HABIT was not injured, in fact, the demonic god seemed relatively unphased besides a couple of bruises. In another flash of purple, HABIT was out of the grasp of his arms
"Seriously? Bludgeoning? Get creative you big doof!"
HABIT was nonchalant, he took his rifle again and fired at the monstrous foot. He made little to acknowledge Seiros's presence, although he was shocked at the fact that
he wasn't the one being called an abomination.
@Sark
STREETS OF ATLANTIS
HABIT's final shot swept rug out from beneath the Titan. The creature staggered, stumbled and fell upon its back. Seiros placed her foot upon the cripple creature's chest. With a roar, she hammered her blade through the creatures chest. She removed it. Then plunged it in again. And again. And again. With a final, exhausted groan, she flicked the creature's shattered remains into the rising waves.
She approached HABIT.
"Do you have name, child?"
Atlantiades waved him off.
"I do not have time to listen to your musings. I'm only here so that we might conceivably survive." They made their way towards the exit to the room to try and cut off the attackers.
"And yes, we are most certainly going to lose this battle, but I'm going to be fabulous when we do." With that, they made their way down to face the enemy.
@Sark
"So impatient..." Poseidon tutted. "I had a few drachma resting on her the one... that is a shame..."
The King of Atlantis rose to his feet once again and approached the Thunder God.
Billy Batson/ Shazam
Timing had never been Billy Batson's strong suit. He always arrived either too early or too late. The only exception was when he had been fighting for the Great Spirits. But now as a God of Thunder and of PTSD, he learned that it wasn't always a bad thing to be late. " If I had to guess your Majesty, it would be because that if you fall, then our whole point of fighting is lost. The people need you alive to keep their fate alive. If they lose you, they lose that. Things can be rebuilt, people on the other hand, can not be as easily replaced. Or least that is my understanding from the Wisdom of Solomon. It does have its moments, unlike the powers I have bestowed through your brother."
@Sark @Jeremi
POSEIDON'S TOWER- POSEIDON'S THRONE ROOM
"Interesting hypothesis," Poseidon paced the throne room.
"In a sense, I am Atlantis, yes. I am a symbol of order, of justice. But if I fell, another King would take my place. I have 4 successors raring to take my place. Perhaps aggressive Ares would inherit my Trident and rule in my stead. One can only imagine the kingdom he would build. You were close to hitting the mark, Billy Batson. The People of Atlantis cannot be replaced. So long as I live, the channels that connect this realm to its sisters remain open. If I fall, those doors close. We loose our one chance at evacuating my people. They didn't ask for this war, none of us did." Poseidon linked his hands behind his back and approached his balcony. He looked out upon his burning city.
"Had the Gods interfered sooner, we might have avoided this mess. If we had interfered back at the Citadel, or during War in Hell, if we had stopped Luthor, or Urien, or Kolin... this disaster might have been avoided. Whomever created the Gods... they must be punishing us for our inaction. Still. It wouldn't be fair for the Mortals to share in our fate."
The King turned back to face Shazam.
"Atlantiades is correct. This city is doomed. Sooner or later, the Goddess will enter the fray. The Old Gods will fall. I shall be counted among the Legions of the Dead. But before my Twilight comes, I have a few secrets to pass on."
Poseidon struck the base of his trident against his navy carper. The earth shook. The heart of the throne room began to open up like a large pair of jaws. From its heart, a large stone rose. A golden blade was lodged within it.
"Some call it Excalibur. Some call it Harpe. I know it as the Sword of Origins. It predates even the Oldest of the Old Gods. They say it's blade was tempered in the first spark of creation. Take it. Remove it from the stone. I trust it, now, to you."
@Lucky
Atlantiades waved him off.
"I do not have time to listen to your musings. I'm only here so that we might conceivably survive." They made their way towards the exit to the room to try and cut off the attackers.
"And yes, we are most certainly going to lose this battle, but I'm going to be fabulous when we do." With that, they made their way down to face the enemy.
