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Post by Hero on Feb 13, 2015 17:34:28 GMT
When legends die, their dream ends; there is no more greatness and though they have all to do with the past they have nothing to do with the present. The impact of their legacy crumbles with their story and though they may have changed or saved the world they are acknowledged...but eventually forgotten. Their deaths are often hard, and they live as rarely as the truth does. The truth here? Another legend would die in the days to come, crumbling into dust as all greatness did, remembered, but discarded with as much meaning as all others before it. Such was a world that extended into infinity - one that could never be fully comprehended or understood. Sweaty palms, bloody tears, and skewed vision...all the sacrifices of the great fight: but where did it end? Where was the line drawn between rationality and stubbornness, impossibility and capability. In the end? Maybe there was no line. Some things were simply meant to be. There were few things far and in-between that could deny destiny its rights. Though in the end did that even matter? It wasn't the goal that inspired them...it was their journey right? The Tesser had never been so beautiful and dangerous. Sailing through the Saxiria Star System it had only been a month since the battle against the Nethuamamagos and the lack of damage and their abundant resources saw the Tesser in indelible condition. Even when things didn't seem to go according to plan it all ironed out well-enough to impede their enemies assault and secure the Ward from the foreign invaders. The Crimson Knights had to do little but sit and watch as the invigorated anti-heroes of the hour stayed the alien invaders, and though the outcome was debatable it was hard to deny their performance. It helped that Adell didn't quite care to be given orders and that everyone else operated similarly - otherwise they would have never gotten the chance to show just what they were worth. When push came to shove, Havoc was nothing short of voracious, animals that wouldn't dare hesitate to pulverize anyone or anything that got in their way. Their record spoke for itself; only being together for three months they had gone through so many battles that they had more enemies than most factions did in years. But did it matter? Wasn't their entire purpose to break shit (and ironically fix things in retrospect)? People. Worlds. Organizations. Fingers. Anything you wanted destroyed or dealt with? They never failed to show and as long as you had the resources to reasonably back the demands they wouldn't sway - even if it meant killing one of their own kind. Havoc didn't believe in the whole philosophy of "no man left behind". It was keep up or be left behind by a pace that most would dictate as elegantly hasty. They were elite and there was no arguing that - a family of those that lived by similar ideals with identical objectives. There was no changing what was meant to be, if even Adell got beside himself and challenged their unspoken rule? He'd fall wayside like the rest had. Thinking about it all the white-haired sage looked at the map of the stars, his mind drifting as silently as the Tesser did through the calm stars. The captain's white orchialum chair was adorned by signatures in black marker of those who had become a part of Havoc and lived to sail with the rag-tag team in their wild adventures. Oh what a ride it had been. This was their second day of total peace in over a month, but something just didn't sit well with Adell...glancing over to his watch on his left wrist he was reminded of his promise to Larz. By any means necessary. It had stopped ticking a long time ago, and not even Jin's mystical space magic could make it budge. "What IS the use anyways..." Adell groaned, tossing and turning. "The same...everytine...more and more of the same..." "Stop complaining." Joey yelled, marching into the bridge with his hands stuffed into his slacks. His appearance was as casual as they came, and it clashed against the dark, relaxed bridge he ambled into. He wore a white-tee shirt, matching white denim jeans, and brown combat boots - laces tied and stuffed in the boots like some old school foot-soldier. Spiked silver hair adorned his top and a pair of pale indigo goggles rest right underneath his hairline - the only thing that showed that he was a technician before anything. As goofy as the charming young bastard was he was pretty serious about his appearance and believed style before defeat. "Do I have to call Jin discipline you again?" Adell whispered mischeviously. "No, anything but that!" Joey screamed in fear. Joey groaned and crouched down near the captain's chair, glancing off into the stars in silence. "Why you in here sulkin' like a bitch?" Joey snickered, clearly aiming to press Adell's buttons. "You have trinkets and stupid projects with Vincent to work on...stop bothering me." Joey huffed and rest his head in his hand, using his arm and crouched right knee as a table for his face. "I know what you're thinkin'." "..." Adell didn't say anything, not at first.Since they day they met, Joey hadn't changed at all. His penchant for helping Adell and completing his thoughts was as flawless as ever. Joey was just a damn good natural mindreader. "What do you think?" "I think we might not come back. Won't be like Chamberlain...or Saxiria...dealing with a whole different breed..." Joey yawned, hardly distressed about what he'd said. "Just kidding. It'll be fun though. And who knows, we might run into that chick again. My beautiful Alybaby..." Alyosha Atrave the Eternal Star. One of the names that surfaced abruptly and without warning, easily becoming one of the most wanted of criminals across the Multiverse. She was still nothing more than a rumor to Adell's ears but if she was the same woman who had beaten him in the long distant past before his inconvenient death, then she was certainly worth investigating...but more importantly... "I think the inevitable has arrived." Adell whispered, rising from his chair majestically. Wearing a fine-fit suede black tuxedo with a matching black overcoat overtop only his white undershirt and platinum watch made any other contrasting tones to the all-black usual attire with matching dress-boots. His graphite skin and terrifyingly rigid face shook even his acquaintances with fear and accompanied by his opalescent eyes and apathetic gaze it was impossible ever tell what he was really thinking or what his intention was at any given moment. A giant among men his body was exquisitely lean that most would not dare face him in combat. Surrounded by options of death Adell was the least sought out choice, a titan of composed and impressive brawn his fighting skill was the reason his name had become so infamous. There were very few alive that could challenge his name with their honor on the line, and even fewer of those who remained that would do so. The world had changed since he had died and been reborn again, fearlessly charging into battle, fighting for honor and to grow stronger - these were concepts that faded as did time. Only a few clung to the iron hard ways of tradition, and Adell was one of them. "Ready the Almanac and get our interstellar transmission drives prepared. You remember the coordinates correct?" "Auto-saved from the time we left, yup, I'm on it!" Joey yelled like a coyote, leaping across the bridge and into one of the many hallways lining the Tesser. "..." Adell curled his callous hands into tight fists and released them seconds later, stretching his nerves calmly. Some things simply had to be done. Turning from the stars he strolled through the hallways, ignoring the machinations of the Tesser and its resounding hums and ticks. It wasn't long before he stood outside of one of Vincent's many personal laboratories, the door plain as the rest but clearly sealed by a protective ward that allowed only certain personnel past. Adell lifted his left hand and touched the door softly. And then he vanished. Appearing within the lab there were a lot of things to take interest in, and as expected it was far bigger inside than it was from the outside. Even with so many careful pieces and specimen labeled all over Jin still found a way to run all over the place in childish amazement. Of course Adell couldn't say he wasn't impressed and somewhat shocked himself were it not for his mind being in a different place. "Vincent, Jin," Adell started, taking a few steps forward before tucking his hands into his pockets. His wild white hair tangled amongst itself spiraled like a tower for several inches, and it cast some shadow across his rough and serious face at that moment. Jin had already stopped and smiled, knowing exaxtly what Adell was thinking and Vincent did the same but didn't quite give anything beyond the quiet bubbling of a mechanical ecosystem tank in the background. They all stared oddly for a few seconds as usual when it came to dealing with Adell on a serious note. They were all in silent agreement in what needed to happen. "Time to go."
