[Union] Tales of Death and Despair (Open Story thread)

(( Hey there! Seeing as we have this thread Nitro made giving us a nice little schedule of how the events of i22's Dark Astoria arc will play out over the past 5 and next 23 days, I thought we could do with a thread for fiction, in the same vein as Praetorian and Rikti invasions in the past.

This is the thread that contains the schedule.

Seeing as the final event requests those able to come to Astoria to fight to distract the forces of death, that also presents another opporunity for people and groups to get involved.

In any case, to kick things off a little.))

-

Dark Astoria - Sunday 11th March, 0413 hours.

I had arrived just over a day ago, and already the foul magic here has begun to affect me. I had hoped my skills and prowess would have protected me more, but my mind wanders to things I have not thought on in many years. Past deeds, past regrets, and the guilt and strife they caused.

I am Solomon Karos, and I leave this memory rune here in the hope that should this perverse, tainted land drain me of my will to live, someone will know of why I am here.

I am a Spellbreaker. It is what I am as well as what I do. My mastery of illusions and hexes allow me to stand against rogue and insane practitioners and capture them for treatment. I am employed by MAGI, a division of the FBSA. I was sent here to take readings and information on the events that are transpiring in this zone, and to give a reliable and informed report to those who requested my aid here.

My acceptance may become another, albeit short-lived, regret. I hope to inform you as to why on my next entry. I must relocate and re-ward to prevent them from finding me. I would leave this place if I could, but both the spirit and flesh are weak.

S. Karos

---

1 AM Downtown Atlas


From atop the Atlas Park skyscraper the figure of The Shrouded Rune seem to stare at the horizon, an hour of the night passed and the unmoving shape remained. The helm covered his eye, but if anyone could follow their gaze they pierced the gloom and saw far beyond the range normal sight, to the luridly flickering Warrwalls that now enclose Dark Astoria.

Two hours of the night departed before he moved, a simple sad shake of his head, his body joining the sad emote , “ not for me” a weary voice muttered. The helm turned downward and the looked upon the trouble streets of night time Atlas., “my task” .The figure stepped of the ledge and into a freefall…

---

Dark Astoria - Monday 12th March, 0703 Hours

There was blood between them. It ran down their limbs, soaked their clothing, stained the floor and filled the air with its metallic tang. The only difference between them was one stood, the man.

His face was drawn from exertion and ashen from the act. One hand barely gripped a rune-inscribed axe, the left side of it looking distinctly unfinished and unworked. The staff in his other hand had been broken at one end. His suit was in tatters, crisp white shirt coloured sanguine from his wounds. But he stood victorious.

She was the loser. Her left eye destroyed by a gouging jab from the butt of the axe. She had claimed half of the axe from him, but lost half of her staff to get it. The other bodies on the floor, further from her, kept her company in death though. Acolytes, students under her tutelage. They had given their lives to protect their mistress.

Solomon Karos turned and walked away with faltering, unsteady footsteps. His wife was dead at his own hand. He had broken his oath to protect her, but only as she had broken her vow to honour and obey him.

Mister Ephemeral awoke with the memory of that smell of blood thick in his nostrils, fresh as the day he shed it. In the corners and on the walls of the small apartment in Toffet Terrace he was hiding in, wards glowed dimly, their power almost drained.

Raw magic pulsed from him to reinforce them. While he could not muster the will to leave, he could still defend himself. As he began to work on another memory crystal his thoughts drifted to the metahumans he had met the night before. He could only hope that the Hand of Battle and her fellows would have left the zone by now, delivering his report to Azuria.

---

Rolando Island - Monday 12th March

Ellie awoke with a start, her heart racing and her breath coming in short pants. Beside her, Jess stirred briefly in her sleep, words of comfort mumbled without really waking. Her body trembling, Ellie slipped from between the soft satin sheets and entered the bathroom, closing the door softly behind her so as not to disturb her sleeping wife.

Moving to the sink, she ran the water until steam fogged the mirror, then plunged her hands into the scaling liquid before splashing it onto her face, trying to clear her head of the images from her dreams.

It didn't work.

The screams of children filled her ears, accompanied by the animalistic roars of a creature out of control. She stared in horror as the water turned to the thick red of blood before her eyes, covering her hands and face with the sticky heat of life's water. A short sob escaped her lips and she fell to her knees, hugging herself tightly as she curned into a ball on the floor. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she began to whisper, her voice thick with despair. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

---

@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

((Sorry if it's too long!))
---

March 7th, 0436 hours local
Somewhere in Eastern Europe
Conflict in Dark Astoria...Any available Sisters to go reinforce...
Somebody's opened a can of worms, thought Sister Dusk.
"So what do you think?"
Dusk looked back over her shoulder to see Sister Elleanor leaning over it.
"I think that someone shouldn't be looking at possibly classified orders."
"They're not, though."
"They're not."
She rubbed her eyes, before answering the original question.
"I don't know. It seems off. The Talons of Vengeance? In Primal Earth? And we're the ones supposed to go after them?"
The Blade nodded, pushing hair out of her eyes.
"So what do we do?"
Dusk drummed her fingers on the desk.
"...I'll head back. You make sure that we're all finished here. No loose ends. Follow me as soon as you can."
Elleanor nodded and moved back over to the safehouse window to keep watch. Dusk sighed. I have a bad feeling about this...

---

March 8th, 1257 hours local
Dark Astoria
Certainly a change of scenery.
Sister Dusk ran across the roof top, leaping gracefully from building to building as she progressed through the ruined city. She leaped over another group of Pantheon.
They're more powerful than before...more Shamans. It must have given them a power boost.
She continued travelling in silence, sometimes on the ground, sometimes above it. Eventually she reached the place- one of the old cave systems.It's where she'd been told to go earlier, but things had gone dark since then. She couldn't tell why. Bad reception? Something about the area?

Nobody to send?

The Hand of Artemis shook her head. They were probably too far underground. That was it. She touched her headset.
"This is Sister Dusk. What's the situation down there, over?"
No answer.
"I repeat, this is Sister Dusk. Can anybody hear me? Over."
Again, no answer.
She frowned. They should have set a relay beacon up at least...Unless, of course, there was nobody to set one up, bodies piled in the cave, blood flowing down the stone, a sacrifi-
Dusk shook her head again. She needed to get some sleep. But not now.
She unsheathed her short blade, activated the cloaking device and trotted into the cave.

