Oath Sign: What Dreams May Come

Wade Garrett · Jul 30, 2015

Everything can change in an instant.

It's a cliche, but it's true.For the better ("Will you marry me?") for the worse ("The hospital called. You might want to sit down...") and you never know which one it's gonna be, or when it's gonna happen.

Actually, scratch that last. Cuz for you, friend? It's happening right now.

Flashes. Brief impressions. Countless stars moving past you, whole galaxies expanding and collapsing in on themselves and then flying forth once more. Six words somehow burning into your brain.

MADE IN HEAVEN: DON'T STOP BELIEVING

"It has to be out there. It has too. All the time, all the space...I can get there. Just keep moving the pieces. Keep changing the parts and the players. Keep searching. I'll search forever if I have to....

@Blackout
"Destined for greatness? Or cursed to be less than human? I knew another like you, once...this time, your geass is to slay this man."

@Dalek Ix
"Damned by your own choice...or were you? Is that deal you made a sign of your weakness, or your strength? Burn it until it freezes...freeze until you burn...this man. Destroy this man"

@joebobjoe
"So close. So cloooossseee... but it's not enough, it's not right, it's not him! Do this for me. Protect the old one until the young one falls. Can you? He could...there's a reward in it, you can trust me, I could never lie to you...."

@Narcissist
"Is this it? Is this the Heaven I...no. No, this isn't the one I seek. But you can help me find it. I can learn, I can know...protect the red wizard until the black murderer is no more."

@notmi
"Weak but strong. Kind but cruel. What do I make of you? Destroy the mad Servant. If you can do that, then...."

@Random Tale

"Like, but unlike...you want an answer. You seek Heaven, in your own way. We can help each other. I have just the task for you....guard the one doomed girl until the other doomed girl dies."

@Unlucky Bibliophile
"You. You. You and all your kind...no. No, even you can reach Heaven. All things work together for the good of...yes. Yes. Destroy this man."

@Xellos
"Not human...or are you? You laugh, you love, you cry...does not God love all his creations? Protect the one who would be queen until the mad monster dies, and we will see what we will see..."

,

Wade Garrett · Jul 30, 2015

Bucharest, Romania

@Blackout
"Hey, you in the body paint! Clear out of here!" The flashing lights of police cars and the hubbub of barked orders, panicked questions, and all the other sounds of a disaster taking place in a modern city are the second things to get the Hound of Ulster's attention. The short, impressively mustachioed man in a police uniform who seems to have taken the Servant's presence near the barricade his colleagues are setting up as a personal insult is the first.

"What, are you drunk? Go home!" Most of the other officers are more occupied with their own tasks to do more than glance at the brewing confrontation...all except one, a female officer in a slightly more elaborate uniform than those around her, who is looking at Lancer and speaking quietly but urgently into her radio.

@notmi
"Ma'am, ma'am. You need to leave, it isn't safe!" The police officer waves his hands at the martial artist in urgent shooing motions, reluctant to put his hands on a lady.

"There's a psycho killer on the loose, it's real bad, you need to get out of here fast as you can!"

Wade Garrett · Jul 30, 2015

Romania-Hungary Border
@Unlucky Bibliophile
@Dalek Ix

"Papers, please! Papers, please!" On the positive side of the ledger, a lavishly furnished train car is probably one of the better places to wake up after being yanked out of space and time and then stuck back in somewhere else.

The negatives are that the other well dressed passengers are giving you odd looks, and the armed border guard moving towards your seat from the front of the car, checking everyone's tickets and passports...he doesn't seem as if he has much of a sense of humor or a very kind heart.

Village of Prod, Romania
@Narcissist
@Xellos

Something is wrong here. It doesn't take the enhanced senses of a Pillar Man or a warrior of Heaven to know that. An aura of dread has enshrouded this little town. Wolves howl, people scream, and in defiance of all logic a blood red moon leers down from the sky...

Wade Garrett · Jul 30, 2015

Romania-Ukraine border

@joebobjoe
Diego fell through the air.....about three feet, then landed in grass about waist high. His immediate impressions were of a night sky, a icy chill, an open field...and then mostly the pain of landing and grass everywhere he could see, bar straight up.

Looking straight up revealed something-a machine of some sort?-silhouetted against the full moon. The bizarre flying machine began to grow larger, and the jockey realized that probably meant it was going to land in the very field he had been dumped into.

@Random Tale
The Kyuubys fell about three feet...and landed on a slope. A fall became a painful, jostling downhill roll that ended in the pond at the bottom of the slope.

The icy cold pond.

When the Incubators managed to get out of the water and shake themselves off, they'd notice an airship slowly descending on a field several hundred yards from their current location.

Xellos · Jul 30, 2015

She had led a peaceful existence, on the whole. Oh, yes, she had been volunteered as a test subject in one of the Sages acupuncture experiments, and she had been changed that night. But it hadn't changed who she was, even if it had increased her appetite to fuel those new abilities. But individuals who ate and ate meat beyond what was normal couldn't be tolerated forever, and eventually, she had been forced to leave, along with the others.

It wasn't a punishment. It was simply for the good of keeping that area sustainable that all who had received the 'blessing' of the Stone Mask split off from main civilization of The People. Their increased hunger and increased efficiency at obtaining food was depleting prey for everyone else. Eventually, only those with the blessing would be able to feed easily. They too would be forced to take on the mask... and simply exacerbate the problem. To avoid it starting up again, most of the blessed had themselves split up, some staying in pairs. She hadn't had a partner.

The Sage had stayed behind. He had not used it, so why would he, the root cause, need to leave? None were being punished, so nothing was wrong. He continued his research, uncaring of those who had lost their homes. She despised him, at times. But that accomplished nothing. She could only refine his gift and remain alive. Eventually, her body became something incredibly potent, able to kill anything that lived. It didn't matter.

With none of her own people for company anymore, she drifted towards the Sun Tribe when possible. True, she could not live with them. But she could speak to them at times, even if they were slow of mind and fast of body. They were better company than the animals, at least. Some called her monster, and that was fine. Some called her a child of the moon, and this was fine. Once, she had been called a hero, and that too had been fine. A few of the Sun Tribe had displayed strange powers that even she didn't understand. Powers of the breath, of spirit... a few that could do other things with their body. A woman who could walk over water, and who could glow like the sun. Others, who moved objects with their mind and had extremely specific but potent abilities beside. A man who stored controlled insects in his eye. Such strange things, the Sun Tribe was capable of.

None had been adequate preparation for this.

Wade Garrett said:
Everything can change in an instant.

It's a cliche, but it's true.For the better ("Will you marry me?") for the worse ("The hospital called. You might want to sit down...") and you never know which one it's gonna be, or when it's gonna happen.

Actually, scratch that last. Cuz for you, friend? It's happening right now.

Flashes. Brief impressions. Countless stars moving past you, whole galaxies expanding and collapsing in on themselves and then flying forth once more. Six words somehow burning into your brain.

MADE IN HEAVEN: DON'T STOP BELIEVING

The images were of things she didn't quite have words for. 'Star' yes, that word was something that she knew, of something that radiated light from a very long distance away. But applied to this? Was this what a star was? And what were the swirls of lights that merged and parted and-

Stop. She could figure it out later.

'Heaven'. A term for a realm without pain. The meaning of those words. She would have to seek that phrase.

"It has to be out there. It has too. All the time, all the space...I can get there. Just keep moving the pieces. Keep changing the parts and the players. Keep searching. I'll search forever if I have to....

Who? What had this thing done to her? Why and when? She couldn't quite remember what she had been doing immediately before...

@Xellos
"Not human...or are you? You laugh, you love, you cry...does not God love all his creations? Protect the one who would be queen until the mad monster dies, and we will see what we will see..."

