((I get the hint. Moving. 
))
"I'd appreciate if you stayed away from that." Vern commented to Cobalt, focused on the consoles, "That's a Black Crystal, a ship uilt by the Wanderers. Don't touch it, don't go near it, hell I'd prefer no one even look at it. It may be broken, but it's still got enough power to take out this planet's moon in one shot if it wants."
"Transient adjustment complete." a female voice echoed through the base's speaker system, "Light gate system now operational."
"Good." Vern commented, heading off again through another door.
A few corridors later (and most likely, coversations), the group arrived in another very large room. It was a hangar, and about half of its space was occupied by another large hovering object. This time it was the Dark Airship, perhaps familiar to some of the group, perhaps not.
Tethered to floor and walls with lines of energy, its nose pointed at a wall with a large red bullseye painted on.
Below the airship, other vehicles stood in a more or less organized fashion on the hangar floor.
"Mobile op center - check." Vern smiled, turning towards the spot where an access bridge ran from one of the craft's airlocks to the catwalk they had entered the room on. Attached to the wall at roughly half the height of the large hangar, it was on even ground with the mean side of the blue-gray airship, its hull clearly visible due to its dark armor being offline.
"Alright, let's get a move on." Vern urged them on to get inside, "Moonscribe's probably waiting already."
With that, he spoke to the ceiling before entering the ship himself, "Start release sequence!"
The command was obeyed, tethers clicking and clacking as they deactivated one after another. The ship bobbed up and down a little as it was set free, then slowly began moving ahead, towards the red bullseye on the wall.
And as the ship's nose almost touched the wall, a bright white light flared over the surface, establishing what looked like a slowly turning vortex of water. The group had probably already reached the bridge by this time, which would make the gateway clearly visible.
Without further ado, the ship passed into the wall...
--------------------
The light gate spat the aircraft out high in the clouds above Peregrine, already out a little into the Atlantic ocean. As soon as the vortex of light dissociated again, the ship's armors became active, and it merged into a cloud of shadows before disappearing from sight altogether.
Its cloak of dark matter permitted to kind of electromagnetic wave to penetrate. In the EM band, it was now completely undetectable.
On the bridge, which was quite spacious and constructed in a semicircular pattern, Vern sat on the walkway attached to the 45-degree-sloping 'windshield'. The transparent alloy was justas though as the rest of the ship an could support the walkway, which ran around the entire bridge at half height, rouhgly five meters above the floor. Several staircases and ladders connected said floor with the walkway.
Though it didn't appear so, as Vern wasn't moving ashe sat there, he was most certainly flying the ship right now. The actual brain of the aircraft, the cylindrical mainframe with a dome on top, sat in th center of the bridge, staring down with an illuminated 'electronic eye' from its position roughly six meters above the floor.
It almost looked like the HAL computer from the 2001 book, but the gentle blue tone of the eye was quite different and didn't seem oppressive in the least.
"SENECA, please contact Moonscribe," Vern requested of the ship, "and tell hm we're ready to sart Phase One. I'd like him here ASAP so we can start collaborating. Oh, and get word to Dr. Phillis as well. Please ask if we should pick him up or if he'd like to come of his own accord..."
((Take it away, Ernie...I mean, Hal. 
))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
If anyone had been nearby, they may have heard Experiment muttering something about the way this ship moved through space as similar to that one game about Halos.
Of course, you didn't need to be nearby to hear "Starslip engage!" during the movement, but afterward, he was pretty quiet, fiddling around with his 'watch.' Apparently, his old self had different settings, and he was being bugged by how different his own settings were.
"...No, no... The armour is supposed to be set for the FOURTH button down, not the eighth... Ugh, no, the Party-Popper-Cannon is for the twelth button on the left... Gah, how did he manage to get the Sparky-Baton on the fifth button?"
"So where are we going?" Cobalt had asked as the ship went into the light, and a moment later found herself falling free as the vessel vanished around her.
A reflex action quickly found the nearest safe surface to land on and her teleporter placed her there. Seeing the ship gone with everyone else, she was quite aggravated.
