Side Story The Goddess II: Fate of the Old Gods


WIDER CAMP
The soldiers raised their arms and maintained their cautious approach.
"Ashe Ubert betrayed the Goddess when he was just a boy!" The swordsman growled. "Children are not to be underestimated. We shan't harm the child... but we shan't allow her to roam free either. She's an accessory. Disciplinary action will be taken against you all, regardless of age!"

"You can leave, Doctor!" Another guard cried, circling the Returned. "We all know you had no hand in this... ongoing assault! This Asgardian dog will be coming with us! We'll take the thief as well... and is... is that Jester Lavorre?!?"
The Shieldsmen clattered their spears against their shields and shouted in unison.
"Everyone get back! Get back! We'll deal with these terrorists!"


"She's forcing your hand, Bro!" Willow cried, pushing against Valkyrie's arms. "She's forcing you! You've gotta do it!"
"Are you insane?!" The boy cried, his light-blanket burning brighter by the second. "I've never teleported 3 people befr--"
"Hear that, Val? From the mouths of babes!" She grinned. "She's never teleported 3 people before! Think of all the things that could go wrong! We could get turned inside out! Melted! We could get shot into another dimension! How about you let go before he does something stupid??"
"You're the one who's telling me to--"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky

BASEMENT STAIRCASE
"You're an interesting woman, I must say..." The Priest hummed to his companion. With a wave of his hand, the solider stepped away from door and saluted. Crimson ignored his gesture and stepped through the marble arch. A long staircase stood between the pair and their destination. Crimson started his slow descent. "You're a girl of few words. You were much more talkative on the island... Sorry. It must be a sore subject. Losing Scott, losing Hnikar, Kate, Loa, even Eli... You didn't deserve all that. Your life is full of grief... it has been since Day One... And that's a sentiment I think I can relate to..." He hummed, fiddling with crimson signet ring. "I'm not fond of talking about my father... But when he left, he left me with myriad scars... the kind that don't fade. And when I eventually found him, well... let's just say I wish I hadn't. We are afflicted my similar ills, Alice. I'm glad you're here. You of all people might understand what lies behind this..."

The stair case ended. The pair met a large, steel--

"...door." The Priest gestured towards the door's metallic, wheel lock. "Turn it. After you."

@Takumi

"What's your definition of disciplinary action?" She frowned.

Katara tensed as things escalated, glancing to Valkyrie and the crazy girl in her arms and her brother. Her gaze then flicked to Walker for some kind of advice on this mess they found themselves in.

@Camp

@Sark @Capri @Jeremi @Lucky @Cam

Alice bristled slightly. A sore subject it was indeed. Crossing her arms, she watched the steps as they passed under her with a soft scowl.

"My father's dead, and I can't say I miss him or something like that, cause that'd be a bold lie. The others...their deaths hurt." She muttered.

"I guess you could say I still had a few bright spots though." She added, thinking of Chise momentarily. Chise's friendship helped with the hurt, and Renfred still being there for her was more than enough to keep her grounded.

Once they came to the large metal door she tilted her head at it. What kind of baseme--y'know, she might not even want an answer to that question starting to form in the back of her mind.

She approached it, and after a moment of hesitation she turned the lock. This was part of the destination anyway. She'd be pissed if it turned out she got lured to her death by a crazy priest, though.

@Basement
 
Last edited:
As the presentation was speaking, Jeff was thinking about the ways this could be twisting the truth.

He wondered how many innocent people were in the Third. How many children are burning because they didn’t like the Goddess.

Then, it glitched.

Jeff kicked the projector, hoping it would start back up to hear more of their lies.
BONK
The footage cut out completely for a moment or two. When it returned, a very different picture stared back at Jeff. Slowly, the strange image began to spread from one display to the next. The emerald holograms slowly turned crimson. The collection of floating shapes and squares slowly drifted together to form a face.
View attachment 7167
"Order and Chaos." The New Hologram's voice brought order and silence to the once loud hall. "There's a thin line between the two. Exert too much force over the people and they shall resist you. Exert to little force and they shall run rampant. The Emerald Empire wears the mask of true, balanced order, but its just that. A mask. Wake up. The Mother-Queen is nothing more than an oppressor. Her guiding hand is an iron gauntlet. I speak the truth, but you won't believe me.

"No. You've been living in the dark too long. You've been staring at shadows. Turning towards the Sun now would just blind you further. You won't believe me. But perhaps you will believe them..."


The footage cut out. A moment later, the invasive hologram returned. This time, however, it displayed a very different scene.

Underworld. An island in the heart of an endless sea. Gods were fighting. Dying.
The Temple saw it all.
HABIT shooting Jon. The Death of Zod.
All streamed in 8K. HD. For all to see.
Some of the visitors turned away and hid their faces.
Others were hypnotized, unable to turn away.

The narrator's face returned.

"The footage you just saw was covertly gathered from the Facility known only as 'Underworld'. It's a prison island for the 'deviants' who dare to defy the Goddess. Old Gods punished for the Sins of their followers. Children punished for the sins of their fathers. They are shunned from the light and shaped into killers. Their hearts are sacrifice in the name of chaos... in the name of An'Lu'Munus. All whilst you watch. All whilst you wait. All whilst you pray.

"Until the Goddess' reign is at an end, the will be no peace. There will be no Order. We will stand against the Goddess no matter the cost. We will happily die for our cause. We will happily kill for our cause. This is our manifesto. This is our creed. In the name of all who have fallen before her...

"We stand, resistant.

"Signed, George Sears, President of the United States of America."


The footage went dark. The traditional displays flickered back to life.

Eli stared blackly forwards, his eyes burning the air where the hologram had once been.
Slowly, his fingers tightened into trembling fists.

@Capri @Crunch @Yun Lee
"What's your definition of disciplinary action?" She frowned.

Katara tensed as things escalated, glancing to Valkyrie and the crazy girl in her arms and her brother. Her gaze then flicked to Walker for some kind of advice on this mess they found themselves in.
WIDER CAMP
"That depends on the crime committed..." The Swordsman replied. "And it depends on what the Goddess wills. At the very least, all parties involved shall be detained. Those found guilty of assault shall face exile from the Temple world. Reeducation may be in order. As for the terrorist you harbor..." He raised the tip of his sword towards Jester. "A far darker fate awaits her..."

"Let's be reasonable, gentlemen!" Walker smiled. He approached the soldiers with his hands raised. "These people are... sick. We are their doctors, aren't we?" He turned back to Katara and gave her a reassuring nod. "Katara, please, tell the Inquisitors about our friends' conditions..."
Alice bristled slightly. A sore subject it was indeed. Crossing her arms, she watched the steps as they passed under her with a soft scowl.

"My father's dead, and I can't say I miss him or something like that, cause that'd be a bold lie. The others...their deaths hurt." She muttered.

"I guess you could say I still had a few bright spots though." She added, thinking of Chise momentarily. Chise's friendship helped with the hurt, and Renfred still being there for her was more than enough to keep her grounded.

Once they came to the large metal door she tilted her head at it. What kind of baseme--y'know, she might not even want an answer to that question starting to form in the back of her mind.

She approached it, and after a moment of hesitation she turned the lock. This was part of the destination anyway. She'd be pissed if it turned out she got lured to her death by a crazy priest, though.
BASEMENT
"Don't call him that..." Crimson thinned his eyes and stepped through the doorway. "That man... that thing... he's not your father. He did nothing for you. He doesn't deserve such a title. I was raised by another father- a truer, adoptive father- for a spell myself. Believe me when I say that parentage has never been a matter of blood..."

The basement cold and completely dark. It was as if the entire floor had been built without a single light bulb. As Crimson stepped into the blackness, he froze for a moment, forgetting himself.

"Sorry..."
He sighed. He flicked his wrist. A small ball of crimson fire appeared within his hand. "I don't get many visitors down here. Sometimes I forget how... convenient it is to have a gift like mine. Can you create your own light, or would you like to share mine?"

@Takumi
 
JEFFREY KOVAL
@Sark @Crunch @Yun Lee


Jeff merely fell onto his knees. He took some time to process the information George Sears had said.

The fact that the man who said that was Solidus Snake from Metal Gear Solid 2 fell to the wayside. These fictional characters coming to life had fallen to the wayside long after he was pulled into this conflict.


One image seared into his mind. The boy, Jon Kent, being shot dead. Another innocent life taken. It made Jeff mad, even though he knew An’Lu’Munus was a child murderer for a long time.

