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dusk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk was initially confused by Reegan directly reacting to his thoughts. His face even showed it slightly, but softened after a few seconds. He assumed it was like before, where the small creature had communicated with him through his thoughts. Before Dusk could really do any more, light sprung from Reegan's midsection and vines crawled outwards. Dusk was momentarily blinded by the bright yellow glow until a small omni-tool spit out of the light. It spun through the air, twirling end over end due to Reegan's failed attempt to catch it. Eventually, it hit the concrete ground with a sound similar to dropping a plastic TV remote. Sliding across the ground, it moved out of the small being's reach and to Dusk's right. Reegan seemed to think that it could be used as a way to communicate to the rest of the group. Dusk softly picked up the device, as it was within his reach. It felt like smooth glass, and even tingled his fingers a little bit when he touched it. Even with his newfound form though, he still didn't know how the world worked. He shrugged, and handed it to Reegan.

A soft groan echoed down the corridor as the two sat there. Its feminine gurgle bounced off the walls and all around the two, enveloping them in its vileness. Dusk looked to his right to where the source was, finding the two figures that had escorted the group just a while prior. It was then that Dusk realized he wasn't even sure how long the group had been there. Had it been minutes, or hours? He shook the thought away, inspecting the figures closely. They had begun to closely resemble Reegan's adult form, but there was something Different. Their posture was now hunched, as if ready to attack, and their eyes were filled with hollow darkness. The wood that made up their bodies was different too. Unlike the naturally brown color wood that Reegan had covering her body, these beings had a black and almost ashen tone. Their gurgling soon turned louder in volume, and they picked up speed towards Dusk and Reegan. These things were no longer the group's guardians, they were now on the attack.

Dusk stood up, setting Reegan on his shoulders. He had gotten considerably shorter, now being a height of six foot eight inches compared to his previous eight foot eight inches. Now, he was around the same height as the strange wooden beings. Dusk was not going to let anything harm the people in his group, not after all he had done in that lab. Slowly, Dusk reached his arm around the back of his hip. There he found the hilt of a long and sleek sword. It was very small in his hands, and it was very light. The hilt was smooth, feeling like polished wood. The rest of the group was in the direction of the creatures, Dusk had to get to them. A sound of the sword unsheathing interrupted the constant growling of the two former guardians, and a subtle glint could be seen as Dusk brought the black-bladed sword into view. Its design was very simple, almost as if the entire blade was made out of shadow from how detailed it was. Dusk then raised the sword, blocking one of the creature's arms. The blade was sharp, as it cut through the arm with just a simple block. Howling let out of the creatures and a sense of dread emanated from the beings. The other guardian, angry over its peer's pain, screeched and tried to do an overhead strike, and like its peer, had its limb sliced off. Dusk's long cloak billowed backwards from the wind caused by the impact. Not wanting to prolong the creature's pain any longer, Dusk swiftly sliced the head of the creatures with one swipe of the sword. The head of the creatures stayed on for several seconds, growling and screaming, before falling to the ground in silence. Strangely, no tears fell from Dusk's face. He even reached his hand up to his face, checking for anything wet. There was nothing, only emptiness after ending the lives of the group's former guardians.

It didn't matter, that was an issue for another time. "I'm going to need her to hide in my hood…" He quietly worded aloud. Dusk still didn't even know he was talking. Gently, Dusk put his hands on the hood of his cloak and reached them over his and Reegan's head. His horns were still long and protruding from his head, but now they were sharper on the ends. They could easily pierce skin if they were poked with a finger. The sound of ripping could be heard as they stabbed through the cloth in the cloak's hood. "That's fine" He, again, said aloud. It was now noticeable that Dusk's voice was rougher and in a whisper, as if he hadn't drunk water for days. He also had a somewhat deeper voice, but not to the point of it being a bellowing sound.

After gathering everything together, the two quietly walked out of the alleyway and back towards the main square. Something was amiss, a gentle chant was rising from the street. As Dusk emerged from the dark corridor, he could see several of the town's people on the ground. They were all doing a praying motion and had gathered in the center of the city. Dusk sheathed his sword and advanced down the street until the chanting turned into somewhat of a roar. The voices were all in tandem, saying the same thing in their vaguely gregorian praying. Among the crowd, Dusk could see a few people out of sync and instead were frozen in place. There, Dusk could see the faces of some people in the group. The ponds, and Callintus were there, along with a few others. Their eyes had a glaze over them as if they were sleepwalking. Their faces were neutral, and their posture was perfectly aligned. It was if they had been strapped to poles from how still they were. Dusk didn't know what to do, was the chanting good or bad. How was he going to help his companions? "What can I do…?" He asked himself, and partially Reegan.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trigger
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trigger was probably enjoying himself a little more than she should have been. He imagined himself floating through the ocean without a car. His memories had faded away, eventually leading him to imagine a large city overlooking an ocean. It was freeing, seeing the people in the city below him chanting and partying together. They were all anticipating something, but Trigger didn't really care what for. He was just having fun being one with the sky. To his right he could see another creature, flying along just like him. They were both floating, understanding the world around them. They had to thank someone. Trigger looked to the horizon, waiting for their savior to arrive.

Valkan · Apr 29, 2020

Ryan Zokkendov

So, things got weird for Ryan. Despite his efforts to remain on an even playing field with these horrid creatures, he fell prey to their mind inv-
...
"What the..." his eyes opened, and the scenery changed completely. From a room in... "...Where was I?" his confusion was slowly overwhelmed with comfort. He looked around. Dragons. Not only that, they were following his lead. He flew higher, they also did.Headed down to barely touching the forest below with his claws, they did too. Claws? Indeed. Ryan wasn't sure how, but he had finally completed his connection with his mythical ancestors... Maybe it was that ruby that his body absorbed... was that it? No matter. He just wanted to bask in the sunlight as he crossed the sea he came across.
It was then that Ryan came across a city bordering with the sea, where he noticed oddly familiar people. Why did they rang a bell on Ryan's head, but no memories of them came to mind?... Now that he thought about it, why was his mind feeling so light? Immersed in a thick cloud of bliss. For a moment, the thought of meeting those people was important escaped the cloud. Then again, if it wasn't, it didn't matter much. He'd just resume his travel. "Only one way to find out..." the dragon thought.

Snowtwo · Apr 30, 2020

Alistia watched all this unfold with confused, baffled, eyes. An odd look was on her face as she watched her party members go about their lives. No illusion had come for her at all. Were she capable of viewing her own echo she would see it fairly active in it's staving off of the attempts to bring forth the illusions to her mind; but the Echo held and no such illusions came.

"Tsunade?" asked Alistia as she reached out to grab the ninja woman by the shoulders in a gentle grasp. "Something seems weird and wrong here. Can you hear me?" she snapped her fingers in front of the woman to see if she responded.

@Amber Franklin
----
Lavaetain, meanwhile, was happy to live it up with her friends, especially Elon... But something wasn't quite adding up. Moreso than the whole seeing dead friends. She had seen Tia's lifeless body, slowly dissolving away from the self-inflicted mana burn as she bypassed the third safety. There shouldn't be anything left. But this was a multiverse... But... Then...

"Elon... Remember what happened when Quebec tried to declare independence?"

"Yea.That was a hard battle, but we arrived just in a nick of time to stave off the imperialists. I remember it because that was the battle where you got your first kill."

The memory was strong in her mind. Quebec was where she had gotten her first kill... She had slain some no-name rebellion mage whom had tried to instigate a riot and, upon failing, resorting to summoning up an army of golems to try and force Quebec to leave the Empire and the six were called in when the mage had escalated it by attempting to summon a demon. She had ended up in single combat, forced them to burn through their first safety, and ran them through before they could bring up the second ensuring that the city would remain in imperial control.

"I was just thinking... It was our first mission together as a team. And here I am now..."

Surrounded by rebels. An imperial. The final of the six heroes. She didn't know if it was an illusion assuming the hero would be on the side of the rebels against the empire, or multiversal whims, but something was... wrong. She had to act calm and pray to God that their desire to be reunited was stronger than their desire for imperial blood.

The Wanderer · May 1, 2020

Nomad

The drab, dark and eerie street they had been walking down prior to the return of their close friends and loved ones changed drastically. The sun pierced the darkness, and replacing it with a nice calming light that shown that the people of the city weren't freakish abominations. Which made Nomad wonder if that was a simple trick of the eye, the dark and damp interiors making it seem like the people were disfigured beyond comprehension.

He didn't try any of the food as every time he reached for it, a sudden wave of nausea and throbbing pain in his head stopped him each time. Almost like someone on the inside of his head whacking him.