"What the hell is going on here!" She screamed as if anyone was there to listen. "I get brought here with no explanation, then someone arrives and explains nothing, then they pull a joke on me with a disappearing blimp! What the [censored] is going on!"
She ranted on as she made her way back to the black crystal ship. It was becoming apparent to her that this place would not let her leave and no one was telling her why. Time to do what she should have done the moment she had arrived: find a computer and make it tell her what she wants. If no one was going to explain things then she'd get her answer by force.
She eyed the black ship again. "Enough power to destroy the moon, eh?"
"Kommandant Thuel, you are clear for landing in a few minutes." The speaker in the cargo plane announced.
"I dont need to land." He mutterd, walked over to the loading hatch of the plane, pressed the flashing red button. The hatch opend, slowly. Thuel grabbed on to a bar to keep his ground. He spotted Kings Row, grabbed a chute and jumped. . .
[ QUOTE ]
Oh, and get word to Dr. Phillis as well. Please ask if we should pick him up or if he'd like to come of his own accord..."
[/ QUOTE ]
". . And Essex!" Hal exclaimed, panicking a little. "Agh! We're not leaving her behind! I'm not going. . . after all these years. . ." His hands were glowing brilliantly.
"Do calm down, Pharaoh," Moonscribe said from behind him.
"Stop it, Moonscribe, I can't help it!" Hal complained. "I mean, just because you. . . wait a minute. . . HOW THE HELL ARE YOU HERE?!?"
"Oh, I am not," Moonscribe said calmly. "This is a Disciple of mine. But it is good to see you again too, Hallucinogen."
Damien and Darean stood locked staring in anger at each other. Completely oblivious to all the events that were unfolding around them.
"Vern get us to the surface.", the twins said in unison with the same tone of hatred. "Get us there now."
((Alright Laz, I'm going to assume you have your reasons for that. Just tell me when you need a reaction.))
"Looks like our little operation is starting to take some defnite form." Vern commented as Moonscribe arrived, represented by his Disciple. He jumped down from the command walkway anto the actual floor again, walking towards the suddenly appeared man, "I do realize you have a base of operations, but Ace and I thought maybe a mobile one would be better suited for the job of recovering that stupid book. I still say we should've destroyed it, but i course he never listens. Anyway, we..."
[ QUOTE ]
"Vern get us to the surface.", the twins said in unison with the same tone of hatred. "Get us there now."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Oh geez, you two again?" Vern growled, shooting a glare in their direction, "Alright, you know what? You want down so bad, go ahead."
He turned to the starboard airlock. Moments later, the interior door opened, and then an override enegaged, opening the exterior door as well. A chilling night wind rushed into the bridge. The airship wasn't high enough to claim a significant pressurization right now.
"There. Go right ahead. But watch your step, that first one's a real loo-loo."
Not only that, but the dark airship had already made its way over the ocean a fair distance...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
OOC- Didnt know that we were in a ship but it makes no difference.
[ QUOTE ]
He turned to the starboard airlock. Moments later, the interior door opened, and then an override enegaged, opening the exterior door as well. A chilling night wind rushed into the bridge. The airship wasn't high enough to claim a significant pressurization right now.
"There. Go right ahead. But watch your step, that first one's a real loo-loo."
Not only that, but the dark airship had already made its way over the ocean a fair distance...
[/ QUOTE ]
Damien and Darean took off at a run towards the airlock. When they reached the end of the door, Damien executed a perfect swan dive from the back of the airship, while Darean performed a side front flip out of the vessel. Within seconds of their the freefall the brothers streaked away from each other. Damien leaving a trail of superheated air and Darean leaving a trail of highly charged photons.
Experiment grinned. He had wanted to say this for a LONG time, no matter how corny or cliche it was.
He peered out, closing his hands over his mouth to amplify his voice, and yelled the most moronic joke to the brothers.
"HAVE A NICE TRIP!"
With that, he returned to the main area of the ship, grinning widely. Apparently, he was proud of himself for shouting it before somebody else.
Thuel jumped out of the cargo plane, without the pilot knowing so. He was falling quickly twards the ground of Kings Row. A few seconds later, Thuel pulled the parachutes main cord and drifted slowly to the ground -- instead he landed ontop of a skyscraper.