,

'Why? What purpose does this serve-'

Too late.

Wade Garrett said:
Village of Prod, Romania
@Narcissist
@Xellos

Something is wrong here. It doesn't take the enhanced senses of a Pillar Man or a warrior of Heaven to know that. An aura of dread has enshrouded this little town. Wolves howl, people scream, and in defiance of all logic a blood red moon leers down from the sky...

The scent on the air reeked of rot. The songs of the wild packs to the north ran through the air. Deep in her bones, this place felt like danger and despair, from a source that couldn't be put into words. The moon shown crimson, like an eclipse, but very obviously not with the terror that infused this place. Above all else, easily discernible, was the smell of blood, and the sound of screams, from the Sun Tribe.

She had been a hero once. Just once. Perhaps again. She moved into motion, feeling for the sounds and scents that indicated one who could still be preserved.

Legend of Ruina · Jul 30, 2015

One moment Diego was under attack from the President's Stand and the next he was falling. While similar to the President's Stand he was fairly certain that this was the ability of a third party. The President's Stand lacked an in between state and he hadn't gone "between" anything so it couldn't have activated.

Wade Garrett said:
@joebobjoe
"So close. So cloooossseee... but it's not enough, it's not right, it's not him! Do this for me. Protect the old one until the young one falls. Can you? He could...there's a reward in it, you can trust me, I could never lie to you...."

On the one hand this ability user appealed to Diego's mercenary nature. On the other hand how dare he look down on Diego and try to use him as a babysitter for some senile old fart. He'd play along for now to help figure out the enemy's ability but would look for an opportunity to betray him.

Wade Garrett said:
Romania-Ukraine border

@joebobjoe
Diego fell through the air.....about three feet, then landed in grass about waist high. His immediate impressions were of a night sky, a icy chill, an open field...and then mostly the pain of landing and grass everywhere he could see, bar straight up.

Looking straight up revealed something-a machine of some sort?-silhouetted against the full moon. The bizarre flying machine began to grow larger, and the jockey realized that probably meant it was going to land in the very field he had been dumped into.

Quickly righting himself Diego brushed himself off and checked for injuries from the sudden unexpected fall. Noticing the oversized hot air balloon in the distance and no other signs of civilization Diego decided to wait for it to land. With luck the stupid old man would be on it, putting him one step closer to the nebulous reward promised. While he had nothing but the Left Eye and clothes on his back for now it would be a relatively simple matter to work his way back up. In the meantime he'd just have to bear with it.

For now it seemed the best course of action was to pretend to be lost. With luck he could get valuable data on the inhabitants of the blimp without having to demonstrate Scary Monster. Sadly the local bug population was in decline currently and hunting down wildlife to turn into raptors would be far too conspicuous. And besides it's not likely everyone on the balloon was a Stand User so he probably could just recruit some of them.

And so Diego waited for the balloon to touch down. A quick check confirmed the Left Eye was still in his possession, meaning he got a hollow victory of preventing the President from assembling the Corpse.

He would get the bastard who took his horse away, no matter what it takes.

Blackout · Jul 30, 2015

Throne of Heroes.

A place already existing outside time and space.

The Holy Grail.

An artifact whose true nature few know and fewer understand, but all agree that it is an object of phenomenal power.

When they are tampered with, who knows what might happen?

A fifteenth Servant. An impossibility made real. How, no-one knows, or if they do they aren't sharing. Summoned without a Master, who knows if he is even truly part of this war?

Compared to such an occurence, that the new Servant would appear as a younger version than the one that has been defined as the "prime" of that particular Heroic Spirit would at best be a passing curiosity.

Wade Garrett said:
@Blackout
"Destined for greatness? Or cursed to be less than human? I knew another like you, once...this time, your geass is to slay this man."

More Geasa?

He'd dealt with many in his time, perhaps too many, and he knew all too well what happens if and when such obligations ran against each other.

"We shall see."

He would not murder without cause, but what harm was there in seeing if there was a worthy quest in there somewhere?

Wade Garrett said:
Bucharest, Romania

@Blackout
"Hey, you in the body paint! Clear out of here!" The flashing lights of police cars and the hubbub of barked orders, panicked questions, and all the other sounds of a disaster taking place in a modern city are the second things to get the Hound of Ulster's attention. The short, impressively mustachioed man in a police uniform who seems to have taken the Servant's presence near the barricade his colleagues are setting up as a personal insult is the first.

"What, are you on drunk? Go home!" Most of the other officers are more occupied with their own tasks to do more than glance at the brewing confrontation...all except one, a female officer in a slightly more elaborate uniform than those around her, who is looking at Lancer and speaking quietly but urgently into her radio.

There were men who might have acknowledged that after being thrown into a new world it might be wise to draw back and assess the situation fully before drawing attention to oneself. That getting oneself involved in a confrontation with the locals would not accomplish anything.

"Oh, I'm just here to watch the scenery, I'm told that the city is magnificient this time of the year," the Hero of Ireland responded with a cheeky grin. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Lancer was not one of those men.

Narcissist · Jul 30, 2015

"Look babe! I'm not saying that you're stupid, far from it. But you're dragging me into fucking Silent Hill here! After we just got done dealing with 'more tattoos than brain cells'. Can't you just give me a break already?!"

Helena groans into both of her hands. Her fingertips rub her throbbing temple as she prepares for this argument again.

"Look, I know getting turned into a newt wasn't very pleasant, but you know why I can't 'give you a break'," she finishes with a mockery of his voice. Her partner shuts up for a moment, fuming over the remark. "Oh don't be like that. You got a raw deal,"

"You're damn right I did!"

"But you knew that going into this. It's not their fault you dropped the ball."

"…"

She leans back in her seat, folding her hands behind her head and sighing in relief as blessed silence falls over the two. In the other seat, Stephan pops his headphones in. Gaudy pop blasts into his ears as he looks for some form of inspiration.

"Honestly," Helena scoffs in her head, "it's not as if you'll be here forever."

He made his displeasure known at every point. Even still, Helena knew that he would eventually do his job. Her partner whined, but would fall in line eventually. Whether it's out of some sense of loyalty or because he is more afraid of what Paradiso will do to him otherwise eludes her.

Yet she does give credit where it's due. He did simplify a few things. Stephan did contribute a few good shots to the head before the sorcerer turned him into a lizard. Giving her the perfect opening to cut his blasphemous head off and the distinct pleasure of watching his soul, a twisted writhing man-shaped mass of putrid filth, get dragged into hell.

Helena smiles to herself. A job well done in her opinion. All that's left for her to do is tie up the loose end he made when he summoned a demon to possess an abandoned town.

The remainder of the trip is spent mostly in silence. Stephan occasionally busting out singing along with whatever he may be listening to, soldering on even if he flubs the lyrics. Inside the roomy vehicle Helena eyes her guitar, wondering if there might be enough room to play something.

Irenic drives at a leisurely pace. It follows along with the human's 'traffic laws' to avoid rousing the attention of the night guard.

She sighs once more. It's going to be a long night for all three of them.

….......................

Irenic speeds off into the night, its two passengers and their equipment dropped off. Helena and Stephan look over the abandoned town as they stand next to a rusted out sign. A thin wispy layer of fog rolls against their feet.

"I still say this is dumb, not saying you're dumb, but going into this blind is just about the dumbest thing we've done." He itches his head with his free hand. "I mean, you do know what happens to guys like me in this situation right?"

Helena rolls her eyes at the obvious movie reference.

"That isn't going to happen, Jesus. Calm down and grab number 24 from the case," she remarks as she puts down the device, a large record player.

"All I'm sayin' is that I don't want to die here. Ya dig?" Stephan pulls out the record labeled 24. He hands the full sleeve over to Helena. "So you better have some kind of plan to keep me alive."