The relationship between The Aesir Empire and Havoc was one of admiration and reverence. Even still, it would be quite foolish for Havoc to arrive or prepare without using what knowledge they did have on the kingdom already. The Ward was an interesting counter-measure for those who sought to immediately warp into the star space surrounding Gaea - preventing foreign invaders from making an instant assault with no time to prepare. Instead, they would be sent into an artificial dimension known as The Ward, essentially a space prison made to lock away potentially threatening enemies. It was the same trick that had been used to trap the Nethuamamagos where Havoc and the other forces then attacked them without fear of civilian casualty. Fortunately for the Tesser, that happened to be pushing through the Aesir Empire's airspace without permission, they didn't use a warp drive or instantaneous teleportation device to get them from one point to another (atleast not one that involved shooting through a wormhole or mystical dimensional teleportation). Instead they moved almost impossibly fast using the hardware that was the Almanac to circumvent the relativistic problem that would have otherwise been time dilation. The Tesser dissolved into a matter stream and bounced off of the quantum barrier at the speed of light, instantaneously working through any orbital defenses prior to reaching Gaea. The personalized A.I "Nail" instantaneously calculated the route of least resistance in perfect synchronization and when push came to shove the deuranium-orchialum alloy gave their dreadnought the durability to endure and slingshot itself through a series of complex algorithms, though all collapsing concurrently, nothing would know they were around until they appeared. Even their computers would be oblivious until the moment they appeared in the atmosphere above Bablyon City, rematerializing and dropping like a meteor from the sky. The bridge was empty. If they received any communication from anyone there would be no one to answer, no one to be scolded or swayed from their decision. This day was already set in stone. Whether in arrogance or confidence Havoc descended on The Aesir Empire's capital at monstrous speeds, though there was something notably odd about its descent. "Calculating projected laser routes," the bridge spoke to itself, the hull shaking against their drop at approximately one-hundred and eighty meters per second. The ship was approximately 4200 meters in size overall and was mostly built to be self-serving and operational in its initial programming by Veldime and subsequently Joey and Vincent Fiorelli. It was a monster descending from the sky, and any attacks offered from the ground or the sky above would dissolve into the Class-5 Photon Shielding surrounding the dreadnought. Then, as the ship reached terminal velocity several seconds later, it offered its homecoming gift. Several thousand lasers, seeming to materialize from anywhere within the Photon Shielding erupted from within, temporarily dissolving the barrier and bursting from the Tesser to bring destruction to any defenses or susceptible openings below. The catch? They were all carefully disguised using a Photon Dyeing method that refracted the light around the concentrated light beams, which in-turn would make them invisible to the naked eye. The result? Anyone who was unfortunate enough to get caught up in the radiant show or light would find it hard to avoid being swept in the beautiful destruction that followed. They had appeared like a crisis above, but they were far from a singular acting unit. "Prepare to drop." Adell commanded, checking Loki's power armor. His was specifically built to enhance his strength and durability to his specifications and was one he had taken a liking to since he received it from the Aesir Empire during their last visit. Riku was nowhere to be found, then again, nor was Chaos and Nico. He was sure, however, that they were prepared to launch or be blown out of the sky at any moment. "Master!" Loki yelled, just as Adell began to walk off. "What?" Adell looked back in confusion. "Don't die." ... "That's my line." Adell smiled, the bloodlust leaking from his very soul. As they collapsed through the atmosphere of the sky the ship grew slower and slower, Nail using their propulsion drives to stop them from crashing into Babylon, but to secure them a route into the city from beyond. "Preparing Dynamic Redding Radiation." From the bottom of the ship a radiant streak of gold suddenly flashed like a beacon, arcing across the sky into the space above the ship. The incredible photon radiation made it impossible to actually dissect what it was, but one familiar voice could be heard rehearsing in the cockpit. It waited. Anything the Aesir Empire had to offer, it was prepared to destroy it all. By any means necessary. Rolling spheres of resplendent gold and ivory resurged continuously, rolling inwards and out in domes of grandeur from the hovering machine. Helios, the final testament of the God Gundam and of Neo-Japan's final days. The red white and blue paint of the machine was barely visible as was its outline within the basking radiance of its power. "Show me your will to live, Aeon..." Adell murmured. Then, if all went according to plan, he'd disappear in an incadescent streak of light headed for Ashrum Academy. "how egotistical of you..."
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Post by Flarhgunnstow MacGrarfileld on Feb 15, 2015 1:36:11 GMT
The Captain of the Yggdrasil Space Pirates, Crim El Furaga, that dashing lanky red-haired ne'er-do-well to end all ne-er-do-wells, sat at a bar located somewhere in Babylon City. He had no idea where he was or how he got there, but it didn't matter because
"FINALLY I CAN GET DRUNK!" he jumped up and yelled all of a sudden, causing some old guy to stumble and fall off a stool.
"Ya crazy whore!" the old guy stammered. "Ya made me fall! I hit the floor like a sack of bricks!"
"Better than a sack of shit though! HAHA!" Crim replied as he downed his eighth shot of some sort of overpowered whiskey. It wouldn't be long now before he ended up losing all motor function, his brain turning to so much mush, like the town drunk in some bizarro dystopian Ayn Rand novel full of laughing smiling children, all riding animals and singing.
"...the singing children!"
You'd think there would be some kind of ulterior motive for his presence in this place at such a seemingly opportune time, but really, he was just here for the chicken wings. Also the TV.
"What is this shit?" Crim asked the barkeep, who simply stared back at him blankly without saying anything.
"Fuckin' buggy as shit," he muttered. "Nice work Doc."
The TV screen mounted on the wall behind the bar displayed what appeared to be some kind of out-of-this-world spaceship adventure. At least that's what Crim assumed it was. But actually, the TV was just a hologram being projected from his yPhone, which was sitting nearby on the bar. It vibrated every two seconds, causing the holographic TV to shake and distort. Crim just thought it was the booze working its mojo.
"It all starts with a little drinkie-poo!" He raised his glass to the still expressionless barkeep while the TV spaceship did its thing in space or whatever. There were probably other details too but by this point the Captain was too smashed to do anything about it. Sixteen going on sixty!
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Post by geraven on Feb 15, 2015 1:59:49 GMT
The very epitome of an oxymoron, the resident ninja of the Yggdrasil Space Pirate Crew Josh Meliden sat beside his Captain at the bar. The young looking ninja, though he looked about the same age as the Cap, had done his best to keep up with the bold red head. Which meant, of course, that he was sloshed and just barely kept his head and hand aloft for the next shot. When shot was poured, he downed it…and dropped. His eyes squinted at the projection on the wall, and thought… “Man, that ship looks familiar.” And then he was out.
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Post by He Who Eats Bears on Feb 15, 2015 3:06:22 GMT
What an interesting way of using that data...
Cee Fatalis was sitting in a booth at the back of the bar, leaning back against the wall with one arm resting on the table at her side and her legs crossed at the ankles as she watched the rest of the Yggdrasil nincompoops get themselves most thoroughly shitfaced. She herself had a short glass and a bottle of whiskey to fill it with, nursing the drink rather than slamming it from the bottle directly as she otherwise might, while she observed the goings-on at the bar.
I'll have to give Shirokawa a few pointers when we're done, she mused to herself, taking another sip of her whiskey as she watched Josh slump off his barstool into a pile on the floor. Crim was, predictably, spewing unpredictable inanity and making threats against things nobody else could see. A few others were gathered in the bar as well, alternately enjoying a fine beverage or guzzling cheap grog by the gallon, a'la the pair of idiots in front of the barkeep. Typical, really...give them the slightest opportunity and those two were on the hooch like flies on stink, getting as plastered as they could as quickly as they could manage. Total morons, the both of them.
"Raah! Cap'n's three sheets to the wind! Trim the fors'l and clew the mizzenlines, raaah!" Polly Vinyl Chloride piped up from the parrot perch which was, for whatever fucked reason, planted right by Cee's booth as if put there for that very reason. Cee paid the sorta-bird no real heed, swirling the whiskey around in her glass, watching the play of light through the liquid as Crim said something stupid again.
"Almost time to go, gentlemen. You might want to wake up the fucking ninja," Cee announced, hauling herself up out of the booth. She was in her Feikona uniform, the Knoxx gate and magnetic anchors integrated into it both fully functional, her Schitte Kicker additions holding strong. The Aesir Empire had really delivered...her new battle kit was deliciously impressive. She'd managed to bring back a few old favorites, and the resources available to her after her deal with Aeon had let her finish the work on a few intriguing ideas she'd been bouncing around for a while. Oh yes...she was doing quite well and looking forward to testing her new toys out. This particular run wasn't quite how she'd wanted to do so, but it would work as a starting data point, at least.
All those lovely martial feelings, the warm glow of increased lethality, was spoiled when the semi-conscious Josh let off a belch of the sort that measured on seismographs in nearby towns. The pictures on the walls shook and rattled, one of them falling off in a clatter of broken glass, and the sheer decibel level of the great thundering racket set PVC to flapping around the bar in crazed circles, cawing nonsense about the sky falling down and the End of Days. It should've been scientifically impossible for there to be enough air in the entire bar, let alone in Josh's lungs, to make that tremendous bellowing cacophony, but somehow Josh pulled it off anyways.
A look of sheer disgust swept over Cee's face, a fixed-point anchor manifesting near enough to the ninja for a Godforged copy of Cee's leg to appear off of it and kick the bombed-out ninja right in his rude nasty ass. "Can you people BE any more grody?!" she barked. "Knock it the fuck off already, we've got fuckin' work to do! Wake this dumbass up," she snapped, faux-kicking Josh again, "snap that dumbass out of it," she continued, stabbing a finger at Crim, "and quit giving these morons alcohol! And for the love of God PVC, SHUT THE HELL UP!"
"RAAH! Repent, ye sinners! The end is nigh, RAAAAAAH!"
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elyk
New Member
Posts: 33
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Post by elyk on Feb 15, 2015 3:21:26 GMT
Suddenly a white haired man burst into the bar wearing a dark gray and blue outfit with a strange Shin-Ra logo on his shoulder. He scans the place ignoring the chaos as he focuses in on "Reno" gliding his way past the tables of half eaten cigarette s and half smoked nachos. The smell of booze was rank as he came up to the CEO.
"Ugh...you hear about the bombing on reactor 5 today?" The General of SOLDIER sits down and grabs him a glass of the hard shit Reno usually drinks.
All manner of crazy crap seems to start up as Elyk as well as the others can feel the walls shake.
"Looks like them Avalanche boys are at it again. You drunk enough yet to handle this?"
Looking over at the very loud, bossy, yet well endowed android yelling orders for some reason his mako eyes lock onto hers and he glares.
" Who are you Missy? Calm down we got this, you are looking at some top brass here. Public safety is one of our main concerns."
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Post by Killiak on Feb 15, 2015 20:25:49 GMT
*Click*
Nothing.
*Clickclickclick*
Still nothing.
“Stupid shoddy equipment, what good are you?!”, shouting could be heard from the bar's men's room.
“HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO DRY MY HANDS?!?!”
*Ka-BOOM!*
Combined with the quaking of one of the patrons in the bar's obnoxious belching, another crash came in a more direct manner, again from the bar's restroom.