Thuel had an almost perfect entrance into Kings Row, he had one flaw in his plan as of now. How to get off the skyscraper? He could always climb down the side, but with what? He had nothing to climb with. Go inside of the skyscraper? Problem, what if he was seen? He decided to brave it and take the elevator.
Thuel knelt down over the lock on the stairwell doorway, how would he do this? He decided to take out his knife and hack away at the doors lock. After a few mintues of trying, he eventuly hacked through the chain lock on the door to the tower. Thuel took out a tape recorder and clicked record on, "5:47AM Building breached." He clicked the tape recorder off and proceded to climb down the flight of steps.
[ QUOTE ]
((Alright Laz, I'm going to assume you have your reasons for that. Just tell me when you need a reaction.))
[/ QUOTE ]
((Like I said when I PM'ed you with the idea, because of the nature of the base and the changes to the world I'm treating the base as a pseudo-pocket universe where Cobalt can still exist. The problem is she cannot leave it until the world is restored, and not knowing that she is become extremely frustrated.))
"Your orders?" Toy Dispenser asked Archlich as he looked down at Acid's car from the tower.
"Let them go," Archlich said, waving his hand wearily while his other hand cradled his head. "There will be another time and place for his death."
"Very well," the android replied and then radioed the command.
"And get rid of that damn ship while you're at it," Archlich added after Toy had finished speaking.
**************************************************
"Well that's a whole lot of bullhockey," Short Iron cursed as he and his gang dove out of the way of Acid's car.
"That it *click breathe* is," Atmoic Firecracker agreed from his position about fifteen feet in the air from where he had been standing. A nebulous green glow surrounded him as he slowly dropped back down to the ground.
"And idea what the boss was thinking?" Short Iron pressed as he got up and dusted himself off.
"You could *click breathe* always ask him *click breathe* yourself."
"Nah. I like my kneecaps."
"Let's get *click breathe* back."
"Yeah."
As Acid sped away, he would encounter no resistance. He would, however, probably detect several dozen mystical familiars trailing behind him invisibly.
**************************************************
The global defense grid had finally recieved a go order. The position of the enemy spacecraft had been checked, rechecked, and triangulated with the best technology that money could buy and the best magical spells that Archlich could dredge from his volumnous memory. Their target in clear view, effectively, the satellite grid began charging.
For about thirty seconds the sky was filled with hundreds of new stars as each individual satellite built up a powerful magical charge, glowing a bright, bright blue as they did so.
Once their charging was complete, one satellite nearest the target was chosen to fire the resulting beam. The chosen satellite disentigrated into a ball of blue energy as the charges of every other satellite were pumped into it. The ball of energy rivalled the sun until it suddenly vanished.
But this vanishing was pure fiction. In reality, the ball merely turned into a form of energy that caused anything that it washed over to no longer exist. The beam, visible to sensors only because it read as completely dead space, lanced out at Acid's ship at speeds far surpassing the speed of light.
In an instant, the ship and all of its crew were gone, wiped from that point of time and all others after it.
************************************************** *
"Let's get going, commanders," the armored soldier said. "It's not a good idea to wait around any longer than neccessary."
Indeed, the other rebels were already splitting up and heading their own ways. Now that the temporary crisis was over, their original orders were remembered and the long trek to the nearest rebel base begun.
"Permission to accompany you and Sub-commander Cortianna, ma'am," the soldier said with a snappy salute. "I'd rather not leave you in your state with an enemy captive. And begging the Sub-Commander's pardon, I'm sure he could know of a way to disable a psyker if her guard went down for a moment. Three pairs of eyes are much better than two, sirs."
While the rebel was talking, a pair of thin mechnical spider legs detatched out of hidden slots on his back and arched up into the air over his helmeted head.
**************************************************
"I'm afraid I have never heard of Greensryche Industries," Dark Animator said with a sad smile. "But that shouldn't matter. Why don't you assist our feathered friend along as we head a bit deeper into the woods. I sense an old magical battle there and its lingering aura will help muffle the sound of my transport scroll."
**************************************************
OOC: I dunno what you're doing, Darkstorm. Nothing I can do till you get to Peregrine Isle.
Did I miss anyone?
