Side Story The Goddess

[Raynar Saassin]

Wasteland
"We wouldn't want it any other way!!" Kamioren's aura flared forth. Indigo fire consumed them. With a sadistic grin on its face, the Mutant Machine charged forth. In a flash, it was upon the CFWs. It stretched its arms out to form a double clothesline and shattered windpipes of both Magic and Brave. Once they were certain that their foes had been stunned, the Tuffle leaped into the skies and released a rain of storm purple ki balls in the CFWs' direction. "You're very confident in that 'God' of yours! I feel like you've got a rude awakening waiting for you!!!"

The two CFW's braced themselves for a double clothesline from the two enemies, which caused them to be briefly stunned for a time which allowed them to perform a swarm of Ki Blasts which severely damaged the stunned CFW's.

"The Deity of Sin will destroy all that stands in her path. She is unparalleled."
"She will ensure all the boys and girls are happy throughout, I will not fail her!"

@Sark

"Now now, Mother! That's no way to speak to the next generation! They're out future, you know!" Mephisto cackled and ruffled Compa's hair. "I say we teach them about the nasty stuff early on. We tell them about vivisection, murder and the truth about Santa by the age of three. Save them the trauma later on, right?"

The demon slowly straightened out his body back out to its full height. It was almost as if he had gained a few inches to match Big Mother's size.

"We know enough about the nasty stuff!"

Compa exclaimed, yelling towards Mephisto as she slapped him away from her hair.

"We've been through enough hell. Watching our own Goddesses go down in fights, witnessing so much destruction and carnage. Nothing you could possibly say would change that!"

@Sark​

 

[Capri]

With the way clear, Ashe quickly went to the door and got to work trying to pick the lock, and to Maddie he spoke in a hushed tone so only she could hear over the sound of gunfire and revved engines.

"I'll need you to watch my back and keep a lookout while I work, once I get it open I'll tap your arm so we can get in quick." He spoke as he worked, focused on his task at hand.

@Sark @amwexia

“Alright!” Maddie says. She can’t do that much in the ‘powers’ category but she can fight hand to hand in case an enemy comes.

It just so happens that one of those enemies came in a place closer to home.

Jester Lavorre

Jester would follow the other woman and create her duplicate to follow and help Eli. It was the best she could do.

That hoe Jester was her least favorite here, and that was a statement.

With the strength of five crackheads, Maddie socked Jester square in the jaw, dislocating it, only to immediately act surprised.

“I thought you were a demon, I’m sorry!”

She held a hand over Jester, healing her dislocated jaw and helping her up.

“Sorry about that~!” Maddie says, using her years of experience of lying on the streets to her advantage, “I seriously thought you were a demon,”

@Takumi @Lucky @Sark​

 

[Sark]

“Sorry about that~!” Maddie says, using her years of experience of lying on the streets to her advantage, “I seriously thought you were a demon,”​

"I'll need you to watch my back and keep a lookout while I work, once I get it open I'll tap your arm so we can get in quick." He spoke as he worked, focused on his task at hand.

@Sark @amwexia

Jester

Jester would follow the other woman and create her duplicate to follow and help Eli. It was the best she could do.

@Takumi @amwexia @Sark

Outpost
[Click!]
Ashe's skills had worked like a charm. Everything was going according to plan until---

[Crack!]
Maddie's fist struck Jester's face. A moment later, her body struck the rocks with a thud. Maddie's 'apologies' only added to the racket she had already made.

As the back door slowly swung upon, the stealth team was met with a blazing, red light-saber pike.

"Well, look what we have here!" The Sith Apprentice growled, placing his blade to Ashe's throat. "I knew I heard something!"

"To think that Captain threw his life away for nothing..." The Watchman teased from his tower. "So much for military strategy. That was, by far, the worst infiltration I have ever seen..."

A moment later the second apprentice returned. A net hung from the back of his bike. A corpse sat inside it. A handful of demons followed suit.

Apprentice laughed from beneath his helmet.

"This? This is the party they send to oppose the Black Army? It's a bloody disgrace."

With a wave of an Apprentice's hand, your world begins to blur. Everything starts to spin. A moment later, you've passed out...

@amwexia @Lucky @Takumi​

"All of it is very sound..." Big Mother nodded. As it stood Mephisto held all the cards or at least looked like he did. "I do wonder...some of these beings dead with me are not of this world. Far from it in fact. I will not assume to know much about a cosmic hierarchy but claiming souls, not of this universe feels a little..." She grinned. "Suspect."

@Sark @Raynar Saassin @Crunch @Jeremi

Wreck of the Crusader, ext
The Dead
"Oh, no, you've hit the nail on the head," Mephisto chuckled.
View attachment 4592
"This is all highly 'suspect'. Everything I'm do down her violets trillions of Multiversal laws. If you didn't come down here, cannons blazing, I'm sure someone else would have come down here to stop me eventually. This war was inevitable. The only real surprise was that I managed to avoid getting caught up in. Funny how things turn out..."

"So. Looks like we'll have to cut tonight's negotiation's short. I hold all the cards. You'll have no choice but to accept my offer. Besides, it appears as if Mr.Eliphas is already on-board with my proposition. He's just built you the worlds most imprecise assassin. Better get a move on. By the looks of things, the Inheritor's new pet could easily trample Izana on his way to Blackheart..."

Mephisto cracked his fingers.

"I'll even throw in a freebie for you. I'll transport you to that Infernal Fortress myself. I'll even give you back your bodies in advance. Now that's and offer you can't refuse."

A circle of Hellfire began to burn around Big Mother's feet. Another formed around Eliphas. Two more appeared beneath IF and Compa.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you, my friends! I trust that you'll uphold your end of the bargin... I'd hate to see you all suffer down here for all eternity..."

With a wave of his hand, the flames consumed the Chosen. The world around them melted away...

********************
[Whoooshh]
********************

A heartbeat later, the flame parted the Chosen were standing in the middle of a dark, shaded courtyard. Black, spiraling towers scared the sky. Enormous, filthy walls shielded them from the distant fighting. Dark cobblestones sat at their feet.

Beyond the immediate scenery, the more perspective member of the War Council would realize that they were also surrounded.

Sith. Demons. Droids. Hundreds of them. Everywhere they turned, their eyes were met with a dozen unfriendly faces. Fouler than any demon was their leader. He welcomed them with open arms.
View attachment 4595
"Welcome back!" The Reaper cackled. "It's good to see you all again. How have you all been? Good?"

On his command, the Black Army closed in on their new prisoners, their weapons drawn.

"We've been expecting you! We've already prepared your accommodation! Once you see all the fun activities we have planned... you'll never want to leave..."

[Crack]

A wave of lightning washed over you. The pain was unbearable. As your body slowly surrendered itself to the pain and the blackness crept into the corners of your eyes, the last thing you saw was the Reaper's face. He laughed as you finally passed out.

@Crunch @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin
__________________________
The Goddess
Act 1- Emerald Dawn
Episode II
Prisoners of War
The War on Hell was a Failure!
Where the Fellowship had anticipated a quick and easy war,
they have instead found a bloody slog. BLACKHEART has
expanded his BLACK ARMY and successfully transformed his
army of wild demons into a well-oiled military machine!

With the help of his allies in CHILDREN OF THE CREATOR, a
cult of rogue droids, THE SITH ETERNAL, a cult of fundamentalist
Sith Lords and THE CORE ARE WARRIORS, BLACKHEART has
crippled the Fellowship's navy, killing the majority of the WAR COUNCIL
in the process! Their young, inexperience ground troops are fighting
for their very lives in a battle without end.

Lingering on as little more than Phantoms, the GODDESS'S CHOSEN have
entered into an uneasy alliance with Blackheart's father, MEPHISTO. Although
the demon's magic helped to restore the bodies of Eliphas, Big Mother and
IF, Compa's body was irreparably destroyed by the Black Army General Eric
Williams, better known as THE GRIM REAPER.

Captured by the Reaper and his demons, both the half-living GROUND TEAM and
the ghostly INFILTRATION TEAM have been locked away inside Blackheart's fortress,
surrounded by new friends and old foes alike.

Across the Wasteland, the last three surviving Councillors have been betrayed and left
for dead by the treacherous HIGH COUNCILLOR ZAMASU. Trapped in a burning wreck
and running out of air, the Survivors hear a familiar, comforting voice, and find one final hope...
____________________________________________________
FORT BLACKHEART
The Living and the Dead
You blink yourself awake. You're in a cramped, dirty sell. Cold chains pin you to the wall behind you. You barely have the mobility to scratch your nose. All you can do is stare out of your cell, through its bars and into the hall outside. The only light to guide you shines down from a window behind your head. You're trapped.

But at least you're alive.

Well.

Mostly.

Big Mother, Eliphas and IF would find that their bodies were physical once again, only slightly more corpse-y than they had remembered. Their skin was chalky and pale. Their bodies were littered with the fatal wounds they had earned in the crash of the Crusader. But what mattered is that they could feel things again. They could interact with their environments just like they had done back when they were alive, whist retaining their ability to see the spirits of the dead.

Compa, Jester, Maddie and Ashe, on the other hand, were still phantoms, hidden away from the eyes of the living.

Tramped inside a cramped cell, the Chosen could do little but wait for their interrogator to arrive... or plan their escape.

@Crunch @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Minerva
​

"The Deity of Sin will destroy all that stands in her path. She is unparalleled."
"She will ensure all the boys and girls are happy throughout, I will not fail her!"
​

The Wasteland
The pain of the Ki storm was immense. The light and the sound and the pain... the CFW's sense were overloaded in seconds...

But in the heart of the chaos, there was a moment of calm. A wave of emotion washed over them. It sat somewhere between rage and peace... it was conviction.
View attachment 4594
"On your feet." The Spirit of Nox snapped. "Rest is for the Dead. I should know."

With a wave of his hand, the beams of energy that had once bombarded the pair began to part. It was if an umbrella had been raised above their heads, sheltering them from the flaming rain.

"I also know you were born for greater things than this. You were not built to die here. The Fellowship needs you. Your allies need you. You are among the Last of the Chosen! Fight like you have everything to loose! Make Blackheart bleed for his sins!

The spirit vanished. The raining key blasts stopped.

Kamioren frozen for a moment. They flinched. Pale blue sparks danced around their body.

"What the Hell... is... happening..." They stammered.

Nox had bought them an opening. How they used it was up to them...

@Raynar Saassin​

Seeing her companions fight to escape gave Kolin a surge of confidence in spite of the situation. As they began to attack the metal, she joined in, layering on ice in between their attacks. Perhaps if they got the metal cold enough after being so hot, it would be easier to shatter because of the temperatures.

@Sark @amwexia @Lucky​

The Wreck of the Crusader, interior
It was no use. The Crusader's hull was designed to endure to chill of space. It's shell had been build to endure collisions with meteors. Despite the strength of the firsts and the fire of their wills, they couldn't break free. They couldn't break out.

With every exhausting strike, they sucked in more and more air. It wasn't long until their panting breaths and the growl of the nearby fires had pumped their air fat with carbon. Breathing was getting difficult. Your vision started to blur.

"My children..." A voice. No. It had to be an illusion. A hallucination.

"Little ones, there is no need to be afraid..."

A hand caressed your cheek.