It wasn’t until after a couple of minutes that he realized who shot that boy.

HABIT

His eyes widened in shock.

HABIT

His jaw hung slack.

HABIT

He trembled in pure fear.

HABIT

Until that fear turned into resolve.

The Goddess must be taken down. She murdered children! She enslaved populations! She let HABIT run amok! She colonized planets!

Jeff got up and approached Eli.


“Did you do that?” he whispered in the man’s ear.​
 

WIDER CAMP
The soldiers raised their arms and maintained their cautious approach.
"Ashe Ubert betrayed the Goddess when he was just a boy!" The swordsman growled. "Children are not to be underestimated. We shan't harm the child... but we shan't allow her to roam free either. She's an accessory. Disciplinary action will be taken against you all, regardless of age!"

"You can leave, Doctor!" Another guard cried, circling the Returned. "We all know you had no hand in this... ongoing assault! This Asgardian dog will be coming with us! We'll take the thief as well... and is... is that Jester Lavorre?!?"
The Shieldsmen clattered their spears against their shields and shouted in unison.
"Everyone get back! Get back! We'll deal with these terrorists!"


"She's forcing your hand, Bro!" Willow cried, pushing against Valkyrie's arms. "She's forcing you! You've gotta do it!"
"Are you insane?!" The boy cried, his light-blanket burning brighter by the second. "I've never teleported 3 people befr--"
"Hear that, Val? From the mouths of babes!" She grinned. "She's never teleported 3 people before! Think of all the things that could go wrong! We could get turned inside out! Melted! We could get shot into another dimension! How about you let go before he does something stupid??"
"You're the one who's telling me to--"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky

BASEMENT STAIRCASE
"You're an interesting woman, I must say..." The Priest hummed to his companion. With a wave of his hand, the solider stepped away from door and saluted. Crimson ignored his gesture and stepped through the marble arch. A long staircase stood between the pair and their destination. Crimson started his slow descent. "You're a girl of few words. You were much more talkative on the island... Sorry. It must be a sore subject. Losing Scott, losing Hnikar, Kate, Loa, even Eli... You didn't deserve all that. Your life is full of grief... it has been since Day One... And that's a sentiment I think I can relate to..." He hummed, fiddling with crimson signet ring. "I'm not fond of talking about my father... But when he left, he left me with myriad scars... the kind that don't fade. And when I eventually found him, well... let's just say I wish I hadn't. We are afflicted my similar ills, Alice. I'm glad you're here. You of all people might understand what lies behind this..."

The stair case ended. The pair met a large, steel--

"...door." The Priest gestured towards the door's metallic, wheel lock. "Turn it. After you."

@Takumi

Her face was like a stone as she looked to both sibling. "I do not fear death. Can either of you say the same?" The puzzle pieces started to fall into place now. "I have one question I need to be answered and I will release your sister," She looked over to the brother. "Are ye foes of the Goddess, or her thralls?"

As she waited for an answer she shouted to the others. "Fighting these soldiers is pointless! We shall try and give what my good friend Becky called, 'the Slip'."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky
 

BONK
The footage cut out completely for a moment or two. When it returned, a very different picture stared back at Jeff. Slowly, the strange image began to spread from one display to the next. The emerald holograms slowly turned crimson. The collection of floating shapes and squares slowly drifted together to form a face.
View attachment 7167
"Order and Chaos." The New Hologram's voice brought order and silence to the once loud hall. "There's a thin line between the two. Exert too much force over the people and they shall resist you. Exert to little force and they shall run rampant. The Emerald Empire wears the mask of true, balanced order, but its just that. A mask. Wake up. The Mother-Queen is nothing more than an oppressor. Her guiding hand is an iron gauntlet. I speak the truth, but you won't believe me.

"No. You've been living in the dark too long. You've been staring at shadows. Turning towards the Sun now would just blind you further. You won't believe me. But perhaps you will believe them..."


The footage cut out. A moment later, the invasive hologram returned. This time, however, it displayed a very different scene.

Underworld. An island in the heart of an endless sea. Gods were fighting. Dying.
The Temple saw it all.
HABIT shooting Jon. The Death of Zod.
All streamed in 8K. HD. For all to see.
Some of the visitors turned away and hid their faces.
Others were hypnotized, unable to turn away.

The narrator's face returned.

"The footage you just saw was covertly gathered from the Facility known only as 'Underworld'. It's a prison island for the 'deviants' who dare to defy the Goddess. Old Gods punished for the Sins of their followers. Children punished for the sins of their fathers. They are shunned from the light and shaped into killers. Their hearts are sacrifice in the name of chaos... in the name of An'Lu'Munus. All whilst you watch. All whilst you wait. All whilst you pray.

"Until the Goddess' reign is at an end, the will be no peace. There will be no Order. We will stand against the Goddess no matter the cost. We will happily die for our cause. We will happily kill for our cause. This is our manifesto. This is our creed. In the name of all who have fallen before her...

"We stand, resistant.

"Signed, George Sears, President of the United States of America."


The footage went dark. The traditional displays flickered back to life.

Eli stared blackly forwards, his eyes burning the air where the hologram had once been.
Slowly, his fingers tightened into trembling fists.

@Capri @Crunch @Yun Lee

WIDER CAMP
"That depends on the crime committed..." The Swordsman replied. "And it depends on what the Goddess wills. At the very least, all parties involved shall be detained. Those found guilty of assault shall face exile from the Temple world. Reeducation may be in order. As for the terrorist you harbor..." He raised the tip of his sword towards Jester. "A far darker fate awaits her..."

"Let's be reasonable, gentlemen!" Walker smiled. He approached the soldiers with his hands raised. "These people are... sick. We are their doctors, aren't we?" He turned back to Katara and gave her a reassuring nod. "Katara, please, tell the Inquisitors about our friends' conditions..."

BASEMENT
"Don't call him that..." Crimson thinned his eyes and stepped through the doorway. "That man... that thing... he's not your father. He did nothing for you. He doesn't deserve such a title. I was raised by another father- a truer, adoptive father- for a spell myself. Believe me when I say that parentage has never been a matter of blood..."

The basement cold and completely dark. It was as if the entire floor had been built without a single light bulb. As Crimson stepped into the blackness, he froze for a moment, forgetting himself.

"Sorry..." He sighed. He flicked his wrist. A small ball of crimson fire appeared within his hand. "I don't get many visitors down here. Sometimes I forget how... convenient it is to have a gift like mine. Can you create your own light, or would you like to share mine?"

@Takumi

"Yes, a few of them came to me requesting a healing session not too long ago, while the others were to be looked at by my associate." Katara spoke up.

"Ms. Lavorre came to me with light nausea, a headache and she may have some other symptoms she may not have told me of, I had wished to see for myself what other symptoms they were and if she had some serious stomach bug." She hoped they believed that.

"The young girl there suffered a head injury, and while I healed some of it she could still have some internal damage I have yet to try and fix, maybe even some delusion. Plus I have to check their chi paths as well to ensure there's no blockage after another, more proper, session." She added. She always checked a patients chi paths during a healing session, even of they weren't from her world or had bending, it was almost habit to her at this point. She just hoped the guards would buy it.

@Sark @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky @Camp

Alice stared at Crimson for a moment. She was a bit surprised by his words, but let them sink in.

"You're right, but at the same time, I don't see him in the traditional role of a dad, I guess. My own mentor is more of a father, but he doesn't completely fit the traditional role either." She replied, following him. It was odd how she almost always found herself in the company of people who had parents as fucked up as her's.

"I can create my own light." She answered, her hand lifted, and a flicker of flame came to life with a bit of concentration. Why was it so dark in here? And this place seemed big as hell to boot.

@Sark @Basement
 
Henry Hart

" Pass, I'm not really interested in history...… though, I do have to ask. Was her first reign like this too or was it better?"
Henry asked, wondering if he even wanted to know the answer. He still didn't understand the Goddess's interest in him or the other champions

Jester Lavorre and Caleb Widogast

Jester would look over at the guards and then proceed to put on a British Accent. " I have never been so insulted before, I know that people have a hard time telling tieflings apart, but I am in no way related to that horrible Jester Lavorre. My name is Nancy McFancypants. The fact that you think all tieflings look the same is just so-"

"
Racist-" Caleb finished for Jester.

She would wag her fingers at the guard. "
Do all tieflings look the same to you? Huh? Huh? Do we-"

@Sark @Jeremi @Capri @Takumi
 
Jeff got up and approached Eli.

