Tea? Golem questioned, glancing at Sting.
Sure, give it a try big fella. Sting said with a shrug before turning back to Mystic. He locked eyes with Mystic for a moment and said Thanks. Then quickly turned back to the map.
Rogue Isles, eh? Sounds like my kinda place. He looked at Smurd. So your plan is to just pop into the stronghold of this Recluse yahoo and kick [censored]? Hopefully this guy is a hermit because if he has a zillion minions we might be in for a little shock. Boss, you sure we have this planned out?
The golem, accepting the tea, watched how Mystic drank it. The cup and saucer looked tiny in his huge hands but he managed to carefully lift the cup pinky pointing out and take a sip. The scene was almost comical as the giant stone and clay golem gingerly sipped tea from a seemingly miniature cup into his metallic skull.
Tea is good. He rumbled after a couple sips.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
[ QUOTE ]
Rogue Isles, eh? Sounds like my kinda place. He looked at Smurd. So your plan is to just pop into the stronghold of this Recluse yahoo and kick [censored]? Hopefully this guy is a hermit because if he has a zillion minions we might be in for a little shock. Boss, you sure we have this planned out?
The golem, accepting the tea, watched how Mystic drank it. The cup and saucer looked tiny in his huge hands but he managed to carefully lift the cup pinky pointing out and take a sip. The scene was almost comical as the giant stone and clay golem gingerly sipped tea from a seemingly miniature cup into his metallic skull.
Tea is good. He rumbled after a couple sips.
[/ QUOTE ]
Newton had seated himself by a supply of food and was eating voraciously. He looked at the golem with curiosity. Here, big guy, try something sweet. He pushed a couple chewy Chips Ahoy! over towards Dark Golem.
The Rogue Isles, Newton nodded slowly. Right before we left for Orebangsalot, yknow, the place that nearly killed us, I heard some of the cops stationed in the court house whispering about the Rogue Isles. You remember that massive break-out a bit back. Thats where they said those super-villains ended up. Newton looked seriously at the others. Wed be walking into something very dangerous. Itd make Orenbugger look like a Sunday School picnic. He took another cookie. That being said, Im game. When do we leave? He broke out into a grin.
"Well," Alfred began, taking a seat and pulling a small book rescued from the Orenbregan library written by its original inhabitants, "I have had thoughts very similar to yours on the subject. The Circle of Thorns have several safe havens in the Rogue Isles as well. I was thinking we could take a tiny spot for our own and try to stay out of people's way. That is, until we have a working knowledge of how unfriendly the situation really is."
Mystic thumbed through the book, releasing tiny wafts of the book's magic simply by touching its pages. "I've been researching some spells that might keep the Circle out of our hair for a bit. And with your friend here, we should be able to convince them that they've accidentally bought themselves more trouble than they're interested in and maybe get them to close a wing down, at least for a bit."
Smurd put down his chewy chips ahoy. "This isn't going to be another mission like Bermuda, is it?"
Mystic shook his head, "goodness no. Definately not." Then he took a sip of tea and placed his cup on a saucer. "I hope not, no."
The golem carefully picked up the cookies and looked at them. Then, observing Newton and Smurds technique, ate the cookies in between sips of tea.
[ QUOTE ]
Mystic thumbed through the book, releasing tiny wafts of the book's magic simply by touching its pages.
[/ QUOTE ]
The golem stopped and stared at the book as Mystic flipped through it. Small orange flames seemed to flicker in his dark eye sockets. Then as quickly as the flames appeared, they disappeared once again.
_ _ _ _ _
Sting looked up at Mystic, then at Smurd, then back to Mystic. Um, so what about Bermuda? Something you want to let us all in on?
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
[ QUOTE ]
Sting looked up at Mystic, then at Smurd, then back to Mystic. Um, so what about Bermuda? Something you want to let us all in on?
[/ QUOTE ]
The way they said it, we may be better off not knowing, Newton said. He took another swig of Mountain Dew. Chances are, they went into Bermuda with a full team of eight, and they are the only two survivors. The rest of their crews heads are hanging in some Voodoo shop in Bermuda.