Judging by the sound of it somebody was having a really bad day in there, three other nobodies fleeing the scene each with expressions on their face as if to say “what the hell is that guy's deal? Sheesh”.
A good thirty seconds of racket go by, followed by thought-provoking silence. What came next was anyone's guess, but surely out of the pirates stealing the show (as they always did) at least one of them anticipated it. “It” really didn't make sense, but who could say anything made sense in this place?
The door flung open and ricocheted off the wall, chattering its hinges nearly clean off. Out from the restroom walked the source, the crazy bastard's even crazier hair and artificial limbs immediately attracting prying eyes. His dark maroon eyes surveyed the room, that novel crazy-twitch flickering in his left eye.
“Nothin' to see here meat-bags, get on with it! *Ptuh!*”, he snarled as he spit a glob of what one would think was saliva or phlegm, but reacted with the floor liken to acid. Then his eyes widened with frenzy as he identified someone all too familiar.
“Crim! You sorry son of a bitch, where's my money?!”
Darting for the bar, the rowdy customer slammed a metallic fist onto the lacquered wood finish bar-top, splintering the wood and earning the contempt of the keep. Six ragged looking gold coins dropped out of his fingertips, bent to all shit.
“Don't worry, the tab's on me! No-no! Really, I insist! Afterall, what's a few more right?!”
Crim just turned a cockeyed glance to the hedgehog lookin son of a bitch and said nothing for several long, awkwardly silent seconds...until beaming with delight and drunken stupor.
“Ishida! Nish uv yooo to *hic*...yeeahh!!”
Ishida quirked his right brow, looking almost as if he just received the worst your-mama insult in history. Really, it looked like he was gonna clean the Captain's clock.
“Lightweight.”
The keep served up the drinks, Ishida taking up two of the glasses which happened to be filled to the brim with bourbon and downing them in one go. He let out a satisfied sigh, setting the glasses back down with unbecoming care.
“Elyk, that uniform is ugly. AVALANCHE can kiss my bronze ass for all I care. Why don't we just kill the little cockroaches and get on with it?”
Ishida smirked, signaling the barkeep to keep the drinks coming at a steady pace. They nodded in silence and retrieved the bottle, pouring out two more drinks. Ishida grabbed one of the glasses and slid it across the bartop over to Josh.
“You, how's your back doing? You're looking a little squeamish. Don't tell me you're gonna pack up.”
Waiting for his answer(s), Ishida casually sipped on his third bourbon and glanced around the room. The busty broad in the back seemed to be eye-balling his ass, almost like he'd ran out the morning after on her or something.
“Tch, moody bitch. I don't know what her deal is...”
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Post by geraven on Feb 15, 2015 22:33:58 GMT
His crash to the floor was enough to promptly wake the shinobi up. He sat straight up, hit the bar with his forehead, then proceeded to crash back down to the ground. His head broke the marble floor of the bar. Talk about a daze.
“Yeah no kidding.” The ninja said to no one in particular. “I am too talk to shomeone.” He says, still half-drunk. “I’M NOT DRUNK! I’M perfec…*HIC…ly fine.” Yeah, whatever buddy. Anyway.
He looked around and noticed both his old General from Shin-Ra AND Ishida plopped down at the bar beside Crim. In truth, it made him think of the old days, when Elyk, Reno, and Killiak took everyone down in the heyday of the mega-corporation. Never on the same level as them, the ninja thought this an honor and proceeded to stand…sobered in an instant. He took a seat next to Elyk and raised his hand for a glass of what they were all having. Ishida made the reference to an old wound, which had long since vanished from the man’s recollection. But then, who knew what might have happened between he and Killiak when Gren was in control?
“Well, can’t say I know much about it. Don’t really remember. Hum…” He downed his shot quickly, and just like that his eyes were glazed over and his body began to slump over. Yes, the ninja really was a lightweight.
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Post by Lysander on Feb 17, 2015 11:47:22 GMT
His eyes snapped open – brought from his slumber by the sound of someone beating on his door. Immediately his right hand reached to grab the gun-belt at his bedpost, starting to lift from it a weapon of nearly unbelievable power. It closed over empty space, Muttering a string of words that were, in essence, too explicit to be shared his body shifted, planting his booted feet on the ground and letting his denim pants reach down over the cusp of his footwear. Who could it be, knocking at his door at this time of the morning. Of course, glancing at the clock told him it was roughly four in the afternoon and that he'd overslept again. That meant it could only be one person trying to wake him up, and though he was fairly sure he knew who it was, he still stood taut and prepared for what might be on the other side.
Tensing his body in recuperation for anything, he reached out to the doorknob and grabbed it – twisting softly and then he sprung it open so hard the hinges snapped completely in half and the door flew out of his hand and across the room – slamming into the wall with a resounding thud. Immediately a hand shot out from the one who knocked, grabbing him by the forearm. His eyes focused, and he immediately released the tension in his body.
“Jesus fuck, Cai...Abby...why do you have to knock? This is your house too, just come in. Every time you knock, I think we've been found.” He spoke while turning, walking back toward the bed and grabbing his shirt off of it – pulling the black button-up around his body and buttoning it until about halfway up his chest. Rolling the sleeves up to his shoulders, he instantly felt the hair on his arms and the back of his neck standing up. “What is it? Something happened, didn't it? Have they found us? Has our greatest enemy found his way to Babylon City?”
“No, Jamaal. We're still safe from them...for now. No, our problems – while still substantial – aren't nearly that bad yet.” The feminine voice was soft and not in the least displeasing to hear, and the guise she wore for their five year exile here wasn't too bad to look at either, though he distinctly remembered a time when this had been her natural appearance. That'd been so long ago, though. So very, very long ago it seemed. Still, despite the blond hair, blue eyes, and regale beauty of this current appearance, he longed to see her for what she really was once more – the beauty she was now was nothing compared to the sheer awe-inspiring brilliance of her natural appearance. He really would have to shake that old bastard's hand and buy him a pint when, and if, he ever saw him again.
Still, her words sparked his interest and so he inquired as to what it had been. Her response, while rather unnerving, wasn't something he was actually worried about, though he knew it would be the revelation of their location – and thus they'd have to find another place to make a new home. Still, they'd missed more than one shot at catching the slippery bastard, and now that they knew he was here? Well, he wasn't going to get away again – not unless he ran like a little bitch, or they shipped him off world in a pine box.
“Gather the others, Abigail. We have a new directive, and I think it's time we stopped hiding, don't you?” The devilish grin on his face was one many were all too familiar with, but none outside of the horde save one had seen it and lived to tell the tale. Her nod was more than adequate, and he could already sense the private-network in their minds whirring to life for the first time since they'd shut themselves out from everyone, including each other. All throughout the city others awakened at the mental call to arms.
In an hour, they were gathered in the living space afforded by the rather mundane house Abigail and Jamaal had chosen for themselves. Six of them sat around a table, arms folded over one another and hands clasping biceps. Still in disguise, they spoke of their options. Every scenario was discussed in that hour or so they sat, but of course not one of them mentioned running. The mental-link restored meant that others would find them now, though they could turn it off they knew they wouldn't. Never again would they lose that integral part of themselves. Eventually, they reached the only conclusion that was feasible. A war was brewing in Babylon City, at least between this group in this room and the ones who had shown up not very long ago. So, they decided to meet the fight head on. Of course, that was easier said than done, though it was quite probably they were still in the same place Abigail first noticed them.
It was only Bartholomew who advocated not forcing anyone's hands, and it was only a matter of reminding him who they were, what they were, that turned him to their side.
“Bartholomew,” Jamaal began, “how long have we hid here, starving ourselves? We're losing touch with ourselves, with who we are. These disguises, these lives we've taken on in our self-imposed exile have begun to be who we are, but we all know, inside, that this could never be us. It's time we take back what is ours, and we'll do it by amassing ourselves a new Empire, a new place from which to live out our directive, left to us by my father.”
With them all in agreement, they rose and prepared themselves. Jamaal walked to the back wall, where a section of the wall jutted out from the rest. Abigail followed, resting her hand on his arms as Jamaal prepared to push open the hidden door in the wall, she spoke softly. “Are you sure of this, husband? Are you sure this isn't who we are? We've been so long without feeding, so long without our past on our heels, that I was sure we'd finally become assimilated.”
The play on words didn't escape his notice, but he ignored it. He simply turned and took both of her hands in his, lifting them and kissing the back of each. “Abigail. We exiled ourselves because we lacked the vision of leadership, we lacked the strength to do what must be done. We've been here, all these years, since the day that freighter dropped us off in this den of our enemies. We've remained hidden from sight and mind, we've lived mundane lives. We suppressed who we were, we suppressed our hunger. I will no longer suppress that side of me, and neither will they. I can sense that same devotion to your true self within you, when you look in the mirror in this body do you truly feel as if you are yourself? I don't.”
Dropping her hands, he slid the moving section of the wall out of his way and reached inside. First he pulled out the holsters containing the nearly comically massive pistols, attached to separate gun belts. He strapped them to his side, immediately opening his mind to the power he'd not touched in nearly a decade, forming in the bullet slots perfectly forged ammunition. They slung low over his hips, the butts of the guns just within reach of his hands, their barrels resting perfectly along his jean-covered thighs. Second, he pulled out the blood-stained duster. A coat he'd worn through he only knew how many wars and skirmishes with other factions. He pulled it over his broad shoulders, and as the tail end of it swept across the ground he was already placing his dark-colored hat on his head, the brim folded in the most perfect of ways.