"Really dear, the plan is simple. " Helena removes the disc and holds the golden record up to Stephan. "We put this in the player, wait for it to lure out the demon, and then you shoot it in the face while I'm stabbing it in the shins." She slots the record into its gold-white sleeve as Stephan releases an exasperated sigh in her direction.

"Seriously Hel! We have no idea what tall, dark, and 'covered in spikes' called up. For all we know, it could be the Devil himself, Mr. Big Red with the horns and the hooves and the pitchfork, and those tiny imps that probably stab you in the junk with their pitchforks! Can't you call up some of your buddies up there? I know you've got one in your damn pocket. Just give me something other than a vague as hell 'plan'. "

"I'm pretty sure that 'in the face' is very specific Stephan. Just do what you do best and everything will work out." She inserts the disc into the player, lowers the needle and turns it on.

The lure is cast and the fishermen wait for a bite.

Sure enough, a pair of red eyes gleams out from the fog. Stephan takes out his headphones.

"Head's up Helena. We've got company," he calls out as the fog around them twists and is drawn back towards the demon.

"…"

Helena doesn't reply, and he turns around wondering if she may have fallen asleep.

"Yo Helen-"

She's gone. He turns around in a full circle, looking desperately for his partner and cursing the day he made his deal.

"Helena! This ain't funny babe! Need a little help… here…."

His voice breaks as he turns back towards the demon. A towering mass of blackened fog, a pulsing nucleus in the center and head where its 'head' and 'heart' would be.

"Aww…. Fuck."

Slowly, he raises Zeruel, his shotgun, and gets ready for a fight.

….......................

Wade Garrett said:
Flashes. Brief impressions. Countless stars moving past you, whole galaxies expanding and collapsing in on themselves and then flying forth once more. Six words somehow burning into your brain.

Helena had sensed the demon well before it had shown itself to her partner. The innate feeling of something just being wrong in the universe was too hard to miss. At least when it shows itself in the human world. When traveling to purgatory it became harder to discern.

Yet as she prepares to warn her partner ahead of time, something new happened. She watches in awe at the sight. Struck silent, similar to her first trip to Paradiso.

Wade Garrett said:
"Is this it? Is this the Heaven I...no. No, this isn't the one I seek. But you can help me find it. I can learn, I can know...protect the red wizard until the black murderer is no more."

She tries to speak, to inform the one that there is no other heaven, and then two images are promptly shoved into her head and a task assigned. Protect a wizard until a murderer is disposed of?

"Never been a bodyguard before."

Wade Garrett said:
Something is wrong here. It doesn't take the enhanced senses of a Pillar Man or a warrior of Heaven to know that. An aura of dread has enshrouded this little town. Wolves howl, people scream, and in defiance of all logic a blood red moon leers down from the sky...

Suddenly Helena is brought back to reality and her trip to the stars is cut off. In its place is something far more sinister, the blood moon and the screams of the dying. Yet, she couldn't place where she was. It certainly isn't the past; the town she had been in was an abandoned coal town and a relatively recent one at that.

The screaming washes over her and she leaps into action, unwilling to let the demon's win the day. There will be time for her to figure things out later.

"ALDON!"

Her soulmate agrees. The creators angel of Joy cries out with Helena, two voices become one as the gates to paradise are thrown down at the command of the sage and the Seraphim. Helena notes some measure of surprise coming from the Angel in her soul as Ardor arrives on the field flanked by Applaud and three affinities equipped with a staff, trumpet, and sousaphone. Helena reaches harder, and calls on Enrapture.
This group will be her Strike Force. They will assault the demonic legions and protect the humans of this village. Yet she needs more information. Knowledge of her location, of the enemy, and whomever may be responsible for this attack.

'Agreement' she feels from within her bosom, and a the familiar wheel shape of the Enchant appears from a golden portal. Three of them.

She points to her strike force.

"Find humans in danger, Defend them if you believe they can be saved, and move on to the next one. If you think you've seen the one responsible for this, let me know. " she waves her hand and sends them off with her directions. Ardor is the defender of the masses. It knows how to lead and what to do. Helena turns to the three Enchants.

"Scout the area. I want to know where the enemy is, and where this even is."

The cartwheel like angels roll off with their tasks, and Helena calls her weapons into being. Barachiel glimmers as she walks towards the screaming masses, walking close enough to the strike force that she wouldn't have too much trouble helping them if they were overwhelmed.

"Well look at that, it's time to go a-killing."

notmi · Jul 30, 2015

Nanami Yasuri was not a happy person. Trapped on an island with no one but her brother and a father who feared her, constrained to a body weak and sickly, living in constant agony, not even allowed to pass away from her illness. Never knowing what it's like to work, strive, or overcome difficulty.

When she had first escaped the island, she wan't quite sure what to do with herself. Much of the wider world was a mystery to her, and even with her suffering, she still had some vestiges of curiosity. However, the Maniwa had proved disappointing, and the Itezora hadn't done much to raise her hopes for finding a challenge. Despite the new scenery, life had reverted to the same bland days as before.

Ultimately, she tracked down the Akutō Bita, knowing that it would lead her brother into conflict with her, hoping that he, if anyone, could end her suffering.

Before that confrontation could happen, however,

Wade Garrett said:
Flashes. Brief impressions. Countless stars moving past you, whole galaxies expanding and collapsing in on themselves and then flying forth once more. Six words somehow burning into your brain.

MADE IN HEAVEN: DON'T STOP BELIEVING

Wade Garrett said:
@notmi
"Weak but strong. Kind but cruel. What do I make of you? Destroy the mad Servant. If you can do that, then...."

A soldier, completely covered in strong armor, wielding a mighty sword?

How dull. Perhaps he could teach her something of the sword before he died to her family's art.

At least there appeared to be some kind of reward for completing the task, and she could experience a new area.

Wade Garrett said:
@notmi
"Ma'am, ma'am. You need to leave, it isn't safe!" The police officer waves his hands at the martial artist in urgent shooing motions, reluctant to put his hands on a lady.

"There's a psycho killer on the loose, it's real bad, you need to get out of here fast as you can!"

Long sleeves sliding back, Nanami clasps her hands in front of herself and bows.

"Ah, my apologies. I must have walked here by accident. I do tend to wander when lost in thought."

A small frown coming to her face, she continues, already backing away to appease the man.

"Could you tell me where to avoid? I'd hate to accidentally walk right into the clutches of this killer."

Dalek Ix · Jul 30, 2015

DO YOU HATE.

The queston woke Rachel from her slumber with all the grace of a round of airstrikes. Her eyes snapped open, and she jerked her head off from the cold metal floor she had been lying on.

Groaning, and nursing the various aches she had accumulated, Numbuh 362 dragged herself to her feet.

She looked around. She was still on the Bridge of that blasted, aggressivelycreepy ship she had found in the Lacus Timoris Containment facility. The lights flickered weakly, and the view she could see out the window was that of a vast, beautiful desolation. One she recognized.

Wait, what?

She gathered her wits, and trotted towards the window to peer outside, standing on her tip-toes. It was the Moon alright, and there, low on the horizon, was the Earth.

And there wasn't a single scratch on it.

"What...?" she breathed, pressing a hand on the ice-cold glass, awestruck at the site. "H-How...?"

She heard someone giggle behind her.

"I knew you'd like that."

Numbuh 362's only reaction was a sharp intake of breath, before spinning around, SCAMPP raised and aimed at the figure sitting on the captain's chair.

It was herself. Or, at least, something thatlooked like herself. She wore Rachel's old Sector S uniform; grey blouse, black military jacket, black cargo pants, black boots, and a black beret. She even had the right badge; a SCAMPP and a dagger, crossed, behind an eye.

"What the crud are you?" Rachel asked, her finger lightly caressing the trigger.