“Did you do that?” he whispered in the man’s ear.
MUSEUM
Eli remained silent. The only sound that left his body was the squeak of his leather gloves coiling further. He did little to acknowledge Jeff beyond the bitter glare he threw in his direction.
View attachment 7179
"We've wasted enough time here as it is." Liquid growled. He turned and marched towards the staircase. "Let's find the girl and go. Change of plan. We're going to the Council Tower. Toren?" Eli signaled to Lantern to follow him. "You're with me. Unless Jeff would rather head to the library?"

@Capri
Alice stared at Crimson for a moment. She was a bit surprised by his words, but let them sink in.

"You're right, but at the same time, I don't see him in the traditional role of a dad, I guess. My own mentor is more of a father, but he doesn't completely fit the traditional role either." She replied, following him. It was odd how she almost always found herself in the company of people who had parents as fucked up as her's.

"I can create my own light." She answered, her hand lifted, and a flicker of flame came to life with a bit of concentration. Why was it so dark in here? And this place seemed big as hell to boot.

@Sark @Basement
BASEMENT
"I feel the same way," The Priest replied, allowing his light to burn brighter. "Alexander Luthor lifted me up out of savagery. He helped me in ways my 'real' father never could- or perhaps, never would- and for that I am eternally grateful. We're living in uncertain times, Alice. Family is more important than ever."

The further the pair ventured into the basement, the louder the distant sounds of... shuffling feet grew louder. It was hard to place where the sound was coming from...

Above?
The side?
Below?

Or was it just Alice's imagination running wild? A trick of the dark?

"Ah... here we are..." Crimson muttered to himself, raising his flame a little higher to illuminate the podium that stood before them. As he approached, the priest took a knee and bowed his head.
View attachment 7181
“Chaos Shall Rise," He repeated to prophecy as a prayer. “Order Shall Gather."
“The Truth Shall be Revealed in a War of Light.
“The Blackest Night Shall Rain Down From Above.
“The Dead Shall Rise, called by a Black Hand.

"This, Alice..."
Crimson finished his genuflection and rose to his feet. "Is heresy given form. The Lantern of Nekron, a dark tool forged in a dark world. I know why you are here, Alice Swayne. You wish to see the Goddess fall. This lantern can make that dream a reality. Go on. Touch it. Even the Blackest Lanterns need a little light..."

" Pass, I'm not really interested in history...… though, I do have to ask. Was her first reign like this too or was it better?" Henry asked, wondering if he even wanted to know the answer. He still didn't understand the Goddess's interest in him or the other champions]
THE RETURN
"The Goddess' First Reign was characterized by its peaceful days and joyful nights," The Hologram nodded in response. "But... Whether the Goddess' first reign was 'better' than her second reign is a matter of historical debate... or perhaps its fairer to say it's simply a matter of opinion. You must remember that the world was very different back then. When the world was young, 'chaos' was little more than a fantasy pushed by biblical vipers. Things were simpler. The Goddess didn't need to take such a hard stance against such demons. Nowadays, she must be more cautious. If she gives them an inch, well... they'd take miles.

"The Goddess' influence has increased dramatically since her first disappearance. She has more followers, more territory. In that sense, her Second Reign is 'better' than her first. But, again, it's a matter of opinion. Any further questions? Perhaps you'd like to hear about the Goddess' first victory over the Cult of Munus and the rise of the An? Or would you like to hear about the conquest of Garreg Mach and the defeat of the Second Secularist Rebellion of 3 N.A?"


@Lucky @Yun Lee @Crunch @Capri
 
Henry Hart

" Pass, I'm not really interested in history...… though, I do have to ask. Was her first reign like this too or was it better?"
Henry asked, wondering if he even wanted to know the answer. He still didn't understand the Goddess's interest in him or the other champions

Jester Lavorre and Caleb Widogast

Jester would look over at the guards and then proceed to put on a British Accent. " I have never been so insulted before, I know that people have a hard time telling tieflings apart, but I am in no way related to that horrible Jester Lavorre. My name is Nancy McFancypants. The fact that you think all tieflings look the same is just so-"

"
Racist-" Caleb finished for Jester.

She would wag her fingers at the guard. "
Do all tieflings look the same to you? Huh? Huh? Do we-"

@Sark @Jeremi @Capri @Takumi

Even Katara wouldn't fall for the name Nancy McFancypants. What was Jester doing?

It's okay, she can play along and tweak her lie a bit. Is this how her brother felt with his plans close to not working? She'd have to give him a big hug and an apology when she saw him again.

"Oh, I had assumed you were Ms. Lavorre when you came to me for healing I didn't even bother to ask your name. How ignorant of me, Ma'am." Katara spoke, one hand going to her chest. She placed her hands on Jester's shoulders.

"Now now, I'm sure these guards made the same mistake, but don't make that headache of yours worse, alright?" She spoke soothingly as she gave Jester's shoulders a squeeze.

"Please, stop talking." She hissed under her breath to Jester. She hoped Walker could help back her up with this.

@Sark @Lucky @Capri @Jeremi @Camp


MUSEUM
Eli remained silent. The only sound that left his body was the squeak of his leather gloves coiling further. He did little to acknowledge Jeff beyond the bitter glare he threw in his direction.
View attachment 7179
"We've wasted enough time here as it is." Liquid growled. He turned and marched towards the staircase. "Let's find the girl and go. Change of plan. We're going to the Council Tower. Toren?" Eli signaled to Lantern to follow him. "You're with me. Unless Jeff would rather head to the library?"

@Capri

BASEMENT
"I feel the same way," The Priest replied, allowing his light to burn brighter. "Alexander Luthor lifted me up out of savagery. He helped me in ways my 'real' father never could- or perhaps, never would- and for that I am eternally grateful. We're living in uncertain times, Alice. Family is more important than ever."

The further the pair ventured into the basement, the louder the distant sounds of... shuffling feet grew louder. It was hard to place where the sound was coming from...

Above?
The side?
Below?

Or was it just Alice's imagination running wild? A trick of the dark?

"Ah... here we are..." Crimson muttered to himself, raising his flame a little higher to illuminate the podium that stood before them. As he approached, the priest took a knee and bowed his head.
View attachment 7181
“Chaos Shall Rise," He repeated to prophecy as a prayer. “Order Shall Gather."
“The Truth Shall be Revealed in a War of Light.
“The Blackest Night Shall Rain Down From Above.
“The Dead Shall Rise, called by a Black Hand.

"This, Alice..."
Crimson finished his genuflection and rose to his feet. "Is heresy given form. The Lantern of Nekron, a dark tool forged in a dark world. I know why you are here, Alice Swayne. You wish to see the Goddess fall. This lantern can make that dream a reality. Go on. Touch it. Even the Blackest Lanterns need a little light..."


THE RETURN
"The Goddess' First Reign was characterized by its peaceful days and joyful nights," The Hologram nodded in response. "But... Whether the Goddess' first reign was 'better' than her second reign is a matter of historical debate... or perhaps its fairer to say it's simply a matter of opinion. You must remember that the world was very different back then. When the world was young, 'chaos' was little more than a fantasy pushed by biblical vipers. Things were simpler. The Goddess didn't need to take such a hard stance against such demons. Nowadays, she must be more cautious. If she gives them an inch, well... they'd take miles.

"The Goddess' influence has increased dramatically since her first disappearance. She has more followers, more territory. In that sense, her Second Reign is 'better' than her first. But, again, it's a matter of opinion. Any further questions? Perhaps you'd like to hear about the Goddess' first victory over the Cult of Munus and the rise of the An? Or would you like to hear about the conquest of Garreg Mach and the defeat of the Second Secularist Rebellion of 3 N.A?"


@Lucky @Yun Lee @Crunch @Capri

Alice felt tense when she heard footsteps...no wait, shuffling feet? She hoped that was Wally. Much more alert than before, she eyed Crimson warily. He knew why she was here? Her eyes drifted to the lantern a long momemt.

"Why are you showing this to me?" She asked carefully, her eyes returning to Crimson.

@Sark @Basement
 
Alice felt tense when she heard footsteps...no wait, shuffling feet? She hoped that was Wally. Much more alert than before, she eyed Crimson warily. He knew why she was here? Her eyes drifted to the lantern a long momemt.

"Why are you showing this to me?" She asked carefully, her eyes returning to Crimson.

