*Cleo watches Twitch for a moment and licks her lips before walking over to Caspasian*
Hello, I am Cleo. It's getting cold in here, do you know how to close those vents?
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*Cleo watches Twitch for a moment and licks her lips before walking over to Caspasian*
Hello, I am Cleo. It's getting cold in here, do you know how to close those vents?
Aurelia successfully flies up and smashes the glass which comes showering down on the rest of the party. It reveals a small office and observation deck, complete with a filing cabinet, some sort of array of crystals and strange twisted pieces of glass which seem to be set up to record things somehow and a very tattered WANTED poster of extremely dangerous individuals to watch out for.
At the back of the room is a locked door, but it could be kicked in fairly easily from the look of things.
Caspasian replies to Twitch: "I am afraid that I know nothing of this ventilation system, I had not witnessed it until your friend mashed the keypad"
kick in that door!
The door breaks down and leads to what would have originally been some rather forgettable corridors, but further down to your left you see that a huge section of the complex you are in has been crushed away by what appears to be a titanic armoured knee attached to legs measured in kilometres. This complex itself was truly huge, and staring across the crushed building you see several other rooms like the one you started in broken apart as well as floors and floors of offices. There is no sign of sentient life nearby although a few crow wheel overhead and on the edge of your hearing the distant sounds of a city...
Caspasian is suddenly beside you, vanishing from the room below. "Thankyou my friend - you are a true ally of the Trans-Solar Host after all! Let me restore a gift to you in thanks!"
With this he touches the depowered sword and energy pours from his fingers into it and suddenly the sword begins to glow.
"I have instilled some of my essence into it, it may not be what it once was as a holy weapon, but it should help in your fight against the darkness. It has the power of solar fire - at your will it can be as hot and as radiant as the sun should you wish it at the merest thought. Use it to drive back the night! Have you any last questions before I leave friend of light?"
*******
Meanwhile, the Professor tests his power gems on the corpse of the Pig-Dragon:
The Ruby creates a fairly conventional if very fine hot-laser which cuts through effortlessly.
The Emerald proves to be a concussive sonic blast funnelled in a narrow cone, and could be used non lethally should you want.
The Sapphire is some kind of unusual energy "cold laser" which super cools things to the point where they become brittle and shatter. The cut is less precise than the ruby, but less damaging to the rest of the object.
(In addition to a laser of choice, the cane also possesses a sword blade, a selection of manual tools and a helicopter blade that could also work as a bullet shield)
The Pig Dragon is dissected somewhat by the time the Professor is finished testing his new gems, and he extracts an unusual bezoar in its digestive system which could probably be used in healing some more obscure ailments.
*nothing happens to the macaw as it's on the platform, so Eudial decides to go back to the "recent logs" bit and see if there is any information they can use*
Chief Analysts Log #463
The singularity has got far worse, the Powers are holding it at bay for now, but already some of the lesser ones are beginning to burn out under the strain. An Grey Void-Archon has set itself up nearby, but I have been informed it is a fairly old one and so will likely succumb within six months. I have sent non-essential staff home - very few new arrivals are turning up now anyway.
- Dr Veridian
Chief Analysts Log #464
- We have had only one arrival in the past month, a Crag Gryphon named Anjushree who seemed to be a *deliberate* arrival - there hasn't been one of those in generations. The Gryphon insisted that it could help hold back the singularity, but I am in no position to help, and so directed it towards the council. I cannot justify keeping anyone here any longer and I and the few remaining staff are returning home to spend the last year of the multiverse with our loved ones.
Automated Arrival Log #0012423524
Species: Himalayan Crag Gryphon
Name: Anjushree
EIGHTEENTH DEGREE MAGIC DETECTED
Automated Arrival Log #0012423525
Species: Western Pig-dragon
Name: unknown
Species: Solar Host Warrior
Name: unknown
Automated Arrival Log #0012423526
Species: Human (female)
Name: unknown
THIRD LEVEL PYROMANCY
Species: Human (male)
Name: Unknown
Species: Polymorphous Bargaining Demon
Name: Leland Gaunt
Species: Scarlet Macaw
Name: unknown
Species: Seraphim - Warrior Cast
Name: unknown
Species: Human Mutant (male)
Name: unknown
Species: Psycat
Name: unknown
THIRD LEVEL TELEPATH
Species: Human (female)
Name: unknown
Species: Human (female)
Name: unknown
THIRD LEVEL MUSHROOMANCER
Species: Human (Male)
SUBJECT IDENTIFIED FROM PROFILE
Name: Professor Reginald Fortescue Vengeance (Esq.)