The copy only smiled, and 362 noticed that, even though the other her's eyes were shut, she could feel her looking at her.

"Look around you," the girl on the captain's chair said, gesturing at the Bridge, "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Rachel opened her mouth to demand that the creepy copy of herself speak clearly before she blasted her, but then it all came back and hit her like a missile.

The alien attack.

Numbuh One's treachery.

The evacuation. The battle. Watching Earth burn.

Pushing Numbuh Five into an escape pod, right after tagging her as It.

Firing the entire Moon missile arsenal at the aliens chasing the fleeing fleet. Being chased into the tunnels under the moon, for what seemed like days.

The descent into the bowels of the Lacus Timoris Containment Facility, only to find the ship buried there.

She remembered collapsing in this very bridge. She remembered crying and screeming out of sheer grief, despair and rage. She swore vengeance. Against the GKND. Against the Splinter Cell. And especially against one Nigel Uno.

And she remembered when the ship spoke.

DO YOU HATE.

Oh yes. Like you wouldn't believe.

THEN I CAN HELP YOU.

She'd been offered a deal. Become the Captain of this haunted, hellish ship, and in exchange, she'd get the best chance of revenge. She'd taken it.

Not the best idea she'd ever had, if she was perfectly honest. But what other choice was there?

"...You're the ship," 362 said, lowering her weapon by an inch, "Some sort of...ghost or hallucination that it's using to communicate with me."

The copy smirked. "Got it in one," she said.

"But what I really want to know," Rachel continued, "Is why you look like... well, me."

The copy raised her (it's?) eyebrows in surprise. "Oh. Don't you know? Can't you feel it?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Feel what?" she snapped.

The copy gestured at them both. "Our connection."

The hallucination jumped off the Captain's chair and approached Rachel at a leisurely pace. "A Captain is bound to their ship," she explained, "That is the it has always been. But-" she grinned "-as you know by now, I am no ordinary ship. And the bond you created when you took my offer is no ordinary bond; it is something much, much deeper than that."

The copy stopped, three steps from Rachel, and drew a knife from her belt. The girl tensed and raised her rifle again, but the copy didn't seem to care. She just stood there, examining the blade through closed eyes.

"But to make such a bond," she mused, poking the tip of the blade with her finger, "An exchange was needed. Tiny slivers of our souls. You took something from me, and I took something from you... although, looking back, I believe I wasn't quite generous enough."

Rachel felt ill. She wanted to scream, to run, to find a big, deep hole and stay there forever. But she shoved those feeling down to the back of her brain and focused on the now.

"Why's the Earth still in one piece?" she asked, "Where's the GKND?"

The copy smirked.

"Wrong questions, Rachel," she admonished, returning the knife to its place, "Let me ask the right ones for you: "Where are we?" and "Why are we here?". The answer to the first is that we're on the moon, but not on your moon, as you believe. This is another moon, orbiting another Earth, similar yet different from yours and mine. A parallel world. And as for why we're here..." The copy grimaced. "My stay in that cage has left me drained," It hissed, and then pulled it's lips into a sadistic grin, "And here there's a chance for me to regain my strength. A contest is being held. Blood and death, in exchange for power and might. Just the the thing I need."

"Are you talking about some sort of deathmatch?" Rachel asked, unnerved.

"No," the copy said, sounding almost sad, "A bunch of fleshbags you must slaughter or protect. Nothing you haven't done before...not that you'd remember, of course!" the copy cackled.

Rachel took a step back. "What are you talking about?" the demanded.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll remember," the copy quipped, "Eventually. You'll make a wonderful captain once we reverse that pesky little mindwipe, but enough about that!" she clapped her hands "Time's a-wasting! Time to put you on that miserable self-important mudball."

The copy stuck a hand towards Rachel. The girl eyed it as if she expected the limb to sprout teeth.

The copy sighed. "Oh come on! Shake my hand, we haven't got all day."

Rachel stared at the copy for a moment longer. Seeing no other choice, she slumped in resignation, slung her rifle, stepped forward and took the hand.

The copy suddenly tightened her grip on Rachel's hand and, before the girl could blink, she'd drawn the knife and driven it through both their hands, nailing them together.

Rachel screamed. She brought up the other hand to make a grab at the knife, but the copy slammed her against the wall, driving the breath out of the girl's lungs and bringing their faces an inch away from each other.

Rachel stared fearfully at the empty sockets staring at her.

"Like I said," the copy whispered, "I don't think I was generous enough with you, so I'm giving you a bit more me before you go."

Rachel faintly felt a sickly jolt come up from her pierced hand.

"Now... W̬ͩͪ̄̆ͮ̀́Ǎ̯̰͈̦̃̾ͩ͐̎ͬ͜Ḳͫ̓ͣĘ͙͉̹̯̱̔ ͚͈̲͌̏͘Ŭ̂ͧ̽̉P̰̘͓̆̋ͨ͆ͨ̓̔."

And, with a start, Rachel did.

Wade Garrett said:
"Papers, please! Papers, please!" On the positive side of the ledger, a lavishly furnished train car is probably one of the better places to wake up after being yanked out of space and time and then stuck back in somewhere else.

The negatives are that the other well dressed passengers are giving you odd looks, and the armed border guard moving towards your seat from the front of the car, checking everyone's tickets and passports...he doesn't seem as if he has much of a sense of humor or a very kind heart.

Rachel breathed deeply, trying to slow down her racing heart. She gave the other passengers an awkward smile, and checked the hand that the copy had stabbed through.

She gulped. There was a small mark, about an inch long and quite thin, right on the palm, and another on the back of the hand.

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut. No matter. Right now, she had to find a way to survive the next few seconds. She opened her eyes, and took stock of the situation.

She was wearing her normal "work" clothes, sans helmet, the big, orange sweatshirt hiding her armour from prying eyes. As inconspicuously as she could, she checked her pockets, and found that her LOCKPIKC and PIPER were where she'd left them. There was a bag lying between her feet, and when she picked it up, laid it on her lap, and peeked inside, she found her weapons, and her LUNCHBOKS.

Papers... the computer had a small printer and was very, very quiet. Could she falsify them in that short a time?

Not likely. And the guard was likely checking them against a list.

But maybe...

An idea formed in her mind. Carefully, she peered around, trying to see if she could spot a ticket in someone's hand.

Random Tale · Jul 31, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
Everything can change in an instant.

It only takes one action after all.

Wade Garrett said:
It's a cliche, but it's true.For the better ("Will you marry me?") for the worse ("The hospital called. You might want to sit down...") and you never know which one it's gonna be, or when it's gonna happen.

There are signs, sometimes, if you know when and where to look for them. Other times, you have no warning.

Wade Garrett said:
Actually, scratch that last. Cuz for you, friend? It's happening right now.

Like no- Oh, BLE-

Wade Garrett said:
Flashes. Brief impressions. Countless stars moving past you, whole galaxies expanding and collapsing in on themselves and then flying forth once more. Six words somehow burning into your brain.

MADE IN HEAVEN: DON'T STOP BELIEVING

"It has to be out there. It has too. All the time, all the space...I can get there. Just keep moving the pieces. Keep changing the parts and the players. Keep searching. I'll search forever if I have to....

My old form torn away in an instant, and thrown into a kaleidoscope of color as the worlds hurl past me. Seven other... beings flying with me, as a voice speaks to each of us, throwing images in front of us for moments as the voice speaks to us in turn.

Wade Garrett said:
@Blackout
"Destined for greatness? Or cursed to be less than human? I knew another like you, once...this time, your geass is to slay this man."

