Mystic's secret identity was also his first identity, his only identity until recently. He was a scholar. He held degrees in English, taught college on how to speak and write it, and was never without something clever to say during the most intense situations. So to say his statement now of, "Auuuuuuuuuh!", was uncharacteristic, is a bit of an understatement.
He watched the dark magical power inside the sphere of light engulf the bright mixture. Then he saw an imbalance form, where the darkness was overcoming the light. Soon, the light began to fade.
Instead of simply going away, there was a thick shadow in its place. The spheres stopped spinning and the magical barrier that Mystic could see, disappeared.
Then, the darkness began to fade.
A second later a dark mass fell ungracefully from the orb, impacting the ground as a solid mass. Though no wounds were visible across her nude body, she was obviously injured. Badly injured, she didn't move at all, her eyes closed, her breathing very slow. In but a whisper, she forced out a single word, slurred from her pain, "Darknessss..."
"Well, she's dead," the Cowman stated plainly after nudging the obviously still alive woman with his boot. "What if we just filled the whole room up with cement and called it a day?"
Suddenly, the orb that Melissa had fallen from began to leak. A thick stream of liquid darkness spilled from it, even though no cracks could be seen. The Cowman crouched down by a patch as it oozed across the floor, curiously dipping his finger in it and holding it up to his face.
He watched as the black stuff dripped back down to the floor, suddenly realizing that his finger seemed to have liquified and dripped along with it.
"Um... that's not a good sign," he said, as the ooze continued to flow across the floor.
Mystic's cloak was off in a flash. He covered Nightingale quickly and began to lift her away from the orb and the spreading darkness.
"Tell me one of you is healer." Mystic looked across the faces of those in the room. "Perhaps, Jason, as dreadful as this sounds, we should go back and try another option. I'm not comfortable at all with the prospect of losing her. For all we know, she may not have actually stopped it.
Mystic looked at the spheres, which were all leaking some dark mist that was pooling up in the base and then spilling over onto the ground. The he looked back down at the girl in his arms.
"Can you hear me, love?" She was cold to the touch and not responding as quickly as Mystic would have liked.
(ooc: heh...I'll clarify once again, Melissa is not Nightingale 
Completely different person 
...and Cowman, how cold! hehe)
Melissa lay motionless in Mystic's arms. She seemed nearly elsewhere, completely oblivious to the actions of others or what was happening with the orbs. She mouthed one word again, her tone flat and her volume barely noticeable, "Need..." If there was anymore, she had a difficult time making it verbal.
"What's she mumbling about?" the Cowman shouted over his shoulder as he beat at a puddle of black ooze with a stool. Giving up once the seat dissolved, he hopped onto a computer console as the liquid spread quickly over the floor.
As they all moved to safety, a sound suddenly brought everyone to a halt, holding their breath until they heard it again. A long, low metallic moan echoed through the room as the floor began to succumb to the corrosive blackness.
In an effort to avoid the oozing blackness, Corvus once more took to the air, hovering a few feet from the ground.
"I'm not exactly a healer, but I'll see what I can do."
A green glow began to radiate from Corvus' hands and chest. The glow increased until it finally burst out as a bright green flash. As the flash suffused the room, a soothing warmth enveloped everyone exposed. When the glow dissipated, the light left wounds healed.
"Unfortunately, that's about the best I can do. If that hasn't stabilized her, I have one other option, but I hesitate to use it. It leaves people... changed."
As the moan sounded through the room, Corvus blanched. She looked at Mystic.
"How strong you feeling? Because it sounds to me that this floor is getting ready to collapse. If that happens, you and I seem to be the only ones who are able to fly and are healthy enough to lend a hand. If the floor collapses, we might have to fly everyone else to safety. I think i can take Cowman and Tick-Tok. Do you think you can handle Jason and Melissa?"
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
Melissa's condition had not changed. Whatever damage had been done to her was beyond any simple bruises or cuts, of which she didn't seem to have in the first place. She was fading fast, and if the riddle to saving her wasn't solved soon, she'd likely be lost forever. She struggled to speak again, again only one word vocalized, "...dark."
"Coming up," the Cowman pulled his sword from it's sheath and sent it flying into a fuse box across the room. Electricity sparked and crackled around the sword for a brief second before the whole room was plunged into darkness.
((OOC:ACK!!! Sorry, both characters, so dark... damn that rap music. Won't happen again.))