So, when are we planning to go scout out these Rogue Islands? How much prep time and intel do we need? You see, I have a number of projects I need to check on. He laughed. Okay, not really, but I really do need to get some shut eye and rebuild my energy reserves. He patted his flattened stomach. In other words, I need to eat almost constantly from now until we decide to leave. Does anyone know the number for Paragon Pizza off the top of their heads? The green haired mutant picked up the phone.
You put it on four of our nine speed dials. I keep trying to ring my mum and end up ordering shrimp pizza. I simply cannot seem to resist shrimp pizza. Alfred looked around the room. Right then. Perhaps a full night of sleep would do us all some good. We can get started on the recon in the morning.
With that, Alfred took the tray and the empty cups of tea, and placed them on the counter next to the sink. He then did every single dish, in full costume, humming to himself. He couldnt stand dirty dishes on the counter. He contemplated a long bath, then some meditation and sleep before his first day in the Rogue Isles.
[ QUOTE ]
You put it on four of our nine speed dials. I keep trying to ring my mum and end up ordering shrimp pizza. I simply cannot seem to resist shrimp pizza.
[/ QUOTE ]
I was wondering where all that leftover pizza came from. Newton made a face. Shrimp pizza doesnt re-heat all that well.
[ QUOTE ]
Alfred looked around the room. Right then. Perhaps a full night of sleep would do us all some good. We can get started on the recon in the morning.
With that, Alfred took the tray and the empty cups of tea, and placed them on the counter next to the sink. He then did every single dish, in full costume, humming to himself. He couldnt stand dirty dishes on the counter. He contemplated a long bath, then some meditation and sleep before his first day in the Rogue Isles.
[/ QUOTE ]
Newton waited at the desk, continuing eating. His coloring was better, and once his four pizzas got there, he ate steadily. He did save Mystic Inferno a few pieces of the shrimp pizza, though.
Finally satiated, Newton walked heavily upstairs, collapsed onto his bed, and snored loudly.
His dreams were filled with dark portals, reptilian men, and Arachnos spider walkers.
"Sleep?" The golem questioned.
"Yeah, like when your not awake beating the crap out of something you take a break." Sting replied, sarcasticly.
Sting stayed up with Newton for some pizza and introduced it to the golem (who of course enjoyed it thoroughly). Then he also followed suit and hit the sack.
"You keep watch there big fella." He said to the golem as he climbed the stairs. The golem simply nodded quietly and tried to eat the cardboard pizzza box. He decided the box was not nearly as tasty as the pizza and left it on the table.
The golem stood like a statue in the middle of the room.
At precisely midnight an odd breeze cleared the clouds from the sky revealing a full moon. The golems eyes flared and he moved forward with surprising speed. Just as he was about to smash through the oft-repaired front door of the Two-Six he stopped and seemed almost confused. He reached his massive hand down to the door handle and gently opened the door, stepped out, then closed the door. He then proceeded on his way, leaping several city blocks at a time until he hit the shore.
There he stopped for a few moments, considering the water. His question seemed to be answered as a passing cargo ships horn grabbed his attention. In a few leaps he was on the ship and heading toward the Rogue Isles
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
((ooc: Please take a look at the Whitmoore Two Six update. Click on the link in my footer. It also has a PDF of the Lost Two Six posts. I know I am missing characters and descriptions. Please pm or email to let me know information to improve it as a resource for our writing. Thanks a lot.. Zeta))
((Alright... time for resurrection))
...somebody...kill me... please...
A petite, short-haired brunette girl of fifteen walked through the sandy terrains of the Sahara desert. The scorching heat complimented by the sun's rays only seemed to get worse with each step that she took. She had come down to wrapping a portion of her white t-shirt that she had ripped off in order to cover her head from the heat. Her black capri pants were tattered and dirty from the constant rolling around she had done whenever she would collapse down a sand dune in exasperated weariness.
Everyday seemed hotter than the last. Every moment was more unbearable than before. She desired to end every piece of suffering that she had been going through, but her body never seemed to quit. It had been days since her last drink or meal and the fatigue was beyond evident.
"...must... not... stop... have to... find..."
In the not so far off distance, there was a sound that could be heard. It sounded like an explosion of rushing water. An uncontrolled rush of aquatic proportions. The noise filled the young and tired traveller's ears and her beady chocolate eyes looked far ahead of her.
