Mass Foundations: All the World's a Stage thread 2 (Doctor Who/Fallout/Soul Calibur)
- Thread starter Nord Ronnoc
- Start date
- Crossover Sci-Fi
Chapter Five: Far From Home - Meet Leixia, Xiba, and Natsu!
Jocelyn groaned, resisting the urge to bring her hands up to her face. The stench of vomit lingered in the air, and she did not want to know where he threw up, nor would she want to know what else he ate.
"Dammit, Xiba! We just ate lunch!" Jocelyn looked to her right to find a short teenage girl with her blond hair tied in a ponytail, wearing garments that strangely reminded her of that Japanese samurai on Mothership Zeta years ago, with her pants being red. She sore that girl was not there seconds ago.
"Oh, you're such a piggy, Xiba!" another teenage girl complained, this one with black hair and more obvious Asian facial features, as she ran up to the rest of them. By the looks of it, none of the girls nor the boy couldn't be more than half of Jocelyn's age. The Asian girl's hair was decorated with flowers while she wore a blue, elegant outfit that gave the impression that she was a Chinese noblewoman.
What caught Jocelyn's eyes, however, was a tiny blue stone attached to her necklace. "Is that… what's that on your neck?" she asked, pointing at the necklace.
"Oh, this? My mother gave this to me. It's a piece of an artifact called the Dvapara-Yuga." The girl smiled, giggling playfully. "Do you like it?"
"What's the Dvapara-Yuga?"
"One of the three treasures from the Ling Shen-Su Temple, Maxi answered. He tried to get Xiba, the young boy, up to his feet. "It was a mirror of some sort that can purify pretty much anything of corrupted energy. My old buddy, Kilik, used to wear it back about twenty years ago before it shattered." He sighed after Xiba got up to his feet. "Ah, sorry. I got ahead of myself. The ninja with the blond hair? That's Natsu. And the girl with the pendant's Leixia. She's the daughter of another friend of mine, Xianghua."
The blond-haired ninja lazily waved her hand as she now leaned against a tree nearby. "Yo."
"Hi there, nice to meet you!" Leixia shook the Wanderer's hand excitedly, all the while the Wanderer just stood there, dumbfounded at how… quirky these kids were. Not even Fawkes or Charon could match up to them, she reckoned.
"Hiya, lady. Name's Xiba," the boy said before grabbing a red staff with golden tips on both ends nearby.
Jocelyn turned toward Leixia. "I saw something like that before I got here. Another piece of this Dvapara-Yuga. Has anyone seen it?"
"You mean this?" Between Natsu's thumb and index finger was a blue stone, which gleamed brightly under the sunlight.
"Yeah, that's it!" Jocelyn exclaimed, pointed at it. "There's another thing I had. A shard of something called Soul Edge."
It was then everybody's eyes were on her. As if she had reached down into her pocket and pulled it out, the red, flesh-like object appeared in her hand. Then, she felt something was close, as if someone was whispering into her ear.
Make me whole again by bringing me this shard, and all your wishes shall come true!
The expression on Maxi's was filled with dread, his eyes wide with shock. "What happened?" he asked.
Jocelyn's breath was quick, shallow. "It told me that if I make it whole somehow, it'll grant me something I want."
"That's… Look, to put it one way, that's bad news. You might wanna tell us where you get it. Like, right now," Maxi demanded.
"Dammit, Xiba! We just ate lunch!" Jocelyn looked to her right to find a short teenage girl with her blond hair tied in a ponytail, wearing garments that strangely reminded her of that Japanese samurai on Mothership Zeta years ago, with her pants being red. She sore that girl was not there seconds ago.
"Oh, you're such a piggy, Xiba!" another teenage girl complained, this one with black hair and more obvious Asian facial features, as she ran up to the rest of them. By the looks of it, none of the girls nor the boy couldn't be more than half of Jocelyn's age. The Asian girl's hair was decorated with flowers while she wore a blue, elegant outfit that gave the impression that she was a Chinese noblewoman.
What caught Jocelyn's eyes, however, was a tiny blue stone attached to her necklace. "Is that… what's that on your neck?" she asked, pointing at the necklace.
"Oh, this? My mother gave this to me. It's a piece of an artifact called the Dvapara-Yuga." The girl smiled, giggling playfully. "Do you like it?"
"What's the Dvapara-Yuga?"
"One of the three treasures from the Ling Shen-Su Temple, Maxi answered. He tried to get Xiba, the young boy, up to his feet. "It was a mirror of some sort that can purify pretty much anything of corrupted energy. My old buddy, Kilik, used to wear it back about twenty years ago before it shattered." He sighed after Xiba got up to his feet. "Ah, sorry. I got ahead of myself. The ninja with the blond hair? That's Natsu. And the girl with the pendant's Leixia. She's the daughter of another friend of mine, Xianghua."
The blond-haired ninja lazily waved her hand as she now leaned against a tree nearby. "Yo."
"Hi there, nice to meet you!" Leixia shook the Wanderer's hand excitedly, all the while the Wanderer just stood there, dumbfounded at how… quirky these kids were. Not even Fawkes or Charon could match up to them, she reckoned.
"Hiya, lady. Name's Xiba," the boy said before grabbing a red staff with golden tips on both ends nearby.
Jocelyn turned toward Leixia. "I saw something like that before I got here. Another piece of this Dvapara-Yuga. Has anyone seen it?"
"You mean this?" Between Natsu's thumb and index finger was a blue stone, which gleamed brightly under the sunlight.
"Yeah, that's it!" Jocelyn exclaimed, pointed at it. "There's another thing I had. A shard of something called Soul Edge."
It was then everybody's eyes were on her. As if she had reached down into her pocket and pulled it out, the red, flesh-like object appeared in her hand. Then, she felt something was close, as if someone was whispering into her ear.
Make me whole again by bringing me this shard, and all your wishes shall come true!
The expression on Maxi's was filled with dread, his eyes wide with shock. "What happened?" he asked.
Jocelyn's breath was quick, shallow. "It told me that if I make it whole somehow, it'll grant me something I want."
"That's… Look, to put it one way, that's bad news. You might wanna tell us where you get it. Like, right now," Maxi demanded.
Last edited:
Chapter Five: Far From Home - Jocelyn explains her situation
Jocelyn had to agree. It wasn't like she had a viable alternative in mind.
They gathered around the campfire, the heat still permeating from the embers. Maxi grabbed a plate, sliced up a few pieces of the meat with a hunting knife, and offered the plate to her. "Before we get this sorted out, you hungry?" he asked.
"Yeah." It felt like Jocelyn hadn't eaten anything all day. She could feel her stomach twisting, yearning for something to fill it up. "What's this?
"Eh, some deer," Maxi answered. "You can thank Natsu for getting some game."
"Can I have some more?" Xiba asked, watching the plate being passed along.
Almost immediately, Maxi glared at Xiba. "You just ate her food!" he called out.
And it was then Leixia and Natsu started a spirited argument with Xiba about his eating habits. Jocelyn sighed. It wasn't worth getting involved as she cut up a piece and placed it in her mouth. Upon chewing and swallowing it, she found the taste to be rich, earthy, not like the juiciness of a brahmin steak. Especially if it was well made. She cut up another part, not saying a word.
"At a loss for words?" Maxi asked.
"Yeah, give me a moment," Jocelyn replied. She told them everything that transpired, from her perspective, over the course of a day. The teenagers stopped their arguments and joined with Maxi in listening. She told them about her home universe, where she encountered the Ania and the Doctor and her brief adventure in his universe.
"Huh, that sounds like the white-haired spellcaster I keep hearing about twenty years back," Maxi commented. "And stories about this guy with a hammer who can shoot lightning couple years later. People say he was a god of thunder or something. If you're here, then I guess the rumors were true."
Jocelyn's perked up. So she wasn't the only one who arrived on this Earth. Still, there was something that bothered her this entire time.
"So you two," she said, pointing to Maxi and Natsu, "are Japanese, right?" Natsu and Maxi nodded. "And you two are Chinese?" she asked Leixia and Xiba.
"Yeah. Something wrong?" Xiba asked. "Is it food?"
Jocelyn blinked. "What is with you and food?"
Xiba looked away meekly, as if in shame. "But I like food," he whined and muttered.
"Anyway, so how come all of you are speaking English?" Jocelyn finally asked.
Maxi gave her a strange look, as if he had no idea that he could do that. Xiba and Natsu exchanged looks before Leixia looked around in confused, her mouth agape. "Huh? What? What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
Before the Wanderer could clarify her question, she heard the unmistakable boom of a gun firing, and a large bullet slammed into the ground nearby, dirt spreading everywhere as the bullet narrowly missed her and Leixia. The Chinese princess gasped, grabbing her thin sword as she readied herself. The others followed suit, with Jocelyn pulling out her laser RCWl. Xiba had already got his staff out while Maxi swung around pair of plain nunchucks as he let out a brief battlecry.
She looked at where the bullet had landed and followed the trajectory, leading to the thicker part of the forest with evergreen trees and bushes up front.
"Well, well, well! It seems like Le Bello has stumbled upon an interesting opportunity!" a man exclaimed.
They gathered around the campfire, the heat still permeating from the embers. Maxi grabbed a plate, sliced up a few pieces of the meat with a hunting knife, and offered the plate to her. "Before we get this sorted out, you hungry?" he asked.
"Yeah." It felt like Jocelyn hadn't eaten anything all day. She could feel her stomach twisting, yearning for something to fill it up. "What's this?
"Eh, some deer," Maxi answered. "You can thank Natsu for getting some game."
"Can I have some more?" Xiba asked, watching the plate being passed along.
Almost immediately, Maxi glared at Xiba. "You just ate her food!" he called out.
And it was then Leixia and Natsu started a spirited argument with Xiba about his eating habits. Jocelyn sighed. It wasn't worth getting involved as she cut up a piece and placed it in her mouth. Upon chewing and swallowing it, she found the taste to be rich, earthy, not like the juiciness of a brahmin steak. Especially if it was well made. She cut up another part, not saying a word.
"At a loss for words?" Maxi asked.
"Yeah, give me a moment," Jocelyn replied. She told them everything that transpired, from her perspective, over the course of a day. The teenagers stopped their arguments and joined with Maxi in listening. She told them about her home universe, where she encountered the Ania and the Doctor and her brief adventure in his universe.
"Huh, that sounds like the white-haired spellcaster I keep hearing about twenty years back," Maxi commented. "And stories about this guy with a hammer who can shoot lightning couple years later. People say he was a god of thunder or something. If you're here, then I guess the rumors were true."
Jocelyn's perked up. So she wasn't the only one who arrived on this Earth. Still, there was something that bothered her this entire time.
"So you two," she said, pointing to Maxi and Natsu, "are Japanese, right?" Natsu and Maxi nodded. "And you two are Chinese?" she asked Leixia and Xiba.
"Yeah. Something wrong?" Xiba asked. "Is it food?"
Jocelyn blinked. "What is with you and food?"
Xiba looked away meekly, as if in shame. "But I like food," he whined and muttered.
"Anyway, so how come all of you are speaking English?" Jocelyn finally asked.
Maxi gave her a strange look, as if he had no idea that he could do that. Xiba and Natsu exchanged looks before Leixia looked around in confused, her mouth agape. "Huh? What? What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
Before the Wanderer could clarify her question, she heard the unmistakable boom of a gun firing, and a large bullet slammed into the ground nearby, dirt spreading everywhere as the bullet narrowly missed her and Leixia. The Chinese princess gasped, grabbing her thin sword as she readied herself. The others followed suit, with Jocelyn pulling out her laser RCWl. Xiba had already got his staff out while Maxi swung around pair of plain nunchucks as he let out a brief battlecry.
She looked at where the bullet had landed and followed the trajectory, leading to the thicker part of the forest with evergreen trees and bushes up front.
"Well, well, well! It seems like Le Bello has stumbled upon an interesting opportunity!" a man exclaimed.
Last edited:
Chapter Five: Far From Home - Meet Dampierre and his gang
"So you two," she asked, pointing to Maxi and Natsu, "are Japanese, right?" Natsu and Maxi nodded. "And you two are Chinese?" she asked Leixia and Xiba.
"Yeah. Something wrong?" Xiba asked. "Is it food?"
Jocelyn blinked as she gave Xiba a strange look. "What is with you and food?"
Xiba looked away meekly, as if in shame. "I just like food," he whined and muttered.
Jocelyn sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, so how come all of you are speaking English?"
Maxi gave her a strange look, as if he had no idea that he could do that. Xiba and Natsu exchanged looks before Leixia looked around in confusion, her mouth agape. "Huh? What? What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
"What I mean is—"
Before the Wanderer could finish, she heard the unmistakable boom of a gunshot. A hail of pellets slammed into the ground nearby, dirt spreading everywhere when they narrowly missed her and Leixia. The Chinese princess gasped and scrambled to her feet, grabbing her thin sword as her eyes darted around for the source of the shot.
The others followed suit immediately. Jocelyn unholstered her laser RCW while Xiba already had his staff out. Natsu leapt onto her feet and assumed a combat stance, her hands on the hilts of her blades as she drew them.
"C'mon! Show yourself!" Maxi demanded as he swung around a pair of nunchucks.
Jocelyn looked at where the pellets had landed, which incidentally extinguished the campfire. Her eyes followed where she believed the trajectory led to and set her sight on the forest with evergreen trees and bushes upfront.