ALERT! RETURNING SUBJECT IDENTIFIED!
ADVISE EXTREME CAUTION
SIGNAL AUTOMATICALLY SENT TO THE TOWER
(Extreme caution!?)
"Extreme caution!? What are we gonna do!?"
You know, young man, I was beginning to wonder the same thing myself.
I know, I know. It's all a bit much to take in at once, isn't it? Sharing a cell block with the most important, intelligent and - dare I say - pretty sort of marvellous criminal mastermind in the world? Rest assured, gentle yokels, there'll be plenty of time for signing your prison tattoos when we're no longer in mortal danger, OK? OK.
The good news is that we are not defenceless. At least I'm not anyway. Somebody has gone to a lot of trouble to upgrade my cane here and it was already pretty spiffy before I got here. That means whoever banged us up in here also wanted us to get out again and ensure that we are adequately protected. Some sort of crude intelligence test, no doubt, designed to test our mettle for something greater. This isn't my first time with this sort of thing. Unfortunately.
The bad news is that they still banged us up in the first place. Evidently our captors believe us each to be a great enough threat that simply asking for help was never even considered. Whoever is behind this, they must love to play puppetmaster. I should know. It's terrific fun!
Well, "know thy enemy" as they say. Let me have a crack at those controls. The sooner we find out where we are and how to get out of here, the sooner we can figure out who's behind all of this. Trust me. I'm a bit of a dab hand with big red buttons.
(Note to self: find a bathroom at the nearest possible convenience. I refuse to go "questing" with my hands smeared in chimera giblets.)
*Eudial just stares at the words describing the Prof., and at "SIGNAL AUTOMATICALLY SENT TO THE TOWER" below them, unaware the Prof. is right behind her. Now she begins to tremble a bit, but these words go through her mind:*
"ALERT! RETURNING SUBJECT IDENTIFIED!
ADVISE EXTREME CAUTION"
"ALERT! RETURNING SUBJECT IDENTIFIED!
ADVISE EXTREME CAUTION"
"ALERT! RETURNING SUBJECT IDENTIFIED!
ADVISE EXTREME CAUTION"
*Eudial whips around and finds the Prof like right there (literally). She shrieks and nearly falls onto the controls* Wh-what do YOU want?!?*Eudial is on the verge of attacking the Prof., but begins to calm down; after all, the Prof. isn't exactly losing his head here*Quote:
Let me have a crack at those controls. The sooner we find out where we are and how to get out of here, the sooner we can figure out who's behind all of this. Trust me. I'm a bit of a dab hand with big red buttons.
Who are you?! *Eudial backs off nonetheless, allowing Vengeance to get near the controls, though it's more that she's suddenly terrified of him*
"Who am I?"
You don't know the great Professor Vengeance? Supervillain extraordinaire? The world's greatest criminal mind? Villainesque's Best-Dressed Megalomaniac three years running?
...You're serious, aren't you?
Honestly, what is it with the young offenders of today?
[Eudial backs off from the controls]
Thank you. I suppose.
Right, let's see here. First, let's get that emergency door open, then I'll have a little browse through the system and see if I can't learn anything more about this dismal place.
(Or about my cell-mates, for that matter...)
Gaunt stood idly by his desk contemplating the huge form that had crushed a good portion of the room he was in. The sense he was getting from it made him very curious indeed. Occasionally he would glance back at the area where he had materialized in the room. It didn't seem as if anyone was going to be following him anytime soon. He wondered vaguely if time was even reckoned the same between the two places, not that it made much of a difference at present.
Walking directly up to the platform had perhaps not been one of his best decisions, but the sudden onrush of frigid cold had made him rather angry and even he had to admit that he never did his best thinking from a position of anger. In any case he was here now and he was interested to see more the place around him. He had brought chaos everywhere he had traveled, but that huge, prone figure suggested the potential for mayhem on an entirely different level.