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((OOC: Damnit. I thought it was Kings Row. . .Can we just say it was Peregrine Isle instead of Kings Row? My fault.))
Thuel pulled out his tape recorder once more, clicked it into recording, then he spoke, "6:02 AM, looks like a Peregrine Isle Portal Corps faculity, or at best maybe a research center." He clicked the recorder off. He stumbled across an air duct entrance point. He pulled out a Swiss Army knife, slowly pried the ducts entrance point open, slid inside, pulled the duct cover back on, and slowly cralwed through the duct.
He came across a fork in the air-ducts path, he picked the right one and cralwed though these ducts untill he had heard voices below him. He listened in on the voices, pulled out his tape recorder, clicked record on, and set it down to record the conversations. He had several tape recorders, he would plan to bug this whole place, expecialy if it was a Portal Corps building. He pulled out his main recorder, clicked record, and spoke into it, "Bug one placed. Streaming to HD Drive A, Memory Chace 12A." After he spoke this he clicked it off, and began bugging other rooms and possible PoIs (Point Of Intrests).
((OOC: EDIT: Made the OOC comment a post.))
((OOC: OMG, is that...? I don't want to jump the gun. o_o))
"Permission granted." Rosalind said with a nod. "C'mon, Big Bear, Corti, ((Lieutenant Recluse!?)), it's a long hike."
She paused, and then looked over at Bear with an inquisitive tilt of her head. "...I have no idea where that came from."
With that, and a poof of smoke, she shifted back into border collie form...walking on three legs, and sneezing briefly to get the dust out of her nose.
Dammit...I hope someone has a radio. The other base has gotta be prepared for us showin' up on the doorstep after all.
((And I think Essex is waiting on Midas and Cyba, unless I missed a post. Which I'm very good at doing. ))
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
[ QUOTE ]
For about thirty seconds the sky was filled with hundreds of new stars . . . glowing a bright, bright blue . . . a ball of blue energy . . . rivalled the sun until it suddenly vanished.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Pretty," Kefetassura said, the demon was all but enthralled by the spectacular display of lights in the sky. "I wonder what all that was about."
"Captive this, [censored]." Bear growled, flipping off the Rebel with his good hand. "I'm here because I chose. And I [censored] hate psykers, but I'm not about to kill myself. I wasn't an inquisitor because I was a [censored], christ." Bear certainly noticed Recluse, the old target of his organization. But he was in no condition to do anything about it now...and he had his reasons to hold fire at all, of course.
Bear lifted up his semi-fixed hand and grasped his bow lightly. Satisfied that he was tough enough to hold it despite the pain, he nocked an arrow and walked along with them, ready for any of his former brothers to try and stop William Bear.
Wyvern was reborn.
Cortianna sighed, she didn't like the idea of the bowyer coming along, but Rosie had made her decision. She gave Bear a slight smile.
"And I hate you, but don't feel special, I hate just about everyone equally. You're all to [censored] loud to me."
Telekinetically grabbing several supplies the four of them would need, she tossed a bag to both men before shouldering her own and Rosie's.
-----
The feeling of air whiping across her light fur, the snapping of her jacket, and the wide eyed surprise of the Underboss as she landed right in front of him a second before giving him a taste of it with a powerfull crane kick...
Relaxing outside the Trams. A pair of specially designed earphones pearched on her head and playing a selection of rock while she watched the various beauties hurry to the train for whatever reason.
Her room light only by a few scented candles. Her heartrate, normally rather high, now pounding through her cheast as the other girl held her close.
"Meow babes, what's shakin'?"
Khat opened her eyes, not having even realized they had been closed.
"So..." she rumbled, "That's the 'real' me, huh?"
The beast cat looked down at her forepaws, an odd mix of short human fingers and powerful claws. She was very aware of the fact that she couldn't pass for near human to a blind man in a crowded room.
"... Let's go," Khat sighed.
Pinnacle
Heroes
When in danger, or in doubt; Run in circles, scream and shout.
OOC: Eh sure. Why not. Make things more interesting, anyway. Also, AD, if you'd been reading some of the earlier posts, you'd know that Portal Corp doesn't exist in this reality. Instead it's a university. Your contact is waiting for you by the big hole in the ground at the northern edge of the campus.