Four people stepped out of the trees and approached them.
"Well, well, well! It looks like Le Bello has found quite the opportunity," said a lanky, light-skinned man in a top hat as he tugged on his ridiculously long moustache with a smug, toothy smile on his face. Underneath his frivolous yellow-sleeved jacket was a striped jumpsuit and a blue bowtie, with a gambling-themed necklace underneath it.
"Thought my aim was good. Ah well, maybe next time, huh?" Following behind the man in a top hat was a burly man with a jaw full of beard, his bellow a loud laughter. His pot belly strained heavily against his green shirt and black vest. In his right hand was a short blunderbuss, smoke trailing out of the barrel.
"No need to get ahead of yourself, Alphard," said a pale, red-haired woman in a somewhat revealing purple dress as she cocked her hand crossbow and placed a dart in it. Somehow, her petite frame was able to hold up her ample breasts.
"As you wish, Grisele," the burly man, Alphard, replied.
The man in the top hat turned around to a thing man with a long-angular face and a blond bob cut, his purple-gloved hands on his hips. "My dear Ludovigo, Le Bellow would surely be disappointed that you haven't grown that spine. If there is a time for it, this is it!"
Ludovigo nodded, the shyness on his face faded as he adjusted his red cap and dusted off his puffy light shirt, Not determined, he readied himself, his sword at the front. "Yeah, you're right, boss. I can do this," he muttered.
The top hat-wearing man turned back to Maxi and the others. "Now then…"
"What, Dampierre?" Maxi smirked. "You running out of schemes for you to pull off?"
"Oh, come now!" Dampierre, the man in the top hat, scoffed and chuckled. He spread his arms wide, still maintaining that smug grin on his face. "I always have a plan, even after you and these meddling brats have foiled me at every turn! You, on the other hand…" He set his eyes on Jocelyn as he tiptoed his way toward her, his hand rubbing his chin. "Le Bello has not seen you around here before. Perhaps you must be… some unplanned variable. Hm… Yes…"
"Yeah. Something wrong?" Xiba asked. "Is it food?"
Jocelyn blinked as she gave Xiba a strange look. "What is with you and food?"
Xiba looked away meekly, as if in shame. "I just like food," he whined and muttered.
Jocelyn sighed, shaking her head. "Anyway, so how come all of you are speaking English?"
Maxi gave her a strange look, as if he had no idea that he could do that. Xiba and Natsu exchanged looks before Leixia looked around in confusion, her mouth agape. "Huh? What? What do you mean?" Maxi asked.
"What I mean is—"
Before the Wanderer could finish, she heard the unmistakable boom of a gunshot. A hail of pellets slammed into the ground nearby, dirt spreading everywhere when they narrowly missed her and Leixia. The Chinese princess gasped and scrambled to her feet, grabbing her thin sword as her eyes darted around for the source of the shot.
The others followed suit immediately. Jocelyn unholstered her laser RCW while Xiba already had his staff out. Natsu leapt onto her feet and assumed a combat stance, her hands on the hilts of her blades as she drew them.
"C'mon! Show yourself!" Maxi demanded as he swung around a pair of nunchucks.
Jocelyn looked at where the pellets had landed, which incidentally extinguished the campfire. Her eyes followed where she believed the trajectory led to and set her sight on the forest with evergreen trees and bushes upfront.
Four people stepped out of the trees and approached them.
"Well, well, well! It looks like Le Bello has found quite the opportunity," said a lanky, light-skinned man in a top hat as he tugged on his ridiculously long moustache with a smug, toothy smile on his face. Underneath his frivolous yellow-sleeved jacket was a striped jumpsuit and a blue bowtie, with a gambling-themed necklace underneath it.
"Thought my aim was good. Ah well, maybe next time, huh?" Following behind the man in a top hat was a burly man with a jaw full of beard, his bellow a loud laughter. His pot belly strained heavily against his green shirt and black vest. In his right hand was a short blunderbuss, smoke trailing out of the barrel.
"No need to get ahead of yourself, Alphard," said a pale, red-haired woman in a somewhat revealing purple dress as she cocked her hand crossbow and placed a dart in it. Somehow, her petite frame was able to hold up her ample breasts.
"As you wish, Grisele," the burly man, Alphard, replied.
The man in the top hat turned around to a thing man with a long-angular face and a blond bob cut, his purple-gloved hands on his hips. "My dear Ludovigo, Le Bellow would surely be disappointed that you haven't grown that spine. If there is a time for it, this is it!"
Ludovigo nodded, the shyness on his face faded as he adjusted his red cap and dusted off his puffy light shirt, Not determined, he readied himself, his sword at the front. "Yeah, you're right, boss. I can do this," he muttered.
The top hat-wearing man turned back to Maxi and the others. "Now then…"
"What, Dampierre?" Maxi smirked. "You running out of schemes for you to pull off?"
"Oh, come now!" Dampierre, the man in the top hat, scoffed and chuckled. He spread his arms wide, still maintaining that smug grin on his face. "I always have a plan, even after you and these meddling brats have foiled me at every turn! You, on the other hand…" He set his eyes on Jocelyn as he tiptoed his way toward her, his hand rubbing his chin. "Le Bello has not seen you around here before. Perhaps you must be… some unplanned variable. Hm… Yes…"
Last edited:
Chapter Five: Far From Home - The Lone Wanderer is tempted scene (subtler version)
A rework of the previous scene
What caught Jocelyn's eyes, however, was a tiny blue stone attached to her necklace. "Is that… what's that on your neck?" she asked, pointing at the necklace.
"Oh, this? My mother gave this to me. It's a piece of an artifact called the Dvapara-Yuga." The girl smiled, giggling playfully. "Do you like it?"
"What's the Dvapara-Yuga?"
"One of the three treasures from the Ling Shen-Su Temple," Maxi answered. He tried to get Xiba, the young man, up to his feet. "It was a mirror that can purify pretty much anything of corrupted energy. My old buddy, Kilik, used to wear it back about… twenty, twenty-one years ago. It shattered." He sighed after Xiba got up to his feet. "Ah, sorry. I got ahead of myself. The ninja with the blond hair? That's Natsu. And the girl with the pendant's Leixia. She's the daughter of another friend of mine, Xianghua."
The blond-haired ninja lazily waved her hand as she now leaned against a tree nearby. "Yo."
"Hi there, nice to meet you!" Leixia shook the Wanderer's hand excitedly, all the while the Wanderer just stood there, dumbfounded at how… quirky these kids were. Not even Fawkes or Charon could match up to them, she reckoned.
"Hiya, lady. Name's Xiba," the boy said before grabbing a red staff with golden tips on both ends nearby.
Jocelyn turned toward Leixia. "I saw something like that before I got here. Another piece of this Dvapara-Yuga. Has anybody seen it?"
"What? This?" Between Natsu's thumb and index finger was a blue stone, which gleamed brightly under the sunlight. "You can have it." She tossed it over to the Wanderer.
"Yeah, that's it!" Jocelyn exclaimed, looking at it in her palm. "There's another thing I had. A shard of something called Soul Edge."
Everybody's eyes were now on her. As if she had reached down into her pocket and pulled it out, the red, flesh-like object appeared in her other hand. Then, she felt something was close. Like if someone was whispering into her ear. Some part of her wanted to bring the shard back, make this Soul Edge whole again. In return, it would grant whatever she desired.
Her thoughts turned to her father, her friend Sarah Lyons, and others she cared about. It had been years since they passed away. Would they be the same if they were brought back? Would that be possible?
She knew this was wrong, somehow, that this Soul Edge was an evil thing. She had to fight back, and yet… and yet she couldn't help but wonder…
The expression on Maxi's was filled with dread, his eyes wide with shock. "Look, to put it one way, that thing's bad news. You might wanna tell us where you get it. Like, right now."
Jocelyn had to agree. It wasn't like she had a viable alternative in mind.
What caught Jocelyn's eyes, however, was a tiny blue stone attached to her necklace. "Is that… what's that on your neck?" she asked, pointing at the necklace.
"Oh, this? My mother gave this to me. It's a piece of an artifact called the Dvapara-Yuga." The girl smiled, giggling playfully. "Do you like it?"
"What's the Dvapara-Yuga?"
"One of the three treasures from the Ling Shen-Su Temple," Maxi answered. He tried to get Xiba, the young man, up to his feet. "It was a mirror that can purify pretty much anything of corrupted energy. My old buddy, Kilik, used to wear it back about… twenty, twenty-one years ago. It shattered." He sighed after Xiba got up to his feet. "Ah, sorry. I got ahead of myself. The ninja with the blond hair? That's Natsu. And the girl with the pendant's Leixia. She's the daughter of another friend of mine, Xianghua."
The blond-haired ninja lazily waved her hand as she now leaned against a tree nearby. "Yo."
"Hi there, nice to meet you!" Leixia shook the Wanderer's hand excitedly, all the while the Wanderer just stood there, dumbfounded at how… quirky these kids were. Not even Fawkes or Charon could match up to them, she reckoned.
"Hiya, lady. Name's Xiba," the boy said before grabbing a red staff with golden tips on both ends nearby.
Jocelyn turned toward Leixia. "I saw something like that before I got here. Another piece of this Dvapara-Yuga. Has anybody seen it?"
"What? This?" Between Natsu's thumb and index finger was a blue stone, which gleamed brightly under the sunlight. "You can have it." She tossed it over to the Wanderer.
"Yeah, that's it!" Jocelyn exclaimed, looking at it in her palm. "There's another thing I had. A shard of something called Soul Edge."
Everybody's eyes were now on her. As if she had reached down into her pocket and pulled it out, the red, flesh-like object appeared in her other hand. Then, she felt something was close. Like if someone was whispering into her ear. Some part of her wanted to bring the shard back, make this Soul Edge whole again. In return, it would grant whatever she desired.
Her thoughts turned to her father, her friend Sarah Lyons, and others she cared about. It had been years since they passed away. Would they be the same if they were brought back? Would that be possible?
She knew this was wrong, somehow, that this Soul Edge was an evil thing. She had to fight back, and yet… and yet she couldn't help but wonder…
The expression on Maxi's was filled with dread, his eyes wide with shock. "Look, to put it one way, that thing's bad news. You might wanna tell us where you get it. Like, right now."
Jocelyn had to agree. It wasn't like she had a viable alternative in mind.
Chapter Five: Far From Home - Fighting Dampierre; troublesome guards and troubled Doctor
I've rearranged the scenes from the Doctor's perspective. Hope you don't mind.
Jocelyn frowned and pointed her gun at Dampierre. His eyes bulged in surprise, the smug look on his face no longer there. Alphard and Gisele pointed their weapons at her in return, the smirk on the burly man's face turned into a gnashing sneer, while Ludovigo's legs shook underneath him at the sudden turn of events. Xiba and Leixia took a step, their weapons still at the front.
"What do you want?" Jocelyn growled.
"Let us be reasonable here." Dampierre chuckled, shrugging as he stepped back. "Le Bello here is with a proposition."
"Yeah? What's that?" Natsu inquired.
"Le Bello is so glad you asked, little girl." Dampierre grinned as he rubbed his hands together. "Instead of Le Bello and his friends killing you, how about Le Bello, eh…" He shrugged, a smug smirk still on his face. "…put you all into indentured servitude. It would surely put Le Bello and his friends back in their place!"
"Slavery, you mean," Jocelyn replied.
"What an improper word, having many volunteers at my disposal. Slavery!" the man in the top hat scoffed. "Though Le Bello must say, you would—"
Jocelyn fired a burst at his feet, causing him to yelp and jolt up. She had trouble not laughing after seeing him dancing around in a flamboyant manner. "I've been through that hell before, years ago. I'm not gonna let anyone else be enslaved by you or anyone else," she retorted.
Dampierre stopped what he was doing and shifted his twitching eyes straight at her, a wild, angry look appearing on his face. "How dare you speak to Le Bello that way!" His teeth started gnashing together. "You shall pay for your insolence!" He turned his attention to his henchmen and woman, motioning them aggressively. "Friends of Le Bello… attend!"
Alphard and Gisele could barely react before Natsu lunged forward, putting one of her blades on the stout man's throat. Ludovigo had to fend off Leixia by parrying her blows, and yet he couldn't get a hit on her. Despite him seeming to be older than her, the noble seemed to be more skillful, more graceful with every step she took.
Xiba charged, deflecting a bolt from Gisele's hand crossbow with a swing of his staff. She stepped out of the way on the first strike from him, but he managed to pin her down with the tip. As she struggled to get up, a grinning Xiba balanced on top of the staff and slid down. His head collided with hers, and a grunt escaped her lips as her eyes rolled up, now unconscious.
Dampierre raised and rolled his fists in front of him.
"Careful, he may look like an idiot, but he knows how to fight dirty, like the fact that he has daggers in his sleeves," Maxi warned Jocelyn.
"Now would you go out and ruin the surprise for her? That's rather rude!" Dampierre pouted, but he recovered quickly. "But enough talk. Have at thee!" A pair of wrist blades emerged from his sleeves, just as Maxi had predicted, and charged at him and Jocelyn.
He thrust several times at Maxi, but each of them had deflected his strike. A few of them landed on his face for good measure, and he stumbled about. Jocelyn used VATS and fired another shot, grazing his head. Not only did it leave behind a vicious burn mark on his face, but it also singed the right side of his mustache.
"My face!" he wailed out in pain, holding it tight. "You ruined my beautiful face!"