@Sark @Basement
BASEMENT
"Because we're different, Alice." The Priest replied, placing his arm atop the lantern. "Because we're not like your friends upstairs. We're not like the sheltered masses. You and I have suffered imaginably. I'm telling you all this because you're the one person who might understand need for a tool like this!" Crimson closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his rising passion. "Let me show you..."

A light in Crimson's hand exploded, showing the room in a warm wave of red light. The Priest tightened his closed eyes and focused his power. Slowly, the light began to ripple and flicker. He molded it into a physical form.

The pair were standing in an exact recreation of Arcade's synthetic village. They stood at the base of a burning building. Alice stood upon its roof, fighting off wave after wave of deformed, burning CORI's.

"Do you recognise this scene, Ms.Swayne? The final night of the first arena... you, alone, fighting off an army of machines. Jianyu was somewhere upstairs fighting another one of Arcade's creations, unable to save Eli as some more machines closed in on him. You heard his cries, and what happened?"

Crimson pointed towards the light-copy of Alice. Flames consumed her. She threw her arms wide. The phoenix overcame her. She burned the skies.

"You tapped into a power the likes of which I have never seen. I've studied that boy... Psycho Mantis. He didn't give you the power to perform such a miracle. He simply removed your inner restraints and unleashed a power that's been hiding inside you for years. You, Alice Swayne, are the Phoenix! A force of life and rebirth! The light that will burned valiantly, even in the Blackest Night... or at least, you have the potential to be. I want to help you tap into that power. I want to help you heal this sick world! That is my lot in life. That
is my destiny.

"The Goddess is strong, and I love her so... but even she must be held accountable. A single Goddess could stray from the Sacred Path and fall victim to Evil's temptations... but a Pantheon? A collection of individuals who could rival An'Lu'Munus' power... even surpass it... imagine the world you could build...

"Lighting the Black Lantern will be your first trail... the first step in becoming the beacon of hope- the Phoenix- you are meant to be. Burn it, Alice..."


The Priest snapped his fingers. The Crimson light started to faded away.

"Ignite it. Answer the call."

@Takumi
Her face was like a stone as she looked to both sibling. "I do not fear death. Can either of you say the same?" The puzzle pieces started to fall into place now. "I have one question I need to be answered and I will release your sister," She looked over to the brother. "Are ye foes of the Goddess, or her thralls?"

As she waited for an answer she shouted to the others. "Fighting these soldiers is pointless! We shall try and give what my good friend Becky called, 'the Slip'."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky
WIDER CAMP
The twins looked at each other for a moment.
"I mean... kinda... but that's like... part of the human experience, right?"
"Oh come on!"
"Look..." The boy sighed. "We're not with the Goddess, okay? We're with--"
"If we were working with the cow, why would we be trying to run? My brother could take you in a fist fight..."
"Willow!"
"We all know its true!" Willow exclaimed. "Beside, I knocked you on your ass once before with a cheeky burst of power. You think I couldn't've done it again? Look, we came here for CORI. That's clearly no longer an option. How about you let us go back to our batch of good guys and you can go back to yours. No harm, no fowl. Sound fair?"

Even Katara wouldn't fall for the name Nancy McFancypants. What was Jester doing?

It's okay, she can play along and tweak her lie a bit. Is this how her brother felt with his plans close to not working? She'd have to give him a big hug and an apology when she saw him again.

"Oh, I had assumed you were Ms. Lavorre when you came to me for healing I didn't even bother to ask your name. How ignorant of me, Ma'am." Katara spoke, one hand going to her chest. She placed her hands on Jester's shoulders.

"Now now, I'm sure these guards made the same mistake, but don't make that headache of yours worse, alright?" She spoke soothingly as she gave Jester's shoulders a squeeze.

"Please, stop talking." She hissed under her breath to Jester. She hoped Walker could help back her up with this.
Jester would look over at the guards and then proceed to put on a British Accent. " I have never been so insulted before, I know that people have a hard time telling tieflings apart, but I am in no way related to that horrible Jester Lavorre. My name is Nancy McFancypants. The fact that you think all tieflings look the same is just so-"

"
Racist-" Caleb finished for Jester.

She would wag her fingers at the guard. "
Do all tieflings look the same to you? Huh? Huh? Do we-"
WIDER CAMP
The guards looked at each other for a moment. Their non-verbal exchange of cautious, confused glances ended with them slowly lowering their weapons.
"If what you say is true, Doctor..." The Swordsman thinned his eyes into razors. "And this tiefling head-case is to be believed... then perhaps we have been overzealous. You should all return to your tents!" He raised his voice, calling out to the growing crowd. "No arrests will be made today. As a cautionary action, we will be locking-down the camp for the remainder of the day. Should give you all enough to dwell upon your actions. If we receive any further reports of violence coming from this camp, your rations will be quartered for the remainder of the month. Have I made myself clear?"

"As crystal," Walker bowed. "Thank you for your patience, officer."

With a grunt, the last few guards turned away from the Returned and marched back towards the gates.

"Excellent work, Katara." Walker chuckled to himself. "If I didn't know any better, I'd venture to say that you had done this before. Now, I'll head back to Soranik and get CORI back online. She'll be able to forge the documents we need to get past the next shift of soldiers. You're welcome to join me, unless you'd rather run ahead and try to slip past the guards before they can get back to their posts?"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky
 

BASEMENT
"Because we're different, Alice." The Priest replied, placing his arm atop the lantern. "Because we're not like your friends upstairs. We're not like the sheltered masses. You and I have suffered imaginably. I'm telling you all this because you're the one person who might understand need for a tool like this!" Crimson closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his rising passion. "Let me show you..."

A light in Crimson's hand exploded, showing the room in a warm wave of red light. The Priest tightened his closed eyes and focused his power. Slowly, the light began to ripple and flicker. He molded it into a physical form.

The pair were standing in an exact recreation of Arcade's synthetic village. They stood at the base of a burning building. Alice stood upon its roof, fighting off wave after wave of deformed, burning CORI's.

"Do you recognise this scene, Ms.Swayne? The final night of the first arena... you, alone, fighting off an army of machines. Jianyu was somewhere upstairs fighting another one of Arcade's creations, unable to save Eli as some more machines closed in on him. You heard his cries, and what happened?"

Crimson pointed towards the light-copy of Alice. Flames consumed her. She threw her arms wide. The phoenix overcame her. She burned the skies.

"You tapped into a power the likes of which I have never seen. I've studied that boy... Psycho Mantis. He didn't give you the power to perform such a miracle. He simply removed your inner restraints and unleashed a power that's been hiding inside you for years. You, Alice Swayne, are the Phoenix! A force of life and rebirth! The light that will burned valiantly, even in the Blackest Night... or at least, you have the potential to be. I want to help you tap into that power. I want to help you heal this sick world! That is my lot in life. That is my destiny.

"The Goddess is strong, and I love her so... but even she must be held accountable. A single Goddess could stray from the Sacred Path and fall victim to Evil's temptations... but a Pantheon? A collection of individuals who could rival An'Lu'Munus' power... even surpass it... imagine the world you could build...

"Lighting the Black Lantern will be your first trail... the first step in becoming the beacon of hope- the Phoenix- you are meant to be. Burn it, Alice..."


The Priest snapped his fingers. The Crimson light started to faded away.

"Ignite it. Answer the call."

@Takumi

WIDER CAMP
The twins looked at each other for a moment.
"I mean... kinda... but that's like... part of the human experience, right?"
"Oh come on!"
"Look..." The boy sighed. "We're not with the Goddess, okay? We're with--"
"If we were working with the cow, why would we be trying to run? My brother could take you in a fist fight..."
"Willow!"
"We all know its true!" Willow exclaimed. "Beside, I knocked you on your ass once before with a cheeky burst of power. You think I couldn't've done it again? Look, we came here for CORI. That's clearly no longer an option. How about you let us go back to our batch of good guys and you can go back to yours. No harm, no fowl. Sound fair?"



WIDER CAMP
The guards looked at each other for a moment. Their non-verbal exchange of cautious, confused glances ended with them slowly lowering their weapons.
"If what you say is true, Doctor..." The Swordsman thinned his eyes into razors. "And this tiefling head-case is to be believed... then perhaps we have been overzealous. You should all return to your tents!" He raised his voice, calling out to the growing crowd. "No arrests will be made today. As a cautionary action, we will be locking-down the camp for the remainder of the day. Should give you all enough to dwell upon your actions. If we receive any further reports of violence coming from this camp, your rations will be quartered for the remainder of the month. Have I made myself clear?"