It was true, there was hope. Her step quickened and she realized that her eyes and ears had not decieved her. It was a waterfall. As odd as it was to her, she dared not try and explain the scientifics of it in her mind. All she knew was that she had come to the end of her journey. She stared in wonderment at the beauty that was the waterfall as it seemed to form out of the sand. The drop had to have been at least 500 feet, she imagined, and peered over the edge as best she could.
The girl's thin and dry lips cracked under the pressure of her weak attempts to smile. The pain was there, but it didn't matter. Nothing did. Not the sun. Not the sand. Not her physical condition. Nothing.
The severely tanned young one began to bring her foot up to her hand, but immediately frowned from the complication. Her foot didn't move. She tried her other foot and it was to no avail as well. She looked down and saw that her body, all the way to her ankles were underneath the sand. What surprised her even more was the fact that soon, her calves were sinking into the sandy earth as well. The girl's face writhed in pain as the heat almost seemed to enjoy the suffering of the girl and beat down on her head ten times as worse. Her hair felt like it was on fire. She wanted to tear it out.
Her efforts to remove herself out of the ground was more and more fruitless the more and more she struggled. Her eyes averted back to the waterfall and tears began to stream down her face.
It wasn't long before she was up to her neck in sand. All she could do was watch as her journey's end faded from her sight by the cover of the intense Saharan sands. She looked up into the sky, took a deep breath, and sank beneath the solitude. The sky shook above as if there was an earthquake happening.
"Nadia... Nadia... wake up... Nadia!"
Nadia opened her eyes and gasped for air. She grabbed her chest and breathed in humongous gulps of oxygen. Her eyes were wide as she groped around in the dim light for her shaker's arm.
"Which one was it this time," the boy who had shook her awake asked, relieved that she had opened her eyes.
Satisfied that she had gotten a normal pulse, she looked up at her brother, Aidan, who had been kneeling over her as she slept. Her mind was still somewhat dazed and she sat back onto the wall that she had been laying adjacent to.
"Quicksand..." was her quiet and sighed response.
"Nadia, you've got to get control of this. Seriously. I dont see what the deal is. Every year, right before our birthdays, you ge tthese nightmares of you get swallowed by the earth somehow. I mean... I get dreams too," he continued and leaned against the wall next to his twin sister, "but at least mine are about me beating someone down," Aidan gave a sinister smile under the weak lighting in the basement they had been in.
Nadia rolled her eyes and elbowed her brother in the rib, "Whatever, you just got lucky, I guess."
"Dang skippy," Aidan replied and then changed the subject, "So, uhh, you hungry?"
Nadia's eyes went wide again, "Starving. Go see what they left behind tonight."
Aidan scrambled to his feet and snuck onto the floor above where he and his sister had been staying for the last several days.
At precisely midnight an odd breeze cleared the clouds from the sky revealing a full moon. The golems eyes flared and he moved forward with surprising speed. Just as he was about to smash through the oft-repaired front door of the Two-Six he stopped and seemed almost confused. He reached his massive hand down to the door handle and gently opened the door, stepped out, then closed the door. He then proceeded on his way, leaping several city blocks at a time until he hit the shore.
Aidan watched with quiet paranoia as the stone figure passed through the doors of the 2-6. With a shrug, he had forgotten it all and crept over to the kitchen area where the smell of shrimp was captivating his senses. It had maybe been a little too much captivation as his nose fluttered a little and her let out a stifled sneeze that sent him ducking down onto the floor and looking over the cabinets to see if anyone had heard him.
Satisfied that no one was around, he grabbed the remaining pizza left in its box and opened the fridge to grab a couple Mountain Dews. He returned to his sister, like a true victor from war who was about to show off his spoils.
"Hope this will do, sis. All I had time for."
"Doesn't matter," she responded and hurriedly grabbed the box from her kin, "I'll eat anything right now," and she began to fill her voracious appetite.
Aidan watched his sister eat until she was full while he sipped on a soda. He couldn't help but smile as her hunger made her forget everything she ever knew about tableside manners. Once she was done, he noticed there was one last piece of pizza. He grabbed it and scarfed it down in about two bites. Now that they had had a good meal, the "itis" was setting in and soon they were once again asleep.