Which made him wonder where was Eye Dee Kay as he should be out and about, conversing with the other Ghosts. But then again, perhaps he wasn't up for being in a strange place and amidst such noise. Though he wished his bud would come out so the headache and nausea would go away.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacket

Jacket too wasn't fazed by the sudden celebrations, no matter how eight-bit it was, the man didn't care as his sprite led Ayana through the pixilated crowds, pausing each time his compatriot said something to see if she wanted anything from the stalls, or if she saw anyone that she herself knew. As if Beard was here, then maybe the people she knew was also here as well.

It was perfect, as if nothing could ruin this moment for Jacket.

@Wade Von Doom @ChrisClark13

Amber Franklin · May 3, 2020

The 13th Doctor - Character Sheet

The Doctors were led(and praised as they were led) to a chamber that makes her reconsider for a millisecond the decision to assist in his awakening. It looks like they would be eviscerated, after all.

The two handprints on the stone are a near-instant relief. The Time Lady looks around quickly at the gathered faithful of Xog, and knows that if this works, they would likely experience a period of existential crisis as their plan does its work. But there was no other recourse at this time.

Maybe, just maybe, if it works even better than planned then they could figure something out to rescue the locals. That was a hope. And it was all they would need to go through with this.

"Here goes nothing." Thirteen extends her right hand to the stone imprint that corresponds to the right hand. She doesn't look aside at her other incarnation as she counts down.

"Four...three...two..one"

Her hand comes down onto the stone slab.

Tsunade Senju-Character Sheet

Alistia's finger snaps break Tsunade from her state. Her eyes flutter rapidly and her hands clench at the air. Instead of looking into Nawaki's sweet face, she finds herself looking down at Alistia's navel instead. Hey eyes rise to look at Alistia's at first with a look of bewilderment that shifts to one of steel resolve.

"Something is not right with this place. An illusion I could not dispel with chakra tried to ensnare me, and I fear it has ensnared the others. She says stepping back from Alistia and looking all around. The jubilation has shifted to focus on the outskirts of this city.

"Come! We need to break the others if we can!" Tsunade yells and leaps towards the gathering, bounding from one rooftop to another with no regard to whether Alistia was able to follow. Her focus was on the gathering.

From on-high, Tsunade sees many of their group has come to the gathering, but the one she is closest to from that particular direction is….the assassin named John Wick who looks to be holding the hand of some other illusionary being away from the main gathering, unsure at that moment whether to join.

Tsunade lands near John, and takes the hand that is gripping air with her own. She gives John a good shake, hoping it is enough to snap him from his illusion.

"Wake up!" She shouts into John Wick's face, keeping an iron grip on his hand.

littlekreen · May 3, 2020

Weeds invade though not that they are evil of objective simply that it was shaped into their natures by circumstance. Thus too by two creatures shaped to serve but carved from a reaper. In their aspect was death but absent a reaper's servitude to the cycle one of the raw entropy from Oblivion. The small reaper by the one Blessed as now ran her mind inherited their inherent knowledge of purpose. Little of it but none of their personal memory Reegan listened to the small voice explain what Odaw told her.

"Thank you uncle Dusk! I don't like it here! I have to put the thingy on and... um," Reegan's brow above amber pools furrows to try and recapture the names now fully danced away from her psyche.

Interrupted by the gurgle Reegan felt the black ichor of their long shadows spill across her before she saw them. Bodies pumped full of some deathless power absent any real concern for the habits of the cycle. Such a mix of an inner daemon and a shadow of the dremora did not germinate well in the light of Dusk through which it reached her.

Squeaks of alarm at the running creatures and Dusk's fast hands Reegan's stubs whirl as his hands helped her move about to his back. Hands through his armpits to cling to the front of his shoulders her nubs sat on his hips. The best place she could hang on without getting in the way of him moving. An enduring ironwood strength has little problem hanging in such an awkward position as a living backpack hidden under his cloak. Amber eyes peek around the sides of his head from under the cloak at the creatures her own ironwood crown sticking upward as well.

Reegan's small voice into one ear from under Dusk's hood as he walks, "I'm hiding, Uncle Dusk! They poured bad fuzzy rot inside my legs! I can kinda feel 'em. There's more growing somewhere. We needta leave!"

Reegan shifted back and forth behind him to look at the people as they chanted and answered him, "You can keep using your words, uncle Dusk! Now that you found them! I don't know those words but the Blessed say the words are trying to blow the present away. Can you ask 'em to stop? I'll call our friends!"

@Wiggin

Coiled a bit further up around his shoulder to see her omni-tool Reegan poked at it below Dusk's chin. Now that he was closer she remembered Odaw said to press buttons that make it broadcast at different things. So maybe Haassethur, Zhen's friend, and... the other one could hear. A reaper's mind new the body but had lost its chosen name as one floated up from an awareness of spirits.

The multi-spectrum broadcast went out as best Reegan's small voice knew though first calling names willed with Thu'um, "Haassethur! Um... Ulsewundunvokrii? And Zhen's friend! I forgot your name! Can you hear me? Wake up! The fuzzy rot in my legs made the things my legs turned into go Dremora! The pieces are all regrowing an' the hollow people are yelling fuzzy rot into the spirit. It's blowing the now away! You gotta pull the now back!"

@The Wanderer @Wade Von Doom @Amber Franklin

This time the reaper's voice had weight as the reaper's growing power called attention at the spirit within. LIkely much as the traveler did through the Ghosts. If not for the youthful voice would have been the tone of a worried mother demanding emergence with one's full name.

ChrisClark13 · May 3, 2020

The Wanderer said:
Jacket

The sprite that was Jacket stopped dead in its track as Jacket processed Beard's words. That wasn't his name. Or was it?

He remembered his friend not calling him by that name, typically only by nickname. Jacket. Because of the injuries and coma that occurred after the shitshow that was the mission in Hawaii, Jacket's mind couldn't handle remembering that day to the point the doctors referred to Beard that it was best to not remind his friend of that day as it could cause potential psychotic episodes or vivid hallucinations.

It was done so much that Jacket had forgotten his real name, and of his friend's name.

But he pushed it aside, maybe his friend had a lapse in judgement, so his sprite walked on over to Ayana, taking her sprite's arm and slowly help her along til she adjusted to the pixilated world they were in.

He'd await Beard's instructions as to where they needed to go.

[IMG alt="ChrisClark13"]https://data.iwakuroleplay.com/avatars/s/29/29273.jpg?1562210760[/IMG]

Wade Von Doom said:

Once everyone reached the edge of the city, the view was impressive to say the least.

Crowds of hundreds were gathered around the edges of the city, looking out to the water, cheering on the awakening of their great elder. The golden age was coming soon. Only a few more minutes left. Overhead, Trigger and Ryan could be seen flying. The turtle Trigger slowly moved across the air like it was water still, seeing down upon the large crowds, while Ryan remained with his own kind, traveling through the rocky terrain off the coast.

Click to expand...

ChrisClark13

The Wanderer said:
Jacket

Jacket too wasn't fazed by the sudden celebrations, no matter how eight-bit it was, the man didn't care as his sprite led Ayana through the pixilated crowds, pausing each time his compatriot said something to see if she wanted anything from the stalls, or if she saw anyone that she herself knew. As if Beard was here, then maybe the people she knew was also here as well.

It was perfect, as if nothing could ruin this moment for Jacket.

[IMG alt="Wade Von Doom"]https://data.iwakuroleplay.com/avatars/s/27/27029.jpg?1569830965[/IMG] Wade Von Doom [IMG alt="ChrisClark13"]https://data.iwakuroleplay.com/avatars/s/29/29273.jpg?1562210760[/IMG] ChrisClark13

Ayana

Eventually, the surroundings- the stage perspective of things... it started to make some sort of sense. She was there and... the masked man was there leading her along- and there was so, so many others all around.

Suddenly, something in her legs spasmed and she stumbled and fell. When she tried to stand again her legs weren't quite... right. Not that she could see clearly what was going on with them. They weren't fitting in her boots anymore for some reason, her heels no longer fit in the backs of the boots and were now... stretching out of them? Groaning, she stuffed her boots into her bag of holding and also took some time to loosen up her armor- letting her suck in a greedy deep breath that she hadn't realized her body has been wanting.

Unsteadily, she rose up on digitigrade feet while using her fireball staff as a walking stick once more.

But now, everything was-

-different. She had vanished from where she was before and was now somewhere else.

Gone was the strange blocky perspective and she now stood in the streets of her home city- the trade city of Salizar. Her head ached. What... what was she doing here again? Why, why is everything dressed up for a festival? She- she wouldn't have missed something like that in the calendar... or would she? Must- must be something sudden then.