"Boss!" Alphard exclaimed. Using his stout strength, he twisted Natsu's arm. Through gritted teeth, Natsu struggled to maintain her hold on him, but he grabbed her and tossed her at the tree. She landed with a thud, and she could barely get on her knees.
Alphard whipped out another pistol with an ax head attached to the barrel and fired. The pellet landed on Jocelyn's shoulder pack, cracking it. Jocelyn aimed her laser RCW at him and fired. The beams pierced through the stout man, and immediately he collapsed, writhing in pain with ragged breathes escaping his lips scorch marks all over his clothes.
Ludovigo stopped locking blades with Leixia before dropping his sword in shock. The Chinese princess stepped back, prepared to strike with fury in her eyes as she pulled her sword back.
The bob-haired man raised his hands up. "Whoa whoa whoa! I surrender, I surrender!" Ludovigo pleaded. "Please don't hurt me!"
Leixia lowered her blade as he fell to his knees. She grinned and giggled, placing her finger on her chip. "Stay out of trouble."
"Coward," Dampierre murmured as he stood up, his face red with fury. "That… is… it! This has gone long enough! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with!?"
"Someone who got knocked down several pegs, that's what." Maxi grinned.
Dampierre said nothing, even as he went straight at them. Jocelyn pulled the trigger, but no burst of lasers came out of her rifle. Instead, the gun clicked and hummed. She lowered her weapon, incredulous. Great. Fusion cell died at a time like this…
She barely had enough time to replace a cell when the con artist was right upon her, his arms pulled back to carry the momentum.
"Watch out!" Maxi called out.
Dampierre, with a yelp, thrust his blades and plunged them into Jocelyn. Though she defected one of the blades with her rifle's stock, the other managed to find itself into the left side of her torso, barely able to get past the plating. He barely had enough time to pull it out before she snapped it in two with her elbow.
The con artist reeled back; a look of terror etched across his face as Jocelyn headbutted him. When he tumbled to the ground, she hung her rifle at her side and rested her super sledge on her shoulders
"N-no! Please! Stay back! Stay back!" the con artist screeched. With every inch he feebly crawled away from the Lone Wanderer, she only stepped closer.
She raised her weapon above her head, ready to deliver the killing blow…
Later…
The trip to the town was thankfully uneventful. When they reached the stables by the gate, the guards in simple garments eyed the rogue Cybermen with suspicion. The guards' uniforms were buttoned-up tunics with a pair of loose pants that bagged over their leather boots. One of the guards, weary with squinting eyes, rested his hand over a curved sword sheathed at his hip.
"Not fond of Cybermen, are they?" the Doctor remarked, looking back at the guard. "Or rather, with strangers."
"I heard that, you old twit!" the guard shot back.
"Oh sorry!" Ignoring Kroton's audible groan, the Doctor approached the guard in question. The stench the guard gave off would put anyone else off. Or perhaps it was the stables, and no one bothered to clean them up. "Have you seen a friend of ours? Wears armor, carries a glowing red shard."
"And guns," Kroton added.
The guards exchanged looks before the one with the curved sword and crooked teeth gazed back at the two. "Nah, nah. Want my advice? Try God's Rest. Somebody might point ya in the right direction." He pointed at the opened gate. There, a marble lion statue was surrounded by a cluster of market stalls. The place itself was packed and crowded with customers and traders.
"Has there been anything unusual going around?" Kroton stepped in. The guards jolted back, nervously clutching their weapons. "Maybe like a raven with glowing eyes?"
"Things have been quiet around here, not even Graf Dumas and his forces had passed through here, thank God," the guard with the pike seethed. "And we would like it to say that way, sir."
"Who is this Graf Dumas?" the Doctor asked.
The guard with the pike glared at the Time Lord. "Graf's the Count of Hungary! Haven't you heard? He was chosen by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire himself! Where you've been, living under a rock?"
Kroton let out a beleaguered sigh as he brought his hand up to his face. Still, the Doctor ignored him. "Directions? To this tavern?" He pointed past the gate while looking all wide-eyed at the guards.
"Take a right once ya reach the statue, past the slums. You'll know it when ya see the sign." The guard with the sword grunted, and his friends joined him. "And keep your strange-looking friend out of trouble, ya hear?" He pointed in an accusing manner at Kroton.
The Doctor frowned, his eyes narrowing and his brow furrowing. He stepped toward the guard, who found himself caught off guard at how close the Time Lord was to him. It was close enough for the tips of their noses to be centimeters away from each other. The others looked on in a mix of confusion and surprise.
"I want you to listen and listen very carefully." The Doctor seethed through his teeth. "My friend is not here to cause any trouble. Nor is he here to harm anyone. And neither am I, for that matter."
"Doctor…" Kroton called out.
"Little busy here." The Doctor gave the rogue Cyberman a glance before turning his attention back to the guard. "Now, I'm certain you mean well, wanting to protect this town. I get that. But I won't tolerate anyone pushing my friends and innocent people around."
"So what are you gonna do about it, ya coot?" the guard with the sword asked, sneering.
The Doctor smirked as he stepped back, his hands in his pockets. "Nothing. But here's something for you to ponder: would you be willing to risk everything to strike down a defenseless old man such as me?
None of the guards, not even Kroton, uttered a word.
"I thought so. Thank you for your help and be on your best behavior, all of you," he said. "Come, Kroton."
The two went through the gate. Inside the town, as they neared the fountain, a massive building rested up ahead. The chatter around them was immense, as most of them were from traders showing off their products. As the Doctor no longer heard the clanking sounds of Kroton's footsteps, he stopped and turned around. Kroton was still at the fountain, staring at a tall white church with a bell on the rooftop. Even if he was a Cyberman, the Doctor could tell something was troubling him.
"Something wrong?" the Doctor asked.
Kroton looked at the Doctor. "Is it necessary for you to antagonize these guards?"
The Doctor scoffed, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. He went on down the slums with the Cyberman close by. "Well, yes. They're being rather unbecoming towards you."
"I'll manage, but this is not like you."
That last sentence by itself caught the Doctor off guard, dropping his shoulders. But he recovered as he straightened his posture. "I'm… worried about our new friend. I'm not even sure if she's alive or not." His voice quivered, just a little bit.
"Is there something else that's making you all tense?"
The Time Lord's face fell. He paced around with his hands on his hips. "Clara. I almost lost her when she had been exposed to an infectious signal on Neptune. It's a hell of a miracle she got cured so soon."
"Look, it's clear you care about her but she's human. She won't be around forever," Kroton pointed out.
"Yes, I know that." The Doctor sighed, rubbing his face down. "God knows what I will do if anything happens to her."
"I wouldn't want to find out either. I'd say none of us all would want to," Kroton commented.
The Doctor said nothing when the two saw the sign mounted next to the entrance of a tavern, the words "GOD'S REST" engraved on a wooden sign. As they went inside, they found the tavern was anything but quiet.
Rowdy, unruly men sang and drank to their hearts' content while the maid fetched for more drinks. To their left, the bartender cleaned the serving table after spitting on it. At the other end of the room was the fireplace, burning dimly as it emitted a bit of heat. Everything about this tavern, from the stone walls, the stained-glass windows, to the stone floor with wooden columns made this tavern look like it came straight out of a fantasy novel.
As the Doctor scanned the place, a roar of laughter broke his concentration. His face followed an empty glass as a somewhat plump man with a bushy beard threw it across, hiding the edge of a table at the far corner. The recipient, a rosy-skinned woman with ruffled black hair and high cheekbones flinched as the glass bounced off the table then landed as it shattered into pieces.
The woman grunted in annoyance. "Bloody hell! Somebody clean this place up!" she said, still holding onto her jug.
The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise. Not only did he recognize her voice, but her space-age tailored suit also made her stand out. She was an archeologist but probably not the one he was expecting.
"Benny? Bernice Summerfield?" the Doctor called out as he and a curious Kroton approached her. Most of the patrons here ignored them, the few eyeing the Cyberman with suspicious looks.
When the Doctor last met with this face, they were at Sydney in Australia dealing with a strange pyramid.
Bernice looked back with her hazel eyes. She blinked, and in an instant, she recognized him in return. "Doctor? Well, this is a surprise. "And you have a Cyberman with you. Friendly, I suppose."
"You take this rather well," Kroton commented.
Bernice gave the Cyberman a curious look, her head tilted to the side. "Huh. And you talk like a normal person. Not that monotone nonsense." She shrugged and set her cup on the table. "Eh. It's been an eventful day."
The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Likewise, Benny. Likewise." He noticed there were empty seats at the table. "Uh, mind if we…?"
"Oh, sure. Go ahead," Bernice answered, making a quick gesture.
The Time Lord settled in his seat next to hers, scooting into the table. Kroton had to adjust the staff latched onto his back to set properly across from her.
"So…" the Doctor began as he placed his arm on the table. "How exactly did you get here?"
"Funny story, that," Bernice answered, leaning in. "It all started out with your average archeological dig into ancient ruins. Well, average for me. Till I find this." She dug into her pocket and placed a red, glowing object on the table.
The Doctor stared at the shard. It was in a slightly different shape. Jagged and less pointy, yet it was the same fusion of flesh and metal, and the same hellish glow it emitted.
"You found it and it brought you here," the Doctor stated.
"Yes," Bernice replied. "How did you know?"
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
Jocelyn frowned and pointed her gun at Dampierre. His eyes bulged in surprise, the smug look on his face no longer there. Alphard and Gisele pointed their weapons at her in return, the smirk on the burly man's face turned into a gnashing sneer, while Ludovigo's legs shook underneath him at the sudden turn of events. Xiba and Leixia took a step, their weapons still at the front.
"What do you want?" Jocelyn growled.
"Let us be reasonable here." Dampierre chuckled, shrugging as he stepped back. "Le Bello here is with a proposition."
"Yeah? What's that?" Natsu inquired.
"Le Bello is so glad you asked, little girl." Dampierre grinned as he rubbed his hands together. "Instead of Le Bello and his friends killing you, how about Le Bello, eh…" He shrugged, a smug smirk still on his face. "…put you all into indentured servitude. It would surely put Le Bello and his friends back in their place!"
"Slavery, you mean," Jocelyn replied.
"What an improper word, having many volunteers at my disposal. Slavery!" the man in the top hat scoffed. "Though Le Bello must say, you would—"
Jocelyn fired a burst at his feet, causing him to yelp and jolt up. She had trouble not laughing after seeing him dancing around in a flamboyant manner. "I've been through that hell before, years ago. I'm not gonna let anyone else be enslaved by you or anyone else," she retorted.
Dampierre stopped what he was doing and shifted his twitching eyes straight at her, a wild, angry look appearing on his face. "How dare you speak to Le Bello that way!" His teeth started gnashing together. "You shall pay for your insolence!" He turned his attention to his henchmen and woman, motioning them aggressively. "Friends of Le Bello… attend!"
Alphard and Gisele could barely react before Natsu lunged forward, putting one of her blades on the stout man's throat. Ludovigo had to fend off Leixia by parrying her blows, and yet he couldn't get a hit on her. Despite him seeming to be older than her, the noble seemed to be more skillful, more graceful with every step she took.
Xiba charged, deflecting a bolt from Gisele's hand crossbow with a swing of his staff. She stepped out of the way on the first strike from him, but he managed to pin her down with the tip. As she struggled to get up, a grinning Xiba balanced on top of the staff and slid down. His head collided with hers, and a grunt escaped her lips as her eyes rolled up, now unconscious.
Dampierre raised and rolled his fists in front of him.
"Careful, he may look like an idiot, but he knows how to fight dirty, like the fact that he has daggers in his sleeves," Maxi warned Jocelyn.
"Now would you go out and ruin the surprise for her? That's rather rude!" Dampierre pouted, but he recovered quickly. "But enough talk. Have at thee!" A pair of wrist blades emerged from his sleeves, just as Maxi had predicted, and charged at him and Jocelyn.
He thrust several times at Maxi, but each of them had deflected his strike. A few of them landed on his face for good measure, and he stumbled about. Jocelyn used VATS and fired another shot, grazing his head. Not only did it leave behind a vicious burn mark on his face, but it also singed the right side of his mustache.
"My face!" he wailed out in pain, holding it tight. "You ruined my beautiful face!"
"Boss!" Alphard exclaimed. Using his stout strength, he twisted Natsu's arm. Through gritted teeth, Natsu struggled to maintain her hold on him, but he grabbed her and tossed her at the tree. She landed with a thud, and she could barely get on her knees.
Alphard whipped out another pistol with an ax head attached to the barrel and fired. The pellet landed on Jocelyn's shoulder pack, cracking it. Jocelyn aimed her laser RCW at him and fired. The beams pierced through the stout man, and immediately he collapsed, writhing in pain with ragged breathes escaping his lips scorch marks all over his clothes.
Ludovigo stopped locking blades with Leixia before dropping his sword in shock. The Chinese princess stepped back, prepared to strike with fury in her eyes as she pulled her sword back.
The bob-haired man raised his hands up. "Whoa whoa whoa! I surrender, I surrender!" Ludovigo pleaded. "Please don't hurt me!"
Leixia lowered her blade as he fell to his knees. She grinned and giggled, placing her finger on her chip. "Stay out of trouble."
"Coward," Dampierre murmured as he stood up, his face red with fury. "That… is… it! This has gone long enough! Do you have any idea who you are dealing with!?"