"I am here with you... I am here at last..."

She kisses your forehead.

"I am here... And I have missed you all so dearly..."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Lucky
_____________________
Cast List:
@Raynar Saassin as CFW Magic and CFW Brave, Compa and IF
@amwexia as Roman Halliday and Madison Palmer
@Jackythejack as Father Martin Archimbaud
@Yun Lee as Kolin
@Crunch as Eliphas the Inheritor
@Lucky as Jester Lavorre and Beauregard Lionette
@Nightwisher as Dinasadhaka "Din" Vipatti
@Crow as Omnimon and Dukemon
@Jeremi as Big Mother
@Minerva as Johanna
@Takumi as Ashe and Silque
@York as Kuro Kyoka​

 

[Lucky]

Jester Lavorre

" Hello...." Jester would wave her hand in front of Big Mother to see if she would respond. Much to the chagrin of perhaps everyone, they would notice that Jester's pet was still among the living. He didn't seem to notice his master, but hey, maybe she could try. " Well, at least my weasel is okay, also why did you knock me out?" She asked. Sprinkle seemed to know how to fetch.... looking outside the cell.

@Sark @amwexia

Beauregard Lionette

" Well, nice of you to show up.... so uhh.... how can you help us?"

@Sark @Yun Lee @amwexia

 

[Capri]

MADDIE

Maddie awoke in the cell, fuming with rage.

She banged on the door several times, kicking it.

“EAT SHIT YOU FUCKING HOES!!!” Maddie shouted, “FUCK OFF!!!”

Maddie collapsed against a wall. Exhausted.

“How you doin’ Ashe? What’s up?” Maddie said, “Sorry, I fucked things up for all of us. I thought Jester was a bad guy. I know sorry’s not gonna be enough for you to forgive me, I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I’m okay. I’ve been exiled before.”

She laughs a weak laugh, completely giving up.

@Takumi @Sark @Lucky @Raynar Saassin @Minerva @Jeremi @Interrogation

—-///—-///—-///—-

ROMAN

When the goddess returned, Roman was brought to tears. He couldn’t stop crying.

“I’m sorry!” He said, his voice filled with sorrow, “I’m a failure.... I tried... my hardest... and... and it just... it just wasn’t enough”

He collapsed, tears welling up again as he breaks down into sobs.

“I-I’m sorry you wasted so much on me!!!”

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @York​

 

[Takumi]

“Alright!” Maddie says. She can’t do that much in the ‘powers’ category but she can fight hand to hand in case an enemy comes.

It just so happens that one of those enemies came in a place closer to home.

Jester Lavorre



That hoe Jester was her least favorite here, and that was a statement.

With the strength of five crackheads, Maddie socked Jester square in the jaw, dislocating it, only to immediately act surprised.

“I thought you were a demon, I’m sorry!”

She held a hand over Jester, healing her dislocated jaw and helping her up.

“Sorry about that~!” Maddie says, using her years of experience of lying on the streets to her advantage, “I seriously thought you were a demon,”

@Takumi @Lucky @Sark​

Ashe would nod, unsure if Maddie saw it or not, since he went back to focusing on the task at hand.

Then she punched Jester in the face, and apologized. Blinking he turned to see what happened then.

"Maddie, wh-" he started, brows furrowed.

Outpost
[Click!]
Ashe's skills had worked like a charm. Everything was going according to plan until---

[Crack!]
Maddie's fist struck Jester's face. A moment later, her body struck the rocks with a thud. Maddie's 'apologies' only added to the racket she had already made.

As the back door slowly swung upon, the stealth team was met with a blazing, red light-saber pike.

"Well, look what we have here!" The Sith Apprentice growled, placing his blade to Ashe's throat. "I knew I heard something!"

"To think that Captain threw his life away for nothing..." The Watchman teased from his tower. "So much for military strategy. That was, by far, the worst infiltration I have ever seen..."

A moment later the second apprentice returned. A net hung from the back of his bike. A corpse sat inside it. A handful of demons followed suit.

Apprentice laughed from beneath his helmet.

"This? This is the party they send to oppose the Black Army? It's a bloody disgrace."

With a wave of an Apprentice's hand, your world begins to blur. Everything starts to spin. A moment later, you've passed out...

@amwexia @Lucky @Takumi​

Wreck of the Crusader, ext
The Dead
"Oh, no, you've hit the nail on the head," Mephisto chuckled.
View attachment 4592
"This is all highly 'suspect'. Everything I'm do down her violets trillions of Multiversal laws. If you didn't come down here, cannons blazing, I'm sure someone else would have come down here to stop me eventually. This war was inevitable. The only real surprise was that I managed to avoid getting caught up in. Funny how things turn out..."

"So. Looks like we'll have to cut tonight's negotiation's short. I hold all the cards. You'll have no choice but to accept my offer. Besides, it appears as if Mr.Eliphas is already on-board with my proposition. He's just built you the worlds most imprecise assassin. Better get a move on. By the looks of things, the Inheritor's new pet could easily trample Izana on his way to Blackheart..."

Mephisto cracked his fingers.

"I'll even throw in a freebie for you. I'll transport you to that Infernal Fortress myself. I'll even give you back your bodies in advance. Now that's and offer you can't refuse."

A circle of Hellfire began to burn around Big Mother's feet. Another formed around Eliphas. Two more appeared beneath IF and Compa.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you, my friends! I trust that you'll uphold your end of the bargin... I'd hate to see you all suffer down here for all eternity..."

With a wave of his hand, the flames consumed the Chosen. The world around them melted away...

********************
[Whoooshh]
********************

A heartbeat later, the flame parted the Chosen were standing in the middle of a dark, shaded courtyard. Black, spiraling towers scared the sky. Enormous, filthy walls shielded them from the distant fighting. Dark cobblestones sat at their feet.

Beyond the immediate scenery, the more perspective member of the War Council would realize that they were also surrounded.

Sith. Demons. Droids. Hundreds of them. Everywhere they turned, their eyes were met with a dozen unfriendly faces. Fouler than any demon was their leader. He welcomed them with open arms.
View attachment 4595
"Welcome back!" The Reaper cackled. "It's good to see you all again. How have you all been? Good?"

On his command, the Black Army closed in on their new prisoners, their weapons drawn.

"We've been expecting you! We've already prepared your accommodation! Once you see all the fun activities we have planned... you'll never want to leave..."

[Crack]

A wave of lightning washed over you. The pain was unbearable. As your body slowly surrendered itself to the pain and the blackness crept into the corners of your eyes, the last thing you saw was the Reaper's face. He laughed as you finally passed out.

@Crunch @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin
__________________________
The Goddess
Act 1- Emerald Dawn
Episode II
Prisoners of War
The War on Hell was a Failure!
Where the Fellowship had anticipated a quick and easy war,
they have instead found a bloody slog. BLACKHEART has
expanded his BLACK ARMY and successfully transformed his
army of wild demons into a well-oiled military machine!

With the help of his allies in CHILDREN OF THE CREATOR, a
cult of rogue droids, THE SITH ETERNAL, a cult of fundamentalist
Sith Lords and THE CORE ARE WARRIORS, BLACKHEART has
crippled the Fellowship's navy, killing the majority of the WAR COUNCIL
in the process! Their young, inexperience ground troops are fighting
for their very lives in a battle without end.

Lingering on as little more than Phantoms, the GODDESS'S CHOSEN have
entered into an uneasy alliance with Blackheart's father, MEPHISTO. Although
the demon's magic helped to restore the bodies of Eliphas, Big Mother and
IF, Compa's body was irreparably destroyed by the Black Army General Eric
Williams, better known as THE GRIM REAPER.

Captured by the Reaper and his demons, both the half-living GROUND TEAM and
the ghostly INFILTRATION TEAM have been locked away inside Blackheart's fortress,
surrounded by new friends and old foes alike.

Across the Wasteland, the last three surviving Councillors have been betrayed and left
for dead by the treacherous HIGH COUNCILLOR ZAMASU. Trapped in a burning wreck
and running out of air, the Survivors hear a familiar, comforting voice, and find one final hope...
____________________________________________________
FORT BLACKHEART
The Living and the Dead
You blink yourself awake. You're in a cramped, dirty sell. Cold chains pin you to the wall behind you. You barely have the mobility to scratch your nose. All you can do is stare out of your cell, through its bars and into the hall outside. The only light to guide you shines down from a window behind your head. You're trapped.

But at least you're alive.

Well.

Mostly.

Big Mother, Eliphas and IF would find that their bodies were physical once again, only slightly more corpse-y than they had remembered. Their skin was chalky and pale. Their bodies were littered with the fatal wounds they had earned in the crash of the Crusader. But what mattered is that they could feel things again. They could interact with their environments just like they had done back when they were alive, whist retaining their ability to see the spirits of the dead.

Compa, Jester, Maddie and Ashe, on the other hand, were still phantoms, hidden away from the eyes of the living.

Tramped inside a cramped cell, the Chosen could do little but wait for their interrogator to arrive... or plan their escape.

@Crunch @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Minerva
​

The Wasteland
The pain of the Ki storm was immense. The light and the sound and the pain... the CFW's sense were overloaded in seconds...

But in the heart of the chaos, there was a moment of calm. A wave of emotion washed over them. It sat somewhere between rage and peace... it was conviction.
View attachment 4594
"On your feet." The Spirit of Nox snapped. "Rest is for the Dead. I should know."

With a wave of his hand, the beams of energy that had once bombarded the pair began to part. It was if an umbrella had been raised above their heads, sheltering them from the flaming rain.

"I also know you were born for greater things than this. You were not built to die here. The Fellowship needs you. Your allies need you. You are among the Last of the Chosen! Fight like you have everything to loose! Make Blackheart bleed for his sins!

The spirit vanished. The raining key blasts stopped.

Kamioren frozen for a moment. They flinched. Pale blue sparks danced around their body.

"What the Hell... is... happening..." They stammered.

Nox had bought them an opening. How they used it was up to them...

@Raynar Saassin​

The Wreck of the Crusader, interior
It was no use. The Crusader's hull was designed to endure to chill of space. It's shell had been build to endure collisions with meteors. Despite the strength of the firsts and the fire of their wills, they couldn't break free. They couldn't break out.

With every exhausting strike, they sucked in more and more air. It wasn't long until their panting breaths and the growl of the nearby fires had pumped their air fat with carbon. Breathing was getting difficult. Your vision started to blur.

"My children..." A voice. No. It had to be an illusion. A hallucination.

"Little ones, there is no need to be afraid..."

A hand caressed your cheek.

"I am here with you... I am here at last..."

She kisses your forehead.

"I am here... And I have missed you all so dearly..."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Lucky​

"?!" He startled as the blade came near his throat, then went still, gaze going to the one holding the weapon. Unfortunately, before he could move or so much as try to come up with some kind of plan and enact it he suddenly felt the world go dark...

MADDIE

Maddie awoke in the cell, fuming with rage.

She banged on the door several times, kicking it.

“EAT SHIT YOU FUCKING HOES!!!” Maddie shouted, “FUCK OFF!!!”

Maddie collapsed against a wall. Exhausted.

“How you doin’ Ashe? What’s up?” Maddie said, “Sorry, I fucked things up for all of us. I thought Jester was a bad guy. I know sorry’s not gonna be enough for you to forgive me, I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I’m okay. I’ve been exiled before.”