@Sark
POSEIDON'S TOWER- UPPER FLOORS
It didn't take long for Atlantiades to run into the infiltration party they were sprinting down the halls of Poseidon's palace, weapons drawn. A handful of Atlantian bodies littered the floor around them.
View attachment 5551
"Ah! You've come to see the show!" Metodey cackled.
"Of course, it's only natural that you'd want to see history in the making! The Death of the Old Gods! Liberation for all Mortals!"
The Assassin raised his hands. His men fell to their knees, clutching their heads.
"Of course, the true Empress warned me that I might encounter some divine opposition. She was even kind enough to entrust me with a few relics that might help to even the odds..."
The Imperial Guards' bodies began to spasm, twitch and pulsate. A dark cloud descended upon them. By the time the fog cleared, the soldiers had been completely transformed.
View attachment 5552View attachment 5553View attachment 5555
The first beast was foul and tall. It walked on all fours, with three all too human-looking giant hands supporting it's great mass.
The second was tall and slender. Two great wings had grown where it's arms had once been.
The third was sinister and serpentine. It's belly hung close to the earth as it half-walked, half-dragged itself towards Atlantiades.
The tree Demonic beasts advanced towards the idol, shaking the tower with each step they took.
@Jeremi @Lucky
"
Would you believe me if I said that my brother and I fought the Great Dragon Naga, head of our clan, and lived to tell the tale? We were exiled, in the end, but we still lived." She chuckled, the sound rumbling low in her chest as it heaved with each breath.
At the cries of the new foes, she lowered herself, as if to pounce, a growl like thunder vibrating deep in her chest. Once it was clear what the enemies were and where they were, she prowled closer to Ares, curling protectively around him as she watched the Emerald Dragons closely.
"
Hahh, they're taunting us. Like a gang of naughty children." She huffed, before she glanced down at the God of War, tilting her head at his words. Her eyes narrowed, seemingly brighter for a second.
"
You give up, God of War? Even when your people need you? Some still live, and they will need all the help they can get once this is over. If I fall here I do not intend to let you do the same. Up." Her voice became stern, hard, and commanding at once. She lowered her head and gently nudged his own with her snout.
"
Get up, War Child. If you cannot fight anymore, then do not stay and die if you could fight another day.Do not give that dastard the satisfaction of saying she killed a God of War when she could not even face him herself. She does not deserve such a thing, only death." Her tone softened, her body glowed a weak green light. It was soothing, and would hopefully help Ares with at least some of his fatigue.
What they needed was hope, and for her, the thought of seeing the Goddess' smug face crumple was enough of a motivator even as she was beginning to run on fumes. Then, she charged at the first Emerald Dragon, hoping her momentum would be enough to push it from it's perch and with a burst of wind from her wings, attempted to push and slam the first into the second dragon, screeching as she did so, and sending a bolt of electricity to the third in the process in hopes of getting all three of their attention on her and her alone.
@Sark
TOWER OF THE EMERALD DRAGON
Ares slowly peeled himself off of the floor. A let out a deep, gravelly chuckle.
"Aye, it's not like the God of War to die on his knees. No. The Mighty Ares does not know the meaning of surrender. The Mighty Ares, who felled the Walls of Troy. Nay. Not that Ares." He coughed.
"We'll by them a few more minutes. By Hades, we'll by them a few more seconds."
With a heaving groan, he pried his swords from the earth and flung it over his shoulder.
"We'll give her Hell." His spat, his morale rising. A flicker of thunder glimmered in his eyes once war. His hate started to burn again. His locked his jaw and roared. His strength game flooding back to him.
"WE'LL GIVE HER HELL!"
View attachment 5556
"DEATH TO THE DEMONESS!" He roared.
"DEATH TO THE WITCH!"
"You will be thankful that we arrived when we did," He spoke flatly, turning His head towards Ares.
