Side Story The Goddess II: Fate of the Old Gods
- Thread starter Sark
- Start date
Lucky
But We Were Happy
Henry Hart/ Survivor Danger
Some people had powers that worked all the time. Henry's power did not work like that. But he did have powers of convience so when a ton of rubble tries to bury you alive, well, between his hypermobility and his new found forcefield, he was able to avoid being buried and crushed and found it just a bit easier to get out of it. " So what's the plan Alice?"
@Sark @Takumi
Caleb Widogast and Jester Lavorre
" Yeah, I think someone blowing up the museum that is like her thing might draw the Goddess out or at least her followers..... so no cover for us anymore."
"Really starting to feel like most of our adventures."
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Sark
Some people had powers that worked all the time. Henry's power did not work like that. But he did have powers of convience so when a ton of rubble tries to bury you alive, well, between his hypermobility and his new found forcefield, he was able to avoid being buried and crushed and found it just a bit easier to get out of it. " So what's the plan Alice?"
@Sark @Takumi
Caleb Widogast and Jester Lavorre
" Yeah, I think someone blowing up the museum that is like her thing might draw the Goddess out or at least her followers..... so no cover for us anymore."
"Really starting to feel like most of our adventures."
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Sark
Sark
Im-im-impossible!!
COURTYARD
With a splash and a crack, the trio struck the cobblestone path that connected the Temple to the wider camp. Katara's slide had helped to slow they fall down dramatically. In the end, the experience was almost fun.
Flayn slowly sat up, removing her head from Jeff's arms.
"Thank you... Jeff... Katara... Thank--"
Flayn froze. A dozen Inquisitors sprinted towards them, their armor clinging and clacking as the ran. Flayn cradled her head in her heads and let out a muffled scream. The Inquisitors barely gave her the time of day. They charged straight past the Godless and retreated into the wider camp. Flayn slowly looked up at her fleeing oppressors.
"They are running away... this does not make any sense..."
She turned back to the flaming museum.
"There must be survivors still inside... wounded... afraid..."
A scream shook the Temple.
"Father Crimson... The Inquisitors are Honor-Bound to protect him... Something is terribly wrong... We need to assist them..."
The Bishop stumbled to her feet. Staggering like a newborn animal, the mage fell back down onto her knees, her head still spinning from her fall.
"They need us... We cannot abandon those left inside!"
Half-Running, Half-Crawling, Flayn charged towards the museum.
[Jeff! Karata! What's your ETA?! We need everyone back at the camp ASAP!]
@Capri @Takumi
MUSEUM
The Godless entered the fray. Veranke threw her arms wide.
"Godless! You've come to see the show!"
Her soldiers flocked to her side. The knelt before her and raised their rifles, pinning the Returned to the edge of library's spiraling staircase.
"It's been far too long... Amayado, was it?" The Secularist squinted at Rei. "Oh, and look! You've bought some muscle with you. Tell me-- who is this Asgardian Brute you're no-doubt conning? You'd be wise to hold your cards close to your chest when working alongside Rei, Godless. He betrayed the Fellowship for the Society. He'll no doubt betray your merry band too, given the chance."
Her eyes danced between Rei and the Godless.
"You're not the idealistic type, are you, MC MasterMind? You're a nothing but a lowlife scammer. What's your pricetag, musician? Money? I'm a Queen. I have wealth to spare. Or perhaps you're searching for something you can't put a price on..."
A laugh rattled in the back of her throat.
"Turn your mic against the Godless. Return to the Secularists. Come home. In return, you'll not only leave with your head attached to your shoulders... but you'll be rich enough to start a new life in a new land... as a Prince. Abandon your cheap dreams... and find a new face...."
Mercedes retreated into Valkyrie's shadow.
"And you, Asgardian? What will it take for you to lower your sharp sticks and let the real revolutionaries get to work?"
Veranke looped her hands behind her back and started to pace.
"The Godless... You're archaic. You're using the name of a demonic terrorist organization that the Goddess has conquered once before. Working with Captain White... Using that name... You might as well write 'Demonic Pawns' upon your foreheads. Eli isn't the kind of man you should be idolizing. He's impatient. Paranoid. Unstable, on the best of days. He tried to kidnap you. He sent you into the lion's den in search of a blank book without really telling you why. Captain White is a wild-card. Working with him will only get you killed... Worse yet, it'll get innocent Secularists killed. The wise among you will side with us whilst you still have the chance. There are many factions out there who'd want to see the Goddess dead... you'd be wise to ally yourselves with the winning party."