She laughs a weak laugh, completely giving up.

@Takumi @Sark @Lucky @Raynar Saassin @Minerva @Jeremi @Interrogation

—-///—-///—-///—-

ROMAN

When the goddess returned, Roman was brought to tears. He couldn’t stop crying.

“I’m sorry!” He said, his voice filled with sorrow, “I’m a failure.... I tried... my hardest... and... and it just... it just wasn’t enough”

He collapsed, tears welling up again as he breaks down into sobs.

“I-I’m sorry you wasted so much on me!!!”

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @York​

Ashe came to and quickly took in their surroundings. On one hand, they weren't dead, on the other they were trapped.

When Maddie addressed him, he studied her for a moment, unsure on how exactly to say what he wanted without potentially pissing her off worse than before. He took a breath.

"I'm a bit disoriented, but still intact...and still a bit sleepy. I don't think you're okay like you say you are. We're stuck in a cell right now, our mission was a failure. Nothing's okay in this situation, really, but we can still find a way out of this...somehow." He responded. He wasn't sure how they'd do it, but Big Mother was there and she could do some pretty crazy stuff. If she'd help everyone else if she found a way out was a different story but she worked with the group so far.

"You'd....be surprised about the things I can forgive. As reckless as it was, there's not much that can be done about it now other than to try and get out of the situation we've ended up in." He added, taking in their surroundings as best as he could.

Silque meanwhile tried to listen for potential footsteps headed their way. Ugh this was like being kidnapped by bandits but even worse. May Mother Mila protect them.

@Sark @amwexia @Lucky @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin @Crunch @Minerva

 

[Raynar Saassin]

FORT BLACKHEART
The Living and the Dead
You blink yourself awake. You're in a cramped, dirty sell. Cold chains pin you to the wall behind you. You barely have the mobility to scratch your nose. All you can do is stare out of your cell, through its bars and into the hall outside. The only light to guide you shines down from a window behind your head. You're trapped.

But at least you're alive.

Well.

Mostly.

Big Mother, Eliphas and IF would find that their bodies were physical once again, only slightly more corpse-y than they had remembered. Their skin was chalky and pale. Their bodies were littered with the fatal wounds they had earned in the crash of the Crusader. But what mattered is that they could feel things again. They could interact with their environments just like they had done back when they were alive, whist retaining their ability to see the spirits of the dead.

Compa, Jester, Maddie and Ashe, on the other hand, were still phantoms, hidden away from the eyes of the living.

Tramped inside a cramped cell, the Chosen could do little but wait for their interrogator to arrive... or plan their escape.

"Uuugh... What... happened... !!!"

IF woke up and then quickly jumped up.

[BANG]

When she did, she banged her forehead onto some kind of glass; a containment cell? She banged on the glass for a bit but noticed that wasn't doing anything. She then called out.

"Compa?! Are you here?! COMPA!"
"Iffy?!"
"Compa?! Where are you?!"
"I'm in... some kind of glass cell! I'm waving at you, see?!"

Compa was waving towards IF but she couldn't see anything. It would seem that the living couldn't see the Ghosts.

"I can't see you..."
"Huh?"
"Okay, okay, breathe. Breathe... Okay. We need to figure out a way to escape and quickly."
"Iffy... You look really pale..."
"Huh?"

IF looked down at herself to find that her body was physical once again, only slightly more corpse-y than she had remembered. Her skin was chalky and pale, littered with the fatal wounds she had when the Crusader crashed.

"At least I'm still alive... That's more important. How is everyone else?"

@Sark @Anyone @PrisonCells

The Wasteland
The pain of the Ki storm was immense. The light and the sound and the pain... the CFW's sense were overloaded in seconds...

But in the heart of the chaos, there was a moment of calm. A wave of emotion washed over them. It sat somewhere between rage and peace... it was conviction.

"On your feet." The Spirit of Nox snapped. "Rest is for the Dead. I should know."

With a wave of his hand, the beams of energy that had once bombarded the pair began to part. It was if an umbrella had been raised above their heads, sheltering them from the flaming rain.

"I also know you were born for greater things than this. You were not built to die here. The Fellowship needs you. Your allies need you. You are among the Last of the Chosen! Fight like you have everything to loose! Make Blackheart bleed for his sins!

The spirit vanished. The raining key blasts stopped.

Kamioren frozen for a moment. They flinched. Pale blue sparks danced around their body.

"What the Hell... is... happening..." They stammered.

Nox had bought them an opening. How they used it was up to them...

Upon seeing an opportunity presenting itself, despite the one presenting it being Nox of all people, the two CFW's motioned towards each other to make a strike. Sending themselves forward at maximum speed and ferocity, Magic's Scythe and Brave's Flaming Sword were poised to slash the fused being straight in the torso with extreme power!

@Sark​

 

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

The Wreck of the Crusader
The Living
[Boom!]
Kolin felt a string gust of wind strike her. Before she could cry out, her body was tossed deep into the ruins. Beau and Roman were thrown down after her. The trio slide down a spiraling corridor and into the blackness bellow.
View attachment 4591
"I won't ask for your forgiveness, Kolin. I don't need it. The Crusader's wreck will stand as a monument to your betrayal. A monument to your lack of a ambition. Consider it a gravestone, of sorts."

With a creak and a groan, the mouth of the tunnel collapsed. Razor sharp sheets of metal came sliding down the corridor after the trio, blocking out the last threads of light.

Zamasu's void echoed down after them, now muffled by the steel.

"Fear not. The Fellowship will remember you for how you lived. Moderate to the very end. Pitifully so. It's tragic."

"But the Multiverse doesn't need half measures. Not anymore. It needs strength. A guiding hand. It needs divine wrath. And Urien? Veranke? Nox? You? You all stand in the way of that Sacred Sword. Just like Gowasu did. And you'll share his fate..."

"I trust that the Goddess will forgive me for removing the filth from her path... You'll have to ask her for me... you'll be seeing her again soon..."

The Chosen slid to a stop. The were hot. Tired. It was hard to breathe.

They couldn't see a thing...

@amwexia @Yun Lee @Lucky​

Outpost
[Click!]
Ashe's skills had worked like a charm. Everything was going according to plan until---

[Crack!]
Maddie's fist struck Jester's face. A moment later, her body struck the rocks with a thud. Maddie's 'apologies' only added to the racket she had already made.

As the back door slowly swung upon, the stealth team was met with a blazing, red light-saber pike.

"Well, look what we have here!" The Sith Apprentice growled, placing his blade to Ashe's throat. "I knew I heard something!"

"To think that Captain threw his life away for nothing..." The Watchman teased from his tower. "So much for military strategy. That was, by far, the worst infiltration I have ever seen..."

A moment later the second apprentice returned. A net hung from the back of his bike. A corpse sat inside it. A handful of demons followed suit.

Apprentice laughed from beneath his helmet.

"This? This is the party they send to oppose the Black Army? It's a bloody disgrace."

With a wave of an Apprentice's hand, your world begins to blur. Everything starts to spin. A moment later, you've passed out...

@amwexia @Lucky @Takumi​

Wreck of the Crusader, ext
The Dead
"Oh, no, you've hit the nail on the head," Mephisto chuckled.
View attachment 4592
"This is all highly 'suspect'. Everything I'm do down her violets trillions of Multiversal laws. If you didn't come down here, cannons blazing, I'm sure someone else would have come down here to stop me eventually. This war was inevitable. The only real surprise was that I managed to avoid getting caught up in. Funny how things turn out..."

"So. Looks like we'll have to cut tonight's negotiation's short. I hold all the cards. You'll have no choice but to accept my offer. Besides, it appears as if Mr.Eliphas is already on-board with my proposition. He's just built you the worlds most imprecise assassin. Better get a move on. By the looks of things, the Inheritor's new pet could easily trample Izana on his way to Blackheart..."

Mephisto cracked his fingers.

"I'll even throw in a freebie for you. I'll transport you to that Infernal Fortress myself. I'll even give you back your bodies in advance. Now that's and offer you can't refuse."

A circle of Hellfire began to burn around Big Mother's feet. Another formed around Eliphas. Two more appeared beneath IF and Compa.

"It has been a pleasure doing business with you, my friends! I trust that you'll uphold your end of the bargin... I'd hate to see you all suffer down here for all eternity..."

With a wave of his hand, the flames consumed the Chosen. The world around them melted away...

********************
[Whoooshh]
********************

A heartbeat later, the flame parted the Chosen were standing in the middle of a dark, shaded courtyard. Black, spiraling towers scared the sky. Enormous, filthy walls shielded them from the distant fighting. Dark cobblestones sat at their feet.

Beyond the immediate scenery, the more perspective member of the War Council would realize that they were also surrounded.

Sith. Demons. Droids. Hundreds of them. Everywhere they turned, their eyes were met with a dozen unfriendly faces. Fouler than any demon was their leader. He welcomed them with open arms.
View attachment 4595
"Welcome back!" The Reaper cackled. "It's good to see you all again. How have you all been? Good?"

On his command, the Black Army closed in on their new prisoners, their weapons drawn.

"We've been expecting you! We've already prepared your accommodation! Once you see all the fun activities we have planned... you'll never want to leave..."

[Crack]

A wave of lightning washed over you. The pain was unbearable. As your body slowly surrendered itself to the pain and the blackness crept into the corners of your eyes, the last thing you saw was the Reaper's face. He laughed as you finally passed out.

@Crunch @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin
__________________________
The Goddess
Act 1- Emerald Dawn
Episode II
Prisoners of War
The War on Hell was a Failure!
Where the Fellowship had anticipated a quick and easy war,
they have instead found a bloody slog. BLACKHEART has
expanded his BLACK ARMY and successfully transformed his
army of wild demons into a well-oiled military machine!

With the help of his allies in CHILDREN OF THE CREATOR, a
cult of rogue droids, THE SITH ETERNAL, a cult of fundamentalist
Sith Lords and THE CORE ARE WARRIORS, BLACKHEART has
crippled the Fellowship's navy, killing the majority of the WAR COUNCIL
in the process! Their young, inexperience ground troops are fighting
for their very lives in a battle without end.

Lingering on as little more than Phantoms, the GODDESS'S CHOSEN have
entered into an uneasy alliance with Blackheart's father, MEPHISTO. Although
the demon's magic helped to restore the bodies of Eliphas, Big Mother and
IF, Compa's body was irreparably destroyed by the Black Army General Eric
Williams, better known as THE GRIM REAPER.

Captured by the Reaper and his demons, both the half-living GROUND TEAM and
the ghostly INFILTRATION TEAM have been locked away inside Blackheart's fortress,
surrounded by new friends and old foes alike.

Across the Wasteland, the last three surviving Councillors have been betrayed and left
for dead by the treacherous HIGH COUNCILLOR ZAMASU. Trapped in a burning wreck
and running out of air, the Survivors hear a familiar, comforting voice, and find one final hope...

FORT BLACKHEART
The Living and the Dead
You blink yourself awake. You're in a cramped, dirty sell. Cold chains pin you to the wall behind you. You barely have the mobility to scratch your nose. All you can do is stare out of your cell, through its bars and into the hall outside. The only light to guide you shines down from a window behind your head. You're trapped.