However, Aidan never really slept. It was near impossible for him. Nadia had nightmares and he couldn't sleep. And when he could, it only for mere moments before he was awake again. Hos body always felt heavy each time, like something was weighing him down.
Such was life, each year, irhgt before they're birthdays.
((And thats that... lets get this part started. Lets talk story. Lets talk direction. Holla at me))
It was just before dawn that Mystic arrived with mundane supplies. He carried rope and spikes and a mallet and water containers and some canned food and everything else he could think of to take on a camping trip that might involve spelunking. He packed it all carefully, wasting no space.
He began the ritual to open the portal, then waited for the others to assemble. Once all those who were going arrived, he opened the gateway and stepped in.
The cavern was dark. Water dripped from somewhere inside. There were sconces on the wall, but no torches and no light, save for the flame that rose from his hands. He cast another spell, and magical flame flowed out from him in all directions for about a yard. It pulsated and flared, like flame does, giving an uneven light to the cavern that he stood in.
The gate let him out on a ledge. He looked down into the darkness off the side and could make out shadows some twenty feet below. His aura came back to him off of crystals and gems in tiny points of light. To his right was a carved head, with water dripping out of the mouth and into the darkness below. A single, arched exit led out of the chamber.
Only a step inside revealed that it split into three passages. Mystic determined that he would take the right first. If the others wished to scout a passage, they could, and they would all join up in the connecting chamber.
Cautiously he walked down the dark passage, hoping not to be discovered in the first few minutes of arriving.
The Two Six
Newton opened the fridge and muttered, Man, I know I had some leftover pizza. He grabbed a Mountain Dew and frowned as he shut the fridge door. He opened it back up. It looked different than what it had when he went to bed. Food missing, Dew missing. One of those things of living in a building where others share the space.
It was morning, and Newton had finished his packing. He had memorized where the food was so he wouldnt have to carry it; hed pull it through his friendly little wormhole. It worked pretty well.
He sat down to wait, wondering if Mystic, Sting, the Golem, and the new guy Smurd were going to take long. He personally found it hard to believe that he was the first one up, but oh, well. He ate a few donuts as he waited.
((ooc: once again, Newton missed some valuable piece of information - the piece of 'We're meeting at the site.'))
Smurd had overslept
a lot. The panic started when he opened his eyes to some noise. The noise was instantly forgotten and replaced by another noise, a loud noise, the noise of a man getting ready rapidly. Sword, armor, these were not quiet things to don.
Soon, the noise made its way to the kitchen, the fridge was opened and whatever leftovers he could find were snatched. He was having turkey
or creamed spinach
it was difficult to tell. It didnt matter, throw some milk on it and call it breakfast, he had to hurry.
Wait, he said aloud
somethings not right. Smurd was a man of incredible attention to detail. Nothing slipped past him. There are no donuts.
Suppressing panic, he noticed Newton watching him with wide eyes. Hi, havent the others left? They were supposed to leave by now? Have you been downstairs? Was there a delay? Why arent you answering me? Oh, maybe I should give you a moment. Smurd paused to allow Newton to speak.
[ QUOTE ]
Smurd paused to allow Newton to speak.
[/ QUOTE ]
I dont think the others left. We were all supposed to meet here, right, and then travel along together. He frowned. And whats this about no donuts. I bought donuts yesterday. Did you eat the leftover pizza, too, by the way? He glanced up towards the stairs. Are any of the others awake yet. I find it odd that Mystic isnt here yet.
"Pizza? No... I. They should be in the basement where Mystic was working on that thing... or... stuff. Maybe. I don't recall." Smurd slung a small bag over his shoulder and headed downstairs.
Newton shrugged, put on his metal helmet, grabbed his back pack of food that, grabbed two Mountain Dews and followed Smurd into the basement.
Nadia and Aidan heard the footsteps around the same time. Quietly, they moved to the far end of the basement and opened a large vent opening that led into the structure of the building. Aidan has checked out the pathway some days before and found out that it led to the back end of the building and out near a giant sewer canal.
Aidan opened the steel netted door and Nadia intercepted its path, "No," she whispered to him, "I can't do this anymore."