Mystic created a ball of flame in the air about six feet around. Of course, the white light from the device provided some light, but now there was enough to see by.
"What on earth did you..." There was another creak and Mystic incanted his most recent spell. The envelope of energy that he surrounded himself to allow flight extended to everyone in the room. He took in the various reactions.
"It's very important that you stay close to me. If you stray too far, you will fall." He held Melissa to him like a drowned child. "Oh, Pax, where are you when I need you."
Mystic considered the posibility that Melissa was referring to the darkness that was leaking out. "Which darkness? Is it good or bad, luv? Are you saying you want us to put you IN the darkness?"
"The lady said something about needing dark, so I assumed she meant the lights," the Cowman said, flailing about a little as his sudden flight left him hovering upside down.
"I never thought she meant the black acid-goo down there, but I don't understand any of this mystical crap anyway. Maybe we should just chuck her in and see what happens."
This last statement may have seemed sarcastic coming from anyone else, but the Cowman stated it simply and plainly, as though it were just another viable option.
(ooc: hehe...if it helps, Melissa is actually fair-skinned, and looks completely normal in her human form, the wraith-form is of course a black incorporeal blob. Sara, ie Ms. Nightingale, is gray and shadowy all the time.)
Weak from her injuries and having lost her voice completely, Melissa reaches a finger to Mystic's cheek and lightly traces a 'Y.'
"My god this is counter intuitive. And if it doesn't work I'll be seen as this woman's murderer. God, she's young enough to be my daughter. Alfred, what are you doing here? You're not a super hero, you're a bloody anthropology professor. Hell!" As these thoughts rushed through his head, he stared into Melissa's eyes. Jack had not responded, and had no idea where he was. Tick-Tok had gone silent as well.
He pushed Melissa into the darkness that was pooling beneath the device as he dimmed the light from his flaming orb, to prevent anyone from seeing what he was doing. Then he turned toward Cowman.
"While I'm adverse to the way you put... MY GOD!" Mystic leaped in the air and hovered as he increased the intensity of the fireball. Something nine feet tall, dark black skinned and covered in tiny razor sharp bones that almost resembled hair was standing behind Cowman.
Its face was a skinless row of teeth under three large and flat eyes and a row of orifices that were bubbling some sort of liquid. It had two large, clawed arms on one side of its body and an armored shell on the other. It reached for Cowman as the flame sphere began to die, against Mystic's wishes.
"What? Is something on my face," the Cowman asked at Mystic's exclamation. Noticing that the man's attention was actually behind him, he turned to look over his shoulder, catching a brief glimpse of the monstrosity in the fading light.
"Crap in a hat," was all he was able to mutter before the thing slammed one of its massive hands into his back. Cowman felt the tiny razors ripping through his jacket and slicing into his back as the arm slammed into him.
The blow sent him flying across the room and slamming into the wall. Luckily his borrowed flight remained functional, keeping him from plunging into the ooze below. Groping a little in the darkness, his hand suddenly found the hilt of his sword.
"Maybe I'm lucky after all," he thought happily as he pulled the blade free of the wall. He could barely make out the creature in the flickering light, but was able to pinpoint its head. Pushing off the wall, the Cowman flew towards the monstrous form. Raising the sword with a cry he brought in crashing down right between the thing's eyes.
A small tink echoed briefly in the room and for a second the Cowman just stared at the seemingly unaffected monster head before him. The black creature sent another blow at Cowman, sending him crashing into the other wall.
"Or maybe my luck's just as bad as ever," he mumbled from the crater in the wall, as the black monster roared triumphantly in the middle of the room.
The light from the sphere pulsed like a strobe, alternately showing the beast and showing darkness. Mystic fought to bring flame to bear on the creature, only to see his flame die out a few feet from his hand.
Something more disturbing was occurring, though. The creature had disappeared. He cought a glimpse of an entirely different creature on the far side of the globe. Then four pairs of differently shaped eyes right around Cowman.
Mystic raised a flaming fist, but in the next instand they were gone. "Ladies and gentlemen... we are not alone any longer."
At Mystic's heads-up, Corvus stood at the ready, preparing herself for any possible attack. Thinking to provide illumination for her colleagues to attack by, she readied her radiant aura. Small sparks of green light appeared once again at her hands and her chest, but were quickly quashed by the darkness.
"Jason, this would be VERY good time to stop this..."