"Someone who got knocked down several pegs, that's what." Maxi grinned.
Dampierre said nothing, even as he went straight at them. Jocelyn pulled the trigger, but no burst of lasers came out of her rifle. Instead, the gun clicked and hummed. She lowered her weapon, incredulous. Great. Fusion cell died at a time like this…
She barely had enough time to replace a cell when the con artist was right upon her, his arms pulled back to carry the momentum.
"Watch out!" Maxi called out.
Dampierre, with a yelp, thrust his blades and plunged them into Jocelyn. Though she defected one of the blades with her rifle's stock, the other managed to find itself into the left side of her torso, barely able to get past the plating. He barely had enough time to pull it out before she snapped it in two with her elbow.
The con artist reeled back; a look of terror etched across his face as Jocelyn headbutted him. When he tumbled to the ground, she hung her rifle at her side and rested her super sledge on her shoulders
"N-no! Please! Stay back! Stay back!" the con artist screeched. With every inch he feebly crawled away from the Lone Wanderer, she only stepped closer.
She raised her weapon above her head, ready to deliver the killing blow…
------------------------------------------------------------
Later…
The trip to the town was thankfully uneventful. When they reached the stables by the gate, the guards in simple garments eyed the rogue Cybermen with suspicion. The guards' uniforms were buttoned-up tunics with a pair of loose pants that bagged over their leather boots. One of the guards, weary with squinting eyes, rested his hand over a curved sword sheathed at his hip.
"Not fond of Cybermen, are they?" the Doctor remarked, looking back at the guard. "Or rather, with strangers."
"I heard that, you old twit!" the guard shot back.
"Oh sorry!" Ignoring Kroton's audible groan, the Doctor approached the guard in question. The stench the guard gave off would put anyone else off. Or perhaps it was the stables, and no one bothered to clean them up. "Have you seen a friend of ours? Wears armor, carries a glowing red shard."
"And guns," Kroton added.
The guards exchanged looks before the one with the curved sword and crooked teeth gazed back at the two. "Nah, nah. Want my advice? Try God's Rest. Somebody might point ya in the right direction." He pointed at the opened gate. There, a marble lion statue was surrounded by a cluster of market stalls. The place itself was packed and crowded with customers and traders.
"Has there been anything unusual going around?" Kroton stepped in. The guards jolted back, nervously clutching their weapons. "Maybe like a raven with glowing eyes?"
"Things have been quiet around here, not even Graf Dumas and his forces had passed through here, thank God," the guard with the pike seethed. "And we would like it to say that way, sir."
"Who is this Graf Dumas?" the Doctor asked.
The guard with the pike glared at the Time Lord. "Graf's the Count of Hungary! Haven't you heard? He was chosen by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire himself! Where you've been, living under a rock?"
Kroton let out a beleaguered sigh as he brought his hand up to his face. Still, the Doctor ignored him. "Directions? To this tavern?" He pointed past the gate while looking all wide-eyed at the guards.
"Take a right once ya reach the statue, past the slums. You'll know it when ya see the sign." The guard with the sword grunted, and his friends joined him. "And keep your strange-looking friend out of trouble, ya hear?" He pointed in an accusing manner at Kroton.
The Doctor frowned, his eyes narrowing and his brow furrowing. He stepped toward the guard, who found himself caught off guard at how close the Time Lord was to him. It was close enough for the tips of their noses to be centimeters away from each other. The others looked on in a mix of confusion and surprise.
"I want you to listen and listen very carefully." The Doctor seethed through his teeth. "My friend is not here to cause any trouble. Nor is he here to harm anyone. And neither am I, for that matter."
"Doctor…" Kroton called out.
"Little busy here." The Doctor gave the rogue Cyberman a glance before turning his attention back to the guard. "Now, I'm certain you mean well, wanting to protect this town. I get that. But I won't tolerate anyone pushing my friends and innocent people around."
"So what are you gonna do about it, ya coot?" the guard with the sword asked, sneering.
The Doctor smirked as he stepped back, his hands in his pockets. "Nothing. But here's something for you to ponder: would you be willing to risk everything to strike down a defenseless old man such as me?
None of the guards, not even Kroton, uttered a word.
"I thought so. Thank you for your help and be on your best behavior, all of you," he said. "Come, Kroton."
The two went through the gate. Inside the town, as they neared the fountain, a massive building rested up ahead. The chatter around them was immense, as most of them were from traders showing off their products. As the Doctor no longer heard the clanking sounds of Kroton's footsteps, he stopped and turned around. Kroton was still at the fountain, staring at a tall white church with a bell on the rooftop. Even if he was a Cyberman, the Doctor could tell something was troubling him.
"Something wrong?" the Doctor asked.
Kroton looked at the Doctor. "Is it necessary for you to antagonize these guards?"
The Doctor scoffed, the corners of his mouth curling slightly. He went on down the slums with the Cyberman close by. "Well, yes. They're being rather unbecoming towards you."
"I'll manage, but this is not like you."
That last sentence by itself caught the Doctor off guard, dropping his shoulders. But he recovered as he straightened his posture. "I'm… worried about our new friend. I'm not even sure if she's alive or not." His voice quivered, just a little bit.
"Is there something else that's making you all tense?"
The Time Lord's face fell. He paced around with his hands on his hips. "Clara. I almost lost her when she had been exposed to an infectious signal on Neptune. It's a hell of a miracle she got cured so soon."
"Look, it's clear you care about her but she's human. She won't be around forever," Kroton pointed out.
"Yes, I know that." The Doctor sighed, rubbing his face down. "God knows what I will do if anything happens to her."
"I wouldn't want to find out either. I'd say none of us all would want to," Kroton commented.
The Doctor said nothing when the two saw the sign mounted next to the entrance of a tavern, the words "GOD'S REST" engraved on a wooden sign. As they went inside, they found the tavern was anything but quiet.
Rowdy, unruly men sang and drank to their hearts' content while the maid fetched for more drinks. To their left, the bartender cleaned the serving table after spitting on it. At the other end of the room was the fireplace, burning dimly as it emitted a bit of heat. Everything about this tavern, from the stone walls, the stained-glass windows, to the stone floor with wooden columns made this tavern look like it came straight out of a fantasy novel.
As the Doctor scanned the place, a roar of laughter broke his concentration. His face followed an empty glass as a somewhat plump man with a bushy beard threw it across, hiding the edge of a table at the far corner. The recipient, a rosy-skinned woman with ruffled black hair and high cheekbones flinched as the glass bounced off the table then landed as it shattered into pieces.
The woman grunted in annoyance. "Bloody hell! Somebody clean this place up!" she said, still holding onto her jug.
The Doctor's eyes widened in surprise. Not only did he recognize her voice, but her space-age tailored suit also made her stand out. She was an archeologist but probably not the one he was expecting.
"Benny? Bernice Summerfield?" the Doctor called out as he and a curious Kroton approached her. Most of the patrons here ignored them, the few eyeing the Cyberman with suspicious looks.
When the Doctor last met with this face, they were at Sydney in Australia dealing with a strange pyramid.
Bernice looked back with her hazel eyes. She blinked, and in an instant, she recognized him in return. "Doctor? Well, this is a surprise. "And you have a Cyberman with you. Friendly, I suppose."
"You take this rather well," Kroton commented.
Bernice gave the Cyberman a curious look, her head tilted to the side. "Huh. And you talk like a normal person. Not that monotone nonsense." She shrugged and set her cup on the table. "Eh. It's been an eventful day."
The Doctor nodded in agreement. "Likewise, Benny. Likewise." He noticed there were empty seats at the table. "Uh, mind if we…?"
"Oh, sure. Go ahead," Bernice answered, making a quick gesture.
The Time Lord settled in his seat next to hers, scooting into the table. Kroton had to adjust the staff latched onto his back to set properly across from her.
"So…" the Doctor began as he placed his arm on the table. "How exactly did you get here?"
"Funny story, that," Bernice answered, leaning in. "It all started out with your average archeological dig into ancient ruins. Well, average for me. Till I find this." She dug into her pocket and placed a red, glowing object on the table.
The Doctor stared at the shard. It was in a slightly different shape. Jagged and less pointy, yet it was the same fusion of flesh and metal, and the same hellish glow it emitted.
"You found it and it brought you here," the Doctor stated.
"Yes," Bernice replied. "How did you know?"
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
Last edited:
Announcement #BlackLivesMatter
I know it's strange to make such an announcement after not posting any writing for this story for the past six months, but I feel it's necessary. After a week of riots and protests for George Floyd, I will be delaying my writings for All the World's a Stage and Molten Lead to next week to ensure that black voices are better represented, especially in these trying times.
In addition, here are a number of donation links that you can go to.
Minnesota Freedom Fund
ActBlue's city bail funds
ACLU
Black Lives Matter
#BlackLivesMatter
In addition, here are a number of donation links that you can go to.
Minnesota Freedom Fund
ActBlue's city bail funds
ACLU
Black Lives Matter
#BlackLivesMatter
When this fic is set
For clarification, this fic takes place between Sleep No More and Face the Raven of Series 9 of Doctor Who. On the Soul Calibur side of things, while this takes place during SCV, it's built off of VI and uses many of its story elements while I would discard certain elements from V's side. For example, if I were to write Patroklos into this fic, he would be much less of a psychotic jackass as he was in the first half of V's story mode. Fallout's side, well, it's clear in the first chapter.
I can't believe I haven't brought it up earlier. Sorry about that.
I can't believe I haven't brought it up earlier. Sorry about that.
Codex Entry: This white-haired guy
Codex Entry - Persons of Note: "This white-haired guy"
There were many tales and rumors of travelers from other worlds, some like Earth and others vastly different. One such traveler referred to himself as a witcher, a warrior altered by special potions and possessing incredible abilities and magic spells that enhanced their combat prowess.
In 1586, this witcher arrived suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. His adventures in this world were many and varied as he searched for a way back home. With so few versed in magic, it was a difficult journey. Some of those he encountered challenged him and tested his strength while others approached him, curious of his powers.
He eventually encountered an old man named Edge Master, who taught the witcher how to harness the power of Soul Calibur in a ritual that would bring him home. Upon arriving at an apparition of a fort familiar to him, the witcher used the spirit sword to open a gate back to his home world. He, and the apparition, vanished without a trace. His presence had left a mark on history, especially to those with a keen interest in parallel worlds.
There were many tales and rumors of travelers from other worlds, some like Earth and others vastly different. One such traveler referred to himself as a witcher, a warrior altered by special potions and possessing incredible abilities and magic spells that enhanced their combat prowess.
In 1586, this witcher arrived suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere. His adventures in this world were many and varied as he searched for a way back home. With so few versed in magic, it was a difficult journey. Some of those he encountered challenged him and tested his strength while others approached him, curious of his powers.
He eventually encountered an old man named Edge Master, who taught the witcher how to harness the power of Soul Calibur in a ritual that would bring him home. Upon arriving at an apparition of a fort familiar to him, the witcher used the spirit sword to open a gate back to his home world. He, and the apparition, vanished without a trace. His presence had left a mark on history, especially to those with a keen interest in parallel worlds.
Last edited:
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation - Meet Patroklos
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation
Year: 1605
Location: Athens, Ottoman Empire
It was a bright day in the early afternoon, the sun shining above and basking over Patroklos as he took the stage and stood before the crowd. There was a celebration, with cheers in his name, after he won a local sword fighting tournament and won. "Patroklos! Patroklos! Patroklos!" the crowd cried out.
Patroklos smiled, waving as the tournament's host placed a flower crown on his blond, curly head. It was nice to not be teased about being the son of Sophitia, the holy warrior, for once. "Thank you, thank you so much! Truly, I'm honored."
In a matter of minutes, the celebration died down as Patroklos stepped off the stage. It would had been uneventful otherwise until one of the participants in the tournament, and the last opponent he faced, approached him. It was a slender young woman, her study armor covering her youthful olive skin from neck to toe and her dark hair tied in a short ponytail. "Hey, Patroklos. Someone wants to see you. I think it's your uncle," she said. "He said something pretty urgent."
"What?" Patroklos responded in confusion. "What do you—" He took a sharp intake. "Thank you. I'll see him right now. And thanks for the fight," he said quickly before sauntering past the woman. If his uncle arrived with what seemed to be urgent news instead of topics about baking bread, then he could only assume the worst.
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation - Meet Patroklos v2; Patroklos' uncle has devastating news
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation
Year: 1605
Location: Athens, Ottoman Empire
A clash of blades flashed underneath the bright afternoon sun. The two contestants, locked in combat, struck blow after blow as they were locked in combat. The audience gathered around the ring and looked down below, watching a young man with curly blond hair and pale skin fighting a young woman with olive skin and black hair. They were the finalists in a tournament that honored ancient Greek traditions but with a lack of killing each other.
The young man, Patroklos Alexander, spun his sword around with a confident, and some would say cocky, grin on his face. He raised his shield in front of him, waiting for his opponent to strike. He took a deep breath, then another, to fight off fatigue that had built up throughout this duel. And without missing a beat, his opponent charged at him, kicking the sand around her. He muttered a prayer to the gods. He hoped the training Neve gave him would pay off, as it did so far.
Right as the strike landed on him, Patroklos deflected it with his shield. She struck again, pushing him back with her shield in retaliation. As she swung her sword again, he parried back. With a flick and a twist of his wrist, her sword flew out of her hand. It landed nearby, the blade now embedded into the ground.