---
March 8th, 1312 hours local
Dark Astoria

"This is Dusk. Anybody in here?"
As usual, there was no response.
She'd been walking through the cave for a few minutes now. No sign of any other Knives. No sign of anything, actually- just the odd dust fall every now and then from movement above.
It was strange. Ever since she got in here, she'd been feeling a mounting sense of dread. Like something was crushing her, pushing down as she realised her own insignifica-affecting her mind. It got worse the deeper in she got.Still no sign of the Knives. I should never have come here. Nothing good will come of this. I'm do- have brought the others, she thought. At least it would have kept her spirits up. At this rate, she was going to die, alone and unremembered, nobody would find th-be bored out of her skull.
A burst of static interuppted her train of thought. A burst of static on our frequency!
"This is Sister Dusk. Can you repeat that, over?"
Another burst of static. She tapped her wrist computer, breaking into a run as she got a direction of origin, barely registering her cloaking device shorting out from the sudden movement.
"Whoever's there, please repeat, over!"
Almost there...Almost there...
She didn't know why she was so desperate to find them. Maybe, subconciously, she was afraid, or just wanted the company.
What she did know was that the sight she was confronted by was not what she was looking for.

A grotesque, mutated woman stood in the corridor before her- legs ending in claws and wings sprouting from her back, blood dripping from her lips. She smiled at Dusk. It was possibly the most disturbing thing she had ever seen.
Dusk's hands flew to her weapons, but froze as more shapes came out of the caverns around her. Ten. Twenty. Thirty... Dozens and dozens of monstrous women. Nearly all of them were armed.
And they all wore the familiar headgear of the Knives of Artemis.
"Welcome...Sister."
She looked round, for an escape route, anything. The monsters began to close in. The winged monster was still smiling.
No way out. No escape.
"You will become one of us, Sister. And spread out justice."
No way out. No escape.
Dusk held her weapons, but only loosely as she stared at the wall of monstrous flesh closing in on her.
No way out. No escape.
The last she saw as she was dragged into the darkness was the still smiling, bloodstained mouth of the winged woman.
And then everything went black.

---

Bodies piled in a cave, blood staining the stone, a sacrifice for the awakened god.

---

Peregrine Island. Midnight 16/17th March.

Ellie stalked towards the Arena, where the portal to Astoria lay waiting for her. With each step, she could hear the screams more clearly, though nothing like as loud as the memory of Lisa's voice.

You're a terrible person.

She growled softly to herself, "I'll show her! I'm not a terrible person!"

No fire, no energy, no defiance, you flat out accept me when I say you're a terrible person.

A bolt of energy arced from Ellie's body, shattering a nearby gate post as she stalked past some brownstones. "I'm NOT a terrible person!"

It's quite frankly pathetic.

"Stop saying that!" Ellie's sudden outburst startled a passing civilian, who looked up at Ellie's ferocious appearance and quickly hurried on.

You don't think you -should- be forgiven.

She choked back a sob, biting off any response as the swirling vortex of the portal to Astoria hove into view.

You fossilise yourself in your ways, leaving you deep down hatin' yoruself an' unable to move on, an' that's what Mot has so easily latched onto.

"I'm trying to fight it!"

Tryin' isn't good enough, sugar.

"I'll prove you wrong, Lisa. I'll show you. I *will* fight back, with everything I have!"

Then go, fight.

Ellie stared at the portal, then suddenly broke into a run, startling the two portal guards as she dived into the swirling vortex, leaving two words echoing behind her, "I will!"

---

@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Screams in the Wind

Dark Astoria - Saturday, roughly 4am

Solomon Karos frowned as the sounds of battle reached his ears, and with a brief gesture, directed his flight towards the source of the sound. It was probably unwise, the streets of Astoria were far more dangerous since Mot’s awakening, but he felt compelled to investigate and perhaps assist if he could.

Drifted over a high rooftop, the sound suddenly got much louder as the scene of battle hove into view, and he took a sharp intake of breath as he recognized the figure at the centre of the carnage.

Before him, surrounded by uncountable scores of corrupted Knives of Artemis armed with bloodied swords, was the brightly shining figure of Tiger White, ferociously battling in her huge tiger form. Scores of bodies of those she had already defeated lay in disarray, but the dark shapes of more twisted assassins clambering over them to get at their victim. Tiger White, Ellie Stoneberg as he recalled her name, appeared to be faltering, and Solomon estimated it wouldn’t be much longer before her strength failed. Every time her claws lashed out, or bursts of white energy erupted from her, more monsters joined the pile at her feet; but for every one downed, two more appeared in the mob, determined to bring her down.

As if to some hidden signal, the mob below suddenly surged forwards, burying their victim under a deluge of bodies, their blades flashing in the dim streetlight. Seconds later, a massive eruption of light and energy, accompanied by a roar of anger and fear, exploded in the mob, blasting bodies in every possible direction and spinning Solomon through the air. By the time he corrected his flight, the light had faded to reveal Ellie, collapsed in a huddle on the ground, her body shrinking down to her more usual form.

Already, Solomon could hear the dark mutterings as more twisted ones began to appear, and he resolved to end this. Moving quickly to Ellie’s still form, he cast a quick spell of concealment before lifting her into his arms. A moment later, a brief flash of light filled the courtyard as he teleported them away.


Saturday, early evening

Solomon Karos sat on the floor of his temporary base of operations, meditating. Clad in military style camouflage trousers and a white t-shirt, his face looked drawn and tired. Nearby, unconscious on a dust-sheet covered bed, Ellie’s wounded form lay quietly, her breath barely audible in the quiet room. The apartment itself, a small penthouse in one of the many vacant skyscrapers of Astoria, was protected by numerous wards against the evils outside, and more wards, these ones describing runic words of healing, hovered silently above her.

A small rustle of movement, a groan of pain, and a slim hand moving to her forehead, roused Solomon from his meditations. Glancing over towards Ellie, he spoke with a soft, calming voice. “Do not panic, Mrs Stoneberg. You are safe here for now."

Groaning again, she responded in a weak voice, little more than a whisper. “Wha... happened? I remember... women... and swords... lots of swords...”

“The Knives of Vengeance had you surrounded. It was very close, but I was able to whisk you out of their grasp and tend to your wounds.”

She paused for a moment, forming her words painfully. “They... wanted me to... go... with them.”

“Something that is not recommended.” Solomon rose silently to his feet and smiled down at the young woman. “Would you like some water? I have very little in the way of supplies, but what little hospitality I can offer, is yours.”

Ellie nodded and started to sit up, a faint whimper of pain passing her lips as a long diagonal slash across her chest started to slowly ooze blood. “P... please.”

Crossing silently to the small kitchen area, Solomon retrieved a small bottle of mineral water and, after opening it, passed it to his guest. “Drink slowly.”