She squinted in the darkness, trying to find his form.
"Ummm... Has anyone seen Jason?"
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
Mystic turned his back to the device, using it for light. "What if we have been moved to an alternate reality where Jason doesn't exist?" He held up his flame enshrouded hand.
<OOC: Hope you don't mind if I step in. I was browsing and this thread looked interesting. I haven't RPed like this in a month..I might be rusty ^^;; >
Such an assignment would have been entrusted with a member with higher experience. It was extremely rare and somewhat dangerous for Guards to travel to Earth. Their work was more towards assisting to preserve the balance of Heaven and Hell. Though it was neccessary for them to aid Earth, as it was stuck in the middle. There was no choice but to do the assignment. It was considered unlawful for any Guard to not accept a mission given to them.
Standing in the teleporter, he watched as other Guards worked on the control panels: setting coordinates and trying to find out in detail, where they were sending him. He tightened his gloved fists and released them, wondering what unknown danger he was being sent to. He looked on either side of him where other Guards were being ready to be teleported to their missions. Most of them looking very similiar to him. White flack with golden trim, black and gold gloves, white shoulder pads with gold tipped spikes, white pants with a gold starbust design, white shoes, and more importantly... the helmet with white siding (two gold antannae attached pointing back) and a gold visor. A few Guards, like himself, had tails with a point at the end.
"Alright, are you ready", a Guard at one of the control panels asked.
The Guard only nodded in response.
"You have God's blessing", the man said.
A blinding cylinder of light surrounded the Gaurd in the teleporter. The systems were checking normal...but for some reason, the cylinder of light turned into a cylinder of darkness, consuming the Guard inside. And in 30 seconds, the darkness had taken its first Guard ever.
- - - - -
Barely visible from the lack of light in the room, a dark cylinder formed and then disappeared, leaving behind the Guard that was earlier consumed. The Gaurd dropped a few inches before he starting using his hovering power. He looked down to see the floor covered in an unusual dark ooze. Looking up from the floor, he made out a few figures in the room.
"I am a Guardian of Heaven. My name is Aiden. I was sent to be of some assistance", the Guard spoke out.
He knew not who he was speaking to, but it was custom to state who and what he was and why he was there.
Obviously shocked at the sudden appearance of the Guard, Corvus took several quick steps away. Composing herself, she addressed the newcomer.
"Corvus Corax. Unless you can get us out of this reality, or you can get rid of that crap," she motioned to the ooze a few feet away, "I'm not sure you can, Heaven or no Heaven."
My story arcs: #2370- Noah Reborn, #18672- The Clockwork War, #31490- Easy Money
Sartre once said, "Hell is other people." What does that make an MMO?
The Cowman pulled himself groggily from the small crater in the wall. The room was still dark with only the randomly flickering attempts from Mystic and Corvus. But there was someone else in the room now.
Shaking his head to clear it, he heard the newcomer announce himself. Well, he chuckled to himself, there was already some kinda demon, so why not someone from the other team.
A sound suddenly made him pause. It seemed to be coming from inside the very crater he had just vacated. A soft, chittering or scurrying noise, almost insect-like. Squinting his eyes behind his goggles, the Cowman leaned closer, attempting to see what lay within the shadows.
There was a brief flash of glowing eyes before a swarm of small dark somethings flew forward. Cowman fell backwards as the things slammed into him, instantly swarming around him. In the strobe lighting of the room the creatures could not be made out clearly as a few broke off from the main group and skittered or buzzed towards some of the others.
Luck once again favored the Cowman as he fell onto a computer terminal instead of the corrosive black liquid. The small bits of darkness still swarmed around him, biting and slashing. He lashed out, knocking some away, but more always seemed to immediatly take their place.
"I'M NEVER ACCEPTING ANOTHER INVITATION AS LONG AS I LIVE!!!" he shouted, clawing at the dark swarm that engulfed him.
"Come to me, one and all." Mystic floated out into the center and let loose a wave of flame that burned many of the insects out of the air, but gave very little light. Mystic surmised that the flame was there, but something was actively making it darker. He yelled to Cowman, "Cowperson, stay still." And let loose with a burst of flame that sought to encircle the flailing hero.
