Wordmaker

Yeah, but the exact details of any dimension are always up to the GM/writer.

Anyway, sometimes it's more fun to anti-metagame and do something that would ordinarily be not so smart to do. Like, for example, jumping into another dimension without any idea what's waiting for you.

I wouldn't view Doc's method as being particularly "superhero", though. Well, unless you count The Authority, I can easily see them doing it.

Most superheroes actually would simply charge in. Though, there are many, many ways to make a full recon mission either impossible or impractical. For example, a field that magically nullifies technology upon contact. You may have different "physics" in Lalane's dimension, meaning certain forms of technology have to be repaired or re-worked in order to function. The great thing about comic-book tech is that you can do something like "reverse the polarity" and such to get something to work again. Something, of course, that you can't do with a remote drone.

Actually, I'd count staying behind to prevent Minako doing something stupid to be as vital and important as the mission to confront Lalane!

So, ready with those temporal stasis fields, Doc?

Yep, bases are the only crossover feature introduced with the release of CoV that you have to buy CoV to access.

And if you want to really get angry, there's a very high chance that the software required to enter and use bases is already on your hard drive from the Issue 6 update, and the server simply won't allow you to enter the base because it doesn't detect CoV on your PC.

Hmm, nice again. Not quite up to the standard of Part One, and there's a bit of confusion with changing tenses in there. The pace of the story also fluctuates a bit. Not too much to detract from the story, but it is noticeable.

Excellent. That's a massive improvement to your writing style, with only a couple of typos or awkward sentences. I love how you captured the still childlike emotions in Grave Mistress' memories of what happened to her.

Ah, but I can poke you for the IRC logs on Wednesday and read them long before you novelise it!

Besides, there won't be all the funny OOC commentary to go with it in a story format!

Um, I can't make it, but can I get a copy of the logs? I really want to see how this goes down.

Looks really good! I'm really impressed by the classroom scene. Nice dialogue, too, especially at the end.

The command you want is /e

If you type "/e sits down"

You get

<insert name here> sits down

I wonder, if I got Nevermore drawn, would Marvel-esque DC lawyers want to sue the charity?

And no, we're still not able to go

Manly hugs FTW!!!!

I wish! No, we actually won't be there. On the plus side, we do have a mini-games convention on the Sunday to go to, so we won't be bored.

As for the next girly weekend, Birdy, yep! I figure you deserve some reinforcements for the side of masculinity!

Jennybear and I can't make it, sadly. Funds won't allow it. Which is a real pain, because I wanted to see everyone. Still, we'd both likely be bored at a comics expo (she's not heavily into them, and I'm picky about the ones I like).

We -were- going to tell everyone we couldn't make it, then show up to surprise everyone, but sadly, we just can't manage it.

More, Z! More! More funky teenage heroness!

Nope. CoV holds no RP interest for me. I run villain "NPCs" for plots, but since they usually don't go above level 1, making an actual villain from CoV to use isn't practical.

Taken out? Read Showdown: Part Two, and Showdown: Epilogue.

What I've been saying all along! Paragon City is a truly horrible place!

William Shatner?

((Useful? Now I'm getting worried.))

((This has changed a lot from how I first imagined it would happen. Blame Stargazer ))

"Alan...I love you...."

It was a quiet night. At least, it was quiet where Nevermore stood. At the edge of a rooftop looking down upon Steel Canyon, the city glowed below him. Lady Chill...Su...was in custody. The Order had been driven from Paragon City.

His heart still ached.

From his vantage point he could see a couple in an apartment building. They were nestled in one another's arms on a sofa, warm soft light caressing them. He had been ready to give up everything for Su. He was going to tell her everything, every secret. Then he was going to promise her he would leave it all behind for her, and ask her to spend the rest of her life with him. He'd never suspected who she really was. He'd wanted more than anything for Sam to have been wrong about her.

I won't make that mistake again.

In loving Su, he had nearly lost a part of himself. As Stargazer had told him, he could not live without both sides. He was Alan Drake, and he was Nevermore. He couldn't have it one way or the other. Both were one. Sometimes, that meant one side would have to suffer for the other.

A part of him, part of Alan Drake, still loved Su. Still loved that side of her that had made him face his fear and open himself to another person. But just as he had kept a side of himself from her, so too had she hidden herself. He knew she was lost to him, forever. He knew it now, and wanted to move on. He wished he could just cast aside his feelings, but they clawed and cut at him like knives. It would take time. All wounds healed with time.

The city called to him. The police band signal being fed through his earpiece alerted him to robberies, fires, car chases. He still had a job to do.

He felt Stargazer land down next to him before he saw her. Her concealment spell dropped, and she faded into view. What would the future hold for them? He had no answer. He wanted to see, to know. But it would take time. Time.

"They're waiting." she said softly, a hand reaching for his shoulder.

