Do or die

by **Arcana** March 28th 2017, 11:41 pm

Faint wisps of black mist wavered through the air, filling the otherwise empty air of the town. Reports had come in about a town suddenly disappearing, something that drew a lot of red flags within the magical community as well as with law enforcement agencies. People had been sent in to investigate what had caused such disappearances, but within the span of three days no one had reported back to their superiors. This town by the name of Dunsmuir had gone silent within a single night, letting not even a peep of electronic noise out from it. Sean appeared on the outskirts of the town, past what he assumed was to be a blockade of some kind. Various military grade vehicles were all left there, abandoned as if waiting for some threat from within the town to leak out and even the anti-metahuman countermeasures were left lying on the ground.

Sean knelt down, feeling over what might have been a manner of weapon. It could have been a gun, likely meant to fire some manner of plasma or something else. High tech no doubt though he wondered what company would have supplied it, though there was only a large M branded on the side. He lifted it to his face, examining each contour as the sound of the morning wind blew through, tossing up some of the black mist that had flowed low to the ground, mingling with normal white mist. ”Something is definitely up.” He muttered to himself, setting the weapon back down upon the ground, and burying his hands into his pockets. This place reeked of death or maybe even death magics, the distinction was there but he could not make them at this moment. He had an idea of what this was but assumptions were not always the wisest thing to do.

Sean had dressed up in usual fair for dealing with sudden supernatural convergences. A pair of khaki cargo pants tucked into scuffed looking boots, with a sleeveless white shirt under a layered hooded leather jacket to cover the runes that snaked along his arms. His hands were covered with fingerless cloth gloves, mostly to hide any further indication of his magics existence, mostly a precaution in case someone figured out their purpose. Dark brown bangs hung over his forehead and threatened to cover silver eyes, critically surveying the seemingly empty town. Quickly Sean whipped out his phone, checking it and typing out a small text to Zell. Checking out the shit going on in Dunsmuir, might not have signal . In case I don’t answer anything for a bit, that's why. ILU <3 Sending that he sighed, slipping the phone back into his left pocket. It wasn’t a goodbye but he didn’t know how something like this would even go.

The unknown always managed to bring about a sensation of fear within him, even if he should have been more confident within the magic awakened within him. Caution was something he could not help, always worrying that his power wasn’t enough or maybe he just wasn’t good enough even with it. Accelerated heartbeat managed to mirror the faint anxiety that came about, Sean clenching his fingers tightly. If this was The Abyss, then it was his duty to fight it back. His family had done enough dealing with his problems, and now this was his demon to defeat. If he could stop the spread of this death dimension, then that was a plus he was also willing to accept. Self-sacrifice was never his favorite thing, and yet here he was considering it.

Spells that protected one against the darkness had been weaved through him, taking a good few hours to prepare but now he was confident within his readiness. So Sean prepared to stride into the heart of darkness itself.

by **The Nekromonga** March 31st 2017, 4:59 am

16 hours ago...

Even without her sword, when evil reared its ugly head, Diana was not the type to back down. If anything, she took it as a challenge- the danger, the thrill of combat. She had the cash, and turned that cash into hardware through her black market connections.

A classy former assassin like herself needn't look far. A certain hotel covertly catered to her specific need, a secret society that hid in plain sight. When the receptionist saw Diana, it was an expression of familiarity.

"Good evening miss Mendoza. It has been too long since your last visit." She said with a lively formality.

"Thanks... I would like to see the quartermaster." Diana stuck to business.

"Of course miss Mendoza."

Past several lobby doors, past the restaurant and past the service corridors, Diana was led to the well lit armory, which was as well decorated as the rest of the hotel, as if the weapons on display were fine wines.

"Ah, always a pleasure to see a former client alive and well. What may I offer you today, miss Mendoza?"

"I'm here for... traditional Japanese weapons." Diana inquired of the quartermaster.

The quartermaster was slightly crestfallen as he had to disappoint a client. "I'm sorry miss Mendoza, but we are out of stock of your... usual armaments. However, might we interest you in equivalents from our Germanic selection?"

The walls shifted, and the shelves rolled out of view, as the selection of firearms were replaced by shelves of knightly arms and armor. Sword, axe, mace, dagger, and various polearms. Medival armor made of modern materials were also on display.