The woman knelt. Her brown eyes gave him an almost defiant look as the tip of Patroklos' blade met her neck, pressing at her skin. "Well, would you look at that? I won." Patroklos smirked. "Do you yield?"
The woman sighed before nodding. "Yes."
The crowd above them roared and cheered. "Patroklos! Patroklos! Patroklos!" they bellowed out.
"You fought well, Savvina," said Patroklos as he sheathed his sword into his red shield. He offered the woman, Savvina, his hand and she accepted, helping her get up to her feet.
"Likewise, Patroklos," Savvina replied. "But do you have to be an ass about it?"
Patroklos shrugged. "It's part of an act," he insisted. "You understand."
"If you insist." Savvina rolled her eyes as she picked up her sword.
As the two warriors walked up the stairs out of the arena, the host of the tournament suddenly placed a crown of flowers on his curly head, much to his surprise. At least they smelled nice, Patroklos noted to himself.
He smiled and waved to the crowd as he passed them by. It was nice not to be teased about being the son of Sophitia for once. "Thank you, thank you so much! I'm honored, truly."
What stood among the crowd, was a middle-aged man with a sullen look on his face. He was dressed in blue, a white cloak draped around his shoulders. Blond hair, blue eyes, and pale skin were common in Patroklos' family. He and this man, his uncle, were no exception. His uncle's graying hair was swept back, the bangs hanging by the temples of his weathered face.
"Uncle Lucius?" Patroklos approached his uncle. "Did you see me win?"
"Yes, I did. I'm sure your mother would be proud of you," his uncle answered. "But there is something I need to tell you." He took a sharp intake. "Your mother, she—she needs to see you."
Patroklos blinked in confusion. "What? What do you mean, Uncle? Please, tell me!"
His uncle's silence answered his question. His mother had fallen ill months ago and she had struggled to recover ever since. If she needed to see him right now, then…
He couldn't bear the thought of his mother leaving this world.
Patroklos came to a sprint, running past his uncle as he headed back to the city.
"Patroklos, wait up!" his uncle called out, following behind him.
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation - The death of Sophitia
"Mother, I…" Patroklos ran and sat on the bed by her. He held her hand gently. It was still warm, but barely. She squeezed his hand.
His mother smiled weakly. "It's okay, Patroklos. It's okay." She wheezed as if struggling to breathe. "How was the tournament?"
Patroklos opened his mouth but found himself unable to say a word, if only for a moment, his eyes welling up with tears. Finally, he said, "I won. My opponent was strong, but I prevailed." He smiled. "I… I hope I've made you proud, mother."
"You already have, Patroklos," she replied. "I can only…" She coughed. "…hope you find your sister."
Patroklos clenched his jaw. The thought of his sister's kidnapper, that malfested Tira, made him boil. "I will find my sister and make that malfested pay."
"Promise me. Promise me that you won't let vengeance consume you. Follow your heart, do the right thing. Promise me…"
As his mother drew her breath one last time, she closed her eyes and let go of her son's hands. Patrokolas said nothing. He leaned forward in a crying fit. He wanted her to be healthy, to live out the rest of her life in happiness. But she was happy, wasn't she? All he had were his father giving him a comforting hug. His uncle joined in.
Patroklos heard all the stories of his mother. The adventures she went on, the perils she faced in her holy mission to destroy Soul Edge, and the measures she took for the sake of her daughter and his sister, Pyrrha. He wanted to show his mother that despite not receiving the blessing of the gods, he could live up to their legacy. But fate had other ideas, it seemed.
It was not fair. It simply was not fair. If only that supposed god of thunder did everything he could in his power to save her, rescue his sister, none of this would have happened.
His mother smiled weakly. "It's okay, Patroklos. It's okay." She wheezed as if struggling to breathe. "How was the tournament?"
Patroklos opened his mouth but found himself unable to say a word, if only for a moment, his eyes welling up with tears. Finally, he said, "I won. My opponent was strong, but I prevailed." He smiled. "I… I hope I've made you proud, mother."
"You already have, Patroklos," she replied. "I can only…" She coughed. "…hope you find your sister."
Patroklos clenched his jaw. The thought of his sister's kidnapper, that malfested Tira, made him boil. "I will find my sister and make that malfested pay."
"Promise me. Promise me that you won't let vengeance consume you. Follow your heart, do the right thing. Promise me…"
As his mother drew her breath one last time, she closed her eyes and let go of her son's hands. Patrokolas said nothing. He leaned forward in a crying fit. He wanted her to be healthy, to live out the rest of her life in happiness. But she was happy, wasn't she? All he had were his father giving him a comforting hug. His uncle joined in.
Patroklos heard all the stories of his mother. The adventures she went on, the perils she faced in her holy mission to destroy Soul Edge, and the measures she took for the sake of her daughter and his sister, Pyrrha. He wanted to show his mother that despite not receiving the blessing of the gods, he could live up to their legacy. But fate had other ideas, it seemed.
It was not fair. It simply was not fair. If only that supposed god of thunder did everything he could in his power to save her, rescue his sister, none of this would have happened.
Last edited:
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation - A fated encounter, perhaps?
Year: 1607
Location: Veres, Hungary (near present-day Szolnok)
Cool yet gentle winds bushed against Patroklos' hair, the late-afternoon sun basking on his long white coat as he paced around the busy Hungarian streets. His narrow red shield, his sword sheathed behind it, hung around his left wrist. Ever since his mother passed away, he left his home in search of his sister. But like many places he been to, she and her kidnapper remained elusive as ever as he looked around seemingly many of the streets and corners of this town.
Passing by the fountain, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed what appeared to be a man in solver clothing and armor, his strange helmet resembling more like a mask than anything. The man gazed up, entranced by the tall white church nearby. Patroklos looked on. He wasn't sure what to make of this when a pale old man with a mop of wild, silver hair and unusual clothes approached the man. The man in silver struck up a conversation before they sauntered off toward the slums.
As he stepped forward, the two men were nowhere to be seen.
"Dammit!" He sighed, bringing his hand to his hip. Those two were definitely not the townsfolk, and he missed his chance in finding out if they knew anything about his sister's whereabouts.
"Is something wrong?"
His heart jolted for a second as he turned to see a rather wide woman. She stood a little taller than him, clad in a suit of light-gray armor made of a material he did not recognize, her shoulders draped in a green scarf.
"Ah, I'm looking for my sister here, but I haven't had much luck," he answered after catching his breath.
"Maybe I can help. What does she look like?"
Patroklos gazed at the stranger with suspicion. "And why should I trust you with this? People who claimed to know my sister's whereabouts tend to be liars and thieves, including the Graf," he said. Even he began to believe the information given to him by Schwarzwind made him wonder if they were lying as well.
"I'm sorry, who?" the woman asked, confused.
His nostrils flared as he frowned. Of course she had to bring up a sore topic. "If you must know, I'm talking about Graf Dumas. The Count of Hungary, chosen by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire himself." His tone could come off as condescending to most people, as he could tell by the squinting look the woman gave him, but he was not in the mood to be reminded. "Just another sniveling bastard who's more concerned about hoarding wealth and power, if you ask me."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that," she replied. "Look, I can understand why you're like that. I'm starting to get out of that position myself, but you can't find your sister if you keep viewing everyone with that attitude. You need to have hope."
He closed his eyes with a grimacing look on his face. Hope. Like the myth about Pandora's box, it only led to disappointment and grief, but maybe she had a point. With debilitation, he sighed and opened his eyes. "Okay, I believe you. For now. Her name's Pyrrha Alexandra. She has blond hair and green eyes. She also wears a white dress with long boots."
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, there is." He lifted his shield and pointed to a pair of golden elk horns inscribed on his shield. "She carries a sword and shield that used to belong to my mother. Her shield's blue, but it should have a similar emblem like mine."
The woman nodded. "Okay. I can't promise anything, but if I see her, I'll be sure to point her in your direction. By the way, what's your name?"
"It's Patroklos, uh… Patroklos Alexander," he answered. "What about yours?"
"Jocelyn Song," she answered. "I'm just a wanderer who happens to be stopping by."
"Alright. Thank you." There was an uplifting feeling welling within him. Perhaps this wanderer here might be his best shot. "If you see her, tell her…" He couldn't help but give himself pause, his lips trembling. "If you see here, there's usually another girl with her, carrying a ring blade. She's a dangerous woman and must be stopped. Do what you can to save my sister."
"A ring blade?" The woman gave him an incredulous look. "Is it what I'm thinking? A ring that has a blade on it?"
"…Essentially, yes."
"This place is getting stranger by the minute," she muttered. "Well, I'll be seeing you. Maybe."
Patroklos could only watch as the woman sauntered toward the church. He was grateful someone was willing to help, but who exactly was this woman, anyway?
Location: Veres, Hungary (near present-day Szolnok)
Cool yet gentle winds bushed against Patroklos' hair, the late-afternoon sun basking on his long white coat as he paced around the busy Hungarian streets. His narrow red shield, his sword sheathed behind it, hung around his left wrist. Ever since his mother passed away, he left his home in search of his sister. But like many places he been to, she and her kidnapper remained elusive as ever as he looked around seemingly many of the streets and corners of this town.
Passing by the fountain, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed what appeared to be a man in solver clothing and armor, his strange helmet resembling more like a mask than anything. The man gazed up, entranced by the tall white church nearby. Patroklos looked on. He wasn't sure what to make of this when a pale old man with a mop of wild, silver hair and unusual clothes approached the man. The man in silver struck up a conversation before they sauntered off toward the slums.
As he stepped forward, the two men were nowhere to be seen.
"Dammit!" He sighed, bringing his hand to his hip. Those two were definitely not the townsfolk, and he missed his chance in finding out if they knew anything about his sister's whereabouts.
"Is something wrong?"
His heart jolted for a second as he turned to see a rather wide woman. She stood a little taller than him, clad in a suit of light-gray armor made of a material he did not recognize, her shoulders draped in a green scarf.
"Ah, I'm looking for my sister here, but I haven't had much luck," he answered after catching his breath.
"Maybe I can help. What does she look like?"
Patroklos gazed at the stranger with suspicion. "And why should I trust you with this? People who claimed to know my sister's whereabouts tend to be liars and thieves, including the Graf," he said. Even he began to believe the information given to him by Schwarzwind made him wonder if they were lying as well.
"I'm sorry, who?" the woman asked, confused.
His nostrils flared as he frowned. Of course she had to bring up a sore topic. "If you must know, I'm talking about Graf Dumas. The Count of Hungary, chosen by the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire himself." His tone could come off as condescending to most people, as he could tell by the squinting look the woman gave him, but he was not in the mood to be reminded. "Just another sniveling bastard who's more concerned about hoarding wealth and power, if you ask me."
"I see. I'm sorry to hear that," she replied. "Look, I can understand why you're like that. I'm starting to get out of that position myself, but you can't find your sister if you keep viewing everyone with that attitude. You need to have hope."
He closed his eyes with a grimacing look on his face. Hope. Like the myth about Pandora's box, it only led to disappointment and grief, but maybe she had a point. With debilitation, he sighed and opened his eyes. "Okay, I believe you. For now. Her name's Pyrrha Alexandra. She has blond hair and green eyes. She also wears a white dress with long boots."
"Anything else?"
"Yeah, there is." He lifted his shield and pointed to a pair of golden elk horns inscribed on his shield. "She carries a sword and shield that used to belong to my mother. Her shield's blue, but it should have a similar emblem like mine."
The woman nodded. "Okay. I can't promise anything, but if I see her, I'll be sure to point her in your direction. By the way, what's your name?"
"It's Patroklos, uh… Patroklos Alexander," he answered. "What about yours?"
"Jocelyn Song," she answered. "I'm just a wanderer who happens to be stopping by."
"Alright. Thank you." There was an uplifting feeling welling within him. Perhaps this wanderer here might be his best shot. "If you see her, tell her…" He couldn't help but give himself pause, his lips trembling. "If you see here, there's usually another girl with her, carrying a ring blade. She's a dangerous woman and must be stopped. Do what you can to save my sister."
"A ring blade?" The woman gave him an incredulous look. "Is it what I'm thinking? A ring that has a blade on it?"
"…Essentially, yes."
"This place is getting stranger by the minute," she muttered. "Well, I'll be seeing you. Maybe."
Patroklos could only watch as the woman sauntered toward the church. He was grateful someone was willing to help, but who exactly was this woman, anyway?
Chapter Five: Far From Home - Fighting off the corruption
Note: So this will be part of the fifth chapter. The way it was set up before would be confusing. It was mostly because I had trouble coming up with a satisfactory way to end that scene. The next chapter was for the most part finished. Hopefully when I finish filling in the gaps to make a more cohesive narrative, I will see to finish the end of this chapter.
As she raised her weapon above her head, ready to deliver the killing blow, she hesitated.
She felt uneasy, like her heart throbbed in pain. She knew a part of her wanted to make the con man suffer. Slowly and painfully. Break his bones one by one, shoot his knees out, watch him bleed. There were so many ways a person could experience pain. It was tempting to inflict such sadism but after everything she went through, was this really her?
"Hey, that shard you're carrying is corrupting you!" Maxi called out. "Don't let it control you!"
Jocelyn lowered her hammer slowly as if some invisible force is struggling to keep it up. She turned around, looking over her shoulder at Maxi. "And that changes the fact that what he did, what he admitted to, is unforgivable?" she asked, gritting her teeth.