Something moved under the rubble. One of Veranke's soldiers raised an eyebrow. He approached the half-buried Priest in the corner of the library.
"Crimson has been located, ma'am."
The Priest reached for his lantern. The Soldier crushed his hand with his boot. He screamed in pain.
"Good. Neutralize him. Do the same to the others then move on to stage 2..."
WHOOSSHH
Flames consumed the Foundation Soldier before he could take the killing shot. Vernake rolled her eyes and sighed. She raised her hand and called forth an invisible barrier to shield herself and her more immediate allies from the raging flames.
"Dear, sweet Alice... I was wondering when you would reveal yourself..."
Veranke's lower jaw became to shit and change. It grew paler... smoother...
View attachment 7931
"I am thoroughly disappointed with you..." She tutted with another man's voice. "I expected better from you..."
An invisibly hand tore through the rubble around Alice. Henry and Alice were tossed across the room like toys.
View attachment 7932
"Though, perhaps I should be thanking you. The Multiverse needs Chaos... It needs a little madness and disorder and ruin to remind it why it needs to be guided. A little terrorism here. A little disaster there. Before you know it--" Vernake closed her fist, catching Alice and Henry in midair with a telekinetic hand. "-- and they'll be begging for the yoke of order once again. The Goddess will fall. The Fellowship will return. An when it does, 'proactive' will be our watchword. We will make up for the mistakes of our precursors and lead the multiverse in the direction it was always meant to travel in: Secularism. We will force freedom and democracy upon the galaxy... and they will worship us for it."
"You, Ms.Swayne, will play an important role in making our dream a reality... The Empire will weep when it hears of how the Godless' resident pyropath burned down the Imperial Museum and killed their precious Priest. The Citizens of the Multiverse will cower when they realize that nobody is safe from the threat of dissident terror. They will turn away from the Emerald Flag when they realize that not even the Goddess can protect them. Your death will send a message to the mutliverse, Alice. Thank you for being out unwilling fall-girl..."
Consumed by ego, Veranke didn't notice the sound of sweeping footsteps shuffling above her. She didn't hear the calm breathing of a stranger, his slow, rhythmic breathes hidden by the crackle of the blaze. She didn't see his weapon glistening in the fire's glow.
She didn't hear Hidan enter the library.
She didn't see him until he was already upon her.
@Takumi @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Space_Candy @Jeremi @Lucky @Capri
"Thou wouldst think," Valkyrie replied to the side to whoever was closest to her. "That if all the Goddless' foes decided to join together then perchance everyone would have a fighting chance..." But she listened to the green woman ramble. Her mind seemed lost to her, which means that there was no point in suggesting an alliance.
Then suddenly an unknown factor emerged from behind. Weapons ready Valkyrie was going to come in close. It seemed that if this woman was incapacitated the rest of her soldiers would follow.
@Takumi @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Space_Candy @Jeremi @Lucky @Capri
Space_Candy
manic ghost
Hidan ran into the library, how he get there didn't matter to him- what he did was more important. As he moved toward the woman, he jumped up to lunge at her with his scythe.
"I not fully sure who you are, I don't care- but you seem like a real bitch," he spat with a smirk. He swung his scythe at her attempting to cause her harm.
@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lucky @Takumi @Capri
"I not fully sure who you are, I don't care- but you seem like a real bitch," he spat with a smirk. He swung his scythe at her attempting to cause her harm.
@Sark @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Lucky @Takumi @Capri
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Capri
dune agenda
JEFFREY KOVAL
@Sark @Takumi
Jeff looked between Flayn and his prompter.
“I’m sorry... but I can’t return now... we have to save the people in there,” Jeff said.
He thought back to the time he was just left in a burning school and nobody came to rescue him. It was the most traumatic experience of his life... and he doesn’t want anyone else to suffer that fate.
“Our team-mates are in there! Alice? Rei? Henry? Did you forget about them? They’re still in there! There’s a chance that they’re still alive! We have to save them!”
@Sark @Takumi
Jeff looked between Flayn and his prompter.
“I’m sorry... but I can’t return now... we have to save the people in there,” Jeff said.
He thought back to the time he was just left in a burning school and nobody came to rescue him. It was the most traumatic experience of his life... and he doesn’t want anyone else to suffer that fate.
“Our team-mates are in there! Alice? Rei? Henry? Did you forget about them? They’re still in there! There’s a chance that they’re still alive! We have to save them!”