Nevermore nodded and a signal came in over his comm unit. "Nevermore, this is Alex. We're ready when you are."

"Nevermore here. I'm on my way." With a glance and a nod to Stargazer, he un-clipped his grappling launcher and raised it. The grapple exploded forth and arced out over the city. His cape blowing in the wind, he dropped into the void, letting his city bring him to where it needed him the most. Here he was needed. Here he was home. Here he was loved.

Something to fight for.

((jeez, what is it with people cracking whips at me? First Jackhobo, now you. You guys have some weird hobbies I don't know about?))

((And Part Two is done, Birdy!))

((Wow, over 100 views. That's my best yet.))

((no lyrics for this one. Instead just imagine the Batman score in the background, indeally the Shirley Walker one, especially Mask of the Phatasm))

In darkness he was born...

Lady Chill lowered a rope down into the church. Even with its length, she had to free drop more than ten feet to the old marble floor. Her katana slipped smoothy from its sheath by her side as her eyes tried to adjust to the dim moonlight creeping in through the windows. Colours faded to shades of grey around her. She frowned. He wasn't there. No blood, no sign that he'd even hit the floor. Where was he?

Pain will become strength...

She moved cautiously, eyes and ears scanning for the slightest flicker of motion or breath of sound. Nothing. Her heart pounded as the creak of the old building moaning in the stormy night. The shadows groaned around her, and she thought she saw something near the altar.

Fear will become courage...

She crept closer, katana held ready to strike as soon as she saw it. Two steps closer. She swallowed back a lump in her throat, sliding her feet along in a slow but fluid motion.

Rage will become honour...

It moved again. Lady Chill grit her teeth and struck the altar. Her katana imbedded in the marble, splitting the red cloth. As if summoned from the shadows by the ring of steel, a large black bird flew out from the cross hanging behind the altar, cawing loudly as it dove towards her. Lady Chill screamed and ducked, spinning around to see where the beast had gone. But it was no more, it had disappeared into the empty blackness all around her.

I am the night.

"A-Alan?" she called. "Alan where are you? Come out and finish this!" She pulled at her sword, trying to free it, but it was no use. The altar held onto it firmly. "Damn it Alan, stop hiding from me!"

You said you were always afraid of the dark as a child, Su...

Lady Chill's head darted from side to side. Still nothing. Then it came. A low creak of straining wood. Next a slow, tormenting tap of footsteps on cold marble. Drawing closer, circling her. Her breathing became erratic. She heard the sounds moving down the church aisle, drawing closer to her.

You're in my world now.

Each tap came with the pound of her heart in her chest. She steadied herself, breathing deep and slowly to calm her nerves. It wasn't helping. Closer. She moved her arms to defend herself against whatever attack came from the nothing before her. Closer. She took a step back. Closer. Her heart raged against her body. Another step back. Then the shadow fell over her.

Here, you cannot win.

She spun, suddenly feeling the presence behind her. Lightning exploded from outside, filling the church with terrible pale light, and there he was. A tower of darkness born out of the shadow, his cape enveloping her vision. His face, cold and deadly, wrapped in a black mask from which his eyes burned.

Here I am the master.

She backed away slowly, her hand reaching for her face in shock. He dropped from the altar in a stooped, animal like movement. Advancing on her like some terrible monster. "Alan..."

His fist stopped her speaking. She brought up her hand to block, but his next blow was too powerful. Her arm buckled and armoured knuckles slammed into her. A third blow found her stomach, and a fourth sent her to the floor. It was cold under her touch.

"Alan...Alan, please..." she pleaded. He let her stand, and she tried to fight back. He smacked away each strike as if they were nothing. Her wrist was caught by his hand. He pulled her around, his cape trailing his movement, and flung her hard against the altar. She cumpled against it, blood dripping from where he had hit her, the force of his blows having broken the skin. He stalked towards her mercilessly.

"Alan...please, I...I love you..." She could barely stand. Her body succumbed to pain and terror. His face showed no emotion, only a dark and silent rage.

"My name," he grated, "is Nevermore." He lifted her by the throat, holding her up off the ground.

"You...you can't turn me in..." she gagged, "I'll...I'll tell everyone who you are...your life will be over."

He brought her down to him, and pressed her body against the altar, pushing her back against the protruding handle of her katana. She grimaced in pain. "There as many ways into the Zig, as there are out of them." he said with a squeeze of her neck.

"But...you...you won't kill me...." she gasped, feeling her body go numb as he pressed on pressure points in her neck and on her back with the butt of her sword.

He sneered darkly, "And does that make you less afraid...or more?"

Lady Chill looked up into his eyes as Nevermore's form rose around her and she sank to the ground. She felt a last scream of terror escape her as the final ounce of strength left her body, and the darkness finally swallowed her.

((Okay, utterly exhausted after writing that. Gimme a break for lunch and I'll get the next part up.))