With a groan, she started following the path to her home, and (too soon) she came upon it. Venturing inside, she gave her friends a nod as she made her way to her office. Wait- why were they here? This is private residence damnit, must be they want something or had a message for her. Not like she could really keep her friends out if they wanted to get in anyways.

Groaning, she turned around and dropped herself into a seat at the dining table. "What're you lot doing here?" The fuckers probably raided her pantry again, so she added, "and if you eat you buy it." Looking up their hands were- weren't empty. Seems like they had already helped themselves to the dried meats she had been keeping in the pantry, groggily she just held her hand out for a piece and one was soon passed to her.

"Ayana! We're just here to make sure you're not missing out is all," one of them spoke up- a big Stone Dragonkin by the name of Leeson- one of her oldest friends in this family of thieves she had found herself in several years ago. Nevermind that the faces of everyone else were blurry right now.

Munching away at her hunk of salted meat, she just raised an eyebrow and cocked her head, "Mmm?" Fucking hell though, her head hurt right now.

"You don't know? He's coming, awakening from his slumber and all that thanks to those 'Doctor' friends of yours.

A spike of pain shot through her head. (This isn't right, something's up. Look around! Look around!) She started to look around at her home for some reason, but instead settled for looking directly at Leeson. Squinting her eyes because of the headache she groaned, "Not in the mood for games right now, just spill it."

"The god of old, the great Xog come to lead us all into the Golden Age!"

The world blurred and- she was back in her seat (no no no no no no no no, THIS IS WRONG) drinking from a cup of wine, "Must be some God then," she muttered after a gulp, "never heard of the fucker. Must've been too busy with..." what was she doing again? "...busy with making sure everyone's all packed up and ready to leave town."

Leeson laughed at something in her response, "Something like that. Com'on, everyone's gathering the square!"

Ayana groaned, "Do I have to? And- and shouldn't we all be packing anyways?"

"Why would we do that?" -the world stopped for a moment as another spike of pain shot through her brain- "Xog's gonna take care of that Dread Knight guy for us don'tcha know? Hells, wouldn't be surprised if he takes the whole Damned Legion too!"

She looked up at him skeptically, "That fucking seems likely. You know the rest of the Gods can't even deal with those bastards right."

"Yeah, yeah, but Xog's a big Elder God- he'll make everything right."

"I'll believe it when I see..." (This isn't real! This isn't real!) she stumbled over her words for a moment, "-when I see it, yeah?"

"Then why don't you come to see it? Hell, I've heard they've even got something special planned for you and your friends."

Something special- a flash of memory and FEAR shot through her mind. A cultist reaching out a hand to her, her parents gutted and dead in front of her- cutting through the illusion for only a moment before everything twisted and then it was like that outburst had never happened.

"Special how?" she replied.

"Why, a place of honor in the ceremony of course! We all came over to get you as soon as we heard about it!" Leeson exclaimed.

"Yeah sure, we walk up and somehow don't get snapped up in chains as soon as someone random guard recognizes us for the gangers we are."

A pause, a strange sensation in her mind, then another laugh from her friend, "Like they'd dare to do that, the honors come from up on high all way from the High Priest. The Captian of the Guard and his lackeys will just have to suck it up while you're up there getting a medal pinned to your chest."

Ayana smirked at that, yeah. She'd like to see the look on those bastard's faces. "Ah, alright I'm going."

She made her way up and squeezed her way out through the doorway into the street- letting her friends lead the way.

(NO NO NO NO DON'T GO WITH THEM! Why- why can't I control my body! No! Fuck! Nooooooo!)

- - - - - - -

In the streets, a gaggle of the monstrous citizens lead along a strange dragon-like monster. Its steps were uncertain and dizzy, as if it was under some kind of spell. As well, its body seemed to be changing. Limbs were lengthening and filling out. Wings spread from its back. Deadly fangs grew to fill up its growing maw...

BobTheNinja · May 4, 2020

As Shirou and Sam enjoyed their time with their respective comrades, they soon found themselves arriving in the midst of a great celebration in the city. They had joined a great parade of heroes making their way down the central avenue, with countless people cheering and waving and tossing flowers and confetti along their path.

It was like something out of a dream. So many people who had fought for a better tomorrow, from so many different worlds and eras, had been gathered here. Among them, Shirou saw the gleaming, kingly figure of Saber in her full armor and regalia, with her sword Excalibur sheathed in the scabbard Avalon. She marched down the street with other knightly figures in tow, almost certainly her fellow Knights of the Round.

Marching right behind them was the grinning figure of Cu Chulainn, the hero of Irish myth dressed in his signature blue combat suit with silvery pauldrons and his famous red spear Gae Bolg resting over his shoulder. Archer EMIYA walked beside him, dressed in his black armor and trousers with a red coat tails and form-fitting shoulder mantle, a subdued smile on his face. Even the mighty Heracles was present, a dark gray giant of a man with wild black hair, wearing a lion skin over one shoulder, with a huge, jagged, rough-hewn stone sword resting on it. Though his expression seemed neutral at first glance, Shirou could somehow tell that he was enjoying this moment.

Further back in the procession, Samuel could see the mech frames of his squadron on the march, the metal titans carefully marching on an automated subroutine while the pilots smiled and waved from their open cockpits, giving a human face to the new gods of the battlefield in his era.

It was truly a day crowned in glory. Their battles were long and hard-fought, but victory was right on the horizon. And as soon as the Big Guy awoke, the war would well and truly be won. They all gathered at the edge of the city, looking out across the water in eager anticipation of His arrival.

It wouldn't be much longer now.

Wade Von Doom · May 4, 2020

Amber Franklin said:
The 13th Doctor - Character Sheet

The Doctors were led(and praised as they were led) to a chamber that makes her reconsider for a millisecond the decision to assist in his awakening. It looks like they would be eviscerated, after all.

The two handprints on the stone are a near-instant relief. The Time Lady looks around quickly at the gathered faithful of Xog, and knows that if this works, they would likely experience a period of existential crisis as their plan does its work. But there was no other recourse at this time.

Maybe, just maybe, if it works even better than planned then they could figure something out to rescue the locals. That was a hope. And it was all they would need to go through with this.

"Here goes nothing." Thirteen extends her right hand to the stone imprint that corresponds to the right hand. She doesn't look aside at her other incarnation as she counts down.

"Four...three...two..one"

Her hand comes down onto the stone slab.

11 was just as hesitant to continue with this plan as 13 was. The effects of an Eldritch god dying while not only they and their group were still on, but the amount of people within the city too. This plan was to stop a greater evil from awakening, but the loss of life.... Well, all he could do was adjust his bowtie and move to the slabs of stone with the hand prints. Easy enough. Let's just hope they wouldn't have a giant hole in their hands when they did this. As 13 extended her right hand, he raised his left hand; back to back with her, as he commented back to her with, "What could go wrong from saying that?" With that whole, 'here goes nothing.' Just as bad as, 'nothing bad could happen' on the jinx scale of words to say before something bad happened.

As she counted down, his hand rested on the slab at just the same time as she put hers down. For a few moments, nothing happened, and 11 looked confused, because he didn't feel anything. He looked around the sides of the slabs, seeing if maybe something went wrong. "... Huh." He simply said. "Is-is it stuck? I'm not... quite sure this is working-- AHH!" He was just about to look under the slab with his hand still in the print, before suddenly something finally happened. Both doctor's would feel several small stings around their hand, from the tips of their fingers, down to their palms. It was like someone stuck small needles used to draw blood right through the skin. They would feel stuck to their hands for another few moments, before they retracted back into the slabs, and they were able to lift them off. "Ooooohhhhhhhhh!" 11 simply moaned, walking around in a circle; waving his hand to try shaking off the pain. Small trickles of blood would flow down their hands, but nothing too serious. The needles didn't pierce far enough in to reach bone, only the blood veins within the hand under the muscle.

From what blood was drawn onto the hand prints, it drained into small holes that would go down the slabs and into Xog himself. "Anyone happen to have a bandage or a towel?" 11 asked, with no one responding. The servants and Nux had gone quiet, mumbling to themselves in soft chant. Slowly, they could feel under their feet the ground begin to shake lightly. The blood was already starting to take effect, it was only a matter of time before it circulated throughout Xog's body and shut him down. And with that, it was time to go.

"Well!" 11 began to say, "looks like the old boy's starting to feel some vitality in the joints, eh? Sooooo, we'll just take our leave and gather our friends, right? Alright--" Then suddenly,

Screams echoed loudly throughout the chamber from the servants, and Nux himself began to change. From his meek and stout body, it began to break away like a lizard molting. Tentacles burst out from his pours, and chunks of his old body fell to the ground in slimy heaps. His head began to grow, and his mouth shifted. The Doctor's had done something wrong. Nux was changing.