((This looks interesting enough, and not too huge, to try and participate in. I hope it's ok, since I have a nice idea for a post.))*BONK BONK BONK*
*ZRRrrrrrT.. hisssss...*
There's a muffled swearing before an exclamation indiciating victory, and the 'iris-like' door slid open. For a moment, noone can be seen in the doorway, and then a white-haired figure stepped through. The red lens worn over his right eye blinked with activity, scanning surroundings, targetting anything that might be moving a moment before moving on to the next obect while the owner glanced around and focused on other things. The large, obviously technological gloves crackled with electrical energies before the man finally let his guard down... a little...
"Hmm," came his voice, a little distorted by the filtermask he wore over his mouth and nose, "Looks like I came here on time, at least, I think I did." He looks around again and takes a few more steps inside. "No Circle, no Column guards... Not even any freakshow." he chuckles a litle and rubs the back of his head "I'll have to tell Judith she has to hone her psychic skills a little, doesn't look like a 'Powerful and dread group is threathening to tear the fabric of reality.' to me."
The man 'dusted' off a bit of his dark-reddish armoured suit before putting his hands in his sides. "I have to agree that /that/ thing looks... odd." he finally continued his monologue and steps towards one of the active consoles to the side. "Might as well see what's going on here while I'm here."
When stepping around the strange, spheroid artefacts, more of the room is revealed to Techsupport, as well that those inside who had a blocked view of the door can now see the hero move about...
TechDefender Rad/Ele Defender
D'20 Gladiator DM/SR Scrapper
Cyclonite Cat Fire/Fire Blaster
[url="http://www.dutchfurs.com/~taross/w/screenshots/Ferretgal/Ferretgal.jpg"]Ferretgal Claw/Inv Scrapper[/url](Virtue)
@Cyclonite Cat
(Names changed at GM 'request')
During his futile attempts to free himself from the creatures, the Cowman's gaze happened to pass over the device. One of Mystic's flame powers had cast a brief glow over the room and he was able to make out an image seeming to float within it. It was like another image that Mystic had said they had seen before the Cowman had arrived.
An exact duplicate of the room they were now in, only it was well lit with no corrosive black ooze or nasty little bug monsters. There also seemed to be a cyborg-looking guy walking around. His view was cut off suddenly by the dimming of the flames and another monster trying to take a bite out of his face.
Then flame was erupting around him, not close enough to burn him, but he could still feel the blistering heat. Falling backwards, he rolled quickly through the fire. The black creatures squealed in pain, falling away in flaming chunks of black meat. As he rolled away from the flames and stood, he could already hear more of the things scurrying towards him. The scratches and chunks of skin and muscle that the monsters had torn off burned and ached, but it was nothing he hadn't taken before.
Making a jump towards Mystic and the others, he managed to get back within the aura of flight that the scholarly hero had cast earlier. Floating a little awkwardly over to the others he hovered there, upside down with his arms crossed in front of him.
"Okay, who else isn't having a good time anymore?"
Slowly, Aiden hovered over towards the person in ther center of the room. He watched the darkened floor below him as he hovered. He had never seen anything like it and wondered what this substance was. His attention was then taken from the black floor as they were under attack by black creatures.
Aiden's hands were out in front of his face. His fingers up and down, a soft glowing white light surrounding his hands. He was using his Illusionary power Decieve. He deceived one creature that was close to him, making the creature turn and attack its kind. Aiden decieved a couple more hoping that the creatures will be distracted and tear each other apart.
"Whatever is on the floor looks as if it is of a liquid substance. I may be able to do something about it", Aiden informed the others.
The Guard looked around, trying to make sure no one would be in his range of attack. When he found an area, he stretched his arms backwards.
"We'll see if a strong Gale of wind will be of use."
The Guard threw forward his arms towads the far wall making strong winds from the stilled air blow towards the wall.
"Not to mention us.... So what are we to do? I'm about clueless at this point. The whole technology of this thing befuddles me. As for the magic, dark as it is, it has done nothing that I am familiar with or can relate to."
Melissa pauses a moment to let everything sink in, then continues, "I don't know...have we tried talking to it yet. If it called for us, maybe it's just waiting for us to say 'Hi.' However we do that...maybe..."
Her formless mass floats closer to the device. Several bolts of electricity pass through her, she seems unharmed by them however. After a moment she questions, "Jason...get your time reversing thingy ready. I'm going to try something..."
Melissa studies the spinning device very closely while Jason gets prepped. Upon receiving the green light, Melissa suddenly flys directly into the path of an orb, her incorporeal form vanishing within it....