"Look, lady, I want to kick that guy's ass as much as you do, but if you kill him, Soul Edge'll start taking a hold on you," Maxi explained. "You don't want that. I know what it's like, wanting to kill someone for revenge or justice. Mostly revenge in my case. I've been there. I…" He sighed as he craned the back of his head. "Oh man, where do I begin with this?"
"I went after someone, a monstrous creature named Astaroth," he began. "He killed my friends, my crew, so I joined Kilik all these years ago so I could find the bastard who did. I killed him for it, but I got hurt in the process. Someone healed me, but he used a shard of Soul Edge to do it, erased my memories, and changed me. You can say I was lost and lonely and on the brink of becoming yet another monster. But there was this old guy who was Kilik's teacher, Edge Master. He showed me that there's light at the end of a tunnel."
"Where are you going with this?" Jocelyn demanded as she approached him.
"All I'm saying is that he brought me out of the brink," Maxi answered. "So can you."
"Then how do I…?" She trailed off as the world suddenly started spinning around her.
"Fight it!" Maxi spoke. "Try using that piece of the Dvapara-Yuga."
Jocelyn pulled the piece of the Dvapara-Yuga, the blue stone gleaming once more under the fading sunlight. As she focused her attention on the stone, it shone more brightly. She blinked, shaking her head to fight off the temptation gnawing at the back of her head.
She blinked once more, and she felt like a heavy weight had lifted off her shoulders. She felt the fogs of her mind fade away and she sighed, closing her eyes in contentment.
"Watch out!" Xiba called out.
Jocelyn opened her eyes and whipped around, turning to see the con man lunching at her with his daggers, desperation palpable in his eyes.
As she raised her weapon above her head, ready to deliver the killing blow, she hesitated.
She felt uneasy, like her heart throbbed in pain. She knew a part of her wanted to make the con man suffer. Slowly and painfully. Break his bones one by one, shoot his knees out, watch him bleed. There were so many ways a person could experience pain. It was tempting to inflict such sadism but after everything she went through, was this really her?
"Hey, that shard you're carrying is corrupting you!" Maxi called out. "Don't let it control you!"
Jocelyn lowered her hammer slowly as if some invisible force is struggling to keep it up. She turned around, looking over her shoulder at Maxi. "And that changes the fact that what he did, what he admitted to, is unforgivable?" she asked, gritting her teeth.
"Look, lady, I want to kick that guy's ass as much as you do, but if you kill him, Soul Edge'll start taking a hold on you," Maxi explained. "You don't want that. I know what it's like, wanting to kill someone for revenge or justice. Mostly revenge in my case. I've been there. I…" He sighed as he craned the back of his head. "Oh man, where do I begin with this?"
"I went after someone, a monstrous creature named Astaroth," he began. "He killed my friends, my crew, so I joined Kilik all these years ago so I could find the bastard who did. I killed him for it, but I got hurt in the process. Someone healed me, but he used a shard of Soul Edge to do it, erased my memories, and changed me. You can say I was lost and lonely and on the brink of becoming yet another monster. But there was this old guy who was Kilik's teacher, Edge Master. He showed me that there's light at the end of a tunnel."
"Where are you going with this?" Jocelyn demanded as she approached him.
"All I'm saying is that he brought me out of the brink," Maxi answered. "So can you."
"Then how do I…?" She trailed off as the world suddenly started spinning around her.
"Fight it!" Maxi spoke. "Try using that piece of the Dvapara-Yuga."
Jocelyn pulled the piece of the Dvapara-Yuga, the blue stone gleaming once more under the fading sunlight. As she focused her attention on the stone, it shone more brightly. She blinked, shaking her head to fight off the temptation gnawing at the back of her head.
She blinked once more, and she felt like a heavy weight had lifted off her shoulders. She felt the fogs of her mind fade away and she sighed, closing her eyes in contentment.
"Watch out!" Xiba called out.
Jocelyn opened her eyes and whipped around, turning to see the con man lunching at her with his daggers, desperation palpable in his eyes.
Chapter Five: Far From Home - An end to the fight; a promise
"Watch out!" Xiba called out.
Jocelyn opened her eyes and whipped around, turning to see the con man lunching at her with his daggers, desperation palpable in his eyes. She lifted her hammer to deflect the strike, only for one of the blades to scratch her cheek. In response, as their weapons locked, she yanked the con man closer, using the momentum to headbutt him over her weapon. A crack and a brief flash of white, and he fell backward toward the ground, dazed, his hat landing right beside him. The lack of that fancy hat revealed balding brown hair.
"Yeah, we showed 'em!" Leixia cheered as she pumped her fist, with Xiba joining in the celebration.
With a sigh, Maxi relaxed his shoulders before holstering his nunchucks. "Gotta admit, I was worried for a minute there that you'd turn into a malfested."
"A what?" Jocelyn asked as she rubbed her cheek, the cut closing in by itself. The Monocyte Breeder implant she bought from Pinkerton all these years ago was ungodly expensive, but it was worth it.
It's someone that's been corrupted by Soul edge," Maxi answered. "Its power makes them stronger, amplifies their fighting ability. But their humanity, their soul? Well, they can kiss goodbye to 'em."
She let in a few deep breaths, panic beginning to settle in. "And this piece of the Davapara-Yuga?"
"Don't lose it or you're gonna lose yourself," Maxi stated rather pointedly. "'Specially if you're keen on carrying that shard of the sword with you."
Jocelyn pulled the shard of Soul Edge out of one of her pouches. She could feel something was close yet again, with the temptation gnawing at the back of her head, but it was like someone was pushing it back. If this piece of the sword were that dangerous, who knew how much more powerful a complete form would be?
She knew what to do.
"Wait, that—" Maxi raised a finger but stopped when Jocelyn dropped the shard to the ground, pulled her pistol out, and began firing. Each shot rang out an echo as multiple plasma bolts slammed against the shard. Through gritted teeth, she continued firing until her pistol clicked, the plasma cartridge completely drained.
She sighed, dropped her shoulders, and closed her eyes for a moment. She hoped that would be the end of it. But when she opened her eyes again, her heart dropped like a bag of rocks as the steam settled. Within that blackened ring was the shard, somehow untouched by her firepower.
"—wouldn't do anything," Maxi finished, meekly dropping his finger.
"Right. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy." She rolled her eyes, exasperated, as she removed and replaced the plasma cartridge. She doubted her other weapons would do the trick. And she couldn't bear to just leave this thing lying around. Who knew someone else would pick it up on a whim and succumb to it? As she picked it up, she glanced at the shard. She wondered if there was another way…
"We're supposed to be heading off to this town called Veres to meet someone from a group called Schwarzwind," said Maxi. "Guess you can call them a resistance because they're protecting innocent people from a witch hunt. You know how that goes. I heard they got people who can help someone like you. And hey, maybe you can find your friends in the town while we find our contact, no?"
Jocelyn's eyes shot up to Maxi. Things may be looking up after all. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. When will we head out?" she asked.
"Tomorrow," Maxi answered. "But we'll find a way to help you get rid of that shard for good. You have my word on that." Jocelyn glanced down to see Maxi had touched her shoulder. At that moment, she was reassured by it, as if she were at peace, if only for a moment.
"Thanks. So what will you be doing in the meantime?"
"I'll help the others tie these jerk-offs up, assuming they're still alive, and turn 'em in for a bounty," Maxi answered. The groans from Dampierre and his henchmen instantly told them they were alive. Hurt, bleeding, bruised, with the one with the bob hair being tied up by Natsu, but alive. "Well, guess that answers that."
With that, Maxi parted with her and walked toward the others, bringing the would-be bandits to a carriage parked nearby. The Lone Wanderer joined soon after, picking up the bandits and placing them next to each other by the carriage, each bound by ropes.
"Hey, I call dibs on the hat!" Jocelyn heard Leixia called out.
"Nope, I saw it first!" said Natsu, who yanked the hat before anyone could do or say anything. At least the rest of the day and the journey would be bearable.
For the rest of the day, she said nothing, lost in her thoughts. Even with the shard of the Dvapara-Yuga, she could still feel this… presence. She hoped she could hold on as long as she could before it was too late.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
Jocelyn opened her eyes and whipped around, turning to see the con man lunching at her with his daggers, desperation palpable in his eyes. She lifted her hammer to deflect the strike, only for one of the blades to scratch her cheek. In response, as their weapons locked, she yanked the con man closer, using the momentum to headbutt him over her weapon. A crack and a brief flash of white, and he fell backward toward the ground, dazed, his hat landing right beside him. The lack of that fancy hat revealed balding brown hair.
"Yeah, we showed 'em!" Leixia cheered as she pumped her fist, with Xiba joining in the celebration.
With a sigh, Maxi relaxed his shoulders before holstering his nunchucks. "Gotta admit, I was worried for a minute there that you'd turn into a malfested."
"A what?" Jocelyn asked as she rubbed her cheek, the cut closing in by itself. The Monocyte Breeder implant she bought from Pinkerton all these years ago was ungodly expensive, but it was worth it.
It's someone that's been corrupted by Soul edge," Maxi answered. "Its power makes them stronger, amplifies their fighting ability. But their humanity, their soul? Well, they can kiss goodbye to 'em."
She let in a few deep breaths, panic beginning to settle in. "And this piece of the Davapara-Yuga?"
"Don't lose it or you're gonna lose yourself," Maxi stated rather pointedly. "'Specially if you're keen on carrying that shard of the sword with you."
Jocelyn pulled the shard of Soul Edge out of one of her pouches. She could feel something was close yet again, with the temptation gnawing at the back of her head, but it was like someone was pushing it back. If this piece of the sword were that dangerous, who knew how much more powerful a complete form would be?
She knew what to do.
"Wait, that—" Maxi raised a finger but stopped when Jocelyn dropped the shard to the ground, pulled her pistol out, and began firing. Each shot rang out an echo as multiple plasma bolts slammed against the shard. Through gritted teeth, she continued firing until her pistol clicked, the plasma cartridge completely drained.
She sighed, dropped her shoulders, and closed her eyes for a moment. She hoped that would be the end of it. But when she opened her eyes again, her heart dropped like a bag of rocks as the steam settled. Within that blackened ring was the shard, somehow untouched by her firepower.
"—wouldn't do anything," Maxi finished, meekly dropping his finger.
"Right. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy." She rolled her eyes, exasperated, as she removed and replaced the plasma cartridge. She doubted her other weapons would do the trick. And she couldn't bear to just leave this thing lying around. Who knew someone else would pick it up on a whim and succumb to it? As she picked it up, she glanced at the shard. She wondered if there was another way…
"We're supposed to be heading off to this town called Veres to meet someone from a group called Schwarzwind," said Maxi. "Guess you can call them a resistance because they're protecting innocent people from a witch hunt. You know how that goes. I heard they got people who can help someone like you. And hey, maybe you can find your friends in the town while we find our contact, no?"
Jocelyn's eyes shot up to Maxi. Things may be looking up after all. "Yeah, that's not a bad idea. When will we head out?" she asked.
"Tomorrow," Maxi answered. "But we'll find a way to help you get rid of that shard for good. You have my word on that." Jocelyn glanced down to see Maxi had touched her shoulder. At that moment, she was reassured by it, as if she were at peace, if only for a moment.
"Thanks. So what will you be doing in the meantime?"
"I'll help the others tie these jerk-offs up, assuming they're still alive, and turn 'em in for a bounty," Maxi answered. The groans from Dampierre and his henchmen instantly told them they were alive. Hurt, bleeding, bruised, with the one with the bob hair being tied up by Natsu, but alive. "Well, guess that answers that."
With that, Maxi parted with her and walked toward the others, bringing the would-be bandits to a carriage parked nearby. The Lone Wanderer joined soon after, picking up the bandits and placing them next to each other by the carriage, each bound by ropes.
"Hey, I call dibs on the hat!" Jocelyn heard Leixia called out.
"Nope, I saw it first!" said Natsu, who yanked the hat before anyone could do or say anything. At least the rest of the day and the journey would be bearable.
For the rest of the day, she said nothing, lost in her thoughts. Even with the shard of the Dvapara-Yuga, she could still feel this… presence. She hoped she could hold on as long as she could before it was too late.
END OF CHAPTER FIVE
Last edited:
Made some changes to the last segment.
Chapter Six: Rejuvenation - Reunited at last
And there we go. Apologies that the order of the threadmarks is confusing.
The journey to the town took her and the other two days. As promised, Maxi and the others went off to meet with their contact, whoever they were. "Meet ya at God's Rest," she remembered Maxi telling her before they parted ways.
Soon after meeting the young man, whom she thought was rather intense, Jocelyn took in the sight of a tall white church in the middle of the town.
She sauntered inside, walking in the crack between the giant, open doors. Ahead of her were rows upon rows of plain, simple wooden benches. At the other end of the church was an altar, draped in a white blanket, crowned by a cross. The windows that reached near the ceiling had cast a bright, almost twilight light. The other source of illumination was the candles mounted on the pillars, the smell of melting wax whiffing in the air.
There were several occupants, many of them appearing to be peasants in simple and colorless garments, praying in the church. Compared to every other building back in her world, the church was very much intact. While constantly being in danger was familiar to her, she had to admit this was a nice change of pace.
"Err, excuse me?"