"Oh no...." 11 simply said, as even the servants began to change, growing in size as their eyes continued to light up. "Run." He told her. "RUN!" Then he shouted.

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

While all this happened, fireworks went off in the sky. Bright greens, blues, reds, the colors of a rainbow popped in the distance while the crowd continued to celebrate the occasion. A man soon walked in front of the crowd to where the giant obelisk was, before shouting out to everyone, "HE HAS AWAKEN!" The crowd began to cheer raucously. "THE GOLDEN AGE HAS RETURNED!" With so much flashing happening in the distance, it was distracting to say the least. Those under the hallucinations wouldn't be able to see who was speaking to them or what was happening, it was like being awake at a party that was still going on at 2-3 in the morning. Alec was still by his father's side, while Callintus stayed by the Ponds. John was by far the most quiet, as he still held his wife close to his chest. His eyes were closed, and his mind was focused on just her; the sounds only coming off as white noise that was being muffled. If there was anyone to break out of the illusion, it was him. He wasn't piss drunk happy. Just at peace.

Then suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist. His eyes opened to see that his wife was a strange fog like shape, and Tsunade's hand and face were sticking through her as the ninja shook him. 'Wake up!' Her voice was just as muffled as the crowd's, but it still broke through. He was able to understand her. His eyes blinked frantically and he staggered backwards, feeling dizzy and nauseous as if he just got off a roller coaster. He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands, as he felt like he was crying, but there were no tears. "What the hell?..." He muttered to Tsunade, looking around. They weren't at the edge of the city, there were in the center of it. The obelisk was glowing, with the man who shouted out that the golden age had returned actually being... well, this.

"Cahf ah nafl mglw'nafh hh' ahor syha'h ah'legeth, ng llll or'azath syha'hnahh n'ghftephai n'gha ahornah ah'mglw'nafh!" It was a prayer. Alistia would understand it as, 'He who now dwells within us, The avatar of knowledge, The stars they have proclaimed, Rise to consume spirit and bone, Come the true gods of aeons past.' The city was vibrating under their feet, and the cheering crowd was by kneeling city dwellers joining in the prayer. One stood up though to face John, noticing he was 'strange' looking. Like he didn't know where he was. The dweller reached out a hand towards him, and in John's state of panic, he pulled out his pistol. These creatures, this city was toying with him. It shouldn't have made Helen real.

When the creature hit the ground, the crowd surrounding everyone suddenly turned to face John, Tsunade and Alistia. The gunshots were loud enough to get Alec's attention, as he was closest to Wick. He turned to see John's figure covered in fog, but he could see his pistol. That's when he finally noticed Reegan's voice over his omni-tool, warning him that his surroundings weren't real. Looking from his omni-tool to his father, his dad suddenly had his eyes under his translucent skull. With a look of fear on his face, Alec smashed his fist into his father, who fell to the ground, revealing the dweller who had been playing the role; one of the creatures they saw when Nux showed them around the city. "Jes-us Christ!" Alec shouted out, looking around as he backed up into Nomad. Seeing that even the robot was under the affects, Alec slapped the guardian as hard as he could to knock him out of it.

The skeletal looking being by the obelisk could see the awakers companions were beginning to cause havoc, one already starting to kill. "Ah'n'gha'drnn!"

'Murderers'

"F' ah'n'gha!"

'Kill them'

He pointed right at Tsunade, Alistia, John, Alec and Nomad. The others were still under the influence. They needed to wake them up, but already the city's guards were approaching quickly.

littlekreen · May 8, 2020

Reegan saw so many of their group trapped as the cultists blew the now away. Trapped wills suppressed by a black speech of horrid tones she could even hear rattle inside the aether. Zhen's friend was trying to wake Ulsewundunvokrii. That one lady was trying to wake the boogeyman. Though another caught her eye, the dragon? The cultists massed forcing their will on her by turning the aether a smothering tar the spirit could not see out of.

Hood pushed aside by a small hand Reegan's small chest vibrates with power as a shockwave of Thu'um shoots past Dusk's shoulder, [DILON VEYSUN DIENMAAR!]

The translucent disruption of space and glowing green energy rolls over Callintus the vocal will instead shoves him roughly aside. Even so, it burned at the false faces below him as it went. The light of the Nine instinctively protected if not reminded him to fight by the caustic will that passed fury over him.

@Wade Von Doom

A ripple raced across the gap as one of the many creatures surrounding Ayana. It impacted with a force that the flesh tore and sprayed red then distended. The body glowed as the diseased creature lost its battle as a crevasse of cracks shot across his body as a pair of skeletal fingers pushed from one of the bleeding fractures. In a wet meaty detonation, a man clad in sleek form-fitting armor propelled the creature's soiled raiment aside in diseased sheets. A black mist that pours from the bloody skull to mire everything from the neck up in a slowly undulating ebon fog. Red upon the skull turns white as Zhen's blue pinpricks of light ignited beneath the inky waters. Where the face that played the part for Ayana once stood.

A simple gesture flipped a three-light helmet over Zhen's head as he immediately set to work with their loudest voice disrupted. A metal rod sprouted between his hands in the red light of the omni-tool through its energetic flow something not quite real. Zhen whirled the staff in place the ends whistling loudly for a moment before the ends flare in that same ebon ichor. Movements well-practiced and very efficient Zhen pushed the noise of their chanting from his mind as the staff impacted theirs. Wrath of suppressive energy flared and seared the mutated faces as Zhen pounded at them in grey tufts of immolated mutation. Where the diseased flesh once was now healthy remained but had none of its strength.

Bone cracks of his staff pounded against the cultist skulls as the group fell to chaos unable to both defend itself and maintain Ayana's enthrallment. One leaped at him but with a glow of Zhen's biotics, a blue mass-effect field took their weight from them. An anchor at his feet the staff pounded hard into the top of their sternum as Zehn launched the cultist in a lazy arc across the battlefield. The flame burning exhaustion across its lungs as Zhen tore strength from its body and destroyed its corruption in part. One did manage to get close to him but to enter a vanguard nemesis' personal reach made one no safer. The staff flickers out for but a moment as two adept hands pound martial strikes again and again as ashen flares of energy tear strength from the body. A rise of faint particles as it consumed the corruption to displace its usefulness.

As soon as the one threw themself headlong they impacted the ground clutching feebly at their knees. Shoulders and hands all throbbing with exhaustion and unable to do more than writhe. Zhen could not see the creature that ought to be Beard but he saw how Jacket's obsessed eyes followed the man.

Zhen's helmet slipped away as some dream gone into a skull nightmare and Zhen reaches down to capture the creature's throat. Hand flaring to a misty black flame Zhen hoists by its throat the one that pretended to be what he had no right to be. The false image suffers as the wraith's touch sears energy and corruption away the throat that sustains the dream. Each of their lies of mental image suffering rapidly as Zhen drained life serving the lie. The chains that bound both weakened and damaged gave their mind a moment to breathe. Sucking lungfuls of free will against the undertow within the tar that smothers them both.

Zhen's hollow voice calling to them through the collapsing dream he smashed and drained the color from, "There is no act of truth in this will upon you. The spirit will not be lied to. Free yourselves to know the truth."

@ChrisClark13 @The Wanderer

A familiar voice called over the Omni-tool link to Alec, with an icon of a face that no longer represented the man, "Hello again, my friend, Reality is broken. This creature is born and the rational world is ending. There's no fighting this. We need to get to the Doctors and get out of here."

@Wade Von Doom

The Wanderer · May 8, 2020

Nomad

Just when he was so happy, starting to really fall into the illusion. Everything was revealed to him, like some twisted game of poker where his seven high was beaten with a flush.

The Vanguard and fellow Guardians lost their visage of familiarity, revealing themselves to be nothing but skeletal abominations that screeched to the point his ears rang inside his helmet. The illusion wasn't broken by a sudden realization, it was revealed by his companion screaming into his head, which enhanced by Reegan's attempts as well as Alec literally slapping the shit outta Nomad, broke through to him. A warm liquid flowing from his nose from the sheer power of the two's voices and mayhaps even the Scotsman's hits.

He'd have to take the helmet off to clean the blood from his nose, but that'd come later. Right now he had fresh targets to light up and a real mean feeling of vengeance in his head.

"Targets to your left and rear!" His Ghost called out, Nomad drew The Last Word and with a lightning fast flick of the hand on the hammer, a shot rang out, a bullet punching through the skull of the creature to his left. And almost on pure Hunter instinct, his free hand grabbed his knife from its sheath, he spun around with the speed and grace of a professional dancer. Plunging the thick blade into the neck into what was a denizen of the city, turned monster, the blade going straight through the neck and out the back. Severing the spinal cord of the creature, Nomad would pull the blade out, blood flowing out in thick spurts from both back and front of the holes he had made.

