ic Let the Bodies Hit the Ground

[Supercape]

DIamondlight

 

As soon as the woman stopped speaking, Diamondlight emitted a flash of light. 

 

One second he was there. The next, he was right beside her. 

 

From his right hand, he brought froward a three foot blade of silver-white light, which he spun and slashed at the Vampire. It wasn't sunlight, he knew, but he hoped it would work. 

 

But he missed... sloppy, he told himself. Aimed to high. She was too fast. 

 

In another blink of light, he was back where he started, sparking blue light in frustration at himself. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil 

 

Sea Devil leaped at the unholy abomination, thoughts of Singularity and Jessie's stories of her world's frightening demise in her mind. With a snarl of predatory intensity, she impaled the thing on her trident through the upper torso, then ripped the points out violently, leaping back so any poisoned blood wouldn't splash on her. "In strange aeons," she bellowed, "even death may die!" 

[Nerdzul]

Despite the horror of the situation the nineteen years old Luke could not avoid finding the idea of fighting together with two veteran heroes somewhat exciting. At least it was one more reason not to make a fool of himself, well, not that he needed any of course, given the whole, civilians being in danger thing. 

 

Using what was left of the momentum of the dash toward the clearing the young dragon leapt in the air, sending himself crashing against the vampire, putting all his weight into the assault. Apparently it was enough to toss the creature off-balance. With a satisfied grin, the young man used his claws to keep the monster pinned.

 

Dragon beats Bat... Nop... Too corny.

 

"See... I told you're not gonna hurt anyone else." 

 

His eyes glowed softly as he scanned the fight for the other monstrous assailant. "Where the f*ck is your master?" He asked. "I bet he is too much of a coward to enter the fray himself?" 

Edited February 25 by Nerdzul

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

The ‘vampire’ snarled as she dodged Diamondlight’s flashing blade. Only to once again feel Sea Devil’s might. This time it was the deep one’s deadly weapon as it tore tagged holes through her tattered clothing and pale flesh. Dark blood splattering the ground as the hero leap back.

She released her hold on the man and he slumped to the ground, coughing and wheezing.

A howl of pain escaped her as she stumbled away from the attack. But, before she could react Nightscale seized upon opportunity and tackled the ‘vampire’ to the ground. The two tumbled and the dragon boy easy came out on top, pinning her under him. 

 

“My master no more.”

She spat red and hissed at the pain.

“No master ever again. He was weak to fall to children.”

 

Detective Pascal was standing but swaying a little as Detective Ramsey helped to support him. They were still trying to urge the other woman to them, but she seemed to ignore the two. Instead she moved to the side of the man she had been walking the park with.

 

“Are you alright?”

She asked him, but there was something old about how she asked it. The man nodded as he gasped.

“Yes, I think I’m-“

He stopped suddenly and coughed up blood. It run down his chin and covered his the front of his shirt. Looking down he pushed away from the woman and stared in confusion at the gaping hole in his stomach, then up at the bloody had of the woman he had been walking romantically with not so long ago. The man stumbled back into a tree and slid down to the ground and stopped moving altogether.

 

“Death may die, indeed. Immortality is his goal, and it is within his grasp.”

The blood covered woman stared uncaring at the man, still holding what looked like his liver in her bloody hand.

“The Master would never sink to the level of looking for lost pets himself.”

She lifted the bloody flesh to her mouth and bit into it like a ripe fruit.

 

“The Master was right. You are flawed. You couldn’t even tell I was using him to cover my scent.”

She tilted her head to regard the heroes her bloody mouth stretched into a far too large grin full of sticky, sharp teeth.

“I guess I‘ll have to deal with these three before I can reclaim you for the Master.”

[Supercape]

Diamondlight

 

This was going well. 

 

Aquaria seemed to have the strength of an ox. A giant, steroid induced ox. And the ox's entire family. Or even herd. So August decided to give the fish-woman a chance to punch! to SMASH!

 

He teleported right next to Aquaria and the Vampire lady, and extended out one of his laser blades. 