Takumi
Member of the Yato Club
"We're outside the museum and it's on fire. The other's are still inside!" Katara spoke before placing a gentle hand on Flayn's shoulder after getting back to her feet. She felt a bit wobbly, but didn't feel too banged up from the fall.
"Flayn, no. You're disoriented, and I'm not sure if either of you got hurt in some way during that fall. I can use my bending to try and help, but right now you need to go with Jeff to the camp. Quickly." Her tone became stern and almost motherly as she spoke to the young woman, before glancing to Jeff as he spoke. Her brows furrowed in thought as he spoke, an almost sad look on her face as she slowly shook her head.
"I don't intend to leave them behind myself, but you guys...I don't want you two risking it. Please, take her back to the camp and get her looked at by one of the doctors there. You get looked at too. I'll see if I can get to the other's and get their butts moving." She suggested, quickly gathering what water she could to fill her waterskin and using the rest to make as large of a bubble over her as possible, before attempting to pelt rain at the fires to hopefully put a good portion of them out.
Afterwards she'd attempt to cover herself shoulders down in water and head inside. She hoped to help where she could in putting out the fires and, hopefully, help create a path for those still inside able and trying to flee.
@Sark @Capri
Before she could tell Henry a plan, Alice grit her teeth as they were both tossed around telepathically while Veranke taunted her and used the faces of Renfred and Arcade as she did it. That bitch.
"I'm guessing you want them to idolize and kiss your ugly ass if they join you? I'd rather you hurry up and kill me if that's the case." Alice sassed, eyes narrowed.
While Valkyrie made a point that maybe they'd benefit from working together against the Goddess. Well, Veranke fucked that up for her and her people. Besides, the way she spoke made it sound like she was just going to try and do something like the Goddess was doing. Ruling the Multiverse, or at least trying to, and labeling it as 'just' through lies.
Alice wouldn't want to ally herself with that green shit stain as far as she could throw her.
@Sark @Jeremi @Space_Candy @Yun Lee @Lucky
Sark
Im-im-impossible!!
COURTYARD
[You think I've forgotten them?] Soranik spat. [I haven't forgotten a single soldier lost under my command. Their names are burned into my skull. I'll take their names and faces to my grave. You're the one who's forgetting things, Jeff. You've forgotten that we're at war. Sometimes, pawns must be sacrificed to protect the king. Sometimes, decisions have to be made. Sometimes people have to die. I'm not enjoying this, solider. If they're half the soldiers Eli says they are, they'll be fine. If not... they'll have done their duty, right up until the very end. Now get. Back. To. Camp!]
Flayn fell into Katara's arms.
"No... No." She repeated herself, finder a spark of conviction insider herself. "If what Jeff is saying is true, then those men and women inside risked their lives to help set us free. Why should I go free if... no... how can I ever be free, knowing that I left them behind, trapped in the same flaming cell that once contained me?"
The light of Seraphim sparkled around her fingertips
"If you are venturing beck into that ruin... I will be accompanying you!"
Katara's aquatic bombardment successfully quelled the fires that clung to the wooden beams and curtains across the Temple. Tragically, the Temple's electrical systems had been damaged during the blast. The Electrical fires raged on, despite the Bender's interference. Her attack was strong enough to blast a path into the Temple, but it wasn't enough to save the Temple from its approaching collapse.
@Lucky @Capri
MUSEUM
Hidan's scythe tore through the air and---
--It cleaved the Skrull Queen in two.
Her torso struck the rubble at Hidan's feet. Her legs fell down a moment later.
"I assure you..." The Skrull Queen cooed, despite the apparently dire situation. "I most definitely am a real bitch..."
The Queen's legs sprung up off of the floor as if they were being puppetted by an unseen force. The legs sprinted towards Hidan whilst her chest and arms scurried back across the museum.
The Queen's flying feet struck Hidan square in the jaw. The rest of her scurried up the great, marble statue of the Goddess that watched over the crumbling chamber.
Veranke opened her mouth to shout a retort down at Valkyrie. No such retort came. A moment of hesitation crawled by.
"The enemies of my enemies are no friends of mine, Asgardian!" She yelled from atop the statue's praying hands. "What do you propose? Would you have me eat at Captain White's table? Would you have me dine with that traitor?"
The Foundation's soldiers rushed towards the Asgardian, their rifles raised atop their shoulders like clubs.