"As crystal," Walker bowed. "Thank you for your patience, officer."

With a grunt, the last few guards turned away from the Returned and marched back towards the gates.

"Excellent work, Katara." Walker chuckled to himself. "If I didn't know any better, I'd venture to say that you had done this before. Now, I'll head back to Soranik and get CORI back online. She'll be able to forge the documents we need to get past the next shift of soldiers. You're welcome to join me, unless you'd rather run ahead and try to slip past the guards before they can get back to their posts?"

[​

"If thou believe you can best me in a fair fight," Valkyrie replied as she let go of Willow to allow her to join her brother. "Next time we meet, thou can put it to the test." She then shooed them off. "Now off with you to suckle the teeth of whatever master you follow."

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky
 
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BASEMENT
"Because we're different, Alice." The Priest replied, placing his arm atop the lantern. "Because we're not like your friends upstairs. We're not like the sheltered masses. You and I have suffered imaginably. I'm telling you all this because you're the one person who might understand need for a tool like this!" Crimson closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm his rising passion. "Let me show you..."

A light in Crimson's hand exploded, showing the room in a warm wave of red light. The Priest tightened his closed eyes and focused his power. Slowly, the light began to ripple and flicker. He molded it into a physical form.

The pair were standing in an exact recreation of Arcade's synthetic village. They stood at the base of a burning building. Alice stood upon its roof, fighting off wave after wave of deformed, burning CORI's.

"Do you recognise this scene, Ms.Swayne? The final night of the first arena... you, alone, fighting off an army of machines. Jianyu was somewhere upstairs fighting another one of Arcade's creations, unable to save Eli as some more machines closed in on him. You heard his cries, and what happened?"

Crimson pointed towards the light-copy of Alice. Flames consumed her. She threw her arms wide. The phoenix overcame her. She burned the skies.

"You tapped into a power the likes of which I have never seen. I've studied that boy... Psycho Mantis. He didn't give you the power to perform such a miracle. He simply removed your inner restraints and unleashed a power that's been hiding inside you for years. You, Alice Swayne, are the Phoenix! A force of life and rebirth! The light that will burned valiantly, even in the Blackest Night... or at least, you have the potential to be. I want to help you tap into that power. I want to help you heal this sick world! That is my lot in life. That is my destiny.

"The Goddess is strong, and I love her so... but even she must be held accountable. A single Goddess could stray from the Sacred Path and fall victim to Evil's temptations... but a Pantheon? A collection of individuals who could rival An'Lu'Munus' power... even surpass it... imagine the world you could build...

"Lighting the Black Lantern will be your first trail... the first step in becoming the beacon of hope- the Phoenix- you are meant to be. Burn it, Alice..."


The Priest snapped his fingers. The Crimson light started to faded away.

"Ignite it. Answer the call."

@Takumi

WIDER CAMP
The twins looked at each other for a moment.
"I mean... kinda... but that's like... part of the human experience, right?"
"Oh come on!"
"Look..." The boy sighed. "We're not with the Goddess, okay? We're with--"
"If we were working with the cow, why would we be trying to run? My brother could take you in a fist fight..."
"Willow!"
"We all know its true!" Willow exclaimed. "Beside, I knocked you on your ass once before with a cheeky burst of power. You think I couldn't've done it again? Look, we came here for CORI. That's clearly no longer an option. How about you let us go back to our batch of good guys and you can go back to yours. No harm, no fowl. Sound fair?"



WIDER CAMP
The guards looked at each other for a moment. Their non-verbal exchange of cautious, confused glances ended with them slowly lowering their weapons.
"If what you say is true, Doctor..." The Swordsman thinned his eyes into razors. "And this tiefling head-case is to be believed... then perhaps we have been overzealous. You should all return to your tents!" He raised his voice, calling out to the growing crowd. "No arrests will be made today. As a cautionary action, we will be locking-down the camp for the remainder of the day. Should give you all enough to dwell upon your actions. If we receive any further reports of violence coming from this camp, your rations will be quartered for the remainder of the month. Have I made myself clear?"

"As crystal," Walker bowed. "Thank you for your patience, officer."

With a grunt, the last few guards turned away from the Returned and marched back towards the gates.

"Excellent work, Katara." Walker chuckled to himself. "If I didn't know any better, I'd venture to say that you had done this before. Now, I'll head back to Soranik and get CORI back online. She'll be able to forge the documents we need to get past the next shift of soldiers. You're welcome to join me, unless you'd rather run ahead and try to slip past the guards before they can get back to their posts?"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky

Katara let go of Jester and bowed to the guards before they left. And as they did she sighed in relief.

tumblr_inline_p8av32Nd5n1s6v5zp_540.png


"I had to pretend to be a girl named June Pipinpadaloxicopolis at one point, and let me tell you, it was surprisingly easy even if it only worked for about a half a day. This other time, I snuck me and my friend into the birthday party for the Earth King's bear, but the guy we got to get us in wouldn't leave us alone." She said with a grumble towards the end.

"I guess when you travel with the Avatar you just have one big crazy adventure." She shrugged.

"I think I'd rather head back inside." She answered. She needed to nap for a few hours. Though if the group they had go into the temple needed cover to get back in, she could try and bring up some mist they could use.

@Sark @Jeremi @Lucky @Capri @Camp

Alice stared at the display in surprise for a moment. That...that couldn't have been right...she didn't have much magical potential or anything like that as far as she knew.

Then again this man was pretty much planning to kill the Goddess despite being among her ranks.

"Answer me this before I do it: do you know where Flayn is being held, and where's the Book of Spiders?" She asked.

@Sark @Basement
 
Alice stared at the display in surprise for a moment. That...that couldn't have been right...she didn't have much magical potential or anything like that as far as she knew.

Then again this man was pretty much planning to kill the Goddess despite being among her ranks.

"Answer me this before I do it: do you know where Flayn is being held, and where's the Book of Spiders?" She asked.

@Sark @Basement
BASEMENT
Crimson sucked open his teeth, his patients slipping.
"Flayn can come and go as she pleases, so long as she remains inside the Temple Grounds," The Priest replied dismissively. "She could be anywhere. Last time I saw her, she was about to take a break and... she was heading down to the museum, I think? She doesn't matter right now. The Tome is in the library, as far as I'm aware, provided Lady Librarian hasn't burned it yet. They can both wait. I can help you with both of those later. We need to put the lantern first..."

@Takumi

“I think... I wanna find Flayn,” Jeff said, “I have no clue where Alice and that... greasy guy ran off to, so they could be on the case,”
MUSEUM
"Alice is gone?" Wally squinted, approaching the party from behind. "You saw her leave? Alone? And you didn't follow her? Anything could have happened to her, Jeff. We're in the belly of the beast here. Did you see where she went?"

As soon as Valkyrie would unhand Willow, Millie would join her and her brother and follow them.
"If thou believe you can best me in a fair fight," Valkyrie replied as she let go of Willow to allow her to join her brother. "Next time we meet, thou can put it to the test." She then shooed them off. "Now off with you to suckle the teeth of whatever master you follow."
WIDER CAMP
"Let's hope we'll meet under friendlier skies... maybe we can call that fight 'sport'..." The boy nodded, helping his sister to her feet. "Thank you, Valkyrie. Despite all that's happened... it's nice to know that the stories were true..."

"Some of them at least..." Willow muttered as she steadied herself. "Sucking teats? Way to make it weird..."

The twins joined hands. The white light that had once swarmed the Valkyrie returned. It slowly engulfed the pair. Moments before leaving, Willow caught sight of Millie.

"Sorry, darling." Willow smiled. "But... we weren't bluffing. This is a two-man journey max. We'll see you again soon, 'Kay? Try not to kill anyone in the mean t--"

In a flash, the pair were gone.
As soon as Valkyrie would unhand Willow, Millie would join her and her brother and follow them.
"I had to pretend to be a girl named June Pipinpadaloxicopolis at one point, and let me tell you, it was surprisingly easy even if it only worked for about a half a day. This other time, I snuck me and my friend into the birthday party for the Earth King's bear, but the guy we got to get us in wouldn't leave us alone." She said with a grumble towards the end.

"I guess when you travel with the Avatar you just have one big crazy adventure." She shrugged.