She looked down to find a boy looking up at her. Pale and dark-haired, he wore a pair of green trousers to go with his fluffy white shirt. He couldn't be older than… six, maybe seven?
She knelt beside him with a smile. "Hey there. Where are your parents?"
"Well, my parents told me to wait here in case I get lost." The boy twiddled his thumbs together. "So, um… are you here to slay a dragon, like the knights in shining armor in fairy tales? Because you, uh, seem knightly."
"I, uh…" She hesitated. "Maybe. It's been a while since I did that. Slaying monsters, saving lives," she answered. "Until recently, I've been helping people by doing small favors for them."
Her answer brightened the boy's face. "Then are you here to stop the malfested?"
Jocelyn looked back. "They're the ones that used to be human, right?"
The boy nodded rapidly. "Yeah! I hear some of them get big. Like, really big!"
Before he could say more, Jocelyn stood up when a man and a woman approached them. The man wore a ruff collar around his neck, a tell-tale sign of his nobility aside from his tights and his puffy shorts. The woman's dress was simple yet elegant, having jewelry laid out on her sleeves.
The man went up to the boy with open arms, a joyful smile appearing on his face. "Oh dear God! Your mother and I have been looking for you!" He picked up the boy and gave him a firm hug. By the look on the child's face, he was happy to see his parents again.
"I miss you too, father. I was so scared."
Jocelyn stood up and met the mother. "Thank you so much for finding him!" the mother exclaimed.
"Actually, he happened to find me," the Lone Wanderer replied.
The father had put the boy down and took his hand. "We'll be best on our way, then. Best we tell our boy not to wander off like that!" The family turned toward the exit after making eye contact with Jocelyn. The boy groaned, mumbling about not looking forward to being disciplined.
"Do be gentle with him; he's just a boy!" the mother protested.
"Even little boys have to grow up to be men," the father retorted.
The Wanderer's eyes followed the family until they were out of sight as they walked through the door.
"So… are you here to attend? Confess your sins?" a familiar, Scottish voice called out. The tone was sardonic. "I know I have my fair share."
Jocelyn's heart leaped out and she turned around to see the Doctor leaning against a nearby pillar, his hands in his pockets.
"Oh hey, Doctor," she said. "How did you get here?"
The Doctor smirked, standing up straight. His hands out of his pocket, he paced around a few steps. "It's a long story. Maybe I'll explain later. Maybe not. I'm quite pleased you were able to understand what anybody was saying. Have you noticed they were not speaking English?"
"Okay, what?" Jocelyn stared at the Doctor in confusion. "I thought it had to do with trade languages, not… this. How's that possible? Translator microbes?"
"Less with brain germs and more like a telepathic field that digs inside your brain. Wait, that does sound like a brain germ, doesn't it?" The Doctor waved his finger around. "Ah, forget it. It's a translation circuit from the TARDIS. That's why everything sounds English to you. Long as I'm conscious, it will work."
"That is probably one of the craziest things I've ever heard about your universe."
The Time Lord let out a small chuckle with a toothy grin. "I have seen things in my lifetimes that defy logic and reason. You think you would get used to it by now, but you being a human with a finite life expectancy, I understand."
"You know that's condescending, right?"
"Obviously."
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Alright… So now what? Where do we go from here?"
"You always find something over there. Some drinks and rumors spread around like wildfire... long as you know where to look. I'd like you to meet up with the others."
"The others? You got someone else?"
"Yes. An archeologist from the far future named Bernice Summerfield. She goes by Benny," the Doctor answered. "She got here like you did. I'll explain more at God's Rest. It's a tavern with… tavernous stuff."
"Okay," Jocelyn replied before chuckling. She couldn't help but find this convenient. "Lead the way." As she began following, she paused midway before turning around.
"Something wrong?" the Doctor wondered.
"There were buildings like this. Back before the Great War," she answered. "Churches, monuments, museums, schools… All of them were gone in an instant when the bombs fell. All that was left were ruins, corpses, and silhouettes of people who didn't make it. Not a whole lot of intact buildings left." She sighed, letting her shoulders drop. "I miss living in the Vault. It wasn't perfect, but it was home. I really do."
The Doctor unfolded his arms and stood up. "I can relate to that. Sometimes I ask myself why I left Gallifrey."
"Why did you?"
The Doctor said nothing as he bowed his head, even as he left the old church.
"Walking away is not an answer, you know!" she bellowed.
"Yes, it is!" the Doctor retorted as he continued walking. She could swear he was grinning smugly.
Jocelyn couldn't help but roll her eyes as she caught up to him, not far behind.
END OF CHAPTER SIX
The journey to the town took her and the other two days. As promised, Maxi and the others went off to meet with their contact, whoever they were. "Meet ya at God's Rest," she remembered Maxi telling her before they parted ways.
Soon after meeting the young man, whom she thought was rather intense, Jocelyn took in the sight of a tall white church in the middle of the town.
She sauntered inside, walking in the crack between the giant, open doors. Ahead of her were rows upon rows of plain, simple wooden benches. At the other end of the church was an altar, draped in a white blanket, crowned by a cross. The windows that reached near the ceiling had cast a bright, almost twilight light. The other source of illumination was the candles mounted on the pillars, the smell of melting wax whiffing in the air.
There were several occupants, many of them appearing to be peasants in simple and colorless garments, praying in the church. Compared to every other building back in her world, the church was very much intact. While constantly being in danger was familiar to her, she had to admit this was a nice change of pace.
"Err, excuse me?"
She looked down to find a boy looking up at her. Pale and dark-haired, he wore a pair of green trousers to go with his fluffy white shirt. He couldn't be older than… six, maybe seven?
She knelt beside him with a smile. "Hey there. Where are your parents?"
"Well, my parents told me to wait here in case I get lost." The boy twiddled his thumbs together. "So, um… are you here to slay a dragon, like the knights in shining armor in fairy tales? Because you, uh, seem knightly."
"I, uh…" She hesitated. "Maybe. It's been a while since I did that. Slaying monsters, saving lives," she answered. "Until recently, I've been helping people by doing small favors for them."
Her answer brightened the boy's face. "Then are you here to stop the malfested?"
Jocelyn looked back. "They're the ones that used to be human, right?"
The boy nodded rapidly. "Yeah! I hear some of them get big. Like, really big!"
Before he could say more, Jocelyn stood up when a man and a woman approached them. The man wore a ruff collar around his neck, a tell-tale sign of his nobility aside from his tights and his puffy shorts. The woman's dress was simple yet elegant, having jewelry laid out on her sleeves.
The man went up to the boy with open arms, a joyful smile appearing on his face. "Oh dear God! Your mother and I have been looking for you!" He picked up the boy and gave him a firm hug. By the look on the child's face, he was happy to see his parents again.
"I miss you too, father. I was so scared."
Jocelyn stood up and met the mother. "Thank you so much for finding him!" the mother exclaimed.
"Actually, he happened to find me," the Lone Wanderer replied.
The father had put the boy down and took his hand. "We'll be best on our way, then. Best we tell our boy not to wander off like that!" The family turned toward the exit after making eye contact with Jocelyn. The boy groaned, mumbling about not looking forward to being disciplined.
"Do be gentle with him; he's just a boy!" the mother protested.
"Even little boys have to grow up to be men," the father retorted.
The Wanderer's eyes followed the family until they were out of sight as they walked through the door.
"So… are you here to attend? Confess your sins?" a familiar, Scottish voice called out. The tone was sardonic. "I know I have my fair share."
Jocelyn's heart leaped out and she turned around to see the Doctor leaning against a nearby pillar, his hands in his pockets.
"Oh hey, Doctor," she said. "How did you get here?"
The Doctor smirked, standing up straight. His hands out of his pocket, he paced around a few steps. "It's a long story. Maybe I'll explain later. Maybe not. I'm quite pleased you were able to understand what anybody was saying. Have you noticed they were not speaking English?"
"Okay, what?" Jocelyn stared at the Doctor in confusion. "I thought it had to do with trade languages, not… this. How's that possible? Translator microbes?"
"Less with brain germs and more like a telepathic field that digs inside your brain. Wait, that does sound like a brain germ, doesn't it?" The Doctor waved his finger around. "Ah, forget it. It's a translation circuit from the TARDIS. That's why everything sounds English to you. Long as I'm conscious, it will work."
"That is probably one of the craziest things I've ever heard about your universe."
The Time Lord let out a small chuckle with a toothy grin. "I have seen things in my lifetimes that defy logic and reason. You think you would get used to it by now, but you being a human with a finite life expectancy, I understand."
"You know that's condescending, right?"
"Obviously."
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Alright… So now what? Where do we go from here?"
"You always find something over there. Some drinks and rumors spread around like wildfire... long as you know where to look. I'd like you to meet up with the others."
"The others? You got someone else?"
"Yes. An archeologist from the far future named Bernice Summerfield. She goes by Benny," the Doctor answered. "She got here like you did. I'll explain more at God's Rest. It's a tavern with… tavernous stuff."
"Okay," Jocelyn replied before chuckling. She couldn't help but find this convenient. "Lead the way." As she began following, she paused midway before turning around.
"Something wrong?" the Doctor wondered.
"There were buildings like this. Back before the Great War," she answered. "Churches, monuments, museums, schools… All of them were gone in an instant when the bombs fell. All that was left were ruins, corpses, and silhouettes of people who didn't make it. Not a whole lot of intact buildings left." She sighed, letting her shoulders drop. "I miss living in the Vault. It wasn't perfect, but it was home. I really do."
The Doctor unfolded his arms and stood up. "I can relate to that. Sometimes I ask myself why I left Gallifrey."
"Why did you?"
The Doctor said nothing as he bowed his head, even as he left the old church.
"Walking away is not an answer, you know!" she bellowed.
"Yes, it is!" the Doctor retorted as he continued walking. She could swear he was grinning smugly.
Jocelyn couldn't help but roll her eyes as she caught up to him, not far behind.
END OF CHAPTER SIX
Chapter Four: Come Go With Me - Surprise, welcome to the world of Soul Calibur! v3
I'm back! Hopefully. Sort of, at least. This is an edited part of this post.
Year: 1607
Location: Somewhere in Hungary, Earth
Deep in the dungeons of the castle, there was a massive and complex machine. It was originally built for examining particles of the universe. Within the machine known as the collider, there laid a transparent orb mounted on a plain pillar. The collider whirred and the disks moved around the orb, with a rift in time and space that was slowly expanding. Through the rift were distant worlds and ages of the past and future, overlapping one another as if they were layers of onions.
"What an incredible sight, I must say!" Missy's associate, Azwel, commented with a gleeful smile. The two observed through the monitor mounted on the console from a room high above, safe from the force and pull of the rift. If she hadn't seen everything at this point, Missy would be inclined to agree. But the Time Lady was neither pressed or in awe. Without moving her head, she focused her sight on the scholar.
"You do see it, yes? The beauty, the juxtaposition of order and chaos, all around this magnificent orb!" he was as giddy as a child in a candy shop, with his hands shaking with excitement. He cackled on like a madman. "Oh, wunderbar! So much potential for the human race!"
One thing that was certain of him was that his madness might match her own. Calling himself the Savior of Humanity supported that assumption.
Azwel was almost sickly pale and lean, tall for his time, with strange star-like markings all over his wrinkled face. His dark robes were rimmed with gold, having elaborate and extravagant decorations all over, with golden gauntlets on his hands. The left gauntlet had a blue crystal embedded on the back while the right had a red crystal instead. He once told her these were the shards of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge respectively, weapons that grant their users powers. Despite his long hair turning white, Azwel did well for his age. Even his eyes had a slight, golden glow to them.
She couldn't help but sigh in indignation. "Yes, yes. I see exactly what you mean." She straightened her posture as she placed a hand on her hip. "Shall I try to ignore you while you ramble on like an idiot?"
Azwel balled his hand, brought it up to his face, and coughed in embarrassment. "Ah… my apologies." Still grinning, he turned and looked back at her, his hand now rubbing his bearded chin. "Might I ask that your attempt at contacting your universe was a success?"
Her lips curled. How would she put this when tact was not her strong suit? "Well," she trailed off, pacing around for no reason. "If you call sending metal men to the far future at a… space station, only to have them screw up as a success, then yes."
Azwel groaned as he rubbed his temples together. "Is there a method to your madness or is it all random?"
"It varies from moment to moment." Missy shrugged playfully. "Sometimes I just like you; other times I might stab you in the back when you least expect it."
He gave her a strange look. "You're rather forthcoming. Are you certain you're joking?"
"Oh, yes I am." she giggled childishly with a dismissive wave of her hand.
The echoes of footsteps bouncing off the walls at the stairway interrupted the madman's spiel, and a dark-haired man, barely into his twenties, in a simple leather armor had entered the large chamber. For a moment, he found himself dumbstruck by the massive collider before him before he turned his attention to the two standing by. His skin was pale, and his eyes were an unnatural red, the irises a golden-yellow. Missy wouldn't find it quite revolting. After all, she had seen worse things in her lives.
"Sir Azwel, Madam er… Missy?" said the messenger, a slight vibration in his voice. He didn't seem to be sure how he would properly address her.
Missy turned and gave the messenger an incredible annoyed look. "Yes, what is it?" An awkward silence filled the metallic, well-lit room. "Spit it out, already!"
The messenger, the poor sod that he was, gulped and nodded. "Graf Dumas wants to see both of you. Immediately," he answered. Almost immediately, he turned and went back up the stairs.