 

"You haven't seen anything yet, unholy spawn! Take a look at this! a blade of pure HOLY SUNLIGHT!"

 

He brandished the blade in a neat flurry, trying to draw the vampires attention. 

 

And giving Aquaria the nod. 

 

A go get her! SMASH! nod. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil 

 

Aquaria responded to the blasphemy and the taunting from the fell beast by slashing it across the midsection with her trident, producing a great cloud of rotting ichor without seeming to do it more than a little damage. But moved by the creature's taunting and her own fury at this abomination, she took her trident and drove it directly into the ground, planting it tines-first with a crack of sound like a lightning storm heard underwater. 

 

"I will show you who the master of the world is," she croaked in a low, furious throb before bellowing in an unholy tone. "Come and see! COME AND SEE!" 

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

“Pathetic!”

The woman sneered at Diamondlight, seemingly unconcerned by the others. That is, until Sea Devil drew a gash across her abdomen with the fightful end of her weapon.

 

The woman stumbled back under the blow. Perhaps had she seen how quickly the Deep One had dealt with the ‘vampire’, she would not have let her guard down. As it was though, dark ichor ran down the front of her dress mixing with the blood and staining it further. Even as Sea Devil called her challenge, something about the woman changed again.

 

Her flesh rippled and pulsed, expanding here and there. The limbs lengthened, arms and legs stretching as the fingers grew into knife-like claws. She doubled in size, then doubled again. Her flesh took on a sickly yellow green tinge as her face narrowed and sharpened. When she roared in outrage her maw threatened to split her face, revealing multiple rows of razor sharp teeth dripping with saliva. What remained of the dress was torn and frayed, barely hanging on to the alien frame.

 

Her scream of rage echoed out across the park and under the young dragon, Nightscale can feel the ‘vampire’ struggling to breach his grasp. 

[Nerdzul]

Nightscale eyes widened as he witnessed the transformation happening. "Great..." He muttered, honestly grateful that he wasn't forced to face those things on his own, but instead had more experienced heroes with him. 

 

"Got any idea about how to deal with that guys..." He gulped visibly as he felt the vampire squirm in his grasp. "No.... Nop... You at least stay put on?" He continued already imagining that the creature was about to transform as well, fortunately though it wasn't and in fact, a well placed hit was enough to stun it, at least for now. 

[Supercape]

Diamondlight

 

Diamondlight took a step or two back, involountary fear driving his body whilst his eyes gazed at the monster before him. 

 

"You don't see that every day..." he whispered, somewhat subdued in tone, with a raised eyebrow. Despite his cool exterior, he could feel his heart pumping adrenaline into his muscles, feel the sweat soaking into his shirt. It felt cold, like his skin. 

 

But he propelled himself out of his fear. This was a moment for action, not lamentation or indecision. 

 

In a flash, he was right by the monster, slicing across with a laser blade of silver-blue energy that flared with the swing, with the impact. 

 

And in another flash he was back where he started, eyes focussed, laser blade brought behind him, ready to swing back if need be...

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Nightscale and Wildchild struggled on the ground with grunts and growls from both. The genetically modified vampire snapping her teeth in an angry hiss before the dragon in man form lands a solid blow, dazing her visibly, nearly going limp in his grip.

 

The two were suddenly drowned out but the sound of gunfire from Detective Ramsey’s police issued pistol. The creature that was the woman snarled at the attack but showed no sign of caring about the little metal bits being flung at it.

 

Where the woman once stood, now a monster from a Carpenter or Cronenburg film stood in the tattered remains of its dress that did little in covering anything that had once been human anatomy.

 

“I will tear your hearts from your chests and feast on them.”

The creature's voice was rough and scratchy, like iron nails on stone as she snarled at the detectives.

“But first…”

It swung its angular face in Sea Devil’s direction and what could only be a sneer twisted its face.

 

With a speed that betrays its new mass, one hand of dagger-like claws lash out at the deep one. But her swing is wide and deadly looking claws whistle through the air short of Sea Devil’s armored face plate as the hero easily dodges.