@Dalek Ix
"Damned by your own choice...or were you? Is that deal you made a sign of your weakness, or your strength? Burn it until it freezes...freeze until you burn...this man. Destroy this man"

@joebobjoe
"So close. So cloooossseee... but it's not enough, it's not right, it's not him! Do this for me. Protect the old one until the young one falls. Can you? He could...there's a reward in it, you can trust me, I could never lie to you...."

@Narcissist
"Is this it? Is this the Heaven I...no. No, this isn't the one I seek. But you can help me find it. I can learn, I can know...protect the red wizard until the black murderer is no more."

@notmi
"Weak but strong. Kind but cruel. What do I make of you? Destroy the mad Servant. If you can do that, then...."

@Random Tale

"Like, but unlike...you want an answer. You seek Heaven, in your own way. We can help each other. I have just the task for you....guard the one doomed girl until the other doomed girl dies."

@Unlucky Bibliophile
"You. You. You and all your kind...no. No, even you can reach Heaven. All things work together for the good of...yes. Yes. Destroy this man."

@Xellos
"Not human...or are you? You laugh, you love, you cry...does not God love all his creations? Protect the one who would be queen until the mad monster dies, and we will see what we will see..."

,

I recognize most of the images, while a few I don't. But of the images I recognize, they point me to a certain series of stories. The Nasuverse, where almost everything could kill you if you weren't careful. While I paid only passing notice towards the others, it was when the voice seemed to address me in partiular did I pay attention.

"Like, but unlike...you want an answer. You seek Heaven, in your own way. We can help each other. I have just the task for you....guard the one doomed girl until the other doomed girl dies."

It was at this point that another being was flung in my direction, and we collided, causing my vision to go black.

Wade Garrett said:
Romania-Ukraine border

@joebobjoe
Diego fell through the air.....about three feet, then landed in grass about waist high. His immediate impressions were of a night sky, a icy chill, an open field...and then mostly the pain of landing and grass everywhere he could see, bar straight up.

Looking straight up revealed something-a machine of some sort?-silhouetted against the full moon. The bizarre flying machine began to grow larger, and the jockey realized that probably meant it was going to land in the very field he had been dumped into.

@Random Tale
The Kyuubys fell about three feet...and landed on a slope. A fall became a painful, jostling downhill roll that ended in the pond at the bottom of the slope.

The icy cold pond.

When the Incubators managed to get out of the water and shake themselves off, they'd notice an airship slowly descending on a field several hundred yards from their current location.

I regained my conciousness a short distance above solid ground, surrounded by five other beings my size. I couldn't exactly see what they were, as the world turned around me, before we landed with six splashes as we hit icy cold water.

Then pain spiked in my head as five alike voices spoke in unison.

ASSUMING DIRECT CONTROL.

Five sets of paws and claws came into my body as we struggled in the water. It was only when I felt a crack in my body did my struggles cease.

I was then dragged out of the water, allowing myself to get my first real glimpse of the beings.

Incubators.

And from what I could still feel of my body, I was now one as well.

___________________________________________________________

Shaking themselves off, the five white Incubators look around the area, taking in their surroundings. Cold field, with a large Zeppelin starting to land in the field a few hundred yards nearby.

Exposed, in a field, with no place to hide, and human contact was likely close to immient. With the deal they had cut with a being, or an ROB, they were unprepared for human contact.

They would have to go over details later. In the short term, they had a series of goals they needed to acomplish. First, locate a safe place on top of a ley line to start generating bodies from. Second, get information about the area. Third, start making safe Contracts.

Two of the bodies would take the black Incubator, dubbed 'Ranbey', and try to head away from the Zeppelin in one direction. Another of the two would head in another direction, but still away from the Zeppelin. Finally, one last body, let us call it 'Kyubey4' would slowly approach the landing area of the Zeppelin, and observe the locals of this world, listening to them to learn of the area and then of events and potential Contracts. It would be key for all of the bodies, both black and white, to stay out of sight until later when they were more prepared.

They had a heat death to fight, after all.

Wade Garrett · Jul 31, 2015

@Xellos
As she focused her perceptions and began to move, Nirvania realized she was in some sort of artificial cavern, housing domesticated animals. All around her, horses reared and screamed, panicked by the sounds and smells...but whatever was hunting in this village seemed to have no interest in mere beasts.

"GET THE GIRLS INTO THE CELLAR! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!" A male voice bellows to her left, accompanied by the wailing of children and the sound of bolts being thrown in a doorway.

There's something else...a slow click-clack of claws on a solid surface, somehow conveying the impression that whatever they belonged to could move much faster, but was savoring the fear of its victims.

@Narcissist
From the general appearance of the buildings, signs and architecture, this little town had once eked out a living catering to tourists interested in horseback rides and hiking through the local countryside.

Now it was an abattoir. Bodies and bits of bodies littered the streets, people driven out of their homes so they could be torn apart as they ran. Flames were already beginning to consume some of the buildings, adding to the hellish nature of the scene.

Some survivors continued to run, harried along by loathsome shapes that combined the most loathsome features of ravening wolves and great apes. These were, for the most part, children, allowed to watch the adults be disemboweled by raking claws or have their throats torn out by leering fangs so that their own fear and despair would be all the more intense.

Shouts and screams echoed from some of the buildings, hinting that some were still trying to fight back or at least hide themselves from the creatures...but these were quickly falling silent as the hunt pursued its gruesome amusements.

@joebobjoe

As the balloon descended, blindingly bright lights stabbed out from its underside, sweeping across the field where Diego was standing. As soon as one of the beams caught him in their glow, they all converged upon the blonde jockey, and the airship simply...stopped.

As Diego blinked against the harsh illumination, several cables were dropped from the vehicle overhead, the tips of the longest still dangling at least fifty feet above the Stand Users head.

And then something else dropped from the airship as well. At first it seemed to be nothing more than a strip of tattered black cloth, something that might fallen by accident when the cables were let down...but then it started to move, skittering and sliding from one of the gently swaying lines to another with a breakneck speed nothing human could have matched, using the ropes to fall faster, faster, reaching the end of the largest rope in mere seconds before plunging off to...land in front of Diego as gracefully as he would have stepped off a doorstep.

"Greetings. I must politely request that you place your hands atop your head and kneel."

@Random Tale
Meanwhile, something very fast passed by Kyuuby4 in the tall grass, sliding snake like through the thick undergrowth as it made its own way towards the landing area.

Legend of Ruina · Aug 1, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
.
@joebobjoe

As the balloon descended, blindingly bright lights stabbed out from its underside, sweeping across the field where Diego was standing. As soon as one of the beams caught him in their glow, they all converged upon the blonde jockey, and the airship simply...stopped.

As Diego blinked against the harsh illumination, several cables were dropped from the vehicle overhead, the tips of the longest still dangling at least fifty feet above the Stand Users head.

And then something else dropped from the airship as well. At first it seemed to be nothing more than a strip of tattered black cloth, something that might fallen by accident when the cables were let down...but then it started to move, skittering and sliding from one of the gently swaying lines to another with a breakneck speed nothing human could have matched, using the ropes to fall faster, faster, reaching the end of the largest rope in mere seconds before plunging off to...land in front of Diego as gracefully as he would have stepped off a doorstep.

"Greetings. I must politely request that you place your hands atop your head and kneel."

Well there we go, contact established. Looks like there's at least one Stand User aboard that oversized balloon. At least assuming the Stand wasn't some form of raiment like that Blackmoor guy's Catch the Rainbow. Seeing there wasn't anything to be gained by struggling but not wanting to comply entirely in case of it being part of an activation for the enemy's ability Diego went into a squatting position with his hands behind his neck.

"Ah, hello sir. I seem to have gotten a bit lost. Last I recall I was fighting the President due to him attempting to backstab me towards the end of the Steel Ball Run." Of course the fact that this was likely some odd parallel world and that both he and the president were Stand Users was better left unsaid for now.