"If you wish for us to join forces, tell me what you have to offer! What can you proved to Queen that she does not already own?"
[Your Majesty... The Eastern Tower Bombs are in position. Moving onto the Western Tower.]
[The statues have been secured, Your Highness. Removing them from the Temple now...]
"It is critical that the masses have someone to aspire to be! They lust for someone to worship!" Veranke proclaimed from up high. "Mortals are compelled to pray! It is an instinct! It is a reflex! A condition! A lot!"
Veranke raised her hand and prepared to grant Alice's death-wish.
She hesitated again.
Valkyrie had planted a seed within her mind. She flinched.
"You're facing your death with a remarkable degree of confidence..." The Skrull lowered her hand. "Perhaps you have merits beyond your martyrdom..."
@Takumi @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Space_Candy @Lucky
Takumi
Member of the Yato Club
"You can be whoever you damn want to be without worshipping anybody, let your own feet carry you down the path you want to go. Praying and worship doesn't help everybody." Alice scoffed, her gaze cold. She didn't want to debate on something like religion or anything like that, but you can't just force freedom on the masses and not expect it to backfire somehow down the line.
"Valk has a point, I'm sure she can come up with a few suggestions." Alice added.
At Veranke's comment, Alice barked out a dry laugh and rose an eyebrow. Did Veranke forget the threat they were fighting? The forces they were going against? Death was a possibility that wasn't ruled out on the chance of failure, and Alice had too many close calls already.
"People die all the time from one thing or another, if I go I go. That's just how it is. Call it Martyrdom or whatever you want, if I've survived that damn arena for a week then I can survive whatever else this damn Multiverse throws at me before I kick the bucket. C'mon, you must know enough about me to go wearing faces of family and that ginger bitch, or did you just tune in to the TV one day and decide Arcade played a nice trick that you could use in the future?" She replied with a scowl. The Multiverse was a dangerous place and a bunch of people died already getting mixed up in it.
@Sark @Lucky @Jeremi @Yun Lee @Space_Candy
Katara bit her lip a moment in hesitation, before sighing and looking to Flayn sternly as she removed the water from her hands to place them on the girl's shoulders. She put one of her hands on the girl's temple, letting water cover it as it started to glow and proceeded in a small healing attempt. Once finished, she looked her over briefly for anymore injuries.
"Okay, but stick close to me and if this place starts to get too dangerous you turn around and go right back to Jeff and let him take you to the camp to get checked out for any other potential injuries, understand? You asked us to take you home and I plan on getting you home alive." She responded, tone becoming gentler as she continued speaking.
She put out any wooden fires that remained once they were inside, learning enough about electrical fires to know that water wouldn't help in this case.
@Sark @Capri
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Space_Candy
manic ghost
Hidan looked at the woman's body cleaving in half, a smug look across his face as she fell to the ground. He let a small noise of surprise and confusion as her lower half started to moving right towards him.
"Fuck!" Hidan shouted, attempting to dodge but getting struck in the face none the less. He furrowed his brows, twirling his scythe so it was behind him. He smirked as he felt blood trickle down his chin, letting out a loud laugh- chasing her as she scurried up to the statue.
He soon changed his focus as soldiers marched in.
Oh, this would be fun.
@Jeremi @Sark @Takumi @Lucky @Yun Lee
"Fuck!" Hidan shouted, attempting to dodge but getting struck in the face none the less. He furrowed his brows, twirling his scythe so it was behind him. He smirked as he felt blood trickle down his chin, letting out a loud laugh- chasing her as she scurried up to the statue.
He soon changed his focus as soldiers marched in.
Oh, this would be fun.
@Jeremi @Sark @Takumi @Lucky @Yun Lee
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Valkyrie felt best to walk a fine line. "Aye, what do we bring. Unity," She started. "Unity against a common foe. Dost thou don't believe that with a larger force and-"
"By Odin's beard! Wouldst though calm yourself!" Valkyrie shouted towards Hidan. "Are you one of the Goddess' thralls or is thine commander someone else?"
As she waited for a reply her attention went back towards Veranke. "Allies must not like each other. Thou hate is clear. I can hear it in your voice, but perhaps thou dost not need to interact with him to work together?"
@Sark @Jeremi @Sark @Takumi @Lucky @Yun Lee
Capri
dune agenda
Lucky
But We Were Happy
Henry Hart/ Survivor Danger, Jester Lavorre and Caleb Widogast
Henry would take a deep breath and attempted to not roll his eyes. It was a really hard thing to not do. " I don't think you have really thought this plan fully through because it sounds like its more full of holes than a piece of Swiss cheese." He didn't have much else to say on the matter.