Despite year of gathering dust, he already knew each of these things were in pristine condition. Immediately he dropped his disguise. What had, a moment ago, been shoulder-length black hair shifted to a nearly translucent gray. His eyes followed suit, taking on a smokey appearance, as well as the clothing swirling around his feet beginning to be veiled by a smoke-like residue which seemed to be emitted from his very body. Already his true power was once more awakening within him.
“I feel...like...me...” He whispered to himself, as he turned to face the others – whose bodies had changed drastically as well – with the exception of Bartholomew all of them were extremely different. He spoke to them in a nearly-silent voice, though the very power in his words resonated throughout the room.
“I am not Jamaal Noechra. That was my name many years ago, before the change. I was him, and for a time I was him again. NO MORE!” The last bit was a shout, which would have caused many of them to jump if they'd not been expecting it. The passion in his voice rose, along with the volume. The immense power inside of him was residual, even as he spoke.
“No, no more. I am not Jamaal Noecrha. I am Hellion of Val'gara, and I have returned for what is mine.”
His gaze turned toward Abigail, who stepped forward from the line they'd instinctively settled themselves into.
“I am not Abigail Noechra. I was known by that recently, but now it is time for them all to see me for who I truly am. It is time, once again, to be true to myself and to my heart.” Even as she spoke, the blond hair faded away to a brilliant, light-dotted black. The peach tone to her flesh turned the most colorless of darkness, and through the crystalline structure of her body one could see explosions and catastrophes, brilliant patches of untouched, unexplored space within the unbreakable glass serving as the container of her verying being. “I am not Abigail Noechra! I am Caitlyn Leyawin Synath, The Voidmistress!”
The words brought forth the power within her, and already it was being shared amongst the awakened of the group. Along the lines of them, each returning to their true selves in turn. Issak Lindt, The Necron Reaver, even Carnus, The Beast-Reaper, until finally only Bartholomew remained in disguise.
He, too, stepped forth. His nearly black eyes passing from one to the next, until resting on Hellion's visage with a look of pure kinship.
“I am not Bartholomew Smith. No, I have been him for some time – and hope to one day be him again, but for now I am not he. He is not my true self. No...I. Am. Azaroth, The Enigmatic Storm!” The howl of wind arose in the heavens above, the atmosphere above Babylon City itself reacting to the revelations made in the house just below the centralized lightning storm. His body, too, had changed – though not into his true form. No, the house – while comfortably sized – would never contain the true body of Azaroth. To be fair, Babylon City itself couldn't accommodate something that gargantuan without losing half its population.
With their revelations made, each mind returned to perfect synchronicity.
“We are not of this world, of this place. We have found a home here for some time, and though we had to hide ourselves constantly the people accepted us for those versions of themselves – and so we accepted them. Now...now we hunger. Now our desire to feast is beyond a measurable sum. Now...we CONVERT. Now we CONSUME. Now we CONTROL. We are The Collective, and we will see an end to Crim El Furaga and his little band of Nyggers.”
With that, they did what they'd always done. A concussive force broke apart the structure of Hellion's house, and the blast extended out even as Mist poured from his body and into the ground surrounding them on Babylon City, corrupting it and breaking it apart. They began to walk down the streets of Babylon City, any who were curious enough to linger were broken apart in the mist surrounding their bodies, thin enough to be barely visible yet so prevalent that once noticed it seem to take up everything around them.
They walked for several blocks, turned down many other streets, and finally arrived just outside the bar the Yggrasil Crew had taken up residence in. Their voices melded into one single, booming sound which reverberated throughout all of Babylon City.
“Crim El Furaga!” they yelled, drowning out any sound for miles around. “It is time for your crew to meet their end, send them out that they might beg for our mercy before we corrupt them to our purposes and turn them on you.”
Already, far across the stars and in their own homes wherever they might be, other Val'gara awakened and prepared to make the journey. Back at the house from which they'd come, monstrosities awakened from beneath the ground – and on the farthest reaches of the star system awakened a gargantuan creature, which already began to make its way through the clusters of planets and defenses in place – picking the paths of least resistance. It would be some time before it reached Babylon, but it could not teleport – nor be teleported itself, as was the very nature of the mutation given by Hellion's infection of the now sentient planet.
For now, The Collective simply awaited a response from The Nyggers, and it would surely come soon. If not...well...they had ways of getting a response.
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Post by Flarhgunnstow MacGrarfileld on Feb 17, 2015 13:50:16 GMT
Crim kind of paid attention to his friends but mainly he was focused on his drinking. Oh, hey, check it out. General Elyk! And then Ishida? What a party! Hmm...and the Toaster...yes, surely she would make some delicious toast to go with his alkyhol. Hark! What's that!? LOOK! It's that towers! THEY'RE FALLING!!!
The lanky red-haired rogue thought he heard something or someone call his name in some far-off ambulance-voice, but it could have easily been another figment of his imagination.
"What's all that noise? You guys keep it down I'm trying to drunk here."
The Captain chuckled at some unseen sight gag and then banged his forehead against the bar, like really hard. Hard enough to shake the whole place. Wait, wasn't that dangerous though? Like from a structural engineering perspective? Welp.
"Who's that knock-knock-knocking at my chamber door, quoth the Raisin, neverwhore...hahaha..."
And then of course nothing else happened.
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Crash
New Member
Posts: 28
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Post by Crash on Feb 17, 2015 16:34:04 GMT
Fucking neanderthals!
The nerve of them to start a party without inviting the [star] of the whole show! Rude and inconsiderate that's what they were! If Crash weren't bright he would think that they had intentionally omitted him. That would make for quite the conspiracy but maybe it was his belligerent attitude and penchant for causing mayhem everywhere he went? His reputation WAS quite formidable in that regard but what did it really matter? A [hooligan] who threw caution and reason to the wind he was as disorderly as they came and flat out repulsive. Tradition and morals and standards eh what did any of it really mean anyway especially to an exuberant breaker like Crash? Time and time again Crash tried to stomach it only to puke it in a revolting puddle of bile and blood. He just couldn't do it! He had been nice and every single time he had been nice he had been humiliated. When it came down to it Crash had diarrhea and he wasn't going to tolerate it anymore not because his ass hurt or everyone was disappointing as all hell but mostly because he was just fucked up that way. If [Alex] and [Brian] wanted to wait to get their food then [Crash] would just spit and devour on everything worth anything.
Disrespectful but legitimate for the euphoric breaker who shattered the walls between his reality and the reality of Babylon City with a dynamic swing of his heavy bronze fist. His thick knuckles cracked the window that separates the two and brought it down effortlessly without the standard jovial eloquence or widespread calamity that usually followed his entrance no Dias and Babylon City would be spared so that they could see the face of their sprightly aggressor. Crash was by no means a regular mortal and even though it may be obvious to few of impeccable insight that Crash was a celestial being it was impossible to tell just what kind if even really what he appeared to be at all. Still the gargantuan bronze-skinned divine being hardly cared about anything going on at the moment several thousand laser projectiles struck the ground and sent a chunk of Babylon into a chaotic war zone.
So this was the world his crippled and soon-devoured Suza barked of...a mundane world Crash was quite familiar with in passing. From beating Dias with his own arm to fighting Exus Prime Crash was quite accomplished in worlds outside of his own and if being the one who primary defeated the ignorant High Council was not enough them honestly nothing ever would be! The shirtless celestial ruffled his dark brown hair and reached down to adjust his belt on his dark blue denim jeans sitting on-top of his cowboy boots. A fucking ten-pack that even that geraven faggot couldn't fathom - wait how could he even comprehend that? That was a question for another time, and before long the berserker seeking to relive his glory of destroying all of the scrubs that thought they had any right to talk or say anything as preposterous as they had. Then again everyone outside of Dias was hardly worth bothering with.
A radiant halo appeared over Crash's foul aura and as anything and everything attempted to approach the stalking abomination outside of a legitimate threat it would find itself dissolving under his murderous presence. It was time to find his first victim.
"Where are you fucking clowns..." Oh there he was! Streaking above the sky in a trail of light he recognized a similar presence and if it wasn't that then it was something that gave him butterflies! The superfluity of elation flowing through his titanic veins was beautiful and in a single moment a swipe of his hand would bring "Helios" in the sky above crashing like the pathetic piece of technology it was. And just how did Crash do this? Who exactly knew but an overbearing force of unknown darkness shaped like a hand would slap it right out of the sky, flinging it like a marble into one of the many evacuated buildings in Babylon City those fucking pussies. There was no way to see it coming to perceive it or know it was coming before hand outside of a premonition because Crash was smart enough to knock him out of the sky before the moron even knew it!
"IM COMING!" Crash exclaimed while running in the general direction of the likely [crash]. Inquisitive as he was Crash was a contradict and an arrogant one at that. If anything rhymed with Crash it was condescending but he had every damn right to be. The revelation of annihilation was coming so his attitude would make sense in he end when everything with mettle enough to stand before him was wiped out like a smudge on a window. And he'd broken the window already! "Eheheheheheheheheh!"