"I think I'd rather head back inside." She answered. She needed to nap for a few hours. Though if the group they had go into the temple needed cover to get back in, she could try and bring up some mist they could use.
"If thou believe you can best me in a fair fight," Valkyrie replied as she let go of Willow to allow her to join her brother. "Next time we meet, thou can put it to the test." She then shooed them off. "Now off with you to suckle the teeth of whatever master you follow."
MEDICAL TENT
"Believe me," Walked sung as he pushed back the canvas door of the tent. "'Life as a crazy adventure' Is a concept I am familiar with..."
View attachment 7191
"What took you guys so long?" Soranik exclaimed. "What part of 'we only have one shot at this' didn't you guys understand?"

"We're sorry, Doctor Natu. We ran into some... complications. The thieves weren't cooperative, and we encountered some hostility from the Temple Guard. But we haven't returned empty handed. Doctor June Pipinpadaloxicopolis was able to retrieve CORI. The situation was defused without violence--"

"Doctor Pip--" Soranik stopped her train of thought because it could screech any further down the wrong track. "--Look, the whole Temple was just shaken by a cyber-attack. Eli's not responding to our com-calls. The Temple's technicians are losing their minds trying to locate the attacker. We can't find Alice and we're no closer to finding Flayn or that infernal book. We need to safeguard our rings. If the cyber attack hits our network, we 're done. Whoever's behind this attack is will end up seeing all our dirty laundry unless we act now."

"What can we--?"

"CORI. We need to upload her to our network. She's the only one who can fight something like this. Who has her?"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky
 

BASEMENT
Crimson sucked open his teeth, his patients slipping.
"Flayn can come and go as she pleases, so long as she remains inside the Temple Grounds," The Priest replied dismissively. "She could be anywhere. Last time I saw her, she was about to take a break and... she was heading down to the museum, I think? She doesn't matter right now. The Tome is in the library, as far as I'm aware, provided Lady Librarian hasn't burned it yet. They can both wait. I can help you with both of those later. We need to put the lantern first..."

@Takumi


MUSEUM
"Alice is gone?" Wally squinted, approaching the party from behind. "You saw her leave? Alone? And you didn't follow her? Anything could have happened to her, Jeff. We're in the belly of the beast here. Did you see where she went?"



WIDER CAMP
"Let's hope we'll meet under friendlier skies... maybe we can call that fight 'sport'..." The boy nodded, helping his sister to her feet. "Thank you, Valkyrie. Despite all that's happened... it's nice to know that the stories were true..."

"Some of them at least..." Willow muttered as she steadied herself. "Sucking teats? Way to make it weird..."

The twins joined hands. The white light that had once swarmed the Valkyrie returned. It slowly engulfed the pair. Moments before leaving, Willow caught sight of Millie.

"Sorry, darling." Willow smiled. "But... we weren't bluffing. This is a two-man journey max. We'll see you again soon, 'Kay? Try not to kill anyone in the mean t--"

In a flash, the pair were gone.



MEDICAL TENT
"Believe me," Walked sung as he pushed back the canvas door of the tent. "'Life as a crazy adventure' Is a concept I am familiar with..."
View attachment 7191
"What took you guys so long?" Soranik exclaimed. "What part of 'we only have one shot at this' didn't you guys understand?"

"We're sorry, Doctor Natu. We ran into some... complications. The thieves weren't cooperative, and we encountered some hostility from the Temple Guard. But we haven't returned empty handed. Doctor June Pipinpadaloxicopolis was able to retrieve CORI. The situation was defused without violence--"

"Doctor Pip--" Soranik stopped her train of thought because it could screech any further down the wrong track. "--Look, the whole Temple was just shaken by a cyber-attack. Eli's not responding to our com-calls. The Temple's technicians are losing their minds trying to locate the attacker. We can't find Alice and we're no closer to finding Flayn or that infernal book. We need to safeguard our rings. If the cyber attack hits our network, we 're done. Whoever's behind this attack is will end up seeing all our dirty laundry unless we act now."

"What can we--?"

"CORI. We need to upload her to our network. She's the only one who can fight something like this. Who has her?"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky

"Perhaps," Valkyrie eyed Soranik and whoever was holding CORI. "Thou should inspect if our thieves tampered with the device before hooking it into something?" While they had left on amicable terms, Valkyrie wasn't quite sure they could be fully trusted. Even if they both fought the Goddess that didn't mean they couldn't be out to hinder their group as well.

@Takumi @Sark @Capri @Lucky
 
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MILLIE COULRO
@Sark


While disappointed, she properly bid her goodbyes to Willow and her brother.

She didn’t return to the medical tent.


JEFFREY KOVAL

@Sark @Crunch @Yun Lee

“I didn’t see where she or Henry ran off to. I’m pretty sure Rei’s in the library, though, that’s why I want to try and find Flayn,”
 

BASEMENT
Crimson sucked open his teeth, his patients slipping.
"Flayn can come and go as she pleases, so long as she remains inside the Temple Grounds," The Priest replied dismissively. "She could be anywhere. Last time I saw her, she was about to take a break and... she was heading down to the museum, I think? She doesn't matter right now. The Tome is in the library, as far as I'm aware, provided Lady Librarian hasn't burned it yet. They can both wait. I can help you with both of those later. We need to put the lantern first..."

@Takumi


MUSEUM
"Alice is gone?" Wally squinted, approaching the party from behind. "You saw her leave? Alone? And you didn't follow her? Anything could have happened to her, Jeff. We're in the belly of the beast here. Did you see where she went?"



WIDER CAMP
"Let's hope we'll meet under friendlier skies... maybe we can call that fight 'sport'..." The boy nodded, helping his sister to her feet. "Thank you, Valkyrie. Despite all that's happened... it's nice to know that the stories were true..."

"Some of them at least..." Willow muttered as she steadied herself. "Sucking teats? Way to make it weird..."

The twins joined hands. The white light that had once swarmed the Valkyrie returned. It slowly engulfed the pair. Moments before leaving, Willow caught sight of Millie.

"Sorry, darling." Willow smiled. "But... we weren't bluffing. This is a two-man journey max. We'll see you again soon, 'Kay? Try not to kill anyone in the mean t--"

In a flash, the pair were gone.



MEDICAL TENT
"Believe me," Walked sung as he pushed back the canvas door of the tent. "'Life as a crazy adventure' Is a concept I am familiar with..."
View attachment 7191
"What took you guys so long?" Soranik exclaimed. "What part of 'we only have one shot at this' didn't you guys understand?"

"We're sorry, Doctor Natu. We ran into some... complications. The thieves weren't cooperative, and we encountered some hostility from the Temple Guard. But we haven't returned empty handed. Doctor June Pipinpadaloxicopolis was able to retrieve CORI. The situation was defused without violence--"

"Doctor Pip--" Soranik stopped her train of thought because it could screech any further down the wrong track. "--Look, the whole Temple was just shaken by a cyber-attack. Eli's not responding to our com-calls. The Temple's technicians are losing their minds trying to locate the attacker. We can't find Alice and we're no closer to finding Flayn or that infernal book. We need to safeguard our rings. If the cyber attack hits our network, we 're done. Whoever's behind this attack is will end up seeing all our dirty laundry unless we act now."

"What can we--?"

"CORI. We need to upload her to our network. She's the only one who can fight something like this. Who has her?"

@Takumi @Jeremi @Capri @Lucky

Katara snorted, but coughed to cover it up. She quickly pulled out Cori and handed her over.

"Here, I have her." She offered as she handed the device over to Doctor Natu.

"Can Cori track our allies that aren't responding? And...I dunno, send some kind of signal to Eli telling him where Alice is?" That was a thing technology could do wasn't it? All the technology she'd seen so far did things not even Fire Nation technology had yet to accomplish after all.

"I think Valkyrie has a point too." She added with a brief nod.

@Sark @Jeremi @Capri @Camp

Alice narrowed her eyes a moment. This guy seemed a bit pushy all things considered. At least most of the group were in the museum, so they potentially had a higher chance of locating Flayn. Hopefully.

The thought didn't occur to her that it could of been a secret doomsday cult. Or some sort of rogue faction.

"Help me find them right after this lantern business." She spoke sternly, hoping she put Renfred's usual 'instructor tone' to good use. She approached the lantern and reached out to touch it.

@Sark @Basement
 
Last edited:
Alice narrowed her eyes a moment. This guy seemed a bit pushy all things considered. At least most of the group were in the museum, so they potentially had a higher chance of locating Flayn. Hopefully.

The thought didn't occur to her that it could of been a secret doomsday cult. Or some sort of rogue faction.