She nodded and sipped carefully at the cool water, “There’s so many of them... Every time I took one out, two or three more jumped on me...”

“The Talons and Knives of Vengeance can soon call their allies down, erupting from a murder of crows to overwhelm a foe. Unfortunately, I fear that they may now be aware of my presence, but the wards here should protect us for long enough so that you can heal.” he smiled softly as he looked at her, and anticipating her question, continued. “I am Solomon Karos.”

Blinking a few times, she peered at him properly, then nodded. “I remember you... Thanks... for getting me out of there...”

Solomon nodded, “I came by the statue when it still stood in Galaxy City, some small respite in my task of protecting others. Now... though I am a prisoner here in Astoria, I still assist others. I am not that far fallen yet to be derelict in my duty to protect the innocent.”

A confused look crossed Ellie’s face, “A... prisoner? I’m sorry... I’m feeling... kinda foggy still.”

“Quite understandable. I came to this area last Friday, to investigate for MAGI. Since then, I have not been able to leave. I can think about it, but when it comes to doing it... The will is weak.”

Carefully easing herself to a sitting position on the edge of the bed, Ellie hissed sharply in pain. “Aaaah... I know... what you mean. I’ve... felt it too.... I feel it now.”

Solomon raised his hand and muttered some incantations, renewing the healing wards for Ellie. “I regret that I am not strong enough to keep Mot’s influence out of the warding area, not fully.”

Nodding, she took a sudden intake of breath and concentrated. A faint glow returned to her eyes, thanks mostly to the strengthening of the wards, and the ugly gash across her chest closed over, leaving a red line in her pale skin. “You’re... Still alive though.”

“Only just. The nightmares keep me from sleep, it is only a matter of time before exhaustion leaves me vulnerable, or foolish. I can help you leave, however.”

She blinked at him in surprise, then her expression softened to one of concern. “Come with me?”

Shaking his head, he replied. “At this stage, I doubt my willpower could hold the spell open for myself as well.”

“If you can give me a little time... hold the wards whilst I recharge... I can get us both out of here... Teleport us out beyond the war walls where Mot can’t get to us.”

“We shall see, I cannot say more than that. I will try, but...”

Ellie pushed herself carefully to her feet, still somewhat unsteady, and made her way to the window. Outside, the darkness enforced by Mot’s will still blanketed Astoria in its gloom, the war walls still flickering, the energy fields resembling walls of blood. “...Still no sunlight.”

“No. The shroud that covered the area is similar to what we experience at the time of Samhain. The influence of Mot even warps the energy fields in the War Walls, as you can see.”

“It’ll... take me a lot longer to recharge... like this...”

“And the longer you stay here, the more Mot will take hold.”

“...I can't leave you here, though.. He'll get you... He'll get me eventually, anyway.. He's.. too strong...”

Solomon joined Ellie at the window. “"If the chance of two leaving is small, one leaving is great, and none leaving could be a certainty... What would you do?"

“There’s some portals though... The Midnighters...”

“And the fact that you can think about that and I cannot shows just how far I am gone, Mrs Stoneberg. I know they are there, but... I cannot bring myself to leave. It does not make sense to. I have tried, and find myself walking the other way, or not even having my feet move at all.”

“...You know... I met your wife... in Pocket D. She was asking after you...”

Solomon went quiet, gazing out of the window for several long moments before replying. “Elize is? Unexpected.”

Ellie nodded. “She... told me not to come back here... What would happen if I did, but Lisa... She kept telling me to fight it, face it... That I was a terrible person who always ran away from problems...”

“And now you have returned, what are your thoughts on the two pieces of advice?”

“I... don't know.... I am a terrible.. person.. I've done things.. horrible things.. things I can't ever make right...”

“If I had not come, you would have died. Or worse, turned to the Talon's purpose. Would that have made things right? Would anything you do here ever put right past mistakes and events?”

“No.... But.. maybe those I hurt.. would find some.. peace.”

Solomon turns to study Ellie, “Perhaps. Or perhaps you would leave more hurt in your passing. Friends, family, your wife, people who might have been saved by you in the future. If something cannot be put right, then use that to never let it happen again. That is all that can be done.”

“I've.. tried... the last. seven years.. everything I do... it's to try to help others.. But the dreams... all I see.. is my hands.. covered in blood...” She turned a little, looking up at the taller man. "I... killed children, Solomon.. tore them apart.. with my bare hands... The will was anothers but.. it was MY hands..."

“You learn to live with it. I have. As a Spellbreaker, someone who hunts rogue mages and dangerous magical forces, I have bloodied my hands on men, women, children, babies, and even snuffed the life out of those impregnated by dark forces, just to ensure that the world can keep on turning. I killed my own wife for practising and training others in dark magic, and those regrets are what keep me here. If you can leave though, you can live and each day is a chance to make amends, even if things are not set right for the original crime.”

Ellie blinked at him, tears barely visible at the corners of her eyes. “I'll try.. but... only if YOU try too... okay?”

“I will try. Once more. When you are rested and ready.”

Ellie nodded and limped back to the bed, sitting slowly "I.. need to rest.. Just a couple of hours."

Moving softly back to his earlier spot, Solomon knelt once more, intending to meditate again. “Of course. I will still be here when you wake.”


Monday, 6am.

Ellie stumbled through the dark alley, her heart racing as she sought to evade her hunters. Behind her, in the distance, voices could be heard calling for her, audible over the constant sound of screams in the wind..

“You cannot escape us, sister! Your sins are great and the hand of vengeance is upon you! Surrender to Mot, join us!”

Worn and bloody, exhausted almost beyond her limits, the young heroine paused briefly as her chest heaved for breath. She was a mess; her hair was in disarray, her face marred with dirt and blood. Her lower lip was swollen and oozed blood from a jagged tear; she could spare no energy for healing. Her armour, a synthetic imitation of impervium alloy, was cut in several more places, revealing a multitude of half healed wounds.

Rubbing her eyes, Ellie looked up at the dark sky and wished she was up there, among the stars where she belonged. She’d not had the power to fly now for at least a full day, maybe longer. Time seemed to work different here, or at least her perception of it; she had no idea how long she’d been running for.

Frowning, she tried to collect her thoughts, bring some semblance of order to herself as she tried to remember how long it had been since Solomon had rescued her from the scores of corrupted women that had almost overwhelmed her. She’d rested then, restored enough of her strength for them both to try to get to the portal, but that had been so long ago, now. They’d made it to the portal and Solomon had literally thrown her through the swirling vortex as more of the nightmarish woman had swooped down on them, but something had gone wrong. She’d found herself dumped into a graveyard, still somehow inside Astoria, and more of the monsters were coming for her.