 

Diamondlight seizes the opportunity to strike. And in a flash, literally, he attacks and then the hero is back where he was. Almost as if he never moved.

 

The only evidence of his attack is a clean slice that reeks of burnt flesh, blood and ickor. That, and the cry of rage from the monster as it swipes at the lights still dancing in front of its eyes in futility.

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil leaped again, a blur of motion that belied her gangly posture, and landed behind the abomination. With a bellow loud enough to stun a codfish, she used her trident not to stab but to grab, catching the monster by the throat with the side of the shaft and pulling it tight against her armored chest. This is for the dog! she thought defiantly before she called to the others a sentence that was both invitation and warning "I - can't - hold - it!" She hoped they would kill it. As much as she hated the thing for killing the dog, when she thought about a beast like this trapped in a cage above - well, there were things far more frightening than death. 

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Wildchild shakes her head, trying to clear her head while she mutters something about having no master. Her eyes clear and she snarls up at Nightscale, snapping teeth at him in frustration.

 

Meanwhile, the monster-woman howls in rage. Half yelling, half choking barely coherent insults as she pulls against the armored grip of Sea Devil. Though all she manages to truly do in her struggles is to exchange the lights in her vision from Diamondlight, for the ones dancing across her vision from Sea Devil’s assault.

 

The duo of detectives can do little but stay out of the way at this point and hope the heroes can manage the creatures of nightmares.

 

Somewhere nearby, a set of small eyes watches from the bushes unseen. Tiny teeth grin as a thin furry tail flicks back and forth in entertainment.

[Supercape]

Diamondlight

 

On another day, Diamondlight might have caught the teeth and tail of the stealthy observer. But that day was not this day. This was the frantic smell of battle; and Diamondlight was too caught up in dealing with the moving chess pieces to notice the pawn on the edge. 

 

In a flash of light, he was in the centre of the board. Eyes closed, but still totally able to see all around him, he let loose a scintellating disco ball of silver-blue laser beams that flashed around him, lighting up the park, and even the sky. 

 

Two of the beams, carefully focussed, cutting, hot, sliced straight at the protagonists...

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Duel screams tear through the trees with the bursts of searing light erupting from the perturbed gambler.

A small hiss of irritation is lost amongst the cries.

 

Under him, Nightscale can feel the woman’s entire body tense as he can see the laser burn ragged cloth. Her scream echoes in his ears as the skin underneath, blisters and chars almost instantly. When the light subsides, he can feel Wildchild go limp. Her breath, coming in fast, short, panting, pain-filled breaths.

 

Sea Devil for her part can feel the creature writhe as Diamondlight’s laser burns and scorches its flesh. It screams inhumanly as it struggles uselessly against the Deep One’s choking grip. A smoking hole is left in the wake of the vicious attack, the massive monster staggers and drops to one knee.

But the watery hero can feel the fight hasn’t completely left the creature.

[Nerdzul]

"Awesome." Luke grinned at the display of power from the two more veteran heroes.

 

"You are tough I give you that..." Luke remarked, as he felt the vampire squirm despite being blasted by searing light.

 

"Whatever..." He shrugged, still, he had to deal with that thing, sure, helping Aquaria and Mr. Zoss use the vampire as a punching bag was nice, but they still had a giant abomination to take down.

 

Now, while dragonfire could have possibly helped, it wasn't the wisest to unleash it freakin' Central Park (no matter how satisfying it would have looked at least for a little while), so the only thing he had left was squeezing a little...  Well, a lot actually, as much as a guy that was accustomed to bench pressing busses could, to be appropriate. Hopefully it would be enough at least to knock out the vampire for good.

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil 

 

Aquaria did a quick reverse of her trident, releasing the vampire's throat and flipping the tines around to suddenly impale it through the torso. There was a sudden sound of slick, slimy moisture and a brine-like odor as it penetrated deeply through rotting half-organs and other abominations, its magic suffusing the vampire with the power of Hydra, Mother of the Deep. In her native tongue, Aquaria throbbed a series of syllables that meant only: 

 

 <"Sing of what was. What is. And what will be. When the stars are right>."