Xellos · Aug 1, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
@Xellos
As she focused her perceptions and began to move, Nirvania realized she was in some sort of artificial cavern, housing domesticated animals. All around her, horses reared and screamed, panicked by the sounds and smells...but whatever was hunting in this village seemed to have no interest in mere beasts.

"GET THE GIRLS INTO THE CELLAR! I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!" A male voice bellows to her left, accompanied by the wailing of children and the sound of bolts being thrown in a doorway.

There's something else...a slow click-clack of claws on a solid surface, somehow conveying the impression that whatever they belonged to could move much faster, but was savoring the fear of its victims.

Hm. She had understood that perfectly, but she couldn't recall being familiar with this particular language. The sun tribe used a great many languages, and she had to learn many different ones over the years, but she had to learn them. She had never simply known. Most likely the work of that voice. Still...

She blurred into motion, exiting the cavern at speeds a human wouldn't be able to without some kind of supernatural assistance. At the same time, her body temperature began to decrease.

...there was little time for thinking on such matters. Normal predators did not take their time when their prey were directly aware of them. That was the action of something intelligent enough to enjoy death for it's own sake and little need to feed. An unpleasant sort of creature.

Having moved into the open, Nirvinia took stock of the scene, taking in the details of the beasts anatomy. Normally, she would have preferred to allow it to act first, take stock of how it functioned, but knowing its limb range and armaments wold have to suffice for now.

Her body temperature decreased further, causing her skin to pale slightly from its normal dark tone.

Moving towards the creature, she planned to avoid it's initial attack, grip its head whilst freezing said part solid, and slam the suddenly brittle skull of the creature into the ground to shatter it.

Narcissist · Aug 1, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
From the general appearance of the buildings, signs and architecture, this little town had once eked out a living catering to tourists interested in horseback rides and hiking through the local countryside.

Now it was an abattoir. Bodies and bits of bodies littered the streets, people driven out of their homes so they could be torn apart as they ran. Flames were already beginning to consume some of the buildings, adding to the hellish nature of the scene.

Some survivors continued to run, harried along by loathsome shapes that combined the most loathsome features of ravening wolves and great apes. These were, for the most part, children, allowed to watch the adults be disemboweled by raking claws or have their throats torn out by leering fangs so that their own fear and despair would be all the more intense.

Shouts and screams echoed from some of the buildings, hinting that some were still trying to fight back or at least hide themselves from the creatures...but these were quickly falling silent as the hunt pursued its gruesome amusements.

Helena runs, calmly moving to intercept the beasts chasing the children. For a brief moment she thinks of bringing down the thunder, and the fire, and the gigantic dragon that is Courage. But only for a moment as there was no way she can justifiably burn all of the wretches, sending them kicking and screaming to whatever torment that awaits demons when they die, while she is unsure if the instigator of this incident would be among them.

"No point in showing all my cards," she thinks to herself. Without thinking she moves around leftover viscera from one of the victims. She considers the situation. The children will be saved, of that she has no question, but there would be no one left to take care of them.

"And there's no way I'm settling down in the ass end of nowhere to do it myself."

Ardor and its squad will save as many as they are able. Even as she comes upon the first of the demons she can hear the telltale sounds of battle. Trumpets and sousaphones blast above the sound of the dying as affinity play their hero's songs.

Still, time's running out for the few souls strong enough to survive this invasion. So Helena simply creates more.

Light Speed

Time slows to a crawl. Demons and man alike freeze in place.

"Tic….Toc"

She counts the number of 'seconds' left in the frozen world meticulously.

1

Helena flows like water on the battlefield. Her Barachiel kisses the throat of the wolf-ape thing before celestial steel is ripped through and separates its head from its body. The spray of blood freezes in place.

2

She leaps across the way at the next target. Her blades stabbing the beast dozens of times over in the head, chest, and lower body until it resembles a pincushion. With a dragon kick to send it in the opposite direction of its victims, Helena moves onto another target.

3

A little further than she anticipated. She moves for a definitive ending and bisects the beast.

4
5
6
7
8

Helena continues her heavenly duty through the remainder of her extended time. Leaping from beast to beast, slaughtering them for the crime of harrowing the masses and breaking into the realm of mortals. She kills, and kills, and kills until not a single one of the beasts remains in the general vicinity of their unfortunate victims.

She grins from ear to ear as 'time' runs out.

9

Random Tale · Aug 1, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
@Random Tale
Meanwhile, something very fast passed by Kyuuby4 in the tall grass, sliding snake like through the thick undergrowth as it made its own way towards the landing area.

Kyuubey4 froze.

Something else was moving towards the landing area, something that moved by very fast in the tall grass.

On its own, an Incubator was defenseless. It was weak prey, able to be destroyed in one or two blows. Normally, that wouldn't be a problem, since normally, there were many bodies to spare. Now, there were only six bodies, and they couldn't exactly create more out of thin air at the moment.

Still, there was little else they could do at the moment. Kyuubey4 would go forward again, seeking information. Without that, the capabilities of the Hive Mind would be limited.

Just stay in the grass, and try not to be noticed as it moved forward towards the airship.

Wade Garrett · Aug 2, 2015

Bucharest

Many people would have found sitting in a commandeered office listening to a steady stream of "All clears" and "Situation normals" over their radio intensely boring. Orlando Reeve embraced it.

For this sort of operation, everything rolling smoothly along with nary a hitch or unexpected twist was a marvelous thing, to be treasured and savored, possibly boasted about a few decades after the event to an extremely trusted friend. The scene was secure, the municipal authorities were completely cowed by the magic word "Securitate" (and, for the more well informed and connected, "Yggdmillenia") and it seemed that Assassin's summoning would soon be completed.

And of course, this was when things began to go wrong.

"Scarecrow to Auntie Em, possible Servant at the South barricade. Male, wearing leather...very tight leather, some chainmail, carrying a spear. Female in Eastern clothing also nearby, most likely the Master. Does not resemble any of the possibles in the dossier. Please advise."

"One moment, Scarecrow. Lion, update on Dorothy?"

"Dorothy should be on the field in three to five minutes, Auntie." The operative didn't even bother trying to hide the distaste in his voice, and Reeve made a mental note to reprimand him later. Iconelle's methods were distasteful, but she was far from the worst person Orlando had associated with to advance his employee's interests.

"Understood. Scarecrow, try to separate them. If you can, bring the Servant inside the perimeter and use the Flying Monkeys to see what he can do. Lion, I want Dorothy set on the Master as soon as it shows up. And Lion...for now, Oz is a mission asset. Understood?"

"Understood, Auntie Em."

@Blackout

"You little punk! Somebody needs to teach you a lesson!" The cop's hand went for his belt...and then the woman who had been speaking into the radio stepped forward and caught him by the arm.

"Officer Petran. Foreign visitors fall under my jurisdiction."

The mustachioed man whirled around to yell at her...and immediately swallowed his indignation.

"Yes ma'am!" He all but ran away from Cuchulain to find someone else to bully.

"Now then. Sir, I'm going to ask you to step this way." As she addressed the Hound, her hands fell to her hips...where unlike the other officials, she wore a pair of curved shortswords, one black, one white.

@notmi
"This whole building complex is..."

"New orders, Andrei." Several other officers walked up behind the painfully earnest one.

"She's to be brought in for questioning. Apparently she's connected to whatever's going on in there."

Wade Garrett · Aug 2, 2015

@Xellos
There were several walls in between Nirvinia and the members of the Sun Tribe being menaced by the unknown predator.

There were several walls in between Nirvinia and the unknown predator.

The Pillar Woman beheld a fanged snout and clawed hands attached to a form that seemed to twist between a wolf becoming one of the great apes and an ape taking a lupine form, never settling, never stable. The beast turned away from its cornered prey to confront the new arrival, moving with the lazy arrogance of an apex predator that is absolutely certain of its place at the top of the food chain.