But at least you're alive.

Well.

Mostly.

Big Mother, Eliphas and IF would find that their bodies were physical once again, only slightly more corpse-y than they had remembered. Their skin was chalky and pale. Their bodies were littered with the fatal wounds they had earned in the crash of the Crusader. But what mattered is that they could feel things again. They could interact with their environments just like they had done back when they were alive, whist retaining their ability to see the spirits of the dead.

Compa, Jester, Maddie and Ashe, on the other hand, were still phantoms, hidden away from the eyes of the living.

Tramped inside a cramped cell, the Chosen could do little but wait for their interrogator to arrive... or plan their escape.

@Crunch @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Minerva
​

The Wasteland
The pain of the Ki storm was immense. The light and the sound and the pain... the CFW's sense were overloaded in seconds...

But in the heart of the chaos, there was a moment of calm. A wave of emotion washed over them. It sat somewhere between rage and peace... it was conviction.
View attachment 4594
"On your feet." The Spirit of Nox snapped. "Rest is for the Dead. I should know."

With a wave of his hand, the beams of energy that had once bombarded the pair began to part. It was if an umbrella had been raised above their heads, sheltering them from the flaming rain.

"I also know you were born for greater things than this. You were not built to die here. The Fellowship needs you. Your allies need you. You are among the Last of the Chosen! Fight like you have everything to loose! Make Blackheart bleed for his sins!

The spirit vanished. The raining key blasts stopped.

Kamioren frozen for a moment. They flinched. Pale blue sparks danced around their body.

"What the Hell... is... happening..." They stammered.

Nox had bought them an opening. How they used it was up to them...

@Raynar Saassin​

The Wreck of the Crusader, interior
It was no use. The Crusader's hull was designed to endure to chill of space. It's shell had been build to endure collisions with meteors. Despite the strength of the firsts and the fire of their wills, they couldn't break free. They couldn't break out.

With every exhausting strike, they sucked in more and more air. It wasn't long until their panting breaths and the growl of the nearby fires had pumped their air fat with carbon. Breathing was getting difficult. Your vision started to blur.

"My children..." A voice. No. It had to be an illusion. A hallucination.

"Little ones, there is no need to be afraid..."

A hand caressed your cheek.

"I am here with you... I am here at last..."

She kisses your forehead.

"I am here... And I have missed you all so dearly..."

@Takumi @Yun Lee @Lucky​

MADDIE

Maddie awoke in the cell, fuming with rage.

She banged on the door several times, kicking it.

“EAT SHIT YOU FUCKING HOES!!!” Maddie shouted, “FUCK OFF!!!”

Maddie collapsed against a wall. Exhausted.

“How you doin’ Ashe? What’s up?” Maddie said, “Sorry, I fucked things up for all of us. I thought Jester was a bad guy. I know sorry’s not gonna be enough for you to forgive me, I don’t expect you to forgive me, but I’m okay. I’ve been exiled before.”

She laughs a weak laugh, completely giving up.

@Takumi @Sark @Lucky @Raynar Saassin @Minerva @Jeremi @Interrogation

—-///—-///—-///—-

ROMAN

When the goddess returned, Roman was brought to tears. He couldn’t stop crying.

“I’m sorry!” He said, his voice filled with sorrow, “I’m a failure.... I tried... my hardest... and... and it just... it just wasn’t enough”

He collapsed, tears welling up again as he breaks down into sobs.

“I-I’m sorry you wasted so much on me!!!”

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @York​

Kuro Kyoka (Chloe)
@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @amwexia

It seemed easy at first where to go. Chloe, looking towards Lopmon and Salamon respectively nodded, eyeing up the air team.

"We'll need a warp digivolution. Are you two ready for that?"

She asked the two, seeing the battlefield splayed out before them. The two digimon nodded, even if Salamon seemed a little uneasy about all of this.

Pulling out her phone, she concentrated, focusing on her will to create balance, her faith in the Goddess...

And then, she let out a shout, as her two digimon glowed.

"Salamon! Warp digivolve to... Angewomon!"

"Lopmon! Warp digivolve to... LadyDevimon!"

With that, their bodies began to grow and change, forming two identical sillhouettes for a moment, before they became two similar, yet innately different creatures.

A demon and an angel stood where two seemingly canine digimon once were.

How the two managed to work together was a wonder.

Nonetheless, they had both joined Zamasu in his fight, carving their way through enemy ranks, with Angewomon providing support, using her magic to heal and strengthen her allies, and occasionally bombarding the enemy forces with her signature 'holy arrow'.

Lady Devimon in the meantime took a much more aggressive approach, tearing her way through demon ranks with her signature 'darkness wave', occasionally transforming her left hand into a sharp spike to impale her opponents, or simply strike them away from her.

They were inherrantly different, in form and nature.

But yet, by some miracle, or curse, the two worked in seemingly perfect unison, the former's support allowing the latter to land much more vicious blows.

Though by the time they arrived at the wreckage of the Crusader, there was a clear look of discomfort on Angewomon's face as Zamasu proposed forgetting completely about Urien, and looking towards the horizon so to speak.

"Zamasu... What are you saying? We can't just leave Uriel behind!"

Angewomon objected, backed by Chloe who seemed equally worried about this notion.

"Yeah! You're right Angewomon! You agree with us too, right LadyDevimon?"

She asked, a smile on her face as she turned towards her more demonic companion. Unfortunately, her naivety would be her undoing, as LadyDevimon had a strange smile on her face, seeming to ignore the protests of her companions as she moved towards Zamasu.

"Yes. This world needs to be cleansed. No more battles between light and dark. No more conflict, no more evil..."

There was a rather dark look on her face.

"To most, I may be a devil, an angel fallen from grace. But to tell the truth? I hate what us virus types have become. Mindless servants of evil. And if you intend to eradicate such things from the world... I'll gladly help you. I am after all... Created to serve someone. But, unlike the rest of my kin, I get to choose who I serve!"

With that defiant shout, LadyDevimon made her stance clear, and she intended to leave with Zamasu. It seemed she had thrown most if not all her reason away.

"LadyDevimon! Don't go! I... I... We can't do this without you!" Chloe shouted, trying her best to get through to her digimon.

But to no avail.

Angewomon seemed similarly sad, but more complacent, as if this was the norm for her.

"I knew we were asking too much. I thought of her as my friend. But in the end, she was deep down, a virus type after all..."

Angewomon gritted her teeth, raising her hand, preparing to fire off another holy arrow, only to stop short, hesitating as LadyDevimon stared back at those she was leaving behind, a blank expression on her face.

"You'll appreciate this, someday." She said flatly, and with that... She was gone, in her efforts to follow Zamasu in his cause.

What would become of LadyDevimon?

Would her alliance with Zamasu even work out?

Only time would tell.

But for now, Chloe and Angewomon had other things to worry about.

...

And then, Chloe and Angewomon were left alone with the other three in the ship, seemingly abandoned by not only Zamasu, but LadyDevimon as well.

Running out of air and time, Angewomon could only stall as she attempted to use her healing magic to extend the precious few moments they had alive.

"Saint... Air!" She shouted.

Each time she did, shimmering light radiated from her body as she expended precious air to wrap her allies in holy light, hoping they would live just a little longer.

But soon enough, even she would succumb to the lack of air.

As Chloe and Angewomon began to lose consciousness, they, like the others heard her... And perhaps, even saw her. The Goddess.

"I'm sorry... I did what you asked... But... I did it wrong, didn't I?" Chloe asked, her voice hoarse, and cracking.

In that moment she was almost like a child, on the brink of crying as she felt the Goddess' touch, and heard her words. Angewomon on the other, bowed her head in shame.

"Please... Can you help us? Can you bring LadyDevimon back to us?" She asked, seeming rather solemn about the situation.

Unlike Chloe, she hadn't completely lost her cool, reaching out a hand to embrace her tamer. Angewomon was focused, and prepared to do what it took to make the situation right.​

 

[Yun Lee]

How foolish it would have been to lose hope, here and now! Kolin felt her exhausted heart swell as her beautiful Goddess returned to her yet again. "You see her too...?" She asked the others, her weariness melting away as the Goddess returned once more. She turned to the apparition again, feeling her eyes well up. "I...you are here, once all seemed lost...I thought you'd vanished forever..."

@Sark @amwexia @Lucky​

 

[Sark]

Silque meanwhile tried to listen for potential footsteps headed their way. Ugh this was like being kidnapped by bandits but even worse. May Mother Mila protect them.

@Sark @amwexia @Lucky @Jeremi @Raynar Saassin @Crunch @Minerva

FORT BLACKHEART
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Down the hall, some footsteps clicked. Three made their way down the hall, their steel boots cracking against the black cobblestone tiles.
"They're right here, my Lords." Eric muttered, emerging from the nearest staircase. "All in the same block, for your convenience."
"Thank you, Eric. You've done well.... Surprisingly well..." An alien creatures stepped out from behind him. He was tall. Imposing. His voice boomed and rattled across the cell block.
"And you mean to tell us that you found these... infants waiting in the courtyard? Begging to be taken prisoner?" A second, hooded creature added.
"Yes, Lord Xalek. They just... appeared there. Must have been a teleportation attempt gone wrong..."
The first alien smiled. He raised his hands over the heads of the War Council.
View attachment 4598
"No. They're not here by accident. I can sense it."
His eyes locked onto Big Mother. He turned his hand towards her and close his eyes.
"Yes. They've made a deal with Mephisto. This one... I can read her heart like a book. She's a favorite of his. We'll take her to Red Room."
His hand fell upon Eliphas.
"His heart is tied to that beast outside. He knows what happened to Cunber. We'll take him too."
Hand danced across the room, passing over everyone in turn. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes once again.
"I'll take IF and Ashe. I see potential in his heart. The rest are yours, Xalex."
"Thank you, Master."
"Crush their souls, if it sates your hate. Free them. Torment them. Trade them to the Fellowship. It's your call."
"Of course, Master Hearts. I think I shall enjoy tormenting them all... but this one?" His yellow eyes cut deep into Maddie. "Even in the face of death, she still finds the will to call us childish names. I'll enjoy crushing her most of all..."
"Do as you will, Sith, but don't loose yourself in your excitement. Our guest will be here shortly."

Hearts closed his hand. The cell door came grinding over. Eliphas, Mother, IF and Ashe was raised into the air, their bodies frozen solid. Hearts turned towards a nearby staircase, his chosen prisoners floating in his wake.

Xalek reached into his robes and threw a handful metallic handcuffs towards the remaining prisoners.
"Put them on. Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who refuses will die. Anyone who takes too long will die. Am I clear?"
@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack @Minerva
THE RED ROOM
The Living
As Hearts carried his chosen prisoners deeper into Blackheart's fortress, the sounds of the distant battle grew quieter and quieter. Soon, even the ferocious roars of Eliphas' beast began to fade away. The only sound that remained came from Heart's boots, and the alien's slow, steady breathing. After a short walk, the prisoners were dragged through an imposing, crimson door.
Behind it was the Red Room.
Blackheart's medieval aesthetic was yet to infect the Red Room. Everything was clean. Sanitized to the nth degree. The room was void of any furniture beyond 4, shimmering silver platforms. They were part-chair, part surgical bench. The prisoners were thrown against these 'chairs' with a wave of Heart's hand. A series of steel clamps snapped shut to keep them in place.