Diana nods in approval. "...I'll take them."

= = =

Dunsmuir, now

Diana arrived by motor bike and dismounted when she reached the perimeter with the abandoned vehicles. She fearlessly enters the darkness wearing modern combat armor styled like knightly plate. Diana believed in armor, sure, but not too much armor. Her belt carried modern grenades though, rather than alchemical bombs. She was also armed to the teeth, her primary weapon now a compound bow, and she carried a quiver of assorted arrows. She also carried a collapsible spear; a fine longsword, the edge lined with silver; a shorter messer blade; at least four knives were strewn across her armor in places, and a pickaxe served as a tertiary weapon and tool. Life was alot more difficult without a magical, indestructible sword that could carry her fighting needs.

She begins her investigation by studying the line of abandoned vehicles and weapons, immediately finding the lack of struggle odd.

"No fighting, no tracks. Definitely something... unusual." she muttered to herself, as she swatted away the black mist that hung low to the ground. Her enhanced senses eventually pick up on Sean's tracks.

"Somebody's here... Male, tall, strong. going deeper into town. From outside. I'm not alone then." Diana continued her monologue, and decided to follow the tracks. She'd need to make sure this fellow was a friendly...

by **Knightfall** March 31st 2017, 1:37 pm

Michael had heard of the abrupt disappearance of the city of Dunsmuir. No communications or signals had come from the surrounding area, it was a literal dead zone. He'd decided to fly until he got within a five mile radius of Dunsmuir then he called an Uber to take him the rest of the way. He had his suspicions about the place he was headed into and he wasn't going to risk his wings giving out. The driver dropped him off outside of a blockade, he tipped the driver for his troubles and reluctantly hopped over the blockade. As soon as he did so he felt a huge sense of dread and he staggered having been caught off guard. He was now glad he didn't try to fly in here, he'd have plummeted like a rock. Black mist flowed along the ground like water it's movement fluid and slow. Shaking his head, he ventured farther into the town past the military vehicles. There he saw a woman in armor and tensed, ready to let his wings out. He couldn't be sure that this woman was the cause of this due to the environment blocking his empathy.

by **Arcana** March 31st 2017, 2:29 pm

Sean shook of the nerves the best he could, rubbing his forearms which were alight with goose prickles. Something was moving through the town, and he was about to step into it. This included stepping across the threshold of the town, a sudden chill washing over him. As soon as he stepped into the town itself, the mist began to grow even denser, more and more tendrils of mist rising from the ground, brushing against him and drawing up shudders. ”Yeah definitely looks like some Abyss bullshit.” He muttered to himself, stepping onto a street that stood on the edge. The empty cars were something that resembled the abandoned tanks that stood upon the outskirts, adding even more curiosities to things.

Anyone else would have called out for people to see if they were there, instead he stepped up to one of the homes with the door left ajar as if someone had just left it. Well that looked like something he would need to look into, though breaking and entering was not his normal MO.

Stepping up the wooden steps, each one creating an annoying creaking sound grated on his ears. One he stepped into the living room, a cursory glance showed that it had been left just as it was, the television still running some program, and casting its light across the floor. ”Okay, beginning to think either mind control or mass hypnosis.” This was followed by him beginning a more thorough search in the hopes something would provide answers.

by **The Nekromonga** March 31st 2017, 9:14 pm

As she moved further into the town, the malevolence in the air became more palpable. Once, Diana was permeated by an evil influence, and it was an unwelcome familiarity. She could feel her bloodlust rising, like the curse of her sword when she fought back against it. Diana knew she was here more to fight than to actually resolve the situation.

The trail she followed through the mist led to a house, and good that it did, as vision was becoming unreliable with the darkness and the mist. The one she followed was inside.

...The edge of her hearing registered faint footsteps. Reflexively an arrow was nocked and aimed in Michael's... general direction.