Since then she’d been fighting a running battle, resting when she could, but each time she found a dark hole to hide in, they found her. Even now, the sounds of their pursuit was getting closer and Ellie didn’t know how much longer she could run for.

Without much hope, she tried her com-link again. It hadn’t worked at all since she’d come here, but it was her only chance now. “Bodi?” her voice was hoarse and weary. “Bodi? You there? Zori? Mike? Anyone? Please... I need you... I can’t keep them away anymore...”

Static answered her, the same result she’d gotten every time she’d tried, and she sighed softly.

“We hear you, sister! Soon, your time of judgement will be on you! Come to us, be with us.”

Ellie closed her eyes for a second, their twisted voices chilling her to the bone, when another voice came to her; one she’d heard all too often.

YOu canNOT EScape ME
yOU HAve SINned anD MUst bE JUDged
sOON You WIll cOMe to ME

She shook her head, still holding on to the last vestiges of her defiance, and hissed a reply through clenched teeth. “I’m.. not giving in... to you.. Mot. I’ll... fight you... till my last... breath.”

fighTING wiLL NOt SAve yOU
THere iS NO EScapE
THere IS oNLy DEath

“Please... Just leave me alone...” Hopelessness filled her heart, and Mot’s voice came to her again, even stronger than before.

YOu WiLL kNOw DEspaIR
YoU wILL KNow pAIN
I aM COMinG fOR YOu

Choking back a cry, Ellie pushed away from the wall she’d been resting as its shape began to twist and distort, Mot’s power changing its nature into something dark and evil as her despair gave the demon more power over her. Stumbling again, she scrambled away from the building and ran, the screams in the wind getting louder as her own voice joined them.

---

@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

{Rolando Island, 21st March 2012, mid-morning}

“Meh!”

The silver tabby kitten sat in front of the library door, demanding the attention of the mage within for one last time.

He glared at the closed door, then glanced out the window where he could see Meow, Pebbles and Minuh were playing on the beach. The natural instinct to go and join the rough and tumble almost overrided his decision to rectify the current situation, but a quick shake soon changed that.

With one last baleful stare at the still-closed door, a silvery cloud coalesced around the kitten and he was gone.

{Astoria, late afternoon}

He had been searching for hours.

As soon as he'd caught a whiff of the bad power, he'd just known Momma had gone there. He hadn't been wrong either. The moment he had set foot in the remnants of the city zone he recognised her scent and more alarmingly, her voice in the wind.

A sense of desperation had sent him following the trace, flitting from shadow to shadow as the monsters searched for their own prey, somehow knowing that the oppressive feel of this place would be slowly driving everyone mad with despair.

At last, the scent lead him to a blood splashed battleground. The vapours on the air told him that Momma had fought here. That she bled here. He sniffed experimentally at a fragment of cloth that had been torn from a cape and yowled his fury. It belonged to the one who'd taken him in when he was nothing but a shivering baby stuck in a tree. She wore it when she was called Tiger White and fought for the safety of others.

Carefully, the kitten reached up and pulled the rag free from the window ledge that had snagged it. Taking it in his mouth, the silver fog once again pooled around him. It was time to look for help in his search.

---

"Don't go away mad, just go away..." The best line Clint never said.

#406785 - Assisting the PPD

Dark Astoria, Wednesday 21st

The darkness was constant. Oppressive, cloying and heavy. The shadows moved and twisted in unnatural ways, forming gaping mouths and warped faces every other second.

"Intriguing."
A towering figure stood atop one of the abandoned buildings, arms folded and pure black cape wrapped around itself, tugging and swirling in the stale, unnatural breeze. Two purple, glimmering eyes stared from the depths of the hood, with no visible face to support them.

"You have sinned, have killed, have murdered, we can feel it," a voice hissed behind it.
The Nictus known generally as Nightwalker did not even turn, although he was aware of the presences behind him. The mutated beings that were called 'Talons of Vengeance'. Or Knives of Vengeance. Either name mattered little to him.

"The blood of many is on your hands!" one hissed, drawing closer. It recoiled a second later as a flare of negative energy burst from the concrete, lashing out before fading again.
"Sin is a term used to decry actions in religion, none of which I partake of, or to define an action that is somehow wrong, which is ultimately subjective. Murder also is a term used subjectively, and as for the fact that I have killed that is not a revelation to me, nor a fact I am uncomfortable admitting to as truth." Nightwalker finally turned, regarding the Talons with unblinking, unyielding eyes. "What point did you wish to make?"

"You are a sinner, judgement will be served-!" one began, making a lunge forward. The others recoiled a moment later as the first froze, rose into the air, and then contorted in ways not physically possible with a full skeleton, accompanied by the sickening crack of pulverised bones.
"I am a scientist. Science and experimentation come with consequences. That is fact. I require sacrifices to see my work come to fruition, and there are those I can use that have no other use to me. What does it matter to me if some humans are spent? There are always more humans," the Nictus stated calmly, lowering his arm as the tendrils of negative energy faded from his fingers.

yOU WiLL nEveR oVerCoME mE
I aM etERnal
I Am dEatH

The Talons hissed and leered as Nightwalker paused, tilting his be-hooded head to one side, listening to the words that came from everywhere and nowhere.

DesPaiR, yIelD tO tHat WhICh iS inEviTaBLe
yOU ArE mIne nOw
YoU wiLL nOT leAvE
yoU wIll bE mIne

There was a pause. And then the Talons slowly drew back as, quietly at first but with rising volume and intensity, Nightwalker began to laugh. For a moment, even the shadows coiled away, a different darkness swarming in its place.

"How ironic. You seek to make your prey despair, steal their hope and then consume them through guilt."
The Nictus scientist lifted his head, eyes flaring beneath the hood as the Talons suddenly found themselves unable to move, Nictus energy erupting from the ground and wrapping around them with a choking finality.
"I, on the other hand, am content that all I have done is for the greater good of my kind. If I were to be presented with my life from the beginning, I would not stray from the path I have chosen. And you...you are the antithesis of all I seek to create, my great nemesis. And you challenge me? This...will actually be satisfying."

---

March 23rd, 1344 hours local
Dark Astoria
Athena Dawnlight strode along the ruined street, black cape fluttering behind her as she strode towards Moth Cemetery.

yoUR efForTS ARe fUtIlE
i Am INeviTaBLe
YoU wILL bE BROKEN

She continued walking calmly forwards. Eyes moved in the darkness around her.

aLL yoU lOVed wIlL bE suNDeReD
alL yOur FRienDs shALL LeaVE yOU

She continued walking, staring up at the gate to the cemetery. She could feel the beasts approaching. She smiled, flicking a small card into her hand.