"I'll put your minds at ease. This isn't a torture chamber. I don't need to hurt your to get what I want. I just need some piece and quiet. But before I go poking around in those heads of yours, I'm going to ask you for the truth. Consider it a professional courtesy."

"I know the Goddess saved you. I know she gave you a mission. I know she's dead. What I want to know is why you're still acting out her dying wish? She's gone. She can't hold you to that promise now. And yet, here you are. Dying for her. Why?

@Crunch @Jeremi @Takumi @Raynar Saassin​

Upon seeing an opportunity presenting itself, despite the one presenting it being Nox of all people, the two CFW's motioned towards each other to make a strike. Sending themselves forward at maximum speed and ferocity, Magic's Scythe and Brave's Flaming Sword were poised to slash the fused being straight in the torso with extreme power!

@Sark​

The Wasteland
Kamioren screamed as the CFW's blades split it in two. Writhing and howling, the Tuffle machine tumbled back down towards the earth, cursing their names and they fell.

"That won't hold them for long." Nox's spirit snapped. "Tuffles are foul creatures. More machine than mortal. You need to move. Blackheart's fort isn't far. The War Council are facing execution at the hands of my Bastard Apprentice. We need to make sure that doesn't happened."

Nox tipped his head for a moment, as if he was preparing to vanish once again. Before he faded away. His yellow eyes met Brave's.

"Oh, and don't think I'm haunting you for your good health. No. I'm only back to be certain that Blackheart's head rolls. Should you fail to obey my directions, I'll simply have to take a more aggressive approach to directing you. If you fail as a servant, then your bodies might be better used as vessels. Vehicles. Do you understand me?" The Sith snapped. "Do you understand me?"

@Raynar Saassin​

How foolish it would have been to lose hope, here and now! Kolin felt her exhausted heart swell as her beautiful Goddess returned to her yet again. "You see her too...?" She asked the others, her weariness melting away as the Goddess returned once more. She turned to the apparition again, feeling her eyes well up. "I...you are here, once all seemed lost...I thought you'd vanished forever..."

@Sark @amwexia @Lucky​

When the goddess returned, Roman was brought to tears. He couldn’t stop crying.

“I’m sorry!” He said, his voice filled with sorrow, “I’m a failure.... I tried... my hardest... and... and it just... it just wasn’t enough”

He collapsed, tears welling up again as he breaks down into sobs.

“I-I’m sorry you wasted so much on me!!!”

@Sark @Yun Lee @Lucky @York​

" Well, nice of you to show up.... so uhh.... how can you help us?"

@Sark @Yun Lee @amwexia

The Depths of the Crusader
"Waste no tears on me, my child," The Goddess smiled, wiping Roman's face clean. "For I have made no mistakes, and I feel no disappointment. Only pride. Watching you grow has filled me with so much joy. You have accomplished so much... and you still have so much left to do!"

"As did I..." The Goddess hummed to Kolin. "But the barriers between life and death are weaker here. When I'm here, I can see all the things I cannot change. Perhaps, that is my Hell. Witness death and injustice whilst lacking the power to turn it to justice and peace."

The Goddess sighed and turned away from her children. Her sweet smiled had slowly started to fade.

"I wish I could help you, my Chosen, but without my body there is so much I cannot do. Where I once carried you, you must now carry me... in here..."

An emerald light began to glow within your chest. It filled you with warmth. With life. Conviction. It began to grow more passionately as your spirits began to rise. With ever frantic beat of your heart, more light filled the chamber. It wasn't long before the entire ship was mapped out before them.

"Even the darkest nights end, my Children. Even the coldest winters come to pass. Though flames shall mark your path, they shall only temper your spirits. The trials that await you will only make you stronger. The path before you is divided:

Save a Secularist. Bring him to the light. To me.

Slay the Demon. Save Izana.

"You have a choice. One you must make without me. I trust that make the right decision. That you will trust in me."

"And that you will trust in each other. You all have your roles to play."

"I've fixed the dice all I can. The rest is up to you."

You blink. She's gone.

Her light remains. A path deeper into the wreck has presented itself. It's a path rich with air. It's a path to Urien.

Another path can be found. A path to the surface. To Blackheart. To Izana.

The rest is up to you.

@Raynar Saassin @Yun Lee @Lucky​

 

[Capri]

MADDIE

Maddie swiftly put the handcuffs on, accepting her own punishment. She knows what would happen if she didn’t oblige. She’s not afraid of death, but she knows when to be obedient, since she’s like that.

“Is the sentence for calling you childish names death?” Maddie says weakly, the fire that’s normally heard in her voice clearly absent, “Because if that’s the case, fine. Unlike everyone else here, I don’t fear death.”

@Sark @Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky
—-///—-///—-///—-

ROMAN

Roman blinked twice in confusion. The Goddess was... proud of Roman?

Then she was gone... like an angel’s kiss.

“Oh... I-I-I”

Roman rushed his hand through his hair. An option presented in front of him.

Urien or Izana...

Izana was weird, self-serving, he was shallow, but Roman’s met him, and he’s a Goddessian.

Urien is a Secularist, Roman’s never met him before, and it’s up in the air if he’s trustworthy, but Kolin trusts him, and Kolin’s a Goddessian.

Roman, for the first time, has made up his mind.

“I’m going to save Izana. I trust him. He helped us back in the chamber! I don’t know if I can trust Urien. I’ve never met him before...”

@Sark @Yun Lee @York @Lucky​

 

[Takumi]

FORT BLACKHEART
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Down the hall, some footsteps clicked. Three made their way down the hall, their steel boots cracking against the black cobblestone tiles.
"They're right here, my Lords." Eric muttered, emerging from the nearest staircase. "All in the same block, for your convenience."
"Thank you, Eric. You've done well.... Surprisingly well..." An alien creatures stepped out from behind him. He was tall. Imposing. His voice boomed and rattled across the cell block.
"And you mean to tell us that you found these... infants waiting in the courtyard? Begging to be taken prisoner?" A second, hooded creature added.
"Yes, Lord Xalek. They just... appeared there. Must have been a teleportation attempt gone wrong..."
The first alien smiled. He raised his hands over the heads of the War Council.
View attachment 4598
"No. They're not here by accident. I can sense it."
His eyes locked onto Big Mother. He turned his hand towards her and close his eyes.
"Yes. They've made a deal with Mephisto. This one... I can read her heart like a book. She's a favorite of his. We'll take her to Red Room."
His hand fell upon Eliphas.
"His heart is tied to that beast outside. He knows what happened to Cunber. We'll take him too."
Hand danced across the room, passing over everyone in turn. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes once again.
"I'll take IF and Ashe. I see potential in his heart. The rest are yours, Xalex."
"Thank you, Master."
"Crush their souls, if it sates your hate. Free them. Torment them. Trade them to the Fellowship. It's your call."
"Of course, Master Hearts. I think I shall enjoy tormenting them all... but this one?" His yellow eyes cut deep into Maddie. "Even in the face of death, she still finds the will to call us childish names. I'll enjoy crushing her most of all..."
"Do as you will, Sith, but don't loose yourself in your excitement. Our guest will be here shortly."

Hearts closed his hand. The cell door came grinding over. Eliphas, Mother, IF and Ashe was raised into the air, their bodies frozen solid. Hearts turned towards a nearby staircase, his chosen prisoners floating in his wake.

Xalek reached into his robes and threw a handful metallic handcuffs towards the remaining prisoners.
"Put them on. Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who refuses will die. Anyone who takes too long will die. Am I clear?"
@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack @Minerva
THE RED ROOM
The Living
As Hearts carried his chosen prisoners deeper into Blackheart's fortress, the sounds of the distant battle grew quieter and quieter. Soon, even the ferocious roars of Eliphas' beast began to fade away. The only sound that remained came from Heart's boots, and the alien's slow, steady breathing. After a short walk, the prisoners were dragged through an imposing, crimson door.
Behind it was the Red Room.
Blackheart's medieval aesthetic was yet to infect the Red Room. Everything was clean. Sanitized to the nth degree. The room was void of any furniture beyond 4, shimmering silver platforms. They were part-chair, part surgical bench. The prisoners were thrown against these 'chairs' with a wave of Heart's hand. A series of steel clamps snapped shut to keep them in place.

"I'll put your minds at ease. This isn't a torture chamber. I don't need to hurt your to get what I want. I just need some piece and quiet. But before I go poking around in those heads of yours, I'm going to ask you for the truth. Consider it a professional courtesy."

"I know the Goddess saved you. I know she gave you a mission. I know she's dead. What I want to know is why you're still acting out her dying wish? She's gone. She can't hold you to that promise now. And yet, here you are. Dying for her. Why?

@Crunch @Jeremi @Takumi @Raynar Saassin​

The Wasteland
Kamioren screamed as the CFW's blades split it in two. Writhing and howling, the Tuffle machine tumbled back down towards the earth, cursing their names and they fell.

"That won't hold them for long." Nox's spirit snapped. "Tuffles are foul creatures. More machine than mortal. You need to move. Blackheart's fort isn't far. The War Council are facing execution at the hands of my Bastard Apprentice. We need to make sure that doesn't happened."

Nox tipped his head for a moment, as if he was preparing to vanish once again. Before he faded away. His yellow eyes met Brave's.

"Oh, and don't think I'm haunting you for your good health. No. I'm only back to be certain that Blackheart's head rolls. Should you fail to obey my directions, I'll simply have to take a more aggressive approach to directing you. If you fail as a servant, then your bodies might be better used as vessels. Vehicles. Do you understand me?" The Sith snapped. "Do you understand me?"

@Raynar Saassin​

The Depths of the Crusader
"Waste no tears on me, my child," The Goddess smiled, wiping Roman's face clean. "For I have made no mistakes, and I feel no disappointment. Only pride. Watching you grow has filled me with so much joy. You have accomplished so much... and you still have so much left to do!"

"As did I..." The Goddess hummed to Kolin. "But the barriers between life and death are weaker here. When I'm here, I can see all the things I cannot change. Perhaps, that is my Hell. Witness death and injustice whilst lacking the power to turn it to justice and peace."

The Goddess sighed and turned away from her children. Her sweet smiled had slowly started to fade.

"I wish I could help you, my Chosen, but without my body there is so much I cannot do. Where I once carried you, you must now carry me... in here..."

An emerald light began to glow within your chest. It filled you with warmth. With life. Conviction. It began to grow more passionately as your spirits began to rise. With ever frantic beat of your heart, more light filled the chamber. It wasn't long before the entire ship was mapped out before them.

"Even the darkest nights end, my Children. Even the coldest winters come to pass. Though flames shall mark your path, they shall only temper your spirits. The trials that await you will only make you stronger. The path before you is divided:

Save a Secularist. Bring him to the light. To me.

Slay the Demon. Save Izana.

"You have a choice. One you must make without me. I trust that make the right decision. That you will trust in me."

"And that you will trust in each other. You all have your roles to play."

"I've fixed the dice all I can. The rest is up to you."

You blink. She's gone.

Her light remains. A path deeper into the wreck has presented itself. It's a path rich with air. It's a path to Urien.