Jester who had followed the group down from the library had a lot to say. " Vernake, I knew that the other Chosen didn't like you, but think about it what you are saying. Yes, the Goddess's citzens would fear the Godless, but knowing the Goddess she would spin it in her favor. She would say that the priest sacrificed himself to defeat the Godless scum. She would use it as a rallying multiverse cry for her. She would be seen as kind and compassionate for wanting to avenge her fallen priest. Henry is right, your plan has a lot of holes."
" And from all my time heading from the Goddess, I learned that everything that happened here would be used for her own gain. She's smart, she tactful. She knows what she is doing. So, perhaps instead of deciding to believe the world is good or evil, it's shades of gray."
@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Yun Lee
Henry would take a deep breath and attempted to not roll his eyes. It was a really hard thing to not do. " I don't think you have really thought this plan fully through because it sounds like its more full of holes than a piece of Swiss cheese." He didn't have much else to say on the matter.
Jester who had followed the group down from the library had a lot to say. " Vernake, I knew that the other Chosen didn't like you, but think about it what you are saying. Yes, the Goddess's citzens would fear the Godless, but knowing the Goddess she would spin it in her favor. She would say that the priest sacrificed himself to defeat the Godless scum. She would use it as a rallying multiverse cry for her. She would be seen as kind and compassionate for wanting to avenge her fallen priest. Henry is right, your plan has a lot of holes."
" And from all my time heading from the Goddess, I learned that everything that happened here would be used for her own gain. She's smart, she tactful. She knows what she is doing. So, perhaps instead of deciding to believe the world is good or evil, it's shades of gray."
@Sark @Jeremi @Takumi @Yun Lee
Sark
Im-im-impossible!!
MUSEUM
Veranke's posture shifted a little. Her shoulders grew less tense. Her hands were lowered. Her fingers uncoiled.
"You've come a long way, Allison..." The Skrull Queen sneered. "You're not that scared little girl in the Deadlands anymore. I must admit... I underestimated you."
She retreated back into the statue's hands.
"And that... that is not something that happens often..."
Katara and Flayn burst into the museum. The Foundation's Forces turned to face them, their weapons raised. Katara's bending had made short work of the wood-fires. Her efforts had saved at least a dozen wounded pilgrims. Put putting out fires was nothing compared to stopping bullets. The guards prepared to open fire--
--Only to be cleaved in two by Hidan's scythe. Kevlar vests were about as durable as cheese blocks before a weapon such as his. Flayn stepped between Hidan and her new friend and waved her hands. A wall of light shielded her and Katara from the bloody spray.
"Thank you, sir," Flayn bowed her head a little. A glimmer of her old self was bubbling to the surface for the first time in half a decade. "Thank you dearly. I pity those who stand against a warrior such as your self. But alas, my pity fades when I think of what those brutes might have done if not for your swift actions. Thank you again."
@Takumi @Space_Candy
"Unity?" The Queen cooed to Valkyrie. "I was hoping for something a little more... tangible. And yet..." She stood up upon her newly-reformed legs and brushed her grooved shin. "And yet I can't help but find myself... tempted."
"Perhaps Crimson's reputation cannot be soiled so easily." She rolled Alice's recording device between fingers and she surveyed the crowd surrounding Jester.. "Perhaps the Goddess will deny the truth at every turn. The Footage we just leaked... it's turned the Inquisitors against him, that much I am certain. But... you're correct. The Goddess might be harder to convince. She might sense a loyalty within Crimson that we cannot see... or she might transform him into a cautionary-tale and render our work futile. She might use it as another excuse for a purge... She might replace the Priest with a far fouler leader..."
Veranke thinned her eyes and fell silent for a moment or two.
"We're fighting a War of Hearts and Minds here, Godless. I have faith that my actions today will shake the Empire to its core. If even a single soul is seduced from the Goddess' thrall, then it will all have been worth it. My soul will not be weighed down with regret..."
"And yet..."
"You've faced this threat in a peculiar fashion, Agardian." Vernake turned to face Valkyrie. She slipped out of her solemn trance. "You should be proud of your allies. They thrive under your self-appointed leadership. They understand their cause well. They understand the threats we face greater still. If the promises you and your ilk make hold true..."