AlL yoUR kIN ShaLL bE DEVOURED
ThERE iS NO viCTOrY

The monsters of Mot began to close the distance- from the gates, from the alleys- they were everwhere. Her smile turned into a faintly insane smirk.

"I have no kin."

She flicked the card. Light Sigil. Purification. A wave of energy blasted out of her, smashing Husks, Shamans and even Ravagers aside as it pushed in all directions. She smelt a faint sizzling of semi melted concrete, and heard the satisfying crack of bodies hitting walls.

Roaring. She felt more monsters draw towards her, closing in. She flicked the used card away. She'd spent hours charging it and the others in the Ziggauraut...It would have been so much easier if she still had It on her side...

Athena threw energy blasts, taking out half dozen more. Too many. She drew another card.

YoU CaNNot SToP DeaTH

Ice Sigil. Diamond Blizzard. Dead flesh shredded and chunks of chitin exploded outwards as icicles lanced out of her hand in a ray of frozen shrapnel. Still more of them came on.

More energy blasts. She took to the air, raining destruction down.

YoU WiLL NoT WIN

Swarms of them. Some Shamans flew at her. Another card. Wind Sigil. Titans Wingbeats. They were slammed back down to the earth. Sometimes she was embarressed about labling her cards so, but right now it seemed fitting. She laughed- a sound which, if any sane human had been in the area, would have chilled the blood.

YOU WILL DIE

It had distracted her. A bolt of lightning struck her from above, before she could phase away. She tumbled, stunned, and hit the floor. Two Ravagers closed in.

Rolled away, punched one back with an energised fist. Drew another card as fast as she could.

But not fast enough.

The second Ravager's claw impaled her through the chest. A moment later, it tore her in half.

The death god laughed in the remnants of her mind.

YoU WiLL FeEd MY HuNGER
YoU HAvE FaiLED

That was it? That was all she could manage? Was she really that useless? She felt herself slipping away. Mot was dragging at her, trying to devour her. No! She couldn't lose!
Not here! Not now!
Not ever!
With an almighty effort she tore herself free from it's clutches, throwing her mind into a maelstrom of chaos...before order reasserted itself.

Snowflakes fell around the Ravager. The body vanished.

A moment later, it and the surrounding lesser monsters vanished in a storm of energy, disintergrated into nothingness.

Athena staggered out of the cloud, grinning as snowflakes whirled around her.

"Sorry, kid...But only the living can die..."

She drew another card.

"I am older than your very concept. You can never destroy me. Not while I have strength left."

Roaring. Anger. She had it's attention, but she didn't care.

As long as she had people to protect, she would still have strength left.

Athena screamed a battle cry, energy blazing around the immortal as she continued the endless battle.

---

Astoria - Saturday 24th March, 11pm

THerE IS nO RESpiTE
thERE iS No PEacE
YOur STRength is GOne
TImE to DIe


She no longer recognized the impossible voice in her mind, no longer recognized her surroundings or the sounds and smells that assailed her senses. Her mind was filled only with a desperate need to somehow... someway... survive. Reduced to little more than a feral creature of the night, she crawled on hands and knees through the garbage strewn alley. Her once silvery costume was filthy with blood and grime, the tough alloy slashed in dozens of places to reveal red raw wounds that had barely healed over. Her short hair, once always immaculately cleaned, was matted and filthy and her bright green eyes, once so full of life and intelligence, were dull and empty.

SooN NOw
I haVE FEd ON yoUR PAin
I hAVe fED oN yOUr STRengTH
NOw I WIll fEED on YOur SOUl


A cackle of laughter in the shadows startled her, but she was too weak now to do much more than flinch as the corrupted servants of Mot appeared. They circled around her, moving in closer, knowing their prey's end was finally at hand. One, a type with large wings upon her back, stepped forwards and prodded their victim with a clawed foot. "Look at her, sisters! Her shame and guilt have wrought her soul to nothing, as is right! Now, when she realises she cannot prevail, now is whURRK!"

Her gloating was interrupted as their wretched victim showed one last sign of defiance. A hand flashed out, the fingers tipped with a flickering light, the last vestiges of her power forming razor sharp claws. They ripped through the Talon's abdomen, tearing out her viscera in a single motion and ending the monsters taunting.

Immediately, the others drew their swords and stepped in, their voices raised in anger. Metal flashed in the red moonlight and steel sharpened by magic sliced through their victim, impaling her to the ground.

You aRE MInE!

The light at her fingers flickered and died. Blood poured from her lips, and she sputtered one last gasp before the ground opened beneath her, one of the many mouths of Mot bursting forth and swallowing her whole.

"Jess..."



"ELLIE!!!!" The scream tore through the darkness, startling the Talons in their triumph, and seconds later a spinning dervish flashed through them. Dark blasts of energy erupted in pulses, ripping the life from the twisted women and feeding the young woman at its core with their life force. Behind her, heavily build androids in the uniform of the Unity Vigil surged forwards, pulse blasters firing at those the woman known as Tiger Dark did not immediately exterminate. Further back, at the rear of the group, the white clad medic known as Marshal looked on in shock and sorrow.

It was over quickly, the Talons standing little chance against the combined power of the Vigilant combat androids and Tiger Dark, but it was far too late. A wail of anguish tore through the night as she dropped to her knees where, seconds earlier, Ellie had fallen to Mot.

"Too late... Too late..." Her voice was broken by sobs as her fists beat the ground, cracking the blood stained pavement.

Walking carefully through the bodies, Marshall approached and knelt beside her, a soft hand resting on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry..."

---

@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Sometimes there are no words that justify or satisfy the need to speak, Marshall told himself as he looked on the twisted Visage of Dark Astoria. It was not the first time he'd been in here since the awakening, of course. He'd been one of the people assigned to rescue squads in the early days and he was thankful the creature hadn't been so strong then. The awakened abomination of death fed on the fears and doubts of those in its' domain and he'd been ready to give up in those first few fraught days. Not from what he'd seen here but from what he'd been part of. He'd had his doubts once. Then. Probably had them still now. But he was in a better place to deal with them. He stopped above the lit darkness below and looked for the precious signs of hope, whilst considering that those who needed hope could perhaps see him up there; hear the fighting of other -more pro-active - heroes, see the midnighters hunting the streets, and take hope from that. Escape through the portals. Be safe.

ThEY wilL NeVEr Be SAfe.
I WiLL CoNSuMe All.