Everyone was fighting and doing damage in their own way, and Nomad being ever the support would help take care of a rather large beast that oozed something from wounds made undoubtedly from the transformation, easily as big as a Ogre of the Hive. Something that required heavy attention, and such attention was given by Nomad.

To anyone looking his way, the Hawk visage of his helmet begun to have its eyes glow a bright yellow from beneath his hood, creating a somewhat spooky image. Holstering the Last Ward, Nomad's gun hand would reach towards the sky as a boom resounded from him, a hand cannon literally made from fire formed in his hand, Nomad was covered head to toe in flame. Yet the flames did nothing to the Guardian as he used the crux of his elbow to brace the hand holding the weapon of fire, as to make the next action much more easier to do.

As he only got one shot due to the effects of the helmet he wore, the power he was using had its ability boosted to extreme levels. He'd squeeze the trigger, eliciting a boom that was similar to a tank firing off a round. The charge would not only impact the giant beast, but would pierce through it and into the wall behind it, the sheer power of the shot turning the beast to ashes and embers that blew away from the slightest breeze.

Feeling particularly drained, Nomad wouldn't be able to pull off the Golden Gun for a good while. He turned to Alec, simply saying. "We got to get back to the Tardis and get the fuck out of this hellhole." Whatever humor that normally filled Nomad's voice was gone, this place and the hallucinations now hollow feeling in his chest, made him quite unhappy.

@Wade Von Doom
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jacket

Just as the celebration reached its climax, the pixels that were Beard was suddenly being assaulted by a new figure, whose attacks spilled bright red pixels as blood flew from the body of Jacket's closest friend, whom would surge forward to beat the poor bastard who dared lay a finger on his best friend when the pixelated view of the world faded back into coherent reality. Fog covering the shithole of the underground city they were in, an alien person hovering over what looked like a skeleton on roids and too much protein.

Jacket could feel whatever counted for air down here on his face, he must've taken off his mask during whatever the hell had just occurred.

His usual tired expression was broken by a particularly rare look of despair as the reality of what was going on.

His best friend, who had been with him since the days of Hawaii, the only other person to survive the mission that left the other two members of their squad dead, who helped Jacket through the hell that was living in nineteen-eighties with post traumatic stress disorder. The one man that Jacket considered a brother, was truly dead and gone. Never to return.

And the poor bastards of this underground waste had dared to toy with him. He'd don the chicken mask once more, the mask hiding the rage filled expression on his face as he brought his personal firearm up, finger on the trigger and his free hand on the claw hammer in his jacket pocket, letting loose a burst of bullets into a skeleton zombie thing's knees that was approaching his savior from behind. Where the creature would fall, followed by a sudden rush by Jacket with the claw hammer straight to its head. The chicken masked man would straddle the creature as Jacket would rapidly hit the creature's skull with the blunt end of the hammer until gore covered the hammer and his whacks sent bits of brain matter across the ground like some twisted version of Picasso.

His 'masterpiece' finished, Jacket would turn on his heel and blitz another creature, either using the claw hammer to bash its skull in, or plant the barrel of the gun in the mouth of his transformed victim, and pull the trigger. This was Jacket's natural realm, blitzing the enemy and absolutely wrecking their shit. And he had no plans of stopping until he had personally paved the way back to the blue police box with as many of the bodies of the creatures as he could possibly do.

And unfortunately for the denizens of this city, they had pissed him off. The last time this occurred was with the Russian Mob in Miami.

He didn't leave any survivors then, and he wasn't going to quit now.

@littlekreen @Wade Von Doom @Amber Franklin @Whoever-Else-I-Missed

Wiggin · May 9, 2020

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dusk
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dusk could barely do anything before the cultist leader began to shout of a new coming of age in the main square. A loud shrieking was let out into the air, probably from Nux's transformation deep underground and hidden from sight. Whatever it was, it made Dusk's skin crawl. Everyone was gathered in front of the leader. His skin was almost entirely made of bone, with strange purple skin underneath it. He had a horrible smile on his face, and his six eyeholes were devoid of any sight. On one arm was a large spike, and the other was a hand with long bony fingers. After a few seconds of alien and strange praying, the ground began to shake. It vibrated with an intensity similar to an earthquake, and made it hard to stand up straight. A large dragon-like creature also lumbered out too. It was being escorted by several other cultists. It looked to be under control too.

Something needed to be done. It seemed the dangerous John Wick was the one to get things rolling, as he had broken out of his state. Something had clicked inside of him and he took out his pistol and let out several rounds into one of the cultists. Then Alec followed, as the sound of Reegan's voice had finally reached his radio. His reaction wasn't quite as straightforward as Wick's as he did a double take to the creature in front of him. A look of confusion covered his face, as if he was a child that had said hello to the wrong adult in a grocery store. He quickly solved the issue by punching the alien in the face and shouting at it. This domino effect continued then to Nomad, which was promptly slapped out of his hypnosis by Alec. Seeing this happening, the cultists took up their arms and went on the offensive. Before they could attack though, Reegan let out a large screech from her chest. It let out a shockwave that washed over callintus and the dragon creature. After a few seconds, it soon materialized into a person clad in high-tech armor. It held off some of the creatures with a staff and a strange blue light.

Dusk looked back to Nomad, who now had a pistol in his hands and was starting havoc among the colonists. He had apparently woken up Jacket too. It seemed about time for Dusk to interfere.
His feet dug into the ground, cracking the stone pavement beneath. The main group was still quite a distance away. He then went into a run, destroying the stone with each step. It probably would be hard for Reegan to hold on if he continued with pace mid-battle. People were still in a trance, and he needed to get them out. With a quick twist of his blade, the round ring on the end was now pointed upwards. He lightly knocked Shirou, Trigger, and Ryan on the head as he passed. He arrived in a big cloud of dust in front of Alec and the rest of the group. They needed to find the doctor, but that would be difficult with the cultists around. Dusk quickly took Reegan out and put her on Alec's shoulders. "Take, and find the doct-" Dusk was saying, before biting his tongue. He wasn't used to talking, and he had only just figured it out after Reegan told his seconds ago. Dusk put a hand to his mouth and let out a small grunt, before turning and plunging his sword into the ground. Using it like a crowbar, he dislodged a portion of the ground and made it soar towards a group of cultists. Hopefully that would pull attention to him as he dashed a small distance from the group. "Some might get through," He warned before he was surrounded by cultists. It must've been a strange experience, seeing as no one had seen his face before.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trigger
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Trigger soared as several fireworks were popping all around him. Shouting was ringing out from below and overall it was great until he got a large sting in the head. Suddenly, Trigger was in the main square and surrounded by the aliens. He stood there in silence as chaos ensued. His eyes then lit up as he realised what was happening. "I FUCKING KNEW IT!" I shouted, unholstering his pistol and loading several bolts of light into the aliens. "I FUCKING-" He shouted, punching one in the face "-KNEW IT!" he finished. Blood had splattered onto his face as he shot some of the oncoming cultists. Before any more shots could be let out, a chunk of earth sprung into the action, landing on the cultists in front of him. A figure in a cloak with a black sword was cleaving down the cultists, and gradually leading a few of them away. "Oh, well, TO THE TARDIS!" Trigger shouted, turning tail and sprinting the other way. He bumped into Sam, who was right next to him. "Run!" He shouted, grabbing the mech pilot by the shoulder and pulling him the other way.

Valkan · May 10, 2020

Ryan Zokkendov

Ryan continued to glide towards the coast, slowly but surely approaching. That was until all turned black. For a few moments, Ryan's mind fluttered in the darkness. "What was I..." he started thinking. "What about that co-...!" It was then that his mind finally managed to connect to reality. He started to try and force his way back into his body. It didn't take long until his eyes suddenly opened, his effort transforming into a fiery explosion, that scorched all the squidheads near him. Ryan took a look around as he jumped to his feet. Feeling the strange energy brimming within him, the one he started to feel back when his body absorbed that weird stone, he decided it was a good time to unleash it. Reminding his forced dream, Ryan's body acted on his own. His entire figure was enveloped in flames, burning brighter and brighter. His silhouette started morphing into the one he had dreamt of.
Now a dragon in real life, Ryan started attacking the aliens running towards him with swipes of claws tearing and tail smashes destroying. Though to be honest, that was just Ryan trying to get accustomed to moving in this new form. It was then that he heard a couple of signals of retreat. Ryan spotted the guy he tried to protect earlier. Knowing that his voice would certainly be more noticeable, as if speaking from that body wasn't enough, his words echoed loudly "You heard the man, run!" As he did, Ryan decided to remain until everyone of their group left the area. Ryan would then follow suit, crashing against buildings as he made his way back to the TARDIS, leaving a path of debris and chaos behind him. He was clearly having difficulties moving around, as said chaos was caused by him zigzagging only to be steered to the other direction when impacting buildings.