View attachment 8012
"Then I surrender myself into your custody, so that we might discuss terms under friendlier, more trusting skies."
"I'm sorry... What?" Yuri spat, his eyebrows raised high.
"Do not mistake my surrender for cowardice, Godless. My armies shall continue to fight for my cause in my absence. I am surrendering as an individual in the name of--"
"I bet they'll continue to commit war-crimes too, your majesty!" Owain snapped. "We're not seriously considering this offer, right?" His eyes danced from one Godless agent to the next. "We're not about to take a skrull back to our super-secret headquarters, right? Because that would be insane... Right?"
"You are disgusted by my supposedly autocratic tenancies, are you not?" The Queen replied. "You'd be hypocrites not to put it to a vote. If I still wanted you dead, I'd still be trying to kill you, wouldn't I?"
"We need to go find Eli..." Ferdinand rubbed his temples. "He'll know what to do."
"No. No I'm not surrendering to him." Veranke snarled. "I'm not surrendering to demon you call 'Boss'. I'm surrendering to you." Her eyes met Valkryie's. "And you." You turned to face Alice. "And you." She looked at Henry. "I am surrendering to those who have proven themselves worthy of my respect. I am surrendering to the Returned. They are the ones who shall be voting on my fate... And, of course... the Rogue who cut me in half. It's only fitting that he should vote too."
"So much for democracy." Yuri scoffed. "So what's the plan, oh wise ones?" He turned to face the Returned. "Are we doing this?"
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Capri @Space_Candy
Valkyrie gave everyone that voiced their displeasure a very pointed glare. "Aye. We are doing this. If thou does not understand the significance of allies in a war where thou are on the losing side. My task as Valkyrie in my reality was to bring the dead to Valhalla. Right now I'd rather bring the living together. If thou can't recognize that then thine understanding of the war is flawed. Tis as the queen says. This is a war of the body as well as the mind. The populace must get a different kind of faith if we wish to topple the Goddess."
Ferdinand got an especial focus when she was done speaking. "Belay that. I think it's time for us to spring a surprise on your leader for a change."
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Capri @Space_Candy
Takumi
Member of the Yato Club
Alice blinked in surprise at Veranke's words. She only said the truth, and that impressed her?
Alice wasn't even sure what to say to that, really. She frowned as the group began to argue about whether or not to let the woman surrender, and Alice began to rub her temples as a headache began.
While she was at it, she attempted to put out the worse of the remaining fires, if not all of them.
"Would you rather we let her go and keep running around blowing shit up and trying to crush us?" She huffed at Owain as she crossed her arms.
"I don't know shit about Skrulls, but if I have to I can find out how many ways you can burn one until it stops moving. I can at least agree with Valk on potentially allying with her. Even if it's temporary or not." She added.
She's worked with people she hated before, she could do it again.
Katara shifted her stance in an instant, water gathering to her hands and extending into tentacles, using them as extensions of herself she raised to strike and immobilize the threats around her and Flayn before the men were cut down by the man with the scythe. Frowning at the bloody display she glanced around for anymore threats in the area as she stuck close to Flayn protectively.
"Yeah, thanks, Mister...?" She replied, trailing off and raising a brow as she glanced back at Hidan, ultimately unsure of where he fit in this odd situation.
@Sark @Jeremi @Lucky @Yun Lee @Space_Candy
Space_Candy
manic ghost
Hidan let out an excited laugh as he quickly took out the army of men that rushed at him, almost confused at quickly he killed them- frowning as he realized he hadn't left himself a sacrifice. He let out a curse before turning his head. Noticing others had joined him, he put his scythe in the floor deeming those who approached not a threat.
He jumped slightly as a woman yelled at him to calm his actions, he only gave her a shrug and a smirk in return.
View attachment 8060
"I'm on my own side baby," he grinned, picking up his weapon and swinging it around before resting it on his shoulder. He then gave a surprised look as two others thanked him for slaying the guards.
He wasn't usually praised for murder.
"Who are you people anyway?"
He jumped slightly as a woman yelled at him to calm his actions, he only gave her a shrug and a smirk in return.
View attachment 8060
"I'm on my own side baby," he grinned, picking up his weapon and swinging it around before resting it on his shoulder. He then gave a surprised look as two others thanked him for slaying the guards.
He wasn't usually praised for murder.
"Who are you people anyway?"
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Capri @Sark
Sark
Im-im-impossible!!