The words were ones that would have dropped him from the stars like a stone had he not been halfway expecting them. As it was, he managed to right himself before a devastating impact with a roof-top. He focussed his thoughts, and repelled the ground, landing awkwardly on the roof top. He didn’t bother replying to the voice. To speak aloud would be to acknowledge it. To acknowledge it would let it further in. Let it get more grip on him. Besides, it could just be his doubts talking to him – in which case the voice was internal and didn’t need him to talk back. It would know how he felt. Tempting a doctor with threats of death is like trying to encourage people to lower cholesterol by offering them free Cheese and Bacon paninis. Pointless. He’d heard heroes say this thing made them think of the worst horrors they had experienced. It made them dream of death and despair. Well, he’d dreamt of those he’d failed to save for months now, years even. Those dreams didn’t make him despair in his waking hours anymore. They made him fight all the harder to stop the next addition to the dream wall. Doctors knew that death had to be held to be inevitable. Their job wasn’t, as many assume, to deny death as that was akin to insanity. Rather it was to extend life. To give things to stay alive for. To keep hope breathing in those under the knife and those in the waiting room.

YouR HOpE shaLl Be ExTinGUished.
YoU ShaLl belong To Me

Marshall hoped now that it was an external voice talking. He didn’t want to think of his inner voice sounding like a cheesy villain from a 50’s sci-fi film. He realised something then. Something that made him smile. Whatever this thing was, he’d heard that it spoke to heroes in their native language. And why not? After all, an all knowing god of death would know these things. But then an all knowing god would also know that hope can never be totally extinguished for, as light needs dark to remind people of its’ power, so despair needs hope. It always exists, even in despair. The deeper the pit of despair the more the higher levels of the pit resembled hope. Even here, he thought to himself as he looked from the rooftop down onto an old church, still standing after all this time and punishment, hope lingered. He needed it to as an old poem he’d once been given by a patient appeared in his head.

My son was killed whilst laughing at some jest. I wish I knew
What it was, and it might serve me in a time when jests are few.

Recalling Kiplings’ words, Marshall pushed himself up, off the roof as the door to the roof broke and its corrupted denizens flooded through for him.

YoU CAnnOT EsCApe Me.
YOu CaNNoT escaPE wHaT You’VE DonE.
YOu will be CLAiMeD

If you’re a god, I can hardly stop you, Marshall thought as he headed towards the nearest portal he knew of. Same for if you’re my doubts. But know this, whatever you are. He stopped near the protected area and turned to see the fallen cityscape and its’ looming towers. “I’ll be coming back.” He said.

---

'You lose more of your femininity every day Doroe. It's very appealing.' - SLEDGEHAMMER!

Astoria - Saturday 24th 9:32PM

Mechanical bodies littered the streets outside of Moth Cemetery. Walking through the wreckage, looking down at his slain creations, was Clemenz Okatov, known to many as the super villain Doctor Desecrator. His golden armour gleamed in what little light there was and the combined colours of his cape danced about behind him as a furious wind picked up.

Clemenz pressed two fingers against his helmet's built-in radio as he tried to tune his signal and communicate with his digital henchman, the artificial intelligence known only as Xavier. Soon, despite heavy amounts of interference and static, Clemenz registered Xavier's voice on the other end.

"Sir, another wave of drones has been prepared for deployment. My readings show the last attempt faired poorly against the defenders of the Cemetery. I will continue scanning for a possible-"

Xavier was promptly cut off from Clemenz and was instead replaced by a voice Clemenz knew all too well.

YoUR atTeMPTs tO GAIn MY poWER ARE fuTIle
YOu Will FEEd mE
YoUR hATred
YouR AMBiTion
All WILL SaTISfy MY HungER

Clemenz knew that voice, that disembodied unforgettable voice, was right. He had come to Astoria to exploit the situation, to steal the powers of the death god and ascend to glory. But he hadn't expected the notable opposition from the Talons, the Knives, and even the Tsoo. If he stayed, if he continued his mad campaign to snatch Mot's powers, it would end up the other way around; Mot would devour him, and he would be powering the death god. Soon, Xavier's voice crackled back through.

"-you there sir? You dropped off of the grid for a moment."

Clemenz looked about at the bodies of his destroyed soldiers before taking one last look at the looming silhouette of Mot's maw that stood in the distance.

"Xavier, re-route all functioning Desecratoids still in Astoria to my location. Astoria is lost to us, I will take our remaining forces and retreat back to the Isles. Mot has won the battle... and he looks set to win the war."

---

Username: @Royal
The Alien Tyrant, 357388: Stop the reign of an evil emperor!
Spawning Chaos, 469020: Form an army of Freaks, win the Freaklympics!
The Restarian Front, 363257: Stop the invasion of an alien fleet from another galaxy!

If there were people who were brave enough to walk Dark Astoria without equipment, they might get the rare chance to find a tall man in blue armour, with a pointed hood, taking on many of the dangers found in Dark Astoria with his bare hands, and using some sort of magic to transport them somewhere. This man is the Unavenged Knight.

Usually, he is a Retributionist, who punishes criminals and sinners proportionate to their crimes. An eye for an eye, many would see it as. There are times where he ignores this rule, usually because it's not possible or not advised. In this case, it was the latter.

As known by most, people who are killed make Mot, the deity that had arisen, stronger. What he intended to do instead, was to transport the evil-doers to a place where they could do no one harm, without killing them.

After defeating and transporting a group of the Talons of Vengeance he had just encountered, he heard a rather unpleasant voice.

YoUR atTEmpTS To sToP mE aRe faILinG
YoU caNNoT wiN
YoU sHalL bE paRt of mE
I aM InEVitABLe
I aM dEatH
I aM coMinG

The Unavenged Knight stood there silent for a minute. He spoke in a dark, monotonous voice.

"Hmph. You're just irritating. But rest assured, you shall pay for your crimes."

He looked around him, waiting for him to speak again. But everything was dead silent. He sighed, and continued onwards, heading for the nearest Circle of Thorns group.

---

Astoria, today, sometime

The dreadness of Astoria could be tasted in the air, Lucy moved with all the stealth a ghost can muster, focusing on the target, letting the whispers flow over her. Ages of dealing with the Others had hardened her mind, and her mastery now allowed her let the Others deal with the demands of the whispers, guilt and sorrow they knew in abundance.

The new natives of Astoria might glance towards the space Lucy occupied but Lucy was running with barely a foot in the real world, hunkering down into the Void when a hard gaze fell upon her. She knew fighting the natives was not going to help at all.

Finally Lucy could see the wards glowing ahead of her, the sanctuary the Midnighter team had set up, she could see the weakness’ in the wards, the Midnighters were struggling.
Slipping past the creatures standing watching the ward circle Lucy entered the Midnighters encampment.