"Help me find them right after this lantern business." She spoke sternly, hoping she put Renfred's usual 'instructor tone' to good use. She approached the lantern and reached out to touch it.

@Sark @Basement
“I didn’t see where she or Henry ran off to. I’m pretty sure Rei’s in the library, though, that’s why I want to try and find Flayn,”
BASEMENT
Contact
The lantern began to rattle and shake. Alice's fingers ceased up. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pry them apart. All attempts to do so simply made the device shiver faster. Faster. Faster!

"Yes! Yes!" Cries of jubilation erupted from Crimson's lips. The mask of the reserved priest burned away. A triumphant zealot stood in his place. "Here it comes!"

[BOOM]

A grey light burned in the heart of Lantern. The whole temple shook like a leaf.

***
MUSEUM
The Museum's visitors- already shaken by the last interruption- panicked and screamed. Clouds of dust descended from the halls' roof. The pilgrims ran for cover. Some threw themselves beneath the exhibits and interactive consoles. The Inquisitors threw their bodies against the hall's door-frames, bracing themselves in the face of the apparent 'Earthquake'.

The 'Earthquake' ceased as suddenly as it had started. The Pilgrims slowly removed themselves from their hiding-holes. A crimson hologram of Father Prison appeared in the center of the Museum.

"There's nothing to fear, my brothers..." He hummed with open arms. "We're just experiencing some unexpected seismic activity. The Temple is sturdy enough to endure far worse than this. We'll have some additional inquisitors on route to your location to help with the clean up. Please, return to your tours. Our guests of honor from the Kanzuki Foundation will be arriving shortly..."

In a flash, the Hologram vanished.

"That was no Earthquake..." Eli scowled. His hand drifted to his belt and the pistol he had strapped to it. "That was an explosion..."

"The Basement... Alice!" Wally exclaimed and the pieces finally clicked together. Charging forth at the speed of sound, the speedster rocketed towards the basement's access door. It came crashing to the floor before Eli could draw his weapon. With the guard having been dismissed some time ago, the path was clear for any of the Returned to venture into the pitch-black basement.

BASEMENT-- ENTRANCE
"Wally! Stop!"
"Cantstopgottafindher"
"How many walls have you ran into? You can't see a thing! You're going to--"
"Wally! Listen to him!"
"Toren! Are you sure you can't make your ring any brighter--"

[Crack]

The basement's emergency lights hummed to life. Flicking white bulbs filled the room with cool but inconsistent glow.
"Who did that?" Eli clicked the safety from his pistol. "Wally, did you touch--?"
"Wasn't me. Maybe Alice--"

[BANG]

Something struck the wall behind you. You turn on the spot to face it. The creature's face is obscured by the pen's fogged up glass but... it almost looked... human. Almost...
View attachment 7195
"What are those things?" Wally recoiled in disgust.
"Better answer is what were those thing..."

[BANG]

Another creature struck the glass. Then another. And another. The basement's lights seemed to be aggravating them. They were growing more restless by the second. With each strike, the thin cracks that scarred the glass pens grew longer and wider they weren't going to hold out for much lon--

[CRASH]

The glass shattered. Three dozen grey skinned men stumbled towards you, their jaws swinging loose. Their disheveled creature raised their blood-stained hands and reached out towards the living. Eli raised his weapon and kept it trained upon one of the creature's faces.
"Look at them..." Toren mumbled to himself.
"It's hard not to... too many of them... whatever they are we can't let them get upstai--"

[NNNNNNRRRRR]

A siren sounded. The remaining pen doors came screeching open. More stagged towards the Returned. They were closing in on all sides.
"Battle-stations!"
The door slammed shut behind you.
@Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri @Lucky

BASEMENT- LANTERN

The dark smoke that had poured from the Lantern had started to clear. As Alice's senses returned to her, she would find a certain... stiffness filling her left hand. It's wasn't quite numb, but it didn't feel... right. It was cold.
View attachment 7196
Cold as Stone.

Trapped in her frozen, black hand was the Lantern of Nekron. It was lighter now... almost weightless. It felt natural to hold. Even if she could put it down, part of her didn't want to.

Before she could fully comprehend the situation, Father Crimson was at her side, helping her to her feet.
"The trail... is complete!" The Priest laughed, unable to hide the relief in his voice. "I knew you were strong enough... I knew you could wield it... Try not to panic... this is only the beginning..."

The basement's emergency lights had returned to life. Alice could hear the sounds of distant combat rattling down its glass halls.
"Ignore them." Crimson waved the sounds away. "You Second Trial is waiting for you..."

@Takumi
Flayn,”
MUSEUM
Flayn. The name pricked the ears of the dark haired girl at Jakurai's side. She tensed up. She drew her shoulders inwards towards her chest. Her eyes darted towards the Council Staircase. Walking as fast as she could with running, the girl made her way towards the tower, her eyes glued to the floor all the while.

@Capri
"Perhaps," Valkyrie eyed Soranik and whoever was holding CORI. "Thou should inspect if our thieves tampered with the device before hooking it into something?" While they had left on amicable terms, Valkyrie wasn't quite sure they could be fully trusted. Even if they both fought the Goddess that didn't mean they couldn't be out to hinder their group as well.
Katara snorted, but coughed to cover it up. She quickly pulled out Cori and handed her over.

"Here, I have her." She offered as she handed the device over to Doctor Natu.

"Can Cori track our allies that aren't responding? And...I dunno, send some kind of signal to Eli telling him where Alice is?" That was a thing technology could do wasn't it? All the technology she'd seen so far did thongs not even Fire Nation technology had yet to accomplish after all.

"I think Valkyrie has a point too." She added with a brief nod.
WIDER CAMP
"Aww, ya got me!" 'CORI' cooed. A golden hologram buzzing out of the projector. She looked similar to the A.I. the Godless knew and loathed, but there was something... off about her. She was younger than the regular CORI. Her was curled. Oh, and she was smiling. It wasn't a sneer. It wasn't smirk. It was a warm, natural smile. "That's what I like about you, Val! Always on the ball! And Kat! Look at you! So kind! So sweet! So flattering! I'm not one to toot my own horn, but yes! I can set up a link between you and you lovely friends inside the Temple! Sadly, I'll confess... it won't be easy..."

"Turn it off! Now!" Soranik demanded. "We don't need to--"
View attachment 7197
"I hate to interrupt, Doctor Natu."
The A.I. winced. "But I'd like to stay on, if that's okay with you? Mr.James may have sent me here to steal a file or two, but that's not all he did! When he was reprogramming my personality files, he was kind enough to keep my higher operating systems in tact!! In other words..." She cleared her throat. "Anything mom can do I can do better!" The A.I. sung. "I can do anything better than--"

"Please," Walker pondered. "Help to understand you, Miss....?"

"Oh, sugar! What manners! You can call me the Quantum Ordinance for Remote Interfacing, or Q.O.R.I. for short!"

"Thank you, Ms. QORI." Walker chuckled in response. "Correct me if I'm wrong... but you're offering to safeguard our rings and get our systems back online in exchange for access to our network?"

"That's right, honey! I mean, we already have access to all the information inside Mom's head. What could a few more files hurt? I'll even let you poke around in my noggin! I mean, we both want the same thing, right? A Free World? No more Imperials? What's the problem with sharing intelligence between friends?"

"And we should trust you why?"

"Well, if you want your me to safeguard you network, you don't have much of a choice? Sorry darlin', that sounded a little harsh... what I'm trying to say is that the Twins pick-pocked Eli without the Boss' permission. They were supposed to just keep an eye on you, and maybe lend a hand here and there if you needed it. But they're overzealous. They're kids! Who can blame 'em? The Boss values his privacy, and he'll punish them suitably for blowing their cover. James meant what he said. I am something of a peace-offering! The go-between-girl between our organizations! We'll both benefit greatly from this partnership. So what do you say? How about we bury that hatchet?"

"Our hands are tied, friends... We might have to chose between the devil we barely know, and the devil we really don't know..."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Lucky
 
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BASEMENT
Contact
The lantern began to rattle and shake. Alice's fingers ceased up. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't pry them apart. All attempts to do so simply made the device shiver faster. Faster. Faster!

"Yes! Yes!" Cries of jubilation erupted from Crimson's lips. The mask of the reserved priest burned away. A triumphant zealot stood in his place. "Here it comes!"

[BOOM]

A grey light burned in the heart of Lantern. The whole temple shook like a leaf.