"You were on the brink of death to a horde of unwashed savages and beasts - a fate certainly unbecoming of a so-called 'God.'"
The 'man' twirled the titanic blade in his hand, sending a cloud of embers behind himself as he lurched ahead past his 'landing point,' staring down the trio of stunning beasts as He spoke.
"I had hoped it would have never come to this. But the threat of Faith still marches across the stars like a disease. A threat that I can no longer afford to ignore. She has been the wrench in my Plan for far too long."
One of the dragons would have likely shrieked, lunging at the golden warrior with a mocking hitter. He raised his clawed hand, fingers lightly opening. With that motion alone, the surrounding air heated, producing a deafening buzz.
"For the good of Mankind, I must act. Consider this my only charity to you parasites."
The Emperor of Mankind twitched his finger.
KRA-KROOOM!
The sky split open above one of the Emerald Dragons, a sudden and furious storm of alabaster lightning slamming into the creature's back, buffeting it with heat that would have boiled the beast within its scales had it not moved out of the way or found some way to cease the storm. Though with each attempt to move out of the way, another crackling chorus of thunder slammed across the Earth, digging it further into the ground.
The Emperor was as still as a statue, staring ahead with a furrowed brow.
@Sark @Takumi
The sky split open above one of the Emerald Dragons, a sudden and furious storm of alabaster lightning slamming into the creature's back, buffeting it with heat that would have boiled the beast within its scales had it not moved out of the way or found some way to cease the storm. Though with each attempt to move out of the way, another crackling chorus of thunder slammed across the Earth, digging it further into the ground.
The Emperor was as still as a statue, staring ahead with a furrowed brow.
@Sark @Takumi
[/QUOTE]
What they needed was hope, and for her, the thought of seeing the Goddess' smug face crumple was enough of a motivator even as she was beginning to run on fumes. Then, she charged at the first Emerald Dragon, hoping her momentum would be enough to push it from it's perch and with a burst of wind from her wings, attempted to push and slam the first into the second dragon, screeching as she did so, and sending a bolt of electricity to the third in the process in hopes of getting all three of their attention on her and her alone.
@Sark
The Emperor's onslaught was enough to liquefy the first dragon. It's molten remains struck the rising waves and doused the Master of Mankind in a pillar of steam and smoke. The waves bombarded the smoldering corpse. Their cool touch was enough to solidify the liquid dragon and freeze its body in place.
Even as it was taken by the sea, the featureless emerald blob could be heard screaming and rattling away.
Mila's charge sent the second dragon crashing into the third. Her electric breathe stunned the stumbling beasts and sent the tumbling off the edge of tower. For a moment, the beasts were out of sight and out of mind. Ares arrived on the scene a moment later. He half sprinted-half swamp towards the base of the tower. Soon, the rushing water would render the streets impossible to navigate.
"Is it dead?" Ares scowled as he scaled climbed out of the rising sea.
"Is it?"
View attachment 5559
A savage scream burned the air. It was ear splitting. The beast's call was nauseating.
The Emerald Dragon slowly emerged from behind the fallen tower. It's claw was the first thing the Gods caught sight of. It was large enough to crush the platform it had once perched itself upon. The beast slowly pulled itself from the waves. It released another primal call.
The hideous face crept out from behind the skyscraper. Another appeared. Then another, and another.
A bouquet of Emerald heads open their jaws wide. A dozen mighty pillars of light leaped from their lips and obliterated the air between the Emerald Hydra and the Gods. The wild shots tore apart the city. Towers came crashing down. Waves were shattered and turned to steam. Gods were sent tumbling from the skies, their bodies burned and fried. A stray beam incinerated the tower the 3 Gods were standing upon.
The roar of flames washed over you before you could react.
But you felt no pain.
As soon as the Hydra relented and stopped to suck in one more greedy breath, the stranger slowly lowered his palm. The God that had parted the blast slowly turned around to face his allies. A smug smile was glued to his lips.