Azwel let out a disgusted scoff and rolled his eyes. "Pitiful creatures, aren't they? Then again, who am I to judge?" he commented as he left the observation room. "Shall we?"
"If we must. I have other things to do, wanton destruction and all, but I suppose I could fit that oh very pointless meeting into my very crowded schedule," Missy answered.
She followed close behind him, traversing through the maze-like corridors of the dungeon, the illumination only supported by the touches mounted on the stone walls. The two went by the torture chambers, ignoring the cries and pleas of the victims soon meeting their untimely and painful ends. They also passed by the cages, the many bars rattled by chimeras behind them, hungry for blood. As they entered a large room with a bridge over a floor far below, Missy glanced around and saw large golems and doll-like automatons working on the pipes connected to the collider before continuing.
Eventually, they came upon a large, wooden double-door reinforced by steel. It opened on its own, and they stepped out of the dark and cold dungeon and into the enormous and glamorous castle. Above them was a chandelier swinging at the whims of gravity, the walls decorated with detailed paintings and landscapes. Through the large windows, it was close to sundown, the orange rays of sunlight shining through them, but it would not be for much longer for the night. Unusual for a castle of that size, it was empty save for the two of them and the messenger, who beckoned them to follow him.
They were led to the hallways and out on the balcony, a compass-like pattern carved onto the stone, and the messenger went back inside without a word. Missy could hear the screeches of the giant birds patrolling the castle. She was accustomed to noises like these. The outer walls were well-fortified save for one gap at the far end, where a lone figure stood at the edge.
The figure, a man standing tall, was covered from head to toe in dark-blue armor, crowned with a horned, bat-like helmet. Red hair trailed down past his back, and his black, gold-rimmed cape softly flapped in the wind. The most noticeable thing about him was his horribly deformed right arm, twisted into a mess of hardened flesh and spikes with a three-digit claw for his hand.
Azwel briefly bowed before his master. "How may we serve you, Graf Dumas?"
The lord turned around to them, his eyes glowing red beneath his helmet. In his left hand was a giant sword covered in flesh. Many tales of this world have been told about Soul Edge, known to many as the Sword of Salvation. In truth, it was a demonic weapon. Those who grasped its hilt fell under its curse, enslaved by its desire to feed on souls and turning them into a bloodthirsty monster.
The giant eye blinked and, for a moment, glared at Missy, making her shiver a little. She had been to the Dalek sewers, and she still found that creepy. The first time they had met, she almost gagged at the stench swirling around him. The lord was Nightmare, the Azure Knight.
"My patience grows thin with each passing day," Nightmare growled. His voice boomed with a greater vibration than the messenger's voice. "Tell me of your progress, Azwel."
Azwel drew a deep breath, sweat traveling down his brow like a river. Missy couldn't help but grin a little, her posture prim and proper. "It has been going well, my lord," she answered calmly. "Though I've met the Doctor's companions. One an old friend, the other who was rather new at this sort of thing."
"Hmmm…. Interesting…" The scholar rubbed his chin in contemplative thought. "What a fascinating thing you have discovered. I wish you would have mentioned this earlier."
"The Doctor? Ah, yes. You have told me about him." The Azure Knight trailed off. "What of his companions? Perhaps their souls shall quench my thirst as well as his."
"He was one of the metal men but not part of their little group. Kroton was his name. Had a more retro look than I remembered," she answered.
"What an interesting choice of words," Azwel commented.
"Indeed." She placed her finger on her chin with a mischievous smile on her face. "The new companion, I never asked for her name. She was quite confrontational and all, announcing that she would stop me and all." She scoffed dismissively as she rolled her eyes. "Can you believe that?"
"Not to interrupt, but could you, ah, change to a more… presentable form, perhaps?" Azwel pointed his finger upwards. "You do have tasks to attend to for the Holy Roman Empire, do you not?"
The Azure Knight let out an annoyed grunt, but he complied. He planted his sword onto the floor. Black lightning flew out of the sword, and everything became bright for a moment, causing Azwel and Missy to avert their eyes. As the light receded, they adjusted their eyes to find his form was now a nobleman with a stylish mask on his face. Fair-skinned with angular features and blue eyes, the sword he had was now gone, and so was his malformed right arm. His armor was the same but silver that gleamed in the sunlight, his hair a short but stylish blond.
"Is this better?" he asked with a French accent.
"Much. Thank you, my lord," Azwel replied. He clapped with a wide smile on his face. "Excellently done."
"Now then, I have other matters to attend to personally. I trust you would take care of this… experiment our lady is conducting while I'm away?" the Graf requested.
"Of course, my lord." Azwel bowed with a wide, toothy smile on his face. "Are you certain you don't require my assistance?"
The Graf chuckled. as he turned and stepped past the two, the Time Lady's gaze following him. She always was a sucker for the classic, maniacal laugh. "With my blade, none shall stand in my way," he boasted. "Not even that defiant child of the Holy Warrior."
Year: 1607
Location: Somewhere in Hungary, Earth
Deep in the dungeons of the castle, there was a massive and complex machine. It was originally built for examining particles of the universe. Within the machine known as the collider, there laid a transparent orb mounted on a plain pillar. The collider whirred and the disks moved around the orb, with a rift in time and space that was slowly expanding. Through the rift were distant worlds and ages of the past and future, overlapping one another as if they were layers of onions.
"What an incredible sight, I must say!" Missy's associate, Azwel, commented with a gleeful smile. The two observed through the monitor mounted on the console from a room high above, safe from the force and pull of the rift. If she hadn't seen everything at this point, Missy would be inclined to agree. But the Time Lady was neither pressed or in awe. Without moving her head, she focused her sight on the scholar.
"You do see it, yes? The beauty, the juxtaposition of order and chaos, all around this magnificent orb!" he was as giddy as a child in a candy shop, with his hands shaking with excitement. He cackled on like a madman. "Oh, wunderbar! So much potential for the human race!"
One thing that was certain of him was that his madness might match her own. Calling himself the Savior of Humanity supported that assumption.
Azwel was almost sickly pale and lean, tall for his time, with strange star-like markings all over his wrinkled face. His dark robes were rimmed with gold, having elaborate and extravagant decorations all over, with golden gauntlets on his hands. The left gauntlet had a blue crystal embedded on the back while the right had a red crystal instead. He once told her these were the shards of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge respectively, weapons that grant their users powers. Despite his long hair turning white, Azwel did well for his age. Even his eyes had a slight, golden glow to them.
She couldn't help but sigh in indignation. "Yes, yes. I see exactly what you mean." She straightened her posture as she placed a hand on her hip. "Shall I try to ignore you while you ramble on like an idiot?"
Azwel balled his hand, brought it up to his face, and coughed in embarrassment. "Ah… my apologies." Still grinning, he turned and looked back at her, his hand now rubbing his bearded chin. "Might I ask that your attempt at contacting your universe was a success?"
Her lips curled. How would she put this when tact was not her strong suit? "Well," she trailed off, pacing around for no reason. "If you call sending metal men to the far future at a… space station, only to have them screw up as a success, then yes."
Azwel groaned as he rubbed his temples together. "Is there a method to your madness or is it all random?"
"It varies from moment to moment." Missy shrugged playfully. "Sometimes I just like you; other times I might stab you in the back when you least expect it."
He gave her a strange look. "You're rather forthcoming. Are you certain you're joking?"
"Oh, yes I am." she giggled childishly with a dismissive wave of her hand.
The echoes of footsteps bouncing off the walls at the stairway interrupted the madman's spiel, and a dark-haired man, barely into his twenties, in a simple leather armor had entered the large chamber. For a moment, he found himself dumbstruck by the massive collider before him before he turned his attention to the two standing by. His skin was pale, and his eyes were an unnatural red, the irises a golden-yellow. Missy wouldn't find it quite revolting. After all, she had seen worse things in her lives.
"Sir Azwel, Madam er… Missy?" said the messenger, a slight vibration in his voice. He didn't seem to be sure how he would properly address her.
Missy turned and gave the messenger an incredible annoyed look. "Yes, what is it?" An awkward silence filled the metallic, well-lit room. "Spit it out, already!"
The messenger, the poor sod that he was, gulped and nodded. "Graf Dumas wants to see both of you. Immediately," he answered. Almost immediately, he turned and went back up the stairs.
Azwel let out a disgusted scoff and rolled his eyes. "Pitiful creatures, aren't they? Then again, who am I to judge?" he commented as he left the observation room. "Shall we?"
"If we must. I have other things to do, wanton destruction and all, but I suppose I could fit that oh very pointless meeting into my very crowded schedule," Missy answered.
She followed close behind him, traversing through the maze-like corridors of the dungeon, the illumination only supported by the touches mounted on the stone walls. The two went by the torture chambers, ignoring the cries and pleas of the victims soon meeting their untimely and painful ends. They also passed by the cages, the many bars rattled by chimeras behind them, hungry for blood. As they entered a large room with a bridge over a floor far below, Missy glanced around and saw large golems and doll-like automatons working on the pipes connected to the collider before continuing.
Eventually, they came upon a large, wooden double-door reinforced by steel. It opened on its own, and they stepped out of the dark and cold dungeon and into the enormous and glamorous castle. Above them was a chandelier swinging at the whims of gravity, the walls decorated with detailed paintings and landscapes. Through the large windows, it was close to sundown, the orange rays of sunlight shining through them, but it would not be for much longer for the night. Unusual for a castle of that size, it was empty save for the two of them and the messenger, who beckoned them to follow him.
They were led to the hallways and out on the balcony, a compass-like pattern carved onto the stone, and the messenger went back inside without a word. Missy could hear the screeches of the giant birds patrolling the castle. She was accustomed to noises like these. The outer walls were well-fortified save for one gap at the far end, where a lone figure stood at the edge.
The figure, a man standing tall, was covered from head to toe in dark-blue armor, crowned with a horned, bat-like helmet. Red hair trailed down past his back, and his black, gold-rimmed cape softly flapped in the wind. The most noticeable thing about him was his horribly deformed right arm, twisted into a mess of hardened flesh and spikes with a three-digit claw for his hand.
Azwel briefly bowed before his master. "How may we serve you, Graf Dumas?"
The lord turned around to them, his eyes glowing red beneath his helmet. In his left hand was a giant sword covered in flesh. Many tales of this world have been told about Soul Edge, known to many as the Sword of Salvation. In truth, it was a demonic weapon. Those who grasped its hilt fell under its curse, enslaved by its desire to feed on souls and turning them into a bloodthirsty monster.
The giant eye blinked and, for a moment, glared at Missy, making her shiver a little. She had been to the Dalek sewers, and she still found that creepy. The first time they had met, she almost gagged at the stench swirling around him. The lord was Nightmare, the Azure Knight.
"My patience grows thin with each passing day," Nightmare growled. His voice boomed with a greater vibration than the messenger's voice. "Tell me of your progress, Azwel."
Azwel drew a deep breath, sweat traveling down his brow like a river. Missy couldn't help but grin a little, her posture prim and proper. "It has been going well, my lord," she answered calmly. "Though I've met the Doctor's companions. One an old friend, the other who was rather new at this sort of thing."
"Hmmm…. Interesting…" The scholar rubbed his chin in contemplative thought. "What a fascinating thing you have discovered. I wish you would have mentioned this earlier."
"The Doctor? Ah, yes. You have told me about him." The Azure Knight trailed off. "What of his companions? Perhaps their souls shall quench my thirst as well as his."
"He was one of the metal men but not part of their little group. Kroton was his name. Had a more retro look than I remembered," she answered.
"What an interesting choice of words," Azwel commented.
"Indeed." She placed her finger on her chin with a mischievous smile on her face. "The new companion, I never asked for her name. She was quite confrontational and all, announcing that she would stop me and all." She scoffed dismissively as she rolled her eyes. "Can you believe that?"
"Not to interrupt, but could you, ah, change to a more… presentable form, perhaps?" Azwel pointed his finger upwards. "You do have tasks to attend to for the Holy Roman Empire, do you not?"
The Azure Knight let out an annoyed grunt, but he complied. He planted his sword onto the floor. Black lightning flew out of the sword, and everything became bright for a moment, causing Azwel and Missy to avert their eyes. As the light receded, they adjusted their eyes to find his form was now a nobleman with a stylish mask on his face. Fair-skinned with angular features and blue eyes, the sword he had was now gone, and so was his malformed right arm. His armor was the same but silver that gleamed in the sunlight, his hair a short but stylish blond.
"Is this better?" he asked with a French accent.
"Much. Thank you, my lord," Azwel replied. He clapped with a wide smile on his face. "Excellently done."
"Now then, I have other matters to attend to personally. I trust you would take care of this… experiment our lady is conducting while I'm away?" the Graf requested.
"Of course, my lord." Azwel bowed with a wide, toothy smile on his face. "Are you certain you don't require my assistance?"
The Graf chuckled. as he turned and stepped past the two, the Time Lady's gaze following him. She always was a sucker for the classic, maniacal laugh. "With my blade, none shall stand in my way," he boasted. "Not even that defiant child of the Holy Warrior."
New thread, heads up!
Hey, I'm back. Sorry for the long absence. Blame that on a mix of procrastination, running a D&D campaign, and a few other things. Anyway, I'm struggling with the direction I'm taking with this draft, so I'll be starting over yet again in a new thread. Third time's the charm, right? Check it out here!