BIC: "It's Liuetenant Richter, ma'am," the armored rebel said as the small group got moving. "My apoligies for not giving my name earlier. And ignore the extra legs if you would, they get cramped if they're tucked in all day."
The former leader of Arachnos, now just a simple rebel, took up a rear guard position behind Bear. As the group had gotten moving, two more spider legs unfolded themselves and draped down his back limply as though tired. Along with his extra limbs, Richter was armed with a large pistol that looked capable of firing grenades; which it did, actually.
OOC: Lol, itsa Recluse.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((OOC: Sorry again, I forget esaly. I have read all the posts I forgot that there was no Portal Corps. I'm really sorry bout that. :sigh: Sorry again.))
"And this," Gunner Agent Miich grumbled, throwing himself backwards to avoid a blast from an Oranbegan, "Was why I told Neutron Agent Rulaag that the Scorpions should have scouted Alpha Centauri a bit further."
"Do not question Rulaag. You realize the riches we earn in this work?" Plague Agent Drechi growled as he grabbed an incoming oranbegan magi by the head and quite literally bit his face off.
"Yes, but Drechi --" Miich paused to lay all hell down before him with a full auto blast of his Osh'kan Slugthrower. "This combat does not entertain me in the least!"
A sudden rush of Mages suddenly exploded in a catastrophic nuclear blast, melting the flesh from their bones.
Rulaag stepped forward from the building whose entrance they had been fighting from.
"Currency is the goal, Gunner Miich." He shrugged. "And the Inquisition Caste of the Overmagus Brotherhood certainly knows how to pay."
Their Army of Steel overseer smirked in satisfaction of the trio of Osh'Kan Mercenaries as they cleared out this worthless pocket of Oranbegan resistance out in the French countryside...
((Permission granted by Khell to use all three of these, but they will be sticking together and acting as one 'person'. Also, Osh'kans > you. That is all.))
((EDIT: Decided to make Drechi's powers more Osh'kan. He is now a poison (Bacteria)/* something >_>
)
((Okay, just don't want you feeling left out or anything. ))
"I believe that was Archie's attempt to impress us." Acid answered Kefetasua, "I have to say, nice little show."
He flipped a switch on the center console, "Zero to AGS-3, what's the deal?"
"Another of those nonexistance-beams." someone answered through the console, "The paratron took care of it. We're fine."
Acid smirked. Ah yes, the paratron. Too bad he couldn't see the structural tear it had created from down here. If Archlich's satellites had any optics, they would see what looked like a blood-red cat's pupil hovering in the blackness of space. Originally developed as a purely offensive weapon, Acid had quickly realized that ducting things into hyperspace made for an excellent kind of 'shield'. Sadly, he'd found out just as quickly that tossing a SVE ship there didn't do anything. Not only were they not composed of matter, which couldn't exist in the overloaded continuum, but their structurally variable energy hulls had quintadimensional components embedded into them - logical, as their power source was hyperspace itself. That one still made Acid grind his teeth.
The beam, however, dispersed into the overloaded dimension, as time was no longer the highest perceived variable there. And as the paratron's working principle was 5-D itself, it had to operate with superluminal speeds - otherwise it coudn't have operated at all.
For a moment, Acid thought of the blood-red rift and the colorful lines of excess energy visible within it. An illusion, that's all it really was, created by their senses to perceive as much as they could of something they couldn't see in its entirety. Maybe one day, they'd figure out what hyperspace really looked like...if it even looked to begin with.
"Gotta say, the big glowing powerup wasn't exactly subtle either." the crewman continued transmitting, "All systems green. But..."
A pause.
"But...?" Acid inquired.
"Sir, we're getting reports of fleet movements in M-13. The Concile's mobilizing for another operation. The General thinks they'll be starting another Purification."
"I see..." Acid took a deep breath, "Captain, you have a new assignment. Your orders are to take the ship and rejoin the fleet. Stante pede."
"Yes...yes, Sir...thank you..."
With that, the connection cut. There was nothing left to say. The galaxy was at war, even though it might not look so.