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Post by geraven on Feb 18, 2015 1:52:37 GMT
The ninja's eyes popped open as he felt his glass get refilled. The pouch to his left side dangled somewhat loosely off his hip in the back, and his muscles gleamed in the light as though he had just slathered lotion all over them. "I mish my coat...*hic*" He sat up sloppily and downed his drink in one gulp. Well, what didn't splash all over his sleeveless black leotard and black slacks.
"Awe, man!" And the rest dribbled out of his mouth, all over the bar and his black, thigh-high boots. Stayin' classy, like always. He put the glass back down, it was refilled and...he tried again. This time, he succeeded in the glass to his mouth and kick it back. And proceeded to crash back down to the bar.
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Post by Dirge on Feb 18, 2015 7:51:55 GMT
Legends were a funny thing across the entirety of the Multiverse and the Omniverse. It could not be denied that they were created through hard work from a select few or, sometimes, even a lone person; through blood, sweat, and tears, these once common people worked their way through each and every single hardship in their way. It was only their determination and the feats they ultimately managed to accomplish what caused others to revere them as a “legend.” The number of these individuals could not be ascertained; as the number of universes out there increased on a daily basis, the legends populating them increased exponentially. However, every civilization agreed in one thing – they were rare. Stories were sung about them and many a poem bellowed out of bards’ mouths to the point that many people did not even believe they existed. The stories usually started out the same. They often depicted a band of ragtag youths or a single common man with exceptional skills meeting villains, monsters, and organizations subjectively regarded as evil. A series of battles ensued between them, which almost always ended with the heroes taking down the opposition. Children often lived in fear of the Bogeyman just as much as sailors feared the terrors of the sea. The widely accepted notion of using these stories to educate, to teach, and to motivate had been passed down from generation to generation across the expanse of the Omniverse.
There was little doubt that the denizens of the Aesir Empire had already heard about this new ragtag bunch of misfits going by Havoc Enterprises. Perhaps it was foolish to say that they did not – after all, the empire had been one of the main forces behind its formation to begin with. They had gotten enough publicity on their own within the clandestine underground networks in the empire and the Black Market. Simply put, Havoc was the group people called up if they needed anything dangerous done. There were no ties to be traced back to the Aesir Empire in anything pertaining to this group. For a while, they operated with the impunity that only their skills earned them but, after the encounter with the Nethuamamagos a mere month ago, questions arose.
Was the Aesir Empire right in dictating the fate of smaller organizations and civilizations across the Omniverse? Did it hold too much power at the moment? Had it become corrupt? Had they lost track of their responsibility?
These questions and many more assailed the mind of Vincent Fiorelli, who currently gazed into several crystal vials containing his latest creation. The translucent liquid filling each and every single vial, suspended in midair above a mythril table, shone vibrantly with an orange light akin to a blaze from time to time. Specks of tiny sable spheres floated freely within its contents, spreading out as ash would through the air. These were the embers of the new age; the embers that would undoubtedly blossom into a powerful flame leaving behind nothing but destruction. After all… To create, one must first destroy.
“… So, what do you think? The help I got from him was well worth it in the end.” Vincent commented to Jin, who was up to her antics through the laboratory within the depths of the Tesser. “We’ll just have to wait and find out! You shouldn’t be so serious all the time, magister.~” Jin replied, effortlessly zooming past the corridors of the lab while miraculously avoiding the chemistry sets, tubes, leyline processors, and other stuff strewn across the chambers.
“If I don’t take this stuff seriously, someone could end up being seriously hurt. I mean… We are going to be giving the Promethium Virus to the new guys. Thankfully, it’s finished just in time, because…” Right as he finished saying those words, letting the last one trail through the air, Adell appeared within the lab in a sudden surge of silver light. It was only after addressing the two of them that the words that would shift the aim of Havoc altogether were spoken…
“Time to go.”
The series of events that those three simple words sprung were going to be remembered by Havoc’s members for years to come if everything went according to plan. The fact that Adell, Jin, and Vincent had come up with an entire contingency plan for a situation that could probably happen in the future obviously meant that, at some point, they were planning to turn on the Aesir Empire. The magister did not think it would be this soon; however thinking back to twenty days ago… It all made sense.
Vincent had been contacted by a mysterious presence who handed him a few vials – filled to the brim with a strange substance – along with a set of instructions. Should he follow the instructions to the letter, the Promethium Virus would be completed. Further instructions had been relayed telepathically through one of the many secure uplinks that Hyades – the magister’s Secret Library – employed to gather data across the Omniverse. Somehow, someone who had access to the Fiorelli’s psyche and, thus, to Hyades itself, kept feeding him information in order to complete this masterpiece. With all the resources that Havoc possessed at his beck and call, it was not a hard task to ultimately get to work on the Promethium Virus.
“… Why are you even helping me with this? What is this supposed to do, anyway?” Vincent inquired on one occasion.
“You shouldn’t worry too much about it. When the time is right, it will come into play.” The mysterious presence replied telepathically. “There’ll be lots of fun in store for you, son. Thirteen more days. Finish the virus by then.” And so Vincent toiled and brewed, stirred and mixed, all for the sake of finishing that odd substance. The magister already had experience with alchemy and chemistry in general, but this virus was unlike anything else he’d seen. It could not be prepared like a potion, unguent, or poultice; the ingredients required were only topped by the life it needed to be given. Fortunately enough for the Fiorelli, the one helping him throughout the whole process often delivered packages to the Tesser, no matter where it was located in the galaxy, containing the necessary artifacts in order to craft the final product. The information about these ingredients and about the entire process pertaining to the agent was swiftly uploaded to the database of Hyades, which materialized a book in its vast shelves explaining every little bit of it.
Tests were conducted on animals of various sorts, brought to the Tesser’s laboratories from the deepest reaches of many universes. A single drop of the virus was enough to witness its effects as it gradually reached completion. Some animals could not handle it and went into a state of undiluted rage, slamming against the crystal walls of their cage in a vain attempt to break through. Horrifying mutations took place in felines, growing many times their regular size and sprouting excess limbs reminiscent of overbuilt human arms.
A small number of them practically burst from the inside out in what appeared to be an incompatible chemical reaction within their bodies. Suffice it to say the effect of the virus on those animals that did manage to adapt to it ended up being nothing more than astounding. Their natural physiology had grown stronger, muscles turning into stalwart walls capable of withstanding most mundane objects and even deflecting away steel hunting tools and bullets fired from high caliber rifles.
“Hmn… I see. Depending on the animal, the virus bolsters their natural capabilities. Interesting.”
As the days passed, the virus was ultimately perfected and Vincent called each and every single member of Havoc to the Tesser’s laboratories. Jin, Adell, and a few others refused the virus on the basis that they did not need it; however, the new recruits were in dire need of an aid of sorts in order to help them grow for the inevitable event. It was time to go.
Riku and Loki were the first to receive the Promethium Virus. The translucent substance slipped deeply into their veins and coursed through their bloodstream, changing them, causing them to forcibly evolve and grow. Their natural reserves of power were enhanced beyond recognition and their arteries proceeded to glow with a platinum light. Specks of dark surfaced within the white sclera of their eyes but aside from these enhancements, they looked more or less as normal as they had been… If you could even describe any of them as normal.
Codenames Phantom, Chaos, and Nico stepped up next and the process was practically the same. Overall, the new recruits of Havoc had been able to pass the initial test of accepting the Promethium Virus within their systems. All that remained was testing it in the battlefield and analyzing just how much it would actually help them.
But for all intents and purposes, Vincent’s job in the Tesser was done for the time being. Adell was going to begin preparations soon. Operation Havoc’s deadline was only a few hours away from its beginning, so the magister boarded the Vaitroye, the first mechanoid he had ever created. After all, he had to claim a suitable spot to watch the fireworks once they started sporadically raining down over Babylon City. Its visage was majestic, possessing a helmet with five spikes protruding from its front. The black metal was crowned with three rhomb-shaped jewels filling in the gaps carved on it. The entire thing stood at forty four meters tall in the hangar of the Tesser, its sleek, metallic surface reflecting different hues of light off of its body. The other jewels filling in multiple gaps across the entirety of the Personal Trooper’s body appeared to radiate an aura of sheer terror that did nothing more than strike fear into the hearts of lesser pilots. This was obviously something that those well-acquainted with countless battlefields could easily ignore.
The sharp claws that protruded from the mechanoid’s forearms extended past its fingers’ reach, drawing a small curve through their length. An enormous sword matching the Personal Trooper’s height from the pommel to the tip of the blade was found in its left hand, its wide guard protecting the Vaitroye’s dominant hand. However, the most unique feature of the mechanoid was the crimson cape extending from the back of its neck, the Fiorellite fabric running along the base of the shoulderpads protecting the back of the mech before spreading outward to blow in the wind. Vincent boarded the PT before exiting the hangar of the Tesser, checking the systems as the Vaitroye’s augmented twin Tesla Drives allowed it to maintain a consistent speed through its flight along with the Troye class thrusters underneath the mechanoid’s cape. The power core – resembling the Draconic Drive Core of the Lombardia, though obviously smaller – provided a source of seemingly unlimited power to the entire mechanoid, letting the Vaitroye travel unhindered for as long as necessary. “Well, I’ve done all I needed to. The rest is up to them. Let’s get the uplinks to the Hyades, Aethera… Well… I guess we’re going to have to rename that one to Havoc. Anyway, Vaitroye… Get those terminal uplinks up and going. Input credentials and ID signature to every checkpoint from here to Babylon City. We’re going back to our temporary home for the time being.” Vincent knew that he’d be able to get through the Aesir Empire’s dominion easily given the way he’d identified as an ally for the empire when the Nethuamamagos assaulted.