That arrogance vanished in an instant, as the beast got a glimpse of the blinding speed with which Nirvinia closed in on it...but it was too late, her hand was already closing around its skull in an iron grip, her enhanced anatomy lowering the temperature hundreds of degrees in a single second.

Its entire body went rigid as she froze its head solid, then began to twitch frantically as she drove the ice encased skull into the far wall, shattering it like a wine glass hurled at concrete.

"What-who are you?" A red haired man clutching the remains of a wooden chair like a club stared at the Amazon that had just saved him and his family in open mouthed astonishment.

Behind him, a dark haired woman clutched two nigh identical girls in her arms, distracted from trying to rip open the cellar door by their sudden deliverance.

"She's a superhero, Poppa!" One of the girls said, blinking away the tears that had been rolling down her face. "She'll save us from the werewolves!"

@Narcissist
The pack revels in its hunt, glories in its sport, the torment and butchery of the helpless people. And then the pack dies.

They die torn to shreds holy blades.
They die blown apart and set aflame by angelic weapons. Some are rent limb from limb by the armored gauntlets of the angels themselves. The survivors are as stunned as the beasts'. It is a miracle. An unquestionably divine rescue sent by Heaven itself. Ragged cheers begin to rise as Helen does her righteous work. Some actually call out Bible verses and snatches of prayers.

They rejoice...but they do not see the beasts corpses beginning to loose form and dissolve, becoming a reddish black slurry that flows bonelessly out of the streets, out of sight, tucking itself into cracks, oozing into gutters and water pipes, taking refuge, planning its next move...

Blackout · Aug 3, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
"You little punk! Somebody needs to teach you a lesson!" The cop's hand went for his belt...and then the woman who had been speaking into the radio stepped forward and caught him by the arm.

"Officer Petran. Foreign visitors fall under my jurisdiction."

The mustachioed man whirled around to yell at her...and immediately swallowed his indignation.

"Yes ma'am!" He all but ran away from Cuchulain to find someone else to bully.

"Now then. Sir, I'm going to ask you to step this way." As she addressed the Hound, her hands fell to her hips...where unlike the other officials, she wore a pair of curved shortswords, one black, one white.

Hmmm...

On one hand, he could continue flipping them off until they attacked him. Amusing, though the fight might not end up being all that spectacular considering the opponents, and he'd have a hell of a time keeping it under wraps.

On the other, going along might shed some insight into what was going on, and how a human in this time and age got their hands on a genuine Noble Phantasm. Yeah it might lead to an ambush, but so what? He was never one to back down from a challenge.

That, and...

"By all means, lead the way. Women who can assert themselves are always to my taste, especially if they also take the initiative and make the first move."

Wade Garrett · Aug 3, 2015

@joebobjoe
"I will confess that very little of what you just said made sense to me. But if you are truly lost, then I do not believe my Master will do you any harm." The skull masked figure replied.

@Random Tale
As the Kyuubys dragged "Random Tale" in the opposite direction of the airship, a faint sound reached their collectively much keener than a human's senses, a noise of someone whispering.

"...can see it, Fiore. Black cloak and a skull mask, has to be one of the Hassans. Right, draw the other one out..."

One moment the masked man was politely chatting with Diego. The next he was moving, producing a pair of long bladed knives from under his cloak as if by magic. Both weapons gleamed with a reddish black light as the hooded figure slashed out with them and...

Deflected twin chains that came flying out of the tall grass directly at the masked man. The Stand User's eyes followed them back to their wielder, a pale skinned woman who emerged from the undergrowth with the speed of a striking snake to retract her weapons and strike again, and again, and again, each blow deflected by the skull faced man's knives.

With his peripheral vision, Diego noticed a surge of motion way off to his left, where open fields gave way to dark forest...

notmi · Aug 3, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
"This whole building complex is..."

"New orders, Andrei." Several other officers walked up behind the painfully earnest one.

"She's to be brought in for questioning. Apparently she's connected to whatever's going on in there."

Really, she had no reason to refuse them. She was completely lost in this world, with only a vague goal and no plan on how to achieve it. Going with them would likely lead her to something interesting, and it would allow her keep her abilities hidden for the time being.

Or, if she truly didn't want to go with them, she could always just escape. It was obvious to her eyes that these men, whatever authority they wielded, it wasn't by force of arms. Even with her weakened body, she could move faster than their eyes could follow, and be away without a trace.

But...

"Andrei, was it? I'll make sure to remember your name. Thank you for being so considerate."

Lightening her body to lessen the strain of activity, she dances between the men, hands lashing out to cleanly carve a line across each of their throats. She takes several steps to the side to avoid staining her yukata before speaking again.

"Unfortunately, I have no desire to follow you."

Bringing her weight to the absolute minimum, she pushes off the ground, shooting up, before gently floating down onto the roof of a nearby building. She uses the same method to move forward, finally stopping several building beyond the barricade and completely out of the sight of any other officers that may have been nearby.

Now, to see about that killer.

Legend of Ruina · Aug 3, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
@joebobjoe
"I will confess that very little of what you just said made sense to me. But if you are truly lost, then I do not believe my Master will do you any harm." The skull masked figure replied.

@Random Tale
As the Kyuubys dragged "Random Tale" in the opposite direction of the airship, a faint sound reached their collectively much keener than a human's senses, a noise of someone whispering.

"...can see it, Fiore. Black cloak and a skull mask, has to be one of the Hassans. Right, draw the other one out..."

One moment the masked man was politely chatting with Diego. The next he was moving, producing a pair of long bladed knives from under his cloak as if by magic. Both weapons gleamed with a reddish black light as the hooded figure slashed out with them and...

Deflected twin chains that came flying out of the tall grass directly at the masked man. The Stand User's eyes followed them back to their wielder, a pale skinned woman who emerged from the undergrowth with the speed of a striking snake to retract her weapons and strike again, and again, and again, each blow deflected by the skull faced man's knives.

With his peripheral vision, Diego noticed two more figures leaping out of the airship to plummet towards the battle, and he also saw a sudden surge of motion at the treeline, where open fields gave way to dark forest...

This looks like the work of an enemy Stand! Diego considered his options, on the one hand he could leap into battle, however the newcomer's ability seemed to be a perfect counter to his Dynamic Vision. He could also theoretically try attacking the masked Stand but with his allies right overhead it was likely suicide, and he couldn't be sure the other group would be as accepting as this one. Clearly what he needed to do was find a way to leverage his Stand against them.

Immediately the appropriate reaction occurred to him, he didn't like it but it seemed to be the only way. He would have to use the physical boosts granted by Scary Monster to attain a better tactical situation, using the improved senses of his raptor form to find appropriate targets for his ability and then exploit them to help with the combat. Course of action decided Diego began to execute it. He turned and ran away from the direction the newcomers were entering from, activating Scary Monster mostly to obtain extra leg strength, searching for animals to use his ability on.

Xellos · Aug 3, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
@Xellos
There were several walls in between Nirvinia and the members of the Sun Tribe being menaced by the unknown predator.

There were several walls in between Nirvinia and the unknown predator.

The Pillar Woman beheld a fanged snout and clawed hands attached to a form that seemed to twist between a wolf becoming one of the great apes and an ape taking a lupine form, never settling, never stable. The beast turned away from its cornered prey to confront the new arrival, moving with the lazy arrogance of an apex predator that is absolutely certain of its place at the top of the food chain.

Hm. Its form was fluid. Not quite in the same way as that of The People, it was simply oscillating back and forth between two shapes, being both at the same time by never settling on one. It seemed an unconscious action, something it just did rather than thought about doing. What an unfortunate state to be in.