"Show yourself. I've got a bow and arrow." Diana gave whoever it was there a fair warning. It seemed there were more people in this mist than she thought.

by **Knightfall** April 1st 2017, 12:48 am

He was caught off guard by the woman's sudden warning and he rolled his shoulder's, his wings wrenching themselves out of the tattoo on his back presenting his fourteen foot wingspan, adrenaline rushing through him. The pure white of his wings looked almost gray in the mist as it seemed to slither over his figure. Then he stepped forward into Diana's sight, his wings fluttering slightly in the still air. He put his hands up behind his head and took not of the woman's arsenal. "Who art thou and why dost thee carry such mundane armaments."

by **Arcana** April 1st 2017, 1:50 am

The first thing Sean did was turn off the television, causing the continually glitching television to cease its infernal noise. Mentally working out a plan would have worked better when he didn’t hear the drivel average American households polluted their brains with. Something had to have caused families to leave their homes, or at the very least leave their televisions unattended. Entering the kitchen proved to supply more information, that being a meal left half eaten, a few flies buzzing around it likely proliferating their kind. Sean reflexively grimaced, stepping back into the adjoined living room.

”Okay, things are starting to get even stranger.” He muttered to himself, stroking his chin contemplatively. Sean ventured further into the home, checking through pantries, and bedrooms for any clue what had happened. Most of these bore no fruit, but as he began his descent into the basement, that was when he noticed that it was locked. That brought about a few suspicions, something that needed to be looked into, so he gathered up his magical energy into forming a strong gust of wind. It collided with the door, ripping the thing from its hinges and throwing it back against what sounded like the basement wall.

Stepping through the broken doorway, he caught sight of a shape scurrying through the shadows. It only took a few seconds for his brain to register that the shape was a child. With a snap of the fingers, Sean created a small light blue flame that threw light across the room and illuminated the child, with shotgun directed towards him.

”Woah there.’ His hands shot up defensively, showing that he had no intentions of doing anything. ”Don’t need to be hasty with that.” Making himself look as harmless as possible to the child was what he wished to do.

“Are you with the monsters?” The child demanded, voice sounding how he looked which was around Silus’ age.

”Monsters? I don’t know about any monsters. I just came here to look into what happened with the town.” Talking down to a teenager would have not been smart, especially when they had a gun on him.

As for the condition of the outside, both Michael and Diana could begin to hear alien calls off in the distance, more akin to beasts than anything else.

by **The Nekromonga** April 1st 2017, 2:28 am

"I'm The Ronin." Diana was quick to answer the question of identity. as to motive, there was brief hesitation. "I'm here to hunt... evil. And you? Some kind of angel sent to do the same?" Diana was not good at lying, so decided to go with a partial truth. For her, the cause of a fight didn't matter as much as the fight itself. As for her target, the angelic male, she lowered her bow slightly to let him speak.

But, it seemed standing outside was not the wisest thing to do right now. Little surprise that monsters howled in the mist. "...Let's talk inside, I don't want to get caught out here." She lowered her weapon to slowly walk backwards into the house. She'd prefer to not be caught by surprise and be the first to see whatever lurked in this damned mist.

Once inside the house, Diana would put her bow away, collapsing into a carryable form and sweep the ground floor with Messer drawn. She stood by the windows and closed the blinds, to observe quietly.

by **Knightfall** April 1st 2017, 3:06 pm

"Ah you speak New English I'm not use to speaking with others of your kind, my apologies." Michael brought his wings closer to his body, merging with his skin and forming the tattoo again then walked with Diana into the house. "I am in fact an angel, but I am here against my own wishes." Michael stopped himself to listen to cries of the beasts in the unknown. "My name's Michael disciple of Michael one of the four archangels of Haven. I have heard of your feats in the heavens you are skillful and fierce but often led astray." He then lifts the strap with his shotgun off of his shoulder and puts it's barrel against his bare chest.

by **Arcana** April 2nd 2017, 8:55 pm

Talking down a hysterical child with a shotgun was not something he had looked forward to doing, and yet here he was doing just that. “I don’t know you. They always say they’re coming to help, but they just took mom and dad away. ” The child asserted with dangerous eyes, boring into Sean’s with what appeared to be tears glistening there. This kid was scared, something that he could understand if half of the things implied here were happening.

”Who took your parents away?” Sean asked, sounding about as empathetic as he could with having a deadly weapon pointed at him. ”The people that brought the mist?” He continued, seeing a little doubt within their eyes but nothing that made the weapon come down.