ChrisClark13 · May 11, 2020

Once freed from the cultist's control, the dragon-monster woke from its daze. It looked around with wild unfocused eyes, seemingly being completely devoid of any intelligence but that saved for the most bestial and basest of creatures.. Uncaring, or perhaps unable to properly process the carnage happening all around, it raised its head into the air and lightly sniffed at the air- taking in the smells of blood and rubble and dark magics.

But it did not truly see with its eyes or its nose- instead, it was looking around with another sense. It was looking for the energies of life itself. This sense passed completely over the connection to the dead that the tree-creature had, ignoring that completely for the sheer bounty of energy it could sense coming from somewhere deeper within the city.

The semi-vampiric monster began to move, unthinkingly following and hungering after the life energies of those known as "The Doctor"...

- - - - - - - - - -

Ayana

The dragon-woman's mind had been banished far into the depths of her own subconscious and forced into an uneasy slumber. Though she had now woken from that slumber, her mind had still not been able to surface.

From her perspective, suddenly a pin-prick of light appeared below her. Looking at it, it suddenly got closer and closer and bright and brighter until white light completely filled her vision.

- - - - -

When the light faded, she found herself bodily standing on a strange circular platform. some kind of stained glass (or maybe colored stones? they felt much too sturdy under her feet). Regardless, the surface she stood on depicted herself as a child. Her sickly and weak form lay in a bed, her parents' forms craned over her in worry.

Confusion ran through her mind, even as she stepped back so she could take in the full picture, "Wha- what?!" Why was this here? More importantly where the hell was she? What was happening? Another trick by the cultists? Was this a furthering of their invasion of her mind and soul??

Reaching to her belt, her clawed fingers found the familiar form of a dagger and she drew it in a flash. She assumed a fighting form and began to look and spin around manically, shouting in hopes of making something happen, "I know someone's there! Show yourself!!"

Of course, she was just guessing, but doing this and acting like a maniac was better than doing nothing.

That's when she heard it, a low whispering sound. She spun around and came face to face with a figure robed in black, their face hidden behind the shadows of a hood. Ayana stared at it in shock for only a moment, quickly brandishing her dagger at it. The figure looked down slowly, contemplatively at the dagger. Then, it faded away in the span of a couple seconds only to reappear at the edge of the platform they were standing on.

Ayana chased after it, "Get back here!"

Once she drew near, it vanished once more and floating stairsteps appeared behind where it was. Angrily, Ayana rushed down the stairs only to arrive at another platform- this one depicting the moment of her parent's death. The dark ritual that had traded their lives for hers. In the middle of the platform, a young Ayana was being dragged away from the bleeding forms of her parents by monstrous and warty claws.

And there again, stood the hooded figure. Incensed how the scene beneath her was being shown, probably dragged up by that figure- she roared in rage and attempted to bring down the blade of her down upon its head. Her blade passed straight through its fading form. "Is this some kind of sick game to you!?" she roared and she shifted and spun around in place, looking for the figure once more.

A whispering and weak voice made it's way to her ears, "To the one... who would... take up my blade... I deliver onto you... this trial."

"The fuck do you mean!?" Ayana shouted in reply, "A trial? Stop disappearing dammit!"

As if in response, a harsh wind started blowing and circling around Ayana- leaving her mostly untouched even as it whipped around her clothing. Then, from beyond the platform three faceless and ghost-like figures appeared in a loose triangle formation. Three humanoid figures in light armor and wielding swords stepped from the darkness. The smoke that seemed to make up the apparitions was picked up by the swirling winds and quickly formed in a wall of swirling grey smoke around the platform.

Ayana growled and crouched down into a battle-ready stance and the figured. "Answer me! What's going on!?"

The ghostly soldiers gave no response, merely assuming battle stances of their own and... did nothing but stand there. That is until Ayana took a step back and they followed with a step of their own.

"What the hell?" she grumbled. It had put on a big show about this 'trial' nonsense and then... her opponents were doing nothing? Nothing at all? Or maybe... they were waiting for her to act first?

Fine then. She didn't know what was going on, but fuck it. Maybe playing along would get her some goddamn answers.

She flicked her wrist, sending the dagger she was holding flying forth and, to her surprise, the center 'solider' did absolutely nothing to dodge it as the dagger passed clean through its head- making the appendage burst into smoke. What was left of its form simply collapsed to the ground, as if it was a puppet that had had its strings cut.

Then did the remaining two figures finally begin to move, rushing at her. However, more thrown daggers were already coming their way from Ayana and easily found their marks. The daggers pierced into and through their chests, making them collapse as well.

In the span of a few seconds, the collapsed figures and the smoke wall around her vanished as so did the wind that was whipping around her.

More stairs then appeared, leading off toward another platform in the distance. Gritting her teeth, Ayana followed them...

BobTheNinja · May 17, 2020

Both Shirou and Samuel were thoroughly caught up in the festivities. It seemed as if everything would finally be all right again.

[DILON VEYSUN DIENMAAR!]

A deep, booming shout reverberated accross the land, as if the whole world was a giant bell that had been rung. Shirou covered his ears in pain at first...but then the strange fog that clouded his mind and kept him blissfully unaware was beginning to clear. He now noticed that this whole world, this entire situation was simply wrong. An impossibility.

Samuel similarly began to regain his wits at the painfully loud but clarifying din of the shout. As the two finally broke free of the illusion, the false illusion began to collapse, with reality itself seeming to crumble and disintegrate at the seams. The false glory of the festival had dissipated entirely.

What was left in its place was utter chaos. Some of the denizens of the city were currently attacking the other members of the group, while others were fleeing. Shirou immediately projected Kanshou and Byakuya into his hands, reinforcing himself while Samuel drew his rifle. Trigger was shouting at them to run to the TARDIS, grabbing Samuel and pulling him toward the pathway that they had entered from. A few other voices shouted to the same effect. Most of the group was now trying to pull off a fighting retreat.

"Where are the Doctors?! We can't leave without them!!" Shirou shouted as loud as he could while slashing down one of the attacking creatures. Gunfire could be heard as Samuel laid down covering fire for the others.

Snowtwo · May 18, 2020

Lavaetain could feel herself on edge, the hair on her body rising up, as she talked to the rebels. They sounded like her friends, talked like them, looked like them, and maybe might have even been them in another timeline. However, in Lavaetain's timeline, all six of them had firmly been on the side of the empire and now... The moment she slipped up... she'd have to fight all give of them. She knew their strengths and weaknesses well, but they knew hers in return. Even if she attacked first she... no. They were all mages. That wouldn't work. Tia would be the greatest threat to her by far with her Bloodmist technique which absolutely ruined barriers and, after that, it would be difficult in a one on one. Maybe she could drop straight into her ulti... no. There'd be no point because of-

She felt a sudden and sharp pain right in her backside as she was launched forwards, the illusions vanishing from her mind as her own barriers flared up. She could feel her clothes unraveling just a bit at the point where the blade had connected only to siphon off a minuscule amount of energy to start mending themselves. She'd be down a barrier for a good five to ten seconds but she was more ashamed of how stupidly she had fallen for the trick. Behind her the guard, blade in hand, looked at her baffled. He knew he had stabbed her and she was 'unarmored', so why had his blade bounced off seemingly harmlessly? Because no mage worth their salt EVER dropped their barriers! That was why! Already Lavaetain could see the guards starting to surround them and instantly she put the two and the two together to get to the squid-headed four.

She had never been a fan of science fiction, elder gods, or anything of the sort like that. But the media in her world had been SATURATED with it to no end. The squid-headed human thing with the bat wings was probably better known than rosary beads to many along with the many different things it entailed just by existing. She should have guessed. Should have known. The guard was speaking in a language she didn't understand but the bafflement was clear. Why wasn't she dead? Why wasn't she wounded?

She pulled up the pistol she had gotten from the armory and pointed it at him. "Because fuck you." and pulled it causing the guards head to explode. "That's why." More guards came in to surround her and she holstered the pistol and conjured up her blade. This was going to be fun.

"FOR THE GLORY OF THE EMPEROR!"

---

" 'He who now dwells within us, The avatar of knowledge, The stars they have proclaimed, Rise to consume spirit and bone, Come the true gods of aeons past.' " said Alistia in a translation. "So, that's your game, is it? That's what's going on here? Why everyone was acting weird? You tried to tamper with my mind... and I didn't even notice your failure to do so." she shook her head a bit before sighing deeply. "There is no point in trying to commune with this tainted earth, so I think it's time for me to go on the offensive here."