From there to Babylon City, it was smooth sailing and Vincent had even managed to arrive fifteen minutes before the Tesser started to tear through Aesir space. It didn’t take longer than ten minutes to park the Vaitroye in one of the nearby hangars, though it was requested that no mechanics touched it. After all, the Zfylud Crystals and the Fiorellite alloy that comprised most of the mechanoid’s makeup were very much alive; the Vaitroye did not possess a will of its own, but it obeyed the magister’s instructions to the letter. If anybody who was not authorized to lay hands on the Personal Trooper did so, the mechanoid would be forced to disable them or outright kill them depending on the transgression committed.
With a couple minutes to spare, the magister sauntered down one of the many streets of Babylon before entering a bar where a rambunctious group of men were drinking and partying and yelling and singing. Well, save for a few of them. Honestly, Vincent could only recognize one of them since he’d seen the gal before elsewhere. It certainly was not hard to see that it was the same individual, or so the Hyades uplink told him. As if that wasn’t enough, the Fiorelli had mapped out as much of the city as possible within his handy mental map. The name tags showing up on it were unknown to him, but he was sure he’d seen at least one or two of these fellows before outside of Cee.
He contained his excitement well for the time being, merely approaching the bar and ordering a shot before turning to Cee Fatalis as she shouted at the rambling parrot.
“And here I thought you’d end up bringing Esper along. Vacations like these, you just have to enjoy with some good company, Chrissy.” It was only natural for the magister to hand a nickname over to Cee. He didn’t exactly want her to snap at the time being, though he just muttered a couple words under his breath after picking up his drink and downing it. Vincent’s attention descended upon the several televisions put on display around the bar. Not only had the Tesser arrived directly on top of Ashrum Academy but some guy was yelling outside of the bar in a voice so loud that it made each and every single TV screen blow up… Along with the bottles lining up the shelves and the glasses around the building. There was also another presence that made itself known across Babylon City near the Tesser; however, the Halfling didn’t seem particularly bothered by it. “Shit… Whoever Crim and their crew ar--…” And then it hit him, snapping his eyes toward the group of drunkards. The nametag of Crim El Furaga fit that lanky red-haired dude drinking like it was his last day on Earth. Or Gaea. Or Babylon fucking City. Which obviously meant that the guys around him were his crew.
“… Huh. Well, get outta here already. Asshole might bring the whole building down on all our heads if you don’t. I have little interest for my day to get ruined so early.”
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Post by Flarhgunnstow MacGrarfileld on Feb 18, 2015 9:23:55 GMT
Ralf Grey, First Mate of the Yggdrasil Space Pirates, sat in the Captain's chair on the bridge of the ship as it orbited the planet. The bearded old soldier didn't seem too happy, but that was par for the course with the Crew's resident grouch. He pinched the bridge of his nose as the main viewscreen displayed the comparatively tiny vessel known as the Tesser, which had appeared rather suddenly, seemingly intent on causing trouble for whatever reason. That in and of itself wasn't particularly bothersome, but the fact that his dear Captain wasn't picking up his god damned yPhone was annoying as all hell. Not that he wasn't used to it, but come on, he'd only been planetside for, what, fifteen minutes now? Not even Crim could find a seedy bar and get himself utterly tanked in that short a time span...could he? Ralf shook his head. "Of course he could. And did." "I've transmitted the data to the Captain's yPhone. Should I keep trying him, Ralf?" asked Chauncy Stiller, the dual pistol-wielding helmsman asked from his station. "No. There's no point." Ralf replied, rising to his feet. "What's the plan, then?" inquired Chloe Klein, a spiral-eyed, pink-haired half-Elven woman who stood near the Giga AEROD battle station. "We'll act according to protocol," said Ralf with just a hint of a grin on his grizzled face. "Protocol? You mean we actually have those?" said Chauncy, clearly bewildered. "Of course," Ralf stated flatly, like it was no big deal. "Now, battle stations everyone." For whatever reason, the Tesser had come in piping hot, traveling at speeds that most would think impossible. A pretty bold tactic, to be sure. Very similar to a certain red-haired Captain, in fact. However... "They haven't spotted us," said Chauncy as he activated various weapons systems. "Or if they have, they're just ignoring us." "Hmph, very well. Announce our presence then, if you would." "Roger that!" The Yggdrasil V, "Yggdurandal", had been in orbit around this planet for about an hour or so. They had permission to be here, obviously, so they had no need to hide or anything. The ship was pretty damn massive though and extremely hard to miss, but maybe the enemy was just a little too caught up in their blitzkrieg to notice the enormous bright red, white-winged hyperdreadnought hovering practically right next to them. Well, around 10,000 kilometers off their port side, but in outer space terms, that was almost like standing side-by-side. "Ignas Array primed and ready to fire on your mark, sir!" { BGM: "The Steel Ark"} Ralf swept his arm aside and issued the order, his Aura of Command surging forth in a flash of brilliant light. "FIRE!" The Ygg V lit up with bright blue energy as hundreds of beams erupted from all along its length, each one potent enough to rip a sizable hole in a small moon. The snaking, twisting beams would be upon the Tesser in an instant, several of the beams would miss on their initial pass, while more still would be aimed straight and true. A second wave of beams erupted from the Ignas Array shortly after the first, followed by a third and finally a fourth. The sheer magnitude of offensive power was such that its brightness could actually be seen by the naked eye from thousands of kilometers away. Meanwhile, Ralf did not let up. He continued to issue fresh orders on the fly, anticipating the enemy's likely reaction. "Gear Corps on standby! Maintain shields! Don't get too far ahead, let's see how they respond. Is the Captain's machine prepped?" "Aye sir, Weltall is prepped!" "Be sure to keep that linear catapult primed and ready!" <><><><><><><><><><> Meanwhile back at the bar...Crim's yPhone continued to project a big screen TV on the wall over the bar. Now it showed the spaceship coming under extremely heavy fire from some other, much more massive and cool-looking spaceship. If he had been paying attention, he would notice that the cool giant ship was actually his ship, the Yggdrasil V, but since he was too busy being focused on getting as drunk as possible, he didn't. Or hell, maybe he did but just didn't care? He knew his Crew could handle it. Wait, handles? That reminded him of something. But what? It won't be long now, geh heh heh...
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Post by Dias Blade on Feb 18, 2015 11:41:05 GMT
THEME:
The Aesir Empire was an interdimensional military superpower. Originally starting off as a simple alliance of nations on a small, comparably primitive world, they soon saw a boom in scientific evolution with the arrival of a mysterious man. His name was Marduk, a strange sort who claimed to have come from another universe.
He possessed an intellect that surpassed their own by leaps and bounds, a knowledge that he freely offered to them in exchange for their help. Though the nature of his accord with the alliance would be revealed much later on in the form of the greatest disaster to be ever seen in the vast known omniverse...the historical event which changed so much. The Daemonium War.
And yet, none of what they were, nothing they had accomplished or built could have possibly existed without his influence. Although, there was one among them who was not satisfied with what they had been able to learn about this old man who had been appointed as the former Chief Director of the empire's Science & Innovation Department. (SID. Cid. See what I did there? LOL!) In the years following the aftermath of the war and the deaths of the entire royal family, the new Head of State, Chief Commander Aeon Ergo who likewise held the title of acting Empress of Aesir, had devoted a great deal of time and resources to uncovering more of the truth behind it all.
What they did know was that Marduk was indeed not of their world, and neither was his daughter, Harken. The woman had been at the source of the war and, thanks to the efforts of the heroes who stemmed the tide of death and destruction, she was saved from herself although at a steep price. Now, Harken spends her days in the gardens at Ashrum Academy, unable to walk and with no memory of her life or identity. She was like a child again, devoid of any recollection of her father or birthplace. Thankfully, the terror she had been made to endure was also purged from her mind, now free to live a peaceful existence amidst the flowers and children who often played with her as a big sister.
They also knew that the SOF Crimson Knights had started off as a special project, lead by Marduk and approved by the late Emperor Cortez, to recruit individuals who possessed a rare trait that made them immune to the corruption of Daemonium. It was designed to be a well trained, elite force of soldiers who would one day act as the saviors to fight back against the darkness and bring an end to the impending doom brought upon them by the very same man who had blessed their nation with so many gifts. Marduk the Sinner as he had been dubbed in the records...bearing the crimes of his people and the weight of their arrogant desires.
It had all been a conspiracy from the beginning, one that the Emperor had been party to supporting for so long. And THAT...did not sit well with the dragon lady. Aeon discovered that the ones behind the calamity which had besieged the omniverse was triggered by a secret organization devoted to the spread of chaos all across creation. An unknown force which pulled the strings of every man and woman in existence.