"Do what," Aidan replied, struggling to get the door free from her grasp.
"Run. I don't want to. Where will we go?"
"I dont know," the twin brother whispered back and loosened his sisters grip of the hatch, "but we can't stay here. Now get insi- Nadia, where are you..."
Nadia walked away from her brother and knelt onto the floor. She placed her hands palms down onto the cement ground and eyed the bottom of the stairway. It was still somewhat dim and they were slightly hidden behind some tables. She concentrated her power on that area until the floor began to soften and bubble slightly. ((Quicksand))
"You have got to be kidding me," Aidan slapped his forhead, "Heroes... you want to fight heroes?"
"If they catch us, we're done. They'll want to turn us in to somewhere... no one wants us Aidan and I'm not going back anymore. I'm staying. Do what you want."
Aidan loved his sister, but sometimes...
The stocky twin's body began to harden. His fists made crackling sounds as very tiny stone pieces fell from his body. He fell back behind his sister and into the shadows of the room and waited.
Smurd came down the steps in a hurry, hoping to find the group not quite ready to go. Instead he found that he couldn't move when he hit the basement floor. For the first second or two, he didn't realize what was happening. He thought the magical effect was some secondary magical runoff from the portal.
Then he saw the stone man and said, "You've gotten smaller."
((OOC: Ok, back from vacation and hopefully somewhat refreshed (though the game is still annoying me). I'll try to get back into this))
Sting heard the strange noises and the muffled voices from the direction of the kitchen. He stretched and his chitinous skin made cracking and popping noises. The voices seemed to head down into the basement but Sting stopped in the kitchen to see if anyone was there.
No one...but there was something. A few drips of pizza sauce on the floor beneath the table and a few smudges on the wall. Newton may eat a lot but he was fairly tidy. Sting shrugged and headed down to catch up to the others.
Reaching the top of the basement stairs he noted that the big armored dude what was his name again
Smug? Smud? Well, whatever, he was up to his ankles in the basement floor.
Well what the #%$& is going on now? Sting complained.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
Nadia raised her palms off the ground and the ground hardened again. She stood and looked over her shoulder. Aidan nodded with determination and took several steps forward that turned into a jog, which turned into a sprint.
Nadia raised her right foot and placed a firm amount of power in her legs and stomped her size 8's into the ground. They implanted inside the cement and it cracked open in front of her. From the crevice in the earth popped out a boulder that formulated into a stone hammer.
As the stone flew effortlessly into the air, Aidan dove forward and caught the hammer at its handle and continued into a barrel roll that landed him directly in front of Smurd and swung...
Nadia noticed the newest intruder and raised an eyebrow at him and outstretched her hand. The ground beneath him seemed to crater as earth raised from beneath the surface and surrounded him in a prison of stones. She closed her hands into a fist and the open area inside the prison minimized to inches from his body. Heavy breathing was not an option...
Man we gotta clean up our basement
[ QUOTE ]
Nadia noticed the newest intruder and raised an eyebrow at him and outstretched her hand. The ground beneath him seemed to crater as earth raised from beneath the surface and surrounded him in a prison of stones. She closed her hands into a fist and the open area inside the prison minimized to inches from his body.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sting struggled as the stone wrapped around him. What the &%*$?
For a moment there was silence from the stone pillar, then it burst open as spines shattered the casing sending bits of rock scattering in all directions. He tore his feet free from the last of the rocky prison as he took note of the youthful assailants.
Wrong choice punks! Sting growled as he leapt off of the stairs, spines fully deployed with poison glistening. He landed by the young girl, but hesitated as that annoying self control voice reminded him not to try to kill everyone. He sheathed his spines and instead tried to strike her with a modest blow from his fist.
"Shut up Mr. Burton, you are not brought upon this world to get it!" - Lo Pan
@MadGremlin
Ah-ah-ah-ah, Newton said as he floated about the ground. Thats not very nice, The green haired mutant raised his hands at the stone creature with the huge mallet. The earthen hammer suddenly seemed to weigh several tons as Newton tried to convince the stoner to drop the weapon.
"Hey now little golum, where'd you get that, oh you know that's not nec-" The blow struck Smurd in the armor and sent him flying out of the quicksand and onto the stairs. "What?"