Alistia closed her eyes as a brilliant light shone forth from her body as she reached for her gems and switched them about, changing them. The glowing light faded and gone was the gentle white robes and curative staff. In its place was a tight and positively dapper red outfit with golden trim that seemed almost right out of the age of nobility. Upon her head was a wide-brimmed red cap with a massive white feather adorning it and, in her hands, was a rapier and a small metallic orb.

Her hand went to Tsunade to grab her shoulder. "Let's get running. You have lots of physical might, yes? I'll fight beside you. I can still heal while in this class. John! Alec! Let's get going!" she called out as she started to run...

Only to stumble as an explosion shook the ground, though it seemed to be a good distance away. "What on earth? Is that one of ours?"

---

Lavaetain dusted herself off as the charred bodies of people, beings, she didn't quite know, though most of them had been guards, smoldered and writhed around her. Twenty or so by her tally, and they hadn't even lasted through her first explosion. More were bound to come but, as she held Lavaetain at her side and gripped the pistol, she started to calmly walk back towards the TARDIS, confident in her fires ability to incinerate any lowly guard that might dare to attack her and her own barriers ability to trounce anything that the guards might actually hit her with if she was asleep or put under another illusion. She supposed there was no reason to hold back, but only a fool wasted mana. As she stepped over one of the guards she idly wondered if they tasted like Kalamari, but she pushed that thought from her mind as 'unimportant'.

Epiphany · May 20, 2020

The 11th Doctor

@Amber Franklin
Even a chatterbox like the Doctor understood that conversation came second to running for your life.

While he and his successor had (more or less) enjoyed a more leisurely stroll through the alien city on the way to this...chamber, his exit was much faster than his entrance. By the time the two Timelords reached the crowds of celebrants, pretty much everyone they'd come here with was up and alert. And...of course, they were killing everything around them. He repressed a sigh, mostly because it's hard to sigh and pant at the same time. Still, the hostile looking native lifeform looked hostile and possibly had started this conflict. Hard to fault people for self-defense. Well, except when both sides thought they were just 'defending' themselves. That's why wars went on and on. Except for Daleks and Cyberman and...

"I'm rambling," he panted as he ran next to the 13th Doctor. "In my head. Thoughts. Have you noticed? Do you do that too? Talking to yourself? First sign of madness. Which. You know. I don't think that's true. By that point. If you don't care who hears. You're already on your way."

@Wade Von Doom
By that point, the Doctors had caught up with the fleeing people from other worlds. Possibly because the two Timelords were much less interested in defending themselves or killing attackers, and could therefore concentrate entirely on speed. In particular, he matched the pace of Callintus and the Ponds. "Lovely, isn't it," he said, beaming at the trio. "New world, ancient civilization. Only took...what, an hour before the running? Hours? Blimey, that's not a record. That's not even an honorable mention."

@The Wanderer @Snowtwo @ChrisClark13 @littlekreen @BobTheNinja @Wiggin @Valkan @Amber Franklin
And one by one, the two Timelords pulled ahead to lead the pack of fleeing heroes, survivors and dubiously titled explorers who'd come in the TARDIS. Lead the pack back towards the TARDIS, although the fact that they vehicles lay up all these stairs rather than downstairs quickly slowed the pace of flight.

Arriving on a landing, the 11th Doctor peered up ahead at the path and saw...

"STOP!" he roared, turning back to those trying to outrun the alien army below. "They've flanked us! Or got ahead of us! No good, up this way!"

And the Doctor promptly ran up a different flight of stairs, up towards a different landing and onwards. At a glance, it looked like this path would take them well past the landing zone the two time machines had arrived in. Possibly a way to circle back down later, though. In the meantime, he yelled back over the crowd. "This way, you lot! Save your breath! And hope that lot has done a lot less running than we hopefully have!"

Wade Von Doom · May 20, 2020

littlekreen said:
Reegan saw so many of their group trapped as the cultists blew the now away. Trapped wills suppressed by a black speech of horrid tones she could even hear rattle inside the aether. Zhen's friend was trying to wake Ulsewundunvokrii. That one lady was trying to wake the boogeyman. Though another caught her eye, the dragon? The cultists massed forcing their will on her by turning the aether a smothering tar the spirit could not see out of.

Hood pushed aside by a small hand Reegan's small chest vibrates with power as a shockwave of Thu'um shoots past Dusk's shoulder, [DILON VEYSUN DIENMAAR!]

The translucent disruption of space and glowing green energy rolls over Callintus the vocal will instead shoves him roughly aside. Even so, it burned at the false faces below him as it went. The light of the Nine instinctively protected if not reminded him to fight by the caustic will that passed fury over him.

@Wade Von Doom

A ripple raced across the gap as one of the many creatures surrounding Ayana. It impacted with a force that the flesh tore and sprayed red then distended. The body glowed as the diseased creature lost its battle as a crevasse of cracks shot across his body as a pair of skeletal fingers pushed from one of the bleeding fractures. In a wet meaty detonation, a man clad in sleek form-fitting armor propelled the creature's soiled raiment aside in diseased sheets. A black mist that pours from the bloody skull to mire everything from the neck up in a slowly undulating ebon fog. Red upon the skull turns white as Zhen's blue pinpricks of light ignited beneath the inky waters. Where the face that played the part for Ayana once stood.

A simple gesture flipped a three-light helmet over Zhen's head as he immediately set to work with their loudest voice disrupted. A metal rod sprouted between his hands in the red light of the omni-tool through its energetic flow something not quite real. Zhen whirled the staff in place the ends whistling loudly for a moment before the ends flare in that same ebon ichor. Movements well-practiced and very efficient Zhen pushed the noise of their chanting from his mind as the staff impacted theirs. Wrath of suppressive energy flared and seared the mutated faces as Zhen pounded at them in grey tufts of immolated mutation. Where the diseased flesh once was now healthy remained but had none of its strength.

Bone cracks of his staff pounded against the cultist skulls as the group fell to chaos unable to both defend itself and maintain Ayana's enthrallment. One leaped at him but with a glow of Zhen's biotics, a blue mass-effect field took their weight from them. An anchor at his feet the staff pounded hard into the top of their sternum as Zehn launched the cultist in a lazy arc across the battlefield. The flame burning exhaustion across its lungs as Zhen tore strength from its body and destroyed its corruption in part. One did manage to get close to him but to enter a vanguard nemesis' personal reach made one no safer. The staff flickers out for but a moment as two adept hands pound martial strikes again and again as ashen flares of energy tear strength from the body. A rise of faint particles as it consumed the corruption to displace its usefulness.

As soon as the one threw themself headlong they impacted the ground clutching feebly at their knees. Shoulders and hands all throbbing with exhaustion and unable to do more than writhe. Zhen could not see the creature that ought to be Beard but he saw how Jacket's obsessed eyes followed the man.

Zhen's helmet slipped away as some dream gone into a skull nightmare and Zhen reaches down to capture the creature's throat. Hand flaring to a misty black flame Zhen hoists by its throat the one that pretended to be what he had no right to be. The false image suffers as the wraith's touch sears energy and corruption away the throat that sustains the dream. Each of their lies of mental image suffering rapidly as Zhen drained life serving the lie. The chains that bound both weakened and damaged gave their mind a moment to breathe. Sucking lungfuls of free will against the undertow within the tar that smothers them both.

Zhen's hollow voice calling to them through the collapsing dream he smashed and drained the color from, "There is no act of truth in this will upon you. The spirit will not be lied to. Free yourselves to know the truth."

@ChrisClark13 @The Wanderer

A familiar voice called over the Omni-tool link to Alec, with an icon of a face that no longer represented the man, "Hello again, my friend, Reality is broken. This creature is born and the rational world is ending. There's no fighting this. We need to get to the Doctors and get out of here."

@Wade Von Doom

Things.... just happened. And now he was facing his former comrade in arms. Who was a weird glowing skull man....... Okay.

"What?..... Wait, WHAT?!" He shouted to Zhen, before suddenly Callintus started pushing him. "Waitwaitwait, I have questions!" Alec told him, before Calli said,

"I'll explain later, let's go!" The Knight shouted back, as thanks to Reegan's shout, himself and the Ponds were back in reality. As he was pushing, the snake-like creature tried to strike at Callintus, smashing his spear into his shield. "Go! I'll hold them off!" Callintus told the group, slashing the creature. Suddenly, Reegan was passed onto him to hold, who started gripping him out of desperation to not fall to the ground. "AH!" Alec shouted, trying to shake her off. "Get off!" Alec told her, before someone grabbing his armor's collar and started dragging him backwards.