MERKAHBAH...
Following the Restoration Project to return order to the empire and repair all the damage sustained from the hard won battle, a new war was openly declared upon this malicious entity which hid right out in view of the public. But that would be a story for another time.
For now, the greater mystery still remained. What was Marduk? Why had Gaea been the first conquest made not long after the official decree of the formation of the Aesir Empire so many years ago? What made it so important? Over time, Aeon would gradually come to realize the truth behind those words she read back then, the actual depth of what it all meant. That single word which had become the central focus of the research team assigned to the task of sorting through everything to uncover the hidden meaning. "Ixian." __________________________________________________
THEME:
Gaea was one of seven planets, the third closest orbiting around the imposing star at the center of their solar system. It had been named the Darius System, after the astrologist who first discovered it. Aside from Gaea, all the other worlds were uninhabited, except for Xelphia. It was the fourth farthest from the sun, with a similar ecosystem and living environment. Lush forests and grassy plains with rich soil. However, despite this, all other worlds lacked what seemed exclusive only to Gaea. The presence of "Ethaerium Ore" veins which could be found all over the capital homeworld of the restored empire.
It was just another mystery in the grand scheme of things. Gaea was much larger than your typical planet, with over 1/3rd of its total surface having been claimed by the ever expanding metropolis that had become the shining jewel of their nation. The home to the Crimson Knights and the center for technological advances around the empire. Babylon City...
It was truly a sight to behold. The sheer size of it was breathtaking, especially at sunset when every glass building and skyscraper lit up to reflect such enchanting brilliance. A shining jewel indeed, quite literally. It was in fact so large that whole regions were dedicated to specific purposes, organized into districts with each requiring the needed authorization on one's ID Card to access. The empire had always been big on security measures, and simply being a citizen wasn't enough to grant you a license to live in Babylon. Those native to Gaea were, of course, given the option. Though, the more worlds were gradually conquered and their influence continued to spread throughout the universes, so too did the requirements for becoming a denizen of the city. Even a temporary business license really only allowed you to setup shop in the Commercial District, not actually buy a house or apartment.
Yes, they took public protection and security very seriously. Even all arms and armors, any technology really which used Ethaerium was coded and laced with a black box built-in tracking system so as to keep tabs on who was buying and selling what and where the tech was going afterwards. This was all the more important for any military hardware that was taken out and about, along with the ability to deactivate or flatout self-destruct such equipment regardless of where it might be.
But none of that could top their defense network. There were various layers to it, from the macro level to the micromanagement among the military forces and police divisions stationed throughout each district. All of which ran off of an even more far complex and intricate system which, for the most part, was damn near entirely automated and capable of performing tasks instantly while taking the proper precautions to respond to each situation as needed given the designated threat level. Such had been witnessed during when the Nethumamagos Invasion, a result of them trying to enter the "Exclusion Zone" which surrounds the entire orbital sector of the planet to intercept unauthorized entry attempts into the space itself. In doing so, one is immediately rerouted to an identical, isolated alternate universe of Gaea called the Ward.
The Ward is just one example of this defensive network put in place to safeguard Gaea and its people from invaders. And yet, the truth of the matter is that its actually quite basic in comparison to the greater whole of it. One piece of the puzzle.
For you see, there was indeed a reason Gaea was chosen specifically as the first target following the establishment of the Aesir Empire...
A secret that would now begin to be revealed.
As the Tesser proceeded with its approach towards the world, long before being able to reach the Darius System which, for some reason, appeared as a kind of dimensional anomaly on the maps... Even as they began to set off with such tremendous speed across the stars, the exact instant they made first contact with the outer ring of the farthest planet from the sun, time came to a complete standstill. Not for Adell and his crew, but for the system in place responsible for the planetary defense grid.
When the ship arrived over the city, they would soon take notice that it was not actually Gaea, but in fact Xelphia instead.
The Exclusion Zone and the Ward both worked off of the same platform, a product of much more advanced, already existing architecture. The Darius System was, in truth, artificially created eons ago by the Ixians themselves. Aeon had learned a great deal about Marduk and his people thanks to the efforts of Dr. Ursula Diadora, Head of the Archaeology Department for Ashrum R&D.
The Ixians were a race of Humans who predated the very species. One could say that they were the so called missing link in the evolutionary conundrum. Their culture and science surpassed all reason, redefining what they knew about creation and reality as a whole. To think that such a powerful race, that easily inspired the Gods of old for so many civilizations throughout the annals of history, could have done so much and yet mysterious vanish without seemingly any traces...was just astounding. The greatest question of all time!
And despite how absurd that very hypothesis was? There was still so much evidence left behind like bread crumbs leading a trail to the answers they were after.
The Aesir Empire had amassed quite a treasure trove of Ixian Artifacts, secured in a secret vault located somewhere on Gaea that only Aeon knew about or had permission at this point to enter safely without meeting a horrid death. The hidden stronghold of the prestigious 9th Fleet, Erimos Fortress, constructed within the skeleton of an unfinished, artificial world made of an unknown metal... The remains of a giant mechanical humanoid figure, which served as the archtype for all Ingrid Models... And last but not least, the Darius System in its entirety. All of these were remnants of the Ixian people.
But what the Darius System really was? The actual truth of it was far more unnerving. The Exclusion Zone and the Ward... The entire architecture of the fabricated planetary system. It was in fact all designed with the original intention of creating a prison to confine Gaea itself, as though the planet posed a danger that had been so feared by the Ixians that it took such measures to prevent whatever potential threat that Aeon and the rest were still yet unaware. Could it have something to do with the presence of Ethaerium? The reality of the situation was far more grim than any could know, but that would be revealed later.
For now, there were other things to be dealing with at present.
Or was it more correct to say in the past?
While the Tesser had moved to bypass the effects of time dilation, the passage of time for all those within the orbital sector of Gaea was drastically increased. To be more precise, time for the rest of creation had come to a complete halt for the world while the illusion of the day going as usual was maintained. For this was the true power of this ancient technology...
Every planet in the Darius System was akin to a mechanical device, all connected to one another to keep Gaea isolated from the rest of the omniverse and, if needed, relocate it completely. Such was the immense danger this unknown threat posed.
When the Tesser came to rest above the city, what they actually saw... Where the Val'gara had supposedly been and now where others congregated was, in fact, "New Babylon" located on Xelphia. It had been a work in progress for quite sometime, a new city being constructed due to the halted expanse of Babylon so as to respect the borders of other nations which had been on Gaea since before the empire's arrival.
New Babylon was rather large, yet nothing compared to the original. Not yet, at any rate. People did live there, though. Mainly just workers who had chosen to take up residence there with families, as the job came with many perks and a fat paycheck every month to boot. For the most part, however, businesses were basically all automated with robotic assistance such as at the bar where Crim and his crew of space pirates had been hanging out already well aware of the situation. In fact, the level of resistance in preventing the Tesser from approaching, along with allowing the other hostile forces to make their appearance was odd from the get go. It had never been considered that easy to infiltrate Gaea's security.
Now they knew why.
So where exactly was Gaea then? Well, the planet itself had switched places within the Darius System with Xelphia, of course. The two planets had quite literally swapped locations without causing any noticeable changes in either environment, much less registering the actual event on any scanners. There was quite literally no way to tell that they had moved.
Obviously, this was only a fraction of what this ancient Ixian technology was capable of doing within its sphere of influence. The Darius System was not something to be underestimated, especially when it had up and simply vanished from the dimensional registry leaving a confused giant Val'gara creature roaming through space with its destination now gone. Yes, indeed. The ENTIRE solar system had moved. But to where? Could this simply be priming another defensive countermeasure? Who could say... Maybe the guy who designed it. (MAYBE! LOL!!!)
At any rate, speaking of the Val'gara, those who had been living in New Babylon (Cause anything else wouldn't make much sense) were already well known by the Chief. They had been monitored from the first time they arrived on Xelphia and any attempts to try and gain passage to Gaea had been blocked repeatedly. What they didn't realize was that they had been being studied extensively the entire time, to a degree that one might not even believe as possible. Suffice to say that their overall threat level had been dropped as a result of such analysis as well as various means of neutralization devised specifically for the collective. They would have been far better off simply coming in the same way Havoc Enterprises did with their ship. At least then they would not had left themselves so exposed to study.
That was again assuming any of this was even real to begin with. But M. Night Shyamalan would have to wait to deliver his catch phrase on this one. The battle itself wasn't even underway yet.
That was about the time when Dias Blade stepped out of the bar where he had been quietly enjoying some tea. Decked out in his SOF uniform, the crimson embroidered black coat did well to conceal the slumbering Gleipnir Cuirass he wore underneath. Latched to the belt around the man's waist was a Zynthium forged, custom scabbard made to suit the mythical blade of the legendary Eidolon of Life... A sword whose true name had been spoken to them during the conflict back on Vestusio. The Antaklas of Manah, the Krydesa.
The last living Human of Narria, though only appearing to be in his early 30s at this point in his life, the swordsman was far older than that thanks to the unique cellular composition of his DNA. Known as an Azure Child among the people of his birthplace, his own kind possessed a natural affinity for the spiritual plain and were considered to be one with it. Since he had been persuaded by Aeon Ergo to join the Crimson Knights, Ashrum R&D had made a request that he allow them to conduct tests to better understand his physiology. What they discovered from their experiments was that, while his genetic information was similar to that of a Human, it was more closely similar to that of Harken, Marduk's daughter.