He picked up his materials and took out one sheet of his stationary. Among the assorted clutter of the room he found a writing utensil that still worked and began to write:
Greetings fellow traveler. As you can see there is very little of interest in this location so I am going out to investigate more of the surroundings. I may be returning here at some point so feel free to leave a message of your own on this paper.
Leland Gaunt
Owner/Proprietor of Scared Treasures
Hell, Michigan
Gaunt found a suitable chunk of rubble and placed on his makeshift desk. Certainly his desk was conspicuous enough to get the attention of anyone who would look around the room unless they were remarkably dim, in which case he didn't care if they saw it or not.
With that he turned to the nearest exit and walked out.
*Eudial yells in panic* Well excuuuuse me if this is the first time I've been thrown into an alternate universe!!! I... I-I don't have experience in these matters, unlike you!Quote:
Originally Posted by steven_mcg
*Eudial stops short in her ranting, trying to master herself* ...so why haven't you just blasted us all into a pile of ash and have done with it? Surely if you're a true villain, you couldn't give a damn about anyone else here. Or are you trying to use them for other means? Work ethic, I suppose?
*she's still hugely apprehensive about the Prof. and it's showing on her face*
"Woah, its professor vengeance!"
(Surely he knows how to get out!)
*Eudial turns abruptly* WHAT?! Even... even you know of this guy?!?
"Yeah, hes my favourite villain!"
...but... I don't...
*Eudial decides to stay out of the Prof.'s way, grudgingly*
While the strange debate about the Professor goes on, the villain himself quickly goes to work on the systems of the terminal. Within a minute he has used his great intelligence and refined hacking skills to turn the heating back on, put some enjoyable classical music on the speakers and summon a small flying robot with some wipes to clean down his hands. He also manages to successfully unlock the door, however, it seems like the Pig-Dragons attempts to burn its way out have welded the doors shut, so will require a little bit of force to open.
_______________________________________________
Gaunt finds himself on the summit of a large mountain with city spread out before him in all directions. The mountain itself is home to a large complex, with the huge figure that the hand belonged to laying face down and smashed through several of the buildings. A slight tingling of his senses suggests the being might actually be technically still alive of a fashion, but no way near enough energy to sustain the giant form, as if it has been drained dry...
Looking across the city which stretches as far as gaunt can see there are more style of architecture, heights, ages, colours, shapes and materials of building than he could even consider. But that it not what immediately grabs his attention - various figures are positioned across the city, and channelling energy into some kind of barrier across the sky. There are several more colossal beings akin to the thing that has smashed this building standing and pouring energy soundlessly from their mouths, a giant being carved from stone stands nearest to Leland's current position and is channelling energy that looks like rainfall upwards into the barrier. A few human sized figures can be seen hovering in the air as well as the giants, pouring torrents of lightning, magical fire, a stream of nanites, strange eldritch coils of smoke, a bizarre flood of small pieces of paper and stranger things besides, into re-enforcing this shield.
It is not immediately apparent what possible reason such an incredible array of powers could be unified into protecting - demons and angels, wizards and machines, dark twisted abominations and cosmic entities, all together with one purpose. Then he spots it. A tiny black speck that you wouldn't even see if you were looking for something, poised near perpendicular above him. A tiny black spot - one that all his Demon senses scream to him represents the end of the multiverse itself.
Playzooki walks up to the door and tries to force it open
The door begins to groan and creak as Playzooki pushes it, but it would seem something needs to break the weld before he can get a good enough grip on it to open it up.
*Eudial turns about, eager to have something take her mind away from the Prof.*
Stand aside.
*Eudial strides over to the door and lightly presses her fingertips onto it. Energy pours from her fingertips into the door*
"WOAH! How the... How did you do that?!"
(Am i having a weird dream?)
Playzooki pinched himself lightly to check if this is reality
(woah... its real! she must be magic!)
He wasn't sure what he expected he would see when he left the building, but certainly nothing like this. Finding such an expansive city within sight of the ruined building he had arrived momentarily left him dumbstruck. But the small black spot certainly caught his attention the most in spite of how easy it would be to miss seeing. Every last fiber of his being was telling him it represented complete and utter destruction.