MUSEUM
"So Valkyrie and Alice are down for an Alliance..." Yuri traced his chin with his thumb. "By the sound of things, Hidan is abstaining. With Jeff out in the courtyard and Wally off doing the Goddess only knows what, we'ere in a bind. We can't count of the Chosen being impartial, so they'll have to abstain too. Even if Rei and Henry both scream and beg for us to kill the Skrull, we'd still only have a tie. The scale cannot be tipped in the favor of executing Veranke..."
"So what do we do?" Ferdinand exclaimed. "Heir on the side of caution and sentence her anyway?"
"No. No." Yuri mumbled to himself. "If at least half the Returned was to negotiate with Veranke, we have to give her a chance."
"W-what?" Odin stammered. "You can't be serious?"
"I am as grave as the grave, Odin." Yuri replied sternly. "The Queen lives... as our prisoner."
"Wonderful..." A smile crept across Veranke's lips. "Well then... take me to your l---"
[BOOM]
Another explosion shook the Temple. Marble pillars were sent tumbling to the ground left, right and center.
"What was that?"
"Another explosive charge has gone off, courtesy of Veranke's friends, no doubt..."
"I told you that I would come quietly. My allies are a different matter."
"What are you waiting for?!" Ferdinand howled, picking Vernake's legs up off of the floor and slinging them over his shoulder. "Start moving! Everyone! Clear out of here!"
***
The explosion rattled the Temple to its core. The Slayer was sent tumbling to his knees. The 'Demons' fell down a moment later. The voice's illusion was starting to fade.
The pale demon cradled its arm.
"Is that all you've got, Slayer?" He panted, removing his knife from his belt. "Come on... Come on!"
The emerald demon cracked its jaw back into place.
"His eyes..." Toren wheezed. "They've changed... whatever was bewitching him... it's gone."
The cowering demon did his best to stand, but his strength was spent. The bite on his shoulder was burning. It was too much to endure.
"We need to move..." Wally spat. "This whole place is going down... Forget the undead... we need to run!"
***
The Godless collapsed at the edge of the Temple. With a final groan, the Fellow's once beautiful headquarters came crashing down. Centuries worth of art... lifetimes upon lifetimes of records... they were all lost in one final flash of crimson. Yuri set the unconscious body of Father Crimson down upon the Temple's steps. Eli limped towards him.
"What happened to you?" Yuri smirked.
"The Slayer." Liquid replied bluntly. "The Slayer happened. He was under the influence of some kind of demonic magic. Not the kind I'm familiar with..."
"We'll have to trade notes when we get home." The Rogue quipped.
"We shall. Who are the new faces?"
"This is Mercedes. She was the librarian's assistant. She's been following Valkyrie like a lost puppy since she killed the librarian. And this-" He raised his hand towards the trembling, dark-haired girl at Katara's side. "This is--"
"--Flayn." Eli interjected. "It's been too long."
"H-Hello, Captain White..." 'No-Name' stammered. "You're correct. It has been--"
"Not another word. We don't have time." He dismissed her with a wave. "And the Skrull? What is she doing here? Forget it. Better question. Why is her head still attached to her shoulders?"
"I have friends in low places, Captain." She spat out his name as if it had been burning her tongue. "Your pawns had the foresight to spare me so that we might win the war together. The fate of both our heads can wait until the Goddess' head rolls. Do you think you can keep a dagger out of my back until then?"
A primal growled rattled in the back of Eli's mouth.
"No. I don't think I can. The moment we get home, I'm throwing you in the deepest, darkest hole I can find. And if Hidan is running low on sacrifices? I might just tell him where I've buried you... and tell him to take his time..."
"Your threats are as hollow as that skull of yours. Your 'Returned' have made their decision, Eli. You weren't a part of it."
Eli glared at his old friends. It was a cold, hateful stare.
"You better have a fucking incredible excuse for this." He hissed. "It better be fucking incredible."
He removed a device from his pocket and raised it to his lips.
"Soranik?"
[Captain? What's the situa--]
"Don't ask. Prepare and extraction. We're heading back to Valla."
[Fine.] Soranik grumbled. [How many people are we going to be extracting?]
Eli's eyes danced from one member of the Godless to the next. His eyes stopped when they landed upon Alice. He turned away from her before their eyes could meet again. A wave of shame crept over him. Fleeing the Temple... it didn't feel right. Even if their mission was done, leaving this territory in the Goddess' hands... it felt wrong. He clenched his jaw. He turned back to the Refugee camp.