Smurd panicked. What if the others were ambushed and these villains had come BACK through the portal. His sword was in his hand and he was back on his feet in an instant. "What have you done with my friends?"
Aidan raised the stone malet over his head again for another strike and nearly fell back at its increased weght. He scanned the room and turned up to see the heavy hero with outstretched hands toward him. Aidan responded with a backflip that upon landing, caused a small tremor and mediun sized boulders to erupt from the earth that caused anyone on the ground that opposed him to lose their footing. Aidan roundhouse kicked one of the boulders into the green-haired man's direction...
He landed by the young girl, but hesitated as that annoying self control voice reminded him not to try to kill everyone. He sheathed his spines and instead tried to strike her with a modest blow from his fist.
Nadia rolled with the punch, but still cried out in pain. Aidan looked back in reaction to his sister and lost sight of Smurd. She tumbled backwards to gain some distance between her and the new attacker and stared back with watered eyes that were quickly quenched with a fired determination. The a thought crossed her mind - What if these heroes were here to take them back to that orphanage? What if they were some rogue faction that were sent for them? That Nun would do anything for the power of an elemental adept.
"You'll have to kill me first," Nadia said to Sting through gritted teeth and stood to her feet. Her body began to emanate an ominous caramel colored aura that seemed to spread about the room rather than staying within her vicinity.
Smurd panicked. What if the others were ambushed and these villains had come BACK through the portal. His sword was in his hand and he was back on his feet in an instant. "What have you done with my friends?"
Aidan's fist doubled in it's rocky size in order to defend himself against the sword's blade in case the man swung at him. Aidan stayed quiet the entire time. He didn't have a clue what he was talking about anyway. Conversation only led to distraction and he was about to be distracted versus three heroes.
Within moments, Nadia's body had given off volcanic like fumes that nearly covered the entire basement. The misty gas felt like a burning sensation that wouldn't quit as members caught in it also came into the periodical choking fit.
Nadia's hair was floating gingerly in the air as if she was floating. Her body continued to pulse out more of the volcanic gas. It was beginning to become hard to see.
Nadia, chill out. Even I can't see through this stuff. The room's too small and there's no escape for any of it.
They're after us Aidan. They have been all along. They wanna take us back.
What?
They're here to make us go back to that woman and have our powers extracted.
What? How do you know that... I don't think thats what it is...
Nadia didn't answer. She just continued to watch the choking fits of the others.
Die, she thought as a rumbling in the earth commenced. At first it felt like a Tyranasaurus was coming close with each step, but eventually became synonymous with each other.
Nadia, stop, you're gonna kill us all. Lose the quake, don't do this. We can handle this another way.
Tears flowed out of Nadia's eyes, "I'm not going back," she cried. Her pupils disappeared and her eyes went completely white. Her feet merged with the ground and small rocks floated around her like an orbit.
The surface of the basement began to crackle beneath them...
Nadia...
The stone armor in Aidan's body softened and showed his skin once more. He looked at Smurd, I gotta get these guys out of here. Enemies or not, they don't deserve to die today.
"Quite, I'll put it first on my list of priorities, 'get Newton a toady'. Smurd is an acquaintence of mine from the old days. He's every bit my equal in combat, though I have a bit of an edge on him when it comes to investigation." Mystic thought briefly of Smurd's use of a broadsword and smirked beneath his mask. "I'm afraid we may need all of these resources for the task I intend to undertake. First, of course, we should see to the remains of these agents and your impending incarceration."
Mystic went inside and made a few phone calls and a cup of tea while Smurd introduced himself and explained what Mystic had in mind.
"Simple, we hook into a transportation portal in Orenbenga, or Orenbrega, or however you say it, and we just pop out here..." Smurd pointed out into the ocean. "I know, I can't see it either. It's a place called the 'Rogue Isles'. It's owned by that Lord Recluse you had me doing research on. He's not a nice man."
Mystic came back to the table as Smurd finished explaining the plan. "Alright, no one is getting arrested for now. Has everyone had a chance to look over the plan?" He panned across the expressions while setting the tea down. He looked over at the golem, "are you certain you wouldn't like some tea?"