Converting her form to her normal flesh clad look Lucy approached the Midnighter shouting commands. The man looked haggard and grey skinned with the strain and worry.

“ Hello, I am Lucy, you must be Mister van der Goolff , yes ? “

“yes, yes..you are Dire Lament ..we were told you were trying to reach us…” pausing to gulp a deep breath he continued. “ you have brought the material yes ? “

From deep within her coat Lucy drew forth two very old looking scrolls and a crystal jar, and with great care passed them to van der Goolff.

“ these are the items , do you think the plan will work ? “ she questioned.

“ we.. Can but hope.. If we can last long enough.. “ van der Goolff struggled to say, clearly his physical strength was fading as much as his magical.

Lucy looked around, all of the Midnighters where in a sorry state, the fight was being lost here, and she knew that each and every encampment would be needed for the plan.

Needlessly dawning a deep breath herself, flesh still clung to the ways of the living, she considered the risks.

“ Mister van der Goolff, give me your hand.”

Lucy gripped the hand of the Midnighter and used a magic she knew would attract unwanted attention, the Xoci magic of the Orb, the Tear of Life gathered , a cloud of invigoration and health expanded outward , coating each of the Midnighters , restoring their bodies , clearing their sleep deprived brains, fuelling their metabolisms, giving them the strength of many, many days full rest.

Van der Goolff almost choked as his body final breathed freely for the first time in days.

“ Th-an-nk you, that was so powerful , whe..”

Lucy cut him sort with a shake of her head, “ not here, not now, I must go now, but may be I can help in another small way “

Lucy moved to the carefully crafted pattern the Midnighters had use to erect the wards, glancing deep beyond the shadow of reality Lucy dumped raw magic into the wards powering pattern, infused the wards glowed bright and strong once more.

Van der Goolff nodded once to Lucy and then moved once more to command his groups work.

Lucy fled the flesh and stepped back deeper into the Void, gathering her reserves she sort the sky above and escape from the battleground..

---

Dark Astoria, Midnighter portal 'safe' zone

The wind should have howled, the Chief felt. There should have been something, some movement, rain maybe.
There wasn't. In this place everything seemed dead. The trees hung and drooped, branches like claws. The wind was dead, the air still, heavy and lifeless, choking and muggy. Everything about the atmosphere here was oppressive, even for a synthetic being.

"Don't blame Vix for not coming," a voice muttered beside him. The towering robotic soldier glanced down to the power-armoured young man by his side, face hidden by the full-face helmet he wore. X21 Ice Wolf had his rifle ready, and Chief Centurion Z1 could sense the tension in him.
"Agreed. This place would be a mental death-trap for an empath. As it is, we need to get people out as much as possible."

The Chief turned, watching a small, bedraggled group of civilians being escorted to the portal by a group of 'off-duty' Vanguard Rangers. There were far fewer than he had hoped. The reports had been proved correct; only those most recently arrived seemed able to break away with some persuasion and counter-warding. Those who had been here longer were unable to bring themselves to leave. Even though the Chief knew they could take them out bodily, he also knew that it would arguably even worse for their mental state. Not to mention the possibility of endangering more outside the walls.

Right now, he begrudgingly admitted, the best they could do was try and halt Mot's rise and push this new threat back.

The pair looked around as a shadow loomed over them, Wolf even jumping slightly, Fortunately it was the familiar form of an HVAS, piloted by Colonel Lyndon.
"We're going to have to pull out, Chief," he said, voice given a metallic edge over the suits vox. "There's more mental pressure on our lot every second, and we've got what looks like Talons coming in fast on radar."
"Acknowledged. We've done what we can."

---

While the other Vanguard troops were beginning to move out, the Chief paused, glancing back over his shoulder. Something was nearby, he knew. Something...
He adjusted his optics, filtering out the darkness down the road. Further away, he could see a mob of Talons moving slowly down the street. They were not alone. Bound by glowing rune shackles, two sobbing civilians were dragged along in the middle of the crowd. The lead Talon raised her head and shrieked, a harsh, taunting call taken up by the whole mob.

"Done what we can...?" the Chief muttered, fists clenching. Wolf and Lyndon looked round at the rising hum of power. Without looking round, the Chief reached up and un-clipped the clasps of his cape, folding and passing it to Wolf.
"No point getting this torn and messed up," he said wryly, as both fists began to glow red and the humming reached a fever pitch. "Hold the door for them. And don't wait up for me."

"Chief, what are you-?" Wolf began, but the towering robot had already set off, feet slamming into the concrete as he ran. As he closed on the crowd of Talons the creatures spread out, drawing weapons and hissing.
No regrets. No holding back. No mercy for the cruel and merciless.
The Talons and Knives of Vengeance leapt, weapons and claws scraping and scratching off the white synthetic shell. The response was swift and brutal. One be-winged creature had her twin blades torn from her hands, before being rammed straight through her gut. Another, less twisted individual had her giant two-handed sword turned upon her, the massive blade cleaving whole ranks in half before being used to impale another Talon leader against the concrete.

The Chief fought silently and with a fluid ferocity. There was a pause, the Talons withdrawing with shrieks and hisses, while he snapped the shackles on the prisoners.
"Run for the portal. Do not look back."
They nodded, eyes wide and terrified, before bolting down the road. One Knife lunged after them, before a pinpoint laser blast punched a hole straight through her back. The Chief turned back, optics glowing, staring down the ever-growing mob of Talons and corrupted Knives.

"You cannot defeat us all! We will never cease until all sinners and oathbreakers have been brought to justice!" one shouted from the roof of a nearby building.
"That is as may be. But it should only be one without sin to cast the first stone," the Chief snapped back. "You are all by your natures sinners and murders. And my oath is to the people of Earth, to safeguard them and fight for them when the unjust and cruel come for them." He looked up, optics and fists flaring. "There are others out there doing their best, standing against you much as I stand here now. Your malice and cruelty will not continue. Not while I and the soldiers and Heroes of Earth still have energy left to stand. Entor' Thalos!"

With that he charged, slamming into the mass of shrieking, lashing and clawing bodies, flinging shattered foes to one side and no longer holding anything back.

---

Newport, Early Sunday morning

Claire sat at the desk in the office, going over the list of preparations once again. Venessa was still sleeping yet; normally, on those rare occasions she woke first, Claire would have been content to just lie there watching her sleep. Still half-amazed each time to have found somebody so perfect for her. But these weren't normal times, not even by the standards of the things they had already gone through. And she was determined to be ready when the time came, to be sure they didn't miss their chance. That she didn't let Venessa down, that this time she would keep her safe.