"What a foul creature..." A mumbled through a grin.
"A blemish on creation... an insult to the work of the true God... the Goddess dares to offend the Great and Exalted--"
"--Zamasu!"
The Supreme Kai slowly turned around on the spot.
"A beast with 12 heads... We shall have to sever 3 each to slay it. Do you think you can manage?"
@Takumi @Jeremi
It was a ship.
A shadow, far more significant than the whole diameter of the portal it emerged from, encroached over the Realm of the Gods. Titanic plates of steel were all that was visible beyond the clouds encircling the battlefield, though the titanic metal creaks of the lurching vessel were enough to alert the entire realm to its arrival. As it finished spitting the ship from its depths, the swirling storm of energy vanished until nothing remained, but the looming titan remained, hanging in the sky.
There was a moment of peace. The ship remained there, lurching over the Realm while casting its shadow along the battlefield. As with all things, however, peace must pass in silence to make way for the drums of war.
BOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!
The sound was not unlike the claps of thunder. The vessel's broadside exploded into a cacophony of fury - plumes of marble, dirt, and dust erupted into the sky like mushroom clouds, the ship raining fire down upon the surface of the Realm. At first, it seemed as if the fire was indiscriminate, content with leveling the realm into ashes. However, the works of the Gods remained untouched from the wrath of the leviathan - it was only the Emerald Empire's forces that would suffer.
Upon closer inspection, the projectiles hurling into the surface of the realm were not being fired from cannons. Indeed, they seemed to be 'ships' of their own; they were pods, fashioned from steel, that slammed into the dirt like meteors fallen from the stars. It was this rain of steel that heralded His imminent arrival, as the pods slammed into the center of the Savage army. Mounted machines - mechanical turrets - perforated the surrounding area in explosive gunfire even before the doors opened.
Armored giants, who made mortal men look like mere children, emerged from the pod-like a legion of bright, shimmering gold and plumed helms.
The giants were silent in their arrival but took advantage of the Empire's confusion by tearing apart their formation from the inside out. The golden angels lunged from their metal chrysalis blades-first, sawing through ranks of savages with electrified glaives fashioned of steel and advanced technology. The recognizable clap of gunfire soon filled the battlefield as more of these towering men made planetfall in crucial areas of the fight for Olympus.
There were not many of them - very few, in fact, compared to the overwhelming number of the Emerald Empire, but each one was like a demi-god in his own right. It would take a concentrated effort to take down even a few. It was not a matter of if the enemy could do so, but when.
@Sark @Everyone
HEART OF THE CITY- BENEATH THE EMPEROR'S SHIP
The arrival of the Emperor's fleet and the rippling heat of Gill's meteor shattered the Goddess' lines. The tattered bodies of her Emerald Angels were sent tumbling down from the heavens. The Old Gods did their best to soar from the path of the oncoming blasts. Their divine speed carried them to safety
For the first time since her arrival, the Gods could see a from brewing upon the Goddess' lips.
For the first time since her arrival, the tides seemed to be turning against her.
The Air Team fell back to the streets. They turned their eyes to the heavens and watched the Goddess frown.
The meteor was getting closer.
Closer.
Closer.
The force of its arrival sent the Goddess' hair and toga aflutter.
Closer.
Closer.
Closer.
She reached out towards the asteroid.
She flicked its stony skin.
The rock changed course. It defy gravity.
It began to soar upwards towards the Emperor's ship.
The sense of hope that had burned as the Goddess' joy cooled faded just as quickly as it had appeared. The Air Team lowered their stances and raised their weapons. They prepared to do battle in the heavens again.
Instead, their foe came to them.
The Goddess slowly floated toward towards the ground. She folder her arms. Her feet touched the ground. Her angels had always started to reform around her. She gave Gill a cold, hard stare.
She said no words.
She simply stood upon the high ground.
And waited.
@Yun Lee @Crunch