“The masked Lady. She came one day and then everyone started….going away.” So, this was caused by someone but a masked lady was not something that really brought a name to mind. Something reverberated through the walls, a sound like a low moan mixed with a growl that caused the child to jump. Sean quickly moved, pushing upwards on the barrel of the gun, and using superior force to force the gun out of the kids hand, not before he unloaded a round into the ceiling. The loud sudden sound did cause his ears to start ringing, though he did force the gun from his hand.

” Could we keep the guns out of people’s faces? It’s really rude when they’re trying to help you ya know.” He growled, turning the weapon and offering it back to the kid butt first. The child at first looked utterly terrified, but that abated somewhat when the gun was returned to him. ”Now, we likely need to get out of here. If those weird growling things are still out there, I’d suggest we not be here when they arrive.”

Luckily he had the child agreeing with him, but little did Sean know there was a few others just above them as they ascended the basement stairway.

by **The Nekromonga** April 3rd 2017, 9:42 pm

Diana continued to watch the darkness when the gunshot went off.

It made her jump a bit, though she quickly calmed herself and went to the threshold of the basement stairs. She crouched by the window, keeping an eye out there.

Diana listened in, and the footsteps told her that these were regular humanoid folk, with one being significantly lighter. The second Sean crossed the threshold, Diana said in a low, faint voice, almost afraid to make any unnecessary noise. "Don't move, don't make a sound. I'm a friendly... and there's something out there."

by **Knightfall** April 4th 2017, 2:25 am

Micheal was startled when he heard a sudden gunshot sound from somewhere below them, possibly a basement. Seeing that Diana was going to investigate the noise he went over to her previous position at the window, keeping an eye out for anything that might have just heard the noise. "Nothing yet."

by **Arcana** April 4th 2017, 2:54 am

Sean was first to crest the steps that lead to the basement, quickly noticing Diana who in turn noticed him. He had however grown defensive rather quickly upon seeing the female, pressing a palm on the chest of the kid and leading him back a few steps as if preparing for some manner of confrontation. Something about this just did not feel good, and in a town likely overrun by monsters, not feeling good was unwanted. However conjuring magic did not appear necessary as she said something along the lines of not saying anything and there being things out there. There was a desire to still attack anything, but that was something that Sean kept back as best he could.

The kid appeared to be put at ease when she said she was friendly however, so that was something that went for him however, but not sean fully. ”I suspected that.” Sean said, mimicking the low volume that Diana was using. Something was likely out there, and he did not want that something coming into here yet. protecting a child and fighting monsters from beyond human comprehension was not a pleasant thought, and sounded more like a juggling act. ”Was hoping I was the only idiot who would check this place out.” He added in stepping back into the upper level, keeping the child a few good steps behind him.

Something was drawn with the sound of the shotgun, and whatever it was would reveal that it was here soon. That being when something slammed against the ceiling loudly, causing the child to abandon the thought of their gun and hide behind him of all people. The sound was something like a gelatinous object colliding with the roof, followed by a loud growling noise. No animal could have made such a sound, which fit the description of a monster. "What the fuck now!" Sean cursed, looking around warily.

That was followed by a few seconds of silence, then a black shape slamming into a window peering into the kitchen, shattering glass and plopping onto the floor in a misshapen humanoid mess of sludge. Beady red eyes glared out from approximations of eyeholes with hands grasping for the nearest living thing.

by **The Nekromonga** April 4th 2017, 4:06 am

Once the 'thing' Diana was afraid would arrive, arrived, she was immediately into battle mode. She stepped away from the window as some dark, squamous form gibbered into the adjacent kitchen.

"Get that kid ready to leave!" Diana moved toward the forming humanoid sludge, using the Messer to good use to slice its hand at the 'wrist', then a deft swipe at its 'eyes', to test its reaction. She expected ineffectiveness, but wondered to what degree.

by **Knightfall** April 4th 2017, 9:25 pm

As the creature made its way into the kitchen through the window, Michael immediately ignited his hands the holy fire licking up his wrists, launching a ball of fire directed at the creature's head. "Back from whence you came filth! Thou art not welcome here!"

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