Hearts and Minds. They were fighting for hearts and minds.
[Captain?] Soranik's voice interrupted Eli's trail of thought. [Captain, how many people are we--]
"As many as we can take." He replied, his voice booming with conviction.
[What?]
"We're taking as many people as we can. I don't care if it overloads the teleporter. There are thousands of scared, hopeless souls rotting behind that barbed wire fence. I won't allow it. We're taking them all, Soranik. Every. Last. Refugee. They're all coming back to Valla. Do you think CORI can handle it?"
[Sure I can, Sugar!] QORI cooed. [It'll be tough, but I can have your calculations ready in two shakes of a rabbit's foot--]
"Soranik? What did you do to my AI?" Captain White growled. "What did you do to my---"
A spark of gold washed over the Temple. In a flash, the Godless were gone...
MUSEUM----> THE FIELDS OF VALLA
THE SECRET HEADQUARTERS OF THE GODLESS
View attachment 8068
The Godless were 'home'... or at least, they're back at the closest thing they could call home. The Champions. The Returned. Hidan. A thousand refugees. They were all standing in the ruins of a forgotten kingdom.
"Valla sweet Valla..." Yuri smirked. "It's good to be--"
A spearhead was pressed against his throat. He sighed and raised his hands. A handful of Vallite soldiers surrounded the Returned.
"Here we go again..."
View attachment 8069
"You've got some nerve showing your faces here!" Seteth growled, poking Yuri a little harder. "Running off in the middle of the night! Refusing to alert her Majesty of your plans! You've been missing for far too long! We believed you all to be dead!"
He turned his weapon towards Eli, Niles and Nina. His bodyguards slowly circled the Returned.
"And now you scurry back here with an army of beggars and a band of criminals! Do you have any idea who you're working with? Hidan? Captain White? These men are murders! Murderers!"
"Good to see you too, Grand-Advisor Seteth." Eli squinted. "How is the life of a deserter treating you?"
"You insolent--" Seteth lowered his spear and slapped Eli's cheeks. The force of the slap could be heard across the clearing. "How dare you? You know exactly what the Goddess has taken from me! You dare to speak to me like--"
"Seteth, we can explain!" Ferdinand raised his hands as if he were calming a horse. He opened his mouth to explain. No sound came out. "Somebody explain, please? Can somebody introduce him to No-Name?"
"Your words are cheap, Godless. You have betrayed our trust once already. If we had the numbers to cease you and your refugee band we would have done so already! Kana will be hear shortly with the Reserve Army. You will be brought back to the castle in chains lest you explain yourselves immediately!"
@Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Capri @Space_Candy @Crunch
Capri
dune agenda
JEFFREY KOVAL
@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy @Crunch
“Woah... woah woah woah! Are you seriously gonna do this every time?” Jeff said, holding his hands up, but gestured towards Flayn to come foreward, moving out of the way so she could be clearly seen by Seteth.
“Calm down, Seteth, we have Flayn, it’s okay,”
@Sark @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Takumi @Lucky @Space_Candy @Crunch
“Woah... woah woah woah! Are you seriously gonna do this every time?” Jeff said, holding his hands up, but gestured towards Flayn to come foreward, moving out of the way so she could be clearly seen by Seteth.
“Calm down, Seteth, we have Flayn, it’s okay,”
Takumi
Member of the Yato Club
Katara put her water away in her waterskin and held onto Flayn as she watched, eyes darting back and forth warily as tensions rose. Even when they made it Valla she kept a protective arm around the girl.
"She asked us to bring her home, and I promised her we would, some of these refugees are injured and don't wish to fight." Katara added as Jeff tried to plead their case. She glanced to Flayn briefly, then back to Seteth.
Eli looking away from her hurt, a least a little. She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. She was sure that she'd have to apologize for causing him trouble, and that he was pissed as hell with her which she could understand, but that could wait. Once they had returned to Valla, she grew tense as Seteth threatened the group with his soldiers and weapons.
Then he went and slapped Eli, and she was marching over to stand between both men with a glare on her face. She kept her weapons concealed, but had her shoulders squared and her hands clenched.
"We went to get your fucking daughter back for you, and some of us nearly died doing so. So don't talk like you're the only one who lost something to the Goddess, when most of these people already have. Back off, and keep your hands off my Brother or you might lose a few teeth in the next minute or two." She spoke coldly.
@Sark @Capri @Yun Lee @Jeremi @Crunch @Space_Candy @Lucky
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