Acid sighed. Why now? Humanity was an important cornerstone of the Hundred-Year-Plan. But then...it was just one. There were many more. And he couldn't well tell everyone to neglect those. Humanty just...wasn't that important.
Caught in these thoughts for a moment, Acid only now realized something was dreadfully wrong.
Nobody was shooting at them.
Acid hadn't figured on that one. he'd expected Archlich to be the type of "if I can't kill you, then I'll lock you away forever in the deepest darkest dungeon I have, and then feed the key to something really, really nasty."
A clean escape...no, that just didn't seem likely...
--------------------
Vern nodded to Moonscribe once, then stepped over to the chart table, hopping onto it so he could at least be at eye level with everyone else. Being a quadruped did have its disadvantags.
"Alright, we're gonna need a smart plan." he started, "Probably the best idea right now is to link up with the other resistance forces. I do assume there are others, yes...?"
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Cobalt sat on the floor before what she had determined to be the central computer of the base. A series of cables snaked from various points to a small box which lay before her and from that a single cable lead to a data port on the back of her neck, just below the loosened collar of her suit.
Ok, tell me everthing. She instructed as she began her 'interrogation' of the machine.
With a flourish Feliks pushed open the doors to the basement laboratories of the Overmagnus scientific division. Two Inquisitional Squad soldiers followed him, black armor reflecting the overhead halogen lights. Their heavy boots echoed off the empty hallways as they passed by bloody stretchers and grisly tools. Anyone who exited the side labs immediately made way for Feliks and his goons, looking at their own feet and avoiding the mens eyes. Feliks paid this no mind and still smiled and politely nodded to them. No one who worked in these labs was proud of what they did.
Lights flickered overhead, punctuated by shouts and screams. One of the most recent goals of the head scientists was to create a lightning controller. So far, there had been little success. Finally they reached the last door in the hall, light ominously filtering through a barred window into the hall and washing over the trio who dared to approach it. The room was silent. Feliks pushed the door open with some apprehension. A voice, gritty and hoarse, groaned from within.
Come in Feliks Danya, Head of the Secret Police. Tell me, how has your medication been treating you?
Angered, he shoved the door open and charged in, prepared to beat whomever had spoken to him so disrespectfully. He stumbled mid-step when he almost fell over a bandaged man in a wheel chair. His entire head was covered in yellowing bandages splashed with dark brown. Only one eye showed through, almost entirely black. He had a metal bar in the back of his mouth, keeping his teeth from gnashing together. His arms were fastened to his chest by a straight jacket. Both feet were shackled together. Feliks took a step back, shocked.
Do I frighten you, Feliks? I can assure you
I seek only to further the Overmaguss cause.
He spoke in bursts, shattered by low groans and muffled shouts. He cackled madly. Feliks brought up his arm. The bound mad tried to mimic the move, only to be frustrated by his jacket. It became obvious that he randomly, uncontrollably attempted to mimic the movements of those around him.
I see youve noticed my disability. It does not bother me.
Taking a deep breath, Feliks approached the man. He started to speak to him, but was quickly cut off.
You want me to prove it. Alright, we can try your idea. You think of something, I repeat it.
He smiled wickedly. He clearly enjoyed his new abilities and the discomfort is caused in others. Feliks started thinking of various events and images. The psychic repeated them perfectly.
Blue. Rain. Shoe. Tree. Myself. Fear. White
and a rather inappropriate thought about the nurse behind me.
Feliks gasped, quickly rising.
Oh Im sorry, I didnt realize our little game was over.
Feliks didnt have to be a psychic to know he was lying. He turned to the scientists around him.
What do you call him?
Nervously, the leader spoke.
We call him Bob sir. He seems to enjoy it.
Feliks nodded in approval.
Alright Bob. Youre going to be working with us now. We can use a man of your skills.
Bob grinned.
Very well then
but use me wisely
He spat the words out before groaning again. Feliks left him to his own devices. He moved on to a man who sat behind a completely dark shield, it covered his entire face. Otherwise, he looked normal. His accompanying surgeon introduced the specimen.
#947. Optically enhanced weather controller.