Epiphany. said:
The 11th Doctor

@Amber Franklin
Even a chatterbox like the Doctor understood that conversation came second to running for your life.

While he and his successor had (more or less) enjoyed a more leisurely stroll through the alien city on the way to this...chamber, his exit was much faster than his entrance. By the time the two Timelords reached the crowds of celebrants, pretty much everyone they'd come here with was up and alert. And...of course, they were killing everything around them. He repressed a sigh, mostly because it's hard to sigh and pant at the same time. Still, the hostile looking native lifeform looked hostile and possibly had started this conflict. Hard to fault people for self-defense. Well, except when both sides thought they were just 'defending' themselves. That's why wars went on and on. Except for Daleks and Cyberman and...

"I'm rambling," he panted as he ran next to the 13th Doctor. "In my head. Thoughts. Have you noticed? Do you do that too? Talking to yourself? First sign of madness. Which. You know. I don't think that's true. By that point. If you don't care who hears. You're already on your way."

@Wade Von Doom
By that point, the Doctors had caught up with the fleeing people from other worlds. Possibly because the two Timelords were much less interested in defending themselves or killing attackers, and could therefore concentrate entirely on speed. In particular, he matched the pace of Callintus and the Ponds. "Lovely, isn't it," he said, beaming at the trio. "New world, ancient civilization. Only took...what, an hour before the running? Hours? Blimey, that's not a record. That's not even an honorable mention."

@The Wanderer @Snowtwo @ChrisClark13 @littlekreen @BobTheNinja @Wiggin @Valkan @Amber Franklin
And one by one, the two Timelords pulled ahead to lead the pack of fleeing heroes, survivors and dubiously titled explorers who'd come in the TARDIS. Lead the pack back towards the TARDIS, although the fact that they vehicles lay up all these stairs rather than downstairs quickly slowed the pace of flight.

Arriving on a landing, the 11th Doctor peered up ahead at the path and saw...

"STOP!" he roared, turning back to those trying to outrun the alien army below. "They've flanked us! Or got ahead of us! No good, up this way!"

And the Doctor promptly ran up a different flight of stairs, up towards a different landing and onwards. At a glance, it looked like this path would take them well past the landing zone the two time machines had arrived in. Possibly a way to circle back down later, though. In the meantime, he yelled back over the crowd. "This way, you lot! Save your breath! And hope that lot has done a lot less running than we hopefully have!"

"Ah! God!" Alec shouted out, the moment the two doctor's appeared. "How the hell did you two get up here?!"

"Doctor!" Amy then ran up to hug 11 tightly, before quickly breaking away to ask, "What the hell is happening?!"

"Questions later!" Rory quickly told her, before grabbing her hand to follow both Doctor's leads. Everyone just continued running up stairs similar to the ones they came down when they first got here. But, the buildings seemed never ending with how tall they were. How deep did they go down here? As they ran, the Doctor stopped them and ran up to scout a different set of stairs to make sure the cost was clear.

"This way, you lot! Save your breath! And hope that lot has done a lot less running than we hopefully have!"

As if tempting fate, an explosion of green fire suddenly erupted between him and everyone else, causing a building to smash the staircase. The shockwave pushed everyone back, as it was several feet away; thankfully far enough that it wouldn't injure anyone. "Doctor!" Amy shouted in worry.

"Look out!" Alec shouted back, as above the buildings, green fire was reigning down into the street. Alec, quickly thinking, tackled Rory into the open doorway of the building next door just as the flames grazed his armor. Whatever was making the flames, anyone fire proof wouldn't survive that. The best choice was to backwards, or jump into the nearest building.

Yoru · May 22, 2020

Ranma

How about a short flashback? Did you forget a certain red haired martial artist? One must wonder what the saotome heir was doing during this chaotic event. Well do not fret. Because wherever Chaos appears a certain martial artist is never far from it. Well if a certain doctor was here they would say that it's relative. See Ranma was inside the tardis. After everyone was carried out of the Crazy lab in a way that would induce nausea to a spinning top, the martial artist prodigy decided to keep a bit of dignity and ventured in the depths of the magical phone booth to look for a place to lay down a while. Just until the room would stop spinning.

Stumbling upon a bed, she, thanks to a cold dip in the crazy lab, laid on it and closed her eyes. That is when she felt all the stress and the fatigue of the last hours fall on her. And out was the redhead. There might have been a moment when the whole room was upside down but if one was to enter the room after the gravity pull of the planet they would still hear a light snoring. Only the end of the world could wake the teen.

That is why when she opened her eyes a while later she felt... oppressed. Something powerful and not friendly was lurking. And by powerful it was something that made the phoenix god a light workout in comparaison.

"What da hell? It's like gosunkugi and the old fart level of creepyness but a ton worse!"

She then looked at the room she was in. It looked like the Nerima Wrecking Crew did a bit of decorating in here. The content of the drawers were thrown on the floor. The bed was upside down and glass shard were everywhere.

"What happened here!"

Must have been quite the fight. And quite the fighters if they could fight without waking her. She started walking among the piles of... things. On the floor walking straight toward the exit of the magic phone booth. Should have been a dead ringer of magic messing with her head. This place was a real labyrinth and with the mess around it was even worse. But somehow it was kinda hard to think.

"Uh guys! What happened here."

There was no answer. Not even a snarky "I'll tell you for ten thousand yen." But she couldn't say she was left alone. Deep inside this terrifying dark aura she could sense with absolute clarity the Kis of the weirdoes she met. Anyone would have understood it was a trap. But not Ranma. For her it was evidence that she was becoming more proficient in the Art.

She was looking at the pyramid thingie that kinda reminded her of the maian aztecan sacrificial thingies. The malevolent aura creeping around her. As if to dare her to come.

"R-Ranma Saotome never loses!"

"It's not a reason to rub it in everyone face. Baka!"

A girl voice answered back with slight irritation. One he knew all too well.

"Akane?"

"Come on Ranma we are going to be late"

As if coming from nowhere the back of a girl with short hair appeared in front of him and started running toward the pyramid. He had no other choice than to run after her.

As he was progressing the light was coming from multiple sources. It was still night but japanese lantern were lighting the way on the stairs. If he was to raise his head he would see that the trees branch were providing a natural arch. But instead hips eyes couldn't move from the back of the schoolgirl which clothes slowly turned into a yukata.

When he reached her hand, she turned and smiled at him her cheeks red for this long run. He turned his head trying to fight the heat coming in his cheeks.

"What's the matter?"

"Nu..nuthing.... Anyway what are we here for?"

"Very funny Ranma."

She deadpanned.

"Still I am a bit jealous. You got to meet the great Xog. I heard he was going to give you something really special. "

"You mean?"

"He is a god after all. One of the elders. A curse is nothing to him."

How could he forget it Xog sama invited him for his awakening and allowed hhim to bring his family and friends to watch him rise.

"I'll say Saotome. This little first row seat is quite enough to clean your and your father debt."

A girl with bob cut hair answered. She had opted for something more westernized. A cocktail dress.

'"That's right Ranma kun. It was very nice of you to invite us."
The third one was the eldest she had longvhaired attached by a ribbon and even meeting a god was not enough to change her look for something less homely that her usual dress.

"Nah it's nuthin'"

-Damn right son! A martial artist path is fraught with abnegation!"

A fat man wearing a dirty gi, round glasses and a white kerchief on his head put his arm around the youngster shoulder. He then whispered.

"If you could leave a word about your old man to Xog sama..."

"What happened to the abnegation old man?"

"You ungrateful son!"

Another man with long hair, a brown kimono and a mustache took the saotome elder to the side.

"Now Saotome, our schools will finally be united let's celebrate!"

"I don't think this is a good idea, won't you agree dear.

A small woman looking like a mature version of ranma as a girl was looking sternly at the fat saotome. She then looked warmly at the young one.

-It is however quite manly for you to meet Xog sama. Why you will bring a lot of honour to the Saotome family name. I am proud of you!

He could feel his eyes getting watery. Damn it men don't cry. It was too good to be true!

The Evrensel Conflict -- Prologue: Chapter 2A -- Brave New World

All Caps when you spell the man's name

♫ Mr. sandman ♪

Boondock Saints Enthusiast

Edgebabby

Mysterious Stranger

Formerly Not_Amy

Edgepeasant

ChrisClark13

Guest

Edgebabby

All Caps when you spell the man's name

Edgepeasant

Mysterious Stranger

♫ Mr. sandman ♪

Boondock Saints Enthusiast

ChrisClark13

Guest

Edgebabby

Edgebabby

Behind Your Chair

All Caps when you spell the man's name

Yoru

Guest