 

When the vampire crumbled to pieces, it seemed to be an implosion, as if the arms of something like an octopus were reaching out from the inside and pulling pieces somewhere else - and then it was dust and wet, sticky ashes. 

Sea Devil spat on the ashes at her feet. "For the dog!" she added in English. 

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Wildchild gasps under the weight of Nightscale’s pressure before she goes limp and unconscious under the dragon. Freeing him up to turn his attention to the rest of the clearing.

The young hero was in time to see the armored deep one thrust the tips of her trident into the belly of the monster. The smell of the ancient ocean filled the air of the tiny clearing as viens bulged across the creature’s skin. Slowly at first, the creature twitched as it seemed to curl up on itself. A moment later it convulsed as bits of it fell off in increasing chunks.

A gargled cry of rage burbled from its throat as it choked on its own necrosis.

Ancient magic rippled through the thing as more and more of it collapsed and dissolved. Soon the heroes stood looking at mounds of half-wet dust and ichor.

 

Detective Ramsey was helping support Detective Pascal as they too watched the scene unfold. Pascal’s arm still hung oddly at his side. He glanced over at the prone figure of Wildchild lying at Nightscale’s feet.

“At least one can go back to a cell.”

Ramsey nodded and pulled a radio from her belt.

“This is Detective Ramsey. I need an ambulance at the park entrance. An armored transport for a meta to lock-up. And call AGEIS for a biohazard cleanup crew.”

#zzt-Roger that-zzt#

A voice responded.

 

Detective Paschal looked a little pale but was obviously holding himself together on sheer stubbornness. He gives the heroes a nod.

“Thanks for the help. Pretty sure we’d both be dead if we ran into these two alone.”

 

***

 

Small, strange eyes still watched the gathering from a silent distance. Tiny needle teeth in a knowing smirk.

[Supercape]

Diamondlight

 

The apparent danger over, Diamondlight stopped glowing, and adjusted his ruffled clothes. 

 

An eyebrow raised, he clucked his tongue. "Our pleasure," he said to the detectives, observing them carefully. "Although... well... what where they?"

 

"And more importantly, why where they here, for what purpose?"

 

"Is this the end of it? It feels like not all the pieces of the jigsaw are in place..."

 

Aquaria looked more like a shark than a human; although appearances could be deceiving and she might be smarter than she looked. The kid? Looked smart, eager - but still inexperienced. The detectives? Maybe they had that nose for mystery, but they looked out of their depth, tired. 

 

"What do you guys think?" he asked them all. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil snorted as she smelled the air - a sound and deep echo like being close to a harbor seal. "We hunt," she agreed. "If not tonight, then another. It will not fool us." Deep Ones shared space with each other; a circle that Aquaria extended to her friends and to a lesser extent most of the people on the Surface. But not a fellow predator. 

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Detective Pascal shook his head.

“All my years on the force and I still can’t ever be sure what I’m gonna walk into when I walk onto a scene.”

He nodded at the unconscious Wildchild at Nightscale’s feet.

“I don’t know, or care, what she is. But I know she’s going away for a long time if I can help it”

 

“Take it easy, Joel.”

Detective Ramsey patted the older detective.

“I’ll be okay, Ellie.”

He reassured her.

“I should get you to that ambulance.”

She offered.

“Just as soon as they cuff that one and drag her off.”

He replied defiantly.

[Supercape]

Diamondlight

 

"Cuff, ambulance. All good," said August. "But shouldn't we interrogate?"

 

He squirmed the word out of his mouth. Interrogate was not an easy word, since it had a broad umbrella. It could get nasty. It could be torture. And Aquaria did not look like the squeamish type. 

 

"I mean interview," he said, irritated he had not used that word first.

 

"What was the motive? Accomplices, methods, and so on? This has the taste of something supernatural. Not really something I understand, but..."