Another path can be found. A path to the surface. To Blackheart. To Izana.

The rest is up to you.

@Raynar Saassin @Yun Lee @Lucky​

Silque sighed heavily as she put the handcuffs on, knowing that trying to fight now would be futile.

No, some things were best left for the right opportunity to present itself. The cleric gave a quick mental prayer to Mila, knowing that no matter where she went her world's goddess would guide her.


@Sark @Lucky @amwexia @Jackythejack @Minerva @Raynar Saassin

Ashe, meanwhile, was confused on how their captor knew their names so easily. He was even more confused on what he meant about his heart. As confused as he was, he also didn't want to find out the meaning behind it. For a moment, he didn't quite understand Hearts' questioning. Then he remembered that those under Blackheart were called Godless for a reason.

Ashe didn't utter a word, getting the the nagging feeling that either he'd get scolded by Big Mother due to what he said or Heart would just go into his head regardless of what came out of their mouths.

@Sark @Jeremi @Crunch @Raynar Saassin

 

[Raynar Saassin]

FORT BLACKHEART
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Down the hall, some footsteps clicked. Three made their way down the hall, their steel boots cracking against the black cobblestone tiles.
"They're right here, my Lords." Eric muttered, emerging from the nearest staircase. "All in the same block, for your convenience."
"Thank you, Eric. You've done well.... Surprisingly well..." An alien creatures stepped out from behind him. He was tall. Imposing. His voice boomed and rattled across the cell block.
"And you mean to tell us that you found these... infants waiting in the courtyard? Begging to be taken prisoner?" A second, hooded creature added.
"Yes, Lord Xalek. They just... appeared there. Must have been a teleportation attempt gone wrong..."
The first alien smiled. He raised his hands over the heads of the War Council.

"No. They're not here by accident. I can sense it."
His eyes locked onto Big Mother. He turned his hand towards her and close his eyes.
"Yes. They've made a deal with Mephisto. This one... I can read her heart like a book. She's a favorite of his. We'll take her to Red Room."
His hand fell upon Eliphas.
"His heart is tied to that beast outside. He knows what happened to Cunber. We'll take him too."
Hand danced across the room, passing over everyone in turn. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes once again.
"I'll take IF and Ashe. I see potential in his heart. The rest are yours, Xalex."
"Thank you, Master."
"Crush their souls, if it sates your hate. Free them. Torment them. Trade them to the Fellowship. It's your call."
"Of course, Master Hearts. I think I shall enjoy tormenting them all... but this one?" His yellow eyes cut deep into Maddie. "Even in the face of death, she still finds the will to call us childish names. I'll enjoy crushing her most of all..."
"Do as you will, Sith, but don't loose yourself in your excitement. Our guest will be here shortly."

Hearts closed his hand. The cell door came grinding over. Eliphas, Mother, IF and Ashe was raised into the air, their bodies frozen solid. Hearts turned towards a nearby staircase, his chosen prisoners floating in his wake.

Xalek reached into his robes and threw a handful metallic handcuffs towards the remaining prisoners.
"Put them on. Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who refuses will die. Anyone who takes too long will die. Am I clear?"

"Just don't hurt Iffy..."

Compa exclaimed sadly as she followed his orders and put the cuffs on.

@Sark @Minerva @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack

---

THE RED ROOM
The Living
As Hearts carried his chosen prisoners deeper into Blackheart's fortress, the sounds of the distant battle grew quieter and quieter. Soon, even the ferocious roars of Eliphas' beast began to fade away. The only sound that remained came from Heart's boots, and the alien's slow, steady breathing. After a short walk, the prisoners were dragged through an imposing, crimson door.
Behind it was the Red Room.
Blackheart's medieval aesthetic was yet to infect the Red Room. Everything was clean. Sanitized to the nth degree. The room was void of any furniture beyond 4, shimmering silver platforms. They were part-chair, part surgical bench. The prisoners were thrown against these 'chairs' with a wave of Heart's hand. A series of steel clamps snapped shut to keep them in place.

"I'll put your minds at ease. This isn't a torture chamber. I don't need to hurt your to get what I want. I just need some piece and quiet. But before I go poking around in those heads of yours, I'm going to ask you for the truth. Consider it a professional courtesy."

"I know the Goddess saved you. I know she gave you a mission. I know she's dead. What I want to know is why you're still acting out her dying wish? She's gone. She can't hold you to that promise now. And yet, here you are. Dying for her. Why?

"The Goddess picked us for a reason. I don't fully understand it myself, I'm usually always wrapped in on saving the world, thanks to Lady Purple Heart. Besides, she already decided that we were her chosen before she was killed, so why would we not fight? Why are you even acting like this?! What's your real goal?! You could of taken me and Compa but you're putting her into uncomfortable situations, I mean come on! She's a NURSE! What can she even do to you?!"

@Sark @Crunch @Jeremi @Takumi

---

The Wasteland
Kamioren screamed as the CFW's blades split it in two. Writhing and howling, the Tuffle machine tumbled back down towards the earth, cursing their names and they fell.

"That won't hold them for long." Nox's spirit snapped. "Tuffles are foul creatures. More machine than mortal. You need to move. Blackheart's fort isn't far. The War Council are facing execution at the hands of my Bastard Apprentice. We need to make sure that doesn't happened."

Nox tipped his head for a moment, as if he was preparing to vanish once again. Before he faded away. His yellow eyes met Brave's.

"Oh, and don't think I'm haunting you for your good health. No. I'm only back to be certain that Blackheart's head rolls. Should you fail to obey my directions, I'll simply have to take a more aggressive approach to directing you. If you fail as a servant, then your bodies might be better used as vessels. Vehicles. Do you understand me?" The Sith snapped. "Do you understand me?"

"Hmph. Regardless of your qualms, our objective is clear no matter what you had said. Blood has been dealt by my hands in honor of the Deity of Sin, not this 'Goddess'."

When Nox's eyes met CFW Brave's, he simply nodded.

"I follow Magic, no matter what happens. Those who defy Arfoire's grandeur will fall to my blade."
"Enough delay. We have spoken long enough. Her plans are in motion for revival, let us continue. Blackheart will feel her wrath."

With her statement made clear, the two CFW's took off towards Blackheart's fortress. Whether their objective was to rescue the Chosen or simply slaughter everyone in there and have the Chosen rescue themselves was unclear. However they were clearly only following the path set by Nox and crew so that the Deity of Sin may be revived once more.

@Sark​

 

[Yun Lee]

Kolin put her hands on her heart, the beauty of the Goddess' salvation filling her completely. Even if she was gone, Kolin felt her still, and would not let this gift be in vain. Now left with a choice, she looked at the other two.

"Urien..." She sighed. "He is not trustworthy. He is an ambitious, envious man, cruel and merciless and proud. The complete antithesis of his brother, my emperor." She looked to his path then. "And yet...I cannot leave him to die like this. If we have a prayer of stopping Zamasu, it's him. I wish you the best of luck, Roman, but I will need to save Urien."

She smiled at him, then, to make it clear she didn't think less of him for his choice. In this moment, everything she felt was genuine. She felt...serene, after this blessing and new chance. "The Goddess has blessed you with an incredible gift, your powers of lightning. Gill blessed me in the same way. I was not born with the ability to manipulate ice. The three of us should have no problem accomplishing our goals." She then looked to Beau. "Whether you choose to help Roman or myself is up to you. But either way, we will need to move soon, or we might suffocate down here."

@amwexia @Lucky​

 

[Jeremi]

FORT BLACKHEART
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Down the hall, some footsteps clicked. Three made their way down the hall, their steel boots cracking against the black cobblestone tiles.
"They're right here, my Lords." Eric muttered, emerging from the nearest staircase. "All in the same block, for your convenience."
"Thank you, Eric. You've done well.... Surprisingly well..." An alien creatures stepped out from behind him. He was tall. Imposing. His voice boomed and rattled across the cell block.
"And you mean to tell us that you found these... infants waiting in the courtyard? Begging to be taken prisoner?" A second, hooded creature added.
"Yes, Lord Xalek. They just... appeared there. Must have been a teleportation attempt gone wrong..."
The first alien smiled. He raised his hands over the heads of the War Council.
View attachment 4598
"No. They're not here by accident. I can sense it."
His eyes locked onto Big Mother. He turned his hand towards her and close his eyes.
"Yes. They've made a deal with Mephisto. This one... I can read her heart like a book. She's a favorite of his. We'll take her to Red Room."
His hand fell upon Eliphas.
"His heart is tied to that beast outside. He knows what happened to Cunber. We'll take him too."
Hand danced across the room, passing over everyone in turn. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes once again.
"I'll take IF and Ashe. I see potential in his heart. The rest are yours, Xalex."
"Thank you, Master."
"Crush their souls, if it sates your hate. Free them. Torment them. Trade them to the Fellowship. It's your call."
"Of course, Master Hearts. I think I shall enjoy tormenting them all... but this one?" His yellow eyes cut deep into Maddie. "Even in the face of death, she still finds the will to call us childish names. I'll enjoy crushing her most of all..."
"Do as you will, Sith, but don't loose yourself in your excitement. Our guest will be here shortly."

Hearts closed his hand. The cell door came grinding over. Eliphas, Mother, IF and Ashe was raised into the air, their bodies frozen solid. Hearts turned towards a nearby staircase, his chosen prisoners floating in his wake.

Xalek reached into his robes and threw a handful metallic handcuffs towards the remaining prisoners.
"Put them on. Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who refuses will die. Anyone who takes too long will die. Am I clear?"
@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack @Minerva
THE RED ROOM
The Living
As Hearts carried his chosen prisoners deeper into Blackheart's fortress, the sounds of the distant battle grew quieter and quieter. Soon, even the ferocious roars of Eliphas' beast began to fade away. The only sound that remained came from Heart's boots, and the alien's slow, steady breathing. After a short walk, the prisoners were dragged through an imposing, crimson door.
Behind it was the Red Room.
Blackheart's medieval aesthetic was yet to infect the Red Room. Everything was clean. Sanitized to the nth degree. The room was void of any furniture beyond 4, shimmering silver platforms. They were part-chair, part surgical bench. The prisoners were thrown against these 'chairs' with a wave of Heart's hand. A series of steel clamps snapped shut to keep them in place.

"I'll put your minds at ease. This isn't a torture chamber. I don't need to hurt your to get what I want. I just need some piece and quiet. But before I go poking around in those heads of yours, I'm going to ask you for the truth. Consider it a professional courtesy."

"I know the Goddess saved you. I know she gave you a mission. I know she's dead. What I want to know is why you're still acting out her dying wish? She's gone. She can't hold you to that promise now. And yet, here you are. Dying for her. Why?

@Crunch @Jeremi @Takumi @Raynar Saassin​

The Wasteland
Kamioren screamed as the CFW's blades split it in two. Writhing and howling, the Tuffle machine tumbled back down towards the earth, cursing their names and they fell.

"That won't hold them for long." Nox's spirit snapped. "Tuffles are foul creatures. More machine than mortal. You need to move. Blackheart's fort isn't far. The War Council are facing execution at the hands of my Bastard Apprentice. We need to make sure that doesn't happened."

Nox tipped his head for a moment, as if he was preparing to vanish once again. Before he faded away. His yellow eyes met Brave's.