Feliks looked him over, he didnt seem to special. He curiously flipped the shield up. What was unveiled shocked him. Dozens of eyes, large, small, all different colors and species lay planted on his face. Some were artificial, glowing deep red. His nose had been removed to allow more space for eyes, his mouth nearly sewn entirely shut. Feliks turned away.
Alright. Both will do. The Overmagus will be pleased with the news that some success has come out of this nightmarish mad house.
He left the room in disgust, his guards following quickly. He muttered under his breath.
What has science done
Behind him, Bob burst into laughter. The echoing insanity followed him down the hall way.
The Oranbegan was reduced to tears as Rulaag repeated crashed his unprotected face into the rock wall next to him.
"Where is your leader, Oranbegan Brotherhood slave?!"
"N..never te-"Fhcrack!
Rulaag turned away from the now brain-leaking minion of the Oranbegan forces.
"Then we have no more choice. Scorpions, retreat to the Dropship. Steel Caste overseer, please, remove yourself from the area."
---
His men were clear. Rulaag looked around and snatched an incoming crossbow bolt deftly from the sky.
"Infidel Caste knaves" He uttered, and slowly but steadily, the sky darkened to black. There was no light anywhere in the abandoned French town, save for the glowing eyes of some of the Oranbegan warriors as they watched in fear.
Twisted energies slowly seeped up from the ground itself as the air grew hot enough to melt buildings, and suddenly, Rulaag thrust his fists down, and the entire town disappeared in a blinding and explosive wave of heat and power.
((Atomic Blast.))
---
Rulaag appeared from the blackened ground to the safe place his comrades had waited. Miich clicked his radio.
"These are the Scorpions. The Oranbegan Brotherhood coven has been obliterated. Requesting orders...."
---
"What will we do about Lt. Bear?"
"The Archer?"
"Who else?"
"I know not. He was deft and skilled with an arrow, but these heretical actions are unforgiveable."
"But how do we stop him?"
"Did Rulaag and his mercenaries not bring that strange biotank?"
"The...ah...Osh'Kan War Walker, they called it. I don't know. Why?"
"Order it activated."
---
Out in the countryside beyond New Mu, a nondescript grassy field suddenly quaked and split as a giant beast that could only be described as looking like this , save for completely biological, shot from the ground and activated a reactive camouflage, hurtling through the air towards its target.
---
Bear had trudged on for a while before he suddenly cast his bow back for Recluse to catch. "There, I'm unarmed. I got stuff to tell the commander about, and I swear to [censored] god if you listen in to it I will break you." He added this with a steel-melting stare at Cortianna.
"Permission granted...?"
"Oh no, you're not getting off that easy." Acid growled, having been very rudely set on the nonexistant floor when his chair had vanished.
He may not have been an experienced telepath, but Mnemonyev and Vyachslav had taught him many things - including how to hold on.
Twisting and turning, the phantom world wanted to vanish...but he wouldn't let it yet. However, he couldn't hold on to it long (the brothers regarded him as "an amateur at best"), so he had to make this quick.
Sadly, this wouldn't give him time to tell Archlich about his own manipulatons, or the way to guide things without directly interfering.
"I have seen the Imperium of Man!" Acid almost shouted as he sprang up.
Kefetasura had probably said something in the meantime as well.
"There's a timeline where it already exists - and it's not the kind of place you want to make! It's an atrocity, a blight on the galaxy, and a society where the rich again live like kings at the expense of so many exploited and suffering people in a feudal society! That's ot the way to do things! If you do things right, no one...!"
But the connection broke. Acid couldn't hold on any longer.
The car came out of its phase shift the moment it sensed being slowed even in the least. Still traveling at dangerous speeds, the wheels screeched on the ground as Acid pulled the vehicle into a 180, the 'tires' adjusting their friction coefficient as they slid.
Sliding backwards now, Acid's fingers ran over the center console once more. As the friction between the car's wheels and the ground increased again, in the end bringing it to a stop, facing the gate it had come from.
The engine roared ferociously as the vehicle lurched forward again towards the gate.
Acid wondered what orders the Soul Sworn had received. If he lost focus and reverted to his true self, the entire Edge of the World would be eviscerated.
And Acid knew Archlich was aware of this...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
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