For the first time in his long existence Gaunt felt compelled to altruism. Well... perhaps not that far. He would still relish the chance to set up shop and conduct his usual business in the absence of such a cataclysmic threat. And didn't the thought of saving the universe to ruin a city have it's own charm to it?
In any case the inhabitants here plainly seemed to realize the object, whatever it was, represented a great threat. Gaunt wondered if any of them knew just how large of a threat it was. There wasn't much to be done at the top of the mountain for sure, so he decided to look for the most likely path to get to the city and perhaps find someone to ask questions of.
By applying a spike of magical energy the weld cracks, ready to be forced apart.
____________________________________
Leland finds that two roads from this mountaintop appear intact enough to pass down into the city, passing alongside the body and legs of the fallen colossus.
Playzooki tries to force open the door
After a brief consideration, Gaunt decided to travel down the path to the left.
Playzooki successfully prises the door apart, revealing corridors beyond, and a building map leading to the surface.
Leland meanwhile begins to walk down the path, though it'll be a while before he can get anywhere specific given the size of the mountain and the rubble and debris across the roads.
*eager to escape, Eudial strides down the path quickly, but keeps her senses on alert. She remembers the loci item and starts (and continues) to build energy into it, just in case. Her mind is still thundering with what she read on the "recent logs" screen*
(Ehhh, she seems to know whats shes doing. May as well go, bit boring in here.)
Playzooki follows Eudial out of the door, carrying the gun, and keeping the furby in his pocket for later.
Spod, having been hiding away in the corner of the room observing what has been going on, is amazed at the group of individuals who are with him, they are all so abnormal yet seem to be accepting of each other (with some exceptions). He realises he has little to fear and probably won't be rejected or feared by these people.
He notices Eudial and Playzooki escaping, eager to get out of the room and wary of the professor he runs after them through the door having picked up the objects originally in his cell.
Having regained conciousness from being freed, Khloe gingerly climbed to her feet, shivering from the cold around her. She notices items at her feet, she picks them up and begins to shiver. Pulling her trenchcoat closer to her, she staggered forwards, there was no one in sight.
"Hello?...." She spoked in an almost hushed voice, no voice returned her call. "Hello?...."
The door was open! Finally, Twitch was able to get out of here, maybe now he'd be able to figure out what was going on, and get himself somewhere safe. Picking up his ABBA cassette and magnet in his beak, he kicks himself up into the air, and starts flying along the corridor, a little behind Eudial and Playzooki, whose rapport appeared to be strictly one-way at this juncture, and the creature who seemed to be known as Spod.
At that point, though, he heard a faint calling behind him, pausing momentarily as he tried to figure out where it came from. He heard the same call again, and he would have replied had he not been using his beak to hold his stuff. Flying cautiously back into the room, he took a quick look around, before he spotted a figure he hadn't noticed earlier. Maybe she had been asleep or something. He glanced from her, to the door, and back to her again. She must have wanted to get out of here too, she looked freezing.
Shuddering almost violently from the cold, Khloe looked up from the ground. She could see a figure at the other side of the room, but she couldn't make out who or what it was. Her vision was still blurry, she took a few steps forward before calling out again.
"Who.... Who's there?" She called, rubbing her palms together to try and generate some kind of warmth.
As Eudial, Playzooki and Spod exit the room the pass through the maze of the complex, mostly offices and holding cells with no sign of life at all. They do pass two rooms on their travels - the first a vault with an incredibly large and thick door, secondly a lift with a lot of hazard signs and security devices, suggesting that this is where the most dangerous arrivals are locked down - the lift is currently without power, it seems it requires some kind of key to activate it. Continuing past both these rooms for now though, eventually the trio find a battered down door leading to sunlight, and see that Leland Gaunt is heading down the road towards them.
Khloe hasn't realised that Professor Vengeance, Twitch, Cleo and Marisa are still in the room.
Shaking her head furiously, Khloe glanced around the room to get a better look. She realised there were in fact people in the room, which made her feel somewhat stupid. As her vision improved, she noticed Twitch and approached him, seeing as he was the closest person too her.
"Um... Hey there. Can you tell me where I am?" She asked, seeming confused by all that was around her.