The revelation was mind boggling. Did this mean that the ancient Ixians and Narrians were related? It only seemed to raise more questions, and create far more interest in Dias as well, especially if he was truly the last one.
They also found that the wiring of his brain functioned on a completely different basis from anyone else. For some reason, his brain far exceeded the processing parameters of even a psionic. This meant that he was capable of thought patterns and comprehending concepts that were well beyond the scope of normal Humans. It was no surprise that he could easily learn new things much faster or by simply seeing something done once and then immediately mastering the skill and handling. The phrase "Fast Learner" was an understatement. Was this also an Ixian trait? It would have explained much about Marduk and his race.
Dias Blade... The Narrian....
His past was rife with war and blood. Living on the battlefield for most of his life after choosing to leave the Eternal World once he was old enough after the genocide of his species, he had seen and experienced much over the years. He had even met various others who shared the same name as him, a Mr. Flac who he had sparred against a couple times. He was often mistaken for these lookalikes, especially by idiots who swore up and down that they knew him. (*Cough* Crash *Cough*)
Outside of all that? Little was actually known about him, aside from the reputation he carried. And then there were those who he had come to form bonds with over time. Some had started off as enemies, volatile relationships that were gradually tempered with mutual respect for one another to eventually turn into long lasting friendships with the occasional, for no real reason at all, random fights that usually ended in a draw with untold collateral damages out the ass with no one willing to front the money to pay for it all. Others meanwhile had been companions of his during adventures or out in the thick of battle, comrades who had stood beside him in some real crazy scenarios.
But enough with the monologue, this post is already stupidly huge and wasting time wasn't really his style.
THEME:
Right before the barrage of lasers let loose, Dias had already drawn his sword, index finger curving around the hilt to tug the blade free of the metal sheath. The ringing echo reverberated for miles as he twirled it about before eventually letting the tip come to rest down upon the sidewalk beneath him. His other hand then came down hard, the open palm slamming the pommel with such concentrated force that the Krydesa was driven down like a hammered nail into the concrete. A shock wave was unleashed as ethereal energy surged throughout the ground to encompass the entire city.
The abrupt release of power proved too much for the device he wore to hide the true color of his hair, shorting it out with an overload as the black raven locks shifted to radiant blue. The key trait of an Azure. Each strand became exuberant with free floating sparkles of raw ether dissipating into the atmosphere around him.
Without delay, the Narrian jutted upward into the sky as he kicked off of the ground. As he did this, the energy that had been poured into the metropolis was converted, given form as hundreds of thousands of lights came bursting out to illuminate the city with a blinding white blaze. Taking form, they could all see every street and sidewalk, every alley, wall and rooftop was now littered in an arsenal of swords of every conceivable make and design. It was similar to the exact same technique used during the battle against Malphisto, only this was by far much more extensive, demonstrating the true potential of it for the enemy to bare witness.
The Blade Master flexed his body, revealing the many wires attached to his arms, hands and legs that linked him to the scattered weapons. With a mere gesture, many swords were pulled free as they shot up into the air, one for every laser fired to intercept. With lethal precision and calculation, the blades positioned themselves perfectly so as to deflect the beams, redirecting them back at the others as Adell and his crew, along with Crash and the Val'gara were all simultaneously being shot at by the Tesser's own armaments.
Likewise, before there was even a chance for Crash's invisible hand to make contact with the Helios, the Narrian had actually reached out and taken physical hold of the projected force with his eyes revealed as glowing red...the iris circling his pupils depicting markings of an unknown origin, allowing him to not only perceive it but also interact with it. In that same instant, the force itself was ignited, losing all of its properties before converting into a raw form of ether just by coming into physical contact with Dias as he harnessed the undefined essence into another well crafted sword for him to wield.
The stage was now set, the players were all assembled. Who else would be joining this party?
More the merrier...
(OOC: Alright, so I didn't exactly go back and proof read it so odds are they maaaaaay be some errors here and there. Either way, there ya go. I decided to go with the non-lethal approach with the defenses and just not even make the CK's stuff an thing in this since I know most of you are only here to fight Reno and his crew anyways. That and I REALLY did not want to use more than one character in this, you know what I mean? If attacking Gaea is really THAT big of a deal to folks, feel free to try attacking it AFTER you beat all of us. IF you beat all of us. Since I'm assuming you all care more about having an actual straight forward fight instead of throwing around huge forces at one another. Anyways, some of the entrances didn't really make sense, so I did my best to accommodate everyone involved in this. Now just because the solar system went poof doesn't mean more people can't show up still. Obviously there's more coming, so I left it kinda open ended as far as Xelphia goes. For all intents and purposes, the wife is off work the next two days and we've got plans, so you can consider me on vacation from, well, everything for that time. I'll be back to respond to folks and read things on Friday. Till then, have a good time and please, for the love of God, don't have any OOC clusterfucks while I'm gone. Alright? Alright. Peace folks.)
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Post by Loki Beoulve on Feb 18, 2015 15:48:59 GMT
"With the amount of enemies you will be facing, Loki, you need an extra power boost."
"But, Master!"
"No, buts. You have improved, but the enemy is the Aesir Empire. There are a few strong opponents, and if it comes down to it, you may have to fight a few of them. I don't want you to die. You are my legacy, you are also like my own son. You must listen. Trust me, if you are in a bind...you'll be just fine." Adell had told him, smiling which turned into a grin. He then proceeded to hand Loki his armor.
It was at this time that Loki was inside Vincent's lab along with Riku, and he listened to him. It was only temporary, but it was needed. So this decision was made beforehand by not just Adell, but Vincent and other high ranking people with Havoc itself. So be it. He had hoped his performance today would solidify himself to being stronger then most of the others here. In fact, he had intended to leave a large mark to begin his own legend-in-the-making of sorts. Loki wanted to be depended upon by his comrades, most of all his friends, not just comrades-in-arms. When that needle struck in his veins, Loki grit his teeth, his muscles beginning to bulge up, and the slender but cut male started to have a bit larger muscles. His silver hair went down to his eyes, but suddenly began to spike up on its own, a small hint of black being in his eyes. What was happening to him?! This sudden rush; the feel of it, granting him strength beyond his normal means. Loki was known for his incredible lightning-like speed. What would it do it then? He felt the effects of the virus immediately take effect and Adell placed a hand upon his shoulder.
"You know what to do. Take your position. Direct your attacks onto them. We've practiced this. You can do it; we believe in you, not just we, I specifically do. You'll be fine."
Loki turned his head to him and nodded, before exiting the lab and placing his armor on. It was time to go, indeed.
Unfortunately for Crash, he was about to crash and burn. The Helios ship that Crash’s darkness would attempt to grab simply sent a psychological jolt into his mind to make him vulnerable to attack. During the epicenter of this jolt, light had begun to fade out, causing nothing but a simple hologram of sorts made from this same solar light. With the hologram completely faded out from existence, it was if it never was there to begin with.
With the psychological jolt leaving Crash vulnerable and paralyzed for the moment, a familiar image would appear like a glint of light from the sky to Crash’s left side, just out of the way from the lasers that were being brought forth upon the terra beneath them. The male had seemed to appear out of no where at all; no one had seen him leave the ship, or anything; what was this person thinking, going in alone like this?! The male’s body settling in at a rapid pace, the figure appearing in a white training gi with a blue sash tied at the belt. Underneath the white training gi was roman-like armor that appeared technological. This armor was also white, only positioned at the legs, chest, and shoulder areas of the male’s body. Upon his feet were black combat boots that went up to his ankles. His short silver hair had a couple loose bangs that covered his azure colored eyes.
When the jolt struck at Crash, Loki would immediately like lightning send his left leg into Crash’s head, and at the very last possible moment, igniting the leg with chi that appeared like it had flames all around it, to add a crushing blow to the male’s cranium. Crash’s body would rapidly descent at a quick pace, sending him through a building to cause a massive explosion, with glass being shattered everywhere upon impact; the streets would have a large panic and frenzy and fires igniting the area everywhere, spreading like an absolute wildfire. With the injection that Vincent gave him, his physical prowess and abilities were increased and gave him such a rush of power and adrenaline to boost his potential.
Loki then landed atop of a building, making his descent down by leaping from building to building, being very careful by weaving in between the beams falling from the sky while heading towards Crash. His fists going up, his sword on his back, eyes burning even though his were an azure blue; he would not disappoint and he would help destroy these individuals for causing destruction upon them and causing ill will. He was a good soldier; a teddy bear to talk to, but a soldier on the battlefield; after all he was Adell’s disciple. He was going to do him proud no matter what. His enemies were Loki’s own.
“So sorry about that, but you are in the way. Let’s go, you freak!”
Loki yelled to Crash, and was atop of a large building at this point, looking down, his senses up. His eyes were fierce; he really was ready to fight. His body began to flourish with strength, his muscles relaxing as he was doing this, causing them to slightly bulge after a small bit and if everything went according to plan, he’d charge chi into the soles of his feet for what he had in mind next.
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