"Oh, and don't think I'm haunting you for your good health. No. I'm only back to be certain that Blackheart's head rolls. Should you fail to obey my directions, I'll simply have to take a more aggressive approach to directing you. If you fail as a servant, then your bodies might be better used as vessels. Vehicles. Do you understand me?" The Sith snapped. "Do you understand me?"

@Raynar Saassin​

The Depths of the Crusader
"Waste no tears on me, my child," The Goddess smiled, wiping Roman's face clean. "For I have made no mistakes, and I feel no disappointment. Only pride. Watching you grow has filled me with so much joy. You have accomplished so much... and you still have so much left to do!"

"As did I..." The Goddess hummed to Kolin. "But the barriers between life and death are weaker here. When I'm here, I can see all the things I cannot change. Perhaps, that is my Hell. Witness death and injustice whilst lacking the power to turn it to justice and peace."

The Goddess sighed and turned away from her children. Her sweet smiled had slowly started to fade.

"I wish I could help you, my Chosen, but without my body there is so much I cannot do. Where I once carried you, you must now carry me... in here..."

An emerald light began to glow within your chest. It filled you with warmth. With life. Conviction. It began to grow more passionately as your spirits began to rise. With ever frantic beat of your heart, more light filled the chamber. It wasn't long before the entire ship was mapped out before them.

"Even the darkest nights end, my Children. Even the coldest winters come to pass. Though flames shall mark your path, they shall only temper your spirits. The trials that await you will only make you stronger. The path before you is divided:

Save a Secularist. Bring him to the light. To me.

Slay the Demon. Save Izana.

"You have a choice. One you must make without me. I trust that make the right decision. That you will trust in me."

"And that you will trust in each other. You all have your roles to play."

"I've fixed the dice all I can. The rest is up to you."

You blink. She's gone.

Her light remains. A path deeper into the wreck has presented itself. It's a path rich with air. It's a path to Urien.

Another path can be found. A path to the surface. To Blackheart. To Izana.

The rest is up to you.

@Raynar Saassin @Yun Lee @Lucky​

Big Mother had been silent ever since Mephisto's exit. Eliphas did not speak for her. She had not appreciated the noose that was now around her neck through everything, even getting her body back...or what was left of it.

"Because Blackheart needed to be taught a lesson," She finally replied when brought into the interrogation. "If you think the Goddess has anything to do with me doing here, I'm afraid I'll have to laugh. I'm just here to show a child his place in the hierarchy. Nothing more."

@Crunch @Sark @Takumi @Raynar Saassin

 

[York]

Spoiler: Replies

FORT BLACKHEART
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Down the hall, some footsteps clicked. Three made their way down the hall, their steel boots cracking against the black cobblestone tiles.
"They're right here, my Lords." Eric muttered, emerging from the nearest staircase. "All in the same block, for your convenience."
"Thank you, Eric. You've done well.... Surprisingly well..." An alien creatures stepped out from behind him. He was tall. Imposing. His voice boomed and rattled across the cell block.
"And you mean to tell us that you found these... infants waiting in the courtyard? Begging to be taken prisoner?" A second, hooded creature added.
"Yes, Lord Xalek. They just... appeared there. Must have been a teleportation attempt gone wrong..."
The first alien smiled. He raised his hands over the heads of the War Council.
View attachment 4598
"No. They're not here by accident. I can sense it."
His eyes locked onto Big Mother. He turned his hand towards her and close his eyes.
"Yes. They've made a deal with Mephisto. This one... I can read her heart like a book. She's a favorite of his. We'll take her to Red Room."
His hand fell upon Eliphas.
"His heart is tied to that beast outside. He knows what happened to Cunber. We'll take him too."
Hand danced across the room, passing over everyone in turn. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes once again.
"I'll take IF and Ashe. I see potential in his heart. The rest are yours, Xalex."
"Thank you, Master."
"Crush their souls, if it sates your hate. Free them. Torment them. Trade them to the Fellowship. It's your call."
"Of course, Master Hearts. I think I shall enjoy tormenting them all... but this one?" His yellow eyes cut deep into Maddie. "Even in the face of death, she still finds the will to call us childish names. I'll enjoy crushing her most of all..."
"Do as you will, Sith, but don't loose yourself in your excitement. Our guest will be here shortly."

Hearts closed his hand. The cell door came grinding over. Eliphas, Mother, IF and Ashe was raised into the air, their bodies frozen solid. Hearts turned towards a nearby staircase, his chosen prisoners floating in his wake.

Xalek reached into his robes and threw a handful metallic handcuffs towards the remaining prisoners.
"Put them on. Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who refuses will die. Anyone who takes too long will die. Am I clear?"
@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack @Minerva
THE RED ROOM
The Living
As Hearts carried his chosen prisoners deeper into Blackheart's fortress, the sounds of the distant battle grew quieter and quieter. Soon, even the ferocious roars of Eliphas' beast began to fade away. The only sound that remained came from Heart's boots, and the alien's slow, steady breathing. After a short walk, the prisoners were dragged through an imposing, crimson door.
Behind it was the Red Room.
Blackheart's medieval aesthetic was yet to infect the Red Room. Everything was clean. Sanitized to the nth degree. The room was void of any furniture beyond 4, shimmering silver platforms. They were part-chair, part surgical bench. The prisoners were thrown against these 'chairs' with a wave of Heart's hand. A series of steel clamps snapped shut to keep them in place.

"I'll put your minds at ease. This isn't a torture chamber. I don't need to hurt your to get what I want. I just need some piece and quiet. But before I go poking around in those heads of yours, I'm going to ask you for the truth. Consider it a professional courtesy."

"I know the Goddess saved you. I know she gave you a mission. I know she's dead. What I want to know is why you're still acting out her dying wish? She's gone. She can't hold you to that promise now. And yet, here you are. Dying for her. Why?

@Crunch @Jeremi @Takumi @Raynar Saassin​

The Wasteland
Kamioren screamed as the CFW's blades split it in two. Writhing and howling, the Tuffle machine tumbled back down towards the earth, cursing their names and they fell.

"That won't hold them for long." Nox's spirit snapped. "Tuffles are foul creatures. More machine than mortal. You need to move. Blackheart's fort isn't far. The War Council are facing execution at the hands of my Bastard Apprentice. We need to make sure that doesn't happened."

Nox tipped his head for a moment, as if he was preparing to vanish once again. Before he faded away. His yellow eyes met Brave's.

"Oh, and don't think I'm haunting you for your good health. No. I'm only back to be certain that Blackheart's head rolls. Should you fail to obey my directions, I'll simply have to take a more aggressive approach to directing you. If you fail as a servant, then your bodies might be better used as vessels. Vehicles. Do you understand me?" The Sith snapped. "Do you understand me?"

@Raynar Saassin​

The Depths of the Crusader
"Waste no tears on me, my child," The Goddess smiled, wiping Roman's face clean. "For I have made no mistakes, and I feel no disappointment. Only pride. Watching you grow has filled me with so much joy. You have accomplished so much... and you still have so much left to do!"

"As did I..." The Goddess hummed to Kolin. "But the barriers between life and death are weaker here. When I'm here, I can see all the things I cannot change. Perhaps, that is my Hell. Witness death and injustice whilst lacking the power to turn it to justice and peace."

The Goddess sighed and turned away from her children. Her sweet smiled had slowly started to fade.

"I wish I could help you, my Chosen, but without my body there is so much I cannot do. Where I once carried you, you must now carry me... in here..."

An emerald light began to glow within your chest. It filled you with warmth. With life. Conviction. It began to grow more passionately as your spirits began to rise. With ever frantic beat of your heart, more light filled the chamber. It wasn't long before the entire ship was mapped out before them.

"Even the darkest nights end, my Children. Even the coldest winters come to pass. Though flames shall mark your path, they shall only temper your spirits. The trials that await you will only make you stronger. The path before you is divided:

Save a Secularist. Bring him to the light. To me.

Slay the Demon. Save Izana.

"You have a choice. One you must make without me. I trust that make the right decision. That you will trust in me."

"And that you will trust in each other. You all have your roles to play."

"I've fixed the dice all I can. The rest is up to you."

You blink. She's gone.

Her light remains. A path deeper into the wreck has presented itself. It's a path rich with air. It's a path to Urien.

Another path can be found. A path to the surface. To Blackheart. To Izana.

The rest is up to you.

@Raynar Saassin @Yun Lee @Lucky​

MADDIE

Maddie swiftly put the handcuffs on, accepting her own punishment. She knows what would happen if she didn’t oblige. She’s not afraid of death, but she knows when to be obedient, since she’s like that.

“Is the sentence for calling you childish names death?” Maddie says weakly, the fire that’s normally heard in her voice clearly absent, “Because if that’s the case, fine. Unlike everyone else here, I don’t fear death.”

@Sark @Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky
—-///—-///—-///—-

ROMAN

Roman blinked twice in confusion. The Goddess was... proud of Roman?

Then she was gone... like an angel’s kiss.

“Oh... I-I-I”

Roman rushed his hand through his hair. An option presented in front of him.

Urien or Izana...

Izana was weird, self-serving, he was shallow, but Roman’s met him, and he’s a Goddessian.

Urien is a Secularist, Roman’s never met him before, and it’s up in the air if he’s trustworthy, but Kolin trusts him, and Kolin’s a Goddessian.

Roman, for the first time, has made up his mind.

“I’m going to save Izana. I trust him. He helped us back in the chamber! I don’t know if I can trust Urien. I’ve never met him before...”

@Sark @Yun Lee @York @Lucky​

Kuro Kyoka (Chloe) & Angewomon
@Raynar Saassin @Yun Lee @Lucky @Sark

Chloe took in the Goddess' words, even if she wasn't sure it was completely directed at her, putting a hand to her chin. As she and Angewomon felt the warmth in their bodies, and that emerald light shine within them, Chloe was reminded of the first time her crest had activated.

She was gifted with one of 'balance'. Destined to unite the forces of light and dark, opposites that were destined to rival each other for eternity, or at least that's what most thought.

For a while, Chloe had believed that she could keep her two digimon together, in spite of their innately different beliefs.

But in the end, was it all a lie?

It sure seemed like it, considering LadyDevimon had just abandoned them. But deep down, something prevented her from giving up on the stray digimon, not to mention the ideals she had sought to inherit from the beginning.

While the Goddess was gone now, Chloe took her words to heart. Trust in each other, follow her heart.

Believe in your heart.

That was the last thing she remembered being told before she found herself a member of the Fellowship. No matter what, she had to follow her gut instincts. She could no longer let herself be guided astray in the heat of the moment.

"I know it's what the Goddess told us to do... But. She said she doesn't wish to witness anymore death and injustice, right?" She said, thinking aloud.

Angewomon smiled, putting her gloved hand to her chin as she mulled things over, seeming to pause as Roman mentioned saving Izana.

"Chloe. The last time we did exactly what the Goddess said, when we waged war on the demons. We lost. And LadyDevimon said... She was tired of this constant fighting. That she wanted to end it all, no matter what it cost..."

The angelic digimon was at least twice the size of Chloe, but the way she acted, Angewomon seemed more human than she was in any of her previous forms.

Chloe in the meantime finally spoke up, determination glowing in her eyes.