Still. A loathsome creature.

That arrogance vanished in an instant, as the beast got a glimpse of the blinding speed with which Nirvinia closed in on it...but it was too late, her hand was already closing around its skull in an iron grip, her enhanced anatomy lowering the temperature hundreds of degrees in a single second.

Its entire body went rigid as she froze its head solid, then began to twitch frantically as she drove the ice encased skull into the far wall, shattering it like a wine glass hurled at concrete.

No particular resistance to Frost Mode had been displayed. Good. She hadn't expected that sort of ability from a quick glance at it, but she had seen many strange things in her time. It wouldn't be prudent to expect the same ability to always work on something entirely new.

"What-who are you?" A red haired man clutching the remains of a wooden chair like a club stared at the Amazon that had just saved him and his family in open mouthed astonishment.

Behind him, a dark haired woman clutched two nigh identical girls in her arms, distracted from trying to rip open the cellar door by their sudden deliverance.

"She's a superhero, Poppa!" One of the girls said, blinking away the tears that had been rolling down her face. "She'll save us from the werewolves!"

Superhero. Hero was sensible, but what was the 'super' qualifier supposed to indicate? 'Hero' fulfilled the meaning well enough by itself. Then again, it was a term used by a small child of the Sun Tribe. They did not always say sensible things. Werewolves. Was that what the creature was? A werewolf, she supposed the singular form would be. Its body did have elements of wolves, but the other half didn't make quite as much sense. Still, the term would have to do for now.

She kept her senses open, trying to determine if any other such creatures were close by as her body temperature slowly increased again. There was no need to keep Frost Mode continuously active.

"...My name is Nirvinia." she responded, speaking for the first time in this language. It flowed off the tongue as if she had been speaking it all her life. Quite a marvel, really. However her... [Made in Heaven: Don't Stop Believing] 'benefactor' functioned, he had taught her the language without her even noticing. Yet another strange thing. "How long ago did this start?" she asked, eyes shifting to glance at the killed 'werewolf'.

Unlucky Bibliophile · Aug 3, 2015

"Come on, JoJo!" Suzi Q said, pulling him along eagerly as they made their way to the airplane strip. "We're going to be late for our flight if you keep holding us back like that!"

"Yeah, yeah," Joseph grumped as he reluctantly boarded his eternal nemesis: airplane travel. He never really trusted planes, not after the many accidents that seemed to happen when he got on one.

A few minutes into their flight, the couple settled in. Suzi Q spent several minutes talking and talking about the flight, while Joseph slept on. It was a routine both were intimately familiar with.

"It's beautiful, isn't it, JoJo? I could spend hours looking at this view..." Suzi Q asked, and a few moments of awkward silence passed. Usually, her husband would respond with a apathetic grunt or grumble. "JoJo?"

She turned towards the nearby seat, only to find it completely empty. "JoJo!"

Wade Garrett said:
Flashes. Brief impressions. Countless stars moving past you, whole galaxies expanding and collapsing in on themselves and then flying forth once more. Six words somehow burning into your brain.

MADE IN HEAVEN: DON'T STOP BELIEVING

Countless images flashed through Joseph's mind in that endless field of stars. Too many to comprehend, too many... It felt like his mind was slowly being pushed through a juicer, while experiencing every press.

Wade Garrett said:
"You. You. You and all your kind...no. No, even you can reach Heaven. All things work together for the good of...yes. Yes. Destroy this man."

His kind? What did he mean by his kind?

And this man... what did he have to do with this?

Whoever had done this thought JoJo was a fool. But Joseph Joestar was not going to be taken for a fool. He acted like it, but he was far craftier than he appeared. He was going to find whatever abducted him from his wife, beat its face in, and then head back home before Suzi Q even noticed.

So fine, he'll play along for now. Joseph will try and accomplish his objectives, he'll bide his time. Then the one responsible for his abduction would fear the day he even dared to mess with Joseph Joestar!

Wade Garrett said:
"Papers, please! Papers, please!" On the positive side of the ledger, a lavishly furnished train car is probably one of the better places to wake up after being yanked out of space and time and then stuck back in somewhere else.
The negatives are that the other well dressed passengers are giving you odd looks, and the armed border guard moving towards your seat from the front of the car, checking everyone's tickets and passports...he doesn't seem as if he has much of a sense of humor or a very kind heart.

Joseph woke up with a start. "Suzi!"

The other passengers gave him strange looks at his outburst. "S-Sorry..." he sheepishly apologized to the others as they went about their business.

Joseph patted himself down and, of course, he found nothing on his person. Not even the papers he had on the plane. He looked to the right of his seat and saw the same American clackers he used back, along with the Red Stone of Aja. Handy. Stuffing them into his deep pockets, JoJo looked took the opportunity to look around.

He was in a spacious train compartment, with several high-class looking people. They were talking to each in a language JoJo vaguely sounded like Russian. Oddly enough, JoJo could understand them. Sure, they sounded like they were talking in Russian if he paid close enough attention, but to Joseph they were all talking in English -- albeit with funny accents.

"Shit," he swore as he spotted the cops. By the looks of it, he was in Soviet Russian. An American in Soviet territory? Yeah, that was gonna end well. They were going to toss him in jail and beat him for every nugget of information he had, before killing him for being a spy.

Joseph needed to get off the train and fast. He could worry about how he got there later. For now, he needed a way to get out of the situation.

In front of Joseph's seat was a finely dressed man, like many of the others in the compartment. Joseph hated to do this, but he didn't have much choice. Not unless it involved confronting the cops with intent to beat everyone into a black and blue pulp, anyway. Or crashing the train. Perhaps even both at the same time.

Joseph tapped the man on the shoulder, forcefully taking control of his nervous system through the Ripple. "Sorry 'bout this," he whispered into the man's ear. He didn't even know if he spoke English. "But you kinda need to be my distraction right now." Then he forced the man to quickly, albeit stiffly, walk towards the other end of the train. Hopefully, that would draw the attention of the cops, giving Joseph the opportunity to get pass them.

Narcissist · Aug 4, 2015

Wade Garrett said:
The pack revels in its hunt, glories in its sport, the torment and butchery of the helpless people. And then the pack dies.

They die torn to shreds holy blades.
They die blown apart and set aflame by angelic weapons. Some are rent limb from limb by the armored gauntlets of the angels themselves. The survivors are as stunned as the beasts'. It is a miracle. An unquestionably divine rescue sent by Heaven itself. Ragged cheers begin to rise as Helen does her righteous work. Some actually call out Bible verses and snatches of prayers.

They rejoice...but they do not see the beasts corpses beginning to loose form and dissolve, becoming a reddish black slurry that flows bonelessly out of the streets, out of sight, tucking itself into cracks, oozing into gutters and water pipes, taking refuge, planning its next move...

Hordes of monsters thin as they're trimmed by the blades of heavens most righteous warrior. Helena leaps over a puddle of gore to reach her next target. The creature of Inferno swings haphazardly, but is met with swift retribution as she ducks beneath the attack and kicks the creature towards a stone building. Turning a once fearsome beast into a puddle and crumbling the bricked wall.

She gazes at the scene, turning around as she looks for more beasts to slay. Helena huffs as she sees naught but a broken street and some stragglers quoting a mishmash of the Old and New Testament. Faintly, she could still hear her angels doing battle. Though far more sparse than before. The orchestra of destruction gave way to a few solo pieces here and there.

"This area is safe for now," she decides as she keeps her ears open. She looks up at the sky and grins. "Let's go take a better look. The boys should be able to keep these folks safe."

"MIRC VPAAH!"

With all her superhuman strength, Helen leaps into the air. A trio of gold-white wings float behind her as she examines the city from the sky. Looking for more in need of salvation, and those in need of damnation.

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