 

He looked at Aquaria. 

 

"You look like something occult. I mean you look like something that knows of the occult."

 

Diamondlight was not normally a man to trip over his words. But Aquaria was spooky. In fact, this whole part felt spooky right now. 

[Nerdzul]

"Yeah maybe it's better if one of us help you escort the prisoner, just in case they wake up on the transport or somethin'..." Although to be honest Nightscale wasn't that eager to volunteer himself, his distaste born out of experience of the prison system was not enough for him to risk the lives of the officers. 

 

"Interview? Yeah sure... We need to find who's behind this." He nodded at Diamondlight's suggestion. 

 

Himself, he had a trick or two that could help in an interrogation, but he agreed with Mr. Zoss in picking Aquaria, a scary deep one, based on the persuasiveness of her looks at least.

 

"Not sure if it's all supernatural though, I have met some 'scientists' that can create some pretty messed up stuff without magic." He mused.

[Spacefurry]

GM

 

Pascal nodded.

“I mean, we wouldn’t say no to an escort.”

He admitted.

“Just didn’t seem right to ask after everything you guys have already done.”

He gave the trio a thankful smile, though it was starting to look a little strained. The man was definitely trying to ‘tough it out’ through the pain of his broken arm.

 

“We really do appreciate everything you all do for the... city...”

Ramesy’s voice trailed off at the end as her gaze wandered past the heroes to the half-melted pile of goo remained.

 

Something furry was digging in the goo. Tabby gray and shaped like a cat, it was more the size of a medium dog. It’s back to them as it dug in the disgusting smelling pile. After a moment it sat back up and wiped at its face with a paw and sighed.

“A total loss. So many samples lost. The master will be displeased.”

It said without looking back at the group.

 

Nightscale felt something vaguely familiar about the creature, and when it finally turned its head to look back at them, it clicked.

 

The dog-sized cat-thing didn’t have a cat's face, nor a dog’s for that matter. No, instead the fall of a child was inset in the furry head. Its eyes were cat-like and when it grinned at them, a mouth of needle-like teeth greeted them.

 

The last time Nightscale had seen this thing, it was carrying the severed head of the one they had called Creepshow as it ran from the underground lab they had fought him, and the woman lying unconscious on the ground beside him, in.

 

“But perhaps some of you would be willing to donate to the master’s experiments?”

It asked in a voice that was far too normal to be coming from such a creature. Its request sounded almost reasonable with its unwavering delivery and unflinching gaze.

[Supercape]

Diamondlight

 

"What in Hades is that?" said Diamondlight. It was not easy to shock him, but shocked he was. Too shocked even to alight an energy blade. 

 

"I'm not donating organs to anybody. Not whilst I am living, anyway. And that's not an invitation to kill me, before you get smart."

 

The master? Someone was behind all of this. 

"Who is your master, and why does he want organs? And, more importantly, why do you serve him? Who are you to be another man's slave?"

 

Diamondlight was not a fan of slavery. First, it was inherently abhorrent, despite its historical ubiquity. Secondly, it gave him an unconsious pang about the Daka crystal in Switzerland, a Nazi spoil of war that had given him his powers and was keeping his family alive. From Africa. Colonial scars were unavoidable. He was perhaps more short, more angry, than his normally cool nature would suggest. Slavery made him angry. 

[Avenger Assembled]

Sea Devil stared wordlessly at the science abomination, its scent a foul sickly-sweet in the air, before she spoke in a low, almost contemplative rumble, a sharp contrast from her noisy rage of before. The thing's words spoke of things in cage, and experiments, and the terrible fates Surfacers inflicted on their living and dead enemies. "There. are. no. masters. here." Her helmet snapped shut again, turning her voice mechanical but no less inhuman for that, dropping to a deep and resonant bass, like the bellow of a gigantic amphibian. Her trident crackled with barely suppressed Hydran fury, tentacles emerging from nowhere and writhing around its tipped blades to vanish somewhere dark and wet.

 

"And no gods but Those Below. Come. I show you them."