I think that us five should stay together for now. Professor, which way do you suggest we go?
*Eudial espies Gaunt* ...wait... is that... I thought he was destroyed! What's going on here?
Aurelia finds it hard to grasp exactly what she is looking at. This place was MASSIVE, as is... that... knee?
"Caspasian, I am so riddled... and looking at my stowaways down there I am not alone. What... what do you know of all of this? How did we end up here? How did you? Who has the power to so cruelly take us from our respective positions to here? Where is here? What is to be our cause? Our quest? How will you and your people act upon what is happening here today? And... what is up with that giant knee?...
... I hope this won't be our final farewell Caspasian... "
Oh, well, now that is stereotyping if ever I heard it! Because I'm a villain I must be some one-note, monotone avatar of destruction with mummy issues up the Khyber and the adolescent delusion that bringing about the apocalypse is cool because death sucks anyway so why not!Quote:
Originally Posted by kodster
I am a supervillain, m'lady. A leader. A conqueror! The reason you are all still alive is because I still have no idea if you're even worthy of my pinching your wallets, never mind zapping you into dust. A true villain does not mindlessly slaughter every stranger who comes a-knockin' at the castle door. A true villain believes everyone has their uses in His world - not matter how menial they might be.
As a matter of fact, I could ask you the same thing: why haven't you frazzled me to a crisp yet? Is it curiosity? Fear? Or am I not worth your time either?
Now see, this little ragamuffin gets it!Quote:
Originally Posted by playzooki
Hmm...great strength, fairly agile, none too clever... Someone wants to be a henchman when he grows up! Listen, mah boi, I have connections to every major goon, lackey and stormtrooper union on Earth. Help me get out of this place in one live piece and I'll throw you a few calling cards!
[much haxxors with the controls]
Ahhh. That's much more civilized. And look, some service to boot! Dibs on the flying robot! I could use a new bionic butler until I get back home to Criswell.
GYAAAH!Quote:
Originally Posted by andrewj
Aaaand it's a talking cat. Of course it is. It's never anything simple, is it?
Well, since everyone else has buggered off without so much as a "TTFN" - and since I am still the cleverest man left in the room - I suppose we'd better follow me and get after them, hadn't we? Besides, there's still too many questions that need answering about this place. I don't like people wandering off, especially if they might be in on the whole gag.
Well, come along, come along! Best get our beastly dull introductions out the way as we go! Professor Vengeance, professional super-criminal, snappy dresser, frightful wit, Napoleon of Crime, etc etc etc. You get the general idea.
"I know this is not my universe... the song of the light is different... and afraid... though I know not of what..."Quote:
Originally Posted by majinb
He pauses.
"I must confess as to the specifics, I know no more than you, I have been in that room for months until you arrived. I do not think we were bought here purposefully, I think the machine you just exit is more to land things in a safe place rather than cause inter-universal movement. I initially began to fall freely, but I detected the energies of the machine my fall stabilised. Perhaps it is a safety net of sorts? I know not, nor where this is.
You must find your own cause now, though I think for ones such as ourselves, our cause must be the same as before - to bring light into a dark universe, it is still the most worthy goal imaginable, even if the place has changed
As for that thing... his light grows more intense and concerned, I recognise it from legends... it appears to be the remains of a Void-Archon, though I had thought they had left reality near the beginning of the universe. They were great builders, constructing whole galaxies according to intricate designs and laying the seeds for other life. They were... not favoured by my people as though they created stars they also created many places of shadow. They were all meant to be dead, the fact that even this toppled one still contains energy greatly concerns me.
This is not our final farewell, a Knight of the Trans-Solar Host does not forget those who aid him, and when time is darkest, the Host will aid you Angel.
I must now return and consult with the Prime-Solarii, fare thee well Child of Heaven!"
Continuing down the path, Gaunt saw a broken down door. Within it he spotted... One of the people that had been in the room with him? And there were others there as well.
(Did they follow me after all? By why would they have ended up somewhere else)
He decided the questions didn't matter at the present moment and put on as pleasant a face as he could manage, which in truth could be fantastically welcoming. He called out:
"Hello in there! You should really come out and see! I think you'll be quite amazed!"