***
MUSEUM
The Museum's visitors- already shaken by the last interruption- panicked and screamed. Clouds of dust descended from the halls' roof. The pilgrims ran for cover. Some threw themselves beneath the exhibits and interactive consoles. The Inquisitors threw their bodies against the hall's door-frames, bracing themselves in the face of the apparent 'Earthquake'.

The 'Earthquake' ceased as suddenly as it had started. The Pilgrims slowly removed themselves from their hiding-holes. A crimson hologram of Father Prison appeared in the center of the Museum.

"There's nothing to fear, my brothers..." He hummed with open arms. "We're just experiencing some unexpected seismic activity. The Temple is sturdy enough to endure far worse than this. We'll have some additional inquisitors on route to your location to help with the clean up. Please, return to your tours. Our guests of honor from the Kanzuki Foundation will be arriving shortly..."

In a flash, the Hologram vanished.

"That was no Earthquake..." Eli scowled. His hand drifted to his belt and the pistol he had strapped to it. "That was an explosion..."

"The Basement... Alice!" Wally exclaimed and the pieces finally clicked together. Charging forth at the speed of sound, the speedster rocketed towards the basement's access door. It came crashing to the floor before Eli could draw his weapon. With the guard having been dismissed some time ago, the path was clear for any of the Returned to venture into the pitch-black basement.

BASEMENT-- ENTRANCE
"Wally! Stop!"
"Cantstopgottafindher"
"How many walls have you ran into? You can't see a thing! You're going to--"
"Wally! Listen to him!"
"Toren! Are you sure you can't make your ring any brighter--"

[Crack]

The basement's emergency lights hummed to life. Flicking white bulbs filled the room with cool but inconsistent glow.
"Who did that?" Eli clicked the safety from his pistol. "Wally, did you touch--?"
"Wasn't me. Maybe Alice--"

[BANG]

Something struck the wall behind you. You turn on the spot to face it. The creature's face is obscured by the pen's fogged up glass but... it almost looked... human. Almost...
View attachment 7195
"What are those things?" Wally recoiled in disgust.
"Better answer is what were those thing..."

[BANG]

Another creature struck the glass. Then another. And another. The basement's lights seemed to be aggravating them. They were growing more restless by the second. With each strike, the thin cracks that scarred the glass pens grew longer and wider they weren't going to hold out for much lon--

[CRASH]

The glass shattered. Three dozen grey skinned men stumbled towards you, their jaws swinging loose. Their disheveled creature raised their blood-stained hands and reached out towards the living. Eli raised his weapon and kept it trained upon one of the creature's faces.
"Look at them..." Toren mumbled to himself.
"It's hard not to... too many of them... whatever they are we can't let them get upstai--"

[NNNNNNRRRRR]

A siren sounded. The remaining pen doors came screeching open. More stagged towards the Returned. They were closing in on all sides.
"Battle-stations!"
The door slammed shut behind you.
@Crunch @Yun Lee @Capri @Lucky

BASEMENT- LANTERN

The dark smoke that had poured from the Lantern had started to clear. As Alice's senses returned to her, she would find a certain... stiffness filling her left hand. It's wasn't quite numb, but it didn't feel... right. It was cold.
View attachment 7196
Cold as Stone.

Trapped in her frozen, black hand was the Lantern of Nekron. It was lighter now... almost weightless. It felt natural to hold. Even if she could put it down, part of her didn't want to.

Before she could fully comprehend the situation, Father Crimson was at her side, helping her to her feet.
"The trail... is complete!" The Priest laughed, unable to hide the relief in his voice. "I knew you were strong enough... I knew you could wield it... Try not to panic... this is only the beginning..."

The basement's emergency lights had returned to life. Alice could hear the sounds of distant combat rattling down its glass halls.
"Ignore them." Crimson waved the sounds away. "You Second Trial is waiting for you..."

@Takumi

MUSEUM
Flayn. The name pricked the ears of the dark haired girl at Jakurai's side. She tensed up. She drew her shoulders inwards towards her chest. Her eyes darted towards the Council Staircase. Walking as fast as she could with running, the girl made her way towards the tower, her eyes glued to the floor all the while.

@Capri


WIDER CAMP
"Aww, ya got me!" 'CORI' cooed. A golden hologram buzzing out of the projector. She looked similar to the A.I. the Godless knew and loathed, but there was something... off about her. She was younger than the regular CORI. Her was curled. Oh, and she was smiling. It wasn't a sneer. It wasn't smirk. It was a warm, natural smile. "That's what I like about you, Val! Always on the ball! And Kat! Look at you! So kind! So sweet! So flattering! I'm not one to toot my own horn, but yes! I can set up a link between you and you lovely friends inside the Temple! Sadly, I'll confess... it won't be easy..."

"Turn it off! Now!" Soranik demanded. "We don't need to--"
View attachment 7197
"I hate to interrupt, Doctor Natu."
The A.I. winced. "But I'd like to stay on, if that's okay with you? Mr.James may have sent me here to steal a file or two, but that's not all he did! When he was reprogramming my personality files, he was kind enough to keep my higher operating systems in tact!! In other words..." She cleared her throat. "Anything mom can do I can do better!" The A.I. sung. "I can do anything better than--"

"Please," Walker pondered. "Help to understand you, Miss....?"

"Oh, sugar! What manners! You can call me the Quantum Ordinance for Remote Interfacing, or Q.O.R.I. for short!"

"Thank you, Ms. QORI." Walker chuckled in response. "Correct me if I'm wrong... but you're offering to safeguard our rings and get our systems back online in exchange for access to our network?"

"That's right, honey! I mean, we already have access to all the information inside Mom's head. What could a few more files hurt? I'll even let you poke around in my noggin! I mean, we both want the same thing, right? A Free World? No more Imperials? What's the problem with sharing intelligence between friends?"

"And we should trust you why?"

"Well, if you want your me to safeguard you network, you don't have much of a choice? Sorry darlin', that sounded a little harsh... what I'm trying to say is that the Twins pick-pocked Eli without the Boss' permission. They were supposed to just keep an eye on you, and maybe lend a hand here and there if you needed it. But they're overzealous. They're kids! Who can blame 'em? The Boss values his privacy, and he'll punish them suitably for blowing their cover. James meant what he said. I am something of a peace-offering! The go-between-girl between our organizations! We'll both benefit greatly from this partnership. So what do you say? How about we bury that hatchet?"

"Our hands are tied, friends... We might have to chose between the devil we barely know, and the devil we really don't know..."

@Jeremi @Takumi @Capri @Lucky

'Ah shit, I fucked up didn't I?' Alice thought in a temporary panic before a light came from the lantern and--

BOOM!

Coughing softly once the dust settled, she was surprised she was still alive as Crimson helped her to her feet. She instinctively moved her hands to try and make sure she was completely intact, only to softly grunt when something in her hand hit her abdomen. Looking down at her left hand she sucked in a breath.

"What the fuck happened to my hand?" She hissed softly in disbelief. She could just imagine the shit she'd get if it was still like this by the time she got back home. Renfred would probably scold her for touching weird lanterns and honestly...she'd deserve it.

"How many trails you want me to go through?" She rose a brow. How the fuck could he just brush off whatever the fuck was going on on the stairs? What if whatever the fuck was going on up there traveled down here?



@Sark @Basement

"So you're part of an organization that wants to steal information from us and you're just playing it off like we're all buddy buddy?" Katara huffed. If they wanted an alliance they could of just asked! Like normal people do! Not any of this stealing and two faced stuff!

"And this Boss couldn't of just have the twins offer some kind of alliance or mutual agreement between organizations instead of wanting to just steal information? Yeah, those Twins are overzealous, and maybe even a bit stupid too." She scowled tiredly, hands on her hips.

It only served to make this 'organization' Qori talk about look pretty bad.

@Sark @Jeremi @Lucky @Camp
 
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Henry Hart

" Never been much of a person for history, so no, not really interested in either of the points that you asked about. I'm assuming whatever you are about to tell me will be a lie anyway. That's all the history books ever do, tell the winning side of the story. I do have a question though, if her first reign was so perfect, why was she locked away? Seems kind of weird to lock away someone you love."

@
Sark @Museum

Jester Lavorre and Caleb Widogst

" I don't exactly believe that we should trust the machine to access more files of Cori, Who knows what damage she might call? Perhaps it might be time to reset her as I believe this child will cause more trouble. The man gave her up way too easily,"
Caleb pointed out.

Jester would nod in agreement. "
I think Caleb iis right, we should reset her, especially if she is telling us not too."

@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi
 
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