"Then... Maybe there's another way? Maybe we don't have to kill that demon to save Izana. Maybe we can save Urien too!" She said, excited at the prospect.

Angewomon frowned though, a wary look on her face, obscured as it was by hre mask.

"If the demon refuses to repent, or surrender... I have no choice but to kill it. But, this time. I'll leave the decision up to you, Chloe. You are... After all, the chosen child." She said.

While the uncertain look never completely left Angewomon's face, Chloe seemed satisfied with the response.

"There! That settles it! We'll save Izana first, then Urien!" She declared.

With that in mind, she prepared to follow in Roman's steps, but hesitated for a moment, staring down the path to the surface. While she had intentions to return to the surface and find Urien, right now... Izana would be her immediate concern.

But as confident as she was, Chloe had to wonder if they truly had enough time to save both of them, like she had hoped.​

 

[Minerva]

FORT BLACKHEART
THE LIVING AND THE DEAD
Down the hall, some footsteps clicked. Three made their way down the hall, their steel boots cracking against the black cobblestone tiles.
"They're right here, my Lords." Eric muttered, emerging from the nearest staircase. "All in the same block, for your convenience."
"Thank you, Eric. You've done well.... Surprisingly well..." An alien creatures stepped out from behind him. He was tall. Imposing. His voice boomed and rattled across the cell block.
"And you mean to tell us that you found these... infants waiting in the courtyard? Begging to be taken prisoner?" A second, hooded creature added.
"Yes, Lord Xalek. They just... appeared there. Must have been a teleportation attempt gone wrong..."
The first alien smiled. He raised his hands over the heads of the War Council.

"No. They're not here by accident. I can sense it."
His eyes locked onto Big Mother. He turned his hand towards her and close his eyes.
"Yes. They've made a deal with Mephisto. This one... I can read her heart like a book. She's a favorite of his. We'll take her to Red Room."
His hand fell upon Eliphas.
"His heart is tied to that beast outside. He knows what happened to Cunber. We'll take him too."
Hand danced across the room, passing over everyone in turn. After a moment of silence, he opened his eyes once again.
"I'll take IF and Ashe. I see potential in his heart. The rest are yours, Xalex."
"Thank you, Master."
"Crush their souls, if it sates your hate. Free them. Torment them. Trade them to the Fellowship. It's your call."
"Of course, Master Hearts. I think I shall enjoy tormenting them all... but this one?" His yellow eyes cut deep into Maddie. "Even in the face of death, she still finds the will to call us childish names. I'll enjoy crushing her most of all..."
"Do as you will, Sith, but don't loose yourself in your excitement. Our guest will be here shortly."

Hearts closed his hand. The cell door came grinding over. Eliphas, Mother, IF and Ashe was raised into the air, their bodies frozen solid. Hearts turned towards a nearby staircase, his chosen prisoners floating in his wake.

Xalek reached into his robes and threw a handful metallic handcuffs towards the remaining prisoners.
"Put them on. Anyone who resists will die. Anyone who refuses will die. Anyone who takes too long will die. Am I clear?"
@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack @Minerva

@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack

Among the prisoners being dragged out was a blonde woman. She had been there for a while, by the looks of it. She wore a slightly torn tabard, had her hair caked with mud, a busted lip, and there was some dark red scabbing on her wrists under her cuffs. She had a fiercely defiant look on her face as she was lead out.

She looked at the gathered group and nodded.

"Follow my lead." She whispered​

 

[Lucky]

Beau

" Roman, I trust you to rescue our friends. Don't get yourself killed. I'm going to try and turn Urien with our other friend. I can probably refute things he puts things down as I see things a little from his perspective."

@Yun Lee @amwexia @Sark

Jester

" Well, if you say so," she replied, watching what the woman was going to do, worried she would put the chains on as she didn't want to do that at all. She took a deep breath and wached her lead. Meanwhile, Sprinkle had no clue what to do with the chains. He was after all a weseal.

@Sark @Minerva

 

[Sark]

Kolin put her hands on her heart, the beauty of the Goddess' salvation filling her completely. Even if she was gone, Kolin felt her still, and would not let this gift be in vain. Now left with a choice, she looked at the other two.

"Urien..." She sighed. "He is not trustworthy. He is an ambitious, envious man, cruel and merciless and proud. The complete antithesis of his brother, my emperor." She looked to his path then. "And yet...I cannot leave him to die like this. If we have a prayer of stopping Zamasu, it's him. I wish you the best of luck, Roman, but I will need to save Urien."

She smiled at him, then, to make it clear she didn't think less of him for his choice. In this moment, everything she felt was genuine. She felt...serene, after this blessing and new chance. "The Goddess has blessed you with an incredible gift, your powers of lightning. Gill blessed me in the same way. I was not born with the ability to manipulate ice. The three of us should have no problem accomplishing our goals." She then looked to Beau. "Whether you choose to help Roman or myself is up to you. But either way, we will need to move soon, or we might suffocate down here."

@amwexia @Lucky​

Kolin ventured deeper into husk of the Crusader. Even as she wandered through the valley of death, she knew no fear. The light of the Goddess lingered on within her. It calmed her. Warmed her. It cut through the stench of oil and death and kept her path bright.

But even the emerald light couldn't keep her safe forever. The path before her crumbled. She found herself sliding once again. Blackness overcame her.

As she came too, another light illuminated her path. The light of Temporal Thunder.


Urien was hunched before her, bowing like Atlas. He bore the weight of ship's engine upon his back, like a yoke. He snarled over the creaking steel. His arms began to quiver.

"Come to gloat?" Urien spat. "Come to rub salt in my wounds, have you?"
View attachment 4870
"It is as it was foretold! My destiny is not yet fulfilled! I am fated to live! But you, Demon--" Thunder crackled across the President's flesh. Though pinned by the weight of the rubble, his fury continued to burn bright. "--I cannot say the same to you!"

@Yun Lee​

"There! That settles it! We'll save Izana first, then Urien!" She declared.

With that in mind, she prepared to follow in Roman's steps, but hesitated for a moment, staring down the path to the surface. While she had intentions to return to the surface and find Urien, right now... Izana would be her immediate concern.

But as confident as she was, Chloe had to wonder if they truly had enough time to save both of them, like she had hoped.​

“I’m going to save Izana. I trust him. He helped us back in the chamber! I don’t know if I can trust Urien. I’ve never met him before...”

@Sark @Yun Lee @York @Lucky​

The Goddess guided her Chosen. She became their Shepard and lead them to the surface.

As they crawled from the wreck on their hands and knees, they felt a wave of relief wash over them. The stink of brimstone had replaced the stink of blood. The air was still hot. The soil was still dry and barren. But at least they were alive. At least they were free.

Click

Three Fellowship blasters were lowered over their heads. Goddessian Soldiers. Zamasu's loyalists.

"Survivors." The first guard muttered. "Look at them. Crawling from the trash. A pair of cockroaches."

Azrael stepped out from behind the crew's landing craft. He caught sight of the Chosen and sprinted back towards the wreck.

"Medic!" He called. "Medic! We have survivors!"

"That won't be necessarily, sir. We have our orders."

"Orders? I'm your Commanding Officer..." He wrapped his fingers around the hilt of his sword. His tone was calm. Skeptical. "Your orders come from me. And I'm telling you to stand back and wait for the medic."

"I'm sorry, sir. The Lord has different plans for them. They've seen too much."

"I can vouch for them." Azrael slowly approached the soldiers. "They were present during the citadel attack. They saved the lives of my team. Whatever they've seen it does---"

The soldier's finger drifted a little too close to his trigger for Azrael's liking. He drew his sword. A moment later, 6 arms hit the sand. The soldiers screamed and fell to their knees.

View attachment 4871

"Shit..." Jean-Paul sighed. He wiped a splash of blood from his helmet. "You guys should probably... uh... get out of here. The engineers have already our fitted our landing ship with the Crusader's cloaking devices. It should get you to Fort Blackheart unseen. You shouldn't have to deal with too much opposition, but... try not to kill any of my men on your way. I don't know how many of my men are taking new orders, or where those orders are coming from... but they can't all be dirty. You guys need to get out of here. Lie low for a while. By the looks of things, you're in deep shit... and now, so am I..."

@York @Lucky @Capri​

@Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky @Jackythejack

Among the prisoners being dragged out was a blonde woman. She had been there for a while, by the looks of it. She wore a slightly torn tabard, had her hair caked with mud, a busted lip, and there was some dark red scabbing on her wrists under her cuffs. She had a fiercely defiant look on her face as she was lead out.

She looked at the gathered group and nodded.

"Follow my lead." She whispered​

MADDIE

Maddie swiftly put the handcuffs on, accepting her own punishment. She knows what would happen if she didn’t oblige. She’s not afraid of death, but she knows when to be obedient, since she’s like that.

“Is the sentence for calling you childish names death?” Maddie says weakly, the fire that’s normally heard in her voice clearly absent, “Because if that’s the case, fine. Unlike everyone else here, I don’t fear death.”

@Sark @Raynar Saassin @Takumi @Lucky​

Xalek reached out with the force and shuffled his prisoners into an orderly caravan. He lead it from the rear and his boots against the cobblestones to give them a marching rhythm. The path to the staircase seemed to stretch on endlessly. They passed hundreds of tired, desperate souls as they marched. Some appeared young. Some appeared old. Some were scarred. Others were still fresh-skinned. But they all shared the same, defeated stare. They stretched their arms out through the bars of their cells and pleaded for assistance.

A hand touched Maddie's shoulder. His touch was delicate. Cool.

View attachment 4874
"Maddie... Yes... Kind Maddie.... Compassionate Maddie..." Izana whimpered, his eyes wet and red. His fingers trembled. "Yes... Maddie from the Citadel... does Maddie remember Mr.Izana? Mr.Izana had better hair then, yes? Better hair? No beard? No scars? You remember Mr.Izana, don't you? Tell me your remember him, yes?"

"Against the wall, prisoner!" Xalek spat. He hammered this hilt of his lightsaber against Izana's bars. The Seer recoil in fear and fled into the corner of his cell. He place his hands of his ears and wept. "You'll get your turn. You'll---"

Xalek stopped for a moment. He felt it. A ripple in the force. A warning. He tightened his grip around his weapon. He slow turned towards the defiant prisoner. His finger shifted towards his weapon's activation switch.

"You..." He whispered...

@Lucky @amwexia @Jackythejack @Minerva @Raynar Saassin @Takumi​

 

[Yun Lee]

Grateful for the companionship from Beau, Kolin ventured forward into the wreckage. She refused to falter again, even after collapsing for a second time, and soon...there he was. To say she was thrilled that the President was here in the first place would be like saying a popped blister was enjoyable. She started to see that there had been an ulterior motive for sending her here, though she had to wonder why Gill had kept Urien's involvement a secret. It was not her place to question her Emperor (even if he may encourage her to), so instead she sighed.

"There are no demons here with us, Lord Urien," she said, walking up to the wreckage he was pinned under. "Only people." Even though her lashing at the walls had failed her before, Kolin couldn't help but try to use her cryokinetics to free Urien, creating icy pillars to lift up the debris and give him room to escape. "If you're desperate for a target to unleash your fury upon, I have one for you. But you must allow us to assist you."

@Sark @Lucky​