Not that there were many preparations to make. They wouldn't be able to take much, they would need to be ready to go at any time if the word came. A single case each, stored in the trunk of the limo, just the essentials. Including all her jewelery; her credit cards would be no good there and they would be arriving almost as paupers. The thought was enough to make her smile, briefly. She knew what the people who knew her would think about that. But Venessa was the most precious thing in her life. Leaving everything behind was a price she would happily pay. She had even, after the attack on the Compound, considered taking up the offer she had been given before all the trouble had started. Briefly. The price of that safety would have been far higher though.

It had been a considerable relief when Daddy had called, with his news. She had no idea how many favours he must have called in to get them this chance. She hadn't told Venessa everything. An emergency Government evacuation of people to other dimensions wasn't something that would be easy. There were only so many Portals and even fewer safe worlds that they had close relations with who would help. There weren't many places on the list of priority names. Daddy had managed to get them on, somehow, along with her eldest brother and his family. But Daddy, Mother, Randy...they wouldn't be going. And Claire herself would have to help the security forces protect the portals if word got out and people panicked. But Venessa would only fret if she knew, so she had kept quiet.

Claire took one more look at the list, then put it to one side. There really wasn't anything more that could be done. With a sigh she stood and made her way to the kitchen. Waking Venessa to a freshly cooked breakfast might take both their minds off things. For a while.

---

However, it turned out that Smith was not a time-travelling Terminator

Dark Astoria, Arachnos DZ

"This place...we shouldn't be here."
It was barely a whisper amongst the ranks, but Commander Marien King rounded on it instantly, grabbing the offending trooper by the armoured collar and hauling him in.
"Where would you rather be, whelp?" she snapped. "Sitting in a nice safe bunker, leaving the fate of the entire planet to those milk sop 'Heroes'? So that eventually there is nothing anyone can do, and we're all dead by default?"
There was no immediate answer, and in that pause everyone's attention was drawn by the sound of metal on metal.

Lord Recluse was stood a little way off, just past the three remaining and waiting Patrons. The sound came from his spider arms, the metallic blades being scraped against one another to remove the more solid matter from them. They were already stained red up to the first joint.
"So...tell me about gods, 'priest'," he said calmly, blazing eyes fixed on the Pantheon Shaman he held aloft by the face with one hand and no apparent effort. The man struggled, although it was like water trying to break down a mountain.
"The pantheon....our Gods....will return," he managed to hiss through Recluse's fingers. "Mot will devour you, the barriers will fall...and we shall be restored, as servants of the one true order...!"

Recluse stared at him for a moment longer, before huffing.
"How...contemptable."
The Lord of Many Arms tightened his grip, energy coursing down his arm. With a sickening crunch the body went limp, landing in a headless heap a second later.
"Or, more importantly," King took the time to add to the soldier she held by the throat, "Do you want to explain to him how you suddenly feel the lack of nerve, and need your spine removing to match up?"
"Nossir."
"I thought not."
"Commander!" Recluse snapped, kicking the lifeless body aside and striding past the ranks of Arachnos troops. "Get them into position. When we kill this thing, I want the name of Arachnos to be the last thing burned into it's abominable mind. This world, these people, all of it...belong to me!"

---

Unity Station

Tessa Rolando watched the events in Astoria unfolding on her monitor, a small smile of relief on her face. Dozens of reports were coming in over the com system, including a personal message from her wife, Zorielle.

“We did it.”

Three simple words, but words which lifted a great weight from the woman's heart. All their preparations, all the difficult work of readying the station for the mass evacuation, none of it was needed now, and for once, Tessa didn’t care that the effort had been wasted.

They’d won. The monster had been defeated and the world was safe again. For now.

A screen on one side of the visual array suddenly flickered and shifted to a relief map of Astoria. At the left side, not far from Moth Cemetery, a red light suddenly started blinking.

“Tessa?” BODICIA’s voice came over the hidden sound system. “We’re getting a signal from Astoria.”

Immediately returning to business, Tessa turned to look and rapidly tapped commands into the console, enlarging the map to fill the almost the entire video array. “Identify.”

“It’s Ellie. I’m getting a strong locator beacon and vital signs status. On screen.”

A side screen flicked, showing a life-sign status, and Tessa frowned. All the readings were at minimal levels, heart rate barely registering. Immediately, she slapped an alert signal on the desk, setting off an alarm in the medical unit and opening a comlink. “Medical emergency, prepare to receive one Peacebringer, condition critical. BODICIA, lock on to her signal and teleport her directly to the med-bay.”

“Energizing... hmm, I’ve always wanted to say that... Teleport complete, medical staff are working on her now. Shall I notify Zorielle and the others?”

Tessa glanced at the screen still showing the celebrations at Moth Cemetery, and shook her head. “No. Let them celebrate, they’ve earned it.”

****************************


Unity Station, Medbay 1

All was quiet in the main medbay, the earlier frantic activity now several hours in the past. A small group of people were gathered around a bed at one end of the bay, a bed surrounded by monitors and support equipment, and off to one side, Zorielle was speaking to the chief medical officer.

“Prognosis, doctor?” Her tiredness was plain in her voice, but she refused to give in to it and rest.

“Good, I think. It was touch and go for a while, someone had been using her for sword practice going by her injuries; but as you know, she has remarkable restorative abilities. Once her sister arrived and transferred energy to her, it seemed to jump start her healing factor.”

Zori turned to study Ellie as she lay sleeping in the bed. She was pale and still, and terribly thin, but at least she was alive!

“How long until she wakes up?”

The doctor shrugged, “Right now, the best thing she can do is sleep. She’s been through an incredible ordeal and it’s going to take time for her body to repair itself. I doubt she’ll wake for quite some time.”

Nodding slowly, her expression softening to one of glad relief. It really was surprising how much she’d come to care for the young woman on the bed. She was a pest, frustrating and hard to deal with at times, but her personality was infectious and it was almost impossible NOT to end up loving her one way or another. She was glad she didn’t have to make the call to her parents after all, or worse, to Ellie’s wife, Jess.

She looked back to the doctor. “What about Jessica?”

He smiled and gestured towards a small room to one side where the sleeping form of Ellie’s wife lay curled up on the bed. “Exhausted. We put her in a side room so she could get some rest. To be honest, I don’t think she even stirred as we moved her...”

“Thank you doctor, please keep me informed of any further changes. Right now... I have rather a lot of work to do, she’s not the only one to return after Mot’s defeat.”

“Of course Ms Rolando.” The doctor smiled and moved off, heading towards the nearby coffee machine and a much needed caffeine boost.

---

@FloatingFatMan

Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.